"Thank you for giving me this opportunity, Your Highness. I am willing to obey Your Highness's instructions." Jiang Quhu just thought for a moment and agreed directly.
Because it seemed that Li Ke gave him a choice, but in fact, he had no choice at all.
Li Ke's words have made it very clear. If the Tang Dynasty captured the Cross Qiang, then don't think about it. The Khan and the nobles were the first to be eliminated. Is it easy for the Tang Dynasty to conquer the Cross Qiang? It can be said that... the army can be easily wiped out as it passes by, without spending any special effort.
But now it's different after he made this choice. He, Nuoqiang, and in the future, Qiemo, Yanqi and other countries will have the confidence to speak with each other. There is someone behind me.
The point is, Jiang Quhu yearns for the things Li Ke described to him! Because he has never played any of these!
"You made a wise choice!" The smile on Li Ke's face was so bright that he almost stood up and walked over to shake hands with the other party.
"Your Highness taught me a lesson and made me understand some truths." Jiang Quhu hurriedly bent down and said, "Would you rather die or enjoy a better life? Jiang Quhu is not stupid."
"Yes, in this way, you can rest here for a few days, and then go back directly. At that time, I will ask someone to lead a thousand cavalry and some personnel to follow you to Nuqiang for the preliminary layout." Li Ke said with a smile.
"Yes!" Now that he had decided, Jiang Quhu no longer hesitated.
Asking Yang Anning to send Jiang Quhu away, Li Ke nodded with satisfaction. The fulcrum of the Tang Dynasty's future control of the Western Regions had advanced another two thousand miles to the west.
The location of Nuqiang is actually very good. If it is on the southern route of the Silk Road, it is at a central gathering point. To the southwest, you can go to Qiemo and other directions, and to the west-north, you can go to Yanqi.
If a city is built here and used as a fulcrum, it means that some caravans of the Tang Dynasty do not even need to continue to other countries in the Western Region, but will serve as a transit point here, and then caravans from other countries can come here to follow Tang caravans conducted trade.
At the same time, Li Ke could transport a large amount of grain to this place in exchange for growing a large amount of cotton in Qiemo, Yanqi and other places. After all, these places have told Li Ke in later generations that the quality of the cotton grown here is very high.
Yes, another goal has been achieved. For Li Ke, this is the best choice at the moment. In fact, if Li Ke is really asked to defeat Wu Qiang, he will not be easy to manage. It’s not that he can’t, but it’s not as good as the current situation. Capturing Nuqiang will easily arouse the vigilance of the surrounding small countries in the Western Region, which will make it difficult to carry out the next strategy.
After all, a big country always pays attention to its reputation when it comes to its operations. Even if you show someone a tube of washing powder, you still have to show it.
Now that the cavalry of the Tang Dynasty has gone, it was Nu Qiang who requested the Tang Dynasty to send troops for protection in the name of Nu Qiang! To the outside world, you see, I, the Tang Dynasty, are all benevolent and righteous, right? We are so good to the surrounding small countries, but when they are threatened, we, the Tang Dynasty, even help garrison to protect them!
As for Nu Qiang joining the Tang Dynasty in the future, it is because Nu Qiang felt the power and courtesy of the Tang Dynasty, and then he willingly joined the Tang Dynasty and had nothing to do with the Tang Dynasty.
What? What threats did Nuqiang receive? !
Of course, they are the fish that slipped through the net in Tuyuhun. Thousands of cavalry led by Murong Shun, the eldest son of the former Khan of Tuyuhun. They fled from Tuyuhun into the Western Regions and may attack anywhere at any time, because they are now like rootless duckweeds. They must be Want to grab a piece of land.
That’s why the Tang Dynasty sent troops to protect the Nuoqiang Kingdom.
On the second day after Jiang Quhu arrived at Chihai, Li Ke and others sent Li Jing, Hou Junji and other troops back to Chang'an. The two men would take away nearly 50,000 troops, leaving Li Ke with 50,000 elite troops, led by Li Daozong, Xue Wanjun, Led by brothers Xue Wanche.
Li Daozong led the cavalry to pick up his family, wife and daughter, and there was actually another famous general of the Tang Dynasty who stayed in the camp, but he was not too prominent yet, and was currently Li Daozong's deputy general.
This person is Niu Jinda.
At present, after Li Jing and the others leave, the entire 40,000 elite troops near the Red Sea are temporarily led by Su Dingfang, Pei Xingjian and Niu Jinda brought by Li Ke.
After seeing off Li Jing and others, Li Ke called the three of them over.
"This time there is a task that needs to be decided by the three of you." Li Ke said.
"Your Highness, please speak." After Li Jing and others left, Li Ke became the well-deserved Protector of Xizhou. When Li Jing was here, because his status was only temporarily controlled by the Protectorate of Xizhou, but after Li Jing and others left, all the troops Li Ke is the highest officer.
So they naturally obeyed Li Ke.
"There is an important task. I need to follow the king of the Nuqiang Kingdom to lead a thousand cavalry to stay in the Nuoqiang Kingdom. I need to be proficient in a certain amount of civil administration." Li Ke stated his request.
"Nuqiang country? Garrison?" The three of them were a little confused. Nuqiang is a country, why did we let the Tang Dynasty garrison it?
"Your Highness, we can discuss the selection, but who is this Nuqiang country?" Su Dingfang asked curiously.
"It's nothing. Didn't I ask him to send an envoy to Chihai to explain to me why Murong Fuyun fled into Tulunchuan and they, the Nuoqiang people, didn't report it? Later, the King of Nuoqiang, Jiang Quhu, also knew what was going on and came here himself. . I told him about the advantages and disadvantages of our Datang, and then he agreed to merge into our Datang."
"To put it another way, Nuqiang is actually my territory of the Tang Dynasty now, but I still need its existence for the time being, so I will leave it behind first." Li Ke said lightly.
Su Dingfang: "..."
Pei Xingjian: "..."
Niu Jinda: "..."
We understand every word you say, Your Highness. Why can’t we understand it when you put it together? Can a country join the Tang Dynasty just by speaking?
What's the matter, I'm going to fight and lead the troops, your highness, you're the one who speaks?
This is too outrageous. Just by saying something, could a country be merged into the Tang Dynasty? Although Nuqiang is a small country, there are many small countries in the Western Regions, and no one is willing to merge with the Tang Dynasty.
Looking at their expressions, Li Ke was a little disdainful, Tsk, don't you understand? Your Highness is keeping this in check. If Your Highness were to unleash all his firepower, what would this be called in an online novel more than a thousand years later? It's called "Datang: I asked you to run the countries in the Western Region, but you unified them?" 》
Speaking of which, Li Ke had seen a lot in his previous life.
"Do you really mean what your Highness said?" Niu Jinda couldn't help but ask more. It wasn't that he didn't believe Li Ke, it was mainly that this was too...then what use would generals like them have?
"Of course it's true. It's just a small country. But after I take over Nuqiang, its position is very important. It will be the place where we will take over Qiemo, Loulan, Yanqi, Khotan, Yarkand, Shule and other countries in the future. An important springboard." Li Ke nodded and said, the age of these countries in the Western Regions is ridiculously long, such as Khotan, which has an age of more than 1,200 years.
Su Dingfang and the other three looked at each other. Niu Jinda hesitated and asked, "Your Highness, if you have a thousand cavalry, that is a captain. Does he have to do a lot?"
"It's not too much. I will send him some people to assist him. He needs to make some decisions and resolutely implement my policies." Li Ke said.
"There is someone who recommended me." Niu Jinda said.
