Early Tang Dynasty: forge ahead

Chapter 286 Isn’t it too early to announce victory?

Li Zhi looked at the empty hall, and the image of Chen Qingsi asking for a meeting a few days ago suddenly appeared in his mind.

"I came up with a plan to defeat the enemy yesterday, so I came here to offer you some advice!"

"The Tibetans came here with great intentions, and it can be said that they are betting on the future of the country. They live on the plateau, with dangerous mountains and rivers, a harsh environment, and the danger of being unaccustomed to the soil and acclimatization. Soldiers from the Central Plains will be in danger of shortness of breath if they go deep into it. The higher they go, The worse the situation is, Qinghai Lake can still accept it. Going further into Qinghai Lake and going deep into Tibet will put a huge burden on the soldiers. Unless Your Majesty is willing to devote all the country's strength to attacking the plateau."

"To our country, Tubo is now like an extremely dangerous hungry wolf that cannot be killed. Even if we repel them this time and save Tuyuhun for a while, I'm afraid they will come back again if there is a chance. In the long run, it will be the same. An annoying thing.”

"I thought that instead of guarding them day and night, it would be better to just cut off their legs so that they would not be able to threaten Tuyuhun in the short term."

Li Zhi still remembers that he was very interested and asked.

At that time, Chen Qingsi drew a map in the air and said: "The Western Region is here. Su Xinggong is currently in charge of Shule. To the east of Shule is a vast desert between the Tianshan Mountains, the Kunlun Mountains and the Altyn Mountains. It has been called differently in the past dynasties. For the time being, It is called the Taklimakan Desert. As long as you pass through this desert, you can reach Qaidam on Qinghai Road. After passing Qaidam, you can reach Qinghai Lake, which is located in the hinterland of Tuyuhun. That is, Fuqi City has been occupied by Tubo. , their rear area."

"This time, all the arrangements of the imperial court are on the Lianglong line. If Su Xinggong can take advantage of this to cut off the Tubo retreat, and work together with the two generals Ashina and Liang, they will annihilate the Tubo army or kill as many enemies as possible. . There are only a few people in Tubo. Once the damage is too great, there will be no hope of recovery within ten years..."

"In this way, we can avoid being stared at by a hungry wolf in a short period of time, and have enough time to deal with the Tuyuhun matter."

Holding Tuyuhun in your hands and cultivating a troop of soldiers adapted to the plateau climate in Qinghai Lake is the real solution once and for all.

Li Zhi did not agree immediately. Su Dingfang had a mission in the Western Regions.

The Western Turks had already destroyed Su Dingfang, and Su Dingfang also hit the Aral Sea in one breath. Wherever the army went, it was invincible. The Western Turks Khan Ashina Helu was captured alive by Su Dingfang.

However, the war in the Western Regions was not over. Ashina Helu's old tribe and Yijin Duman of the Western Turks Sijieque tribe colluded with the barbarians outside the Great Wall and rebelled against the Shule, Zhujuban, and Congling Kingdoms in the Western Regions.

Su Dingfang selected 10,000 elite infantry and 3,000 cavalry to raid Duman. The Tang army's light cavalry advanced, and their fast horses galloped three hundred miles day and night, and Duman was defeated. The Tang army defeated Shule, and now plans to attack Zhujuban and Congling.

The rebellion in Duman is not serious, but it is related to the stability of the Western Region.

Li Zhi did not dare to mess with Su Dingfang to implement Chen Qingsi's plan, but when he saw that Chen Qingsi was trying to add strength to Qinghai, he transferred Su Dingfang to Qinghai, so he revised the book on the situation in Tubo and gave it to Su Dingfang, and also gave Chen Qingsi's suggestions.

He did not give orders to Su Dingfang, but asked him to make his own decisions based on the situation in the Western Region.

Stabilizing the Western Regions is the top priority. If it is feasible without affecting the war situation in the Western Regions, we will lead our troops to march eastward and cut off Tibet's retreat.

Finally, Li Zhi received a reply from Su Dingfang, in which he once again recommended Pei Xingjian, a talent he discovered in the Western Regions.

Su Dingfang did not hesitate to praise Pei Xingjian, saying that Pei Xingjian could handle the small chaos in the Western Regions and that he should lead his troops to the east to defeat the enemy for the country.

Moreover, Su Dingfang's reply also confirmed one thing: the Tibetan people were behind the rebellion of Duman, Shule, Zhujuban, and Congling.

Tubo has been secretly cultivating forces in the Western Regions...

The purpose of Tubo's great talk, Gardongzan, was very clear: to seize Qinghai Lake, then open up the trade route between Qinghai Lake and the Western Regions, and get a share of the huge profits of the Silk Road.

In order to hold Su Dingfang back this time, they did not hesitate to expose the power they had cultivated over the years and instigate the rebellion of the Three Kingdoms, which had accumulated a lot of grievances.

Thinking about Tubo's grand plan and the crisis on the front line.

Li Zhi regretted it again...

Whether the situation can be reversed now depends on Su Dingfang.

At this moment, Su Dingfang, who has high hopes, is eating sand in the Qaidam Desert.

Looking at the sparkling lake in the distance, Su Dingfang licked his dry lips and cursed: "What the hell is this place."

The biggest characteristic of Su Dingfang's military use is the word "quick". He can always lead his troops to an almost impossible place through rapid marches or dangerous terrain, and then launch an attack, defeating the strong with the weak, and defeating the many with less.

Therefore, Su Dingfang had traveled through many treacherous places in his life, and had led his troops through many uninhabited areas that had not been visited for hundreds of years, but this was the first time he complained on the march.

The Qaidam Desert is the highest desert in the world. The sand dunes here are relatively scattered and interspersed with the Gobi Desert on the piedmont floodplain.

Due to its geographical environment, the Qaidam Desert is one of the deserts most prone to mirages.

Su Dingfang led the troops through the Taklimakan Desert this time.

Although Su Dingfang made full preparations before setting off, he found many guides in the local area, and could find oasis water sources to supplement domestic water along the march, but after all, he was in the desert, and everyone regarded water resources as treasures. Save means save.

In an environment with extreme water shortage, the color of the sky changes rapidly, and various trees and lakes are looming. The feeling is really crazy.

Seeing nightfall, Su Dingfang ordered the troops to camp and rest.

Su Dingfang is in his sixties this year. His beard and hair are mixed with black and white, but he is in good health and does not look old at all. He is still the most courageous being on the battlefield.

He asked his beloved horse to lie down, took out a bag of noodles and water from his bag, and sat on the spot like an ordinary soldier, leaning on the horse, finding a comfortable position, and gnawing the noodles with the water. .

"General Manager!"

A man walked over quickly with an earthen pot in his hand and said, "Try the dragon and phoenix soup prepared by General Mo himself."

When Su Dingfang saw that the visitor was Wang Xiaojie, a general in the army, he shook his head and said, "Where did the dragon and phoenix soup come from?"

Wang Xiaojie, a native of Xinfeng, Jingzhao, was very brave and stood out in the army.

Su Dingfang thought highly of him, but he looked rough and had a beard, which gave him a strong and honest feeling, but in fact he was quite tactful and liked to flatter some unscrupulous people.

Wang Xiaojie presented his treasure and said: "This journey was full of wind and sand. I was thinking about the hard work of the general manager, so I wanted to give him a tooth as a sacrifice, and I paid attention to the birds in the sky. Just this morning, I found an eagle, and I shot him with an arrow. It shot down. By chance, the eagle had an eight-foot-long black snake wrapped around its talons, and it was still alive! The general stewed them together and gave them to the chief steward."

Su Dingfang nodded and said: "I have accepted your wishes. It is a rule that I have always set a rule that you only eat and live with your soldiers. This jar of meat soup is not enough to supply the entire army, so let me handle it."

Wang Xiaojie had some regrets on his face, but he still said very knowingly: "What the chief manager says is what it is, and the general will listen."

Su Dingfang shouted to the people not far away: "Walla, Amanda, Chehaku, Rukha..."

Hearing the call, four Westerners with different expressions trotted closer.

Su Dingfang said kindly: "I have a can of dragon and phoenix soup here. You have worked hard all the way. Without you, I would have been lost in the miracles that come one day at a time." Walla, Amanda, Chehaku, The four Lukhas were Su Dingfang's guides on this trip.

Among the four, Valla and Amanda are businessmen and walked the Qinghai Road in their early years.

At that time, Qu Wentai, the king of Gaochang, was seeking death. He originally relied on his special geographical location as the largest transfer station on the trade route connecting the Western Regions and Datang, and gained a lot of wealth. He had to jump to cut off the trade route and find a sense of existence.

During that time, the east-west trade routes were blocked, so Valla and Amanda took desperate risks and walked through the ruins of the Qiangzhong Road twice.

Chehaku and Lukha are professional guides. They have been dealing with the desert for most of their lives. They can distinguish the southeast from the northwest based on their experience, and find water sources based on the snakes, insects, terrain and vegetation in the desert.

Su Dingfang knew the importance of the four people and respected them extremely.

The four of them were hesitant.

However, Su Dingfang stood up, affectionately pulled the four of them to sit down, and poured them a lot of meat soup himself.

The four of them were a little frightened and were too flattered to move, allowing Su Dingfang to act.

"Eat it!"

It wasn't until Su Dingfang sat down again and let them enjoy the food that the four of them reacted.

Su Dingfang was so kind that they couldn't refuse, so they thanked him emotionally, and then ate hungrily.

Su Dingfang looked at the four of them happily, as happy as he was eating.

Wang Xiaojie swallowed his saliva on the side, a little annoyed that his delicious stew was eaten by these idiots.

Su Dingfang took out the sheepskin map from his arms and pondered it intently. When the four of them finished eating and stood stiffly, he placed the map on the ground, called for the four of them to come forward, and drew a line on the map with his fingers. Said: "We are probably here now, right?"

Valla and Amanda were both traveling businessmen and could understand maps. They discussed with each other and said, "It's almost here. Keep walking, and you'll be able to leave the desert in one day."

Amanda said: "It's easy to get out of the desert. The area around Qinghai Lake is particularly rich. If you walk northwest for a day and night, you can reach Fuqi City in Tuyuhun."

Valla answered: "You can also skip Fuqi City and go east directly. You can reach the West Sea. If you walk along the West Sea, you can reach Liangzhou or Shanzhou."

Su Dingfang thought for a while and said: "I need someone to lead my men on a journey through the night and out of the desert. This trip will be dangerous. Who among you is willing to accompany me? I will take note of your situation and apply to Your Majesty after I return. , giving you the convenience of tax reduction for doing business.”

Amanda said without thinking: "The General Manager is a general of the Celestial Empire. If he treats the common people as warmly as a brother, I am willing to go there."

Su Dingfang patted him on the shoulder and said, "Okay, Su Mou is true to his word. Even if he fails to leave, he will protect your family."

Su Dingfang recruited his captain Tuoba Jun.

"General Manager!"

Tuoba Jun is tall, has a slender face, a tall nose, and a pair of special deep eyes, and has obvious appearance characteristics.

"What did Xianbei say? You haven't forgotten it, have you?"

Su Dingfang was very friendly to the generals and did not have the majesty unique to the commander-in-chief.

Tuoba Jun said: "I haven't forgotten."

"Okay!" Su Dingfang said: "You choose a few fast horses, find some of your tribe, don't wear armor, just put on robes, and get out of the desert first. You disguise yourself as the defeated remnants of Tuguhun and go find the remnants of Tuguhun scattered in all directions. Soldiers, please inquire about the current situation. Grab a few more people who are familiar with the terrain..."

Tuoba Jun took the order without any hesitation.

Su Dingfang arranged everything and let people disperse to rest.

Wang Xiaojie did not leave, but said with a bit of confusion: "Shouldn't the general manager cut off the Tubo retreat?"

Su Dingfang attached great importance to cultivating talents. He discovered Pei Xingjian and took him with him to teach him the art of war. As for other subordinates, I would also teach them the art of war while chatting in my free time.

Listening to Wang Xiaojie's question, Su Dingfang did not hide anything, but explained: "The use of troops in this war is never static. Your Majesty's order was more than a month ago, and the imperial court had not sent out troops at that time. I don't know what the outcome of the war is like now." , crashing in and cutting off the retreat. What if something unexpected happens? It's not over yet? You have to understand the situation well before you can choose a fighting method. Tubo is very ambitious, they fight too fast, and His Majesty is decisive enough to send troops, they definitely don't have enough time Clean up the scattered remnants. Finding a few remnants in the surroundings will not arouse their suspicion, and you can also learn something about the situation through these remnants."

Su Dingfang spoke in detail, but Wang Xiaojie didn't fully understand.

Su Dingfang glanced at it twice and showed no interest in continuing. He was too stupid and not easy to teach.

The number one general of the Wu Zhou Dynasty in history was indeed not very smart.

After resting for a night, Su Dingfang continued eastbound the next day.

When they were about to leave the desert, Su Dingfang did not continue to move forward, but made repairs on the spot, asking the soldiers not to save water and food, but to eat freely.

At this point, they have no supplies to turn back. Either they win and seize the enemy's supplies, or they fail and it's all over.

Only when you have enough food and drink can you exert your highest combat effectiveness.

After resting for two days, Su Dingfang waited for the news from Tuoba Jun and learned about the critical situation on the front line.

Tuoba Jun threw a Tuguhun man tied up like a rice dumpling in front of Su Dingfang, and said worriedly: "General manager, now the Tubo people are spreading the news of their victory everywhere, with the purpose of getting the remnants of Tyuhun soldiers to surrender. This man is called He. Lian Mu invited his subordinates to surrender to Tubo. His subordinates agreed first and took advantage of their unpreparedness, killing half and robbing the other half. This man is a minor nobleman from Tuyuhun and knows the situation of Tuyuhun very well."

When Su Dingfang heard that the Tang army was defeated, Liang Jianfang was killed, and Ashina Zhong was trapped in Dafeichuan, his face suddenly fell silent. He looked at Helianmu on the ground and asked, "Is the news true?"

Helianmu's face turned pale and he didn't dare to hide anything and said, "If I don't believe what the barbarian on the mountain said, I have done a special investigation and found out that it is true."

Su Dingfang rubbed his palms together subconsciously.

Isn’t it too early to declare victory?

　Two in one!

　　

　

(End of this chapter)