Elegy of Tang Dynasty

Chapter 76
Niu Xianke is still so humble, at least it seems so.He was a minister of the Ministry of Industry and had few servants at home. He did not dare to use the things Li Longji had given him, so they were all sealed up.

There is a striking seal on the warehouse door at home.To be an official to this extent, it can only be said that it is more comfortable to go back to Hexi as a local official.

Fang Chongyong led Wang Zhongsi to visit Niu Xianke's house, and he couldn't believe it was the house of six ministers.

The furnishings are simple and there are only a few servants.

According to the "hidden rules" of the officialdom of the Tang Dynasty, a house with six ministers must start with at least fifty slaves and can reach a maximum of 400.

Between this number, it will be accepted by public opinion, and no one will ridicule or criticize it.

If it is less, it will be described as "poor and humble" by historians, which will be ridiculed; of course, if it has extremely high literary talent and is famous in Chang'an, it can be ignored.

For example, people like He Zhizhang, who had few servants in his family and held a high position, would be considered to be like the "Seven Sages in the Bamboo Grove".

But if there are too many slaves, people will be criticized by the world for being greedy and extravagant. For example, during the Tianbao period, Li Linfu's dog-legged Wang Jia, history books say that his family has no servants, and his mansion is like a palace.

Obviously, Niu Xianke's shabbiness is not well-known in Chang'an elite circles.

"The humble house is simple, please sit down, both of you."

Niu Xianke invited Fang Chongyong and his party to sit down in the study, and poured them a cup of "Winter Drink" - a soup made of ginger and some herbs, which can drive away the cold, but is also quite "simple".

Fang Chongyong took a sip, it was very choking, and the taste was really not good, so he tried his best not to spit it out.

"For the Tang Brocade, I still have to thank Mr. Fang Xiaolang. Although the Hexi soldiers did not receive these rewards in the end, the reputation of Tang Brocade has been made famous. In the future, the white silk from Liangzhou will be transferred to Chang'an and will be woven into Tang Brocade. Sold back to the Western Regions, it can benefit the people of Liangzhou."

Niu Xianke solemnly saluted Fang Chongyong.

Although he has arrived in Chang'an, his heart is still in Hexi.After entering the center, Niu Xianke couldn't show his abilities at all, and the atmosphere of idleness and inaction in the six parts also made him very uncomfortable.

The Hexi Corridor, which is close to the water, is the area that benefits the most from the popularization of Sog Tejin.Although Fang Chongyong has his own selfish intentions, what he did is a good thing for the country and the people, especially for the people in Hexi.

Niu Xianke knew these right and wrong.Otherwise, he is a minister of the Ministry of Industry, and he is not a cat or a dog who can come to visit.

"General Wang wants to go to Hexi to make contributions, right?"

Niu Xianke looked at Wang Zhongsi with a smile and asked. The purpose of the other party's visit was actually obvious.It's not like Niu Xianke didn't know Wang Zhongsi. The two had been in contact with each other in Hexi in their early years, although they were not close friends.

"Indeed."

Wang Zhongsi nodded very reservedly.

That's right, he has indeed stayed in Hexi for several years, but compared to Niu Xianke, he can be called "ignorant" about Hexi affairs.

Since he was "ignorant", he had to go to "professionals" for advice, so Wang Zhongsi agreed with Fang Chongyong's idea very much.Prepare more now, and when you arrive in Liangzhou, you won't suffer from boredom.

"The Hexi incident is only about Tubo, the rest are not worth mentioning."

Niu Xianke said with a sigh.

Wang Zhongsi's face changed slightly, his father, Wang Haibin, died at the hands of the Tibetans.Since he started in the army, the enemies he has fought against are all Tubo people.

When Wang Zhongsi was young, he lived in Hexi for three years and was known for his courage in fighting.But when it comes to research on the Tubo people, it is still quite one-sided and the understanding is not deep.

"How does the Tubo army compare with the Tang army?"

Fang Chongyong asked curiously.

"Songtsan Gampo sent Lu Dongzan to the Tang Dynasty to bring to Emperor Taizong a precious goose-shaped gold-cast wine vessel. The goose-shaped gold wine vessel is seven feet high and contains three dendrobiums of wine."

Niu Xianke said quietly, but did not directly answer Fang Chongyong's question.

Songtsan Gampo was the leader of Tibet a hundred years ago, and the wine vessel he was given broke Fang Chongyong’s illusions.He had always thought that the Tang Dynasty craftsmen brought by Princess Wencheng had fattened the Tibetan people and enabled them to master advanced smelting techniques.

But hearing what Niu Xianke said, it doesn't seem to be the case.

"The Tubo spears are thinner and longer than those of the Han Dynasties. The bows and arrows are weak but the armor is strong. Everyone uses a sword. They do not fight and walk with their swords carried. With Wuduo as their assistant, they can advance and retreat freely.

Not only is Tubo's armament not weak. "

Niu Xianke explained to Fang Chongyong.

"What is Udo?"

Fang Chongyong discovered an unfamiliar vocabulary.

“Udo is also called Odo.

Tubo yak hair is twisted into thick yarn, and then woven into braids.

There is a three-inch loop at the top of the braid. When using it, put the loop on the middle finger, braid a palm-sized oval black ladder in the middle, which is used to put stones and soil, and use wool as a whip tip at the end.

This thing can be used not only for military purposes, but also as a sharp weapon for herdsmen to drive cattle and sheep.

If you want to drive cattle and sheep, hold both ends of the ladder with your hands, put stones or clods in the ladder, wave it with a whip, and then let go of one end, and the stones will fly dozens of feet or even one or two hundred feet away. , causing the head animal to change direction.

Herdsmen use uduo with great skills. Some people can hit hundreds of feet away, so uduo is not only used to drive livestock, but also to drive away wild animals.

As for the masters in the Tubo army, within tens of feet, they can shoot at the eyes of birds without missing a shot. "

Niu Xianke took the trouble to explain to Fang Chongyong, without any airs of a senior official.

Wuduo was one of the weapons that the Tang army despised and hated the most when they fought against Tibet.Stone bullets are kinetic weapons, which hurt the body even if they are protected by armor.If the Tang soldiers' limbs were hit by stones thrown by Wu Duo, they would often suffer fractures and lose their combat effectiveness.

It can be seen from this that the battle between the Tang army and the Tubo army was actually very dangerous.It is far from "one Han tops five Hus" as often said in ancient books.What's even more frightening is that Udo's materials are easy to obtain, and the stones thrown out by centrifugal force are extremely powerful, and can be used by men, women and children.

Wang Zhongsi also said with emotion:
"That's all for Wuduo, and there are also Tubo nobles who wear armor. This kind of chain mail covers the whole body, only the eyes are exposed. Whether it is siege or charge, they are unstoppable, and they are not afraid of bows and crossbows.

Tubo's military preparations had their own system, and they were not imitated by our Tang Dynasty regulations. They were all self-controlled and should not be underestimated. "

This horse riding is invincible!

Fang Chongyong originally thought that the Tibetans should be similar to nomadic peoples such as the Turks and the Huns, but he did not expect that it was not the case at all.

The Tibetan armaments were so sharp!
"Although Tubo's technology was influenced by our Tang Dynasty, it mainly came from Persia and Dashi to the west of the Western Regions."

Thinking of the toughness of the Tubo people, Niu Xianke couldn't help sighing.

At its peak, the Tubo Empire could mobilize and control a population of approximately 1000 million, and the total population of the Tang Dynasty was approximately 6000 million.Looking at population alone, Datang has an absolute advantage.

However, whether it is the Western Regions, Longyou, or Jiannan, the population carrying capacity of these places bordering Tubo is limited.With 6000 million people in the Tang Dynasty, it's not that they are all over the line against Tubo!
Therefore, in some areas, Tubo was in a proactive, or even absolutely proactive, strategic position due to its geographical advantages.

The initiator of the battle is often not Datang but Tubo.

The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau is extremely cold in winter.Therefore, the Tubo people are also accustomed to launching wars in autumn, and they only think of spending the winter in warm areas.

Niu Xianke introduced the general situation of Tubo to Wang Zhongsi and Fang Chongyong. You and I completed the missing impression picture word by word.

"The most terrible thing is that Liangzhou City, the foundation of the Hexi Corridor, is within the range of Tubo's attack. The Tubo army in Xincheng, an important town on the frontier of Tubo, can start from there and pass through the tunnels of Qilian Mountains to directly attack Liangzhou City. It is only close at hand. .

If Liangzhou City is lost, the connection between Tang Dynasty and the Western Regions will be cut off, and the Anxi Dufu and Beiting Dufu will also be cut off from Zhongtu. "

Wang Zhongsi told Fang Chongyong succinctly, what is the point of this battle.

Liangzhou City was a place of higher importance to the Tang Dynasty than Youzhou City.If Liangzhou City is lost, the Tang Dynasty's strategy of managing the Western Regions will completely collapse.Tubo's minions are lurking not far from Liangzhou City. How can this not be a worrying matter?

As long as Datang has a little spare power, it will do its best to keep Liangzhou City intact.

Seeing that Fang Chongyong was so frightened that his face was tense, Wang Zhongsi laughed loudly, patted him on the shoulder and said: "Tubo is strong, and we are not weak either. Liangzhou City has the Chishui Army, the strongest army in the Tang Dynasty, and there are soldiers under it. Thirty-two thousand soldiers."

The overall strength of the military town is another thing. Just one army has 32000 people. It is indeed the only one in Datang. It is not too much to describe it as "the strongest army".

You must know that the Mo Dou army that Cui Qianyou was in before actually had only a few thousand soldiers.

"Yes, the majesty of the Chishui Army has never been seen since the founding of the Tang Dynasty. In general military towns, there are only a few thousand soldiers, and even as few as 1000. The Chishui Army was established in the second year of Wude. It got its name from Chishui and has a history of hundreds of years.

The number of soldiers under its jurisdiction is also the largest in the Datang Army, and it is replenished every year.

The nearby Dadou Army, which guards Dadou Bagu, only has [-] soldiers, and is often short of personnel.Due to the weakening of the Turks, the Baiting Army in the northwest of Liangzhou City had fewer soldiers. "

Niu Xianke also explained.

Dadouba Valley, also known as "Dadouba Valley" or "Dadou Valley", is located on Biandukou pass road at the junction of Gansu and Qinghai provinces in the southeast of Minle County, Gansu Province in Fang Chongyong's previous life.Since ancient times, it has been a shortcut from Hexi Corridor in Gansu to Huangzhong in Qinghai.

When Tubo marches into the Hexi Corridor, it must first pass through the Dadou Valley.The Tang Dynasty set up a large fighting army here to defend against Tibet, and it was under the jurisdiction of Hexi Jiedu Prefecture.

To the northwest of Liangzhou lies the Baiting Sea (the lake area in the northern part of Minqin County, Wuwei, Gansu Province). The Tang Dynasty set up the Baiting Army to defend against the Turks, and it was also under the jurisdiction of Hexi Jiedu Prefecture.

The Chishui Army is the only strategic mobile force in the Hexi Corridor that does not have a specific garrison mission. Its mission is to attack and counterattack. Recuperating its strength on weekdays is the last link in the "mobile defense" strategy of the Tang Dynasty's frontier.

The defense of Tubo in the Hexi Corridor is to set up military towns at various key points, with one army or even one guard to guard them. The Chishui Army is responsible for defensive counterattacks when the battle situation is stalemate.

What Fang Chongyong didn't know was that after the Anshi Rebellion in history, the Chishui Army was ordered to enter Guanlong eastward, and they were the first ace troops to arrive.After the main force (newly recruited soldiers) of the Tang army died in the Battle of Tongguan, there was a vacuum in the Tang army's strength in Guanlong.

Before the western armies reassembled their troops in Lingwu, for a whole year, one regiment of the Chishui Army fought against the entire rebel army (10,000 Yiluohe, [-], and [-]+ Hebei regular army rebels) until the last Xiangji Temple battle.

After all, they were the troops of the founding fathers of the Tang Dynasty, and their combat effectiveness was extremely powerful.

Now, the Chishui Army is an important defensive force responsible for blocking the Turks in the north and Tubo in the south, and all the soldiers are brave and good at fighting.

If you are not good at fighting, your family is all in the Hexi Corridor, and they have already farmed like soldiers. If you don’t fight to the death, you will lose everything and even have no place to stand.

"Tubo implements the strategy of supporting war with war, and our Tang Dynasty is not the only one who has taken advantage of it. Its generals do not cherish their soldiers, and it is common for them to lose tens of thousands of people in one battle.

Against Tubo, you can't just talk about killing, this is the most troublesome place.Tubo people are generally short-lived, and they want to die and live, only seeking glory for a while. "

Wang Zhongsi sighed. In his previous military career, he had been used to separation between life and death.He was deeply impressed by the Tubo people's cruelty and decisiveness, which showed no fear of death and no regard for human life.

Many Tubo nobles are willing to bet on the life of five Tibetans in exchange for the life of one Tang. Will the generals of the Tang Dynasty dare to bet?
No one dared to take up this issue, not even Wang Zhongsi.

In fact, due to the harsh living environment on the plateau, the life expectancy of Tibetans from Zanpu to slaves was generally lower than that of the corresponding classes in Tang Dynasty.The famous Songtsen Gampo only lived to be 34 years old.In the history of Tubo, there are countless Zanpu who died at a young age and were strong.

The nobles were like this, let alone the serfs at the bottom.

Life is like summer flowers, death is like autumn leaves, perhaps this is the true portrayal of the life of Tubo people.

"Let's talk about the affairs in Hexi. The affairs of Tubo are what the court ministers should worry about."

Niu Xianke smiled gently, the wrinkles on that old face were crowded together.

"Niu Shangshu is right."

Wang Zhongsi nodded slightly.

The enemy of Tubo... In his cognition, it cannot be wiped out by Datang.The so-called frontier defense is often just doing the best of human affairs.

"Of the five states in Hexi, only Liangzhou and Ganzhou can be self-sufficient in food and grass. The other three states all need input from these two states. Therefore, the Hexi Corridor must not be cut off by Tubo.

If you are going to Hexi, please be sure to stay in Liangzhou in case of emergency. "

"The Doulu Army in Shazhou (Dunhuang), the Moli Army in Guazhou, the Yumen Army in Suzhou, and the Jiankang Army in Ganzhou are not the main forces under the jurisdiction of the Jiedu Mansion in Hexi, and the four armies combined are not as good as Chishui Army. If possible, try not to serve in these four armies, the risk is very high."

"Hexi is easy to attack and difficult to defend. If you are trapped in a place, you will not be able to defend it. The best strategy is to defend the enemy outside Hexi."

Niu Xianke talked about it one by one, and Fang Chongyong even took out his pen and wrote it down one by one.

In this way, until the sound of the curfew drum, he and Wang Zhongsi reluctantly left the house of the minister of the Ministry of Industry.

On the way home, Wang Zhongsi was thoughtful, and suddenly asked, "Do you have time tomorrow? Let's go out to Chang'an for fun. I'll teach you some ways to save your life."

"Eh?"

Fang Chongyong was taken aback for a moment, completely unaware of Wang Zhongsi's move.

(End of this chapter)