Chapter 219 Crying at the Wrong Grave

A good man will never turn his heels.

This is something that is easy to say but very difficult to do.

For Li Jing, he could only vaguely guess what later generations always said about Tang people's martial arts.

But when he saw that the later generations were still looking for the heroic battles of the warriors of the Tang Dynasty after thousands of years, Li Jing suddenly understood in his heart.

The century-old Tang Dynasty was like a strong man, leaving the mark of the Tang Dynasty in the blood of his descendants. Therefore, future generations will transcend the barrier of thousands of years just to get a glimpse of the martial Tang Dynasty.

Immediately, Li Jing felt a strong sense of regret in his heart.

If you can personally lead the troops to fight against such an empire, it will be worthy of death!

"I only regret that I lost this battle due to the rebellion of the Turkic tribes!" This is Li Jing's biggest regret.

The same was true for Li Shimin. He didn't speak. He just recalled the Arab Empire that started in the far west and expanded all the way. He was also a little eager to try.

Defeat an empire! This idea, just thinking about it, makes people tremble with excitement!

For the first time, Li Shimin was actually a little jealous of Xuanzong. Just like the younger generation said about the method of time travel, if you don't want to play, then let me do it!

While the generals were still studying the tactics, Yan Lide's eyes lit up and he began to copy the drawings carefully.

Although he is not as good as his younger brother Yan Liben in terms of painting techniques, he is, as the saying goes, specialized in the art.

Yan Lide is currently serving as the supervisor and the division chief as the young craftsman. He knows a little bit about architecture, painting, clothing and armor, and metallurgy.

Therefore, although the two brothers were both painting hard at this time, the paper they used and the direction in which they drew were completely different.

Du Ruhui guessed from the words:

"There is also an empire to the west of the Arab Empire. Is it Byzantium?"

Fang Xuanling pulled out a country name from his memory:

"Rome is dead?"

…

If it were said that Zhang Yichao had only given everyone in the Chengdu government a taste of the warriors of the prosperous Tang Dynasty.

Then Wang Zhongsi and Gao Xianzhi let everyone appreciate the style of Tang generals.

"Zhenno... a warrior!"

Zhang Fei was completely convinced.

"How can a country that is not destroyed be worthy of credit?"

After running thousands of miles, the soldiers will not mutiny and can destroy their country.

Twenty thousand versus more than one hundred thousand, and he still has the courage to use his sword.

Zhang Fei had previously thought that he had done well in the Battle of Yangpingguan and Hanzhong, but now seeing the war between the empire and the empire, he was a little embarrassed to show it.

And that long list of achievements that destroyed the country... Zhang Fei was very jealous.

On the other side, Zhao Yun was already painting with Kong Ming, trying to record all the weapons and equipment on the light screen.

Bow formation, spear formation, volley suppression, rotation of bows and crossbows and other tactics.

The Mo Dao, the armor, and the armor all over the body are like the infantry of Xiaowu Fort, the cavalry whose horses are also armored, and other equipment.

Kong Ming lamented the current poverty while copying the painting records.

Just like this heavy cavalry, the horses need fine food to feed the horses, and the soldiers need to be one of the best in a hundred.

Later, the armor of the soldiers and horses required smelting iron, craftsmen, weaving methods, and matching training methods.

All of these require investment of money, and it is difficult to see results in a short period of time.

After all, armor is more than just a piece of iron. How to wear the inside of the armor, how to weave the armor to make it lighter, etc. all require research and trial and error.

Therefore, Kong Ming understood more and more what the science and technology tree meant. At least once the iron was smelted, he would have enough time to study these things.

In comparison, it is a replica of a weapon with less investment.

Zhao Yun didn't speak, but wrote more quickly. As a cavalryman, he felt that he had already seen his greatest pursuit in life.

[The interesting thing about the Battle of Talas is that it vividly explains a sentence:

Small countries have no sovereignty, and weak countries have no diplomacy.

The Battle of Talas was just a warm-up battle for the Tang Dynasty, and it was not a stretch.

Gao Xianzhi was dismissed from his post and returned to the court due to defeat. Xuanzong wanted to make him the governor of Hexi Province, and later changed him to General You Yulin.

The famous general Feng Changqing took over Gao Xianzhi's position. In the following year, he led his army to attack the great Bolu Kingdom and forced its monarch to leave the city and surrender, proving to the Western Regions that the Tang Dynasty was still very tough.

In the same year, the Abbasid Dynasty sent envoys to the Tang Dynasty. The two sides had a harmonious conversation, and the Abbasid Dynasty returned most of the captives.

Black-clothed Dashi established diplomatic relations with Datang and started business.

The small countries in Central Asia thought that after driving away the brutal Tang Dynasty, they would usher in the great master Qingtian.

But it is a pity that the Abbasid Dynasty ruled Central Asia with iron cavalry, and the countries of Shi and Kang were destroyed one after another.

Under this situation, three years after the Battle of Talas, the small countries in Central Asia united and took the initiative to join the Tang Dynasty and declare themselves vassals, hoping that the Tang Dynasty could expel the Abbasid Dynasty and restore the Han family's rule over the area.

But it is a pity that it was already the eve of the Anshi Rebellion, and the Tang Dynasty had temporarily made good friends with the black food.

At that time, the plans of the Jiedushi envoys such as Anxi, Hexi, and Longyou in the Tang Dynasty were to destroy Tubo first.

Therefore, the demands of this group of small countries are destined to not be met.

In modern times, the Battle of Talas was deliberately exaggerated by Arab historians.

Ahir's "History" states: The two armies fought in Talas. The Arabs destroyed 50,000 Tang troops and captured 20,000 Tang troops. The remaining troops fled back to China.

Magdissi's "The Beginning and History" stated: The Tang army was defeated in various ways, killing 45,000 people, capturing 25,000 prisoners, occupying their military strongholds, and taking away their descendants and robbed them. of wealth.

These two were relatively authoritative, and the Arab people even said that Abbas wiped out 100,000 Tang troops in this battle, and only a thousand people survived.

We did lose the Battle of Talas in history, but it's not so ridiculous.

If there were so many troops, Gao Xianzhi would not have to consider winning the Battle of Talas, but sending envoys to contact Byzantium to dismember the Arab Empire together. 】

〖The Tang Dynasty is really full of generals! But Gao Xianzhi is really miserable. He was forced to be recognized as an ancestor by the Koreans.

Indeed, I was shocked when I learned that the Koreans made a documentary to praise Gao Xianzhi. Your ancestors are Goryeo, not Goguryeo.

The predecessor of Goryeo was Silla Baekje, and Gao Xianzhi had a profitable business at the time, which was to capture Silla maids and sell them to the Tang Dynasty to make money...

So this is crying at the wrong grave? Gao Xianzhi is not only not the ancestor of the Koreans, but he is also a bad guy?

Anyway, the Koreans have problems with their brains more than once or twice, just like in the TV series, Erfeng was shot in the left eye and the right eye, which is amazing. 〗

The Zhenguan officials in Ganlu Hall had no mercy on the Central Asian countries.

This kind of behavior of being arrogant at first and then respectful instead made Changsun Wuji chuckle:

"Isn't your experience the best explanation for the saying that small countries have no sovereignty and weak countries have no diplomacy?"

Hou Junji agreed:

"The Tang Dynasty has already given you a choice."

Li Shimin didn't care about it at all. He stared at the words floating on the light screen, a little embarrassed:

"This Korean deserves to be killed!"

At the same time, he crossed out the peninsula in his heart. What are you doing with my eyes?

Changsun Wuji comforted:

"Everyone, such a fool cannot match the power of our Tang Dynasty, and can only deceive themselves like this to comfort themselves."

"Without the mind of a great man, you will also be forgotten in history in the future. What can you do?"

What he said made sense, so Li Shimin quickly turned his attention back to the topic.

Looking at the map hanging on the right side of Ganlu Hall and the route to India marked in Tubo territory.

Li Shimin proposed a conjecture:

"If we follow the idea of ​​the Jiedushi during the reign of Emperor Xuanzong, we can find the way back to Tubo after destroying it, go straight into India, set up a government here, and control Central Asia?"

The strategy of Hexi has been studied many times. Now the biggest problem of leading troops and setting up a government is supply.

Just like Gao Xianzhi only led 20,000 troops, it was not that he did not want to raise an army of 50,000 or even 100,000. On the one hand, he needed to leave people to deter Anxi, and on the other hand, he also needed to leave a large army because the land in the Western Regions was barren and there was insufficient food and grass. How could it work?

Du Ruhui thought about it and first eliminated a wrong answer:

"The Silk Road has been prosperous for hundreds of years. There are countless countries that are not kind and benevolent along this trade route. If we go out from the Western Regions, they will think that we want to control the trade route and will definitely rebel."

Li Shimin nodded. This was also his opinion.

However, it is a bit far-fetched to consider these things now. Li Shimin looked at the place marked on the light screen:

"Whether it leaves Central Asia or not, Tubo must be destroyed!"

The Tang Dynasty must control the Western Regions, and Tubo is like a thorn in the flesh, threatening Hexi to the east and the Western Regions to the north.

If this scourge is not eliminated, it will be like Xuanzong at this time, with heavy troops deployed in Longyou and Hexi, so the power that can radiate to the Western Regions will be extremely limited.

Let's put this matter aside for the time being, Hou Junji groaned:

"Why is there another famous general Feng Changqing..."

Li Jing laughed and patted Hou Junji on the shoulder, indicating that he still needs encouragement.

Li Shimin was dismissive of the records of Arab historians:

"They are all the same as that stick."

However, the light curtain here confirmed a piece of news, which made the Zhenguan officials a little curious:

"Did the Byzantine Empire replace Rome?"

"It seems that there is no thousand-year dynasty in the West."

[Now that we have roughly introduced these unfortunate generals, let's look back at An Lushan.

In November 755, An Lushan shouted the slogan of clearing the court.

At this time, An Lushan had a choice to imitate Li Yuan, that is, to attack Taiyuan first, then cross the Yellow River, and then go straight to Chang'an.

Theoretically, An Lushan should have to race against time with other Jiedushi at this time, so going straight to Chang'an is the most effective and fastest way to play.

But, as we have said, An Lushan is not a famous general, so he chose the most reliable plan for himself:

Hebei went south, first attacked Luoyang, and then broke Chang'an.

And this plan, which seems to be a good plan in hindsight, was originally intended only because An Lushan could not mobilize the border troops in Hedong at this time.

Wang Zhongsi and An Lushan, in addition to one being a loyal minister and the other a rebel, also had another problem: they lived in different times.

When An Lushan was the governor of Pinglu, the military system had completely collapsed. In 737, Emperor Xuanzong changed the military system to recruit soldiers.

In 738, Emperor Xuanzong announced that the recruitment system was a great success: the border towns had recruited enough warriors for the Long March, and there was no need to recruit from the interior.

From this moment on, the soldiers of the three towns in Heshuo were all locals, and their honor and disgrace were all decided by An Lushan.

Fanyang Pinglu was basically infiltrated by An Lushan through Emperor Xuanzong, and they were all his own people.

In Hedong, although the locals did not obey the central government very much, they hated the miscellaneous Hu more, and there were still many stubborn people. 】