"The Western Regions?" Songtsen Gampo thought for a moment before saying, "Where can we solve our predicament?" "He is also a generation of heroes, and he knows that the best way to divert internal contradictions is to wage war externally, but the object of this war is not chosen randomly, he can't always choose a hard bone, and he can't eat meat and his teeth are broken.

Lu Dongzan took a sip of water and said: "As far as I know from the exchanges with those ministers in the Tang Dynasty, the Emperor of the Tang Dynasty is ready to conquer a small country in the east of them, Goguryeo, although that country is small, but it is very difficult to fight, and the previous Sui Empire was destroyed because of Goguryeo." So Datang will put all its focus on where to focus. It is inevitably difficult to take care of the Western Regions. Now, although they have built the Anxi Protectorate, what they can really control is a Gaochang, and the rest of the countries are basically vassals. Now that we are going to attack, Datang must not be able to take care of each other, where can we garrison troops, and then send someone to negotiate with Datang, Datang agrees to our request, and our problem will be solved. If he doesn't agree, we can directly attack the Western Regions, and our problems can be solved. Datang will definitely not be able to spare his hands, and we can all take root in the Western Regions in a few years. I'm not afraid of them anymore. ”

Listening to Lu Dongzan's words, Songtsan Gampo became excited: "The prime minister is really a great talent, I heard that now the Western Turks are dissatisfied with the Tang Dynasty, Persia and Arabia are also at war, it is said that the Arabs have destroyed the Persian Empire, they have to go east, now the Tang Dynasty wants the Western Regions to be stable, but we have to provoke things, so that once the war starts, the Tang Dynasty will definitely not fight on two fronts, and then the conditions will be mentioned by us casually." Hahahaha! ”

In February, Qiao Shiwang suddenly summoned Li Dongsheng urgently, and when he arrived at the Metropolitan Protectorate, Li Dongsheng found that the officials of the Metropolitan Protectorate looked very solemn, and when he saw Qiao Shiwang, he saluted: "I don't know what happened to the Metropolitan Protector calling me?" ”

Qiao Shiwang said in a low voice: "Since the beginning of winter last year, the entire Western Regions has suffered a snow disaster, the disaster is so serious that it is rare in a hundred years, tens of thousands of herdsmen and livestock have froze to death, countless houses have been crushed, and tens of thousands of people have froze to death from frostbite. The heavy snow has not yet melted in many places, and now there is no hope for spring ploughing. The hearts of the people in all countries began to be in turmoil. ”

Li Dongsheng said: "People have been rescued near Gaochang, and those Turkic captives have also been sent to help with the work. ”

Qiao Shiwang frowned and said: "The key is not this matter, according to the spies' report, there are traces of the Tubo people near the Western Regions, if they launch an attack on the Western Regions at this time, will we suffer a loss with so few people?" ”

"What? The Tibetans appeared in the Western Regions? Li Dongsheng was very surprised, he really hadn't thought about this matter, his idea was that the Tubo people would compete with the Arabs and the Tang Dynasty in the Western Regions decades later, and he really felt that he had really changed history.

Qiao Shiwang was very annoyed, he wanted to come and live happily for a few years, what kind of excitement did you Tubo people come over. Now there are thousands of Tang troops in the Western Regions, how can I do it with them. There is also a Western Turk eyeing at him, maybe the two have colluded, and now it is troublesome.

Li Dongsheng also had a headache: "Did Lord Du Hu send someone to Chang'an to report the news?" ”

"People have gone to Chang'an, but it's still early for reinforcements to come. It's been a few months. Once they attack the city, we will hold on for a few months, and a few thousand people will be enough to do anything. ”

Coming out of the Metropolitan Protectorate, Li Dongsheng was full of thoughts about how the situation could become like this. What the hell did the Tubo people do, why did they suddenly run to the Western Regions, Daniel Zhang saw Li Dongsheng's ugly face, and said carefully: "Young Master, is there another war?" ”

"We won't fight for the time being, but we have to be ready." Li Dongsheng looked at Daniel Zhang and smiled: "Scared? ”

"What are you afraid of! Young master, you're still here, I'm not afraid! Daniel Zhang blushed and said, "Besides, now that my wife and children have it, they are doing well, and I have nothing to worry about." ”

Since the Tang Dynasty occupied Gaochang, the merchants of the Western Regions have lived a good life. Gaochang, which originally had no status, became the favorite place for merchants in the Western Regions. The first officials and servants did not even collect the merchants' entrance fees to the city. Second, there are gambling stalls and Fengyue places in Gaochang City for businessmen to rest, which is a good place to pass the time for these boring and rich people. Third, Gaochang City has set up a hall dedicated to merchants trading goods, what commodities to trade, what price, and quantity can be negotiated in the hall, this model is too in line with the current businessmen in the Western Regions, Hu merchants from the big food to bring goods to Chang'an before they can be sold, and then bring the goods of the Tang Dynasty back, now as long as it can be completed in Gaochang, saving time and safety, so now Gaochang is the commercial center of the Western Regions. On the Silk Road, merchants had another city where they could settle down and rest for a long time.

Since ancient times, the information of merchants has been very well-informed, and the news of the appearance of the Tibetan people in the Western Regions has naturally spread quickly by the merchants. Everyone began to panic, the Tang Dynasty only had a few thousand people in Gaochang, and it is said that there were tens of thousands of troops in Tubo just to attack Gaochang, and I heard that the Turks had also joined forces with them to avenge the revenge of Puchanghai the year before last.

Some of the timid people have already started to run, and more people have begun to wait and see, just waiting for the situation to be wrong and all withdraw.

At the firearms battalion station, Wei Chi Baolin also said to Li Dongsheng worriedly: "My lord, the Tubo people and the Turks have joined forces to attack, and I am afraid that we will not be able to withstand such a small number of people." It's such a small city, are they going to fight? ”

Li Dongsheng sighed: "We have been here for more than a year, do you know how much the tax revenue of Gaochang City has increased? Now Gaochang is the richest city in the Western Regions, and all the countries in the Western Regions are jealous, and they are also jealous. Now that the Tibetans and the Turks are attacking, they are desperate, the Duhufu has sent the news back to Chang'an, and it is estimated that the reinforcements will not arrive until four months later, and what we have to do is to hold on for four months. ”

"Then we're going to start preparing for the defense of the city now." Xi Junmai said: "I tend to take the initiative to attack, we have the grenade as a big killing weapon, maybe we can reproduce the feat of killing 20,000 with a thousand people." ”

Li Dongsheng said with a smile: "How is it possible, it is enough to take a risk in a war." The one who can win every time with surprise soldiers. According to my idea, it is to use superior forces to push over in a dignified manner. He turned back to Yu Chi Baolin and said, "Starting tomorrow, you will recruit middle-aged men from the people in the city, and start practicing every day, and you can recruit as many as you can." No grain or cloth shall flow out. There are merchants who bring in grain and are exempt from taxes. ”。

Yu Chi Baolin was taken aback: "Wouldn't it be a bit of a fuss to prepare so early?" ”

Li Dongsheng sighed and said: "Alas, it's all my fault for forcing Tubo too tightly, who knows that they can't hold it for just over a year, so they can only start a war to divert contradictions, let's not have illusions and prepare to meet the enemy." ”