novelhk Chapter 216 The Effect of Gunpowder on the Later Tang Dynasty
Chapter 216 The Effect of Gunpowder on the Later Tang Dynasty
At this time, Li Zixin sent people to set up a recruiting office on the street.
"Conscription is tax-free, conscription is tax-free, join the Tang army and defend our homeland!!"
Tax-free conscription!!
Guard the home! ?
The people's attention was finally drawn back.
As for the Tibetan captives in the city, Li Chengqian left an order to Li Zixin, asking him to kill all the captives as they would be used as training grounds for the new recruits.
When Weitou Prefecture launched a vigorous conscription campaign, the shocking event of the Tang Empire's return to the Western Regions was like a thunderbolt across the sky.
Through the spider-web-like dense trade routes of merchants shuttling between places, it spread rapidly in all directions.
After just ten days, the news spread to Shule Town as if it had wings.
Fifteen days later, it arrived at Suiye Town like a spring breeze blowing across the earth.
Twenty days later, the news was making great progress and reached as far away as Daros.
A month later, the former Dayuan Governor's Office also learned about this matter.
Two months later, the news reached the Transoxiana Valley, which was under the control of the Arab Empire, and most of the Sogdians also received this earth-shaking news.
For a time, the entire vast Western Region was plunged into great sensation and shock!
Everyone is passing on this legend by word of mouth.
The once extremely powerful and awe-inspiring Eastern Empire finally got rid of the troubles of internal disputes, and once again wielded their indestructible swords and returned to this land with great momentum.
At the same time, after Guo Xin successfully stabilized the situation in Gumo Prefecture, he immediately led the newly recruited Han soldiers and embarked on the journey back to Guizi City.
He knew in his heart that there was an even more important task waiting for him to complete, which was to welcome envoys from all sides and show them the latest powerful firearms developed by the Tang Dynasty: flintlock rifles and small steel cannons.
When these envoys came to Qiuci City to pay homage, they were all shocked after seeing the power of firearms with their own eyes.
Those who had originally had doubts about whether the Tang Dynasty was truly capable of re-managing the Western Regions finally became convinced at this moment.
Although the number of the Tang army seen before was not large, and the distance between the Tang homeland and the Western Regions was very far, thousands of miles.
What's more, the vital Hexi Corridor is still controlled by the Tibetans, making it difficult to send more troops.
But they believed that with the help of firearms, it was only a matter of time for the Tang Dynasty to open up the Hexi Corridor.
At this moment, a shocking news suddenly came from the distant East.
The Uighurs actually launched a fierce battle with the Tubo in the Hexi Corridor!
Upon hearing the news, everyone present was extremely shocked!
They all speculated, could this be a strategic layout that the Tang Dynasty and the Uighurs had carefully planned long ago?
Perhaps this war was a crucial battle jointly launched by both sides to retake the Hexi Corridor and jointly fight against Tubo.
As a result, the whole situation becomes more and more confusing...
At the same time, after more than a month of difficult journey, the Anxi veterans finally delivered the secret recipe of gunpowder to the palace.
When Emperor Dezong of Tang saw these ragged Anxi veterans again, he thought that the town of Qiuci was completely lost.
Unexpectedly, the old soldiers took out a secret letter. After unfolding it, Emperor Dezong of Tang immediately realized the seriousness of the matter. He waved his hand and asked all outsiders to leave, leaving only those he trusted.
"Have you all seen the power of gunpowder?"
"Your Majesty, we have all seen it. It is so powerful that it can shake the earth and mountains. Its lethality is extremely strong!!"
Emperor Dezong of Tang took a deep breath and said, "Very good, all of you have made great contributions. Go down and have a rest first. I will definitely reward you handsomely!!"
But an old soldier said again: "Your Majesty, the old general asked me to bring a message to your Majesty, saying that the Huihe cavalry has now gone south to attack the Hexi Corridor occupied by the Tibetans. I hope your Majesty can send troops to Longxi, take back the Hexi Corridor, and open up the Western Regions!"
Emperor Dezong of Tang stood up suddenly and asked: "What did you say? The Uighur cavalry is heading south?"
The old soldier then gave a brief account of what had happened, but he did not know the specific identities of Li Chengqian and his companions. He only said that they were an elite cavalry of the Tang Dynasty.
After hearing this, Emperor Dezong of Tang frowned and paced back and forth.
Is he from a noble family?
No, without benefits, the noble families would not have traveled thousands of miles to the Western Regions...
Who would that be?
Emperor Dezong of Tang could not imagine who in the present Tang Dynasty would travel thousands of miles to the far west.
No matter what, this opportunity must not be missed, and we must take this opportunity to reclaim the Hexi Corridor...
In the end, Emperor Dezong of Tang decided to send troops to Longxi and the Hexi Corridor, not because he wanted to open up the Western Regions, but to deal with the Tibetans who occupied Longxi.
Since Longxi was in the hands of the Tibetans, Chang'an was always under the threat of Tibetan troops.
Even if he wanted to go east through Tongguan to quell the warlord separatism in the Central Plains, he would not be able to give his best without a stable rear.
Therefore, we must first resolve the sword hanging over Chang'an's head that could be chopped down at any time...
With the arrival of Li Chengqian, Emperor Dezong of Tang Dynasty obtained gunpowder, which aroused his determination to restore the glory of the Tang Dynasty and pacify the warlords in the world.
Things seem to be developing in a positive direction!
But is it so easy to pacify the warlords and aristocratic families who rule the Central Plains?
Although in history, Emperor Dezong of Tang, Li Shi, was considered a wise ruler after the An-Shi Rebellion, and there was also the so-called "Yuanhe Restoration".
But after the "Jingyuan Rebellion", Li Shi was disappointed when he saw that civil officials and military generals had successively lost their integrity.
However, the eunuch group was loyal to the emperor, and their attitude changed dramatically.
From then on, he began to employ eunuchs Dou Wenchang and Huo Xianming and let them lead the imperial guards.
This move further led to the decline of the Tang Dynasty and frequent internal strife.
Therefore, Li Chengqian did not believe that Emperor Dezong of Tang would be able to turn the tide and revive the Tang Dynasty after having gunpowder.
But these had nothing to do with him. He only believed that with gunpowder, Guo Xin would be able to defend the Western Regions and Anxi.
As long as it could hold out until the reign of Emperor Xianzong of Tang, he believed that the Tang Dynasty would definitely achieve true revival with the help of gunpowder!
After returning to the Zhenguan period, everyone has not yet recovered from the decline of the Tang Dynasty a hundred years later.
Everyone was discussing how to pacify the world if they encountered the warlord separatism after the Anshi Rebellion.
But after research, everyone came to a conclusion that in the absence of gunpowder, unless another Li Shimin appeared, the situation of warlord separatism could not be reversed.
But Li Shimin appeared only once every few hundred years and stood before them.
Not to mention that there is also Li Chengqian who is no less powerful than Li Shimin. With two generations of emperors living in the same time and space, the fortune of the Tang Dynasty in the future will be sucked dry by these two people! !