On the New Year's Day of the third year of Longji, all the ministers submitted a letter to ask for the title of emperor, and Prime Minister Zheng Cong-sei led all officials to honor the title of "Saint Wenlong and Wushu Emperor".

On the eighth day of the first lunar month, Emperor Wu issued an edict, including Lin Wei, Wang Chong, Cui Anqian, Zhang Zimian, Zeng Yuanyu, Zhao Yuan, Gao Shunli, Xin Xi and other eight generals were given the title of marshal!

In the Nan Study Room, Zhang Chengye reported to the front of the hall: "Your Majesty, wait for the Eight Marshals outside the Hall!"

Li Jing stood up to greet him and gave him the eight generals to the throne.

"I invite you all to come, can you and others know what's going on?"

"Shall the four barbarians!" Lin Wei, the leader of the Eight Generals, took the initiative.

After the just-in-commissioned ceremony, Lin Wei and eight generals had become the top military generals in the Tang Dynasty, and no one could have been the right of these eight people. Originally, Yu Guan, Zheng Qie and others were also commanding thousands of troops and making many achievements. However, the court's new system is separated by civil and military affairs, and only military generals can be awarded military ranks. Therefore, only the eight generals who can finally get the rank of the top marshal are.

"You really understand. Please tell me how to eradicate the four barbarians?"

Since the founding of the New Dynasty, it took two years to completely wipe out the vassals and unify the world. However, it was not peaceful around the Tang Dynasty. In addition to the conquering various tribes in the early years, they had already begun to immigrate to the military farms, and there were many significant forces in other places.

Lin Wei said: "During the Qianfu, during the Zhonghe period, there was a war in the Central Plains and the desert was not peaceful. Decades ago, the Uighurs' civil strife was destroyed by the Khikas. However, the power of the Khikas was not enough to dominate the grassland and finally retreated to the foot of Jinshan Mountain. In the eastern grassland, there was no overlord, Shiwei, Xi, Turks, Uighurs, Khitan and other tribes moved westward, causing the Hu to live in this area. After the Battle of the Hundred Tribes in the Northeast, some tribes such as Khitan, Shiwei, and Mohe who were defeated by us began to flee west on a larger scale. In recent years, we have been using troops to the Central Plains to flee westward.

The Hu tribe has not been investigated. Now several years have passed, the grassland tribes have recuperated and their strength has recovered a lot. All Hu tribes are ethnic groups on horseback. They are born brave and good at fighting. The Supervision Office estimates that there are no less than millions of herders in the East and West grasslands, and no less than hundreds of thousands of people who control strings. Although they are now in a mess and do not unite, on the contrary, there are tribes attacking each other, but these tribe cavalry come and go like the wind and are extremely fierce. If you ignore them, you are afraid that within ten years, there will be another strong tribe on the grassland. At that time, it will be a disaster for the Central Plains!"

"In this way, the court should take the initiative first?" Li Jing frowned, and was obviously not satisfied with Lin Wei's theory of grassland threat. Lin Wei was the newly-private marshal, and his words at this time must have been the result of communicating with other marshals. This shows that the generals of the court were still staring at the north and the west. This was still focused on the traditional strategic pattern. The court's defense focus was placed on the west and north. This was contrary to his idea.

Li Jing clearly remembers that in history, the Great Wall built in all dynasties was actually built along 400mm rainfall lines.

The 400mm rainfall line is the dividing line between arid and humid areas.

In China's history, there was a period when the prosperity and prosperity of the Central Plains agricultural society was caused to surrender to the northern nomadic peoples, such as the Han and Tang dynasties, and there were also an period when the northern tribes entered the Central Plains, such as the Five Barbarians and Sixteen Kingdoms. But in most cases, this only temporarily changed the boundary between agricultural civilization and nomadic tribes, and did not fundamentally eliminate the existence and interaction of these two societies.

In history, no matter how strong Emperor Wu of Han was, no matter how brave Wei Qing, Huo Qubing, Li Guang was, no matter how wise Emperor Taizong of Tang, Li Jing and Li Ji and others were, although they once pushed the boundary of the actual control area to a very far north, it was difficult to implement long-term governance in the end. Once, the Huns and Turks were still fighting against them. Even if the minority tribes entering the Central Plains were as strong as the Xianbei of the Northern Wei Dynasty, when they adapted to life in the Central Plains, the Hu tribes, who still lived a nomadic life in the north, would challenge and try to replace them. This situation happened repeatedly in the long river of history.

Therefore, for thousands of years, dynasties have been changing and history has advanced, but the nomadic peoples in the grassland and the agricultural civilization in the Central Plains have never been truly merged.

Why?

Li Jing knew very well why all this was.

This is firstly due to the differences in climate and geographical environments of grasslands and agricultural areas. Historians have proposed the famous rainfall line such as 400 mm. To the north of this line, the rainfall is less than 400 mm, which is a semi-arid area and is not suitable for planting crops, so it becomes a nomadic area. In the south, because the rainfall is more than 400 mm, it is a semi-humid and humid area and is suitable for agriculture, so it becomes an agricultural society.

By comparison, you will find that this border is about the southern border of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, and is curved downwardly; it is also roughly the same as the direction of the Great Wall. The downward bend is because the more inland it is, the less rainfall is in the same latitude area. This is different from the imagination of many people. In the minds of many people in the Central Plains and nomads, the farmland and the land of the pasture are homogeneous, and can be used as farmland or pasture. But in fact, the land and climate in the north and south of the rainfall line such as 400 mm are of different quality.

According to this difference, no matter who owns the land first, or whether the ownership of the land is changed later through war or transaction, farmland and pasture will still be divided by this. If a farmer buys or occupys the grassland from the north, farming is worse than grazing, and he will only be most efficient if he becomes a herder; while a herder buys or occupys the farmland from the south, grazing is worse than farming, and he will only become a farmer.

Historically, many Hu people who went south eventually either returned to the grassland or became sinicized and assimilated into the Central Plains agricultural civilization. At the same time, many Han people entered the northern grasslands, but in the end, these people basically became herders.

Li Jing deeply understood that this boundary cannot be changed by force.

If the Tang Dynasty placed the direction of its attack in the north, then it was taking a detour. History told Li Jing that for the Central Plains civilization, expanding territory to the northeast and southwest is the real benefit of the present and future generations.

However, Lin Wei's words are not completely unreasonable. The characteristics of the nomadic people make this naturally an aggressive group. Once their strength becomes stronger, they will inevitably invade the south. The Central Plains civilization cannot truly occupy the control grassland, but they cannot ignore it. Otherwise, they will be the biggest threat to the Central Plains.

Li Jing frowned. This is really a money-loss project. If you win, you can't occupy the grassland. However, even a money-loss business has to be done.

"How is the Senate going to fight?"

The new dynasty was established. The Supreme Military Institution of the Staff, which also made partial changes. The Staff was established under the General Staff Envoy, and there were left and right staff envoys, followed by the Cavalry Commander, the Infantry Commander, the Navy Commander, and the Navy Marine Commander.

The General Staff Envoy, the Left and Right Staff Envoy, and the Commander of the Four Army Units. The core level is these seven people.

The four commanders, also known as Ma Shuai, Bu Shuai, Shui Shuai and Lu Shuai. Under these four commanders, each has a deputy commander and a Du Yuhou. The responsibilities and power of the General Staff are much stronger than before, far higher than the two yamen in the north and south and the Ministry of War. They are responsible for the military strategic deployment of the court and the power of the military.

Duke Anguo and Marshal Lin Wei are now the first general staff envoy of the founding country. As the general staff envoy, he is also the emperor's chief military adviser.

Lin Wei replied: "The General Staff meaning is that there are wise monarchs and wise ministers, brave generals in the Tang Dynasty, and the masters and generals, and the masters are united. This is what I am good at being the Hu clan. However, the country is established at the beginning. The world is settled, so it is not advisable to make big moves, so we must be cautious in our army."

It is necessary to fight, but there is no need to fight. Lin Wei's words made Li Jing feel relieved. He was really afraid that they would propose a plan to attack and completely conquer the grassland when they were in a hot mind. Now, only fight early, but be careful of the result. He was very satisfied. The preliminary plan made by the General Staff Academy was very good. They proposed that dealing with the grassland could imitate the strategies of the Northern Zhou and Sui Dynasty, supplementing military and focusing on strategy. To deal with these scattered tribes that have not yet become stronger, they can implement the strategy of combining the weak and getting away from the strong, and fighting far and near. They can incite these tribes to attack each other. In this way, the court only needs to invest the smallest force to achieve the greatest effect, ensure border security, and weaken and suppress the grassland power.

Li Jing stood up and picked up a secret memorial, "I will show you a memorial to all the marshals!"

Lin Wei took it with both hands, which was a memorial submitted by Gongsun Lan, the chief chief of the Supervision Department. The above comments said that the information of the grassland that the Supervision Department sent people to spy on was the most powerful on the grassland. Now on the grassland, the most powerful ones are the Khikas, then the Uighurs, and then the Tatars and Khitans who moved westward. Although the Khitans are not as powerful as the previous tribes, after they moved westward, they have joined forces in recent years, and have joined forces with many westward tribes and gained a foothold on the grassland. Even last year, the Khitans united the Tatars and Tubo to attack the Uighurs and achieved a great victory. Now the power has increased greatly, and they have obtained a large area of ​​abundant grasslands, as well as a large number of slaves and livestock that have been seized. According to such a force, this tribe that was once beaten by Li Jing in the northeast and became a dog that has become a despairing family, in a few years, it is possible to turn around again.

Eight marshals took turns to read this memorial.

"The emperor wants to use troops, so we please serve!"

Li Jing laughed and said, "The generals support me, my heart has been decided!"

In March, the Uighurs in Ganzhou, Hexi took advantage of the opportunity of the Hexi Guiyi Army's Jiedushi entering the Central Plains and launched a rebellion and attacking Gan and Su and other Hexi prefectures. The Khitans and Tatars in the northwest immediately responded and sent troops to the Hexi area of ​​the Tang Dynasty. In May, the Uighurs, Tatars, and the vanguard of the Western Liao coalition forces arrived in Su and Gan, approached Liangzhou, and were repelled by the Tang army's border guards.

Lin Wei stood in front of the large sand table of the Staff Academy, watching the groups of staff members keep working on the drawings and sand tables, "It's time to send troops!" Lin Wei said to the left and right staff officers and the fourth generals of the Staff Academy.

Things are as Lin Wei said.

The next day, Li Jing summoned the generals to the court. In the main hall, the General Staff, the two yamen and the Ministry of War all reported that the army was ready to send troops, and the logistics, supplies, and food and grass were also ready. Li Jing immediately issued an order to send troops, ordering Liu Xun to become the commander of the first legion and enter the grassland. Zhou Dewei was the commander of the second legion and crossed the Daxinganling Mountains in Lingbei Province. Guo Chongtao was the commander of the third legion and advanced west from Lingwu. Guo Zhenshan was the commander of the fourth legion and advanced northwest from Yunzhong, Jinbei, and Li Wei was the commander of the fifth legion and advanced west from Yingzhou across the Yanshan Mountains.

Five armies, totaling more than 100,000 troops. The entire offensive line ranged from the Daxinganling Mountains in the northeast to Yanshan Mountains in western Liaoning, Yinshan Mountains in Shanxi, Helan Mountains in Hequ, and a long front of thousands of miles. Five armies attacked at the same time. Although the enemy soldiers attacked the border were in the Hexi Corridor, the momentum of the imperial court sending troops was obviously not only intended to treat the headache or the foot pain, but to sort out the entire grassland from east to west.

Although the five armies did not dispatch any marshals, Li Jing dispatched the most powerful brave generals in the Tang Dynasty today, as well as the most elite imperial guards and military guards.

In August, the black eagle battle flag of the Qin army appeared on the prairie. The tribal herders on the prairie were panicked and afraid when they saw the overwhelming Tang cavalry. "After conquering the land of Liaodong, did the Tang Dynasty finally come to the prairie?" In September, dozens of troops led their troops to join in front of the powerful Tang army. They dared not resist.

In December, several armies attacked from the east had swept through the entire eastern grassland, and the troops arrived at the Jinshan Mountains at the junction of the east and west, and the five armies successfully joined forces.

"Report to the general, the front army has defeated the Tatar tribe's troops, and the Western Liao troops are retreating west of Jinshan!"

Liu Xun pondered for a moment. Among the five armies, his first legion was the main force of the central army, so he was also the leader of the generals this time. He said in a deep voice: "Survey Yelu Abaoji, and never let this kid go!"

"General, the other departments are still behind. Are you waiting for them to follow?"

"Military information is urgent, I can't wait. Chase!"

Yelu Abaoji succeeded to the Khan of the Western Liao Kingdom as early as last year. Under his leadership, the Western Liao Kingdom gained a foothold at the foot of Jinshan Mountain and gradually expanded. This time they contacted the Tatars who moved west and one of the three branches separated after the Uighurs destroyed the country, and sent troops together. As a result, in a blink of an eye, they were defeated by the fierce counterattack of the Tang army. Seeing that the situation was not good, Yelu Abaoji immediately left his ally Tatar army and fled west quickly.

Not long after crossing Jinshan, the most powerful tribe at the Jinshan, the Khikas people who once destroyed the Uighur Empire, suddenly emerged. They were wary of the Khitans and had already received the imperial edict from Emperor Wu of the Tang Dynasty, inviting him to join the Khitans. After receiving many benefits sent by the Tang people, the Khikas people did not miss this opportunity to beat the dogs in the water.

When Liu Xun arrived all the way, the blood of the two tribes was flowing into a river. Liu Xun led his troops to kill, and with a horn thrust, he rushed straight into the formation.

The soldiers and horses of Western Liao were hit by this and were suddenly defeated. The fleeing fled. They were dispersed and were defeated in a blink of an eye. In the end, Yelu Abaoji did not escape the encirclement and was surrounded by the cavalry of the Kiagas. Xian and the Tang army were captured.

A month later, Liu Xun and five other generals had completely defeated the Uighurs in Ganzhou, the Khitan in the Western Liao Dynasty, and moved westward to the three Tatar tribes coalition forces, re-stabilizing the Hexisha, Gan, Su and other states.

Li Jing's edict has arrived.

Guo Chongtao entered the tent, "Your Majesty has ordered the troops to return to the court?"

"This is the edict, what does the general's intention mean?"

"It's not an opportunity to stop the troops."

"Well, Western Liao, Ganzhou Uighurs, and Tatars were destroyed. If the troops were withdrawn, I am afraid that no one would suppress the Kias from now on, and they would dominate the grassland soon!"

"Xiagas has just helped us to defeat the Khitan, Uighur, and Tatar coalition. If we use troops to them at this time, it will probably affect His Majesty's reputation."

"Your Majesty is not suitable for sending troops, but we can."

"Now all the soldiers know the orders of the army. How can they lead the crowd?"

"The king will not give any orders outside, and it is worth doing it for one and for all."

Five legion commanders gathered in the tent and secretly discussed in the middle of the night. Finally, they agreed to continue using troops and subdue Khikas.

The plan was decided.

Liu Xun and others sent troops to raid the tent of the Xiagasi camp at night. Xiagasi was caught off guard and was completely wary. When the people of the Xiagasi panic discovered that the Tang cavalry appeared, Guo Chongtao, who was rushing in the front, was only a few miles away from the camp.

The people of the Kiagas were defeated, and 30,000 light cavalry were gone. Liu Xun and others took advantage of the victory to advance westward and divided their troops to attack the camps of the Kiagas tribes.

More than 30,000 were beheaded, more than 200,000 men and women were captured, and millions of miscellaneous animals were captured. The noble leaders of the Kias were all beaten up in one fell swoop, and most of the elite soldiers were captured. After this battle, the powerful Kias was directly pulled back and knocked down into the dust.

In March of the fourth year of the Longji period, it started from Daxinganling in the east, ended at Yanshan and Yinshan in the south, to Helan Mountain, Jinshan, Shazhou Dunhuang, and to the north, all of which were under the jurisdiction of the Tang Empire.

In June, the chiefs of all ethnic groups from various countries in the Western Regions, including the Uighurs in the Western Regions, the nine surnames Wuhu, Gelulu, Tuqishi, etc., all came to Shenjing to meet the Emperor of the Tang Dynasty's Saint Wenlong and Wu.

The chiefs of all tribes said, "Please ask the Emperor of Tang to be the Supreme Khan."

When Emperor Wen of Sui was intimidating the Turkic Empire, he was respected as the saint Khan. After Li Shimin defeated the Turkic Empire, he was respected as the Tiankhan. Now Li Jing defeated the grassland tribes, especially in the end Liu Xun and Guo Chongtao and other generals who finally sent troops to the Khigas without authorization, completely shocked the grassland and the tribes of the Western Regions.

Which of the saints Khan, Tian Khan, and Supreme Khan, is more honorable? I guess these Hu people don’t know, but the title they offered shows their desire to surrender to be completely conquered at this time.

Li Jing couldn't help but feel a sudden surprise and laughed loudly, as if he had accepted the flattery of the chiefs.

"Long live the Supreme Khan!" The Hu chiefs all knelt down and shouted loudly in the palace.

Li Jing is high and full of supreme authority.

He was unavoidable to be happy about such a result. Although Liu Xun and others made their own decisions and attacked the people of the Kiagas, which shocked the Hu tribe, and they could not help but feel a little jealous of the style of the Martial Emperor of the New Dynasty. However, the current result shows an indisruptible truth, that justice and axioms are within the range of the cannon.

Didn’t those rebellious Hu people finally surrender after seeing the powerful strength of the new Tang Empire?

The Supreme Khan is just a title, but this fully reflects the deterrence of the Tang Empire today.
Chapter completed!