As for Xiao Shougui and Zhang Jiuli, they were even more harmonious.
Both of them are smart people, but Xiao Shougui is a little younger and needs an older person to guide him in many aspects. In fact, all the policies have been formulated, and now all he needs is Zhang Jiuli to review them. If there is no one to take charge of him, Xiao Shougui always feels a little uneasy.
In fact, Xiao Shougui also guessed that Li Xiang might let his grandfather come here, but considering his grandfather's old age, it would be better for him not to come to the Western Regions. What's more, the people of the Arab Empire are eyeing them covetously. Once any problems arise on the front battlefield, it may fall into war. An old man in such a situation would probably not be able to escape.
Of course, we are winning now, but we must also prepare for the worst in many things. If we encounter problems on the front line, will I regret going then? Now that Zhang Jiuli has been sent here, Xiao Shougui is relieved.
Xiao Shougui could be said to fully support the policy formulated by the court. In fact, regarding these issues in the Western Regions, Xiao Shougui was very supportive from beginning to end. If we were to continue to manage in the same way as before, sooner or later someone would take advantage of the situation.
Time and time again, just like those chieftains in Sichuan, they can play tricks on you, but the court can't keep doing stupid things year after year, so now they should station troops and officials in various places. We can respect your habits, but when it comes to issues concerning national security, you guys have to listen obediently.
Of course, it is just empty talk, and I am afraid these people will not believe it. After all, they have all been kings, and no one would want to have an emperor above them. So we have to let them know that we are not talking empty words. We will station officials and troops here to supervise you.
We will not interfere in matters within the scope of our authority. This is your freedom. As long as you do not do anything to betray the Tang Dynasty, your life will not change much. But if you have second thoughts, the army stationed here will not be a pushover. At that time, not only your life will be in danger, but your entire family may not have a chance to eat.
Of course, this must be done step by step. It is impossible to control all 36 countries in the Western Regions at once. According to the court's policy, for those that are more remote and have smaller populations, we should try our best to move them to the core areas. We cannot set up military camps for such a small number of people. It is too expensive for the court. The only option is to merge the two countries into one to facilitate our management.
Of course, this is a bit difficult to do, which is one of the reasons why Zhang Jiuli was sent. This guy is best at using economic means. It may not be seen in a short period of time, but if it takes a long time, this guy will always be able to make people voluntarily go to the settlement designated by the court.
After resting for a few days, Qu Tushou set off with his men. This guy was full of confidence, mainly because the troops he brought out from Chang'an City were extremely elite. They had undergone nearly 7 months of training and were proficient in using various weapons. In addition, with the help of local guides, what was lacking was Qu Tushou's command ability, and this was what Cheng Chumo valued.
On the fourth day after leaving the Protectorate, Qu Tushou ordered his men to launch an attack. First, a round of artillery bombardment made the local bandits realize that they were no match for Qu Tushou, so they immediately led their men to retreat. As long as they could escape in the vast desert, we would have a chance to take revenge.
Qu Tushou himself knew very well that if he only gave the person in front of him a chance, he wouldn't need to take action, he could just find a small person at random. The reason why he sent him out was to eliminate the trouble forever.
Qu Tushou had previously found out that after leaving here, there were only three oases that could satisfy the lives of these people, so he only mobilized 1,500 people to attack. The remaining 3,500 people here were divided into three oases, which had already been figured out.
In two hours, more than 1,000 people were killed or injured, and the remaining 2,000 people fled in all directions. However, just like Qu Tu Shou Yue Se, after a few hours, these people arrived at three oases outside.
Fortunately, he had already arranged his men. After another exchange of fire, out of the original three to four thousand bandit gangs, only 500 people escaped with injuries. The rest were either captured or killed. The bandit gang entrenched here disappeared.
Cheng Chumo's subordinates naturally saw Qu Tushou's command and admired it from the bottom of their hearts. Needless to say, Qu Tushou could reorganize his 5,000 men and report to Cheng Chuliang.
As for the aftermath of these bandits, they would naturally be dealt with by the 1,000 Gaochang soldiers.
In addition, a 2,000-strong Western Region army was also placed under Qu Tushou's command, which was a disguised reward for him.
Cheng Chuliang really needs support now. After Prince Salaman's failure, he was ready to summon the troops of the Governor-General of Anton, and add his men to form another 150,000-strong army, and then attack Cheng Chuliang's camp.
Before, they were all small-scale fights, but now they were preparing for a decisive battle. Cheng Chumo naturally would not hold his brother back, and all kinds of military supplies were transported all the way up. Of course, the most important support came from the 5,000 men under Qu Tushou. They were the real Tang army, and they were armed to the teeth with all kinds of muskets and crossbows. Once on the battlefield, these talents were elite soldiers who could fight ten to one.
Cheng Chuliang had been waiting since the last great victory, but he did not advance alone. The entire army was stationed in Shiguo City.
Although all the countries in the Western Regions sent troops, Cheng Chuliang knew very well that the combat effectiveness of these people could not catch up with the army of the Arab Empire. If he wanted to defeat them, he had to wait for the Tang army to arrive. Now that the 5,000 people under Qu Tushou had arrived, they would have 25,000 Tang troops and 40,000 Gaochang troops in their hands.
With these people, even if the Arab Empire assembled an army of 150,000, it would never be their opponent. We are already invincible, and no matter how you Arabs jump around, it will be useless.
