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Chapter 1363 Splitting the Strong Army
Although the important officials of the Tang Dynasty in the Taiji Hall all understood that Su Ning was promoted in name only but demoted in reality, he had indeed achieved a leap in status and class. One must know that the title of a prince was something that most people present could never achieve in their entire lives.

So after the court was dismissed, Prince Wuwei Suning was immediately surrounded by compliments from others. The Tang Dynasty Prime Minister Song Jing and Yao Chong looked at each other meaningfully, and did not immediately come forward to talk to Suning like the other ministers.

After all the officials who wanted to curry favor with Suning had left, the two old men, Yao Chong and Song Jing, came over with a half-smile on their faces. "Prince Wuwei, congratulations!"

"Mr. Yao, Mr. Song, Suning does not have much work experience in Chang'an. I hope you can take care of me in the future." Looking at the two court leaders in front of him, Suning naturally showed great respect.

"Prince Wuwei, you are too kind! The future of the Tang Dynasty still depends on military commanders like you."

"Rest assured, my two lords! Su will dedicate himself to Your Majesty and the Tang Dynasty until his death."

Then Song Jing suddenly looked at Su Ning and asked, "Well, Prince Wuwei, are you aware that His Majesty is going to change the reign title?"

"No! This is the first time I've heard of this. I just don't know which reign title Your Majesty and the two prime ministers prefer?" Su Ning couldn't help but feel curious. After all, the "Kaiyuan Reign" of Emperor Xuanzong Li Longji of the Tang Dynasty had been registered by the empress.

Of course, the reason why the Empress of Luoyang chose the reign title "Kaiyuan" was because Suning suggested it to Jinyiwei Commander Liao Kai. Sure enough, the Empress of Luoyang liked this special reign title.

"Tianbao."

"Huh? What? Tianbao?" At this moment, Suning didn't know whether he was surprised or delighted.

Song Jing and Yao Chong, who noticed Su Ning's abnormality, looked at each other curiously. "Yes! Could it be that Prince Wuwei feels that there is something wrong with this reign title?"

"No! I'm just a little ignorant. I don't know the origin of this era name."

There are three sources and reasons for the phrase. The first is "Tianbao," which comes from Wang Bo's "Preface to the Pavilion of Prince Teng." "The world is rich and beautiful, and the dragon's light shines through the void of the Ox and the Bull. Your Majesty believes that his achievements have been completed, and all the major events in his life have been accomplished, and he wants to start enjoying the fruits of his labor.
Secondly, recently an evil star was shining in Luoyang, and the brothers King Chu and King Shu died one after another. In order to avoid bad luck, the reign was changed to Tianbao.

Third, an extraordinary auspicious sign appeared in Taolin County near Hangu Pass. Someone unearthed a magical talisman with the character "桑" (mulberry) written on it, suggesting that Emperor Xuanzong wanted the people to plant mulberry trees. Therefore, Your Majesty decided to change the reign title to Tianbao and change the name of Taolin to Lingbao.

"I see! As expected of a wise man like Your Majesty, this reign title is indeed very appropriate."

"Haha, precisely because the Tianbao reign title is so appropriate, we need a good start. Next, I hope that the Prince of Wuwei can send back more victories that His Majesty and the court are looking forward to while he suppresses the Luoyang rebels."

"My Lords, I will do my utmost. However, the rebels in Luoyang are part of the Tang army, and are completely different from the barbarian forces of the Tubo and Uighurs. Therefore, I hope Your Majesty and the Lords can give us more time."

However, Song Jing and Yao Chong were not satisfied with Su Ning's statement. They suddenly realized that Su Ning was also a cunning person. "Prince Wuwei, you are the best general of the Tang Dynasty. Isn't it easy to wipe out the Luoyang rebels?"

"Huh? My two husbands think too highly of me, Suning. However, no matter how powerful the rebels in Luoyang are, I will do my best to wipe them out." At this moment, Suning shook his head with a helpless smile, feeling that these guys treated him as a fool.

"Well, that's good! If you have any problems in the future, just come to us and we will definitely help you settle everything."

"Thank you, my lords."

Then Suning said goodbye to Yao Chong and left the Taiji Hall and the Imperial Palace. However, he felt a bitter smile in his heart about Li Longji's choice. He never expected that the reign title that would affect the Tang Dynasty would appear so early.

Then thinking of Li Longji's vigilance against him and his apparent promotion but hidden demotion, Suning realized that it was time to intensify the conflict in Luoyang. After all, he had never thought of being Li Longji's goalkeeper.

Yao Chong and Song Jing looked at Su Ning's majestic and imposing figure, but couldn't help but reveal expressions of envy and jealousy. "Prime Minister Song, what do you think of this upstart?"

"It's very unusual! I feel a special temperament in him, and this temperament makes me feel vaguely afraid." Song Jing stroked his white beard and expressed his feelings.

"Oh? What does Prime Minister Song mean?" As expected, Song Jing's comment made Yao Chong look stunned and puzzled.

"Hmph! Prime Minister Yao, you've already seen it yourself. Why are you asking me questions when you already know the answer?" However, Song Jing asked the old fox back with an unhappy look on his face.

Yao Chong, exposed by Song Jing, said calmly, "Alas! The Tang Dynasty has indeed entered a troubled time. I wonder what will bring peace to the world?"

"It will be soon! I believe that the Prince of Wuwei will surprise us again."

"Hopefully!"

……

At this time, Emperor Xuanzong of Tang, Li Longji, also summoned Lu Tong. Looking at this general whom he had sent to Hanzhou for training, Li Longji still noticed that Lu Tong had become more rare and calm than before.

In fact, Emperor Xuanzong of Tang, Li Longji, trusted Lu Tong more. After all, Lu Tong had secretly served him a long time ago, and his easy ascension to the throne was inseparable from Lu Tong's assistance.

At this time, Emperor Xuanzong of Tang, Li Longji, was eager to fully understand Su Ning. After all, he had realized that Su Ning's promotion speed was too fast. "Lu Tong, how do you feel about your visit to Anxi Protectorate this time?"

"Your Majesty, the Prince of Wuwei is very powerful in the Anxi Protectorate, and the people of Anxi also love the Prince of Wuwei very much. In addition, the Anxi mercenaries can be said to be the strongest army in the Tang Dynasty." Lu Tong understood what Li Longji meant, so he expressed his true evaluation of Suning.

"Oh? The strongest army? Could it be that you are exaggerating, Lu Tong? After all, the Anxi Mercenaries are a newly formed ragtag army."

"Your Majesty, I also find this very strange. Logically, the Anxi mercenaries should be a loose group, but perhaps the Prince of Wuwei has a talent for training soldiers. In a short period of time, he transformed the mercenaries into a truly powerful army. Those Uighur cavalrymen are nothing but chickens and dogs in front of the mercenaries."

"Yes! This is indeed strange! You have to know that the Uighur army is not weak. This was proven when they annihilated the Turkic and Xueyantuo tribes in the past. Logically, they shouldn't be so weak."

"Your Majesty, so the Anxi mercenaries of the Wuwei County Prince are indeed a powerful army."

"Well, Lu Tong, I believe you understand what my concerns are. Do you have any good suggestions?"

"Splitting up the Anxi mercenaries?"

"Oh? Tell me more."

"Yes! Your Majesty, the Anxi Mercenaries are truly a rare and powerful force in the world. It would be a shame to disband them. Furthermore, foreign lands like the Uighurs and Tubo also need strong troops to garrison them. It would be better to send the Anxi Mercenaries to garrison troops throughout the Tang Dynasty. This would naturally minimize the influence of the Prince of Wuwei."

"That makes sense! This is indeed a good idea. We can draw soldiers from all over the Central Plains of the Tang Dynasty to garrison in the Anxi Protectorate, and then disperse the Anxi mercenaries and fill them with troops from all over the country."

"Yes! Your Majesty, I will handle this matter as soon as possible."

"Well, from now on, take good care of the Anxi Protectorate for me and make sure to build the safest possible barrier for Chang'an."

"Yes, Your Majesty! However, the Anxi mercenaries have always been supported by Prince Wuwei out of his own pocket. So, should the court return this money to Prince Wuwei as soon as possible?"

"This……"

"Your Majesty, if we solve the problem of supporting the mercenaries, wouldn't that also allow the Prince of Wuwei and the mercenaries to understand each other?" "Well, Lu Tong, you make sense! However, the national treasury has been depleted greatly in the past two years. This huge military expenditure should be allocated from the internal treasury."

"Yes! Your Majesty."

……

China is a great country.

The long history of China is accompanied by wars and rise.

Every time a dynasty changes, their own army will emerge to defend the world, so powerful armies like the Anxi Mercenaries are not the only ones.

The first thing that comes to Su Ning’s mind is the Qin army that accompanied Qin Shi Huang in unifying the six kingdoms. “The Qin Emperor swept across the world, looking like a tiger, so majestic. He swung his sword to cut through the clouds, and all the princes came to the west.”

Just think about how powerful these Qin troops would become on the battlefield during the wars of unification.

Considering the productivity conditions at the time, the military success achieved by the Qin army was outstanding.

Behind the powerful army is a powerful dynasty, and what created this strong army is the excellent political system and strong national consciousness.

The Three Kingdoms period was an era in which many talented people emerged.

Lü Bu shoots the halberd at the gate, three heroes fight Lü Bu, Changbanpo, and Chibi.

In this era of the collision of talents, each faction has a famous army.

Dong Zhuo's Feixiong Army, whose flag was embroidered with a flying bear pattern with wings growing from its ribs, was led by Dong Zhuo's trusted general Li Jue and others.

Gongsun Zan's White Horse Volunteers, "White Horse Volunteers, three thousand elite soldiers, all riding white horses, called 'White Horse Volunteers', they are actually the imperial guards."

Gao Shun's Xianzhen Camp "led more than 700 soldiers, but was called a thousand men. Their armor and supplies were all refined and neat. They were able to defeat every enemy they attacked, so they were named Xianzhen Camp."

Cao Cao's Tiger and Leopard Cavalry, "The Tiger and Leopard Cavalry commanded by Chun are all the bravest and most powerful in the world, and some of them are recruited from the ranks of Hundred Generals."

Even the weak Eastern Jin Dynasty had a famous army called the Northern Army.

The Xie family, a powerful family in the Eastern Jin Dynasty, integrated refugees and gangsters from the north, as well as the elite of the original garrison, to form an army that could defend the capital, be strong enough to fight against the northern cavalry, and indirectly obey the orders of the powerful family.

"Book of Jin: Biography of Liu Laozhi" records: "At the beginning of the Taiyuan period, Xie Xuan was stationed in Guangling in the north.

At that time, Fu Jian was in his prime, and Xuan recruited many brave men. Lao Zhi, He Qian of Donghai, Zhuge Kan of Langya, Gao Heng of Le'an, Liu Gui of Dongping, Tian Luo of Xihe, and Sun Wuzhong of Jinling were selected for their bravery.

Xuan appointed Laozhi as his military officer, leading the elite troops as the vanguard, and they won every battle, and were known as the Northern Palace Army.

"Qualification Comprehensive Mirror": "Xuan recruited brave men and got Liu Laozhi and several others from Pengcheng. Liu Laozhi joined the army and often led the elite as the vanguard. He was victorious in all battles and was named Beifu Soldier."

The Beiwei Army of the Southern Song Dynasty was the elite among the elite of Yue Family Army and the core combat force of Yue Family Army.

"Yunlu Manchao" records: "Han and Yue's soldiers were particularly skilled. They would often select the bravest and strongest among their troops and set up a personal army called Beiwei. Once they entered Beiwei, all the other armies would surrender and treat them with great respect and rewards. Their bravery was unparalleled. Whenever they encountered a strong enemy, they would send the Beiwei army and they would be defeated."

This elite cavalry unit led by Yue Wumu was ranked as one of the five most elite troops in ancient China due to its outstanding military achievements.

When Yue Fei first organized the anti-Jin war, he suffered from the lack of good horses in the south, and therefore could not form a cavalry unit to fight against Jin Wushu.

After Niu Gao and Yang Zaixing successfully launched two surprise attacks on the pseudo-Qi army, they obtained more than 15,000 war horses. These horses laid the foundation for Yue Fei to form a powerful cavalry unit, and he successively had three cavalry units: the Tabai Army, the Youyi Army and the Beiwei Army.

Among them, the Beiwei Army was famous in history for its strongest combat effectiveness.

At its peak, Yue's army had about 100,000 people, which could be divided into twelve armies: the front army, the rear army, the left army, the right army, the central army, the mobile army, the stepping on the white army, the elite army, the victorious army, the enemy-breaking army, the navy and the Beiwei army.

Among them, the Beiwei Army had 8000 cavalry and several thousand infantry.

In a series of battles with the Jin army in Yingchang and Yancheng, the Beiwei Army played a pivotal role.

In the Battle of Yancheng, Yue Fei's Beiwei Army first defeated the elite "Crooked Horse" of the Jin Army with infantry, and then rushed into the enemy formation with a small number of elite cavalry, and finally defeated Wushu's 15,000 elite cavalry and 100,000 infantry. Jin Wushu sighed: "Since we started the war from the sea, we have won all the victories like this, but now it's over!" Yue Fei's memorial stated: "The enemy soldiers were killed all over the field."

In Zhuxian Town, 500 elite Beiwei soldiers defeated more than Jin troops. No wonder the Jin people sighed, "It is easy to shake the mountains, but it is difficult to shake Yue's army."

Our Tang Dynasty is very famous in Chinese history. Its Black Armor Army played a pivotal role in the unification of the Tang Dynasty and the war against the Turks.

The Zizhi Tongjian records the Black Armor Army as follows: “King Qin Shimin selected over a thousand elite cavalrymen, all dressed in black robes and black armor, and divided them into left and right teams, with Qin Shubao, Cheng Zhijie, Yuchi Jingde, and Zhai Changsun leading them respectively.

In every battle, Shi Min was personally led by Xuan Jia as the vanguard, seizing the opportunity to attack, and was invincible in his attacks, making the enemy fear him.

The acting minister Qu Tutong and the Duke of Zanhuang Dou Gui stationed their troops in the field camp, but were suddenly confronted by Wang Shichong and suffered a disadvantageous battle.

Qin Wang Shimin led the black armor to rescue him, and Shi Chong was defeated. His cavalry general Ge Yanzhang was captured, and more than 6,000 people were captured and killed. Shi Chong escaped and returned.

Unfortunately, after Li Shimin ascended the throne after the Xuanwu Gate Incident, he split up this meritorious force, the Xuanjia Army.

A part of the Black Armor Army became the "Hundred Riders", the imperial palace guard, and was stationed near the palace for a long time. They were only rotated internally and were not allowed to leave the capital.

However, the main part of the Xuanjia Army was handed over to the God of War Li Jing, and participated in one foreign war after another with Li Jing.

However, during the Wu Zetian era, the Xuanjia Army began to expand and its combat effectiveness showed a significant decline.

During the reign of Emperor Xuanzong of Tang, Li Longji, large-scale reorganization was carried out again, and the combat effectiveness continued to decline. The military spirit was lost, and finally it was reduced to a pathetic decoration.

Therefore, it was very easy for Emperor Xuanzong of Tang, Li Longji, to split up the Anxi mercenaries. His ancestors had already provided him with a wonderful precedent, and he did not really take Suning and the Anxi mercenaries seriously.

The main reason why Emperor Xuanzong of Tang, Li Longji, promoted Suning in public but demoted him in private was that he wanted to remind Suning that "thunder, lightning, rain and dew are all grace from the emperor", because Princess Taiping's rebellion in Luoyang made Li Longji mature.

……

(End of this chapter)