The Leisurely Life of the Prince of the Tang Dynasty

Chapter 520 Before the War
Liang Jianfang sat at the top, chewing beef and looking at the envoy from Xiaobolü, without much kindness in his expression.

The many generals present ate the meat and bread in silence.

It would be good if the small Bolor Kingdom could come to help, but Liang Jianfang always felt uncomfortable. After thinking about it carefully, and seeing the envoy in front of him wearing colorful clothes, especially thinking of his identity, there should be a prerequisite before this. It is necessary and necessary for them to obey the generals of the Tang army. This is a conscious act rather than a requirement.

Naturally, Liang Jianfang was not concerned about these trivial matters.

What he cared about was achieving meritorious service, being awarded a title, and being listed in the Lingyan Pavilion. Anyone who wanted to obstruct him from ascending the Lingyan Pavilion would be eliminated.

Including the envoy from the small country of Bolor, no matter how nicely he spoke, whether he would listen to the Tang army on the battlefield was another matter.

On the one hand, as the marching supervisor here, Liang Jianfang has to keep an eye on these generals, and on the other hand, Liang Jianfang also has to curry favor with the prince.

Besides, Liang Jianfang could also carry the prince to climb Mount Tai once, but it’s just Mount Tai!

To be more realistic, young people like Pei Xingjian, Xue Rengui, Cheng Chumo and Li Jingheng will all become generals in the court in the future.

Liang Jianfang, who was a generation older than them, felt tremendous pressure, not to mention Xue Wanbei who was beside the prince. The three brothers of his family had all served the Li Tang Dynasty till now.

Di Renjie and Pei Yan are also not to be underestimated.

If he fails to make great achievements and be ranked among the Lingyan Pavilion at this time, Liang Jianfang will feel that his life is over. This is his last chance to fight in his life.

Liang Jianfang ignored the 30,000 troops of the Xiaobolü envoy in front of him and continued to eat his bread and tear his beef without paying any attention.

Obey the general's orders? There are too many people who want to obey the Tang army's orders. They don't need a small country like Bolor, and they don't want to give them too much credit.

It would be enough for these people to follow behind the Tang army and pick up some of the remaining credit.

"Report!" A soldier came quickly and saluted, "General, the Duke of Ying has an order!"

Hearing this, Liang Jianfang stood up as if by reflex, wiped his hands, took the letter, squinted his eyes and read it for a moment, held up the letter from Lord Ying, and said loudly: "Lord Ying has an order! The Arabs are rampant, and the Congling incident involves the peace of the Ili River, and the livelihood of hundreds of thousands of people in the north and south of the Ili River and even the Tianshan Mountains!"

"In order to protect the peace of Tianshan Mountain, the Ili River, and the safety of hundreds of thousands of Tang people, the Tang Dynasty Zhechongfu will never give in. Pass the order!"

As soon as the words fell, everyone stood up.

Liang Jianfang shouted, "Xue Wanbei and Pei Xingjian are ordered to lead 10,000 soldiers and horses to capture the Dayuan King City and all the tribes within 20 miles of the surrounding area within three days."

Xue Wanbei said loudly: "Yes."

Looking at the people in front of him, Liang Jianfang said, "Wait for Censor Lou and Prefect Liu to arrive in Talas City, and then head west!"

"Here!"

All the generals responded in unison.

Since Xue Wanbei is going to Dayuan City, the prince must also go to attack Dayuan together.

The military order of Duke Ying was delivered by Lou Shide. This censor was still on his way to Talas City. Judging from his pace, he should have left Suiye City and was heading towards Talas City.

Looking at the people in front of him, basically, all the generals who were going to attack the Arabs this time were here, and no one knew how far this battle would go.

In short, Liang Jianfang, Pei Xingjian, and even the Western Regions garrison general Bai Fang were all ready to make great contributions.

The 50,000 Tang troops were already crowded enough in Talas City, and Liu Rengui also brought 3,000 Anxi troops. It was unknown whether the Anxi Protectorate would send more people later.

Anyway, there is enough food in Suiye City and Talas City, so there will be no shortage of food before summer as long as people and horses have enough.

The already crowded Talas City could not accommodate 30,000 Xiaoboluo people, so they had to let them and Xue Wanbei attack Dayuan first. After the Tang army occupied Dayuan and Talas City, the strategic layout became clearer and they could attack in two routes.

Even if they retreated, they could still form a pincer attack with Talas City and Dayuan City and support each other.

Liang Jianfang was very satisfied with the arrangements he had made. It was fine for him to advance or retreat. He could attack the countries west of the Pamir Mountains, or he could retreat and defend Talas and Dayuan.

The prince, Xue Wanbei and Pei Xingjian had already left, and the neighing of war horses could be heard from under the city wall.

Liang Jianfang looked at the huge sand table in front of him. It was the last preparation before the war. He would capture Dayuan and when everything was ready, he would march west to attack the Arabs.

Since the Arabs were unwilling to give in, the Tang Dynasty was only too happy to compete with them again.

Bai Fang was excited when he saw Xue Wanbei and Pei Xingjian leaving Talas City with the prince and the army.

Zhang Daan handed him a water bag.

Bai Fang removed the cork from the water bag, sniffed it carefully and asked, "Is this Guanzhong wine?"

Zhang Daan explained: "There is not much Xinfeng wine left in Guanzhong."

Bai Fang raised his head and drank it all in one gulp. He then lifted the water bag high up and did not let go of even the few drops that were left.

Zhang Daan said: "If you want to drink more, you have to wait until this battle is over."

Bai Fang said, "I really like what Ying Gong said."

"Really?" Zhang Daan took the water bag back from him and asked, "What did Lord Ying say?"

"Mr. Ying said that we are fighting for the hundreds of thousands of people in the Western Regions. The people of the Western Regions are also the people of Tian Khan. We are fighting for the hundreds of thousands of people in the Western Regions."

"Indeed." Zhang Da'an felt that Bai Fang had touched upon the wisdom of state affairs.

In fact, Bai Fang is a very talented person, but no one taught him since he was a child.

Zhang Da'an listened to Bai Fang's words and looked at the army going away.

Bai Fang said: "I met Xuanzang in Qiuci back then. At that time, I thought Xuanzang was the wisest man in the world. Xuanzang debated with thousands of monks in Qiuci, and he won."

Zhang Da'an nodded and said, "I've heard of it."

Bai Fang added: "I used to think that if I followed Xuanzang, I could become someone like him."

Zhang Da Anfu thought for a moment and said with a smile: "I heard that you betrayed Xuanzang?"

Bai Fang said: "Xuanzang is Xuanzang, and I am me. I don't want to be a person like Xuanzang, nor do I want to become a Buddha. I read the articles in Chongwenguan and learned that people should love themselves. I am a person living in the present world, and people should live alive."

The Pamir Mountains were still bitterly cold at night, and the wind whistled through the war-torn city of Dayuan.

The Tang Dynasty launched an attack on Dayuan City. The flames of war engulfed the city gates. In front of the breached city gates, there were still large groups of Tang troops standing outside the city, surrounding the city.

While inside the city, Pei Xingjian led 3,000 Tang troops into Dayuan City.

On the third day after Dayuan lost its war horses, the Tang army launched an attack on Dayuan city, and fighting could be seen everywhere in the city.

An Yanyan climbed to the hillside of a snowy mountain. In the freezing cold wind, some ice crystals formed on his eyebrows. He breathed heavily and looked back. He saw that there were already flashes of fire in Dayuan City.

Perhaps in a few days, only the Tang army would be left in Dayuan City, and they would take away all the people, livestock, and treasures in the city. An Yanyan could only continue to flee westward, and Dayuan City would be lost sooner or later.

He climbed over the hillside and walked down the snow-capped mountain, where he saw a group of people coming towards him with torches.

When the other party came in front of him, An Yanyan bowed and saluted.

The people who came were the Arabs in black. They took the bag of gold sand handed over by An Yanyan, confirmed it, and took the people away.

As the night wind howled, the snowy mountains returned to their tranquility.

In the city of Dayuan, the mad King of Dayuan rushed towards the Tang army with a knife in his hand. After running for a while, he was tripped by a corpse on the ground and fell to the ground.

The King of Dayuan looked like a madman, with disheveled hair and beard. Just as he was about to stand up, he was knocked to the ground by the Tang army again. When he could see the scene clearly again, he heard the sound of horse hooves coming from behind.

The sound of horse hooves came closer and closer, becoming more and more frequent.

It was not known whether it was because his eyes were red or the night sky was dyed red by the fire, but a few pieces of flying ashes floated past his eyes, and the King of Dayuan saw the Tang army coming from the fire.

Pei Xingjian, the great general of the Tang army, sat on horseback, holding the reins in one hand and the lance in the other, with a disdainful look in his eyes.

The horses were not moving very fast, and the armor on their war horses was stained with blood.

It took the Tang army only two hours to capture the city wall of Dayuan, and another hour to quell the chaos in the city. All the Dayuan people bowed to the ground.

What made the people of Dayuan despair was the situation outside the city. There were still more than 30,000 troops outside the city who had not entered the city, while the Tang army only used 3,000 people to capture the city of Dayuan.

The Tang people trekked for a day and a night without even resting before they began to attack the city.

The King of Dayuan sent people out to ask for help, but less than half a day after the people who asked for help left, the city gate of Dayuan was broken.

Now, with the continuous influx of Tang troops into Dayuan City, the city walls and important roads of Dayuan City were controlled by the Tang Army, and the city changed hands.

Yu Tu pulled the reins, holding the bow in one hand, and glanced at the King of Dayuan lying on the ground, saying, "General Pei, how do we deal with this man?"

Pei Xingjian said calmly: "Escort to Chang'an."

Yu Tu smiled and said, "Okay! Put him in the prison cart and escort him to Chang'an."

Pei Xingjian also felt that the King of Dayuan would most likely die on the way to Chang'an City. This old man had gone crazy.

Yu Tu led his troops into the royal palace of Dayuan. The palace was not big, and Yu Tu felt it was a bit low.

Next, as Xue Wanbei entered the city, all the resources in the city, including population and livestock, were classified.

Xue Wanbei said: "Tell General Liang that I have taken Dayuan City."

"Yes!" The messenger bowed in response, jumped on his horse, and drove away.

When Pei Xingjian saw Xue Wanbei also enter the palace, he patted the horse's neck and said, "The blood-sweat horse was very good, what a pity."

Xue Wanbei glanced at the prince who was having gold moved.

He retracted his gaze and said, "What a pity?"

The Ferghana horses were drinking water by the pond. Pei Xingjian listened to the sound of the horses drinking water and said, "It's a pity that even in Dayuan, there are only 300 good horses like this. The rest of the war horses are good, but they are not Ferghana horses."

Xue Wanbei said: "The Ferghana horse is not the best."

Pei Xingjian said: "The King of Dayuan has war horses, but he doesn't know how to raise them. If it were someone else, he would be able to raise more Ferghana horses. He has such a good land, but he doesn't use it. He enjoys so much wealth, but he doesn't think about strengthening himself."

The King of Dayuan is not worthy of pity, and no one will sympathize with him even though he has such an ending.

In this barbaric Pamir Mountains, even if it is not the Tang army, there will be others who will annex them.

Only after all the Tang troops entered the city did the 30,000-strong army of the Little Bolor Kingdom allow to enter Dayuan City. This was the rule of the Tang army. The Little Bolor Kingdom could pick up some credit on the sidelines or in the rear.

Whether these merits are big or small is up to the Anxi Protectorate to decide.

At this point, when Liu Rengui and Lou Shide arrived at Talas City, 40,000 Tang troops were stationed in Talas City, while in Dayuan City there were 10,000 Tang troops led by Pei Xingjian and Xue Wanbei and 30,000 reinforcements from the Small Bolor Kingdom.

The Tang army occupied two cities with 80,000 soldiers and horses.

In this Pamir area, the Tang army has become the largest force, and no one knows how many troops the Arabs have deployed so far.

However, for the Tang army now, as long as the Arabs do not launch a large-scale attack, the Tang army will capture the Shi Kingdom and will surely win Dongcao.

It took the Tang people only one night to conquer Dayuan. According to rumors among some Hu merchants in the Pamir Mountains, Dayuan changed its owner overnight.

In the city of Talas, Liang Jianfang listened to the conversation between Liu Rengui and Lou Shide.

Liu Rengui: "General Li Yiyan and Protector General Li Fengjie have arrived at Suiye City with 20,000 troops."

When they set out for Talas City, the garrison general and the protector general of Anxi arrived at Suiye City right after them. The northwest defense line of the Tang Dynasty extended all the way to the west of Suiye City.

Lou Shide asked, "Where is the prince?"

Liang Jianfang said, "We have gone to Dayuan City. Don't worry, Censor Lou. The prince has Pei Xingjian and Xue Wanbei by his side."

Listening to Liang Jianfang's bland words, Lou Shide was furious and slammed the table, saying, "You knew that I was here to look for His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, but you still let the Crown Prince go to Dayuan?"

Liu Rengui said: "I have read the military order. It was the prince's decision to go to Dawan. Liang Jianfang only allowed Xue Wanbei and Pei Xingjian to go."

In other words, Liang Jianfang cannot order the prince around, and it is up to the prince himself to decide where to go.

Although Lou Shide felt that Liang Jianfang did it on purpose, he could not find any fault.

Lou Shide said, "Give me a fast horse and I will go to Dayuan right away. I have the decree from His Majesty."

Liang Jianfang gave a look to the deputy general beside him, and said to Lou Shide, "As you wish."

Liu Rengui watched the censor walk away quickly and asked, "Where's Zhang Daan?"

"Zhang Shaoyin is sorting out the baggage in the city. We are about to set out, and he is needed to coordinate the preparation of food and fodder in the rear."

All the generals in Talas City, including officials from Jingzhao Prefecture and Anxi Protectorate, had important matters to attend to and none of them were idle, including Cui Xuanwei, who had to calculate the military expenses every day.

Liu Rengui bowed and left, then went into the city to look for Zhang Daan.

The Shi Kingdom was not far from the city of Talas. The Tang army decided to rest for two days before setting out to attack the Shi Kingdom. Now the city was much quieter than usual, and the soldiers in the city were no longer making noise, but were actively preparing dry food, weapons, daggers that could be hidden on their bodies, or sewing armor.

Others kept stuffing food into their mouths until they were full and could not eat any more. Others simply fell asleep and would not wake up until the day the army set out.

(End of this chapter)