Elegy of Tang Dynasty

Chapter 342 The Western Region only needs one sun

The military town of Anxi Protectorate is really rich.

In Zhang Sancheng's pledge room, Fang Chongyong was looking through the account books here and couldn't help but sigh.

It can be said that the Anxi Army has carried the "military business" to the extreme. It has plucked its hair at key passes and has not wronged itself at all. It's really impressive that Zhang Sancheng can collect so much tax from such a small city.

But it's not surprising if you think about it carefully, because most of the money should be used to support the troops, and the remaining oil and water officers will be divided among the profits. There is no civil affairs here in Anxi. All economic activities are carried out around the military, and all local fiscal revenue is used to support the army.

Very simple and straightforward.

Having said that, in the four towns of Anxi, which are surrounded by powerful enemies, the taxes collected do not support soldiers, so are they left to the bandits to rob?
The dangerous environment created the military control system.

Fang Chongyong closed the ledger, rubbed the corners of his sore eyes, and filtered useless information in his mind.

The four towns of Anxi, in the eyes of the uninformed, are Qiuci, Khotan, Shule, and Suiye. The Anxi Protectorate has jurisdiction over thousands of miles and is extremely powerful.

But in fact, Suiye Town was abandoned decades ago, which is another embarrassing past event.

However, when this strategy was implemented, there was a slight "little" situation.

Gao Xianzhi knew that he had to listen to Fang Chongyong, because this was the power granted by the court.

Because Suiye Town is outside the basic territory of the Western Region "surrounded by mountains and rivers", supply has always been a very troublesome problem. After the Tang army captured it, they felt that maintaining it was too cost-effective. Therefore, whether Suiye Town should exist or be abolished has always been controversial in the court.

If the situation in Beiting is better than Fang Chongyong expected, then the challenge faced by Anxi is much greater than he originally estimated!
The food here is not self-sufficient, and much of it comes from other places in the Western Region. It relies on the crushing economic strength of the Tang Dynasty, that is, the "silk economy", to ensure the food and clothing of the garrison.

If the general doesn't take it, his subordinates won't be able to take it. In the end, military morale cannot be guaranteed.

The reason why the Tang Dynasty agreed to Sulu's request was for no other reason than to allow the Tuqi Shi Khan to deal with the already aggressive white-clothed Dashi further west at that time.

Among these four towns, Yutian Town was not directly controlled by the Tang army, but was controlled by the Yuchi family of the Khotanese royal family. Although the Yuchi family supported the Tang Dynasty, after all, the Tang army was not stationed directly, so half of the road was wasted.

Now that it has become an established fact, in order to win over Sulu, the imperial court sent an envoy to Suiye City, and conferred Sulu as the Tuqi Shi surnamed Zhongshun Khan of the 14th surname and the Jin Fangdao envoy. According to Sulu's request, Sulu was Broken leaves were publicly sold to him as the tooth court.

Jiedushi can appoint ten generals like Zheng Dequan on his own. With Fang Chongyong's authority, he can be killed.

Although Tuqishi was destroyed, Suiye Town was also reduced to scorched earth and could not support the Tang army's long-term garrison here, so now it is dragging on like this. Suiye City has been destroyed, and the Tang Dynasty's stronghold there remains. Next Buddhist temple.

I set off before you gave the order, so this does not count as "disobeying military orders."

The idea of ​​Ji Ge and the court at that time was good, let the powerful and geographically advantageous Bai Yi Dashi contain Tu Qi Shi; while Tu Qi Shi, with a weak economic foundation, had to rely on the Tang Dynasty and act as a peaceful watcher. Guard dogs, the two bite each other.

"Jie Shuai, Gao Xianzhi is the deputy governor of Anxi after all. We can't just kill him like we did Zheng Dequan."

One was that they made a lot of money from the tariffs; the other was that they deliberately did not allow the commander-in-chief to cross the border.

During the decades, it was in and out of existence, which can be said to have gone through many vicissitudes of life.

Therefore, the four towns of Anxi actually refer to Qiuci, Yutian, Shule, and Yanqi, and do not include Suiye Town.

"Only after the layout of Anbei Court is completed can we go out to attack Xiao Bolu. Gao Xianzhi, this is a serious matter that will destroy the commander of this section if he disobeys orders!"

"What did Zheng Dequan's cronies say?"

Thinking of this, Fang Chongyong sighed. He noticed a figure moving at the door of the custody room, so he shouted to the other side: "Come in."

This is nothing unusual.

When the water is clear, there will be no fish. Zhang Sancheng guards and captures the Youxingzi, which serves as the city gate, and the guard will collect the customs here. This is a "routine operation" here in the Western Regions. Let alone Zheng Dequan, if another general were to investigate, the result would probably be the same.

Shule Town has poor geographical conditions and can support very few troops. The basic base controlled by the Anxi Army is actually only the two large oases of Qiuci and Yanqi.

But Gao Xianzhi wants to sneak away and "go on an expedition". There is a lot worth talking about here.

They just didn't expect us to come so quickly. They probably wanted to wait for Gao Xianzhi to go to Kucha City before letting us go to Kucha City.

This indirectly stabilized the situation west of Congling.

Fang Chongyong put the confession on the table and did not look at it at all. He just stared at Duan Xiushi and asked.

Of course, it would have been better if we hadn't come, or if we had come after Gao Xianzhi left Kucha. That way they don't even have to pretend. "

If Tu Qishi can't hold it anymore, Datang will step in to "help him out". This routine has been played since the great ancestor Li Yuan, and Datang is very familiar with it. Under normal circumstances, Baiyi Dashi, whose overall strength is far superior to Tu Qishi, should be the one with the upper hand in the situation.

Fang Chongyong said to Duan Xiushi in a bad tone, his dissatisfaction evident in his words.

Historically, the reason why Gao Xianzhi dared to lead so many people in the Battle of Talos was because the previous white-clothed soldiers were too useless and their combat effectiveness was notorious. Datang did not have a deep understanding of the political changes in West Asia, so there was a certain information asymmetry.

Historically, Gao Xianzhi resorted to militarism, but there was really no other way.

Hearing this, Duan Xiushi, wearing a mask, walked in and handed a stack of confessions to Fang Chongyong. It was already broad daylight, and Fang Chongyong had just taken a nap last night and read documents almost all night long.

Duan Xiushi said in a deep voice.

Therefore, he wanted to take advantage of the time difference between Fang Chongyong, the Western Region Economic and Strategic Ambassador, before he arrived at Kucha City, and join the Tocharian envoys on the western expedition. When the time came, he would just say that the information was not smooth and he had not received military orders.

That is the seemingly powerful white-clothed Dashi, but when he was expanding his territory, he was actually faced with a sudden attack! This silver-like pewter gunhead lost consecutive battles, which caused Tu Qishi to continue to grow in strength, making the watchdog who was originally used to contain the white-clothed food become stronger and stronger, and actually seriously threatened the basic security of the Western Regions of the Tang Dynasty!
In desperation, Brother Ji had to send heavy troops to destroy Tuqishi.

At the beginning of the Kaiyuan Dynasty, Tuqishi Khan Sulu led his troops southward and captured Suiye City, where the Western Turkic Khan Ashina Xian was stationed in the Tang Dynasty, and rebuilt the Tuqishi Khanate, which had been dormant for a long time.

From this point of view, the Anxi Protectorate seems to control a huge territory, but in fact the economic foundation is extremely weak. Most areas are under indirect control and fish farming is under a tax package system. The Tang government and army were not alone here, and they could not squander their hard-won authority at will.

Of course, this military operation may not be large-scale.

“Basically I figured it out, everything else is fine, mainly because of two things.

Fang Chongyong secretly speculated in his mind that he seemed to remember that this battle did not appear in the history books of his previous life. Perhaps it was because the history books did not record it, or perhaps Gao Xianzhi was stimulated by something and took action in advance.

Worried that Fang Chongyong would get angry, Duan Xiushi persuaded him in a low voice.

However, Gao Xianzhi was the deputy governor of Anxi appointed by the imperial court, and perhaps he had taken refuge with Li Linfu. Such a person cannot simply be killed with a single blow. If you really want to play like that, it will shock the government and the public, and it is definitely not a good thing for Fang Chongyong.

"Don't worry, the commander has his own arrangements for this section."

Fang Chongyong waved his hand and said.

The reason why he wanted to bring the Anxi Expeditionary Force to the Western Region was so that he would not be ignored or controlled by others.

In addition, Fang Chongyong still had some thoughts in his mind and some things he had to do.

The idea of ​​managing the Western Regions in the Tang Dynasty was correct, but there were still some problems with the methods, and the contradictions of primary and secondary were somewhat reversed.

Gao Xianzhi used power blindly, ignoring the fundamentals of Beiting and the possible decline of the Tang Empire's national power at any time. In the end, he failed to make corresponding arrangements, which laid hidden dangers for future turmoil in the Western Region.

"Shuai Fang, Modao Army envoy Li Siye and his party are here." At this moment, Yan Chao strode into the signing room and whispered to Fang Chongyong.

"it is good!"

Fang Chongyong stood up and walked out of the custody room. As soon as he went out, he saw the burly Li Siye and others, and they saluted him with clasped fists.

"Hahahaha! General Li, do you still remember this ambassador?

That year in Hexi, General Li repelled the Tubo people, and someone was in the city at that time! "

Fang Chongyong walked over and held Li Siye's hand affectionately, laughing.

The tense and awkward atmosphere eased instantly, and Li Siye grinned and said, "It's all in the past, not worth mentioning, not worth mentioning!"

At this time, he breathed a sigh of relief. Looking at this posture, Fang Chongyong did not come to raise an army to question the crime. As long as you know this, everything else is trivial.

"General Li, please come inside."

Fang Chongyong made an invitation gesture, and then Li Siye, Li Qijun and others entered the signing room. He Changqi immediately stood guard outside the door, not allowing anyone else to approach.

In the signing room, the three of them sat down. Fang Chongyong handed over Ji Ge's imperial edict to the two of them for review, and then showed the fish charm of the Anxi Expeditionary Force. Only then did Li Siye and others understand that Fang Chongyong had already arranged everything and was not acting recklessly on a temporary basis.

It seems that the Anxi Protectorate is going to be managed by someone else!

Li Siye and Li Qijun were both secretly frightened. In fact, it’s not that they don’t know anything, it’s just that many things don’t bother them and they don’t want to take care of them.

"As soon as the commander arrived at Yanqi Town in this section, the outpost scout was stopped by Zheng Dequan and refused to let him pass.

Along the way, I also heard that the senior deputy governor was purchasing grain and fodder from Hu merchants, as if he was planning to use troops abroad. However, a certain person is now in charge of the troop dispatch in Anbeiting and has not issued any troop deployment orders.

This matter is quite strange. "

Fang Chongyong asked with a puzzled look on his face, knowing that he had already killed Zheng Dequan.

Li Siye and Li Qijun both had wry smiles on their faces. Finally, Li Qiyun spoke up and said: "Deputy Governor Gao wants to attack Xiao Bolu by surprise. After the incident is completed, we will report to Ambassador Fang."

"The soldiers and horses of Anxi have not yet assembled, and even Mo Dao's army is in Yanqi. How can Gao Xianzhi attack Xiao Bolu by surprise?"

Fang Chongyong was really shocked this time.

Gao Xianzhi's courage is not ordinary. Not to mention disobeying orders, now that the Anxi army has not yet assembled, he dares to attack Xiaobolu with less than 10,000 people?

"Ambassador Fang doesn't know. In fact, there are mountain soldiers and horses on the Tocharian side who are quite good at fighting. This time, the senior deputy governor planned to recruit Tocharian soldiers and horses to provide support.

If nothing else, attacking Xiaobolu is not a big problem. "

Li Siye added.

"That's it!"

Fang Chongyong nodded slightly, no wonder. The baggage Gao Xianzhi wanted was not for himself, but to recruit mercenaries.

Tochara was the northern part of Afghanistan in his previous life, a place with many mountains and few fields, and strong folk customs. These Tocharian mercenaries are proficient in mountain warfare, and they can indeed get twice the result with half the effort when used to attack Xiaobolu, which is also a mountainous area.

Although Gao Xianzhi is not an authentic person, he does have military talent.

However, both Li Siye and Gao Xianzhi are the kind of people who like "extreme operations". The tactical victory of these people cannot cover up the strategic emptiness.

"In my opinion, Gao Xianzhi is playing time. By the time a certain person brings his army to Kucha, he has already led his troops to Tocharo. My military order cannot hinder his good deeds!

Do you think this is true? "

Fang Chongyong looked at Li Siye and Li Qijun in front of him and asked, his tone already quite stern.

The two people across from each other exchanged glances, but neither spoke. In their opinion, Fang Chongyong has already understood what is going on, so there is no need for him to talk anymore, right?
"I ask you, this ambassador, is this true?"

Fang Chongyong emphasized again.

Seeing that they could no longer be fooled, Li Siye and Li Qiyun had no choice but to cross their hands and salute: "It is true as Ambassador Fang said, there is something wrong with the senior deputy governor's plan."

"Well, my position as ambassador is appointed by the imperial court, and my responsibilities are not that I deliberately want to embarrass the senior deputy governor.

Let's do this, one person is private and two people are public. The ambassador is now writing a letter to tell the court the truth. You two sign this letter to bear witness to this ambassador. "

After saying that, Fang Chongyong polished his ink, picked up his brush, spread out a large piece of paper and started writing the memorial!

Under the noses of Li Siye and Li Qijun, Fang Chongyong quickly finished writing a "reporter" memorial to the court. After the ink dried, he put it on the table and said to the two people in front of him: "You all have a look. If there is no problem, then just sign it. After signing, the ambassador will immediately send someone to add 800 li. Rush to Chang'an and hand it over to the sage for judgment."

Can this kind of thing be signed?

No matter how stupid Li Siye and Li Qijun were, they knew that once they signed this memorial, it would be tantamount to openly falling out with Gao Xianzhi, and there would be no turning back.

However, if you think about it from another angle, if you don't sign, will Fang Chongyong think that he is also in the same party with Gao Xianzhi?
If you sign, you are taking sides; if you don’t sign, you are taking sides!
So should you sign it or not?

Before Li Qiyun could speak, Li Siye took the lead and wrote his name on it.

According to Fang Chongyong's words in front of outsiders, he had "life-saving grace" for him back then. Trapping a benefactor was a self-destructive act in the Tang Dynasty.

Li Siye believed that it was unlikely that Fang Chongyong would trick him.

But Li Qijun was very hesitant.

This matter had nothing to do with him at all. He is not like Li Siye, who can take a step forward in military power. He is the kind of person who has "no desires and no desires."

He was originally sandwiched between Gao Xianzhi and Fang Chongyong and had no need to take sides, but now he wanted to offend Gao Xianzhi to death. No matter how he looked at it, he was at a loss!

"Is Judge Li dissatisfied with the ambassador? Or does he think that the deputy governor Gao did the right thing and wants to report the ambassador to the court behind his back?"

Fang Chongyong stared at Li Qiyun and asked with a smile on his face.

Realizing that the other party had malicious intentions, Li Qiyun couldn't help but sigh and signed his name under Li Siye's name.

It's like a good woman signing a contract of prostitution with a pimp.

"Don't worry, you two, when the ambassador meets Deputy Governor Gao, I will persuade him carefully.

If the high deputy governor listens to the advice, then this memorial will be shelved. The ambassador does not want the saint to worry about this.

Of course, by that time, a certain person would not show the memorial to the senior deputy governor. "

Fang Chongyong comforted the two of them and said.

(End of this chapter)