Li Tao looked at Tingzhou City in front of him and couldn't help but think about it.

In the twelfth year of Tang Zhenguan, the Western Turks were divided into two khanates, the tooth tent of the Yibi Lulu Khan was in the north, and the tooth tent of the Yibi Shabaluo Khan was in the south, known as "North Court" and "South Court", and the name of the North Court came from this. In the fourteenth year of Zhenguan, the Tang Dynasty placed Tingzhou, and governed the three counties of Jinman, Pu and Luntai, and later Jinman County was renamed Houting County.

In the second year of Chang'an in Wu Zhou, Tingzhou placed the Beiting Metropolitan Protectorate, replacing the Jinshan Metropolitan Protectorate, which was subordinate to the Anxi Metropolitan Protectorate. In the second year of Jingyun, the Beiting Metropolitan Protectorate was promoted to the Great Metropolitan Protectorate, and the Anxi Metropolitan Protectorate divided the north and south of the Tianshan Mountains. The vast area north of the Tianshan Mountains, including the Altai Mountains and west of Lake Balkhash, was under the jurisdiction of the Beiting Prefecture, and the vast area south of the Tianshan Mountains to the west of the Green Mountains and the Amu Darya River was under the jurisdiction of the Anxi Prefecture.

The ancient city of Beiting is densely populated and economically prosperous, and is an important transportation hub and military key point on the "Silk Road". The grade of Yang He, the first protector of the Beiting Metropolitan Protectorate, has also reached the second grade, which is the most glorious period of the Beiting. Since then, Beiting has been the military and political center of the northern foot of the Tianshan Mountains of the Tang Empire, and the city walls have been repaired and expanded, with a grand scale, and the Anxi Metropolitan Protectorate at the southern foot of the Tianshan Mountains reflects the north and south.

After a long time, Li Tao sighed and said to himself: "It is worthy of being the military key point of the Western Regions, but it's a pity that there are too few troops!" ”

The Beiting Protectorate was stationed in Tunxi Prefecture and Yizhou Prefecture, and prevented the Tuqi Khanate and the Jiankun tribe, and commanded a total of 20,000 people from the Han Navy, Tianshan Army, and Yiwu Army. Controlling such a place north of the Tianshan Mountains, 20,000 troops is indeed too little.

The sky finally brightened, and Guo Qianqian saw it clearly. The more than 200 horsemen under the city are clearly Han costumes, although they are not wearing military uniforms, but the veteran Guo Qianqian can see at a glance that these young people are well-trained. The other party did not speak. Guo Qianqian also calmed down, he wanted to see what kind of mystery these people were making.

What made Guo Qianqian feel a little relieved was that the other party couldn't hold his breath first. A man stepped forward and shot an arrow at the flagpole of the tower. The stunt of calm and leisurely is not only the soldiers on the city tower, but even Guo Qianqian secretly applauds.

Guo Qianqian knew that the other party was throwing a letter with an arrow. Sure enough. In a few moments, a sergeant brought a silk cloth tied to an arrow to him.

The words on the silk are very clear: "King Lantian of the Tang Dynasty, Li Tao, the owner of the royal Fan family's firm, pays homage to Guo Qianjun, the deputy capital of Beiting!" ”

Guo Qianqian looked at it. I couldn't help frowning.

He had heard of Li Tao's name, especially the battle between the Luzhou regiment and the Khitan and Xi tribes in Yingzhou, and he had also heard that the Li royal family could produce such a figure. It's not easy. His Majesty gave the name of the Fan family to the imperial court. He also received it, he didn't think so at the time, but he didn't expect Li Tao, as the owner of Fan's firm, to appear in Tingzhou, which made Guo Qianqian have an unusual feeling.

After reading the handwriting on the silk cloth, Guo Qianqian pondered for a moment, and ordered the soldiers on the city tower: "Put down a basket!" ”

Li Tao watched the head of the city swaying and put down a basket tied with a rope, and couldn't help but smile bitterly: "This Guo Qianqian is really cautious enough!" ”

Pei Yue said on the side: "Little master." Why don't you let me go up first and tell him to understand. When you open the gates, will you enter the city? ”

Li Tao shook his head and said: "With his current style, you can't tell if you go, so I'll go by myself!" ”

After that, Li Tao instructed Qiu Baiyu and Hua Wenxuan: "You stay where you are, wait for the city gate to open before entering, before that, don't make a mistake!" ”

Qiuhua and the two promised.

Li Tao dismounted, and under the gaze of everyone in Luzhou, he walked towards the basket that was put down in the city.

Li Tao arrived in front of the basket, raised his feet directly into the basket and sat inside. After a while, Li Tao was dragged up to the city tower by the Tingzhou sergeant.

As soon as Li Tao went up to the city tower, dozens of sergeants came up, and they surrounded Li Tao with spears in their hands. Looking at that posture, as long as Li Tao makes any changes, he will be stabbed into a hornet's nest.

"I don't know if Guo Qianqian and Guo Du can protect it?" Li Taolang asked.

"Down there is Guo Qianjun, I don't know if your Excellency is ......" Guo Qianqian asked tentatively.

"Under Li Tao!"

Guo Qianqian saluted Li Tao and said, "Qianqian has seen the King of Lantian!" Guo Qianqian saluted Li Tao Shili and said: "Because the Turks have entered the Western Regions, the precautions in various parts of Beiting have been strengthened. In order to avoid unnecessary trouble, please forgive the king of Lantian for forgiveness, and you must have an identity certificate issued by the Ministry of War to enter the city! ”

"It's nature! If I didn't have proof of identity, how could I have traveled all the way to Tingzhou? It's just ......" Li Tao looked left and right and said, "Guo Daduhu, can you take a step to speak?" ”

Guo Qianqian was stunned for a moment, he didn't understand what Li Tao was going to do.

Li Tao saw that Guo Qianqian was a little hesitant, and deliberately provoked: "I'm just alone, Guo Dadu can rest assured!" ”

Hearing Li Tao say this, Guo Qianqian couldn't hold back his face, he stretched out his hand to Li Taoyi and said, "I am naturally relieved, Lantian King, please come here." ”

Guo Qianqian took Li Tao to the side room where the officers were on duty in the city tower.

"Now that no one is here, if King Lantian has anything to say, just say it!"

Li Tao smiled: "I don't have anything to say, I just want to ask Guo Dadu to take care of something!" ”

After that, Li Tao took out something from his arms and handed it to Guo Qianqian.

Guo Qianqian took it, looked solemn after looking at it, and said to Li Taoshili: "Beiting Dadu Protector Guo Qianqian is the deputy capital protector of the mansion, see Lord Qincha!" ”

Li Tao waved his hand and said: "Guo Daduhu, you are the only one who knows about my Qin mission in this North Courtyard, and I am only the owner of Fan's firm to the outside world, and I came to the North Courtyard to do business!" Do you understand? ”

Guo Qianqian nodded and said, "King Lantian, please rest assured, Qianqian knows the severity!" ”

"Okay, let my people in, let's talk slowly when we get to the Metropolitan Protectorate!"

……

Guo Qianqian led Li Tao into Tingzhou City, and introduced as he walked: "Lantian King, Beiting City is three miles long from north to south, about two miles wide from east to west, and is divided into three layers inside and outside. The outer city wall is about three zhang wide, and the version is built into rammed earth. The thickness of the inner city wall varies from one zhang to about two zhang high. The inner and outer city is divided into south, north and west, and the gates are interconnected, and the north gate is the main gate. The inner city has a metropolitan government office, the second is the street, and the outer city is stationed in the Han Navy and some residents. There are natural river channels on the east and west sides of the city, and the west side of the north gate merges into one, forming a crescent-shaped bay of lake water, which can be boated and panned. The smoke and willow flower corner by the lake, Fen Li. There are many floors and terraces of flowers and trees in the north courtyard city, the temple is magnificent, and all industries are prosperous. Animal husbandry is particularly well developed, with many horses grazing in groups according to their coat color. The people are prosperous and peaceful, and the poor also eat meat as their staple food. In the north mountain of the north garden, the sand is like clouds and mist during the day, and the birds and beasts are seen in the fire at night, and the earth is red-colored, which is extremely magnificent. ”

Li Tao nodded, just by looking at the demeanor of the people in the city, he knew that what Guo Qianqian said was true. (To be continued......)