The Great Tang General

In Irina's mind, the Khan of Heaven is both real and unreal.

On the one hand, because Sky Khan was deified, in Roman stories, Sky Khan possessed the power of a god-king.

On the other hand, Tian Khan is a real person who conquered all the way from the unreachable Chang'an to the Mediterranean.

The Roman Empire, which had already been divided once, faced its greatest enemy.

In order to achieve peace with the Tang Dynasty, Rome had to set out from Athens.

Under the rumbling of the wheels, the morning dew of the homeland was crushed, and also her last peace.

She would never again see the spring flowers of Athens.

She wants to say goodbye to her family and go to a place where she can never return.

When Abogas was sent as an envoy to the Tang Dynasty, it took him eight years to go back and forth.

As a bond between the two countries, she could only come to a foreign country for the sake of her country and nation...

"Roman Princess Irina, meeting... the Khan..."

Finally reaching the center of the hall, Irina bowed to Li Xuan.

She followed the Tang Dynasty etiquette and spoke Chinese, although not very fluently.

This was something Abogas had specifically taught her.

After his mission to the Tang Dynasty, Abogas could speak fluent Chinese.

Only at this time did Irina dare to raise her head.

She also saw Li Xuan's true face.

Their attire, spirit and bearing were so different from those of the Romans, and one could only admire them.

Just as Abogas described, Tian Khan was a wise and brave man, as bright as the sun and the moon.

When Tian Khan is in his prime, it is the most majestic and charming moment for a man.

As in the Central Plains, the statues and portraits of the emperors of the Roman Empire that have been handed down are of their prime years, not their adolescence.

Irina was already in awe, and now seeing the Khan was even more speechless.

"Your name is Irina, and you were born in Athens, Greece?"

Li Xuan suddenly asked after hearing Irina's self-introduction.

He had heard before that the Roman Empire had sent a princess to marry, but he did not know the name of the Roman princess.

All I know is that it’s the same routine as in the Central Plains, where a noble is crowned a princess.

"Khan Huitian... I was born and raised in Athens..."

Irina replied to Li Xuan.

She thought Abogas had told the Sky Khan about her origins.

Athens is an amazing city.

It was once a symbol of democracy, shining like a beacon.

Although this kind of democracy has great drawbacks and injustices, it has set a historical precedent.

But Athens lost the historical competition to the more disciplined Sparta.

Athens was also destroyed.

At this time, the Roman Empire supported Athens, which helped Athens regain its vitality.

"Athens is a great place, surrounded by mountains on three sides and the sea on one side, with outstanding people and beautiful scenery..."

Li Xuan thought to himself, as expected.

He had to re-examine Irina. If she was the Queen Irina in history, she would definitely not be an easy person to deal with.

But after weighing the pros and cons in his mind, Li Xuan felt that Irina's arrival in the Tang Dynasty would be beneficial rather than harmful to the current Great Huaxia Empire.

If nothing unexpected happened, Constantine V, who already had chronic illness, would not live for many years.

The successor is the current co-emperor of Rome, the future Leo IV.

Why did Li Xuan let Li Sheng go to deal with the Khazar Khanate north of Azerbaijan in the Caucasus region at any time?
And regarded the Khazar Khanate as one of its future enemies.

This is because Leo IV's mother was the daughter of Khazar Khan Bihar.

Historically, Leo IV married Irene. Perhaps he inherited a chronic illness from his father, Constantine V, and died when he was just over 30 years old.

Then came the era when Irina was "ruling from behind the scenes".

In fact, Leo IV was a good monarch. After Constantine V died suddenly, his other sons used Leo IV's bloodline to make a fuss and called him a "Khazar barbarian".

But they were eventually suppressed by Leo IV.

After taking over Syria, Leo IV also attacked Iraq, but was unsuccessful.

Li Xuan was thinking that in history, Queen Irene had been in power for more than 20 years and she had an absolute influence on the direction of the Roman Empire.

If the Roman Empire no longer had Empress Irene ten years later.

Will it cause chaos in the Roman Empire?
Without Empress Irene, there would be no Constantine VI.

In the great test of time, will a more wise Roman emperor emerge?

All in all, it was highly likely that the Roman Empire would fall into civil strife.

Even now, there are many areas that the Roman Empire has no real control over.

Another point is that Li Xuan wants to remotely control the game on the European continent.

Because the Frankish Kingdom had undergone tremendous changes last year.

The king, formerly known as Pepin the Short, died.

Charlemagne and his brother Carloman divided the Frankish kingdom and crowned each of them king.

But Li Xuan knew that within a few years, Charlemagne would re-merge the Frankish Kingdom and take it to a higher level, known as the "Charlemagne Empire."

Charlemagne spent thirty years launching several wars against the Saxons, conquering Bavaria, and defeating the Slavs and Avars, expanding the influence of Charlemagne's empire to the Baltic Sea in the north and the Adriatic Sea in the south in western Eastern Europe.

Charlemagne was also crowned "Emperor of the Romans" by the Pope.

Become the "Great Emperor" that Constantine V dreamed of in the Western world.

Historically, Charlemagne was called the "Father of Europe".

He introduced European civilization and shifted the cultural center from the Mediterranean Greek area to the Rhine River in Europe.

He is undoubtedly one of the best monarchs in Western history.

Since Li Xuan has expanded the territory of the Tang Dynasty to the Mediterranean, we cannot allow such a powerful person to appear.

A divided Europe is a good Europe. They cannot be allowed to integrate culturally.

The Roman Empire, which was closest to the Tang Dynasty, was one of the Tang Dynasty's plans.

"I admire the great Khan of Heaven, and am fascinated by his deeds. I will serve him wholeheartedly. From now on, I am no longer a Roman, but a Tang person..."

After all, she was Irina. After seeing the wise and brave Li Xuan, she quickly calmed down and wanted to please the Khan with her beauty.

First of all, this is the most powerful person in the world.

Abogas said that the territory of ten Roman empires is not as large as that of the current Tang Dynasty.

Secondly, she is not too concerned about preserving Rome and her hometown.

"Home is where the heart is. I will return to Chang'an in a few days, and you will go with me. The Tang Dynasty is the Celestial Empire and a country of etiquette. I hope you can truly belong to the Tang Dynasty."

Li Xuan just smiled slightly.

Li Xuan, who knows history, is almost like a god.

It was also impossible for him to truly take Irina as his concubine.

The Irina in history was as cruel as Wu Zetian.

Not only did she seize her son's power, she also captured her son and ordered the soldiers to blind his eyes so that he would never be a threat to her.

Of course, it is also possible that people’s hearts have become corrupt after gaining power, so they do whatever they want.

But Li Xuan will not leave any harm to the Tang Dynasty.

After Irina's marriage, her fate was destined to be tragic.

She was just a witness to how Li Xuan used Rome to develop six protectorates and accumulate strength.

The Roman Empire was afraid that the Khan would continue to expand.

Li Xuan was also worried that the Roman Empire would cause trouble and disrupt trade and the Silk Road.

In the history of the Roman Empire, fighting with the Mesopotamian region was commonplace.

This was the case during the Persian Empire and the Caliphate.

Peace cannot last forever.

Once in Chang'an, Irina was unable to pass any news back to Rome. Even merchants who traveled far away only traveled back and forth between two nodes on a certain section of the Silk Road to make profits.

No merchant would reach Rome from Chang'an, that would be a fantasy.

"You've come a long way and must be exhausted! Go back to your room and rest for a few days. Soon, we'll have to travel a long distance again..."

Li Xuan told Irina to leave for the time being.

Irina's eyes were full of confusion. Tian Khan did not let her stay and serve.

I felt nervous but also lost.

Do Eastern and Western people have different aesthetic tastes?
If so, how should she complete her mission and face a foreign country?

Irina did not dare to disobey the order of the Khan, and left the palace of the former Arab Empire with her maid with a heavy heart.

Ten days later, Li Xuan led the Shen Ce Wei and Tian Ce Wei imperial guards and left Jerusalem, heading to Baghdad for rest.

Baghdad.

Xiao Xin, the Protector-General of the Two Rivers, cited the example of An Lushan who proclaimed himself emperor by looking at the palace, and advised Li Xuan to demolish the magnificent palace once Li Xuan left Baghdad.

This is to prevent any future protector general or army from becoming ambitious and becoming self-reliant.

The palace of the Arabs has a strong religious style, which is inconsistent with the image of Li Xuan destroying the temple.

Moreover, Xiao Xin believed that the Lianghe Protectorate was in a state of disrepair and required a lot of money and construction.

The majestic palace costs a huge amount of money to maintain every year.

It’s just the headquarters of the Protectorate, the cost outweighs the gain.

Li Xuan agreed with Xiao Xin's suggestion.

After he left Baghdad, Xiao Xin presided over the demolition of the Baghdad Palace.

Use stone and wood to build factories.

Let the history of the Arabs disappear in the Mesopotamian region.

One of Li Xuan’s return destinations was the Caspian Sea.

In the summer, Li Xuan arrived at the southeast of the Caspian Sea.

He had enclosed a piece of land in the area close to the Caspian Sea in advance and named it "Anye County" (now Tokaman, Iran).

Anye County means "living and working in peace and contentment".

At this time, the place was desolate and the population was very sparse.

But it is very suitable for building a port.

This was a city-county built specifically for the migration of Han people across the Caspian Sea.

Li Xuan plans to establish a county in the Caspian Sea in the next ten years that is mainly populated by Han people. He also sincerely hopes that the people who have migrated here can live and work in peace and contentment.

Once the Caspian Sea economy is connected, this will be a good place to develop handicrafts and industry.

When they arrived at Mulu City, Lu Jing reported the affairs to Li Xuan.

The current Persian Protectorate is almost stable.

The people of Persia worshipped the Heavenly Khan and believed that he was a god who had descended to earth.

Li Xuan continued to exert his influence and toured the villages throughout Mulu City for three consecutive days, receiving worship and support from the Persian people.

He also ordered Lu Jing to demolish the palace in Mulu City and build a factory instead.

Li Xuan also inspected the gold and silver mines in the Khorasan region.

He emphasized the importance of minerals to local officials and gave instructions on safety during mining.

In July, Li Xuan set out from Mulu City and returned...

Along the way, Li Xuan only stayed for a long time in big cities such as Samagan City, Ningyuan Capital, Shule, and Qiuci.

In ordinary towns, it usually takes three or two days to resupply before setting off again.

In winter, Li Xuan arrived in Dunhuang City and returned to the traditional sphere of influence of the Tang Dynasty.

Along the way, the counties had sufficient supplies, and even more supplies for war horses.

This made the army's march much faster.

In mid-April of the fourteenth year of Qianyuan, Li Xuan returned to Chang'an.

It has been five years since I left Chang'an.

Li Xuan completed his mission of the Western Expedition.

As long as the existing sixteen protectorates can be transformed into provinces.

Start the industrial revolution again, so that history will not go backwards...

He has no major regrets in his life.

This year, the cement road between the two capitals was paved.

The cement road from the west of Chang'an was also paved to Xianyang.

The sun was high in the sky, casting thousands of golden rays, making every inch of brick and stone of the majestic Chang'an shine brightly.

There were crowds of people on both sides of the cement official road.

The Yulin Army's guard of honor also arrived first to the west of Chang'an to welcome them.

The imperial canopy was the first thing that caught everyone's eye. The Black Dragon Flag of the Tang Dynasty fluttered in the wind, as if announcing the return of the king from afar.

The emperor had been leading the army in person for five years, and the people missed him terribly, so many people emptied the streets to come and welcome him.

As the supreme being who created the world, his influence has penetrated into people's hearts.

During Li Xuan's expedition, countless people hoped that the Supreme would return safely.

Although Li Xuan's golden armor was stained with the dust of battle, it could not conceal the majesty emanating from his body. He sat upright on a silver Arabian horse, his posture as straight as a pine tree, his deep eyes gazing into the distance. The vicissitudes of years of battle were condensed in the corners of his eyes and eyebrows, and his heroic spirit was even more evident.

"Long live, long live!"

Wherever Li Xuan passed, the people's cheers were like thunder, shaking the sky.

Irina from Rome was sitting in a carriage. She gently opened the curtain and looked at the huge crowd in shock.

During this journey, she deeply felt the vastness of the Tang Dynasty.

Since entering Dunhuang, I have always felt shocked.

There were thousands of miles of fertile fields, fields of mulberry and hemp, and endless cotton…
The cities in the Hexi Corridor were so prosperous that no other city in the Roman Empire could compare to it, except Constantinople.

Especially Liangzhou City, which is no worse than Constantinople.

When she arrived in Chang'an Prefecture, she saw numerous factories and learned that many unexpected items were produced there.

How should the Roman Empire fight against the Tang Dynasty, which is so vast and rich in resources?
Starting from Xianyang, her carriage rode smoothly without any bumps.

When she got off the car to rest, she found that there was a cement road ahead that stretched as far as she could see.

I heard from the maid that the Tang Dynasty had paved cement roads to Luoyang, hundreds of miles away.

That was the other capital of the Tang Dynasty besides Chang'an.

The Khan still did not favor her, which made Irina even more afraid.

The loneliness of being in a foreign country arises spontaneously, the sky becomes unfamiliar; even the moon and stars seem to carry a sense of alienation and coldness.

The only thing that can be felt is that this Khan, who is contrary to the Roman rumors, is a benevolent and righteous king.

She didn't understand, if he was a benevolent king, why would he conquer the world and invade other countries?

The maids explained that the Khan wanted to make life better for the people.

The Heavenly Khan is the common ruler of the world. Wherever the Tang Dynasty conquers, brutality is eliminated, nobles are suppressed, and farmland is distributed. The lives of the people will become better and better.

Irina was speechless!

The benevolence of the Khan is Irina's only comfort.

She hopes to change her fate in this Chang'an city.

Chief Prime Minister Li Mi led all civil and military officials to welcome the Heavenly Khan back to the capital.

Among them are retired prime ministers Liu Yan, Yang Wan, Pei Zunqing, Yan Zhenqing and others.

Li Xian and Li Xuan were separated by death, and he felt sad again.

The two great poets Wang Changling and Cen Shen also passed away one after another and did not live to see Li Xuan's return.

Dozens of the generals, admirals, and lieutenant generals appointed by Li Xuan have already passed away.

Li Xuan's father, Li Shizhi, was in increasingly poor health and had a serious illness some time ago. After being treated by the great doctor Wang Bing, he temporarily recovered.

So Li Xuan did not stay in Gansu and Shaanxi provinces for too long and went straight back to Chang'an Prefecture...

(End of this chapter)