The Flourishing Tang Dynasty: Beginning with Marrying Yang Yuhuan

Chapter 297 Surprise
It was already late autumn when Li Heng returned to Shanzhou from Liangzhou.

Li Heng submitted a secret memorial to Li Longji. The content of the memorial was very simple. It was to advise Feng Changqing to lead the Anxi Beiting Army to attack Dabolü.

Dabolü was adjacent to Xiaobolü and was a vassal state of Tubo. For many years, Tubo wanted to use Dabolü as a springboard to compete with the Tang Dynasty for control of the Western Regions. It even invaded Xiaobolü, but it was taken back by Li Heng in advance.

Li Heng launched an expedition to Xiaobolü ten years in advance, occupied the city of Suiye, and managed the Ili region. The current Anxi Beiting is much more prosperous than in history, and its influence on the Western Regions is also much greater than in history.

With such conditions, we can naturally take over Dabolü in advance.

As long as Feng Changqing captures Dabolü, he can approach the west of Tubo, and then Tubo will definitely send its troops to the west.

Li Longji knew Li Heng's intention, picked up his pen and wrote the two words "approved", sighing: "If Li Lin had not been defeated in Jiannan, the Tang Dynasty could have attacked Tubo from the east, north and west. How could Tubo not be defeated? What a pity! What a pity!"

Gao Lishi said, "The food and money prepared by the Right Prime Minister can only meet the needs of Longyou. There is still a little shortage in Hexi. If Anxi attacks again, I am afraid that the logistics will be unsustainable."

Li Longji said: "How could I not know about this? But since Shiba Lang has made this proposal, he should be prepared. He has been the governor of Anxi for ten years and has sent troops to Dabolü to provide food and fodder. Let him figure it out in Anxi Beiting. I will give him the power as long as he can take down Dabolü."

Upon hearing this, Gao Lishi thought that in the future the entire Western Regions might only know Prince Shou and not the Emperor of the Tang Dynasty. However, he had no better idea and could only remain silent.

……

The imperial edict approved by Li Longji was quickly delivered to Li Heng. Since it was difficult for the imperial court to provide logistical support for the Anxi Beiting Army's expedition, Li Longji did not interfere with Li Heng and let Li Heng solve all problems on his own.

Yang Yuhuan glanced at the imperial edict and asked, "Do you need me to prepare some food and fodder?"

"No need." Li Heng shook his head and said with a smile: "I have been managing Anxi for more than ten years. If I can't even get the logistics for a war, then wouldn't all my work be in vain?"

"That's right." Yang Yuhuan smiled. "Anxi Beiting is far from Chang'an. Yang Zhao didn't bring back the money in the treasury last time. It should be enough to support one or two expeditions."

"But it was only once or twice." Li Heng's smile faded. "Under the current conditions, no matter how much Anxi Beiting develops, it will not be able to accumulate much power."

Yang Yuhuan's heart trembled when she heard this.

To others, what Li Heng said might be just a simple regional analysis, but Yang Yuhuan knew Li Heng too well. She heard the implication that Li Heng wanted greater development, and the only way to achieve greater development was in the fertile Central Plains.

Yang Yuhuan turned her head and looked at Li Heng, a hint of worry in her affectionate eyes.

She knew that Li Heng went to Anxi in the beginning to protect her, but now Li Heng seemed to want more and more, and when a person's desires grow, they will become more and more terrifying.

Therefore, she was worried that Li Ying would fail in the struggle, and she was also worried that Li Ying would drift further and further away from her under the drive of desire.

"My dear." Yang Yuhuan called softly.

Li Ying looked at Yang Yuhuan and asked, "What's wrong?"

Yang Yuhuan paused. She really wanted to say to Li Heng, why don’t we go to Qiuci and live out our lives there?

However, when the words came to her lips, she couldn't say them.

After a while, she held Li Ying's hand, and gently stroked the palm of Li Ying's hand with her green jade-like fingers. She forced a smile and said, "No matter what, I will always support you and never leave you. I will have no regrets even if I die."

Li Ying realized something and said, "Are you afraid?" Yang Yuhuan quickly shook her head, then slowly nodded under Li Ying's gaze.

Li Ying said: "It's my fault. I haven't taken good care of your feelings recently."

"No..." Yang Yuhuan said quickly.

"Listen to me." Li Heng looked at Yang Yuhuan, "I used to agree that if life could just stay like the first time we met, there would be no reason for the autumn wind to make the fan sad. But since I met you, every day with you makes me full of expectations. I hope to spend ten thousand years with you. But at this point today, even if we want to retreat, there will be people who will push us forward."

"Yes." Yang Yuhuan nodded, leaned into Li Heng's arms, and whispered, "It's all your fault. You taught me so much."

"Hmm?" Li Ying asked in confusion.

"If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have learned how to read people's expressions and understand the situation. I wouldn't have had so many small thoughts that would cause me trouble." Yang Yuhuan said this, then she changed her mind and felt that something was wrong. She stretched out her left hand to cover Li Heng's right ear and said, "Isn't this just like covering one's ears to steal a bell?"

Li Heng was amused by Yang Yuhuan's expression and said, "In fact, the best choice would have been not to marry me in the first place. Once you enter a noble family, it's like being in a deep sea..."

"That won't work." Yang Yuhuan interrupted Li Heng, "Marrying you is the best thing that can happen to me in my life."

After hearing this, Li Heng said no more and bent his head to kiss Yang Yuhuan.

……

Li Heng's instructions were sent to Anxi.

According to Li Heng's arrangement, Feng Changqing prepared food and grass, appointed Wang Zhengjian as the regent, and led generals such as Duan Xiushi, Cheng Qianli, Cao Lingzhong, Erzhu, Yang Zhilie, and Yan Chao, along with 20,000 troops from Anxi Beiting and 10,000 troops from the Western Regions and neighboring tribes, a total of 30,000 troops, on a winter expedition to Dabolü.

Dabolü was adjacent to Xiaobolü, so the marching route was basically the same as the original expedition to Xiaobolü. After nearly three months of trekking, Feng Changqing led the army to Xiaobolü. After resting for two days in Xiaobolü, they launched a fierce attack on Dabolü.

Feng Changqing and Duan Xueshi were both famous generals of the Tang Dynasty. It was they who fought in Dabolü in history. Cheng Qianli was slightly inferior, but was also a brave general. Cao Lingzhong, Erzhu, Yang Zhilie and Yan Chao were the first group of loyal people in the northwest. They were all no ordinary people. In this month alone, the Tang army captured half of the cities in Dabolü, and Dabolü hurriedly asked Tubo for help.

When Tubo received Dabolü's letter for help, everyone in the country was shocked.

"Prince Shou is in Helong, and most of our troops are deployed in Helong. We didn't expect that he would take the lead in launching an attack from Dabolü." Chide Zuzan was furious, and at the same time, he thought of Lumanketun.

Zulumangqidun has considerable influence in the western part of Tubo. If Zulumangqidun were still there, he could also send Zulumangqidun to the west to recruit troops to resist.

Lunjie Sangjiagong, one of the great Tibetan scholars, also thought of Shulumangdun and said quietly, "If Shulumangdun had not been defeated in Xiaoboluo first and then in Guazhou, our military strength in the west would not be so weak."

Tong Pingzhangshi Lang Niexi echoed: "Yes, the Tang army's attack on Dabolü is closely related to the defeat of the Lumanqidun army!"

Upon hearing this, Chide Zuzan glanced at the two of them.

On the surface, these two people said that they belonged to Rumakhon, but what they meant was that they were blaming Trisong Detsen for promoting Buddhism and weakening the fighting power of Tubo.

Chide Zuzan thought to himself, "Great! When the country is in danger, you don't want to repel the enemy, but instead you criticize me!"

(End of this chapter)