A Good Landlord in the Tang Dynasty: Emperor Yuan Cong

Chapter 1133 Don’t Panic
We traveled day and night, slept in the open air, and it was extremely hard.

However, when Wu Huaiyu led the coalition forces back east and attacked Gaochang Kingdom, he felt much more relaxed and comfortable.

Marching only a hundred miles a day is much easier. At night, you can stay in a warm and comfortable tent, make a fire and eat fresh hot meals.

Along the way, there were various tribes that provided cattle, sheep and other food supplies, and the food was also very good, so we no longer had to eat dry food for more than ten days in a row. We could drink stewed mutton soup every day, and when we passed by a river, we could also catch some fish for a meal. After stopping the march, we could also hunt wild sheep, catch some marmots, shoot some rabbits and pheasants, and dig some wild vegetables and pick some mushrooms for a meal.

Wu Huaiyu, the great general of Tian Khan, was highly respected by various tribes along the way.

The reputation of Tian Khan in the Western Regions became more and more powerful. In the past, Tian Khan's authority was mainly in the areas south, east and north of the desert, but now in all tribes of the Western Regions, the name of Tian Khan has become extremely honorable.

The Chushe and Shijin of various tribes even actively promoted the Heavenly Khan.
If they can't beat them, they will join, but they also have their own unique ways of choosing to join.

Li Shimin, the Heavenly Khan, was not only the emperor of the Tang Dynasty, but also the Khan of the grassland. He was the greatest Khan, above all the other Khans.

In this way, the Turks felt that they were not submitting to the Tang Dynasty, but rather that they had chosen a greater and more powerful Khan.

"I didn't expect that these people from the Western Regions are quite capable of transformation."

"Survival of the fittest," Huaiyu held a cup of milk tea and looked at the soldiers who were setting up camp under the beautiful sunset. The Tang army camp was in the middle, and the Turkic vassal army, divided into camps according to their respective tribes, surrounded it outside.

The strong never complain about the environment, the weak only blame others.

The truth lies in the hard fist.

Although the Tang Dynasty had previously destroyed the Eastern Turks, captured Jie Li, destroyed Tuyuhun, conquered Dangxiang, and defeated the ignorant Tubo,
However, the Western Regions only showed superficial respect to the Tang Dynasty. Even when Yugushe was slightly stronger and could only suppress Nanting, they began to disrespect the Tang Dynasty. Even Gaochang felt that the Tang Dynasty was too far away to do anything to them, so they became presumptuous.

In the Han Dynasty there was the arrogant Yelang.

But Gaochang is much worse than Yelang.

In the final analysis, he had not been beaten yet, and had not felt any pain. When Wu Huaiyu attacked with thunder and killed Duolu Khan with one sword, he captured him alive, killed his fierce general Yuzhi Shizhi, and killed Shijin of the Chishi tribe who wanted to serve the king. With one sword after another, he chopped them off in pieces.

They finally felt the pain.

As a result, the Zhuyehu, Duoshe, and Shijin became respectful, docile, and even hospitable. Wherever the Tang army went, they came to support and comfort the army, giving them cattle, sheep, and camels, and even sending young and strong men from their own tribes to join the expedition.

Precious tea bricks, milk, ghee, dried milk and dried meat were all delivered in camels.

It's like a father and son who are reunited after being separated for many years.

There is no love or hate without reason in the world. To put it bluntly, strength is respected. Only when you are beaten and hurt can you know who is the king.

An Lushan prepared a plate of meat for his adoptive father and placed it in front of him. He said, "Those who are not of my race must have different hearts. You cannot trust these Western barbarians."

Wu Huaiyu felt a little strange when he heard him say that other people were Hu people and not of the same race. Strictly speaking, An Lushan was also a Hu person, but he himself did not admit it. Spiritually, he had long been a Tang citizen and even considered himself a Han Chinese.

Many Hu people in the Tang Dynasty actually thought the same as An Lushan, and many Tang people did not think there was anything wrong with this.

Just like the Xianbei people, who would specifically mention the Xianbei people nowadays?
The Xianbei people in the Central Plains, especially those who were sinicized since the Northern Wei Dynasty, although they still retained the Xianbei Hu surname, they had already integrated into the Han family. No matter Tuoba or Changsun, as well as Dugu, Yuchi, Helou, Bu Liugu, etc., no one now thinks they are Hu people.

Many Xianbei Hu surnames in the Northern Wei Dynasty also changed to Han surnames, such as Tuoba changed to Yuan, Dugu changed to Liu, Bu Liugu changed to Lu, Helou changed to Lou, etc.

Many people also changed the surname An from An Lushan's, which was a surname changed from the Xianbei Anchi clan of the Northern Wei Dynasty.

Since the Northern and Southern Dynasties, the integration of Han and Hu peoples has been the mainstream.

Today, the Tang Dynasty has unified the country, its national strength is growing, and the Han culture and etiquette system are becoming more and more respected. The Hu people in the Central Plains are actively integrating into China, considering themselves Chinese and being proud of it.

An Lushan did not think of himself as a Hu person. He felt that he was a true Tang person, or even a Han Chinese. He spoke Chinese, served as an official in the Tang Dynasty, and actively adopted the Sinic approach in all aspects of his lifestyle and diet.

They are willing to be loyal to the Tang Dynasty.
Although it is a bit strange, it is the reality at the moment.

In the eyes of people like An Lushan, the tribes in the Western Regions, the northern desert, and even the remote areas were the Hu people, the barbarians, and not even considered human.

An Lushan's brain and his thinking are actually those of a Tang person.

Wu Huaiyu appointed him as the garrison commander of Gongyue Town and gave him three thousand Tang cavalry to stay in the town, which he gladly accepted.

The beautiful Shuanghe River is not very deep. It originates from the snow-capped mountains northwest of Gongyue and flows from west to east through Wenquan and Bole City. After merging with Jinghe River and Daheyanzi River, it flows into Aibi Lake from the north-east.

It is this Shuanghe River, together with the Jinghe River (also known as the Shiqi River) flowing from the east to the north, that has nurtured the beautiful Shuanghe River Valley grassland.

Now, Wu Huaiyu has established the Shuanghe Governor's Office in this beautiful Shuanghe grassland, handed it over to the Sheshetibu who had performed actively before, and appointed Tunchu as the Shuanghe governor.

The three-surname Qarluk Zhongchishi, who had previously actively raised an army to rescue the emperor, were driven to the upper reaches of the Irtysh River and thrown into the Junggar Basin.

Although Wu Huaiyu pardoned the leaders of the Karluks after the war, he sent most of them to Chang'an to accompany Yu Gushe and serve the emperor.
The more than 10,000 Karluks were also released.

But it doesn't mean that Wu Huaiyu trusts them. It's just a strategy for ruling the Western Regions now. He can't just kill people everywhere.

Instead, they must first be convinced and acknowledge that the Heavenly Khan is the supreme ruler of the Western Regions.
Only in this way can the Tang Dynasty's system of controlling the Western Regions be established, and only then can the Tang Dynasty legitimately intervene in the affairs of the Western Regions.

But even if we release them, we cannot keep them by our side, nor can we treat them too well, otherwise they will not know the dignity. We must move them from the fertile Shuanghe Valley to Junggar.
Moving Tunchuo's tribe to Shuanghe was also a declaration to all Turkic people that those who followed and were loyal to the Tang Dynasty would naturally have something to show for themselves.

Just like the Tuqishi tribe, which was the first to express its allegiance, they responded the earliest, and Heluo Shichu was also more aware of the current situation, so Wu Huaiyu set up two military governorships for their tribe, and even gave them the land north of the Suiye River, which did not originally belong to them.

Everything was conveying that simple and clear message: if they followed the Tang Dynasty, the Tang Dynasty would not treat them unfairly, but if they dared to resist the Tang Dynasty, there would be no good results. This was the first time, Wu Huaiyu forgave them, but the next time, the punishment would be more severe.

"Foster father, it's a pity that Shuanghe is such a good place and it was given to the Shesheti tribe. In fact, I think that after we defeated the Chishi tribe, we could have kept Shuanghe directly. Wouldn't it be better for us to station troops and cultivate land here?"

The Shuanghe River Basin is not only rich in water and grass, but also has a geographical location that makes it a must-pass place on the Northern Silk Road. In addition, its unique terrain makes it relatively closed.
It was the most suitable place for the Tang army to garrison. Once all the surrounding mountain passes were sealed, it would be easy to defend but difficult to attack. It was simply a natural base camp for the Tang army.

"Don't be too greedy. We should take it step by step. We are already very good to have taken over the Big and Small Gongyue Cities. We can't show too much strength."

Wu Huaiyu took the plate and sprinkled some green salt on the freshly cooked mutton with bones, which tasted delicious.

"I still think it's a pity to give up Shuanghe now. It will be difficult to get it back in the future."

"Don't worry, the water in the Western Region will never be calm, the excitement is still to come. But you are right, the Shuanghe location is still very important."

Wu Huaiyu dipped his fingers in the milk tea and drew a simple map on the table.

If you cross Alashankou from the north, you will reach Huangcaopo, which is the Aibi Lake in later generations. Going down along the west bank of the lake, you will reach the mouth of Shuanghe Lake. Then go west along the river, and then go south over Cheling to reach Gongyue City.

"We can take the lead in building a Silk Road post from Gongyue to Huangcaobo and build matching beacon towers on the pretext of maintaining the Silk Road and protecting Silk Road goods. This way, you can not only send troops to garrison and patrol, but also recruit Turks, Sogdians and other Hu people as your assistants.
We build a post station every fifty or sixty miles, a beacon tower every dozens of miles, and a fort every hundred miles. Not only can we station troops at each post station and beacon tower, but we can also use them to allocate some land from the surrounding areas for farming and grazing.
Once our post beacon fort is built, we can also build a market next to it and attract tribes to trade. We can also gain profits from trade and also collect taxes."

There are many ways to intervene, and it is not necessary to occupy the entire Shuanghe area at once, which will definitely cause opposition from all parties.

Now Wu Huaiyu drove away the Chishi tribe, but did not occupy it himself. Instead, he asked the Shesheti tribe, one of the five Dulu tribes with higher status, to move in and let Tunchu be the governor.
This contradiction has shifted.
Tunchu would definitely try to secure Shuanghe for himself and would not give it to anyone else, and he would inevitably lean more towards the Tang army.

The Tang army gave such a good pair of rivers to the Shesheti tribe. Now they want to build a few post stations and beacon towers in their territory to maintain the Silk Road, protect commercial goods, and strengthen communications. Can they refuse?

The Silk Road not only has a northern route, but also a southern route.
If the northern route is unobstructed, more commercial goods will be available, and the Shuanghe Governor's Office, as the landlord, will also gain more benefits.
The Tang army gave you a cow and now wants a leg of meat. Can you still refuse?

Although the Tang army seemed to have only lost a piece of meat, they did not have to worry about the dissatisfaction of the Turkic tribes. If they had any dissatisfaction, they could raise it with the Sheshe, after all, Shuanghe was given to them.

"Gongyue City guards Cheling Mountain and is located between Shuanghe and Yili. It is actually quite good and sufficient. You stay in Gongyue and establish good relations with the two major Dulu tribes, Shesheti and Tuqishi."

"I understand, and I will remember your teachings." An Lushan nodded seriously in response.

Wu Huaiyu looked at the muscular man who was about to break through 300 kilograms, and couldn't help but remind him a few words, "You still need to control your weight a little bit, 200 kilograms is enough, don't get fatter. Being overweight is a disease, you are still young, and you still have a long way to go."

"Thank you."

"Okay, I'll take you here. You can go back to Gongyue tomorrow."

"Father, I will send you to Gaochang and get some credit at the same time." An Lushan said with a smile.

"With so many people going, Gaochang won't have the courage to resist. Besides, even Helu is on the way. The Turks over there might have taken Gaochang before we get there. It would be useless for you to go with them."

Wu Huaiyu didn't care about the small Gaochang. In fact, his Tang army could destroy Gaochang directly, but Wu Huaiyu still mobilized all the troops.
The main thing is to organize a large-scale armed parade to demonstrate the power of the Tang Dynasty, to deter the various tribes, and to let the entire Western Regions see the surrender of the various tribes, so that some people will not be unable to see the situation clearly.

Gaochang State, in the Central Plains, was at most a state, and a lower-middle state at that, even worse than a wealthy larger county.

"You stay behind at Gongyue. I remind you again, don't just charge headfirst into a situation. You need to know how to divide and win over others, and how to drive away a tiger and devour a wolf."

The flag of Heavenly Khan must be held high. With this flag, the Tang army can handle the affairs of the Western Regions just like it handles internal affairs and family affairs.

Without this flag, it would be considered an invasion and would easily trigger resistance from the entire Western Region.

After finishing a delicious meal of hand-pulled meat, the two men were almost done talking.

Suddenly a fast horse galloped into the camp, bringing a shocking news.

"When Gaochang King Qu Wentai heard that Wu Xiang was leading the Western Turkic cavalry with ten arrows from the east and west and a hundred thousand iron cavalry to attack Gaochang, he was frightened to death.

After the king's death, the crown prince Qu Zhisheng lured the Turkic Gaochang Tutun Ashinaju into the palace, ambushed the swordsmen, and shot the Tutun and his officers to death with arrows. Then he sent people to send wine and meat to the Turkic army outside the city, and poisoned the wine and meat. When the poison took effect, he personally led the Gaochang army into the Turkic camp and wiped out an entire camp of soldiers and horses.

······
Wu Huaiyu couldn't help but raise his eyebrows when listening to the prince's series of actions. This man is quite cruel. He dares to be so crazy at this time.

He lured Tutun Ashinaju to his death, poisoned the Turkic army, and then raided the camp and killed them all.

Then the prince led the Gaochang army, disguised as Ashina Ju's troops, and ran to the Turkic Khan's Futu City north of Gaochang. He pretended to open the city gate, rushed into the city, killed Helu's troops left behind, and captured the Khan City in one fell swoop.

Then he left an army to garrison this important town north of Gaochang, and he returned to Gaochang without stopping.

funeral, conscription,
This guy actually quickly gathered 20,000 troops and vowed to fight the Tang army to the end.

"Foster father, I am willing to lead my 3,000 cavalry as the vanguard to capture Gaochang for you and capture the lunatic Qu Zhisheng!"

Wu Huaiyu just laughed and said, "Let him be as crazy as he wants. If he still can't recognize the situation now, he is just a mediocre and stupid person."

"Okay, you should go back and rest early, and return to Gongyue to guard the town tomorrow."

As for Wu Huaiyu, of course everything remained the same. What happened in Gaochang had no effect on Wu Huaiyu at all. It was useless for them to resist because of the disparity in strength, especially since the Tang army had already mastered the powerful weapon to break into the city.

The resistance of the Prince of Gaochang only made it easier for Wu Huaiyu to completely annex Gaochang and turn it into Zhengzhou after he captured the city.

(End of this chapter)