The west of Yangguan is also the territory of the Tang Dynasty, which is the direction of the Anxi Protectorate.
In addition to the Tuyuhun swallowed by Li Qinzai for the Tang Dynasty, the northwest of the Tang Dynasty was completely controlled by the emperor. The western border reached Tochara, and the westernmost area controlled by the Kunxu Prefecture Governor's Office bordered Persia.
With such a vast territory, Datang's control over the northwest still needs to be strengthened.
After leaving Yangguan in the west, there is a vast and uninhabited wasteland. Except for the occasional patrolling Tang army and Hu caravans, it is almost impossible to find a human habitation for thousands of miles.
In this snowy wasteland, Zi Nu and his followers had to deal with more than thirty black-robed warriors who looked like wolves and tigers.
The resistance was very difficult, and the purple slaves fought and retreated.
The black-robed warriors pressed forward step by step, brandishing their scimitars, and each sword struck at the vital points of Zi Nu and his followers mercilessly.
Not long after, three of Zi Nu's followers fell.
But Zinu still guarded the Tocharohu man fiercely, surrounding him and protecting him.
Seeing that the battle situation in front of them was desperate, the Tocharohu people immediately lost their fighting spirit and were forced to stagger back with Zinu's followers. As they retreated, they faced up to the sky, muttering in their mouths and praying devoutly to heaven.
Zi Nu has experienced despair. When she was heavily besieged by the Tibetan army, that was the most desperate moment in her life. Everything she saw before her was nothing to her.
"Weituo, blow the bamboo whistle!" Zi Nu shouted while resisting the attack of the black-robed warriors.
The scarred Yutuo immediately took out his bamboo whistle and blew it hard towards Yangguan.
The sharp and long bamboo whistle echoed in the vast white wasteland for a long time.
After a long time, just when Zi Nu had to give up and turn around to escape, a hundred feet away behind him, the heavy door of Yangguan slowly opened.
A group of armored Tang Army cavalry galloped out of the pass. The leader, a deputy general, raised his right arm and gestured to the soldiers behind him.
The Tang army's cavalry immediately dispersed, and a hundred cavalry quickly formed a formation to form an offensive cone, with arrows pointing directly at the black-robed warriors outside the pass.
The expressions of the black-robed warriors changed, and they also stopped attacking.
The leading general of the Tang Army shouted: "Who is this traitor? You dare to attack my Yangguan? Will you risk your life?"
More than thirty black-robed warriors retreated slowly. The leading warrior stared at Zi Nu and the Tocharo Hu man behind her, and said coldly: "You can't escape even if you escape into the Tang Dynasty.
There are also our people in Chang'an, the capital of the Tang Dynasty, please allow us to live longer!"
After saying that, the black-robed warrior retreated, got on his horse, and left quickly.
Zi Nu and his followers breathed a sigh of relief and collapsed on the ground.
The generals of the Tang army came on horseback, stared at Zi Nu and others warily, and said, "Who are you, and why are you fighting outside Yangguan?"
Zi Nu took out an ivory card from his arms and said: "I am... good friends with Li Qinzai, the grandson of the British Duke of the Tang Dynasty. This is his waist card."
The general took it, looked at it carefully for a moment, then changed his expression, showed a warm look, and handed the belt card back to Zi Nu with a smile.
"Turns out he is a good friend of Li County Marquis, disrespectful."
Zi Nu was startled and murmured: "It turns out that he has already been granted the title of Marquis. That's right. With such great achievements, how can he not be rewarded? The Emperor of the Tang Kingdom is not mediocre..."
The general squinted at the direction in which the black-robed warriors were escaping, and said, "I wonder if the girl and that group of people..."
Zi Nu shook his head tiredly and said: "It's a long story. General, can you allow me to enter the pass to rest?"
The general hesitated for a moment, then let everyone in.
Dragging their feet tired and injured, everyone followed the Tang army soldiers towards Yangguan.
Wei Tuo smeared a handful of powder on the knife wound on his arm, awkwardly wrapped the wound with a cloth, and said: "Girl, where should we go next? This Tocharo Hu Shang is dead."
No worries, it’s better to let him go and go our separate ways.”
But the Tocharo Hu Shang was so frightened that he trembled all over and said hurriedly: "Girl, all heroes, please don't let me go. That group of people said that there are their people everywhere in the Tang Dynasty. Please allow me to be with everyone."
Let’s go together for one more journey.”
Zi Nu said coldly: "We have protected you for thousands of miles, and we have done our best to protect you. You and I met by chance, do I have to take care of you for the rest of my life?"
Hu Shang said with a bitter face: "Please give me some kind thoughts, girl. If you drive me away, I will die..."
Zi Nu snorted coldly: "This place is already Yangguan of the Tang Dynasty. Once you enter Yangguan, you will find the place where the king's law is. What are you afraid of?"
Hu Shang said in a trembling voice: "What does the King's Law mean to that group of people? Do they still fear the Tang Dynasty's King's Law when they kill people?"
"Who are those people in black robes? There are people from them in the capital of the Tang Dynasty. Do they have that much power?"
"They... are indeed very powerful, and they do have power in the capital of the Tang Dynasty."
Zi Nu glanced at him and said: "No matter who they are, or who you are, in short, our fate is over. After entering Yangguan, you and I can go our separate ways."
Hu Shang was anxious: "Girl, you can't leave me. I have something important, which is more valuable than rare treasures. The Tang Dynasty needs it!"
"Girl, you just said that you are a good friend of a certain county prince in the Tang Dynasty. If that county prince gets my things, he will be promoted to a noble rank and his future will be bright!"
Zinu, who had already hardened his heart and planned to leave Hu Shang behind, immediately stopped after hearing these words.
"What treasure do you have that can actually promote someone to a higher rank?" Zi Nu asked.
Seeing the sudden change in Zi Nu's attitude, Hu Shang suddenly felt that he had control of the bargaining chip. He couldn't help but smile cunningly and said: "Please ask the girl and your family to send me to Chang'an, otherwise I won't tell you."
"If I kill you, the things will belong to me." Zi Nu sneered.
Hu Shang was confident and said: "I have already hidden the things. It will be useless if the girl kills me."
Zi Nu was furious, and Yu Tuo next to him said in an evil voice: "Your Highness, why don't you skin him completely? I don't believe you can't find that treasure."
Zi Nu shook his head and said: "That's all, let him follow us. We protected him for thousands of miles, but in the end we killed him for a treasure. What's the point of traveling thousands of miles?"
Wei Tuo curled his lips, seeing Hu Shang's cunning smile, he couldn't help but get angry in his heart, kicked him hard, and shouted: "You bastard, if you don't get the treasure when you get to Chang'an, I will kill you!"
Zi Nu also had a bad impression of Hu Shang and continued to move forward unmoved.
Yutuo walked quickly to her side and said softly: "Girl, are we really going to Chang'an next?"
Zi Nu hummed and said, "Send this Hu Shang to Chang'an. If what he says is true, there really is some treasure that can help someone get promoted to a noble rank..."
Zi Nu paused, but Wei Tuo understood something and said, "Young lady, you want to help Li Qinzai get promoted?"
Zi Nu didn't say a word, but his apricot eyes looked at the towering tower of Yangguan, his eyes full of longing.
There is no old friend in Yangguan in the west, but the old friend is in the east of Yangguan.