"Xue Yang, you have to think about it, are you sure that you will be able to reach Khotan from Yuanzhou in a month? Are you sure what you're going to do along the way? In the Tiance Mansion building of Chang'an's base camp, Xu Tianxiang looked at Xue Yang and Xu Ying's calm faces and said with a little suspicion. Originally, Li Xuanqing had planned to call Xue Yang to Chang'an, but he only planned to solicit the opinions of the two generals who were currently the best at fighting on the mountain plateau in the empire to see if this strategic idea was feasible. Moreover, Xu Ying's mountain battalion was originally prepared by Li Xuanqing to adapt to plateau operations, and the concept of mountain warfare brought by Li Xuanqing from his previous life was basically taught to Xu Ying. Moreover, through these years of uninterrupted campaigning, the Tiance Army has formed six characteristic strategic forces, the first battalion known as the all-round combat team, the second battalion that has been brought out and can already fight in the tropical rainforest, and the third battalion that can almost catch up with the cavalry at full speed, plus the central garrison force, the six main forces represent the future combat objectives of the Tiance Army and the innovative direction of combat methods.

"Don't worry, Chief of Staff, my brother and I have inspected the difference between the Tibetan area and the northwest before, as well as the distribution of their forces, and I am sure that we will storm Khotan within a month." Xue Yang nodded.

"Forget it, I don't know where you got your faith. Let's go, the emperor is waiting for you at the Changqing Palace, let me tell you, remember to think clearly, once the emperor agrees to this plan, it means that you must support the northwest while fighting against Tibet and recovering Tibet, and complete the unification of the entire imperial territory. Xu Tianxiang stood up and took Xue Yang and Xu Ying out of the Tiance Mansion building and walked quickly towards the Changqing Palace, on the way, Xu Tianxiang thought about it or continued to let Xue Yang think about it.

Xue Yang didn't say anything, but the two people around him still knew his character very well, and the more Xue Yang was silent, it meant that his confidence and determination were firmer, so Xu Tianxiang nodded thoughtfully and saw that Li Xuanqing had just arrived after coming to Changqing Palace, and he was still holding the Chengying Sword in his hand. Since Li Xuanqing didn't go to the battlefield, the previous weapons were basically rusted at home, and I finally had the interest to take them out and prepare to try the previous martial arts, but these three people came.

"Xue Yang, you're here, shouldn't Tianxiang have told you before, let's talk, what are your plans?" After Li Xuanqing beckoned the three of them to sit down, he put down the Chengying Sword and asked.

"Emperor Qiqi, the chief of staff has already told the last general about the plan just now, and the last general is willing to take this order and guarantee to arrive in Khotan within a month, and ask the emperor to believe in the ability of the third battalion and the mountain battalion to march long distances." Xue Yang got up and saluted solemnly and replied.

"Yo, Tianxiang, you're also here, Xue Yang and Xu Ying are also there, coincidentally, I'm about to talk about you. I've already sent a message to inform Zhao Si that he must delay the situation in Khotan until a month later, how about it? Prescient, right? As soon as Li Xuanqing was about to say that this guy should not be polite, Hu Xiaosi's broken gong voice came from outside the door, and he immediately got nervous when he saw Xue Yang and Xu Ying.

Xue Yang was originally going to salute Hu Xiaosi, but the latter grabbed him, pressed on his seat and said with a smile: "Your Majesty, the only good news now is that the situation in Khotan has gradually had a chain reaction, if my prediction is right, soon there will be news from the Shazhou side, I think Cao Rengui will definitely not be able to sit still, because whether it is Cao Rengui or Li Qiming, they can't guess where our interference power is." And once they can't guess it, then their next move will inevitably be out of touch and exposed, which will not only give us time, but also Hou Chun and Zhao Si will definitely not let go of such an opportunity. ”

Hu Xiaosi's words made everyone present begin to seriously think about the next development of the situation in the northwest, the internal turmoil in Khotan will inevitably affect the fragile anti-Tang alliance, plus the dark chess that Xuanyingwei has already arranged, then once it breaks out, it will inevitably trigger the entire situation to move in the direction of Xuanyingwei's plan in a very short period of time, which is the most important battle situation in the northwest.

"Xue Yang, you and Xu Ying immediately rushed to Yuanzhou, or urgently summoned the mountain battalion and the third battalion to rush to Hexi, and then choose the opportunity to enter the Tibetan area. Tianxiang, you arrange and plan all the logistics and heavy equipment, and Xiao Si immediately activated the secret guard system in Tibet and sent a commissioner to accompany Xue Yang, and when necessary, he must do his best to assist them to ensure that they can arrive in Khotan safely. Li Xuanqing's face was calm, but it was a little serious, so that the three of them couldn't help but stand up and bow down to receive the order.

"Xue Yang, if you really can't do it, don't think about going to Khotan, and enter the Tibetan area on the spot to implement the plan to recover the Tibetan area." Li Xuanqing was interrupted by Xue Yang before he could finish speaking, "Please rest assured, the emperor will swear to complete the task." ”

"You! Forget it, remember to come back. Li Xuanqing didn't know what to say after being interrupted by him, this silent young man was the most outstanding general cultivated by the Tiance Army, although he didn't say much, but he revealed the tenacity that made everyone's hearts palpitate.

"Xue Yang is a foolish person, but thanks to the emperor and the Tang Dynasty, he can be promoted to the general within a few years, and he will not be good at words, but he will do his best to open up territory for the emperor and repay the kindness of his acquaintance." Xue Yang was obviously stunned by Li Xuanqing's short words, but then he bowed down and fell to the ground, with a hint of excitement in his words.

Xue Yang originally planned to set off immediately after coming out of Changqing Palace, but was stopped by Xu Tianxiang, "Don't be in a hurry to leave, I have already given orders to the third battalion and the mountain battalion with the order of the General Staff, and also let Li Yang's fifty-seventh battalion also set off from Hanzhong and headed for Hexi." Now you hurry up and follow me to the logistics department to bring as much equipment as possible, your logistics is estimated to be unable to get any assistance by then, so you have to think about what ammunition to bring. ”

"I want to reduce the proportion of heavy weapons as much as possible, and grenades are an important weapon for close support, so I plan to bring as many as possible, although mortars are easy to use, but shells are a problem, so I don't plan to stay longer." Xue Yang obviously had a plan, so he said unhurriedly: "Please ask the chief of staff to replace the latest rifle with our troops, and the bullets need to bring five more bases." ”

"You, forget it, Lao Zao has already prepared it in the munitions warehouse on the Hexi side, so you can just go over and get it when the time comes, this is the token I gave you." Xu Tianxiang shook his head, took out a token from his arms and handed it to Xue Yangdao: "Let's go to my house for dinner, you go directly to Hexi when you're done, I don't think you can stay with the personalities of the two of you." ”

The two followed Xu Tianxiang home and after dinner, they set off from Chang'an overnight to make a special train to Hexi, thinking that the third battalion had not yet arrived in Hexi, but Li Yang's 57th battalion felt under the city of Liangzhou the next day.

"The two brothers are here, I received an order from the General Staff to rush over, but I didn't expect the two brothers to arrive one step ahead of me." When Li Yang saw Xue Yang and Xu Ying, he immediately rushed over to salute and said with a smile.

"The General Staff should have said about our actions, right? What do you think? Is there confidence? Xue Yang asked the deputy general to take the troops to the barracks to rest, and then he took Li Yang and the two of them as he walked: "We estimate that we will have to wander around the mountains in more than a month." ”

"It's not a big problem, I know a little bit about the mountains in Tibet, at least my soldiers are all selected, and there is no altitude sickness." Li Yang had a hint of smugness in his eyes and said with a smile.

The third battalion is estimated to arrive in Liangzhou in three days, so it is imperative that you pick out the weapons and ammunition and wait for the third battalion to arrive, and then put on your baggage and set off immediately, we don't have much time, and no matter how much Xuan Yingwei delays, it is impossible to delay the situation in Khotan to a month later, so time is everything for us. So Yoko, you have to help the 3rd Battalion take care of all the logistics.

Li Yang nodded, for him who had partnered with Xue Yang many times, he had long been accustomed to Xue Yang's tight task arrangement at this moment, so he nodded and took the token to arrange it directly. Xue Yang and Xu Ying began to implement their previous guesses into specific plans.

"Brother, let's start from Liangzhou and arrive in Jincheng and then go south from Jincheng, we can drill through the gap in Qilian Mountain, which is the most time-saving, but if we want to find the mountain trail, I am afraid that we will need Xuan Yingwei's arrangement." Xue Yang looked at the route drawn by himself from the map and nodded: "According to the marching speed of our three battalions, we can basically cross the mountains in half the time, so that we can also achieve the least chance of being discovered by the Tibetans." ”

"Xue Yang, do we want to make a plan?" Xu Ying looked at Xue Yang's plan and smiled bitterly, "I always feel so unreliable?" And are you sure we're going to go faster in the mountains than on other sections? And most importantly, if the Tibetans find us, do you think we will be able to pass through the Tibetan area unscathed? ”

"Brother is too careful, first of all, I don't think how many of us can keep up with our speed, and secondly, my brother is now the beginning of the first month, and it has not yet reached the fifteenth day of the first month, and the Tibetan area is a wasteland of ice and snow, right? No one should want to come out in this weather, and it's still in the mountains. So our biggest enemy on this trip is the road and the environment. Xue Yang put down his pen and said: "So it's not so much a plan, it's better to say that we still have to find a way to see if we can find another way if this road doesn't work." ”

"Then walk along the southern foot of the Qilian Mountain, then take the Tanggula Mountain, enter the Qiangtang area, where we will take a short rest and then go straight to Khotan, where I have seen the information should be the territory of the Tubo Ali royal line, and the Tubo people there probably don't understand what is going on at all, so we suddenly appear, whether it is passing by or sneaking attack, they will not have any normal reaction, and our way out is here." As long as Xuan Yingwei can find a way to Khotan, then we will be able to reach Khotan on time. Xue Yang said with a smile, "And the conditions of Qilian Mountain are relatively good, we shouldn't waste time here, so it's the fastest to go to the mountains." ”

"In that case, let's wait for the troops to arrive." Xu Ying didn't have much to say about Xue Yang's plan, so she nodded and smiled: "I hope Xiao Si will give us a reliable assistant this time, this time Anxi has concentrated the two major cadres of Xuan Yingwei, if Biao Zi also passes, wouldn't it be a trio to live together?" ”

"It is estimated that it is about the same, this time the emperor really attaches importance to Anxi's side, I heard that the emperor has not participated in the formulation of a specific battle plan for a long time, and this time our plan of a thousand-mile attack is the emperor himself nodded." Xu Ying's call made Xue Yang nod and said, "I'm afraid that Xuan Yingwei will really send the last general over this time." ”

"Forget it, let's hurry up and rest, I guess tomorrow will be busy." The two went to the barracks to rest, and the next day they assisted Li Yang in receiving a large amount of supplies, and almost emptied a military warehouse in Liangzhou directly. By the time the 3rd Battalion arrived in Liangzhou, Li Yang's 57th Battalion was already practicing new rifles. Under the guidance of Li Xuanqing's concept, this kind of equipment was made seven or eight hundred years in advance, and the rifle similar to Mauser was basically perfect, so it was named "Zhongzheng Rifle" by Li Xuanqing very mischievously, which made everyone feel inexplicable, and almost made Xu Tianxiang and others think that this was Li Xuanqing preparing to change the era name. This incident later reached Qiaoxi's ears, and the couple enjoyed themselves all day.

"Repair for half a day, let's set off in the evening, Biaozi is already waiting for us at Jincheng." Xue Yang raised the Xuanying Wei in his hand and gave an urgent notice to let the third battalion eat and receive weapons and equipment, and then rest for half a day, take the train from Liangzhou to Jincheng, and set off immediately after meeting Biaozi.

A group of 30,000 troops, with more than 10,000 urgently transferred logistics troops, disappeared near Jincheng in the evening, and this force, which later terrified the whole of Tibet, walked from here to the starting point. It's just that Xue Yang didn't even know what kind of road he chose at this time, the temperature of the entire Qilian Mountain reached the lowest point at this time, and the marching speed of Xue Yang's department was artificially required by others to reach the speed of the flat land.

I saw countless figures crossing the peaks and valleys in the wind and snow of Qilian Mountain, and then disappeared into the distance. However, the companion Biaozi never expected that the road chosen by Xue Yang would be such a road from the mountains. This is the high mountains of the northern Tibetan plateau, the altitude is not the mountain range of the eastern plains, the average altitude here has exceeded four thousand meters, plus the height of the mountain range itself, Biaozi has only walked for less than a day, and he can no longer support it, and he has not made much preparations for activities in the plateau area, so the severe altitude sickness almost made him fall ill directly, but fortunately, Xue Yang had the experience to treat him in time to pull him back.

"Okay, we are almost halfway through Qilian Mountain, and we must turn to the southern foot of the mountain range in front of us, and there is no road in the mountain." Biaozi, who was being carried, looked at the terrain in front of him and made his voice with difficulty, which also made the army start to change routes.