Dramatic changes in the movies and TV shows

Chapter 1256 Return to the West
In fact, to revitalize the Western Regions, in addition to having a strong military force, it is also necessary to open up trade routes in the Western Regions and make commerce and trade more prosperous so that the Western Regions can be completely controlled.

Due to its geographical features, the Western Regions are mostly vast deserts, making it impossible to form large, densely populated areas like the Central Plains. The people of the Western Regions mostly live in a few places with water sources. The Silk Road, which connects the Tang Dynasty and the Abbasid Caliphate, is like a thread that links these cities together.

Only with thriving commerce and trade could the Western Regions prosper; otherwise, in such a water-scarce place, agriculture and animal husbandry alone could not support many people.

Commerce brought benefits to the countries of the Western Regions, and coupled with the elite troops of the Anxi Protectorate, these countries were able to obey the Anxi Protectorate's orders.

Now, Tibet has severed the Silk Road, and as the Tang merchants in the short film put it, "business has become increasingly difficult in recent years." The Western Regions have also lost their interests, and with most of the troops of the Anxi Protectorate being transferred back to the Tang Dynasty, the Anxi Protectorate has lost its dominant position in the Western Regions.

Now that the Tang Dynasty has an official body, regardless of whether Lin Hao, the Grand General of the Western Regions, recruited him or not, let's just say whether Lin Hao was appointed Grand General by the Emperor.

Since they were appointed by the emperor, it meant they were sending reinforcements to the Western Regions on behalf of the government, and it was not impossible for them to reopen the Silk Road.

Of course, due to limited military strength, it would be quite difficult to invade the Western Regions from within the Tang Dynasty. Of course, Lin Hao himself did not want to open up the passage to the Western Regions from within the Tang Dynasty.

Because opening up the Western Regions without preparation would inevitably strengthen the Tang Dynasty's control over the Western Regions, the plan was to infiltrate the Western Regions and then consider opening up the Western Regions after completely controlling the region.

Before that, it would be better to choose another route to the Western Regions. The route Lin Hao took on his return, passing through Guazhou, Suzhou, Ganzhou, and Liangzhou, has now been cut off by the Tubo.

However, the north belongs to the Uyghurs. At present, the relationship between the Tang Dynasty and the Uyghurs is still good, so it is entirely possible to return to the Western Regions by intercepting the Uyghurs' route.

Actually, they were called Huihe before. Two years ago, Emperor Dezong of Tang married his eighth daughter, Princess Xian'an, to Changshou Tianqin Khan of the Huihe and allowed them to change their name to Huihu. Later, the Huihu briefly defeated the Tubo and reopened the Silk Road.

If merchants were allowed to travel north to the Uyghur Khaganate and then transit through the Uyghur Khaganate to the Western Regions, the presence of Tang Dynasty merchants could reappear on a large scale in the Western Regions, continuing to bring considerable benefits to the various countries there. In that case, the two Protectorates of the Western Regions—no, now the Western Regions Grand Protectorate—would inevitably gain more influence!
Therefore, once Lin Hao brings back Emperor Dezong's decree and the recruited Tang citizens, the morale of the remaining soldiers of the Anxi and Beiting Protectorates will surely be boosted!
In addition, although Emperor Dezong could not send regular troops to support the Western Regions, he could still provide some weaponry to the army recruited by Lin Hao. Of course, he could not expect any new weapons and equipment.

Emperor Dezong, under the pretext of "aiding the defense of the Western Regions," allocated a batch of obsolete but still usable military equipment and armor from the imperial armory.

Although they were old, Lin Hao didn't mind; the key was that these pieces of equipment were ready to use immediately.

Of course, Lin Hao was not willing to take only such a small amount of stuff to the Western Regions. Through the relationship between the Guo family and Li Sheng, Lin Hao recruited a number of blacksmiths, carpenters and other craftsmen.

News of Lin Hao, the Grand Commander of the Western Regions, recruiting troops to guard the western border spread like wildfire.

For many displaced people from Guanzhong and Hedong who had lost their land and were struggling to make a living, as well as some impoverished young men and descendants of soldiers who longed to change their fate through military merit, the offer of "fifty mu of land and ten years of tax exemption" was extremely tempting.

In addition, due to the influence of Lin Hao's skills, applicants flocked to sign up.

Lin Hao personally selected those who were strong, had families (making it easier for them to settle down), and had some knowledge of martial arts or farming.

Guo Yuanzheng led the veteran soldiers of the Xuange Battalion to be in charge of training, while Lu Shisi and Lu Wenbin assisted in managing supplies and registering them.

In just over a month, a team mainly composed of displaced people and impoverished households, mixed with some volunteers who longed for the Western Regions, had grown to five thousand people.

After more than a month of training, these recruited soldiers have acquired basic combat capabilities.

In fact, if it weren't for the fact that some of the soldiers' families would also be going to the Western Regions, Lin Hao really wanted to provide them with horses and make them all Liancheng heavy cavalry.

However, the conditions are not right now. We lack life energy, and horses are not cheap. It would be more sensible to wait until we reach the Western Regions and find a solution from those foreign tribes.

In Chang'an, you need money to buy it, but once you get to the Western Regions, you can just go and get it directly. Why waste money?

In addition to the 5,000 Tang soldiers recruited for this trip to the Western Regions, there were also some family members who were willing to go with them, as well as recruited Tang civilians. The initial count of the number of people was no less than 20,000.

If this is included, the number of caravans preparing to travel to the Western Regions will be no less than 25,000.

Equipped with refurbished old-style armor and weapons, they received basic drills in formation and troop formation at a temporary camp outside Chang'an.

Although it was somewhat chaotic, everyone's eyes were filled with hope for the future—whether it was land, military merit, or simply survival.

Lin Hao stood on the command platform, looking down at the throng of people below and the piles of grain and weapons further away.

Behind him were Guo Yuanzheng, Lu Shisi, and others who had completely submitted and whose eyes were filled with fanaticism.

"My lord, the personnel and supplies are initially ready, but traveling thousands of miles west, crossing the Tibetan-controlled area, may be dangerous!" Guo Yuanzheng whispered.

Lin Hao glanced westward and said calmly, "It's alright. Roads are made by people walking on them. We faced many obstacles on our way here, so let's not try to get here again!"

Lin Hao led his army, followed by his family members who were preparing to travel to the Western Regions, and various caravans that were preparing to reopen trade routes, all of them passing through the Kaiyuan Gate.

Outside the Kaiyuan Gate stands a stone tablet inscribed with the words "Nine thousand nine hundred li west of Anxi," written by calligrapher Yu Shinan.

This bold and inspiring statement is quite meaningful. It roughly means that it's only 9,900 li from here to Anxi, less than 10,000 li, so don't think it's too far.

This is a kind of romance that only a great nation like the Han and Tang dynasties could understand. Countless brave men of the Tang Dynasty left this place with swords and spears on their backs, just by looking at these words, and went to the distant Western Regions to spread the glory of the Tang Dynasty to the countries of the Western Regions.

Now, decades later, a new generation of young people is finally embarking on the same path their fathers once walked. For men, this is an incredibly romantic thing.

······
Lin Hao reined in his horse on a high slope, looking back coldly at the five thousand new soldiers. Their armor, though old, was still neat and tidy. After months of rigorous training and long marches, most of the naivety between their brows had faded, replaced by a resilience honed by wind and sand, and a silent obedience to the unknown road ahead.

Following them came an even larger group of 20,000 people, young and old, their oxcarts and donkey carts laden with all their possessions—and more importantly, their carefully preserved seeds, farm tools, and all their hopes for the promise of "fifty acres of land and ten years of tax exemption."

At the end of the procession were hundreds of large carts pulled by camels and horses, covered with thick tarpaulins, carrying silk, porcelain, tea, and even books and medicinal herbs brought from Chang'an.

This was a massive caravan spearheaded by the Guo family and comprised of numerous merchants eager for huge profits in the Western Regions. It was also the initial capital for Lin Hao's plan to revitalize the economy of the Western Regions.

As Lin Hao had predicted, there was no other choice. The traditional Hexi Corridor had been completely blocked by the Tubo, leaving them with no option but to head north and then west, forming a huge "right angle." Passing through Binzhou and the territory of the Shuofang Jiedushi, they proceeded cautiously, avoiding potentially hostile tribes and sporadic spying by Tubo cavalry, finally entering Uyghur territory.

As the Uyghur camp came into view in the distance, an atmosphere of weariness and vigilance permeated the ranks.

The royal court of the nomadic people was completely different from the orderly Chang'an. Countless white felt tents were scattered like mushrooms on the vast grassland, with herds of cattle and sheep, and the noise of people and horses, carrying a primitive and wild vitality.

"General, the Uyghur camp is just ahead. I have already dispatched a fast horse with a visiting card and a list of gifts to inform them, and I believe we will receive a response soon." The old steward of the Guo family spurred his horse closer to Lin Hao and reported in a low voice.

Although the old man came from a wealthy family, he was very approachable. He relied on his experience to handle logistics and initial negotiations with various forces along the way, and Lin Hao respected him greatly.

Lin Hao nodded, his sharp gaze sweeping over the distant layout of the military camp and the patrolling Uyghur cavalry, before saying, "Thank you for your trouble, Lao Guo!"

After saying that, Lin Hao turned to Guo Yuanzheng and Lu Wenbin and said:

"Give the order: the entire army is on alert. No one is to move without my command, especially the caravans. Keep a close watch on their goods and do not engage in any conflict with the Uyghurs."

"Yes," Guo Yuanzheng and Lu Wenbin agreed simultaneously.

"Yes, sir." The old steward responded and left.

The Uyghurs reacted faster than expected. Soon, a group of richly dressed Uyghur noble cavalry arrived, and the leader loudly proclaimed the Khan's welcome in broken Tang language.

Clearly, the Guo family's reputation, Lin Hao's official status as "Grand Governor of the Western Regions," and the enormous profits represented by the massive caravan were enough to entice the Uyghur royal family, which was undergoing internal power adjustments, to show sufficient enthusiasm.

The group was led to a designated area outside the tent to set up camp. A round of trading soon began.

With the Western Regions route cut off for a long time, exquisite items from the Tang Dynasty, such as silk, porcelain, and tea, held a fatal attraction for the Uyghur nobles.

The market bustled with activity, as silver, furs, livestock, and even slaves were traded. Lin Hao observed the lively scene with a cold eye, but his mind was calculating a longer-term strategy.

He allowed the caravan to sell some of its goods there, both to obtain necessary supplies and as a gesture of goodwill, and to send a signal that this new trade route was profitable.

During the banquet, the Uyghur nobles were very enthusiastic, constantly asking about the sights and sounds of Chang'an, while Lin Hao took the opportunity to seemingly casually inquire about the latest situation in the Western Regions.

Over drinks, he obtained the most crucial information: Jieyujias did not directly fight against Tubo, and when he later wanted to start a war, he was unable to launch an attack on Beiting due to internal constraints!

Therefore, Xizhou is still safe for the time being, and this news reassured him that at least he made it in time.

The caravan stayed at the lodge for several days. Some of the merchants, who had made a fortune, decided to take the Uyghur specialties, mainly fine horses and furs, and return to Chang'an first to organize the next batch of goods.

Many more merchants chose to continue following Lin Hao westward to Anxi, a place where goods were said to fetch astronomical prices.

When the caravan set off again, it not only replenished its freshwater and food supplies, but also acquired hundreds of fine Uyghur horses.

Lin Hao used every spare moment during the march to continue training the five thousand new soldiers. He combined modern military training methods with the practical needs of cold weapon combat, and the training was extremely rigorous.

Guo Yuanzheng, Lu Shisi, and Lu Wenbin, veterans who had experienced real bloodshed, became the strictest instructors.

As they traversed the treacherous passes of the Tianshan Mountains and caught a glimpse of the familiar yet dilapidated outline of Xizhou City, this newly formed army, though still green and inexperienced, already exuded a sense of grim determination among its ranks.

On the city wall of Xizhou, a sharp-eyed old soldier was dozing off against the crenellations when he vaguely heard an unusual, muffled, thunderous sound coming from afar.

He looked up in confusion, gazing into the distance. At first, it was just a black line on the horizon, but then the black line expanded and turned into billowing dust.

Beneath the smoke and dust, there were densely packed figures of people and vehicles, as well as a large banner with the character "Tang" that, though worn down by the wind and sand, still fluttered stubbornly!

The white-haired old soldier rubbed his eyes violently, almost thinking he was seeing things or that a mirage was appearing.

He stared intently at the flag, at the well-organized and impressively large army below it, and at the long line of civilian caravans and camel caravans stretching for miles.

A few breaths later, a heart-wrenching, almost distorted scream shattered the tranquility of Xizhou City:
"Tang! It's the banner of the Great Tang Dynasty! Our reinforcements have arrived!"

"An army! It's our Great Tang army! So many people, coming from the east!"

"Quickly! Report to the Protector-General! The Tang Dynasty has arrived! People from the Tang Dynasty have come! A large number of them!"

When someone saw Lin Hao and his group from afar, they were so excited that tears welled up in their eyes, and they rushed to report to Yang Xigu.

In an instant, the entire city of Xizhou was abuzz with this earth-shattering news, and the dilapidated city walls were instantly crowded with white-haired old soldiers who had rushed to the scene upon hearing the news.

They leaned against the battlements, their cloudy eyes wide with disbelief as they stared at the massive, seemingly out-of-the-sky procession approaching.

Tears streamed silently down the faces of these weathered veterans, who had grown accustomed to despair. They trembled, choked back sobs, and supported each other, as if afraid that this was all just a beautiful illusion.

After nearly several decades, the Tang Dynasty's army finally arrived in the Western Regions again. These white-haired veterans seemed to see hope, but what excited them even more was yet to come.

When Lin Hao led his men to the city gate, some of the elderly people found their nephews and nieces in Lin Hao's group.

Seeing these people, they were both happy and worried. They were happy to finally reunite with their loved ones after many years.

What I worry about is what their future holds. Will they, like me, be trapped alone in the Western Regions for decades?