It is not easy for a woman to survive in a chaotic situation.
Zi Nu did a pretty good job.
In the Qinghai Lake Ranch where bandits were rampant, Zinu recruited a group of strong men from the exiled Tuyuhun tribe, plus a group of old Loulan tribesmen who had followed her, and these people formed the backbone of the ranch.
After taking over the ranch, Zi Nu calmly commanded the defense during several successive bandit raids, and defeated the invading bandits every time.
However, if things go on like this, Zi Nu becomes a bit difficult to cope with.
Moreover, she clearly wrote in her letter that the bandits' raids on the ranch were targeted and clearly organized and premeditated. Each raid involved a group of Tibetan troops forming a military formation and charging towards the tribe's central tent on horseback.
The remaining bandits assisted on the left and right wings.
Such a formation cannot be accomplished by ordinary bandits. It must be set up by military generals. It is obvious that they are just raiding the ranch, but the bandits are as orderly as if the two countries are fighting on the battlefield.
Zi Nu noticed something strange and asked Su Dingfang's troops for help. However, every time Su Dingfang sent troops to arrive, the bandits would flee. When the Tang army withdrew, they would raid again.
Although the situation in Tuyuhun was chaotic and bandits were rampant, bandits like this were obviously very unusual. Zi Nu was sensitive to the fact that among this group of bandits, the shadow of a Tibetan general was looming.
After Su Dingfang led the Tang army to pacify Tuyuhun, Tubo Prime Minister Lu Dongzan obviously had a backup plan. After the Tubo army retreated, he planted many nails in Tuyuhun territory, and this group of bandits should be one of them.
Lu Dongzan was a person who refused to admit defeat. Even if the situation was irreversible, he would still make every effort to sabotage Datang's takeover of Tuyuhun.
Against this background, Zinu's pasture was in dire straits and difficult to maintain.
After reading the letter, Li Qinzai was in a dilemma.
How can I help this woman?
Although he was granted the title of County Duke, he had no military power and could not mobilize the troops from Tuyuhun or Anxi Protectorate to help him suppress the bandits.
If he went to the palace to ask Li Zhi for this matter, Li Zhi might agree to mobilize a troop of troops to protect Zi Nu because of his personal relationship.
But it was not easy for Li Zhi to do this kind of thing, and it was not easy for Li Qinzai to do it. If it spread to the ears of the court officials, it would inevitably be accused of using a public weapon for personal gain, and using power for personal gain. Both the emperor and the ministers would be disgusted.
"Husband, is there any way to help Zi Nu?" Cui Jie looked at him expectantly.
Li Qinzai sighed and said, "Madam, please write a letter to her for me. It's bitterly cold outside the Great Wall, and ask her to take her people back to Chang'an to stay temporarily."
"General Su Dingfang has been ordered to return to Chang'an, but his generals are still in Tuyuhun. Tomorrow I will visit General Su and ask him for a favor. Let him order his generals to sweep around Qinghai Lake. Not necessarily
Useful, but at least it’s a deterrent.”
Li Qinzai said that he didn't have much hope. This method actually had no effect. The bandits were playing guerrilla warfare. When the Tang army came to kill them, they ran away. After the Tang army withdrew, they came back again, and so on. And the Tang army could not always be stationed in Zinu.
in the pasture.
Cui Jie was a little dissatisfied and said: "That is our family's pasture. The land belongs to our family, the cattle and sheep belong to our family, and the soldiers and horses under Zi Nu's command also belong to our family. Can't we just throw it away like this?"
Li Qinzai sighed: "The only way is for me, husband, to lead the Li family tribe to Qinghai Lake in person to direct the battle to suppress the bandits."
Cui Jie hurriedly shook her head: "No, my husband is a rich man, so how can I put myself in danger? It doesn't matter if I don't want the ranch. If something happens to my husband, our whole family will be in disaster."
This sounds pleasant to the ears, but look at the situation of the Li family's wife, a husband is obviously much more expensive than a ranch, and a mistress is not for sale.
"Husband, although the pasture doesn't matter, Zinu still can't let anything go wrong. Our Li family members are all very valuable. Do you want me to send someone to help and bring her back from Qinghai Lake?"
"Madam, don't worry, a beautiful woman who can do the splits will be saved by a man even if he puts his life in danger."
The flying dance could not help but come to mind, and the graceful and holy dance of Zi Nu had been deeply imprinted in his mind and would be unforgettable for his entire life.
…………
Midwinter has arrived, and heavy snow has fallen in Guanzhong for several days.
The roads near Chang'an City have been covered with heavy snow. The snow is more than a foot thick, making it difficult to walk, especially for carriages and horses.
In such weather, people have already stopped working, cats are keeping warm at home, wealthy families have prepared charcoal and copper stoves early, and poor families have gathered enough firewood, lit a fire, and the family sits quietly in front of the fire.
The rich think about next year's profits, while the poor have no time to sigh about the misery of the past years and spend their money calculating next year's harvest from the fields.
The children were playing around the fire carefreely, and their innocent smiles fell in the eyes of the elders. Their sadness instantly melted away, and they suddenly felt full of energy.
A person always has something to pursue in his life, for his mother-in-law, for his children, and for this crumbling home. No matter how hard and tired he is, he must grit his teeth and hold on until he is completely exhausted.
This life is over, maybe the next life will not be so tiring.
In the bad weather, which was completely silent, several teams came to the east and west gates outside Chang'an City.
The direction of the team is obviously the Chang'an City Gate. Each team is very long. A row of fully loaded carriages and horses are moving with difficulty in the snow. Every time they go, the wheels of the carriages get stuck in the mud and snow, and they can only be dragged by human power.
, can the carriage be pulled out and then continue moving forward.
When approaching the gate of Chang'an City, the leader of the team looked at the towering city walls and smiled with relief. At the same time, he was deeply shocked by the majestic capital city of Chang'an in the Tang Dynasty.
Several teams came to the city gate from different directions. They were not dressed as Tang Dynasty people, but wore strange clothes.
A few miles away from the city gate, the team stopped, all the knights dismounted, and the leader took the lead to kneel on the ground facing Chang'an City and shouted: "By the order of the Tibetan Prime Minister Lu Dongzan, the Tibetan envoy Zashile brought a heavy gift."
Congratulations to His Majesty the Great Tang Heavenly Khan!"
After saying that, he kowtowed heavily towards Chang'an City, then stood up, walked a few steps forward, knelt down again, and repeated the words just now, and so on.
There are also two teams to the east outside Chang'an City. They are dressed normally, at least the clothes they wear are the same as those of the Tang Dynasty people. But for some reason, when these people wear Chinese clothes, there is always a weird feeling, like a group of people.
The hozen is walking upright.
The two teams to the east are not so harmonious. They are far apart from each other, and they are full of gunpowder.
When they arrived outside the city gate, the leader of one of the teams also knelt down to the city gate. Compared with the ceremonial kneeling of the Tibetan envoys, the leader of this team worshiped more piously and devotedly, and his posture was in a five-body prostrate posture, which was very special.
Pleasing to the eyes.
After kneeling down, the leader kowtowed three times and said loudly: "By order of the king, the eldest brother of the king of Japan, I am sending envoys to congratulate His Majesty the Great Khan of the Tang Dynasty!"
The leader of the other team was not willing to be outdone, and he had to show his attitude even when kneeling and licking.
So he also knelt down to the city gate from a distance and said loudly: "The Silla Kingdom, a vassal that is always loyal to the Tang Dynasty, on the order of the King Jin Famin, the king of the country, sends envoys to congratulate His Majesty the Great Khan of the Tang Dynasty!"