From a military point of view, there are three suitable people in the current Datang.

Li Xiaogong, Li Jing, Li Ji.

But the military can never exist in isolation from politics.

Li Xiaogong is the protector of Anxi, he knows the situation of Gaochang State best, and he also has prestige among the countries of the Western Regions, but this candidate was not mentioned by the ministers of the court, after all, he is too sensitive.

Li Jing didn't mention it, since his debut, he has not been defeated, he has won a hundred battles, and he has a light weight in battle, and now someone has used him to rank with Han Xin, and Li Shimin will never let him go on the expedition again.

Li Ji's use of Li Shimin is very hesitant, Li Ji is naturally inferior to Li Jing, but he is a steady person, even if he can't win a big victory, he will never be defeated.

Once the army is destroyed, it will not only be a military defeat, but also a series of economic and political chain reactions.

However, Li Ji was the only commander of the large corps who was still young, and he wanted to leave it to Li Chengqian to use, so he didn't want Li Ji to make great contributions again, lest Li Chengqian not be able to show favors in the future.

So all three were excluded at the same time.

Li Shimin pondered on the throne, and the ministers below were also pondering.

Luo Xuanling thought for a moment and then said loudly, "Your Majesty."

Gaochang Kingdom did not have strong cities, heavy mountains and rivers, no united people, no brave generals and outstanding monarchs.

He dared to provoke Datang, relying on nothing more than seven thousand miles away from Datang, including two thousand miles of desert Gobi, thinking that I, Datang, would not crusade against him.

The minister thought that as long as he selected a general who was good at commanding the army, he could defeat Gao Changguo. ”

One thing that is very different from the distance in ancient times is that when people in ancient times walked, they did not have as many tunnels through mountains as in modern times, so they generally had to walk much longer distances.

Gaochang is about 5,000 miles away from Chang'an in a straight line, but if you really want to walk, you can't walk less than 7,000 miles, if you want to lead a large army from Chang'an, even if it is a fast march, it will take more than three months, and if you march normally, it will basically take about five months.

Luo Xuanling's words belong to a typical contempt for Gao Changguo, thinking that Gao Changguo is different from the Winter Turks and the Western Yan Kingdom, it is not worth mentioning at all, and there is no need for a commander of Li Jing's level to appear, there are so many famous generals in the Tang Dynasty, sending one of them is enough to suppress Gao Chang.

Li Shimin thought about it, is this really the case, what basis does Gao Changguo have?

Thinking of this, Li Shimin groaned slightly, and then said with a sassy smile: "Qingyu, you are right, then you will be the head of the Gaochang Dao march." ”

Luo Xuanling was shocked at first, he didn't expect Li Shimin to let himself go out to lead the troops, and then he was excited, and immediately got up and said solemnly: "The minister respectfully obeys the order, and will attack and destroy Gaochang, and report to Your Majesty." ”

Some of the ministers in the palace didn't expect to determine the marching chief of Gaochang Dao so quickly, and he was also the Duke of Yongguo.

Since the beginning of the Zhenguan Dynasty, Yongguo Gong has never been in battle, and now he is the commander of the front army as soon as he comes up.

Your Majesty really values Yongguo Gong.

Especially after the death of King Zhou Jun, His Majesty seems to have transferred his preference for King Zhou to the son and younger brother of King Zhou Jun.

Just like the eldest grandson family who was constantly promoted after the death of Empress Wende.

"The edict ordered General Zuo Qianniuwei and Yongguo Gong Xuanling to be the general manager of the Gaochang Road march, the chief of the five roads, and the 20,000 cavalry, and the Qibi He Li and Ashina Sheer were all the marching generals, and the soldiers of the Qibi and Turkic troops accompanied them."

……

After the next dynasty, Li Shimin did not return to the harem, but went directly to Lingtian Pavilion, and now he feels more and more that the national teacher still has a very important plan.

"The Son of Heaven has already decided to conquer Gaochang?"

"That's right, Gao Chang provoked the majesty of the Tang Dynasty and must be punished."

Luo Su smiled and asked, "After defeating Gaochang, what is the Son of Heaven going to do with the old land of Gaochang?" ”

Luo Su didn't think that Gao Chang could withstand Datang's attack, and Datang might not be invincible.

But Datang has a deep heritage, and the battlefields are all abroad, which will not destroy domestic production, and there is no problem if you lose a few times, while Datang can kill the opponent as long as it wins once.

The winning rate, as long as it is not zero, does not have much reference value for Datang.

A big country naturally has the calmness of a big country.

Moreover, the Tang Dynasty under Li Shimin's hands has a terrible high victory rate, such as Gao Changguo This time, Li Shimin did not act immediately, but decided to send troops after the political means were exhausted.

In the process of using political means again and again, Gao Changguo has been in a position of political isolation, just like when the Tang Dynasty destroyed the Winter Turks, not like Emperor Yang of Sui, his brain rushed up as soon as he was hot, but it was arranged for three years.

First, he divided the Turks internally, then gradually contacted the traditional allies and vassals of the Winter Turks, such as Xue Yantuo and Tiele, to isolate the Winter Turks, and finally waited until a natural disaster and heavy snow to destroy the Winter Turks in one fell swoop.

After coming to Lingtian Pavilion, Li Shimin was more casual, sat down and poured tea for himself, half-lying down and said: "After the destruction of Gaochang, set up Yizhou there, directly under the jurisdiction of the imperial court, and then move the Anxi Metropolitan Protectorate to Gaochang City, which can deter the Western Regions." ”

Regarding Li Shimin's arrangement, Luo Su couldn't deny it, but said lightly: "It seems that you are ready for an all-out war in the Western Regions, Son of Heaven." ”

Li Shimin frowned slightly when he heard this.

Luo Su had already told him that there was a wind of state and Zhou in the Western Regions, and the destruction of Gaochang and the expulsion of Gaochang were two different things.

In the Spring and Autumn Period of the Bang Zhou Dynasty, there were often cases where the country was destroyed and then restored.

It is normal for the Tang Dynasty to destroy the Gaochang Kingdom and kill the King of Gaochang who rebelled against the Tang Dynasty, but if the Gaochang Kingdom completely disappears and becomes the county of the Tang Dynasty, it will greatly shock the countries of the Western Regions.

You must know that when Zhao Yingluo established the Zhao Dynasty in the Western Regions and became the king and emperor of kings, the Western Regions was still a country of princes everywhere, why did the Western Regions call the supreme monarch the king of kings, because in the understanding of the people of the Western Regions, the supreme monarch is the king of the kings of all countries.

Tian Khan, the king of kings, Li Shimin, is the king of the kings of the Western Regions, but now he wants to depose a throne just like that.

Correspondingly, to depose all the nobles of this kingdom is to challenge the political rules of the entire Western Regions.

If a throne can be deposed by one person, won't their throne be in ruins?

Luo Su sat opposite Li Shimin, "According to my understanding of the Western Regions, the Tang Dynasty needs to win three to five wars against the Tang Alliance before it can completely trample the entire Western Regions under its feet.

It's not easy, especially now that Xuanzang has become the high priest of Suwang Temple, using Xuanmen to blend the chaotic factions, once the Western Regions are united, it is not easy to fight. ”

Li Shimin guessed that it might cause a rebellion, but what Luo Su said still surprised him a little, at present, the Central Plains does not know enough about the Western Regions, Li Shimin is okay, because there are a large number of scholars in his Hongwen Pavilion, and his understanding of the Western Regions is not small, but it will really be so serious?

"National Teacher, isn't the high priest Xuanzang a descendant of the Luo family? I don't know if the national teacher can write a letter to ask the high priest Xuanzang to help the Tang Dynasty, I will have a good reward.

Moreover, the Suwang Temple respects the Suwang, and I have obtained the Suwang Apocalypse, just like the Son of God, isn't it the temple's own people? ”

Luo Su smiled dumbly and said: "Son of Heaven, these two points are right, I can indeed write a letter to ask Xuanzang to stand on our side, Son of Heaven, your identity as the King of Heaven and the Apocalypse is indeed a sharp weapon for walking in the Western Regions."

But man is not only the mind, but also the body, and the consciousness of man is subordinate to matter.

What's the use of Xuanzang standing on our side?

He became the high priest, and the lords of the Western Regions contributed a lot, and if the lords of the Western Regions wanted to oppose the Tang Dynasty, he could only follow the anti-Tang, where he alone could have the final say.

After all, that temple was the temple of the people of the Western Regions, not the Central Plains.

Son of Heaven, you are the Suwang Apocalypse, but those people in the Western Regions will not bow down to you because of this, maybe there are many true believers among them, but the temple has been rooted in the Western Regions for hundreds of years, so naturally it has a set of its own things, even if it is useless to go to Winter City.

Xuanzang was able to become the high priest, not only because he was a descendant of King Su with a stigma, but also because his theory was more complete, which could allow the temple to unite other sects and have more power, so a large number of priests in the temple fell to him.

Do you think there is faith? Absolutely.

But it's too difficult to make them turn against them by virtue of faith, and if the Western Regions are really fanatics, you won't be able to sit still. ”

The craziest fanatics in the Western Regions are all shouting about entering the Central Plains, cleaning up heretics, and seizing Chang'an and Luoyang.

Chang'an is the burial place of King Su's human body, and Luoyang is the place where King Su returned to heaven.

Li Shimin shook his head helplessly and said: "Actually, I don't think it's appropriate to set up prefectures and counties, the Western Regions are a little too far away.

From Chang'an to Yizhou, it is 7,000 miles, to the Western Turkic court 9,900 miles, to Shenlin City 10,000 miles, and the farther Zhaowu Kingdom, according to Qingyang, there are 12,000 miles.

How could Chang'an rule, there is still an enemy on the plateau, once Tubo walks down the plateau and attacks the Hexi Corridor, it will directly cut off the road between the Central Plains and the Western Regions.

If there are some more rebellions in the Western Regions, it will be really difficult to do both. ”

Li Shimin has always been very sober, and he is sometimes even reluctant to accept the country that takes the initiative to submit, because he believes that "if you accept submission, you are a subject, if the subject country is attacked, the Tang Dynasty will send troops, and I will not do anything that only gains face, but loses the inside." ”

Li Shimin really doesn't care about those false names, he only cares about benefits, this is the reason why the Tang Dynasty can thrive now, if it was Emperor Yang of Sui, he would have started a war on all sides to conquer Liaodong, the Western Regions, and the plateau.

Luo Su smiled when he heard this, "But the Western Regions is indeed the most critical place for the future, hasn't the Son of Heaven always wanted to know, what is my big blueprint?"

In fact, it has something to do with the Western Regions.

The reason why I don't say it is because you can't accept it, and in a year or two, I expect it to be time, and you may still be a little difficult to accept at that time, but I believe that you will eventually accept my idea. ”

Luo Su played dumb riddles here, which made Li Shimin a little uncomfortable, but it was impossible for him to persecute Luo Su.

I could only sigh and say: "Then according to the opinion of the national teacher, after destroying the Gaochang Kingdom, we still have to re-select a royal family of the Gaochang Kingdom and let them re-establish the country?" ”

Li Shimin must not let the Tang Dynasty fall into a lonely battle in the Western Regions, because in the northeast region, there is also a powerful Zhuxia country, that is, the Liaodong Kingdom, which is the real enemy of the Tang Dynasty, not the distant Western Regions.

Luo Su immediately shook his head and said, "Isn't that a battle for nothing?"

Although it can't provoke the entire Western Regions to be disgusted with the Tang Dynasty and oppose the Tang Dynasty, there is no problem in dismembering the Gao Changguo.

First choose a suitable person close to the Tang Dynasty to be the king of Gaochang, I remember that there is a Gaochang royal family in Chang'an. ”

Li Shimin nodded, Chang'an basically has the royal families of various countries, which is a kind of proton, but the treatment is very good, these people are the pawns of the Tang Dynasty to interfere in the internal affairs of various countries in the future, just like now.

Luo Su said: "Since there is such a royal family, the most important place to support him as the king of Gaochang lies in the back, select about 1,500 to 3,000 people, garrison them in the capital of Gaochang, and provide grain and grass from Gaochang State."

At the same time, Datang wanted to sign a contract with Gaochang, Gaochang was not allowed to have its own army, and the king's safety was protected by the armor soldiers stationed in Datang.

Then, in the Gaochang Kingdom, a set of official positions was set up to contact the Anxi Protectorate.

There is only one purpose, that is, to set up the king of Gaochang, and then it is to marry and assimilate, for example, if the king of Gaochang has any daughters, he can be established as the daughter of the king of Gaochang, and the son of heaven you pick a son or younger brother, or some other King Li Zong married the daughter of the king of Gaochang in the past, and you can be the king's husband.

There has been a female emperor in the Western Regions, and she does not exclude the monarch as a woman, so several times, under the condition that Gaochang Kingdom is still retained, you can change it all from the inside out.

If after such a blood exchange, the Gaochang Kingdom is still an enemy of the Tang Dynasty, you are still ready to send the Tang Dynasty soldiers to slaughter the entire Gaochang Kingdom. ”

Li Shimin listened to what Luo Su said, his eyes couldn't help but light up, and he couldn't help but sigh: "The national teacher really deserves to be the first virtuous minister of the three generations, and there is really nothing in this world that can be difficult to live in the national teacher."

Just do what the national teacher says.

Moreover, if I do this, maybe High Priest Xuanzang will also give me some help, right? ”

Luo Su smiled slightly: "Of course, no one in this world can be pure and upright, Xuanzang will always be influenced by the family." ”

The two looked at each other and smiled, and arranged Gao Changguo!

————

In the turbulent sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, world history ushered in the collapse of the old empire and the reconstruction of the new empire, accompanied by the fission of the great development of religion, the center of the Eurasian continent, is the place where countless religions intermingled, and all religions are frantically staking their own organizational abilities, and arming the minds of their followers, and finally tend to the same. - General History of the World

(End of chapter)