"The Tubo people originated from the mountains thousands of miles south of the highlands. Their ancestors are said to be the offspring of macaques and rock demons. They are far away from the Central Plains and have not heard their voices for a long time. They are very isolated.
Its people are half-cultivating and half-grazing, and they have flourished to this day. Their people are many and tough, and they are extremely good at fighting.
The king was named Zanpu, and he was hereditary. During the reign of Renshou to Daye in the former Sui Dynasty, King Langri Lunzan of Tubo was also the leader of Xiboye tribe. He dominated one area and fought for many years, unifying all the Tubo tribes.
At the end of the great cause, he sent troops to invade the highlands northward, and brought in Mi Tang, Bailan, Dangxiang Qiang, and Tuyuhun tribes for his own use. His power became more and more powerful. At the beginning of the year, he passed through Jishi Mountain and came to the north to scout. Pang Yu, the general of Zuojianmen, led his army.
Defeated..."
In the Taiji Hall, Zhang Lun, Zhang Shigui, and Xue Wanche were sitting upright, listening attentively to these narratives about the Tubo people.
The information about the Tubo people sent by Fan Wenjin, the general manager of Liangzhou, became more and more detailed, describing everything from the social structure, to the Tubo people's military system, to the geographical environment in which they lived.
By this time, if they still don’t know why these things are read to them, then they don’t have to live anymore.
Even though they had expected it before, the three of them were still excited at this time. With a clear enemy, there was a place for them to use their skills.
Although this enemy's name was very new and sounded out of place, the emperor was so solemn that none of them dared to ignore it.
By the time Yan Shigu's frustrated voice stopped, less than half an hour had passed.
Li Po raised his head and looked at the three of them and said: "The northwest has been in chaos for a long time. It has just settled down a few days ago. While some people were still looking around, the Tubo people came first. It's true that the trees are quiet but the wind is not stopping."
After pretending to sigh, Li Po continued: "It goes without saying why I called you back to Beijing to report on your work, right? I would like to remind you first, don't be dismissive, thinking that when the Turks rise in Mobei
, only a few thousand people.
How is it now? Thousands of miles away, in all directions, who dares to say that they are the slaves of the Rouran people?
The Tubo people emerged in the south of the highlands, and when they first unified, they showed off their teeth and claws. They were much stronger than the Turks back then. I just wanted to take advantage of the time when they were still growing weak to attack them head-on and strangle them in their infancy.
As the saying goes, if you know yourself and the enemy, you can fight a hundred battles without danger. Manager Fan deserves a lot of credit. Wherever you go, you should get along well with him and don't get angry...
If you have anything to say, just say it here first. When you lead the troops to the northwest, if you start talking nonsense again, I will replace him."
It seems that the topic is not very good, actually comparing Tibet and Turks. It seems that the Supreme Being really attaches great importance to this enemy.
The three of them looked at each other for a moment, and Zhang Lun was the first to speak, "I have never been to the northwest, but I have heard about the highlands. Tuyuhun has been invading Liangzhou for many years. Every time he lost a battle, he ran back to the highlands to rest."
, it must be inconvenient for the army to fight on high ground, right?"
Li Po nodded. He really saw the right person. In such a short period of time, Zhang Lun grasped the key points. He was indeed very talented in leading troops.
Without Li Po opening his mouth, Zhang Shigui showed his ability and said, "Since the Tubo people want to come north, let's lure them over and defeat the main force of their army first."
Xue Wanche was not to be outdone, "I heard that in the northwest, many Tuyuhun people were captured. If we can't go up, then we can use the Tuyuhun people as our vanguard and let them attack the Tubo people."
Zhang Lun scratched his beard and looked at the two bastards who were causing trouble in silence. I will first test the tone of the Supreme One to see if the Supreme One wants a quick victory or if he has any long-term plans.
He had already learned when he was leading troops in the Jin region that every war must have a clear goal, rather than just settling for where it ends.
What impressed him the most was that when the emperor led the troops, he said that even if they reached the river, even if they won a big victory and their morale was high, they would be able to sweep Chang'an across the river, but they would still stop advancing and never advance rashly.
So at this time, he could only glare at the other two people, and had to add: "The general just wants to ask, when the general leads his army over, should he destroy the Tubo before he can return to the army, or can he just severely damage his army?
"
Guys with big beards are so cunning. Li Po muttered something in his heart, but said: "I have ordered the Ministry of War to make a strategy. You can go back and discuss it carefully...
According to what I want... you must first defeat his army, then send people to the highlands to have a look, and then explore the geography and customs. Let the Tuyuhun people be your guides, first adapt to the climate of the highlands, wait for the opportunity, and then go
Turn around to the south of the highlands.
A tribal alliance has just come together again. Maybe as long as they are disturbed a little, they will start to get into chaos. Then they will be tame and interact with each other, and there will be no Tubo people in the future, just a piece of loose sand."
Zhang Lun felt relieved at once. Knowing the emperor's intentions, it was not difficult to formulate a military strategy.
Especially the highlands, some of them have never been there, they just heard some news, so when they get to the northwest, it's best to go and see it for themselves.
The emperor also meant that he was not in a hurry to use troops on the highlands, and he obviously had the same concerns...
As the emperor, Li Po knew the military affairs, so the burden on the generals must be lighter, because there was no one above their heads to give random instructions. This was the generals' good fortune.
On the contrary, the unfortunate thing is that Li Po is a serious emperor, and most of the generals in the army are his former subordinates, so there is no way to hide from him in the military, and the power of the generals is greatly restricted.
In fact, Li Po no longer needs to personally intervene in military affairs. Most of the army, from generals to soldiers, are experienced in battles, and most of the ministers in the court also understand military affairs.
But having said that, politically he could not allow the generals to seize military power and turn the army into private soldiers, so they had to let them know that the emperor's eyes were always on them.
For example, during the banquet yesterday, he was observing the speech and behavior of several people. Since he led the army into Chang'an, he has not seen the generals for more than two years. In the future, the generals will return to the court one after another to report on their duties. God knows these people are in the army.
What kind of thoughts will arise if you give orders?
Therefore, people who become emperors will inevitably be suspicious of their subordinates, and Li Po is also inevitable. In the end, what matters is the emperor's ambition and the behavior of the generals themselves.
……………………
"Besides Tubo, the local Qiang people and other tribes have repeatedly caused rebellions. These people are afraid of power and have no morals. Don't be polite to them. We have to exterminate some of the leaders. There have been wars everywhere for a long time. There is a shortage of people to repair cities, roads, and ditches.
Wait, do you understand what I mean?"
What is there that you don’t understand? The Qiang tribes in the northwest have always been slaves and their status is extremely low no matter where they are. However, in recent years, the Qiang people have played a leading role in the northwest.
The closest one was the Qiang rebellion led by Bai Yusuo. Later, when Li Gui was in charge of the northwest, brother An Xiuren was regarded as the chief leader by the Qiang people in the northwest. The origins of the rebellion were all the Qiang tribes.
Farther away, in the pre-Sui period, the Qiang people in the northwest often colluded with Tuguhun, Bailan, Dangxiang, etc. to invade Liangzhou and the Hexi Corridor area. In every war, the Qiang tribes in the northwest were involved.
Now as the northwest gradually settles down, the Qiang people have shrunk their heads again. It is estimated that after the war with the Tubo people, they will come out to act as monsters again.
Li Po discussed with his ministers and decided to implement suppression measures against the Qiang tribe instead of the usual strategy of suppressing and pacifying the Qiang tribe. This will be a long-term plan and no longer provide preferential care to any tamed Qiang tribes as a measure.
A warning to the various tribes in the northwest.
Why was the Qiang people chosen? Because the Qiang people are the most widely distributed tribe in the northwest, from the highlands to the Hexi Corridor to Mobei. They are similar to the Khitan and Mohe in the northeast. Although they are scattered everywhere, they do not have any unified
, but they are all classified as Qiang people.
This was seen as a potential threat by his ministers, and Li Po thought of Dang Xiang Qiang. Li Yuanhao's name was about to come out. After Li Yuanhao, the Silk Road gradually existed in the memory of the Central Plains dynasty.
"There is also the reconstruction of the Liangzhou Racecourse. The war horses from the Central Plains are gradually becoming smaller and smaller, making it more inconvenient to charge into battle. I want you to look for it and see if you can introduce some horse breeds from the Western Regions.
Needless to say, you should be aware of this. The Yulin Racecourse has been abandoned for many years and cannot be restored for the time being. The Daizhou Racecourse is mostly composed of grassland horses, which have excellent endurance and good load-bearing ability, but lack the strength to rush into battle.
To tell you the truth, even the horses in the Six Stables of Chang'an look just like that. We can't keep going like this. The advantage of the cavalry cannot be lost.
You must handle this matter as a major matter. If Fan Wenjin, the general manager of Liangzhou, has any need regarding this matter, you must assist him. Anyone who dares to arrogantly praise the local ministers for their outstanding military achievements is not a matter of returning to Beijing to report on their duties.
Already."
"Please rest assured, Your Majesty, I know it all in my mind. General Manager Fan has worked hard in the northwest and his achievements are as good as those of the general and others. How can the general and others treat him lightly?"
As he spoke, Li Po had regained some of the feeling of being in the army. He laughed and said: "It's good that you know. I have to say something unpleasant here. The previous fights with the princes were internal strife among our own people. There are
No matter how many achievements I have made, they are not worth boasting about.
The purpose of sending troops to the northwest this time is to defeat foreign enemies. This is the merit of a man. If we can expand the territory, I will make you proud in this world and benefit your descendants."
I vigorously injected chicken blood into the three generals, fearing that they would lead their men to eat the wind and sand in the northwest and not work hard.
They did follow this trick, beating their chests excitedly, and promised the emperor that they would return with meritorious deeds and not let the emperor down.
Li Po waved his hand and said: "Then I won't say anything more. We will raise troops in mid-June. You can decide the strategy and tactics yourself. Should you rush to Guzang as soon as possible, or wait and see what the Tubo people are doing?
, you take charge of it yourself.”
At this point, he was still feeling itchy and added: "The Tubo people seem a little impatient. Fighter opportunities are rare. Maybe I will hear the good news from you in the autumn?"