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Chapter 1266 Reclaiming Beiting, Exchanging Weapons for People
At this time, the Uyghurs had a wide sphere of influence and no attachment to peripheral regions like Beiting, so they didn't care much about Lin Hao's request.

As for whether he could win this bet, he wasn't worried at all. As long as he was there, it would be difficult for his personal guards to lose.

"Two hundred suits of armor? All of these are iron armor?" As soon as this prize was offered, even Jieyugas couldn't resist.

If he could win two hundred suits of armor and equip his elite troops, his strength would increase significantly.

He then quickly looked at Yang Xigu and asked impatiently:
"Governor Yang, do you keep your word? Can you really produce that many suits of armor?"

Jieyujias was not very familiar with Lin Hao, the newly appointed Grand Governor of the Western Regions by the Tang Dynasty, but he was familiar with Yang Xigu, so he asked Yang Xigu for confirmation.

“Since the Grand Commander has said so, it must be true!” Yang Xigu then said:

"Although the armor is precious, the people of my Great Tang are men of their word, but this Beiting City~!" After saying that, Yang Xigu looked at Jieyujias.

"Alright, then it's a deal. You Han people believe that once a word is spoken, it cannot be taken back. Grand Commander Lin, you can't go back on your word!" Jieyujias was afraid that Lin Hao would change his mind, so he immediately wanted to finalize the matter.

He never expected that what he originally intended as a show of force to the newly arrived Western Regions Grand Commander and a blow to the morale of the Tang army would yield such great benefits.

At this moment, he began to imagine his men looking imposing and awe-inspiring in full suits of armor.

Compared to these armored vehicles, the mere city of Beiting was nothing. The Uyghurs were a nomadic people who had only just begun to learn how to build cities. After conquering a city, they would usually just plunder it and leave. Occupying Beiting City was of little significance to them.

After the agreement was made, the two who had been waiting in the arena began their duel. To ensure that the two hundred suits of armor would be obtained, Jieyujias promised his personal guards various benefits. Therefore, Tuoba Hai launched a fierce attack from the start, yelling and slashing at Lin Hao's personal guards with his sword.

"Good!" Seeing his fierce attack, a chorus of cheers rang out from the Uyghurs.

Lin Hao watched the two fight with a calm and composed demeanor, having no doubt about the outcome of the battle.

Firstly, a mere two hundred sets of armor are of little use in terms of the overall situation, especially when facing Lin Hao's fully armored heavy cavalry.

Besides, if he really can't win, he can always give Tuoba Hai a hard time at a crucial moment. After all, no matter how much armor he has, he doesn't have the hobby of giving away armor for free.

Despite Tuoba Hai's fierce offensive, his personal guards possessed physical strength three to four times that of ordinary soldiers, making their head-on confrontations even more intense.

Although he was slightly less experienced than his opponent, he was far stronger and more physically capable than Tuoba Hai. In less than a hundred breaths, the two exchanged more than a hundred blows.

This head-on, hard-hitting style of fighting quickly depleted Tuoba Hai's stamina, and his breathing became heavy.

His offensive slowed down slightly, and his personal guards seized the opportunity to deliver a fatal blow.

A flash of cold light appeared, and the guard's sword swept towards his neck like lightning. Tuoba Hai tried to retreat, but he was too slow. The gleaming blade sliced ​​across Tuoba Hai's throat.

Tuoba Hai clutched his neck, opened his mouth but no sound came out, a clump of bloody foam came out of his mouth and then he slowly collapsed to the ground.

The guard didn't even glance at Tuoba Hai before sheathing his sword and calmly saying, with an expression as if nothing had happened:

"That's it?"

After speaking, he swept his murderous gaze over the crowd. The Uyghur warriors, who had been extremely arrogant before, dared not look him in the eye and lowered their heads.

Jieyugas's smile froze. It took him a long time to recover, and with a forced smile, he said insincerely:

"Very well, the warriors of the Great Tang have won this time. As Grand Commander Lin said, Beiting City is yours!"

Despite this, when it came time to attack the city, Jieyujias did not command the army to attack. Instead, he used the excuse that the Uyghur warriors were only good at fighting on horseback and not good at attacking cities to give the task to Yang Xigu.

Fortunately, Lin Hao and Yang Xigu hadn't expected him to be of any help; they just wanted him to not come back to ask for Beiting City back afterward.

Lin Hao commanded his soldiers to use the catapults he designed to bombard the Tibetan army on the walls of Beiting City, covering Yang Xigu's army's attack on the city. Then he took the lead and charged ahead to climb the city walls.

Lin Hao's army had previously undergone specialized siege training, and with his unparalleled power, he once again single-handedly went up the city gate to open a passage for his soldiers. In just half an hour, the city gate of Beiting City was opened by Lin Hao's men.

Yang Xigu led his men in a rush, and when Jieyujias saw the city fall, he also rushed to take advantage of the situation. As a result, they captured Beiting City in half a day.

After Jieyuqis's army entered the city, they began to plunder, but Lin Hao and his men restrained their troops and focused their main efforts on collecting food, weapons, and searching for captured Tang soldiers and civilians.

After two days, the situation in Beiting City finally stabilized. Lin Hao and his group occupied the city and rescued many captured Tang soldiers. Jieyujiasi also had his fill of plunder and, as promised, handed the city over to Lin Hao and his group.

From then on, more than a year after its fall, Beiting City returned to the Beiting Protectorate and to the hands of the Tang Dynasty.

Lin Hao and Yang Xigu stood together on the city wall, looking into the distance. The Beiting Protectorate had been captured. How far away was the next city to be recovered?
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The battle to recapture the Beiting Protectorate has come to an end, and the remaining Tibetan garrison in the city has either been annihilated or captured.

The Tang army and the Uyghur allied forces have taken control of the city and are cleaning up the battlefield. The Uyghurs, as expected of the Hu people, burned, killed, and looted the Uyghurs in the city. What they did was really ruthless.

However, this had nothing to do with the Tang army. The soldiers of the Tang Dynasty only did two things: one was to gather prisoners, as many prisoners as possible, and the more the better.

Another task was to rescue the Tang soldiers and civilians in Tingzhou who had been enslaved. These were not only compatriots, but also the foundation of the Tang Dynasty in the Western Regions.

Let's shift our focus to the central command tent. The atmosphere there isn't entirely one of joy in victory; rather, it's permeated with a subtle sense of weighing options and testing the waters.

Inside the main tent, the Uyghur Grand Chancellor Jieyujias hosted a victory banquet, but this time he did not sit in the main seat, but instead sat opposite Lin Hao.

A whole lamb was roasting over a campfire, its fat dripping and sizzling in the flames, while fruits and milk wine were laid out around it.

However, his gaze kept sweeping over the Tang soldiers standing solemnly outside the tent, their armor gleaming, their eyes filled with an undisguised shock and greed.

Seven thousand Tang soldiers, every single one of them was clad in iron armor, and even their warhorses were covered in horse armor. The Protectorate General of the Western Regions of the Tang Dynasty was so extravagant.

The impact of this sight on him was no less than that of guerrillas in later generations seeing armored formations. The deterrent power of armored soldiers in the era of cold weapons was comparable to that of tanks in the era of firearms.

In the era of cold weapons, such a large number of heavily armored cavalry represented not only unparalleled combat power, but also a symbol of wealth and national strength that inspired despair.

Even if the Uyghur Khan were to search the entire Uyghur territory, it would be extremely difficult to find three thousand sets of iron armor.

Witnessing the immense military might of the Tang Dynasty firsthand greatly shocked Jieyuqis, instantly dispelling his initial contempt for the Tang army's weakness and replacing it with deep apprehension and respect.

If the Tang army were still the same as before, consisting of ragged old, weak, and disabled soldiers, Jieyujias would certainly look down on them. But now, Lin Hao and Yang Xigu have brought a full seven thousand armored soldiers. If it were a head-on battle, defeating his tens of thousands of Uyghur soldiers would be no problem at all.

Oh, and to the southwest there's Guo Xin with 20,000 troops. If they join forces, there really aren't many who can rival them in the Western Regions.

The nomadic peoples of the grasslands believed in the law of the jungle, and now that the power of the Tang Dynasty had surpassed their own, Jieyuqis naturally had to change his attitude.

After a round of drinks, Jieyugas finally couldn't contain himself any longer. He leaned forward slightly, looked at Lin Hao with eager eyes, and respectfully said:

"The Grand Commander is truly awe-inspiring. Witnessing the mighty Tang army today, I realize the extraordinary foundation of our Celestial Empire. It is truly astonishing."

He started with a compliment, then got to the point, lowering his voice slightly and asking tentatively:

"Does the Grand Commander have any spare iron armor? Could you sell me some?"

When Jieyujias spoke, even his form of address changed. In fact, he was also wondering why the Tang Dynasty and the Western Regions had severed ties for many years. The Tang Dynasty's caravans had only recently passed through the Uyghur royal camp and returned to the Western Regions.

Moreover, they were carrying only silk and porcelain, not iron armor. Where did the Tang Dynasty get its iron armor?
First of all, it can be confirmed that it was not delivered by a caravan. Seven thousand suits of iron armor, how big of a caravan would that be?

Moreover, iron armor was more precious than gold in the eyes of the Uyghurs. If so much iron armor entered Uyghur territory, the other Uyghur tribes would risk turning against the Tang Dynasty to seize it.

“It’s not impossible!” Lin Hao’s eyes narrowed slightly. He had anticipated this matter and had discussed it with Guo Xin and Yang Xigu.

Yang Xigu was somewhat reluctant, and Guo Xin had some concerns, but Lin Hao eventually persuaded them to exchange the iron armor for some benefits from the Hu people.

"Oh?" A look of surprise flashed in Jieyugas's eyes, and he hurriedly asked:
"What is it? Please speak freely, Grand Commander! As long as it is within my power, I will not refuse!"

Jieyuqis had no hope of obtaining iron armor from the Tang army, but the surprise came unexpectedly.

If he can acquire the iron armor, his power will grow even stronger. The Uyghurs are not a unified dynasty like the Tang Dynasty.

Uyghur nobles often prioritize the interests of their own tribes. If they could acquire Tang army armor, their tribe's strength would surpass that of other Uyghur tribes, and those internal conflicts would naturally be resolved!

Lin Hao sat up straight and said solemnly:

"As you all know, before the fall of Beiting, and even earlier, Anxi and Beiting were cut off from the court. Countless Tang citizens fell into the hands of the Tubo, the Karluks, and other forces, suffering as slaves and servants."

"This is a great pain in the hearts of us who guard the Western Regions! If we can find these scattered compatriots and bring them back to the Tang Dynasty, it will be a great merit."

"If the Grand Chancellor can help me find these people, I will repay him with corresponding armor. What do you say?"

Upon hearing this, Jieyugas was first taken aback, then overjoyed!
He had thought Lin Hao would ask for gold, a fine horse, or a precious fur, but he never expected him to ask for a person!

Those Tang slaves scattered across the grasslands, even in his own tribe, were nothing more than talking livestock and laborers in his eyes. How could they be compared to precious iron armor?

"This is easy. I wonder how many Tang citizens I can find to exchange for a set of iron armor?" Jieyujias was secretly delighted upon hearing this.

Since the Western Regions severed ties with the Tang Dynasty, countless citizens of the Tang Dynasty have fallen into the hands of foreign tribes.

Not to mention enemy forces like the Tibetans and Karluks, even the Uyghurs had some Tang soldiers under their command. Jieyuqis wanted to use the Tang soldiers under his command to exchange for iron armor.

Lin Hao and Yang Xigu were both well aware of this, but if they insisted, Jieyujias would definitely say that he didn't have any, and that it would be good enough if he could exchange the people for the armor.

Moreover, when they attack Tibet in the future, in order to obtain more iron armor, they will definitely prioritize taking back the Tang people from the Tibetans, which will definitely be a good thing for them.

After some haggling, Lin Hao and Jieyujias determined the number of Tang Dynasty citizens they could exchange for a set of iron armor.

With the agreement reached and the armor serving as an incentive, Jieyugas became extremely efficient. After a brief rest, the allied forces, in accordance with the military council's decision, marched eastward towards Yizhou (Hami).

Not long after the army approached Yizhou, the first batch of about three hundred Tang citizens, who were emaciated and dressed in rags, were delivered to the Tang army camp by Uyghur cavalry.

The Uyghur general leading the expedition claimed that he had attacked a group of Tibetan cavalry.

But Lin Hao and Yang Xigu were no ordinary people. They could tell from the fact that most of the Tang people looked pale and sickly, clearly suffering from long-term malnutrition.

Moreover, since most of them were women, children, and the elderly, it was clear that these were mostly urgently gathered by Jieyugas from his own or the slave camps of his close tribes.

The two understood each other without saying a word. Lin Hao simply waved his hand expressionlessly, ordering his men to count the items and then deliver the corresponding number of brand-new armors on the spot.

The fine armor gleamed with an alluring blue light in the sunlight, making the Uyghur general stare wide-eyed, his hands trembling slightly as he took the armor.

"Tell the Grand Chancellor," Lin Hao said calmly, "exchange as many as you have. I keep my word."

When the news reached back, Jieyugas was overjoyed. After verifying Lin Hao's integrity, he immediately dispatched even more men.

While intensifying their attacks on Yizhou and surrounding Tibetan strongholds, they also dispatched messengers on horseback back to Uyghur territory to search for, purchase, and even forcibly conscript Tang Dynasty remnants.

He even strictly ordered his subordinates that when attacking the Tibetan camp, rescuing the Tang people must be their top priority!
For a time, Tang people became the most sought-after "spoils of war" in the Uyghur army.

Lin Hao then dispatched a team to escort these compatriots, who had endured hardships and finally returned home, to Tingzhou, which had just been liberated and was relatively safe.

There, they will receive food, medicine, and shelter, and can recuperate and rebuild their lives. Depending on their circumstances, they may either cultivate the land, work, or be recruited into the military in the future.

Many people burst into tears the moment they saw the Tang army flag, and some even asked to take up arms again on the spot.

But Lin Hao dissuaded them all. It wasn't that he didn't want to take them in, but rather that they had suffered enough over the years and their current physical condition was not suitable for returning to the battlefield.

Besides, he doesn't need much time. What they need most right now is to recover. They should go to the rear, have a few good meals, and get their bodies in good shape, rather than immediately returning to the battlefield.

After seeing off the civilians, Lin Hao led a small team of elite scouts on horseback to survey the terrain around Yizhou, investigating enemy positions and potential settlement areas.

In the air were his trained falcons, which were now scanning the vast Gobi Desert with their sharp eyes.

Suddenly, the falcon let out a clear warning cry. Lin Hao raised his hand to stop the group and squinted at a stretch of undulating sand dunes ahead.