The next morning, a mighty motorcade left Dunhuang. These were merchants from the Central Plains who returned to their hometown to celebrate the New Year. The Han people pay attention to the reunion year and will go home to celebrate the New Year as long as conditions permit. For many years, every early winter, they have done business in the Western Regions.
Han people will return to Guanzhong in groups through the Hexi Corridor, and this year is no exception.
There were several inconspicuous carriages mixed in the convoy. In order to avoid being noticed, Yuan Feng and Zhao Ding'an hid in the carriages. Yulia was in the same carriage with two Datong women who were ill due to acclimatization. Although these two women
Although he was a man in the world, he was proficient in music, chess, calligraphy and painting, and he knew how to deal with people. Yulia did not feel bored riding in the car with them.
Deng Ziming rode in front, touching the copper seal in his arms from time to time. This was the official seal given to him by the Ministry of Revenue. Holding this thing in his arms felt better than gold. Looking back at the top of Dunhuang City, Deng Ziming couldn't help but sigh, the Western Regions
, it is really a blessed place for our Deng family.
On the top of the city, a little girl wearing a mink hat watched the caravan leave. The wind picked up. The servant carefully put the cloak on the girl's shoulders and advised: "Miss, go back, the master is waiting at home."
"The little girl's face turned red from the cold, but she still looked at the caravan going away, unwilling to leave for a long time...
From Dunhuang to Xiliang, it is an old road that has been traveled for thousands of years. Businessmen and travelers know where there are oases and where to camp with their eyes closed. It is no longer the same as before. Tubo, Qiang and Turks are killing each other.
, the caravan must hide from the rebels. Now is the world of Great Liang, and the public security is very good. There is even a cavalry unit following the returning caravan, which makes everyone feel calmer. Deng Ziming knows that it is Yuan Dynasty.
Feng arranged the escort.
All the way to the west, without any surprises, we quickly passed through Suzhou and Ganzhou, and arrived at Liangzhou, which was once the battlefield where the East and the West collided. One year has passed, and there is no more blood rain outside the city of Liangzhou.
The fishy wind can only occasionally turn up rusty arrows and white bones in the land. A nine-story pagoda made of bricks and stones stands in the wilderness outside Liangzhou City. This is specially designed to pay tribute and commemorate those who resisted the aliens.
This memorial pagoda was built to commemorate the soldiers and civilians of Liangzhou who sacrificed their lives during the invasion. Even though it was cold winter, the pagoda was still green and mixed with snow-white flowers. It was a wreath made of pine and cypress branches and silk flowers.
The caravan passed by the memorial tower, which coincided with the changing of guard of the soldiers guarding the memorial tower. In the cold wind, the soldiers in full armor took over the post with steady and slow steps. Their movements were solemn and the atmosphere was solemn. The caravan also stopped, and everyone
Take off your hat and pay attention as a salute to express your memory of the martyrs.
Staying in Liangzhou City that night, Yuan Feng summoned the Liangzhou guard Marco. This middle-aged man with a beard turned out to be the patriarch of the Liqian people and the leader of the Roman mercenaries. During the defense battle of Liangzhou, the Romans
The battalion made great achievements and paid huge sacrifices. As a reward, Yuan Feng allocated a piece of land with rich water and grass to the Liqian people, and appointed Ma Ke as the defense envoy of Liangzhou. He officially broke away from the precarious mercenary career and became a
Regular Xiliang officials.
Liangzhou is a strange place. It is nominally the territory of the Great Zhou Dynasty, but the actual control is in Xiliang. The current governor of Liangzhou is Cao Yanhui's eldest son, Cao Jun. He is the governor appointed by the Emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty. Of course, Liangzhou is the prefect of Liangzhou.
The power of the state was in the hands of Ma Ke. After a catastrophe, Cao Jun had already devoted himself to Buddhism and stopped caring about worldly affairs.
Yuan Feng told Marco that Chen Bing must not slack off at the border. Marco was a Roman. Yuan Feng did not have to worry about anything. He told him directly that the war with the Eastern Zhou Dynasty would be a matter of time. Now is the time to wait for the opportunity.
When speaking, you should not take the initiative to cause friction, but you do not need to show weakness too much. You can control the specific measures yourself.
The lives of the Liqian people were all saved by Yuan Feng, and Marco was also promoted by Yuan Feng. What's more, in the near future, the Liqian girl Yulia will become the concubine of the king of Xiliang. All this is guaranteed
The loyalty of the Romans, to be honest, apart from the old brothers, Yuan Feng trusted these loyal mercenaries the most. As long as they were still within the contract period, they would never rebel.
…
After resting for a night in Liangzhou, the caravan continued on the road. A group of cavalry led by Yulia's brother Anthony sent them near the border. They could vaguely see the patrolling cavalry of Da Zhou, and then they turned their horses back.
The border between Xiliang and Eastern Zhou Dynasty is not very definite, but a vague boundary. It is a barren land anyway, and there is no point in occupying more. After the Hexi Corridor, it is the desert salt-alkali land in Gansu. In the past, this place was used by horse thieves.
In the rampant territory, a few years ago, Youyi Dao was active around here, making a living by robbing merchants. Now the security situation is much better. The cavalry of the Great Zhou Dynasty are constantly roaming nearby, blocking caravans heading west and checking travelers coming east.
.
Such a large caravan came from west to east, and its target was very conspicuous. The cavalry of the government army immediately came up to meet it. Several cavalrymen rushed forward and shouted loudly: "Stop and be inspected."
Orders came one after another in the caravan, hundreds of horses, camels, and dozens of vehicles suddenly stopped. Deng Ziming rushed over in a hurry and said with a smile: "I am the leader of the caravan. What can you tell me, military master?"
The cavalry shouted: "Stand still and wait for our general to come and talk." Not long after, a military attache came over slowly. He was not wearing armor, not even an iron helmet, but wearing a leather hat and a large cloak.
, he glanced at Deng Ziming impatiently and asked: "Where are you from? What do you do?"
"Back to the general, the villain Deng Ziming, a native of Xianyang, is doing some business in Dunhuang. The New Year is approaching, so he packed up his things and went home to celebrate the New Year. There are still some scattered businessmen in the team. Deng is not talented.
I have been on this path for a long time, so I was elected as the team leader by everyone..."
Deng Ziming was talking incessantly, and the officer had already picked up the reins of the horse and moved forward. It seemed that he wanted to check. Deng Ziming hurriedly followed him, explaining as he walked, which camel this was and where it was.
The family's carriage carried something and how many people it carried.
The general walked up to a four-wheeled carriage, raised his nose, sniffed it, and suddenly shouted: "Get off the carriage, I want to check it."
Deng Ziming also smelled the fragrance. The people in the car were Yulia and two Datong women. The two Datong girls were nothing, but Yulia was an important person. Deng Ziming was so anxious that the tip of his nose was sweating, and he took out his money.
Come to take care of it: "General, please do it for your convenience. They are all women, there is nothing to investigate."
"The female family members need to be inspected even more!" The general glared, and seven or eight soldiers gathered around him, looking coldly and threatening to use force. The young men in the caravan also secretly held their weapons, but on the surface it was still a peaceful scene.
These officers and soldiers were nothing in their eyes. As long as Yuan Feng gave an order, they could be slaughtered in a matter of seconds.
The officers and soldiers were not aware of the impending danger. They ordered Deng Ziming to open the car curtain. Deng Ziming quietly looked at Yuan Feng behind him. Yuan Feng nodded slightly. Then he felt relieved and reluctantly opened the car curtain.
Said: "The officers and soldiers want to inspect, ladies, please come out."
Two beautifully dressed and sweet-smelling girls came out supporting a six or seven-year-old golden girl. The girl was naturally beautiful, her skin was like gelatin, and her golden hair was smooth and beautiful. The general was stunned on the spot: "
!Golden bird!"
"These three women are not from the Central Plains. They are suspected of Xiliang Xizuo. I will take them for questioning. The others can leave later." The general shouted. Deng Ziming was anxious now. He stopped the soldiers who were about to come to rob them and said:
"Absolutely not!"
With a sound of "Canglang", the general drew out half of his saber and threatened: "You dare to break through?"
"Sir, do you know who the female family member is in the car? Are you going to rob her?" A young man suddenly came from behind and said coldly.
The general looked up and saw that the young man was dressed in smart clothes, with a sheepskin waistcoat, high riding boots, and a Persian scimitar on his waist. Although he was not old, the cold light in his eyes made people feel chilled. This man was by no means idle, and his hands were
At least dozens of lives were lost.
"Who is he?" the general asked Deng Ziming angrily.
"He..." Deng Ziming looked at Zhao Ding'an and said wisely, "He is the swordsman hired by our caravan."
"Oh." The general nodded, glanced at Zhao Ding'an contemptuously, and said, "You should tell me what the origin of this golden bird is, and see if you can scare me."
"This lady is the sister of General Antoine Qian of the Liangzhou army. She went to Chang'an to study music. She must not have violated the laws of our Zhou Dynasty. If the general insists on detaining her for inspection, General Anqian is three or four miles away. You can
You might as well say hello to him first to avoid any misunderstanding, which will not look good."
The family members of General Qian of the Liangzhou Army... The general couldn't help but secretly complain. He thought he was a dancing girl from the Western Regions, but he didn't know she was from the Roman camp. Speaking of the origins of the Liangzhou Army and the Gansu army, there are many stories.
Fifty-five thousand Gansu officers and soldiers marched into Liangzhou, disarmed the people in one day and night, and killed more than 2,000 people. There were baskets of heads hung on the city gates, and the Gansu officers and soldiers still get chills on the back of their necks when they think about it.
The two armies are not far apart, and they often bump into each other during border patrols. The officers and soldiers of Gansu Province can never imitate the momentum of the Liangzhou Army.
Gansu's officers and soldiers are not enough to fight a hundred men, so this is unacceptable.
The order from the imperial court was to stop goods from the Central Plains from going west, but it did not say that people from the west were not allowed to come over. Governor Liu even issued a strict order not to actively provoke friction. Then again, if they were really allowed to provoke friction, they would not
Dare you.
"It turns out she's Mr. An Qian's girl. I'm disrespectful. What's that? It's windy outside. Get in the car quickly." The general quickly changed his face and invited Yulia and the two women into the car. Deng Ziming was still there.
He handed over a package of folded silver coins: "Thank you, General, for letting me go."
"Let's go, let's go." The general weighed the paper bag, happily, and waved his hand to let the caravan pass.
…
The first step back to Dazhou was so unpleasant that it cast a shadow over everyone's heart.