At night, there was a sound of fighting in the military camp, and the army went to bed.
In the room, a pot of tea is brewing. Qin Mubai stared straight at the steaming kettle, in a daze.
"Sanlang!" Qin Shubao suddenly shouted, which frightened Qin Mubai and said: "Huh?"
"I see that you are wandering around. Could it be that you are suffering from a demonic disorder?" Dad was obviously still a little angry. "Go, run around the campus and come back sweating!"
"No need, Dad?" Qin Mubai laughed dryly, "Aren't we... talking about business?"
"How can you talk about business when you look like this? - Go quickly!" Qin Shubao raised his eyebrows and was obviously a little angry.
Qin Mubai smiled helplessly and had no choice but to jump up and go for a run on the campus field.
"It's all because of those little goblins who made my legs weak. I just want to lie down and sleep. My brain is a little slow and I don't want to move..."
After running around for a while, Qin Mubai wiped his face and sat down in high spirits: "Dad, I'm done running!"
"That's what it sounds like." Qin Shubao said lukewarmly, "A true man, don't indulge in wine and sex - well, let's get down to business! You just said you were preparing to march into Dafeichuan, what's going on?"
"Oh, that's it." Qin Mubai told his father what the emperor had said.
After listening to this, Qin Shubao pondered for a moment, nodded and said: "You must be right. Although His Majesty is the lord of the world, he alone cannot control the public opinion and reputation of the court. Changsun Wuji and Fang Fang Xuan Ling and others represent the wishes of the majority of the courtiers. They raised questions together and continued to exert pressure. His Majesty's life is indeed difficult. "
"Leave aside the direction of the court, at the moment, I also feel that taking down Da Feichuan will also be useful to Lanzhou's overall strategy." Qin Mubai said.
Qin Shubao frowned slightly: "Tell me what you think."
"Father, it has been more than half a year since I came to Lanzhou as a child. In the past six months, Lanzhou has been committed to production and development." Qin Mubai said, "But have you noticed a phenomenon? Although Lanzhou's farmland water conservancy has made rapid progress , The move of immigrants to Lanzhou has also brought stability and population growth to Lanzhou. However, there has been no sign of growth in taxation."
"That's true." Qin Shubao nodded, "The population has increased, and the water conservancy and farmland have also increased. At the same time, haven't you promulgated policies to benefit the people and support their interests, and reduce or reduce taxes for the new arrivals? Lanzhou's population is not large, and taxes have not increased. That’s normal.”
"It's not normal, dad!" Qin Mubai said, "This means that Lanzhou's business has not developed!"
"Business?" Qin Shubao frowned in confusion. Obviously, this kind of thing is unfamiliar to him. Even from the bottom of his heart, he disliked merchants and businessmen.
"Business is the source of taxes. Lanzhou needs to increase taxes and develop commerce to become prosperous. Moreover, as Lanzhou's population increases, the demand for all kinds of daily necessities—such as clothes, dishes, and mattresses—is increasing. There are very few such workshops in Lanzhou, and self-sufficiency alone is far from enough. At the same time, many remote ranches in Lanzhou not only raise military horses, but also produce a lot of milk, meat, fur and other products. I simply can’t use it up,” Qin Mubai said, “So there is an urgent need for merchants to exchange supplies. They can bring all kinds of specialties from the Western Regions, as well as tea, oil, and silk from the Central Plains, and take them away with us. It is rich in cattle and wool, and it can also generate taxes. Moreover, most of the newly added people are now unemployed. They are just settling here as the families of the soldiers and have nothing to do. They are also a labor force, even if they don't have to be used! It's hard work like farming and raising livestock, but it's always possible to open a shop and run a business trip, right? This can not only house these idle people, but also enrich the families of the soldiers, and at the same time, it can also generate tax revenue. "
"I understand what you mean." Qin Shubao nodded, "Are you trying to say that the existence of the Tibetan army in Dafeichuan hindered the exchanges of merchants? They were afraid of war and had no confidence in Lanzhou's military power, so they did not dare to pass through Lanzhou ?”
"Yes, that's it!" Qin Mubai nodded decisively, "Originally, Lanzhou was a choke point and the only way to pass through on the Silk Road. It was a transit point between the Western Regions and the Central Plains. It had unique and huge advantages in obtaining tax profits. However, Because of the imminent threat of Tibet, Lanzhou has been experiencing frequent wars since the founding of the Tang Dynasty. Therefore, merchants would rather take the longer route to Ganliang instead of taking the shortcut to Lanzhou. As a result, Lanzhou has become increasingly poor. With the desolation, all the things needed were provided by the imperial court, thus developing a bad habit of not thinking about self-sufficiency and relying entirely on transshipment, and gradually formed a vicious cycle of becoming poorer and poorer, and the imperial court's contribution to Lanzhou was also increasing. In fact, as long as our army takes Dafeichuan and strengthens Lanzhou's security and border defense, and gives businessmen confidence in Lanzhou - they will definitely be willing to come! "
"But... Shancheng is newly defeated, so it is not appropriate to use force. Don't you know?" Qin Shubao said, "Killing the enemy one thousand will cause us to lose eight hundred. We will have to bear more losses than the Tubo people. It is very uneconomical."
"It is true that the two armies are facing each other to attack the enemy head-on." Qin Mubai said, "In war, we fight for money and food. We in the Tang Dynasty are accustomed to living in cities. As long as there is a war, the losses suffered are generally greater than those of the barbarians. However, if By locating the battlefield in a foreign land, keeping our city away from the flames of war, and using the tactics of surprise and deceit to attack quickly, we can minimize the losses! It’s not a bad idea to farm and open up plains. There is also a lack of fertile fields on the shores of Qinghai Lake. Although the long-term cold climate is not particularly suitable for the growth of crops, you can raise Tibetan plateau war horses and their unique plateau boats - yaks!
"Yak?" Qin Shubao's eyes lit up, "Do you want to... prepare for the future conquest of the Tibetan mainland?"
"It's not a bad idea, father! It all depends on man-made things!" Qin Mubai said.
"But we Tang people are not used to the life on the Tubo Plateau at all." Qin Shubao shook his head, "I heard that my colleagues who served in Tibet said that it was difficult to breathe when they went to the plateau, so how could we talk about killing and conquering Tubo? Obviously, Tubo I’ve lived here and grown up here, so I’m used to it.”
"Not necessarily!" Qin Mubai said, "Actually, it is also a process of adaptation. From Dafeichuan to Qinghai Lake, the terrain gradually rises. We can have the sergeants stationed in this area for training and slowly adapt. If it really comes On that day, I, the Tang Dynasty, had the strength to step onto the plateau and attack the Tibetan mainland, and use the step-by-step training and attack method that gradually adapts to the terrain transition, so there is no chance of winning! "
"A very bold and innovative idea!" Qin Shubao was immediately refreshed. "Although we don't have to be too ambitious, considering many aspects, it seems that it is imperative to win Dafeichuan?"
"indeed!"
Qin Shubao nodded slowly: "That's fine. In fact, I want to go to war more than anyone else. Now that you have made up your mind, why not start the deployment immediately? It would also be a good idea to invite the Xue brothers to discuss the strategy of entering the army. ”
"Okay. I will send a letter tomorrow asking the Xue brothers to come to Lanzhou to discuss the strategy of marching together!"
Early the next morning, Qin Mubai first wrote a letter and sent a messenger to the front line of Shancheng, and then continued to train troops and horses in the rear camp.
Princess Gaoyang's residence is close to the Governor's Mansion, and her backyard is only one street away from the military camp wall. She was woken up early by the sound of soldiers and horses practicing. She was a little upset and wanted to curse, but suddenly she jumped out of bed excitedly and hurriedly got dressed.
"Quick, prepare the ladder, I want to watch Mu Bai train, hehe!"
With a group of maids, Princess Gao Yang came to the backyard excitedly. The servants and soldiers had already prepared the herringbone ladder for Princess Gaoyang to climb up and look up.
On the campus grounds, more than a thousand cavalry were practicing riding and shooting, with smoke and dust billowing and shouts of killing filling the sky. A bright red flag with Chinese characters fluttering in the wind in the middle of the school grounds. The troops were sweating like rain and showing great momentum, which opened Princess Gaoyang's horizons.
"It's so majestic!!! This is the scene of the army. Even a woman like me feels a little excited after seeing it!" She was extremely excited and searched around with her eyes wide open, looking for Qin Mubai. But with thousands of troops, how easy is it to find one person? After searching for a long time, there was no one there, which made her a little annoyed.
"Princess, the prince-in-law is a general. He should be very eye-catching and easy to find, right? Either he is watching on the general commanding platform, or he is waving flags and commanding on the ladder, or he is wearing bright clothes and armor, and he is guiding and patrolling among the troops!" The maids below said.
"Well, that makes sense!" Upon hearing this, Princess Gao Yang began to search purposefully. Sure enough, he saw a fluttering general's flag that was extremely eye-catching and passed leisurely among the troops. Like a distinguished leader, he walks among the sheep with his head held high and stands out from the crowd.
Under the flag is Qin Mubai in golden armor and apricot yellow robes!
"Haha, I found it! Mu Bai is so majestic!" Princess Gao Yang shouted excitedly.
Suddenly, several soldiers ran up to the opposite wall and shouted sternly: "Who is making a noise here and spying on the army's drill? This is a serious crime!"
"Hey, how brave!" Princess Gao Yang said angrily, "You are a small soldier from which brigade or team. Be careful, I will ask my Mu Bai to deal with you, huh!"
"Your Mubai?" All the sergeants couldn't help but were stunned, and suddenly came to their senses - could the person opposite be Princess Gaoyang
Immediately, all the sergeants looked at each other, and as if nothing happened, they lined up and ran away on horseback.
"Haha! It's so fun!" Princess Gao Yang shouted excitedly, "I'll scare them by telling them Mu Bai's name!"
The maids under the ladder laughed together and said sarcastically: "Your Highness, isn't your name as useful as the consort's name?"
"I want you to take care of it, you bitch!" Princess Gao Yang raised her lips, "I just like to scare people by saying his name, how about it?"
The cavalrymen rode back and quietly informed Qin Mubai, who was patrolling the army, about the matter.
Qin Mubai couldn't help but smile secretly, clapped his horse and ran towards the wall.
"Haha, Mu Bai! I can see you training here!" Princess Gao Yang shouted excitedly.
"Stop making trouble and get down. I can't knock you down if I climb so high." Qin Mubai said with a smile, "How can we allow peeping into the army's drills? If they were ordinary people, they could be caught and chopped up instantly."
"Wow, so serious?" Princess Gao Yang exclaimed in surprise.
"Of course." Qin Mubai said, "Don't mess around like this again in the future. If you encounter some bad-tempered soldiers today, shoot them with an arrow first. I'll see who you complain to."
"Huh?..." Suddenly, Princess Gao Yang was a little scared. Although I have thousands of ways to kill those few soldiers, if I suffer an immediate loss and are killed by others first, no matter how much I take revenge, it will be of no use!
"Then I'm going down!" Princess Gaoyang responded anxiously, and hurriedly climbed down the ladder. After climbing down a few steps, she immediately climbed up and shouted, "Mubai, come and have dinner with me at noon. ah!"
Qin Mubai felt a chill in his heart, I don't want to stop encircling and annihilating him again! …
"It's better that you come over! Father said he wants to have dinner with you." Qin Mubai said.
"I'm not going!" Princess Gao Yang smacked her lips and climbed down the stairs angrily, "Bad guy, how dare you refuse to ask him to come over? Who wants to eat with his old man? He's so reserved!"
"Hehe!" The group of maids laughed strangely, "Your Highness, is the prince-in-law... afraid?"
Princess Gao Yang was startled at first, then her face changed, and she suddenly became angry: "You bitch, it's all your fault! See if I don't slap you!!"
"Oh! Princess, please forgive me, we are all doing what you want!... Hee hee!" A group of maids started to escape happily.
At noon, Princess Gaoyang went to the Governor's Mansion and had lunch with the Qin family and his son. After the meal, Qin Mubai walked with her around the perimeter of the military camp to open her eyes.
"Hehe, I really want to ride a horse!" Princess Gaoyang said excitedly as she looked at the group of horses. "Mubai, when you come to Lanzhou, you don't have the constraints of Chang'an. It's so comfortable! You can do whatever you want. , will you teach me to ride a horse?"
"Okay, just tell me which horse you like." Qin Mubai said with a smile, "The Helong area is rich in fine horses. Almost all of them are the best horses in Lanzhou. There are few places in the Tang Dynasty that can compare with this place. Comparatively. Of course, except for the imperial court supervisor."
"Hehe! You help me choose, I like what you choose!" Princess Gaoyang said with a smile, "After you have chosen, come to my cabin and teach me how to ride a horse yourself!"
Qin Mubai felt a chill in his heart: "Do I have to go to your side?... But that's right, it's not good to be seen by the sergeants here."
"Hey, you don't seem to like going to my place anymore?" Princess Gao Yang pretended to change her face and said angrily, "Why is that so?"
Qin Mubai laughed dryly: "I'm not afraid of those of you...cough!"
"Humph, I'm going to be so good after getting an advantage, I'll hit you!" Princess Gao Yang blushed and raised her embroidered fist to say hello.
"Stop! Be careful around the military camp!" Qin Mubai grabbed her fist and laughed, "Let's pick a horse for you!"
"Okay!" Princess Gao Yang cheered, just like a child.
Qin Mubai smiled, and in his heart, the depression and dullness of the past six months were swept away. He felt that the whole world had become a little brighter, and his mood became much more relaxed and peaceful.
Gao Yang is still like a child, easily satisfied and happy; and her happiness brings Qin Mubai... even greater happiness.
Two days later, the Xue brothers and their most important lieutenants came to Lanzhou. Although Xue Wanjun was seriously injured and never recovered, he still came with injuries. Hearing that they were discussing the strategy of marching, he was more excited and excited than anyone else because of his meritorious service.
The generals gathered in the meeting hall of the Governor's Mansion. Facing the Dafeichuan sand table made by Qin Mubai's hundreds of cavalry after a close inspection, they began to discuss the strategy of using troops to advance into Dafeichuan!