Chapter 158 Foreign envoys who presented music to the Tang Dynasty
Wu Chengsi said seriously: "To be precise, it is the adaptability of the grassland. The grassland is suitable for them to survive, but not for us. Their riding and shooting abilities were also cultivated on the grassland."
Hei Te Changzhi nodded in agreement.
"Let me ask you again, what is the advantage of our Tang Dynasty over the Turks?"
"...almost...all aspects, right?" Hei Te Changzhi asked tentatively.
Wu Chengsi smiled and shook his head and said: "Actually, there is only one most important advantage, population. The other advantages are all accompanied by population."
"Ah, you're right!"
"Then why do you think our population is dozens of times theirs, but we can't easily eliminate them?"
Upon hearing this, Pei Xingjian, who was originally smiling, also showed a thoughtful expression.
Hei Te Changzhi smiled bitterly and said: "General, it's okay if you ask me to take someone's head. I really haven't thought about these things."
"If you want to become a commander-in-chief in the future, you need to think more about these things." Wu Chengsi said seriously: "The biggest problem lies in population distribution and power projection range."
Pei Xingjian was slightly surprised and said, "General, what do you mean by this?"
Wu Chengsi stirred the fire and said: "A lot of the population of our dynasty is distributed in Jiangnan and Henan, and the population in the border areas only accounts for a small part. And the military strength of our dynasty is actually closely related to the population. The population near Chang'an
The strength is the strongest, and the further away from Chang'an, the weaker the strength becomes."
Pei Xingjian said thoughtfully: "Is this the range of power projection?"
"Yes. If the Turks are only a thousand miles away from Chang'an, then we can easily destroy them. Even if their army has hundreds of thousands, they will never be able to consume us."
Pei Xingjian nodded and said: "Yes, when our army fights against the Turks, the biggest constraint is on logistical supplies. Because the road is far away and the Turks have no city to attack, every time we conquer them, they can escape to Mobei."
, it consumes too much manpower and material resources.”
Wu Chengsi said: "So if our army wants to completely defeat the Turks, it needs to improve its projection capabilities. This land of the Koryo people is a half-cultivated and half-pastoral area, and this is an excellent power projection base."
Pei Xingjian's eyes couldn't help but flicker, and Wu Chengsi was considering not only the strategy of dealing with the Turks, but also the entire nomadic people.
After the demise of the Turks, new tribes will surely rise, but as long as Liaodong can develop and the population increases, it will encroach and squeeze the living space of the nomads, and then the burden of fighting on the court will be much smaller.
Looking up at Wu Chengsi, Pei Xingjian looked at him with a little more respect.
Wu Chengsi said seriously: "So, even if it is a little troublesome to resettle these Khitan people, it is still worth it."
Hei Te Changzhi touched the back of his neck and said in secret admiration: "The general really thinks about ten steps for one step. He even considers internal affairs so far." He nodded repeatedly and did not dare to raise any questions.
Wu Chengsi said to Pei Xingjian: "General Pei, I plan to return to Chang'an tomorrow. Please come with me."
"The last general takes orders." Pei Xingjian cupped his hands and said.
Wu Chengsi then said to Heiji Changzhi: "General Heijia, General Luo, and General Pei will all follow me back to Chang'an. After we leave, the army will be temporarily handed over to you to command."
Hei Te Changzhi patted his chest and said: "Don't worry, General, I will never let the Koreans take advantage of it."
Early the next morning, Wu Chengsi, Wu Youji, Han Cheng, Pei Xingjian and others, led dozens of soldiers, and took Ashina Funian and Ashide Yanran with them, and returned to Chang'an City in a carriage.
On the way, Wu Chengsi proposed marriage to Pei Xingjian. Pei Xingjian hesitated for a while and then agreed to marry his daughter to Wu Youxu.
…
December fifteenth.
The official road outside the west gate of Chang'an City, Kaiyuan Gate, is bustling with people, donkeys neighing, horses honking, and the sound of people and cars.
Because it snowed heavily the day before yesterday, the snow on the ground has not melted yet and the road is very slippery.
Along the road, you can see various carriage teams with different styles. The people in the teams are extremely weird, including people with high noses and blue eyes, as well as people with dark faces and dark skin.
In addition to the people, their costumes are also very strange and very different from the costumes of the Central Plains.
The people of Chang'an have long been accustomed to this situation, because at this time of year, many such horse teams appear on the official roads.
These cavalry teams were all envoys from various countries. They came to Chang'an City to participate in the Tang Dynasty's "All Nations Come to Court" event, in which the vassal countries had to pay tribute to the Tang Dynasty.
The tributary system began in the Han Dynasty, and the term "Wan Guo Lai Chao" first appeared in the Sui Dynasty.
At that time, after Emperor Yang Guang of the Sui Dynasty succeeded to the throne, he was eager to achieve the goal of conquering the foreign guests in a short period of time and attracting envoys from all countries to come to visit him. He promised to recruit envoys from various countries with generous profits.
In order to shape the image of the Celestial Kingdom, the eight-mile stretch from Duanmen to Jianguomen was a theater. Emperor Yang of the Sui Dynasty also listened to Pei Ju's suggestion and entertained Hu merchants in Luoyang, which made the barbarians sigh and call China a god.
However, during the period of Emperor Yang of the Sui Dynasty, all the countries that came to court were attracted by inducements. The extravagance and waste were outrageous, and even in order to decorate the appearance, carpets were laid in the Dongshi vegetable market and the trees were wrapped with silk.
In contrast, during the Tang Dynasty, the coming of all nations to the court was achieved through force. During the Taizong period, when the king of the tributary Gaochang Kingdom did not arrive, Taizong was not happy, so he asked Hou Junji to send troops to destroy the Gaochang Kingdom.
From then on, all the subordinate countries did not dare not to come and praised Taizong as a benevolent king.
On the official road two miles away from Kaiyuanmen, there were four foreigners who looked different from the others.
Others were well-dressed, there were many people, and the carriages were lined up in a long line. But these four people only carried a heavy baggage each, and there was no carriage accompanying them.
Moreover, these four people all looked extremely embarrassed, as if they had walked through the deep mountains and wild forests, and their original luxurious clothes had become ragged and tattered.
The four people consisted of two men and two women, a young man in his twenties, a middle-aged Taoist priest in his thirties, and two young women.
One of the women looked very lively, with her big eyes constantly looking around.
The other person looked more reserved, not only wearing a veil, but also keeping her eyes lowered. Judging from her figure and eyebrows, as long as it was not a prank by God, she must be a great beauty.
"Prince Sha Tuo Tuo, look, there are so many foreigners here." the lively woman said with a smile.
The young man sighed: "Yes, once I came here, I realized how vast the world is." As he said this, he stretched out his hand to touch his arms, but he found nothing.
The lively woman laughed and said, "Sha Tuo Tuo, are you looking for this?" She raised her hand, and there was a golden cross pestle in her hand.
The young man shook his head and sighed: "Yeyeluo, why can't you change your habit of being a thief? Stealing my things is nothing. If you cause any trouble after entering the city and are caught by the Tang people, I can't save you!"
The lively woman smiled and said: "I am the number one female snitch in the Piao Kingdom. Even if you are from the Tang Kingdom, don't even think of catching me!"
The middle-aged Taoist priest on the side said coldly: "I really don't know how high the world is."
Ye Yeluo snorted and said: "Taoist Priest Li Yunxian, although your martial arts and light kung fu are better than mine, your adaptability is not as good as mine, so don't look down on others!"
The middle-aged Taoist priest ignored her and said to Sha Tuo Tuo: "Your Highness, let's go around to the north gate from here."
Sha Tuo Tuo was silent, and Ye Yeluo hummed: "Why do you have to go through the north gate? Isn't it the same way here?"
Li Yunxian said in a deep voice: "Pindao has already said that if you go through the north gate, you can meet noble people, so that our next fun party can go smoothly."
Ye Yeluo said disapprovingly: "He knows how to play tricks. Although Sha Tuo Tuo is a bit stupid, he is still the prince of Piao. As long as we enter the city and show the tokens to the officials of the Tang Dynasty, can't we still have fun?"
A clear female voice said: "Ye Yeluo, if it were not for the protection of Daoist Li on this journey, we would have died at the hands of Naluo's minions. It is better to listen to Daoist Li's words."
It was the woman wearing a veil who spoke out.
Ye Yeluo curled his lips and said: "Since you all listen to him, let's part ways here. Sha Tuo Tuo, when you let me out of the prison, I promised to escort you to Chang'an City. Our agreement has been completed.
!”
Sha Tuo Tuo said reluctantly: "Miss Ye Ye Luo, we live and die together along the way and support each other. In this country thousands of miles away from Piao, we are our only relatives. Don't leave me, okay?"
?”
"Oh! It's so disgusting. Okay, I'll just leave!" Ye Yeluo looked disgusted, her face slightly red.