Tiantang

Chapter 257 The Idea of ​​Killing Shi Siming

Chapter 265 The Idea of ​​Killing Shi Siming

Li Siye talked humbly to Zhang Xuan like this, and looked at Zhang Xuan secretly, but felt a little incredible in his heart.

He heard in the Western Regions that Zhang Xuan actually led an army to attack the territory of Tubo, turned the whole country of Tubo upside down, and retreated calmly.

He also led an army to fight against the Tubo cavalry in Shule, and he knew that the combat effectiveness of the Tubo cavalry should not be underestimated.Since Zhang Xuan can play with the Tubo army and horses in the palm of his hand, he is obviously a military genius.

But when we met in person, Zhang Xuan was so young and handsome, and looked extremely frail.Such a person can actually defeat Tubo and open up the territory for the Tang Dynasty?Could it be that the rumors are wrong or exaggerated?
As if seeing Li Siye's doubts, Zhang Xuan smiled lightly, "General Li, please sit down and enjoy tea!"

"Thank you, Marshal." Li Siye sat there more respectfully, feeling a little more puzzled in his heart, he didn't understand why Zhang Xuan treated him so courteously.

Probably only Zhang Xun saw Zhang Xuan's thoughts.He knew that the governor of his family was thirsty for talent, and obviously, he had taken a fancy to this famous Anxi general, and he might want to poach the wall from Yang Kai's hands.

Zhang Xuan did have this thought, since Li Siye appeared in front of him, he naturally refused to let him go.As long as he gives Yang Qi a letter, Yang Qi will not let him go.For the time being, Zhang Xuan felt that there was no need to worry.

"General Li, how is Shuai Yang doing in Anxi?" Zhang Xuan picked up the tea cup, took a sip, and asked casually.

Li Siye stood up respectfully and replied, "Yang Shuai is well. In the future, Yang Shuai asked the general to thank the general in person on behalf of the Anxi army and people."

"Oh? How do you say this?"

"Commander, Tianbao six years ago, after our army took Xiao Bolu from the Tubo people, the Tubo people continued to counterattack. In the next few years, they attacked and harassed me again and again."

"Bewitched by the Tubo people, the cities and states in the Western Regions were ready to move and tried to rebel against the imperial court. However, after the great victory in the battle of Shancheng, the general and the Tubo army led the army to attack Tubo, and the Tubo army was mobilized one after another. The Western Regions, the Western Regions are thus stable."

"The commander-in-chief has made great military exploits, and the people of Tubo are terrified when they hear the news, and spread far and wide in the Western Regions. All the countries in the Western Regions will subdue my Tang army!" Li Siye arched his hands and said, "Shuai Yang once said that although the commander-in-chief is far away in Longshuo, his prestige has already come. The Western Regions, if the Western Regions can be stable for a few years, our army will be able to recharge their batteries and step up their efforts to garrison troops... This is the merit of the commander in chief!"

Li Siye's words were half sincere and half flattering, of course, this may also be Yang Kai's original words.

The Tubo people have always been eyeing the Western Regions, but Zhang Xuan suddenly led an army to attack Tubo, stirring up civil strife in Tubo, and Tubo's vitality was severely damaged, and it was no longer able to intervene in the Western Regions. This is a fact.It is also true that the countries in the Western Regions would not dare to rebel without the support of the Tubo people.

But to say that Anxi's pacification should be attributed to Zhang Xuan, that would be a polite word.

Zhang Xuan laughed, shook his head and said, "I don't dare to be the commander. Anxi's pacification is because Yang Shuai and Anxi's soldiers have made meritorious service in defending the land, and this commander has nothing to do with it."

Zhang Xuan didn't think too much about the situation in the Western Regions.Currently, his biggest hidden danger is Tubo and Anlu Mountain.

As long as the two major hidden dangers of Tubo and Anlu Mountain are resolved, the Western Regions will be managed steadily in the future, and I dare not say that I will expand the territory. At least it will be more than enough to maintain success.

Zhang Xuan knew very well that the territorial expansion of the Tang court in the Western Regions was to a large extent driven by martial arts and imperial glory, because even if taxes were imposed on merchants who traveled east and west via the Silk Road, and taxes were collected from countries in the Western Regions. A small amount of tribute is not enough to support Tang's huge army and bureaucracy stationed in the Western Regions, not to mention that the government's return to the various ethnic minorities is much more out of vanity.

In terms of policy, the government does not always subdue the countries of the Western Regions with military power. There are many small countries in the Western Regions, and there are many conflicts among them, especially the invasion of Western Turks, Tubo and other countries, which also need the protection of a powerful country like Datang Therefore, in principle, as long as you pay tribute and obey the Tang Dynasty, you will be canonized by the Tang government and continue to maintain relative independence and autonomy. When you suffer turmoil or are invaded by other countries, you can also get the support of the Tang army.After eradicating the Western Turks and repeatedly repelling Tubo, the moderate policy of the Tang government has a strong appeal in the Western Regions, and even Persia and India far west of Congling are willing to obtain asylum through this relationship .

But this status quo is extremely unstable.If there is any disturbance, the countries in the Western Regions will rebel, either surrender to Tubo, or seek refuge in Dashi.

In other words, if Datang wanted to truly bring the Western Regions into its territory and achieve the same real rule as the inland, it had to change this policy.This cannot be changed in a year or two. For the time being, the Western Regions can only maintain the status quo.

"General Li, please forgive me for saying this bluntly. Anxi's biggest enemy is the big cannibals, not the Tubo people. This is even more so now. Tubo is restrained by our three towns of Longshuo, Hexi, and Jiannan. 10,000+ It is very difficult to have the strength to intervene in the countries of the Western Regions."

"The big food is different, the national power is strong, and it is eyeing the territory of my Tang Dynasty."

Zhang Xuan smiled slightly.

Li Siye nodded, and said with a respectful smile, "What the commander said is very true. Since our army was defeated in the Battle of Talas, the cannibals have gradually encroached on the nine kingdoms of Zhaowu, and gradually showed signs of invading the Western Regions. Yang Shuai Anxi is working hard to prepare for the battle and guard against the big cannibal. Yang Shuai said that if the big cannibal attacks Anxi, he will write a letter to the court, asking the general to lead the Longshuo iron cavalry to Anxi to help in the battle, and fight the big cannibal with the power of firearms!"

Zhang Xuan smiled and said nothing, but secretly said in his heart: It seems that my firearms have spread all over the Tang Dynasty. The reason is for firearms.

When it comes to firearms, Li Siye's eyes clearly shone with a strange brilliance.

Zhang Xuan's invention and development of the firearms used by the Longshuo Shence Army has been spread by merchants in the past, and it has been passed on miraculously.This time Li Siye begged repeatedly to come to Longshuo in person, so he could take the opportunity to see the power of Longshuo's firearms.

If the power is really as in the legend, Li Siye felt that after returning to Anxi, Yang Qi should send a letter to Zhang Xuan, asking for some firearms to equip the Anxi cavalry.Or, he even felt that this kind of firearm should be developed and manufactured by the imperial court in large quantities, and equipped in the armies of various towns.

It's just that Li Siye didn't know that this firearm technique is currently limited to the Longshuo Shence Army, and Zhang Xuan has not publicly reported it to the court to promote it.And even in Longshuo, firearms are strictly controlled, and ordinary soldiers cannot touch them.

In fact, Zhang Xuan did not intend to promote the firearms. This was the sharp weapon he was planning to use against An Lushan. He first used the Tubo cavalry to test his edge, but the final opponent was An Lushan.As long as the hidden dangers of An Lushan are not eliminated, Zhang Xuan will never disclose the art of firearms.

Even if the court orders, Zhang Xuan has countermeasures.He believed that he would convince Li Heng.

"Commander, the last general is in Anxi. I heard that the commander personally developed a firearm called Shenhuo Flying Crow. It is so powerful that it frightens the Tubo army and horses. I wonder if the last general will have a chance to see it?" Li Siye finally couldn't hold back. He took the initiative to mention this.

Zhang Xuan laughed, "If General Li is willing to be a general under this commander's bid, this commander will equip General Li's troops with firearms."

Li Siye was startled, his face flushed a little, he didn't expect Zhang Xuan to say such a thing.

Zhang Xuan smiled again, "I'm just kidding, General Li will not be offended. The technique of firearms is a little thing that my commander inadvertently created, and it is not worth mentioning. However, if General Li really has the heart, a few days later, my commander I will arrange an opportunity for General Li to see it!"

Li Siye bowed and thanked, "Thank you, Marshal!"

……

……

On the afternoon of Li Siye's arrival, the envoys from An Lushan also arrived in Lingzhou.An Lushan sent quite a few people, and the person in charge turned out to be his most trusted confidant, Shi Siming.Shi Siming led a team of hundreds of people to camp outside Lingzhou City, and then entered the city with a few guards to meet Zhang Xuan.

When Zhang Xuan heard that An Lushan had sent Shi Siming, he couldn't help a strange smile from the corner of his mouth.

In the Anshi Rebellion, Shi Siming was a very key figure.

He first followed An Lushan to rebel, and then he killed An Lushan in An Qingxu and made himself emperor, and he was defeated and led his troops back to Tang.But after this person descended to the Tang Dynasty, he conspired to rebel and wanted to take advantage of the chaos to establish himself as emperor.Later, this person really rebelled against the Tang Dynasty, and was killed by his son Shi Chaoyi, and embarked on the same road of no return as An Lushan.

In fact, the real Anlu Mountain did not take long to disrupt the Tang Dynasty, and the real root cause of the Anshi Rebellion was Shi Siming.Without this person, the national power of the Tang Dynasty would definitely not have been exhausted and reduced to the point where the country was almost subjugated.

In Zhang Xuan's definition, Shi Siming is capricious, cunning, and very cruel. He is an out-and-out traitor and traitor, even more hateful than An Lushan.

Hearing that Shi Siming was coming, Zhang Xuan's first thought was to kill him!Regardless of Sanqi 21, take Shi Siming down and kill him first, except for this disaster!

But Zhang Xuan knew in his heart that Shi Siming was also an important minister of the Tang Dynasty. Although he had a high power, he could not kill the court officials at will.Moreover, if Shi Siming is killed now, it will obviously force An Lushan to rebel.

And An Lushan raised troops at this time-to be honest, Zhang Xuan was not fully ready yet.

Zhang Xuan sat there silently, his eyes flickered, and there was no concealment of the murderous intent in his eyes.

Zhang Xun's heart trembled, and he stood there with his head bowed, without speaking again.

Zhang Xuan hesitated again and again, but still couldn't make up his mind, and decided to meet this person first, and then we'll talk about the situation.

Thinking of this, Zhang Xuan raised his head to look at Zhang Xun, and said softly, "Master Zhang, bring that Shi Siming to the main hall, and I will see him."

"Forget it, the envoys from all the feudal towns have arrived, please come to the main hall, the commander-in-chief will host a banquet for these envoys today!" Zhang Xuan suddenly got up, his eyes were calm and cold.

(End of this chapter)