Qin Xiao originally thought that Yuwen Huaiqian would react violently after hearing the bad news, but unexpectedly, Yuwen Huaiqian was startled, then lowered his head and remained silent.
After a long time, Yuwen Huaiqian asked: "Will he be buried in peace?"
Qin Xiao didn't know what to say. He thought for a while and finally told Yuwen Huaiqian in detail what he knew.
"Thank you." Yuwen Huaiqian sighed: "So where my brother is buried now, only Chengchao knows, and Chengchao has sneaked into the Queen Mother Association, and you don't know what the situation is."
Qin Xiao nodded and said: "The eldest son originally went to Beijing with us to report the news, but we parted ways halfway. I have been worried about how he is doing now."
"Do you know what kind of organization the Queen Mother Association is?" Yuwen Huaiqian asked.
Qin Xiao shook his head and said: "I don't know much, but according to what those people said, the saint killed many ministers after he ascended the throne. Many of the family members of those ministers who survived the disaster joined the Queen Mother Association. But other than that, I don't know anything about it.
The Queen Mother Society also knows nothing."
"Actually, the Queen Mother Society has been noticed by the imperial court many years ago." Yu Wen Huaiqian said: "The Queen Mother Society first appeared in the Taishan area of Qingzhou. At that time, many villages around Mount Tai were bewitched by the Queen Mother Society, and there were not many people there.
The property was voluntarily donated to the Queen Mother Society. At first, the government did not pay much attention to it. There were also many folk witches and wizards. At that time, the government only thought that the Queen Mother Society was just ordinary rural wizards. However, more and more people joined the Queen Mother Society later on.
The more there are, and once these people join the Queen Mother Association, they will completely lose their own ideas, like walking zombies being driven by the people of the Queen Mother Association."
Qin Xiao frowned and said: "I have also seen with my own eyes that the Queen Mother will use young girls to bewitch the people. Those ignorant girls are dressed up as so-called saints, claiming that we live in the underworld and hell because the demon fox has entered the world and everyone in the world is living in the underworld.
You don’t know it. The Queen Mother came down to earth to slay the evil fox. Only by following the Queen Mother can you transform this underworld into the human world. Even after death, you can ascend to the Kingdom of God.”
"The poorer the people are, the more they believe in this." Yuwen Huaiqian sighed: "The Queen Mother Society caused trouble in Qingzhou. In less than two years, there were tens of thousands of believers, and even many people in the government
Become a follower of the Queen Mother Society, and if things continue at this rate, in less than three years, the entire Qingzhou will be filled with followers of the Queen Mother. The Purple-clothed Supervisor noticed something strange in Qingzhou, and sent people to investigate, and even found out that the Queen Mother Society was secretly mining and forging weapons.
, this is about to rebel. The saint made a prompt decision and mobilized 5,000 elite soldiers from the Shence Army camp at the foot of Guyun Mountain, plus 3,000 soldiers and horses from the Qingzhou camp, as well as officials from various bureaus in Qingzhou to suppress them.
Thousands of soldiers and horses surrounded and suppressed the Queen Mother Association."
Qin Xiao knew very little about the affairs within the pass, and even when the Tang Dynasty was at its most powerful, local rebellions would break out from time to time, and it was common for officers and soldiers to put down rebellions, so he knew very well about the officers and soldiers surrounding the Queen Mother Association.
few.
"The imperial court has made careful arrangements in advance, and the Ziyi Supervisor has already found out where the Queen Mother Hui's lair is before sending out troops, so the officers and soldiers cannot do anything to defeat the Queen Mother Hui." Yu Wen Huaiqian said slowly: "As far as I know
At that time, officers and soldiers killed hundreds of people from the Queen Mother Society, almost all of whom were the backbone of the Queen Mother Society. In addition, they arrested thousands of believers, but these believers were ordinary people. The saint pardoned these people. After this
In one battle, the Queen Mother Society in Qingzhou was purged. Although there were still fish that slipped through the net, in the past ten years, it was rare to hear that the Queen Mother Society was active among the people."
Qin Xiao shook his head and said: "It's not that the Queen Mother Society has disappeared, but that their actions have become more secretive. Those believers who operate secretly also listen to the Queen Mother Society's bewitchment and do not reveal anything to the outside world. After we entered the customs, we passed through the boundary of Yongzhou
, it was in Yongzhou that I met people from the Queen Mother Society."
"It seems that the Queen Mother Society has not disappeared because of the heavy damage ten years ago." Yuwen Huaiqian looked solemn: "If they have been secretly operating in the past ten years, there must be a lot of followers in the development, and this matter is hidden and invisible.
It shows their strength, but once someone raises the flag of rebellion one day, the consequences will be disastrous."
"The eldest son is now in the Queen Mother's Association. If he can find out the information and find out the current strength of the Queen Mother's Association, and then inform the court of this information, it will naturally be of great benefit to annihilating the Queen Mother's Association." Qin Xiao said: "It's just that.
I hope the eldest son can return as soon as possible."
Yuwen Huaiqian thought for a moment and then asked: "Xiling is now occupied by rebels. What is the attitude of the court?"
"The imperial court placed the responsibility for the loss of Xiling on Fan Wenzheng, Minister of the Ministry of War. Although this person's crime was not small, he was not the culprit." Qin Xiao lowered his voice and said: "At the moment, the imperial court has no intention of sending troops to Xiling.
We just blocked Jiayuguan."
Yuwen Huaiqian sighed: "The southern border is not peaceful, and the Tusun people in the north have always been restless, and even the Bohai Kingdom is ready to make a move. The year the saint ascended the throne, the world was in chaos, and it has not yet recovered. Now the Tang Dynasty has been able to defend its territory.
It's very reluctant. If we use troops abroad, the national treasury may not be able to support it. Moreover, the saint has been keeping an eye on southern Xinjiang these years. Before the southern Xinjiang is peaceful, he will never easily use troops against the northwest." Looking at Qin Xiao, he said: "What's wrong with Mr. Qin?
Will you enter Dali Temple and become an official?"
"Originally, I wanted to go to Woyebian Town with Captain Han." Qin Xiao said with a wry smile: "But Captain Han was assigned to the command of General Pei Xiaogong. I was initially assigned to work as an errand in the Ministry of War, but I was assigned to the military department just a few days ago.
I was transferred to Dali Temple. I don’t know why the saint suddenly promoted me. This Kyoto is not suitable for me. I hope to leave as soon as possible.”
"Since the sage has asked you to take on important responsibilities in Dali Temple, he will not easily transfer you out of the capital." Although Yu Wen Huaiqian was also wondering why the sage placed such a high priority on a young man like Qin Xiao, he said calmly: "The imperial court has spent three to five years.
We may not be able to send troops to Xiling, so you can't go back to Xiling, so you should just work in peace in Kyoto." He raised his head slightly, thoughtfully, and then said with a wry smile: "I may not be able to go back to my hometown again in this life."
Qin Xiao sighed and said softly: "I have thought carefully about it these past few days. Since the saint has entrusted me with an important task, I will do my duty faithfully and do some political achievements to show to the saint. If I have the opportunity, I will give advice to the saint again. Please
The saint sent troops to recapture Xiling. Although I cannot change the country's political strategy, even if there is only a glimmer of opportunity, I still have to give it a try.
It is also General Kuroba’s long-cherished wish.”
Yu Wen Huaiqian nodded slightly and said: "Do your best and obey the destiny. If the saint really thinks highly of you and you remonstrate and plead to send troops to Xiling, it may not make the saint want to recover Xiling." After a pause,
Then he continued: "Although Xiling is a vast land, it is sparsely populated and has a small population. In addition, Xiling is not suitable for growing grain. They have to purchase a large amount of grain from the pass every year. Based on Xiling's grain output,
At most, it can support 30,000 to 50,000 soldiers and horses, and this requires good weather and heavy taxes on the people."
Qin Xiao grew up in Xiling and was naturally very familiar with the situation in Xiling.
The three counties of Xiling are vast and vast, but many places are sparsely populated, and in some places it is difficult to find households even within a hundred miles.
Although there are vast grasslands and rich mineral deposits under the Qilian Mountains, the land in most places is barren, making it difficult to be self-sufficient in food.
"If that fake prince Li Tuo wants to gain a firm foothold in Xiling, he must not dare to charge heavy taxes easily. Otherwise, if public dissatisfaction arises, the people of Xiling will be able to pull him down without the Tang army attacking him." Yuwen Huaiqian said calmly:
"So with all our efforts, Xiling can support 20,000 cavalry at its limit."
Qin Xiaodao: "Twenty thousand soldiers and horses guard the vast land of Xiling. Once the Tang army breaks out of the pass, they will not be able to resist it."
"In fact, there is no need to rush to recover Xiling." Yu Wen Huaiqian said slowly: "Master Qin, if the Fan family dares to support Li Tuo and establish itself in Xiling, it is impossible for them not to consider that the imperial court will send troops to Xiling. Once the imperial court mobilizes heavy troops to leave,
With their strength, they are not opponents at all. If they dare to do this, have you considered that they may have reached some kind of agreement with the Wutuo people behind their backs."
Qin Xiao thought that Jiang was indeed a hot old man. He had only mentioned what happened in the Xiling Rebellion before, but did not mention that a large number of Wutuo cavalry had gathered outside the Kunlun Pass. However, Yuwen Huaiqian immediately guessed that there was a Wutuo behind the Fan family.
The shadow of a person is indeed remarkable.
"Before the Fan family rebelled, there were indeed Utuo cavalry outside the Kunlun Pass." Qin Xiao nodded and said: "They are elite cavalry drawn from the eight tribes of the Utuo, and they camped at Zhuma Lake outside the Kunlun Pass."
Yuwen Huaiqian also nodded slightly and said: "That's it. Li Tuo was worried that after the rebellion, the court would immediately send troops, so he had already secretly colluded with the Wutuo people. Once the Tang army left the border, the Wutuo cavalry would inevitably enter Kunlun.
Guan, together with Li Tuo, resisted the Tang army." He raised his hand and stroked his green beard: "Li Tuo and Fan Ziqi have long been the lackeys of the Wutuo people. They relied on the Wutuo people behind them, so at this time the court mobilized
After the troops leave the pass, the Xiling rebels and the Wutuo cavalry will definitely join forces to fight against the Tang Dynasty, and even attract more Wutuo soldiers and horses. If this is the case, Xiling will become the place for the decisive battle between the Tang Dynasty and the Wutuo army. Once the main force of the Tang army falls
In Xiling, then the world will be in chaos."
Qin Xiao was startled, his expression became solemn, and he asked: "Second Master, are you saying that now is not the time to recapture Xiling?"
Yuwen Huaiqian nodded and said: "Yes, the most terrifying result of sending troops at this time is to cause chaos in the world. At that time, millions of people in the Tang Dynasty will be plunged into despair, and the result will only be more tragic than the chaos seventeen years ago.
"
Qin Xiao never expected that Yuwen Huaiqian would not agree to immediately send troops to recapture Xiling. He was very surprised: "Are we going to let Xiling break the soil and stand on its own?"
"Slow things down will work out." Yuwen Huaiqian stared at Qin Xiao and said: "Sometimes you put away your fist just to accumulate strength. When the time comes, punch out again, and you can get twice the result with half the effort and kill the enemy with one hit!"