Chapter 1166 Expedition to Kunlun
"Duke Zhai Yang galloped for eight hundred miles, doubled the road, and captured Yanqi at night, magnificent!" Gao Shilian praised.
Changsun Wuji was somewhat skeptical about the figure of 7,000 beheadings, "When Yanqi was entrusted with the family, he once presented the publications. The city was no more than nine, the households were no more than 4,000, and the population was less than 30,000."
"The beheading of seven thousand people in this royal city means that all the young and old in the city will be slaughtered? Since the internal response has been broken, there is really no need to slaughter the city."
Li Shimin smiled, but explained to him, saying that when Yanqi was presenting the booklets earlier, it was true that there were nine cities with four thousand household registrations and three thousand soldiers.
But in fact, King Yanqi also intentionally falsified the number at the beginning. In fact, the Yanqi Kingdom had more than this large population when it was connected to the Western Regions in the Western Han Dynasty.
Yanqi is six hundred miles away, and it occupies a very fertile oasis in the south of the Tianshan Mountains. Only the capital city of Yanqi, according to the previous report of the Governor’s Mansion in the west of Zhenxi, is extremely large in the north of the sea (Bosten Sea). On the east bank of the big river (Haidu River), there are mixed streams and surrounded by mountains, which is extremely dangerous and solid.
Its capital is thirty miles a week!
The city of Yanqi, which is thirty miles in circumference, cannot have a population of 10,000.
In contrast to the Gaochang Kingdom in the east, Datang has now completed the annexation and occupation of Gaochang, cleared the fields, registered the household registration population, and found out the actual population of Gaochang earlier, which is much more than what they reported to Datang, even more than theirs There are also a large number of people with their own registered permanent residence.
The reason is also simple. The household registration is the household registration, and the population is the population. The population of the Tang Dynasty also includes the registered population and the non-registered population. The important towns on the Silk Road in the Western Regions such as Gaochang and Yanqi not only have a large number of mobile merchants, etc., but also have a large number of slaves, mercenaries, etc.
In fact, there were 7,000 registered households in Yanqi King City, plus those who were not registered, there were actually tens of thousands of people in the city, so Guo Xiaoke beheaded 7,000 households, but did not massacre the city.
It just cut down the anti-Tang soldiers and horses under King Long Tuqizhi, the Zhaowu Sogdian mercenaries he recruited, and the Western Turkic soldiers who stayed in Yanqi.
Basically all cut.
Guo Xiaoke admitted this very honestly, the reason is that these people are not often rebellious, so they must be killed to deter the Western Regions.
Guo Xiaoke beheaded 7,000 people, killing many heads, which really shocked the Yanqi people. After breaking through the royal city, Guo Xiaoke asked Su Pozhun, Jiebi and other Yanqi kings to take Tang Qi to Zhucheng to surrender.
The cities surrendered one after another, and no one dared to resist.
Guo Xiaoke also played Su Pozhun as the governor of Yanqi, and used Su Pozhun's identity to help Datang control this newly returned Western Region country.
Then Guo Xiaoke asked the imperial court to formally set up the Yanqi Army. He left 1,000 soldiers and horses, and then recruited 2,000 people from Yanqi to form the Yanqi Army to stay behind. More than 20,000 people, including the royal family and those who were beheaded for resisting the Tang Dynasty, returned to Gaochang.
Guo Xiaoke planned to bring these people back to Gaochang, and then some of them would be dispersed and distributed to various military towns in the Western Regions of the Tang Dynasty, and some of them would be escorted back to the Central Plains.
"Guo Xiaoke made a mistake!"
"He should not return to Gaochang in such a hurry, he should continue to stay in Yanqi."
The son-in-law of King Long Tuqizhi of Yanqi is the younger brother of Yugushe's important minister Qu Lichu. Yugushe has established himself as Yipidulu Khan. He is now attacking the Zhaowu kingdoms who rebelled against him in the river. He is just on the way to attack Kangju , The United States was destroyed.
Although Yugushe was beaten from Mobei to the Western Regions by Xue Yantuo's barbarians, and was settled in the Jinshan area by the Tang Dynasty by relying on the Datang Tian Khan, but he was too ambitious and wanted to be the Great Khan of the Western Turks. I also want to marry Princess Datang.
If the emperor didn't allow it, he rebelled.
After the failure of the first rebellion, he fled to Hezhong, but after arriving in Hezhong, he was able to make a quick comeback. He also defeated the two Great Khans who were canonized by the Tang Dynasty, Tongru and his brother. A profuse sweat, still being pressed and beaten by him.
There is no one in the Western Turks, and they want to set up a hegemony, so many countries in the Western Regions such as Yanqi have also switched to it.
Among the 7,000 people Guo Xiaoke beheaded, there were 1,000 Western Turkic soldiers who were Qu Lichu's subordinates.
Even the leader of the army was Qu Lichu's younger brother, the son-in-law who married Princess Yanqi, who was killed in this battle. Could there be any reason why Qu Lichu didn't come here?
Therefore, Li Shimin believes that it is very good for Guo Xiaoke to take advantage of the once again powerful Yugu to set up a western expedition to Kangju, and choose the tactic of attacking Yanqi with only 3,000 fine horses. Suddenness is guaranteed.
Got the internal support from King Yanqi's younger brother again, so this was a perfect beheading tactic, directly took down the king's city and captured the king alive.
But after the victory, Guo Xiaoke did nothing wrong by beheading 7,000 rebels and removing the royal family of Yanqi and the families of the soldiers who were beheaded, but he didn’t need to personally **** the people back to Gaochang.
It is enough for Gaochang to have Hou Junji in charge. Guo Xiaoke should continue to stay in Yanqi instead of handing over the newly acquired Yanqi to Su Pozhun. Although it is beneficial to use Su Pozhun who is close to the Tang Dynasty, but now he has to guard against Western Turks and Qiuci.
"Then quickly issue an order to Guo Xiaoke, let him return to Yanqi to guard, or transfer Hou Junji to guard? Then send more troops to enrich Yanqi's army?" Changsun said.
"The distance is nearly ten thousand miles, and it will take a long time to pass it on a fast horse. I'm afraid it will be too late."
Since Qu Lichuo did not set up a western conquest of Kangju in the Valley of Desires, he would definitely come to fight for revenge after he found that Yanqi was attacked and breached and his brother was killed.
"Now I am not only worried about Yanqi's loss, but also Guo Xiaoke, who has less than 2,000 troops and is holding ten times as many Yanqi prisoners. If he is chased by Qu Lichu halfway, he will be in danger."
After thinking about it, the emperor decided to order Zhenxi to let Guo Xiaoke return to Yanqi.
On the other hand, the emperor made another decree to send his brother-in-law Li Sheer, the captain-in-law who had shown incomparable bravery on the Liaodong battlefield, to the Western Regions.
Li Sheer is the son of Chuluo Khan, that is, Qin Guozhong's brother. He once guarded Mobei with Yugushe and was named Tuoshe. Later, he was driven to the Western Regions by Xue Yantuo together with Yugushe. Khan Futu City settled down.
Later, he insisted on attacking Xue Yantuo, recapturing Mobei, avenging his blood hatred, and wanting to set up a refusal to join him. Ashinasheer organized the Eastern Expeditionary Army to fight back to Mobei, and fought with Yinan for more than a hundred days, but no Win or lose.
As a result, Yugushe took the opportunity to occupy Ashinasheer's Khan Futu City in the rear, which led to the instability of the frontline army. Many troops withdrew their troops without authorization, and finally Sheer had no choice but to return.
But Khan Futu City was also occupied by Yugu, and Sheer was homeless, so he had to return to the Tang Dynasty. With Qin Guozhong's guarantee and introduction, Sheer was deeply liked by Li Shimin, and he served as the general of the Forbidden Army. After marrying the princess, he was named the county king in the end, which can be described as a winner in life.
And Li Shimin also once said that Ashina Simo, Zhishisili, Ashinasheer, and Qibi Heli were the four naturalized generals, and even compared them with the fierce general Xue Wanche, saying that they dumped Xue Wanche a few times. street.
On the Liaodong battlefield, these few generals did indeed perform outstandingly. Some scored 8 million, some broke 40,000. Killed.
Anyway, they are all first-class fierce people.
Sheer went to Mobei to seek revenge from the barbarian, but Yugushe not only refused to help but refused to speak, but also stabbed a knife in the back and took the opportunity to seize the land and seize the livestock. Sheer's tone was also remembered for many years.
Let him go to the Western Regions, and he will definitely have a deadly confrontation with Yugu.
The emperor adjusted the deployment of the Western Regions.
Hou Junji was still guarding Gaochang, serving as governor of Xizhou and military envoy of Tianshan, Guo Xiaoke was governor of Zhenxi Metropolitan Government, governor of Yanqi, military envoy of Yanqi, and Su Pozhun was the governor of Yanqi.
With Li She'er, the prince's son-in-law and captain, as the general manager of the Kunqiu Road Marching, the governor of Kucha Prefecture and the military envoy of Kucha.
Kunqiu, that is, Kunlun Mountain, Li Sheer's official title has added a marching commander, which is to send him to personally defeat the Kucha Kingdom that has rebelled against the Tang Dynasty, and guard Kucha.
The emperor did not approve Guo Xiaoke's invitation to make Su Pozhun the governor of Yanqi. He no longer retained the governor's mansion of Yanqi.
This is the case with Gaochang, so will be the case with Kucha, and even after taking Kucha, it will be the same with Shule, Jutipo and other countries south of the Tianshan Mountains. The emperor has no patience to take his time. Just stop being polite.
Thoroughly reform the land and flow in the area south of the Tianshan Mountains, fully Sinicize the rule, and no longer give repeated opportunities.
"She'er's trip is not only to win Kucha, but also to beware of Yibi Shekui Khan."
The eldest grandson was a little puzzled. Yibishekui Khan was the Great Khan of the Western Turks who had just been canonized by the Tang Dynasty.
His father, Yibishabo Luoyehu Khan Bobutqin, was defeated by the self-supporting Yibidulu Khan Yugushe, just like his uncle Helishi Khan.
Compared to Yugushe, who is now powerful and making a comeback, Yipi Shekui Khan's power is much weaker. Only by being completely attached to Datang can he support Yugushe under the oppression of Yugushe.
How dare he disagree with Datang?
"Why not? Aren't Gaochang, Yanqi, and Qiuci all ready-made examples, even Yugushe, didn't they surrender twice at the beginning?"
In today's Western Regions, the four forces coexist.
The Great Governor’s Mansion in the west of Datang Town where the dragon crossed the river, the self-supporting Yipidulu Khan Yugushi who came back from the east, and then the Yibishekui Khan who was canonized by the Tang Dynasty, and then the small countries in the Western Regions.
Yipidulu Khan and Yipishekui Khan belonged to the Ashina family, both Turkic people. Although they competed for the position of Khan, they were originally a family.
Turks have controlled the Western Regions for many years. These years, they have been caught in internal strife, and the situation is not as good as before. But no matter who they are, they definitely want to restore their former glory and become the overlord of the Western Regions.
As for Datang, who doesn't know about Datang's ambitions?
That is almost already on the table. When the Tang Dynasty first came to the Western Regions, it only said that it was to open up the Silk Road. What it asked for was the respect of all parties in the Western Regions. All right, nothing else will interfere.
However, these years have completely changed. Troops have been sent to defeat Mohe Tuo Khan and Siyehu Khan successively. Khan et al.
They sent troops to wipe out Gaochang completely, and then turned to other countries such as Qiuci in the south of the Tianshan Mountains. The idea is already extremely clear.
Although Yibi Shekui Khan is relatively weak, he was also established by the Tang Dynasty. His father, and his two uncles and grandfathers, the three generations of Khans, were also registered by the Tang Dynasty. I also want to get rid of Datang's control, and I also want to restore the glory of my ancestors.
If there is an East Turkic people in Yugu, why can they be defeated and rise again in the Western Regions?
That is because the banner he played was against the Tang Dynasty, to drive out the Tang people in the Western Regions, and to restore the glory of the Turkic overlord of the Western Regions.
So the tribes of the Western Turks are very active about this. They used to be the masters of the Western Regions. Now that the Tang people have come and they have become subjects, these Turkic people are naturally not very happy. They always want to give it a try if they have a chance.
Everyone is in his own interest.
Just like Gaochang, Yanqi, Kucha and other countries in the Western Regions, they also want to preserve them and are not willing to be annexed.
It was okay when the Tang Dynasty ruled Gaochang and other countries before, and there was still room for both sides. After the Tang Dynasty wiped out Gaochang forcefully, even the pro-Tang Western Turkic ministries began to be vigilant.
Now that the Tang Dynasty destroys Yanqi again, the next one is Kucha, and what comes next?
After the Tang Dynasty conquered the south of the Tianshan Mountains, will it stop?
After the Tang Dynasty fully entered the Western Regions, is there still room for the Western Turks to survive?
In other words, the current situation of the former grassland overlord East Turkic is a lesson for them. Datang has already completely canceled the title of Eastern Turkic, and Eastern Turkic has completely perished.
That's why Li Shimin said that not only should we guard against Qu Lichu who stayed at home in Yugu, but also against Yi Duo and She Kui Khan. They may all attack Yanqi or Qiuci.
This kind of sober cognition can be said to fully demonstrate the eyesight of Li Shimin, the emperor on horseback.
In the face of absolute interests, there are no absolute allies.
Because of interests, friends can become enemies, and enemies can also become allies.
"I have been in battle for a long time, and I am quite accurate in predicting the situation on the battlefield. Since I have sent troops this time, I have to solve some fundamental problems."
"If Yanqi is captured by the Turks before She'er goes to the Western Regions, don't attack Yanqi and Qiuci first, but first gather the soldiers and horses of the Western Regions, gather all the tribes, and first attach to Yugushe and nomadic at the northern foot of the Tianshan Mountains. The two tribes of Yue and Chumi were wiped out first, and the heads of these two tribes are vacillating at both ends, and rebellion is not frequent. If our army marches into Kucha and Yanqi, Gaochang may be attacked by them, and they must be eliminated first."
Destroy Chuyue and Chumi, stabilize the rear, and attack Yanqi and Qiuci soon.
And if Yanqi is still not lost after Sheer arrives in the Western Regions, first stabilize Yanqi, then attack the second department of Yuechumi, and then attack Kucha after the second department is settled.
The emperor thought this order was very important.
If you make a wrong move, you may lose every move.
"The situation in the Western Regions is very complicated now. We must be very careful in every step, and we must not make mistakes, otherwise all previous efforts will be wasted."
(end of this chapter)