On the 20th day of the sixth month of the first year of the Zhaowu reign of the Tang Dynasty, in the imperial city of Jinling.
Today is the day Emperor Zhaowu Chen Huai'an personally leads the expedition. Twenty thousand Imperial Guards from the capital, representing the 250,000-strong army on this expedition, are lined up in formation on the parade ground outside the imperial city, awaiting the inspection of the emperor and civil and military officials.
Chen Shi (7-9 AM).
The 20,000 Imperial Guards of the capital have all assembled, and the training ground is filled with fluttering banners and a forest of swords and spears.
The Imperial Guard stationed in the capital was originally a part of the elite Longcheng Xuanjia Army and more than 6,000 Longcheng Iron Cavalry (originally 3,000 Longcheng Iron Cavalry, plus the heavy cavalry trained after capturing equipment from the Xin Dynasty). It was the most powerful army in the entire Tang Dynasty, without exception.
The Imperial Guard's formidable fighting strength is reflected not only in the soldiers' morale and spirit but also in their weaponry and equipment.
Take the Ironclad Cavalry at the very front of the formation, for example. Both men and horses were clad in heavy armor, so thick that even the morning sunlight could hardly penetrate it, giving off a powerful sense of oppression.
Inside and outside the training ground, Golden Guard soldiers dressed in golden armor were on duty.
The vast training ground was unusually quiet, with only the morning breeze making the banners flutter and the occasional snorting of the cavalry horses echoing in the air.
Inside the imperial city, Empress Dowager Xu Ruoyun, accompanied by Empress Liu Shujun, Imperial Noble Consort Yue Qiluo, and a group of imperial family members and civil and military officials, came to see off Emperor Zhaowu Chen Huai'an, who was leading a personal expedition.
No one noticed that, outside the crowded farewell party, a young figure dressed in a flying fish robe was silently watching the people seeing them off.
This man was Luo Yucheng, Marquis of Wuping and Deputy Commander of the Longcheng Inner Guard of the Tang Dynasty.
Before Emperor Zhaowu Chen Huai'an set off on his campaign, he had already issued an edict to Luo Yucheng, ordering him to stay in the capital and secretly monitor the civil and military officials to ensure that these former officials would not commit any acts of deceiving the emperor or disrupting the court while the emperor was away from the capital.
At this moment, Chen Huai'an was saying goodbye to his mother, Empress Xu Ruoyun, as well as Empress Liu Shujun and Imperial Noble Consort Yue Qiluo.
It is worth mentioning that Empress Liu Shujun and Imperial Noble Consort Yue Qiluo, whose originally flat bellies are now quite swollen.
If nothing unexpected happens, the second-generation successor of the Tang Dynasty should be born smoothly once Emperor Zhaowu Chen Huai'an returns from his personal expedition.
Chen Huai'an first addressed his mother, Empress Xu Ruoyun, saying, "Mother, with my personal expedition this time, I will be troubling you with the affairs of the capital, both large and small;"
As he spoke, Chen Huai'an looked at Liu Shujun and Yue Qiluo with affection, and said with a smile, "Especially for Shujun and Qiluo, they are both new mothers, and I am not by their side, so—"
Um!
Xu Ruoyun nodded and said earnestly, "My son, you can rest assured and lead the army into battle. Your mother will take care of everything in the palace for you."
Eh—
Xu Ruoyun sighed and said, "I thought that after the founding of the nation, our family would have more time to reunite, but who would have thought that after only a few days of peace, we would be separated again."
"Your younger brother is fighting for the country in the mountains of the Goguryeo Peninsula, and you are about to personally lead an expedition to quell the rebellion in the Western Regions;"
"I wonder how long it will be before I can return to the capital and reunite with my family!"
Chen Huai'an did not answer his mother Xu Ruoyun's question.
In fact, he didn't know how long it would take to return to the capital after this expedition to the Western Regions.
If possible, Chen Huai'an wanted to resolve the historical issue of the chaos in the Western Regions once and for all, and to bring the vast Abbasid Caliphate, which spanned Asia, Africa and Europe, into the territory of the Tang Dynasty.
In the world Chen Huai'an was in before his transmigration, Genghis Khan, the great conqueror, had already achieved this monumental feat, bringing more than half of the earth's land under the Mongol Yuan dynasty's control.
For Chen Huai'an, who aspired to become the same as Qin Shi Huang and Emperor Wu of Han and to be the greatest emperor of all time, he was confident that his literary and military talents were no less than those of Genghis Khan.
Now, with the "Born to Be an Emperor" system at his disposal, granting him unlimited troop production, he truly intends to seize this opportunity to incorporate the vast Arab Empire into the territory of the Tang Dynasty.
It's simply a matter of establishing more military governors after conquering the empire, thus dividing and managing the vast Arab Empire!
Therefore, when faced with his mother Xu Ruoyun's question about when they would return to the capital for a family reunion, he really didn't know how to answer.
Fortunately, his mother, Xu Ruoyun, was a reasonable person and did not dwell on the matter. Instead, she continued to say to Chen Huai'an, "Alright, the auspicious time for the expedition is almost here."
"You should have a good talk with Shujun and Qiluo. I reckon that by the time you meet again, you'll be the Emperor!"
Um!
Chen Huai'an nodded and gave his mother a knowing smile.
He then turned his attention to Empress Liu Shujun and Imperial Noble Consort Yue Qiluo.
Looking at the two beautiful women before him, who were about to bear his children, Chen Huai'an felt a thousand words welling up in his heart, but in the end, they all came out as a simple sentence: "Wait for me to come back!"
But it was this simple phrase, "Wait for me to return," that brought tears to the eyes of Empress Liu Shujun and Imperial Noble Consort Yue Qiluo.
Both of them looked at Emperor Zhaowu Chen Huai'an with deep affection and reluctance, and said in unison, "Your Majesty, take care!"
Um!
Chen Huai'an nodded solemnly once again, then avoided the gazes of Empress Liu Shujun and Imperial Noble Consort Yue Qiluo.
Immediately afterwards, he gestured for Duke Chang Yuchun of Wei, Duke Pang Xianchu of Jin, and Minister of War Li Jingyu to step forward, and instructed them: "Duke of Wei, Duke of Jin, Minister Li—"
"Your Majesty, we are here!"
Chen Huai'an said, "During my campaign to conquer the Western Regions, all matters of state, large and small, depended on the three of you. In particular, the matter of relocating the capital could not be overlooked."
"Your Majesty, rest assured, I, Pang Xianchu, will devote myself wholeheartedly to the matter of relocating the capital, even unto death!"
At this moment, Duke Pang Xianchu of Jin stepped forward and patted his chest before Emperor Zhaowu, Chen Huai'an, saying, "Your Majesty, I assure you that from the day Your Majesty sets out on your expedition until the completion of the new capital of our Great Tang Dynasty, I will be like a long spear, planted firmly on the construction site of the new capital palace, and I will not move!"
Ha ha!
Upon hearing this, Chen Huai'an laughed heartily, patted Pang Xianchu on the shoulder, and said meaningfully, "Good, I'm relieved to hear that."
"I hereby grant you special permission to build a Duke's mansion after the new capital city is determined, so that you can bring your wife, children, and elderly parents there. The imperial palace needs to be built, but this reunion with your family cannot be delayed."
As he spoke, Chen Huai'an said half-jokingly, "Otherwise, if I really let you supervise the construction for three or five years, wouldn't the Duchess complain that I'm heartless? Hahaha!"
Ha ha!
Upon hearing this, the others present exchanged knowing smiles.
Immediately afterwards, Duke Chang Yuchun of Wei and Minister of War Li Jingyu also assured Chen Huai'an that they would handle the affairs of the court well during the emperor's personal expedition and would send urgent reports to the emperor every day.
This arrangement was equivalent to having Chang Yuchun, the Duke of Wei, who was absolutely loyal to Chen Huai'an, act as the prime minister and govern the country on behalf of the emperor during Chen Huai'an's personal military campaign.
Li Jingyu, the Minister of War, was a veteran of five reigns (the reigns of Zhenwu of the Great Xin Dynasty, Jian'an Dynasty, Lingwu Dynasty, the reign of the pseudo-emperor Hongxi, and the reign of Zhaowu of the Great Tang Dynasty). He enjoyed extremely high prestige among the former officials of the previous dynasties and was more than capable of assisting Duke Chang Yuchun of Wei in handling all matters of state.
Only after resolving the internal issues can Chen Huai'an confidently lead his troops on a personal expedition.
As for the commander-in-chief, there's even less to worry about.
Not to mention his unparalleled bravery, Emperor Zhaowu Chen Huai'an, who conquered the world on horseback, was always ready to don armor and command the army.
The "Born to be an Emperor" system offers a wide selection of legendary historical generals, with no shortage of troops and commanders.
After everything was arranged, the auspicious time for the army to set off arrived.
Xiao Po, the Marquis of Loyalty and Righteousness and Commander of the Golden Guard of the Tang Dynasty, seized the opportunity and approached Emperor Zhaowu Chen Huai'an, whispering, "Your Majesty, the auspicious time has arrived. It is time to move to the training ground to inspect the three armies!"
"Alright, I understand!"
Chen Huai'an nodded, then turned his gaze back to his mother, Empress Xu Ruoyun, Empress Liu Shujun, and Imperial Noble Consort Yue Qiluo, without saying a word.
He glanced at them with deep affection, then, under the reluctant gazes of the concubines, mounted his warhorse and rode out of the palace gates without looking back, heading straight for the training ground outside the imperial city.
Giddy up, giddy up, giddy up!
Immediately afterward, Xiao Po, the commander of the Imperial Guards, also led his soldiers to ride off, following in the footsteps of the Emperor straight to the training ground.
It was just past 9 AM.
Clad in golden armor and with a Longquan sword at his waist, Emperor Zhaowu Chen Huai'an, the founding emperor of the Tang Dynasty, strode onto the reviewing stand on the training ground under the watchful eyes of 20,000 imperial guards.
"Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor!"
The next moment, shouts of "Long live the Emperor!" echoed across the training ground from thousands of soldiers.
Its momentum was deafening, soaring straight into the sky.
It wasn't until Emperor Zhaowu, Chen Huai'an, waved his hand on the drill ground that the boisterous soldiers finally quieted down.
Clang—
Chen Huai'an drew the Longquan sword from his waist with one arm, and the sword made a series of clanging sounds the moment it was drawn.
Chen Huai'an shouted sharply, "Soldiers of the Great Tang Dynasty—"
"Your subordinate is here!"
On the drill ground, 20,000 Imperial Guards responded in unison, their voices like the roar of dragons and the howl of tigers.
Chen Huai'an said, "When the Tang Dynasty was first established, the people of the world had only just begun to enjoy a few good days when the Arab Empire beyond the Western Regions launched a large-scale invasion of the Tang Dynasty, wantonly slaughtering the people on the Tang border and seizing the Tang's border territories."
"Tell me, as soldiers of the Tang Dynasty, what should we do when faced with an invasion by a powerful enemy?"
"beat!"
"beat!"
"beat!"
On the training ground, 20,000 Tang soldiers responded in unison.
Its momentum is overwhelming.
"Well said!"
Chen Huai'an roared with an air of dominance: "Peace and stability have always been won through war. If the enemy dares to launch an eastern expedition, then why can't I and all the soldiers of the Great Tang Dynasty launch a western expedition beyond the borders?"
"Let the battle flag of the Tang Dynasty be planted on every inch of land where the Tang cavalry has reached!"
With that, Chen Huai'an raised his arm and shouted, pointing the blade of his Longquan sword, "Today, in the name of the founding emperor of the Tang Dynasty, I hereby issue an edict to all the soldiers of the Tang army on the western expedition—"
"Set off for the western expedition immediately, and we will not return until the enemy is defeated!"
"We will not return until the enemy is defeated!"
"We will not return until the enemy is defeated!"
On the vast training ground, a deafening roar erupted once again.
"Set off—"
......
The 250,000-strong Tang army for the western expedition officially set off on June 20th of the first year of the Zhaowu reign of the Tang Dynasty. They marched north from Jinling City, passed through the Sixteen Prefectures of Youyun, went through Chang'an Prefecture, and exited Yumen Pass. Finally, they joined forces with the Tang garrison of Anxi Protectorate. This was the marching route and plan formulated by the Ministry of War of the Tang Dynasty for the western expedition army.
However, Emperor Zhaowu Chen Huai'an, who was in charge of the army and personally led the expedition, did not intend to march and fight according to the plan formulated by the Ministry of War.
He even planned to lead only 20,000 Imperial Guards out of the 250,000-strong army to conquer the Western Regions.
The remaining 230,000 troops, except for those to be transferred to the Sixteen Prefectures of Youyun, were all assigned to Duke Pang Xianchu of Jin for use in the construction of the imperial palace after the capital was moved.
Therefore, after the army set off from Jinling City, it was divided into two by an imperial edict from Emperor Zhaowu Chen Huai'an. The 20,000 Imperial Guards of the capital were led by Chen Huai'an as the vanguard of the army, while the remaining 230,000 troops were commanded by Duke Pang Xianchu of Jin, including a part of the Shenji Battalion carrying red-coated cannons and three-eyed guns.
The vanguard of the main army consisted of light and heavy cavalry, whose marching speed far surpassed that of the rear guard, which carried a large amount of supplies.
When Chen Huai'an led his 20,000 Imperial Guard vanguard northward to Zhuozhou City, the main army led by Duke Pang Xianchu of Jin State had just passed Jinan Prefecture.
There is a marching time difference of more than three days between the two armies.
On this day, in the Tang army camp inside Zhuozhou City.
Inside the central command tent, Emperor Zhaowu Chen Huai'an, after several months, finally communicated with the [Born to Be an Emperor] system once again using his mind. Accompanied by a familiar mechanical synthesized sound, the system projection panel immediately appeared in his mind.
This time, Chen Huai'an was selecting a commander-in-chief for the army's westward expedition.
As for the legendary historical generals he summoned, he already had a suitable candidate in mind—Zhao Zilong of Changshan, one of the Five Tiger Generals of the Three Kingdoms period!
That's right, it's Zhao Zilong, the one who was incredibly brave, charging in and out of Cao Cao's million-strong army seven times at Changban Slope; and who held off Cao Cao's massive army with only ten horsemen in the Battle of Hanshui.
This western expedition was a golden opportunity for Zhao Zilong to make contributions to the Tang Dynasty.
Chen Huai'an firmly believed that Zilong alone could be worth a thousand troops!
Chen Huai'an skillfully located the Historical Legendary General Summoning tab in the system control panel and spent 300,000 experience points to summon Zhao Zilong.
[Born to be an Emperor] System: Respected host, do you wish to confirm the summoning of the legendary historical general Zhao Zilong?
Without hesitation, Chen Huai'an replied: Confirmed!
[Legendary historical generals are being summoned...]
[Ding!]
[Summoning successful!]
As the system's summoning success announcement rang out, a thick cloud of white mist suddenly appeared out of thin air inside Chen Huai'an's central command tent, where he was the only person present.
As the white mist gradually dissipated, a young military general, eight feet tall, with a heroic appearance and imposing bearing, appeared inside the central command tent.
The man stood tall and straight, his starry eyes gleaming with determination and wisdom. Clad in silver armor and wielding a gleaming silver spear, he strode confidently toward Emperor Zhaowu, Chen Huai'an, who sat upright in the center of the tent.
It was none other than Zhao Zilong, one of the Five Tiger Generals of Shu Han!
"This humble general, Zhao Zilong, pays his respects to Your Majesty!"
Upon meeting, Zhao Zilong immediately performed the grand ceremony of kneeling before Emperor Zhaowu, Chen Huai'an, a subject of the emperor.
Before Zhao Zilong could kneel, Chen Huai'an stood up and helped him up, saying with a smile, "General, you are in armor, there is no need for full formalities!"
"Thank you, Your Majesty!"
Zhao Zilong indeed stood up, his majestic posture like that of a god descending to earth.
Chen Huai'an nodded in satisfaction and said, "Zilong, this expedition to the west with me is a golden opportunity for you to establish merit and expand the territory of the Tang Dynasty."
"I hope that you will not disappoint my expectations of you, nor the expectations of the millions of people of the Han people, and that you will plant the battle flag of the Tang Dynasty on every inch of land where the Tang cavalry has reached!"
"Your subordinate obeys!"
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