Yun Ye’s memorial lay before Li Er. The subtle changes in the Western Regions had originally all been within his grasp. Now, having read Yun Ye’s memorial, he began to feel uncertain. Just as Yun Ye had said, the Western Regions now swarmed with bandits, with beacon fires everywhere. To consolidate local security, he had already used heavy-handed measures, yet the situation had not thoroughly improved. Instead, it was sliding toward an even more dangerous situation.
The newly established Protectorate was receiving the most severe test. Yun Ye had established a base in Loulan, pushing his military front forward to Beiting, and in order to deal with the complicated situation in the future, he had begun constructing camel cities, stockpiling gunpowder and fire oil. Right now, his greatest capability could only guarantee the passage from Beiting to the Central Plains. For the time being, he was powerless to suppress the westward advance of the various Western Region tribes.
Putting down Yun Ye’s memorial, Li Er walked out of Wanmin Palace with his hands behind his back, gazing toward the west for a long time, unwilling to withdraw his gaze. Yes, what Yun Ye said did make sense. The Western Region people had stayed in Talas too long—this was completely unreasonable. Now they were even burning, killing, and plundering throughout the Western Regions, committing every evil act. This was an approach that would completely turn the Western Regions into a desert. Why?
“Summon Li Jing, Li Ji, Cheng Yaojin, Qin Qiong, Niu Jinda, and Yuchi Gong to the palace to discuss matters of state. Also summon Fang Xuanling, Du Ruhui, and Zhangsun Wuji to the palace. Don’t make a fuss about this matter.”
After Li Er finished giving instructions to Duan Hong, he returned to the palace hall to continue analyzing the situation in the Western Regions. The Waterworks Bureau had not transmitted any useful intelligence from the Western Regions for a very long time. He very much wanted to ask Li Dayin exactly what was going on. He tapped the golden bell, and a gray-clothed person emerged from behind the curtain. Having heard Li Er’s instructions, they returned behind the curtain.
The Emperor feasting several old generals was routine. The several men entered the palace talking and laughing. They didn’t go to Taiji Palace—why did they proceed directly to Wanmin Palace? This didn’t follow convention. Nowadays banquets were all held at Taiji Palace. There was no reason to go to Wanmin Palace. The several men exchanged glances and followed Duan Hong into Wanmin Palace.
Before the Emperor there was no wine or food, only a huge map, with terrain models beside it. The Emperor’s eyes were looking at those few lonely little flags. Cheng Yaojin’s heart skipped a beat—that was clearly the direction of Beiting Prefecture.
“Yun Ye says he is now powerless to advance westward and can only barely maintain self-protection. What do you all think?”
“Yun Ye’s private letter also mentioned the chaos in the Western Regions. It has now become a world of bandits. He destroyed five thousand Tubo bandit invaders in one battle and also carried out massive slaughter in Tingzhou. This was probably to intimidate the bandits. Now he says he is powerless to advance westward. Could it be that new changes have occurred there? The letters we’ve received are already from three months ago. If it’s bad news, the situation should have worsened even more by now. I wonder whether the great army is safe.”
Cheng Yaojin immediately asked about Yun Ye’s safety. More than thirty thousand men deep in the desert—their numbers were indeed somewhat thin.
“It won’t be. It’s already winter now. Heavy snow will block all traffic. In the Western Regions, one cannot wage war during winter. Horse feed alone is a very large problem. The Western Regions should now be maintaining the situation from three months ago. Only after spring begins could there be possible deterioration.”
Li Ji had been stationed outside the capital for many years and had also put in hard work studying the Western Regions, so naturally he knew the situation there.
However, Li Jing picked up Yun Ye’s memorial from the table, read it through once, and said to all the old generals: “Which of you, when your own great army lacks grain, would send people several thousand li away to procure grain?”
“Five hundred li. Five hundred li is the limit, and one must confirm that the grain and fodder there are abundant—that a great army raid once could make up for all deficiencies. Otherwise, such grain procurement actions have no meaning whatsoever.”
Niu Jinda looked at Li Jing with puzzlement. This was basic military knowledge. He shouldn’t be asking such foolish questions.
“Such people have appeared. The Turkic people are doing just this. They’ve sent their own people two thousand li away to procure grain, crossing two salt flats and one desert, setting out from Talas to procure grain in Beiting.”
Li Jing looked at the map with interest and measured with his hand the distance from Talas to Tingzhou, then confirmed: “One thousand eight hundred li in a straight line. Very strange, isn’t it?”
“When something goes against normal patterns, it becomes demonic. I also couldn’t figure out this point, which is why I’ve asked you beloved ministers to discuss it together. Now Guo Xiaoke has advanced his troops toward Jiashi City. Yun Ye’s left flank is completely empty. To protect the trade routes, Yun Ye had no choice but to contract his forces, establishing a main base in Loulan and assigning it to Xu Jingzong to command, while he himself leads cavalry on the wasteland sweeping out bandit invaders. I had previously planned to establish a new city at Heishi Mountain. After Yun Ye investigated, he believed that city construction was impossible there—Great Tang’s soldiers could not adapt to the miasma there. In the end, he could only choose Luanshi City. According to reports, that place is favorable for both offense and defense. Old Master Yuan even deployed the Eight Trigrams Formation there. It can be considered impregnable. With such a strongpoint, the Western Regions cannot fall into chaos. I don’t believe what Yun Ye said about barbarians knocking at the gates of Yumen Pass.”
While they were talking, Fang Xuanling and the others also arrived. After hearing the Emperor’s words, Zhangsun Wuji frowned and said: “Naturally, the barbarians knocking at gates that Yun Ye envisioned won’t happen. However, these people have stayed in Talas, Suiye City, and Almaty for too long. One year’s grain feeds people for one year. They’ve been staying there for over two years already, yet still show no posture of advancing westward. To say they’re preparing to advance eastward and come at us also doesn’t seem quite right. This minister believes they are observing, or perhaps internal disputes have arisen. Should we send an envoy over to take a look?”
“Your Majesty, Talas City is no longer a city that we Tang people can enter. Almaty is even more heavily guarded. There, the Waterworks Bureau has already lost no fewer than thirty scouts.”
Li Dayin stood below the steps reporting to the Emperor. The current Talas City was no longer open to Tang people. Merchant caravans wanting to go to the Caliphate could only proceed around the city. Those who risked entering Talas City had no news transmitted back.
“Your Majesty, our dynasty is currently engaged in great development. The entire Great Tang is like a huge construction site. From south to north, from west to east, everywhere are busy crowds of people. If Your Majesty wishes to send additional troops to the Western Regions, this old minister considers it inappropriate. This year’s budget has all been allocated, and we’ve even drawn on part of next year’s. The Ministry of Finance can now be said to not have a single copper coin. On the contrary, we owe a large sum. The national treasury is unable to support a great army campaign. Please, Your Majesty, clearly discern this.”
Fang Xuanling saw that the worried expressions on everyone’s faces were becoming increasingly heavy. Taking precautions, he first told everyone that the nation was currently engaged in construction and had no money for warfare. This was the truth—others had no way to criticize it.
Ever since Li Er made a huge profit on the copper-silver exchange rate, he immediately prepared to spend this money. New roads in Shu and canals in Hebei were top priorities that absolutely could not be stopped. If this opportunity was missed, the next time construction could begin would be unknown.
“Your Majesty, in this old minister’s view, although Yun Ye’s great army suffers somewhat in numbers, he’s not completely without the power to fight back. What he worries about is that the Western Regions are too vast—his troops cannot take care of everything. Add to this Guo Xiaoke’s westward advance, causing his left flank to be empty. As long as Your Majesty commands Guo Xiaoke to withdraw eastward to fill the gap, there will be no great problem. Fifty thousand troops stationed along the Beiting-Anxi line—even if they cannot force the barbarians to advance westward, at least they can guarantee our dynasty’s borders are without warfare. Drag it out for three to five years. Once our dynasty has freed up its hands, it won’t be too late to settle accounts with these barbarians.”
Li Jing’s words made Fang Xuanling and the others nod continuously. This approach was the most prudent. Although the Western Regions were important, they hadn’t reached the point of importance that exceeded domestic construction. As long as Yun Ye could drag out the Western Region people for three to five years, when the imperial court freed up its hands, the great army would advance westward and naturally could sweep away all demons and monsters. Before absolute strength, whatever schemes the barbarians played were useless.
“If we do this, the burden on Yun Ye’s shoulders becomes heavy. Fifty thousand men defending a five-thousand-li defense line—one li would only have ten men. Wouldn’t that be full of holes everywhere? On the Gobi Desert, roads are everywhere. How can he defend? We speak lightly here, but Yun Ye will run his legs off on the Gobi Desert. Calculate for yourselves—which family’s great army can maintain battle readiness all year round? Especially in the godforsaken place of the Western Regions, with yellow sand filling one’s eyes. Just running from one city to another can run horses to death. His troop strength is far from enough. At the very least, he needs troops that can rotate.” Cheng Yaojin put Yun Ye’s memorial on the table and said indignantly.
“Camel city. When Yun Ye left Chang’an, he mentioned camel cities to us. I don’t know what his camel cities have been developed into now. With such a mobile fortress, he can operate long-term on the Gobi without worrying about problems of exhausted morale.” Li Ji suddenly called out. He seemed to have great confidence in Yun Ye’s camel city concept.
“Camel cities are being used in actual combat for the first time. Who can know exactly what it will be like? If successful, naturally all will be well. If unsuccessful, the lives of fifty thousand troops are at risk. Add to this that the Western Regions have unpredictable climate—one large sandstorm can make an entire army completely disappear. Back when Hou Junji attacked Jiaohe, didn’t a flanking force disappear in the desert?”
Qin Qiong spoke a sentence after quite some time. Seeing everyone looking at him, he continued: “Pinning the lives of the great army on a camel city we’ve never seen, never used—what difference is there from tying the soldiers’ lives to Heaven’s crotch? This old man suggests abandoning Beiting, defending Gaochang with the full army, completely abandoning the lands north of the Tianshan Mountains. After enduring these few years, we can deliberate anew from the beginning.”
Li Er shook his head and said: “Times change. Now, as long as our Great Tang’s troops withdraw, those Western Region people will swiftly flow back. That way, the painstaking efforts of our previous years will be for naught.”
“Someone come. Draft an edict. Command Yun Ye that no matter what, he must hold the Beiting-Anxi line. Guo Xiaoke may withdraw to Kucha and henceforth be subordinate to Yun Ye’s command, seeking opportunities to force the barbarians westward. There must be no errors!”
Niu Jinda saw that the Emperor had already issued the decree. With a sigh, he closed his mouth and said nothing more. Li Er said with a smile: “You ministers underestimate Yun Ye’s abilities. I am filled with confidence that Yun Ye can hold the Western Regions. As long as I order Su Dingfang, who has been recalled, to station his troops at Yumen Pass, Great Tang will be without worry. If changes occur with Yun Ye, Su Dingfang can advance into the Western Regions at the fastest speed. At the same time, Qiao Shiwang, who withdrew from Anxi, must also be stationed in Hexi, keeping watch on Tubo, not allowing them time to catch their breath.”