Chapter 5115: Overnight Stay in Luntai

Chapter 5115: Overnight Stay in Luntai
The team headed west, passing Dunhuang and out of Yangguan.

The Silk Road passed through the Western Regions and was divided into two routes. One route went west through Yangguan Pass, known as the Southern Silk Road, and led to Ruoqiang, Qiemo, Minfeng, Hotan, Kashgar, etc. in Xinjiang. The other route went north from Dunhuang through Yumen Pass and then west, known as the Northern Silk Road.

Fang Jun and his party took the southern route.

Lu Dongzan often went to Fang Jun's carriage to drink and eat, or to have tea and chat. He seemed unwilling to be lonely, but every question he asked was to the point.

Summarizing and summarizing his various questions, Fang Jun discovered that this old thief was very interested in the current national policy of the Tang Dynasty...

"Excuse me for being blunt, but no matter how the situation develops in the future, I'm afraid the Prime Minister will not be able to go back to Luoshui City to take charge of the overall situation. What's the use of having a lot of strategies? Moreover, the national conditions of the Tang Dynasty and Tubo are different. A policy that works well in the Tang Dynasty may not be suitable for Tubo. Oranges grown in the south of the Huai River are oranges, while those grown in the north of the Huai River are tangerines. It is useless to apply it mechanically."

He thought that Lu Dongzan was still harboring evil intentions and was still thinking of returning to Lhasa one day to revive Tubo.

"Duke Yue has misunderstood. At my age, I am still not sure whether I can return to the Tang Dynasty alive after all this wandering. What hope and ambition do I have? If I am lucky enough to return alive, I am willing to go to Chang'an and live out my life in the Tang Dynasty."

Fang Jun was very interested and asked curiously, "Chang'an and Luoyang are not only the capitals of the time, but also the best feng shui and topography in the world. They are the most suitable places for building tombs. The Prime Minister has also set foot there and experienced the local customs and people. I wonder where the Prime Minister would like to be buried after a hundred years?"

Lu Dongzan was speechless: "Don't you think it's a bit abrupt to discuss this with an old man who is about to die?"

"Life is short, like grass and trees withering in autumn. No matter if you are an emperor, a general, a peddler or a porter, you will eventually be nothing but a pile of yellow earth. How can a wise man in the world not understand this truth of the universe? Chang'an has a beautiful location and excellent feng shui. It is the capital of emperors throughout the ages. It is surrounded by four passes and fertile fields. It can be said that it is a place where the wind gathers and the energy gathers, and the blessings are long-lasting. Luoyang is even more extraordinary. The morality of the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors, the fame of the Xia, Shang and Zhou dynasties. The Seven Heroes and Five Hegemons made a fuss in the Spring and Autumn Period, and the rise and fall of the Qin and Han dynasties. There are a few names in the history books, and there are countless barren hills in Beimang. The fields of the ancestors are harvested by the descendants, so what is the fight between dragons and tigers!"

“Great phrase!”

Lu Dongzan's eyes sparkled with wonder, and he nodded repeatedly: "Everyone says that Duke Yue is a man of both literary and martial talents, and a master of both poetry and lyrics. He can speak a piece of lyrics so casually, which shows that he is well versed in the truth of the world. Only the land of the prosperous Tang Dynasty and the rain and dew of China can breed such a stunning talent!"

After that, he naturally skipped the topic of "where to bury the bones" and asked with a smile: "But I love poetry the most in my life. This time we have the opportunity to travel together and appreciate the magnificence of the Western Regions. Why don't you improvise a poem to let me experience the charm of the prosperous Tang Dynasty?"

Fang Jun burst into laughter, took a sip of wine, and without even thinking, pointed outside the carriage curtain. At this time, they were passing through the territory of Loulan, so he shouted: "I will wear my golden armor through a hundred battles in the yellow sand, and I will not return until I have conquered Loulan!"

In the eyes of the Tang people, "Loulan" is roughly equivalent to a "merit package", and everyone wants to go and get it...

"What a great poem! It is so majestic and moving, and it is exactly the style of the heyday of the Tang Dynasty!"

Lu Dongzan was amazed by her beauty and praised her highly.

"But according to the phonology, this should only be the second half of the poem, but I wonder if there is a first half?"

"The number of the Great Plan is fifty, and its use is forty-nine. Therefore, the heaven and earth are not perfect. All things that appear cannot be perfect, and all perfect things cannot appear. Life is always incomplete, so why should the Great Plane seek perfection?"

"It's for the old man's sake. Please accept my instruction!"

Lu Dongzan didn’t care whether Fang Jun was hinting to him that “life is always imperfect”, what he cared about was why Fang Jun, at such a young age, could understand so many life philosophies?
There are some truths that you can’t understand just by someone telling you. You may remember them in your mind, but since you have never experienced them personally, it is impossible to have a deep understanding of them.

Unless... you are born knowing it.

On the plateau, there is a mysterious name "Zhugu" in the religious theory developed from India. It means that after the physical death of a person with great cultivation, the soul is immortal, and a trace of his spiritual wisdom is transmitted to the mind of a certain person in the world through some means. At the beginning, it is in a chaotic state, but at some moment, it will be activated through a certain scene or in some way.

In a sense, this is equivalent to eternal life.

After all, the human body is just a place where the soul resides. If the soul can be passed on, it naturally means immortality...

Being stared at by Lu Dongzan, Fang Jun was slightly surprised: "Prime Minister, do you have anything to say?"

Lu Dongzan came to his senses and shook his head.

Even if the "Zhu Gu" theory is just a secret spread, it may be a false rumor. After all, how can there be anyone in the world who is "born with knowledge"?
……

The seat of the Anxi Protectorate was located in Jiaohe City, but as the territory controlled by the Anxi Army became increasingly extensive, in order to strengthen control and deterrence over various places, Anxi Protector Pei Xingjian worked in Luntai most of the time, guarding the north and south of the Tianshan Mountains and controlling the east and west territories.

Fang Jun, as the "Gongyue Road Marching Commander-in-Chief", needs to be stationed in Gongyue City.

"Gongyue Road" has a relatively broad meaning and has no real administrative divisions. It covers a large area from the west of Luntai, the entire Yili River Valley, to Suiyechuan...

When the team arrived at Luntai, the gloomy weather for many days finally turned to heavy snow, which blocked the view and flooded the roads. Xue Rengui happened to come from Gongyue City and went into the city to avoid the wind and snow.

Luntai was the strategic hub of the Tang Dynasty's entire ruling area in the Western Regions, radiating from north to south of the Tianshan Mountains. It was not only a must-pass place on the Silk Road, but also a transit station for strategic materials. Even in heavy snow, long convoys would still drive into the city from time to time.

Due to Luntai's strategic location and the large amount of military supplies stored there, unlike other cities on the Silk Road, caravans passing through here, whether Chinese or foreign, could only stay in post stations, inns, and shops outside the city, and only the army could enter the city.

The convoy entered the city and headed along the road towards the government offices in the city. Lu Dongzan lifted the curtain of the convoy and saw that the roadside was filled with densely packed military camps, with barracks, tents, and countless warehouses lined up in between. Despite the heavy snow, officers and soldiers were still escorting the convoy in and out.

Lu Dongzan was in a heavy mood. It was obvious that the Anxi army was frantically stockpiling various military supplies to make full preparations for the war that was about to begin in the spring.

After arriving at the government office, Lu Dongzan took a bath and changed his clothes before sitting in the official residence. He hesitated for a moment, looked at Fang Jun and asked, "As far as I know, Muawiyah has not yet made up his mind to invade the Western Regions. With the Tang army currently hoarding supplies on such a large scale, if the war fails to start, wouldn't it be a waste?"

The real elite of the Anxi Army numbered between 40,000 and 50,000. In time of war, the Anxi Protectorate would urge the Hu people in the Western Regions who had surrendered to the Tang Dynasty to send troops to join the war. However, due to years of war and chaotic situation, the local Hu people in the Western Regions did not have too many troops and horses. With all the ethnic groups mixed together, the number of troops would probably not exceed 10,000.

When put together, there are fifty to sixty thousand people.

The Western Regions are vast and boundless, and the transportation of baggage is extremely difficult and the loss is huge. To supply so many troops, the baggage required is an astronomical figure, plus the loss on the road, it is simply incalculable, even enough to equal the annual output of Tubo...

What if the war doesn't start? Wouldn't that be a waste?

Fang Jun smiled but said nothing.

On the side, Xue Rengui was taking off his armor and waiting for dinner. Hearing this, he glanced at Fang Jun and then smiled at Lu Dongzan, "You are worrying too much, Prime Minister. When the Arabs invaded the Western Regions before, we were hasty in our preparations and failed to exert our full strength, so most of them escaped. If he comes this time, we will stop him and make him unable to leave. If he doesn't come, we will go to their door and let them know the Tang Dynasty's style of revenge!"

At this point, he put the untied sword on the table beside him with a "bang", his thick eyebrows raised, and his tone was sonorous: "If the enemy can do it, I will do it again; if the enemy can go, I will go again!"

Pei Xingjian came in with tea and poured a cup in front of Lu Dongzan: "Prime Minister, please have some tea."

He did not have the aura of the Anxi Protector General or a frontier governor at all, and he did not regard Lu Dongzan as a prisoner.

Lu Dongzan took the tea, held it in his hand, frowned and looked at Fang Jun: "The determination of the Tang army is indeed exciting and boosts morale. However, although the territory of the Arab Empire is vast and comparable to that of the Tang Dynasty, its interior is more desolate. There is often only one city within hundreds of miles. Once it implements the strategy of fortifying the city and clearing the countryside, the cost to the Tang army will be immeasurable!"

Historically, why was it that the Han people, with better equipment and better trained soldiers, were always restrained, suppressed, and passive in wars against foreign Hu peoples?
The most important reason is supply.

The Hu people usually only brought three or two days' rations when marching. Once they broke through the Great Wall and invaded the border, they could burn, kill, and plunder along the way, using war to support war. However, the Han army was just the opposite. Whenever they launched a counterattack, they would go out of the country and gallop across the grasslands and deserts outside the Great Wall. It was common to see no human habitation for hundreds of miles. The difficulty of supply and the increase in the distance not only greatly increased the consumption, but also had to be on guard against the Hu people cutting off the food supply route...

Therefore, "Inscribing the Stone at Yanran" and "Seal the Wolf's Lair" are regarded as the pinnacle of the Han people's military achievements, because they were extremely difficult and all the right time, place and people were essential.

The Tang army could still have a chance of winning if it sat in the Western Regions waiting for the Arabs to come and fight. But if the entire army rushed to Damascus thousands of miles away, wouldn't that be a foolish dream?

Fang Jun smiled lightly, but his expression was solemn. He said slowly: "Sometimes, we have to fight when we have to. We can't retreat in the face of difficulties. The expansion of the Arab Empire is unstoppable. It has already bordered the Tang Dynasty. There must be a war between the two great powers in the world! If we don't fight this war, then our children will have to fight it in the future. Since we have to fight it eventually, why don't we fight it?"

His eyes were blazing: "Strike one blow to prevent a hundred blows from coming! We are using our blood, flesh and corpses to exchange for a hundred years of peace for our children and grandchildren. Why are you afraid of war?!"

Xue Rengui's blood was boiling, his expression was excited, he clenched his fists and shouted: "We soldiers should trample the dust of the barbarians, cleanse the bloody smell, fight for a glorious era, and create a century of peace! In this way, even if we are buried in a foreign land, wrapped in horsehide, we will not be afraid!"

(End of this chapter)