Li Chao frowned slightly.

"It's the New Year soon. After the New Year, His Majesty will go to Mount Tai for sacrifice and conquest of Liao in the autumn. The court's eyes are all in Liaodong, but I'm afraid that few people are willing to support the use of troops to the Western Regions at this time."

Three years ago, Niu Jinda obtained the permission of the imperial court to use troops. That was because Mo Hedu betrayed the imperial court and the imperial court would not allow the Turkic Khanate to rekindle, so he used troops to use troops to destroy the Turks in one fell swoop and seized the north of the Tianshan Mountains and the west of the Pamir Mountains.

But today is different from the past. The court cannot attack Persia first just because the Persians might have to attack. After all, Persia is too far away for the Tang Dynasty.

Even Tochar, in the eyes of many ministers in the court, was just an optional place. It was too far away, and those places were relatively poor.

The Tang Dynasty occupied Tochar, but the people here did not obey the Tang Dynasty. From the time of rebellion, it was extremely expensive to maintain the situation there.

During the Sui Dynasty, Tochar was occupied by Yanda. Later, the Western Turks and Persia joined forces to destroy Yanda and divide the land. Originally, the Western Turks agreed to destroy Yanda and half of them after Yanda. As a result, not long after, the Western Turks repent and sent troops to fight Persia, and took over the entire Yanda.

The Western Turks occupied the Tocharis for many years and their rule here was still stable. The Tang Dynasty destroyed the Turks and controlled the Tocharis, but the control power was not strong here. First, the Tang Dynasty had limited military strength in the Western Regions. Second, it was mostly Turkic, Tocharis and other tribes, and there were not many Han people.

Tochar, that is, in Afghanistan in later generations.

Now the Tang Dynasty is in the Western Regions. The northwest is bounded by the Aral Sea, the north is bounded by the Yibohai Sea, and the southwest is the largest inland river in Central Asia, the Uhu River, which is the Amu River in later generations, and the southeast is bounded by the Xingdu Kush Mountains.

The land of Tochar is a protruding part, with Persia to the west and India to the east.

"Old Niu, how far is the border from Gaochang to that Tocharo Persia?" Cheng Yaojin had no idea about those place names and asked directly.

"Six thousand miles." Li Chao answered directly for Niu Jinda.

But considering that the roads are not smooth and sometimes have to be detoured, it is actually no exaggeration to say that seven thousand miles is. Li Chao knew that the Tang Dynasty accepted the entire Tochar region from the Western Turks three years ago, and how big the place was. In fact, it was equivalent to the entire Afghanistan in later generations.

In fact, it was only more than a thousand miles from the southernmost end of Tochar, which was now controlled by the Tang Dynasty.

"Six thousand miles?" Old Cheng shouted. The distance was really amazing. "How far is it from Gaochang to Chang'an?"

"Four thousand miles." Old Niu replied helplessly. He also knew that it was too far. It was six thousand miles from the southern end of Tochar to Gaochang, and five thousand miles from Gaochang to Hanjing.

This means that from Hanjing to the southern end of Tochar, it is a full 11,000 miles.

Really thousands of miles.

If a soldier is transferred from Hanjing to the Persian Protectorate in southern Tocharo, how long will it take to go? Three months? Half a year? How to replenish food and grass?

Cheng Yaojin said bluntly, "How could the court pay attention to such a piece of land? He should take the initiative to attack Persia. Old Niu, why have you been in the Western Regions for a few years and people have become stupid?"

"It's actually not far away." Lao Niu was not confident when he spoke. "It's five thousand miles from Hanjing to the Beihai on the northern grassland."

Li Chao smiled and said, "That's different. From Hanjing to Beihai, there are indeed five thousand miles, but from Daibei to Beihai, there are only more than two thousand miles. Moreover, whether it is marching or supply on the grassland, it is still somewhat guaranteed, which is much better than Tocharo Persia."

Besides, even if the Tang Dynasty fought against the Turks before, it would not have to fight to the Beihai. Even if it attacked Mobei, it would only be more than a thousand miles.

Luo Shixin asked, "Are this Tochar now a Turkic, a Dysfunction or a Tocharist?"

Although the people here are either princes or dukes, they don’t know much about this. Everyone is a rough man. So they all look towards Li Chao.

"When it comes to Yanda, it is actually interesting after all. They were also nomadic peoples on the northern grasslands before. They originally lived in the Jinshan area and belonged to Rouran. The Romans mistakenly thought they were the White Huns. Later, they moved west about two hundred years ago and conquered many local areas in the north of the Tianshan Mountains and west of the Pamir Mountains. They captured Tochar and northwestern India, and even defeated Persia, killed their emperors, and became a very powerful barbarian."

"So powerful?" Cheng Yaojin was surprised.

"Well, many nomadic tribes in history that were defeated by our Central Plains dynasty finally chose to move westward. They were beaten by the Central Plains dynasty and fled in panic, but when they went to the West, they often defeated local tribes and states. For example, the Huns defeated by the Han Dynasty, even the Rourans, and the original Turks."

"Although Yanda people were strong and killed the Persian emperor, Persia later joined forces with the Western Turks and directly destroyed Yanda. Persia and the Western Turks divided their territory with the Uhu water as the boundary, and Tochar was assigned to Persia. Later, the Western Turks turned against each other and took Tochar away again."

"Is the Western Turks so powerful?"

"Of course, although the Western Turks were only partial to the Western Regions during the Sui Dynasty, they advanced eastward several times and fought for power, but they were all beaten to be fools, but they were still very powerful in the west. The two strongest countries in the West, Persia and Rome, and two mortal enemies who fought for the four hundred years of war, had suffered losses at the hands of the Western Turks."

"The Western Turks got crazy, and even fought with Persia and Rome."

There are also many small countries west of the Pamir Mountains, including Humi, Hushijian, Yubin, Fanyan, Hadarazhi, Gudu, etc. These small countries were also swept away by the old cows, and now many prefectures and counties have been established there.

Speaking of which, Lao Niu, the great Anxi capitalist, controls an amazing territory.

The Tianshan Mountains are bounded by the east and west, the Pamirs are bounded by Persia in the west, and the south is bordered by the Tianzhu. They are 6,000 miles from east to west and 5,000 miles from north to south.

Even the remote places in the Western Regions are scary enough.

With such a large territory, there are only 30,000 Tang troops in total.

No wonder Lao Niu always moves around every time he enters Beijing and chasing, shouting that he will send more troops, immigrate, and military expenses. Indeed, there are only 30,000 people in such a large place.

Nowadays, Lao Niu actually mainly controls the area south of the Tianshan Mountains. He not long after the troops were stationed in the north of the Tianshan Mountains and the west of the Pamir Mountains. He said he was a garrison, not as good as some sentry scouts. In the Tochar area, there were even less pitiful.

Li Chao couldn't help but shake his head. It was indeed too far away. Moreover, the transportation was extremely inconvenient. If it was close to the Central Plains, then Tochar would certainly not be able to give up. Li Chao would even take the initiative to plan to go south and directly open up the sea outlet. It leads directly to the Arabian Sea, Persian Gulf, Gulf of Oman, and to the Indian Ocean.

But in this era, distance is indeed the biggest enemy.

The Tang Dynasty could not support such a long-distance war.

But Li Chao also felt very sorry for giving up Tocharo. Now that he gave up, it would be difficult to get it back in the future.

"I have a suggestion, which may suggest that Your Majesty use these territories north of Tianshan Mountain and west of Pamir Mountain to enfeoff the heroes."

After being granted to the princes, the court and the princes will work together, which is definitely stronger than the court who operates alone.

"Who wants the wild land thousands of miles away?" Cheng Yaojin said contemptuously.

Indeed, it is too far away. Such a land is more exiled than a ban. No matter how far it is, it is not so far away.

"I don't want to give it for free." Luo Shixin also said.

Li Chao's eyes lit up, "Do you really want to give it for free?"

"It's really a waste?"

"Well, I give it for free, there will always be someone who is willing to do so. The court can grant titles to the second son, concubine and others who do not have a lord, and grant titles to the nobles."

"What are the benefits for the court?"

"Reward the heroes." Li Chao said with a smile.

Instead of giving up for nothing, it is better to generously reward the sons of the heroes. You can even seal all the royal families such as Li Shentong. This is better than throwing them away in vain.

Cheng Yaojin sat there and remembered seriously, "If it was for free, I think I could give it a try. I have a lot of kids, and it will not be possible for everyone in the future. If His Majesty gives me one or two pieces of territory for free, I would be willing to send a few kids to try it. If I can gain a foothold, my old Cheng family will also successfully split up."

"But it's not easy to gain a foothold there," Niu Jinda said.

"I'll give you another idea." Li Chao said with a smile, "If the imperial court really gives away a piece of territory for free, then after the trip, you can recruit knights."

"What is recruiting a knight?"

"Do you know the knight training I carried out in Zhao Guoling?"

"I know, three years ago, your Majesty's special order was approved. I heard that starting training since I was a child, I have to go through fourteen years of training to become a knight?"

"It's not only fourteen years of training, but also the lucky guy who has passed the fourteen assessments and has not been eliminated can become a knight." Li Chao explained.

Then he gave Niu Jinda and others the idea that if their concubines get a free fief, they can recruit knights in the territory. Of course, it is not to recruit the seven-year-old knight attendants, but to directly recruit some wealthy merchants. The landlords go there, as long as they are willing to go to the fief, the lord will grant them the title of knight in the territory, and then divide a piece of land for them to serve as their manor.

The responsibility of these knights is to protect the lord and guard the territory.

Anyway, the place there is very big, and becoming a lord knight can be considered a small lord. For some rich but not very status, landlords may be a bit tempting. In other words, landlords and merchants can also prevent them from inheriting their family business from taking up this lord knight.

As long as these people can bring a certain number of people, whether they are slaves or family members, then that's fine.

Qin Qiong, Cheng Yaojin, Niu Jinda and his princes were all stunned by Li Chao's idea.

The court gave the territory for free, and then the lord gave the land to the territory knights for free?
Chapter completed!