Seeing Wang Xun pouring the milk tea into his stomach like medicine, Shi Huaiyi showed a slight smile on his face. "Does it taste good? Another bowl?" Taking advantage of the other party's unpreparedness, he raised the copper pot and quickly
Fill the empty bowl. In the blink of an eye, the expression on his face became serious again.
Wang Xun, who was suppressing the annoyance in his heart, never noticed the change in the expression on the other person's face. He looked at the greasy tea soup and secretly said in his heart, "Just drink it. I don't believe what tricks you can do. The worst I can do is take this pot."
If you drink all the tea, you will treat it as a long-term illness that requires a lot of tonic!'
While he was picking up the tea bowl and pouring it into his mouth, he heard the other person say faintly: "Actually, I can't get used to drinking this stuff. So I rarely cook it at home. Today? I just want Brother Wang to have a fresh taste!"
"
"Pfft!" Wang Xun almost spit out the half bowl of tea soup in his mouth. He raised his head and saw Shi Huaiyi's smiling face. "You wicked and smoking guy!" He put down the tea cup and cursed with a smile, feeling in his heart
All vigilance was shattered again.
"Actually, the taste is quite good, you just need to get used to it!" Shi Huaiyi smiled and poured himself a bowl of milk tea, sipping it and responding slowly.
"You'd better keep it for yourself and drink it slowly!" Knowing that the other party was deliberately teasing him, Wang Xun pushed the tea bowl away and said with a straight face. After a while, his face was filled with a wry smile again, "What I just said
Are you pretending not to understand those words?"
"Which sentence?" Shi Huaiyi's eyes began to look straight again, and it was difficult to tell whether he was pretending to be stupid on purpose.
At this time, Wang Xun no longer dared to compete verbally with the other party. He grinned and said in a low voice: "Forget it, you are the leader here anyway. You can do whatever you want. Write down the line, Wang
The next thing is!"
"I really don't understand a lot of what you said. I'm not pretending!" Seeing Wang Xun's face showing an angry look, Shi Huaiyi quickly explained in a low voice. "I learned Chinese from my mother.
Yes, she is a Sogdian. The master who taught me how to read, Mr. Chen, is a Han Chinese. There are many Sogdians in our clan who can speak a few words of Chinese."
Chinese? Wang Xun hesitated for a moment, and immediately understood that the other party was referring to Tang Yan. The Han people in the other party's mouth naturally referred to the people of the Tang Dynasty in the Central Plains. The Sogdians in his mouth were people on the Silk Road.
A nation famous for being good at doing business. They have never established their own country, have no fixed residence all year round, and are good at many languages. They can be seen everywhere from Chang'an in the Tang Dynasty to the distant Shule. (Note 1)
"In recent years, because we often go to the city to buy household items made by Han people, we can all speak one or two sentences in Chinese. But if it's a little more difficult, we can't even understand it!" Shi Huaiyi took another sip of milk tea.
, a comforting smile appeared on his face.
After hearing these words, Wang Xun finally understood why his brothers became one with the Loulan people so easily. There was almost no language barrier between the two sides. After the Han, Wei, Jin and Sui and Tang dynasties, many ethnic groups in the Western Regions had been slowly integrated.
The Central Plains are attracted by it. Therefore, Tang Yan has almost become the lingua franca of all ethnic groups in the Western Regions. Being able to do business with the people of the Central Plains has also become a guarantee for the development of all ethnic groups in the Western Regions.
This is the Tang Dynasty. You can almost never ignore his influence. Even in the Altun Mountains, which stretches thousands of miles, you can see its imprint everywhere.
With a bit of pride as a Central Plains person, he smiled and added, "You are already very good at what you said. At least there is no problem for us to chat!" Then he reminded him very generously, "Stop talking! Today
Ask me for anything. As long as you can do it, I will definitely not refuse!"
I will definitely not refuse. That little Luo girl has nothing to do with me in the first place. Even if she does, because of your admiration for Datang, I will help you once.
Just as he was feeling narcissistic in his heart, he heard Shi Huaiyi say quietly: "Actually, we Loulan people don't make a living by looting. Sometimes we ask for protection fees from passing caravans, but we do it as a last resort."
"I've heard people say this!" Wang Xun smiled, feeling a little impatient. He had already said it to himself, but the fool named Shi still didn't know how to climb up the pole.
You can't let me speak first. I don't want to compete with you for women, right? If others misunderstand that I am afraid of you, where will I put my face in the future?
"This valley is too small. It can only provide shelter from the cold, but it cannot allow everyone to survive. So..." Shi Huaiyi's words continued, with a hint of inferiority complex.
"Hey, in fact, those traders have made enough money. It is said that they can earn ten times or twenty times the interest for a round trip. It won't necessarily hurt them to keep 20% of the goods!" Unknowingly,
Wang Xun had already begun to consider the problem from the other party's point of view. He smiled and whispered relief.
"Brother Wang, just understand!" Shi Huaiyi responded with a smile, as if he had been waiting for this sentence for a long time.
What on earth did he want to say? Suddenly, a warning sign surged in his heart, and Wang Xun frowned slightly. How does the Loulan people live, and what does it have to do with him? Could it be that the person named Shi came to him today, not for Xiao Luo?
As if to confirm his suspicion, Shi Huaiyi smiled and continued to add, "Actually, Brother Wang will understand if he stays here for a while. We Loulan people are very easy to get along with. As long as we identify you, we will definitely treat you as one of our own!"
"
"Oh!" Did he still want to keep me too? At that moment, Wang Xun felt that his own mind was not enough. The man surnamed Shi had a hammer in one thing and a stick in the other. There was no order at all. It was very desirable.
I can't tell what he's up to after seeing his tricks.
The hunchbacked shopkeeper came in from the back door of the tent again, using a huge wooden tray to hold a whole roasted lamb. It was complete with head and feet, and the whole body was golden, oily, and fragrant. Judging from the size, it weighed at least thirty kilograms.
It was heavy. However, it was brought over by the hunchbacked shopkeeper with one hand. The other hand held a huge wine jar and placed it on the table with a loud "thunk" sound.
Wang Xun's chaotic thoughts were interrupted by the sound. He raised his head and smiled at the hunchback shopkeeper. When he was in Chang'an, Zhou Laohu introduced that roasting whole sheep is a gift for entertaining distinguished guests in the Western Regions. No matter what crooked idea the surnamed Shi has today,
At least, in terms of etiquette, people gave him enough respect.
"Brother Wang, give it a try. Uncle Tuozi's roasting sheep skills are second to none here!" Shi Huaiyi reached out and grabbed the short knife inserted on the sheep's back, cut off the meat between the two horns of the sheep's head, and handed it to Wang Xun
before.
"I'll do it myself!" According to the scaly claws in his memory, Wang Xun took the mutton with a smile. Then he grabbed the short knife, cut the tenderest piece from the sheep's back, and handed it back to Shi Huaiyi.
This is the etiquette between brothers. There is a slight error, but it is basically in line with the customs of the tribes in the Western Regions. Shi Huaiyi smiled again, grabbed the mutton, and started chewing.
The hunchback shopkeeper's skill at roasting sheep was indeed something he didn't just boast about. After ducking and circling with the other party for so long, Wang Xun was indeed a little hungry. So, the two of them pushed each other, and soon, half of the sheep was sent in.
stomach.
The waiters successively brought several side dishes to go with the wine. The portions were not as big as roasted lamb, but the ingredients were rare. Under Shi Huaiyi's warm invitation, the host and guest ate and drank, and the more they talked, the more relaxed they became.
"Brother Wang's drinking capacity is also ranked among the best among us Loulan people!" Shi Huaiyi looked familiar and started to talk again.
"If Brother Shi goes to the Central Plains, he will definitely be able to make a fortune!" Wang Xun smiled, using his own methods to control others.
"Impossible! It's impossible!" Shi Huaiyi's voice suddenly rose, startling all the drinkers in the tent. But everyone seemed to be used to drinking and going crazy. Soon, they turned their heads back and shouted at each other.
The wine cup in front of me works hard.
"Why?" Wang Xun continued to be tempting. Want to keep me? Hehe, it would be nice if I didn't kidnap you! "Are you afraid that you won't get ahead? Many people from the Western Regions have become officials of the Tang Dynasty. Not to mention, brother.
Shu Han, you know, right? Isn’t he the son of the leader of the Geshu tribe?”
"That's different!" Shi Huaiyi's eyes were shining, full of the frankness unique to young people, "We Loulan people are different from the Turks. They believe in the wolf god. They respect the strong. Whoever is strong
Just follow whoever you want! We Loulan people are the sons of the flame. We will not bow our knees to any strong person!"
That's different from being destroyed by others. Wang Xun cursed in his heart, but still had a smile on his face. "But you just said that this valley is too small. It can only be used to avoid the cold..."
"It's too small!" Shi Huaiyi did not deny what he said at all. "But this valley was taken from the Shirase people by the older generation of Loulan people who fought for their lives. Therefore, it cannot be left behind.
In our lifetime! Otherwise, even if you die, your soul will wander in the desert."
Wang Xun is not sure what kind of nation the Shirase people are. The land in the Western Regions is too vast. So far, the Tang Dynasty has controlled the cities along the North and South Silk Road. And in the oases deep in the desert, among the Gobi Desert
, and at the foot of the thousands of miles of mountains, there are many tribes like the Loulan people. They have neither established their own country, nor are they willing to accept the jurisdiction of the Tang Dynasty. (Note 2)
But it is impossible for these tribes to escape the fate of gradual extinction. Even if the Tang Dynasty has no intention of being serious with them, the Turks, Tubo people, and the Uighurs who have just emerged in the northern part of the desert will not let them go. The weak will eat the strong, this is
The rules of survival in the Western Region. The Sons of Fire may not be immune to exceptions.
"Do you know? In order to conquer this valley, Xiao Luo's father, grandfather, and uncle all died in the battle. The whole family, all left behind are women!" Shi Huaiyi's voice lowered again, as low as he was confiding.
Indeed, he was talking. His eyes were red, and he could not conceal his pity in his deep drunkenness. "She cried for three whole nights, three nights. No one could persuade me. Ever since I was little, I have been
I’ve never seen her cry like that!”
You are such a passionate seed! Wang Xun smiled and commented in his heart. As a person who has experienced this, he understood Shi Huaiyi's helpless mood very well. At the same time, he felt secretly funny. Isn't it just a matter of a few words? Who would care to argue with you?
!It’s not tiring enough to go around in such a big circle!
"From that moment on, I swore to myself that I would never let her get hurt in the slightest. Never!" Shi Huaiyi suddenly raised his head and stared into Wang Xun's eyes, "Tell me, will you be nice?"
Will you treat her well?!"
Which one is this? Wang Xun was completely stunned. How childish! It turned out that he was not jealous, but a matchmaker for Xiao Luo! Is there such a matchmaker? Giving up the woman he likes to others? This is not Jueying
feast?
Before he could think of his words, Shi Huaiyi had already stood up, holding the edge of the table with his hands and a smile on his face. At this moment, he felt extremely great, "I, I know a way to defeat the Snow Wolf. I
, bring Aslan to help you. This winter, I will definitely be able to get ten snow wolf skins. However, you must promise me that you will not let him down in this life. Otherwise, otherwise, I will have to kill you!
"
With a "boom", a thunder exploded directly into Wang Xun's heart, splashing a ball of flame. He no longer dared to laugh at the other person's childishness. He sat at the wine table, motionless. After a while, he sighed.
He took a breath, slowly drank the wine bowl in front of him, and then responded with a smile: "I can't promise you. I will leave here after I recover from my injuries! There is no way I can stay!"
"Why?" This time, it was Shi Huaiyi's turn to ask. But he didn't speak slowly and softly like Wang Xun just now. Instead, he slapped the table in front of him with his hands.
The drinkers in the tent looked at this place a few more times, smiled, and started to pay and leave. It is common for young men to drink and fight over girls in the Loulan tribe. It is really nothing to make a fuss about! Besides, that person is
The injured Han family member was definitely no match for Xiao Shitou. They were convinced of this.
"I am an officer of the Tang Dynasty, and I have military orders. Do you understand?" Wang Xun laughed and was angry, and simply took the initiative to make it clear. "It is impossible to stay. And if you bring a woman in the team without permission,
According to military law, you will be beheaded in public display!"
This answer should be clear enough. But Shi Huaiyi didn't believe it at all. "Liar! I've known it for a long time. Ge Shuhan was ordered by your elders of the Tang Dynasty to send people pretending to be bandits to kill you all. You didn't even
There is no place to go, but once you leave the desert, you will definitely die!"
"There was more than one elder in the Tang Dynasty!" Wang Xun poured himself another bowl of wine and drank it slowly. The Loulan people's wine was brewed from wild fruits and was not very strong, but it felt like a knife after being eaten.
It makes people feel sad. "Ge Shuhan is not the only general. The baggage I was responsible for escorting was sent to Shule City for General Feng Changqing. He and Ge Shuhan are not the same! You can write directly
Write a letter to the Emperor of the Tang Dynasty to plead our grievances. The Emperor is also the patriarch of the entire Tang Dynasty! The elder made a mistake, and there are patriarchs above him to control him."
Shi Shouyi easily understood this simple explanation. However, he still did not want to let his "greatness" fall by the wayside, "What if the emperor of the Tang Dynasty also favored the elders?"
Wang Xun had not thought about this carefully. In the past few days, the motivation that supported his departure was the belief that the treacherous minister Yang Guozhong could not always cover up the sky with one hand. As long as he could find a way to hide the secret that Yang Guozhong wanted to hide, and the fact that Ge Shuhan sent people to pretend to be bandits to attack
Once the truth about the officers and soldiers is revealed, these two guys who worked together will definitely be ruined!
"Then you will still be beheaded? The brothers killed by Ge Shuhan also died in vain?" Shi Huaiyi's question was like a heavy hammer, knocking on his heart.
"My death will not be in vain!" A feeling of drunkenness surged directly into Wang Xun's head, "No matter what, I have to leave. I promised my brothers that I would get out of this desert!" He couldn't remember whether he said that that night or not.
He said similar words, but in his heart he thought that he must have promised. "I promised them," he added loudly with a hint of drunkenness, "I promised them that one day I would bring them back to Chang'an in an upright manner. No matter who is alive
, he’s still dead. I promised, I won’t let it go!”
Note 1: In the Tang Dynasty, the Sogdians had begun to use Chinese characters, and most of them had Chinese surnames. Taking advantage of the Central Plains' emphasis on agriculture and suppression of commerce, they accumulated a large amount of wealth. This nation disappeared at the end of the Song Dynasty and the beginning of the Yuan Dynasty, and during the Western Expeditions of the Mongol Empire.
.
Note 2: The Shirai people, also called the Bailan people, were a nomadic people living on the edge of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and were destroyed by Tibet.
