"We marched eastward, and our destination was the Tang Dynasty and Chang'an. Although Chang'an has not arrived yet, people have finally arrived in the Central Plains. However, this Central Plains has become completely unrecognizable to us!"

The Tang Dynasty in the minds of Anxi’s old friends is a Tang Dynasty described by ancestors, a Tang Dynasty recorded in Tang poetry, and a Tang Dynasty beautified in their hearts.

And what about the Tang Dynasty in reality?

The world in reality is full of shame, chaos, darkness and injustice.

Now, with the Tang army of Tiance defeating the Uighurs in the Western Regions, the Tubo in Ganliang, and the Khitan in the Mobei region, the history of shame has ended. However, chaos, darkness and injustice are still continuing in the Central Plains, and they are even preparing to swallow the Tiance regime in turn.

"A lot of things happened during our expedition. As the team grew, many newcomers were added."

Zhang Mai Xiang Fan Zhi, Wei Renpu, Fu Yanqing and Li Zhuo looked over. Among the tents, he and Ma Xiaochun and Liu Heihu were the old friends of Anxi.

"Because a lot of things happened, some old friends forgot our original purpose. Because of the newcomers, some newcomers did not have our original wishes. But I have never forgotten this purpose and this wish. Yes, the purpose of our uprising and the original intention of our conquest is to go home! Return to the Tang Dynasty and to Chang'an!"

Li Zhuo couldn't help but say, "Marson, this is already the Central Plains. As for Chang'an, as long as Liu Zhiyuan surrenders, Chang'an will..."

"That's not Chang'an!" Zhang Mai interrupted him: "The land under my feet is not the Tang Dynasty, at least, it is not the Tang Dynasty yet!"

Li Zhuo and Fu Yanqing both shook slightly. Zhang Mai's words seemed a little confused when they first heard them, but after scrutinizing them, they vaguely understood what he meant.

This land is no longer the Tang Dynasty described in Tang poetry, and the city under which Liu Zhiyuan is dominated by it is no longer the supreme Chang'an in the minds of the people of Anxi.

Zhang Mai said: "What is the Tang Dynasty like? She should be striving, bright, fair, and orderly! He is the paradise created by the Chinese nation for this world, and a country where the Chinese nation is proud of it. And now, is it the land now? The court is peaceful and martial, and the country is chaotic and disorderly, and the civil and political affairs rely on bullshit gentry, and martial arts are all a bunch of martial artists who have no moral integrity! This is what a damn Tang Dynasty!"

"We returned to the Central Plains, but could not find the Tang Dynasty. We captured half of Guanzhong, but did not dare to enter Chang'an, not because we were close to the hometown, but because that city was already a mess! The Wei River is still the Wei River, but Chang'an is no longer that Chang'an!"

"So, we can only establish the Tang Dynasty in the four towns of Anxi and Lianglan, Gansu according to our understanding! We have established a more reasonable political order than the current Central Plains, maintained a folk custom that would be civil and military, we inspired men's courage, and we protected the survival of women and children. After that, every time we went to a place, we sowed the fire of civilization with justice and ignited the hope of returning to the Tang Dynasty with iron blood."

"Li Zhuo, do you understand what the Tang Dynasty we want to return to is like?"

Li Zhuo trembled and knelt down and said, "Please give me advice!"

Zhang Mai said: "The Tang Dynasty in our minds is not a territory that is thousands of miles away, not a royal family of my Zhang Mai, not a royal family of Yang Yi and Xue Fu, but a reasonable political order, a folk custom that values ​​literature and martial arts, a vibrant society, and a group of people who are brave enough to forge ahead!"

"Do you understand? We do not have the ambition to unify the world, but we unify the world is to make all the prefectures and counties in the world become the real Tang Dynasty, not just to let the city walls of all the prefectures and counties be hung with the banner of the Tang Dynasty! And I cannot agree with the political order we have finally established in order to unify the world and pollute the civil and military atmosphere that we have finally inspired! Unifying the world is just a process, and returning to the Tang Dynasty is the ultimate goal, Li Zhuo! Do you understand!"

Li Mau stood there, his expression on his face was indescribable. Suddenly, he burst into tears and bowed to the ground again, crying: "I, I have read all the books I have been in vain for these years! Today, after listening to the Marshal's words, I realized that I had abandoned the teachings of the sages as if they were gone. I am guilty of asking the Marshal to punish me!"

Fu Yanqing also knelt down on the ground and said, "I surrendered in the past, but I was forced to ask myself for a new master due to the situation. Until now, I realized that the marshal is so broad. Fu Yanqing's family is willing to follow the marshal, and will never refuse life or death until one day return to the Tang Dynasty!"

Zhang Mai was overjoyed and helped the two up, saying, "Our journey back is not only expanding territory, not only expelling the enemy, but also looking for like-minded peers. The five liters of rice under the tax exemption order look small, but actually big! I can't even give the promise of these five liters of rice to the people, so I am still a general of Tiance! I can't even manage this acre of three-point land in Hebei, so what kind of face do I have to rule the wider Hedong, Central Plains, Huguang, and Jiangnan? So the five liters of rice for the people of Hebei is not the kindness I give to the people of Hebei, but my tolerance for Hebei's political order!"

Everyone in the tent was shocked, and the youngest Li Fang was even more excited and his lips were trembling. Zhang Mai pointed to the south and said, "So, from today on, all the external developments of my Tiance Tang Dynasty will be temporarily stopped, because we must first rectify the internal situation. If Hebei does not sweep, how can we wipe out the world!"

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I have written it more painfully recently, half of it is a matter of life, and half is the book itself stuck.

The book "Tang Qi" has only one theme from beginning to end, which is the return. Although there are twists and turns in the middle, I never forget my original intention.

The day when Zhang Mai entered Chang'an was the end of this book.

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Chapter completed!