Dramatic changes in the movies and TV shows

Chapter 1257 Hope Rekindled
"Open the city gates!" Yang Xigu, with tears welling in his eyes, ordered as he arrived at the city gate.

Upon seeing the familiar Tang banner and Lin Hao, a young man sitting upright on his horse, the veteran general, who had served Xizhou for many years and was accustomed to life and death, instantly had tears welling up in his eyes.

His excitement stemmed not only from Lin Hao, but also from the significance of the soldiers and civilians behind Lin Hao: the Tang Dynasty had not abandoned this place, and the Tang Dynasty had returned.

The heavy city gates were slowly pushed open, making a screeching sound. Inside Xizhou City, almost everyone who could still move poured out, spontaneously standing on both sides of the road, craning their necks in anticipation.

Cheers, cries, and incredulous gasps blended together.

Lin Hao took the lead, guiding his troops slowly to the city walls. With a mere wave of his hand, the massive army behind him obeyed his command, halting abruptly, leaving only the fluttering of their banners in the wind.

He leaped off his horse and strode quickly to the overjoyed Yang Xigu, solemnly clasping his hands in a respectful greeting:
"Governor Yang, on your journey to Chang'an you were summoned by His Majesty. Now you have returned by imperial decree to announce His Majesty's will..."

After conveying Emperor Dezong's words of encouragement, he took out the imperial edict and announced the court's decision to establish the Western Regions Grand Protectorate, to govern all affairs in the Western Regions, and to appoint Lin Hao as Grand Protector.

After Lin Hao finished reading the decree, Yang Xigu's excitement gradually subsided. He took the decree and examined it carefully, pondering its meaning.

He was somewhat curious as to why Lin Hao, the acting military commander, would be appointed as the Grand Governor of the Western Regions; this puzzled him.

When Lin Hao spoke with him before, Lin Hao only expressed that he would receive an imperial decree in the future and develop the land in Luntai. However, he has now unexpectedly become the Grand Commander.

Looking at the endless crowds and supplies behind Lin Hao, he could only suppress his doubts for the time being. In any case, it was a good thing that the Tang Dynasty was able to send people to the Western Regions. With this new force, the Western Regions were temporarily stabilized.

As for whether there is political infighting or power struggle, it doesn't matter anymore. This group of people are already in their eighties and nineties. Letting Lin Hao, a young man, take the lead is not a bad thing.

"Good! Good! It's good that you're back! Lin~!" She had originally intended to call Lin Hao Sima, but remembering that Lin Hao had received an imperial decree from His Majesty, she changed her address accordingly:

"Governor Lin! These soldiers... and these civilians, they are all..."

"Five thousand newly recruited soldiers, twenty thousand voluntary migrants to the west, along with some grain, provisions, and military equipment from the imperial court, and caravans organized by numerous merchants from Chang'an and Shuofang," Lin Hao reported succinctly.
"His Majesty has appointed me as the Commander-in-Chief of the military affairs of Anxi and Beiting, and ordered me to oversee the defense and agricultural settlements in the Western Regions. Protector-General Yang, from now on, Xizhou and Kucha will no longer be isolated forces!"

Lin Hao's words carried clearly throughout the surrounding area, causing an even greater sensation. Reinforcements! Real reinforcements! And civilians! And caravans! This meant hope, it meant that holding out had meaning!

Many elderly veterans, their hair now white, could no longer contain themselves and burst into tears. Many others began frantically searching through the immigrant queue, calling out the names of any relatives they might have.

For a time, tragedies and comedies of family reunions unfolded outside the city gates, with tears mingling with immense joy and deep-seated sorrow.

Looking at everything before him, at the seemingly exhausted yet vibrant force behind Lin Hao, and at the veterans of Xizhou whose eyes had been rekindled with fire, Yang Xigu patted Lin Hao's shoulder heavily, completely disregarding Lin Hao's status as Grand Commander.

Finally, with a long sigh, and with an unprecedented sense of ease and anticipation in his eyes, he said:

"It's good that you're here. With the support of the imperial court, there's hope for the Western Regions! Let's go into the city and rest!"

Then the massive army began to pour into Xizhou City in an orderly fashion. This besieged and silent city, which had been silent for too long, seemed to be injected with hot blood and came back to life instantly.

The clamor of voices, vehicles, and laughter dispelled the years of accumulated silence and despair.

As Lin Hao walked through the city, looking at the white-haired old soldiers and common people on both sides of the road who were excitedly shedding tears and welcoming the king's army with food and drink, his heart was also filled with turmoil.

This is just the first step. Next, in addition to stabilizing Xizhou, we need to go to Kucha and then take over Luntai, the lifeline for future self-sufficiency in land reclamation.

Well, regarding Luntai, there's a point that's easy to misunderstand, similar to the situation in Shanshan City.

The geographical location of Luntai County is actually disputed. There should be two sources for the name Luntai County, but they are not in the same time and space.

The Luntai County of the Tang Dynasty should be the site of the ancient city of Ulabo, located in the southeastern suburbs of present-day Urumqi. It was one of the important military defense systems of the Beiting Protectorate of the Tang Dynasty and an important node on the northern route of the Silk Road.

In the fourteenth year of the Zhenguan era of Emperor Taizong of Tang (640 AD), after the Tang Dynasty pacified the Gaochang Kingdom, it established Tingzhou north of the Tianshan Mountains, which governed the three counties of Jinman, Pulei and Luntai. This is the first time that Luntai County of the Tang Dynasty has appeared in historical records.

The modern Luntai County was established in 1902 when the Qing government changed the Bugur region into Luntai County, which was under the jurisdiction of Yanqi Prefecture.

Its name is the same as that of Luntai County in the Tang Dynasty, but its geographical location is the same as that of Luntai County established in the Han Dynasty.

The poem by Tang Dynasty poets such as Cen Shen mentions "Luntai" many times, which should refer to the Ulabo Ancient City area in the southeastern suburbs of Urumqi.

In fact, the geographical location also shows that modern Luntai County is located less than 100 kilometers to the right of Kucha (Kucha) of Anxi Protectorate, and is the only way to reach Beiting Xizhou City.

The Beiting Protectorate is located about 130 kilometers southeast of Urumqi. The two are geographically very close, which is more in line with the rule of the Beiting Protectorate.

If the Beiting Protectorate had ruled over modern-day Luntai County, the distance would have exceeded 500 kilometers, and that's just the straight-line distance. Even by modern highways, it would have been 688 kilometers, requiring crossing at least four snow-capped mountains and traversing the Tianshan Mountains. Such a long distance clearly did not meet the requirements for nearby governance.

Therefore, the location of Luntai in the Tang Dynasty, which is now the southern suburbs of Urumqi, is taken as the real Luntai County.

Luntai is located on the northern foothills of the Tianshan Mountains. The city is very close to Xizhou, located in the northwest of Xizhou, with a straight-line distance of 150 kilometers and an actual distance of about 200 kilometers.

Because it receives irrigation from the snowmelt of the Tianshan Mountains, this is one of the few places in the Western Regions that can produce food, and it is also the target that Lin Hao carefully selected.

To grow stronger in the Western Regions, it is essential to control grain production and achieve self-sufficiency in food.

In the entire Western Regions, only the Ili River Valley and the narrow area on the northern foothills of the Tianshan Mountains, from Dushan Shouzhuo (Mulei Kazakh Autonomous County) to Heishui Shouzhuo (west of Wusu City, Xinjiang Province), can achieve this.

The Ili River Valley is currently in the hands of the Karluks and is quite far away, so the northern foothills of the Tianshan Mountains became Lin Hao's only option. Although it was occupied by the Tubo, it was on the periphery of Tubo's power, so it would not be difficult to retake it.

In order to consolidate its rule over the Western Regions, the Tang Dynasty constructed a five-tiered military system of "army-garrison-city-town-garrison" under the Beiting Protectorate (which governed the northern foothills of the Tianshan Mountains and Central Asia) and the Anxi Protectorate (which governed the southern foothills of the Tianshan Mountains and southern Xinjiang).

"Shouzhu" is at the second level, lower than "Jun" (such as the Hanhai Army and Tianshan Army under the Beiting Protectorate), but higher than "Cheng", "Zhen", and "Shu". It is a key node connecting the core garrison and the grassroots outposts.

Luntai is located right in the middle of Dushan and Heishui, so we first planted a nail in this narrow planting zone, and then waited for an opportunity to attack from the left and right.

Not only could they reclaim the Beiting Protectorate, but they could also acquire even more arable land. With suitable land for cultivation, the people of the Tang Dynasty could thrive and multiply here.

After resting in Xizhou for a few days and discussing with Yang Xigu, Lin Hao decided to place the Western Regions Grand Governor's Office in Luntai. He then prepared to take his leave. "Governor, I still need to take my caravan to Kucha, so I won't bother you any longer. I'll come to pay my respects to the Grand Governor when we retake Luntai in the future."

Yang Xigu actually had many things he wanted to ask Lin Hao, such as Lu Wenbin, who had accompanied him to Chang'an, and the fact that the entire cavalry squad had become incredibly young.

Although Lu Wenbin had already reported it to him, he still found it hard to believe. Restoring youth to a person was an obsession of countless emperors throughout history, and now this impossible thing was happening right before his eyes.

But Yang Xigu ultimately didn't ask. He already knew Lin Hao's plan when he learned about Lin Hao's discussion. Anyway, he would be back to attack Luntai soon, so there was no need to be in such a hurry.

After bidding farewell to Yang Xigu, Lin Hao left behind three thousand soldiers and most of the people. He then led those who wanted to find their relatives in Kucha to continue westward. After more than ten days of trekking, they finally arrived at Kucha City.

Because Lin Hao had sent a message in advance, Guo Xin and the soldiers of the Anxi Protectorate were all looking out from the city gate.

They were equally excited when they saw the banners of the Tang Dynasty and the thousands of people who followed them.

"Grand Protector, Acting Military Commander Lin Hao, was ordered to request reinforcements and has now returned to report!" Lin Hao first reported his mission, paying homage according to military rites, before conveying the imperial decree.

"Hahaha, very good, very good!" Guo Yuanzheng laughed and nodded, saying heartily:

"You've worked hard. I didn't expect you to actually manage to summon reinforcements. I will definitely remember your merit!"

After speaking, he looked at the people behind Lin Hao. Guo Yuanzheng stepped forward alone and solemnly saluted:

"Reporting to the Grand Protector, the entire Ninth Cavalry Unit of the Xuange Battalion of the Xuanwei Army has arrived!"

"Yuanzheng, you've worked hard!" Guo Xin said, but was surprised to find that Guo Yuanzheng had become so young, no longer looking old as before. So she said uncertainly, "Yuanzheng, what happened to you?"

Guo Yuanzheng looked at Lin Hao, his meaning clear, so Guo Xin looked at Lin Hao, who was covered in dust.

Just as he was about to ask a question, an old man suddenly rushed out from the crowd. It was none other than Uncle Fu, the old steward of the Guo family.

He staggered to Guo Xin's side, then collapsed to his knees with a thud, tears streaming down his face before he could speak, his voice choked with sobs as he cried out:
"Young master! This old servant has finally met you!"

Guo Xin suppressed his doubts about Lin Hao, but when he heard the word "Young Master," his body trembled, and he looked down at the somewhat familiar face in front of him.

Then Guo Xin said excitedly, "Uncle Fu, you're really getting old!"

"Young Master, your hair has turned white too!" Uncle Fu said, tears streaming down his face.

Then, with trembling hands, he pulled a thick stack of family letters, tightly wrapped in oilcloth, from his bosom and handed them to Guo Xin, saying:

"You've suffered so much here with no one to look after you! This is...this is a letter from your young masters. They miss you very much. If it weren't for their official positions in the court, they would definitely come to the Western Regions to see you!"

Guo Xin took the heavy stack of family letters, suppressing the lump in her throat, and took a deep breath, saying:

"Since we receive a salary from the imperial court, we must serve the court! Our Guo family has no members who would put personal matters above public duties!"

Even so, his slightly reddened eyes betrayed the turmoil in his heart.

At this moment, Lin Hao stepped forward, cupped his hands, and said:

"Grand Protector, when I was in Chang'an, I also asked my old friends, such as the Duke of Dai (Li Sheng), to search for the families of my Anxi Army soldiers and bring them their letters."

As he spoke, Lin Hao turned to the side and pointed to the neatly lined-up soldiers behind him, as well as the young men of Chang'an who were holding their breath.

"Look, many of these young men are relatives who have come carrying letters from home. Grand Protector, may we allow them to see their families?"

At this moment, even though their loved ones were right in front of them, and even though their eyes were full of tears, none of them moved without Lin Hao's order.

This unwavering discipline caused another flash of surprise in Guo Xin's eyes. He stood there stunned for a few moments before nodding emphatically, his voice louder:
"This is only right! Approved!"

"Disband! Go find your families!" Lin Hao ordered simultaneously.

At the command, the two groups of men instantly converged like a flood bursting its banks!
"Dad! Dad! It's me, Gouwa!"

"Brother! Is my eldest brother still alive? It's me, Sanlang!"

"Father! I've come to find you!"

"May I ask if anyone from the Yun family of Lan Tianyun has arrived? I am the Third Young Master of the Yun family!"

Shouts, cries, and anxious inquiries erupted instantly, overwhelming the area in front of the Protectorate General's office.

Those who found their loved ones embraced and wept, beating their chests and stamping their feet, as if they wanted to pour out all the pain of decades of separation.

The hope on the faces of those teenagers who held up letters from home but could not find their relatives gradually turned into fear and despair.

Finally, an old soldier, his eyes red and trembling, stepped forward, took the letter from the boy's hand, looked at the familiar handwriting, and finally patted the boy's shoulder heavily, saying in a hoarse voice:

"Good child, stop looking. Your father couldn't escape when he was defending the city last year!"

Upon hearing this, the boy was struck dumb, the bundle in his hands fell to the ground, and he collapsed, letting out a heart-wrenching cry.

Several veterans immediately surrounded him, silently helping the boy up and clumsily patting his back with their rough hands.

"Child, get up, why are you crying! Your father was a hero, he single-handedly killed three Tibetan bastards before he fell!"

"From now on, Kucha will be your home, and we will all be your fathers!"

The joys and sorrows of life unfolded vividly at this moment. Guo Xin and Lin Hao watched silently, neither of them saying a word.