Tibet

At noon, Li Ye invited Li Mi and Liu Yan to have a drink at the Yellow River Restaurant.

Although people were arrested at Huanghe Restaurant yesterday, it is still open for business as usual today. Jia Xin is still sitting behind the cash register with a frown on his face, with a waiter watching him from a distance.

The shopkeeper greeted the guests enthusiastically as usual. All the waiters were replaced, and there were also a few more beautiful orchids selling wine in the lobby. The restaurant suddenly became lively.

With a smile on his face, the shopkeeper invited Li Ye and the others to the elegant room on the second floor. A man who looked like a clerk came to salute, "See you, Your Highness!"

Li Mi and Liu Yan were both stunned. Li Ye smiled and said, "This is our inner guard general Jin Xiao'an. He can be regarded as the director of the restaurant!"

Li Ye asked again: "Is the restaurant still normal?"

"Reporting to Your Highness, everything is normal."

Li Ye nodded, "Just monitor him for a month and leave one person behind after one month."

"Follow the order!"

Jin Xiaoan bowed and retreated.

Li Mi came to his senses and asked, "Is there something wrong with this restaurant?"

Li Ye explained with a smile: "There is nothing wrong with the restaurant itself, but some of the people inside were sent by the emperor to monitor me. Only one person was left, and the others were all taken away."

"Who is left?" Liu Yan asked warily next to him.

"The cashier who collects the money is already under our control."

The two nodded, and Li Mi asked again: "Has a lot of our news been spread to Chang'an?"

Li Ye took out a list and gave it to them, "This is compiled by the internal guards. It's a list of all their intelligence. Take a look!"

Li Mi took it and looked at it carefully, and Liu Yan also stepped forward. The contents in the list were all ordinary-level and not confidential. For example, seizing Dadou Bugu and regaining the Hexi Corridor were public information, but how many enemies were killed and the casualties, The number of troops stationed is all secret and is not shown above.

Another example is the defeat of the Uighur army in Fengzhou. Helong officials and many people knew about it, but killing the Uighur Khan on the battlefield was a secret. The only item on the list was the defeat of the Uighur army in Fengzhou, but the recovery of Shuofang was also included. above.

Li Mi handed the list to Liu Yan and said to Li Ye: "Although there are no details, it is estimated that if the news reaches Chang'an, it will cause a big stir."

At this time, two bartenders brought the food and wine, and Jin Xiaoan just said: "Your Highness, please rest assured, there is nothing wrong with the food and wine!"

"Okay! Thank you for your hard work."

Li Ye poured a full glass of wine for Li Mi and Liu Yan. The three drank a glass and tasted some food. Li Mi smiled and said, "I feel a little better than before."

"The chef has also been replaced by one of our own to ensure safety."

Liu Yan sighed: "I'm still a little scared when I think about it. I used to come to this restaurant every day, and it's actually an intelligence point for the imperial court. If they poison me, the consequences will be unimaginable."

Li Ye nodded, "So in a few days I plan to take over all this restaurant and let outsiders do it. I don't worry!"

"It's best that this restaurant is almost full of our officials at noon."

The three of them drank two more glasses of wine. Li Ye pondered for a moment and said, "I have an idea that I would like to discuss with the two military advisors."

The two looked at each other and said with a smile: "There is no good banquet, and your highness's wine cannot be drunk in vain!"

Li Ye also smiled and said: "The treat is sincerity, just say something!"

"Your Highness, please tell me, what do you think?"

Li Ye then said to the two of them: "Xue Deji came to see me this morning. He was the businessman who went to Jiankun as an envoy for me. He told me some of the latest news about Huihe. The Khan was indeed dead, and his two sons were fighting for the throne. Now It’s the younger son who has come to power and is called Mou Yu Khan. None of this is important. The key is that he sent an envoy to find Shi Siming.”

"Are they going to send troops to help Shi Siming?" Liu Yan reacted immediately.

Li Ye nodded, "That should be the case. They are always unwilling to give in and always want to plunder the population and wealth!"

"I'm afraid plundering the wealth of the population is just one of them."

Li Bi said slowly: "Listening to Your Highness's description, this Mou Yu Khan seems to have been in an improper position. So he sent troops to the Tang Dynasty largely under the banner of avenging the former Khan. I guess he will also involve other The tribes went together to plunder the population.

But he can't send too many troops, otherwise Jiankun and Bakhanna will take advantage of it. I estimate that the total number of troops will be around 20,000 to 30,000, which should be next spring. "

Liu Yan also said: "Your Highness, the military advisor is right. Mou Yu Khan is not in the right position. He will win over other tribes. Sending troops together to share the spoils is the best way. Only when other tribes get benefits can they support him and consolidate his power." Khan's position and humble position estimate that they will plunder Hebei wantonly. In order to gain the support of Huihe, Shi Siming will definitely not care. Hebei will inevitably be devastated and a large number of women will be abducted. "

Li Ye sighed, "This is what I want to discuss with you two. I plan to send troops to Hebei and severely defeat the Huihe army."

"But after next spring, His Highness is planning to send troops to Shanzhou. Is this a plan to fight on two fronts?"

Li Ye shook his head and said, "Tubo can wait a little longer. I plan to increase the Ganzhou army to 30,000, and then use warships to block the Tao River. The Tubo army will not be able to break through Hehuang."

Li Mi pondered for a while and said: "There is a very practical problem here. If we follow His Highness's deployment, our troops are obviously insufficient, and Longyou and Hexi are also underpopulated. Where can Your Highness go to replenish our troops?"

Li Ye said helplessly: "We are expanding too quickly, and our troops really cannot keep up. I am considering sending people to Guanzhong and Bashu to recruit troops. Does the military advisor think it is feasible?"

Li Mi shook his head and said with a smile: "Your Highness's move is tantamount to stealing a chicken from a weasel's den. Soldier resources are a top priority. Guanzhong is also depleted of troops. The imperial court has already gone to the states in Guan to recruit troops. We will not allow us to get another share of the pie. Bashu They will not allow it. We spent money and food to raise an army, but in the end we made wedding clothes for King Yong. I advise Your Highness not to take this idea."

"Your Highness, I have a good way to recruit troops!" Liu Yan said with a slight smile.

"Liu Sima, please tell me!"

Liu Yan said calmly: "Since His Highness is considering sending troops to Hebei, you can report to the Ming court to rescue the refugees in Hebei and build a rescue channel to lead a large number of Hebei victims to Shuofang and Longyou. This can not only protect the people but also obtain military resources. Isn’t it possible to kill two birds with one stone?”

Li Ye's eyes lit up. Recruiting troops from Hebei was a good idea. He pondered for a moment and said, "It's a good idea, but the distance is too long and I'm afraid the refugees won't be able to support them."

"Your Highness, the refugees cannot survive because they are sick and hungry. We build refugee passages, set up support points on the road, provide medicine and food supplies, have tents to rest, and have trucks to help the elderly and children. The refugees will be able to survive. , arrive at the bank of the Yellow River, and then get on the boat. I guess the boat that His Highness brought from the south will also arrive by then."

"good idea!"

Li Mi praised: "This is an excellent strategy, which can not only obtain the source of troops, but also win the hearts of the people all over the world. I think it is feasible."

Li Ye nodded, "The key is the court!"

Liu Yan's eyes narrowed into slits with a smile, "Your Highness has laid so many tricks in the court, is it still difficult for the court to handle it?"

The three of them laughed together in tacit understanding. Li Ye smiled slightly and said, "If necessary, I can go to the court."