At this alliance meeting, Li Po made two very important promises to Ashina Yang Huan.
The first one is that as long as Ashina Yang Huan is in power for a day, Datang will not take the initiative to provoke the Turks and try to maintain the basic peace between the two countries. If Ashina Yang Huan needs help from Tang, Li Po will also use his discretion.
Respond.
Li Po can do all of this, but it will take time to prove whether he is willing to keep his promise.
The second promise was that he supported the Turkic Royal Court in taking back the Western Regions. This was a strategy he had discussed with his ministers. After talking to Ashina Yang Huan, he would not make any changes.
As for the grievances between the Eastern and Western Turks, Datang will not do so for the time being, nor does it have the ability or willingness to get involved.
In other words, no matter whether the Western Turks conquered the East or the Turkic Royal Court conquered the Western Regions, the Tang Dynasty would stand by and watch. It would not help the Western Turks to drag the Turkic Royal Court's hind legs like the Sui Dynasty did, or pursue the conflict between the Eastern and Western Turks.
Balance and containment.
Accordingly, Ashina Yang Huan made certain concessions on the border issue between the two countries. As for the two countries' mutual non-aggression and trade, under such a major premise, an agreement can be reached soon.
After all, it was not the case later that the relationship between the great powers was so complicated and changeable. It was much simpler back then.
And this also symbolizes that people in the north and south have finally regained some sense after experiencing chaos for more than ten or twenty years...
……………………
But the conflict will never end.
At the beginning of August in the fourth year of Yuanzhen of the Tang Dynasty, the north gradually entered the late autumn season.
On the East China Sea, the monsoon wind blowing from the ocean still retains a warm atmosphere, and is a bit stronger than before.
The weather is rough and this is not a good season for sailing.
The Tang Dynasty fleet sailing away from Donglai was currently sailing on the sea. More than eighty large and small ships were scattered on the sea for tens of miles, surrounding the flagship and constantly correcting its course.
Most of the ships in the Tang Dynasty were inherited from the former Sui Dynasty. The middle and late period of the Great Cause was the period when shipbuilding was most developed in the former Sui Dynasty. Yang Guang dug the canal, and the shipbuilding industry in Jiangnan and Dongdu prospered.
The three expeditions to Goguryeo further promoted the development of the shipbuilding industry.
It is said that there were tens of thousands of large and small ships in the Sui Dynasty at that time. When they came to protect the children and crossed the sea to attack Goguryeo, they led thousands of sea ships, which was huge.
There is no need to count on it now, as more than 80 sea-going ships already account for half of Jiangdu's sea-going ships.
Moreover, the ships are relatively old. When Du Fuwei was in charge of Jiangdu, he was unable to build big ships and could only repair them. Until now, the shipbuilding industry in Jiangnan has declined. It will definitely not take two days to recover.
of effort.
………………
Du Fuwei stood on the bow of the ship, and as the ship swayed up and down, his body was as steady as a mountain, just like on land. He had not led people to sea for several years, but once he was at sea, Du Fuwei's spirit became stronger day by day.
, almost every cell in the body was cheering for joy.
The flagship he was on was the world's standard maritime giant. People in the Central Plains called it a building ship. It was about twenty feet long and carried a battalion of troops.
There are three large sails, with jibs on the front and rear sides. Their main function is to correct the course. The mainmast is in the middle of the ship and the wind blows forward. If the wind at sea is not enough, there are tread wheels in the bottom of the ship, which can be driven by manpower. It is fully
This ensures the maneuverability of the large ship.
This is the most advanced warship in the world, no other. It is so big, but not bulky. When traveling on the sea, its speed and flexibility are unmatched by ordinary ships.
………………
Feeling the shaking of the ship and the strength of the sea breeze, he also asked the fishermen and Silla people on the Dongnae Seashore, and Du Fuwei already had a preliminary understanding of the risks on this sea.
In August, the sea in the south is much more dangerous. Storms and thunderstorms are rare here, but the weather is a bit cold.
For safety reasons and because they were not familiar with this place, they kept sailing at half sail and were always paying attention to changes in the weather.
Du Fuwei's subordinates were all old men who had gone to sea many times. The work on the ship was not difficult for them, but they had to go there twice before they could become familiar with the sea conditions here.
Especially at sea, unlike on land, there are roads for people to choose, and it is very simple to identify the direction. However, it is different at sea. Everyone needs to carefully identify the course. This is a business that tests experience and skills. There are also things such as sailing and sailing.
All need veteran sailors to do it.
Standard team work, even a slight weakness in national strength will not be enough.
The Chang'an Maritime Academy established by Du Fuwei actually taught these things, and Du Fuwei was quite looking forward to it. When he sailed from Jiangdu to sea, everyone was gambling with their lives.
At the beginning, no one dared to sail the boat far from the coast, for fear of getting lost or capsizing, and burying everyone in the sea.
If there were an academy that specifically taught people how to sail, the situation would probably be very different. If more people knew how to sail, it would be passed down from generation to generation, and it would be much safer to go to sea in the future.
The emperor is the emperor. He has a long-term vision and is much better than rough guys like me. Why did he just want to fill his stomach back then? Du Fuwei thought and patted the emperor's back.
So he blamed himself very much, feeling that he was a little short-sighted, but what he didn't know was that Li Po's main purpose when he raised his army was actually to fill everyone's belly, and other things... screw it, eat first
Let’s talk about it later.
……………………
The Tang army's advancing formation now took on a spindle shape.
Du Fuwei led the central army, with his flagship located in the center of the army.
The forward was led by Wang Xiongdan, located directly in front of the army, the left and right were led by Wen Shihong and Chen Ling, and the rear army was in charge of Ximen.
These are the generals of the Tang Dynasty who are most familiar with water warfare. To put it bluntly, if they are all buried at sea, the strength of the Tang navy will be severely damaged, and they will not be able to recover for many years.
……………………
During the rough waves, the boat rocked sharply twice. Cui Dunli, who was accompanying Du Fuwei, staggered and almost fell into the sea.
As an envoy of the Tang Dynasty, this son of aristocratic family went to sea with the army. He suffered a lot these days. He was vomiting in the beginning, but he has only recovered a little in the past two days.
The guards around him grabbed him back and pinned him to the board of the ship.
Du Fuwei turned around and looked at it, and laughed unscrupulously. He and Cui Dunli met in Luoyang and had known each other for a long time. Well, generally speaking, we were not the same person.
Cui Dunli not only came from a famous family, but also had both civil and military skills. He was trained according to the standards of being a general or a prime minister since he was a child. Who is Du Fuwei? If these two people can talk about the same thing, it will be like seeing a ghost.
"It's very stormy outside, Cui Shaoqing should go back to the cabin and take a rest." Du Fuwei persuaded with a smile.
Cui Dunli had a pale face, his eyes were distracted, and the bearing of a noble family member had long since disappeared. At this time, he waved his hands rather weakly and said: "It doesn't matter, it doesn't matter. Alas, is this what His Highness said is calm?"
He was tired of staying in the cabin, and finally came out for some air. He was very reluctant to go back to the dark and humid cabin. Being tortured both physically and mentally, he kept praying to the gods and Buddhas in the sky for blessings, and he quickly ended it.
What a hell trip.
The experience was so bad. When he left Beijing, he thought it would be a good thing to take a ride on the high-rise boat that Yang Guangsan used when he went to Jiangdu, but he didn't expect it to be so bad.
He also didn't think about it. Yang Guang took the river route when he went down to the river. How could it be compared with the sea? He had never even been on a boat, so he adhered to pure northern thinking.
When he actually reached the sea, he was completely dumbfounded...
………………
Du Fuwei laughed loudly, "Brother, you have never seen it when the sea is windy. What does this little wind and waves mean? But brother Cui, don't worry, we will be almost there in two days."
You have to hold on tight and don't let the young ladies from Silla laugh at the joke, otherwise it will be difficult to talk to them when you get to Silla."
This guy has had a lot of dealings with the natives of Southeast Asia, and he knows what people overseas admire. They can be afraid of swords and guns, and they will not suffer any loss wherever they go. But to win people's true respect, it still requires someone like Cui Dunli.
.
Cui Dunli nodded helplessly, but it would be difficult for him to hold up the arrogance of the world.
He cupped his hands and said, "Thank you, King Wu, for the tip. I know that the storms and dangers at sea can be as serious as this. The saying is easier said than done, but that's it?"
During the Qin and Han Dynasties, Xu Fu, Xun Zhi and others went to the east from the sea, is it possible that this was also the case?"
Du Fuwei's smile was a little stiff, and he thought to himself, here we go again, you know I'm a rough guy, and you still come to drag me, I'm going to kill your eight generations of ancestors.
These two people really didn't talk to each other. Du Fuwei could feel that this guy seemed to be doing it on purpose. Whether he didn't want to be friends with him, Du Fuwei, or he looked down on him, they just couldn't get along with each other.
Du Fuwei probably was the former. He still remembered Cui Dunli's dumbfounded look when he saw him in Luoyang. Apparently he didn't expect that Du Fuwei would be able to leave Chang'an.
……………………
While he was talking, the sound of a sharp bamboo whistle came faintly from the front along with the sea breeze. The whistle was short and sounded as if it was anxious.
Du Fuwei's expression changed, which was a warning sign of encountering an enemy.
This is also the usual communication method of the Jiangdu navy. The bamboo whistle is sharp and the sound can be transmitted far away. It is more convenient than the war drums and gongs commonly used by the navy. There is also room for manipulation in the syllables. On the sea, this thing can also
It is useful, but due to the sea breeze and distance, the effect is not as good as war drums and horns.
Soon, the sound of bamboo whistles was heard from Du Fuwei's own flagship, which continued across the sea and spread to the entire army.
Du Fuwei waved his hand decisively, "Help Cui Shaoqing return to the cabin and give the order for all ships to come closer to me, maintain formation, and the entire army is on alert, ready for battle."
A long sound of trumpets sounded on the flagship, three short and one long. This was a signal for the entire army to prepare for battle. The sound of trumpets sounded one after another on each ship, spreading like a relay.
This is a navy with experience in maritime combat. As soon as the horn sounded, the ships moved closer to the flagship, waiting for further instructions from the flagship.
This chapter has been completed!