Chapter 540 Pre-War Planning

Tianxuan Temple.

Up to now, Zheng Ge has not deprived Tianxuan of his position as the Protector General of the Western Regions. Xiao He, Cao Shen, Liu Ji, Chen Ping, Li Shang, Zhou Bo and others who were discovered and cultivated by Tianxuan are still stationed in the Western Regions. To put it bluntly, the Western Regions is where Tianxuan started. Most of the thirty-six countries in the Western Regions have surrendered to the empire after being defeated by Tianxuan and have become counties of the empire.

In the past few years, although Tianxuan was in the Central Plains, he never relaxed his control over the Western Regions, and all the affairs in the Western Regions were under his control. This time, Zheng Ge sent Tianxuan back to the Western Regions to deal with Loulan, the last country in the Western Regions that was unwilling to obey the king and the empire's rule. Tianxuan was mentally prepared for this.

After the court session, Tianxuan returned to his mansion immediately and sent someone to invite a talented person who had been recruited.

The Golden Crow had already arrived at the center of the sky. The golden sunlight shone through the wooden lattice window into Tianxuan's study, which was filled with all kinds of books and exuded a strong scholarly atmosphere. In front of a sandalwood desk, Tianxuan, who was dressed in a black cloud-patterned outfit, with a golden crown tied up his hair, a nose like a hanging gallbladder, and eyes like bright stars, sat opposite Zhang Liang, who was so handsome that one could doubt his gender and whose eyes were filled with endless wisdom.

Between the monarch and his minister, there was a cowhide map with different countries marked on it: Ruoqiang, Loulan, Qiemo, Xiaowan, Jingjue, Ronglu, Yutian, Pishan, Wugan, Zihe, Xiye, Wulei, Dayuan, Taohuai, Weitou, Gumo, Qiuci, Moshan... The mountains and rivers of the thirty-six countries in the Western Regions were all included in this map.

Most of these kingdoms have been painted black, indicating that they have become territories of the empire, although their names have not changed. Only Loulan is still painted red, indicating its hostile relationship with the empire.

"Sir, how do you plan to deal with Loulan?"

Zhang Liang, who was sitting opposite Tianxuan, had read all the information about the Western Regions provided by the Black Ice Platform. After reading the information, the third master of the Confucian Xiaoshengxian Manor and Tianxuan's most trusted strategist in the Central Plains was silent for half an hour before he focused his attention on the map provided by Tianxuan.

This went on for another half an hour before Zhang Liang finally spoke to break the stalemate.

"Furthermore, Xiao He, Liu Ji, Cao Shen, Zhou Bo and others followed you to build the Western Regions from scratch. Now, everything in the Western Regions is on the right track. Although Your Majesty has not said it explicitly, once you have solved Loulan, I am afraid you will have to abolish the Western Regions Protectorate and establish a county system. How do you plan to appease Xiao He and others?"

"What about Loulan?" Tianxuan propped up his chin with one hand and murmured, "I plan to send someone to propose marriage to the queen of Loulan who has a real name but no name. As long as she is willing to marry me, I can preserve Loulan's belief in the Queen of the Nine Heavens and treat the people of Loulan well."

Although Zhang Liang had never met the High Priest of Loulan, he had already sketched out the outline of the High Priest of Loulan in his mind through intelligence: "Sir, that High Priest will never be willing to marry you!"

Tian Xuan said: "I know, and I don't expect her to agree. So, if she refuses the marriage, I will lead the army to attack Loulan. In addition, I have a Loulan spy under my command, and I will use him to pass some false information to Loulan."

"In recent years, Mr. Zheng Guo, who has passed away, has drawn water from the Tianshan Mountains, Kunlun Mountains and other mountains according to the topography and hydrology of the Western Regions, and has outlined a canal that irrigates all areas of the Western Regions. Poplar trees have been planted on both sides of the canal. Thanks to this canal, many places in the Western Regions can now grow crops. The canal did not run through Loulan. Although Loulan is located on the largest oasis in the Western Regions, the people of Loulan still have a hard time under the isolation measures of Xiao He and others. According to the reports of Xiao He and Cao Shen, more than a thousand Loulan people have fled Loulan in the past year."

"Right now, Loulan's entire army will not exceed 20,000. Even with the help of the dragon beast, your majesty has given me 30,000 soldiers and horses. Together with the 30,000 elite soldiers of the Western Regions Protectorate, it is more than enough to deal with Loulan! The Loulan High Priestess's rejection of my marriage invitation will bring disaster to Loulan and will also undermine her prestige in Loulan."

In his words, Tianxuan did not take Loulan, the strongest country in the Western Region, seriously at all, and regarded it as a delicacy on the plate, just waiting to be enjoyed. "As for Xiao He and others?" Tianxuan pondered for a while, and then said, "I will recommend Xiao He to serve as the internal historian of grain, Li Shang, Zhou Bo, Fan Kuai and others as county lieutenants; Chen Ping and Cao Shen as county magistrates; and finally Liu Ji?" When mentioning Liu Ji, Tianxuan's tone became vague, and the luster in his eyes changed, but Zhang Liang did not notice it.

Tianxuan always kept his guard up against Liu Ji, the Emperor Gaozu of Han who was destined to be the emperor. But in recent years, according to the intelligence he had obtained, Liu Ji had behaved himself in the Western Regions and never meddled in other people's affairs except for what he was supposed to do. In his spare time, he either went to gambling houses or brothels, or drank and hunted with Fan Kuai and others.

Liu Ji even sent people to pick up his parents and family from his hometown in Pei County and asked his father Liu Taigong proudly.

'Did I, the dissolute third son, earn more for you, or did my second brother earn more for you, old man?'

All signs indicate that Liu Ji is satisfied with everything he has now.

"I will assign him a county governorship. As long as he works hard, he will be promoted to the rank of Duke of the Three Realms and Nine Ministers in the future!"

Tian Xuan added quietly as information about Liu Ji was churning in his mind.

"These treatments are enough to satisfy them." Zhang Liang felt that Tianxuan's arrangements for Xiao He and others were not bad, and nodded in approval.

"Your Majesty," Zhang Liang said after deciding on the treatment to be given to Xiao He and the others. "Xiao He, Liu Ji and the others were all cultivated and promoted by you. They will surely be satisfied with the treatment you give them. However, regarding Loulan, I think you should not underestimate the enemy."

As he spoke, Zhang Liang placed a white jade-like finger on the end of the cowhide map in front of him. Although this cowhide map mainly marked the mountains and rivers of the Western Regions, it did not ignore other forces. For example, where Zhang Liang's finger was now, there were only two words:

Wolf tribe!

"Zifang," Tianxuan followed Zhang Liang's finger and saw the word "Wolf Clan". His dark and thick eyebrows slightly wrinkled, "Are you worried that the Wolf Clan will disrupt the situation?"

Zhang Liang did not deny it. "Your Majesty, I am indeed a little worried about the Wolf Tribe. After all, you and the Xiongnu Chanyu, Maodun, have a grudge for killing your father. Since Maodun inherited the throne of the Xiongnu Chanyu, he has worked hard to make the Xiongnu stronger. According to the news from the Black Ice Terrace, not long ago, the King of Donghu asked Maodun for his favorite warhorse, and Maodun gave it to the King of Donghu without hesitation. However, the King of Donghu was not satisfied and asked Maodun for his father Touman's favorite woman, Hu Ji...."

Halfway through his words, Zhang Liang's face showed deep disgust. He was extremely disgusted with the Hu people's custom of the son inheriting the father's property and the younger brother inheriting the elder brother's property.

(End of this chapter)