Chapter 141: Tibet pays tribute to the Tang Dynasty and asks for peace
If you obey orders and military commands, you will surely have meat to eat and be promoted.

After hearing this, all the generals were shocked, as they all knew that Li Xuan was a ruthless person.

There were very few Jiedushi who could suppress the generals as soon as they took office, and Li Xuan was one of them.

They all expressed their willingness to obey military orders and would not dare to disobey.

After five days of discussion, Li Xuan met with the generals one by one to understand the situation in the army, including the deeds of the deputy generals in the army, and then asked the generals to return to their own garrisons.

During this period, Li Xuan came to the transit station of the Hexi Changxing Transport Envoy to listen to the officials' reports.

Most of the supplies transported back to Chang'an from the Western Regions belonged to the imperial court.

But the transportation capacity was not as great as Li Xuan had imagined.

There were too many losses along the way, and Li Xuan felt that some things were not worth the cost.

Li Xuan decided to observe for a period of time, and then consider the reform plan for Changhang Transfer after fully understanding the various transfer stations.

An Sishun has arrived in Hexi, and he is grateful to Li Xuan for promoting him.

His father was the previous military commander of Hexi, and he took over the position, which is considered a good story.

At the same time, Li Xuan also summoned Zhang Xing and asked him to select another 500 strong men six feet tall from the Hexi army to expand the Modao army to 1,000 people.

There are a total of 500 Mo Daos in Hexi, including those in storage, and there are even more craftsmen in Hexi.

It can help speed up the completion of the armor and weapons of the Modao generals.

Li Xuan would report to the meeting to expand the Lintao army to 20,000 people.

Among them, the Modao Army was expanded to one thousand people, and the scout battalion was expanded to one thousand people.

The number of crossbowmen increased by one thousand, expanding to two thousand.

The number of elite cavalry increased by one thousand, expanding to five thousand.

The light cavalry increased by 2,000 to 7,000 people.

These troops were naturally not a new burden on the country, but four thousand were transferred from the Chishui Army.

The Chishui army had too many people, so even if 4,000 soldiers were transferred away, there were still 29,000 people left.

Li Xuan would transfer 5,000 captured horses from the Chishui Army.

Then, another 5,000 war horses were requisitioned from the various pastoral supervisors in Longyou to strengthen the Lintao army.

In the future, the Lintao army will have 20,000 soldiers and 50,000 war horses.

This way, you can launch a surprise attack over long distances and achieve victory with lightning speed.

Moreover, the elite cavalry can be directly selected from the Chishui Army without the need for laborious training.

By gathering the strength of Helong, it will be easier to replenish weapons and armor.

Li Xuan handed this matter over to Li Zhushi and Wang Nanyi.

"Tibet actually asked for peace with the Tang Dynasty?"

In early March, Li Xuan learned from a letter from Liu Yan in Huangshui City that Tubo had sent envoys to the Tang Dynasty.

The envoy who came to the Tang Dynasty was the Tibetan tribute minister Sangdong Zebu.

Li Xuan knew this person. He was a famous general who would take over the position of Moluqiongsang Woermang in the future. He was also a traitor.

Ten years later, a coup d'état in the horse racing city killed the great ruler Chidai Zhudan, completing the feat of regicide.

But it was not long before it was pacified by Nlandazalugong.

It is said that Tubo carried a large amount of gold, silver and jewelry, as if they were going to pay tribute.

Li Xuan planned to leave for Chang'an in late March. He would ride fast on horseback and would surely arrive in Chang'an before Sangdongzebu.

He was already planning a war with Tubo and would never allow the two countries to sue for peace.

Because Li Xuan knew that Tubo was just stalling for time and was not truly seeking peace.

The Tibetan king of this generation was ambitious, and he also had a group of ambitious ministers.

"The saint hates Tubo's inconsistency, and the probability of him agreeing to peace is extremely low."

Li Xuan thought of Li Longji's attitude towards Tubo and gradually put his mind at ease.

In any case, Li Longji issued an edict that Li Xuan would arrive in Chang'an before April.

During this period, Li Xuan had been listening to military orders from Longyou.

It was learned that Tubo was still building Kuba City and there were signs that Tubo was sending more troops to Jiuqu and Qinghai.

Tubo continuously transported weapons and soldiers to Shibao City.

This means that Tubo is also actively preparing for war or is ready to defend at any time.

Tubo has already known the news that Li Xuan is also the governor of Hexi.

They felt even more terrified as they were in control of an army of over one hundred thousand.

The Tibetan king sent a golden arrow to send an order to dispatch troops to Siru and its subordinate tribes to prevent any unexpected events.

Tubo endured the humiliation and offered tribute, hoping to stop Li Xuan's steps and buy them enough time.

Li Xuan did not think too much about it. He wore casual clothes that day and took only Luo Xing and Xue Cuo with him to inspect the market in Guzang City.

Because Li Xuan was wearing a Hu hat, no one recognized Li Xuan.

He wanted to see what the market in Guzang City was like and whether it was the same as what the Guzang magistrate described.

As an important commercial city, commerce is also an important source of tax revenue for Guzang City.

After a round of inspection, the overall business area planning is well organized and the Guzang magistrate is quite capable.

Although there was no open robbery, the Gu Zang Ling said that there were some hidden acts of bullying and extortion that he could not put an end to.

Because in Guzang City, the Guzang magistrate was just a county magistrate.

Not to mention the Jiedushi's office, the chief secretary, deputy governor and other officials of the Wuwei prefectural government could openly interfere in all affairs of Guzang City.

"Mr. Merchant, how much is your silk per piece?"

Li Xuan approached a vendor and asked him.

"Two taels of silver a piece, no bargaining!"

When the vendor saw Li Xuan's outfit, his eyes lit up and he immediately told her the price.

"It's much more expensive than Chang'an!"

Li Xuan felt that he could buy a piece of silk in Chang'an for five or six hundred coins. Although the silk looked exquisite, it was only one coin at most in Chang'an.

"Look, my lord. My silk comes from Kuaiji County. It is the famous crimson embroidery. It is so exquisite. We came from Kuaiji County and traveled through mountains and rivers, so naturally we have to sell it for a higher price."

The vendor pointed at the silk and said to Li Xuan.

In fact, their business is usually taken over by foreign merchants.

Hu merchants could purchase goods in Wuwei without having to travel far to Chang'an.

Although the price is high, the Hu merchants can sell it at a higher price after returning.

Of course, it was nonsense for the merchant to say that he came from Kuaiji County. All kinds of silk from the south could be bought in the West Market of Chang'an.

They transported silk from Chang'an to Wuwei and sold it to Hu merchants, making a huge profit from the difference. This was also done by merchants.

“It’s good, but it’s too expensive!”

Li Xuan shook his head.

"My dear, you have been to Chang'an before. You are a knowledgeable person. Although we sell at a high price, we don't make much money. If you go to Chang'an, you will have to travel thousands of miles and there will be risks."

The merchant hoped to sell out this batch of silk as soon as possible, so he told Li Xuan this.

"I see that there are many people like you selling silk and satin in the Guzang market."

Li Xuan then told the vendor this to see if there was a fixed price.

"In this Guzang City, no matter where you go, the price is the same. If it's any lower, we won't make any money."

The vendor pointed around and said to Li Xuan that it seemed that all vendors selling silk had the same price.

Just as Li Xuan was about to leave, two men in blue robes came to the stall.

"Old Ge, there are a lot of goods this time! Did you sell them secretly?"

One of the men was counting the amount of silk on the cart, while the other questioned the vendor.

"No, we haven't even opened yet! No need to count, there are a total of 105 horses."

The vendor said with an apologetic smile, then pointed to the two large bags next to him and signaled them to carry the bags away.

"Just consider it as your one hundred and five horses."

The man in blue robe didn't seem to care much and just carried two large bags of money into the car.

"What's in this pocket?"

Li Xuan saw that there were many big bags in the car, so he went forward to ask one of the men in blue robe.

"Is that something you can ask?"

The man in blue robe reached out to push Li Xuan who was approaching.

"Snapped!"

When he was about to push Li Xuan, Luo Xing slapped him and yelled, "Can you move my master?"

The man in the blue robe was knocked over on the car, and the people around him were attracted. Beating someone in the street is a serious crime.

"How dare you hit someone?"

The other man in blue robe was also shocked and pointed at Li Xuan.

Now a killer god has come to Guzang Ling. In an emergency, even they dare not act arrogantly. How dare these guys hit them?

But Li Xuan ignored him and just reached out to see what was in the bag in the car.
"you dare!"

Another man in a blue robe wanted to stop them.

He was pushed away by Luo Xing.

Li Xuan also opened the bag.

Inside were strings of copper coins, and there were probably seven or eight strings in this bag.

My goodness, if the pockets in this cart were filled with copper coins, there would probably be dozens or even hundreds of them.

This reminded Li Xuan of what the Guzang magistrate had said about "collecting protection fees", which continued despite repeated bans.

Now Li Xuan realized that this was not collecting protection money, but blatant robbery!
The two bags of money the merchant had given them earlier contained at least ten strings of cash.

The commotion here caused the patrolling city officials to come over with the county soldiers.

"What are you doing! What are you doing..."

The city official had not yet come near when the shouting came.

"You need to help us! This man beat us for no reason!"

The two men in blue robes complained to the city official, saying that everything was Li Xuan's fault.

"Do you know that if you cause trouble in the market, you will be caned 20 times? If your nose is bleeding, you will be caned 60 times!"

After the city clerk finished speaking, he ordered the county soldiers, "Arrest them and send them to the county government office."

"How dare you!" Before the county soldiers could move, Xue Cuo and Luo Xing lifted their robes and each took out a knife.

In an instant, passers-by A and B around them took out swords from their clothes and surrounded the county soldiers.

This frightened the county soldiers so much that they felt they had entered a den of thieves.

No, this is a market!

Li Xuan's personal guards are basically rangers, and they are best at hiding swords.

When he went out, in addition to wearing dark armor, he was naturally protected by personal guards in secret.

Of course, Li Xuan doesn't need protection. But we can't let Li Xuan do anything if something goes wrong!
“I saw them asking for money from vendors, why didn’t you do anything about it?”

Li Xuan said to the city official.

"I advise you to put down your weapons. This is Guzang City, and there are tens of thousands of soldiers and horses."

The city clerk spoke tremblingly, lacking confidence.

"Don't you obey Gu Zang Ling's orders?"

Li Xuan asked the city official.

The magistrate of Guzang confessed to Li Xuan that he was unable to manage the city officials.

It’s not that his methods were not ruthless enough, but that the city officials did not carry out the orders he issued, and their superiors also did not allow them to be carried out.

When a county magistrate punishes his subordinates with a stick but is stopped by his superior, he feels powerless to do anything.

"Who are you?"

The city clerk finally realized that something was wrong and asked weakly.

"I am a subordinate of the Jiedushi. The Jiedushi is in charge of the affairs of Wuwei County. Shouldn't he be involved in the market?"

Li Xuan didn't want to make a big deal out of it now, so he replied calmly.

This sentence made the city clerk's face change drastically.

Li Xuan has been in Hexi for almost a month. Although he has been living in the government office, everyone in Guzang City knows about Li Xuan's notoriety and unlimited power.

How could one afford to offend the Jiedushi's men?

"Have you any letters?"

The city official asked Li Xuan to show the letter.

Li Xuan signaled Luo Xing to take out his military badge.

The city official was even more shocked after seeing that it was actually the Jiedushi's personal guard.

He felt that Li Xuan was young and heroic, which was very consistent with the characteristics of Jiedushi Li Xuan.

I thought, this couldn’t be the Jiedushi!
Otherwise, why would the governor's personal guards follow him?

Thinking of this, his legs began to tremble as if he would fall at any time.

"Let's go back!"

Li Xuan looked at the clerk's expression and seemed to have guessed his identity. He waved his hand and didn't want to ask him any more questions.

"Go quickly, go quickly!"

The city official was about to pay his respects but was driven away by Luo Xing.

"How can we leave? They are beating us!"

Seeing the city official and the county soldiers about to leave, the two men in blue robes insisted.

The city official did not dare to say anything more and ordered the two men in blue robes to be dragged away.

I didn't even have time to pack up the money in the car.

"Merchant, how much do you want to give them for this piece of cloth?"

Li Xuan asked the vendor.

"One hundred cents!"

The vendor knew that Li Xuan's identity was unusual, so he gestured with his hand.

"Here we charge 100 coins for a piece of cloth, and even if we bribe people along the way, we really won't make much! What will happen if you don't give me money?"

Li Xuan was secretly angry.

Anyone who collects protection money must be powerful and have such an enormous appetite.

A great city on the Silk Road may lose many merchants because of this.

After all, there are many businessmen who are careful with their calculations.

Once the mall reaches a certain volume and leaves a good reputation, more merchants will stop by.

During the heyday of the Tang Dynasty, the Silk Road was prosperous and Guzang City had unique commercial conditions. Even though it still received huge amounts of tax revenue every year, Li Xuan believed that Guzang City's potential was far more than that.

Even if it is for the future, we still need to make some arrangements.

"If we don't give it to us, we won't be able to enter the market, and we will be robbed and beaten when we leave the city," the vendor said angrily.

This is something that all merchants know, even the Hu people are no exception.

Even if they reported to the police, by the time the soldiers arrived, those scoundrels who beat them would have already run away.

Therefore, the vendors could only raise their prices a little higher and let other Hu merchants bear the cost as well.

“That’s too much!”

Li Xuan shook his head and took out the two bags of money from the peddler's car and returned them to him.

"I dare not accept it."

The merchant evaded the question, saying that there were many ruffians in the market, and if he dared to accept the money, he would suffer physical pain after leaving the city, and it would be difficult to keep his money.

"Take it, I'll make sure you're okay!"

Li Xuan forced the money into his hand. The vendor thought it was his hard-earned money, so he accepted it.

After asking the questions, Li Xuan asked his personal guards to push the money in the cart and leave.

At the same time, Li Xuan ordered Luo Xing to arrange several personal guards to watch the merchant leave the city.

If anyone intercepts this vendor, arrest them all.

Li Xuan needed to take advantage of this opportunity to clarify the important trade routes and make some Hu merchants who bought silk feel that it was very cost-effective not to go to Chang'an. Only in this way could Wuwei County become truly prosperous.

"Meeting General Li!"

Li Xuan had just returned to the government office when Yang Wan came to pay him a visit.

Now Yang Wan is the chief judge. When Li Xuan is away, he takes on the responsibility of staying behind and is responsible for all matters, big or small. He also feels deeply that the responsibility is huge.

"What's public power?"

Li Xuan said to Yang Wan.

Gongquan is Yang Wan's courtesy name.

"The magistrate of Guzang Road was chased while inspecting the farmland outside the city. He jumped into the river in time and swam to the other side, thus escaping with his life!" Yang Wan told Li Xuan about this.

"Has the assassin been caught?"

Li Xuan frowned and spoke slowly.

Fortunately it’s okay!

Such a ridiculous thing happened before he even started to prepare to take action.

He had to start a fire as soon as possible to let Hexi know that he had really arrived.

The magistrate of Guzang was Lu Sigong, who was formerly known as Lu Jianke. When Lu Sigong was evaluated for his political achievements last year, he was ranked first in the country. Li Longji thought of Lu Gong, a famous official of the Han Dynasty.

There are three strange things about Lu Gong: locusts do not enter his territory, his virtue moves animals, and young men have kind hearts.

Therefore, Li Longji personally gave him the name "Si Gong".

Even though Guzang County had many problems, due to its geographical location, its business was developed, and Lu Sigong managed agriculture in an orderly manner, making it the leader in terms of political achievements in the county.

Li Xuan met with Lu Sigong not long ago and asked him many questions about people's livelihood.

He sincerely hoped to govern Xiping County and Wuwei County well, so that Li Longji could see his ability to govern the local area and use this as an opportunity to become prime minister.

Lu Sigong reported to Li Xuan some evil deeds committed by powerful people that hindered the development of Wuwei. Li Xuan told him to deal with them without hesitation.

No matter who is involved, as long as they are guilty, they will be arrested.

Li Xuan is his strong support.

"The assassin saw that his assassination attempt failed and he was surrounded, so he drew his sword and committed suicide. He was a real assassin!"

Yang Wan replied.

"If he is from Guzang City, someone must know him. Bring his body to Guzang City and have someone identify him. Whoever identifies the assassin and reports to the government office will be rewarded with ten strings of cash."

Li Xuan instructed Yang Wan.

He was the judge of Wuwei County, which meant that Lu Sigong was also his subordinate. He dared to carry out the assassination in broad daylight, which was a slap in Li Xuan's face!

If it is a ranger from another place, it is difficult to identify him.

But if the assassination attempt on a senior official fails, he will commit suicide without hesitation, just like a slave kept by a nobleman, the most loyal slave, who can die immediately for his master's secret.

If there were such a servant in Guzang City, someone would have definitely seen one.

"As ordered!"

Yang Wan took the order and left.

Li Xuan's personal guards paraded the assassin's body through the streets. Anyone who could identify the assassin only needed to report it secretly to the government office, and he would be rewarded with ten strings of cash. Anyone who dared to report it without authorization would be punished with a serious crime.

When the people in the city learned about this, they all came over, just in case they knew the man!
The assassin dressed up as a farmer to get close to Lu Sigong.

But the farmers in the surrounding villages had never seen this assassin.

Countless people gathered around the assassin's body, pointing and talking.

"County Magistrate Lu is a good official, this man deserves to die!"

"How could someone assassinate Magistrate Lu, an official who serves the people?"

"General Li had just arrived and something like this happened. He must have been very angry, so he ordered the soldiers to drag the body to find someone who knew him."

"It's a pity that I don't know him, otherwise I could help Magistrate Lu get revenge and get a big reward."

"This person looks so familiar, as if he has appeared in the city before?"

"I also think that after seeing him a few times, he must be from Guzang City!"

Some people felt it was a pity because they had clearly seen the assassin but didn't know his origins.

However, a few people nodded secretly. They seemed to have recognized the identity of the assassin and ran towards the government office, fearing that if they ran too slowly, their reward money would be taken away.

After learning that the news came so quickly, Li Xuan asked his personal guards to pack up the assassin's body.

The three accusers were brought to the government office, and Li Xuan wanted to see if their statements were consistent.

If they agree, both will be rewarded with ten strings of cash.

(End of this chapter)