Elegy of Tang Dynasty

Chapter 351 It’s easy to kill but hard to save
"What, no need for the Anxi army to go to Tochara?"

After listening to Qi Si's request, Gao Xianzhi felt completely bad. Fang Chongyong, Li Qijun and others on the side looked at Qi Si without saying a word.

At first, the Tocharian envoy asked Gao Xianzhi to lead troops to Tocharo to suppress the situation, and then borrowed troops to attack Xiaobolu.

But now, the Tocharian envoy said that the Tang army did not need to be so troublesome and only needed to send an escort group of 100 people to escort them back to Tocharo.

It’s you who says the opposite, it’s simply unreasonable!
An evil fire arose in Gao Xianzhi's heart, and he wished he could just draw his sword and chop Qi Si into two pieces! It's a pity that Fang Chongyong and others are present. This is the signing room of the Anxi Protector's Mansion, not a place for him to run wild.

There was a flash of haze on Gao Xianzhi's fair and handsome face, which was caught by Qi Si. The latter looked helplessly at Fang Chongyong and asked him for help. According to the pre-discussed routine, Fang Chongyong should step forward to smooth things over now.

"High Deputy Protector, the ambassador has an idea. I wonder if you are interested in hearing it."

Sure enough, Fang Chongyong smiled softly and helped Qi Si out of trouble. The tense atmosphere in the "conference room" in the signing room suddenly relaxed.

Gao Xianzhi quickly clasped his fists and saluted: "Ambassador Fang, please tell me, you can decide the military affairs in the Western Regions with one word, and there is no need to ask for the opinions of humble officials."

"Hey, that's not what you said. We are all working for the saints. Our official positions are given by the saints. There is only the superiority of the official position between you and me, and there is no superiority of the people themselves."

Gao Xianzhi argued unwillingly.

Not long ago, news came from Longyou that Sun Boru's troops in Subi District, Tubo were preparing to surrender to the Tang Dynasty with two thousand troops.

There are also soldiers and horses from Tiele on the grassland that can be seconded. Is it necessary to attack Shiguo from two sides? Does it deserve to be a small country in the Western Region? "

Bian Lingcheng on the side agreed.

"According to reports from spies, chaos is brewing in Tubo. If we attack Xiaobolu, it will only make the Tubo people put aside their prejudices and join hands to deal with the bad situation.

This matter must be resolved first. "

Fang Chongyong revealed a top-secret news that Gao Xianzhi didn't expect!

Hearing this, Gao Xianzhi quickly echoed: "What Ambassador Fang said is absolutely true. I wonder what the ambassador said?"

Gao Xianzhi thought thoughtfully, this may be the reason why the Tocharian envoys are now unwilling to ask Datang to "borrow troops". After all, it is easier to invite gods than to send them away!

But after hearing this, not only Gao Xianzhi looked weird, but also Bian Lingcheng, Li Qijun and others looked at each other, wondering what Fang Chongyong was doing.

Gao Xianzhi was speechless. The Tocharian envoy was right in front of him. He couldn't say that the army was going to Tocharian to rob him by the way, right? After all, Tocharo is also a die-hard disciple of the Tang Dynasty in Central Asia. Are you embarrassed to say that you want to steal them?

"Is there such a thing?"

When all the ministers are kneeling to talk to the monarch, the only person standing is a great disrespect to the monarch. To say that Shi Guo was arrogant and rude to the Tang Dynasty would not be an exaggeration. It can only be said that in this era, if he did not kneel down and lick the Tang Dynasty, he would be looking down on the Tang Dynasty.

Fang Zhongyong said frankly.

"That's not to say that I won't let the high deputy guard attack Xiao Bolu, but now is not the right time. The Shi Kingdom has never respected the Tang Dynasty very much. The emperor is far away because of the high mountain, so he doesn't take the Tang Dynasty seriously. It is necessary to teach someone a lesson when paying tribute.

"But Xiaobolu is the place that the saint cherishes. If Xiaobolu is not captured, the Tubo army can enter the Western Regions unscrupulously..."

With so many people present, Fang Chongyong had already discussed the benefits of sending troops to Shiguo one-on-one in advance. It can be said that only Gao Xianzhi is "fighting alone" now.

"Yes, Senior Deputy Protector, we think Ambassador Fang's plan can be given a try. The saint said that the Tocharian matter should be properly handled. Now that the Tocharian envoy has no longer asked us to send troops, then why not Let’s do this. How about we listen to Ambassador Fang and send troops to Shiguo?”

After we capture the Shi Kingdom, we can accumulate a military expenditure for the future crusade against Xiao Bolu.

Fang Zhongyong asked confidently.

"The senior deputy governor probably also figured it out. The Shi Kingdom is rich and profitable. We send troops to attack Buchen, so naturally we have to get the expenses back from the Shi Kingdom.

Gao Xianzhi didn't want to say anything more about this. Looking at the current situation, no one was willing to stand on his side. It seemed that it would be impossible not to attack Shiguo.

Back then, Tu Qishi's army wiped out the small countries in the Western Regions one after another.

If we talk about politics, he is definitely not Fang Chongyong's opponent. When it comes to strategic military strategy, he may not be able to compare with him. After all, there is no reference system for this thing. But when it comes to the Anxi Tang Army being brave and good at fighting, then he is not sleepy!
The Tang army had no problem with fighting the troops and horses of the small countries in the Western Regions, not to mention one against ten, but at least one thousand against ten thousand. He is really not targeting the Shi Kingdom, but the small countries in the Western Region are all hot chicks, and no one can defeat them.

To him, there was no essential difference between attacking Shiguo and attacking Xiaobolu. In other words, he didn't care at all which one Gao Xianzhi attacked.

Fang Chongyong waved his hand gently and continued: "But, although you and I don't need to distinguish ourselves, the affairs of the Western Region are not your and my private affairs, so we must explain them clearly. "

Isn’t this what happened in Tubo’s Lunqinling Rebellion a few decades ago?
"The second and most critical point is that the expedition costs a lot of money. The army needs equipment, pensions for the fallen soldiers, and military merit rewards. The court can be said to have put all its efforts into it, but it is still beyond its capabilities.

"Ambassador Fang, do you need to mobilize so much troops and troops to clean up a Shi Kingdom? Five thousand Anxi Tang troops can kill the Shi Kingdom army without leaving any trace behind!
The Tuqishi Khanate was reestablished in Suiye Town and is now a vassal state of the Tang Dynasty. We can borrow troops from them.

If we blindly attack Xiaobolu, it will only make the Tubo people feel the danger of national subjugation, allowing them to eliminate internal conflicts and face the Tang Dynasty's offensive together. This is one of them. "

If the senior deputy governor wants to send troops to Xiaobolu, the army's logistics supplies will certainly come from the four towns of Anxi, but who will pay for the employment fees of the Tocharian mercenaries? Who will pay for the pensions of the soldiers of the Tang Army? Who will pay for military merit? "

Gao Xianzhi said proudly, a sense of domineering aura arose spontaneously.

As the defeated party, Xiaobolu not only had poor mountains and poor waters, a small country with few people, but the Tang army would also leave some soldiers and horses to garrison, and would need to transport a lot of baggage from Anxi to maintain the daily patrols of the troops. Where could there be any oil and water to squeeze out!
Everyone present understood this truth, and there was no need to put it too bluntly. Now, no one else can pay for Xiao Bolu's fight, only Datang himself has to pay for it.

Later, the Tang army dealt with Tuqishi's troops in the same way.

What does the senior deputy governor think? "

"Anxi's army of five thousand, thought it was a partial force, and crossed the mountains to attack Shiguo from the south. This ambassador will lead the Anxi expeditionary army from Tingzhou under the jurisdiction of Beiting Protectorate to attack Shiguo from the east.

Of course, this ambassador will attract all the soldiers and horses of the Shi Kingdom to the Eastern Front, and you can just attack the capital of the Shi Kingdom. "

"The one I'm worried about is not the Shi Kingdom, but the black-clad Da Shi behind them."

Not only Gao Xianzhi, but also Li Qijun and others present were astonished. However, the fierce internal fighting among the upper echelons of the Tubo aristocracy was not inferior to that of the Tang Dynasty. Although this kind of thing is unexpected, it is also reasonable.

Therefore, doesn't this indirectly prove that the Tang army's attack on the armies of the small countries in the Western Regions was a crushing victory!
Fang Chongyong's plan was like a heavily armed Tang army who had to be more cautious and called his companions to beat a defenseless baby. The style of painting is too weird and cautious for people to understand.

But since Shiguo is much richer, why not take over this place where you can make money? How many rare treasures have been captured by the Emperor Shan Gao, yet he is not the general of the expedition, and he has the final say as the supervisor of the army?
Moreover, in terms of climate and terrain conditions, the journey to Dashi Country is much more comfortable, as there is no need to climb mountains and ridges like the journey to Xiaobolu. Of course, Bian Lingcheng said this because Fang Chongyong had established a relationship with him in advance and promised to let him pick out a few treasures that were easy to carry among the loot after he conquered the Stone Kingdom.

Fang Chongyong said calmly, not thinking there was anything wrong with what he said.

Fang Chongyong shook his head and sighed. Gao Xianzhi is so arrogant and arrogant. He is simply arrogant. Of course, since the Kaiyuan Dynasty, Datang had successively defeated more with less in the Western Regions, which also made these generals accustomed to using knives to solve problems.

The attitude of the small country with the nine surnames of Zhaowu in the Western Region is actually closely related to the rise and fall of the Arab forces in West Asia. Sometimes it is not just about the national power of the Tang Dynasty. The three extraterritorial players, Datang, Arabia, and Tubo, were the three parties in control of the situation.

To put it simply, the fate of the small countries in the Western Regions has never been determined by the small countries in the Western Regions themselves!

In fact, before the Tuqishi Khanate had yet to rise, the countries in the Western Regions at that time could jump higher than they do now because of the support of white food and food!

The Tang Dynasty had to support an agent country, the Tuqishi Khanate, to clean up the situation.

Thousands of years of history have proven that before the industrial age changed the rules of the game, there must be a nomadic regime as a buffer between the basic base of East Asian dynasties and West Asia in order to maintain geostrategic stability. For example, the Xiongnu in the Han Dynasty, the Turks and Tuqishi in the Tang Dynasty, the Western Liao Dynasty in the Song Dynasty, etc. Even in modern times, a series of "stan" countries in Central Asia have become effective buffers between major powers.

The buffer between the Tang Dynasty and the Great Food in Black was these small countries in the Western Regions. Without them, these big countries would not be able to live in harmony.

"The food soldiers are weak and not worth mentioning."

Gao Xianzhi said calmly, obviously not taking Fang Chongyong's words seriously.

The example of the Tuqishi Sulu Khan violently beating the white-clad food was so eye-catching that it was difficult for outsiders to overestimate the Arabs' combat effectiveness. As for the Shiite uprising in West Asia, Gao Xianzhi knew nothing about it, but even if he knew, he wouldn't pay too much attention to it.

It's just a feast, barbarians, what kind of tricks can they do?
However, out of respect for the other party Chongyong, Gao Xianzhi chose to remain silent and did not refute openly.

“It is better to be cautious in your military use, and it is better to use all your strength when fighting a lion against a rabbit.

A certain high officer ordered the high deputy to protect the capital of Shiguo. Is it possible that you are still dissatisfied? "

Fang Chongyong asked with a playful expression.

"How dare you? I will be grateful to Ambassador Fang for his kindness. This matter is not difficult, and everyone in the Anxi Army will go all out."

Gao Xianzhi quickly confessed.

People have done the meat-eating work for you, and if you still complain, you are disrespectful!
Gao Xianzhi still has this bit of emotional intelligence.

"Well, with your words, I feel relieved.

Well, the Japanese ambassador will return to Tingzhou tomorrow to prepare for the expedition.

The high deputy governor is also preparing to lead five thousand Anxi soldiers and horses to the expedition. "

Fang Chongyong patted Gao Xianzhi on the shoulder and said, then looked around at everyone and said: "Judge Li is based in Anxi and is responsible for the distribution of food and fodder for the army in Anxi. The side servants will accompany the ambassador on the expedition. The high deputy governor sent Li Siye back to guard Qiuci, bringing Bai Xiaode and Mo Dao with him. Let’s arrange it this way when the army heads out for the expedition.”

He decided the overall situation in just a few words, and he could be said to be crisp and neat in doing things, with the air of a general!

Gao Xianzhi vaguely felt the other party's quiet restraint, and understood that the Western Region was no longer a place for Gao to make trouble, so he cautiously bowed his hands and accepted Fang Chongyong's arrangement.

……

"You stupid bird!"

In the courtyard where Fang Chongyong lived, He Changqi said to the parrot in the cage.

The parrot ignored him.

"You stupid bird!"

He Changqi said again.

The parrot still ignored him.

So He Changqi looked puzzled and asked the other party Chongyong: "Jie Shuai, doesn't this bird talk? Why doesn't it say anything?"

"It's probably tired."

Fang Chungyong waved his hand and replied carelessly, too lazy to answer He Changqi's silly question.

Why are you competing with a parrot on a horse?
At this moment, Fang Chongyong was thinking about Shi Guo's affairs, and what Gao Xianzhi said was actually not completely unreasonable. Of all my plans, there is indeed one last link that has yet to be completed.

That is to say, the Shi Kingdom and the Black Clothes Dashi are actually two entities. Cleaning up the Stone Kingdom cannot be equated with cleaning up the Black Clothes Dashi.

Although Shi Guo and Black Clothes Dashi have been flirting with each other in the past, Black Clothes Dashi did not actually station troops in Shi Guo, they were just around the corner and ready to move!

If the Tang army is too strong and takes over the Shi Kingdom, or if there is a drastic change within the Shi Kingdom's royal family, causing the Shi Kingdom's diplomatic attitude to completely turn towards the Tang Dynasty, then the Arabs will choose to temporarily stabilize their hand and will not directly send troops to follow. The Tang army, who was waiting for work, fought to death.

The black-clothed foodies will wait for the Tang army to withdraw before taking over Shi Guo.

After all, the distance between Shiguo and Black Clothes Dashi is much closer than the distance between them and Datang. The Tang army could not maintain a local presence for a long time, but the black-clad Dashi could.

If the Tang army was too weak and failed to capture the Shi Kingdom, then the Shi Kingdom would definitely have defeated the Tang army and quickly invite the black-clad food to take over the Shi Kingdom, regardless of the cost. So when the Tang army launches another expedition, if the time, place, and people are not available, how can we fight this battle?
Of course, the latter scenario is very unlikely. The most likely possibility is that the black-dressed foodie simply doesn’t fit in!

Therefore, before the Tang army captured Shiguo, and the troops were not dominant, the black-clothed Dashi intervened, which made both sides think that this battle was going to be successful!

The black-clad Dashi believed that this was the best time to "attack halfway across the country". After defeating the Tang army, everything in Shiguo was left to their control, and Shiguo was completely included in their control area.

As for Fang Chongyong’s plan, the mantis stalks the cicada while the oriole stalks behind! After introducing the black-clothed food into the battle, he struck again with thunder!
It's hard to say who will lose and who wins in the end, it all depends on the performance on the battlefield!

"Jie Shuai, the capital city of the Stone Kingdom must be very prosperous. I heard that there is a lot of fat there!"

Why don't we attack there directly, but let Gao Xianzhi eat the fat?

This turtle son is not polite to us! Why do you need to spoil him? It's good to let the sons and daughters pass by! "

He Changqi came over and whispered softly, habitually speaking ill of Gao Xianzhi.

In fact, everyone knew privately that Fang Chongyong did this for the overall good. But the generals know the overall situation, but the Qiu Ba below do not! All they knew was that their boss had given up the opportunity to make a fortune in the capital of the Stone Kingdom.

These "little things" are inevitable to have a negative impact on military morale.

"This is because you don't understand. Robbery with open fire is still too inferior to the inferiors. If you want to make the person you want to rob willingly take out the money, then you are considered powerful. You are still a little short of skills."

Fang Chongyong waved his hand without explaining much.

"Ah! The general understands!

Let Gao Xianzhi kill people in front, while we save people in the back!
high! As expected, you are the best, Jieshuai! "

He Changqi suddenly realized what Fang Chongyong's intention was.

"That's what you said. Shuai didn't say that in this section."

Fang Chongyong shook his head noncommittally.

"I didn't say that I was handsome in this section! I didn't say that I was handsome in this section!"

The extra large five-color parrot that had been quiet for most of the day suddenly howled a few words.

(End of this chapter)