The First National Preceptor of the Tang Dynasty

Chapter 348

Yang Chao waved his hand and said, "There's no time to explain to you. By the way, didn't General Li assign four people to me? The other three are your brothers. How are their military skills? Oh, I'm asking you, are those three both literate and martial?"

Qin Xian was taken aback when he heard this, but after thinking about it carefully, he understood the meaning behind Xu Tian's words.

“We are General Li’s personal guards, and we will be loyal to the Grand Tutor without a doubt. Since General Li has sent the four of us to protect the Grand Tutor, we must be skilled in both civil and military affairs.”

Xu Tian nodded with satisfaction upon hearing this, and then immediately stuffed the tiger tally into Qin Xian's arms as if it were trash.

Qin was taken aback, then stood up and started to walk out.

Xu Tianyi rubbed his forehead and said, "Old Qin, why are you in such a hurry? I haven't finished speaking. Instruct the other three men to take the Emperor's decree and my token to the Northern Protectorate."

First, take control of General Niu Ben's wife and General Niu Ben.

During the six months I was in office, the three of them jointly controlled the Northern Protectorate.

Upon hearing this, Qin Xian's expression changed several times, but in the end, he placed his hand on the hilt of his knife.

Xu Tian was slightly taken aback, but Dongfang Tingyun pointed out the problem.

"Master Xu is a high-ranking official of the first rank. He controls these two protectorates and the border general. This is tantamount to plotting a rebellion."

But Master Xu would never do such things at this time. If Master Xu wanted to rebel, he would never have brought along a woman like me and an old steward.

They were nearly ambushed and killed by bandits on the road. If it weren't for the Emperor secretly ordering protection, Master Xu probably wouldn't have been able to mobilize troops now.

Xu Tian nodded, then heard Dongfang Tingyun continue, "It's probably too late to send a message now. Magistrate Chen has already colluded with foreign enemies. At this point, Master can only use his own people to control the two military strongholds of Anxi Protectorate and Northern Border Protectorate!"

Seeing that Qin Xian still looked calm, Dongfang Tingyun sighed.

"It's not that Master Xu wants to use his power to oppress people. If you replace him with one of your own, General Qin, please consider why General Li always returns victorious from every campaign."

Without hesitation, Qin Xian replied, "The morale of the army."

The three nodded inwardly. Yes, it was morale. A team needs a collective centripetal force, meaning everyone works together towards the same goal. Such an army is invincible and will ultimately achieve victory.

Dongfang Tingyun glanced at Xu Tian, ​​then smiled slightly and guided him again.

"But what if this team develops disloyalties, and the two generals fighting each have their own ideas?"

Qin Xian's eyes widened immediately, and he said, "If that's the case, then we will definitely lose this war. Moreover, if the Turks break into the county town at this time, they will start looting and killing on a large scale."

Dongfang Tingyun nodded again and then said, "Master Xu already knows that Magistrate Chen embezzled money. The Turks will definitely rush here. At that time, none of us—you, me, and Master Xu—will be able to escape."

If that's the case, and considering the entire city's population, how could General Qin remain unmoved?

Qin Xian knelt on the ground and performed a military salute.

"Rest assured, Master, I will certainly handle this matter properly."

But if the troops of the Anxi Protectorate are all transferred to the north at this time, wouldn't the Kingdom of Gaochang and the Kingdom of Goryeo take advantage of the situation and invade?

Xu Tian immediately pulled out his hand and waved it away.

"I have already inquired about it. The crown prince and the prince of Gaochang are fighting for the throne and are currently in a fierce struggle. As for Goryeo, it goes without saying that they are currently trying to occupy the Hetao region with the Turks."

Fearing that they would be the vanguard and allow Goryeo to reap the benefits, Tibet requested Gao Liguo to transfer half of its military force to the Hexi region, also known as Youzhou, before setting out.