Warrior in Turbulent Han Dynasty

The red light outside the window was soaring into the sky, dyeing the pitch-black night sky with fiery red halos, and there were occasional noises of booing outside the shaft.

Lu Duosun in front of the table took a sip of the salty milk tea, then put down the ceramic cup. His calm and serious expression did not match the atmosphere outside. He said: "After the Da (Ta) Rose War, the Tang Dynasty was tormented by the Anshi Rebellion. It had no time to look west, and its forces gradually withdrew from the Western Regions. Since then, the warlords have been separated for many years.

Unexpectedly, Yang Ye became even more excited, "The officials are working hard to restore the Han and Tang dynasties, and now tens of thousands of troops are on display in Hexi. The time has come, and when will it be!"

Lu Duoxun watched Yang Ye carefully, guessing in his heart that the reason for his excitement was the Duke of the Kingdom.

"What General Yang said is very true." Lu Duosun said kindly, "But things are not that easy. The Central Plains withdrew from the Western Regions for more than two hundred years, and now the geography, water sources, countries, and sects have completely changed. We currently know very little about the Western Regions, so we dare not act rashly and take the lives of soldiers and the national treasury for trifling."

Yang Ye frowned in thought.

Lu Duoxun said calmly: "I have a suggestion. The deputy privy envoy Wei Renpu has a heart-to-heart attachment to the Northwest. It is said that he came to Feng'an and saw the former site of the Han and Tang Dynasties. He couldn't cry. Wei Renpu is one of the most important ministers around the official family. He must ask questions about military affairs and national policies. If General Yang can send reliable people and get Wei Renpu's support in this matter, the chances will increase greatly."

Yang Ye immediately clasped his fists and said, "Thank you Minister Lu for your reminder."

Lu Duosun nodded: "The lower officials are definitely going to throw cold water on General Yang, and make things difficult for you. But the soldiers belong to the imperial court, and the expenses, military supplies, and supplies also need to be supported by the entire country. If there is no support from the officials and the imperial court, General Yang may just think about it."

These sincere and heart-to-heart remarks caused Yang Ye's attitude to change drastically. He asked with a humble attitude: "The intention of Minister Lu, should I report to the court first?"

Lu Duosun shook his head again and said in a deep voice: "General Yang wants to do this, and we can't leave everything to the imperial court. The imperial court has thousands of civil and military plans, and all kinds of strange ideas. It is very troublesome and slow to make major decisions that require all parties to argue and compromise."

Yang Ye said: "Ask Lu Shilang for advice."

Lu Duosun stroked the short beard on his chin, pondered for a long time, and said, "Suzhou is still in the hands of the Uighurs, and we have to discuss the governance of melons and sands with the Guiyi Army. These things are not difficult, but they are very complicated and trivial, and it will take time. During this period, we can send a horse to report to the imperial court.

Yang Ye said: "I would like to hear the details."

Ludorson talked eloquently: "I have a strategy of two fights and one guarantee.

The Western Regions are thousands of miles away from the Central Plains, Guanzhong and Longyou are in decline, and Hexi is newly acquired, with unstable supplies and foundations; Da Xu's idea of ​​sending an army to wipe out the Western Regions by force alone is undoubtedly a dream. At this time, inheriting the remaining prestige of the Tang Dynasty in the Western Regions, regaining prestige, and first making the Western Regions unable to ignore Daxu's power in the west, this is the goal and the best strategy.

This time all the countries are attacking the Xizhou Uyghurs (Kara Khanate), Daxu should strive to preside over the alliance’s face, and fight for the strength of Qingqi’s raid on the Xizhou Uyghurs to prove their strength, rather than empty words;

The Li family (Yichi) of Khotan State has always been friendly with the Central Plains. It was once canonized king by the (later) Jin Dynasty, and married and formed an alliance with the Guiyi Army. If Daxu wants to enter the Western Regions, he will be kind to Yutian. "

Yang Ye heard what the young man said clearly, and said with a sincere face, "Lu Shilang is so young that the officials rely heavily on him. He is really a great talent in economics."

Yang Ye appreciated Lu Duoxun's plan very much, so he prepared a memorial and sent his horse back to Beijing.

At this time, the men and horses set off from the Hexi Army camp stationed in Ganzhou, and left the Hexi Corridor via Liangzhou (which had surrendered and was stationed in the Xu Army); they walked to Lingzhou. The road from the Hexi Corridor to Daxu Capital City has been completely opened up.

...

In the study room of Jinxiang Palace in Tokyo, there was a sudden "bang", Guo Shao didn't drop the cup, but just smashed the cup heavily on the table.

The three ministers and one eunuch in front of them immediately bent down at the same time. Guo Shao has the reputation of being a benevolent monarch, so he rarely vents his anger in public. Such behavior is already very serious.

Zan Jurun said: "Feng Jiye's reputation is notorious, Cao Gong knew it and strongly recommended it, and he was bold in employing people, but he actually let Feng Jiye be the forward leader, it is really a burden to His Majesty..."

Zan Jurun's voice echoed in the silent house, it was very clear.

Guo Shao was silent for a long time, took a deep breath, and said: "I also made mistakes, and I finally agreed to use Feng Jiye. It is a mistake in itself to let this person go to Jiaozhou."

How could the emperor be wrong? Zuo You was the first to say: "Back then, Cao Bin was on the North Road of Shu Kingdom, and in the Southern Han Dynasty. He had many fierce generals, and he was able to restrain the soldiers from committing any crime. If so, Feng Jiye should also be restrained. Your Majesty just trusted Cao Bin, not to mention that even if Cao Bin used Feng Jiye, he should not be placed in the position of the chief general..."

"Forget it, let's not mention the merits and demerits for the time being, how to revise Jiaozhou's strategy now?" Guo Shaodao, "To discuss the government tomorrow morning, first ask the ministers." After he finished speaking, he waved his hand a little unhappy.

Several people stopped talking, and retired after praying.

There are many opinions on this matter in the DPRK. Some advocated to increase troops to Jiaozhou, build post roads and post stations along the main waterways with important towns as bases, form countless cities, forts, and outposts along the post roads to form a three-level network governance order, occupy Jiaozhou in an all-round way, and implement military rule. Attacking the territory of Dingbu, hunting down important criminals, wooing and enfeoffing local tyrants, exiling criminals in the Central Plains, relocating households, sending seeds to farm cattle to reduce taxes, building a school to teach, turning people into kings, promulgating laws...the cost is unknown, let alone when it will take effect. The cost is a bottomless pit.

Some advocated abandoning Jiaozhou, occupying coastal strongholds, and slowly wooing the new forces in Jiaozhou. It is very frugal to think that a few hundred Xu Jun can firmly defend a Liuhua Fort.

Guo Shao didn't express his position, but sighed again: "Unlike people, approval is hard to find."

Soon, Northwest Yangye's memorial arrived in Tokyo.

Guo Shao felt a little relieved when he learned that Yang Ye had pacified Longyou and Hexi at a small price and made all the tribes surrender. Looking closely at the strategy proposed by Yang Ye and Lu Duoxun, he praised: "Think long-term and be pragmatic."

However, Guo Shao understands that the situation in the Western Regions is more complicated than the mixed ethnic groups in Longyou, Hexi, and there are also sectarian issues. The Western Regions are too far and too complicated. Expanding influence and power westward is a long-term process that cannot be accomplished overnight. There is no shortcut to Zhongnanshan.

While discussing with the ministers, he approved Yang Ye's memorial, and at the same time wanted to remind Yang Ye not to be reckless.

The eunuch Yang Shiliang played a secret concert, and the horse team returning from the northwest had literati and aides lobbying the Privy Council. Guo Shao asked Yang Shiliang to send someone to summon his staff to have an audience.

Guo Shao's words did not fall on the paper, and he turned around and said something to Yang Ye's staff: "Since you have been to Tokyo, go back and bring a word to Yang Ye: In this situation, it is not the best policy to rush forward, and it is wise to be safe."

There is nothing else to say, but Guo Shao knew that Yang Ye would definitely understand.

Since Yang Ye's staff came to Tokyo, what happened in Jiaozhou, can the news be brought back to the northwest? Cao Bin has already disappointed the emperor, and Yang Ye has already secured the prestige of pacifying Longyou Hexi. If he doesn't lose, he wins. Risky behavior is only suitable for the disadvantaged who hope that the Jedi will fight back. This is what it means to be safe and wise.

A month later, Cao Bin's memorial arrived in Tokyo. He played again, asking for an increase in military expenditures, and proposed a new strategy.

Cao Bin asked to set up a "Jiaozhi Province", intending to build seaports and forts along the east coast of Jiaozhou, and then build strongholds and post roads along the Taiping River to Luocheng. Taking Luocheng as the metropolitan capital of the Jiaozhi province, occupying the metropolitan area and the key areas leading to the East China Sea, and then gradually recruiting people from Jiaozhou to serve in the metropolitan area and localities, suppressing and governing Jiaozhou.

Guo Shao asked the ministers of the central government for their suggestions in the meeting hall, and thought that this was a relatively moderate remedy, so he adopted Cao Bin's suggestion who knew the situation better on the ground. At the same time, he decreed to recall Feng Jiye and let Cao Bin re-appoint generals.

Raiding Jiaozhou was a national policy decided by Guo Shao in the court after a lot of hard work. He thought that this matter was of great significance, so no matter what, he was unwilling to give up and had to go on!

At this time, the Western Regions and Jiaozhou became a protracted struggle at the same time.

Guo Shao stood on the high platform of Jinxiang Hall, looking at the surging and changing white clouds in the sky, thinking about Cao Bin and Yang Ye in his heart, and faintly, he felt as if he was communicating with the sky... A sense of fate came to his heart.

Yang Ye, who had left a great reputation in the history, perhaps should still stand out here. After many twists and turns, fate seems to be completely different, yet mysteriously similar.

So, what is the fate of Da Xu Chao? Thousands of years later, maybe it will be called "Qin Han Tang Xu"...