For Datang, who is already poor and crazy, it is necessary to open up financial resources and start from all aspects.

Restoring the prosperity of the past is not just about talking.

In the decades of war at the end of the Sui Dynasty, only Li Yuanji and these ministers really knew how much impact the war of the past few decades had on the country.

It took a hundred years for the Tang Dynasty to barely recover to the level it had at its peak with the Sui Dynasty.

During this period, especially in the early period, the most direct and fundamental reason why foreign countries in the Western Regions dared to provoke the Tang Dynasty was to see the decline of the Tang Dynasty's national strength.

And the most direct reaction is that today's Chang'an is much more dilapidated than Chang'an during the Sui Dynasty.

The Tang Dynasty couldn't even afford to repair Chang'an City, and it didn't even take care of the face project.

Of course, there are reasons why Li Shimin does not like to care about appearance, but this did have a huge impact on the international influence of the Tang Dynasty, and in the later period, it could only re-establish its prestige through war.

Li Yuanji doesn't like to worry about it, and he doesn't like to be an emperor.

But that doesn't mean he won't take care of anything, even if a person with no ambition sits in this position, he will find a way to make everything okay.

"Remember, this trip to the west, the greatest human life, when you return to the court, I will personally meet you here, I hope that when you return, I can still see every face of you." In front of the Taiji Palace, Li Yuanji explained earnestly.

For hundreds of years, only merchants from the Western Regions had been to pass through the customs or the Central Plains.

However, the caravans of the Central Plains Dynasty rarely left the mainland, and the official caravans have never gone out since Banchao.

"The students will remember His Majesty's teachings, and they will definitely try their best to bring back these Han family sons and daughters in good condition." Xu Jing's heart was full of shock, with a trace of excitement and nervousness.

Going to the Western Regions, he never thought about it before, and he just signed up with the attitude of giving it a try, and it really happened.

As the first champion of the Li Yuanji Dynasty, Xu Jing's career path is a little unclear.

More than 100 vehicles, full of goods, more than 300 conscripted caravans, 500 guards personally assigned by the emperor, this is all his belongings.

Commerce, no specific requirements, no mention of time, no mention of purpose, nothing to say, everything is in their own hands.

This is trust and responsibility, and it makes Xu Jing feel tremendous pressure.

"I have already explained to you what should be explained, and you should be careful along the way." Li Yuanji pursed his mouth and wanted to explain a few more words, but he really couldn't remember what to explain.

Yesterday, I spent the whole day explaining to this student about this trip.

"No!"

The caravan went, and the scale of nearly a thousand people was spectacular.

Outside the city, thousands of family members wept to see them off.

The danger of going west this time is unknown, everything is unknown, relatives are about to be separated, no one knows when they will see each other again, and no one knows if they can see each other.

But for the sake of this damn life, they can only choose to do this, in order to make more money, in order to improve their lives.

Human life, in this era, has become the most worthless thing, not even comparable to an acre of land and a stone of grain.

There are a lot of feelings, Fang Xuanling, who has been by Li Yuanji's side, can see that there seems to be some trickiness in this matter.

Envoy to the Western Regions, of course, is important, Xu Jing, as a student of Li Yuanji, has a special identity, but Xu Jing is too young and his official position is too low, Li Yuanji can spare a day to explain to him, which is already considered to be benevolent and righteous, but today he personally saw him off and said such a thing.

Thinking of the previous things, Fang Xuanling felt deeply puzzled.

……

Far northwest, a magnificent, but slightly dilapidated checkpoint, stands in the cold wind, connecting two different worlds and guarding an unusually heavy land.

When I arrived here, it was already inhabited, and most of the people who came and went were caravans from the Western Regions.

The garrison stationed here has already seen a lot of life and death partings, seen a lot of caravans that appear in embarrassment, or merchants who return from the other side of the desert alone.

Here, you have to be careful almost every day, and almost every day is so boring.

At the Yumen Pass, the guard Zhang Cheng stood above the level, and he was always used to standing on the other side in the past, looking at the desert that could not be seen at a glance.

But in the past month, he has often stood on the other side, looking at the direction of Chang'an, which is not visible at all.

"General, the army ......" Deputy General Xu Jing pointed to the figure that gradually appeared in the distance and shouted loudly.

The defenders who were standing guard at the level also turned their heads to look, and the defenders at the bottom of the level were jumping, but no matter how high they jumped, they never saw the person they wanted to see the most.

Zhang Cheng, who had repelled several Tuyuhun attacks and never lost an inch of territory in the distant frontier, couldn't help but have tears of excitement in his eyes.

"Three years and three years, three years and three years!" Zhang Cheng, who was also excited, couldn't help but keep chattering.

It has been nine years since I came to Yumen Pass, and I have never left it in nine years, and the joys, sorrows, and sorrows of the land in Guanzhong have nothing to do with here, and home has become the most distant place.

In the past nine years, Zhang Cheng sent away a group of soldiers and ushered in the second batch of soldiers, and three years later, the soldiers who were waiting to go home were unable to leave.

In the past nine years, Zhang Cheng's wisps of green silk have turned into a head full of white hair.

"Array! Don't let the new brothers underestimate us! Zhang Cheng shouted loudly downward.

Going home has become the most distant luxury.

The people who come here can't go back for a while.

The unification of the Sui Dynasty inherited by the Tang Dynasty, everything is the same, including the military system and the rules of the frontier.

According to the rules, the troops on the border need to be rotated once every three years at most, and those places closer to Chang'an can even be rotated once every two years.

But here, Yumen Pass, not to mention three years, is good if it can be rotated once every five years.

The first group of people have been here for five years, and the second group has been here for four years now, and they want to leave, but the troops who changed the guard have not appeared for a long time, and they have no choice but to guard this place day after day.

A month ago, Zhang Cheng received an order from Chang'an, the imperial court will send a force to change their guards, including Zhang Cheng, all those who are willing to come back can leave, and those who are willing to stay can also be implemented, all according to the treatment of the border.

When the news spread, everyone erupted in extreme cheers.

Including Zhang Cheng, no one wants to stay, they have been away from home for too long, so long that the appearance of home in their memories has gradually dispersed, so blurred that they have to think hard to come up with it.

"General, something seems to be wrong." In addition to being excited, Xu Jing seemed to have noticed some abnormalities and hurriedly said.

Wrong? Zhang Cheng was stunned in his heart, and hurriedly looked at it.

The situation was indeed a little wrong, and he said in astonishment: "Could it be that Your Majesty has sent a legion?" ”

The defenders of Yumen Pass are only 10,000 people, except for years of war damage, and other reasons, there are now less than 8,000 people left in Yumen Pass, and it is not easy to get supplies here.

And here, the garrison of 10,000 people is almost the limit, there is a place to settle, but those are open spaces, long-term garrisons, living in marching tents is not possible.

And the march of the army on the opposite side is not as much as 10,000 people.

"It's strange, although we are not stable here, but Tuyuhun has never dared to attack in a big way, 10,000 people are more than enough to defend it, why send a legion over? Do you take the initiative to attack? Wouldn't a legion be a little less? Xu Jing kept guessing.

"No matter, line up first, and we'll see who is the commander later!" Zhang Cheng shook his head, the letter did not say how many people would come to change the guard, only said an approximate time.

A Legion......

Two legions......

Three......

There are no three, two and a half corps.

The imperial court sent 50,000 troops to Yumen Pass to change the defense, not so much to change the defense, but to take the initiative to attack more appropriately, the change of defense is only incidental.

Otherwise, how can it be personal to change the guard? The change of guard means that you have to leave whether you want it or not, and leave it to the new troops.

The ...... of the commander

Well, I didn't know him, I thought it was the middle-aged general in the general's armor, but Zhang Cheng made an oolong, and the real commander of the troops was the general next to the general who looked only in his thirties, and the one he found was only a deputy general.

A handsome flag with the word Su completely disrupted Zhang Cheng's head, Rao was he brushed the generals of Chang'an one by one, and he didn't expect a general surnamed Su.

"This general is Su Dingfang, the general of the march of Longyoudao, and on the orders of His Majesty, he came to change guards with General Zhang." In the big tent, Su Dingfang first briefly introduced himself, and then someone handed over the holy decree, the order for the change of guard of the military department, and a letter written in advance.

There are two copies of the letter, to be precise, two halves, there is a seal in the middle, torn open irregularly, Zhang Cheng has one in his hand, Su Dingfang has one in his hand, except for the news report from Chang'an in advance, the holy decree, the change of prevention order, the letter that can be docked together, the four are indispensable.

Zhang Cheng was shocked and took out half of his own copy from his arms, and docked it with its intact whole, the whole letter became one, and the seal was also folded together.

The other party is indeed the one who wants to change guards with himself, one counterfeiting is okay, but all four things are fake, then it is impossible.

Letter docking, this is something that only the main general knows, and the letter is also carried by the main general all the time, and no one can touch it.

The chief of the marching road, Zhang Cheng sighed secretly in his heart, if he is really going to fight, only when there is a war will the chief of the marching road be appointed, and the chief manager has the power to deploy several marching roads.

"The letter is correct, and the last general will order the people to withdraw from the defense." Don't ask what shouldn't be asked, Zhang Cheng is very clear.

"I hope General Zhang can keep it secret and declare to the outside world that he will be able to order the Jade Gate." Su Dingfang continued to explain.