"Regarding the location of the cavalry camp, you should discuss it with the chiefs and try to make sure everyone is satisfied. No matter which tribe has an emergency, our cavalry will arrive immediately. In short, incidents like what happened to the Xueyantuo must not happen again. If such an incident does occur, don't blame me for being rude to you."
Li Xiang's words were very good. These people are here to protect you, the chiefs. But to you, the chiefs, it sounded like something else: If we were to rebel, would your cavalry be there first? Or if we did something wrong, would your cavalry be there to punish us first?
"Please rest assured, Your Highness. We will do our utmost to ensure the safety of the Turkic steppes."
Dozens of young generals in the army spoke loudly, and this voice frightened many timid Turkic leaders.
They were also chatting in low voices in private. Not to mention their combat effectiveness, just looking at their mental outlook, they were far ahead of them. If it weren't for the Xueyantuo incident, the military power on the Turkic steppe would not have been defeated so quickly. But now, all the useful people from various tribes have been withdrawn by Li Xiang, and 15,000 cavalrymen have been stationed here. In the future, the Turkic steppe will definitely be ruled by the Li family.
"I also want to warn you a few things. You must be careful while stationed here. You must respect the customs of the various tribes. If some of you insist on doing things your own way, you will suffer the consequences when I next inspect the grassland. However, if you are effective in defending the grassland and ensuring its safety, I will recommend to the emperor that you be promoted."
Li Xiang's words were ostensibly addressed to his subordinates, but in fact they were also addressed to the leaders of various tribes. If you garrison the grassland according to the requirements of the Tang Dynasty, I will not treat you unfairly in the end. But if you make trouble and make things difficult for the Tang Dynasty garrison, the imperial court will not let you go.
"Please rest assured, Your Highness. We will select people from the tribe who are familiar with Chinese and have them serve as liaison officers between us and the garrison. There will definitely not be any conflicts."
Several tribal leaders stood up and expressed their opinions. They also saw Li Xiang's determination. When Jili Khan was defeated last time, although the Tang army said that it would station troops on the grassland, it did not actually implement it. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief. Now it seems that such a thing is unlikely to happen.
"Then I would like to thank all the chiefs on their behalf. From now on, when you are living together on the grassland, please report any issues to the court first. Do not make decisions on your own. If you need any help, the court will help you."
The tight hoop must be stuck tightly. If the rope is loosened a little, these people will want to cut it. People on the grassland are naturally broad-minded and bold when doing things, so Li Xiang dare not loosen it too much for them.
"Your Highness, the firearms battalion is ready."
While these people were talking, the Firearms Battalion had already finished its preparations. During the last battle, it was raining, so the Firearms Battalion could not come out. Now the sun is shining brightly, and it is the perfect time for them to show their skills and let the people on the grassland see that our Tang Dynasty's way of fighting is no longer the same as before.
"Then let them fight well and entertain the leaders."
The last time these people performed for the Tibetans, they frightened everyone in the Tibetan Empire, whether they were ambitious high-ranking officials or those who just wanted to have a full meal. When the common people closed their eyes and thought about that scene, they had only one thought in their hearts, that is, they must not make enemies with the people of the Tang Empire, because our bodies will be torn to pieces by these explosives.
Thinking of the expressions of those Tibetans, Li Xiang must of course arrange a fight for these people. After you know the power of gunpowder, you will be afraid of the Tang Dynasty from the bottom of your hearts in the future. Although these people look very scared now, whether they will turn around and oppose the Tang Dynasty, only they themselves know. What we need to do now is to break down their psychological defenses.
The people on the Turkic steppes had heard about the Tang Dynasty's firearms camp for a long time, but they had never had the chance to meet it. They also heard some rumors from other places that this person helped Li Xiang win the Tuyuhun War and suppressed the Tibetans. It was said that Goguryeo also made great contributions this time, and now they wanted to see how the war was fought.
Gunpowder had indeed never appeared in this era, so when they stood on tiptoe and looked into the distance, a violent explosion came instantly. The air wave blew off many people's hats. Looking at the cloud column rising into the sky in the distance, coupled with the deafening sound, many people felt that it was a god descending to earth. They didn't know what words to use to describe this, after all, they had never seen such a thing in their minds.
"Your Highness, this, this, this..."
Some tribal leaders didn't know what to say. They had seen very clearly just now that there was a small stone house built on a hill not far away. But now, let alone the stone house, the entire hill seemed to have been flattened. How did they do this?
"This is what we at Datang have just researched. This is just one way of fighting. We actually prefer another way of fighting. Please continue reading."
After Li Xiang finished speaking, the crossbows in the military camp fired. Everyone only heard a whoosh sound, and then saw explosions everywhere on the hillside, one small fire bag after another.
From our position, it seemed that it did not have much power, but some things placed there were blown up in an instant. If our army was there, and something like this fell from the sky, our army might be wiped out in just a few breaths. How could we be their opponent when the Tang army possessed such a magical weapon?
"The Xueyantuo people are really tired of living. They dare to treat our Tang Dynasty like this. They must be cut into pieces."
After hearing what a tribal leader said, Su Dingfang curled his lips. "You have seen the powerful weapons of our Tang Dynasty, and who do you think you are to your Tang Dynasty?" You are not even blushing when you speak...