On an island in the southeastern seas, no one could have imagined that a barren land like this would house twenty-thousand-some soldiers, and all of them were elites. Many of the smaller Nanyang kingdoms probably couldn't even gather so many well-trained soldiers even if they worked together.
Moreover, the amount of food and resources these soldiers had brought with them was astronomical!
"Your Highness, General Wu and the others will be back soon!"
Early in the morning, the red sun rose out of the sea, bathing the land in rosy light. Long snakes slithered across the ocean toward the bottom of the sea. A golden wave of snow more than twenty feet high rose up from the shore of the island. A soldier hurriedly ran towards the entrance of the cave on the island and reported in a low voice.
"Mm! This king will go and take a look! "
Li Xiaogong responded indifferently. After a short while, he walked out with majestic steps, followed by the envoys of various countries.
The group went to the shore and stood on a boulder to look out. A fleet of ships had appeared on the horizon and was slowly approaching. As they got closer, they could even see the large 'Tang' character on their sails. They were clearly allies.
"Li Xiao, how are Meng Youliang's injuries? What did the military doctor say? "
Li Xiaogong asked the guard at his side when he saw that the fleet had yet to reach the shore.
The guard's name was Li Xiao, and he was the vice-captain of Li Xiaogong's personal guard, second only to Wu Di. He hurriedly replied.
"Replying to General, Meng Youliang has more than ten large and small knife wounds on his body. Fortunately, none of them hit his vital parts. However, he lost too much blood last night and is still in a coma. The military doctor said that his body's recovery ability is very strong. As long as he recuperates for a few days, he will be fine ~!"
Yes, the Tang Dynasty had military doctors, and not just military doctors, but also a relatively complete medical system.
One of the main reasons the Tang Dynasty was able to consolidate its vast territory and long border defenses was that the prefectural armies had created the powerful Tang Empire army. And the strength of an army was naturally inseparable from logistics and medical care.
At this time, there would usually be a special "inspection officer" in the army, who would inspect the condition of the sick and the condition of the sick and the food and shelter every day, so as to arrange medical treatment and evacuation. If a new sick or critically ill soldier was found, it must be reported to the general manager, so that the doctor could patrol the camp and give the appropriate treatment.
"Mm! That's good! Have the military doctor use the best medicine and treat Meng Youliang as quickly as possible! "
Li Xiaogong pondered for a moment before instructing.
He was about to return to Chang 'an. He didn't want Meng Youliang to still be sick at that time. That would make him feel that he owed Li Zexuan a favor.
"Yes! General! "
Li Xiao cupped his fists and replied.
While the two of them were talking, the fleet was getting closer and closer. The bearded man beside them sighed and said, "This compass and nautical chart are simply divine tools for ocean voyages! If I wasn't familiar with this area, I might not have been able to find my way back if I went out at night! "
For some unknown reason, the bearded man didn't leave last night. Instead, he stayed with Li Xiaogong's army. Since ancient times, the government and the bandits couldn't coexist. He didn't expect that the regular army of the imperial court would one day live with a group of pirates. The picture was a bit strange.
Li Xiaogong smiled and said, "Zhongjian, why don't you cooperate with the imperial court? When the time comes, not only will you have a compass and a sea map, you can also have the imperial court's newest ship! I reckon that this year, His Majesty will send a few more fleets out to sea! Furthermore, with Li Zexuan around, I believe that my Tang Empire's fleet will definitely not just wander around the South China Sea. There are endless possibilities in the future! "
The bearded man's personal strength was definitely one of the best among the generals of the Tang Empire. Li Xiaogong had always been unconventional when it came to talents. Previously, he had even recommended many Sui or Wagang generals who had surrendered to the Tang Empire to Li Er. Thus, more than half of the court officials were willing to submit to him. This was also one of the reasons why Li Xiaogong's reputation in the imperial court was so high.
Furthermore, Li Xiaogong had a very accurate grasp of the human heart. Clearly, he could see that the bearded man's blood was filled with adventurous genes. Thus, he didn't promise him a high position or endless wealth. Instead, he used the vast ocean as a temptation to make the bearded man accept his olive branch.
"Oh …"
The bearded man's eyes lit up. He thought for a long time before finally shaking his head and said, "Thank you for your kind intentions, Your Highness. However, I am used to being free and unfettered. I can't stand those rules and can't stand being controlled by others, so …"
"Heheh! Zhong Jian, don't be in such a hurry to come to a conclusion. His Majesty is a wise sovereign and will definitely give you the greatest freedom. His Majesty has always been the most tolerant of talents. Haven't you seen how Wei Xuancheng often bluntly admonishes His Majesty and makes him flee? "
Before the bearded man could finish speaking, Li Xiaogong waved his hand and continued his bewitching speech.
The bearded man fell into deep thought and remained silent.
At this moment, the fleet was approaching. Wu Di boarded a small boat and walked over to Li Xiaogong.
"Your Highness, this general was incompetent. After searching the surrounding waters for an entire night, I was still unable to find any trace of those pirates. Your Highness, please punish me!"
Li Xiaogong looked at the tired Wu Di and waved his hand. "It's not your fault! It's inconvenient to search at night, and there's also too much time between searches. It's understandable that you weren't able to find them! Take them back to the boat to rest! "
"Thank you, Your Highness, for your leniency!"
Wu Di hurriedly thanked him and then slowly left. More than 400 of them didn't sleep last night, so it was indeed time for them to rest.
"Your Highness, do you want me to send a letter to our King to help you arrest these hateful pirates?"
After Wu Di left, the Zhenla envoy next to Li Xiaogong muttered.
After listening to the translation, Li Xiaogong was about to refuse when the envoys of other countries rushed to shout:
"Fu Nan Country is willing to help the Tang Empire eliminate the pirates!"
"Piao Country is also willing to help the Tang Empire!"
"Dandan Country is also willing!"
"Leo Country is also willing!"
… … …
Seeing how excited these people were, Li Xiaogong knew what they wanted to say even if he didn't need someone to translate for him. He said loudly, "Thank you for your kind intentions, but this is a matter of the Tang Empire. Let's just wait for the news!"
After understanding Li Xiaogong's meaning, the envoys quieted down. Li Xiaogong shouted in a deep voice: "Li Xiao!"
"This general is here!"
"Immediately order the fleet to drop anchor and set sail. Destination: Wo Nation!"
Li Xiao was dumbfounded. He didn't expect Li Xiaogong to be so bold. Although a general might not obey military orders in a foreign country, Wo Nation was currently a vassal state of the Tang Empire! How could one use one's own army to attack a vassal state? If news of this got out, wouldn't the other vassal states of the Tang Empire fall into chaos?
… … …
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