Tibet.

Chapter 1229: Enabling Famous Generals
At this time, Du You came over and whispered, "Your Highness is back, please come in, General!"

Li Sheng took a deep breath, stood up and walked towards the official room.

Entering the government office, Li Sheng bowed and saluted, "Your Highness, I pay my respects to you!"

Li Ye smiled slightly and asked, "General Li, how do you feel about going to Suiye?"

The military training hall established by Li Ye was a school for training generals, but for the surrendered generals, the main purpose was to send them to the Western Regions to rekindle their original motivation to join the army and expand territory for the Tang Dynasty. Instead of empty talk and preaching, it would be better to take a physical trip.

Li Sheng nodded. "This is the first time I know that the territory of the Tang Dynasty is so vast and magnificent. To be honest, I really don't want to come back."

Li Ye pondered for a moment and said, "It's mainly because we are relatively passive in the Western Regions and on the defensive, so I didn't let you go further. When I was in charge of Hezhong, I expanded the border of the Tang Dynasty five thousand miles to the west, established a county town in the Aral Sea, and stationed a thousand troops. But we will definitely fight back. I hope the general can seize this opportunity, expand the border for the Tang Dynasty in the Western Regions, establish unprecedented merits, and leave your name in history."

Li Sheng immediately expressed his opinion: "I am willing to go to the Western Regions to open up new frontiers!"

Li Ye smiled and said, "I understand your idea. There will be a chance, but not now. Now I need an army to march to Jingxing. General Li, you will lead this army of 30,000 people, and Li Guochen will be your deputy general!"

Li Sheng was deeply moved. He was actually allowed to be the commander-in-chief. This trust made him unable to control himself for a moment. He choked up and said, "I am willing to serve your Highness at my utmost!"

Li Ye handed him a plan for sending troops. "Go to the Privy Council and report to me. Study my plan carefully. The Ministry of War has a sand table. You can apply for one."

"I resign from my humble position!"

Li Sheng bowed and slowly retreated.

Li Ye looked at Li Sheng as he walked away. Li Sheng was a famous general of the Tang Dynasty. He was well-known in history. From his defeat of Tian Shengong in Heyang and Wang Sili in Hulao Pass, we can see that he led the troops decisively and ruthlessly, and was brave and resourceful. He was indeed a rare general. Although he had been on the wrong side before, it was not his fault. So after leaving Li Sheng alone for a few months, he was re-employed and let him lead 30,000 troops to take charge of the western front to deal with Li Baochen. "

At this time, the attendant at the door reported, "Your Highness, Envoy Duan wants to see you!"

"Invite him in!"

Not long after, Duan Xiushi hurried in, bowed and said, "Greetings, Your Highness!"

Li Ye smiled and said, "Just now I asked Li Sheng to go to the Privy Council to find you!"

"I met him at the door. Let him go first. An official from the Privy Council will register him first."

After saying that, Duan Xueshi took out a piece of intelligence and handed it to Li Ye, "This is an eagle letter sent by Bai Yuanguang, the governor of Shuofang. Zuo Xin, the chieftain of the Sijie tribe, sent someone to Shuofang to deliver the letter, saying that the Sijie tribe will not follow the Huihe to attack the Tang Dynasty."

Li Ye nodded, "This proves from one side that the Huihe army is going to attack the Tang Dynasty."

"Yes! Sijie actually came to report that he had sent more than a dozen people to Shuofang, but in the end only two people were left when they arrived in Shuofang. The others froze to death on the way. It is not easy to have a pro-Tang tribe."

Li Ye pondered for a moment and said, "The intelligence on the grassland is backward, and the news they get is often from a year ago. It is estimated that Zhu Tao, Tian Shenyu and others will use false information to deceive the grassland Lakers, so they may still think that the Tang Dynasty is still dominated by eunuchs and the government is in chaos, and there is an opportunity to take advantage of it."

"Your Highness is absolutely right. This year has brought a lot of changes. The Huihe people could not have imagined it."

Li Ye knocked on the table and said, "There is also intelligence gathering in Hebei. I want to know whether Tian Chengsi is preparing to retreat north. The Privy Council needs to strengthen intelligence in Hebei."

"I understand and will never relax. I will report immediately once I receive any news!" Just after the Lantern Festival, in Yuancheng County, Weizhou, a group of thousands of carts loaded with food supplies and a large amount of wealth went north along the official road to Cangzhou.

Five thousand troops were led by Tian Chengsi's third son Tian Hua, guarding the convoy along the way.

Although it was midnight, many people on both sides of the official road were watching from a distance.

This is actually not the first time that supplies have been transported north. This is the third time. However, the previous two times were by fleet and did not attract much attention. At this time, the river was frozen and only large trucks could be used for transportation.

Of course, the noise from large trucks was quite loud. Even in the middle of the night, it still woke up the residents in the houses along the way, who quietly opened their windows to check.

In an inn about twenty steps away from the official road, several dark figures were standing in front of the second-floor window, closely observing the convoy heading north.

These black shadows were none other than members of the Guanlong Army's intelligence station in Weizhou. The chief was Wang Xiaolin, a native of Yuancheng County, Weizhou. He was originally an eighth-rank clerk in the Dali Temple. He was spotted by the Privy Council and sent to Weizhou to monitor Tian Chengsi.

"Boss, it seems like it's always food!" a subordinate whispered beside him.

Wang Xiaolin shook his head. "No! The load-bearing capacity of the truck is obviously different. We should not make random guesses. Let's go check with Wei Jizhong tomorrow."

Wei Jizhong was once Tian Chengsi's trusted aide and had long been stationed at the imperial court on behalf of Tian Chengsi. However, because he supported Tian Chengsi's nephew Tian Yue and repeatedly persuaded Tian Chengsi to establish Tian Yue's heir, he was hated by the eldest son Tian Wei.

In addition, Wei Jizhong was optimistic about Li Ye and repeatedly persuaded Tian Chengsi to make friends with Li Ye to leave a way out for his descendants. His persuasion was seized by Tian Wei and became a handle for him to secretly collude with Li Ye.

Unable to withstand the slander of his sons, Tian Chengsi gradually neglected Wei Jizhong. Wei Jizhong was kicked out of the core staff circle and became a second-line staff member, with nothing to do in normal times.

At noon, in the Qinghe Restaurant in Yuancheng County, Wang Xiaolin invited Wei Jizhong to have a drink and talked about last night's convoy.

Wei Jizhong sighed and said, "I didn't know about the thousands of carts heading north last night, including the fleet before. I knew about it even later than you did. Tian Chengsi never called me to discuss anything. I have been completely marginalized."

Wang Xiaolin also knew that Wei Jizhong had been excluded by Tian Wei and others because of his support for Tian Yue, and had now been excluded from the decision-making circle. He had no idea about the previous incident with Ashina Chengqing, and when the Internal Security Bureau sent him a message asking him to verify it, he had no idea where to start.

"Then Mr. Wei, do you think Tian Chengsi is planning to retreat north to Cangzhou?"

Wei Jizhong shook his head. "Weizhou is Tian Chengsi's old nest. He has been operating in Weizhou for many years. How could he give it up so easily? He transferred supplies and money to Cangzhou. He is just a cunning rabbit with three burrows. If Weizhou cannot be defended, he will withdraw to Cangzhou."

After a pause, Wei Jizhong continued, "He let his eldest son Tian Wei run Weizhou, his second son Tian Chao run Beizhou, and his third son Tian Hua take charge of Cangzhou. Tian Chengsi himself is nowhere to be found. Since December last year, I have seen him three times in total, and it turns out that he was a substitute all the time."

"Sir, can you recognize his stand-in?" Wang Xiaolin asked curiously.

Wei Jizhong sneered as he held up his wine glass: "How could I not recognize him? I found both of his stand-ins for him. I know how to tell them apart."

"Could it be that Tian Chengsi himself is no longer in Weizhou?"

Wei Jizhong pondered for a moment and said slowly: "It is indeed possible!"

(End of this chapter)