"If you accept the position of Caliph, you should inherit the mistakes of Abu Abbas. War is a matter of great importance to a country. Don't you think it's ridiculous to try to brush it off with just a few words? Our warriors left home thousands of miles away and left their blood here. They can't return home. All this is your fault!"

"Our victory is at hand, and Hashemite City is within our grasp. If you can talk about war, don't whisper about peace!"

Li Xuan did not accept Abu Ayyub Suleiman Mauryani's compliments and spoke in a serious tone.

It seemed as if they would march westward and destroy the city of Hashim at any time.

"As far as I know, even if the Tang army reaches Ciyi, it will still be very difficult to break through to Hashim City. We still have many believers, and the Governor of Azerbaijan will definitely lend us a hand. Thousands of miles of supply stations will be the factor for your army's failure."

Seeing that Li Xuan was determined, Abu Ayyub Suleiman Mauryani said something neither lightly nor heavily.

He believed that the Tang army was an expeditionary force and that there would always be a limit to its reach.

The Tang Dynasty was very powerful, but many things could not be transported to the Western Regions.

General Tian used the power of the Western Regions to fight against the Arab Empire.

Abu Ayyub Suleiman al-Mauryani was prepared for the breakdown of negotiations, at which time they would form guerrilla forces, constantly harass the Tang army's food routes, and use cruising cavalry to ambush.

Even if they could not drive out the Tang army, they would delay its arrival in Iraq.

Abu Ayyub Sulayman al-Mauryani was convinced that Abu Jalfar Abbas was wiser than the previous caliph.

"You are a nobody, do you know what war is? When your expeditionary army went to Anxi, did you think that you would be wiped out?"

Li Xuan sneered and asked Abu Ayyub Suleiman Mauryani in return.

At this point, Abu Ayyub Suleiman Mauryani really felt guilty.

Li Xuan in front of him was the famous general. Talking about swords and knives in front of Li Xuan was like showing off one's skills in front of an expert.

It was precisely because they were unsure of Li Xuan's ability that they were afraid that their theory would be overturned, and they were even more afraid that Li Xuan would ride lightly to Hashim City regardless of the consequences.

The city of Samakan was captured in one day, and the Arabs were frightened by the siege capabilities of the Tang army.

"Earlier you said that you would allow the establishment of the Persian Kingdom east of the Caspian Sea and provide gold, silver and jewelry worth two million rolls of silk. Not only do we agree, but we also believe that all the territory south of the Caspian Sea belongs to the Persian Kingdom, with the Caspian barbarians as the dividing line in the north and the city of Persepolis as the dividing line in the south, all the way to the middle of the Gulf."

Abu Ayyub Suleiman al-Mauryani softened his tone and put forward conditions for peace.

As Abu Jalfar Abbas said, the lands that the Tang cavalry entered were inhabited by many Persians, so there was no need to think about taking them back.

After the division of territories, the Caspian Empire had room for development as it was close to the Caspian Sea and the Persian Gulf as well as big cities like Basra, Hamadan, and Nehavan.

"In principle, I agree with your request. But you forced the Tang Dynasty to fight another battle, and many warriors were killed or injured. You need to compensate the Tang Dynasty with another 100,000 dinars and 10 million dirhams."

Li Xuan was delighted to see Abu Ayyub Suleiman Mauryani change his attitude. Although he did not insist on it, he was not polite either.

The coins of the Arab Empire were all made of gold and silver, which were also valuable in the Tang Dynasty and could be rewarded to soldiers.

"Our Iraqi province doesn't have that much fiscal revenue in a year."

Abu Ayyub Suleiman Mauryani was delighted to see that Li Xuan was not so tough.

But Li Xuan's request was too high, which made Abu Ayyub Suleiman Mauryani frown again.

The goods worth so much gold, silver and jewelry were taken out, and the imperial palace treasury was emptied.

“That’s a pity!”

Li Xuan disagrees with what Abu Ayyub Suleiman Mauryani said.

After the rise of the Arab Empire, it successively robbed Rome, Egypt, Persia, and India, and was also located on the Silk Road.

From the trade of white slaves, black slaves and yellow slaves, to various silks, porcelains, teas and other three major trade commodities in the East, to precious ornaments such as ivory, gems and rhinoceros horns.

They made a lot of money.

These gold, silver and jewelry would never fall into the hands of ordinary people. They were either in the treasury of the imperial palace or in the private vaults of the nobles.

Li Xuan believed that they could produce the gold, silver and jewelry he needed.

"General Tian, ​​if it's less, I will persuade the Caliph to agree."

Abu Ayyub Suleiman Mauryani again expressed his embarrassment.

"Not a single Dir Khan can be lost. Our soldiers are sharpening their swords. If you don't give it to us, we will go and get it ourselves."

Li Xuan's attitude was extremely tough.

He did not force the Caliph to submit to the Tang Emperor.

Because he will have to make good use of this relationship in the future.

"We promised to give General Tian gold, silver and jewelry, but how can we ensure that the Tang army retreats!"

Abu Ayyub Suleiman al-Mauryani knew that the situation of the Arab Empire was extremely urgent.

Li Xuan's request was within their acceptable range, so they simply agreed to it, thus easing the tension in the west.

But he needs a guarantee!
As soon as they presented gold, silver and jewelry to the Tang Dynasty, Li Xuan led his troops to continue westward.

"A real man should keep his word and fulfill his promise. I will not break my promise. As long as you deliver the gold, silver and jewelry to the Ciyi, I will immediately withdraw my troops from Persia."

"You have no choice! But our patience is limited. If we don't see what we want in Ciyi within a month, I will immediately head west."

Li Xuan only gave verbal promises so as not to give the Arabs any chance to delay time.

"Okay! It's a deal! We believe that heroes like General Tian will keep their promises."

In the end, Abu Ayyub Suleiman Mauryani had no choice but to agree.

After leaving Abiwald, Abu Ayyub Sulayman Mauryani sent knights to deliver the news to Hashim.

Abu Jalfar Abbas was extremely humiliated when he learned about the Heavenly General's appetite.

He clenched his fists and swallowed the anger, vowing to take revenge and regain the territory that belonged to the Arabs in his lifetime.

Immediately, Abu Jalfar Abbas opened the treasury, arranged carriages and horses, and spent five days to collect treasures worth an estimated price of two million pieces of silk. Since Dir Khan was not enough, he took out some gold as a substitute.

The Khorasan region was an important gold and silver producing area of ​​the Arab Empire, and they would lose a lot of gold and silver in the future.

This time, all the gold, silver and jewelry in the palace were almost emptied.

After the convoy carrying gold, silver and jewelry left the city of Hashemite, Abu Jalfar Abbas immediately headed to the northern part of Syria.

He could only pray that General Tian would keep his promise and withdraw his troops after taking the gold, silver and jewelry.

Abu Jalfar Abbas recruited new soldiers and trained them on the border between the Persian Empire and the Caliphate.

They recruited believers, trained guerrilla forces in advance, were responsible for cutting off the food and grass of most of the Tang army, and made plans for the worst.

A month passed quickly, and Li Xuan sent Hun Yu to lead 5,000 troops to meet Che Guangqian there.

At the same time, Liu Dan was asked to bring hundreds of merchants to count the goods and estimate their value.

This money was obtained through fraud, and as long as the difference was not too outrageous, Li Xuan would turn a blind eye.

However, Liu Dan became uneasy after coming into contact with this batch of goods.

Because Li Xuan told some of his subordinates and Bian Lingcheng that the Arab Empire only offered gold, silver and jewelry worth 200,000 silks as a condition for the Tang army to withdraw.

But the millions he touched?

Is Li Shuai going to embezzle the remaining gold, silver and jewelry?
But Li Shuai has never been a greedy person, and he doesn't even have much desire for food.

This amount of money is so exaggerated that it is hard to describe.

At this moment, Liu Dan felt that Li Shuai had great ambitions.

But as a confidant of Li Xuan who was promoted to the fourth rank, Liu Dan's loyalty could stand the test.

Leaving this matter to Liu Dan speaks volumes.

Liu Dan remained calm and finally only recorded "gold, silver, jewelry and goods worth two hundred thousand silks", and that was the price of silk in Chang'an.

The price of silk in Chang'an is three times that in Iraq.

A few days later, vehicles loaded with gold, silver, jewelry and various goods, stretching for several miles, drove towards Mulu City.

Li Xuan had already issued an order, asking Liu Dan, Che Guangqian, and Hun Yu to go directly back to Hezhong and follow the Qianquan Ancient Road to reach Qiuci.

Now the Qianquan Ancient Road can accommodate vehicles.

Places such as Cialis and Persepolis were occupied by Persian troops, and the defense was completed.

Li Xuan led his troops and returned to Mulu City.

The team he led also returned with a full load.

Li Xuan could no longer calculate how much gold, silver, jewelry, gold coins, silver coins and valuable goods he had obtained.

In the twelfth year of Tianbao, February, Mulu City.

"General Tian, ​​are you going to withdraw all your troops from Persia? Persia cannot do without the Tian army!"

Pushang personally went out of the city to welcome the returning Li Xuan. When he learned that Li Xuan was going to withdraw from Persia, he felt like the sky was falling.

Pu Shang could be considered a "founding monarch", but he did not have the slightest confidence that he was the only one qualified to be the founding monarch.

Like Abu Abbas, although he retired in disgrace, he dared to confront the Tang Dynasty, ruled the country with iron and blood, and expanded ambitiously.

Pushang thought he had no talent and wanted to rely on Li Xuan to completely restore the territory of Sassanid Persia.

He also heard rumors that General Tian had taken the gold, silver and jewelry, so he did not advance westward.

"Don't worry, King! Our army has been fighting for more than a year. The soldiers are tired and need to go back to rest... In two years, we will come back and help the Sassanid Persians to completely defeat the Black Caliphate..."

Li Xuan repeated to Pushan what he had said to Khalid ibn Barmak: "The Tang Dynasty took the money from the Arab Empire just for convenience. Even if it didn't, it wouldn't have the energy to fight again. In the past two years, the king has governed the country well, trained elite soldiers, and stabilized the people, waiting for me to come to Persia again and defeat the Black Arabs in one fell swoop."

"In that case, I will wait for General Tian to come again."

After hearing what Li Xuan said, Pu Shang felt much more at ease.

He can afford to wait two years.

He also believed that the Tang army needed to rest after a series of battles.

In a short period of time, the territory of the Persian Empire extended as far west as the Islamic State, with many fertile lands and rich mineral resources.

Pushang needs to consolidate his power!

As for the wealth gained by the Tang army in the war, Pu Shang did not ask.

It was the Tang army that fought throughout the whole process, and that was what the Tang army deserved.

Pushan, who restored his country and obtained the throne, was not jealous.

The Persian army allowed any Tang army vehicle carrying gold, silver, and jewelry to pass, and did not even dare to inspect them.

After returning to Mulu City, Pu Shang held a banquet for Li Xuan to welcome his triumphant return.

Prime Minister Khalid ibn Barmak and Persian literati surrounded Li Xuan and were more prestigious than the king.

Li Xuan talked a lot about his ideals and told Afif about the establishment of a translation research institution and a library.

This is the prototype of the Palace of Wisdom.

What is different is that learning Chinese, translating Chinese books and Confucian classics have become the mainstream.

And these advocates are all Li Xuan!

To the extent that Persian literati were like students in front of Li Xuan, and they admired Li Xuan's lofty ideals and exemplary conduct.

Afif had a feeling that Li Xuan was a philosopher and a saint.

He was eager to learn Chinese and understand Li Xuan's thoughts.

For example, at the banquet, Li Xuan wrote in Chinese characters for the library: "The sea embraces all rivers; it is great because it is tolerant; the cliff stands thousands of feet high; it is strong because it has no desires."

Some Persian writers directly called this the greatness of the Heavenly General.

After the banquet, Li Xuan asked Feng Changqing and other officials to prepare congratulatory messages and maps, and send them to Chang'an, asking Li Longji for credit and reward.

Although there had been several memorials submitted before, they were all reports of victory, informing the court only of the great battles won, without any specific battle tables.

Bian Lingcheng might also report some good news to Li Longji.

"Grand Protector, I see that vehicles carrying gold, silver and jewels are continuously heading towards Qiuci. How should we deal with these gold, silver and jewels?"

One day, Bian Lingcheng couldn't help but ask Li Xuan.

The countless vehicles made him feel itchy.

Unlike before, he could not touch these gold, silver and jewelry.

Without Li Xuan's consent, Bian Lingcheng would not be able to take a single silver coin. "In addition to rewarding the soldiers according to the rules, the rest will naturally be presented to the saint!"

Li Xuan said seriously.

When the gold, silver and jewelry arrive at the Anxi Protectorate, they will all be sealed in the treasury, and no one can enter except Li Xuan's personal guards.

Of course, the military supervisor has the power of supervision.

If Bian Lingcheng dared to break in and test the truth, Li Xuan would definitely arrest Bian Lingcheng.

He forced Bian Lingcheng to write a routine secret report to Chang'an.

This should be able to keep Li Longji secret for a while.

"The saint will definitely reward the Grand Protector."

Bian Lingcheng said this with a sour tone.

Li Xuan has accomplished another great feat, and the emperor is probably very pleased with his deeds, and is waiting for the final battle.

It would be difficult for him to deal with Li Xuan again.

It was even more difficult to get Li Xuan to present him with some gold, silver and jewelry.

"General Jia just made a small mistake. Now that the war is over, I hope General Tian can give me face and reinstate General Jia."

Seeing that Li Xuan didn't pay much attention to him, Bian Lingcheng said this angrily.

"Military law is ruthless and cannot be measured by face."

Li Xuan rejected Bian Lingcheng's face.

Previously, Jia Chongguan wanted to massacre the city, but was captured by Li Xuan as a warning to others.

Only then did the military discipline and restraint of soldiers come into being.

What’s more, Jia Chongguan is Bian Lingcheng’s man.

It is impossible for Li Xuan to use Jia Chongguan again.

"Doesn't the Grand Protector want to make a good impression in front of the Saint?" Bian Lingcheng said this in anger.

"I have been a prime minister, the head of all officials. Are you qualified to say such things to me? I have a close relationship with Mr. Gao, and I am loyal to the saint, and I am not suspected. There was once a military supervisor in Longyou, who had thousands of acres of fertile land in Longyou. He accepted bribes and appointed people based on personal connections, and was eventually executed by the saint. I see that there are many properties of the military supervisor in places like Qiuci and Yanqi, and I will report this to the saint."

Li Xuan looked at Bian Lingcheng with disdain, the damn eunuch was even taking advantage of him.

"Those aren't mine..."

Bian Lingcheng's face changed drastically and he denied that the fields in Anxi had anything to do with him.

"Whether it is yours or not, the saint can send an envoy to investigate. Is it difficult to confirm? I will ask the King of Kucha, the King of Yanqi, the King of Khotan, and the officials of Anxi to make a report together. Will they listen to me or you?"

Li Xuan snorted coldly.

"The Grand Protector has something to say. I will certainly speak well of you in front of the Saint."

Bian Lingcheng finally became frightened and his expression changed immediately.

He knew that Li Xuan was favored, and the last time he impeached Li Xuan, he was scolded by Gao Lishi.

"Do your own thing in the future. After returning to Anxi, I will set off for Chang'an, and you will go with me."

Li Xuan said lightly.

"Yes Yes……"

Bian Lingcheng nodded and bowed, feeling even more resentful in his heart.

Because Li Xuan's previous character was so well-established, he did not expect that Li Xuan would embezzle gold, silver and jewelry.

He also didn't think about the purpose of Li Xuan bringing him back to Chang'an.

Bian Lingcheng had limited manpower available, and he could not estimate the quantity and quality of the gold, silver, and jewelry.

After a few more days, all the battle reports were sorted out, together with Li Xuan's letter of commendation and a map from the Caspian Sea to Anxi made by the Persians.

All these were handed over to the messenger, who sent them to Chang'an at full speed.

Since the troops entered the Central Asian country last year, they have not only completed the task of drinking water from the Leizhu Sea, but also expanded the Tang Dynasty's sphere of influence to the southern part of the Caspian Sea and the central Persian Gulf.

……

In the Syrian region, after Abu Jalfar Abbas arrived in person, he quickly inflicted a heavy loss on Constantine V with his strong command ability.

But Abu Jalfar Abbas suffered from a lack of cavalry and was unable to pursue the victory and complete the victory.

While the two sides were confronting each other, a piece of news reached the tent of Constantine V.

The Bulgars moved southwards and attacked the Thracian region, looting everything they passed through.

"Shameless barbarian!"

Constantine V cursed loudly.

He thought that if he paid tribute to the Bulgarian Khanate, they would not attack him while he was heading south.

He underestimated the greed of the Bulgars, who were eyeing the wealth of the south.

With a mountain of gold before your eyes, you naturally don’t want to just get one piece of gold.

Faced with the crisis in the rear, Constantine V's plan to retake all of Syria was stranded, and he could only lead his army back along the original route to deal with the Bulgars.

General Tian held back and defeated so many Arab troops that the Roman Empire had to withdraw in disgrace. It was only their own fault that they were unable to quickly defeat the Arab army in Syria.

As more and more stories about the heavenly generals reached Constantine V's ears, he became more and more curious.

Even when he was at war with the Bulgars, Constantine V sent envoys to visit the Tang Dynasty from the north of the Caspian Sea to Persia and pay tribute to the Heavenly General.

Abu Jalfar Abbas was very surprised to see the Roman Empire withdraw its troops.

He did not pursue the victory, nor did he even counterattack the several cities occupied by the Roman Empire.

As long as he has most of Syria in his hands, he will have time to recuperate.

This battle increased the prestige of Abu Jalfar Abbas.

He immediately led the Guards back to Iraq.

Abu Jalfar Abbas was about to take on the challenge of his uncle Abdullah.

Soon after, Abu Jalfar Abbas defeated Abdullah in the Arabian Peninsula and established his position as caliph.

Those disloyal governors, seeing the ability of Abu Jalfar Abbas, were very afraid and did not dare to advance easily.

Abu Jalfar Abbas knew that he had to integrate all the power of the Arab Empire in order to have the confidence to compete with the Tang Dynasty.

A few months later, under the command of Abu Jalfar Abbas, the Arab army easily defeated the Azerbaijani army and killed the Azerbaijani governor.

This frightened several disloyal governors and caused them to surrender one after another.

The Caliphate, under Abu Jalfar Abbas, also stabilized, but they had lost too much.

They never dared to attack the Persian Kingdom while the Tang army was withdrawing, because General Tian would provide support at any time.

The Arab Empire cannot withstand a war. The people need stability and the country needs to recover.

After hearing the news that the Roman Empire had withdrawn its troops, Li Xuan led his army, left Mulu City and returned to Hezhong.

There are still many rebellions in the Persian Empire, which need to be quelled by the Persians themselves.

These were just minor fights and Tang Jun had no time to play with them.

Li Xuan arranged garrisons for the Persian troops, hoping that within two years, Persia would have 100,000 well-trained professional soldiers, including 20,000 to 30,000 Khorasan-style cavalry.

This will be of help to him in the future.

Li Xuan did not get involved in the Persian Kingdom's mineral resources, hoping that the Persian Kingdom's agriculture would recover quickly.

Within two years, the Anxi Protectorate would purchase large quantities of grain from the Persian Kingdom.

Only Persia could enable Li Xuan to "store up grain", as the Anxi Protectorate did not have enough land and population.

Pu Shang agreed to Li Xuan’s request directly, even offering to give it away for free, not to mention that Li Xuan was a purchasing agent.

The main reason was that Li Xuan was afraid that Persia would collapse, so he needed to give Persia some foundation. Minerals, handicrafts, and commerce alone might not be enough.

The Arab Empire may attack the Persian Empire when it learns of the civil unrest in the Central Plains.

At this time, the Persian Empire must hold on and become a barrier in the river.

The countries in Transoxiana would also send some troops to help the Persian Empire resist.

Li Xuan also asked Pu Shang to strictly guard the checkpoints and immediately intercept any "female slaves" or "slaves" from the Tang Dynasty and send them back to the Anxi Protectorate.

This happened frequently because women were forced out of the Tang Dynasty by various means.

He could put an end to such things only by strictly investigating the Hexi Corridor, the Western Regions, Transoxiana, and Persia.

For such a small matter, the Persian King Pushan naturally patted his chest and guaranteed it.

On the other hand, Li Xuan's departure allowed Pu Shang to take power.

Li Xuan is in Mulu City, and everyone has to act according to Li Xuan's mood.

At the same time, the withdrawal of the Tang army and the establishment of Sassanid Persia gave some Persian literati greater confidence, and they continued to write poems praising Li Xuan.

There were also some confident Persian literati who felt that even without the Tang army, they could still defeat the lingering Black Arabs.

After explaining everything, Li Xuan left the Persian Kingdom in late March and arrived at the city of Samar.

Li Xuan stayed here for a month. The newly appointed kings of Tocharia, Sogdia, Bukhara, Bukhara, and Huxun came to pay homage to Li Xuan and presented him with treasures, which Li Xuan accepted.

Li Xuan's power had reached the point where all the kings would prostrate themselves at the slightest sign of his sneezing.

Moreover, the northern part of Yaoshashui is already directly under the jurisdiction of the Tang Dynasty, and the heavenly soldiers can march south at any time.

All the Shi people were divided among the Sogdian countries.

In order to commend the achievements of the Sogdian, Tocharian and Bukhara countries, Li Xuan rewarded gold and silver coins to the soldiers of each country who participated in the war.

And released a small number of Tocharian captives on the Qianquan Ancient Road, who were captured during the Battle of Suiye Water.

The Bactrian infantry and cavalry who participated most in the battle were rewarded with sheep, cattle, gold coins and silver coins, and those who made great contributions were rewarded with silk.

These actions made the soldiers in the river feel awe and gratitude towards General Tian at the same time.

These rewards were just a drop in the bucket compared to what Li Xuan had plundered in the Arab world.

Long before the Battle of Talas, Li Xuan had made a promise, and Li Xuan would definitely fulfill it to increase his influence.

The next time Li Xuan leads his troops, he will be able to gain the loyalty of the countries in Hezhong with just one order.

The Silk Road has been reopened.

The merchants smelled the long-awaited sweet rain.

Astute businessmen smelled business opportunities in the newly established Persian Empire.

In late April, the King of Bakhchisar proclaimed himself the King of Ningyuan and invited Li Xuan to Bakhchisar.

Li Xuan agreed and went to Kesai, the capital of Bukhara, where he was admired and cheered by the people and soldiers.

In early May, Li Xuan followed the Yaosha River and arrived at Zhezhi City.

When the Battle of Talas ended last year, Li Xuan ordered Yan Zhenqing to organize 10,000 Han people to migrate to Zhezhi City and Talas City.

The migration has now been completed.

The people who were willing to make the journey were given generous land and ten sheep, and each household was also given a horse to develop their military capabilities.

It is not realistic to migrate people from the Central Plains to Hezhong now. There are too few Han people in the Western Regions, and migration will only make up for the shortage.

If possible, Li Xuan would like to migrate Han people to the coast of the Caspian Sea, but unfortunately it is not possible now.

Li Xuan personally visited the Han people in Zhezhi City to understand their lives...

……

Back in March, in Chang'an, it was the season when "only the peony is the true national beauty, and the capital is moved when the flowers bloom"...

(End of this chapter)