Chapter 104: Five Envoys, the Highest Horse Breeder
After learning about Li Xuan's strategy, Li Longji was in a good mood and asked Li Xuan to accompany him for a banquet in Chenxiang Pavilion.

He didn't trust others, but Li Longji believed that Li Xuan would help him take Jiuqu and Qinghai.

Yang Yuhuan, dressed in palace dress, was summoned to Chenxiang Pavilion by Li Longji.

Looking back, Bai Meisheng smiled, and the Sixth Palace had no color.

In Xingqing Palace, whether it was singing and dancing, feasting, or playing any games, Li Longji would always bring Yang Yuhuan, and only Yang Yuhuan.

"Qi Lang wrote other poems besides Jiangnan Spring while in Jiangnan. Let me read them."

When he was drunk, Li Longji would of course ask Li Xuan.

"On the way back to Chang'an, I imagined the beauty of Jiangnan and wrote a poem. If the saint does not mind, I will write it down for him."

Li Xuan knew that Li Longji liked ci, and he himself was a rare master of ci writing in the prosperous Tang Dynasty.

"Someone, get some paper and pen!"

When Li Longji heard this, he became even more interested.

Paper and pen were spread out on the desk, and Li Xuan began to write.

Jiangnan is good, and the scenery is old.

At sunrise, the river is more prosperous than fire, and the river is as green as blue in spring.

Can you remember Jiangnan?
Li Xuan wrote a very short poem.

He went to Jiangnan to suppress pirates and kill the powerful.

When he returned to Chang'an and recalled the Jiangnan area, he saw a picturesque scenery.

It’s as if Li Xuan is a wanderer.

"How wonderful! When I watch it, I feel as if I were in the springtime in the south of the Yangtze River. I want to write the lyrics for this myself."

Seeing the exquisite and beautiful lyrics, Li Longji couldn't help but show off his talent.

He was proficient in music and created many famous pieces of music including "霓裙羽衣曲".

It’s easy to compose music for a poem.

"Sanlang has finished his music, I will play it on the pipa."

Yang Yuhuan also liked this poem.

Once the inspiration came, Li Longji took only half an hour to compose the music for "Remembering Jiangnan".

Yang Yuhuan brought the music score to her private room. She was very smart and talented, and she was able to play the music fluently in just half an hour.

Li Longji sat in the first seat, Li Xuan sat in the lower seat, and Yang Yuhuan came slowly.

"Wow..."

Yang Yuhuan sat down, holding the five-string pipa carved with patterns, and played with her jade fingers.

The whole process is basically played with small strings, and the music sounds like a whisper.

The melody is gentle, and I don't know whether Li Longji's music is better or Yang Yuhuan's pipa is better. It seems to take people to the dreamland of Jiangnan, making them feel relaxed and happy.

Looking at Yang Yuhuan with her eyes slightly closed, her long eyelashes gently trembling, her expression and temperament in harmony, her already flawless face became even more beautiful at this moment.

For a moment, it was unclear whether it was the pipa or her appearance that made Li Xuan intoxicated.

In this short poem, Li Longji arranged three melodies, the last one being slower and gentler...

Although it has ended, the lingering sound is still there.

Li Longji and Li Xuan applauded together.

"Qilang, you can also try to play it." Li Longji said to Li Xuan after appreciating it.

"I have not learned the pipa for long, so I dare not show off."

Li Xuan quickly shook his head.

"There are not so many rules for today's entertainment. Qilang is young, and you have learned literature and martial arts. It's normal that you are not good at music. No one will make fun of you!"

Li Longji laughed and insisted that Li Xuan play the pipa.

Li Xuan had no choice but to look at the music and try to play Recalling Jiangnan.

The playing was originally intermittent and not elegant. Yang Yuhuan could not help but give Li Xuan some advice.

Li Xuan couldn't play it smoothly in the end, but as long as he becomes proficient, he should be able to do it well.

The banquet lasted until late at night, and Li Longji let Li Xuan go back.

The song Recalling Jiangnan would soon spread through the Jiaofang Music Bureau to Chang'an and even the whole country.

In front of the Chenxiang Pavilion, Li Xuan wrote the lyrics, Li Longji composed the music, and Yang Yuhuan played the pipa, which is talked about with great relish.

……

The next day, Li Xuan visited Wang Wei.

"I thought Mo Jie would think I was a cruel official and stay away from me!"

At Wang Wei's home, Wang Wei treated Li Xuan as before, which made Li Xuan tease him.

Wang Wei believed in Buddhism and did not like killing.

"Even Buddha will not forgive what the powerful do. Those who criticize Qilang are just looking for excuses to be jealous of him. Don't take them to heart."

Wang Wei smiled.

Even the Buddha has the wrath of a diamond. The Wu Lingguang pirate case and the collusion between the powerful and the officials are despised by all people with a sense of justice.

Those people just saw Li Xuan killing the powerful people.

However, we fail to see how fair and appropriate Li Xuan was in settling refugees and tenants.

Selectively forgetting that the pirate Wu Lingguang, with the connivance of officials and powerful people, killed and defiled thousands of civilians.

"Mo Jie's words put me at ease."

This is also the reason why Li Xuan is willing to interact with Wang Wei. He is not only humorous, but also has his own clear judgment on major issues.

"I have to go to the frontier again. I regret that I cannot practice with Mojie."

Li Xuan said to Wang Wei again.

"I guess it must be Tubo. Qilang is not willing to remain peaceful." Wang Wei replied to Li Xuan.

"Not bad!"

Li Xuan nodded.

"I heard that Qilang will lead the troops in battle. The Tibetans are fierce and powerful, and have always been fighting against the Tang Dynasty. Qilang is likely to be the commander-in-chief, so he must restrain himself!"

Like Li Shizhi, Wang Wei was worried that Li Xuan would get hurt sooner or later if he did this.

He once served as a judge in the Hexi Jiedushi's office and witnessed the battle between Tubo and Tang troops outside the new city.

During that period, Wang Wei wrote the famous line: A lone smoke rises straight in the desert, A round sun sets over the long river.

Unfortunately, he failed to achieve any success.

"How can a husband not cherish himself!"

No matter who advised him not to "lead by example", Li Xuan would immediately use this sentence to evade the question.

Being the first in every battle has become the creed of this life.

If you watch a soldier fight to his death, wouldn't it be a waste of the courage given to him by God?
At seventeen years old, he can clearly feel that he is stronger than last year.

The body has also grown a little bit.

Of course, Li Xuan would not be reckless. When he arrived in Longyou, he would select more personal guards to charge into battle with him.

At the same time, he would wear inner and outer armor in every battle.

Like Overlord Xiang Yu, a brave general can change the situation of a battle by his own strength.

Li Xuan mainly learned musical instruments at Wang Wei's home.

For five or six days in a row, after court dismissal, the two stayed together and sometimes even went on outings together.

……

"General Li Xuan of the Left Thousand Oxen Guard is loyal, brave, resolute, and talented enough to handle affairs. He is specially appointed as the Deputy Ambassador of the Longyou Jiedushi, the Longyou Duzhi Bingmashi, the Lintao Army Envoy, the Longyou Herdsmen Envoy, and the Deputy Ambassador of the Longyou Yingtian. He is relieved of his post as the Jiangnan East Road Interview and Disposal Envoy. The rest of the officials, miscellaneous officials, and nobles remain the same."

In early May, Li Xuan was appointed in the court.

In addition to his original official position, he also served as five envoys.

Of course, this was not unusual. Li Linfu alone held more than 30 envoys.

The Jiedushi often served in multiple capacities.

Deputy Jiedushi and Military Commander-in-Chief, these are the standard configurations for a military commander in chief.

The Lintao Army was the Lintao Army in Huangshui City, Xiping County, the seat of the Longyou Jiedushi, which was equivalent to the Jinglüe Army of Shuofang.

The Lintao army had 15,000 soldiers and 8,000 horses.

The original Lintao military envoy was transferred by Li Longji to help Li Xuan give up his important power.

Let Li Xuan help him complete the attack on Tubo.

The Deputy Ambassador of Longyou Military Farm assisted the Chief Ambassador in managing the military farm affairs in Longyou.

Huangfu Weiming was the ambassador of Longyou Yingtian.

Unlike Shuofang, the land in Longyou can be used to grow crops.

Because of the war, people fled and the land was left deserted.

In order to ease the food shortage, the troops in Longyou trained and farmed at the same time.

Moreover, Li Xuan also held a very important post, the Herdsmen Commander of Longyou.

With this diplomatic post, Li Xuan's status was equal to that of Huangfu Weiming.

Because this is the highest official title in the entire Tang Dynasty.

Bimawen does not sound like a good position, but in fact, the person who holds this position must be the person Li Longji trusts the most, such as Wang Maozhong, Li Longji's servant before, who rose to the highest position in the country by raising horses.

Longyou is the first bend of the Yellow River, with top-notch grasslands, and most of the Tang Dynasty's pastoral supervisors are located there. Even if the pastoral supervisors are not in Yan, Xia and other places in Longyou Road, they are all under the control of the Longyou Herdsmen.

Therefore, the Longyou Herdsman is also known as the Herdsman Supervisor.

Five thousand horses are for the upper guard, and the rank is from the fifth grade.

Three thousand horses are for the Zhongjian, and the rank is the sixth grade.

Those with less than 3,000 horses are the lower supervisors, and their rank is the sixth grade.

This was equivalent to giving Li Xuan the power to organize cavalry as much as possible to complete the strategic strike against Tubo without destroying the horses needed by the court and other military towns.

With this official position, other military governors in border towns would also have to speak well of Li Xuan.

At the same time, it was a heavy responsibility. If the number of horses kept decreased, Li Longji would definitely deprive him of this position.

Li Xuan accepted the order and decided to take up the post in three days.

All the officials were moved when they heard about Li Xuan's appointment.

Although he was not a Jiedushi, his status was actually almost the same as that of a Jiedushi.

Li Longji's favor for Li Xuan was fully reflected in his appointment.

Perhaps if Li Xuan achieves another first-class achievement, he will be officially promoted to "General".

In a peaceful and prosperous era, there will be generals who have not yet reached the age of adulthood, which is unprecedented in history.

Before leaving Chang'an, Li Xuan did one more thing. He transferred his former subordinate Gao Kai to Longyou to serve as the Suihe Guardian.

The border garrisons are divided into two groups: the larger ones are called armies, and the smaller ones are called garrisons, cities, and towns.

Previously, when Huangfu Weiming attacked Shibao City, the Suihe Shouzhuo envoy was killed in the battle, and Li Xuan just happened to let Gao Kai take his place.

As for being the deputy envoy of a large army like the Lintao Army, Gao Kai's qualifications are not enough.

Although there were only 1,000 soldiers guarding Suihe, it was a good start for Gao Kai.

Previously, Li Longji asked Li Xuan to promote the generals who helped him capture Wusumishi, but Li Xuan never mentioned it.

Now, in order to promote a small guard, Li Longji simply waved his hand and asked the Ministry of War to make the appointment.

Wang Sili is now the envoy of Feng'an Army, and Ashina Fuwen is now the deputy envoy of Feng'an Army.

There was also a judge in Feng'an City, Liu Xi, who was good at making decisions and handling government affairs in an orderly manner.

Li Xuan decided to summon him to Longyou to serve as an assistant to the Longyou Herdsmen.

When there is an opportunity, Li Xuan will appoint Liu Xi as the supervisor and then promote him step by step.

Before leaving, Li Xuan visited Gao Lishi again.

Then I spend time at home with my family and have a lot of fun.

"Seventh Brother, why did you leave so hastily after coming back so soon? Wouldn't it be better for you to stay a few more days?"

On the day of farewell, Li Yuying was reluctant to leave on the Xianyang Bridge.

The seventh brother was very good to her. When he passed by Luoyang this time, he actually brought her peonies. She had almost forgotten about it.

She had a feeling that, just like last time, Brother Seven would take a long time to come back.

Maybe we have to wait until the peonies bloom.

"Life is fleeting! Don't worry, Longyou is not far from Chang'an. I will be back soon."

Li Xuan comforted Li Yuying.

"Seventh brother, it's a deal!" Li Yuying believed what Li Xuan said.

"Sure!" Li Xuan nodded.

"Qilang, wait until you make another contribution, and I will write a letter to resign from my position."

Li Shizhi was rising rapidly in the political arena. He was younger than Li Linfu, and people thought that he might succeed Li Linfu in the future.

But in order to prevent his son and family from being suspected, he had to make a choice.

"Father! I will never let you down at any time."

Li Xuan said firmly.

"Qilang, bring the Ferghana horse with you as well."

Li Shizhi gave the Ferghana horse to Li Xuan.

Li Xuan always said that he would leave the Arabian horse for his father to ride.

When Li Xuan went to the south of the Yangtze River, Li Shizhi rode for several months and found it very addictive.

"Father, my mount is even better than the Ferghana horse."

Li Xuan pointed at his Fire Cloud Horse and said.

His horse's endurance and strength are far superior to those of the Arabian horse. The only thing that is slightly inferior is the sprint speed.

"It doesn't want a BMW to stay in a small stable at home. Even if Qilang has a BMW, he will always carry more than two mounts when he goes on a long-distance raid."

Under Li Shizhi's insistence, Li Xuan had no choice but to take the Ferghana horse away.

The Ferghana horse can save his life at a critical moment, so Li Shizhi would never keep it at home.

After saying a few more words to his brothers, Li Xuan said goodbye.

Wang Wei came here on horseback specially to write a farewell poem for Li Xuan.

Li Xuan felt that this poem was sincere and touching, not much inferior to "Song of Weicheng".

He thanked Wang Wei, bowed and left.

Li Xuan, Nan Jiyun, Zhang Xing, as well as Xue Cuo, Luo Xing and thirteen other personal guards.

Still one person and four horses.

Li Xuan deliberately deceived Li Yuying. In fact, the Huangshui River was nearly two thousand miles away from Chang'an.

The group traveled at full speed and arrived at Huangshui City in Xiping County (now Ledong District, Haidong) in seven days.

Xiping County was a frontier county adjacent to Tubo. Together with Ningsai County to the south, it housed most of the military forces of the Longyou Jiedushi.

Shibao City is right on the border of Xiping County, with Qinghai to the west and Jiuqu to the southwest.

Many of the former Qiang people, the Tuyuhun people, the Tibetans, the Turks, etc., who had taken refuge, lived in Xiping County, which also made Xiping County a mixed place of Han and Hu people, and the people were fierce and tough.

Huangshui City was built to the north of Huangshui River, hence its name. The city has always been an important town in Longyou.

The Huangshui River originates in Menggu, flows through Xiping County and flows into the Yellow River.

It just happens to be a barrier for Huangshui City.

The Tibetan horses stopped many times because of the Huangshui River.

"The Tibetan soldiers coming down from Shibao City could have marched all the way across the Tang territory and rushed to the Huangshui River. It's normal for a saint to feel like a thorn in his side."

After entering Xiping, Li Xuan kept using maps for comparison.

The vast land made it difficult for Suihe Shouzhuo, Heyuan Army and others around Shibao City to intercept it.

"Since the Tubo massacre, the western part of Xiping County has been uninhabited for a hundred miles, and the territory is filled with soldiers. It would be best if the battle could be pushed beyond Chiling."

While Li Xuan was gesturing, he came to the Huangshui Bridge and took out the fish token and imperial edict to prove his identity.

The soldiers guarding the bridge immediately went into the city to report.

The Jiedushi of Longyou was in charge of twelve counties, namely Xiping, Ningsai, Anxiang, Didao, Jincheng, Tianshui, Tonggu, Longxi, Lintao, Hezheng, Wudu and Huaidao.

The duty of the Longyou Jiedushi was to "prepare for the Qiang and Rong", and it had only one enemy, the Tubo. In the third year of Tianbao, he commanded ten armies, including Lintao, Heyuan, Baishui, Anren, Zhenwei, Weirong, Momen, Ningsai, Jishi, and Zhenxi, and three garrisons, Suihe, Hechuan, and Pingyi.

There were 75,000 soldiers and 10,600 war horses, most of which were concentrated in Lintao Army.

"Longyou Jiedushi Judge Tian Yunping pays his respects to the general!"

Upon learning of Li Xuan's sudden arrival, Judge Tian Yunping immediately went out of the city to greet him.

He just received the news that Li Xuan was coming to take up the position two days ago.

Tian Yunping looked at Li Xuan riding on the BMW and thought to himself that he was so majestic and his reputation was well-deserved.

Unlike ordinary Jiedushi's deputy generals, Li Xuan came in a powerful manner.

The most important thing is that he also serves as the herdsman of Longyou.

Although the Tang Dynasty consumed a huge number of horses, the various horse supervisors had tens of thousands of war horses in reserve. Even if Li Xuan assigned 10,000 or 20,000 horses to the Longyou Army, Li Longji would not say anything.

Huangfu Weiming could suppress Li Xuan with his seniority and prestige, but in terms of status, Li Xuan was no lower than Huangfu Weiming.

Not to mention the level of nobility.

"No need to be polite!"

Li Xuan did not look down on others from his horse, but dismounted and spoke.

When you first take up a position, you must first keep a low profile and then build up your prestige.

Li Xuan knew that he was very brave, and the army should have heard about it. He needed to find an opportunity as soon as possible to prove that he could deal with Tubo.

Huangfu Weiming has been in charge of the Longyou Army for three years. On the surface, Li Xuan is the commander of the Lintao Army. Without prestige, he may not be able to command the Lintao Army easily.

There were 15,000 Lintao troops, including infantry stationed in Huangshui City and cavalry stationed outside Huangshui City.

"Is Marshal Huangfu in the city? Can you take me to see him?"

Li Xuan wanted to confirm Huangfu Weiming's attitude towards him.

Even though Huangfu Weiming had framed Wang Zhongsi, Li Xuan did not want to have any conflicts with Huangfu Weiming.

Without the authorization of the commander, the deputy commander cannot move forward. The same is true at this level.

"Huangfu Marshal has prepared wine and food at the Jiedushi Mansion to welcome the general!"

Tian Yunping replied to Li Xuan.

"Please take me to the government office!"

The Jiedushi's shogunate belonged to the commander-in-chief, and Li Xuan was a member of the shogunate.

Li Xuan's Longyou Herdsman had subordinates, but his government office was in Anxiang County in the south of Xiping County.

There was very fertile grassland there (today's Gannan grassland), and due to the terrain, it was far away from the disputed area between Tang and Tubo, so the pastures extended eastward one after another.

After Li Xuan officially takes office as the deputy governor, he will immediately inspect the various horse supervisors.

With the Deputy Envoy of Longyou Herdsmen in charge of daily affairs, no major problems will arise.

Li Xuan and Tian Yunping crossed the bridge and entered Huangshui City.

Both are important frontier towns and the seat of the governor. However, whether in terms of city size or prosperity, Huangshui City is far from comparable to Huile City in Shuofang.

It can be seen that there are almost no merchants in Huangshui City.

The vendors in the city sell ordinary things, and the shops on the streets look like rural shops.

"General, when we were trading with Tubo Chiling, many merchants stopped by Huangshui City. Now it is indeed a bit deserted, with only about 2,400 Han and Hu households."

Along the way, Tian Yunping explained to Li Xuan.

The trade route of the Hexi Corridor did not pass through the Huangshui River, so after the break with Tubo, Huangshui City was just a large military city.

Li Xuan also asked Tian Yunping about the specific deployment of Tibetan troops in Qinghai and Jiuqu areas, the military strength of Shibao City, and which famous and powerful generals Tibetan had.

He also learned that Tubo was also cultivating land in Jiuqu.

Unlike the grassland tribes, Tubo was a country mainly based on agriculture and animal husbandry. They learned a lot from the Tang Dynasty and also built strong cities.

As he was talking, Li Xuan arrived at the Longyou Jiedushi's office in the northwest of the city.

(End of this chapter)