As soon as Xie Tanzhi's whimsical suggestion was spoken, Nanhua County Lord Huo Liya was the first to jump up and said angrily: "Bastard, have you drunk too much?" What the hell is the idea?! ”

Although the other generals did not scold on the spot, they all looked unkind.

Li Jiangyao calmly poured a large glass of wine, wiped his mouth, and asked Xie Tanzhi with a smile: "Mr. Xie, don't be frightened by the county lord." She is a person with a knife mouth and a tofu heart, and she is still quick-tempered. Tell me about it first, what do you think? ”

Xie Tanzhi had long expected that everyone would react like this, and of course he was not flustered, and when he heard Li Jiangyao ask him, he said calmly: "Ladies and gentlemen, what you are thinking in your hearts, Xie knows it well and can understand it." However, please answer me a question first: at the moment, what is most lacking in our legion? ”

Ma Muyan continued the idea of the previous "Talent Seeking Order", and replied without thinking: "In my opinion, of course, it is the most lacking talent. ”

"No, no," Xie Tanzhi shook his head lightly and said with a smile: "We have neither a shortage of talents, nor a lack of people's hearts." Lord Ma Mu, think about it, as soon as the Zhenjiang Army's order to seek talents came out, I don't know how many people in Western Xinjiang flocked to it, and the administrative officials of the four big cities were recruited in an instant, didn't they? It can be said that as long as the banner of Shengtang does not fall, we can have as many people as we want! ”

Lin Feng couldn't help but be a little curious: "Then what do you say we lack?" Lack of land? Lack of food and equipment? ”

Xie Tanzhi shook his head again and said, "These are not lacking, or rather, they are not the most important missing. ”

Xu Youchang and Situ Wushou glanced at each other and tried to say, "Mr. Xie, do you want to say that what we lack most is the connection with the imperial court?" Including reinforcements from the imperial court? ”、

Xie Tanzhi shook his head again and said, "Whether there is contact and reinforcements from the imperial court or not, we must persevere." They come one day early, we are one day early, they come one day later, we hold on one more day, there is no difference. ”

Horia frowned, thought for a long time, and couldn't help but say: "There is no shortage of this, there is no shortage of that, I really can't think of an answer." Lao Xie, don't sell it, just say it! ”

Xie Tanzhi glanced at everyone, and was about to speak, only to hear Li Jiangyao next to him say leisurely: "If you want me to say, what we lack most now is time!" ”

Hearing this, Xie Tanzhi looked at Li Jiangyao and showed a pleased smile: "My lord's eyes are really like torches!" That's exactly what Xie meant. ”

Li Jiangyao: "Thank you, don't be in a hurry to pat my ass." You put forward the idea, or you should break it down for us. ”

Xie Tanzhi nodded and said to everyone: "As the adults just said, time is what we lack the most. After a series of hard battles in the early stage, our Zhenjiang Army has now begun to take shape. Surrounded by powerful enemies, the territory and population of the legion are rapidly increasing. If it can be fully digested and absorbed, and transformed into real combat power, it will inevitably lay a solid foundation for the recovery of Western Xinjiang in the future! ”

Xu Youchang agreed: "You are right. Any army must occupy a solid base, otherwise it will be a tree without roots and a fish without water. Only with strong backing can we seek a way to win. ”

"But, General Xu, my lords," Xie Tanzhi continued, "if the enemy comes to attack us again now, and it is a long-term attack and repeated attacks, are we sure that we will consolidate this hard-won victory?" I think that when the time comes, let alone the efforts to accumulate counterinsurgency forces, even if you want to keep the current four cities, I am afraid you will have to be exhausted. ”

These words hit the nail on the head, and all the generals were speechless when they heard it, and they couldn't help frowning and pondering.

I only heard Xie Tanzhi continue: "It will take time for us to hold the territory and recuperate the people's livelihood now; It also takes time to stock up on food and grass and build equipment; It will take time to recruit troops, to train, and to rapidly expand combat power. And at this time, I can only go to the Western Xinjiang Alliance to ask for it! ”

Li Jiangyao stared at Xie Tanzhi with blazing eyes: "What does Mr. Xie mean, a plan to delay the army?" ”

"Your Excellency is wise! It is a delaying tactic. Xie Tanzhi said loudly: "We must take advantage of the suspicion and contradictions between the Western Frontier Alliance and the Turks, and the differences and conflicts between the various vassal states within the alliance, to buy ourselves the most time, recuperate, and prepare for war!" Whoever is willing to put aside hostility towards us for a while, we will live in peace with him and not invade each other; Whoever is stubborn and insists on being the enemy of our Zhenjiang army, we will take the initiative to attack and hit him until he kneels on the ground and begs for mercy! Everyone, please believe in Xie Mou's judgment, at this time, enemies on all sides want to preserve their own strength and consume the strength of others, so no one wants to be the first bird and send their precious soldiers and horses to the white-robed army to practice. ”

Xie Tanzhi's analysis went directly to the hearts of everyone present. When everyone thinks about it, they all feel that his words are not only reasonable, but very, very reasonable.

Nanhua County Lord Huo Liya stood up, stroked her chest with her right hand, saluted Xie Tanzhi, and said frankly: "Mr. Xie, I offended you just now, and I ask for your forgiveness." ”

Seeing this, Xie Tanzhi hurriedly got up and gave up his hand, saying that he didn't dare to do it.

Li Jiangyao nodded with satisfaction and said to everyone: "Mr. Xie's thoughts coincide with mine. When we faced the Western Xinjiang Coalition Army before, the Loulan army that specially picked up the Alik River was beaten hard, but we let go of Geerhan and his Chechi soldiers and horses several times, which is exactly what it means. ”

Situ Wushou asked his head: "That's true." My lord asked me to be in charge of intelligence work and liaise with the Shenhua family. According to the report of their spies lurking in the court of King Chechi, this time, within a radius of several hundred miles of Metasequoia City, the reason why there was a strange situation in which all enemy troops withdrew one after another, leaving us with an empty city, was precisely because the other party was planning to let others fight with us, while he hid by and watched the excitement. Clearly, the strategy of differentiation has worked. ”

When the generals heard this, they all nodded yes, and felt that Xie Tanzhi's suggestion was indeed worth trying.

Now that everyone has reached a complete agreement on the issue of "buying precious time through peace talks," it is time to discuss the two questions of "whom to talk to" and "how to talk."

Some argue that it should be approached from afar. Specifically, it is to stabilize the Turkic, Loulan and Shule triways first, because they are far away from the Metasequoia Military Mansion and there is no pain in the skin, so it is easier to stand by and watch. After the negotiation is far away, then concentrate on striking Gelhan, who is close at hand.

In response to this idea, some people have put forward different opinions: it is precisely because Che Chi Guo is close at hand that it is all the more necessary to avoid direct conflict with it, so as to gain time for peace of mind development. On the contrary, the country of Loulan and the country of Shule are thousands of miles away, and it is not easy for the laborers to go on an expedition to conquer Metasequoia City, so there is no need to care too much.

Some people also suggested that they could contact Shule State first, because the other party had never fought with the Metasequoia Military Government, and they were still neutral between them. even had to find a way to instigate Shule and Loulan to compete for the position of alliance leader, so that they could eat dogs.

Someone else put forward a fanciful idea and sent an envoy to the Turkic Flame Maple Forest City to negotiate with Ashina Jin Khan.

For a while, everyone was gossiping and discussing.

After waiting for a long time, Li Jiangyao saw that everyone was talking about the same, so he coughed lightly and asked, "Tell me, who is our number one enemy?" ”

The generals looked at each other, and one tried to reply: "Turks? ”

Li Jiangyao bowed his head and said: "That's right! Our number one enemy is the Turks! More than 20 years ago, the Zhenjiang Protectorate was established to prevent Turkic invasions, and more than 20 years later, if it were not for the Turks, Xijiang would never have the courage to launch a rebellion! To put it bluntly, the dispute between the ghost desert in Western Xinjiang is actually the dispute between the Holy Tang Dynasty and the Turks. So let me ask you again, who is the biggest threat to the rebels in Western Xinjiang right now? ”

Xie Tanzhi smiled when he heard this, and his eyes flashed with a hint of light. Xu Youcheng said in a deep voice: "In the past, the biggest threat to them should be the Zhenjiang Protectorate. Now, it should be replaced by the Turkic Iron Horse. ”

Du Jian was a little puzzled and asked, "Turkic Iron Horseman?" Aren't they allies of the rebels in the Western Frontier? If they hadn't made trouble behind their backs, how could Deputy Duhu Zhang and the Zhenjiang Army have lost the battle in Crescent Bay? It stands to reason that the Turks should be the biggest backers of the rebels in Western Xinjiang. ”

Xie Tanzhi explained: "It's not wrong to say that you are a backer, but when you score. ”

Lin Feng nodded, and said to Du Jian: "When the rebels couldn't defeat our Shengtang soldiers and horses, the Turks were their good friends and increased backers, and now that there is no threat from the capital protectorate, the value of this friend will naturally be greatly reduced." ”

"Aren't there still Zijin Pass and Sheng Yu Pass?" Du Jian was unconvinced: "What kind of prince of the Turks, with an army of 100,000 under his command, marched east to block the two passes, isn't he blocking the Shengtang army for the rebels in the western Xinjiang?" ”

"It's true that it's blocking the Holy Tang from sending troops," Xu Youchang sneered: "But who is blocking it, it's very debatable." In my opinion, the Prince of the Templars, Ronia, will not have enough to eat and have nothing to do, and go to stand guard for the Alek River. ”

Huo Liya agreed: "Brother Xu is right, Ronia is for the Turkic Empire, for his Great Khan Ashina. Just like what the Lord just said, the Turks snatched the Western Ghost Desert from the hands of Sheng Tang, of course, you have to pay attention. ”

This truth was explained thoroughly, and everyone also expressed their approval. At the beginning, the rebels in Western Xinjiang rebels rebelled against each other, and the original purpose was to overthrow the master of Shengtang. And the current situation shows that the Turks who came to help may become their new masters.

Accordingly, several major states in the Western Frontier Alliance, such as Loulan, Shule, and Chechi, were bound to be highly wary of the Turks.

And the enemy of the enemy, it is possible to become friends.

Even if this "friend" is stupid, it is better than being an enemy who shows his teeth and claws.

Li Jiangyao looked around at his subordinates and said with a smile: "Since everyone agrees with this truth, next, let's give a reassuring pill to those royal highnesses who are wary of the Turks!" ”