Tang Dynasty military camp on the border of Gaochang Kingdom
"You went to Western Turkestan?"
After Li Xiang received the news, he and Lord Zhao looked at each other. After leaving the border, there were many things that were beyond Li Xiang's control. Although he could use other methods to control them, in order not to make a fool of himself in front of outsiders, Li Xiang gave this right to Li You. As long as it did not affect his life, Li Xiang had already told Niu Jinda some things, asking him not to go against Li You.
"Your Highness, this is what the letter says."
After hearing what his subordinate said, Li Xiang knew that it must be true, and waved his hand to let him go.
"Will something happen? Western Turkestan is the largest country in the Western Regions. According to what we said before, we should start with the easy ones and then move on to the difficult ones. We should go to those small countries first and then go to Western Turkestan. If we start with Western Turkestan, if we cause too much trouble, the other small countries will follow suit."
Lord Zhao said with some concern that the Western Turks were an old rival of the Tang Dynasty. During the reign of Li Shimin, they were still a complete Turkic people, and they had already led their troops south. At the same time, this was considered by Li Shimin to be the greatest shame of his life.
"This worry is not without reason, but the people have already left. No matter what we plan, he will not listen to us. We should be prepared to support them. The Western Turks are a big country. If they really cause trouble there, two thousand troops may not be enough."
Li Xiang does things differently from others. Others may blame Li You at this time, but Li Xiang will only think about making amends for him.
After all, it has come to this point, and it is useless to complain as much as you can. He has already done it, and it cannot be changed now, so you can only remedy it for him.
"What does your Highness mean?"
Lord Zhao was a little confused about Li Xiang's intentions. Two thousand troops were not enough. Should he continue to send troops? However, even if he sent these five thousand men to the Western Turkic territory, it would probably not have much effect. The Western Turkic people had 70,000 troops in the coalition camp, but they still had more than 100,000 young and strong laborers at home.
The countries on the grassland are different from the Tang Dynasty. They are ordinary people in normal times, but as long as war comes, these people can become soldiers. Therefore, sending another 5,000 people will not be of much use. If a conflict really occurs, it will not change the situation of the war.
"Send another 3,000 men to provide covert support. The Western Regions are different from our country. Even 300 troops can be found, let alone 3,000, hidden within the Tang Dynasty. However, the territories of the Western Regions are vast, so they can only control the main areas. They have no control over the other wastelands. Let our people be careful and stay close to the King of Qi."
Li Xiang thought for a while and said that his method was not a method at all. It was actually a very dangerous act to rashly send troops into the territory of another country, but we have sounding balloons, so if anyone approaches us, we can hide away first.
And this is the only feasible way at present. If we send people over openly, the Western Turks will definitely notice it. If King Li You of Qi causes trouble, they will definitely send troops to encircle and suppress him. All of our people are in the open, so the chances of winning are relatively small.
But if we send people over secretly, even if this guy burned down the other party's palace and suddenly three thousand cavalry rushed out, I guess the Western Turks would not know how to deal with it. It would be no problem to save this guy's life, but it would be a pity for these soldiers.
Of course, there is no way around it. If you want to expand, there will inevitably be losses. Try to do as little as possible. Li Xiang is also praying that the people of Western Turkestan have greater endurance. If that is the case, then the conditions we propose will be even more harsh.
"Why do I feel like we're always on the edge of a cliff? These things we're doing in the Western Regions are getting more and more precarious. When our army can come here in large numbers, we won't have to deal with such things anymore."
Lord Zhao was telling the truth. The imperial court was currently carrying out various operations in Goguryeo and Xueyantuo, so the armies over there were unable to provide support. As the center of the world, Chang'an City certainly could not be without heavy military guards.
There were not many soldiers in Li Xiang's system, and most of them were dispersed to various places by Li Xiang. This was also one of the reasons why Li Xiang dared to oppose Li Shimin.
If Li Shimin really broke off relations with Li Xiang, he would immediately see that at least half of the world's armies would stand on Li Xiang's side, and they would be the most elite armies. No matter how many hidden chess pieces Li Shimin had laid, he would never be Li Xiang's opponent. No one was more loyal than the system soldiers.
"Using limited people to accomplish unlimited things is what I have always pursued. We have already considered most of what Li You is doing now. This is just a temporary turn of events and will not have much impact. Lord Zhao, just put your mind at ease."
We have tried to probe Li Xiang of the Western Regions many times. This time we are going to pick a fight, so we have made all kinds of preparations. Even if Li You is really killed, it can only be said that he is unlucky.
When Li Shimin sent Li You to the Western Regions, although he repeatedly emphasized the need to ensure his safety, was Li Shimin not mentally prepared? On the battlefield, swords are merciless. Li Shimin charged in, so it's impossible for him not to have such preparations. It's just that he didn't say it. As a superior, he was willing to sacrifice his son.
When Li Xiang was about to reply to Niu Jinda, another group of people came outside. Judging from the clothes they wore, they were somewhat similar to those in Tubo. Li Xiang then remembered that the people sent by Xiao Liuzi had arrived.
During this period, Li Xiang was busy conquering the east and the west, and he had no time to take care of the things on the plateau. However, Li Xiang had a keen eye for talent, and Xiao Liuzi was definitely a great figure. After years of development, Liu Ye had become a well-known name on the plateau. Both the Tubo Zamp and the chieftains knew that Liu Ye was a big shot.
"Your humble servant Wen Cunhai kowtows to His Highness."
The person kneeling in front of him was Wen Cunhai mentioned in Xiao Liuzi's letter. He was also the person he trusted the most and also his right-hand man. If he sent someone else to report, many of the information might not be complete, so Xiao Liuzi sent him here. If conditions permit, Xiao Liuzi also wants to meet Li Xiang. The master and servant have not seen each other for two years.