After the old general finished speaking, there was another violent cough. Seeing that he was coughing in amazement, Ma Lu was also worried, for fear that this veteran of a hundred battles would not be able to slow down and fall down.

Feng Changqing frowned, waited until Wang Zhengjian stopped coughing, and said slowly: "The white clothes are weak, and the black clothes are prosperous, I thought it was a godsend, but I didn't expect that there would be a defeat of Talas!" General Gao's dispatch of troops to Hezhong this time was Chang Qing's plan. Standing in the river is not only the ambition of a tall general, but also the ambition of Feng Er. ”

"However, the Great Food is a big country in the West, and the foundation has been stable for more than 100 years, and the king in black is a descendant of Namo Kemo, and the Mokomo family is expected to be in the West, although the country has only been established for a few years, the hearts of the people have long been attached. At the same time, the merchants of the east and west of the green ridge came and went, and communicated the news for the black clothes, Chang Qing was not thoughtful and did not plan secretly, which caused the tall general to have the defeat of Talas. ”

"Fortunately, Renjie won the defeat and brought thousands of Han family athletes back to the east safely, otherwise the situation in Anxi today would be out of control! The only way to do this is to slowly lick the wounds, regain your strength, and stick to the land of the four towns, how can you compete with the Great Eclipse for a short day! Even if you want to compete for the throne again, you need to wait until ten years later, and I will talk about it when Anxi recovers. In this defeat of Talas, the injured are all the elites of a hundred battles, how can it be so easy to recover their strength! ”

"Ten years! Ten years is a bit too long! Ten years later, the old man is dead, Feng Er, you can't stay in Anxi for another ten years, you are a veteran of Anxi, how can the center let you stay in Anxi for another ten years? Wang Zhengjian said with a smile.

Ma Lan couldn't help but say: "Ten years later, the country has already been peaceful, and then it will be easy to get involved in the river!" ”

"If you can't get involved, stick to the green mountain and think that the western boundary is. How easy is it for me to get the territory of Anxi in the Tang Dynasty, there are Turkic remnants in the north, and there are Tubo in the south, and the thirty-six countries have their own thoughts, and there is another defeat of Talas, but it is really impossible to clean up! Feng Changqing said with a tense face.

Ma Lan was silent, Feng Changqing is worthy of respect in life, but this contradiction is indeed irreconcilable.

As recorded in the history books, Feng Changqing was already frightened by the defeat in the Battle of Talas, and did not believe that the Tang Dynasty could occupy the river. It's no wonder that Gao Xianzhi's action to attack the big food was planned by him, and now with the Anxi Jian'er brought back by Ma Lan, the Han army in the four towns came back alive with only 15,000 people, and the losses are still more than 10,000, as the planner of this operation, how can Feng Changqing not blame himself, how can he not be cautious.

Ma Lan thinks differently from him. Feng Changqing thinks about temporary gains and losses, but Ma Lan thinks more long-term. Once the Sogdians were assimilated by the Great Cannibals and became followers of Huda, losing this buffer zone, it would spread to the Western Turkic tribes of the Fergan Basin and the Uighurs east of the Green Ridge and the 36 oasis states.

These things did happen in history, Ma Lan's time, the country was strong, and the east of the Green Mountain was still the land of China, but the people who lived in it were no longer Han people, and Ma Lan was extremely impressed by the troubles in those places. As for the west of Green Mountain, it is already outside the territory, and there is no longer any Han family clothing.

This is not only a battle for land, but also a battle for culture, the land in the river is isolated from the Western Turks and the Great Cannibals, and the devout Zoroastrian Sogdians resist the cultural invasion of the Great Cannibals, which is an extremely important buffer zone. As long as the Tang Dynasty controlled this buffer zone, the Turkic people in the steppe would never be able to believe in Hu Da, and the Han culture could gradually and completely assimilate the entire Western Regions.

If you want a place to belong to China permanently, either the inhabitants of this place are mainly Han people, or the inhabitants of this place have all adopted the Han culture, and there is no other way.

Feng Changqing did his best for Anxi, and Ma Lan respected him very much, but in this matter, he had no possibility of giving in. He has planted seeds in the middle of the river, and he must bear fruit, and whoever stands in his way will cross it without mercy.

In the original history, the Sogdians in the river thoroughly believed in Hu Da within 30 years. This is the last chance for the Tang Dynasty and the entire Han nation, and it must be grasped.

Wang Zhengjian looked at Ma Lan, then at Feng Changqing, and said with a smile: "Feng Er, if you just stick to Anxi, there are too many people in my Datang who can do it." With your talents, is that all you want to be? ”

Feng Changqing said: "The adults praise falsely, Feng Er is just a talent of the middle, it is good to be able to help the adults stick to Anxi, how can I think about anything else." ”

"When Ma Renjie described his intentions just now, the old man smiled when he saw you."

"That just made my subordinates think of when they were young, and they felt a little emotion in their hearts." Seal Changqing Road.

"Yes, we are all old, but Ma Renjie is still young. If he is not allowed to try, how can he be willing? Wang Zhengjian nodded with a smile, looked at Ma Lan and said, "Renjie, the old man is about to enter the earth, and now I will accompany you to gamble!" What you want to do, just do it boldly, and the old man will fully support you! If you win the bet, that is, the Haiyan River is clear, the world is peaceful, if you lose the bet, if you lose the territory of Anxi, you and the old man will bear the infamy for thousands of years, haha! ”

Ma Lan looked at Wang Zhengjian's flushed face, moved in his heart, and nodded silently.

Feng Changqing sighed and wanted to say something, but he didn't speak.

"Feng Er, don't pretend. I know that your heart is not dead, and the tall general will definitely give you an account before entering the court. With the personality of a tall general, where can he be done if he is not found back! You and General Gao have the righteousness of master and servant, how can you not be willing to fulfill his wish! The old man asked you, I let Ma Ling do it boldly, are you ready to hinder or support? ”

Feng Changqing's brows tightened, and he was silent for a moment and said: "General Gao is my benefactor, but Changqing is also a courtier of the Tang Dynasty, and he ......plans for the Tang Dynasty."

"So you're ready to get in the way?" Wang Zhengjian snorted.

Feng Changqing smiled bitterly, shook his head and said: "My lord is the lord of Anxi, since my lord supports Ma Renjie, if my subordinates are hindered, it will make Ma Renjie have no chance of winning, and it will harm my Tang Jian'er." For today's plan, the subordinates can only support it! ”

Wang Zheng laughed when he saw it, and broke out into a violent cough again.

Ma Lan looked at Feng Changqing, and a trace of respect appeared in his eyes. is worthy of being the pillar of Anxi, although he is reluctant in his heart, he still chooses to cooperate, which is really considered for the whole of Anxi.

"Feng Er! Inside front cover! I knew you'd agree, haha! Wang Zheng saw that he finished coughing, and laughed, "The old man is an old gambler, and Ma Renjie is a little gambler!" If you don't reopen the Broken Leaf Military Town, the old man won't be blind! I hope we are not wrong, in the future, the day when Datang reopens Broken Leaf Military Town, Ma Renjie, you must go to the old man's grave and tell the old man, haha! ”

Ma Lan looked at the veteran of Beiting and said respectfully: "My lord, I will take care of my body, and I will definitely be able to see that day alive." ”

Wang Zhengjian waved his hand, leaned back in the chair and said with a tired smile: "The old man's body knows by himself, and it would be good to live for another year and a half." Since the time is running out, I hope to see more things to come. Renjie, you just have to let it go, the old man wants to see what you can do in Anxi before I die! ”

Saying that, Wang Zhengjian suddenly sat up straight, and said sharply: "General Zuo Jin Wuwei and Zheng Ma Lan received the order!" ”

Ma Lan hurriedly left his seat and stood solemnly.

"Anxi's deputy capital protector! Today, General Zuo Jin Wuwei and Zheng Ma Lu are the soldiers and horses of the four towns of Anxi, and the commander-in-chief of the four towns is Hu and Han soldiers and horses! Wang Zhengjian said loudly.

"Order!" Ma Ling bowed.

Wang Zhengjian leaned on the back of the chair again, waved his hand tiredly, and said, "Renjie, Feng Er, go ahead!" The old man wants to see what you can do. The copper money for the fallen soldiers, Renjie, you go to find it yourself, as you said, if it is not enough, kill it, rob it, kill his corpse all over the field, rob him of the peace of the world, go! ”

……

After leaving the Dadu Protectorate, Feng Changqing's face was extremely ugly.

The Anxi Army is the most advanced in the world and is extremely important to the Tang Empire. If there is another mistake, it will not only endanger Anxi, but also the entire Datang.

In this defeat of Talas, the fact that Anxi was able to do nothing in Anxi was not just his role in patrolling around. The real reason is that the Tang Dynasty invested heavily in Heyuan to compete with Tubo, and won more than lost in a few years. The primary enemy of the Anxi army is the Tibetans, if it were not for the competition for the source of the river in the east that dragged the hands and feet of the Tibetans, how could the Tibetans give up this opportunity!

He didn't know how many times he had read Ma Luan's letter, and he knew that what Ma Lan said was reasonable. But this time, the elite soldiers of the four towns suffered heavy losses, and the newly replenished Han family soldiers filled the vacancies of their fathers and brothers who died in battle, although these people were eager for revenge, but they lacked training and no experience, and they couldn't become a climate without a few years of training.

The 24,000 Han troops in the four towns have been replenished, but more than forty percent of them are new soldiers.

"Doctor......

Feng Changqing waved his hand irritably, interrupted Ma Lan who wanted to speak, turned his head and glared at Ma Lan viciously, and said abruptly: "Renjie, you'd better succeed!" If you lose this territory of Anxi because of you, the old man will not let you go! ”

"The doctor's words are serious......"

"Remember, even ghosts won't let you go!" Feng Changqing said in a deep voice, "The old man will help you like an assistant to the tall general, you must be cautious in your own affairs!" We've already lost once, and we really can't afford to lose, we can't afford to lose! ”

Saying that, Feng Changqing actually cried bitterly, probably because his brain made up for the tragic situation after the failure of the expedition to the Great Eclipse again. Ma Lan saw that this Anxi veteran was like this, and he didn't know what to do for a while, and he said in his heart that I wouldn't be like General Gao, who came out with the soldiers and horses of the four towns, so I wouldn't get a situation that couldn't be managed.

Seeing Feng Changqing crying, Ma Lan knew that he was really scared. Although there are differences of opinion, he only has respect for such a person.