Chapter 312 Feng Changqing formulates a strategy to fight against the Arabs

"Meeting Li Shuai..."

Wang Zhengjian, Feng Changqing and the King of Kucha bowed to Li Xuan.

Everything was too sudden.

After Gao Xianzhi returned to Chang'an, they received news that Gao Xianzhi had been promoted to Minister of War.

He was replaced by Li Xuan, who had just been dismissed from his post as prime minister.

There are very few generals who have already so powerfully captured the Western Regions before even reaching Anxi.

This man, who was praised as the "Heavenly General" by the various tribes in the Western Regions, not only controlled the Anxi Army, but also took over the military and political affairs of Beiting.

Far more powerful than Gao Xianzhi.

"You don't have to be polite!"

Li Xuan signaled them not to be polite.

From their appearance and attire, Li Xuan could guess their identities.

The man with white hair and beard is Wang Zhengjian, a veteran general from Anxi.

The man wearing a crown and a beard is Bai Tiehe, the King of Kucha.

The thin man is Feng Changqing.

Feng Changqing was not only thin, but also had eye problems and his legs were short and lame.

Although he was not good-looking, Feng Changqing in history was a man of great literary talent and able to command troops, fully demonstrating the strength of will despite physical disability.

Feng Changqing was from Hedong. He followed his exiled grandfather to Anxi when he was young. Since Feng Changqing's grandfather was a book lover and was willing to teach Feng Changqing, Feng Changqing was influenced by him and became knowledgeable and talented.

Feng Changqing was naturally unwilling to live in mediocrity, so when he was in his thirties, he joined the army under the Anxi Jiedushi Fu Menglingcha, hoping to achieve the same achievements as the famous generals in the "Book of Han".

When Gao Xianzhi was the military commander of Anxi, his reputation spread far and wide. Every time he led troops, he would bring more than 30 attendants with him, wearing bright and beautiful clothes and looking very majestic.

Feng Changqing was deeply moved by what he saw and wrote a letter to request to be an attendant.

But Gao Xianzhi looked down on Feng Changqing's appearance and ignored him.

Feng Changqing sent another letter the next day, and Gao Xianzhi could only perfunctorily say, "I have enough attendants, please don't come again!"

Feng Changqing said bluntly: "I admire your noble character and am willing to serve you, so I came here without anyone introducing myself. Why do you insist on rejecting me? If you judge people by appearance, you may lose people like Ziyu. You should think about it."

He could see that many people laughed at his ugly appearance.

But Gao Xianzhi did not accept him just because of Feng Changqing's few words. Feng Changqing came to the door to wait for him every day. Gao Xianzhi was fed up with it, and after two months, he had no choice but to accept him as an attendant.

Originally, Gao Xianzhi had no hope for Feng Changqing, but not long after, Feng Changqing showed his shining points, which made Gao Xianzhi admire him and reuse him.

"Marshal Li has come from afar, and we haven't come to greet you yet. I hope you won't mind."

As the deputy envoy and deputy protector of Anxi, Wang Zhengjian was the first to speak to Li Xuan.

"No problem! From now on, we will create great achievements together. I am new here, and I still need your help in Anxi's military and political affairs!"

Li Xuan said to Wang Zhengjian and Feng Changqing.

Wang Zhengjian is a person who is about to "retire", and Li Xuan values ​​Feng Changqing more.

"General Li, we have heard of your reputation since you were still in Shuofang. You are a great general known throughout the world, and Anxi will certainly obey your command."

Wang Zhengjian expressed this to Li Xuan.

Li Xuan was not transferred in the traditional sense. He was transferred to Anxi after being dismissed from his position as prime minister.

This represents prestige!

Moreover, Li Xuan became prime minister because of his military merits. Before becoming prime minister, he defeated the powerful Tubo Kingdom and forced it to surrender.

As a result, the twenty countries in the Western Regions that were originally dependent on Tubo turned to the Tang Dynasty one after another.

Not to mention the present time, throughout history, the number of military generals whose achievements can be compared to Li Xuan can be counted on one hand.

Under such circumstances, even the unruly Anxi army had to obey.

At least it's superficial obedience.

"Is it okay in the Kingdom of Kucha?"

Li Xuan also greeted Bai Tiehe, the King of Kucha.

"To reply King Tianshui, the Kingdom of Kucha is thriving under the protection of the Tang Dynasty. Kucha will always be the most loyal vassal state of the Tang Dynasty." Bai Tiehe said to Li Xuan.

Bai Tiehe respected Li Xuan more than the soldiers of the Anxi Army because he knew that the fate of their country was in the hands of Li Xuan, the Anxi Jinglüe ambassador.

Since the Han Dynasty, Qiuci has had a population of 80,000.

Although the country's territory is not as large as it was during the Han Dynasty, the population of the city-states of Qiuci has reached 150,000.

With tens of thousands of soldiers and horses, he can help the Tang Dynasty with garrison.

In addition, the second largest country in the Western Regions was Yanqi, and the third was Khotan. During the Anshi Rebellion, Khotan sent 5,000 troops to help the Tang Dynasty suppress the rebellion.

"The Tang Dynasty and Qiuci are like close friends, and we should share weal and woe. Qiuci will surely continue forever."

Li Xuan's attitude towards the Kingdom of Kucha was extremely good.

This was a signal that Li Xuan sent to the countries in the Western Regions. Although there was a new chief in the Western Regions, the countries within the Anxi Protectorate were still the same as before and there was no need to worry.

Li Xuan also had no intention of destroying Kucha, Khotan and other countries.

When the Tang Dynasty established its territory in the Western Regions, there must have been many gathering places for Han people.

In the future, these countries will be countries within a country surrounded by the Han people, with limited land and sparse population, and will inevitably become more dependent on the Tang Dynasty.

“This is what the people of the Western Regions hope for. King Tianshui will definitely make the Western Regions stronger.

The King of Kucha bowed and expressed his gratitude.

He knew Li Xuan. Although his methods were ruthless, they were not cruel.

Gao Xianzhi had left a bad reputation in the Western Regions and undermined the prestige of the Tang Dynasty.

Even though Gao Xianzhi massacred the Sixteen Kingdoms in Hezhong and the Nine Kingdoms in Zhaowu, they did not belong to the Anxi Protectorate.

But all the countries within the Anxi Protectorate had a negative attitude.

The first thing Li Xuan had to do was to re-establish the prestige of the Tang Dynasty.

"General Feng, I've heard of you. If you take part in the imperial examination, you will definitely be the top scorer this year."

Li Xuan said to Feng Changqing again.

"I don't deserve it. I have admired General Li for a long time. It is my luck to be able to work in General Li's shogunate."

Feng Changqing quickly performed the ceremony.

His fame was insignificant in the eyes of a great poet like Li Xuan and the prime minister.

Feng Changqing was grateful for Li Xuan's courtesy and praise.

Li Xuan did not look down on Feng Changqing because of his ugliness, but instead allowed Feng Changqing to get closer to him.

"I will not dismiss the subordinates left by Minister Gao. But working under my rule, whether it is a subordinate or a general, depends on one's own ability. If you have outstanding ability, it is not a problem to be awarded the title of general or a title. In the past, there were more than ten subordinates who followed me and were awarded the title of general, and countless generals. The Anxi Army is about to face a powerful enemy, and you have a lot to do!"

Li Xuan then spoke loudly to the subordinates and generals behind Wang Zhengjian, Feng Changqing and others.

"We are willing to serve you!"

The subordinates and generals bowed in unison.

"General, please follow us back to Qiuci City. We have prepared a banquet to welcome you."

Wang Zhengjian took the opportunity to invite Li Xuan into the city.

"Ok!"

Li Xuan nodded.

The city was several miles away. They rode on their horses and arrived in front of the city of Qiuci in a short while.

The sounds of Hujia and camel bells.

Qiuci is an important town on the Silk Road. Along the way, you can always see merchants dressed in different clothes and looking exhausted.

On the rammed earth city wall, battlements are arranged neatly. Compared with the cities in the Central Plains, Qiuci City is not very majestic. It is only two meters high at most. However, due to its hundreds of years of existence, it has a vicissitudes and heavy atmosphere.

The soldiers of Kucha City and the guards of the Kucha royal family led the way in front.

This surprised the people in the city and the Hu people from various countries.

After a while, they saw a group of officials and generals from Anxi and the King of Kucha escorting a young man into the city.

Although he was also exhausted, this young man had a heroic air. His eyes were as deep as the starry sky and he exuded a sense of majesty without even being angry.

"Who is this person? How could he be treated so well?"

It was normal not to know Li Xuan, which was the surprise of many Hu merchants along the way.

"This must be the new Anxi Protector General, the commander-in-chief of Anxi and Beiting..."

There were people from Kucha who recognized Li Xuan's identity at a glance.

They knew that the legendary Heavenly General would replace Gao Xianzhi and take charge of the Western Regions.

"Does this person have the stature and ability to be as great as ten thousand men?"

Some Hu merchants felt that Li Xuan was not the same as they had imagined.

What they heard most was that Li Xuan was the reincarnation of a god and was invincible.

"There is no trace of Tubo anymore, is there any need to doubt? When I looked at the Heavenly General, he seemed so tall and majestic."

"I just lament that General Tian is too young. It is said that he is still the prime minister of the Tang Dynasty."

"The first general under the command of Tian Khan is General Tian. He must be coming for the Arabs. It may be difficult for us merchants to cross the mountains."

"The Arabs are very powerful, and their governor of Khorasan is a figure like the Heavenly General."

"We need to observe the situation carefully to avoid losing all our money."

The Hu merchants on the road were gathered in groups of three or five, talking a lot.

The Heavenly General obviously came with war, and most of the merchants were Sogdians, who were going to the Nine States of Zhaowu west of the Pamir Mountains, and even to the Arab Empire and the Byzantine Empire.

The last thing they want is a war, and if a battle occurs, they will suffer heavy losses.

Amidst jubilation and discussion, Li Xuan arrived at the Anxi Protectorate, which was also the government office of the Anxi Jiedushi.

Next to the Anxi Protectorate is the royal palace of Kucha.

Wang Zhengjian was in Anxi Protectorate, hosting a welcoming reception for Li Xuan.

"General Li, this is Central Army General Bian Lingcheng."

Wang Zhengjian introduced to Li Xuan an old official with a white face and no beard. The man had an arrogant demeanor and looked at people with the side of his eyes.

After meeting Li Xuan, Bian Lingcheng did not bow to him either.

Li Xuan frowned and said calmly, "I thought Anxi didn't have a military supervisor?"

He implied that Bian Lingcheng did not come out of the city to greet him.

It’s not that Li Xuan is arrogant, but this kind of rudeness makes Li Xuan very unhappy.

Although they were known as "military supervisors with great power and influence" during the Tianbao period, officials could not be too presumptuous.

After Li Xuan killed a central army soldier in Helong, the new military supervisor Zhang Daobin bowed and nodded to Li Xuan.

"The Central Army was unwell earlier and was unable to leave the city to welcome us. I hope General Li will forgive me."

Seeing Bian Lingcheng's face change drastically, Wang Zhengjian hurriedly tried to smooth things over.

Bian Lingcheng is narrow-minded.

The former Anxi Jiedushi Fu Menglingcha was removed by Bian Lingcheng.

So much so that Gao Xianzhi later spent a lot of money to entertain Bian Lingcheng and served him well to avoid provoking this villain.

"You can drink, but you can't even pay your respects?"

Li Xuan Bian Lingcheng was still embarrassed. Even if he was not in good health and could not ride out of the city, it should be okay to pay his respects.

Li Xuan knew that this old official had no bottom line. When he took back Tongguan during the Anshi Rebellion, he kept asking Gao Xianzhi and Feng Changqing for bribes.

After failing to obtain the gold, silver and jewelry, he went back and slandered Gao Xianzhi and Feng Changqing to Li Longji, which led to the deaths of Gao Xianzhi and Feng Changqing.

Li Xuan believed that this guy must have eaten a lot of grease when he was the military supervisor.

"Central Army, quickly salute General Li."

Wang Zhengjian persuaded Bian Lingcheng to meet Li Xuan. "The Central Army is the garrison of the Saint, and is not under the Jiedushi..."

Bian Lingcheng just said something in a shrill voice and turned away from the banquet.

After all, Li Xuan was a demoted prime minister, and he actually put him down as soon as they met, which made Bian Lingcheng very angry.

He is not afraid of Li Xuan.

Because Yang Guozhong had already sent him a message that if he could find evidence of Li Xuan's crimes and disloyalty, he would not only speak well of him in front of the emperor, but would also reward him with ten thousand taels of gold.

When Yang Guozhong was dealing with An Lushan, he did not forget the sword hanging over his head, Li Xuan.

What he feared most was that Li Xuan would return to Chang'an and become prime minister again.

"Li Shuai, calm down. There's no need to bother with someone like him."

Feng Changqing said to Li Xuan.

The implication is that Bian Lingcheng is the eyes and ears of the saint. Try not to offend him!
"The Central Army may be tired, come... have a drink!"

Li Xuan suddenly laughed and raised his glass.

As if nothing happened!
He felt that Bian Lingcheng's attitude was not right. He could not keep such a person by his side and would kill him after a while.

At the banquet, Li Xuan introduced Cen Shen, Liu Shan, Yan Zhenqing and Yan Gaoqing to them.

Yan Zhenqing and Cen Shen were judges of the Anxi Jinglüe ambassador.

Yan Gaoqing and Liu Shan were judges of the Beiting Jinglüe Ambassador.

After a while, Yan Gaoqing and Liu Shan will arrive in Tingzhou to take up their posts.

Li Xuan got to know the generals in Qiuci, the officials of the Anxi Jiedushi, the officials of the Protectorate, and the officials of Qiuci one by one.

He was courteous and humble, and spoke gently. As long as anyone saluted him, he would return the salute and toast.

His courtesy and generosity earned him respect from his generals and subordinates.

The banquet lasted until dusk.

Li Xuan's residence was in the Anxi Protectorate.

There are many courtyards here, and the family will be settled here in the future.

Gao Xianzhi's family also left Anxi and went to Chang'an a month ago.

The next day, Li Xuan arrived at the court and formally dealt with the military and political affairs of Anxi. He summoned Chang Qing to learn about the situation of the Sixteen Kingdoms in Hezhong and the Nine Kingdoms in Zhaowu.

The Tang Dynasty had 24,000 soldiers on the payroll in Anxi.

The Four Anxi Towns of the Tang Dynasty have been constantly changing.

Depending on strategic needs, sometimes it was Kucha, Yanqi, Khotan, and Shule.

Sometimes it is, Qiuci, Khotan, Shule, and Suiye.

During the Kaiyuan period, the four Anxi towns became Qiuci, Khotan, Suiye and Yanqi.

Among them, Suiye City was an important town directly under the jurisdiction of the Tang Dynasty, not a country.

The others are ancient countries in the Western Regions.

The garrison commander of Qiuci had 5,000 soldiers and horses stationed outside the city of Qiuci.

The governor of Khotan had 3,000 soldiers and horses stationed in the city of Khotan.

The Yanqi garrison had 4,000 soldiers and horses stationed in Yanqi City.

The garrison commander of Suiye had 5,000 soldiers and horses stationed in Suiye City.

The rest of the cities, including Shule City, Bahuan City, Dashi City, and Helie City, had about 500 soldiers and horses stationed each, for a total of 4,000 men.

There were many garrisons and watchtowers in the areas near the Pamir Mountains and Rehe (now Lake Issyk-Kul), with a total of 3,000 soldiers and horses.

These are Anxi’s official troops.

Moreover, Anxi had a large number of war horses. Even the infantrymen rode war horses.

The eastern basin of the Tianshan Mountains is rich in water and grass and is boundless, making it suitable for grazing.

The vast area north of the Tarim Basin, all the way to the Five Rivers Basin, was crisscrossed with rivers, making the country of that era have numerous pastures, sufficient to supply the Anxi Army with horses.

It seems that the maximum number of troops mobilized in Anxi is 20,000, but the Tang Dynasty has the appeal in Anxi Protectorate and can call on the countries of Kucha, Khotan and others to send troops, so that the Tang Dynasty can gather 50,000 troops in a short time.

Now Li Xuan still controls the Beiting Army.

Beiting’s headquarters, the Hanhai Army, had 12,000 men and was stationed in Tingzhou City.

The Tianshan Army has 5,000 people and is stationed in Xizhou City.

The Yiwu army had 3,000 men and was stationed in Ganluchuan, 300 miles northwest of Yizhou.

In addition, there was a relatively powerful Qarluk tribe outside the borders of Beiting Protectorate.

Moreover, after the strong suppression by Fu Menglingcha and Gao Xianzhi, the Turkic people in the Ili River Basin were also subdued.

Together with the Anxi Jinglüe Army and the Great Wall Army that are about to arrive, Li Xuan can mobilize more than 100,000 troops.

"Judge Feng, how is Ximian doing recently?"

After Li Xuan invited Feng Changqing to take a seat, he asked him.

"At least half of the countries in Central Asia have changed their flags and sided with the Arabs. According to reliable intelligence, they are forming a coalition to support the Arabs' troops!"

Feng Changqing answered Li Xuan and sighed in his heart.

He had to admit that Gao Xianzhi had made a wrong move.

The massacre of the Stone Kingdom not only failed to intimidate the other countries in the river, but instead made them completely turn to the newly established Black Caliphate.

Separated by the Pamir Mountains and the Thunder Mountain, the road was dangerous and the Tang Dynasty could not station troops in the river, as the cost was too high.

"It is understandable whether there are any movements of the Arab army."

Li Xuan asked Feng Changqing again.

The Battle of Talas in history was originally a battle between the Anxi Protectorate and the Karluks against the coalition forces of the Arabs and the Transoxiana states.

From the moment Gao Xianzhi stretched out his butcher knife to the Shi Kingdom for no reason, it meant that Hezhong and Zhaowu no longer trusted the Tang Dynasty.

When Gao Xianzhi was around, they verbally expressed their submission.

Now the Caliphate's Khorasan Governor Abu Muslim has spoken out and mobilized troops, giving confidence to the Central Asian countries.

A vassal state was established there during the reign of Emperor Gaozong, but the Tang Dynasty never stationed troops there from beginning to end.

Unlike the "Thirty-six Kingdoms in the Western Regions", after hundreds of years of management by the Han Dynasty, the strength of the Han dynasty has been deeply rooted in the hearts of the people in the Western Regions.

Of course, the Tang Dynasty was not without some influence west of the Pamir Mountains. For example, the Khanate of Batu Khan submitted to the Tang Dynasty and expressed its willingness to send troops and accept the Tang Dynasty's dispatch.

Bakhchisar did not belong to the Sixteen Kingdoms of Central Asia in a narrow sense. It was a small country in the middle reaches of the Yadsa River (now the Syr Darya River). It was a must-pass route on the Silk Road and was not far from Zhezhi City of the Shi Kingdom.

When Gao Xianzhi massacred the Shi Kingdom, Bhatna was involved.

In addition, not all countries west of the Pamir Mountains obeyed the command of the Arabs.

For example, the Sogdian states in the former Zhaowu area and Bukhara were very hostile to the religion of the Arabs.

Even though Gao Xianzhi committed atrocities, they still wanted to resist the Arabs.

"Our army has a garrison at Leishan, west of Suiye Town. It is said that the Arabs are dispatching troops to Talas City. In addition, the Arabs seem to be attacking the Sogdian states in Zhaowu's former territory that refuse to submit to them."

Feng Changqing replied to Li Xuan.

"Judge Feng, do you think that the Arabs will attack Anxi if they integrate the land west of the Pamir Mountains?"

Li Xuan asked Feng Changqing.

Abu Muslim was the most famous general of the Caliphate. He was ambitious and led the peasant uprising in the Khorasan region.

It’s a pity that the fruits of the uprising’s victory were finally seized by Abu Abbas, who had a better bloodline.

Eventually, Abu Muslim was appointed governor of the Khorasan region.

In history, the Abbasid Dynasty fell apart and then perished because the governors had too much power.

It can be seen that this position is unusual.

The person that the current Caliph Abu Abbas fears the most is the Governor of Khorasan Abu Muslim.

Li Xuan believed that it was normal for Abu Muslim to attack and integrate the west of the Pamir Mountains in the Khorasan Governorate.

Because the Arabs have always had the desire to look to the East.

Decades ago, Hajjaj ben Yusuf, the highest official of the Arabs in the East, promised his two generals that whoever first set foot on the territory of the Tang Dynasty would be appointed as the official of the Tang Dynasty.

So one of the generals conquered the border areas of India, massacred and drove away a large number of pagans, and the other general conquered large areas of Central Asia such as Taliqan, Shuman, Tahastan, and Bukhara, but no one could cross the Pamir Mountains and reach the border of the Tang Dynasty.

Now that the new Arab Empire was established, they wanted to spread their faith in their gods to the west of the Pamir Mountains.

The Governor of Khorasan is about to take action!
"I believe that if the Arabs are able to unify Central Asia smoothly, they will definitely attack the Tang Dynasty. When the Arabs were in power, they frequently wanted to expand eastward."

Feng Changqing thought for a moment and then answered Li Xuan.

"Among the Hezhong and Zhaowu states, there are still some that are openly submitting to the Tang Dynasty. When the Arab troops march south, they will definitely surrender..."

Li Xuan said to Feng Changqing.

"That's right! Recently, many countries have been asking the Tang Dynasty for help." Feng Changqing replied.

"The Tang Dynasty also has its own interests..."

It is impossible for the Tang Dynasty to cross mountains and rivers to support small countries at will.

The State of Cao paid tribute many times and presented the Huxuan woman to Li Longji, asking Li Longji to help them get rid of the Arabs.

But Li Longji did not agree.

"The current movements of the Arabs in the west are unprecedented. If our Tang Dynasty does not send troops, we will lose our influence west of the Pamir Mountains in a year at most."

Feng Changqing said solemnly.

The Arabs had a geographical advantage and were able to transport a large amount of manpower and material resources from the Khorasan region.

The core of the Tang Dynasty was Chang'an and Luoyang.

It was now obvious that the newly established Caliphate intended to expel all Tang influence and prestige from Central Asia.

"A year is too long. Let's give the Arabs a helping hand."

Li Xuan's words were shocking.

In late January this year, Li Xuan went to Mount Zhongnan to visit Li Mi.

Upon learning that Li Xuan had arrived in the Western Regions, Li Mi, who believed in Taoism, did not want to come.

He continued to work on his immortality.

Li Mi only reminded Li Xuan that there could be one or two major battles in the Western Regions, but small battles and "real and fake" battles must not be interrupted.

Only by bluffing can a large number of troops be mobilized at a critical moment...

"I am ignorant and don't know what the general means!"

Feng Changqing was curious about what Li Xuan meant by this sentence.

"Draft a document to let the countries west of the Pamirs that still submit to the Tang Dynasty go their separate ways. They will no longer need to pay tribute to the Tang Dynasty, and the Tang Dynasty will no longer care about them."

Li Xuan replied to Feng Changqing.

"With General Li like this, they have no choice but to surrender to the Arabs."

Feng Changqing said in surprise.

"The Sixteen Kingdoms in Hezhong, the Nine Kingdoms of Zhaowu, Bukhara, Bukhara and others are all small countries. Even if they all surrender to the Arabs, what does it matter? As long as we defeat the Arabs, they will definitely surrender to the Tang Dynasty at the first opportunity."

Li Xuan replied to Feng Changqing.

He already had a plan in mind that he could try out.

Even if it fails, the cost is not very high.

The Anxi Protectorate only collected taxes from the Anxi states, and did not collect taxes west of the Pamir Mountains.

Nominal submission is meaningless.

"General Li wants to lure the Arabs to attack the Tang Dynasty..."

Feng Changqing thought of Li Xuan's plan.

The Tang Dynasty took the initiative to give up the land west of the Pamir Mountains, allowing the Governor of Khorasan to obtain a large amount of territory and resources without any effort, which expanded the Governor of Khorasan's ambitions...

(End of this chapter)