No one had expected the changes in the Western Regions. Li Xiang had always implemented a policy of streamlining the military and government, and did not want the army to cause too much trouble to the Tang Dynasty, so he dismissed some of the less useful soldiers across the country, hoping to allow them to return to social construction.
Now looking at the reports from the front line, I realized that there are really no troops to be dispatched. Although there are still some soldiers in various places, if all of them are transferred to the Western Regions, then there may be defense gaps in various places. If something happens, there will be no one available.
There are some idle personnel in the capital, but they must protect the capital's safety. No matter how much land they occupy outside, it is icing on the cake. If the capital is in danger, then no matter how great your merits are, it will be useless. Someone will soon stand up and attack you. This is the foundation of the entire Tang Empire.
The Mansion of General Tiance.
"This is the current situation. The Western Regions are short of troops. We must send at least 20,000 more people there, otherwise we won't be able to hold on. Even if the countries in the Western Regions still have populations that can be deployed, we can't trust them. Tell us your ideas and see where we can mobilize the troops."
Li Xiang called all the officials of the General's Mansion. Three cobblers are better than one Zhuge Liang. If it was a war, Li Xiang had plenty of ways to deal with it, but if it involved the mobilization of local troops, he had to listen to everyone's opinions to avoid some loopholes. After all, a person's brain is limited and it is impossible to think through all aspects.
Everyone was frowning at the moment, thinking about national affairs, which could not be explained in a few words. So even if Li Xiang was anxious now, he had to give them some time to think. Otherwise, making a hasty decision might cause instability in the entire Tang Dynasty because of the Western Regions, and then we would lose more than we gain.
"The situation in Goguryeo is gradually calming down. We now have over 30,000 people stationed there. They can spare 5,000 people from here, and they can also spare 5,000 Goguryeo laborers to form an army. After all, after arriving in the Western Regions, they will only need to guard certain places, and they will not be needed to go to the battlefield. This can replace the 5,000 combat troops we have in the Western Regions."
Su Dingfang was more familiar with the situation in Goguryeo, and he was also mainly responsible for the situation there. After summarizing the situation in the past month, he was able to allocate 5,000 people from there.
In the territory of the Tang Dynasty, Goguryeo was conquered relatively early, and their people were also reformed. It has been some years, and if we want to transport them to the Western Regions now, I believe many people would be willing to do so.
After all, on their original land, they worked like slaves, finishing today's work but not tomorrow's, working in the fields every day. These people had long been unwilling to do this.
"Since we've already recruited them, let's get more. If it doesn't affect local production in Goguryeo, we'll recruit 10,000 Goguryeo soldiers to accompany our 5,000 and have them rush to the Western Regions immediately."
Li Xiang also nodded. There were a large number of people on the Goguryeo side, and the local birth population had not decreased after being occupied by the Tang Dynasty. Now was the time when they were needed.
"But we must make it clear to those guys that once they arrive in the Western Regions, they are not superior to others. They should not bully the local people at will. If they do so, transferring them to the Western Regions will only create an unstable group and put a lot of pressure on our Western Regions policies."
Cheng Yaojin was also present. He had been to Goguryeo for today's meeting, so he naturally knew what the people there were like. When they saw the common people of the Tang Dynasty, they were all servile and fawning, looking like slaves.
But they went to Fuso and exploited the people of Fuso to the utmost, almost thinking of themselves as landlords. If the Tang army had not discovered it early, it is very likely that Fuso would have rebelled, and we would have been the ones to deal with it then.
"What General Cheng said is very important. You must explain it clearly to the person leading the troops this time. Tell him to teach these people from Goguryeo a lesson. After arriving in the Western Regions, he will only be responsible for management. They don't need to meddle in other people's affairs."
Li Xiang had heard about this matter before. Now that Cheng Yaojin has said it, he must take it seriously. This kind of small matter may not be taken seriously at ordinary times, but if something really happens, it will be a big deal.
"The Nanzhao Kingdom can also provide 5,000 people. Of course, they are all local soldiers. Our Tang army is a bit stretched. If necessary, we can train troops in Luoyang, the eastern capital. There are also many people there, and many of them are willing to contribute to the country."
Niu Jinda thought of the Nanzhao Kingdom. The Nanzhao Kingdom itself had very rich human resources, and when they surrendered to the Tang Dynasty, they did not engage in large-scale wars. Except for the war between the King of Zhennan and the King of Nanzhao in the capital, the handover across the country was smooth.
"Nanzhao Kingdom is the base camp of our southward expansion strategy. If we mobilize these 5,000 troops, will they still be able to support our troops in the south? If they are affected, we will not be able to mobilize troops from there."
Li Xiang thought for a while and said that although he had returned from the south, he was still concerned about the battlefield in the south, especially the huge Tianzhu Kingdom. If Tianzhu started a war in advance, it would be better for the people of Nanzhao not to move.
"Don't worry, Your Highness. It's only a mere 5,000 men. They've already submitted four or five memorials to the court, all wanting to follow us into battle. We originally wanted to start fighting in the southern battlefield, but who knew it would stop there? If that's the case, why not transfer them to the Western Regions and give it a try? If they can't adapt to the local weather, we won't pursue this idea in the future."
What Niu Jinda said is also very important. The vassal armies from all over the empire must be mobilized to adapt to the weather and climate in various parts of the empire. If they really cannot adapt, then there is no need for us to continue doing this useless work.
"Then we'll reply to the Western Regions first. Adding these five thousand men will bring them to a total of ten thousand. We'll establish a new camp in Luoyang with a force of around fifty thousand men. Give them five months to train, and then build a fifty-thousand-man camp in Jiangnan..."
