Liu Yanyou finally arrived at Taihe City in Nanzhao from the Annan Protectorate. He came not just to see Li Hong, but because he wanted to fight against Lawless and continue to escort the supplies transported from Taiyi City to Annan. Protectorate.
At that time, Zhang Qian, the Marquis of Bowang, returned from the Western Regions and reported to Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty his strange discoveries in Daxia: "When I lived in Daxia, I saw Shu cloth and bamboo sticks. When I asked where they came from, they said they were from the country of poison in the southeast."
However, in the official records of the Central Plains of China, Zhang Qian actually discovered a large number of Shu cloth and rhinoceros sticks that are unique to Sichuan in the Western Regions, a land where trade has never been recorded.
Therefore, it can be inferred that taking the road from the southwest of Shu can lead to Daxia, and at the same time, we can also perceive the potential value of trade with those areas.
Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, who had great talents and great achievements, was very surprised after hearing this. He was determined to open up the official road from the southwest to Daxia at all costs, so that the official could participate in commercial trade and expand the territory.
From that time on, I started to look southwest from Chengdu in the Central Plains, and found that I could also go around to Tubo, Anxi and other places from here.
Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty began the grand project of expanding the territory. It took more than ten years to open the road from Chengdu to the Taihe City at our feet.
It took Ma Zai nearly three or four years to find the so-called Shu Body Poison Road, which can force various barbarian tribes to move freely without blocking or stopping us when we pass by. This is already commendable.
"Shu Shen Du Road: Go down from Yizhou and go from Taihe City to the west to the old county of Yongchang for 300 miles, then cross the Nu River to the west to Geliang City for 200 miles. Then go south to Lecheng for 200 miles. Then enter the territory of Luo Kingdom and pass by Wan Gong and others. The eight tribes traveled seven hundred miles to the city of Xili, then passed through the city of Tushi to reach the country of Lu, a thousand miles from the country of Su to the west of Heishan, and to the east of Tianzhu to meet the country of Mobo...
It is two hundred miles from the west of Zhuge Liang City to Tengchong City. Then go west for a hundred miles to Micheng, and then go west for two hundred miles through the mountains to Lishui City. Then we crossed Lishui and Longquanshui to the west for 200 miles to Anxi City. Then he crossed the Minuo River thousands of miles west to reach the Brahmin Kingdom of Qin. Then cross the Daling Mountains three hundred miles west to the northern boundary circle of Dongtianzhu... But... there is still no topographic map here that we can pass after Hengshan. I sent people to sneak in. Until now, according to your request, we have followed the Lancang River, and the mountain There are dense forests, and there are only a handful of roads that can allow the army to pass through in a short time. Therefore, after passing Hengshan, this battle will be extremely difficult. "Liu Yanyou and Li Hong were squatting on the ground in the back garden of Taihe City. The ground was covered with the detailed locations recorded by Ma Zai, and they were studying it with frowns.
"Don't be in a hurry, there is still time." Li Hong squatted on the ground and looked up at the sky, then casually pointed to the palace and said: "Xinuluo and the other five imperial edicts are currently fighting for the Cuan clan's orthodoxy. This matter Most of the time it will fall on me, and I will have to make the decision for them in the end.”
"Then... Your Highness, you don't want to..." Liu Yanyou asked strangely.
His Highness the Crown Prince arrived here just to eliminate these regimes that were not under the rule of the imperial court, and to enable the Imperial Court to have real and effective control over this place. But now it seems that His Royal Highness the Crown Prince intends to continue to support a political regime and govern this place for the Tang Dynasty. The land of Liuzhao.
"It's not that easy! Di Renjie killed seventy-seven people in Jiannan Road this time. Officials from the Ministry of Personnel, Ministry of Revenue, and the three provinces are now in Chengdu. Jiannan Road has already faced the dilemma of not having enough officials to appoint and remove. . Only after you leave the Central Plains will you realize that there are very few literate literati who can make a difference in the officialdom. Most people are willing to stay in big cities such as Chang'an and Luoyang to enjoy themselves. With the shadow of my fathers lingering around under the eyes of the royal family, this place... Now that I don't even have ministers who can help me manage the people after the suppression, why should I just abandon it?" Li Hong sneered and stood up. Come, take a walk in the back garden.
Liu Yanyou stood up and continued to frown behind Li Hong. To be honest, His Highness the Crown Prince, he, the second-grade Protector, has never been replaced since His Highness the Crown Prince took power, and he is the lower capital. For some officials under the Protectorate, their three-year and five-year deadlines have expired, but the court has been unable to grant new petitions and transfer them from here to other places.
In the city of Chang'an, literati crowded the streets and alleys. Even officials and great Confucians could see one by looking up casually when walking on the road with their heads down.
But when he got here, looking around for hundreds of miles, he couldn't find a few people who could read and write, so he actually understood His Highness's dilemma.
If Li Hong immediately abandons the so-called Princes of the Tang Dynasty such as Liuzhao by force, the only person who can help him clean up the mess next is His Highness the Crown Prince himself. There is not even an official around him who can help him deal with the aftermath. The Prince of the Tang Dynasty Going on an expedition was forced to look shabby.
"So, if something goes wrong again with Di Renjie, I will have to spend more time here, but fortunately..." Li Hong sighed and looked up at the sky above the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau, which seemed to be whiter and thicker than the clouds in Chang'an City. , said calmly: "But fortunately, Di Renjie has never been procrastinating, and his efficiency is pretty good. He should give me an explanation soon. As for Ma Zai, don't pay attention to him for the time being, and don't expose him too much. He is a baby now." , Without him, we would be almost as blind after crossing Hengshan.”
"Don't worry, Ma Zai. This guy is almost thinking of himself as the leader of the tribe now. He walks around Chenla and Changshan Mountains every day on the pretext of collecting herbs or the name of a doctor. He feels very comfortable. "When Liu Yanyou heard that Li Hong was worried about Ma Zai, he couldn't help but feel warm in his heart. The fact that the monarch could care so much about his ministers made them so moved that they cried bitterly. Even though His Highness the Crown Prince just said that he only cared about Ma Zai. Zai, Liu Yanyou was also extremely moved.
"Have you discovered the entrance to Zhenla from the Changshan Mountains?"
"We found three places. The terrain is flat, but they are far away from us. Going in will lead to the hinterland of Zhenla. If Pei Xingjian and Chen Jingzhi enter from here, first the port will need to be heavily guarded, and after entering, they will go deep alone. I'm afraid Ma Zai won't be able to care about you and my ministers anymore." Liu Yanyou's brows were always furrowed.
Only now did he realize that the Tang Dynasty looked so prosperous and powerful in Chang'an, with so many soldiers and generals, but only after entering the dense forests and mountains did he realize that some things could not be solved with more people.
Moreover, it can also be seen from this that in the center of the entire Tang Dynasty, there are too few ministers like His Highness the Crown Prince who understand and sympathize with them and guard the territory of the Tang Dynasty. Everyone thinks that they and others live in From the second-grade high position, they must have lived a more colorful life on the border of the Tang Dynasty than they had in Chang'an City.
"It's not scary to go deep alone, and the miasma is not scary either. Pei Xingjian's daughter is a master of rejuvenation. She has probably prepared a prescription for her father that he will never use up in his lifetime. As long as they can be defeated when they are defeated, Just retreat calmly, just in case something happens to Pei Xingjian... Haha, you know, the royal family is actually the same as your courtiers' family. Where is his daughter... She is the princess again, she won't cry to death in front of me... ." Li Hong thought that if Pei Xingjian forgot to retreat in order to contain the enemy, he would be in trouble when he returned to Chang'an.
"Then do you want me to send troops from other places in Lingnan?" Liu Yanyou looked at Li Hong with deep sympathy, because Li Hong's conversation with him about family allowed him to temporarily relax his brows, and he was thinking in his heart I feel even more that His Highness the Crown Prince is very humane and not as decisive and unreasonable as rumored to the outside world.
"No need, the troops should be more sophisticated than numerous. Defense is actually more important when attacking. In a battle, the highest number of casualties is often not when the two armies are fighting. You are also an expert in this. Don't you understand? Pei Xingjian and Ma Zai must have given you peace of mind about the elephant group, right? Don't provoke them for the time being. In a few days, Xi Nuluo may secretly escort something strange, so just turn a blind eye. Just close one eye."
"I understand, but your highness, do you have too few guards here? The six imperial edicts are now gathered in Taihe City. If the eight thousand people of the Futu Camp cannot and Wu Tian take away another three thousand, I am afraid that the five thousand People and horses are unlikely to protect your safety. Xinuluo is as cunning as his ugly face..."
"I know this. After Liu Zhao came here, I had no intention of letting them go back. Five thousand people are enough. Besides, if you leave tomorrow, they don't know whether you are really leaving or pretending to leave. Besides... "Li Hong pointed to the northwest, and then continued: "The Shu Poison Road first leads to Tubo, and then continues to the northwest, along the Lancang River. Tubo is really controlled by the Tang Dynasty. In the territory, the light cavalry and simple soldiers are much faster than you. They will come over in a few days," Li Hong said with a smile.
When I thought of Xi Nuluo's face, full of plans to frame others at any time, I couldn't help but think of the other two people who governed Tubo with Jing Hui: Quan Yi, the consort of Yiyang, and Lin Shiling, a poor family member!
Especially Lin Shiling, who was no less profound than Xu Jingzong and Li Yifu. Even Xu Jingzong's grandson Xu Yanbo had to brace himself to deal with Lin Shiling.
So when Lin Shiling and Quan Yi arrived here, I really wanted to see what ideas Lin Shiling would give me.
(End of chapter)