The Flourishing Tang Dynasty: Beginning with Marrying Yang Yuhuan

Chapter 192 Unexpected
The next day, it was just dawn.

Li Heng was discussing the next plan with the Tang generals when the guards suddenly came to report.

"Your Highness, the Great Khan of the Stone Kingdom, Bi Steller, and his officials are coming towards our camp with white flags."

"Oh?" Li Heng was a little surprised and stood up.

Feng Changqing was overjoyed and said, "Take all the officials and raise the white flag. The Shi Kingdom is here to surrender."

Li Siye was rarely cautious and said, "Your Highness, be careful of false surrender! Logically speaking, the Shi Kingdom should have sent an envoy to request surrender first."

Gao Xianzhi continued, "Unless something unexpected happens in Tuozhe City, Bischoffler can't wait to send an envoy to make a request."

Li Heng nodded and said, "No matter what, since Bischoff has come to our camp, we can't be afraid of him. Let's form a battle array and let him in."

"Yes." The guard took the order and went out.

With Li Heng's order, the Tang army soldiers did not attack, but all lined up and waited.

When Bisztler arrived in front of the Tang army, he was shocked to see that the army was huge, well-organized, and all the soldiers were in high spirits.

Li Heng's guards had already been waiting in front of the camp. When Bistreller approached, he stepped forward and said, "Khan, my prince wants to see you."

"Thank you." Nose Steller led his men into the camp.

As soon as he stepped forward, the Tang army soldiers shouted: "Roar! Roar! Roar!"

Bi Shitler and all the officials of the Shi State were shocked.

Bischtler was terrified and secretly thankful, thinking: "The Tang Emperor Shou has a good command of the army. These soldiers are as fierce as dragons and tigers. Fortunately, I did not listen to Assad and attack the camp, otherwise I would have never returned."

After entering the camp, Bischtler walked straight ahead under the watchful eyes of the Tang army soldiers until he came to the main tent of the army, where he was stopped by Li Heng's guard of honor.

Bi Shitler knelt down and said, "Shiguo Bi Shitler Khan brought a group of Shiguo officials to apologize to the Tang Dynasty's Shou Wang!"

Li Heng left the tent with several generals only after hearing Bischtler's voice.

Li Heng led the generals through the guard of honor and said, "This time, I am sending troops to attack the Arabs and restore peace to your country. Why are you staying in the city and not coming out?"

Nostrelle trembled and said, "Your Highness, Prince Shou, I was threatened by the Arab bandit general Asad and was unable to open the city to welcome Your Highness."

"Then why can you come again now?" Li Ying asked.

Upon hearing this, Bischtler burst into tears and said, "Your Highness, Asad looted Tuozhe City last night and fled to the northwest."

"Oh?" Li Heng was surprised.

Li Heng saw yesterday that his strategy of sowing discord had worked, but he did not expect Assad to be so quick, nor did he expect Assad to leave in this way. This was beyond his expectations.

Li Heng thought for a moment and figured out the logic behind Assad's behavior.

Assad must have withdrawn his troops and returned to his country to fight for power.

The current Arab Empire is like the Tang Dynasty after the An-Shi Rebellion. With the separatist rule of various local governments and civil unrest, how many military leaders will truly devote themselves to the country?

This provided him with a reference case for his future actions.

Li Heng was stunned for a moment, then he lifted up his nose and said, "Cooperating with the Arabs is like seeking the skin of a tiger. The Khan should have anticipated today's disaster."

Bischtler cried, "I regret it so much! I am late in coming to meet you, Your Highness, please forgive me!"

Li Ying said, "Forget it. I don't blame you for being late in welcoming the king."

Since Bischofsteller has already surrendered, Li Heng will not really do anything to him, otherwise he will become the next Gao Xianzhi in history.

"Thank you, Your Highness." Bischtler bowed to Li Heng, "I have prepared a banquet in the city. Please come into the city with your Highness and the soldiers of the Heavenly Khan." "Okay." Li Heng agreed, "Please wait outside the Khan's camp. I will go after I am ready."

"Yes." Nose Steller stepped back.

After Bischtler walked away, Gao Xianzhi said, "Your Highness, just in case, I will lead the troops to explore the way first."

Li Heng said, "Since Bischoff has come to ask for forgiveness in person, this must be true. If we go to explore the way first, it will show that we don't trust him and make others think that I am afraid of him. It doesn't matter, just be careful and I will lead the team straight ahead."

"Yes."

Gao Xianzhi did not say much. He took the order to withdraw and reorganize the army, and then rushed to Tuozhe City with Li Heng.

After entering Tuozhe City, Li Heng observed the situation in the city. He saw that the city was in a mess and the fires in several houses had not been extinguished.

Li Heng secretly sighed: "This Asad is indeed a ruthless man. These things were originally done by Gao Xianzhi in history, but now he has taken them away. This way, it will be even more difficult for the Western Regions to surrender to the Arabs."

Li Heng sighed and went into the palace with Bischtler, and had a banquet with Bischtler that day.

The Stone Kingdom was taken down in this way.

Li Heng stayed in Shiguo for a few days, first making sure that Assad had fled north and could hardly return, then discussing matters such as tribute, enthronement, and the establishment of a protectorate with Bischtler, and then returned to Bukhara.

In Bukhara, on the banks of the Sher River.

Li Ying and Aqisi sat by the river and chatted, with guards holding their horses behind them.

Not far away, Gao Xianzhi, Feng Changqing, Li Siye and Zhang Guangsheng were talking in secret.

"Your Highness, you have no other purpose for coming out with me this time, right?" Aqisi asked with a smile.

The last time Li Heng and Aqisi swam in the Xieer River outside Tuozhe City, it was to make Assad think that he went to scout the enemy on a whim.

Although Aqisi was very happy about this, she wanted to go a step further and hoped that Li Heng was just playing with her.

Li Heng had to wait for news from the Southern Army in Bukhara and make arrangements for the affairs of the Western Regions anyway, so he did not refuse.

"No more." Li Ying smiled slightly, looking at the wild geese flying south in the sky, and said with emotion: "The setting sun and the lone wild goose fly together, and the autumn water and the sky are the same color. This is what I am talking about."

Aqisi nodded and said, "Your Highness, do you miss the princess?"

"Yes." Li Ying did not deny it.

Aqisi asked, "When I'm not with Your Highness, will Your Highness think of me like this?"

Upon hearing this, Li Ying turned his head to glance at Aqisi. Looking at her bright face in the sun, he did not answer directly, but asked, "Is your injury better?"

"Much better." Aqisi responded, pulled a piece of wild grass beside her, and wrote a sentence in the soil in her own language.

Li Ying didn't recognize Aqisi's writing and asked curiously, "What did you write?"

Aqisi shook her head and smiled: "I will never tell you, so you will always have a question in your heart. Every time you think of this question, you will think of me."

Li Heng smiled back and said nothing more.

On the other side, Gao Xianzhi and Feng Changqing were summarizing Li Heng's strategies for fighting wars over the years.

"In the expedition to Xiaobolü, Your Highness used surprise attacks. When we destroyed Yecheng, Your Highness delegated the power to us. When we fought against Tubo, Your Highness surrounded the enemy and attacked its reinforcements, and developed new weapons. This time when we fight against the Arabs, Your Highness mainly focused on attacking their plans and diplomacy. With such an unconventional way of fighting, he will naturally win battles in succession." Gao Xianzhi analyzed carefully.

Feng Changqing nodded in agreement, drew a few directions on the sand, and said, "If Chang'an and Luoyang fall, and Your Highness is in the Western Regions, how can we recover the lost territory?"

(End of this chapter)