When Wang Xun woke up in the middle of the night, his head hurt as if it was split.
He actually drank too much. He had never tasted what it felt like to be drunk for many years, and he was actually let down by a child who was half an age younger than him!
But there is nothing to be ashamed of. This meal was really enjoyable. Wang Xun could not remember exactly how he returned to his tent. However, he remembered that he and Shi Huaiyi had talked a lot, and they had been digging through his house since he was a child.
From being hung up on a branch on the wall and breaking my ass, to getting lost on the street and crying home alone; from being in love with a certain girl so much that I can't speak, to being chased for more than half a mile by a vicious dog.
, there are all kinds of ridiculous things that happened when I was young.
They are all young, and their hearts have not yet been filled with the filth of the world. So they can easily smile at the silly shadow of their past, full of pity. They may make mistakes again in the future. What they did today,
Looking back in the future, it may still be a joke. But they have truly lived their youth and have no regrets.
It was late mid-winter, and there was only a small tooth left in the moon. The stars were getting brighter and brighter. The cold starlight broke through the fog in the valley, filtered through the gaps in the edge of the window, and illuminated people's eyes.
When drinking in the evening, Shi Huaiyi's eyes were as clear as starlight. Wang Xun remembered that he happened to mention his hometown of Chang'an at that time.
Shi Huaiyi's eyes were immediately filled with longing. He had never seen a place as prosperous as Yumenguan, and he really couldn't imagine what a huge city with a length of nineteen and a half miles from east to west and a width of seventeen miles from north to south would be like. He also couldn't imagine how grand it would be.
How prosperous a big city with a population of more than half a million will be. The most unimaginable thing is that in this city, Ahura Mazda, the god of fire believed by the Loulan people, and the Buddha and Dashi who are believed by the Tianzhu people
The God that people believe in can actually enjoy the worship of believers at the same time, and live in peace with each other. You know, in any tribe in the Western Region, if two gods appear at the same time, the result will definitely be a bloody fight, until one of them
Until all the believers on one side are completely dead.
When Shi Huaiyi told the story of Loulan, Wang Xun's eyes lit up when he heard it. The history of this tribe can be pushed back to the pre-Qin Dynasty. It was destroyed by the Yueshi, broken by the Xiongnu, and defeated by the Han Dynasty, but it never
Like other tribes in the Western Regions, they were overwhelmed by the long years. From the Han Dynasty to the Tang Dynasty, for hundreds of years, whenever they found an opportunity, the Loulan people would try to establish their own country. Even if they spent more than a hundred people for a moment of glory,
All the strength accumulated over the years will be spared.
According to Shi Huaiyi, the last time the Loulan people's dream almost came true was more than a hundred years ago. At that time, Hou Junji led an army to attack Gaochang. The Loulan people sent 1,500 troops as the vanguard, leading the Tang army across the desert and reaching Gaochang.
At the foot of the city. Afterwards, the marquis gathered to discuss rewards for their merits, and once reported to the Emperor of the Tang Dynasty, asking the court to grant the then leader of the Loulan clan a princely title. However, for some unknown reason, the reward never came to fruition. Later, the Turks from the Western Regions surrendered.
The rebellion cut off the communication between the Western Regions and the Central Plains. The Loulan people also suffered a lot and were regarded as capricious aliens by the Tang Dynasty. Until now, they have not been able to regain contact with the imperial court.
"It must be because General Hou killed too many people! So the court rejected all requests for rewards!" Although he was disappointed with the current court, Wang Xun instinctively defended Datang.
"The killing was too heavy? When the Gaochang people discovered that the Tang army suddenly appeared outside the city, they were so frightened that they surrendered without resisting. How could the killing be too heavy?" Shi Huaiyi simply couldn't believe Wang Xun's explanation.
"I'm not talking about the time, but what happened afterwards. During the training camp, Hou Junji buried more than one million Gaochang prisoners alive in the desert!" Wang Xun thought for a moment and added loudly.
"More than a million?" Shi Huaiyi's nose and eyebrows were almost twisted together, "Who are you listening to? If there are one million people in Gaochang Kingdom, can they be wiped out by General Hou so easily?"
"This?" Thinking of the embarrassment at that time, Wang Xun blushed. Since they had to cross the desert, the number of Tang troops could not be too large. And if Gaochang was a big country with a population of one million, they would be able to gather 30,000 to 40,000 defenders no matter what.
Come on. Three to forty thousand defenders are ready to surrender against the exhausted enemy who has come from afar. It seems that there has never been a similar precedent in the past!
The legend about the killing of prisoners was actually fabricated out of thin air. Lying on the blanket, facing the unique starlight in the wilderness of the Western Regions, Wang Xun felt ashamed of his ignorance. He knew that this could not be entirely blamed on the guide Lao Yue for talking nonsense.
When he was in Chang'an City, the stories he heard about Hou Junji were all related to greed, cruelty, and ignorance of advancement and retreat. There were even rumors that before Hou Junji became the head coach of one side, Li Jing had predicted
This person will rebel in the future and warn His Majesty Taizong. Unfortunately, His Majesty Taizong did not believe Li Jing's foresight. (Note 1)
Where did these absurd legends come from? If it were a year ago, Wang Xun would definitely attribute all the blame to "people are ignorant and spread rumors". But now, based on what he has seen personally over the past year,
From what I heard, I came to the conclusion that many things are not as simple as they appear on the surface. As the saying goes, since many rumors can spread widely, there must be an invisible hand behind them secretly pushing it. This is because
Hou Junji's military exploits were so outstanding that he aroused the jealousy of his colleagues? Is it because Hou Junji was on the wrong team in the battle for the crown prince? Or is it because Hou Junji accidentally offended a big shot? There are many possibilities. Anyway, King Gu
As far as Xun knew, Hou Junji was inexplicably convicted and imprisoned after returning from the Western Regions, without receiving any reward at all. A few years later, he was killed for "rebellion" and his reputation was completely ruined. (Note 2)
Fortunately, Shi Huaiyi also drank too much at that time and did not take the opportunity to dig into the details. Instead, he put himself in Wang Xun's shoes and worried about Wang Xun's future. He believed that a court that did not reward meritorious service and was killed for no fault was not safe.
Wang Xun, however, insisted on emphasizing that a man's words are hard to follow. Since he promised to bring his brothers back to Chang'an in an upright manner, he must do it, otherwise, his soul will not be able to live in peace after death.
"Once a word is spoken, it's hard to chase after it!" Under the starlight, Wang Xun turned over and recalled with a bit of drunkenness. Shi Huaiyi could give up everything for his tribe, and he could do the same. As a man of the Tang Dynasty, no matter what,
Can't be compared to a Loulan furry kid.
"But the elders all thought you would stay! If you rashly proposed to leave, they would definitely be shocked!" Shi Huaiyi's words at that time echoed in Wang Xun's ears. This young man from Loulan is very simple, as simple as the one on the Altyn Mountains.
Like the Millennium Ice Peak, it can illuminate the shadows in people's hearts. Seeing that Wang Xun insisted on his choice, instead of getting angry, he began to think about how to pass the tribal elder test.
"Don't your tribe have rules? After intercepting the caravan, only keep 20% of the goods! Without harming human lives?" Wang Xun was not very sure about how to escape safely. He simply went to Shi Huaiyi to explore the details first.
Let’s see how Loulan people will react.
Shi Huaiyi's face was very interesting at that time. He was reluctant to part with the weapons he had already obtained, and he was unwilling to let his people be humiliated by breaking their promises. He frowned and thought hard for a long time before he stammered and defended: "That's for the merchants."
Rules. You, you are officers and soldiers!"
"Did the two of us fight at that time?" Wang Xun, who was a little drunk, first practiced on Shi Huaiyi what he would say to the Loulan clan leader in the future. "This batch of baggage belongs to the Anxi Army. We are only responsible for escorting. So it cannot be counted as an official army.
We can only be regarded as a group of escorts delivering goods. If we didn’t believe in the credibility of your tribe, we would definitely have resisted until the end!”
"You no longer have the strength to fight anymore!"
"If you hadn't waited until we were both defeated by the Hexi bandits before you showed up, how could we not have the strength?"
In terms of eloquence, Shi Huaiyi was no match for Wang Xun. After only a few words of argument, he was defeated angrily. Knowing that Wang Xun had seen through the Loulan people's plan at that time, this straightforward young man felt a little confused and hesitant on his face.
After a moment, he promised in a low voice, "If you say so, I can help you deliver it to Mr. Kang. As for the clan leader, whether he agrees to allow you to leave with the luggage or not, I can't control!"
"It would be great if you could tell me a few words in front of Mr. Kang!" Although he drank a lot of wine, Wang Xun remembered to knock the bricks out at the time. "As a brother, I will never forget this favor!
"
"You don't have to remember it forever. Just promise to do one thing for me!" In the memory, Xiao Shitou's eyes seemed to be a little sad again. This sentimental little guy's mind is far less mature than his face.
"Okay!" It was rare to find such a strong supporter in the Loulan tribe, so Wang Xun had no choice but to agree.
"That's what I said!" Shi Huaiyi stretched out his hand and said using the words he just learned.
"It's hard to chase a horse!" Wang Xun smiled and raised his hands to strike. There was a crisp "pop" sound in mid-air.
"It's hard to chase a horse!" he repeated softly. With the starlight coming from outside the curtain, Wang Xun looked at his palm carefully again. He knew that he had taken advantage of Xiao Shitou's innocence, and he felt vaguely guilty in his heart. That little guy
, learned to drink heavily, but did not learn the ability of adults to "make fuss" at the wine table. Suddenly, he felt something was wrong again? Why did Xiao Shitou make him drink today? Isn't it for Xiao Luo? But he
Taking the initiative to announce that he was leaving, wouldn't it suit the boy named Shi?
Damn it, I might have been fooled by that kid!
More starlight seeped in from outside the curtain and shone on Wang Xun's young face. In an instant, a smile filled his face.
Note 1: See the New Book of Tang Dynasty. Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty asked Li Jing to teach Hou Junji the art of war. Hou Junji said to Taizong: "Jing will rebel, and his troops will be hidden, so he will not show off to his ministers." Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty asked Li Jing again, and Li Jing said:
"There is nothing going on in the Central Plains. What I have taught you is enough to control the four barbarians. If you seek to use your skills to the fullest, this king will turn against you."
Note 2 According to historical records, Hou Jun defeated Gaochang and was impeached for embezzlement of captured property and arbitrary appointment of official positions without waiting for his troops. He was subsequently imprisoned. Although he was later released, his merits and demerits were balanced. He was not punished for destroying an enemy country.
