Tibet

It's February of the thirteenth year of Tianbao's reign, and early spring has arrived in Anxi. The green grass on the ground has begun to sprout new shoots, and there is a moist and warm atmosphere in the air.

Although Lingshan is still a world of ice and snow, the temperature has risen. As long as you are well prepared, you can cross Lingshan with camels and horses.

In Kucha City, many Sogdian caravans are preparing to set off. These caravans arrive in Kucha in winter, but they cannot cross Lingshan in winter. It takes two or three days to cross Lingshan, and they must stay at least two nights on Lingshan. Even if you live in a tent, you will be frozen. The roads in the dozens of miles long river valley are blocked by heavy snow, making it impossible to enter the mountains.

Merchants can only wait for the spring in Kucha City. According to experience, generally after February, they can set off to cross Lingshan.

Li Ye is also preparing to go to Hezhong. After a winter of recovery and training, the Anxi Army has recovered to 20,000 men, and its morale and combat strength have gradually returned to its peak.

The time to attack the Tibetan army gradually matured.

In the big tent, Anxi and Beiting generals were gathered together.

Xi Yuanqing, deputy envoy of Jiedu, Li Siye, Sima Duan Xiushi, military envoy of Qiuci, generals Bai Xiaode, Ma Lin, Li Fei Yuanli, Li Fei Shouyu, Wei Boyu, etc., as well as three generals of the Beiting Army, Liu Yong and Wang Wei Liang and Cao Lingzhong.

Li Ye asked the soldiers to hang up a large map. He pointed at the map with a wooden pole and said: "I plan to take back the big and small Bolu in half a year. The force will be 35,000, including 15,000 from Anxi and 1 from Beiting." Ten thousand people, and the Hezhong Army 10,000 people. The entire campaign is divided into three stages. The first stage is the march stage. The Anxi Army is led by Li Siye. It starts from Shule and walks through the Michuan Valley to Huanghuangbao, and then from Huanghuangbao to Huanghuangbao. Go south to the Kingdom of Yushi.

I led the Beiting Army and the Hezhong Army from Suiye to Juzhanti and then south to Tocharo, and then from Humi to Xuushi State, where our two armies met. "

Li Ye then said to Xi Yuanqing: "This time we set out to attack Dabolu, General Xi and Duan Sima will stay in Anxi."

Xi Yuanqing nodded silently. He knew his own situation well. When he attacked the Shishi Kingdom four years ago, he took the Xiaobolu route. As a result, he caught a serious cold and fell ill. The root cause of the disease was his lung problems and he could not go to the plateau. .

Duan Xiushi is currently serving as Sima, but he does not have a long history. In fact, he is responsible for the government affairs of Anxi, and he is indeed inseparable.

Li Ye added: "I will leave five thousand troops here in Anxi to guard Qiemo and Ruoqiang. I will leave it to General Xi."

Xi Yuanqing stood up and expressed his position: "Please rest assured, Commander-in-Chief Jiedu, I will personally take charge of Dianhe City and never let the Tibetan army come again!"

Li Ye nodded and said to Li Siye: "This time all the camels must be used, and enough food and sheep must be brought. It cannot be like the last time we attacked the Shishi Kingdom, and in the end there was no food."

Li Siye bowed and said: "You must be fully prepared for your humble position!"

"Not only preparations, do we still have contact with Xiao Bolu's Guiren Army?" Li Ye asked again.

Duan Xiushi, who was standing next to him, said: "I'd like to inform you, the garrison at Shule is related to Xiaobolu, and the Guiren army is under the jurisdiction of Shule."

"Immediately send an eagle letter to the Shule garrison, asking them to arrange for the Quiren Army to conduct a detailed investigation of the situation of the Tibetan troops in Big and Little Bolu. This is very important."

After completing the deployment, Li Ye led an army of 10,000 to leave Kucha early the next morning and headed west. A dozen Sogdian caravans also followed the Tang army with thousands of camels. of camels, the camel team alone is dozens of miles long.

Seven days later, the team arrived at Gumo Prefecture, which is today's Aksu. This was once the Gumo Kingdom. The Tang army had a military city here called Bahuan City.

The Tang army marched northwest along the Bazhuan River and passed through a Gobi Desert. Two days later, they saw Lingshan Mountain from a distance. The Lingshan Mountain Range is part of the Tianshan Mountains. It is more than 6,000 meters above sea level and covered with snow all year round. The highest peak of the Tianshan Mountains, Snow Lotus Peak, from a distance, several snow-capped mountains cluster together, like a blooming snow lotus.

The team set off early in the morning and walked along the famous Xiata Ancient Road. In winter, the snow on the Xiata Ancient Road reaches six feet at its deepest, which is more than the heads of many people. Not to mention crossing the Lingshan Mountains, the snow in the valley is almost make life difficult for.

But now it is mid-February, which is already late March according to the solar calendar. The snow below the mountainside has completely melted, and crossing Lingshan has become a reality.

There are majestic mountains on both sides of the valley, and straight pine forests and fir trees spread down from the mountainside. Inside the valley is an endless meadow, with patches of gorgeous wildflowers blooming on the meadow, swaying in the breeze, and a small river flowing from it. The gurgling water flows down from the mountain, passes through the valley, and finally merges into the Bahuan River.

In the afternoon, the team arrived at the foot of Boda Ridge. The team set up tents and began to rest for the night.

Bodaling is about 4,000 meters above sea level and can be passed by horses and camels. It has become a famous pass on the Silk Road. Merchants, armies and messengers must cross the Lingshan Mountains from here.

If it is difficult to get through here in winter, the caravan will stop, either in Suiye City in the north or Qiuci City in the south, rest for a good winter, and then continue the journey when spring warms and the flowers bloom.

Generally, it takes two to three days to cross Lingshan, mainly depending on the weather conditions. Li Ye chose the time very cleverly. He set off from the Xiata Ancient Trail in the early morning. In fact, he only stayed one night and could leave Lingshan at dusk the next day.

The team crossed Lingshan Mountain and rested for the night in Dunduo City at the foot of Lingshan Mountain. Dunduo City was a small military city with only thirty garrison troops and a dozen shops dedicated to supplying supplies to the passing caravans.

The team headed west again and passed through several canyons. Three days later, Li Ye finally led the army to Rehai and returned to this familiar land.

Suiye City remained the same as when he left. When Li Ye returned, officials and generals from the Hezhong Dudu Mansion came out of the city to greet him.

Li Ye asked Deputy Governor Dugu Ying to arrange a large military tent for the Beiting Army to rest in camp.

Returning to the government office, he listened to reports from Chief Shi Xie Jin and Wang Changling. Li Ye was more concerned about the situation in Aral Sea City.

Xie Jin, the chief historian, smiled and said: "The city of Aral Sea is very quiet. There is no response from the Khasa Kingdom and no one is sent there. General Pei sent the latest news. They have gone through the population registration and interrogation again. Together with the farmers outside the city, a total of There are more than 24,000 households with a population of nearly 100,000, and they basically make a living by growing wheat and cotton grass on both sides of the Yaosha River.

Wheat is very cheap there. General Pei said that he purchased 100,000 shi of grain and transported it to Juchanti on rafts. He also said that the grass and cotton grown there are very good and are used to fill winter clothes and bedding, which is very warm. "

Li Ye nodded. Caomian is cotton. In the Tang Dynasty, it was mainly produced in Dashi and Egypt. The Khazar country was also rich in cotton. The cloth here in Broken Leaf was all cotton, but it was also shipped from the west.

Of course, cotton can also be introduced to the Hexi Corridor or the Hetao Plain for planting. Although this kind of cotton cloth cannot temporarily replace linen, it is an excellent filler and can make the winter of the middle and lower classes no longer cold and uncomfortable.

Li Ye decided to rest for ten days in Suiye and then march towards Juzhanti.

He immediately asked Hezhong Prefecture to prepare for war and prepare a large number of camels and food.

In the evening, Li Ye and Wang Changling returned to the VIP hotel together. Li Ye was very apologetic because he could not bring Wang Changling's family back with him.

Wang Changling smiled and said: "There is no need to apologize, Governor. There is a war in Dunhuang. This is something no one can imagine. They will come with the Sogdian caravan, probably in March! They will set off."

Li Ye smiled and said: "Those students who participated in the imperial examination, I didn't find them in Dunhuang?"

"They are not in Dunhuang. They are in Jiuquan. They took the autumn examination in Suzhou and passed. They should be in Chang'an now. Your father promised to take care of them for me."

"That's good. We just escaped the war in Dunhuang."

"Yes! I said they were lucky. In previous years, they were in Shazhou. This year, the places in Shazhou were full, so they went to Suzhou. By some mistake, they just escaped."

The two chatted and laughed, and arrived at the door of the inn. Xiaokang, the maid who had been waiting at the door of the inn, threw herself into Li Ye's arms, with tears streaming down her face.