Chapter 1012: Ju 6 City

"Although it can't be compared with what it was 30 years ago, it's much better now than it was before." This time, the caravan didn't bring any other weapons or iron except for the weapons Shen Long brought with him from Chang'an. Moreover, the number of people brought by Shen Long was not large, and in terms of armament alone, it did not provide much help to the Anxi Protectorate.

However, Guo Xin fought alone in the Western Regions for the past 30 years. He only relied on those merchants who ventured across the Tubo jurisdiction to come to the Western Regions to obtain a little bit of supplies, and the rest had to be self-reliant. Without the benefits brought by the caravan, it is becoming more and more difficult for Guo Xin to subdue the various ministries of the Western Regions.

Now that Datang's caravan reappears in the Western Regions, everything will be different. The cities occupied by Datang, such as Kucha and Xizhou, will surely become the trade centers of the Western Regions again. capital.

The Tang Dynasty did not have many troops stationed in the Western Regions. How did the Anxi Dufu rely on 20,000 troops to rule this piece of land that is no less than that of the Tang Dynasty? Guo Xin, who has been in the Western Regions for more than 30 years It couldn't be more clear, relying on the goods sent by these Datang merchants, he can use many means.

After sighing, Guo Xin remembered what the old steward called Shen Long. He turned his head and looked at Shen Long, "Shou Zhuo? Yuan Zheng has been promoted?"

"Great Guardian!" Shen Long hurriedly got up and saluted. Originally, he was a pawn under Guo Xin. Without Guo Xin's order, he accepted the imperial edict to become the envoy of Juliu City. It was somewhat against the rules, but this was also Shen Long. The strategy he will use is quite different from Datang's original strategy in Anxi. If he cannot lead an army alone, he will inevitably be constrained by Guo Xin or Yang Xigu, as well as the generals of Anxi and Beiting.

This is what Shen Long doesn't want to see. The situation in the Western Regions is getting more and more critical, and there is really not much time to spend on internal struggles, so it is better to lead the troops outside to fix Juliu City first, and give it to Guo Xin and Yang Xi. Only by setting up an example can we better convince people with real cases.

This is not due to the personal abilities of Guo Xin and Yang Xigu, but the limitations of the vision of the times. Shen Long explained to Guo Xin, "After the last general returned to Chang'an, His Majesty and the important officials in the court asked about the situation in the Western Regions. The last general said frankly, Now that the connection between the Tang Dynasty and the Western Regions has been cut off, the Anxi and Beiting armies can only rely on themselves, while the Western Regions only have the northern foot of the Tianshan Mountains and the Yili River area available for farming. If you want to gain a firm foothold in the Western Regions, you must occupy these two places First, since Juliu City is not far from Qiuci and Xizhou, it is one of the most suitable places. Perhaps His Majesty and all the ministers felt that the general's words made sense, so they conferred the position of guarding Juliucheng to the latter. "

"The imperial court has a good understanding of people. Ben Duhu has been in the Western Regions for many years, but he failed to discover Yuanzheng's strengths. This is really the mistake of Ben Duhu." Guo Xin not only did not complain about Shen Long, but also solemnly apologized. "Fortunately, the imperial court helped Ben Duhu to make up for this omission. Now that Juliu City is still in the hands of Tubo, if Yuanzheng has anything to help, he might as well just say it."

Shen Long was greatly moved, perhaps this was the reason why the Jagged County King was still able to lead the remnant soldiers to guard the Western Regions for decades after cutting off contact with Datang!

"Most of the last generals are recruits from Chang'an, and they have experienced some hardships all the way west. The skill in battle may be good, but they don't know much about the geography of the Western Regions. It would be best if veterans from the surrounding geographical situation went together." Shen Long didn't ask for reinforcements, but only needed a few guides.

"Could Yuanzheng be worried for me? Although Anxi Dufu is not as good as before, it is not a problem to send some soldiers to help Yuanzheng take down Juliu City!" Guo Xin was a little puzzled. Although Juliucheng is small, it is also Isn't it something you can win with these recruits? After thirty years,

Anxi Protectorate's Mansion managed to get such a little manpower from Chang'an, it would be a pity if it was buried under Juliu City so easily.

"Now that the caravan has just arrived in Kucha, if the chief guard is about to employ people." Shen Long explained.

"It doesn't matter, no matter how many people are needed, five hundred soldiers and horses can still be drawn out. Adding the recruits under Yuan Zheng's command, more than a thousand people are enough to take down Juliu City! It's good to take this opportunity to let these sons and daughters experience it." The skills of our Anxi soldiers, although our grades are a bit older, but when it comes to fighting, they are still far behind!" Guo Xin said.

"Haha, what the general guard said is true! Let me wait to be the vanguard in this battle." The white-haired soldiers around laughed. Although there is pride in their own abilities in this laughter, it is more about caring for the younger generation. How could they have the heart to let their relatives die before them?

"Grandfather, don't underestimate the boy, the boy was a famous ranger in Chang'an in the past!" Some newcomers were still unconvinced, and the white-haired soldiers came out to compete with them on the spot. Far from enough, most of them were easily resolved by these white-haired soldiers.

However, it is not shameful to lose to their elders. Instead, these teenagers took this opportunity to ask the white-haired soldiers for advice. Guo Xin and Shen Long nodded secretly when they saw them. These are good soldiers.

Shen Long stayed in Qiuci for a few days, and then led five hundred white-haired soldiers and more than a thousand Chang'an youths to Juliu City. Qiuci and Xizhou are in the south of Tianshan Mountain, and Juliu City is in the north of Tianshan Mountain, separated by a huge Tianshan Mountain. However, fortunately, between Qiuci and Xizhou, there is still a road leading to the north of the Tianshan Mountains. Yang Xigu fled from Beiting to Xizhou through this road that day.

Yang Xigu also got the news, and squeezed out 300 people from his 2,000-man Mali to act with Shen Long and the others, so the force to attack Juliu City reached 2,000.

Two thousand people may not sound like much, but they are considered a large army in the Western Regions. Don't look at the tens of thousands or tens of thousands of soldiers in the history books, but most of those numbers are imaginary, including the civilian husbands who deliver food and grass for the army; In a place like the Western Regions where materials are scarce, sparsely populated, and roads are difficult, it is not easy to mobilize 2,000 troops.

Moreover, Juliu City was located on the fringes of the Tubo forces, and the Tubo people did not have many defenders in the city. Two thousand soldiers and horses were more than enough to take down Juliu City.

From Yanqi Town to the north, under the guidance of the guide, they crossed the Tianshan Mountains, arrived at the northern foot of the Tianshan Mountains, and then passed to the east. Shen Long and the others finally arrived outside Juliu City.

The scouts reported that the Tubo army in the city was not aware of it, so they rested in the valley outside the city for one night, planning to launch an attack in the early morning of tomorrow.