The Flourishing Tang Dynasty: Beginning with Marrying Yang Yuhuan

Chapter 270 Be Prepared
Li Ying's Mansion.

Yang Yuhuan ordered someone to pack up Li Heng's luggage and sighed, "I don't know how long it will take for my husband to come back."

"It's hard to say this time." Li Heng shook his head and smiled bitterly, "This expedition may not necessarily lead to a fight. Whether it is for the Tang Dynasty or the Huihe, the best way is negotiation."

"Yes." Yang Yuhuan nodded in agreement. "The biggest worry for the Tang Dynasty is still Tubo. The court's current war focus is mainly on Longyou, Jiannan, and Hexi. If you go to war with the Huihe, firstly, I'm afraid the court will not allow it. Even if it temporarily acquiesces, it may accuse you of taking the initiative to provoke a fight later. Secondly, most of the court's food and supplies are currently transported to Longyou to deal with Tubo, and I'm afraid there will not be much support for you."

"Not only that." Li Heng thought, "The Tang Dynasty has close relations with the Huihe. Now the Tang Dynasty has to buy good horses from the Huihe every year. There are also many Huihe people in the Hexi Army. If we really go to war with the Huihe and the relationship deteriorates, it will not only affect the horse trade, but also affect the morale of the Hexi Army."

Yang Yuhuan said, "Since it is so deeply involved, the court is very likely to disagree. It is too risky for you to send troops this time."

"If you can't get anything good, the risk is great. If you can get something good, there is no risk." Li Heng smiled slightly. "At the beginning of the third year of Tianbao, the Huihe, Qarluk and Basmil tribes united and killed the Turkic Khan Usumish. Usumish's general Abusi led his troops to defect to the Tang Dynasty. My father canonized Abusi as the King of Fengxin, gave him the name Li Xianzhong, and settled his tribe in Shuofang. If the court really trusted the Huihe completely, how could it accept Abusi?"

"My dear, what you said makes sense." Yang Yuhuan seemed to be thinking about something. "During the Kaiyuan period, the Huihe were still a small tribe. With just one word from a saint, the grandfather of the current Huihe Khan Guli Peiluo was exiled to Lingnan. In less than 20 years, they unified the northern desert. If the Tang Dynasty had the strength to spare, it would never let them become so powerful."

Li Heng nodded and said, "So the court's attitude towards our military action this time will depend on the final result. If I gain an advantage, then it's right, and if I lose, then it's wrong."

Yang Yuhuan said: "But the safest way is to ask for instructions first."

Li Heng said: "Following the rules is also a habit. I hope the soldiers under my command will get used to my unruly way of sending troops."

Yang Yuhuan was stunned when she heard this, and she understood the meaning behind Li Heng's words.

She was silent for a while, then stood up, straightened Li Heng's clothes, and said, "My dear, please be careful."

"I will." Li Heng smiled back, "Bian Lingcheng will go with the army as the military supervisor, and Yang Zhao will stay in Hexi. You should pay more attention to him and let him do the mining and weapon casting work honestly."

"I understand." Yang Yuhuan agreed, "Aqisi has also fought on the battlefield. My dear, please let her go with you."

Li Ying asked, "Is this her idea or yours?"

"She and I both think the same way," said Yang Yuhuan.

"Then I'll listen to you." Li Heng hugged Yang Yuhuan and said nothing more.

The two of them snuggled up to each other.

……

Three days later, Li Heng personally led his troops from Anxi and came to Qinghe, the front line where the Karluk and Uighur tribes were confronting each other, north of Beiting and west of Jinshan.

Qinghe is backed by the Desert Governor's Mansion.

The Great Desert Governor's Office was a Jimi Prefecture established by the Tang Dynasty. The Protector General of the Great Desert Governor's Office was none other than the Chishi tribe, one of the three surnames of the Gelulu.

To the north of the Qing River, there was the Yaowuge tribe, which lived together with the Chishi tribe. However, due to the invasion of the Uighurs, the Yaowuge tribe had surrendered to the Uighurs.

Apart from the Chishi tribe (including the Yaowuge tribe), the Three-surname Qarlugs also had the Moushi tribe and the Tashili tribe in the Yinshan Prefecture and the Xuanchi Prefecture.

Although these three tribes were collectively called the Karluks, they were not close to each other and would attack each other from time to time. However, this time the Uighurs were too strong, so the three tribes united and jointly sent troops to resist the Uighurs.

In the main tent of the army, Li Heng sat in the hall, with Feng Changqing, Zhang Guangsheng, Cen Shen and Li Siye on both sides, and then the leaders of the three surnames of the Karluk.

The three Qarluks were all moved to tears and thanked Li Heng profusely for coming with his troops to support them.

After exchanging a few polite words with them, Li Heng got down to business and asked about the current battle situation.

Li Siye was the first to reply: "Your Highness, when I led the vanguard troops to arrive, the Huihe were preparing to cross the Qing River. I led my troops to attack the Huihe's flank and repelled them."

Li Heng asked: "Did you fight with the Huihe?"

"That's right." Li Siye replied, "But when I led the vanguard to attack the Uighur flank, I was wearing the clothes of the Chishi tribe."

The reason why Li Siye wore the clothes of the Chishi tribe was because he was not sure whether Li Heng's support for the Karluks was blatant or covert.

There are many Pangcheng tribes and Jimizhou towns around Qixi, so no matter which army it is, they are familiar with wearing other people's clothes and doing things.

"Very good." Li Heng gave Li Siye an affirmative look. "For the Huihe, it is best for us to use courtesy before force. You can make such a decision in an emergency, which makes people look at you with admiration."

Li Siye chuckled and said, "It's all thanks to your teaching, Your Highness."

Li Heng smiled back and then asked, "Have other governors come to support us?"

Feng Changqing stepped forward and said, "The governors' offices around Beiting learned that Beiting was going to send troops, and they all sent troops here one after another."

"What about those that are a little further away?" Li Heng looked at Chi Shiwen, the governor of the Desert Governor's Office.

Chishi Wen said: "Your Highness, I have sent a letter to the Turks and Khitans for help. They agreed to support us, but..."

"Just what?" Li Ying asked.

Chi Shiwen said: "But they only replied to agree, but they have not sent troops yet. Now that Your Highness has come in person, they will surely send troops soon."

Historically, the Tang Dynasty has always been the leader in the Western Regions. Now that Li Heng has been in charge of Qixi for many years and has won battles in succession, the Tang Dynasty's influence on the Western Regions has become even greater. Therefore, as long as Li Heng arrives here, the surrounding Jimi prefectures and vassal states will basically send troops.

If they are not sent, it means that they are not loyal enough to the Tang Dynasty and will be punished when they return.

Li Heng said: "All the soldiers sent by the governor's office and vassal states will be arranged by General Feng first, and then report the situation to me."

"Yes." Feng Changqing accepted the order.

"One more thing." Li Heng stood up and said, "Now that I'm here, there's no need to hide it. General Zhang, write a letter for me to send to the Huihe, telling them to stop fighting and negotiate with the Karluks. Otherwise, I will take the initiative to attack."

"Yes." Zhang Guangsheng took the order and went to do it immediately.

Li Heng said: "Based on the current situation, the probability of us going to war with the Huihe or negotiating peace is 50/50, so we have to prepare for both scenarios, how to fight a war and how to negotiate peace."

After Li Heng raised the question, the generals spoke enthusiastically and put forward constructive suggestions on both the war and the peace talks, forming two sets of plans.

(End of this chapter)