Chapter 312: Managing the Western Regions
Lao Cheng's smooth little combo proved to be really fun to use.

Showing off to others can secrete a large amount of dopamine.

At the family dinner that evening, Old Li focused on showing off his great-grandchildren to his clan members and old brothers.

Naturally, everyone congratulated him and praised him endlessly, and Lao Li felt a little flattered.

I am much happier than being praised as being on par with Chinese.

Lao Li is a person who is easily satisfied. He would be very satisfied if he was praised as being on par with Emperor Wen of Han. As for surpassing Emperor Wen of Han... he would not dare to dream of that.

On the third day after the birth of his beloved daughter, Li Xiang officially began to preside over the admission of new students.

According to the rules set by Li Xiang, the entrance examination to the Tang Royal Academy of Literature was not difficult, and it mainly examined some basic questions.

The enrollment scope is children between the ages of seven and ten, and a total of more than 1,200 people were admitted.

The number of people admitted this time is relatively large because the age limit for admission is relatively loose. Next time it will be strictly limited to children aged seven to eight.

The tuition fee is not very expensive, and the cost of food and accommodation is the same for everyone. Anyway, there is the Chamber of Commerce chaired by Li Shu to back it up.

The rules in the academy are very strict. Once you enter the academy, no matter your family background, you will be treated as an ordinary student. If anyone has any bullying problems on campus, they can report the problem to the dean Li Shimin or vice-deans Li Chengqian and Li Xiang.

Just take these three deans as an example. Whose background is so powerful that they dare not deal with it?

Then the Tang Dynasty will soon be over...

There were more than the twenty teachers that Li Xiang had trained in Youzhou before. With the help of these teachers, the college recruited another thirty people to supplement the teaching staff.

Li Xiang divided the more than 1,200 students into 22 classes, with each class having about 55 students.

After enrollment is completed, dormitories will be allocated and the mini-semester will officially start in March next year, with students officially starting school in the fall.

After settling these matters, Li Xiang welcomed the New Year with peace of mind.

The 20th year of Zhenguan came quietly and the Tang Dynasty court was running in an orderly manner.

During the New Year's Grand Court Assembly, Yibishekui Khan of the Western Turkic Khaganate sent envoys to pay tribute and request the Tang Dynasty to grant a princess to marry the Khan.

Of course, the Tang Dynasty would not agree to this request. After all, according to the Tang Dynasty's plan, it would use military force against the Western Turks after the Chinese New Year this year.

The Western Turks were naturally aware of this situation, and they sent envoys to propose marriage just to test the Tang Dynasty.

After receiving the clear rejection from the Tang Dynasty, the Western Turks began to stir and wanted to make a last-ditch effort.

In March of the 20th year of Zhenguan, Li Shimin appointed Li Shiji, Duke of England, as the commander-in-chief of the Liusha Road, and Li Daozon as his deputy; Su Dingfang was appointed the commander-in-chief of the Congshan Road, leading the troops of the Yanran Protectorate and the Beiting Protectorate established after the destruction of the Xueyantuo, to support Li Shiji's troops.

After all, Lao Su did a good job in Liaodong. After he resigned from the post of Chief of the Andong Protectorate, Li Xiang appointed Liu Rengui to take over and sent Lu Zhaolin to assist Liu Rengui.

Li Xiang's idea was to let Lu Zhaolin go there for a few years to gain experience and make achievements, and then he would be promoted after returning to Beijing.

There is a more important meaning behind this, which is probably to let Lu Zhaolin fulfill his supervisory responsibilities.

Lu Zhaolin was also a smart man and of course understood Li Xiang's intention. Before leaving, he repeatedly told Li Xiang that he would complete the task successfully.

In mid-March, Pei Xingjian, Cheng Chubi, Changsun Quan and Li Siwen set out to sea from Dengzhou and once again set out on the journey to the south.

This time the fleet was nearly twice as large as the last one, and the Tang Dynasty also tasted the sweetness of purchasing goods from the south.

In June, the Western Turks invaded Yizhou.

As early as last year, when he learned that Ashina Helu was going to Xueyantuo to help them resist the Tang Dynasty, Guo Xiaoke was ready to deal with the invasion of Western Turks at any time.

However, what he did not expect was that the Western Turks had been slow to act and had not supported the Xueyantuo and Silla rebels in launching an attack on the Anxi Protectorate.

After rejecting the Western Turkic people's request for marriage, the court sent an urgent message of eight hundred miles to remind Guo Xiaoke. Without saying anything extra, the message was simply described in detail so that he could be prepared.

After receiving the message, Guo Xiaoke immediately dispatched additional personnel to carry out scouting and investigation work.

At the same time, he also contacted the countries in the Western Regions that were close to the Tang Dynasty, such as Wugu, Chumi, Yanqi, and Qiuci, and communicated with each other to deal with the invasion of the Western Turks.

Kucha was originally wavering between the Tang Dynasty and the Western Turks, but after learning that the Tang Dynasty had crushed the Three Kingdoms Rebellion with a crushing force, it slid to its knees at lightning speed.

After all, Xueyantuo was the number one force in Mobei, and even the Western Turks could hardly be compared with it. The Tang Dynasty was able to successively defeat Xueyantuo and Silla within a year, and with the reinforcements of the Western Turks and Japan, it was hard not to be intimidated by such a military force.

The King of Kucha was also a smart man. He knew that even if he surrendered to the Tang Dynasty, the Tang Dynasty would still keep a position of honor for him and would not treat him harshly because he took the initiative to approach them.

So what are you waiting for? Just slide down and kneel down.

On the day when the Western Turks invaded, Guo Xiaoke received a message from Qiuci.

This message was even sent half an hour earlier than the beacon fire from Anxi Protectorate...

So much so that when Guo Xiaoke received the letter, he was a little surprised.

Although he was surprised, Guo Xiaoke was not slow in his movements.

Although he is fond of luxury and his personal lifestyle is not very decent, his business ability is still commendable.

Maybe this is also a feature of the early Tang Dynasty...

After confirming the location of the main force of the Western Turkic army, Guo Xiaoke led light cavalry to attack and ambushed behind the Western Turkic army. When the Western Turkic army's attack on Yizhou was thwarted, he attacked from the rear.

Guo Xiaoke's son Guo Daizhao, holding a long spear, rushed into the enemy camp first. The morale of the Western Turkic army was stabbed in the rear, and the soldiers in the city took the opportunity to rush out. Under the pincer attack from both sides, the Western Turkic people were defeated.

In this battle, the Tang army killed more than 4,000 troops of the Western Turkic coalition and captured more than 20,000 people.

After the failure of the surprise attack, Yibishekui Khan had no choice but to retreat and withdrew his tent to Suiye City.

After winning the victory, Guo Xiaoke had no plans to pursue the enemy. After all, his logistical reserves were not sufficient to support him in a pursuit operation.

After he had sorted out the captives, he first sent someone to deliver the victory report to Chang'an, and then sent the captives to Youzhou City to have the Youzhou government office conduct the handover.

He then reorganized military affairs in the city, waiting for reinforcements from the Tang army, and continued to send scouts out, trying to gather intelligence on the movements of the Western Turkic army.

Guo Xiaoke did not have to wait too long. Two months later, the main force of the Tang army officially arrived at the Anxi Protectorate.

After meeting Li Shiji and Su Dingfang, Guo Xiaoke reported the situation in the Western Regions to the commander-in-chief in detail, including which countries in the Western Regions were loyal to the Tang Dynasty and which were die-hard Turks.

After understanding the basic situation with Guo Xiaoke, Li Shiji decided to temporarily wait for supplies in the Anxi Protectorate. At the same time, he worked with Su Dingfang and Guo Xiaoke to formulate a plan to send troops.

In September, the Tang Royal Academy of Literature officially opened.

The Military Academy also started classes at the same time as the College of Arts.

The admission standard of the Tang Dynasty Royal Military Academy is much higher than that of the Liberal Arts Academy. After all, since ancient times, people have emphasized that the poor are good at literature and the rich are good at martial arts.

The students admitted to the Royal Military Academy were generally the children of various princes in Chang'an City, or low-ranking officers in the army, etc. They had to have a certain level of education and reach the ninth grade level of the Royal Academy of Arts before they could be admitted.

Taking into account that it is still in its infancy, the Tang Royal Military Academy has opened additional cultural courses and requires students to take additional cultural courses.

The admission age standard for military academies is much higher than that for liberal arts colleges. One must be at least sixteen years old to enroll for further studies.

In order to be able to give a speech at the opening of the two colleges, Mr. Li asked Li Xiang to stagger the opening dates.

It was a new thing that His Majesty the Emperor personally delivered a speech at the opening ceremony.

At the same time, it undoubtedly strengthened the students' determination to pursue their studies. After all, as soon as they entered school, they were disciples of the emperor, which could be said to be the peak of their careers as soon as they debuted.

Such treatment is hard to find in all dynasties.

At the same time, the Anxi Protectorate's combat plan also arrived in Chang'an.

In the Lizheng Hall, Li Shimin took the detailed plan provided by Li Shiji and said to Li Xiang with a smile: "Mao Gong is indeed a famous general of the time. Look at this plan, it is really meticulous."

"The Western Turks were repelled by Guo Xiaoke last time. Now it will be extremely difficult for them to gather the Western Regions again." Li Xiang pointed to the map in front of him and continued, "At least the Turks, who were once loyal to the Western Turks, will have to think carefully if they want to help the Western Turks and go all the way to the end."

“If he is really stubborn and resists to the end, when the Tang Dynasty’s heavenly soldiers arrive, they will be crushed into dust!” Li Shimin snorted coldly.

Li Xiang smiled and asked, "Auntie, are you not being soft-hearted this time?"

Old Li didn't say anything, but just stared at Li Xiang with a very unfriendly look.

Being stared at with death in his eyes, Li Xiang grinned, trying to get away with it.

Old Li did not argue with him, but asked again: "Have the 20,000 prisoners that Guo Xiaoke sent to Youzhou arrived?"

"According to the date, we should have arrived." Li Xiang did some calculations and said, "Last month we said we had arrived in Shuozhou. According to the date, we should have arrived in Youzhou by now."

"Well," Li Shimin nodded slightly, and then said, "I heard that you sent people to Jinyang to explore the coal mines again?"

"Yes, Jinyang is relatively close to Chang'an," Li Xiang said with a smile, "According to the distance, mining coal and then transporting it to Chang'an is much closer."

"Then why didn't you mine in Jinyang before, but instead went so far away to Liaodong?" Li Shimin asked with a raised eyebrow.

Li Xiang was happy: "This is for the iron mines in Anzhou. This way, the iron mines and coal mines can be linked to each other."

After hearing Li Xiang's words, Li Shimin nodded to show that he understood.

"Let's wait and see. After the Western Turks are pacified, the next step is to manage the Western Regions." Li Shimin stretched out his hand and tapped the location of the Western Regions on the map: "Then follow your idea and do it boldly. I will give you the greatest support."

Time passed quickly and it was October, and the logistical supplies were finally transported to the front line in Illinois.

Li Shiji and Su Dingfang led their troops in two groups and marched towards the Western Turkic camp.

Since Yibishekui Khan had retreated before, the Tang army needed to send out scouts forward to explore the location of the Western Turkic headquarters.

In December of the 20th year of Zhenguan, Su Dingfang's army arrived at the western part of Jinshan and defeated the Mukun tribe, one of the Five Duluks, and the tribe's leader Shi Jin surrendered.

At the same time, Li Shiji's army also arrived at the Yedi River, and Yibi Shekui Khan led 100,000 cavalry from the Western Turks to resist.

Li Shiji led more than 10,000 cavalrymen from the Tang and Dingxiang Turkic tribes to meet the enemy.

Seeing that the Tang army was small in number, Yibi Shekui Khan boldly advanced to surround them. Li Shiji ordered the infantry to hold the high ground in the south and face outward with spears; he himself led the cavalry to form a battle array on the north slope.

Seeing this, Yibishekui Khan's cavalry attacked the Tang infantry three times but failed to shake the Tang army's position.

Li Shiji took advantage of the situation and led his cavalry to counterattack. Yibishekui Khan was ambushed from the rear by the Tang army and the Western Turks were defeated.

The next day, the Tang army continued their pursuit, and all the Wunushibi surrendered to the Tang army.

When the leaders of the Five Dulu tribes learned that Yibi Shekui Khan had been defeated, they fled south to submit to Li Simo, the ambassador of appeasement sent by the Tang Dynasty.

After the defeat, Yibishekui Khan led the remaining troops to escape.

It was snowing heavily at the time, and the generals requested to wait until the snow stopped before advancing their troops to pursue and capture Yibi Shekui Khan.

However, Li Shiji believed that he could take advantage of the heavy snow to attack the enemy by surprise and achieve success in one fell swoop.

This suggestion was agreed by Xue Rengui and Li Qinling, and they both requested to lead troops to capture Yibi Shekui Khan. So, Li Shiji thought it over again and again and decided to let Xue Rengui and Li Qinling lead the army to pursue.

So, the Tang army marched day and night in the snow to Jinya Mountain, caught up with the remnants of Yibi Shekui Khan, destroyed the Western Turkic camp, and captured tens of thousands of people.

Yibishekui Khan crossed the Yili River again and fled westward. Xue Rengui chased him to Suiye River and captured Yibishekui Khan's followers.

Seeing that the situation was ripe for withdrawal, Yibishekui Khan had no choice but to flee to Sudu City. The city lord Inedagan arrested them and sent them to Shiguo.

King Shi handed Helu and his son over to Xue Rengui and Li Qinling who had pursued them to Shi State. Thus, the Western Turkic Khaganate was officially declared extinct.

After the war, Li Shiji, in accordance with the court's instructions, arranged for the Western Turkic tribes to move inland to live around the Anxi Protectorate, and asked them to open roads to strengthen the connection between the Tang Dynasty's Anxi Protectorate and the Western Turkic tribes.

They also set up post stations, redistributed pastures to the Western Turkic people, and restored animal husbandry production.

The Western Turkic tribes were naturally grateful and thanked the Tang Dynasty for its magnanimity.

Seeing that the Turks were so sensible, the Tang Dynasty was naturally very satisfied.

After defeating the Western Turks, countries in the Western Regions began to submit petitions requesting submission.

(End of this chapter)