Fang Guoshou changed the subject and asked: "Has Your Highness seen the people on the grassland?"
Li Yan was stunned for a moment and shook his head and said, "We only interacted with each other on the battlefield."
Fang Guoshou said: "I once went on a mission to the Uighurs and had dealings with people on the grasslands. The Uighur people are warm and hospitable. Even if I know that I am an envoy from the Tang Dynasty, I will give us the best things at home to entertain us."
Li Yan looked at Fang Guoshou in confusion, wondering why he suddenly said this.
Fang Guoshou then said: "Why do the hospitable grassland people invade the Tang Dynasty every year and brutally plunder the Tang Dynasty?"
Li Yan couldn't answer this question, and Yang Yan also fell into thinking.
Yang Yan once served as the secretary-general of the Hexi Jiedu Envoy, and there were many Uighur merchants in Wuwei City.
These Uighurs are indeed more honest than Han merchants, but the Uighurs were also ferocious and cruel when they went south to plunder.
Why is this?
Fang Guoshou said: "The reason is very simple. The winter on the grassland is cold and the stability of livestock husbandry is too poor. The tribes on the grassland cannot support themselves by relying on livestock husbandry alone. They must go south to plunder."
"This is why the warm and friendly grassland people turned into wolves in autumn and spring, plundering the food population of the Tang Dynasty, because if they did not go south to plunder, the tribes would starve to death."
Li Yan nodded. Fang Guoshou seemed to be right. In the video of the Geluolu people uploaded by Timur, these Geluolu tribe were hospitable and very loyal to their friends.
Timur helped the Mouluo tribe defeat the Uighurs, and he was regarded as an honored guest by the Mouluo tribe.
But the Geluolu people are also a tribe on the grassland. During the autumn and spring defenses every year, the Geluolu people will also go south to burn, kill and loot.
Fang Guoshou said: "If people on the grassland can survive without plundering, then no one will be willing to risk their lives and go south to plunder."
Li Yan asked: "What Mr. Fang is doing is trade?"
Fang Guoshou nodded and said: "It is trade. There are actually many things we need on the grassland, such as wool, war horses and dairy products. These are all things that can make the Tang Dynasty richer and stronger. Through trade, we can get what we need, and the grassland
If the people above can survive, then there will be fewer and fewer tribes going south to plunder."
Fang Guoshou added: "But you have to have carrots and sticks in hand to turn the people on the grassland into docile sheep."
"The second strategy of the minister is to divide and rule. This is similar to the Western Han Dynasty's use of barbarians to control barbarians. The Tang Dynasty was to be the arbiter of the grassland, dividing the forces on the grassland into small pieces, limiting the annexation of the tribes on the grassland, and preventing the formation of a huge empire like the Uighurs.
tribes and maintain the state of loose small tribes."
"Let the tribes on the grassland fight with each other and prevent them from having a prestigious leader, then naturally there is nothing to worry about."
Li Yan was overjoyed when he heard this. Fang Guoshou's method was actually used by the Sui Dynasty and the Tang Dynasty to support the small forces on the grassland to fight against the big forces, and repeatedly restricted the unity of the grassland.
But at the end of the Wu Zhou Dynasty, Bian Zhen gave up this flexible balancing technique for the sake of military merit, and instead began to continuously attack the grasslands.
In the end, the forces on the grassland united together, allowing the Uighurs to seize control of the grassland.
Fang Guoshou's method was not original. Taizong Li Shimin was called the Khan of Heaven. He used the influence of the Tang Dynasty to manage the grasslands and stabilized the situation on the border.
Li Yan nodded and said: "This is the best strategy. Mr. Fang can come up with any other strategies."
Fang Guoshou paused and said, "Religion."
"religion?"
Yang Yan also pricked up his ears. As a scholar, he naturally did not believe in religion.
However, Longyou is a devout Buddhist and many people are poor and still go to temples to give alms.
Fang Guoshou said: "Today's belief in Changshengtian in the Mobei grassland is the shamanic belief of animism, which is barbaric, backward and cruel."
"Because of their own needs, the wizard class often encourages grassland tribes to go south to plunder."
"This barbaric and backward religion also filled the grassland tribes with a martial spirit."
"Buddhism persuades people to be kind and makes people endure hardship through the theory of the afterlife. If the tribes on the grassland can all believe in Buddhism, it can also weaken their fighting capacity."
Li Yan was overjoyed. Fang Guoshou's three strategies were, to put it bluntly, "trade, divide and conquer, and preach."
These three strategies are all feasible strategies, and the cost to Datang is not high.
Even trading with the grasslands can make Datang make money.
Fang Guoshou said: "After the Battle of Jinshan, the Geluolu people became friendly with the Tang Dynasty. We can use these three methods to try them on the Geluolu people first."
Li Yan nodded and said: "Good, the Naha Mansion will establish the 'Geluolu Affairs Department' from now on, please ask Mr. Fang to take charge of the affairs!"
Fang Guoshou immediately received a long-term task. He originally wanted to refuse, but after seeing the contribution point reward, he immediately couldn't walk.
He respectfully said to Li Yan: "I obey!"
After Luntai came to power, Li Yan asked Fang Guoshou to stay in Luntai County to prepare for the establishment of the "Geluolu Affairs Department".
Players like Timur were also planned to be under the banner of the "Geluolu Affairs Department" and were responsible for carrying out various affairs against the Geluolu people.
At the same time, Longyou also gave special approval to open a mutual market in Luntai County, allowing the Geluolu people to come to Luntai Bianji for trade. Datang merchants could also sell salt, tea and other non-regulated commodities to the Geluolu people.
After all these arrangements were completed, King Jianning's chariot headed towards Beiting City to protect the city.
The players in Beiting Protectorate are already ready to welcome King Jianning.
After Cao Lingzhong's army returned to the Duhufu, Cao Lingzhong, the Duhufu's successor, immediately organized the military registers in the Duhufu and sealed the seals and ribbons of the Duhufu.
The military register is the roster of soldiers. The Beiting Protectorate has jurisdiction over the Hanhai, Tianshan, and Yinwu armies. The information of all officers and soldiers is recorded in the military register.
In addition to the information about officers and soldiers, the military register also contains a list of the acres of land cultivated by the Beiting Protectorate.
After Cao Lingzhong returned to the Beiting Protectorate City, he handed over all the affairs of the Protectorate to Shang Bo. In addition to comforting the wounded every day, he taught Pang Yawei the art of war.
In this way, Li Yan finally arrived at his loyal Beiting Protectorate City.
Cao Lingzhong, who was appointed by the imperial court as the governor of Beiting, led the military officers and generals of the governor's office to greet King Jianning of the Tang Dynasty and the general manager of Longyou outside the city.
Li Yan was riding a horse. When he saw Cao Lingzhong, who had pale beard and hair, he immediately got off the horse and helped Cao Lingzhong up.
"Mr. Cao is an important minister of the Tang Dynasty. Come into the city with me."
Cao Lingzhong originally thought that King Jianning was going to give him a show of authority and overwhelm the generals in the Beiting Protectorate.
Unexpectedly, Li Yan was so polite and insisted on dragging Cao Lingzhong into the city with him.
The two rode into the city side by side, and the entire Duhu Mansion was filled with cheers!