"I fought tooth and nail to finish the war, but I was transferred away by the imperial court just when I was finally eating the fruit. What's the point of congratulations!" Xue Rengui complained: "On the contrary, you guys stayed here to enjoy the benefits, and you are still here making sarcastic remarks!"
Everyone in the room knew Xue Rengui's bad temper, and no one took what he said to heart: "If General Xue is unwilling, you can just ask for a postponement for a few days!"
"The court decrees that you want me to postpone it for a few days?" Xue Rengui replied angrily: "You are really eager for me to be dismissed!"
"What's wrong with being dismissed from office? It's not your first time!" Others laughed: "Anyway, there are many foreign enemies in the Tang Dynasty. When the time comes, if you perform meritorious service and win more battles, won't you come back again?"
Wang Wenzuo stood aside, listening to the people's jokes, but thinking about when to return to Sixian. As for the affairs of the Anton Protectorate, he didn't pay much attention to it. Judging from the fact that Li Ji repeatedly rejected his plan to eliminate Silla in one go, it is not his turn to take the top spot in the Andong Protectorate. In this case, it is better to stay in Baekje. The large area of the economy + the Japanese archipelago + Ryukyu + the far east coast of the Sea of Japan is enough for me at the moment, and it doesn't matter whether I get promoted or not.
"Sanlang!" Let’s get together again!”
"Thank you, General Xue!" Wang Wenzuo responded quickly: "I will definitely bother you then!"
After seeing off Xue Rengui, Wang Wenzuo greeted everyone for a few more words and was about to leave. At this time, Li Jingye hurried out from inside and whispered: "Sanlang, my father-in-law has called me, please come with me!"
"Could it be that Li Ji is dying and has any last words to say to me?" Wang Wenzuo thought to himself, and then secretly laughed at his own wild thoughts. His grandson was by his side, so even if he had any last words, it would not be his turn to be neither a relative nor a friend. He responded and followed Li Jingye through a long corridor to a side courtyard. Li Jingye opened the door two steps ahead and said to Wang Wenzuo: "My father-in-law is inside, Sanlang, please!"
"I'm sorry!" Wang Wenzuo bowed his hand to Li Jingye and entered the door. It was suffocatingly hot inside. There was a thick carpet on the floor and pillows scattered in the corners. Li Ji was lying flat on the bed, and a medicine jar was popping on the charcoal stove in the corner. A doctor was sitting by the window and whispered: "The British Duke is already old, and his muscles, bones, and heart are not as good as when he was in his prime. His illness is not simple. He must take medicine and rest for three to five months before he can hope to recover." No matter how tired you are!"
"That's it!" Li Ji's voice was only slightly louder than a whisper, but his tone was very firm: "I am a farmer, and I followed the late emperor in troubled times to be here today. Isn't it destiny? If destiny wants me to die, how can it be medicine? Can it be cured? Jing Jing, ask someone to give thirty gold to the doctor and ask him to step down!"
After repelling the doctor, Li Ji struggled to sit up and said to Wang Wenzuo: "Captain Wang, I have invited you here today for two things, which I must tell you in private. The first is the Anton Governor's Mansion. I plan to tell you The imperial court recommends Gao Kan as deputy governor, and you serve as marching commander Shi. As for the position of governor of Xiongjin Governor's Mansion, you can recommend one!"
"Recommended by me?" Wang Wenzuo was stunned. He expected that Li Ji asked Gao Kan to take charge of the newly built Anton Protectorate instead of himself. The Protectorate of Anton established in the Tang Dynasty was divided into three levels: large, upper and middle. Anton The Duhufu governs Goguryeo and the old land of Baekje. The land is vast and it should be regarded as the Daduhufu. According to the practice at that time, the chief officer of the Metropolitan Protectorate was led by the prince, and the person who really had the power to handle the affairs was the deputy governor, followed by the marching commander Shi. Li Ji essentially asked Gao Kan to be in charge and Wang Wenzuo to be his deputy. He also asked Wang Wenzuo to recommend someone to replace him, which can be said to be very generous.
"Yes, it's up to you to recommend me!" Li Ji took the tea soup, took a sip and returned it: "This situation in Baekje is not easy. If someone randomly comes from Chang'an, I'm afraid all the previous efforts will be wasted, so it's up to you to recommend me. Someone who understands the situation and handles things safely!"
"Then choose Shi Chenfaseng, the marching commander of the Governor's Mansion! When I was on my mission to Japan, he was the one who guarded the Xiongjin Governor's Mansion, and there was no big mistake!" Wang Wenzuo replied carefully.
"Marching Commander Shi Chenfa Monk? Okay, Jingye, write it down!"
"Yes, Aweng!" Xu Jingye responded, took out a pen and paper and wrote it down. Li Ji coughed twice: "One more thing, Jingye, go to the back room and get the map on the table, the one with the red sheepskin edges!"
As the map unfolded, Wang Wenzuo's breathing suddenly became rapid. He had never seen such a detailed and exquisite map. The light yellow parchment was densely marked with Qinghai and various forts on the Longyou Road of the Tang Dynasty. Roads are blocked and key points are dangerous. He took a deep breath, suppressed the emotions in his heart, and asked, "Mr. British, is this -?"
"The imperial court urgently ordered General Xue to return to Chang'an in order to order him to leave Longyou and prepare to send troops to Qinghai to defeat Tubo and restore Tuyuhun!" Li Ji's voice was old and tired: "I want to hear what it would be like if you were in the position of General Xue How will we use our troops in our position?"
"General Xue came out to control Longyou?" Wang Wenzuo was surprised. Since Zhenguan, the Tang Dynasty has continued to use troops abroad. There are many military towns, but if we must say which military town is the most important and has the most resources invested, then It can only be Longyou. The reason is very simple. The Tang Dynasty established its capital in Chang'an and took Guanzhong as its foundation. Longshang was condescending to Guanzhong and had the power to dominate. Moreover, Hexi had not yet been divided from Longyou at that time, and the Hexi Corridor (Liangzhou) still belonged to Longyou. In part, this long and narrow corridor not only connected Guanzhong and the Western Regions, but also separated Qinghai, Tibet and Mongolia. Once this place changed hands and "Beidi" was connected to "Xirong", the Tang Empire would not only lose its connection with the vast land in the northwest, but We will also face a joint attack by Tubo and Uighur barbarians, and the entire Guanzhong will become a front line.
"Yes!" Li Ji nodded: "In the third year of Longshuo (663 AD), the Tubo people sent troops to defeat Tuyuhun. Qindou Khan and his wife, Princess Xiping, fled to Liangzhou with thousands of tents in Tuyuhun. People are stationed in the land of Hehuang to organize troops and recruit tribesmen. The imperial court has long wanted to control it, but there are always things in the east and there is no spare capacity. Now that Goguryeo has been destroyed and Liaodong is at peace, it is natural to send troops to conquer!"
"Tubo people? Those are the tough ones!" Wang Wenzuo thought to himself, and began to look at the map carefully. Li Jingye, who was on the side, also took the opportunity to look at it. He was originally a disciple of a general, and he spent a lot of effort on the art of war when he was young. I read a lot of geographical atlases from various places, and I was used to planning and deploying troops. After a while, I had a draft in my mind. He often listened to his grandfather praising Wang Wenzuo, and he had already had a desire to compete in his heart. At this time, he planned to listen to Wang Wenzuo's plan first, and then compare his own with his to see who was better. Unexpectedly, Wang Wenzuo watched for a long time without saying a word. He couldn't help but wonder: "What kind of lawsuit is this guy selling? Why didn't he say anything after watching for a long time?"
"Mr. British, if I am allowed to leave Zhenlongyou, then I think the best way is not to fight!"
"Don't fight?" Li Ji asked.
"Just don't send troops, strictly guard the border, store grain in the fields and raise horses, recruit as many Tuyuhun tribesmen as possible, and wait for the opportunity!"
Li Ji looked at Wang Wenzuo coldly and finally said: "Longyou Town has 100,000 troops and a salary of hundreds of millions every year, but you say you want to sit on the defensive and control thieves?"
"British Lord, if our army attacks first, the Tibetans will just have to keep retreating to kill me. I have no chance of winning!"
"Can you kill me if you keep retreating?" Li Jingye, who was on the side, couldn't bear it anymore and said: "Please Sanlang elaborate on this strategy of retreating to win!"
"The land of Qinghai is higher in the west and lower in the east, and it is vast and sparsely populated. If I attack from east to west, the Tibetans will always be at the top. Moreover, the higher the terrain, the colder the weather, the thinner the air, and our soldiers will be weak. How can we fight when we are exhausted?"
"Joke!" Li Jingye laughed and said: "You have never been to Qinghai, how do you know that our soldiers will be exhausted? What's more, the Tubo people are going higher and higher, so they will not be exhausted?"
"The Tubo people are different from us Tang people. They have lived in a higher and colder place for generations. They will not be exhausted because of the high terrain!"
"Okay!" Li Ji shouted to Sun Tzu who was still about to argue: "Yes, when Duke Wei led his troops to conquer Tuyuhun, he did say that the further west you go, the higher the terrain becomes, and the soldiers become more and more exhausted. On the contrary, The Tubo people are still running as fast as they are on the plains. But how do you know, Governor Wang?"
Wang Wenzuo's heart skipped a beat, knowing that he had accidentally missed the point. He smiled and said, "When I was in Chang'an, I heard this from a merchant from the Western Regions who passed by the place!"
"Did you hear it from a merchant from the Western Regions?" Li Ji smiled. Obviously he didn't believe what Wang Wenzuo said, but he didn't intend to pursue the details: "It's not like you to say that! You didn't do that when you were in Baekje. So cowardly!"
"Actually, generals have always been timid!" Wang Wenzuo said: "It's just that when I was in Baekje, I had no way out, so I had to act boldly. But if I were to leave Zhenlongyou, I would naturally lose the courage!"
Li Ji looked at Wang Wenzuo. He couldn't see through the man in front of him. The courage he showed when taking Pyongyang was astonishing, but just now he acted so timid or cautious. Maybe I need more time to truly understand him? But do I still have that much time?
Thinking of this, Li Ji suddenly felt a sense of despair. Everyone will feel this kind of despair when they are approaching death. Time is running out, and the god of death is behind him, but there is no one to succeed him. He closed his eyes in frustration: "That's it for today!"
Wang Wenzuo paid obeisance to the old man on the brocade couch meticulously, and then exited the door. Cao Wenzong, who had been waiting outside the door, came forward and stood beside Wang Wenzuo: "My lord, where are we going now?"
"Go back and pack your luggage! We will go back to Sixi soon and get busy with our own affairs!"
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"What? You want me to be the Governor of Xiongjin Governor's Mansion?" Shen Fanseng's face turned red, and he was surprised and a little embarrassed: "Isn't this not good?"
"Nothing wrong!" Wang Wenzuo said with a smile: "He Bayong and Yuan Aoli are in the Japanese country. Cui Hongdu wants to follow me to the Andong Protectorate. The British Duke asked me to recommend someone to replace me. Who else do you think besides you?"
"Yes!" Cui Hongdu said with a smile: "If you don't want to do it, why don't we switch, you follow Saburo, and I stay and sit in charge of the Xiongjin Governor's Mansion?"
"Bah, you are the only one who is smart!" Shen Faseng spat and said to Wang Wenzuo: "Then can you leave Black Teeth Changzhi to me?"
"No, I have another appointment for Black Tooth Changzhi!" Wang Wenzuo rejected Shen Faseng's request without hesitation: "You figure it out yourself. If you don't do well, the court will naturally send someone to replace you!"
"That's not possible!" Master Shen became anxious when he heard this: "The property that everyone has worked so hard to build cannot be lost because of me!"
Wang Wenzuo smiled and said nothing. His vision was so broad at this time that he would not stop at Baekje. During the Tang Dynasty, although the economic center of gravity was constantly moving eastward, border trade made the west rich and the east poor. The reason is simple. The west side of the Tang Dynasty is located at an important node of the Overland Silk Road. As long as this trade route connecting the east and west ends of the Eurasian continent remains open, then the beacon soldiers from the Chang'an court to the Anxi Protectorate will Everyone can get a piece of this golden river. Although the population, agricultural conditions, animal and plant resources, mineral resources, and transportation conditions in the Northeast Asia region of the Tang Dynasty were far better than those in the west, due to the lack of prosperous trade, the acquisition and accumulation of wealth were much less than in the northwest. This is also the reason why the Tang Dynasty was able to advance as far as the west of Congling in the northwest, but in the northeast it was unable to advance as far as today's Jilin Province and the northern part of the Korean Peninsula.
Have there been any trade routes similar to the Silk Road in Northeast Asia in history? In fact, there is. For example, in the Ming Dynasty, there was a ginseng and fur trade as the main trade species. Fierce fights often broke out among the local Jurchen chiefs in order to compete for the qualifications to trade. The reason why Nurhachi was able to rise is also related to the background that a large amount of economic and military resources flowed into the Liaodong region after this trade. In ancient times, Japan and Korea also had a prosperous silver and copper trade in cotton cloth. Of course, these trades cannot be compared with the "Silk Road" in terms of the quantity of goods, length of routes, and impact. However, Wang Wenzuo feels that if someone like himself intervenes, history is likely to take a different direction here. direction.
Thriving trade must first have the following conditions: convenient and safe transportation; sufficient currency; and a large supply and demand of commodities. In fact, all these things were already in place at that time. After the elimination of Goguryeo, there was actually no political entity in Hebei, Shandong, Liaodong, the Korean Peninsula, the Japanese Archipelago, and the Far East that was in an antagonistic relationship with the Tang Dynasty. As long as the post station is built and the waterway is explored, it will not be difficult to establish a main trade route, and the remaining branches will be a matter of time.
(End of chapter)
