Zhutian: Starting from the Space-Time Merchant

Chapter 589 The Uyghurs are coming? Great, the main course is finally served!
Xizhou is the later Turpan.

Upon learning that the Anxi army had come to their aid from a thousand miles away, Yang Xigu personally went out of the city thirty miles to welcome them.

Although both sides were located in the Western Regions, they were cut off from the Central Plains.

Although they are together on the map, actual cooperation is difficult.

On the one hand, the Western Regions are vast, and the operation would take too long.

There was also the threat from the Tibetans and the various nomadic tribes scattered throughout the land.

"Your Highness~"

Yang Xigu, with graying temples and a deeply lined face, stepped forward to greet him, saying, "The Anxi Army has come to our aid despite their own safety; the entire Northern Court is extremely grateful!"

In the eyes of this Beiting Grand Protector, Guo Xin had abandoned the Anxi Army and sent the entire army to rescue them.

This friendship is truly beyond words.

"Protector Yang~"

With a beaming smile, Guo Xin enthusiastically introduced him to the situation.

"This is Lin Dao, Immortal Master Lin, courtesy name Zihou."

"Back when we were in Khotan~"

Guo Xin introduced Lin Dao to Yang Xigu.

The more Yang Daduhu listened, the more alarmed he became, and the more strange his thoughts became.

The last look he gave Guo Xin was extremely complicated.

Guo Xin, who had served as the Grand Protector-General and guarded the Western Regions for decades, naturally understood Yang Xigu's meaning.

He simply waved his hand and said, "Protector Yang, please don't misunderstand. Immortal Lin is truly skilled."

"You'll see for yourself later and know whether it's true or not."

After saying that, without waiting for Yang Xigu to refuse, he went straight to find an open space nearby and called the grenadiers and flamethrowers to take turns to demonstrate.

'Boom boom boom~'

'Puff puff puff~'

The rampant explosions and fiery dragons left Yang Xigu and the Beiting army dazzled.

Is this truly a divine artifact that should exist in this world?

The Tang Dynasty had gunpowder, which was used in alchemy and fireworks.

Even decades later, the earliest version of firearms, using bamboo tubes made of gunpowder to launch flames, may have appeared.

But gunpowder is gunpowder after all. The difference between it and explosives is basically the difference between the Tianshan Mountains and some kind of mountain in South Korea.

As for the flamethrower, in Yang Xigu's eyes, it was the god of fire descending to earth!
"There really is such a thing in this world! There really is such a thing!"

Overwhelmed with surprise, Yang Xigu, a veteran of many battles, turned pale with shock.

Breathing fire—legend has it that only the god of fire can do that.

Oh, during the Lantern Festival, there were also horse racers who would breathe fire.

But how can those be the same?
As soon as the fire dragon emerged from its nozzle, a sea of ​​fire engulfed the area within dozens of feet in front of it.

The cattle, sheep, horses, and camels used for the demonstration were on fire and running around wildly, creating a very impressive scene.

Just imagining the scene of so many fire dragons charging towards the enemy on the battlefield is truly exhilarating.

Yang Xigu immediately put on a smile and headed straight for the forest path.

The Northern Army should have such good stuff too.

At this moment, Lin Dao was standing on a boulder, gazing at the distant desert.

When Yang Xigu came over, he heard him talking to himself.

"Are there few Tang Dynasty people in the Western Regions?"

"The timing is wrong."

"A thousand years from now, especially during holidays, people coming here to ride camels will be stuck in traffic lights!"

Yang Xigu was taken aback, wondering what he meant by those words.

"You can have what you want."

After jumping off the boulder, Lin Dao stated bluntly, "First, you need to pay up."

"Secondly, it must not be sent to Chang'an."

Lin Dao gave them these weapons to deal with the Tibetans and various Hu tribes.

If he were to send it to Chang'an, whether to deal with separatist military towns or peasant armies, Lin Dao would not agree.

If he were to travel back to the late Tang Dynasty or the An Lushan Rebellion, he could use it however he wanted, because he was certain it wouldn't be used against the common people.

But if these weapons fall into the hands of the Tang Dynasty, who they will use them against is anyone's guess.

Yang Xigu was somewhat taken aback, his white beard trembling in the wind.

You pay for something, but how do you decide how to use it?

Even if you're a terrestrial deity~
"You don't have to buy it."

"Buy, buy, buy, buy, buy, buy~" Yang Xigu nodded vigorously, "Whatever you say goes."

For Yang Xigu now, defeating the Tibetans and reclaiming Tingzhou is the most important and urgent matter.

Facing tens of thousands of Tibetan troops, as well as a larger number of auxiliary troops such as the Three Clans Karluks, the White-Clothed Turks, and the Shatuo Turks, plus an even larger number of various Hu and mixed Hu tribes.

Even with the addition of over four thousand Anxi Army reinforcements, the Beiting Army, now reduced to just over two thousand men, would still find it difficult to defeat.

As for the allied Uyghurs~
Previously, when the Tibetan Empire attacked Beiting, the Uyghur Grand Chancellor Jieyujias led a large Uyghur army to fight, but was severely defeated.

That's unreliable.
He was unaware that this ally had also set his sights on the Northern Army.

Later, not only Beiting, but the entire Western Regions fell into their hands.

Just like the saying goes, the ones who betray you the most are always your so-called own people.

As they entered Xizhou City, the scenery they saw was not much different from that of the Anxi Army.

The local population is predominantly indigenous, with a worryingly small number of people from the Central Plains. There are also some descendants of the White-haired Soldiers who have settled here.

The most unusual thing was seeing several caravans.

Driven by the desire to make money, some people were willing to take enormous risks to break through the Tibetan blockade and continue along the Silk Road.

After all, it's about making money.

Emperor Dezong was busy spending huge sums of money to welcome the Buddha's relics, which required a large amount of glass, ornaments, incense and other items.

Prices in Chang'an were exorbitantly high, and countless powerful families sent people to their deaths in order to make money.

The fact that these few caravans were able to successfully reach this place means that many times more caravans perished along the way.

The reason they stopped here was that Tingzhou had fallen, completely blocking their route along the northern Silk Road. As for taking the southern route, adjusting the route would not be a simple matter.

On the way to the former garrison commander's residence, now the temporary Grand Protectorate, Yang Xigu complained that these merchant caravans sent by powerful families were actually demanding that he send troops to escort them.
It's understandable, given that they're used to being arrogant and domineering in Chang'an.

This era belongs to powerful and influential families.

After discussing the matter, Guo Xin and Yang Xigu decided to launch a counterattack on Tingzhou immediately after the Beiting Army's grenadiers and flamethrowers had completed their initial training.

Then the two Grand Protectors looked at Lin Dao, wanting to hear his opinion.

"Providing equipment and training is no problem."

Lin Dao nodded. "However, regarding the payment, I want the goods and valuables from those caravans. You are not allowed to buy them with money; I must seize them by force."

This request puzzled both of the Grand Protectors.

Why rob Tang Dynasty caravans?

"They are not merchant caravans of the Tang Dynasty, but merchant caravans of powerful clans."

Due to environmental constraints, it's inconvenient for the forest roads to be used for large-scale cleaning in Chang'an City.

This kind of large-scale purge is only meaningful when it's carried out by a large army entering the city; doing it alone takes away a lot of its charm.

If that's the case, then let those who don't pay taxes provide a batch of military funds for the Tang Dynasty first.

In Chang'an, no one would dare offend those ten powerful clans.

But this is the Western Regions, a region cut off from the Central Plains.

For the Anxi Army and the Beiting Army, survival was the biggest challenge they faced at that time.

As for the powerful clans of Chang'an, let them come to the Western Regions and cause them trouble if they have the guts!

If these bullies who are only good at fighting among themselves really have that kind of courage, then they'll accept it.

A large number of white-haired soldiers surged forward, their shouts and the sounds of horses neighing, along with screams of agony and cries of "My master is from the XX clan!" instantly enlivening the once lifeless capital of Xizhou.

These caravans, besides being lucky, must have had considerable strength to break through the Tibetan blockade and reach this place.

But they were not facing a mixed barbarian tribe, but the Northwest Army!
Even though most of the Northwest Army soldiers had gray hair, they were still an elite field army.

The white-haired soldiers formed a standard battle formation, with crossbowmen firing in unison and swordsmen and shieldmen defending.

The opposing guards were almost entirely composed of individuals with exceptional martial prowess, and they were no match for them.

After the first group of people who resisted were shot and killed, the rest of them became obedient.

These old men are truly ruthless.

Those who were still alive, along with their horses and camels, were driven out of Xizhou City.

As for their goods, silk, huanghuali porcelain, and even gold and silver, they were all confiscated and used to purchase battlefield artifacts.

Lin Dao kept his word and provided the Beiting army with more than 20,000 hand grenades, plus twelve flamethrowers.

Frankly speaking, compared to the vast number of wooden-handled grenades stored in the modern world, the amount Lin Dao bought is a drop in the ocean, and that would be an exaggeration.

A mere tens of thousands of hand grenades are not worth mentioning.

More than two thousand Beiting soldiers underwent throwing training under the guidance of the Anxi army.

Compared to specialized grenadiers, ordinary sergeants also have equipment and training.

This thing is easy to use and quick to learn.

After practicing several no-rope throws and two live-fire throws, you'll be ready for battle.

"Master Lin."

After two days of intensive training, Guo Xin and Yang Xigu once again joined forces to find Lin Dao.

"The Tibetans were powerful and had too many soldiers."

"After discussing it, we decided to send an envoy to the Uyghur royal court to invite the Uyghurs to send troops to help us retake Tingzhou."

"I wonder what the Immortal Master's opinion is?"

Then, the two Grand Protectors saw Lin Dao smile.

But that smile... it just felt a little...
Creepy~
"Please invite the Uyghurs?"

"Okay, great."

“If the Uyghurs don’t come, this table of dishes will be missing the most important main course.”

Hehehehehe~~~

There's no doubt there's a hidden meaning in his words.

Add to that his strange smile and undisguised murderous intent.

Both Grand Protectors felt unwell all over.

"Immortal Master?" Guo Xin spoke cautiously, "The Uyghur Loyal Khan is the emperor's son-in-law—he has always served with utmost respect."

"He's dead." Lin Dao's words stunned the two Grand Protectors.

"This loyal Khan was poisoned by his wife and brother."

"The Uyghurs of today are no longer the sons-in-law of the Tang Dynasty."

The poisoning of the loyal Khan is a recent event.

In this era without mobile phone news, Guo Xin and his colleagues naturally wouldn't know about it.

Ke Lindao had read the historical records; he knew.

If someone else had said this, the two Grand Protectors would certainly not have believed it.

But they had witnessed Lin Dao's abilities firsthand and regarded him as a terrestrial deity.

Words spoken under such circumstances naturally have a much higher credibility.

Lin Dao's revelations are not over yet.

"That Grand Chancellor Jieganjas is the guy who was defeated when he went to rescue Tingzhou."

"He returned to the Uyghur royal court and installed the youngest son of the loyal Khan as the new Khan, thus creating a puppet."

Both Guo Xin and Yang Xigu paused for a moment.

They were all well-versed in history and naturally understood what it meant to establish a puppet ruler.

Sure enough, Lin Dao then dropped a bombshell.

"In a few years, this Grand Chancellor will usurp the Khanate and establish himself as Khan, ending the rule of the Yaoluoge clan in the Uyghur Khaganate!"

"The Uyghurs now are not allies of the Tang Dynasty, but its greatest enemy."

"Because the Tang Dynasty was an ally of the former Khan!"

(End of this chapter)