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Chapter 1354: Cerato Outpost
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In fact, the Western Regions of the Tang Dynasty had many names. The familiar Mobei refers to the Western Regions. During the Tang Dynasty, the Western Regions was also called Qixi.

After Emperor Taizong of Tang pacified the Gaochang Kingdom, he established the Anxi Protectorate in its former location. During its heyday, in addition to its existing jurisdiction, it also covered sixteen kingdoms west of Khotan and east of Persia, set up sixteen military governorships, and governed eighty states, one hundred and ten counties, and one hundred and twenty-six military offices.

During the reign of Wu Zetian, the Beiting Protectorate was established, which divided the areas north and south of the Tianshan Mountains together with the Anxi Protectorate.

During the reign of Emperor Xuanzong of Tang, Li Longji, the Anxi Jiedushi and Beiting Jiedushi were established, with troops in charge of 24,000 and 20,000 respectively. The Jiedushi were generally vassal princes of the Li Tang royal family who commanded the army remotely. The Hanzhou area where Suning was located was under the jurisdiction of the Anxi Protectorate.

At this time, the Tang Dynasty, the number one country in the world, was not having an easy time. The Western Regions were often invaded by tribes such as Tubo and Huihe. These jackals wanted to completely capture the Hexi Corridor. Since then, the fighting between the Tang Dynasty and the tribes in the Western Regions has never stopped.

Of course, these jackals did not have the courage to launch a large-scale attack on the Tang Dynasty, but they secretly funded many horse bandits to cause trouble in the Western Regions, which really made the Tang Dynasty's defenders in the Western Regions exhausted.

In addition, there were often some people who were not recognized by the tribal management and were harassing and taking advantage of the tribes. The Celestial Empire, which considered itself the orthodox Chinese nation, often chose to keep quiet. Naturally, this encouraged the greed of these jackals and laid the groundwork for the subsequent Tang-Tibet War.

However, Suning's decisiveness and resource allocation gave Hanzhou's defense a brand new look. The border troops stationed in various parts of Hanzhou were all shouting with excitement. They were not afraid of life and death when they saw the horse bandits and the tribal barbarians who were looting the valley. Naturally, Hanzhou became a rare paradise in the Western Regions. This is why Guo Yuanzheng's cavalry team detoured through Hanzhou to Xizhou.

You have to know that the Hexi Corridor is really important to the Tang Dynasty court. It is related to the connection between the mainland and the Western Regions. Most of the time, the envoys traveling back and forth died on the way.

Because the new emperor Li Longji had successfully ascended the throne at this time, Suning discovered that these coins were actually the first Kaitian Tongbao coins minted.

The "Tang Kaitian Coin" is very famous in the history of Chinese currency. It is not only a testimony to the Tang army's isolated defense in the Western Regions, but also a symbol of supreme loyalty.

At this moment, Suning looked at these dusty old soldiers of the Tang Dynasty, and he couldn't help but feel a deep admiration in his heart. He didn't feel any displeasure because of their rejection of the money house.

I couldn't help but think of the famous Tang Dynasty poet Yuan Zhen's "Twelve New Yuefu Poems in Response to Li Jiaoshu: Binding the Barbarians", and then I recited it loudly like a bohemian and loyal person.
"When I was young, I followed my father to Anxi, and the Yellow River, Wei River, and Guasha were about to disappear.

There were still several years before the Tianbao Rebellion, and the four corners of the Wolf Star were shining brightly.

The Central Plains is in trouble and the border defense is in danger. There are indeed jackals and wolves coming to attack from all directions.

The foreign horses are fat and strong, and the foreign soldiers are well fed and ready to fight.

In the middle of the night, the city was filled with the cry of geese and wild geese, and my wife's cries and my children's screams never stopped.

I dare not stay in the gloomy temple, nor can I cross the thin river ice.

We hid together in the depths of the thorns, trapped by thorns in front and wounded behind.

At dawn, the foreign cavalry were marching in all directions, and the ancient tombs and deep forests were covered with twigs.

Young men who were captured had their heads shaved, and old men who were detained had their feet cut off.

The wild fields are full of crows and kites, and the corpses are scattered everywhere. The pavilions have become gray walls.

Su Ning's slightly tragic and melancholy poem resonated with the soldiers. Guo Yuanzheng, standing nearby, couldn't help but ask in confusion, "Grand Commander, this poem is quite tragic and desolate. I wonder what it's really about?"

"This poem tells the tragic story of a former Anxi garrison soldier who was captured by the Tubo army, fled back to the Tang Dynasty but was regarded as a Tubo prisoner by the Tang army." Then Su Ning told them the meaning of the poem without hiding anything, and naturally he was not worried about affecting their mood.

You have to know that the soldiers in feudal society were already accustomed to this system. They were even numbed by the deception of those in power and would not be saddened by a poem.

"This……"

Then, Su Ning looked at Guo Yuanzheng in front of him and said, "I was suddenly moved. You are defending the border for the people of the Tang Dynasty. The court and the people have seen it all. We will definitely not let you shed sweat, blood, or tears."

"General, I, General Guo Yuanzheng, would like to thank you for your understanding on behalf of the Western Border Army." Sure enough, the soldiers around him excitedly bowed to Suning.

"I've brought a lot of supplies this time. When we part ways at the Cerato outpost later, you can take five goats with you. This will be considered a gift from me to your cavalry."

"Grand Commander, this is unacceptable. Our Wuwei Army does not belong to Hanzhou. It is better to hand these precious supplies over to the border troops at the Selatu outpost."

"That's fine! In my eyes, all the soldiers guarding the borders of the Tang Dynasty are excellent. Five mere goats are nothing compared to your years of dedication."

"This... then I would like to thank the commander-in-chief on behalf of the entire cavalry." In the end, Guo Yuanzheng accepted it with gratitude on his face. The five goats were really too important to them.

"Thank you, Commander-in-Chief." At this time, the other cavalrymen of the Xuan Ge Camp also looked at Su Ning excitedly and expressed their gratitude.

"Haha, we're all rough guys, so stop thanking me. I wish you all the best on this mission."

"I'm counting on the Grand Commander's good words."

At this time, these Tang Dynasty soldiers looked at Suning with admiration on their faces. They did not slack off even though Suning was not the general of their Kucha City. You know, they all dreamed of having such a general.

Seeing Suning's visiting team carrying a large amount of precious supplies, it would be impossible for Guo Yuanzheng's cavalry team not to be envious. Unfortunately, their Kucha City did not have a great commander like Suning.

The two teams soon gathered together and arrived at the Selato outpost. Naturally, they were grateful to the border troops at the Selato outpost. Of course, this was also the reason why Suning took the trouble to patrol the border. You must know that these border troops guarding the bitter and cold border areas are the real strong army.

Then Guo Yuanzheng and his team took a brief rest at the Cerato outpost, and replenished some precious fresh water at the Cerato outpost. Then they continued on their journey with the five goats donated by Suning.

Thinking of the Kucha City garrison commander who had been slandering Suning as a businessman, someone in the cavalry team was puzzled and said, "Captain, I don't think this Hanzhou Grand Commander is as bad as our general says, right?"

"Hmph! Where there are people, there are rivers and lakes. We can't possibly understand the affairs of these big shots." However, Guo Yuanzheng had long seen through the root of these things. He felt that some people were jealous of and rejected Suning.

As expected, the cavalry soldiers all agreed with Guo Yuanzheng's statement and couldn't help but think of the experience of the former Hanzhou Grand Commander Lu Sian. "That's right! I heard that the former Hanzhou Grand Commander Lu Sian was always excluded and his position in the entire Anxi Protectorate was particularly embarrassing." "Alright! These are not things we should worry about. As long as we complete this mission safely and smoothly, that's all that's fine."

"Yes! What the captain said makes sense! But is that Hanzhou Bank really that convenient?"

"Of course! I heard that all you have to do is deposit your precious metals, gold, silver, and copper, into a bank, and they'll issue you banknotes of equal value. You can freely exchange them for gold, silver, and copper coins in any city you go to. You'll just have to pay a small handling fee, but that's nothing compared to the losses and possible dangers along the way."

"Then why doesn't our general agree?"

"I don't know! Perhaps the generals have their own considerations!"

"Oh! How great it would be if this General Su was the general of our Kucha City."

"..."

Suning's border patrol was not a political show as seen in later generations. Instead, it brought benefits to the soldiers stationed in the bitter cold land. In order to facilitate the transportation and preservation of meat, Suning's visiting team would carry live pigs and sheep. This was the fundamental reason why Suning could give five live sheep to Guo Yuanzheng's cavalry team.

That night, the Seratu outpost was naturally a joyful scene of singing and dancing. Such abundant supplies were something the soldiers had never had before. Looking at the Grand Admiral sitting in the main seat of the outpost, they all showed admiration. They believed that this was the true love for soldiers like one's own sons, and not the catchphrase that those hypocritical generals used to say.

Then Suning asked the clerk to pay the salary to every soldier at the outpost, which immediately made everyone present so excited that they could hardly let go. They came here with their families to stand guard and had forgotten about the military expenses.

The captain of the Serato outpost looked at Su Ning with excitement, holding the banknotes and asked, "Grand Commander, why are these banknotes so exquisite?"

At this time, Su Ning explained concisely to the outpost captain and the soldiers, "These banknotes are the currency provided by the Hanzhou Bank. The bank has now completed its layout throughout the Western Regions. You can go to the bank's office in the nearby market to exchange them at any time. Of course, you can also use these banknotes directly to purchase daily necessities. The businesses operated by the Su's Trading Company will always accept these banknotes."

"Thank you for your mercy, Commander-in-Chief." The soldiers were very excited when they felt the convenience and beauty of these banknotes.

"This is what you deserve. I promise you that as long as I am in Hanzhou or the Western Regions, you will not be treated any less than you deserve."

"We bow to thank the Grand Commander."

"Haha, keep singing! Keep dancing! Let me see the authentic Hu Xuanwu today."

"Yes! Grand Commander."

There was no professional band in the simple border outpost, only one or two erhu commonly used by the locals, but the atmosphere was still warm and lively. Soon everyone was infected by this joyful atmosphere. Finally, Suning, the governor of Hanzhou, also came out to learn how to dance.

After the music ended and everyone dispersed, Suning naturally went to the best and cleanest room in the outpost to rest. However, when he was slightly drunk, Suning found that there were two beautiful girls in the room.

Su Ning understood what he meant and looked at the two beautiful girls in the room. Their beautiful faces, which were unique to the Western Regions, were very charming. "Who are you?"

"Reporting to the Grand Commander, we are all children of the Selato outpost. We have come here specially tonight to serve the Grand Commander." A relatively tall little girl answered with her big, blinking eyes.

"Oh? Are you two sisters?" Seeing that the height difference between the two girls in front of him was not too big, Su Ning couldn't help but look at them with confusion and asked.

The taller girl replied to Suning, "No! My name is Yuezhi. Her father is Niu Er, the corporal of the Serato Outpost. Her name is Helan, the daughter of Captain He of our outpost."

"Grand Commander, we had already cleaned it before we came." At this time, Helan on the side hurriedly explained with a blushing face and a beating heart. The expression and voice were extremely charming.

"Huh? How old are you guys?"

"I'm thirteen! Helan is fourteen."

"Alright! Then you can stay here tonight. When I leave tomorrow, I will take you back to Hanzhou. From now on, you two sisters will be my personal maids."

"Thank you, Grand Commander, for your mercy."

Although the two little beauties in front of him were not very big, Suning had long been accustomed to this evil and decadent life. He had seen many girls like this, so he enjoyed them without any hesitation or worry.

The next morning, after Su Ning woke up refreshed, he took the two beauties away directly. The captain and the sergeant at the outpost were naturally very happy.

Originally, they thought that all they had to do was to serve this important person, but they never expected that their daughter would be favored by this important person. This meant that their family would soar to great heights in the future.

He Junlin, the captain of the Selatu outpost, looked respectfully at the Grand Commander in front of him and suggested, "Grand Commander, the Western Regions are a place rich in beautiful women. We at the Selatu outpost can collect beautiful women for you."

"No need! The Seratu outpost is located in a cold and harsh place. You just need to guard it well. You don't need to worry about other things." However, the Grand Admiral Suning rejected their "good intentions". They really didn't need to worry about such things.

"Yes! Grand Commander, I understand."

"Well, I've taken Yuezhi and Helan away with me. I'll definitely treat them well in the future."

"We, the generals, would like to thank the Grand Admiral! It is our honor to have our youngest daughter serve you."

"Well, you guys stay here! I'll be leaving first."

"Farewell, Grand Commander."

Then Suning left with two beautiful girls of Western descent, but the documents he brought were left behind separately, and some gold, silver and treasures were left for the captain and sergeant of the outpost separately, as a reward for their initiative to present the beauties to Suning.

……

(End of this chapter)