Elegy of Tang Dynasty

Chapter 382 A battle of strength and skill, a battle of wits and courage

"Did Gao Xianzhi escape again?"

In the Dashi Army camp near Baishui City, Abu Muslim looked at the so-called "battle report" sent by Ziad Sari. In a few words, the movements of the Tang army were clearly explained.

Why do we say "again"? Because along the way, Gao Xianzhi would stop to rest every time, and only left calmly after the food army caught up.

This is actually a psychological tactic, an invisible competition of will between the two military commanders.

Abu Muslim led tens of thousands of elite food troops and chased them slowly and leisurely for hundreds of miles without even touching the hair of the Tang army. It was more like "sending farewell" to the Tang army. Of course, if Gao Xianzhi really led his troops all the way back to Suiye, Abu Muslim would be very pleased and even wanted to give him a medal.

"Governor, not to mention Gao Xianzhi, the Tang Dynasty's ambassador to the Western Regions who is in charge of Suiye is also very interesting.

According to the reports from the two envoys from Kang State and Shi State, the attitude of the latter seemed to be more conservative and he had no intention of attacking Shi State. As long as we don't station troops in Shiguo, he shouldn't make any big moves. "

Ziad Sari said with a smile, his words full of contempt.

Warriors will admire warriors and despise those who are as timid as mice. Although Gao Xianzhi has various shortcomings, he is able to conquer the battlefield and fight well. Not only can he fight, but he can also lead his team out of Zhezhi City when being besieged. Ziad Sari admires him from the bottom of his heart.

But the so-called "ambassadors" from the Tang Dynasty did all kinds of bad things, which is not worthy of praise.

To send an envoy to threaten you is to be fierce in appearance but weak inwardly, and strong in appearance but weak in spirit.

When receiving the envoys from Kang and Shi, he also hinted that he had a grudge against Gao Xianzhi, so he allowed Dashi to attack Shiguo and refused to save Gao Xianzhi until he died.

It was obvious that even if Gao Xianzhi could return to Suiye safely, he would definitely be liquidated by the Tang Dynasty’s Western Region Economic and Strategic Ambassador!
Many people are amateurs in foreign wars, but they fight internally in the same way. Ziad Sari deeply despises such people.

Because there are many people like this in the country. They did not deal with the Abu Muslims, overtly and covertly restrained them, causing trouble for their own people and helping the enemy.

At this moment, Ziad Sari felt some sympathy for Gao Xianzhi.

"There is no need to mention him. The Tang Dynasty is also a big country. It is normal for officials from different factions to be unable to cooperate sincerely and to undermine each other.

As long as the ambassador doesn't come to ruin our good deeds and he wants peace talks, then let's talk to him. We can agree to it without garrisoning troops in Shiguo. "

Abu Muslim waved his hand, obviously not taking Fang Chongyong seriously.

No, it should be said that the Tang Dynasty's Western Region Economic and Strategic Ambassador had never come into Abu Muslim's sight at all. He had always regarded him as a civilian official with no strength and no ability to lead troops.

Abu Muslim has been at the grassroots level of society for a long time and knows very well what the so-called "powerful people" are.

The information he found out said that Fang Chongyong was a "powerful person" who was highly trusted by the Emperor of Tang Dynasty, and hinted that his real abilities were very limited.

In fact, judging from the actions of the Tang army led by the other party, it seems that they have not heard of any outstanding achievements along the way, and they are more like a second-line army responsible for logistics.

The most important basis for Abu Muslim's judgment was that Fang Chongyong had been allowing Gao Xianzhi to conquer cities and territories in Shiguo and did his best to search for them. They neither stopped Gao Xianzhi from acting recklessly nor sent troops to rescue him after something happened.

This attitude is already very obvious. Fang Chongyong is trying to kill people with a borrowed knife, and then waits for Gao Xianzhi to be killed before negotiating peace with Dashi, and in the end both parties take a step back.

Abu Muslim's plan is to take actual control of Kang State and make Shi State fall to the side of the black-clad food, but he will not send troops to station him for the time being.

After the Tang army retreats, they can further attack Shiguo.

At this time, a general from Dashi asked to see him, and Abu Muslim asked him to come in. This man was none other than his brave general: Said bin Homed.

"Governor, the general did not stop Gao Xianzhi from leaving. He came here to inform the governor."

Said saluted somewhat sheepishly.

Abu Muslim waved his hand and comforted him: "It doesn't matter. After all, the military order I gave you is to strictly guard Baishui City. Since Gao Xianzhi did not attack Baishui City, then if you don't go out of the city to stop him, you are abiding by the military order. There is nothing wrong and there is no need to Worry.”

Hearing this, Said breathed a sigh of relief. The military law of the black-clad Dashi is very strict. If Abu Muslim pursues it, it will be really troublesome.

"Deploy five thousand elite soldiers from Baishui City to accompany the governor on the expedition.

Depart tomorrow for Talas City. "

Abu Muslim said looking at Said.

"I obey the governor's order, then go and prepare."

After Said bowed and left, Abu Muslim always felt as if something had been ignored by him.

“Governor, all the cities east of Talas were destroyed in the war and have not been rebuilt.

Even Broken Leaf City is no longer as prosperous as it once was.

If Gao Xianzhi really escapes back to Suiye, how should we deal with it? "

Ziad Sari asked reluctantly.

If this was all in vain, he would travel hundreds of miles in vain and consume a lot of food and fodder.

Upon hearing this, Abu Muslim smiled and said:

"When we go to Talas, it will be no less than forcing Tang Dynasty to sign an alliance under the city. At that time, the Western Region Economic and Strategy Ambassador will have to have a good talk with us if he doesn't want to talk. Isn't there a saying there that a gentleman leads but does not trigger? We are here Talos was ready to attack, Gao Xianzhi was frightened and ran away. What could the Tang army do to fight us?
Signing a covenant according to our intentions is the best solution. If it were you, how would you choose?

Even though we have spent so much food and grass, the treasures in the Shiguo Palace are enough to cover military expenses. Do you think we have made a profit or a loss? "

Speaking of this, a cold light flashed in Abu Muslim's eyes.

War is about killing people and seizing treasures, but war is not just about killing. If you only focus on how many enemies you kill, then your vision is too short-sighted. To put it simply, it is the courage of an ordinary man!

The black-clad troops gathered in Talos, but the Tang army retreated and did not dare to fight. This in itself was a sign of weakness.

I believe that the countries west of Congling know how to choose.

"Talus, Talus..."

Abu Muslim recalled in his mind what the terrain of that place was like, and if a fight was about to break out, how to improvise.

……

At the foot of Jiedan Mountain north of Suiye River, there are flags hunting.

The Anxi Expeditionary Force stood on one side of the road, while the Tuqishi people stood on the other side. Neither side was riding a horse. At the end of the road is a dark brown mountain, where an altar of unknown age has been built.

There is a tall wooden pole inserted in front of the altar, and a bag made of wool thread is hung on the wooden pole. The bag contains special wool felt.

There are many ways here, but Fang Chongyong can't understand them. He only knows that this is a tradition inherited from the Turks by the Tuqishi people who are worshiping the Zoroastrian God.

Actually, what the Tuqishi people care about is not which god they are sacrificing to, nor how the sacrificial ceremony goes.

These are all window-dressing projects. What they really care about is who the new Khan is and whether he can lead them to prosperity. If not, then no matter how beautiful the heaven-sacrifice ceremony is, it will be of no use. Today is the day for the canonization of Yiba as the new Khan of the Ten Surnames. At this moment, the ceremony is in progress. Fang Chongyong, the Ambassador of the Western Regions of the Tang Dynasty, on behalf of the Emperor of the Tang Dynasty, canonizes Yiba, the leader of Tuqi Shi's tribe. . After today, this new Khan with the ten surnames can legitimately give orders to various ministries.

Fang Chongyong's steps can be said to be as steady as Mount Tai. Unknowingly, many important but inconspicuous things were done quietly.

"Kill the horse and sacrifice to heaven!"

Fang Chongyong shouted, and the heaven-sacrifice ceremony officially began. He didn't know why he wanted to kill the horse. Anyway, that's the rules. Just follow the process.

He couldn't help but be a little distracted at the moment.

Unfamiliar characters, boring rituals, step-by-step processes. Fang Chongyong was so bored that he wanted to yawn, but he knew that countless pairs of eyes were staring at him now, and any arrogance and casual attitude might affect the overall situation.

Humans are social animals. When a person wears a title with social attributes, that person is no longer what he used to be. In order to adapt to his identity, he had to adjust his strategy to make himself look more suitable for the title.

While he was stunned, the ceremony had already entered the next step. A short man riding a horse led his horse to the altar. He pulled out the short knife from his waist and killed the horse with one blow. Then he took out the horse's blood and put it in a bowl and placed it on the altar.

Then he knelt on the ground, prostrated forward as if he were bowing to the ground, and then worshiped again, looking very pious.

This person is Yiba, he looks inconspicuous, but his vision is very accurate.

When Feng Changqing was under house arrest, he sent someone to release him.

When the Tang army attacked on two fronts, he was the first to rebel on the southern front and then led the way.

There is always no shortage of truly smart people in this world. Isn't there a saying that those who understand current affairs are heroes?

"The ten surnamed Khans swear to God!"

Fang Chongyong shouted again, like an emotionless robot.

Yiba said the oath in Turkic language. He felt that someone was looking at him from a distance, it seemed to be the Tang Dynasty's Western Region Economic and Strategy Ambassador. He had to swear again, this time in Chinese.

Including Fang Chongyong, all the officers and soldiers of the Anxi Expeditionary Force present heard it clearly.

"Eternal Life!" "Eternal Life!" "Eternal Life!" "Eternal life!" "

The people on the Tuqishi side shouted to the sky in Turkic language, and the atmosphere reached its peak for a while.

Fang Chongyong looked at everything in front of him expressionlessly and breathed a sigh of relief.

With such a grand canonization ceremony, if Yiba wanted to rebel at this juncture, people in his own tribe would look down on him.

Basically, it is certain that Yiba will definitely use this opportunity against the Big Eater to establish his position. Even if he was canonized as a Khan with the Ten Surnames by the Tang Dynasty, he could not rely on his status to command the Tuqishi tribes.

Prairie people are superstitious about strength. The one with the big fist is the boss, and the others are all empty.

Presumably, during this expedition, Yiba would have to exert 120% of his strength, otherwise he wouldn't even be able to sit firmly in the position of the Tenth Khan of Tuqi Shi!

However, the enthronement ceremony had just ended and Fang Chongyong had no time to return to the camp. He was led to a secluded place by He Changqi without even saying a few words to the new Khan of the Ten Surnames.

The man in front of him is in his forties, looks strong and simple, and is wearing Sogdian barbarian clothing common in the Western Regions. As soon as they met, he saluted Fang Chongyong and said, "Dou Zhongjie of Ningyuan Kingdom, pay homage to the angel."

"Ning Yuanguo served the Tang Dynasty very respectfully. You are our friend, so there is no need to be formal.

Red tape is for outsiders to see. "

Fang Chongyong smiled and held Dou Zhongjie's hands and said.

Hearing this, Dou Zhongjie breathed a sigh of relief. He had to say that although the Western Region Economic and Strategy Ambassador in front of him looked very young, he was really as stable as the rumors said. He was extremely stable in doing things and dealing with others!

It gives people a very reliable feeling.

“The Great Cannibal sent an envoy to Ningyuan Kingdom, asking us to declare Islam as the state religion and build an Islamic temple in the city. He also threatened to build it as large as the space required, and his tone was quite rude and rude.

From what I can see below, the big cannibal and drunkard is not interested in drinking, but is testing the attitude of the Tang Dynasty. "

Dou Zhongjie is the king of Ningyuan Kingdom. This family has a deep relationship with the Tang Dynasty, especially with Brother Ji. His son is now serving as a guard in the Chang'an palace. If you don't tell yourself where you are from, you won't be able to tell that you are a foreigner in your words and deeds.

Obviously, which side the Ningyuan Kingdom should stand on represents which side the countries in the Western Regions west of Congling should stand on. If the die-hard henchmen of the Tang Dynasty could not withstand the pressing step by step of the cannibals, then other small countries would not have any psychological burden when they fell to the cannibals.

"Angel, I've heard a lot of rumors, some of them quite outrageous.

I know what Gao Xianzhi is like, but I don’t know what the angel thinks.

The last letter written by the angel was also vague and had no definite number. So I came here specially to ask questions. "

Dou Zhongjie asked calmly.

Many people outside said that Fang Chongyong was the "dove" of the Tang Dynasty in the Western Regions, while Gao Xianzhi was a proper "hawk". Now it was obvious that the hawks had suffered a heavy setback in the Stone Kingdom. People in the Western Region were panicked for a while, and they were all waiting to see how Fang Chongyong would make a move.

Ning Yuanguo was a stakeholder with no way out. He could only stand on the side of Datang and go all the way. Even the king personally took action and asked Fang Chongyong face to face about countermeasures.

“In our hometown, there is a saying that everything is done beforehand and otherwise it will be ruined. This is just one of many sayings.

There is another saying that if everything is kept secret, it will succeed, and if it is not secret, it will fail.

The ambassador believes that when doing things, you must prepare in advance and keep it secret.

So please rest assured, King Fenghua, Datang will not treat its friends badly, let alone betray them. "

Fang Chongyong said very seriously.

King Fenghua is Dou Zhongjie's title in the Tang Dynasty. It is worth mentioning that in addition to the queen, Dou Zhongjie also has a "little wife" who is a princess canonized by the Tang Dynasty. She was born as a daughter of the Li clan and only got married last year. here.

Therefore, it is not wrong to think that this person is the Prince Consort of the Tang Dynasty.

"Then...how does the angel think we should answer the cannibal?"

Dou Zhongjie asked confused, not knowing what Fang Chongyong wanted to do. But obviously, he couldn't help but reply to the big eater.

"After King Fenghua returned, he expressed to the big cannibals that he was willing to pay tribute and taxes to the big cannibals during the autumn harvest this year. It was just the issue of building an Islamic temple, and there was no room for discussion.

Then it would be best to speak ill of the ambassador and scold me in front of the big cannibal.

In this way, it will be of great help. "

Fang Chongyong said sincerely, holding Dou Zhongjie's hand tightly.

(End of this chapter)