Chapter 354 The sad reminder to King Gaochang
During the reign of Emperor Xuan of the Western Han Dynasty, soldiers and their families were sent to the front of the Che Division to farm, cultivate and guard the fields.
At the same time, Wuji Xiaowei was established to rule in Gaochang and be in charge of farming and military affairs. With the rise of the Silk Road, it gradually developed into a land transportation hub between China and the West and became an important Silk Road town.
The name of the country Gaochang comes from the local natural geographical environment. It is named after its "high and open terrain and prosperous people".
Since the Han and Tang Dynasties, Gaochang has been a hub connecting the Central Plains, Central Asia and Europe. Economic and trade activities are very active, and religions from all over the world have been introduced to the mainland through Gaochang. It is no exaggeration to say that it may be the most active and developed place for ancient religions in the world.
After years of operation, it finally became a dazzling pearl on the Silk Road, the window to foreign countries in the northwest region at that time, and the most prosperous city and commodity trading place in the west. Economic prosperity made Gaochang become the political and cultural center of northwest my country.
Gaochang is a hub connecting the Central Plains, Central Asia, and Europe. Merchants from Persia and other places came to Gaochang City with alfalfa, grapes, spices, peppers, gems, and horses, and took away silk, porcelain, and tea from the Central Plains. The houses in the city are lined up on both sides of the streets, showing the prosperity of Gaochang's trade. These houses have workshops, markets, temples, etc., among which there are as many as 3,000 monks alone.
However, now, this prosperous city seems to be silent as if it is forever shrouded in night because of the approaching arrival of the Tang Dynasty army.
All caravans were withdrawn from the city. Han and Hu merchants, monks and believers also gathered in groups outside the city to avoid the coming war.
No one can deny that the arrogant Tang Dynasty army will definitely defeat this city and this country with thunderous force.
Regardless of the merchants, monks, or the people of Gaochang Kingdom, no one knows that Gaochang Kingdom Ju Wentai took the wrong medicine, and he dared to challenge the Tang Dynasty?
In fact, Ju Wentai didn’t know if he had taken the wrong medicine...
When the news came that the merchants traveling on the Silk Road would march the Tang Expeditionary Force westward, Ju Wentai was like an ant on a hot pot, anxious and regretful!
He thought that the Tang Dynasty was thousands of miles away and would not take his little provocation seriously. How could he know that he would actually send tens of thousands of troops?
Before the army arrived, the vanguard army led by Qibi Heli had already swept across the entire territory of Gaochang Kingdom like a broken bamboo, and the frontline was less than a hundred miles away from Gaochang City!
There is even a folk nursery rhyme that goes like this: "The soldiers and horses of Gaochang are like frost and snow, and the soldiers and horses of Han Dynasty are like the sun and moon. The sun and moon shine on the frost and snow, and they will destroy themselves when they look back."
Ju Wentai was almost scared out of his wits!
"General Ashina, has Yugushe Khan sent troops?"
Ju Wentai was panic-stricken. With the strength of Changguo, facing the fierce Tang Dynasty soldiers, he was like a mantis with arms like a chariot and was vulnerable to a single blow. And because he dared to break his alliance with the Tang Dynasty, the Western Turks agreed to be his support.
Now that the Tang army was approaching the city, Ju Wentai could only ask the Western Turks to send troops to resist the Tang army.
Ashinaqu, who was about forty years old and had a leopard head and ringed eyes, raised his eyes and looked at the anxious Ju Wentai, and said solemnly: "My lord, please don't worry, the Great Khan has sent cavalry to help Gaochang Kingdom resist the Tang army. Although the Tang army "Sheng, but among our Turkic warriors on this grassland and desert, who is not a warrior equal to a hundred?"
When he said this, Ju Wentai breathed a long sigh of relief.
That guy Yu Gushe is the most insidious and cunning. If he is afraid of the power of the Tang army and shrinks back at this critical moment, then Ju Wentai will suffer!
As long as the troops of the Western Turks arrive, even if they cannot repel the Tang army, they can certainly block its front. The Tang army labored on expeditions, but declined again and again. As long as the first wave of offensives was blocked, the Tang army was in trouble. It won't take long for the Tang army to retreat on its own.
But...
Ju Wentai reacted suddenly, widened his eyes and asked Ashina: "What does it mean to take one for a hundred? How many troops did Yugushe Khan send?"
According to Tan Ma, the Tang army has a hundred thousand troops. You can give me one for one hundred, why don't you just send a thousand men and horses?
Ashina smiled awkwardly: "The soldiers sent by the Great Khan this time are all the Great Khan's personal soldiers, and they are the most fierce and skilled warriors of the Turks..."
Ju Wentai interrupted him loudly: "Don't talk about those useless things. How many people are there?"
Ashina was helpless and said: "A thousand fine knights..."
Ju Wentai was stunned and felt a group of things rolling through his heart. He was stunned for a long time and suddenly shouted: "Bitterness!"
He fell to the ground.
Ashina was startled, quickly helped Ju Wentai up, and called the medical officer urgently. Seeing that his face was like gold paper, his eyes were closed tightly, he put out his hand and tried to breathe, but luckily he still had breath, but he probably fainted out of anger...
The entire Gaochang Palace was in chaos.
The extremely frightening oppression brought by the Tang Dynasty's army had already frightened these royal concubines who were accustomed to living a comfortable life. Now that Ju Wentai has fainted again, what should we do?
Ashina sighed and was full of resentment towards his own great Khan.
After the leader of the Western Turks, Tong Yehu, died of illness, his successors were dissatisfied with each other and finally divided into two factions to start a war.
This war lasted for years, from the second year of Zhenguan to the sixth year of Zhenguan. All countries in the Western Region are not immune. They must face the two factions within the Western Turks and make choices. Of course, most of them cannot choose. Whichever faction controls them, they can only follow whichever faction they want.
The two factions of the Western Turks were seeking support from the Tang Dynasty at the same time.
By the twelfth year of Zhenguan, Yu Gushe defeated his opponent and was on the verge of unifying the entire Western Region. While the power of Yu Gushe's faction increased greatly, they gradually had serious conflicts with the Tang Dynasty. After all, the Tang Dynasty had previously supported its opponents. Yugushe sent Tutun Ashinaju to lead the Gaochang champion general to supervise his country.
And joined forces with Gaochang to attack Yanqi. Yanqi is located in the south of the Tianshan Mountains, separated from Gaochang by the Tianshan Mountains. At the same time, Yugushe blocked the exchanges between the Western Regions and the Tang Dynasty and blocked the trade routes in the Western Regions. Some Central Plains people fled to the Western Regions in the past, but now they are not allowed to return even if they want to...
If you dare to go against the bright chariots and horses of the Tang Dynasty, then that's it. No matter you win or lose, the eagle soaring in the desert grassland doesn't care about death, it only cares about honor!
The key to this war is not the Tang Dynasty's crusade against its ministers. If it was just Gaochang, it would be too simple.
The Tang Dynasty was for the Western Turks behind Gaochang Kingdom!
In order to prevent a small Gaochang State from sending an army with a total number of no less than 100,000, it was obviously not the main target of the Tang Army. The Tang Army's huge army was prepared for the Western Turks.
Even if there are hundreds of thousands of troops, so what?
If they could not fight head-on with the Tang Dynasty, how could the Western Turks gain a foothold in the Western Regions and command the countries in the Western Regions?
Is it possible that we should continue to move westward?
The result? Yugushe Great Khan’s thoughts were completely different from his Ashinaqu.
Yugushe Khan detected the strength of the Tang army and knew the determination of the Tang Dynasty. Finally, before the Tang army arrived, the Khan ran away in advance and ran a thousand miles westward in one breath.
What Ju Wentai still doesn't know is that the Western Turk general stationed in Khan Futu City has surrendered.
First you offended the Tang Dynasty to death, but when the powerful soldiers came, you softened again...
****************
The main army has already set off for Gaochang City, and the Shenji Battalion's station seems particularly quiet. Only the supply camp not far away and civilians are filling large carts with grain and grass, waiting to be transported to the front line.
The blazing sun baked the top of the tent, and the entire tent was like a huge microwave oven, even hotter than the outside.
Fang Jun sat for a while, but couldn't stand it any longer. He walked out of the tent and met Xi Junmai, who was almost completely recovered from his injuries. He said, "Let's go with me to Puchanghai!"< br>
"No!"
Xi Junmai happily ran to fetch the horse.
Fang Jun looked at the large lake in the distance and thought that since he had arrived in Lop Nur more than a thousand years ago, why should he also visit it?
Unexpectedly, before leaving the camp, a scout from the Shenji Camp came to report: There are horse bandits nearby!
Fang Jun frowned and had no choice but to turn around and come back, giving up the opportunity to witness the lush Lop Nur.
In the camp, Liu Rengui, Duan Zan, and Yin Yuan were all there, and even Qin Huaidao from the transport camp came over.
"What's going on?" Fang Jun walked into the camp and asked in a deep voice.
Duan Zan said: "Behind the sand dunes in the northwest, a horse team was found. The number is unknown, but it is not necessarily horse bandits."
Fang Jun frowned in thought, he didn't want to bet. It would be okay if they were horse bandits, but if a group of Turkic cavalry appeared, why not give up their lives?
The Turks did not dare to confront the large army head-on, but it was entirely possible to sneak attack their small force.
"How long will it take to break camp now?" Fang Jun felt that he should be more cautious. If he failed to gain military merit and was attacked by the Turkic cavalry instead, it would be embarrassing...
Qin Huaidao smiled bitterly and said: "Of course your Shenji camp can leave if you want, but our baggage camp will be in trouble. There are too many grains and grass baggage, and it can't be moved in two days. If we abandon the grain and grass baggage, our whole camp will be beheaded. Well..."
Not only the supply camp, but also the wounded in the injury camp were difficult to deal with.
A large number of wounded were seriously injured and unable to move. If they wanted to catch up with the army, they would all have to be abandoned.
Fang Jun took a deep breath: "Check the nearby terrain for me, and release all the scouts from the entire camp!" Mom, you can't be so unlucky to be targeted by the Turkic cavalry, right?
(End of chapter)