Su Dingfang was waiting for this guy to say this. If he took us back immediately to fight, Su Dingfang might not dare to go back. Firstly, it was because a snowstorm had just occurred, and secondly, he had to test what was going on with this guy. What if he was pretending to surrender?
Of course, the probability of such a situation is almost non-existent. If so many people with their families come to pretend to surrender, then these people would really be at a great risk. What's more, Su Dingfang asked his men to search for hundreds of miles, and the whole way was filled with people who died of illness under this guy's command.
Therefore, Su Dingfang concluded that this guy really came to surrender, and it would definitely not be a fake surrender. Now the entire Xueyantuo is on high alert, and it is unlikely that we can launch a surprise attack. After a month or two, that will be a good opportunity.
Su Dingfang showed an embarrassment. This guy had to feel that he was of little use and had to perform well in the future. If we were overjoyed, it would really be a great honor for this guy. So Su Dingfang left after saying a few words, and before leaving, he also said that this matter might not succeed.
"This General Su should be able to have a say."
Angurtai looked at Su Dingfang's back and encouraged himself in his heart.
"Captain, I just looked around and saw that the Tang army is truly elite, and they're a massive mass. I don't know exactly how many people there are. I heard that the Tang army has a million strong. We..."
Just when Angurtai was thinking about something, several of his men came back from outside. Angurtai had just sent them to take a look around. These people were shocked when they saw it. The Tang army was really too powerful.
The quality of both the men and the war horses is much better than theirs. If they really meet on the battlefield, their chances of winning will definitely not exceed 20%.
"I brought you here to join the Tang Dynasty. If the Tang Dynasty was weak, why would I bring you here? We just need to do our job well. We must leave a deep impression on them and let them know our capabilities. In the future, we will follow the strong."
Angurtai strengthened his confidence, but the people around him still had some doubts. After all, there were constant disputes between them and the Tang Dynasty. In their eyes, both the Turks and the Tang people were enemies. Surrendering to the Tang Dynasty had always been a hurdle that many people could not overcome. Now that they have seen the strength of the Tang Dynasty, I believe they also know what to choose.
Li Xiang's tent
"This guy is really careful. He let his men walk around the area several times. But we're not afraid of them seeing us. We still have a month or two left. Let them watch. After watching more, they'll know who's stronger."
Su Dingfang shook off the snow on his body. It would snow on the Turkic steppe even when there was no blizzard. In addition, the weather was cold, so it snowed here almost all winter.
"This guy is a capable man. When we take over the entire Xueyantuo, I guess the local territory will also be handed over to him. We outsiders can't handle this place, but if we hand it over to him, we have to be on guard against him, and that is to consume all his trusted subordinates."
Li Xiang said as he was roasting the fire, the temperature outside has now reached minus thirty degrees Celsius. Li Xiang really can't stand it in such an environment. In modern society, he also lived in the Yellow River Basin. When had he ever experienced such a temperature?
"Your Highness has figured it out. This guy will definitely not be able to escape from our grasp. However, the Xueyantuo are too far away from Chang'an. If possible, we should try to migrate to the south of the desert and move all their people in the north of the desert here."
Su Dingfang's idea represents the ideas of most people in the Tang Dynasty. The advantage of doing so is that it can reduce our management costs. It is indeed unlivable in the north. Whether it is grazing or farming, it is not a good place. If we can get them all to migrate here, we can strengthen our management of them. The fewer people in the north, the safer it is. Even if a rebellion occurs, the scale will definitely not be large, and the local government will be able to suppress it.
"Your idea only considers reducing management expenses, not our future generations. Although the land in the north is not suitable for human habitation, it represents a vast strategic depth for us. Although there are no enemies in the north now, that doesn't mean there won't be enemies in the future. Relocating some of their population is one policy, and strengthening management of the remaining population is also a policy."
Li Xiang's words puzzled Su Dingfang. North of the Xueyantuo, aside from endless coniferous forests, there was probably nothing to be found. How could there possibly be enemies there? Could it be those ferocious black bears? No matter how powerful a beast might be, it couldn't possibly be as powerful as human intelligence.
"But if we station troops in the far north, everything will have to be shipped from the south, which will create enormous pressure. Moreover, this piece of land will not produce any benefits for us. Then everything will be expenses. The current court's income can be used until the court's income drops sharply. The court ministers..."
Su Dingfang thought for a while and said that he was different from Niu Jinda. Niu Jinda was only concerned about things on the battlefield, but Su Dingfang was able to consider the financial problems of the court. It was obvious that this guy could also manage civil affairs, and he was a two-faced person.
"We don't need too many troops stationed there. They're just there to serve as a warning. How much does it cost per year? If the court officials were truly concerned about the country and reduced their living standards a bit, that would probably be enough to cover the expenses of the northern garrison."
Thinking about the big families in Chang'an City, Su Dingfang kept silent. What Li Xiang said was true. Whether in the Tang Dynasty or Tubo, the upper class lived an extremely luxurious life. They drank wine that cost dozens of strings of cash per pound every day, and the same was true for tea that cost hundreds of strings of cash per pound. Therefore, there was absolutely no problem in squeezing some money out of their mouths.
"That's your concern, not mine. Did you report this guy's surrender to Chang'an?"
Su Dingfang didn't feel anything was wrong when he said this. If the officials in Chang'an City heard this, they would definitely say that this kid was a traitor. But Su Dingfang now regarded Li Xiang as the emperor. The emperor in the capital is the emperor, and our highness is also the emperor here. This is the idea of almost all the soldiers...
