Chapter 225: Shuofang's Old Subordinate, the Little Boy Hun Yu
"Will the general personally lead the soldiers deep into the heart of Tibet and make a detour through Baihai?"

Li Mi asked Li Xuan.

Although such a detour was very risky, the two roads from the Tang Dynasty to Tibet had been repaired many times and were sufficient for tens of thousands of cavalry to march quickly.

Hundreds of thousands of Tibetan troops, millions of cattle and sheep, and mountains of food and supplies all passed through the two ancient roads.

"As the commander-in-chief, I cannot leave Qinghai and Dafeichuan in such a great battle. I will personally lead the cavalry to clear the obstacles for the Lintao cavalry to enter the ancient road of Fuqi City. After that, I will lead the main cavalry from the west of Qinghai to attack Dafeiling and Dafeichuan together with the Jiuqu army. The cavalry that goes deep into the enemy's rear will be led by Wang Nandai, with Nan Jiyun as the deputy commander and Duan Xueshi as the accompanying army."

Li Xuan shook his head. When the war started, he would stay in Qinghai and Dafeichuan area.

West, east, north, he must always be in one direction.

"If the strategy is complete, it will be a pincer attack from all sides. Our army is in the Tubo army, and we have King Subi as an internal supporter. This battle will definitely go down in history. The Battle of Mobei and the Battle of Ping Turks cannot be compared!"

Li Mi admired Li Xuan's perseverance and courage.

Attacking the ancient road of Fuqi City would not only penetrate deep into the heart of Tubo, but would also attack the Tubo troops besieging it from southwest Qinghai.

"A journey of a hundred steps begins with a single step, and there are many examples of people failing at the last hurdle. We must be extremely cautious!"

Li Xuan said calmly.

Now we must patiently protect all aspects, especially the supply of food and supplies.

Fortunately, this confrontation can allow the Heshuo Army, which has traveled a long distance, to rest and recuperate.

"General, do you believe in destiny?"

Li Mi thought of a serious problem and suddenly asked Li Xuan a question.

"The course of heaven is always there. It will not exist for Yao, nor will it perish for Jie!"

Li Xuan replied to Li Mi with these words.

It is obvious that Li Xuan does not believe in fate.

Xunzi once said that the movement of heaven is regular. It does not exist because of Yao’s wisdom, nor will it disappear because of Jie’s tyranny.

As early as the pre-Qin period, Xunzi denied the theory of destiny.

"When the Yellow River surges, it is frightening; when the sun gets angry, it is a disaster for the world. How do you explain this?"

Li Mi asked Li Xuan again, with a hint of meaning.

"If I govern the local area and the saints can support me, these disasters can be overcome. Rats, which are hated by everyone, destroy a lot of grain, but they are definitely not the most fatal to the county warehouses; the money given by the court to the local area to strengthen the dikes is also sufficient."

Li Xuan believes that man-made disasters in this era are greater than natural disasters.

"I see the general's plan for change, his head is full of ruggedness; like the white snow of Qilian Mountain, like the bright moon in the sky. Although the general said that a journey of a hundred steps is halfway to the ninetieth, it is time to consider what will happen after defeating Tubo?"

Li Mi mainly wanted to remind Li Xuan of this point, and he was unusually serious.

He was the governor of four towns, controlled a territory of thousands of miles, commanded three hundred thousand soldiers, and held dozens of positions. He was a founding duke who was not yet of age and was promoted to the rank of Grand Pillar of the State.

The scenery is infinite!

But when water is full it overflows, when the moon is full it wanes, and when a tree stands out in the forest, the wind will destroy it.

Li Xuan has all the conditions in place, he is just waiting to lose power and be pushed down by everyone.

Even though Li Xuan was extremely favored by the saint, there were many people favored by the saint since the Kaiyuan period!

"After this victory, I will take the initiative to resign from the post of governor of Hedong and Shuofang. From Taiyuan to Hexi, I cannot take care of everything by myself. I am loyal to the country and will show the saint that I am not moved by power. Let those who slander me shut up!"

Li Xuan knew that Li Mi was thinking about him.

Give first and take later, Hexi and Longyou are his base.

Moreover, Hedong Shuofang was too close to Chang'an, and there was no war there, so Li Xuan could not quickly win over the soldiers there.

If an army of 300,000 is controlled for one more year after the war, it will have a more negative impact.

Li Longji could not be allowed to dismiss Li Xuan from his position. Li Xuan needed to voluntarily give up his military power to let Li Longji know his loyalty.

Only by giving up military power can one be appointed prime minister, make arrangements in the court and local areas, and enhance one's status in the hearts of literati and scholars.

After the war, Li Xuan would promote some generals to Heshuo, so that his service as the commander-in-chief of Heshuo would not be in vain.

"The general has his own way of protecting himself. I will not mention it again in the future."

When Li Mi saw Li Xuan's words without thinking, he knew that he was overthinking.

Li Xuan could give up his overwhelming power without hesitation.

In Li Mi's eyes, Li Xuan became more complicated.

A smart person, but always does impulsive things, seemingly without considering the future.

Li Mi could also feel that Li Xuan was taking one step at a time and had sufficient plans for the future.

As usual, Li Xuan chatted with Li Mi for a while and then stopped disturbing Li Mi who liked quiet time.

By mid-August, all the Tang troops in Hexi had arrived.

The Yumen Army, Doulu Army, Moli Army, Ningkou Army, Jiankang Army, Dadou Army, Heyuan Army, Baishui Army, Anren Army, and Weirong Army, a total of ten armies, gathered in the Anren Army area.

This time, more soldiers were drawn from various armies. The ten armies had a total of 45,000 soldiers, including 15,000 cavalry.

They faced Kubahai's "Bai Li Camp" head-on and confronted each other across a hundred miles.

Both sides sent scouts, using the border as a line, to patrol with light cavalry.

The Tubo people did not come close, and the Tang cavalry did not pursue them.

This battle line is basically formed!
Considering the security of Chiling, Li Xuan ordered the Tuyuhun army under the command of Taoyang governor Murong Xihao to be transferred from Jiuqu to the east pass of Chiling to pacify and guard the city.

The Tuyuhun army under Murong Xihao had 5,000 cavalry and 5,000 infantry.

In addition, there were the Pingyi Shouzhuo, Suihe Shouzhuo, Momen Army, and 15,000 Hexi Hu cavalry.

A total of 35,000 soldiers and horses were formed, including more than 22,000 cavalry.

Although the number of troops may seem small, they will be able to guard the eastern pass of Chiling.

Moreover, there are enough cavalry to hold back the Tibetan infantry under the stone fortress at the critical moment.

The main force of the Tang Dynasty is still deployed in the Jiuqu area.

The Zhenxi Army in Wuning City, the Ningbian Army, the Jintian Army, and the Weisheng Army on the Yellow River in Jiuqu County, totaling 20,000 troops.

The Chishui Army in Chishui City has 33,000 soldiers.

There were 7,000 soldiers in the Ji Shi Army under Geshu Han.

King Bailang Qiang betrayed Tubo, so he fully supported the Tang Dynasty.

The Bailang Qiang generals Dang Jian and Chang Qing were the main and deputy generals, leading 10,000 Bailang Qiang cavalry and 15,000 infantry.

Finally, Li Xuan ordered the Lintao army to be divided into two parts.

One part was led by the deputy envoy Che Shensai, and was composed of Zhang Xing's Modao Army, two thousand heavy armored infantry, one thousand heavy armored cavalry, and two thousand crossbowmen, who stayed behind to guard Chishui City.

Jiuqu's military strength exceeded 90,000, including nearly 40,000 cavalry, including a total of 2,000 heavy cavalry.

The heavy armor and Mo Dao of Helong were also gathered in Jiuqu.

The other 7,000 light cavalry, 5,000 elite cavalry, 1,000 elite jumping cavalry, and 1,000 scout camps of the Lintao army, led by Ambassador Wang Nandai and Deputy Ambassador Nan Jiyun, all crossed the Yellow River and stationed behind the Anren army.

These are the forces that penetrate deep into the heart of Tibet.

Li Xuan ordered the horses of the Lintao Army's infantry to be given to the cavalry, so that each of these cavalrymen had three horses.

To go deep into the hinterland of Tubo, we need to maneuver and launch surprise attacks, and there will definitely be Tubo soldiers blocking our way. It is not suitable to bring heavy armored infantry, Modao and crossbowmen.

These special troops can play a greater role in Jiuqu.

At this time, the sky over Qinghai was covered with dark clouds, and it seemed that the conditions for a major war were in place.

But Li Xuan did not move.

On August 20th, 30,000 cavalrymen of the Shuofang Army arrived at Huangshui City.

These 30,000 cavalrymen were mainly composed of the Shuofang Jinglüe Army, as well as the Feng'an Army, the Dongshoujiangcheng Army, the Xishoujiangcheng Army, the Zhongshoujiangcheng Army, the Dingyuan Army, and the Zhenwu Army.

The Shuofang cavalry was led by Cheng Gui, the deputy envoy of the Jiedushi, and followed by Hun Shizhi, the right wing military commander, Li Wei, the judge of Shuofang, the marching Sima, the prosecutor, and the chief military officer.

Li Xuan's old subordinates, Feng'an Army Envoy Wang Sili and Deputy Envoy Ashina Fuwen, were also among the entourage.

Most of them were deputy envoys following, while the main envoys stayed behind.

Guo Ziyi has not arrived.

The Hedong Army Cavalry was led by Li Guangbi, accompanied by the Hedong Military Judge, Military Sima, and Procurator.

Li Xuan received news that Li Guangbi had already marched to Longxi County and would arrive within ten days.

"Meeting General Li!"

Li Xuan personally went out of the city to express his condolences and welcome the Shuofang cavalry who had come from afar.

Cheng Gui led a group of Shuofang generals to pay homage to Li Xuan.

"Everyone, please get up. No need to be polite."

"We once defeated the Turkic Khanate together, and now we can fight side by side again."

Li Xuan came to Cheng Gui first and spoke to him with deep emotion.

"Even though we are thousands of miles apart, we have heard of General Li's reputation. Now that we have been summoned, the soldiers are brave and disciplined. Our Shuofang Cavalry will do our best to help General Li win this battle."

Cheng Gui replied to Li Xuan.

He knew that he was not qualified enough to be a Jiedushi, so he was convinced that Li Xuan was his superior.

When Li Xuan was fighting at the Xigaopo of Helan Mountain, Cheng Gui began to admire Li Xuan.

In that battle, Cheng Gui saw Li Xuan's resilience and strength.

It should be noted that before that battle, Li Xuan had only been in the army for less than four months.

The subsequent thousand-mile raid and capture of the two Khans made Li Xuan even more powerful on the grassland.

Facing the Tubo Empire, which was several times more powerful than the Turkic Khanate, Li Xuan won battle after battle, during which he also defeated the 50,000-strong coalition force of the Uighurs, making the Uighurs more submissive.

All of this shocked the generals.

Wang Zhongsi was in trouble and had been dismissed from office and stripped of his title, but under the trial chaired by Li Xuan, Wang Zhongsi was able to survive and go to Yongjia County.

Therefore, the generals of Shuofang were very grateful to Li Xuan. "You can gallop on the grassland, and you will show your might on the plateau. I will watch your performance. I hope you can bring the silk money reward, exchange the fish token, and return to Heshuo."

Li Xuan held Cheng Gui's hand and spoke slowly.

"It will definitely be so!"

Cheng Gui nodded.

He said no more and introduced Judge Li Wei to Li Xuan.

"I have long heard of your great name. I have learned a lot from Governor Wang. When Governor Wang left Heshuo, he left me the most valuable wealth, which is your wise and responsible subordinates. I am responsible for four places, so it is not convenient for me to go to the grassland more often, either now or in the future. I still need you to comfort the soldiers and handle the affairs of the camp and the finances."

Li Xuan said to Li Wei and other Shuofang officials.

In history, Li Wei would soon serve as the Jiedushi of Shuofang. He was a Confucian general with extraordinary talents.

"Marshal Li, your words are too serious. We are just doing our duty. From now on, Heshuo will be centered around you, and the officials in the government office are all looking forward to your arrival in Heshuo to take charge of the overall situation."

Li Wei was flattered and quickly bowed to Li Xuan.

Wang Zhongsi's demotion made these staff members become rootless duckweed.

Most of the subordinates were frustrated officials and commoners who were recruited into the shogunate. They were supposed to follow the governor's lead, offer good advice, handle trivial matters, and assist in military affairs and important matters.

However, once the Jiedushi left, if they could not make any further progress, the new Jiedushi would definitely use his own trusted aides.

Originally, Heshuo's subordinates were very worried about their own future, but now Li Xuan's words made them completely relieved.

They immediately responded to Li Xuan and expressed their willingness to sacrifice their lives for him.

"Let's focus on the war first. I will inform you of the Tibetan army's deployment later. If you have any strategies, feel free to propose them."

When Li Xuan gave instructions to Li Wei, he also reminded them: "This place is high and filled with cold miasma. You need to rest for a few days. You need to go to a higher place. Soldiers are not feeling well. Don't force yourself. Return to the barracks immediately to rest and drink plenty of water."

The Shuofang cavalry had to gradually adapt to the altitude sickness. Although they did not need to go deep into the hinterland, they still had to go to the Qinghai area and the Dafeichuan area.

It is even possible that during the pursuit, they will go deeper into Wuhai, Duoma and other places...

Li Xuan wanted to give them enough time to recuperate.

"I will follow Li Shuai's orders."

Li Wei nodded in response.

Before they came, they knew about the cold miasma.

Afterwards, Li Xuan visited other deputy military envoys and garrison deputy envoys to express his condolences.

As soon as Li Xuan heard their surnames, he could tell them about their battle achievements, which deeply moved these deputy envoys.

There is also Hun Shizhi, who is now the commander of the right wing of Shuofang.

Hun Shizhi did not want to bear the empty title of Governor of Gaolanzhou, so he joined the army to serve his country.

The Tielehun tribe in Shuofang was much more orthodox than the Tielehun tribe in Hexi.

Relying on his previous military achievements, Hun Shizhi was directly appointed as the Right Wing Military Commander.

Since the Jinglüe Army dispatched a large number of cavalry, Hun Shizhi, the commander of the right wing, had to come.

Things have changed, but Li Xuan did not make things difficult for Hun Shizhi. The generals of the Hun tribe who had committed crimes had already been executed.

Seeing Li Xuan speaking in a gentle voice and praising his achievements, Hun Shizhi felt ashamed.

Now it seems that given Li Xuan's strong character, he was being polite by not charging directly at the Gaolanzhou cavalry.

After all, Hun Shizhi was also aware of the crimes of his subordinates.

Only through this battle can he change Li Xuan's impression of him.

"General Wang, General Ashina, we haven't seen each other for a long time!"

Li Xuan finally came to the side of Wang Sili and Ashina Fuwen.

This time, the Feng'an army led two thousand cavalry.

A considerable number of them participated in the Battle of Gaopo and the Battle to Capture the Two Khans with Li Xuan.

"Thinking about it day and night, just for this moment, and the next moment."

"Li Shuai..."

Compared to Wang Sili who remained calm, Ashina Fuwen burst into tears.

Things have changed and he didn't expect to become Li Shuai's subordinate so soon.

In less than three years, General Li had already commanded the elite troops in the west and the north, but he was afraid that he could not keep up with General Li and almost did not dare to pay a visit to General Li.

Although he followed Li Xuan for only a few months, it was the most meaningful moment in Ashina Fuwen's life.

"Feng'an Military City is my first stop in the army. I will never forget that city in the desert of the Yellow River. We are not far from each other. The Yellow River, which I often pass by, flows in front of Feng'an Military City. At night, we can see the same moon. There is no need to say more. There has been no war for several years. Let's see if your arrows are accurate enough and your spears are sharp. Let me see what the Feng'an Army looks like after I leave!"

Li Xuan patted Ashina Fuwen and Wang Sili on the shoulders and spoke emotionally.

"Although my Feng'an Army only has 2,000 cavalry, we will definitely do our best to achieve the greatest military merit and live up to General Li's reputation."

Wang Sili said firmly.

"Li Shuai, just watch! Our Feng'an Army has trained according to your method and is now in high spirits."

After hearing what Li Xuan said, Ashina Fuwen was even more moved and said while trying hard to hold back tears.

"I'll wait and see!"

With so many people watching around, Li Xuan didn't say much.

When the Shuofang cavalry arrived, they could already smell the fragrance of cooking mutton.

After enduring the hardships of the journey and sleeping in the open air, this was a reward for the Shuofang Army, and the soldiers could enjoy a meal at dusk.

Accompanied by Cheng Gui, Li Xuan reviewed the troops.

Let the soldiers take a look at him.

Some soldiers had only heard of Li Xuan's reputation but had never seen Li Xuan in person.

At the beginning, it was said that Li Xuan was a famous general second only to Wang Zhongsi.

Then, "Wang Li" was invincible and conquered every battle, and was known as the king of the time.

After recapturing Jiuqu, Li Xuan's reputation surpassed Wang Zhongsi.

Unfortunately, Wang Zhongsi retired!
The generals in Shuofang and Hedong were helpless and angry because they knew that General Wang could not possibly rebel.

Fortunately, Li Xuan emerged and took over Wang Zhongsi's position.

Even in terms of reputation, Li Xuan surpassed Wang Zhongsi.

Wang Zhongsi was strict in military discipline and loved his soldiers like his own sons.

Li Xuan is the same. At the same time, Li Xuan has a unique delicacy that Wang Zhongsi does not have.

In the words of the Helong soldiers, when General Li arrived, it was like a spring flowing in their hearts.

After reviewing the soldiers, Li Xuan had an in-depth conversation with Wang Sili and Ashina Fuwen.

Other generals also knew Helong's subordinates.

At the open-air picnic, the boy with a childish face attracted attention.

Although the boy was five feet tall, he had no hair on his mouth.

He is Hun Shizhi's son Hun Yu, who is only eleven years old this year.

The generals and subordinates of Helong felt that Hun Shizhi was joking by bringing his son to the battlefield.

Some subordinates even joked about whether a wet nurse had come along.

This caused people around to laugh.

"Don't underestimate me. Even if the enemy is seven feet tall, I can still be shot down with just one arrow."

Hun Yu was just a child at that time and could not stand such ridicule. He jumped and danced, and patted the ox horn bow behind him, trying to prove how powerful he was.

But his actions were not welcomed by his subordinates.

"My dear, you should stay in Huangshui City and not cause trouble for your father!"

Lu Zhen said to Hun Yu with a smile.

"I came to Hehuang to establish the merit of Tiaodang! How can I stay in the city?"

Of course Hun Yu was unwilling.

His words made people laugh even more. A little kid actually wanted to establish himself as a jumper.

Che Guangqian, the son of Che Shensai, was thirteen years old and extremely handsome. Marshal Li even summoned him and allowed Che Guangqian to practice martial arts in the army.

But he never thought of letting Che Guangqian go to the battlefield at this time.

"Let me show you how powerful I am."

Hun Shizhi was not around, but Hun Yu did not allow others to look down on him.

He picked up a spear and stabbed it into the bank of the Huangshui River.

Then he retreated more than forty steps away, obviously wanting to show off his archery skills.

Until now, no one believed that Hun Yu could hit the spear.

"clang!"

Hun Yu remained calm, took out the arrow, pulled the ox horn bow and shot.

There was a sound of metal clanging, the spear blade came into contact with the arrow, and the spear fell down.

The surrounding Shuofang cavalry cheered. Although Hun Yu was a child without any hair yet, he was the son of Hun Shizhi after all. He displayed superb skills, and the Shuofang cavalry also felt proud.

Helong's subordinates were so shocked by this move that they never dared to underestimate it again.

They wondered if Hun Yu had started practicing archery since he was in his mother's womb?
When Li Xuan learned about this, he immediately asked his personal guards to give Hun Yu the fattest leg of lamb to express his favor and admiration for Hun Yu.

This kid can't play by the rules. In history, Hun Yu followed Hun Shizhi on a border inspection at the age of eleven. At the age of twelve, he made great achievements in jumping and dancing. At the age of fourteen, he followed the army to defeat the rebellious Huzhou and Heluzhou. At the age of fifteen, he took part in the Battle of Shibao City launched by Geshu Han and was the bravest among the three armies.

At the same time, he sent Hun Yu a leg of lamb to express his reconciliation with Hun Shizhi, so that Hun Shizhi could fight with peace of mind. He would not be petty and deal with Hun Shizhi, nor would he go unrewarded for his achievements...

(End of this chapter)