Chapter 196 The general is omnipotent, he comes here only to kill people

"You caused such a disaster just for a sword. Are you still worthy of being an official?"

Li Xuan was deeply saddened when he learned the whole story.

Zhuge Liang's Sword, also known as Zhangwu Sword.

Li Xuan remembered that decades later, it would be obtained by a separatist warlord named Li Shigu and renamed Shigu Sword!

Using Zhuge Liang's sword to bribe Li Linfu was definitely a way to please him.

Li Linfu was extremely rich and powerful, so he certainly wouldn't care about anything else.

There are no detailed records of the Battle of Moli in history. Li Xuan only knew that Moli Tuyuhun suffered a miserable end and was "captured and taken back" by the Hexi Army sent by Wang Zhongsi.

I just don’t know what will happen to Fan Changhai, whether he will give away Zhuge Liang’s sword.

But now, Li Xuan's chance has come.

He could use words to induce Li Longji, take advantage of the situation to attack Li Linfu and weaken Li Linfu's prestige.

Although Zhuge Liang's sword was not given away, Fan Changhai was willing to kill people to seize Zhuge Liang's sword in order to please Li Linfu, which led to the rebellion of the Moli Tuyuhun tribe.

After hearing this, Li Longji would certainly be dissatisfied with Li Linfu for making him suffer an undeserved disaster.

Faced with Li Xuan's questioning, Fan Changhai sat on the ground, speechless.

He was blinded by greed and caused irreparable consequences. It's too late to say anything now.

Li Xuan will never let him go.

"The country's delay is all due to this. You are selfish and take human lives lightly. Wait for the saint to execute you!"

Li Xuan said something to Fan Changhai and Xu Zhi. Then he said to Helian Chengying: "Chief Helian, although there are reasons, you cut off the lifeline of the country and rebelled to block the city. I guarantee that your people will be fine, but you must go to Chang'an and wait for the punishment of the saint. Whether it is death or exile depends on your luck."

The Silk Road was cut off for half a month, causing incalculable losses, and Helian Chengying needs to take responsibility for this.

As for Fan Changhai and Xu Zhi, they would surely die if they were sent to Chang'an.

Whether their families would be implicated depended on Li Longji's mood.

"I can close my eyes even if I fall into hell after seeing Marshal Li's selfless redress for my Moli Tuyuhun tribe!"

Helian Chengying had no regrets and paid another great tribute to Li Xuan.

"Go back and arrange for the next chieftain. Report to Jinchang City in seven days."

Li Xuan waved his hand and asked Helian Chengying to go down.

He believed that Helian Chengying would not risk implicating the entire family and flee for fear of punishment.

Li Xuan's alternating efforts allowed Helian Chengying to make arrangements for the clan, which could be considered a great favor to the Moli Tuyuhun tribe.

Only Li Xuan would not use them to gain military merit.

But as soon as Li Xuan arrived, Moli Tuyuhun surrendered and was captured without any loss of a single soldier.

Although it is not as good as Xue Rengui's three arrows to conquer Tianshan, it can also be regarded as "taking off the hat to repel thousands of enemies."

Li Xuan ordered Liu Zhiru to arrest Fan Changhai and Xu Zhi, confiscate their property, and escort them to Chang'an when Helian Chengying returned.

Their families were imprisoned in the city first. Li Xuan did not make things difficult for them and waited for Li Longji's order.

Those who participated in killing the Tuyuhun soldiers were all demoted to forced labor and sent to the Huangshui River to serve as miscellaneous servants in the army.

"Qiang!"

"Nice sword! Beautiful!"

After Li Xuan got Zhuge Liang's sword, he drew it out.

The sword is three feet and six inches long and has a sharp edge.

Of course, this is Han ruler.

The name "Zhangwu Sword" is inscribed on the hilt, and the four characters "Zhuge Kongming" are inscribed on the other side of the hilt, both in small seal script.

It is said that this was written by Zhuge Liang himself and inscribed by a craftsman.

He couldn't tell the authenticity, but he guessed there weren't so many fakes in this era.

Since this sword has never been used in the battlefield and due to the exquisite craftsmanship, it still remains sharp.

"I will serve you till my death. Alas! Am I worthy of wearing this sword?"

Li Xuan thought of his rebellion plan and couldn't help but stroke the sword.

He was in the courtyard, dancing with Zhuge Liang's sword.

His sword skills were derived from Liao Zhengrong, which were simple yet murderous.

Singing to get drunk and masturbating, dancing and setting sun for glory.

The sword light flashed around Li Xuan, coming and going like a shadow.

"I am not loyal to the Tang Dynasty, but to the country and the people. I am qualified to wear the Zhangwu Sword!"

After finishing the sword dance, Li Xuan's face showed determination again.

But not now. Since he wanted to use Zhuge Liang's sword to attack Li Linfu, he had to send Zhuge Liang's sword to Chang'an first so that Li Longji could see it.

See which minister Li Longji will reward!
Li Xuan will go get it later.

For the next few days, Li Xuan stayed in Jinchang City.

He asked the Chief Clerk of Jinchang to be in charge of daily government affairs while waiting for the arrival of the new Prefect of Jinchang.

The powerful men stayed inside the door, trembling.

But Li Xuan was not in the mood to pay attention to them for the time being.

Li Xuan took this opportunity to write a memorial, not mentioning Li Linfu in every word, as if it was because of Li Linfu that the disaster happened.

It implies that local officials would often send treasures to Li Linfu in order to get promoted.

Finally, Li Xuan did not forget to ask Li Longji to show leniency and only punish the crime of Moli Tuyuhun chief Helian Chengying, without implicating the Moli Tuyuhun people.

Seven days later, Helian Chengying arrived to report for duty, and he also brought someone to meet Li Xuan.

It was Helian Jun, the cousin of Helian Chengying, who was elected by the Helian tribes as the new leader of Moli Tuyuhun.

Helian Jun came to meet Li Xuan and said that as long as they could survive this disaster, they would follow Li Xuan's lead in the future.

Li Xuan asked him to take this as a warning and not make such a mistake that would bring disaster to his clan.

Helian Jun obeyed the order and promised to send two thousand cavalry to follow Li Xuan to fight against Tubo next time.

In front of Helian Jun, Li Xuan added a sentence to the memorial: "Moli Tuyuhun will use all 2,000 cavalry to fight against the barbarians!"

It seemed like an ordinary sentence, but in fact it was a plea to Helian Chengying.

With this sentence as the embellishment, it is impossible for Li Longji to execute Helian Chengying.

Li Longji was a man who responded to soft words but not hard ones. Based on Li Xuan's understanding of Li Longji, there were probably two possibilities for Helian Chengying's situation. One was to confine him to Chang'an, and the other was to exile him to Lingnan, Qianzhong and other places.

Helian Jun was even more grateful to Li Xuan!

Because Li Xuan's every word and action will have a huge impact on the saint.

As an envoy to the barbarians, Li Xuan handled the affairs of the Hu tribes with a firm yet gentle attitude, and was fair and just. He punished the guilty and rewarded the meritorious. He did not blame others or impose his will on others.

After the news of the Moli Tuyuhun rebellion spread to the various Hu tribes in Hexi, they were all convinced. They all praised Li Xuan and wanted to serve him!
Because they know that working under Li Xuan will be rewarded.

Under Li Xuan's command, you will not suffer an unjust accusation.

While believing in Li Xuan, they also restrained the behavior of their clansmen. If any clan member made a mistake, they would first enforce the clan law and then escort him to the government.

Li Xuan's prestige in Hexi has once again reached a new height!
The Hexi Corridor was restored and regained its former prosperity.

The world is hilarious, all come for profit.

Everyone in the world is benefiting.

After Fan Changhai, Xu Zhi, Helian Chengying and Zhuge Liangjian were escorted out of Jinchang City, Li Xuan, with Liu Zhiru seeing them off, headed west with Yan Zhenqing and other officials.

Dunhuang County was a sandbar before it was changed from a prefecture to a county.

As the name suggests, this is a place covered with yellow sand.

Dunhuang is located between the majestic Qilian Mountains in the south, the vast Lop Nur desert in the west, the rugged and winding Beisai Mountains in the north, and the rugged Sanwei Mountains in the east.

Right in this desert, a stream of sweet spring water originates from the Qilian Mountains.

It flows from Ziting Town at the foot of the mountain, through Dunhuang City, and then into Dajingze.

It is this river that has injected endless vitality into Dunhuang, making it a desert oasis famous in the Western Regions.

Li Xuan drove along the official road of the post station all the way to Dunhuang City.

The governor of Dunhuang County, Sheng Yuliang, and the military envoy of Yumen, An Yuanzhen, traveled to the salt lake west of the city to welcome him.

"Meeting General Li!"

"Meet the Governor!"

The two groups of people followed different etiquette.

"No gift!"

Li Xuan told them not to be so polite.

Then, under their guidance, we headed towards Dunhuang City.

"General An, the Yumen Army is far away in Jiuquan County. We have just moved to Dunhuang. Are the soldiers adapted to the local climate and environment?"

Along the way, he asked An Yuanzhen about some matters concerning the Yumen Army.

"Replying to General Li, Dunhuang and Jiuquan were two neighboring counties during the Han Dynasty, with similar customs and people, so the soldiers did not feel uncomfortable. However, Dunhuang guards Yumen and Yangguan, so the soldiers feel a great responsibility."

An Yuanzhen replied to Li Xuan.

"Have the newly recruited soldiers arrived?"

Li Xuan asked again.

"They are already in training. The soldiers are very hardworking and have ambitions in their eyes. They are ready to be called by Marshal Li at any time to serve the country!"

An Yuanzhen answered respectfully.

The Yumen Army had 5,200 soldiers, and now with the reinforcement of Li Xuan, there were as many as 2,300 horses.

It is considered to be a relatively powerful medium-sized army.

"That's good! There's a long way to go, and we still have a lot to contribute!"

Li Xuan nodded and asked Sheng Yuliang, who was riding a horse beside him, "Sheng Taishou looks young and promising!"

"I am almost forty years old, how can I compare with you?"

Sheng Yuliang laughed.

Compared with others, he is young and promising, but compared with Li Xuan, he is still far behind.

Li Xuan stopped talking and concentrated on his journey.

This made Sheng Yuliang, who was about to think about how to respond, choke.

He felt that Li Xuan was a very cunning person and was definitely not someone who was easy to deal with.

At sunset in the afternoon, they arrived at the ancient city of Dunhuang.

A city that rose up in a desert oasis.

The city is about two and a half feet high, with a thick rammed earth layer. The city looks particularly majestic amidst the yellow sand.

There is also a moat that draws water from sweet springs, which makes Dunhuang City seem even more solid.

Just when they were fifty steps away from the east gate of the city, the Yulin Guards who were leading the way were stopped by an old man.

"Sir, may I ask if you have found my granddaughter?"

The old man looked to be about sixty years old, with ragged clothes and messy hair. He was leaning on a cane and blocking the tall horses of the Shen Ce Guards.

Seeing that the old man was frail and did not show his weapons, the leader Liao Zhengrong said, "We have not seen him yet, old man, please do not block our way..."

The old man ignored Liao Zhengrong's words and just stretched his neck forward.

This forced the Shen Ce Guards in the rear to rein in their horses.

"You old bastard, why don't you get out of here right away..."

When the followers of the Dunhuang prefectural government discovered this situation, they immediately rode over, cursing.

The followers dismounted from their horses, roughly lifted the old man up and dragged him aside.

The old man's walking stick fell out of his hand.

Liao Zhengrong couldn't bear to watch it anymore and immediately shouted, "Let go! What are you doing!"

"General, this old man is blocking the road. I'm afraid he's annoying the governor."

The servant stopped immediately.

In front of Li Xuan's personal guards, they could not be arrogant and spoke in a humble manner.

"Just take him aside, why be so rude?" Liao Zhengrong was a kind-hearted chivalrous man and he couldn't stand these things.

At such an old age, he still looked idiotic and was lifted up like an object, without even his walking stick.

If it were in the past, Liao Zhengrong would have definitely beaten them up.

When the two followers didn't dare to speak, Li Xuan was already alarmed.

"Liao Shisan, what's going on?"

After riding to the front, Li Xuan asked Liao Zhengrong.

Liao Zhengrong told Li Xuan about this little thing.

"Don't do evil, no matter how small it is, and don't leave good unsuccessful, no matter how small it is. Why don't you pick up your cane?"

Li Xuan spoke unhappily to the two followers.

The two followers were so frightened that their hands and feet were shaking. They hurriedly picked up the crooked crutch on the ground and handed it to the old man.

But the old man did not take over. He looked through the crowd of Shen Ce Guards and behind the hundreds of horses, as if he was looking for something, and muttered: "Did you find my granddaughter?"

"Take him quickly... Please go, don't delay the governor from entering the city."

Sheng Yuliang ordered his followers.

"slow!"

Li Xuan raised his hand.

The followers dared not move due to Li Xuan's majesty and just looked at Sheng Yuliang.

How could Sheng Yuliang dare to say anything!

"What are you looking for, old man?"

Li Xuan dismounted and came to the old man and asked.

"My granddaughter hasn't returned for more than half a year since she left the city through the east gate."

After looking around, the old man was very disappointed.

He thought these officers and soldiers would rescue his granddaughter!

"Will be back!"

Li Xuan held the old man's bony hand and comforted him.

He saw that the old man was not stupid, but was just caught up in a certain emotion, with hope and disappointment constantly intertwined.

"There is a girl in Dunhuang who has not been heard from for several years. Recently, there are rumors of her being a thief..."

The old man looked worried and stopped talking midway.

"If it was half a year ago, the thief merchant would not have escaped from the Tang Dynasty!"

Li Xuan comforted the old man and said, "Go home!"

The old man just slowly left the road and sat down on a stone by the roadside.

In his eyes, both Li Xuan and Sheng Yuliang were incompetent officers and soldiers. He just wanted to wait for the return of his granddaughter, who depended on him for everything.

When Li Xuan entered the city, Luo Xing placed a string of coins in front of him.

By the time the old man reacted, Luo Xing had already entered the city.

For ordinary people, one tael of silver is a considerable income.

"My dear father, you are blessed. This is a reward from the general!"

When the old man chased to the city gate, the soldier guarding the city said something to him.

I secretly envy this old man for being able to say a word to the general, which makes his life worthwhile.

"Who is the general?"

The old man asked hesitantly.

"The general can do anything!"

The soldier guarding the city was a soldier of the Yumen Army. He saw that the old man was ignorant and said that the old man would not understand the deeds of the general. So he used "omnipotent" instead.

This is also the impression that the Helong soldiers have of Li Xuan!
omnipotent!

The old man thought of the heroic young man he had just talked to, and his eyes lit up again.

……

The main hall of Dunhuang Prefecture's Mansion.

"I thought Dunhuang would be as magnificent as a painting, and as lively and energetic as the flying fairies in the murals. I was disappointed all the way, and even the city was filled with a sense of decadence."

This was the first thing Li Xuan said after entering the hall.

"Dunhuang is beautiful, and there is also the Mogao Grottoes, which the governor has not seen yet. At the foot of Mingsha Mountain, the sand has five different colors, and there is also a sand well at the foot of the mountain, with blue water like jade, like the reflection of a fairy spring!"

Sheng Yuliang introduced to Li Xuan with a smile.

"Can I get to that place?"

Li Xuan said lightly.

"Governor, Dunhuang has unique musical instruments and dances. We have arranged a banquet to welcome you!"

Sheng Yuliang didn't know how to respond, so he could only say something vaguely and change the subject.

"Blessed to endure!"

Li Xuan did not accept Sheng Yuliang's invitation to the banquet, but instead asked An Yuanzhen: "General An, how are my Yumen Pass and Yangguan Pass being defended?"

An Yuanzhen is the younger brother of An Sishun and the son of An Bozhu.

Although they were Sogdians, the Sogdians who were born and raised in the Tang Dynasty were different from the Sogdians of the Nine Surnames of Zhaowu.

Only a "mixed Hu" like An Lushan would constantly win over the Sogdians, who he considered to be of the same ethnic group, and make them his generals.

"The caravan wanted by the Jiedushi government office definitely did not pass through Yangguan or Yumenguan."

An Yuanzhen patted his chest and made the promise.

His elder brother had just been recommended by Li Xuan as the deputy ambassador of Hexi Jiedushi. Even for his brother's sake, he had to stick to this post and would not let those bandit merchants go back.

"That's strange. It is said that these three caravans have nearly 300 people in total, more than 200 vehicles, 350 horses, and hundreds of camels. Even if the people can hide here and there, the camels and the vehicles can't grow wings and fly away, right?"

Li Xuan said something meaningful.

"I led my soldiers back from the East Pass of Chiling and investigated the bandits and merchants, but there was no trace of them."

An Yuanzhen thought Li Xuan was asking him, so he spoke quickly.

"Sheng Taishou, it is said that the thieves and merchants have never left Dunhuang County. What do you think?"

Li Xuan faced the Dunhuang governor Sheng Yuliang.

"Reporting to the governor, I have sent thief-hunting officers to search day and night, but no trace of the thieves and merchants can be found."

Sheng Yuliang also said this to Li Xuan.

"Sheng Taishou, do you think it's appropriate for you to say this?"

Li Xuan said with a hint of meaning.

This time, he went to Dunhuang County basically with the goal of targeting Sheng Yuliang.

What just happened was very unpleasant. Li Xuan didn't want to play along with him anymore and wanted to come clean in advance.

Yan Zhenqing learned from the confessions of Lin Chaocheng, the former commander of Yumen Pass, and the former commander of Yangguan Pass that Sheng Yuliang was also involved in the crimes of the bandits and merchants.

For thieves and merchants to take women, girls and children out, of course, they have to go through more than just Yumen Pass and Yangguan Pass, they also have to hide their tracks.

In addition, it was not only Dunhuang County where women went missing, tragedies also occurred in Zhangye and Jiuquan.

Given the long distance, Li Xuan suspected that there was some local government providing cover.

Obviously, Sheng Yuliang is the first suspect.

"I don't understand what the governor means..."

Sheng Yuliang smiled and spoke calmly, as if he felt at ease and had nothing to fear.

"Do you know why I came to Dunhuang?"

Li Xuan changed the subject and asked Sheng Yuliang.

"The governor came here to quell the Tuyuhun rebels."

Sheng Yuliang answered without hesitation.

"That's absurd! I came here to kill people. I thought I had already drawn my sword, but there are always people who want to test whether my sword is sharp!"

Li Xuan held the hilt of the sword and said murderously.

"I don't understand!"

Sheng Yuliang lowered his head, seemingly not understanding what Li Xuan meant.

"Since the Tianbao era, 75 women and children have disappeared in Dunhuang County. I heard that you have been the governor of Dunhuang for three years. How dare you sit in this position? I am ashamed!"

Li Xuan didn't give Sheng Yuliang any face and started scolding him directly!
It was Yan Zhenqing who discovered that the population of Dunhuang was missing.

If Li Xuan had not asked Yan Zhenqing to investigate along the counties in the Hexi Corridor, no one would have known that more than one hundred women and children and more than three hundred female slaves had disappeared in the Hexi Corridor.

All these local counties reported the incident, but the information was not reported to the imperial court.

There were fewer missing women in other counties, so it was just an accident. However, most of them disappeared in Dunhuang, and the prefect still wanted to sit back and relax.

"I have been trying to track down the thieves, but I suspect they have fled to other counties."

The smile on Sheng Yuliang's lips froze. He thought Li Xuan was a great poet after all, but he didn't expect him to be so disrespectful. How embarrassed was he?
"You have been the governor for three years, and you have lost more than seventy women and good families. Thieves and merchants are coming and going openly on the main road outside the city. What are the county soldiers and arresting officers doing? If you can't arrest the thieves and merchants within three days, I will chop off your head!"

Li Xuan spoke the last sentence word by word, like a sword, piercing Sheng Yuliang's chest.

Use whatever method you want to use to deal with the person!
Do you really think arresting thieves and merchants is the border troops' job?
When he was in Jiuqu, Li Xuan thought a lot about this case.

Regardless of whether these things are related to Sheng Yuliang, he must be brought to justice.

He concealed the disappearance and did not report it in order to get the matter over with.

Li Xuan had reason to suspect that Sheng Yuliang was in cahoots with the merchant thieves.

After hearing this, Sheng Yuliang's face changed drastically.

An Yuanzhen felt Li Xuan's vigorous and decisive style, and secretly thought that he must strictly abide by military regulations and not violate them.

If the commander is an incompetent commander, the military rules he sets are like waste paper.

If it were an ordinary commander, when he awarded military merits, his soldiers would pretend to obey but actually disobey.

If a commander is of superior caliber, he will set military merits and the soldiers will obey, but they will not obey blindly.

When a commander like Li Xuan achieves military merit, the soldiers will remember it in their hearts and will not feel resentful even if he is punished.

Because Li Xuan did not intimidate people with his bravery, but won them over with his virtue.

The other officials in the main hall trembled and dared not speak.

"Commander-in-chief, it is impossible to run from Yumen Pass to Sanwei Mountain in three days. It is like boiling water to make ice or knocking ice to make fire. You are forcing others to do something impossible. How is it different from Zhou Xing and Lai Junchen?"

Sheng Yuliang was not convinced and couldn't help but speak.

Isn't this just a reason to kill him?
"presumptuous……"

Yan Zhenqing, who was standing next to him, was furious and shouted at Sheng Yuliang.

He also has a temper.

Everyone in Chang'an and Luoyang knew what kind of person Lai Junchen was. To call him a beast was to flatter him.

Under the protection of Wu Zetian, Lai Junchen did things that were so outrageous that no treacherous minister in history could have done such a thing.

Sheng Yuliang compared Li Xuan to Lai Junchen, which made Yan Zhenqing furious.

Because in Yan Zhenqing's heart, Li Shuai is a truly iron-blooded and tender-hearted man.

There is nothing unfair in what we do.

Only those whose interests are affected will resent Li Xuan.

"The court has given you three years. What have you done? Have you made the people of Dunhuang richer? Or have you made the grain harvest more abundant? Since I entered Dunhuang, I have looked at the sand and it looks like gold. And, if you really want to use a cruel official to describe me, then use Zhidu!"

Li Xuan stretched out his hand to stop Yan Zhenqing and retorted to Sheng Yuliang.

Do you think three days is too short?
Why don't you think about it three years longer?

As mentioned before, Li Xuan is bound to kill a group of people this time.

Let the blood stain the yellow sand!
Whether it is for justice or to win the hearts of the people of Helong.

Sheng Yuliang is dead!

(End of this chapter)