Chapter 248: Drink from the golden cup with you, and don't spare the sword

After returning to Huangshui City, Li Xuan asked his men to interrogate the captured assassin alive.

Although these assassins claimed that they would rather die than surrender, few of them could withstand the torture.

It was indeed as Magistrate Huo said, the assassins came from Yan and Zhao, and among them were more than ten Hu people.

Like An Lushan and Shi Siming, they grew up in a place where Hu and Han people lived together. The tough folk customs and the desire to take revenge made them have no bottom line.

They always talk about trust and loyalty to show their magnanimity, but murder and robbery are common.

However, the people who hired them were all powerful stewards and servants.

For a detailed review, Li Xuan had to go to Hedong again.

If the war with Tubo could be ended, Li Xuan would go directly to Hedong after leaving Chang'an and earn some gold, silver and jewelry for Li Longji.

The treasures belonged to Li Longji, and the land belonged to the people.

The good name goes to Li Xuan, and the bad name also goes to Li Xuan.

Everyone has a bright future!
……

Time flies, and now we have entered early May.

In this midsummer season, Li Xuan took on the duties of the Helong envoy and listened to the reports from the governors of the Helong counties on the various counties.

He successively promoted Yan Zhenqing as the deputy envoy of Hexi and Li Xiyan as the deputy envoy of Longyou.

Xiao Xin was the deputy envoy of Hexi Salt and Iron and deputy envoy of Hexi Military Farm.

Shangguan Qing, the chief historian of the governor of Xiping, was promoted to deputy envoy of salt and iron in Longyou and deputy envoy of military farmland in Longyou.

Tian Liangqiu was the military commander of Longyou.

He also sent the newly promoted Li Xiyan and the inspector to inspect the counties and prefectures in Longyou.

Let Yan Zhenqing inspect the counties in Hexi.

At the same time, Li Xiyan and Yan Zhenqing served concurrently as the Longyou Agricultural Promotion Envoy and the Hexi Agricultural Promotion Envoy respectively.

Li Xuan promoted Cen Shen to be the magistrate of Hexi and concurrently the magistrate of Zhidu.

The Battle of Dayuechuan mobilized hundreds of thousands of men and a large amount of material resources. Until now, grain has been transported from Helong to Qinghai. He was worried that the counties would take advantage of this.

Things turned out just as he expected, with the county magistrate, county lieutenant, county assistant and chief secretary enriching themselves as a result.

Li Xuan not only impeached these parasites for harming the country, he also summoned the county governors to reprimand them, accusing them of poor supervision.

At first, Li Xuan was still very angry, because even with his prestige, he could not suppress the greed of officials.

But after Li Mi's persuasion, Li Xuan felt relieved.

If one's heart is as greedy as a ravine, it will be hard to satisfy it.

It is impossible for people to have desires like wrens and moles, building a nest on only one branch just to fill their stomachs.

Throughout history, even in the later Ming Dynasty, although Zhu Yuanzhang was so cruel to corrupt officials, major Hongwu cases still followed one after another.

For money and beauty, they are like moths to a flame!
Therefore, the fight against corruption is an ongoing struggle that can never stop.

Li Xuan took down corrupt officials, which made the people in various places applaud.

Li Xuan also provided 30,000 strings of cash and 5,000 pieces of silk from Helong to help the poor in Longyou, and 15,000 strings of cash and 3,000 pieces of silk to help the poor in Hexi.

He also took 10,000 oxen from Qinghai, Jiuqu and other pastures and distributed them to each village and township for use by the people in reclaiming wasteland.

The oxen used for farming belong to the government and it is forbidden to kill them. Violators will be punished severely.

These are all supervised by the Agricultural Promotion Envoy.

Li Xuan established a reward system. Whenever a working ox gave birth to a calf, the reward would be given to the family that reclaimed the most wasteland in the village.

This prevented the wealthy families from obtaining oxen, since it was impossible for them to reclaim wasteland themselves.

The villagers know the value of oxen and will definitely work hard to develop the industry.

The support and control of the military governorship are highly tied together.

Li Xuan denied the claim that the money from the Zhidu was used for the military, because the Zhidu was the taxes paid by the people.

When there is a surplus and no war, it is normal to spend it on the people.

The Jiedushi had his own treasury.

Besides, rewards to soldiers must be given in moderation. In addition to normal rewards for dispatching troops and collective rewards, the focus should be on rewarding meritorious service.

If rewards are given without restraint, disaster will sooner or later occur.

Because wealth is limited after all. Spending all limited wealth on the military will lead to a wild ride. Under the conscription system, it will give rise to "beast soldiers" like the Yabing of the late Tang Dynasty.

Li Xuan asked his assistants to conduct on-site surveys. If the people in a certain village were living in a place with bad land, he would advise them to move to Jiuqu, Taoyang, Qinghai and other counties.

Even the farther Baihai can be migrated.

Because Li Xuan was planning to build Baihai City.

People are afraid of it because the place is too high.

So Li Xuan moved the residents of Baihai and gave them 100 sheep and two horses.

Farming and grazing at the same time.

Bai Hai will have to immigrate sooner or later, so he must be offered huge benefits.

Many people who could not survive, brought their families with them, and chose to become immigrants in Baihai, unafraid of the mountains, bitter cold, and miasma.

There are a total of one thousand households.

Gao Shi presided over the event and set up tents in advance, because some people would definitely suffer from altitude sickness and need to stay in bed for a while.

Li Xuan sent some military doctors there to become doctors.

He also asked Gao Shi to select scholars and establish schools to maintain the Chinese tradition.

Although Li Xuan valued the Hu people, he was also a staunch supporter of the Hanization of the Hu people, so as to avoid the tragedy of "Han people all speaking the Hu language, but cursing the Han people on the city wall" from happening again.

In the future, the road from Baihai to Handi will be smoother.

He hoped that Baihai County would also be able to produce a Jinshi in the future.

One thousand households were also relocated from Jishi County, under the leadership of Yang Wan, and they were given fifty sheep and a horse.

Jishi County is slightly better than Baihai County. It is inhabited by Han people and is close to a tributary of the Yellow River.

Together with the people who planned to migrate to Jiuqu, Taoyang and Qinghai, the total number was 5,000 households.

Thirty to forty thousand people.

Their migration was only the first batch. When Li Xuan returned to Chang'an, he would plan to relocate the landless people in the Central Plains, Guanzhong, and Hebei to Qinghai and Jiuqu.

Wuwei County's advanced agricultural tools and water wheels are being spread to other counties.

Li Xuan hopes that it will spread throughout the world in the future.

Li Xuan believed that porcelain, silk and tea were the core of wealth, the most valuable goods on the Silk Road and represented the splendid civilization of China.

They can be turned into silver and gold in the hands of foreign merchants.

These three extremely attractive and even magical items were loved crazily by people from the Western Regions, India, the Arab Empire, Byzantium, and even further away as Rome and Frank.

After seeing the exquisite porcelain, the silks covered with various patterns, and the refreshing tea, they were willing to give away their gold.

However, Longyou and Hexi do not have the advantages to develop these three things.

Therefore, Li Xuan hopes that more merchants who transfer the three major items will come to Liangzhou City and Dunhuang City to complete their business, thereby boosting the regional economy.

During this month, Li Xuan traveled to Xiping, Jiuqu and Qinghai.

Visit the pastures, horse stables, and cultivated fields.

He also brought meat to comfort the lower-class slaves of Tibet, and implemented the practice of using the lower-class slaves to manage the Tibetan warriors and other slaves, thus saving the limited military forces in Longyou.

In order to increase the confidence of these slaves, the Tang army also gave them some spears and bows and arrows.

If any Tibetan warrior shows any dissenting thoughts, he will be killed without mercy.

The lower-class slaves in Tibet were usually oppressed by warriors and upper-class slaves, so they naturally cherished the opportunity now.

At this time, the three armies of Shen Ce, Sui Rong and Ding Rong had completed the first batch of recruitment, including warriors from Tuyuhun, Subi, Dangxiang and others, totaling more than 15,000 people. In addition to the Shen Ce Guards, more than 2,000 veterans were dispatched from various armies.

They went to Baihai, Bayankala Pass and Xiangride.

At the same time, he supervised the Tibetan warriors to build the city.

Both the Dafeichuan Ancient Road and the Fuqicheng Ancient Road were made smoother in accordance with Li Xuan's regulations.

The cavalry from Hedong and Shuofang began to withdraw to the Hehuang area.

The troops in Hexi also withdrew to Huangshui first. Because the court's rewards were about to arrive, they were asked to wait outside Huangshui City first.

The Longyou Army was stationed in a new defensive position, and some of their cavalry were also waiting at the Huangshui River to receive their rewards.

The overall mobilization of the army has been basically completed.

The pastures in Qinghai, Jiuqu, Baihai, Jishi and other counties must also be carefully selected and constructed.

Li Xuan felt that Chidai Zhudan’s “winter and summer pasture” system had its merits.

We are preparing to follow the example of Tubo and establish four seasons of pastures, spring, summer, autumn and winter, with the pastures moving once every season.

It is also stipulated that after one year of grazing, each pasture must be rotated and no grazing should be allowed in the next year to allow the grassland to recover.

On a pasture, horses, cattle and sheep will eat grass seeds when they graze in the summer, and it is inevitable that the pasture will be worse than before.

There are many places available for grazing in the areas of the Yellow River, Qinghai, Hehe River and Baihai River, and there is room for relocation.

On this day, Li Xuan in Fuqi City, Qinghai received news that the court's rewards would soon arrive in Huangshui City.

After receiving the rewards, the Hedong and Shuofang cavalry can go back.

All in all, they stayed in Shuofang for nearly a year.

"Reporting to General Li, there is news from the front line that the Tibetan leader Sangdong Zebu led dozens of cavalrymen and said that he wanted to surrender to the Tang Dynasty! He is now on his way to Fushi City."

In Fuqi City, Li Xuan's personal guard Xue Cuo reported to him.

Now he only has more than twenty personal guards around him.

Originally, Li Xuan wanted Pei Ying to serve as a cavalry general in the Shence Army, but the boy refused to leave, so Li Xuan had no choice but to keep him by his side.

The other personal guards were also unwilling to serve as escorts in the army, or even as generals, so Li Xuan kept them by his side.

At the same time, Li Xuan also explained to Hun Shizhi that he would keep Hun Yu as his personal guard.

How could Hun Shizhi dare to refuse? Li Xuan was at the peak of his career and had an unparalleled reputation. His son would definitely have a bright future if he followed Li Xuan.

Moreover, Hun Yu admired bravery and looked up to people like Li Xuan who were extremely brave and were crowned king soon.

The rift between Li Xuan and the Hun tribe of Gaolanzhou was nothing in Hun Yu's eyes.

Li Xuan's strict military discipline also made the young Hun Yu understand why Li Xuan expelled the generals of the Hun tribe.

Li Xuan also recruited Che Guangqian, who was only fifteen years old, as his personal guard.

At this time, Che Guangqian had grown into a very heroic man, inheriting the bravery of his father Che Shensai.

"It seems that Mujie Sangdongzebu failed in the struggle for power and was forced to surrender to the Tang Dynasty."

Li Xuan thought secretly. This guy is also a ruthless person in history. He was the chief theorist after Luqiongsang Woermang and before Maxiang Zhongbajie.

Just by conquering Xiaoboluo and subduing twenty countries in the Western Regions, he would be considered a famous general.

A few days later, Mojie Sangdongzebu arrived at Fushi City.

"The Tibetan criminal Dongzebu pays homage to the Marshal!"

With a treacherous heart, Sangdongzebu, the helpless Mojie, came to meet Li Xuan, the man who destroyed Tubo.

On the way here, he already knew that Zamp Chidai Zhudan had been captured alive by Li Xuan.

Mojie Sangdongzebu met Li Xuan once in Chang'an and had a deep impression of him.

He knew at that time that Li Xuan was a difficult character, but he never thought that the decline of Tubo would only take two years after he returned from Chang'an.

He once thought highly of himself, but from the moment he knelt down before Li Xuan, Dongzebu, the great minister of Tibet, no longer existed.

"What is the purpose of such a grand ceremony?"

Li Xuan asked knowingly.

"Back then, Lun Gongren surrendered to the Tang Dynasty and became a great general. Now I am willing to follow his example."

At last, Sangdongzebu bowed again.

He had lost his family, his power, and was even expelled from Tubo. He had nothing left to lose.

If Li Xuan couldn't take him in, there would be no place for him in this vast world.

At the end, Sangdongzebu used Lun Gongren as an example to show that he would be as loyal as Lun Gongren.

Lun Gongren was the son of Lun Qinling. Tridu Songtsen launched a coup to defeat Lun Qinling and forced him to commit suicide. Lun Gongren led more than 7,000 Tuyuhun tribesmen to surrender to the Tang Dynasty. After that, he made many military achievements in Shuofang and was promoted to the rank of General of the Left Guard and Deputy Ambassador of Shuofang Jiedushi.

"Tell me what happened in Tibet?"

Li Xuan did not agree immediately, but asked the last governor Sangdongzebu.

Mojie Sangdongzebu did not dare to hide anything and told Li Xuan everything that happened in Tubo after the defeat in the Battle of Dafeichuan.

As in history, Trisong Detsen succeeded to the throne, Mashang Zhongbajie was in power, and Enlanda Zhalugong assisted him.

The difference is that Mojie Sangdongzebu actually escaped.

Tubo gave up Jiannan, Tianzhu, Western Regions and Nanzhao. Relying on their unique geographical location and about 100,000 troops, their defense was sufficient.

But the offensive capability is insufficient.

It is difficult for the glorious "Tibetan Empire" to appear again.

"My Great Tang is virtuous and powerful, and I believe the saint will accept you. I will return to Chang'an soon, and you should accompany me!"

Li Xuan accepted the surrender of his last general Sangdongzebu, and it depended on how Li Longji would arrange it next.

If a person of Mojie Sangdongzebu's status surrendered to the Tang Dynasty, it would boost the prestige of the Tang Dynasty, and no one would disagree.

And maybe I can use Mojie Sangdongzebu in the future.

In this life, the last emperor, Sangdong Zebu, did not kill the king, but only failed in the struggle for power and still had a certain prestige in Tubo.

"Thank you, Marshal. From now on, as long as you give me an order, I will not frown even if it means going through fire and water."

At last, Sang Dongzebu expressed his loyalty to Li Xuan.

After being defeated by Li Xuan, he realized how powerful Li Xuan was.

With Li Xuan around, there was no chance that Tubo would defeat the Tang Dynasty.

He hoped that Li Xuan would soon lead his troops south to overthrow the traitor Maxiang Zhongbajie and rescue his family.

Li Xuan helped Mojie Sangdongzebu up. He knew what Mojie Sangdongzebu was thinking.

But whether to attack Tubo depends on whether Tubo knows how to adapt to the times.

The next day, Li Xuan returned to Huangshui City.

Just then, the reward from the court had arrived.

Outside the Huangshui City, Li Xuan personally awarded the Jumping Medal and the Warrior Medal to Hedong, Hexi, Longyou, Shuofang, Bailang Qiang, Hexi Hu tribe, Taoyang Tuyuhun tribe, Subi tribe, etc.

Under Li Xuan's instructions, those who received the medals had already been waiting in Huangshui City.

Moreover, most of the troops had not yet withdrawn from the Huangshui River, so it can be said that the medals were awarded in the presence of all the troops.

Other rewards include gold, land, silk and other items.

A small bronze peony medal can be exchanged for so many things.

No honorable official has ever had this honour.

What's more, even if it is the Peony Medal, at least one can be promoted to an escort officer commanding one hundred to two hundred people.

Recipients of the Warrior Medal can be promoted to Yajiang, Langjiang, or even Deputy Envoy or Military Envoy.

For example, Qu Huan was a recipient of the Medal of Warrior and was promoted to military envoy.

With Li Xuan's deliberate promotion, the medal has become the highest honor that everyone in the army aspires to.

The ordinary soldiers were excited and worked hard, vowing to win medals in the next battle.

The warrior who received the medal wondered what it felt like to wear the silver medal.

There were more than just these who were rewarded with silk, gold, silver and jewelry, there were also tens of thousands of other soldiers.

They all have the merit of killing the enemy.

The remaining soldiers were rewarded with at least two strings of cash.

Li Xuan rewarded the Bailang Qiang, the Hexi Hu people, and the Qinghai Tuyuhun with silk, cattle, sheep, and horses as compensation for their military efforts.

Especially the Bailang Qiang, who suffered considerable casualties.

Even if nine-tenths of the gold, silver and jewelry they obtained were contributed to Li Longji, the Tang army would still have a lot left.

In addition, there are contributions from the powerful people in Helong.

So a lot of soldiers received gold, silver and jewelry this time.

Some of the soldiers who died in battle were very special. They died after killing the enemy. Li Xuan had already counted them and provided their families with gold, silver and jewelry as pensions.

A ten-day long awards ceremony.

Every list of names of soldiers who have won military merit must be conveyed to ordinary soldiers by the judges and military commanders of the armies.

Those who receive the medal will have their names recorded on a monument.

The soldiers all praised General Li for his fairness and justice, and were convinced even though they did not get any gold, silver or jewelry.

Before the troops prepared to evacuate, Li Xuan ordered a barbecue banquet.

The more than 100,000 soldiers gathered in Huangshui City will enjoy thousands of sheep and fine wine rewarded by the court.

These were also Helong soldiers, seeing off the Heshuo cavalry.

We worked together for several months, and then went our separate ways.

In this battle, thousands of Heshuo cavalry were buried in Qinghai.

Some soldiers were left with injuries forever.

At the banquet, the soldiers sang and danced. Unlike the gentle beauty of women, men's dancing had a strong beauty.

Li Xuan personally played his most proud piece of music amidst the "ten thousand troops", ambushed from all sides.

The sound of killing seemed to return to the battlefield...

The weeping and complaining voice made the audience silent...

The soldiers could not understand the meaning of the tune, but they could sense a story.

When the song ended, there was thunderous applause.

There were too many soldiers in one area after another. Even if Li Xuan ran ten times, it would be impossible for everyone to hear it.

At dusk, Li Xuan, Gao Xiuyan, An Sishun, Li Guangbi, Cheng Gui, dozens of their subordinates, and hundreds of military commanders and lieutenants sat by the Huangshui River drinking.

So many generals gathered together to receive rewards.

The soldiers only knew that Li Xuan was crowned king, while the generals knew that Li Xuan might leave Huangshui.

Even the captives offered this time may not come back.

"Starting tomorrow, everyone will leave one after another. Even if I come back next time, it will not be possible for us to gather together like today, so I will toast to everyone today."

Li Xuan stood up, picked up the wine glass, and spoke to the generals.

The generals stood up one after another and drank up the wine in their hands as Li Xuan finished the glass.

"General Li, I still want to follow you to fight. Tubo has not been destroyed yet, and the Huihe in the north don't seem to be very convinced..."

"No matter where Li Shuai goes, we will unwaveringly support you."

"After following Li Shuai for a few years, I finally know what a real man is..."

"Li Shuai, please lead us to fight again..."

"Li Shuai..."

After the wine in the cup was finished, the generals talked noisily.

Old subordinates such as Ashina Fuwen, Gao Kai, Zhang Xing, Nan Jiyun, Wang Sili, Che Shensai, and Li Feiyuanli were already crying.

They did not speak like other generals.

Because Li Xuan wanted to fight for the position of prime minister.

How could a loyal subordinate possibly stop him?
The scholars studied hard in the cold classroom, hoping to become the prime minister.

During the Kaiyuan period, there were precedents of more than ten people becoming prime ministers due to their military merits, and all the border commanders were eager to become prime minister.

Like Zhang Shuo, Wang Jun and Xiao Song, he became the chief prime minister.

"The military laws I have established can be completely abolished by the next governor. The restrictions I have imposed on the army can also be banned after I am gone."

"But if I could really be an official in Chang'an, whether as a civil official or a military general, I would not condone the mistakes he made."

"I will drink from the golden cup with you, but I will not spare you the sword. I hope you understand!"

After Li Xuan finished speaking, he raised his glass again and drank the wine in one gulp.

We serve you fine wine and delicious food today, but if you commit a crime tomorrow, we still cannot forgive you.

This is literal meaning.

Perhaps they will understand the deeper meaning only after a few years.

The generals of the four towns were all solemn. They vowed to keep the military rules in mind.

No matter who it is, no one can change their thoughts.

The generals who made mistakes have been dealt with by Li Xuan.

If Li Xuan really became prime minister, he could still order the censors to monitor the armies and enforce the law...

(End of this chapter)