Chapter 210: The four governors, controlling thousands of miles of territory, powerful troops and important towns, all in one person

"I have long known General Li's loyalty to the country, and you all have witnessed it."

Li Longji asked Li Xuan to stand up.

He also has an important task to hand over to Li Xuan.

Because he wanted Li Xuan to devote all his energy to helping him win this Tang-Tibet War.

In the 29th year of Kaiyuan, the Tibetan king Chidai Zhudan led an army of 400,000 to invade the border in a mighty force.

They entered Ningsai Army all the way, and after failing to capture Jieshi Military City, they turned to attack Dahua City and massacred the soldiers and civilians in the city.

Go all the way into the East Pass of Chiling and capture the Stone Fort City!
All the way through the Huangshui River, we entered the area of ​​Anrenjun.

At that time, Helong was trembling with fear. As the Helong Jiedushi Gai Jiayun was addicted to wine and sex and drunk in the arms of pleasure, Helong had no orders to dispatch troops, and all the military cities and guard posts were on self-isolation and defense.

Many civilians were abducted by the Tibetan army.

Li Longji considered this his shame.

At that time, there was only a cavalry general who was not even a military envoy, who repelled part of the Tibetan vanguard.

In order to cover up his crime, Gai Jiayun reported a cavalry general named Zang Xiye, who led 5,000 soldiers to defeat the 400,000-strong Tibetan army.

But Li Longji didn't believe such words at all.

Because the Tibetan troops were divided into several routes, they were able to enter the Tang territory like a no man's land. Five thousand soldiers defeated four hundred thousand soldiers. They had to travel thousands of miles, in Anrenjun, Qinghai, Chiling, across the Yellow River, Ningsai County, and fought with different Tibetan troops. The other troops in Helong looked like rubbish.

Would they abandon Stone Castle?

In fact, after showing off their might, the Tubo army of 400,000 calmly retreated to Jiuqu and Qinghai with their spoils, using Shibao City as a fulcrum to build a barrier.

The battle in the 29th year of Kaiyuan was actually a regret for Li Longji, as he lost a good opportunity to defeat the main force of Tubo.

The Tubo, whose actual power had been greatly reduced, came to invade the country again, and Li Longji did not want to miss it again.

"My lords, after Wang Zhongsi left for Shuofang, Hedong Jiedu, Zhidu, Fangfang, and Yingtian Ambassador, who can take up such a position?"

Li Longji got to the point and asked the ministers.

"Your Majesty, I think the deputy envoys of the two towns can take up the post?"

A minister stepped forward and made a suggestion to Li Longji.

"Looking at the deputy envoy's qualifications, he has the ability to lead an army, but not the tools of a marshal."

Li Longji rejected it immediately.

In fact, Han Xiulin, the deputy envoy of Hedong, also served as the military commander. He was the reserve commander and had the demeanor of a Confucian general, but Li Longji did not want to use him.

"Your Majesty, Guo Ziyi, the commander of the Zhenwu Army, was a top-ranked scholar and has made many achievements at the frontier."

Another minister recommended him.

"They are just minor achievements, and it is still hard to detect whether they have such commanding ability."

Li Longji was not familiar with Guo Ziyi, which shows that Guo Ziyi's achievements were only ordinary.

"Your Majesty, the Hedong military commander Li Guangbi is very strategic and can train soldiers. He has the talent of Wang Zhongsi."

A minister tried to say something.

"Li Guangbi has not experienced many battles, so he cannot convince the people."

He heard that Li Guangbi was a close confidant of Wang Zhongsi who was promoted by him, and he would not consider this alone.

"Your Majesty, Li Wei, the deputy governor of Anbei and the judge of Shuofang Jiedu, has been on the border for more than ten years. Is he capable of leading an envoy?"

"Li Wei has no experience in leading troops alone, so he needs more experience."

Li Longji replied.

"Your Majesty, Chen Huiguang, the Deputy Minister of the Ministry of War and the Military Service Commissioner, has experience as a commander-in-chief and can be sent out as a commander."

"General Chen can be the deputy envoy to Shuofang, and he needs to receive some more military merits to become the ambassador."

In order to show off themselves and get the border generals to accept the favor, the ministers all spoke highly of the generals.

Even Gao Xiuyan, An Sishun and Wang Nandi under Li Xuan were considered candidates for border commanders, but Li Longji rejected them due to the seriousness of the Tubo issue.

Even the twelve generals of the guards made recommendations, but they were all rejected by Li Longji.

The ministers were helpless.

No one in the court was qualified. If a civil official wanted to become a general, he had to go to the border first. It was impossible for him to be appointed as a military governor right away.

Unless the prime minister personally serves as the governor, as in the late Kaiyuan period, Li Linfu personally served as the governor of Hexi and Longyou.

"Zuo Xiang, do you have any good talents to recommend?"

Li Longji asked Pei Kuan.

"Your Majesty, the generals I considered previously did not suit your Majesty's taste, so I have no one in mind."

Pei Kuan stood up and answered.

He was very curious. Li Longji had rejected more than twenty people without hesitation. What kind of person did Li Longji like?

"Where's the Right Prime Minister?"

Li Longji asked Li Linfu again.

"Your Majesty, the cavalry from Shuofang and Hedong will go to the Hehuang area to fight against the bandits. To facilitate General Li's command, I suggest that General Li concurrently serve as the governor, governor, and ambassador of Hedong and Shuofang!"

Li Linfu stood up and bowed.

When he said this, he sighed inwardly.

Li Longji rejected all those who were qualified to be the Jiedushi of the Tang Dynasty at one go.

Is it obvious that Li Xuan will take on the role concurrently?

At first, Li Linfu couldn't believe it.

Every time Li Longji refused, he would keep his eyes in the direction of Li Xuan's seat, and each refusal was decisive and clear.

In addition, Li Longji had a smile on his face when he spoke, and it was obvious that he had a candidate in mind.

There are only a few famous generals in the world. To be able to serve as a Jiedushi, it is not enough to have military achievements and bravery, one must also have qualifications and wisdom.

Li Longji repeatedly refused, and when he asked about the prime minister, there was no candidate left.

It is impossible to just pick a governor and appoint him as a Jiedushi.

He tried to figure out the emperor's intention and felt that there was a 90% chance that Li Longji wanted Li Xuan to take charge of both Hedong and Shuofang towns!
Li Linfu knew that Li Xuan would not appreciate his kindness, but in order to please his superiors and make up for his previous mistakes, he could only recommend Li Xuan with great reluctance.

"Right Prime Minister, what you said makes sense! I think General Li's commanding ability is enough for him to carry the seals of the two armies. Do you have any objection?"

When Li Longji saw that Li Linfu was able to recommend Li Xuan, he felt that Li Linfu was still capable and far-sighted.

The tacit understanding between the two seemed to have returned to the past.

The emperor and the chief prime minister sang the same tune, shocking the entire court.

Did they hear it correctly?

Not only did Li Linfu, who was badly treated by Li Xuan, recommend Li Xuan to be in charge of both Heshuo and Hebei towns, but Li Longji also agreed directly.

Could it be that the sage has forgotten how many troops there are in Hedong, Shuofang, Hexi and Longyou in total?

After Longyou recovered Jiuqu, the army was expanded.

The total number of soldiers and horses in the four towns is 280,000, which is more than half of the ten major military towns.

If he is also appointed as the envoy of Shuofang and Hedong, the troops under his control in Huzhou, Hu tribe, and Tuyuhun tribe in Taoyang County will be at least 50,000 more.

Would a saint not know this?
Some ministers even felt afraid that if Li Xuan took control of the army, the empire would be in danger of collapse.

However, they felt that Li Xuan was sincere and his poems reflected his personality, so he must be a loyal and courageous hero of the Tang Dynasty!
If Li Xuan really controlled Heshuo, the powerful people under his control would suffer greatly.

It also goes against the interests of some ministers in the court.

But Li Xuan was in the court, so how could they dare to touch Li Xuan's tiger's whiskers?

The ministers then turned their attention to Pei Kuan.

Because it was Li Linfu who proposed to let Li Xuan control Heshuo, no matter what the purpose was, he could not dissuade him.

The only one who could speak was Pei Kuan.

Other Shangshu such as Chen Xilie and Huangfu Weiming would most likely acquiesce.

As for those censors who were "put on sticks and horses" by Li Linfu, they would not make Li Xuan uncomfortable.

"Your Majesty, General Li's command of troops, strategy and bravery are beyond the reach of even the combined efforts of Wei and Huo. General Li won the battle with only one-tenth of the enemy's losses. With such a great man, the country's north and west will surely be as stable as Mount Tai. I second the Right Prime Minister's suggestion!"

Pei Kuan, as the prime minister, stepped out and spoke to Li Longji.

He finally understood why Li Linfu recommended his mortal enemy Li Xuan, because he had figured out the saint's mind.

This guess is very bold, because since the founding of the Tang Dynasty, no general has ever commanded such a large number of troops.

The chief military governor in the early Tang Dynasty was a temporary military position. During wartime, a minister was appointed to go to the battlefield. After the battle, he was dismissed and the soldiers returned to their respective command offices.

Today's military garrisons recruit soldiers, and the soldiers are all standing troops. Since the Jiedushi also serves as the Zhidushi, the soldiers are extremely dependent on the Jiedushi.

Moreover, it was easy for the Jiedushi to deceive the soldiers and block the emperor's orders outside the town. Even if he conveyed a false imperial decree, the soldiers under his command would not be able to distinguish it.

Under such circumstances, the sage let Li Xuan take charge of four military governors, which Pei Kuan did not expect.

At this time, Pei Kuan lamented that he was not as good as Li Linfu.

He had no reason to refute or disobey the sage. After all, Li Xuan had made great contributions to his becoming the prime minister. Pei Kuan's words meant that no one in the court could stop Li Xuan from serving as the governor of Hedong and Shuofang.

Those fifth and fourth rank officials acquiesced without saying a word.

"What the Left Prime Minister said is very much in line with my opinion. What does the Minister of War think?"

Li Longji nodded, and the two prime ministers agreed, which finally made him feel relieved.

He also wanted to ask Huangfu Weiming, who had once served as a military governor.

"Hedong and Shuofang have just lost Wang Zhongsi, so they must be led by a strong general like General Li. General Li once served as the military envoy of Feng'an Army and the military commander in Shuofang, and he is familiar with the soldiers. It is a perfect decision to make General Li the governor of Hedong and Shuofang."

How could Huangfu Weiming dare to refuse!
He was now afraid that Li Longji would remember that he and Li Heng were friends, so he was walking on thin ice.

After his good friend Wei Jian was demoted to Lingnan as Beijia, Huangfu Weiming discovered that there were invisible swords and sabers in the court. Each one of them was too sinister. It was not as free as when he was a Jiedushi.

Huangfu Weiming could feel Li Xuan's wisdom even more. Li Xuan had advised him and Wei Jian a long time ago, but they did not take it seriously.

When Li Xuan, Li Shizhi and Wei Jian broke up, Huangfu Weiming was still very angry, but Wei Jian was soon defeated. He knew that it was Li Xuan who had to make the decision, and Wei Jian could not defeat Li Linfu at all.

"Clap!"

"In that case, General Li, please listen to the order!"

Li Longji clapped his hands and called Li Xuan out of the class.

The Minister of War also agreed, and the other ministers did not dare to say no.

At that time, the Censor Zhou Ziliang impeached Niu Xianke for not being qualified to be the prime minister, and Li Longji ordered him to be beaten to death on the spot.

Li Longji is in high spirits now, and no minister would make him unhappy.

At this time, Li Xuan stood up again and walked to the incense table in the hall and bowed to Li Longji.

Li Xuan thought that Li Longji would let him serve concurrently as the Jiedushi of Shuofang and Hedong, just like Wang Zhongsi in history.

But this was beyond his plan.

Although he was extremely powerful as the commander of nearly 300,000 border troops, Li Longji would inevitably become suspicious of him if he continued to do so for too long.

Li Xuan couldn't resist the temptation of the Jiedushi of Four Towns. With this identity, his prestige in the world would be further enhanced.

At the same time, he could place his trusted aides in the Shuofang and Hedong armies.

He must find an opportunity to become prime minister as soon as possible.

Because he needed to do something big after becoming prime minister.

"General Li is loyal and brave, wise and strategic, the best general of our time, and his courage is unmatched throughout the ages. Now the Tibetan clowns want to raise a large army to invade our border. In order to facilitate the overall planning, I have ordered General Li to take on an important position."

"In addition to his original duties, General Li will also serve as the ambassador of Hedong Jiedu, the ambassador of Shuofang Jiedu, the ambassador of Hedong Zhidu, the ambassador of Shuofang Zhidu, the ambassador of Hedong Yingtian, the ambassador of Shuofang Yingtian, the ambassador of Hedong Fangfang, the ambassador of Shuofang Fangfang, the ambassador of Heshuo Yafan, the ambassador of Huanghe Zhuanyun, and the envoy of Sanshoujiangcheng Silk and Horse Trade. As for the political affairs of Lingwu and Taiyuan, General Li will not be in charge of them concurrently. After Tubo is pacified, the four towns will be headquartered in Guzang City, and they will intimidate Tubo in the south and control the Huihe in the north."

"Order the post stations to quickly convey the order to the various armies in Hedong and Shuofang, and to the guards, and then pass it on to stabilize the army. The cavalry marching towards Hehuang also need to convey the order!"

Li Longji issued an imperial edict at the same time as announcing the appointment of Li Xuan.

Without exception, all of Wang Zhongsi's diplomatic posts were taken over by Li Xuan.

"I thank you, Your Majesty! I appreciate your high regard for me. Even if I die, I will never repay your grace. In this battle, I will destroy the Tibetan invaders in Qinghai and let them know your greatness and the great reputation of the Tang Dynasty."

"The shame of Dafeichuan, the hatred of Dahuacheng, my warhorse has leaped out of the country. If the Tubo is not driven out of Dafeichuan, I will never return!"

Li Xuan accepted Li Longji's appointment and made lofty ambitions.

With the joining of Hedong and Shuofang, his army became strong and powerful.

And the Subi King Mo Lingzan also cooperated!

This battle must be won! And Li Xuan's ultimate goal is to capture the ruler and take the pearl.

As long as Chidai Zhudan dies, Tubo will surely fall into civil strife and weaken its strength again. This will create favorable conditions for Li Xuan to enter the snowy plateau in the future.

In addition to the appointments of Jiedu, Zhidu, Yingtian and Fangfang, Li Xuan also served as the Yellow River Transport Commissioner.

This official position is similar to the Hexi Changxing Transport, but it is through water and clouds.

For example, the grain from Taiyuan was transported to the troops on both sides of the Yellow River. In addition, the tribute from the Uighurs and the goods obtained from the grassland trade were transported through the Yellow River to the Pujin Bridge Ferry in Hedong County, where there was an official road leading directly to Chang'an.

The Yellow River Transport Commissioner was responsible for several ferry crossings and hundreds of large and small ships, which was a very important position.

The Three Surrendered Cities Silk and Horse Trade Envoys refer to several places in the Hetao area where trade with the Hu people takes place, including but not limited to the Three Surrendered Cities.

Wang Zhongsi often took advantage of the Hu people's greed for profit through trade, bought their war horses at high prices, replenished the troops, and weakened their strength.

Since the two sides traded mainly silk, and the grassland tribes mainly traded horses, it was also called the Silk and Horse Trade Envoy.

The Third Silk and Horse Trade Envoy of Jiangcheng was a good position, but Li Xuan had so many positions that he didn't even have time to take care of the Hexi Changxing Transport Envoy.

After obtaining these official positions, Li Xuan's resume changed again.

He is currently the General of the Right Feathered Guards, and serves as the Jiedushi of Hexi, Hedong, Longyou and Shuofang, the Zhidushi, the Yingtian, the Fangfang, the Yafan Ambassador, the Imperial Censor, the Governor of Xiping County, the Judge of Wuwei County, and concurrently the Ambassador of Longyou Herdsmen, the Ambassador of Hexi Changxing Transport, the Ambassador of the Yellow River Transport, the Ambassador of the Silk and Horse Trade of Sanshoujiangcheng, the Ambassador of the Chishui Army, the Ambassador of Helong Attack, the Ambassador of Helong Salt and Iron, and is granted the titles of Shangzhuguo, Yinqing Guanglu Dafu, and the title of Duke of Chu, with a real fief of 800 households.

He concurrently held more than 20 posts, ranging from farmland, finance, horses to transportation. Basically all of them were for serving the four major military governorates.

It was now early July, and Li Longji was not so unkind. He specifically instructed Li Xuan to stay at home for ten days before going to Hehuang.

Before leaving, Li Longji would host a banquet for Li Xuan and wish him a triumphant return.

"Retreat from the court..."

"Congratulations to Your Majesty..."

With the shouts of the chief ceremonial officer and the responses of civil and military officials, this historic court meeting ended.

But the hearts of civil and military officials could never be at peace.

Wearing the seals of four generals, controlling thousands of miles of territory, and commanding elite troops and important cities, all were under the control of Li Xuan.

This is the first time a person like Li Xuan has appeared since the founding of the Tang Dynasty.

If you really count, Li Xuan is only nineteen years old.

Everyone says that Li Xuan is Huo Qubing, but how can he be compared to the Huo Qubing of that time!

This was bound to be news that would shock Chang'an, and it would soon spread throughout the world.

In the Xingqing Palace, the ministers gathered in groups of three or five, unwilling to leave because Li Xuan had not left yet!

Without exception, all the ministers were talking about Li Xuan.

"It's invaluable! It's invaluable..."

"It is the wish of common people to be born into a powerful family. Who in a powerful family doesn't want Doctor Li?"

"Duke Song is blessed! Duke Song is a blessed man."

"That's right. Brothers are more important than their brothers. Doctor Li's brothers are all above the fifth rank and can be ranked on the same level as us."

"The trend of becoming prime minister is set. I think Dr. Li will become prime minister soon. No one can stop him."

"Yes! I also think that Doctor Li has the potential to become the prime minister, or even the next prime minister. Who else can be his?"

"He is a great poet, good at managing money, and has been involved in many major cases. He has made outstanding military achievements. In addition, the saint favors him, which makes it so obvious that Doctor Li will become the prime minister."

"Look... the Right Prime Minister has gone to see Doctor Li..."

While the ministers were discussing the matter, Li Linfu, along with Li Xiu, met Li Xuan.

The ministers only thought that Li Linfu recommended Li Xuan because the emperor had given instructions in advance, and the two were still mortal enemies.

"Shichiro!"

It can be seen that Li Linfu's expression is not very good, but he still smiled and spoke to Li Xuan.

"Before leaving Xingqing Palace, please ask the Right Prime Minister to call me Doctor."

Li Xuan responded bluntly.

It was definitely not that he was looking for trouble on purpose. In the Xingqing Hall, not to mention Li Linfu, even Li Longji would address the ministers by their official names.

Ministers were not allowed to address each other as "Saint", but only as "Your Majesty", and Li Longji had to call himself "I" and the ministers called him "minister".

"Doctor Li, congratulations on gaining tens of thousands of soldiers."

Li Linfu was not angry and continued talking with a smile.

"Right Prime Minister, you are wrong. These are soldiers of the state. Your Majesty trusts me, so I am allowed to lead them temporarily. As a frontier commander, I will only serve Your Majesty until my death, and I have no other request."

Li Xuan refuted Li Linfu's words.

The old villain has the intention to be killed. He has just acquired the troops, so he should keep a low profile.

"That's right! I can feel the doctor's sincerity. The doctor is the backbone of the country. This battle against Tubo will definitely be a great victory. Dalang, you accompany Doctor Li's brothers. I want to leave Xingqing Palace with Doctor Li."

Li Linfu secretly cursed the little thief for being shameless. He really wanted to leave in anger, but he had been defeated so badly recently and wanted to send a signal to Li Xuan that he would stop fighting.

He thought that he and Li Xuan did not have much hatred. His plan to plot against Li Xuan and his son failed, but instead made Li Xuan famous. He didn't understand why Li Xuan was so determined to bite him.

He had to calm Li Xuan down and take a breath to prevent Li Xuan from tripping him up again.

"Yes...sir."

Li Xiu left temporarily with Li Qian, Li Jiqing and others.

Li Linfu seemed to be close to Li Xuan and took Li Xuan's hand and walked out of Xingqing Hall.

Seeing this, other ministers also began to leave the palace...

(End of this chapter)