In my dream of returning to the Tang Dynasty, I snatched Wu Zetian from my lap.

The red candles flickered, creating a vibrant and fragrant atmosphere.

The Deer Palace trembled incessantly at night.

Perhaps it was because he had been away from home for too long that Li Yuanchang became somewhat impatient, to the point that he appeared extremely excited.

Even a beautiful woman like Murong Ji was somewhat tearful.

"..."

The next day, the sun rose high in the sky.

Murong Khan arrived early in the morning.

"Greetings, Your Highness!"

"Hahaha, what wind blew Murong Khan here so early in the morning?" Li Yuanchang laughed, clearly in a good mood.

Murong Khan glanced at Murong Ji not far away. She looked radiant, her cheeks flushed. He instantly understood, smiled, and didn't bring up the matter.

Sending one's sister-in-law to the emperor sounds unpleasant in the Central Plains, but it was quite normal in the ancient Tuyuhun, and certainly not considered a bad reputation.

After doing so much, this was all the reward Li Yuanchang could think of.

"Your Highness, I have come here mainly to report on the situation. Order has been largely restored in Fu'ai City, and the several wells that were destroyed have been repaired this morning."

"The people have been relocated to the west of the city and placed under temporary wartime control as instructed by His Highness."

Li Yuanchang glanced at him; his eyes were tired, clearly indicating he hadn't rested all night.

"That's excellent."

"This is already very efficient. Let's take it slow. Khan, you should go back and rest first."

"Having just finished a battle, the three armies need rest and recuperation. I will not be launching any large-scale military operations for the time being."

He revealed the truth directly to avoid the other party from constantly nagging about recovering the entire territory as soon as possible.

Although Murong Khan was somewhat disappointed, he also understood the principle that the army needed to rest and recuperate.

"Yes, Your Highness."

"But there's one more thing."

"What is it?"

Murong Khan looked troubled: "Your Highness, the grain... is not enough."

"The Tibetans plundered the entire Tuyuhun, taking everything they could. Only Fu'ai City had stored grain, which was seized by the Tang army. However, the amount of this stored grain was limited, as it was originally intended to supply the eight thousand Tibetan troops, amounting to only thirty thousand shi."

"The auxiliary troops all relied on forcibly requisitioning food and supplies from the people."

"This has resulted in the army having food to eat, but the people have no food left in their homes. If this continues, many people in the capital will starve to death, and there may even be a mutiny."

"Your Highness, could you perhaps think of a solution?"

As he spoke, Murong Khan knelt down.

Li Yuanchang grabbed him, asking, "Brother Murong, what are you doing?"

"Your Highness, I know I have no right to ask Your Highness for provisions. Since Your Highness has sent troops to Tuyuhun, Tuyuhun should bear the loss of provisions."

"But this Khan is incompetent, losing territory and grain, which has led to this situation."

"Now we are at our wits' end. Tens of thousands of people inside and outside the capital are starving. If they all die, Tuyuhun will be nothing but a name."

"Seeking help from the imperial court is most likely futile; perhaps only Your Highness can help me with Tuyuhun."

"I beg Your Highness to grant my request, or I will kneel here forever!"

Li Yuanchang smiled wryly.

He can't just conjure soldiers out of thin air.

"If Your Highness is willing to help Fu'ai City, from now on the entire Tuyuhun will follow Your Highness's lead!" Murong Khan made a solemn promise.

Upon hearing this, Guo Chao and the others standing nearby couldn't help but light up.

Murong probably knew that asking the court for help would be futile; the court's decision to send troops was based on its own considerations. His only hope now was that Li Yuanchang could find a solution.

And the chips are what you follow!

Li Yuanchang said, "Get up first. With so many lives at stake, I naturally cannot sit idly by."

"If we only focus on military and civilian affairs, then even if we win back the enemy, it will be of no benefit to me or the Tang Dynasty."

Upon hearing this, Murong Khan choked up, "Thank you, King of the Far East!"

Li Yuanchang helped the man up, his brows furrowed: "But even if I were to ask the court for help at this stage, I'm afraid it wouldn't be able to cure the root cause."

Upon hearing this, Murong Khan's expression changed, and he looked somewhat desperate.

Why?

First, distant water cannot quench immediate thirst.

"Secondly, the Great Tang is suffering from a severe drought and is already struggling to cope with its own problems, which is one of the reasons why His Majesty did not send troops out immediately."

"Third, the high-ranking officials of the imperial court may not care whether these people live or die."

This is a very cruel reality. The Tang Dynasty sent troops to Tuyuhun to counter the Tibetan Empire, preserve a buffer zone, and safeguard the interests of Hexi, not to ensure that every person in Tuyuhun would not starve to death.

Upon hearing this, Murong Khan's stubble-covered face showed a hint of unease: "What should we do then?"

"How much grain and fodder does your unit have left?" Li Yuanchang asked.

"Your Highness, no, we've been eating Your Highness's military rations the whole way," Murong Khan said, extremely embarrassed.

Li Yuanchang was ashamed: "When you escaped from Fuai City, you didn't take anything with you?"

Murong Khan shook his head: "They were all lost on the way. At the time, we were afraid of being caught by the Tibetans."

"When we came to seek refuge with Your Highness, we borrowed military provisions and equipment from Liangzhou, and now they are almost all used up."

Upon hearing this, Guo Chao and the others standing nearby all looked helpless.

This Khan must have had a really tough time.

If he hadn't met the affectionate and sentimental prince, he might have lost even this last bit of dignity.

"All right."

"I will handle this matter. You continue with your work and bring peace to the entire city of Fu'ai and the surrounding area. I do not want our backyard to be on fire while we are fighting the Tibetans."

Murong Khan replied emphatically, "Yes!"

"Your Highness, rest assured, I will never hold you back!"

Li Yuanchang nodded, saw Murong off, and then had someone conduct a thorough inventory of the army's supplies.

The Far East Army's provisions were coordinated by the Ministry of War and transported by Longxi Prefecture. This was just the beginning, and the imperial court officials did not dare to shortchange them, so there was enough for the Far East Army to eat.

He had won two great victories at Gudu Ranch and Fuai City, and the spoils were considerable; he needed to calculate them.

Within half a day, the quartermaster brought the news.

After deducting the supplies needed to support the fighting troops, the captured grain and fodder amounted to approximately 53,000 shi (a unit of dry measure), which was only enough to feed about 35,000 people for a month.

If supplies are to be provided to the people in multiple areas such as Fuaicheng, it may only last for twenty days.

Even including livestock like cattle and sheep, it won't take much longer.

Thus, a non-military problem was placed before Li Yuanchang.

Rescue efforts are hampered by insufficient supplies, making them a burden.

If we don't provide assistance, we will lose public support and it will conflict with our core interests.

As a military buffer zone and subordinate of the Tang Dynasty in the west, Tuyuhun lost its value once its population dwindled.

In order to address the long-term needs, Li Yuanchang convened a meeting to discuss countermeasures.

This discussion lasted until very late at night.

Ultimately, Li Yuanchang made the decision to take a more fundamental approach.

He first tried to transport some seeds and tools from the Tang Dynasty, and then had the Tuyuhun people sow the seeds directly on the plains and pastures.

It sounds simple, but it's actually quite complicated.

Twenty percent of Tuyuhun's territory is plateau, and the rest is all plains, flat as a pancake. Although it is suitable for farming, it is currently a time of war.

The Tibetans could suddenly appear from any unexpected place, and once targeted, it was almost impossible to escape the pursuit of the cavalry, so the safety risk was very high.

Li Yuanchang made many arrangements for this purpose.

"Alright, that's all for today. Liao Jie and Yuan Tuo, you two are in charge of implementing the establishment of the military protection zone. Designate a piece of land as a granary for the Tuyuhun people."