In Dunhuang in late autumn, the cold wind blowing from the northern grassland caused the yellow leaves of the old pear trees in the Jiedushi courtyard to fall one after another.
Cao Yuande supported Cao Yijin, while Cao Yuanshen and Cao Yuanzhong followed him. The father and son took a rare walk.
A yellow leaf fell on Cao Yijin's chest, and he suddenly faced the east and sighed.
"Yuan De, Yuan Shen, Yuan Zhong, do you know that when the Taibao Duke raised the banner of justice to overthrow the Tibetan tyranny, Master Hong Bian, the professor of Shimendu, used monks and soldiers to help him?"
Cao Yuande, who was supporting Cao Yijin, pondered for a moment and then shook his head. He said with some doubts.
"The Tubo people believe in our Buddha, and the status of monks in Shazhou is much higher than it is today. They don't pay taxes or land taxes, and they still have monks and soldiers, which is like a separatist regime.
Professor Shimendu commanded the monks in the five states of Guasha, Yi, Gansu and Su. His power was second only to the Tubo envoy in Dunhuang, Guasha.
No matter in terms of status or doctrine, I really can’t figure out why Master Hong Bian followed Taibao Gong to rebel against Tubo!”
"Yes! At that time, we in Tang'er, Hexi, were no better than pigs and dogs. We wore hooded clothes, talked nonsense, and had ocher tattoos. If we didn't, we would have to be slaves for the rest of our lives.
But Master Hong Bian is not like that! Not only is he not a slave, but even Tubo Zanpu treats him with great courtesy! There is really no reason to resist." Cao Yuanshen also shook his head to express his ignorance.
Cao Yijin stroked his reddish beard on his chin, with a look of reminiscence in his eyes. He looked at Cao Yuande beside him.
"Back then, I was as young as a 14-year-old boy, and he was trying his best to marry your mother, Suo Siniang, so he found excuses to go to Suo's house every day.
Once at a fasting feast held by your maternal ancestor, the late Suo Taibao, the governor of the Guiyi Army, I met Master Wu Zhen, a disciple of Master Hong Bian.
Master Wu Zhen talked about Master Hong Bian. He said that the reason why Master Hong Bian followed Taibao Gongzhi was that in addition to wanting to save the people under the rule of the Tubo people, his greatest wish was for his mother's last wish!"
"Mother's last wish? But at that time, Master Hong Bian's mother had passed away many years ago, right?" Cao Yuanzhong asked in surprise.
"Yes! Master Hong Bian's mother had passed away for nearly ten years at that time, but did you know? Master Hong Bian's mother has never been truly buried. There is no monument in front of the tomb, and the coffin is not a body but an urn of ashes.
Because Master Hongbian’s mother, Madam Zhang, once said, ‘The fox dies on the hill, and the fallen leaves return to their roots. I hope I can be buried in Nanyang in a hundred years.’
Mrs. Zhang worked hard to raise Master Hong Bian. She was a simple person during her lifetime, and her only wish after her death was to be buried in her hometown.
At that time, Hexi had fallen into the hands of the Tubo people for more than seventy years. His mother's last wish had almost become Master Hong Bian's inner demon, so when Taibao Gong came to him to persuade him to do justice, Master Hong Bian did not hesitate at all and immediately
So he organized monk soldiers to follow Taibao Gong.
In the year of Xinsi (861), Duke Taibao regained Liangzhou and finally opened up the connection between Hexi and the Tang Dynasty. Master Hong Bian immediately sent his disciple Master Wu Zhen and people from the Zhang family in Nanyang to escort the Tai Fu's coffin back east.
In the Renwu year of the following year (862), Master Hongbian passed away after receiving the news that the concubine had returned to her hometown for burial!"
"So that's it! It's so filial that Master Hong Bian sacrificed his life for me as a Buddha, but he still couldn't break the relationship between mother and son. He must fulfill his mother's last wish before he ascended to heaven! In the end, he and his wife achieved perfection, so good! So good!"
When the three Cao brothers heard this story for the first time, they all clasped their hands together and prayed.
"You! Alas!" For some reason, Cao Yijin suddenly felt lonely and sighed when he saw his three sons like this, and then he felt even more emotional when he looked at the pear trees in the yard that were constantly losing leaves.
"When I heard about this incident, I was deeply moved, but I was not moved by the mother-son relationship between Master Hong Bian and Madam Zhang.
But Mrs. Zhang has lived under the rule of Tubo for decades, but she still does not forget her hometown.
At that time, the Tubo people strictly prohibited us Tang children from contacting any literature of the Tang Dynasty, so I knew very little about the affairs of the Central Plains.
After hearing this story, a certain Cao Yijin made up his mind to learn the culture of the Tang Dynasty.
I want to see what charm she has that can keep people from changing their minds for decades, and they would rather die than be buried and return home.
That is to say, from then on, even if a certain Cao Yijin had a red beard, and even if a certain mother and grandmother were both Sogdians, a certain person would never consider himself a Sogdian or a certain Han Chinese!"
Looking at their father, whose face was flushed, the three Cao brothers were a little confused as to why Cao Yijin was so excited.
Although the Cao family is known as the Cao family of Qiaojun, they have too much Sogdian ancestry and have long been insensitive to whether they are Sogdian or Han.
So in the eyes of these three brothers, are they Han or Sogdian? The importance is far lower than protecting the Guiyi Army and keeping the Cao family in control of the Guiyi Army.
"Yuan Zhong, summon Song Tuiguan and ask him to write a letter to Zhang Erlang in the name of his sister Song!" After a long while, Cao Yijin finally calmed down and said to his third son Cao Yuanzhong.
Song Tuiguan refers to Song Shantong, the Shazhou Tuiguan. Song Shantong's third sister is Zhang Zhao's biological mother, and Cao Yuanzhong's mother is Song Shantong's aunt. The Song brothers and sisters are Cao Yuanzhong's cousins and
Cousin.
Therefore, the work of contacting the Song family and monitoring Zhang Zhao was actually done by Cao Yuanzhong. This is also an important reason why Cao Yuanzhong seemed particularly angry (feeling) after Zhang Zhao made such a big fuss.
Uh! But it’s a bit confusing! If you count Cao Yijin’s first wife Suo Shi, Cao Yijin is Zhang Zhao’s cousin.
If we count Cao Yijin's second wife, the Song family, Cao Yijin is Zhang Zhao's great-uncle, so on the other hand, Cao Sanniang is Zhang Zhao's cousin.
This circle of hundreds of thousands of people has been intermarriage for hundreds of years, and it goes around and around, no matter what, it can't be circumvented.
"I'll do it right now!" Cao Yuanzhong agreed softly, "But, sir, how should I write this letter?"
"How to write it? Just write it in the name of the Song family. Say that we haven't seen each other for many years. I hope Zhang Erlang can go back to Dunhuang to see his mother. Just say that you promise that no one will do anything against Zhang Erlang!" Cao Yijin said calmly.
Said.
"Father, no!" Cao Yuande couldn't sit still. "Although Zhang Erlang may not be as heroic as Yan Nai said, he is by no means a fuel-efficient lamp. If we allow him to return to Dunhuang like this, the consequences will be endless!"<
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Cao Yijin slowly turned around, his chubby face showing a bit of ruthlessness.
"If Zhang Erlang is really recruited by his mother, as soon as he enters the city, you will summon Jiedu Yamen soldiers to greet Enmen in the inner city and chop him into pieces!"
"Ah!" The three Cao brothers, especially Cao Yanming's father Cao Yuande, were stunned.
"Is father trying to trap Zhang Erlang? If he dares to come, he will definitely hold Fourteenth Lang captive!"
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Thanks to book friend number 127 for the reward
This chapter has been completed!