The Leisurely Life of the Prince of the Tang Dynasty

Chapter 521 Five Color Salt and Ali
The city of Talas was very quiet before the army set out, until after nightfall, when Liu Rengui was walking in the city. He listened to the snoring coming from outside the house, which came one after another.

Liu Rengui walked all the way to the granary in Talas City. An oil lamp was lit at the door of the granary, and three or two figures were busy working.

When he got closer, Liu Rengui saw Zhang Daan who was giving orders.

Seeing the visitor, Zhang Daan saluted and said, "Liu Fuyin."

Liu Rengui exhaled a breath of hot air in the night wind and said, "Thank you for your help."

Zhang Daan said, "It's not that I'm tired."

When the army was away, the Jingzhao Prefecture was arranging food and supplies. The food supply in both Suiye City and Talas City was also coordinated by Zhang Da'an.

As we didn't know how big the war would be, food was stored in excess and the supply was almost saturated.

Liu Rengui took the file, flipped through it and said, "By the beginning of summer this year, the subsequent food and grass will be delivered from behind the Ili River."

Zhang Daan said, "I have visited the farmland in Dayuan. If we have enough time, we can cultivate hundreds of hectares of land in Suiye and Dayuan in four months. The rear of the army will be more stable."

Seeing that Liu Rengui wanted to ask more, Zhang Da'an said, "We have enough prisoners of war."

Liu Rengui: "If we use the prisoners of war to grow food, we will need an army to guard them. Let Li Duhu come."

"Alright."

Seeing Zhang Da'an respond so quickly, Liu Rengui became more and more satisfied with this young official. In fact, when Liu Rengui was in the Anxi Protectorate and asked about the governance of the Western Regions, he found that Zhang Da'an was a very capable person.

From that time on, Liu Rengui felt that Zhang Da'an was very good. He inquired about Zhang Da'an's experience. He worked his way up from a county magistrate to the clerk of Jingzhao Prefecture in the Western Regions. This young man had been working in Jingzhao Prefecture for a long time, but he was still only a clerk.

Zhang Da'an was already in Jingzhao Prefecture when the construction of Jingzhao Prefecture in Luoyang was just beginning.

Afterwards, Zhang Da'an went to the Hexi Corridor, Tubo, and then came to the present-day Talas City. Liu Rengui once thought that Zhang Da'an's ability might be better than Xu Jingzong.

Liu Rengui: "Xu Jingzong is no longer the prefect of Jingzhao Prefecture."

Zhang Daan paused for a moment and asked, "Who is the current Jingzhao prefect?"

"Yan Qinli."

Hearing this, Zhang Daan continued writing, "He was the first person to enter Jingzhao Prefecture back then."

Liu Rengui said: "He is indeed very suitable. Your Majesty has always been wise in making appointments."

Zhang Da'an had heard before that Liu Rengui seemed to have some conflicts with Xu Jingzong, and in terms of the way he did things, Liu Rengui was somewhat prejudiced against Xu Jingzong.

After counting the food and grass in front of him, Zhang Da'an said to the clerk beside him: "There is no need to rush to send the food and grass behind Suiye City. We will consider sending it after the food and grass at the front line are shipped out."

"Here."

"One more thing!" Zhang Da'an stopped the clerk and said, "Transfer more people from Suiye City. There are still many important matters to be arranged in Talas City."

After hearing the words, the clerk left quickly.

After finishing these things, Zhang Da'an put the files here into a wooden box and then put it into the house.

"Do you plan to stay in Talas City during this expedition?"

There was only one oil lamp lit in the room, and it was very dark. Zhang Daan heard the voice outside the room, put down the box in his hand, picked up the oil lamp beside him and replied, "Yeah."

Some things have to be done by someone, and Zhang Da'an felt that he also needed to arrange the dispatch of the army's baggage and food. Looking at the entire Talas City, only Jingzhao Prefecture could do these things.

In recent years, the functions of the Jingzhao Prefecture have become increasingly complicated.

Zhang Daan walked out of the mud house and said with a smile: "It's okay, I will arrange the next thing. Liu Fuyin and I still need to keep in touch with each other in the front army."

Liu Rengui nodded. As the prefect of Jingzhao Prefecture in the Western Regions, he needed to follow the army when it was away, and he needed manpower to transport baggage and food.

Zhang Da'an also told Liu Rengui about the current layout of the city of Talas, including the number of hard laborers, the number of transport vehicles, and the livestock.

As he spoke, Zhang Da'an took out a cloth bag and poured out some pink salt.

Liu Rengui picked up some pink crystals and said, "Is this the five-color salt that is extremely rare even in the Western Regions?"

"There is actually a lot of this salt west of the Pamir Mountains. They can even use it to build houses." Zhang Daan explained: "I tried to use this salt to grill meat, but it didn't seem to taste any different."

Then Zhang Da'an took out two salt bricks. Persia still existed during the pre-Sui Dynasty, and the five-color salt was also introduced into the Central Plains.

Speaking of the demise of Persia, it happened only in the past twenty years. When talking about the pre-Sui period, I have a trance feeling, as if a very long period of time has passed.

At that time, the five-color salt from Persia was introduced to the Pamir Mountains. The King of Anguo among the Hu people in the Pamir Mountains presented the five-color salt to Emperor Yang of Sui.

There were also relevant records of five-color salt in the later Cao and Kang states, and they also produced five-color salt.

In the trade with the Western Regions, the scarcity of five-color salt also led to its high price.

Zhang Daan said: "Only if we capture their salt mines can we know the true nature of the salt."

Liu Rengui picked up some crystals and put them into his mouth, savoring them carefully.

According to rumors in the Western Regions, there are many colors of five-color salt, the most common of which is this pink salt brick. Since Persia was destroyed by the Arabs, more and more of these salt bricks have flowed into the Western Regions.

Zhang Daan took out some green salt and explained, "This kind of salt first appeared in Qiuci, but there are not many green salts in Qiuci now. There is also black salt, which I have never seen before."

Liu Rengui picked up some salt and said, "Salt is salt."

Zhang Daan picked up a piece of roast beef from the campfire. He put the beef on a plate, mixed pepper and salt together, and rubbed them all over the beef. He said, "This way, the price will be quite high."

The price of pepper in Guanzhong is indeed cheaper nowadays, but if you talk about its price, even a few taels of pepper are too expensive to make your teeth ache. One tael of pepper can buy ten taels of salt.

Therefore, if Sinong Temple can cultivate a large amount of pepper, it can make pepper a crop that ordinary people can afford.

I heard that Sinong Temple has made good achievements recently. Maybe in a few years, there will be cheap pepper in the Central Plains.

Don't underestimate people's determination to eat a bite of pepper. Grapes were always very expensive in Guanzhong in the past, but now? Ordinary people can eat a bite of grapes every year.

Liu Rengui and Zhang Da'an talked about the current changes in the situation in Guanzhong. "There is also a Jingzhao Prefecture in Tubo."

Zhang Da'an said, "I think it is a wise decision to let Qin Ling come to the Western Regions." Liu Rengui said, "It was the military order from Lord Ying."

Whether it was the military order of Duke Ying or the decree of His Majesty, they were essentially the same. Zhang Da'an looked at the night sky of Congling Mountains. Sometimes the starry sky did look clearer than that in Guanzhong.

Even the stars have become much sparser. Zhang Da'an still remembers the starry sky in Guanzhong. Every time this season comes, the night sky in Guanzhong will always be full of stars, forming a very magnificent sea of ​​stars.

But now, there are only a few stars twinkling in the night sky.

Liu Rengui: "Do you think that if Qin Ling leaves Tubo, there will be no more rebellion?"

Zhang Daan explained: "According to the knowledge of our Chongwen Hall, the Tibetan nobles are always a minority, and the Tibetan herdsmen are the majority. The interests of the herdsmen are closely related to the Tibetan nobles. As long as there are Chongwen Hall and Jingzhao Prefecture, the Protectorate will redistribute them."

"In the face of the interests of the vast majority of people, those nobles of Tubo collapsed on their own." At this point, Zhang Da'an sighed again: "Back in Tubo, I met Sangbuza, who was considered a good friend of mine. Just a few days ago, he asked the Tubo people to send a message saying that he was already an old man with white hair and beard, and he missed Songtsen Gampo and Lu Dongzan in Chang'an very much."

"After that, I informed the people in the Honglu Temple about this matter. After hearing about it, they arranged for someone to be sent to Tubo. I still have some face with Li Anqi, so he should help me arrange for someone to send the elderly Sambuza to Chang'an."

After eating the beef in front of him, Zhang Daan finished what he wanted to say and went to rest.

Liu Rengui was still looking at the five-colored salt in front of him and thinking.

The next day, at dawn, drum sounds were heard in Talas City. After reorganizing their forces, the Flying Tigers headed for Dayuan City.

On the city wall, Gao Kan stepped forward quickly and said, "Once the Flying Tigers reach Dayuan City, they will set out to attack Dongcao."

Li Mengchang also came to report: "Xue Rengui and Bai Fang have completed their military preparations."

Xue Rengui and Bai Fang led 6,000 soldiers and horses to attack Shi State first.

Pei Yan hurried to the city wall and said, "General, everything is ready."

The troops of Talas City were divided into three groups. Xue Rengui led two thousand Hexi soldiers and Bai Fang's four thousand Western Regions soldiers to attack the Shi Kingdom first.

Di Renjie, Pei Yan, Prince of Jin and Prince of Ji led a large army and headed southwest to join forces with the troops of Dayuan.

When Xue Rengui and his men attacked the Shi Kingdom, Di Renjie and Pei Xingjian should have also surrounded Dong Cao.

As long as Shiguo and Dongcao were conquered, the western gate would be opened for the Tang army.

In the city of Talas, groups of soldiers left in a hurry, and 40,000 soldiers were left in the city. After another day of rest, they would go out together with General Liang Jianfang, General Gao Kan, and General Li Mengchang.

Liu Rengui sat on the back of the Ferghana horse and said, "I will set up granaries along the way."

Xue Rengui liked to wear a white robe, while Bai Fang liked to wear a black armor. He replied, "Liu Fuyin, this is the Congling Mountains, and we cannot set up granaries along the way."

Liu Rengui: "There are large plains here with no strategic locations to defend? Are you worried about being intercepted?"

Bai Fang shook his head and said, "If there is no army to protect us, and only three or five people are left to guard us, we will be targeted by wolves. The wolves are at their most ferocious in Congling at this time of year. Even a team of dozens of people will be surrounded and killed by wolves."

Xue Rengui also added: "The wolves here are very fierce and should not be underestimated."

As the team was marching, Bai Fang looked up at the distant hilltop and stared with a frown. Just at that moment, he saw the figures of a pack of wolves.

"The wolves here are very smart. They are used to following people, so they will follow from a distance and not get close. They will hunt when people relax or are alone. Even if there are horses, they may not be able to outrun the wolves."

As the army marched along, wolves appeared and disappeared in the distance, and these wolves seemed to have scouts.

Xue Rengui saw a village with only five or six mud houses, and no one was inside.

Bai Fang walked into the house, put his hand into a shallow hole to test the temperature, and said, "It just left not long ago. It seems that he fled to the west."

The people here would dig a hole inside the house and cook their meals every day in this hole.

Upon hearing the news that the Tang army is coming, the villagers and tribes along the route will inevitably flee.

To the west of Talas City, two days' walk away, is the Kingdom of Shi. In the royal palace of the Kingdom of Shi, there stand many Arabs and Hu people.

The most eye-catching thing here is a tiger, which is a Persian tiger.

In the past, Persian nobles showed their preciousness by being able to raise a Persian tiger. But now that all the land of Persia has belonged to the Arabs, these Persian tigers have become the Arabs' livestock.

At this moment, the tiger was walking back and forth in the palace, its eyes scanning the surroundings. Every time its claws fell, it was silent, but with great pressure.

This is a living man-eating tiger, walking right in front of these living people.

The Arab guards wore cloth scarves on their heads, held round shields in one hand and a knife in the other. Facing the Persian tiger, the Arabs seemed much calmer.

The servants who were originally in the Stone Kingdom Palace were now trembling with fear. If the tiger came even a little closer, they would faint on the spot.

The tiger walked around again, and as if it was sleepy, it opened its mouth and lay down.

The King of the Stone Kingdom, who was supposed to be sitting in the palace, stood humbly beside a man.

The man was wearing gold and silver jewelry and walking barefoot. He stared at several Hu people standing outside the palace and said something in Arab language.

Then it was relayed by a Hu person, and the general meaning was: Are the Tang army coming?
The palace was very quiet, and another person came running in, prostrated himself before the palace, and loudly announced the news.

The news said that the Tang army had already set out, with two armies heading towards Dongcao and Shiguo respectively.

The people in the palace had different expressions. The man sitting on the throne was Ibn Ali, a nobleman of the Arabs. Some Arabs also called him Ali in a very intimate way.

Ali is very young and looks like a kid who has just turned twenty years old. He is also a very arrogant kid, as can be seen from the tiger beside him.

Ali said to himself, "After I defeat the Tang army, I will return to the Caliph."

Caliph is the ruler of the Arabs, and is the title of the ruler.

An old Arab came forward to persuade Ali. Hearing this, Ali looked a little more hesitant. He clapped his hands and said a few words in Arab language. The Persian tiger then stood up and followed Ali quietly.

Ali left the Stone Kingdom, but asked the soldiers of the Arabs to guard here.

After some inquiries, An Yanyan learned that Ali had originally planned to fight against the Tang Dynasty, but something happened in the rear of the Arabs, and Ali might become the next Caliph of the Arabs.

At this juncture, Ali didn't want to waste time here. He wanted to ascend the throne first and then go to war with the Tang army.

(End of this chapter)