Tiantang

Chapter 282 Returning to Beijing to Debrief
Chapter 289

After a brief rest and recuperation in Hezhou, Zhang Xuan set off from Hezhou together with Li Tan, the king of Jianning, and returned directly to Beijing to report on his duties.Every year before the Shangyuan Festival, the imperial court will call the town commanders back to Chang'an to report on their duties. This is a practice that has continued for more than ten years.

This year, of course, is no exception.

In fact, because of this sudden big battle between Tang and Tibetans, Zhang Xuan's departure time was already a bit late.

At this time, whether it was Yang Kai from Anxi, Cheng Qianli from Beiting, Ge Shuhan from Hexi, An Sishun from Jiannan, Yan Zhenqing from Henan, and An Lushan from Fanyang, they were all about to rush back to Chang'an.

Ge Shuhan was the last to leave. He had been following the important battle in Tubo until the news that Zhang Xuan led his army to capture Wuhai City and wiped out more than half of Gyatso's troops reached Hexi. Shu Han understood that Gyatso's situation was over and Zhang Xuanxin's unrivaled achievements were unstoppable, so he left Guazhou with confidence and returned to Chang'an to report on his duties.

Ge Shuhan once wanted to send troops to reinforce Longshuo to personally participate in this epic battle, which can be described as ancient and modern, but considering that Hexi soldiers and horses would arouse Zhang Xuan's great resentment, and the court may not If you can allow it, let it go.

Zhang Xuan's repeated battles and strategic management in Longshuo and Tubo, Ge Shuhan saw it and was shocked, it can be said that he was convinced.

So far, Zhang Xuan led the Longshuo army and horses to basically occupy all the old places of the Tuyuhun Kingdom into the territory of the Tang Dynasty.This vast area is almost equivalent to the area of ​​a Hexi feudal town, and the Longshuo feudal town that occupies this place has become the number one feudal town in the Tang Dynasty at least in terms of territory.

It is true that the times make heroes.On the way to Chang'an, news from Longshuo and Hexi had been spreading to Ge Shuhan's team. Every time Ge Shuhan would look up to the sky and sigh deeply. Facing Zhang Xuan's sudden birth and strong rise, he felt more and more To his own old age.

Before leaving Longshuo to return to Beijing to report on his duties, Zhang Xuan issued dozens of government and military orders in Hezhou.

The entire territory of Longshuo was urgently mobilized, and a large amount of resources, food, grass, and other supplies were continuously transported from Shuofang, Lingzhou, and Shanzhou to Liangning Prefecture and Qinghai Dudufu, and more than half of Longshuo's army horses also started large-scale operations. The transfer and defense.

In order to hold on to the land that had been won with great difficulty, and to keep the fruits of victory, Long Shuo led by Zhang Xuan had already done his best.Feng Changqing sits in Lingzhou and allocates the town's resources, while Zhang Xun rushes to Hezhou temporarily to take charge of specific affairs.

Before leaving, Zhang Xuan gave Feng Changqing and Zhang Xun a death order. At all costs, they must stabilize the Tubo territory that was just occupied, and manage it in the shortest possible time. The area under the control of the Dudufu.

Under the leadership of Li Guangbi and Guo Ziyi, the army prepared for battle and stood ready to guard against another attack by the Tubo people.

Although Zhang Xuan knew in his heart that the repeated wars and the civil strife caused by the change of kingship had seriously damaged the national power of Tubo, it would be difficult for the Tubo army to attack Liangning Prefecture and Qinghai Dudu Mansion before the summer came.But just in case, Tang Jun still entered a state of combat readiness.

Zhang Xuan originally wanted to give up returning to Beijing to report on his duties and sit in Hezhou himself.But this would definitely intensify Li Heng's suspicion of him. In order to dispel Li Heng's doubts, he still decided to go back to Chang'an.

Zhang Xuan only brought 500 cavalry from the Shence Army as guards, led by Nan Jiyun.In addition to the court mission of Jianning King Li Tan, a group of nearly a thousand people left Hezhou and headed for Chang'an at high speed.

Xiao Shisanlang naturally also returned to Chang'an, and Hua Nuer was no exception.Only this time, Huan Niang, an eight-year-old girl, followed Hua Nuer.

Because of his pity for Huanniang's life experience, and because he felt that Huanniang was a child who had a special affinity with him, Zhang Xuan accepted Huanniang as his adopted daughter.During these days, Hua Nuer took care of Huan Niang every day. Under Hua Nuer's careful and almost maternal care, Huan Niang gradually healed the heartache scars of losing her father and restored the innocence of a child.

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Leaving Hezhou and entering the boundary of Longzhou, the temperature rose sharply.The hazy weather that lasted for several days finally began to clear up, and a red sun hung high in the sky, shining warmly on people's bodies.

Because of Huan Niang, Hua Nuer gave up riding a horse and took Huan Niang to ride with her in the car, but Huan Niang is a lively and active person after all, and she can't stay in the carriage at all. I have to rely on her.

"Daddy, look, it's going to snow again..." Huanniang said crisply while sitting in Hua Nuer's arms while rubbing her little hands.

Zhang Xuan was walking side by side with Li Tan, the king of Jianning beside him. While chatting some gossip, he suddenly heard Huan Niang's clear and soft voice. He was startled, and then subconsciously looked up at the sky. Actually, sporadic snowflakes really started to fall, which were refracted by the light to create a dazzling brilliance.

"It's going to snow again... Huan Niang, be good, go back to the car, lest you catch a cold when the snow is heavy." Zhang Xuan smiled softly to Huan Niang.

Huanniang giggled, raised her bright little face to look at Zhang Xuan, and said loudly, "Daddy, Huanniang knows that this kind of snow doesn't fall much...that's what my daddy said..."

Huanniang's smiling face suddenly faded, her eyes turned red, she slowly lowered her head, and retracted into Hua Nuer's embrace.

Hua Nuer hugged Huan Niang tightly with some pity, and patted her thin and immature shoulders lightly.

Zhang Xuan sighed softly, turned his head to Li Tan and said in a low voice, "Your Highness, this child has no parents at such a young age, it is really pitiful."

As a high-ranking son of the royal family, it is actually difficult for Li Tan to understand Zhang Xuan's extraordinary care and affection for a grassroots girl. However, from Zhang Xuan's point of view, his attitude towards Huan Niang is not bad.Regardless of Huanniang's previous background, she is now Zhang Xuan's adopted daughter, and this status is enough.

Li Tan glanced at Huanniang, and smiled softly, "Prince Pingxi, it is considered a blessing from previous life that Huanniang is accepted as a righteous daughter by you."

Li Tan seemed unwilling to waste his words on a girl, so he took the initiative to change the subject, "Prince Pingxi, you can arrive in Longzhou tomorrow, and in ten days, you can return to Chang'an... At this time, the news of Longshuo's victory is about to spread. Let's go to Chang'an, Xiao Wang wants to come. This time, the imperial court will grandly welcome King Pingxi to return to Beijing in triumph. In one year, he continued to open up territories for the imperial court. Since the founding of the country, no one can compare!"

"King Pingxi, Xiao Wang has already submitted a letter suggesting that the court set up a pavilion of meritorious officials outside the Anhua Gate in Chang'an to enshrine the portrait of King Pingxi. At the same time, erect a stele to inscribe the great achievements of the Longshuo army in opening up the territory for the court, for the common people to look up to."

Li Tan's voice became extremely warm and sincere.

Zhang Xuan was stunned, and then smiled wryly, "Your Highness, this... how dare Zhang Xuan dare to do this? Zhang Xuan is living on the imperial salary, and he is loyal to the emperor and serving the country. He has a little merit, so he can't be like this..."

Zhang Xuan said this, but in fact, there were not many waves in his heart.This is just a suggestion from Li Tan, it is hard to say whether Li Heng will agree to it and follow it up - Li Tan mentioning this now is nothing more than showing his goodwill to him again, showing his attitude of wooing Zhang Xuan as a backer.

Li Tan waved his hand and said loudly, "Back then when Ge Shuhan defeated Tubo, the imperial court erected monuments to commemorate his meritorious officials. Now that King Pingxi has achieved such a feat, it is much higher than Ge Shuhan. , and how can he be worthy of the soldiers of the three armies who have followed King Pingxi to go deep into Tubo several times and fought bloody battles?"

Zhang Xuan smiled lightly and remained silent.

Li Tan's words hit his mind, he doesn't need to ask for rewards, considering his current official status, there is not much room for him to be promoted, the most he can do is glory and fame.But the officers and men under his command could not be without rewards, whether they were high-ranking men like Guo Ziyi, Li Guangbi, Feng Changqing, Zhang Xuan, or ordinary soldiers.

Struggle to kill the enemy, what you want is to seal your wife and son.Without the support of real interests, it is illusory and unreliable to rely solely on "passion for serving the country" to stabilize the morale of the army.

Therefore, this time Zhang Xuan returned to Beijing to report on his duties in person, and he also came here with the intention of asking for credit and rewards for his soldiers.

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Before Zhang Xuan left Hezhou to return to Beijing, Huihe Khan Guli Pei Luo also took Prince Gele and Princess Su Hudong southwards to Chang'an.

Li Heng's imperial edict has been passed on to Huihe, expressing his attitude to officiate Zhang Xuan and Su Hudong's marriage and hold a grand wedding ceremony around the Shangyuan Festival, so as to prove the generational friendship between Huihe and Datang.

Gu Li Pei Luo had this idea a long time ago, and when he saw Li Heng's edict, he was overjoyed.Now Zhang Xuan's status in Gu Li Pei Luo's mind has reached a peak.With only the power of a single town in Longshuo, they defeated the Tubo people one after another, conquered cities, opened up territory for the Tang Dynasty, and won a territory the size of a feudal town... This kind of unrivaled genius and hero who is like a myth in history books, which is rare in a hundred years, More than enough to match his daughter Su Hudong.

Although she is an ordinary wife, not a regular wife, but Zhang Xuan has a prince, and Su Hudong marrying him does not mean that she has insulted her status as a Huihe princess.

Zhang Xuan's power and prestige are unparalleled in the Tang Dynasty, and being able to marry Zhang Xuan is of great significance to Huihe.

Although Su Hudong has a good impression of Zhang Xuan, this kind of affection is far from affection.Of course, for a Huihe noble woman like her, it would be very difficult to get rid of the fate of political marriage in the end, but even if she was a victim of marriage, Su Hudong with a distinctive personality would not be willing to be a "concubine" for others.

Although the name is Pingxi Wang Ping's wife, who was conferred by the Tang Dynasty, who can't understand that she is actually the "little wife" under the official wife. How could Su Hudong not understand?
Therefore, Su Hudong had the idea of ​​escaping marriage again.It's just that before she had time to implement it, her father Khan took care of her tightly, and uncharacteristically warned her seriously that if something happened and offended the Tang court and Zhang Xuan, Huihe would face heavy conquest by the Tang court.

(End of this chapter)