Chapter 3: Strategic planning

Li Longji thoughtfully: "The Western Regions are very wide. However, since the Han Dynasty, China has not stationed many troops in the Western Regions. At most, there were only a few thousand. Ban Chao defended the Western Regions, all borrowed the power of the Western Regions. It can be said that he did not use one army and one soldier from the Eastern Han Dynasty to defend the Western Regions for the Eastern Han Dynasty. Geshuhan, if you go to the Western Regions, even if I increase your troops, you should learn from Ban Chao, be good at defending the Western Regions and use the power of the Western Regions as much as possible."

Ban Chao defended the Western Regions for more than 30 years. He had almost never used the soldiers and soldiers of the Eastern Han Dynasty to protect the Western Regions. However, when he was old, he was eager to stay home. The Eastern Han Dynasty was very generous to this loyal and duty-oriented old minister, so he ordered him to return to the court. He also asked his son Ban Yong to take over his position and then defend the Western Regions.

Borrowing the power of the Western Regions to defend the Western Regions is a traditional strategy for thousands of years. Ban Chao’s actions in the Western Regions are at its peak. There are three main reasons for this. First, the Western Regions are remote and road traffic is inconvenient, so it is too difficult for the army to arrive in the Western Regions. Even the Silk Road is also marked by the signposts of camels and horse feces and corpses. It is very difficult to send a large army to such a dangerous place.

Furthermore, the Western Regions were too poor to support a large army. Compared with the advanced China, the Western Regions could only be considered barbaric. They slashed and burned, and even the Western Regions' army was just wooden sticks and bronze weapons, and the armor was almost leather armor, which was a world of difference compared to the equipment of the Han army.

The "Decisive Battle in Mobei" carried out by Emperor Wu of Han, 100,000 elite cavalry, infantry, and people transporting food, dispatched hundreds of thousands of troops in total. An unprecedented decisive battle of such a scale is rare in Chinese history. During the Decisive Battle in Mobei, the world was shocked.

Because the scale of the decisive battle in Mobei was very large, the world was shocked. However, the same thing happened soon after. Of course, the enemy this time was not the Huns, but Ershicheng in the Western Regions. Emperor Wu of Han attacked Ershicheng, and Li Guangli led only tens of thousands of troops. It was much smaller than the decisive battle in Mobei, but it was also a riot in the world. The reason was that the roads in the Western Regions were inconvenient and there were too many people transporting military supplies.

In order to solve the problem of transportation, Emperor Wu of Han had to send all the prisoners.

The third reason is that China did not encounter a strong enough opponent in the Western Regions. Ban Chao's main enemy in the Western Regions was the Huns. However, the Huns at that time were far worse than the Huns faced by Emperor Wu of Han.

Emperor Wu of Han was a brilliant emperor in Chinese history that was rare in a thousand years. He served as the emperor for fifty-four years, but fought for more than 30 years. Moreover, the wars he fought were almost all against the Huns. In the face of the Han army's attack, the Huns retreated step by step and had to retreat to the north of the Mo.

At that time, the court demanded a slap in the war, and there was a lot of voices to rest with the people. Emperor Wu of Han ignored it, mobilized the whole country's troops, and carried out a decisive battle in the north of the desert. After this heavy blow, the Huns were in a slump and declined from then on.

Before the decisive battle in Mobei, Emperor Wu of Han insisted on a big fight, and the ministers could still accept it. In the decisive battle in Mobei, the Han Dynasty achieved a decisive victory, and the Huns were no longer a problem, and the sound of demanding a stop was rising. Emperor Wu of Han still ignored it and still fought against the Huns, which was very incomprehensible.

In fact, Emperor Wu of Han saw farther than anyone else. He knew very well that although the Huns suffered heavy blows after the decisive battle in Mobei, they did not lose the conditions for re-emergence. They had to carry out strategic pursuits. With the strong national strength of the Han Dynasty, they completely dragged down the Huns and never had the chance to turn over.

Facts have also proved that Emperor Wu of Han made the decision correct, and it should be said that he was extremely wise. It was after more than ten years of strategic pursuit that the Huns never recovered their vitality and finally split, and the Southern Huns surrendered during the reign of Emperor Xuan of Han.

By the Eastern Han Dynasty, that is, during the Western Regions, Ban Chao's strength had dropped too much. Although he harassed the Western Regions from time to time, he could not pose a major threat to the Western Regions. It was reasonable that Ban Chao was good at mobilizing the power of the Western Regions to resist the Xiongnu.

Geshuhan said confidently: "Prince, please rest assured, I understand! After I arrived in the Western Regions, I will first accept Dabolu. Dabolu is at the same time as the Tang Dynasty and Tubo. Now, Tubo is gone, and I think it is time for Dabolu to make a decision. If Dabolu dares to make a difference, I will definitely wipe it out."

Li Longji nodded and said, "It's so good! Over the years, things in the Western Regions have been repeated. Tubo and Dashi colluded with each other, which made the Tang Dynasty a little stretched in the Western Regions, and Dabolu Yiwei at both ends. Now, if Dabolu is taken over, the road to the Pamirs will be completely safe."

"The emperor is wise!" Geshu Han praised and continued to express his thoughts: "After this, I will take Tochar and Kashmir again, and then fight against Dashi.

"First solve the road and then face it head-on, it's a good idea!" Li Longji praised and said, "I will add 30,000 troops to you this time, including 30,000 Dragon Martial Army. In addition, the original more than 10,000 troops garrisons are close to 50,000. If you collect the troops from the Western Regions, a hundred thousand people will not be a problem."

With so many troops sent to the Western Regions, only Emperor Wu of Han could compare with Ershi City in the history of Chinese. In the history of the Tang Dynasty, there had never been so many troops to the Western Regions. Geshuhan immediately said: "Emperor, you don't need so many. Three thousand dragon martial officials want it, and another ten thousand is enough."

Yao Chong highly praised Geshuhan's opinion: "Your Majesty, the road to the Western Regions is not smooth now, there are too many troops, and it is difficult to supply. General Geshu said very well."

Li Longji waved his hand and said, "Brother Shuhan, I appreciate your courage. However, the Western Regions are different from the Han Dynasty. Although you have to make good use of the power of the Western Regions, you cannot rely solely on the power of the Western Regions. It is impossible to defeat Dashi by relying solely on the power of the Western Regions. The Han Dynasty used a few armies to defend the Western Regions because the Han Dynasty did not have a strong opponent in the Western Regions.

"The situation faced by the Tang Dynasty is completely different from that of the Han Dynasty. The Tang Dynasty not only had opponents in the Western Regions, but also had two very strong opponents, namely Tubo and Dashi. Now, Tubo is gone, and the vassal states of Tubo will inevitably be frightened. The Tang Dynasty took this opportunity to take action, which will inevitably bring these vassal states to their hearts.

"However, as far as I know, Dashi is vast and has a large population, not much of the Tang Dynasty, and is an opponent that cannot be underestimated. The main problem of Dashi is that it has just been created and there are many internal problems and the power cannot be concentrated. At this point, Dashi is far inferior to Dashi. Even so, it cannot be taken lightly."

At that time, the Arab Empire, that is, Dashi, rose. Although the Arab Empire conquered many places, the Middle East had not yet been Islamized, and some places had not yet been conquered. Although its strength should not be underestimated, its strength is far inferior to that of later Arab Empires.

After all, after Islamization was completed and Muslims established their sacred status, the Middle East was basically one, and the Arab Empire reached its peak at that time.

"The emperor's teachings, I remember." Geshuhan agreed with Li Longji's analysis.

Li Longji continued: "Since the Han Dynasty, China has been operating the Western Regions. It has been more than a thousand years since now. In these thousand years, China has been able to maintain the Western Regions with a small number of troops. One of the big reasons is that China has no opponents. Now, we are facing the strong opponent of Dashi, which is the biggest difference between the Tang Dynasty's management of the Western Regions and the Han Dynasty. The Han Dynasty's management of the Western Regions can complete this mission with the power of the Western Regions, and the Tang Dynasty has to send troops from the mainland."

In one word!

Emperor Wu of Han sent Zhang Qian to the Western Regions because he heard that the Dayuezhi had a grudge with the Huns and wanted to join forces with the Dayuezhi to attack the Huns. By the time Zhang Qian arrived, the Dayuezhi was already content with real life and was unwilling to fight with the Huns again. Emperor Wu of Han could only defeat the Huns with his own strength.

As soon as the Huns were defeated, the original "ally" of the Western Regions lost its value. The Western Han Dynasty adjusted its strategy to change the former ally of the Western Regions into a vassal state, and then began to manage the Western Regions.

For more than a thousand years, no overly powerful enemies appeared in the Western Regions.

The Tang Dynasty was different. In the Western Regions, there were not only powerful opponents, but also two, one was Tubo and the other was Dashi. These two great powers colluded. Tubo often attacked and harassed the Hexi Corridor with favorable geographical conditions, forcing the Tang Dynasty to dispatch a large number of troops in the Ganliang area.

Correspondingly, more troops cannot be sent in the Western Regions, which will give Dashi an opportunity to take advantage of it. Otherwise, Gao Xianzhi may not have failed in the battle of Talas.

"The emperor is wise!" Chen Wanrong and the others were convinced.

Geshuhan said: "Emperor, I want all 30,000 troops!"

Li Longji nodded and said, "It's so great! I sent you to the Western Regions this time, not to defeat Dashi, nor to open up a better way to march, but to keep the four towns of Anxi. In the case of protecting the four towns of Anxi, if you can show your might, I have no reason not to support you."

If you want to fight against the Later Turks next year, you can only take the defensive position in the Western Regions. As long as the four Anxi towns remain unresolved, the Tang army will have a foothold in the future to advance westward.

If the four towns of Anxi are lost, the Tang army will have no strategic base or springboard to advance westward in the future, and the difficulties will be much greater. Therefore, maintaining the four towns of Anxi is the bottom line of Emperor Xuanzong of Tang and it is also a wise decision.

"The general is outside, and the king will not accept the order! As for how to use troops, you will make a decision at the moment." Li Longji trusted Geshuhan's talent very much.

This is to give Geshuhan full power and great trust. Geshuhan was very moved: "Thank you, the Emperor!"

"I have mobilized the 30,000 troops you want to take away. When are you planning to set off?" Li Longji had already considered it and even mobilized all the troops.

Such careful thoughts made people convinced. Yao Chong and the others said in unison: "The emperor is wise!"

Geshuhan thought for a moment and said, "Your Majesty, I think the faster the better, so let's go on the road tomorrow! The climate of Dashi is different from that of China. When China is still in the snow and ice, Dashi is warm and can use troops. If we go too late, the consequences will be unimaginable."

The Western Regions of the Tang Dynasty were much larger than those of the Han Dynasty and had entered the Middle East. The climate in the Middle East was hot, and even in winter, it would not be as cold as China, so it would be fine to use troops.

Although Geshuhan's mission was to protect the four towns of Anxi, he still wanted to create a better world before the army advanced westward and prepare better conditions for the Tang Dynasty to advance westward.

"Okay! You go to the battle tomorrow, I will come to Ba Shang to see you off!" Li Longji praised: "Wu Han, the Grand Marshal under Emperor Guangwu, can be ordered to be appointed in court, and Xi guides the way. Ge Shu Han will be ordered today, and go to the battle tomorrow, it is my Wu Han!"

Wu Han was a beloved general of Emperor Guangwu Liu Xiu. He had two characteristics, which were beyond the reach of people. One was that he was resourceful and decisive in wars. When he had not received attention from Liu Xiu, Liu Xiu's generals basically jointly recommended him. The other was that Wu Han worked diligently, and there was an allusion that praised him, "Wu Han did not leave the public."

Liu Xiu once secretly observed what Wu Han did. When other generals were resting and celebrating, Wu Han was commanding his army to cultivate the tools of defense and war. There were many famous generals in the Eastern Han Dynasty, known as the "Twenty-Eight Generals of Yuntai". Among so many generals, only Wu Han's army could enter the battle at any time.

Liu Xiu was particularly fond of Wu Han and gave him the most elite army. Whenever Liu Xiu was about to go to war, he would send Wu Han as a vanguard, which is what the historical books said to be "always a military front."

Li Longji praised this because he gave Geshuhan a high praise. Geshuhan couldn't bear it and hurriedly said, "The emperor has too much award, I dare not take it!"

"A man should be the first in the world. What's there to dare?" Li Longji turned his head and said to Chen Wanrong, "After the matter of Brother Shuhan is arranged, I will tell you about your affairs. You are about to get married soon, and I will come to congratulate you. However, I want to remind you that getting married is happy, don't forget it and do nothing. I will send you several errands."

As soon as he entered the official career, he couldn't help but have nothing to do. He sent something to him. Although Chen Wanrong didn't want to take it, he also understood that Li Longji had a lot of things to do now. In addition, the case of Princess Taiping, the ministers killed a lot. If he didn't accept it, no one would accept it. He had to say, "Please tell the emperor."

Li Longji arranged: "Ge Shuhan went to the Western Regions. Should you arrest this artillery trainee?"

After Tubo returned, he was training artillery in full swing, and the scale of artillery had expanded a lot. However, the main thing was that Ge Shuhan was arresting, and Chen Wanrong was just named. When he heard this, Chen Wanrong was stunned and nodded, "Prince, please rest assured, I will do it well."

"You have to do a lot of things, and it is impossible to catch you alone." Li Longji had already thought about it: "Yang Sixu returned from Annan and happened to be the deputy, and then trained artillery. However, Yang Sixu was not very familiar with artillery, and in a short period of time, you would have to work harder."

"I understand!" Chen Wanrong received the order.

Although Yang Sixu was an eunuch, he did not have the annoying habit of being a eunuch. On the contrary, he was proficient in military tactics and was extremely brave. With him as his assistant, Chen Wanrong was also happy and said with a smile: "Mr. Yang, we can be together again."

"General Chen, you won't hate me, a follower, right?" Yang Sixu laughed heartily.

A joke made everyone laugh, and even Li Longji couldn't help but smile.

Li Longji continued: "Your brother Chen Zairong is determined to join the army and kill the enemy above the border. Well, I will be a good person and become his beauty. I will also send it to you and let him help you take care of it."

Chen Wanrong could not imagine this, and he was stunned, and then he was happy for Chen Zairong: "Thank you, Your Majesty!"

Nodded, Li Longji said again: "Wang Zhongsi is young, but he has his own intentions. What's rare is that he is proficient in military tactics. Besides, he has fought with you in Tubo and has a good understanding of artillery. If I send him there, you can save you a lot of worry."

Although Wang Zhongsi was a boy, his understanding of artillery might not be worse than that of Geshuhan. If he came, what else could he do? Chen Wanrong was overjoyed: "Thank you, Your Majesty! Your Majesty, aren't you afraid that I will bully him?"

"You bully him? Be careful when you get married, he will cause trouble!" Li Longji had great confidence in Wang Zhongsi.

Everyone laughed again.

Wang Zhongsi was about to get angry and mess up, but few people could deal with it. Chen Wanrong smiled.

"In the war next year, artillery will make a big splash. You have to hurry up on artillery matters. You can't have any soldiers but no artillery at that time, so I'll ask only you." Since the war in Tubo, Li Longji has always paid attention to artillery and has his own experience in the use of artillery, and he knows the importance of artillery in the war next year.

The atmosphere is good, Chen Wanrong said a joke: "Your Majesty, if you want the artillery to show your power, you have to let me lead the artillery to the battlefield. Otherwise, whether there will be soldiers or not will happen, I cannot guarantee it."

"Okay, Chen Wanrong, how dare you threaten me?" Li Longji burst into laughter.

A joke made everyone laugh. Li Longji said in a laugh: "This matter will be discussed in the coming year. Now, you do what you have at hand well. If you can't do it well, you won't want to go to the battlefield next year."

He is really a good student, he is learning and selling, threatening Chen Wanrong. Everyone didn't expect Li Longji to be playful, and they couldn't help but smile.

As soon as the joke was finished, Li Longji got to the point: "Yao Chong is right. Turks and Dashi are one. The Tang Dynasty will face two opponents this time. Only one can be beaten at one period. I decided to fight Turks first and then Dashi. If you want to fight Dashi, you must have a smooth road. How is the cement business going now? When will the military weapon supervisor go to Longxi to build a construction house?"

Chen Wanrong replied: "Your Majesty, the skills are almost the same, there is no problem. But it's winter now, Longxi is colder, so the construction house is not suitable, right?"

Li Longji stood up suddenly and his voice increased a lot: "If I expected it to be good, the Dashi would be ruthless this time. The Caliph would definitely want to drive the Tang Dynasty out of the Western Regions. If Tubo was there, the Caliph might not be ruthless. Now, Tubo is gone, he would not be able to be ruthless!

"If the Turks were gone, then the caliph's ruthlessness would be much greater than that now. The big food is that the person who comes is not good, and the good ones will not come! Geshuhan will be able to resist for three or two years. It is a problem whether he can resist after three or two years. Those who go to Longxi must set off immediately and build a building in the cold!"

If Tubo and Turks are present, Dashi will not feel too threatened. Once these two allies are gone, Dashi will definitely be frightened and will definitely fight with the Tang Dynasty for the Western Regions with all their might. By then, if the army is unable to advance westward, the Tang Dynasty will likely drive Dashi out of the Western Regions.
Chapter completed!