The Great Tang General

The Tang Dynasty, the Arab Empire, and Rome were all rapidly mobilizing their troops.

This is a battle that concerns the fate of a nation or its destruction.

The difference is that both the Arab Empire and the Roman Empire had huge hidden dangers. One wanted to preserve the country, and the other wanted to revive.

The war launched by the Tang Dynasty was merely the mobilization of power from the west, which had little impact on the national strength.

The accumulation during the ten years of Qianyuan enabled the Tang Dynasty to possess a great deal of wealth.

The Tang central government only paid some money.

This is because among the Three Kingdoms, the Tang Dynasty had the strongest national power.

The Tang Dynasty's land area, population, wealth, and war horses far exceeded the sum of Rome and the Caliphate, which made the Roman Empire, its apparent ally, worried about the Tang Dynasty.

Constantine V wanted to destroy the Arab Empire, his mortal enemy, so that the Roman Empire could own the territory around the Mediterranean and face the Bulgarian Khanate with greater national strength.

Nor did they want to see the Tang Dynasty take root in the basins of the Euphrates and Tigris rivers.

When their forces were separated by one country, they were natural allies.

Once the power of the Roman Empire and the Tang Dynasty became close, could they still be as friendly as when Abogas visited Chang'an and Cui Hanheng visited Constantinople?

the answer is negative!

In such an alliance, the weaker party often has less confidence.

When Constantine V led his troops to the northern part of Syria, he played a trick.

He tried his best to keep his troops in reserve and not to attack proactively, so as to prevent Abu Jalfar Abbas from being defeated and the main force of the Arabs from fighting the main force of Rome, allowing the Tang Dynasty to reap the benefits.

Because geographically, the Roman Empire could reach the northern part of Syria and the western part of Armenia as soon as it sent troops, posing the greatest threat to the Arabs.

Constantine V was calculating so as not to overly irritate Abu Jalfar Abbas.

Not only that, in secret, Constantine V was conducting another diplomatic activity.

He sent envoys to contact the Kharza Khanate, located northeast of the Black Sea and north of the Azerbaijan and Armenia regions.

Constantine V said that if Rome and Tang came into conflict, the two would form an alliance again. He would help the Khalja Khanate obtain Armenia and the Caucasus.

The current Roman Empire has already controlled part of the Armenian region.

This can be said to be taking diplomacy to the extreme.

Constantine V's tactics were very clever, but Abu Jalfar Abbas at that time did not take him seriously.

Abu Jalfar Abbas believed that with the 50,000 troops of the Grand Emir, he could stop Constantine V from marching south.

Li Xuan only used the Roman Empire to expand the power of the Tang Dynasty to the Mediterranean.

As long as we can occupy the core soil of the Mesopotamian Valley and relocate the Han people.

It was easy to capture Constantinople.

The time entered the early May of the tenth year of Qianyuan.

Li Xuan came to the city of Qiuci from the southern route of the Silk Road.

After more than ten years of development, Qiuci has become the first city in the Western Regions.

The Anxi Protectorate was stationed here, and the Anxi Governor's Office was also stationed here.

The city of Kucha was expanded.

The royal palace in the south belonged to the royal family of Kucha.

The Grand Protectorate in the north and the Governor's Office in the east created a "two-polar system" in Qiuci.

The Tang Dynasty retained the power of the royal family of the ancient country of Kucha, and the royal family was able to rule their people.

But the Grand Protectorate and the Governor-General's Office were above the royal families of the Western Regions.

They needed to pay taxes to the Tang Dynasty to maintain national peace.

In the city of Qiuci and the villages and towns around Qiuci, the number of Han people had reached more than 37,000, not including the army and officials.

Han people and people from the Western Regions lived together.

The powerful Han culture has an influence on the people of the Western Regions at all times.

Countless warriors in the Western Regions wanted to become a general of the Tang Dynasty and be granted the title of Duke, just like Bai Xiaode.

A truly powerful warrior would not join his own country, but would serve the Tang Dynasty.

Yuchi Sheng, the King of Khotan, was willing to give up the throne and become a general of the Tang Dynasty, and his throne was passed down in the Western Regions.

Similar things have always impacted the values ​​of people in the Western Regions.

There were even cases where people in the Western Regions encountered grievances and went to the Protectorate to seek solutions.

In the sparsely populated Western Regions, the Tang Dynasty needed to open mines and build factories.

By employing a large number of people from the Western Regions, those landless people from the Western Regions could obtain enough capital to support their families.

In all aspects, the influence of the Tang Dynasty during the Tian Khan era has surpassed that of the royal family.

Whether it is credibility, system or culture.

The Tang Dynasty did not take the initiative, the royal authority was weakened, and they could do nothing about it.

They gradually lost control of many things.

The king is just the king.

Heavenly Khan Li Xuan has become the belief in the hearts of countless people.

After Li Xuan arrived in Qiuci, the current Anxi Protector-General Li Mian, Anxi Army Commander Li Siye, and the King of Qiuci led the military and civilians to greet him more than ten miles outside the city.

The people gathered on the roadside, with flags waving, drums and music blaring, and cheers shaking the earth, as they welcomed the Khan.

The former general has been away from the Western Regions for twelve years.

The people of the Western Regions all miss him.

This was the most prosperous time for Tang culture, and it was also the time when China's penetration into the Western Regions was deeper and its influence was the greatest.

Since the Western Han Dynasty, the Chinese have repeatedly engraved strength and majesty into the genes of the people of the Western Regions.

After Li Xuan appeared, the idea blossomed and bore fruit, leading to the unknowing ethnic integration in the Western Regions.

Some people from the Western Regions who look obviously different from the Han people claim to be Han people.

History will give us an answer.

"Long live!"

"Long live……"

The soldiers and civilians saw that Li Xuan had a solemn face and a sharp gaze. He was wearing golden armor and riding on a Ferghana horse. The imperial aura he exuded was shocking to everyone.

The Hu and Han people in the Western Regions could not help but shout, shocking the sky and stopping the clouds.

When Li Xuan met Li Siye, Li Mian and King Kucha, he ordered the troops to stop.

"Your Highness, I pay my respects to you..."

Li Xuan dismounted from his horse with great agility. Li Mian and Li Siye led the civil and military officials to pay homage to Li Xuan.

"No need to be polite."

Li Xuan ordered Li Mian, Li Siye, the King of Kucha and others to be exempted from the formalities.

At the welcoming ceremony, Li Xuan never asked about political or military affairs.

He expressed his condolences to the civil and military officials and the officials of Kucha who came to greet him one by one.

This flattered them.

For officials at the border, they never dared to imagine meeting the Supreme or speaking to him.

Even the officials of Kucha felt proud of it.

The Heavenly Khans of Shengxiong, both ancient and modern, have always been their role models.

After some condolences, Li Xuan rode his BMW again and headed towards Qiuci City.

More and more Hu and Han people saw Li Xuan, and Li Xuan waved to them.

He deliberately slowed down to allow more people to feel him.

It was not to show off, but to establish his own power in the hearts of the Hu and Han people in the Western Regions.

Such an unintentional action would make people feel that Li Xuan was very close to them.

Some kings are obviously very close to the people, yet they seem to be far away in the horizon.

Finally, Li Xuan entered the city of Qiuci, the Protectorate of the Great Commandery. After bathing and changing his clothes, he summoned Li Mian and Li Siye.

"I am going on this expedition to consolidate the Western Regions, to nip the threat in the bud, and to usher in eternal peace. You should work together with me and do your best."

Li Xuan had already stated in the imperial edict, and once again pointed out the purpose of this trip. The main purpose was to let the Western Regions not take it lightly.

Even though Gansu, Qinghai and other places transported grain and money to the Western Regions.

But that costs too much.

The military supplies for this trip mainly depend on grain purchases.

Use a large amount of money to purchase all the grain in the Western Regions and Hezhong.

Anxi, as the logistical base of the Tang Dynasty, cannot be lagging behind in this regard.

"Please rest assured, Your Majesty. Even if the Anxi Army leaves, I will organize the people to cultivate the thousands of arable lands left in the Western Regions to ensure more food."

Anxi Grand Protector Li Mian replied to Li Xuan.

The Western Expedition did not happen overnight, but probably took many years.

Even if we have to give up some factories and mines in Kucha City, we must plant food.

"When buying grain, there must be limits. We must ensure that the Western Region is self-sufficient in food, but also have the ability to respond to disasters. Too much is as bad as too little, and it will lead to unrest."

Li Xuan was worried that if he pushed too hard, the price of grain would soar, causing local people and merchants to sell out their grain, thus triggering an artificial famine.

Li Xuan was not overthinking it. The grain production in the Western Regions was too weak. Even though there were few people, the area was too large and uncontrollable situations would occur.

"Please rest assured, Your Majesty. The price of grain has always been under the control of the Great Protectorate. As early as when Your Majesty was in charge of the Western Regions, a large number of pastures were established in the Yili River Basin and the Seven Rivers Basin. Over the past decade, there have been millions of cattle and sheep. These can be used as military supplies at any time to solve the pressure of food shortage."

Li Mian replied to Li Xuan.

He was the great-grandson of King Hui of Zheng, Li Yuanyi, and the son of Li Zeyan, the governor of Qizhou.

He is a member of the royal family.

As early as when he was young, Li Mian studied classics and history diligently, and was famous for his elegance and clarity.

In the era when Li Xuan suppressed the royal family, Li Mian was able to serve as the second-rank Anxi Protector-General, which was enough to prove his ability.

"Yes! The supplies from Hexi and Beiting will also arrive continuously. All supplies must be counted and recorded after passing through the Anxi Protectorate. When the war is over, the losses of the Western Expedition must be counted and recorded in the history books."

Li Xuan was very satisfied with Li Mian's arrangement and gave emphatically instructions.

"The minister obeys the order!"

Li Mian stood up and bowed.

"Commander Li, how is the Anxi Army deployed?"

Li Xuan asked Li Siye again.

This time, the three main commanders of the Western Expedition were Li Siye, Ma Lin and Li Sheng.

Among them, except Li Siye who was slightly older, the others were generals in their prime in the army.

In particular, Ma Lin and Li Sheng, together with Hun Yu, Che Guangqian and Lai Chen, are collectively known as the "Five Heroes".

It is not because they have the highest military achievements, but because they are young and strong, and have outstanding achievements. They will be the backbone of the army in the future.

Currently Che Guangqian and Hun Yu are serving as the commanders-in-chief of the frontier, and they recently destroyed the Turks.

It is impossible for Li Xuan to give all the credit to them.

"Reporting to the Supreme, most of the Anxi Army's troops have passed through the Qianquan Ancient Road and arrived at Zhezhi City to station. The soldiers are in high spirits and are ready to fight for the country at any time."

Li Siye replied to Li Xuan.

Li Siye, the former Modao general whose troops and horses were annihilated, has grown into a mature coach.

The Modao Army would be eliminated by the times sooner or later, but the old and strong Li Siye refused to admit defeat and wanted to hold the Modao and wield it again.

"Yes! How are the subordinate Hu tribes and the thirty-six countries in the Western Regions preparing?"

Li Xuan nodded and asked Li Siye again.

"The last wave of troops from the Karluk Khanate, the Tuqishi tribes, and the Anxi states have also begun to set out. The remaining states and tribes are under the jurisdiction of the Zhezhi Military Governor's Office and the Beiting Military Governor's Office. A month ago, the two governors informed me that they are almost ready."

Li Siye reported to Li Xuan.

In addition, the Dunhuang Army and Wuwei Army cavalry, led by the deputy governor, arrived at Suiye City two months ago.

The governors of the two places did not participate in the Western Expedition.

"Ten days later, follow me through the Qianquan Ancient Road and march to Samujian City. After you meet up with the generals, we will discuss military affairs."

After Li Xuan had clarified the movements of the troops, he decided to rush to Samugan City as soon as possible to establish tactics.

In Samakan City, Li Xuan could receive news from the front line more accurately.

Afterwards, Li Xuan explained the matter to Li Siye and Li Mian.

Especially Li Mian.

During the war, his duties were paramount.

Foods such as beef jerky, raisins, preserved fruits, fine wine, fructose, etc. were processed as much as possible and transported to the front line.

To enrich the soldiers' food.

There are also various daily necessities, and the military is given priority.

Wars are fought with comprehensive strength, and the Tang Dynasty must use its comprehensive strength to crush the enemy with overwhelming force.

The next day, Li Xuan hosted a banquet for the officials and nobles of Qiuci City at the Grand Protectorate.

The envoys in Kucha expressed their intention to come to Kucha to meet the Heavenly Khan.

"See you in triumph!"

This is Li Xuan’s unified response.

After his triumphant return, he summoned the kings of the Western Regions to the city of Qiuci.

In the following days, Li Xuan inspected the area near Qiuci.

Especially Crown Prince Li Yi, it was his first time to come to the Western Regions.

"The ancients spared no effort in learning, and their hard work in youth was only completed in old age. What you learn from books is always shallow, and you must practice it yourself to fully understand it..."

There is an iron mine at the foot of the mountain beside the Chi River in the south of Qiuci City. Li Xuan brought Li Yi and Li Song to the place to watch the workers working and witness how steel was born.

"Father often said that reading ten thousand books is not as good as traveling ten thousand miles. This journey of ten thousand miles has deeply touched me."

Although Li Yi did not spend much time with Li Xuan, he benefited greatly from Li Xuan's teachings.

When I was young, I didn’t know that my father was going on a long journey, and I didn’t understand that my family had to flee to Longyou overnight.

Now as he gets older, he admires his father more and more.

He was well-versed in the classics, but in the history books, he could not find anyone as great as his father.

Yao and Shun are too far away!

Compared with his father, the Qin Emperor and the Han Emperor would seem insignificant.

In terms of benevolent governance, Emperor Taizong was not as loving to the people as his father.

Poetry, songs, astronomy and geography, and craftsmanship.

My father knows everything and is an expert in everything.

Li Yi understood that he would never be able to imitate his father.

Father is unique and unprecedented!
As the crown prince, he understood the purpose of this trip.

Their father asked them to follow him not just for a war.

"Yier, what did you see at the iron mine earlier?"

Li Xuan suddenly asked Li Yi a question.

"Father, what I saw was not only the steel that represents the country's heavy equipment, but also the workers' rattan helmets, iron shoes, life ropes, etc. It is said that in the past, miners often died, like grass. Now that father has reformed the construction and mining systems, he has invented protective gear, shortened the construction period, and focused on safety. The number of deaths of craftsmen in various places has been greatly reduced."

"Only when people are put first can a country enjoy long-term peace. Life is priceless and is not worth a dime!"

Li Yi briefly recalled the situation at the mine and immediately replied to Li Xuan.

"Yier will be a benevolent monarch in the future."

Li Xuan was very satisfied with Li Yi's answer!
(End of this chapter)