Chapter 372 Empire Contract (Part 1)

The battle for Cyprus Island four months ago finally made the Byzantine Emperor Constantine V determined to form an alliance with the Tang Dynasty. The cannibals stationed on the island used a fearsome bow and arrow, causing the Byzantine army to suffer heavy casualties and defeat. But just ten days later, the Tang Dynasty caravan arrived at the Byzantine capital Constantinople, and they also brought a special bow and arrow from the Tang Dynasty, called the crossbow arrows.

The powerful power of this crossbow arrow made the Byzantine Emperor realize that the Great Cannibal used the same weapon, which shocked him. His brother Joseph also praised Anxi's sincerity. When the envoy of the Tang Dynasty Pei Yu proposed the suggestion of the two sides to form an alliance to deal with the Great Food together, Constantine V agreed without hesitation. He even visited Attier City in person, willing to discuss with Li Qing'an and jointly sign the alliance agreement between the two sides.

The city of Atil is located in the north of Talas and is the only way to the northern branch of the Silk Road. It was originally a small city controlled by the Turks, but due to its important geographical location, it was gradually attracted by the Byzantine Empire. With the rise of the Abbasid Dynasty, in order to avoid the trade with the East being controlled by the cannibals, the Byzantine Empire exchanged the city from the Turks for three thousand Anatolian horses the year before, making it an enclave of the Byzantine Empire. Byzantine expanded the city further. In the future, Atil City will surely become the most important trade transfer city between Byzantine and the Tang Dynasty.

In June, the Byzantine Emperor Constantine V arrived at the city of Atil, preparing to meet with the Anxi Jiedushi Li Qing'an here to sign a military alliance agreement between the Tang Empire and the Byzantine Empire. It should be noted here that although Li Qing'an was only the Anxi Jiedushi, he had already obtained full authority from Li Longji to deal with all matters against the Dashi Campaign before the outbreak of the Battle of Talas. This power was never cancelled by Li Longji. After Li Yu ascended the throne, Li Qing'an's power was strengthened. He had the right to deal with all affairs to Western countries on behalf of the Tang Empire, including not only war, but also culture, trade, diplomacy and other matters between countries. In other words, he obtained Li Yu's full authority letter, but he only needed to file with the court afterwards.

But for Constantine V, it doesn't matter whether Li Qing'an has this power. It's important that Li Qing'an can sell him what he wants. Three thousand hard crossbows and the 100 Tang soldiers sent to make demonstrations became the best instructors of Byzantine soldiers. Moreover, Constantine V discovered that the horizontal swords worn by the Tang soldiers and the Mingguang armor on them were unparalleled weapons. The horizontal swords could compete with the Damascus scimitar. The Mingguang armor was the protective object that the noble general dreamed of. A noble officer even bought the Mingguang armor he wore from a Tang soldier with 10,000 gold coins. These two treasures were beyond the reach of the Byzantine army. This is the fundamental reason why Constantine V was willing to come to Attier City in person. It is indeed not important whether Li Qing'an has the power to represent the Tang Dynasty. As long as Li Qing'an can sell him armor and horizontal swords.

"Father, I think you have ignored another weapon of the Tang people."

Princess Ellenni, who accompanied Constantine V, raised the bow and arrow that Li Qing'an gave her and said, "You ignore the Tang people's bows and arrows. Our longbows are huge and the arrows shot out are weak and weak. The Tang army's bows are half smaller than our longbows, but they are powerful and can shoot far. As far as I know, the Turks' bows and arrows were learned from the Tang people, but they are still far from comparable to the Tang people. Father, I suggest that we buy a large number of Tang bows and organize a lethal bow cavalry team."

Constantine V is a middle-aged man in his fifties. He has thick black hair, but his black hair is not passed on to his children. His two sons and a daughter have blonde hair. They inherited the inheritance of their mother. Their mother was a Viking nobleman who had passed away many years ago. What impressed Constantine V was not his hair, but his eyes. He had a pair of gray eyes, and there was a cruel look in his eyes from time to time.

It was as vicious as a Buddha wolf, which was terrifying, but it was fierce only targeted the enemy. He loved his daughter very much, even indulged and partial. When Ellenni killed her fiancé, the unlucky Prince Mark fled back to the country, causing great diplomatic disputes between the two countries. But instead of blaming his daughter, he insisted that Prince Mark humiliated the princess first, and he took it upon himself. He rejected the request of Mark's country to punish Ellenni, which almost triggered a war between the two countries.

Now that my daughter proposed to form a bow and cavalry, Constantine V was quite moved. Byzantine bows were all single bows, and generally had a huge bow, which was more than a person's height. When shooting archery, one end had to be inserted into the soil, which was very inconvenient for cavalry to carry. Therefore, the Byzantine army did not have a archer cavalry team. Constantine V certainly knew the mystery. The cavalry had increased its long-range strike ability, which was undoubtedly like a tiger. He took the red bow, and Ellenny handed an arrow. He hit the arrow, and his arms were fighting and pulled it away. With a 'bang!', an arrow shot straight into the air. This force and accuracy both made Constantine V praise, "It's indeed a good bow, okay! I promise you, and I will talk to Li Qing'an about buying a bow."

"No! I'll go and talk to him in person."

Ellenny smiled sweetly, and a hint of blush flew across his face. Constantine V looked at the expectant look in his daughter's eyes, and suddenly he understood something.

The city of Talas in June is also the hottest season of the year. The steamer-like sultry air overflowed over the valley of Talas. People felt sweating profusely when they moved. It was unbearable. On the evening of that day, a team of 10,000 Tang cavalry came to the city of Talas. The flags were overwhelming and the horns were sobbing. This was the governor of Anxi, the King of Zhao, Li Qing'an, arrived. Joseph rushed to Saiye as an envoy and expressed to him the desire of the Byzantine Emperor to meet with him in Atir City. Li Qing'an agreed without hesitation. This was the official etiquette between countries and there was no need to be any joke. At the same time, he told Joseph that he had obtained the authorization of the Emperor of the Tang Dynasty and could sign any agreement on behalf of His Majesty the Emperor of the Tang Dynasty and the Byzantine Emperor.

"General, this city of Talas seems to be a little different from the last time I came."

The person who spoke was Joseph. Although the weather was so hot that he wanted to steam the man, he was still dressed tightly and meticulously. Large beads of sweat rolled down from his forehead. He wiped his face with a handkerchief from time to time, but his words and manners were still polite.

After the Battle of Talas, Li Qingan ordered the expansion of Talas City. The construction was almost completed when Joseph arrived last time, but just as the beauty of the bride had to be frozen with the last makeup, when Talas City was finally cleaned up, it completely changed. Not to mention Joseph, even Li Qingan couldn't help but sigh.

The city of Talas will be the first city connected to Byzantium by the Tang Dynasty. In the future, it will play an important role in Byzantine trade. It not only lies in its commercial geographical location, but also its strategic value. The city of Talas is the entrance to the North Sailye Road, but also the gate of the Shishi Kingdom in the south. It has blocked the city of Talas and blocked the threat from the northern nomadic peoples to the Hezhong region.

The original Talas City was just a small city, which could only accommodate thousands of troops, but the new city was three times larger. It could not only accommodate more than 10,000 troops, but also able to live in thousands of households. A moat that was three meters wide was circling the city. The city wall was tall and thick, and it was as high as six meters high. It took a ladder to climb the city. Ordinary ladders could no longer climb. The city wall was made of huge bluestone. The entire city looked particularly magnificent in the sunset. The suspension bridge was hanging high, and the city wall was faintly glowing with a layer of green light.

Li Qing'an was very excited and pointed at the city with a horse whip and said with a smile: "Talas City has just been renovated. In the future, it will become an important trade transfer city, and together with Atir City, it will become two brilliant trade pearls on the grassland."

"Where are troops stationed?" Joseph asked with some concern.

"How could there be no army? I have 6,000 troops stationed in the Tang Dynasty. There are 10,000 troops in Baishui City dozens of miles south. If Atir City is in danger, you can come to Talas for help, or we establish a beacon liaison station, and the two sides maintain close contact. This is the benefit of signing a military alliance." Li Qing'an smiled.

At this time, a horn sounded at the head of Talas city, and dozens of cavalry rushed towards this side. The leading general was Helou Yurun, a veteran general of the Anxi Army. He is now the envoy of the Talas army.

"See General!" He Lou Yurun bowed his fists.

Li Qing'an replied with a smile: "Thank you for your hard work, General He Lou."

"Report to the general, all the way north from Talas, everything is safe and sound. We will send scouts to patrol every day without any abnormalities."

Li Qing'an looked at the sky, the setting sun was as bloody as it was dusk, so he turned around and ordered: "I ordered the army to camp and rest on the spot and set off again tomorrow morning."

The army began to set up camps, and at this time, Helou Yurun accompanied Li Qing'an into Talas City.

"General, is our Anxi going to fight Tocharo?" Helou Yurun asked quietly while the person was unprepared.

"How do you know?" Li Qingan looked at him with a smile.

"I think the General and Byzantine should establish a covenant to deal with the Grand Seal, so I guess the General may be trying to attack Tochar."

"Well! There is more or less this factor, but fighting Tocharo has always been my established plan. Even if I don't form an alliance with Byzantium, I still have to fight. If I form an alliance with Byzantium, I will have an additional chance of winning."

Speaking of this, Li Qingan suddenly thought of something, turned around and said with a smile: "Why are you asking about this?"

Helou Yurun was seen through his worries by Li Qing'an, so he stepped forward and begged: "General, give me a chance! I'm almost suffocated from being sick in Talas."

"But you are leaving, who will guard Talas City?"

He Lou Yurun heard that Li Qing'an's tone had already relaxed, and quickly seized the opportunity and said, "Deputy General Zhao Jinpeng can be the only one to stand in front of me. He can guard Talas City on my behalf."

"I'll think about this matter. If necessary, I will mobilize you."

The two of them walked as they talked and soon entered Talas City. The original old city had only a hundred households. The expanded new city added nearly two thousand households and became a big city. The two thousand households were basically the families of the garrison, and most of them were Han people. They owned a large area of ​​land around Talas City. The land here was extremely fertile. If you sow seeds, you will get a bumper harvest in the next year. In addition to the land, most of them had side jobs, either engaged in trade or opened inns and restaurants. This time, when the Anxi caravan returned from Byzantium, the residents of the city made a lot of money, and the vendors who only sold tea made more than a dozen cents of money.

The city is orderly and people come and go. The major shops are filled with goods from Byzantine, fur, gold bottles, silverware, agate, and other exquisite handicrafts, wine shops, teahouses, inns and other shops, without being old or dilapidated, there is a vibrant scene everywhere.

At this time, several civil servants also came to see him. They led Li Qing'an around the city and walked to the city gate. A personal soldier rushed to report that the Byzantine emperor's special envoy arrived and was waiting in the military camp. Li Qing'an immediately returned to the military camp.

The envoy was already waiting for him in the big tent. After entering the big tent, Li Qingan couldn't help but be stunned. He saw the tall blonde beauty, looking at him with a smile.

"Don't you recognize me so soon?"

"It turned out to be Princess Ellenny. Your Uncle Joseph told me that you won't come this time, so I was surprised by your appearance."

"Surprise? Am I surprised you?"

Li Qingan walked in and stared at her and said, "It's not surprise, but surprise."

Ellenni closed her golden hair and smiled lazyly, "Actually, I didn't want to come, but I thought it would be so cheap for you, and I was unwilling to give up, so I came again, I asked you to divorce the few at home and marry me as your wife."

Li Qing'an never knew that Ellenni had said the same thing to his wives, and that thing was always hidden, so when Li Qing'an heard this statement, he was extremely surprised, as if he heard something absurd.

"Your Highness, you're kidding!"

Ellenni shook his head and said very seriously: "I am a Christian, I will not joke with you. My father has this intention. He hopes that through my marriage with you, the contract between our two countries will be stronger. So I came here specially to ask for a clear reply from you. If you want to marry me as a wife for the alliance between the two countries, first of all, you must convert to Christ and marry me as a wife for the whole life. I will do my best to be a qualified wife. I will not harm the interests of the Tang Dynasty because I am a Byzantine princess. General Li, maybe my father will talk to you about this, so I want you to give me a clear reply first. Will you marry me as a wife for the alliance between the two countries?"

Seeing her expression serious, Li Qingan replied firmly: "If it was an alliance between the two countries, I could marry you as my wife, but you had to accept the rituals of the Tang Dynasty and become one of my princesses. I would not be able to divorce any of my current wife for you, let alone convert to Christ, Princess Ellenni, do you understand what I mean?"

An inexplicable sadness surged in Ellenni's eyes. In fact, she understood from the beginning that she and Li Qing'an would not have any result. Li Qing'an would not give up his wife at home for her, and she would not give up her faith for Li Qing'an.

She went to Li Qing'an's house that night just to vent her depression. She didn't tell Li Qing'an afterwards and left quietly.

"I understand what you mean, I am more awake than ever. I'm actually just talking. I'm now the second heir to the throne of the Byzantine Empire, and I have three legions in my hand. How could I give up these powers to marry you? I just want to hear you reject me in person."

Ellenny sighed, and a charming smile slowly appeared on his face, "General Li, we once had a love, and I hope you can sell me ten thousand Tang Gongs for this relationship, and I can provide you with a satisfactory price."

"Then you can offer a price!"

Li Qingan sat down with a smile. He was using his smile to hide a trace of loss in his heart. This woman was very smart. She knew that this meeting might talk about the issue of political marriage, so she came in advance, explicitly rejected him, and used rational analysis to tell him that she could not give up the opportunity to inherit the throne and the power to command the three legions in order to marry him.

But Ellenni's clear refusal made Li Qingan breathe a lighter sigh. In fact, he himself knew that marrying her would bring endless troubles to himself. The huge cultural differences and religious beliefs made it difficult for her to live in harmony with her family. He must not dig his own grave because of his greed for beauty.

Since Ellenni had changed the subject, there was no need for him to get into trouble with that matter anymore. Li Qingan picked up the teacup and smiled: "Since I have sold all the crossbows to you, let alone the bow. Yes, I can agree. The key is the price, twenty gold coins per hand, this is the lowest price."

Ten thousand bows and arrows are 200,000 gold coins, which is a very amazing number. Ellenni was in a dilemma. She inherited her brother's three legions, and she had to pay for these equipment and weapons by herself. Although she also inherited her brother's wealth, 200,000 gold coins were still too expensive. Of course, she also understood that Li Qing'an did not ask for a random price. In Byzantine, the price of a longbow was fifteen gold coins, and it would take at least two years to make a Tang bow. Twenty gold coins were indeed not expensive, but if she gave all the 200,000 gold coins, she would really have no money in her hands.

"General Li, can I pay you in installments? I can pay you 100,000 yuan first, or even 100,000 gold coins to you in installments. Do you think you can accept it?"

"It's acceptable, but I need you to use something as collateral. If you promise, I can extend the payment period to three years and not charge you a penny of interest."

A trace of surprise flashed in Ellenni's eyes and he hurriedly said, "Then, what do you want to be a mortgage?"
Chapter completed!