Zhutian: Starting from the Space-Time Merchant

Chapter 248 Khagan Jieli
The sky is green and the fields are vast.

Herds of cattle and sheep graze on the wild grass with their heads down.

The Helan Mountains stand majestically in the distance.

The herdsmen, wearing felt hats, led their horses to the stream to fetch water.

A strange tinkling sound came from behind a small earthen mound several meters high not far away.

The herdsman, his face flushed purple, looked puzzled, then mounted his horse and trotted up the earthen slope.

The moment he crossed the earthen slope, he saw dozens of Tang soldiers.

Some Tang soldiers were fetching water from the riverbank, while most of them were resting on the ground, either sitting or lying down.

A bunch of odd and flimsy two-wheeled vehicles were crammed together.

These things were things the herders had never seen before.

Tang Jun was dressed in linen clothes, wrapped in a trouser, with leggings on his calves, and wearing liberation shoes.

They also saw herdsmen on horseback.

After a moment of panic, the Tang army hastily raised their bows and crossbows.

The herdsman panicked and turned his horse around, but before he could leave, he was shot down.

The herdsmen, with arrows stuck in their bodies, rolled down the earthen slope.

The grazing cow raised its head, its large, bell-like eyes staring intently.

The sheep, however, remained indifferent and continued to graze leisurely.

The Tang soldiers, who had climbed up the earthen slope, laughed upon seeing the many cattle and sheep, and charged forward with their weapons in hand.

The soldiers also had to farm at home.

They cherish cattle, but slaughter all the sheep.

The cattle could be tethered and taken back to be sold to the accompanying caravans, while the sheep became their extra meals.

The team was shouting for everyone behind the earthen slope to come over.

Take your bag off the rack attached to the bicycle and take out the picnic stove.

Put in the charcoal, then take a piece of alcohol and throw it on top.

The team leader took out a lighter, lit the alcohol, and then placed the iron pot on top.

The Tang soldiers who had fetched water from the stream returned and poured the water into an iron pot to boil.

One squad of fifty soldiers, ten of whom were responsible for fire.

With the military aid from Lin Dao, each fire station received a picnic set.

Stove, iron pot, and fuel.

Five iron pots were boiling water, and the Tang soldiers by the stream were already skillfully skinning, chopping, and cooking the sheep.

The cooks, who also served as cooks, all took out their packs.

I carefully removed the seasoning packet, oil packet, and dehydrated vegetable packet.

After tearing it open, pour it into the iron pot.

"Another bag of salt, please," a soldier urged from the side. "It's not flavorful enough."

That's all for now.

The fire chief packed up his pack. "We only replenish supplies once a month. Once we finish them, we're done."

These seasoning packets are all ordered directly from instant noodle manufacturers by Lin Dao, with discounts available for bulk orders.

They are disliked in the modern world and are considered bad for one's health.

In the Tang Dynasty, where salt was obtained through vinegar cloths, those were considered the finest things.

It is only recently, with the increase in sea salt being transported from the coast, that the consumption of vinegar cloth has gradually decreased.

The team pushed their bicycles up the embankment, took out the communication repeater, and set it up according to their knowledge.

As the soldiers began eating boiled mutton, a large drone flew overhead, continuing its journey along the stream.

Under the sunshade, the forest path where the drone was being operated saw, through the camera, hundreds of tents gathered beside a lush, grassy marsh.

“Direction 125, distance 45, Hu barbarian settlement discovered.”

Wei Zheng, who was beside him, quickly took notes with his pen.

He tore off a piece of paper and handed it to the sergeant beside him.

The soldiers hurried to Li Erfeng's central command tent.

Before long, a group of Tang cavalry charged out of the camp.

"Master Lin."

After the drone returned and landed to have its batteries changed, Wei Zheng finally asked, "With this kind of search, can we really find Jieli's royal tent?"

He unscrewed the bottle of Yibao and handed it to Lin Dao, his eyes full of smiles. "Doctor, you are not suited to lead troops into battle."

Wei Zheng, unusually blushing, asked, "May I ask for your guidance?"

"Jieli's royal court was located north of Mayi."

"It's no secret."

“It is indeed possible to strike directly at the heart of the enemy, but even if we destroy Jieli’s royal court, the Turks will still elect a new Khan and continue to harass us.”

"The strategy this time is not to fight Jieli at all, but to eliminate the Turkic people's manpower."

"Eliminate their tribes, large and small, until Jieli can no longer bear it and takes the initiative to gather his main force for a decisive battle."

Lin Dao raised a finger: "One battle is all it takes to wipe out the men of the Turks!"

"The grassland is so vast, if we search bit by bit, how long will it take?"

"The best way is to force Khagan Jieli to gather his troops and bring them here to their deaths."

"It takes at least a dozen years for a male to go from birth to being ready for service."

"The first war wiped out one or two generations of the Turks, and they never had a chance to rise again."

Wei Zheng stood up and bowed respectfully to Lin Dao.

"A certain generation of people from the border region express their gratitude to the Taoist priest for his help!"

The Turks invaded the border every year.

From Shizhou to Yanmen, from Daizhou to Dingzhou, from Fenzhou to Lingzhou.

The entire northern frontier was under threat from the Turks.

If the Turks' fighting force could be wiped out in one battle, it would be a great blessing for the people on the frontier.

Lin Dao accepted the bow without hesitation.

He also became more talkative, saying, "The grasslands are different from the Central Plains."

“China can fight for every inch of land, especially key and important areas.”

“But that won’t work on the grasslands; those tribes live by following the water and grass.” “Having too much territory is useless.”

"The best way to deal with them is to eliminate their manpower."

"Without people, even the most powerful nomadic empire will inevitably fall apart."

Wei Zheng nodded repeatedly, "I have learned a lot."

"Right now, we must keep sweeping away the enemy forces, forcing Jieli to bring the main force of the Turks to their deaths!"

Shengzhou, Yulin.

Khagan Jieli smashed the golden cup in his hand to the ground.

"They're all trash!"

"You can't even take down a mere Daizhou, what use are you!"

Jieli Khan had already received news of the Tang army's large-scale invasion of Lingzhou.

Instead of engaging in battle, he chose to attack the Yundai region, hoping to take advantage of the absence of the main Tang army and plunder the rich Hedong region.

After all, the grasslands were so vast, and the Tang army didn't have many cavalry.

Let them do what they want.

Unexpectedly, the border regions of the Tang Dynasty were full of tough nuts to crack.

They've been fighting for a month or two, and they haven't captured a single city.

Moreover, the Li Tang dynasty implemented a scorched-earth policy, and the looted goods were too little to be worth mentioning.

In Lingzhou, the Tang army was slaughtering everywhere, and the tribes on both sides of Helan Mountain were almost wiped out.

Undoubtedly, the pressure fell on the Khan.

"Khwarazm".

A frustrated Khan looked at Princess Yicheng and asked, "What do you think?"

Princess Yicheng was a member of the Sui Dynasty imperial family. She came to the Turkic Khaganate as a princess for a political marriage and has been there for more than 20 years.

He successively became the Khatun of Qimin, Shibi, Chuluo, and Jieli.

This kind of thing is normal on the grasslands. Nomadic people prioritize their own interests, so don't apply morality to them.

Princess Yicheng harbored extreme hatred towards the Li Tang dynasty.

Upon hearing the inquiry, he immediately declared, "Khan, you are the descendant of the Wolf God, the supreme king of the grasslands."

"If the Tang people were hiding behind rocks, that would be fine too."

"But since they have come to the grasslands on their own initiative, why don't you capture their emperor and force them to cede land in exchange for their emperor?"

"I believe the Wolf God will definitely help you."

Without a doubt, this was an encouragement for Jieli Khan to kill Li Erfeng.

If the emperor of the Tang dynasty were killed, the Central Plains would surely descend into chaos.

As long as the Central Plains are thrown into chaos, the remnants of the Sui dynasty, with the support of the Turks, will be able to retake control of the Central Plains!

The handsome and imposing Khagan Jieli fell into deep thought.

After a long while, he finally raised his head.

"I was busy dealing with internal affairs before."

"Unexpectedly, it was Li Tang who grew powerful."

"Now, the Wolf God has given me instructions."

"Send troops and crush the Tang Dynasty!"

While the Xuanwu Gate Incident was taking place and the Tang Dynasty was rapidly pacifying various warlords, the Turks were also experiencing internal strife.

In the fourth year of the Wude era, Chuluo Khan died.

According to the order of succession, his eldest son Ashina Aosheshe should inherit the position of Great Khan.

Princess Yicheng looked down on him.

They believed this person was cowardly and ugly, and therefore unfit to be a Great Khan.

They then turned their support to the handsome and valiant Ashina Duobi, who became the Khan of the Khaganate.

Whether it was the Tang Dynasty or the Turks.

The succession to the Khanate is never a matter for one person alone, but rather a major event involving the entire group of people involved.

Unsurprisingly, internal strife broke out among the Turks.

The tribes that supported Ashina Aosheshe launched a rebellion and engaged in a fierce battle.

When Jieli Khan quelled the internal strife and was able to free up his resources...

The Li Tang dynasty in the south had already pacified the country.

There's no chance to intervene now.

Now that the emperor of the Tang Dynasty wants a decisive battle, let him have one!
The triumphant Jieli Khan summoned all the tribes to gather at Yinshan.

He was determined that after defeating the Li Tang dynasty this time, he would drink from the Wei River and march his troops into Chang'an!
Among the Turks, someone secretly sent the message to the Tang Dynasty.

Upon learning of this, Li Erfeng consulted Lin Dao and then assembled the large army that had been scattered across both sides of Helan Mountain to carry out the Qing Dynasty's cleanup.

Thousands of Tang soldiers sold the captured cattle, horse, and sheep hides to the accompanying merchant caravans.

After that, they rode their bicycles in a grand procession northward along the Qin Straight Road.

They returned to Lingzhou with the military caravan; the entire Li Tang army that had set out on the expedition consisted of combat soldiers.

They lacked laborers to carry out the long supply line transport.

All logistical supplies depended on the support of the forest road.

"Brother Zihou."

Having witnessed Lin Dao bring thousands of bushels of millet, rice, and bean cakes, and having seen it many times before, Li Erfeng, no longer awestruck, took the initiative to speak to him.

"With Brother Zihou's help, we will surely win this battle."

"What I'm worried about now is how to deal with the grasslands after the victory."

"Tribes on the grasslands are like weeds, always sprouting up in batches."

"A thousand years have passed, and every dynasty has been helpless in the face of this."

"What's there to worry about?" Lin Dao handed him a bottle of Yibao. "Since they keep popping up one after another, we can just keep getting rid of them one after another."

"Don't use any coercive measures, just use the simplest method."

Lin Dao stopped in his tracks and pointed to a bicycle wheel not far away.

"Divide large grasslands, settle small tribes, and prohibit arbitrary migration."

"A population cap is set for each tribe. Every year, we will visit different tribes regularly. If any tribe's population exceeds the cap, all the men in that tribe who exceed the limit will be executed!"

(End of this chapter)