Chapter 314 Anxi Strategy (IV)

The next morning, Jingniang set off for Chang'an. Zhang Huan did not keep her, but sent a team of soldiers to escort her safety. At noon, Wang Siyu suddenly sent someone to invite him, and there was an emergency military situation.

Zhang Huan immediately rushed to the Anxi Jiedushi Office. As soon as he entered the door, Wang Siyu reported: "Governor, there are scouts who have come to report that Tubo has already shown signs of evacuation to the west."

"When did it happen?"

"It should have been that I secretly set off the camp last night. The scouts discovered that the Tubo army had set off their camps and headed west early this morning, and had already arrived fifty miles away, and sent a gaze to intercept the scouts."

Zhang Huan quickly walked to the sand table and carefully inspected the Tubo army's withdrawal route. He had realized that the situation had changed. The Tang army had gathered 100,000 troops in Anxi, while Chisong Dezan had only 50,000 troops. The military strength was unbalanced. Of course, the Tubo army might also be dismissing to attract them to pursue.

Zhang Huan paced back and forth slowly with his hands behind his back. In fact, the Tubo army was no longer the focus of his consideration. What he was considering was how far this Western Expedition would go, whether to continue the Western Expedition with a rush, or to stop and consolidate Anxi and Beiting?

From a normal strategic perspective, it should be to consolidate the control of Anxi and Beiting. Moreover, the expedition of Lao Shi also requires a large amount of material preparation. However, from what Jing Niang told him last night, it can be seen that the Dashi obviously accelerated the actual possession of the west of the Pamir Mountains, including culture, religion, immigration and other means. He was worried that in a few years, no one would miss the Tang Dynasty on the large land west of the Pamir Mountains anymore.

The tent was silent, and dozens of generals dared not interrupt Zhang Huan's contemplation. After a moment, Zhang Huan felt enlightened. He looked up and saw that everyone was looking at him, waiting for his decision.

He waved his hand and said, "Everyone, don't care about the gains and losses of one city and one territory when dealing with Tubo. We must annihilate their living forces as much as possible. We must never let Chisong Dezan escape back to Tubo calmly."

Speaking of this, he turned around and looked at Wang Siyu and smiled, "How about letting me be the head coach this time?"

Wang Siyu bowed in fear and said, "I dare not, please give me the commander."

"Okay!" Zhang Huan strode into the coaching position, his face changed, and he immediately ordered: "Wang Siyu obeys the order!"

"The last one will be here!"

"I will order you to be the front army and lead 20,000 elite cavalry to chase the Tubo army day and night. Within three days, cut off his retreat."

"The last one will obey the order!" Wang Siyu bowed and took the order and strode away.

Zhang Huan arranged military rations and logistics again. He saw Xin Lang looking expectant, and smiled and said, "Bailing stays, I have other arrangements."

After the deployment was completed, the generals took orders one by one and left. At this time, he waved to Xin Lang and said, "Come on! Sit down and talk."

Seeing the governor's expression serious, Xin Lang couldn't help feeling a little nervous. He sat down opposite Zhang Huan. Zhang Huan pondered for a moment and said, "Anxi is not as good as Hexi. The journey here is far and the food transportation is too much. Therefore, since the Han Dynasty, we have adopted the method of on-site farming. In order to allow the soldiers to serve with peace of mind, our Tang Dynasty implemented the military household system. This is actually a disguised immigration. Therefore, I also plan to implement the military household system in Anxi. In the early stage, the Xiliang Army was temporarily guarded. In the future, the landless farmers in the Central Plains will be encouraged to come to Anxi to guard the border and encourage them to join the army. They can give their families generous land and exempt them from taxes. In addition, I also plan to implement a fixed holiday system for soldiers, such as having three to five days a month to allow them to reunite with their families...."

Zhang Huan talked in a daze, and Xin Lang gradually understood the governor's intention. He wanted to station himself in Anxi. Sure enough, Zhang Huan changed the topic and asked him with a smile: If I order you to be the military envoy of Beitingdu and to control the military and political affairs of Beiting, you may be competent?"

Xin Lang immediately stood up and bowed to respond, "I will never let down the governor's expectations!"

Zhang Huan nodded, satisfied with his attitude, and continued: "This Uighur civil strife, I guess it will not be able to expand westward within a few years, and the Gelulu people and Shatu people are seriously injured. This is our opportunity. I hope you are not conservative, nor are you limited to the area of ​​Beiting in the former. After gaining a foothold, you will immediately expand westward and northward to actually control the land by establishing a guard castle. In particular, you should prevent the rise of the White-Fu Turks. If necessary, you might as well slaughter me. Do you understand what I mean?"

"I understand!"

Zhang Huan patted his shoulder and smiled, "Wang Siyu will guard Anxi, to some extent, it is also a battle between you two. You read more books than him and are older than him. I hope you don't lose to him."

Xin Lang nodded silently, feeling deeply that he had a heavy responsibility.

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In the afternoon, Zhang Huan personally led 60,000 main army to chase westward. Looking into the distance, there were blue sky and endless grasslands. You can faintly see the snow peaks of the Tianshan Mountains in the north. The melting snow formed rivers through the grasslands and flowed south into the wide Chi River. It was the irrigation of these rivers that made the hundreds of miles of vast areas west of Kucha to Bachangcheng, becoming the richest and most fertile land in Anxi.

The veteran Luyang who introduced Zhang Huan to the situation along the way was the veteran general. He had been stationed in Anxi for nearly forty years. He was familiar with every grass and acre of mountains and rivers here.

"Unlike Beiting, Anxi occupied almost the vast majority of the land, and only oasis of large and small are distributed on the edge of the desert. Here, an oasis is almost a small country. Their power is scattered and it is difficult to form a huge force like the Geluo people and the Tuqi Shi people. Therefore, he was willing to rely on the Tang Dynasty and welcomed the Tang Dynasty's garrisons and military households. Therefore, for more than a hundred years, the Tang Dynasty's conflicts in Anxi have almost been a battle with Tubo, and he has never fought for any control with the local people. Therefore, in the future, the governor governed Anxi, and his subordinates suggested that we adopt the consistent strategy of our Tang Dynasty, with four military towns as the core, and distributed guards and envoys in each oasis and pass, establish a military household system, separate from the local governments, and perform their own duties. This is the way to maintain long-term stability."

Zhang Huan nodded constantly. It should be said that Luyang's idea coincided with him. For Beiting, he advocated the implementation of the strategy of expansion and assimilation, continued and expanded the prefecture and county system in the Central Plains, and immigrated in large quantities to achieve the purpose of actual occupation. For Anxi, he also advocated supporting the local pro-Tang royal family, who came to manage local government affairs by their descendants, and sent his legitimate prince to Chang'an to study. In this way, Wang Siyu could focus on military preparations to march west of the Palacio.

"I will consider General Lu's suggestions carefully." Zhang Huan smiled and asked again: "Since General Lu has been in Anxi for nearly forty years, I must be very clear about the situation of the countries in Anxi. In your opinion, which country is the most pro-Tang among the countries in Anxi?"

Luyang replied without hesitation: "Of course it was Shule. During the Taizong period, Shule Kingdom ignored the threat of the Turks and wrote to the court three times to request surrender, which made Emperor Taizong resolutely decide to send troops to Anxi and Beiting, and finally established the rule of the Tang Dynasty in the Western Regions. After severing contact with the court, the ministers and others were forced by Tubo and had almost no place to live. It was Shule King Pei Lenglian who resisted the pressure of Tubo and contained us in Shule. This time, the Tubo army went north from Tocharo, and Pei Lenglian arranged carriages and food, and personally sent troops to escort us to Khotan."

"Wait!" Zhang Huan suddenly interrupted him, and he asked in surprise: "Do you mean King Shule has his own army?"

"Of course there is!" Luyang saw him surprised, and he quickly explained: "Maybe the governor didn't know that in the past, these small countries in the Western Regions had their own troops, ranging from thousands to tens of thousands of people. They maintained local order on weekdays. If they were fighting, they would be vassals of the Tang army and accompanied the army. Otherwise, there would be only more than 20,000 people under the Anxi Jiedushi, and they would have to be stationed in various places to guard and capture them. How could they fight against the Tubo people?"

"So that's it!" Zhang Huan nodded slowly, but this detail was something he didn't know. If Shule itself had an army and was pro-Tang, then why could not move the ruling center of the four Anxi towns from Kucha to Shule? This would be more conducive to the development of the Tang army to the west.

Thinking of this, Zhang Huan immediately asked: "How many troops do Nashule Kingdom have? And how many Tang troops can it accommodate to the greatest extent?"

"The Shule Kingdom still has an army of 6,000 people. At the peak of the past, the Tang army stationed more than 10,000 people there, but according to subordinates, Shule can station at least 30,000 people."

Luyang seemed to have understood Zhang Huan's thoughts. He clasped his fists and said, "Governor, I have an idea. I wonder if the Governor is willing to listen?"

"Just say it!"

"In the Anxi Protectorate south of the Tianshan Mountains, there is the northern defense line centered on Kucha and the southern defense line centered on Khotan. They are also the Silk Road main road. The western ends of these two defense lines are gathered in Shule. This makes Shule have an important position in the military strategy of the western front of our Tang Dynasty, which is of great importance. My subordinates are worried that the Great Cannibal will take advantage of the opportunity of our Tang Dynasty fighting against Tubo to send troops to occupy Shule. At that time, Chisong Dezan might not have colluded with the Great Cannibal."

A sentence suddenly reminded Zhang Huan. He remembered the news that Damo Tuodu said yesterday. The big cannibals stationed heavy troops in Shihanna. If they were worried that they would cross the Pamir Mountains to break the leaves, they should station troops in the north. The station troops in Shihanna, and crossing the Pamir Mountains from the south is Shule. Do they really want it?

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Thinking of this, the cold sweat on Zhang Huan's back had already come down. If Dashi really sent troops to Shule and joined forces with the Tubo people, the situation in Anxi would most likely be reversed.
Chapter completed!