When Qi Bi Zheluo came to the front of the eldest grandson Wuji and Su Ding, he turned over and dismounted, hugged his fists and said, "Lord eldest grandson, Commander Su is good." ”

The eldest grandson Wuji and Su Dingfang didn't dare to slack off, and said, "General Qibi has worked hard. ”

In the middle of the convoy, there was a wide carriage, and the carriage came to the front of Changsun Wuji and the others and stopped.

The Narcissus Imperial Concubine got out of the carriage, met with all the dignitaries of the Anxi Metropolitan Protectorate, got into the carriage and came to the compound of the Anxi Metropolitan Protectorate together.

Why did Narcissus come to the Western Regions?

It turned out that just when Li Su was in high spirits and preparing to lead the subjects of the Tang Dynasty to do a good job in domestic construction, the situation in Persia underwent major changes.

The Arab Empire (Great Eclipse) and the Eastern Roman Empire (Byzantium) allied, and the Eastern Roman Empire also launched an attack on the Persian Empire.

Since then, the four most powerful countries in the world, with a population of more than 20 million and a total population of more than 100 million, have been embroiled in a world war.

Originally, with the support of the Tang Dynasty, the Persian Empire had stabilized the battle line, and some areas were even able to carry out counteroffensives against the Arabs. However, the accession of the Eastern Roman Empire reversed the situation.

The political situation in the Persian Empire also changed due to the invasion of the Eastern Roman Empire, and many tribal leaders saw that the enemy was strong and wavered, and many people secretly approached the Arabs, and the Persian Empire was on the verge of disintegration.

After receiving the report from the Overseas Intelligence Service, Li Su realized the crisis, and the Persian Empire, under the blows of the Arab Empire and the Eastern Roman Empire, as in history, was about to disintegrate.

Once the Persian Empire fell, the mighty Arab Empire took control of Central and West Asia, blocking the Tang Empire's expansion to the northwest and southwest.

From a geographical point of view, the Tang Dynasty is surrounded by the sea to the east and south, and Siberia, a bitter cold land to the north, basically there is no room for expansion. This is the main reason why the Tang Empire and even the entire Central Empire began to go downhill.

Li Su was a little anxious in his heart, but there were still some major problems within the Tang Dynasty that had not been resolved, and at this time, the preparations for a war with such a powerful enemy as the Arab Empire were still not sufficient.

He convened an emergency meeting, and after consultation, decided to vigorously support the Persian Empire, preserve the Persian Empire or delay the process of the fall of the Persian Empire, and buy time for the Tang Dynasty to further improve its internal construction.

East Palace.

Li Su said to the new chief, the eunuch Sun Ming: "You go and inform the queen that today's chamberlain will arrange for the Narcissus Guifei." ”

Sun Ming is 42 years old this year, honest and honest, and at the last critical moment, the little eunuch notified the eldest grandson Empress and rescued Li Ning'er, so Li Su promoted him to be the chief eunuch.

Wang De was left in Emperor Taizong's original harem to manage the affairs of the harem.

In the evening, after Narcissus served Li Su, Li Su sniffed her hair and said to her, "Narcissus, are you homesick?" ”

Narcissus said, "The concubines are doing well here, but occasionally they miss their mother and brother. ”

Li Su said: "I'm going to let you go back to visit your home, are you willing?" ”

Narcissus said: "The concubines are all subject to Your Majesty's arrangement. ”

Li Su said: "When you go back to visit relatives this time, not only to visit your mother and brother, but I also have an important task entrusted to you." ”

Then, he told the Narcissus Princess about his arrangement.

Narcissus said gratefully: "Your Majesty, the concubine thanks you for your mother and brother, and for your generosity to the Persian Empire. ”

Li Su smiled: "Thank you for what? Aren't we family? ”

The Narcissus Imperial Concubine came to the Anxi Protectorate, took out the holy decree, and handed it to Su Dingfang. The decision of the imperial court was announced on the decree.

The imperial court decided to increase aid to the Persian Empire, and decided to organize the headquarters of the Volunteer Army, with Su Dingfang as the commander-in-chief of the Volunteer Army, and the eldest grandson Wuji as the political commissar and logistics minister.

He was appointed deputy commander-in-chief.

The Tang Army transferred four cavalry divisions, the Eastern Turks, the Tiele Division, and the Turki Division, each with a total of 110,000 people, as the backbone of the Tang Army.

The rest of the Volunteer Army consisted of men from newly conquered regions and vassal states.

120,000 in Goguryeo, 80,000 in the Unu Kingdom, 50,000 in the Western Regions Tribal Army, 30,000 in Buyeo, 20,000 in Tuyuhun, 20,000 in the Daewol Clan, and 10,000 each in Silla, Baekje, Limgeup, and Ryukyu. A total of 360,000 people.

The total number of volunteers was 470,000.

The size of the volunteer army seemed huge, but for the Tang Dynasty, the burden was small.

Except for the logistics support of the four divisions of the Tang Army, which was borne by the Tang Army's Anxi Protectorate, the armies of the rest of the regions and client states were borne by the autonomous regions and the vassal states.

After a day's stay in the Anxi Imperial Palace, the Narcissus Princess, accompanied by Su Dingfang, traveled to Rai (present-day Tehran, the capital of Iran), the temporary capital of the Persian Empire. He was accompanied by Ma Ming, director of the Central Asia Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

He personally led a cavalry division of the Tiele Division, the Third Cavalry Division of the Tang Army, and a brigade of the Flying Tiger Army led by Li Hou to escort him.

Rai. Temporary Royal Palace.

The Persian king Isiai III had recently been noticeably emaciated.

Not long ago, the Eastern Roman Empire suddenly sent troops to Syria, and the first general of the Persian Empire, Hals, was killed in battle, and 120,000 warriors of the Persian Empire were buried together, and the entire territory of Syria was lost.

Khalid, the general of the Arab Empire, conquered Mesopotamia. Severed the Persian king Isiai III from the Western Military District. The situation of Isiai III was even more difficult.

The Persian Empire was administratively divided into 20 provinces, each of which had a governor. Militarily, there are five major military regions. So far, with the exception of one province ceded to the Tang Dynasty, 6 provinces have been occupied by the Arabs and 2 provinces have been occupied by the Eastern Roman Empire.

Now the two provinces in which the Western Military District is located are divided and are about to fall into the hands of the enemy.

The Persian king Isiai III was so anxious that he asked the Tang military advisory group for the Tang Dynasty to intervene directly. Yao Jinzhong, the head of the Tang Dynasty's military advisory group, reported the situation to the Anxi Protectorate, and Su Dingfang immediately wrote a note to the imperial court.

On this morning, Isia III received the bad news that his cousin, Harsk, the commander of the Western Military District, had been killed in battle, and all the areas under the Western Military District had fallen.

Under successive blows, Isiai III fell ill, the ministers were helpless, the hearts of the people were fluctuating, and the Persian Empire was in danger of collapsing.

At this time, Yao Jinzhong, the head of the Tang Dynasty's military advisory group, came, and he reported a good news to Yi Si Ai III: the Tang Dynasty Imperial Concubine Narcissus came back to visit her relatives, and asked Yi Si Ai III to convene the governors of the provinces and the commanders of the major military regions to announce the news of the Tang Dynasty's troops and adjust the combat deployment.

The Persian king Isiai III immediately jumped out of his hospital bed, and he issued a series of orders for the governors of the provinces and the commanders of the major military districts to meet in Rai.