The people brought by General Qin Qiong this time have all received special training and have adapted to the conditions on the plateau, but when it comes to the terrain, I'm afraid these people are not up to the task.
"I also think that Your Highness is right. War should not be started lightly. It's perfectly acceptable to shout threats from the sidelines, but if the battle cannot be ended in a short period of time, have you ever thought about the court's treasury? Moreover, we are sending troops without authorization."
As the protector general of Tuyuhun, Zeng Daren has the right to make suggestions on all matters around him, but of course he does not have the right to make the final decision, mainly because the two people in front of him are older than him. But some things must be said in advance. You two must not do anything impulsively. If the court really investigates you, you two may not be able to bear the consequences. This is an army of tens of thousands.
After hearing this, General Qin Qiong broke out in sweat. When they lost their military power earlier, they had already told themselves that they must not make decisions on their own. Unexpectedly, after leaving Chang'an City, General Qin Qiong's old problem came back again. It was mainly because the piece of fat in front of him was too tempting. If we don't eat it now, it will be difficult to eat it in the future.
"Your Excellency is right. Besides sending troops without authorization, if our army actually reaches the plateau, we might not have much chance of victory. Our mission is not to destroy Tubo, but to weaken it. Although this method is slow, then again, a blunt knife cuts less painfully. Once our army appears on the plateau, perhaps the two sides will unite again. Wouldn't we be helping them?"
Li Xiang thought about this matter very clearly. No matter how good the opportunity is now, we must look at it comprehensively. Our army may not be able to win after going up, but it can change the political situation of Tubo. The struggle between Tibetans and Han people has lasted for many years and it is impossible to end because of a small matter. Our arrival will make them more united. Then the weakening of Tubo’s comprehensive national strength may end the moment we enter the plateau.
"So we're just going to waste time with him like this now?"
General Qin Qiong said with some unwillingness, so many troops came from thousands of miles away, is it just to create momentum?
"On the surface, it seems we're wasting time with him, but in reality, we're driving a wedge into his heart. Our army is growing, and with the arrival of a great general, a normal person would think we're really going to attack. So, if I'm not mistaken, Lu Dongzan should write to their king again to discuss how to deal with the situation here. We should be able to collect some money from him."
Li Xiang breathed a sigh of relief. He had not seen any return on his money during this period. Almost all of it was support for the chieftains. Now he finally got some return on his money. If he just spent the money, Li Shimin probably wouldn't be happy. Although you have indeed weakened the strength of Tubo, you can't just do a business that loses money. The national treasury can't support it.
Anyone would be very satisfied if they could get money without fighting. But after collecting the money, would they just let them go?
Judging from the current situation, Li Xiang knows that many people feel uncomfortable, but no matter how uncomfortable you feel, this is the way it has to be. If we want to get more, that will be in the future. Now we don’t send troops, this should be the best result.
General Qin Qiong had traveled a long way, so he went back to rest first. Qin Huaiyu also came with him. This was the old tradition of the Tang Dynasty. People would try to bring their children to the battlefield to see what was happening. Maybe they would be able to take over the shift in the future. If not, it would be better than being idle at home.
"You guys are so happy. I was wondering why you all didn't want to go back to Chang'an. It turns out life is so good out there. If it weren't for my father's mercy, I probably wouldn't be able to get here. I don't know what my father is thinking. He keeps asking me to take the civil service exam. Am I that kind of person?"
Faced with the delicious roasted lamb legs, Chang Sun Chong and the others did not eat them. Instead, they were thinking about the vegetables in Chang'an City. Eating these things every day had no appeal at all. But it was different for Qin Huaiyu. He had not been on the grassland for long. Although there were roasted lamb legs in Chang'an City, the flavor was very different from that here.
"I don't know what these old men of ours are thinking. We all started out in the military, so we should be allowed to continue developing in the army. My father also forced me to take the imperial examinations back then, but the problem is that the characters are so big that they can't fit in a frame. Now it's hard to even read a letter..."
Yuchi Baolin was not afraid of exposing his own shortcomings. For the young generals in the army, studying was a matter of life and death. But their father also had his own ideas. If two generations jointly controlled the army, it might be a source of worry for the emperor.
"If you ask me, stop complaining. Your father made you study when you were young, but now none of you have managed to finish your studies. Aren't all of you joining the army?"
When Li Xiang was with these young people, he relaxed for a rare time. After dealing with the matters on the plateau, Li Xiang came to drink with them. Outside, there were still shouts of killing. The soldiers from Liangzhou City began to train on the grassland. They had to cherish this opportunity. The court did not have so much money to let them travel thousands of miles to adapt to different terrains.
"I heard the scenery on that plateau is completely different from ours. Next time you go back, take me with you so I can go up and take a look. Don't treat me like a general. I'll just be your bodyguard, okay?"
Hearing Qin Huaiyu say this, Changsun Chong and Yuchi Baolin fell silent. They had begged for a long time just now. We were talking about this matter before you came, but now several days have passed and this guy just won't give in. Who doesn't want to see the exotic scenery? But the problem is, without this guy, can you get up?
Li Xiang would never bring them up there. Not to mention the danger, the main reason was that with these outsiders, it would be inconvenient for Li Xiang to take people or things out of his inner space. These people would definitely have various problems, and you couldn't hide them from them even if you wanted to...