The Leisurely Life of the Prince of the Tang Dynasty

Chapter 329 This is the wisdom of the Tang people

The Chongwenguan of the Western Region was built in Xizhou City. It was also the place where children from the Western Region gathered and many nobles from the Western Region came and went. They often came here to learn Guanzhong dialect, hoping to go to the Hexi Corridor or Guanzhong to do business with the Tang people.

The Tang people's goods are the best in the Western Regions, both in terms of quality and appearance. They have always been in great demand in the hands of many Western Regions people who make a living from trade.

This Chongwenguan is very big. It was where the King of Gaochang used to collect scriptures. After it was taken over by Chongwenguan, the scriptures here were gone. All that was left were books written by people from the Central Plains. The person in charge of this place was also a person from the Central Plains.

Bai Fang looked at An Yuanshou who was distributing food to the children.

Noticing the gaze, An Yuanshou also looked over, smiled and said, "Are you studying here too?"

Bai Fang held a scroll in his hand, which was a classic of the Central Plains people, and asked again: "Why are you so keen to take the child away?"

"You will definitely be a very learned person in the future." An Yuanshou straightened his white robe, curly beard, and brown hair. He glanced at the many Western Regions people here and said, "You are very young and eager to learn."

It looked awkward for two blue-eyed people to stand together and talk in the Central Plains dialect.

Bai Fang used to be a Kucha person, but he used to be a servant in a Kucha temple. After Xuanzang came, he had a name, and after the Tang people came, he had an identity. He was a criminal, a criminal from Xizhou.

The criminal is Bai Fang’s current identity.

An Yuanshou was a Sogdian who traveled to various countries in the Western Regions. He did business between the countries and had been as far as Persia. Therefore, he knew many languages, but all the Western Regions people in Xizhou City were learning the same language. Therefore, two Western Regions people could ignore each other's past and communicate in a completely new language.

Bai Fang looked at the group of innocent children, looked at An Yuanshou with a wary look, and said, "Don't you white-clothed Hu merchants have children? How many children do you want to take away from Xizhou City?"

An Yuanshou shook his head, took out a handful of copper coins and randomly distributed them to the group of children behind him. The copper coins were Tang copper coins, and they were all new coins of very good quality, with the four words "Kaiyuan Tongbao" on them.

Bai Fang was disgusted by the other party's extravagant spending and said, "Whenever you Sogdians go to a prosperous place, you will take a group of children with you and let them trade with you to continue your Sogdian bloodline. Only one or two out of ten children you take will survive."

An Yuanshou smiled and said, "Xuan Zang also said so. Isn't he in the dungeon of Xizhou now?"

Bai Fang stood against the earth wall and asked, "Do you want to take the children from Xizhou City away now?"

An Yuanshou politely saluted a Tang man. After the Tang man entered Chongwen Hall, he straightened up and said, "The children we took away were all those who voluntarily gave them to us. There are also some children who are about to starve to death. If we don't take them away, they will steal and kill people when they grow up, and finally die at the hands of others."

"I can't keep them alive forever, but I can give them a chance to survive, or fight to the death in Persia. Persian nobles love this kind of scene. If the child can survive, he can live a better life."

Bai Fang's eyes became more and more unfriendly, and he said, "You profited from this, didn't you?"

An Yuanshou weighed a string of copper coins in his hand, which made a clanging sound. He whispered, "You are as compassionate as Xuanzang. You grew up in a temple, and you have never seen the Western Regions before. It is not easy for people to survive. Not everyone is as compassionate and wise as you, and not everyone can be protected."

An Yuanshou saluted the Tang man who came out of Chongwen Hall again. When he was far away, he said, "You don't have to look at me like that. I have already paid the price for this."

After that, he kept the posture of a Western Region noble and said humbly: "I can't touch the children of the Western Region anymore, otherwise the Tang people will hunt me down. This is what Pei Duhu said."

"The Tang people will not accept people like you."

An Yuanshou said, "I know that a businessman named Murong Shun is trying to seize our business. I'm afraid we have to leave the Western Regions and go to Persia or the Arabs."

Bai Fang nodded and said, "People like you won't live long."

An Yuanshou said: "I also like the knowledge of Tang people. I just came here to study."

White Fang leaves in disgust.

At night, there was also a curfew in Xizhou City. Tonight, Tang soldiers suddenly shouted angrily, and teams of soldiers walked in the streets.

Pei Xingjian, who was about to fall asleep, was disturbed by a knock on the door.

Opening the old wooden door, he saw Bai Fang with blood on his body.

Bai Fang walked straight into the house and said, "I killed An Yuanshou."

"what?"

"I killed him."

Pei Xingjian looked at him suspiciously, pointed at him and said, "You are really a..."

"Report!" A Tang soldier outside reported: "Protector Pei, An Yuanshou is dead."

Pei Xingjian waved his hand to signal the soldier to leave, staring at Bai Fang and asked, "Do you love killing people so much?"

Bai Fang said: "He deserves to die."

Pei Xingjian sat down cross-legged, stroking his forehead, and took out a file beside him.

Bai Fang opened his hands and said, "Protector Pei can deal with me now, but for the stability of the Western Regions, people like An Yuanshou must die. People like them will never repent."

While he was hesitating, another soldier came quickly and said, "Protector Pei, here is the document sent from Chang'an."

Pei Xingjian glared at Bai Fang who was waiting for punishment, walked quickly to the door and took the document.

The moonlight shone on the Xizhou city, and the short earthen houses looked pale.

Pei Xingjian sat down again, looking at the document in his hand beside the oil lamp, then looked at Bai Fang in front of him and said, "You are lucky. You won't be convicted this time."

Bai Fang understood and said, "It seems that I made the right decision."

Pei Xingjian put down the document and sighed, "The court said that the Sogdians cannot be accepted. Although you will not be convicted, you will still be punished because you were originally sentenced to Jiaohe City. Now that you are slacking off, you will be punished for an additional three years."

Bai Fang said in a clear voice: "Thank you, Protector General."

Pei Xingjian said disdainfully: "It's annoying to see you."

On weekdays, in addition to watching over the construction of Jiaohe City, Pei Xingjian would travel between Tingzhou and Xizhou, or watch over Xizhou.

Today Bai Fang left Xizhou City. He rode a camel, humming a ballad, and followed Pei Xingjian.

On the way to Tingzhou, you can see many karez, which were repaired by a man named Guo Luotuo.

Bai Fang said with his hands in shackles: "So the Tang people were able to rule the Western Regions so quickly, all thanks to the Karez. In order to protect the blessed land and oasis brought by the Karez, the people of the Western Regions were willing to risk their lives to protect the rule of the Tang people."

Pei Xingjian also rode a camel in front. In order to prevent Bai Fang from killing people for no reason again, he had to be handcuffed.

Pei Xingjian whispered, "I used to be a boy respected by my fellow villagers. I was well-educated and passed the imperial examinations. I was a talented person in the Tang Dynasty. But now... I wonder what I have become in the Western Regions. I have become a vulgar general."

"Hahaha!" Bai Fang suddenly laughed out loud.

Pei Xingjian frowned and said, "This is all your fault. Now that I am not living well, you should not expect to live well either. As long as I am in the Western Regions, you will wear these shackles for the rest of your life."

"It doesn't matter."

Bai Fang answered in an awkward Guanzhong dialect.

Pei Xingjian sighed. From Xizhou to Tingzhou, you can see many people from the Western Regions coming and going. There are the most karez here, and you can see several vertical wells every few miles.

Guo Luotuo mobilized thousands of people to dig karez in the Western Regions.

Bai Fang remembered that before the Tianshan War, Guo Luotuo had more than 3,000 men under his command, all of whom were digging karez. Before the army set out, the water source of karez brought great convenience to the Tang army.

The water source in the Western Region is extremely important. If other people go to war with food and fodder before troops move out, then Guo Luotuo can be miraculous in that he can also have water sources before troops move out.

Bai Fang took a deep breath and said with a smile, "The wisdom of the Tang people is amazing, that's why I don't want to be a disciple of Buddha."

If they surrendered to the Heavenly Khan, they could enjoy the use of the karez, so many people from the Western Regions surrendered.

Just as An Yuanshou said, not everyone possesses great wisdom, and few people in this world can change the time and place.

But the Tang people could. They used karez to change the desolation of the Western Regions.

The Tang people were even able to station troops and cultivate land near the karez, which was an almost invincible way of stationing troops.

Bai Fang said: "The Western Regions have been through many wars, whether it was Yu Gushe or other khans, or even the King of Gaochang, they all conquered the Western Regions with barbarity. Few people conquered the Western Regions with wisdom. I have seen only the Tang people do this, and the Tang people are invincible."

Pei Xingjian said: "Don't think I won't kill you just because you said that."

Bai Fang continued, "Thank you, Protector Pei, for not killing me."

"I regret it. People like you really deserve to die."

Bai Fang laughed loudly again and said, "As long as the karez is still there, the people of the Western Regions will never forget the Tang people."

Pei Xingjian said: "You have not learned humility from the books of the Tang people, and you have not learned propriety, righteousness, integrity and shame from the books."

"I am from the Western Regions."

"If you had learned the governance strategies and key points of the Chongwenguan in the Western Regions, you shouldn't be laughing like this now. Instead, you should be in awe of the Tang people's vision and strategies. Don't think you have seen everything. You have only understood the basics."

Hearing this, Bai Fang stopped laughing and said, "Protector Pei never teaches me."

Pei Xingjian snorted coldly: "I am not from Chongwenguan. My duty is to guard the Western Regions. Teaching the people of the Western Regions has nothing to do with me."

"Pei Duhu obviously knows everything. You are an official who passed the imperial examination. You have served as a county lieutenant and a county magistrate. What I don't know, Pei Duhu knows."

"I'm too lazy to teach you."

"Ah..." Bai Fang sighed.

White has now become a Tang fan.

There was no way around it. Pei Xingjian was tired of it. Now most of the people in the Western Regions were Tang fans. In their eyes, Chang'an was an extremely beautiful place, and Tian Khan was the most wise man in the world.

"Why don't you teach me?"

Hearing Bai Fang's question, Pei Xingjian explained: "If you stay this stupid, you can live a long time."

There are some things that Chongwenguan will teach, but there are also some things that Chongwenguan will not teach.

Pei Xingjian led his team to escort Bai Fang for two days and finally arrived at Tingzhou. However, General Liang Jianfang was not there. After asking the garrison commander, he said that he had gone to pick up Guo Luotuo.

On the east side of Tianshan Mountain, Liang Jianfang was escorting two horse-drawn carriages towards Tingzhou. Along the way, people from the Western Regions could be seen crawling out of the ground.

They all had buckets of water in their hands.

There were tribes gathered around the Karez. Some of these people from the Western Regions were playing the huqin, and some women and children were dancing.

Children are running in a room hung with raisins.

This is the Tianshan Mountains today.

Inside the carriage, Guo Luotuo sat quietly, and his family members around him were also looking at the scenery.

This is the fourth year that Guo Luotuo has come to the Western Regions. He has built 600 karez in the Western Regions and Tianshan Mountains. Each karez is dozens of miles long, with hundreds of vertical shafts, and some are only a few miles long. Their advantage lies in their important locations.

If all the densely distributed karez were measured, it would be roughly the round trip distance from the Tianshan Mountains to Chang'an.

These karez were like blood vessels, supplying water to tribes in various places, allowing weeds to grow on many barren lands, and allowing fruits and vegetables to grow and cotton to be planted.

This is the result of Guo Luotuo's four years in the Western Regions, an achievement that no one can replace.

When the carriage passed through the tribes, they all saluted respectfully. These people would be loyal to whoever solved their survival crisis.

The stories of Guo Luotuo and Tian Khan would be sung in songs in the Western Regions and spread among the people there.

Liang Jianfang pulled the reins, rode his horse to the side of the carriage, and whispered, "Guo Siqing, let's rest for a night, and we can reach Tingzhou tomorrow."

Guo Luotuo got off the carriage. Here was a poplar forest with a small river flowing through it.

A person who conquers the Western Regions can be a Khan, and a person who brings stability to the people of the Western Regions can be a king.

If a person can solve the livelihood of the people in the Western Regions for several generations and allow their descendants to continue, then he is a god.

In the minds of people in the Western Regions, Guo Luotuo is such a person.

When he first arrived in the Western Regions, he borrowed a thousand laborers from Yanqi and dug karez for two years.

After the Tianshan War, Guo Luotuo used 5,000 surrendered soldiers and spent another two years repairing the karez. It took such a large amount of manpower to create the current karez landscape.

The largest karez is thirty feet deep and three hundred feet long, and there are two hundred karez of similar length.

At first, some people thought that the Tang people wanted to dig through the Western Regions, but now people think that these karez will become the guarantee of their survival.

Perhaps decades later, when someone comes to the Western Regions again, they will see road signs written in Tang Dynasty characters, which record the appearance of the karez.

If these road signs were put together like a puzzle, they would form a huge map, and the depressions on the map would be the Karez in the Western Regions.

At night, Guo Luotuo sat by the fire, writing with a pen. This was the report he was going to submit to the court and the results he was going to write to the prince.

The construction of karez is actually excessive, but there is no other way, Guo Luotuo needs to ensure the production of cotton.

Guo Luotuo's wife took care of their two sons and put them to bed.

When he sat cross-legged on the ground, his back looked more hunched, and he had become thinner after four years in the Western Regions.

(End of this chapter)