Chapter 126 Ice and Snow Canal Affairs

Shule Khan's Mansion, Ilik.

Satuk's second son was only ten years old and seemed powerless to the current military and political situation. Although he had the mission of governing the country, he was still just a child after all. When the military situation was urgent, the generals in Shule City did not even leave the procedures for asking for instructions on major matters. Hushagar was entrusted to handle all military and political affairs.

"Uncle," Ilic asked, stuttering, "Shule, are you almost unable to hold on?"

"Who is talking nonsense?" Hushagar was sitting in Ilic and started to attack, but then suddenly stood up. The anger on his face was almost like flames that were about to erupt at any time through a layer of paper.

Ilik did not answer Hushagar's words, lowered his head, and after a while, he mustered up the courage and said, "It's not that anyone is saying it, but we have defeated several times, and the troops besieging Jokhang Temple were defeated. He followed Tang Kou and forced out of the city again, scaring the herdsmen on the outskirts of the city to hide in the city. Later, we fought outside the city and were defeated by Tang Kou, which led to the betrayal of the troops one after another..."

The defeated field battle greatly weakened Hushagar's prestige in Shule. At this time, it was mentioned by Ilik in person. A little shame slipped through his eyes, but it quickly calmed down.

"Now it's rumoring that the father Khan has been defeated by the Tang Kou, and even... it's even said that the father Khan has been in an accident... uncle..."

"Young Master!" Hu Shagar interrupted Ilik and said, "You don't have to listen to these rumors. The reason why the field battle outside the city was defeated was because the Fanzhu tribes were not fighting effectively. If it weren't for the betrayal of the Jiu surname of Zhaowu, we would not have lost that field battle. Even so, the only ones who were damaged were those guys with weak hearts - our main force was not damaged much. As for your father Khan, he would not be in trouble! I firmly believe in this - and please believe in the young master!"

His voice was calm and powerful, which gave the boy some encouragement, but Ilic was still not completely relieved.

"Uncle, although our standing troops are still intact, it seems that the crops west of Shule City were cut by the Tang Kou, and there were also crops to the east. I heard that some were cut off by the Tang army, and some were robbed by the tribes in the chaos, but they were not saved. In this way, is our food stored enough?"

"Young Master, don't worry! The military rations in our city are definitely enough to support Bogra Khan's return," said Hushagar.

"If there is no problem with the food, why do those craftsmen still make trouble?"

Hushagar's eyebrows frowned. He looked at Ilik carefully. The boy seemed a little nervous, but the questions he asked just now were not only accurate in information, but also advanced one after another. He first questioned Hushagar's failure in the field, and then questioned whether he had the ability to maintain Shule's stability. These questions themselves were designed very sharply. If Satuk had asked these questions in a stern manner, Hushagar would have been so scared that he was crawling on the ground and sweating profusely. But Ilik obviously did not have the temperament to show these questions as an example.

"Someone is teaching him." Hushagar thought to himself. He did not restrict his subordinates from blocking Ilik's eyes and ears, and did not deliberately prevent Ilik from knowing what was happening outside, but if someone even designed the questions he asked him, the nature would be different.

"Ilik!" Hushagar suddenly called the nephew's name, which means that what he was going to say next was not as a minister, but as an uncle. "Who taught you the questions you asked me just now?"

"This...no..."

"It's Abdu, right?" Hushagar strengthened his tone without waiting for the boy to react.

As if the secret in his heart was revealed, the boy seemed a little frightened.

It was him! Hushagar's heart a little anger came to his heart. This is not the first time that Abdu has restrained him. Although Hushagar took charge of Shule's military and political power, he still nominally assisted Yilik to cover the entire territory. Abdu is Ilik's teacher, so he can restrain Hushagar through Ilik.

Although Abdu did not grasp Shule's specific military and political affairs, the power of the Tianfang Sect in Shule City should not be underestimated. In particular, Shule's Tianfang Temple is located between the Khan's Mansion and the mansions of the generals, and it also seems very subtle in geographical sense. In addition, Abdu's Ilik teacher was also arranged by Satuk, so that Hushagar, who has always been loyal to Satuk, sometimes couldn't help but wonder: Did Bogra Khan do this on purpose?

"Ilik," Hushagar pressed the shoulder of the ten-year-old boy and said sincerely: "Child, my nephew, there are some things you must know to distinguish between relatives and alienation - although Abdu is your teacher, don't forget that I am your uncle! Although in the Tianfang Sect, the majesty of the head sect is greater than that of the relatives, don't forget that as a Tianfang Sect, you are also a Uighur Khan! The descendant of the desert king! This identity is more important to you than a Tianfang Sect!" Hushagar spoke every word and every tone of every sentence was deeply delayed: "Even if you don't believe me, please believe your father Khan! Bograhan will hand over you and Shule to me, not because of anything else, just because he has absolute trust in me!"

The boy seemed very uneasy. He stood up after hearing the last two sentences. Hushagar said, and he said, "Yes." Hushagar in front of him was not only his assistant and his guardian. When his father Khan was away, he was responsible for protecting himself and even partially replacing his father's role. This made Ilik depend on him and also made him afraid.

Of course, Satuk arranged not only Hushagar for him, but also one of them was Ilik's teacher, the head of Shule Tianfang Temple, and Abdu.

"Tang Kou is dangerous, but the Tianfang Sect is equally dangerous before taming it." Hu Shagar said: "Tang Kou is our foreign enemy, and they are going to replace us to rule the tribes. The Tianfang Sect is a wolf raised by your father Khan at home that has not been tamed yet - I have learned about the history of their priests. Many times, the heads are bigger than the king, or the heads are kings! The most noble caliph of the Tianfang Sect is itself a teaching post. But when we arrive here, when we reach the land of our Uighurs, they must first make changes, and then we can accept them. The Uighur Khan must be supreme. If the Uighur Khan still has to listen to the heads, then this Khan is not a Khan and becomes a servant at the foot of the heads of the Tianfang Temple. Ilik! Are you planning to be a servant of someone else?"

Hushagar stopped again when he said this, and asked his nephew with his eyes to make sure he heard what he said.

"I...I understand!" Ilik straightened his chest and said, "We Uighur Khans can accept the Tianfang Cult, but we should let them be our servants, not our servants!"

Hushagar was overjoyed, nodded repeatedly, and said, "Yes! That's right! As long as you have an uncle for one day, I will definitely guarantee you to wait until your father Khan comes back. This is my oath to him."

After this conversation, the relationship between the uncle and nephew was much closer. Ilik walked to Hushagar, hugged him, and whispered: "But uncle, is my father Khan really not defeated? I also heard... there is reliable news that Uncle Holan has died in battle, and I also heard that my brother was also in the hands of Tang Kou. They sent an envoy to talk to you about the exchange of hostages..."

Hu Shagar's heart was shocked. Zhang Mai sent Jialing to inform him that Baitash was in the hands of the Tang army. It was less than an hour ago, and Ilik actually knew that if Ilik's source was from Abdu, then Abdu's wide range of eyes and ears would be too shocking!

"Who did you hear about this news? Abdu?"

Ilik hesitated for a moment and did not deny it.

Hushagar said in a reproachful tone: "Ilik, listen, Bayitash may be really in the hands of Tang Kou, but that doesn't mean that something happened to your father Khan."

"But what if Father Khan really is like the rumor..."

"Don't worry!" Hushagar said: "I have sent someone to contact Gaochang."

Ilik was surprised: "Gao...Gaochang?"

"right!"

"What are you doing when you contact Gaochang? Isn't Gaochang's side irreconcilable with us?"

"Gaochang is incompatible with Balashaguon, not with us." Hushaguar said: "I have sent someone to inform Vijay that as long as he can help us expel the Tang gang, we will merge into the Lingdong Uighur Khanate with Shule, but he must agree to make you the deputy Khan of Lingdong Uighur Khan!"

Ilik opened his eyes widened because these two words from Hushagar were something he never expected.

Hushagar continued: "This group of Tang knights is indeed powerful. The militia cannot go out of the city to fight. We have no chance of winning by relying solely on our 8,000 standing troops. But as long as we support Bogra Khan, they will definitely be eliminated under the attack on both sides. And if Bogra Khan is really as rumored, we can integrate into the system of the Eastern Khanate. Even if you can't be the deputy Khan, you can at least protect yourself. When you grow up in the future, you will continue the unreal estate of your father Khan! Irik, this is the arrangement I have made for you during this period, and can you understand the intention of my uncle?"

Ilik's small head was temporarily confused. After a long time, he accepted Hushagal's arrangement.

"But uncle, what if Father Khan comes back, at the same time, what should we do then?"

"You don't have to worry about this." Hushagar smiled faintly and said, "If Bograhan has come back, he will naturally deal with the matter. I believe he will definitely have a solution. What we have to do in front of us is to try to maintain the power of all aspects and prevent chaos and defend this Shule City. We don't have to worry, because as long as the situation is stabilized, victory will always belong to us in the end!"

Ilic thought about it, and smiled relaxedly. The secret that his uncle revealed at this moment made him feel that he had a support for the future.

"Okay," said the boy, "everything is what my uncle does."

"Well, although I have told you about this, you can't let Abdu know about it anyway, do you understand?"

"I understand." The young man nodded and said, "Because the Uighurs in Gaochang are not believed in the Tianfang Sect, right?"

"By the way, you are so smart." Hushagar said: "The situation is not clear now, and we may not necessarily be merged into the Eastern Khanate. We will win over all the forces in the city, but we don't have to lean towards any side. In short, we must keep them in balance, which is the most beneficial to us."

Snowflakes are still flying in the plateau area around Shule, the Geluoling Pass and the roads to Khotan are still blocked, but the snow in the plains, river valleys, and oasis has stopped.

However, the weather is still cold. According to Wen Suhai, the elder of the Ming Cult, the low temperature period of Shule is very long, and such temperatures are probably maintained until after spring.

However, Yang Dingguo ignored the cold and took Hesheli, Wen Suhai and Faxin braved the cold wind to inspect Shule, discussing the planting and development of this land in the coming spring. Now the affairs of the Anxi Tang army are becoming more and more diverse, and the tendency to divide the labor is becoming more and more obvious. Zhang Mai is in charge of military strategy in the front, while Yang Dingguo replaces Guo Shidao's position, and takes charge of civil affairs in the rear, while also taking care of logistics. Although Zhang Mai also asked Yang Dingguo how to attack Shule, Yang Dingguo still focused most of his energy on civil affairs and logistics. The actual handling of affairs is Zheng Wei, and Yang Dingguo mainly dealt with decisions, guidance, and supervision, but he still refused to be idle. He only hopes to shed more drops of sweat for his children and grandchildren in his lifetime.

His old concubine pityed him for being so busy at the age of age, so she said to him in a teasing tone: "Shule has not been defeated yet. If you have not obtained a house, you should buy a house in it. Do you need to be so anxious? Those young and strong people are young and strong, and they are brave enough to fight in the cold. If you are still unwilling to stop at the age of age, can't you wait for the coming spring?"

But Yang Dingguo shouted: "What do you know about women? Sooner or later, Shule belongs to us. Some things are worse than to do earlier than to do later!"

Shule is very large, and the area of ​​the entire Dashule area is equivalent to two Guanzhong Plains and ten Chengdu Plains. However, land suitable for cultivation is concentrated in the oasis where several rivers pass, and a large number of semi-arid areas and hillside grasslands can only be grazed - that is the world of Shule Zhuhu. Therefore, the grain structure of Shule area is mixed with grains and meat.

Nearly 60% of the developed oasis planted with grain, half of them planted with cotton and other economic crops, and half of them were grazed as sweet aquatic plants. According to the fertility of aquatic plants and the land, the first-class land was occupied by the Uighur people, especially the good pastures near Shule City, which were all forbidden by the Uighur people. After the Tang army approached, the Uighur people on these oasis ranches had retreated into the city. The remaining land was lowered and reclaimed and grazed by various ethnic groups.

On the 60% of the developed land suitable for cultivation, about 35% of the land reclaimed by Han farmers. Although the proportion of land reclaimed by the Tang people is not large and the soil is not the best, the Hu people grazed and farmed for rough farming. Compared with the Tang people who carried out intensive cultivation, the unit production is incomparable. Therefore, the Han farmland surrounding the Jokhang Temple has now become the largest source of surplus grain in the Shule area.

The Jokhang Temple is west of Shule City. At this moment, the Xia Shule area surveyed by Yang Dingguo is in the north of Shule. This area is connected to the Tianshan Mountains in the north and the desert in the east. The oasis is not large, and the soil is relatively barren. It is accompanied by people from Guo to herd or farm, and its production capacity is low. The grain produced is almost all self-produced and self-eating, and there is not much surplus grain.

Faxin, who is proficient in agriculture, looked at the top of the mountain, worried about the heavy snow and said, "It is rare to see such heavy snow in Shule. I am afraid that when the ice and snow melt in the next spring, it will cause a melting flood. It will be a major disaster. If the prevention is not effective, it may cause a wasteland year."

Yang Dingguo was not very familiar with the geography of this place and asked: "It's still a long time to leave spring now. Since you have such worries, you should have time to prepare for the future."

"It is not impossible to prepare for the future. That is to rebuild the dam canal to divert water, guide water, and prevent water, but this is very difficult!" Faxin said: "I have been in China since the Han and Tang Dynasties. I have built dam canals for water storage and flood control in Shule three times in hundreds of years. The remains remain today, but wars have been frequent in the past century. In recent years, the dam canal has been abandoned. After Satuk occupied this place, we wrote several letters to ask the rulings to rebuild the canal, but none of them received any response. Two years ago, the host thought that relying on our own strength to mobilize farmers to dig stones, invite friendly ministries to carry soil, and build these channels. However, Hushagar did not help, but obstructed them."

Yang Dingguo Yiqi: "Why is this? He doesn't do it himself. It can be said that it is because his clone is unable to do it, but you have to take on this matter. If it is done, it will be beneficial to him."

Faxin snorted: "Why else? He is afraid that we will unite because of this."

Only then did Yang Dingguo realize it.

The major project that has always prevented natural disasters is itself a training for the organizational strength of a nation. While carrying out the project, it is easy to promote the unity of participants and enhance its centripetal force. The reason why the Chinese nation was able to reunite and develop in the early days was really related to the water control project that dealt with the flooding of the Yellow River.

Therefore, any government that "prevents the people" never refuses to hand over the affairs that may form social appeal and organizational strength. Even if it is a public welfare undertaking, it will not be allowed to do it by itself, so that it is afraid that the forces formed by others will be difficult to control while completing this public welfare undertaking.

Yang Dingguo remembered Li Bin's analysis of Satuk's strategy and said: "The Uighurs were born with more plunders but less construction. What's more, Satuk's biggest goal in the past two years was to explore Balashaguon, which was to expand outward rather than inward development. Everything was given priority to military force and material resources, and naturally he could not take into account these drainage tasks."

Faxin asked: "Sub-Major Protector, if we seize Shule, after the situation stabilizes, can we be internal and then external?"

Yang Dingguo pondered and couldn't answer for a moment, and said, "Let's try our best to do it, after all, this is a major event for the people to live and make their lives."

But Faxin had already calculated the matter there and said, "We have been thinking about the affairs of the canal affairs for a long time. At that time, we calculated that relying solely on the power of our Jokhang Temple, we could only use 15,000 to 20,000 farmers, and the Uighurs obstructed them and could not do it. Now we don't have to worry about this anymore. I believe that Special Envoy Zhang will definitely support it. During this period, we have drawn 35,000 farmers in total. At that time, we only need to give an order. Those old canals should be repaired within half a month and deal with the urgent needs. But if we really want to establish a century-old foundation for Zeyan's future generations, we will have tens of thousands of people who have been poor for many years."

Yang Dingguo sighed: "I'm afraid there will be a peaceful environment before it can be achieved."

The four of them were talking and leaving from the south gate. Shule below circled the center of the circle and came to the southeast. Seeing that there were more yellow sand and fewer dead grass, Wen Suhai complained that the wind and sand brought poverty, but Yang Dingguo pointed to the direction of the desert and said, "Don't say that, God is the most fair. I happened to hear Special Envoy Zhang and Zheng Zhanjun talking about Shule's money and food issues. Zheng Zhanjun said that although Shule had been destroyed for many years, the centipede insect died and did not become stiff, and the foundation was still there. As long as the Silk Road could be reopened, the desert would bring gold!"

Wen Suhai sighed: "From this starting point, we must reach Chang'an, and the tribes along the way are divided and horse thieves are rampant. If we want to reopen the Silk Road, it will be ten times more difficult than building a water conduit."

Yang Dingguo was so proud that he laughed: "What the older generation cannot do, the younger generation may not be able to do! I believe that that day will come sooner or later!"
Chapter completed!