The military generals these days are almost as if they were printed from the same mold.
He has a resolute face, dark skin, black beard under his chin, and a powerful look.
Another thing they have in common is that their eyes are pure and honest, revealing a bit of fierceness and loyalty. When the superior officer speaks, they often straighten up subconsciously immediately. The words "obey military orders" seem to have been engraved in their bones.
This was the case with Sun Congdong in front of him.
Li Qinzai grinned: "Nice to meet you, did your Majesty tell you everything before leaving the palace?"
Sun Congdong was stunned: "What do you want to explain?"
Li Qinzai was also stunned: "Protect me. I am the pillar of the country. When I go to Tuyuhun, not even a hair can be hurt. I would rather fail on my mission than lose half of me. Didn't your Majesty tell you?"
Sun Congdong thought for a while and said flatly: "No."
Then Sun Congdong added: "Uncle Li County forgives me for going to Tuyuhun. I would rather die for my country than fail on my mission."
Li Qinzai sighed, okay, he is a dead-minded guy again and has no fun at all.
"Captain Sun, you have to understand one thing. The success or failure of the mission is none of your business. The only mission of you and the soldiers is to protect me. Do you understand?"
Sun Congdong was stunned for a moment, and then thought about the mission of this trip, but had to admit that his mission was really just to protect Li Qinzai, and the mission had nothing to do with him.
Sun Congdong had no choice but to clasp his fists in despair: "Yes."
Li Qinzai was a little worried and asked Leng Buding: "If your father and I fall into the river, who will you save?"
Sun Congdong smiled at him: "The last general has a thousand soldiers, no matter how many people fall into the river, they can all be rescued at the same time, in no particular order."
Li Qinzai opened his mouth and found that he could not refute.
It's really amazing to have so many brothers. You can arrange all the unsolved problems for you.
If his mother-in-law asks him this question in the future, Li Qinzai can refer to Sun Congdong's answer.
The ceremonial guard for envoys is different from that of ordinary officials, and the biggest highlight is the "Jing Jie".
According to the Tang system, envoys traveling to foreign countries on behalf of the emperor should be accompanied by double banners and double festivals.
The so-called "jing" refers to the flags. The double flags include the dragon flag representing the emperor's envoys and the gate flag indicating the personal identity of the envoys.
The "Jie" is a half-foot long staff decorated with gold and copper leaves and wrapped in red silk.
In the picture "Su Wu Shepherding Sheep" passed down to later generations, Su Wu holds a wooden staff covered with leaves, and that wooden staff is called "Jie".
Only those envoys who are envoys on the basis of a special order are legitimate envoys. Even if the enemy sees this official order, they will not dare to commit a minor insult, let alone use swords. This is a taboo on the battlefield.
This banner not only represents the identity of the envoy, but also has the power to dispatch the border troops of the country. It can be regarded as a talisman for mobilizing troops, which is also one of the powers of the envoy.
The so-called "jiedushi" in the middle and late Tang Dynasty, as the name suggests, means to command the military and political affairs of a party based on the festival.
Li Qinzai was also given a banner by Li Zhi, which was held high behind him by the tribesmen, and the group marched westward.
At sunset, the team was less than a hundred miles away from Chang'an, and Li Qinzai immediately ordered to camp.
At night, after the camp was set up, the tribe and the imperial guards buried the pots to make rice, but Li Qinzai took out the sheepskin map to study it.
Tuyuhun is a barren area where mountains, rivers and desert wastelands coexist. The geography is not very good, but the geographical location is very important.
On this mission, Li Qinzai had to first arrive in Liangzhou, because there were troops from the Tang Dynasty stationed in Liangzhou, and several hundred miles away from Liangzhou was the territory of Tuyuhun.
What Li Qinzai is most worried about now is that before he, the envoy of the Tang Dynasty, arrives in Liangzhou, the Khan of Tuyuhun will kneel before the Tibetans.
If the khan knelt down too quickly, Li Qinzai's trip would be meaningless. The only thing he could do was to gather troops and horses in Liangzhou to take a defensive position against Tibet and strictly prevent Tibet from invading the Tang Dynasty.
Based on the distance traveled by Li Qinzai and his party, it would take at least ten days to set off from Chang'an to Liangzhou.
In more than ten days, there were too many changes that could happen, and the battlefield situation changed instantly. If the Tubo army really occupied the entire Tuyuhun territory, Li Qinzai, the Tang envoy, would be passive.
Liu Asi brought the roasted leg of lamb to Li Qinzai, but his skill was a bit poor and the smell was too strong. Li Qinzai was not in the mood to be exquisite at this time. After a few tasteless bites, Mingbuqu called Sun Congdong.
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"After daybreak, scouts must be sent out to investigate in three directions. The first is Liangzhou, to collect statistics on the garrison of the Tang Dynasty, and tell the governor of Liangzhou that Chang'an has sent an envoy, asking him to be obedient and not to use weapons rashly before the envoy arrives.
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"The second is Tuyuhun, to inquire about the war situation between the two countries. I hope that Tuyuhun Khan can gain some momentum and not kneel down too quickly. If possible, the scouts can meet Tuyuhun Khan and tell him that the Tang envoy is on the way.
I was ordered to mediate the war between the two countries and let him persist a little longer."
"The third is to go to Tubo and enter the country in disguise to inquire about Tibet's troop dispatch, including reinforcements, food and grass, domestic public opinion on this troop dispatch, etc."
Li Qinzai issued the military order solemnly, and Sun Congdong followed the order without saying anything.
"In addition, all the cities we pass through will send people to meet with the generals in charge of the troops. The Zhechong Mansion and the city defenders in various places will have to count the soldiers and food and report it to me."
Sun Congdong hesitated for a moment and said: "Uncle Li County, do the garrison troops from various places along the way and the Zhechong Mansion also need to be mobilized?"
Li Qinzai twitched the corner of his mouth and said: "What you are saying is that I am the envoy of the Tang Dynasty. Your Majesty has also granted me the power to make arbitrary decisions when the situation arises. Of course, the garrison forces in various places are under my control. If Tibet invades the Tang Dynasty, they will have to defend it."
Fight for the country.”
Sun Congdong clasped his fists and said solemnly: "Follow the order!"
Li Qinzai rubbed his cheek and sighed tiredly.
The biggest problem is food. If the Tang Dynasty had sufficient food, the war between Tubo and Tuyuhun would not be a problem at all.
With the temper of Li Zhi and his courtiers, they would just send out troops to do it. Taking advantage of this opportunity to incorporate Tuyuhun into the Tang Dynasty and reward the unsatisfactory Khan with an official position, this would maximize the benefits.
"Can you use three-eyed guns?" Li Qinzai suddenly asked.
Sun Congdong nodded: "I know how to use it. Since the beginning of the year, Youwei has allocated a part of the battalion to practice the three-eyed gun specifically. He has been practicing for a whole year. No matter how specialized he is, he will definitely not be intimidated on the battlefield."
"The last general and his subordinate Qian Paoze are both proficient in using the three-eyed gun, and their marksmanship is pretty good. Eight out of ten, they are already the best among the Right Guards."
Li Qinzai was a little relieved and said: "If you encounter an enemy situation, use the three-eyed gun to stop the enemy first. Usually it is not a charge of ten thousand cavalry. It should not be able to break through the three-eyed gun's fire net. Remember not to charge easily. That is exploiting weaknesses and avoiding strengths."
Sun Congdong agreed again.
Li Qinzai handed him the mutton leg with a strong smell in his hand and said with a smile: "I'll reward you with the leg of lamb. If you follow me, as long as you obey me, you will have meat to eat every day."
Sun Congdong gratefully took the leg of lamb and took a bite of it unceremoniously.
Li Qinzai stood up and kicked Liu Asi on the butt, saying: "Get out of the way, I will roast the leg of lamb myself. No matter how bad my skills are, even the dogs won't eat the roasted food."