Riding a horse galloping on the way to Jianfu Gate, Yang Qing guessed Xuanzong's intention to summon him urgently, but he couldn't guess the point.

According to the position he undertakes, the first is General Jian Yu Wei Zuolang, the general of the Praetorian Guard, once there is something within the scope of his duties, it must be a big matter, and it is related to the safety of the emperor! But Yang Qing couldn't imagine that there would be anything in the Tang Dynasty that would threaten the safety of the Son of Heaven, and An Lushan was still in Chang'an City. The second is the Zhongsan Cavalry Standing Attendant, mainly to thoroughly investigate the assassination case of the Lishan Holy Driver in the winter last year, and there is still no clue, could it be that Xuanzong got any news from other channels? But there's no reason to summon yourself in such a hurry.

Pingkangfang is located in the north of the city, not far from Daming Palace, Yang Qing is fast and whipped, and has arrived at Jianfu Gate in an instant.

"Xilie?" As soon as he handed the reins to the gate control soldiers, Yang Qing unexpectedly found that Guo Xi had also arrived.

"Ziyin! Holy Call, do you know what is important? Guo Xi went straight to the point.

It seems that Guo Xi is also confused, and it is unlikely that Jian Yuwei will have an accident. Is there an urgent mission? Yang Qing shook his head slowly.

Guo Xi's face was solemn, and he checked the waist card with Yang Qing, and quickly entered the palace.

The sky has gradually smoked, Daming Palace lit the lamps and candles, and the tall and majestic palace revealed the smoke-colored outline. The fully armored Jinwu guards began to patrol the night everywhere, except for the "whoosh" sound of the armor rubbing, adding a bit of slaughter to the Tang Palace.

In the Yanying Palace, Xuanzong frowned slightly, looking at the music in his hand and pondering.

Although Guo Xi and Yang Qing were given seats, the heavy atmosphere still made the two of them dare not relax in the slightest.

"Xilie, Ziyin." Xuanzong finally spoke.

Guo Xi and Yang Qing reflexively stood up and legged side by side, Yang Qing was hesitating whether to kneel down, Xuanzong raised his left hand and pressed down, signaling the two to sit down.

"Xilie, how is Jian Yuwei doing?"

Although Guo Xi didn't know why Xuanzong urgently summoned him to the palace, it was definitely not as simple as asking Jian Yuwei about his current situation. However, since the Holy Lord inquired, he still quickly replied aloud: "Now Jian Yuwei is working hard and morale is high!" There are also a lot of improvements in combat power! ”

"Hmm." Xuanzong nodded with a little relief, "I don't know which is better or worse compared with the Sixth Army of the Northern Ya?" ”

Guo Xi and Yang Qing glanced at each other, and said resolutely: "Only the actual combat experience is slightly inferior!" The words were brief, but the pride in the words was unmistakable.

Xuanzong smiled knowingly: "That means that the rest of the aspects can win?" ”

Guo Xi hesitated for a moment, and then boldly looked back at Xuanzong: "This is also the purpose of the original establishment of the army!" ”

Xuanzong laughed heartily: "Okay! Xilie is the most cautious and humble, and to be able to say this today shows that he has lived up to my trust. ”

Immediately after that, Xuanzong's words changed: "Some time ago, I ordered you two to familiarize the Jianyu guards with the use of firearms, how is the progress?" ”

Guo Xi replied respectfully: "After discussing with Ziyin, Wei Chen has selected the loyal and prudent soldiers in each brigade, taught them how to keep and use them, and then gradually increased the number, and at present, nearly half of the soldiers have mastered the use of earth-shaking thunder and fiery arrows, and they are still stepping up their proficiency. ”

"Hmm." Xuanzong nodded with satisfaction, and remembered an important matter related to it, "Ziyin suggested that Chang Yuan re-crush the prepared gunpowder and then make it into firearms last time, saying that it is convenient for storage and transportation, and you have been practicing it practically recently, is there anything wrong?" ”

Guo Xi nodded and smiled: "Weichen didn't know the key, but the former daily young eunuch came to the camp to watch the drill and praised the stability of the firearms, which must be extremely effective." ”

"That's good." Xuanzong smiled and began to stare at the music in his hand again, and stopped talking.

Guo Xi and Yang Qing knew that there would be a follow-up, so they all waited quietly.

As if he had finally made up his mind, Xuanzong closed the fold, stared at the two of them for a moment, and his face turned grim: "Summoning the two of you into the palace today is for a big event!" ”

Guo Xi and Yang Qing immediately stood up: "Yes!" ”

This time, Xuanzong did not stop the two from waiting in a standard military posture: "The Anxi Protectorate came to report today, and the west is not very peaceful. After Gao Xianzhi destroyed the Stone Kingdom, he came west in a big way, intending to attack the first line of our Mengchi ......"

Yang Qing couldn't hear what Xuanzong said next, and he only had three words in his heart like lightning - Talas!

The only war between the Tang Dynasty and the Tobacco Clothes and Food-the Battle of Talas! This war has greatly changed the pattern of Central Asia, and then affected the whole of West Asia, the pattern of world religions, and even the course of civilization in the Western world!

The current Tang Dynasty and even the subsequent Eastern kings such as the Five Dynasties and the Northern Song Dynasty did not realize how far-reaching the impact of the upcoming Battle of Talas was, even after the war. Because for the Tang Dynasty, the Battle of Talas was not an important battle. There is only a short line in the "New Tang Dynasty Book": "Gao Xianzhi and Da Shi fought in the city of Talas and were defeated. As for the "Old Tang Book", there is not a word about this battle.

However, Yang Qing knew that, at the very least, the Battle of Talas meant three things.

First, the Battle of Talas was a head-to-head confrontation between two of the most powerful empires in the world at the time, and a direct collision between Eastern and Western civilizations. The defeat of the Tang Dynasty meant that from now on, many of the countries in the Western Regions west of Yangguan were no longer owned by the Central Plains regime.

Second, after the defeat of the Battle of Talas, the Tang Dynasty was in internal and external difficulties, and completely withdrew from the struggle for control of the Western Regions, and Central Asia became a battlefield for the struggle between Arabia and Tibet, and the Central Asian countries began the process of Islamization, and the world's three major religious patterns began.

Third, after the Battle of Talas, the captives of the Tang army were brought back to Arabia, including craftsmen who could make paper, and the art of papermaking in the East was transmitted from Arabia to Europe. What paper means to the spread of civilization is known to all people on earth.

Poor Yang Qing, today I finally know how many years it is now! Ten years of Tianbao, that is, 751 A.D.!

The Anshi Rebellion, which he has been thinking about, is about to break out in four years!

"Ziyin? Ziyin? ”

"Huh?" It wasn't until Xuanzong called several times that Yang Qing came back to his senses.

"What do you think of sending Jian Yuwei to the Western Regions to support the Anxi Army?" Xuanzong was a little dissatisfied, he was talking about such an important matter, Yang Qing was distracted?

Yang Qingleng was stunned for a long time, and finally digested this sentence.

"Go!"

Guo Xi was a little surprised, he hadn't thought about it yet, why was Yang Qing so enthusiastic? Jian Yuwei is a pro-Praetorian Army, and he has just been formed for less than a year, and he has no experience in actual combat, can such a team be pulled up to fight? Besides, when he went to the Western Regions, logistics and environment were big problems, and he had thought about them?

Yang Qing didn't think about it so much, he only had one thought in his heart, the glory of the Tang Empire couldn't be closed in Talas! Now that I know that the immediate cause of Talas' defeat was the rebellion of Qarluch, and since I am determined to stop the Anshi Rebellion, what reason do I have not to change the outcome of the Battle of Talas!

Unconsciously, Yang Qing has completely regarded himself as a citizen of the Tang Dynasty.

"Good!" Xuanzong was very excited, a monarch like him who did everything in the early stage, a monarch who created the prosperous era of the Kaiyuan Dynasty and the coming dynasty of all nations, how could he allow Western aliens to despise the Tianwei of the Tang Dynasty?

Immediately, Xuanzong explained the folds he received today and his plans to Guo Yang and the others in detail.

After Gao Xianzhi returned to Qiuzi, he soon received requests for help and reports from caravans between the countries of the Western Regions, and under the banner of avenging the Shi Kingdom, he gathered an unknown number of coalition troops, among which the Khorasan army was the mainstay, supplemented by the Zhaowu Nine Kingdoms West of the Aral Sea, and wantonly invaded Huoxun Dongcao and other places, which had a great impact on the merchants. It is very strange that the Great Food Army is amazingly powerful, but it does not move quickly, and it does not kill too much, it seems that there are other plans, waiting for something.

Gao Xianzhi's judgment was that the Great Food Army was quite afraid of the direct intervention of the Tang Army, and the more this was the case, the more it should quickly send troops to repel the encroachment and aggression of the Great Food Army, otherwise the prestige of the Great Tang Dynasty would be like the territory of the Zhuhu Kingdom west of the Green Mountains, and it would slowly disappear. So Gao Xianzhi hurriedly wrote to the imperial court, hoping to issue an order to crusade against the Great Food Alliance.

Guo Xi and Yang Qing were not very clear about some grievances and disputes in the Western Regions, and Xuanzong also explained a little. Here, the author will also give a general introduction to the situation at this time and the background of the Battle of Talas.

In the fourteenth year of the Zhenguan reign of Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty (640 AD), the Gaochang Kingdom located in the Turpan Basin was destroyed by the Tang army and became the Xizhou of the Tang Dynasty. By the time of Gojong, the Anxi Prefecture had moved further west to the Qiuci area, approaching the Green Mountains (Pamir Plateau).

At the same time as the Tang Dynasty was advancing westward, another powerful force was also expanding eastward.

In 632 A.D., Muhammad, the founder of Islam, died. Abu Bakr, who had been the governor of the order during his illness and his most trusted disciple, succeeded him as the leader of the Order and became known as the "Caliph."

The fourth caliph was Ali from the family of Hashemite. In this regard, the Umayyad family was unwilling. In 661 AD, Mu'awiyah, Uthman's cousin and governor of Damascus, established himself as caliph and founded the Umayyad dynasty.

The two males fought, and Ali was killed.

Historically, the period from the first generation of Abu Bakr to the fourth generation of Ali is referred to as the era of the "Orthodox Caliphate". During this period, Uthman, the third caliph, sent envoys to the Tang Dynasty in the second year of Gaozong Yonghui (651 AD). It is recorded in the "Old Tang Book": "The great food country began to send envoys to the court." ”

The Umayyad dynasty was politically unpopular, and civil strife broke out in 683 AD, which lasted for ten years before it ended. After the scars of civil strife had healed, the Arabs began to expand again.

In 705 A.D., Qutaiba ibn al-Muslim made an expedition to Central Asia and was invincible for a time.

At that time, the Hezhong region west of the Green Mountains was the territory of the Sogdian states (known in Chinese history books as the "Zhaowu Nine Surnames"). The Sogdians were unable to resist the Arabs, and the Tang forces had not yet crossed the mountains, so they had to turn to the Turgish, a Western Turkic force, known for their bravery.

The Turgish struggled to fend off the Arab cavalry. In the third year of Kaiyuan, Kutaiba died. At this time, Emperor Xuanzong had just turned thirty years old and was preparing to launch an ambitious expedition to the Western Regions.

In the twenty-seventh year of Kaiyuan (739 AD), the Tuqi Shi Khan Tuhuo Immortal led his army to capture the city of Broken Leaves under the jurisdiction of the Tang Dynasty. The Tang army counterattacked, and Tuhuoxian was defeated and fled, and was finally captured at Heluo Ridge.

Eleven years later, Abu Abbasid of the Hashemite family overthrew the Umayyad dynasty and established the Abbasid dynasty.

In the Tang Dynasty, the Uyama Dynasty was referred to as the "Great Food of White Clothes" and the Abbasid Dynasty as the "Great Food of Tobacco Clothes" to show the difference.

There are indications that the Tang dynasty supported the remnants of the Umayyad dynasty.

This is the deep reason for the decisive battle between the two empires.