"This time I mobilize 80,000 troops. How many troops will the Tibetans mobilize?"
"According to reports, Lun Qinling has summoned 300,000 tribal cavalry."
Outside Danfeng Gate, Li Xuan and Lai Sui rode side by side.
It was still dark, but countless officials were already crowded outside Danfeng Gate.
Today, many officials arrived at the court. After checking the time, Li Xuan asked about the news about Tubo's movements.
"Three hundred thousand tribal cavalry is an imaginary number, but it's not a lot." Li Xuan nodded slightly. The Tubo people were similar to the Turks, especially in the old Tuyuhun land. With one move, they could recruit hundreds of thousands of soldiers; In the Battle of Feichuan, the Tibetans mobilized 400,000 cavalry, while the Tang Dynasty only used 100,000 troops. This is similar.
However, although the Dafei Sichuan and Tang armies suffered a disastrous defeat, Tubo also suffered a disastrous victory. The number of casualties was at least twice that of the Tang Dynasty.
However, just as there were a large number of servants in the Tang army, there were also a large number of servants in the Tubo army.
The ones who suffered the most casualties were actually servants like this.
"The Tubo people are not good at defending the city, but the plateau is vast. They come and roar away. Once they occupy the favorable terrain, our army will be in great trouble." Laisui sighed lightly. The terrain of the plateau was too unfavorable to the Tang Dynasty.
Li Xuan nodded slightly, then he couldn't help but look up at the palace gate, and then said softly: "Brother Lai, for some reason, even though I already know a lot, I still feel like I'm being used."
Laisui looked surprised: "There is more?"
"Well!" Li Xuan lowered her voice and said: "The King of England's incident seems to only target one part of Tubo, but if someone has a way to collude, I am afraid that the entire Tubo army will be shaken."
Coming from Tubo were three thousand elite cavalry led by Lun Qinling's fifth brother Brenzanren himself, preparing to raid Lintao.
But if all three thousand men were lost in Lintao, and someone even tried to use the Brenzan sword to make a fuss, then the entire Tibetan front would be shaken.
Using Li Xian as bait to seduce the three thousand elite Tibetan cavalry was a good deal, but it definitely didn't make much money.
But if someone tries to use a deeper scheme to plot against the entire Tubo army, they will make a lot of money.
But this also means that the dangers for Li Xuan and Li Xian will increase exponentially.
Laisui now doesn't even know about the three thousand Tubo cavalry, so there is no way to see a deeper conspiracy.
He frowned, shook his head slowly and said, "I don't understand."
"Actually, I don't know. I always feel like there's something weird somewhere." Li Xuan turned around and asked in a low voice, "How are things going over there?"
Before coming to Sui, he was ordered to inspect the grain depots and military depots of Lanzhou, Shanzhou, Taozhou, Hezhou, Shanzhou, Fangzhou, Diezhou and Kuozhou. However, before the meeting of the imperial court, he suddenly rushed back. Only then did Li Xuan meet him today.
"Not so good." Laisui shook his head slightly, then turned to look at Li Xuan, frowned, and said, "Twenty-seventh Lang, why do you feel that you are different from before?"
"Have you?" Li Xuan was suddenly shocked. He had tried his best to cover it up, but it was still so obvious. After gathering his thoughts, Li Xuan whispered: "A few days ago, I went to Taiqing Palace and met my mentor. I have taught some things and my cultivation has improved slightly."
"Okay!" Lai Sui looked at Li Xuan in surprise, shook his head and sighed: "If I had known this, I should have gone to Taoism to practice."
"It's not that easy. Even for me, I don't practice the methods directly transmitted from Qingyang Palace. There are even some things that I can't touch at all. That is, this set of exercises is more suitable for me and I have made progress." Li Xuan was not angry. Lai Sui glanced at him, he was such a good person in a Taoist sect!
Suddenly Li Xuan slapped his forehead and said, "You kid changed the topic."
"Okay, let's not talk anymore. The palace gate is about to open. You should hurry up and go to class." Laisui quickly pushed Li Xuan.
Li Xuan shook his head helplessly, there was no way, Laisui didn't want to say it, and he couldn't force him to say it.
Li Xuan was a young minister of Honglu Temple from the fourth rank, and his position was long before Laisui.
Laisui, a member of the Ministry of War, was not even qualified to enter Hanyuan Hall.
…
When the time comes, the palace door opens.
A group of civil and military officials lined up in four rows and walked towards Hanyuan Hall at the same time.
Officials of the fifth rank and above enter Hanyuan Hall, while officials below the fifth rank stand solemnly outside the hall.
Li Xuan is standing at the back, with Yang Shan, the young minister of Honglu Temple, on the left, and Liu Boying, the minister of Honglu Temple, further to the outside.
It was empty behind him, where the secretary and young prisoner Zheng Fan's place had been.
Zheng Fan has now been demoted from Chang'an, and his position will be empty until the new secretary, Shaojian, takes office.
A little further to the left is Yuan Zhen, the secretary and supervisor. Next to Yuan Zhen is Wu Chengsi, the secretary and supervisor.
Although Wu Chengsi was standing there, his body tilted to the left from time to time.
Just a few days ago, secretary-supervisor Wu Chengsi was beaten fifty times with a cane for offending the Queen, leaving his skin and flesh bruised.
But seeing that he can still stand here today, you know that it was probably a false victory.
Two lives of the Leng family were framed by the Secretary of the Ministry of Punishment. Such guilt was only exchanged for a false beating of fifty rods. How unfair.
However, neither Li Xuan nor Pei Yan was in any hurry.
Wu Chengsi is the only clan member of the Queen in the court. His cousin Wu Sansi is still far away in Guizhou.
Duke Zhou Guogong is naturally more expensive.
The key is that by doing so, they have shaken Wu Chengsi's trust in the Queen's heart.
For Li Xuan, this is even more true.
Don't be in a hurry, just take it step by step. In the past two years, we will find a way to demote him from Chang'an. After two years, let him die of illness in another state.
And with Pei Yan standing in front, Li Xuan didn't have to directly accept Empress Wu's anger.
In the main hall, at Honglu Temple, the secretary is in charge, the general is in charge, and all the ministries are behind them.
Front, Zhongshu, Menxia, Shangshu, Officials, Husbandry, War, Works, Punishment, and Rites.
There are three provinces, six ministries, nine temples and five prisons, and all officials of fifth rank and above are here.
On the other side of the hall, the military attache's shift.
Left and right guards, left and right Xiao guards, left and right martial guards, left and right mighty guards, left and right leading army guards, left and right Jinwu guards, left and right prison guards, and left and right Qianniu guards.
The sixteen generals, generals, lieutenant generals, all those who can come are here today.
Excluding the left and right prison guards and the left and right Qianniu guards who did not command the troops, the remaining twelve guards commanded the 637 Zhechong mansions in the Tang Dynasty, with a total of more than 600,000 soldiers.
All the world is in this one hall.
…
Li Zhigao was sitting on the throne, with Queen Wu behind the curtain. On the steps beside him, stood the Crown Prince Li Xian. Under the steps, not in the third class, stood the King of England Li Xian and the Prime Minister Li Dan...
"I will pay my respects to my emperor. Long live my emperor!"
In the main hall, all the officials bowed.
"Your Majesty, no courtesy." Li Zhi looked solemn. When he saw all the ministers getting up and returning to their shifts, he looked at Wang Fulai on one side.
Wang Fulai bowed slightly, then stepped forward, opened the imperial edict in his hand, and read loudly: "In the third year of Wei Shangyuan, at the age of Bingzi, Emperor Ruo said:
The coma is contrary to the Tao, the heaven and the earth are there to punish, the Rong and the Di are in chaos, and the emperors are there to show off their power.
The Tibetan clowns invaded the country for many years, ruined our towns, captured our neighbors, and wanted to conquer their husbands, which made me deeply angry.
Nowadays, the Southern Army's feather cavalry is firing thousands of crossbows; Shanxi's flying generals are vying for the first place, and the time of mopping up lies in the engraving of the sundial.
However, rewards and punishments must be believed, punishments and advice are absent, and orders are unclear, so what hope is there for loyalty and courage? If you avoid and indulge the enemy, you will be punished by the state; if you defeat Jun and capture the enemy, you will be punished by the military.
In Hexi, Longyou, Anxi, Jiannan and other prefectures, those who are below the rank of governor and can capture Tubo Zanpu will be granted the title of king with a different surname; those who capture the title of general will be awarded the title of general; those who achieve the rank below the rank of general will be awarded the title of general Zhonglang general. . There is no limit to official qualifications, but a reward will be given in one case; the order will be announced quickly, and the envoys will know about it. "
Grant a different surname to the king!
Li Xuan was shocked, and the courtiers were also shocked.
It is not that there were no kings with different surnames in the Tang Dynasty, such as Wu Wang Dou Jiande and Yan Wang Luo Yi, but the fate of these people was generally not good.
It is really surprising that the emperor wants to grant a king with a different surname.
But if you calm down and think about it carefully, if there is really someone who can defeat the Tubo Zanpu or the general, it is not too much to be promoted to an official and rewarded.
Among the Tubo army, most of them were servants, but not many were actually affiliated with the Tubo imperial court. This reward was actually not much.
After reading one imperial edict, another one was opened immediately: "In the third year of Wei Shangyuan, at the age of Bingzi, the emperor Ruo said: Promote Lai Heng, the minister of Huangmen, and Li Yiyan, the minister of Zhongshu, to the throne. Xue Yuanchao, the remonstrating official, and the third rank of Tongzhongshu, who are involved in political affairs, approve of this."
"I will receive the order." Lai Heng, Li Yiyan, and Xue Yuanchao stood up at the same time, bowed and kowtowed: "Thank you for your kindness, Your Majesty."
"In the third year of Wei Shangyuan, at the age of Bingzi, Emperor Ruo said: King Yingxian was appointed as the Mu of Luozhou and the Marshal of the March on the Taohe Road; Li Jinxing, the right-leading Army General Wei, was appointed as the Deputy Marshal and Chief of the March on the Taohe Road; the Shaoqing of Honglu Temple Xuan, General of the Right Guard of the Inspection School, served as deputy marshal of the Taohe Road March, deputy general manager of the march..."
Li Xian, Li Jinxing, and Li Xuan stood up immediately, then bowed and kowtowed: "I accept the decree and thank you for your kindness."
"Pei Xingjian, Secretary of the Ministry of War, is appointed as the general manager of the march on Lanshan Road, Xiao Siye, the general of the left guard, is the deputy general manager of the march, and Sun Renshi, the general of the right garrison, is the deputy general manager of the march..."
"Liu Shenli, Minister of the Ministry of Industry, is appointed as the marching general manager of Ganliang Road, and Hua Dazhi, the right-leading army guard general, is the deputy marching manager..."
"Xiang Wangdan was appointed as the governor of Bingzhou and the marshal of the march of Shasu Road; the general of Zuowei, Qibi Heli, was appointed as the general manager of the march of Shasu Road..."
"Shi Li Xiaoyi, the governor of Yizhou, is the general manager of the march to Jiannan Road, and Li Jingjia, the general of Zuo Qianniu Guard, is the deputy general manager of the march to Jiannan Road..."
Every time a voice fell, an official or general stood up to take orders, bowing and kowtow.
After a while, all eighteen people knelt down and listened to the order.
Li Xuan, who bowed his head, was already confused. He knew that a lot of marching news had been intercepted, but he never expected that the emperor would go to war in such a big way.
Li Xian and Li Dan went out of town. Pei Xingjian, the Minister of War, and Liu Shenli, the Minister of Industry, each led an army. Shi, the governor of Yizhou, and Li Xiaoyi, Duke of Liang, were also sent back. They even moved some of the sixteen guards. Liang Guo Gongqi Bi Heli, who ranked first in qualifications.
This man had attacked Tuyuhun, followed Hou Junji to destroy Gaochang, captured the King of Kucha, attacked the Western Turks, pacified Tiele, joined forces with Li Ji to destroy Goguryeo, and even married the head of Lintao County as his wife.
If Xue Rengui had not been defeated in Dafeichuan, he might have been able to defeat him, but Xue Rengui is not in the court at all now.
It would be nice if Su Dingfang was alive, but unfortunately only Su Dingfang's apprentice Pei Xingjian is here now.
No wonder Pei Xingjian is only allowed to lead the way. If he is really to be the commander-in-chief of the Western Army, who can he suppress?
Li Xian, Li Dan, Liu Shenli, Li Xiaoyi, Qibi Heli, none of them are easy to mess with.
However, if analyzed carefully, Li Xian and Li Dan were only stationed in the rear, Liu Shenli was the minister of the Ministry of Industry, and Li Xiaoyi sent troops from Yizhou.
It is conceivable that all the other roads are just fake soldiers. Only Pei Xingjian's team is the main force. Xiao Siye and Sun Renshi under his command are both veteran generals in the Western Regions. They are even Pei Xingjian's right-hand men. However, the soldiers are well equipped. Definitely the strongest of all roads.
Everyone on the imperial edict has either rushed back from other places or is in the capital. Receiving the edict today is just the beginning.
After the imperial edict was read out, everyone had to rush to the military headquarters immediately to receive military symbols, as well as detailed marching routes and marching times.
Li Xuan was even more shocked when he saw the marching route of the Taohe Marching Road.
Five-way army, shit, this is obviously a ten-way army.
What is the emperor thinking about?
(End of chapter)
