Menghua and others were walking west along the mountains.
The Western Region is very large, but most of the areas are uninhabited.
After all, both plants and animals need water. Without water, nothing can survive.
Where there are mountains, there must be water. The melted water from the rolling snow peaks nourishes the creatures on this plateau.
Therefore, if you look down from a high altitude, most of the creatures are concentrated on both sides of the mountains, and then in the middle area, you will find the dry yellow sand basin, which is the restricted area of life.
Cheshi Country is also on this lifeline. The clear snow water of Tianshan Mountain gave birth to this country.
In historical records, when records of Cheshi Kingdom first appeared, it was also called Gushi, and was listed together with Loulan.
At first, the country of Cheshi was quite good, because in the historical records, it was specifically stated that both Loulan and Gushi had castles and built moats. This shows that to a certain extent, Gushi, also known as Cheshi,
In fact, it was also influenced by China to some extent, or in other words, Cheshi was embarking on the road of farming and settling down.
But later...
The chariot division first connected with the Xiongnu. The chariot division was originally close to Yanze. The right side of the Xiongnu was east of Yanze, until the Longxi Great Wall. The south side of the Xiongnu was connected with the Qiang residential area, blocking the road to the Han Dynasty.
.
"Hanshu" records that there are two roads from Yumen and Yangguan to the Western Regions. One is from Shanshan to the north of Nanshan, and the Po River west to Shache is the south road.
Shi, An'an. The other one starts from Cheshiqian Wangting and Sui Beishan, and goes westward to Shule from Pohe River, which is the North Road. The North Road crosses Congling in the west and then leaves Dayuan, Kangju, and Yan Caiyan.
The importance of the driver is evident.
It is precisely because of this that when Meng Hua and others came to check out the Che Shiqian Country, the Che Master people here, or rather the Che Master Guo Zuo, already had a lot of money.
Although it was during the Han Dynasty that China first came into contact with Che Shi, there is no written record of Che Shi itself, or it may have existed but disappeared, so no one knows when exactly Che Shi was established.
A rough estimate is that it existed during the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, and then continued to evolve and merge with China, forming a white-yellow mixed race...
Because they were caught between the Xiongnu and the Han, the charioteers had been swinging between the Han Dynasty and the Xiongnu. It was like taking refuge with the Huns at one moment and the Han Dynasty at another. As a charioteer from a small country, there was no choice at all.
, can only choose the immediate interests, and go to whichever side is stronger, but if you go to the other side repeatedly, you will actually offend both sides.
Just like those small countries between Jin and Chu that fought for hegemony for the longest time and the fiercest during the Spring and Autumn Period, such as Zheng, Song, Chen, Cai and other countries, their affiliations are often a symbol of whose hegemony belongs to them, so they
It has become the object of competition among major powers, and therefore suffered the most severe disasters from war.
Cheshi Kingdom has now been divided into four kingdoms. In history, it was divided into six kingdoms at most, namely Cheshi Front, Cheshi Rear, Dongqiemi, Beilu, Pulei, and Yinzhi, so it is very simple to see
Only when it is unified can it be strong. Once it is divided, it will become smaller and smaller until it is annexed by others, or it will die outright.
Sometime after the remains of the caravan were found in Menghua, a group of people walked slowly along the mountain road.
Looking at the costumes of the people and horses, they look like Qiang people.
After General Hussar conquered Longxi and quelled the Beigong rebellion, for these Qiang people, some were willing to accept it, while others were unwilling, and they naturally split apart, and these Qiang people who were unwilling to accept Han rule
The Qiang people also fled further west.
Escape, of course, is not a good thing, and don't expect to be treated politely by others. Just like the refugees in the Han Dynasty, they are despised wherever they go, and the same is true for these Qiang people.
When winter comes, I can't stand it anymore, so I naturally think about some zero-yuan shopping activities, and then when I am hooked by some interested people, I naturally start doing it fiercely.
"Take a break! Damn it, it's so cold!" The leading Qiang leader dismounted, walked to the side sheltered from the wind, took out a small gourd of wine from his arms, took a sip, and spit it out heavily.
A rough breath.
All his men also dismounted and came over to complain.
"It's such a cold day, a fart caravan will come out..."
"The nobles are good at talking, but we are the ones who break our legs!"
"Perhaps you think that since there was a caravan last time, there may be one now..."
"Bullshit! I heard that the higher-ups are talking to those guys about..."
"Shut up!" the Qiang leader stopped, "Are you talking nonsense about this? You have nothing to do, right? Just clean up by yourself and move on! If you can't get out of the wind before dark
You deserve to freeze to death outside!"
After being shouted at by the leader, these Qiang people did not dare to say anything, and listlessly began to collect the horses, feed them some food, and then readjust some saddles and other things, preparing to continue on their way while it was still early.
After resting for a while, we started again.
Shaking and trembling.
Just after turning a mountain pass, the wind brought some fine snow powder and hit the Qiang leader head-on.
"Pfft..." The Qiang leader snorted, then wiped the snow powder on his face. Suddenly his nose moved a few times, as if he smelled something strange.
Normally, snow powder should be tasteless...
The Qiang leader couldn't help but rein in his horse, raised his head and began to look around.
At the next moment, an arrow whizzed in the cold wind and hit the Qiang leader directly in the face!
The leader of the Qiang people screamed for a while, then fell off his horse in anger, causing a panic among the Qiang people's queue!
On the hillside, Menghua lifted off the white linen cloth of his disguise, nocked arrows and fired his bow continuously, and shot down two or three more people. Around him, there were also many soldiers who lifted off their disguises, opened their bows and fired furiously, or
It was roaring and charging towards the Qiang queue!
Facing the soldiers who suddenly appeared from the snow, these Qiang people were obviously panicked. In addition, the Qiang leader was dead, so these Qiang people subconsciously turned around and ran away.
However, the mountain road is long and narrow, and it is inconvenient to turn around. Where can I run away immediately if I want to?
Among the countless splashes of snow dust, blood splashed from time to time, adding a shocking red color to the gray sky and earth.
No matter how much you brag, no matter how powerful your words are, when faced with swords, guns and arrows, you still have to rely on your true ability. And these Qiang people have already run away once with their tails between their legs, so if they continue to run away a second time, it will be too late.
It's not something unacceptable.
Amidst the shouts and shouts, Meng Hua led his men into the Qiang queue, either slashing or killing with arrows. In a short time, he killed all the Qiang who still had the courage to resist.
The rest are those who were left behind, those who ran away when the situation turned against them, and those who lost their courage and knelt down to surrender...
"Don't kill me, I... won't kill..." The Qiang man knelt on the ground and shouted in slightly awkward Chinese.
"Hahaha, why don't I kill you? Give me an explanation!" The Menghua soldier kicked the Qiang man over, and then his blood-stained knife was dangling.
In the Han Dynasty, there was no Geneva Convention. Well, even in later generations, sometimes these conventions are as inaccurate as butt paper, let alone today. It is not incredible to trap and kill after surrender.
Operation, after all, for these ordinary soldiers, the merit of the first level is the most important, as for the others...
"Don't kill me!" the Qiang man howled, "I know many, many... things, yes, many things..."
The soldier rolled his eyes and patted the Qiang man on the face with a knife, "I hope you are telling the truth, otherwise...hehe..."
The soldier turned to Menghua and shouted: "There is a guy here who claims to know something!"
Meng Huazheng grabbed a handful of snow powder and rubbed the blood on his hands. Hearing this, he raised his head and said, "Bring it here!"
……(〃 Pan`)q……
Wuwei.
In the cold wind, Jia Xu, wearing a thick cloak, stood at the top of the city, looking into the distance, as if he was admiring the snowy scenery, and seemed to be thinking about something.
Jiang Ji stood beside Jia Xu.
Jiang Ji glanced at Jia Xu.
Jiang Ji and Jia Xu had been blowing in the wind on the top of the city for a long time. They watched the sun gradually setting in the west and the cold wind became stronger and stronger. Then he looked at the white frost hanging on the beards and hair of the guards on the side.
He couldn't help but move forward and said, "Your Majesty, seeing that the sun is going down and it's getting colder, why not..."
Jia Xu nodded, then smiled, "Okay, let's go back to the government office. It's okay, it's okay... I just feel unhappy, so I asked you to hang out with me..."
Jiang Jiu's eyebrows twitched, it was strange that nothing happened.
However, Jiang Ji didn't dare to say more. After giving orders to the soldiers on duty, he accompanied Jia Xu back to the government office. Then he took off his already damp cloak and asked his servants to dry it while he accompanied Jia Xu.
Xu sat in the hall, and after a moment of silence, he asked cautiously, "I don't know what's bothering you, sir?"
"How was the Western Region before you came back?" Jia Xu did not directly answer Jiang Ji's words, but asked rhetorically.
Could it be that something happened in the Western Region?
Jiang Jiong was thinking about it in his mind, but he still answered Jia Xu's question honestly: "The countries in the Western Regions...are basically stable..."
Jiang Jiong was in the Western Regions before, and followed Lu Bu to conquer some Western Region states.
Jia Xu nodded, seeming to be sighing, "Yes, the countries in the Western Regions... are quite stable..."
What does this mean? Isn't it bad to say that it is stable? Jiang Ji didn't understand, but he habitually remained silent and did not ask.
"People's hearts are so interesting." Jia Xu chuckled twice, "Chang Shi left not long ago..."
Jiang Jiu was startled, looked at Jia Xu with doubtful eyes, and then started to think a little.
"It's nothing more than the human heart... The farther the distance is, the farther the human heart is... Once the human heart is far away, there will inevitably be some gaps, and there will gradually be malice in the gaps..." Jia Xu is still light-hearted
Smiling, "It's a pity, it's ridiculous. I've obviously suffered a loss, but I can't remember it. What can I do? Huh, hehe, hahaha..."
"The envoy of the Western Regions...is saying..." Jiang Jiu was startled, "Could it be..."
"Isn't it possible to just fight and fight honestly?" Jia Xu narrowed his eyes slightly and said, "If you have to get involved in these court politics, you have to worry too much about gains and losses... What will be the result? But, maybe we should also thank him.
...』
Jia Xu's words confused Jiang Ji, "Do you still want to be grateful...?"
Jia Xu nodded, with a calm expression, "Of course I want to thank him... You think about it, the big Han people in the Western Regions have gone back and forth several times. Why? Could it be that these countries in the Western Regions have many powerful soldiers?"
The predecessor of the Western Regions was "Xirong".
In the pre-Qin Dynasty, because the Western Regions were not well understood, they were generally referred to as Hulu. It was not until the Western Han Dynasty that the fog of war here was truly revealed, and the area west of Yumen Pass was officially called the Western Regions.
Animal husbandry and farming are mixed in the Western Region, but they are generally divided into northern nomadic and southern farming parts based on the Tianshan Mountains. The northern area is similar to the north of the Yinshan Mountains in China, and is mainly composed of nomadic people who migrate in search of water and grass, so it is also called "traveling".
Country", mainly composed of Sai people, Yuezhi people, Cheshi people, Wusun people, Huns, etc. To the south are many settled farming tribes, living in the oases of the Tianshan Mountains and deserts, and are also occupied by
It is called a "city-state".
Because of the decline of the Qin Dynasty, during the period between Qin and Han, a large number of Chinese people, that is, Qin people, entered the Western Regions and passed on various advanced technologies to the Western Regions at that time. However, due to the limitations of productivity at that time, transportation was not smooth.
This made it impossible for the Western Regions to form a unified whole until the Xiongnu went south and took control of the Western Regions. The Xiongnu king in the west of Japan appointed a "child servant captain" to manage the affairs of the Western Regions. At the same time, they used the Western Regions as a base to frequently plunder the border areas of the Han Dynasty.
The Xiongnu's entry into the Western Regions and their rule also began to change the structure of the Western Regions, and directly contributed to the subsequent unification of the Western Regions by the Western Han Dynasty.
In other words, if the Xiongnu had not used the Western Regions to cause trouble, the Han Dynasty at that time might not have had the intention to conquer and rule such a far away territory...
no Zuo no Die.
This sentence is valid whether in ancient times or in modern times.
Jia Xu smiled and pointed at Jiang Ji, "Look, I sent you back first, and then sent back a group of old soldiers from the Western Regions a few days ago... Although these wounded soldiers from the Western Regions are indeed OK."
Send it back...but is there a possibility that there will be trouble if you stay?』
Jiang Ji was promoted by Li Ru.
Hearing this, Jiang Ji's face turned a little pale, "Shijun, this... the Protector of the Great Protectorate shouldn't be..."
"Not what? Not so stupid, or not so blind?" Jia Xu said with a smile, "I would rather not be like this... But, this matter does not depend on someone..."
Seeing Jiang Jiu's slightly confused look, Jia Xu slowly said: "In the past few days, I have been thinking, why couldn't we protect the Western Regions before? In the Western Regions, will the Han army still be the Han army? Or maybe?
Became...the Army of the Western Regions?』
Before Jiang Ji could answer, Jia Xu continued to speak slowly, as if these thoughts had been hidden in his mind for a long time, "Not to mention the Western Regions, in fact, all the counties, prefectures and princes in the Han Dynasty all transferred their own territory to
, regarded as the foundation, and fought with the bandits on their own territory, they all worked hard, but once something happened to other counties and counties in the country, they would often lose the battle... Just like the Xiqiang... You were in Longyou before, you know filial piety
What happened when Emperor Ling attacked Xiqiang..."
"The local soldiers in Longyou want the soldiers from outside to charge into the battle, and then they follow behind to take advantage... The generals who were defeated in the previous battle hope that the new army that was added later will also defeat the battle, so that they will not appear stupid and incompetent... At all levels
Corrupt officials hope that the war will continue like this forever, so that endless money will be delivered to their noses for free from all over the country..."
"A certain person once calculated that if we really save money and reject corruption, the money spent by the court on the Xiqiang war would not have required 4 billion, but less than 400 million would be enough..."
"Where did all the extra money go?"
"Isn't it interesting? Are those who are clamoring for a fight really loyal to the Han Dynasty? Those who say it is better to give up must be Chinese sinners? If you just listen to one side of the story, you will probably have problems."
"Xiqiang, four billion, everyone can make money, from soldiers to generals, so who hopes to really win?"
"Those generals and officials who made huge gains in the Battle of Xiqiang, have you ever thought that it was their actions that brought down the Han Dynasty, led to the decline of the court, and then led to the humiliation of the emperor and the displacement of all officials?"
"How long has it been since?"
"Someone forgot again..."
Jia Xu looked into the distance and then fell silent.
Jiang Jiong was also silent, he didn't know what to say.
After a long time, Jiang Ji hesitated and asked: "Your Majesty, then this time... it should be different, right?"
"It's indeed different, but why is it different..." Jia Xu nodded and smiled, "I haven't figured it out yet... so I have to take another look and think about it..."
Jiang Ji was a little surprised. Because in his impression, Li Ru was undoubtedly a wise man, and Jia Xu didn't give in. But now Jia Xu actually said that he couldn't "figure it out". Is this true or false?
"In that case..." Jiang Ji said, "Should I report it to the lord..."
"This matter has been reported to the police a long time ago..." Jia Xu waved his hand and said, "The problem now is not just the Western Regions..."
"Not just the Western Regions?" Jiang Ji asked, "Is it Anxi or Taixi?"
"Hahaha, no, that's not it..." Jia Xu burst into laughter, "You are thinking too far... Qianqiu Huaxia, that time we were all defeated by outsiders? If we, Huaxia, don't have problems ourselves, who will?"
Can you defeat us? So it’s not rest, well, even if it is rest, so what? The key is to be inside, not outside..."
Jia Xu said, casting his gaze in the direction of Chang'an, "Because... even if this problem does not appear now, it will appear in the future... If it can be solved well, it can become a template for future generations. If... well, haha
