After the immigration and settlement affairs of the three provinces in the Western Regions were settled, the matter of managing the Western Regions was also basically determined.
With this, the western expedition came to a complete end.
However, although the western expedition was over, there were still many things waiting for them to deal with.
Just considering the matter of the Samanid Khanate's surprise attack on Shazhou in conjunction with forces from the Tibetan Plateau during the westward expedition, it needs to be put on the agenda!
At that time, the western expeditionary army was engaged in a series of battles. In order to avoid fighting on multiple fronts, Li Xin did not immediately send out a large army to conquer the snowy plateau after learning about this matter.
But now, things are different!
With the Samanid Khanate of the Western Regions destroyed, the region was now free to focus its efforts on the Tibetan Plateau, making it the right time to send troops!
Inside the Wuying Hall.
"His Majesty,"
General Zhang Jingzhi, Director of the General Staff, spoke up: "The Samanid Khanate in the Western Regions has now been pacified, but the Tibetan Plateau remains stubbornly defiant. Taking advantage of our army's westward expedition, they allied with the Samanid Khanate to attack our people in Shazhou, attempting to seize our territory. This is a blatant insult to our Tibetan nation. To demonstrate the dignity of our Tibetan nation, such crimes must be punished with a large army as a warning to others! We, your humble servants, request Your Majesty to issue an edict immediately dispatching a large army to the Tibetan Plateau to subdue them!"
Upon hearing Zhang Jingzhi's words, Yu Maocai was slightly taken aback, turned his head to look at Zhang Jingzhi, and his lips twitched slightly.
Although Yu Maocai is an old man from Dongning, we have just finished one major battle and another is about to start. I wonder if the soldiers on the front line and the people in various places can withstand it!
However, Yu Maocai did not voice any objection.
He knew that, given the current strength of the army, it wouldn't be long before they were able to pacify the Tibetan Plateau!
Moreover, nowadays, the large-scale military preparations require almost no assistance from the cabinet. Things such as provisions, supplies, equipment, and weapons are all handled by the General Logistics Department of the Privy Council.
The only thing the cabinet needs to do is to stabilize the people, prepare for immigration to the border, and have government officials take charge of receiving the newly occupied land. That's all.
Therefore, Yu Maocai did not speak.
"Director Zhang is right!"
Li Xin nodded slightly, his brows furrowed, and said, "Back then, the Snowy Plateau's attack on my Shazhou crossed the bottom line of my Great Gan Kingdom! As the saying goes, we will not attack unless attacked! The Snowy Plateau actually took the initiative to send troops, which is bullying my Great Gan Kingdom because it has no one to rely on! If we remain indifferent to even such a thing, won't any country be able to attack my Great Gan Kingdom and invade my people in the future?"
"Such crimes will never be forgiven!"
Li Xinyi solemnly declared, "I swear here today that anyone who offends me, no matter how far away, will be punished!"
Those who offend us, no matter how far away, shall be punished!
These words still stirred the blood of the Privy Council generals in the Wuying Hall!
That's exactly right!
"How's the situation on the snowy plateau?"
Li Xin turned to look at Zhang Jingzhi and asked.
"His Majesty,"
Zhang Jingzhi replied, "The Snowy Plateau, though possessing a high plateau, has a population of only one or two million and is a weak nation. However, it has always harbored great ambitions. Based on the high mountain areas near the Snowy Plateau, it has repeatedly invaded the borders of our Great Gan Kingdom in Hexi, Longyou, and Shuzhong, plundering our people. At the very beginning of the founding of our Great Gan Kingdom by our founding emperor, the Snowy Plateau occupied hundreds of miles of border areas such as Yazhou and Songzhou in Shuzhong, which have not been returned to this day."
"In recent years, our Great Gan Kingdom has been preoccupied with domestic affairs and frequent wars, and has not made any demands on these border areas. Now, the Tibetan Plateau is still sending troops to invade our Great Gan border areas. This is intolerable! It is only right to punish them!"
"According to information gathered by the General Staff, the military strength on the Tibetan Plateau is not large, only a little over 100,000, and its strength is far inferior to that of the Samanid Khanate. The reason the Tibetan Plateau has been able to establish itself for several years is entirely due to its absolute advantage in terrain. Whether it is Yazhou or Songzhou in Sichuan, Hezhou in Longyou, or other places in Hexi, the journey to the Tibetan Plateau is extremely difficult. High mountains and treacherous terrain, hundreds or even thousands of miles of ice and snow, and no human habitation. Merchants who have traveled there have said that people from the inland areas who have just entered the Tibetan Plateau find it difficult to even breathe. The difficult roads naturally lead to logistical difficulties, which is the biggest crisis!"
"Furthermore, the areas around Yazhou and Songzhou lead into the Tibetan Plateau, where the mountains are high and the forests are dense, making the roads even more difficult to traverse. Often, a few hundred soldiers from the Tibetan Plateau can hold off a mountain pass, making the passes even more difficult than Jianmen Pass and Tongguan Pass!"
Zhang Jingzhi took a deep breath and said, "Therefore, in this battle, we need to overcome two difficulties: first, logistical support, and second, the high-altitude terrain. As for troop strength, we don't need many people!"
Zhang Jingzhi's words caused many people in the Wuying Hall to sigh with emotion.
Yu Maocai's expression changed slightly, as he realized that conquering the snowy plateau would likely be even more difficult!
However, Li Xin didn't care at all.
Li Xin looked at everyone present and said, "This difficulty is nothing to us. Our western expeditionary army has already crossed the vast Gobi Desert and the Moheyan Desert, so why would we be afraid of this?"
"not to mention,"
Li Xin continued, "As far as I know, there have always been three routes into the Tibetan Plateau. The first is through Yazhou and Songzhou in Sichuan; the second is through the Huangshui Valley in Longyou; and the third is through the Western Regions!"
"These three directions are the main routes, but there are also some minor paths that are also acceptable."
"This time, we've changed our strategy for conquering the Tibetan Plateau. Instead of a large-scale army campaign, we'll deploy divisions from different directions. The Southwest Military Region will send the 26th Infantry Division to Sichuan, the Northwest Military Region will send the 15th Infantry Division to Longyou, and the Northwest Military Region will send the 12th Cavalry Division to the Western Regions. In addition, we'll add the 12th Infantry Division to Shazhou, for a total of three infantry divisions and one cavalry division, advancing into the plateau from four directions!"
"In this operation, speed is not the priority. The most important thing is that each unit carries sufficient logistical supplies and, after entering the heart of the snowy plateau, must rely on its own efforts to find supplies locally."
"Strive to quickly eliminate the main force on the Tibetan Plateau within two months. Winter comes early on the Tibetan Plateau, and by then, all four divisions will have to be stationed there!"
"The battle on the snowy plateau will still be led by Zhao Bingzhang!"
"In addition, all regions should immediately prepare cotton-padded clothes, quilts, and boots and transport them to various parts of Longyou. Once the Tibetan Plateau is pacified, logistical supplies should be transported to the Tibetan Plateau immediately!"
Li Xin frowned and recounted all the matters in one breath.
After the order was issued, Zhang Jingzhi, director of the General Staff Department, nodded hurriedly and said, "Yes, sir!"
Subsequently, the General Staff also issued orders to various regions of the Southwest Military Region and the Northwest Military Region.
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