A month was spent in tension and busyness.
The people of the plateau had to accept the fact that their dynasty had "submitted" to the Tang Dynasty. Within a month, although there were occasional tribal rebellions, there was no big wave due to the personal persuasion of Abandoned Zong Nongzan and Qin Mubai's strong suppression.
The situation in front of us can be said to be the best ending. The struggle for hegemony between the two countries cannot be without death. Galqin Ling knew this fact better than anyone else, so he gave himself a decisive end, and also used his death to give the abandoned Zong Nongzan and the Tubo people a final gift. A gift - peace.
Qi Zong Nongzan was well aware of the intention of the Gar Qin Mausoleum. In order to live up to the good intentions of the Gar Qin Mausoleum, he tried his best to persuade the Tubo people to surrender rather than resist after the war.
Many angry Tubo people could not understand the behavior of abandoning their ancestral lineage and praising their country. While praising the heroism of the Garqin Mausoleum, they began to scold and attack the "shameful traitor" of abandoning their ancestral lineage and praising their country.
Sporadic rebellions occurred one after another in all parts of the plateau. Every time they happened, Abandoned Zong Nongzan would personally go to persuade them. Most of the people who greeted him were anger and accusations, and some even wanted to kill him, the former Zanpu.
"It doesn't matter that they misunderstood me, but they also misunderstood the meaning of Qin Ling's 'death to survive'. I'm really sad!" Qizong Nongzan said.
At this point, Qin Mubai certainly wanted to use abandonment of the clan to minimize the difficulty of the aftermath of the war, but the Tubo Dynasty implemented a tribal enfeoffment system. Now that the country is dead, many tribal leaders are unwilling to give up their vested interests and power, so it is reasonable to launch armed rebellion.
Regarding these, Qin Mubai mercilessly carried out powerful armed suppression!
Hundreds of thousands of troops have been killed, do you still care about this
After more than a month, the plateau finally became calm.
Counting the days, Qin Mubai should have arrived in Chang'an by the time he reported the victory to the court. I believe the approval will be issued soon. At that time, the imperial court will be responsible for taking care of the endgame of Tubo.
Qin Mubai knew that the day had come for him to leave Luoche.
On this day, he went to see Li Ke.
After more than a month of nursing and adapting, Li Ke's health finally improved. Now, as the supervisor representing the imperial court, he finally officially shouldered the full responsibility of rectifying the situation in Tubo. Qin Mubai and Li Ke, one manages the army and the other governs the people, and their cooperation is still perfect.
"Your Highness King Wu, it's time for me to leave." Qin Mubai said straight to the point.
"Go? Where to go?" Li Ke was obviously a little surprised.
"You have forgotten that the imperial court appointed me the Protector of Anxi. My duty is to manage the Western Regions." Qin Mubai smiled and said, "Pinting down Tubo is only a small part of my responsibilities. My main focus must be on "Western Region."
"That's wrong." Li Ke frowned, "The so-called Protector of Anxi is just a false position. Tubo should be the place that you, the general manager of the march of the Guanxi Army, need to manage the most. Where can you go if you leave now? Woolen cloth?"
Qin Mubai smiled and said, "Your Highness, I must leave. The war in Tubo is over, and only civil affairs and recruitment are left. Such issues should not be dealt with by me, the border military commander, otherwise it would be overstepping. Again. "Now that I have an army of 500,000, and you enjoy all the great powers granted by the imperial court - are you not afraid that some people will say that we want to divide the territory and rule ourselves as kings?"
Li Ke frowned deeply, sighed, and said: "I knew it was the reason. Now you have indeed achieved too much credit and have too much military power. On the Tubo Plateau, almost everyone only knows Qin Mubai, but they don't know about the Tang Dynasty." There is an emperor."
"So, I am a very sensible person. I will not stay in Tubo anymore, nor will I continue to hold all the military power." Qin Mubai said with a smile, "As expected, when the imperial decree is issued, I don't want to leave. I have to leave. Instead of doing this, I'd rather be a good boy. I'll just take my old Guanxi Army and the Huihe coalition forces back to Lanzhou, so that I can stabilize the rear and provide support for your future recruitment and governance of Tubo, and secondly, I can look forward to the Western Regions. I don’t care about the aftermath, the troops sent by the imperial court, or the Tibetan troops recruited.”
Li Ke pondered for a moment, and his expression gradually became serious. In the end, he could only nod helplessly and said: "Mubai, it is not easy to be a king, and it is even more difficult to be a minister. A person like you who can know the current affairs and advance and retreat, and Not much. Although we need you very much now, I know that your decision is wise, just like when we returned to Chang'an from Xiangzhou, we are separated again. "
"Don't worry, we'll see you again soon." Qin Mubai smiled and said, "If nothing goes wrong, the imperial court should stay in Luozue and take full authority to handle all Tubo's aftermath. In the next few years, you will have to I will stay here. As for me, if I am not transferred back to Chang'an, I will still stay in Lanzhou. I will decide my next move depending on what happens in the Western Regions. But no matter what happens in the future, it will not take more than three years for you and me. We all want to go back to Chang’an together.”
"Chang'an?" Li Ke took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, and said, "Three years later, I don't know what the situation will be like. To be honest, I would rather stay in this remote plateau and work all day than return to Chang'an. In I'm very tired there."
"It doesn't mean you can't go back if you don't want to." Qin Mubai said with a smile, "Don't forget, we are ministers of the Tang Dynasty after all. Our roots are in Chang'an and in the court. There are no vassals in the Tang Dynasty. King, there is none now and there will never be one in the future.”
Hearing Qin Mubai's last words, Li Ke's expression changed slightly, but he immediately returned to normal, "I understand what you mean. In fact, you don't need to remind me, my mind is always clear and I will not make stupid mistakes. "
"That's good." Qin Mubai smiled and said, "We have been separated for several years, and we have to say goodbye soon after we meet in a hurry. I hope that the next time we meet, you won't be so disgusting and disgusting."
"What are you talking about!" Li Ke was both angry and funny, "You can just go about your business in peace! I know that the blueprint for the Western Regions that my father and you built together is only half completed. In such an important battle against Tubo, you He did not try his best, but laid the most important foreshadowing at Yumen Pass. As far as I know, Su Dingfang is the most famous disciple of Medicine Master Wei, and his talent, learning and virtue are a hundred times better than those of Hou Junji. Isn’t it just for today that tens of thousands of elite troops are stationed at Yumen Pass where there are no invincible invaders?”
Qin Mubai smiled and said: "Sure enough, nothing can be hidden from His Highness. Yumen Pass Sulie can be said to be my foreshadowing, or it can be said to be the last escape route and the last trump card I left for the Guanxi Army. Although there were only 20,000 soldiers and horses there, they were the elite of the Kansai Army. In fact, at the beginning of the war, I had no confidence at all in defeating Garqinling, but I couldn't tell anyone, so I had to stay. I asked Su Dingfang to guard Yumen Pass. If we were defeated, we could unexpectedly evacuate from Kunlun Mountain to Yumen Pass. Of course, my deepest intention was to let Su Dingfang watch the Western Regions from afar. When Tubo invaded, there could be no movement in the Western Regions, especially in the Turkic Beiting, which had always been ambitious. "
"So that's it..." Li Keruo nodded with understanding and said, "I understand. You have long thought that no matter whether you can defeat the Garqin Ling or not, you will not stay on the plateau for too long."
"Yes." Qin Mubai nodded with a smile, "If I lose, I can only escape; if I win, this place does not belong to me. First of all, I dare not take the credit alone, so when I go to the court, I will Most of the credit goes to your highness, Li Daliang and other generals."
"The same idea as mine." Li Ke whispered with a solemn expression, "Although everyone knows that you have to take at least 70% to 80% of this huge contribution, but you must not do it alone. I, the Imperial Court of the Tang Dynasty It is right to attach importance to military merit and to reward meritorious service, but it is not necessarily a good thing to go too far and to give too much credit!”
"So, I will definitely not conquer the Western Regions myself. What I have to do next is to stay in Lanzhou and enjoy my happiness, waiting for the day when the court transfers me back to Beijing." Qin Mubai said with a smile, "Even if there is war in the Western Regions, I will I believe Su Dingfang will be able to settle it! Even if he needs Lanzhou’s support, I won’t go out personally, I’ll send Xue Rengui!”
"Xue Rengui, Yuwen Hongtai, and Pang Fei have all made great achievements this time, and they will surely rise to the top in the near future. And the Eighth Army Platform under your command is also very good. The Guanxi Army has four pillars and eight military platforms, and only Su Dingfang is still there. There is no chance to shine anymore - I can see that you left Su Dingfang the best chance!" Li Ke suddenly realized, "Mu Bai, there is one thing I really admire about you, no matter what, you have a bright mind. You are so clear-headed and have a good view of the overall situation. Also, you are not greedy and generous, and you are willing to help others and share the results with others. No wonder you have such high prestige in the Kansai Army, even Li Daliang and others who have just joined the army. I am also very impressed with you! —I would say that a person like you is more suitable to be born in an emperor’s family!”
"Don't! I'm not suitable at all!" Qin Mubai said with a smile, "Let's stop talking here! I will return to the military camp later to prepare my troops and prepare to leave."
"Do you need to be in such a hurry?" Li Ke said, "In any case, you have to let me arrange a farewell party for you, right? You will at least meet people like Qizong Nongzan and Li Daliang again."
"It's better to do less than to do more. I'll just go quietly and low-key!" Qin Mubai said with a smile, "Actually, to be honest, I'm just a thug. After the fight, what am I still doing here? The rest of the matter , it’s all up to you, the rightful owner. In addition, if one day the court gives me a big reward, it means that my days in the Kansai Army are over and it’s time to return to Chang’an.”
"Maybe, the same goes for me..." Li Ke smiled slightly bitterly and said, "Then let's meet again someday!"
"See you again!"
Later, Qin Mubai came to the military camp. A military order was issued, asking Xue Rengui to gather together the old team of the former Guanxi Army and return to Lanzhou. The route chooses Sunbo and Golmud, and goes southeast along the Kunlun Mountains. In this way, you can inspect whether these places are peaceful. Secondly, the terrain will be relatively gentle if you walk like this, which is good for everyone's health.
Xue Lian had been somewhat neglected in the past few days, so Qin Mubai finally managed to make her happy with a little bit of talk. Only then did the Tantai sisters tell Qin Mubai privately that Xue Lian was probably pregnant.
Qin Mubai was a little surprised by this news, but Xuelian denied it. Qin Mubai didn't pursue her because of her face. He only thought about how to take her home if he returned to Lanzhou. …
At night, the Guanxi Army broke out of camp and quietly left Luoxue City.
Qin Mubai was riding on his horse, looking back at Luoxue King's City under the dark night sky. Countless clips and faces were passing through his mind like a movie, and he couldn't help but be filled with emotion.
Xue Rengui led his troops at the forefront. The true god of war of the Kansai Army is always like an arrow that has left the bowstring, walking at the forefront without any disadvantage. Yuwen Hongtai was seriously injured and had not recovered, so Qin Mubai arranged for fifty people to carry him on a stretcher or in a carriage along the way. There are also some injured people who have also received better placement and care.
Compared with the arrogance and enthusiasm when they went out to fight, the Kansai Army who returned from the victorious battle did not sing triumphant songs and rejoice all the way. They were more tired and tired.
"This army needs to recuperate." Qin Mubai decided that no matter what happens in the next three months, the Guanxi Army must stay in the rear to recuperate for a while. Otherwise, no matter how elite the army is, it may be brought down. The most tiring thing should be following Xue Rengui, the Western Expedition and the Northern Expedition, and then returning to support Yumen to conquer Tubo. This group of men almost ran around Kyushu in one year, and it is simply a miracle that they are still holding on without falling.
The Guanxi Army's march was not very fast, and it took almost twenty days to reach Golmud.
In front of us is Kunlun, known as the sacred mountain.
Sure enough, it is towering in the sky and majestic.
Qin Mubai ordered them to stay in camp and rest for three days before leaving.
"Young Marshal, it is said that Kunlun is a sacred mountain, and there is Yaochi water here in Golmud. Why don't we worship the gods here and pay homage to the fallen soldiers!" Someone suggested.
Qin Mubai smiled and said, "Even if there are gods in Kunlun, they probably don't like me very much. You have forgotten that I asked Pang Fei to blow up the Yaochi and flood Golmud!"
Everyone laughed and said, "That's at best because the gods of Tubo are dissatisfied with you. We only worship the gods of the Central Plains! According to legend, doesn't the Queen Mother of the West live in Kunlun?"
"Okay! Anyway, we have to rest for a few days, and then we will go up to Kunlun, the sacred mountain, to worship the gods and spirits!"
It's winter, and the auspicious snow is flying thousands of miles away. The majestic Kunlun Ancient Mountains, with dragons and tigers perched on top, are so majestic!
Qin Mubai, Xue Rengui, Pang Fei and other generals, as well as Ashina Blood Lotus, who strongly requested to go to see the sacred mountain together, climbed the Kunlun Mountain and looked at the roaring water of the Yaochi.
"Kunlun is truly worthy of the word heroic!" Qin Mubai climbed up and looked into the distance, his eyes widening and his mind wide open.
"Mubai, do you think the gods will be angry with you?" Ashina Blood Lotus said with a teasing smile, "You dare to run wild in Kunlun, blowing up the Yaochi and killing people!"
"The heaven and the earth are unkind and regard all things as stupid dogs." Qin Mubai said with a smile, "I don't know if there is a god in this world. If there is, maybe in the eyes of gods, there are not so many right and wrong, good and evil as we say. It's like We look at a group of newly born cud dogs, and if they want to fight with each other, we can only let them."
"Then what meaning does God have to us?" Xue Lian said.
"It's not that I don't respect God, I think God is just a spiritual sustenance and beautiful thoughts for us!" Qin Mubai said, "When people encounter things that cannot be solved, they go to God. Who can you ask for? If there are so many gods who are compassionate and helpful to all living beings, why are there so many bloody deaths and suffering beings? So in the final analysis, it is better to ask for help from others and control your own destiny!"
After hearing this, Xuelian thought silently for a moment and said, "Mu Bai, I don't know the meaning of the word 'warrior' until now."
"Tell me about it?" Qin Mubai asked with a smile.
"I used to think that those who waved their scimitars fearlessly and were invincible on the battlefield were warriors." Xuelian said, "Now I understand that the real warriors are those who dare to face, challenge and work hard to change. Destiny man!”
Qin Mubai smiled and said nothing, looking far away at the towering Kunlun Mountains with a sea of snow, letting the eternal wind and snowflakes fly by, his heart was like a galloping horse, and his thoughts were spinning.
At this moment, he is only missing one person, a person who will never appear next to him again and will never disappear in his heart.
"Blood Lotus, according to your statement..." After a long time, Qin Mubai suddenly said, "I should be considered the son of a warrior!"