The old fox's big mouth really got it right. Less than two days after the large group of people left the valley, there were already rangers in black robes arriving like flies.
At first there were only a few scattered, but after a day they formed a group. They did not dare to take the initiative to fight with the Loulan scouts scattered around the team, but they refused to leave after being discovered. Whenever An Maha tried to lead people to kill them all.
With a "coax" sound, they fled in all directions. When the Loulan scouts gave up chasing them, these lingering guys slowly turned back from the desert and fell on the side of the large group of people not far or near.
rear.
Because they were carrying a lot of luggage, it was impossible for Wang Xun and others to walk faster. And trapped in the harsh natural environment around them, they could not easily change their marching route. When walking in the desert, the most important thing is water. Even people can drink it.
Bringing livestock to drink and carrying all the storage in the cowhide water bag is impossible for a long time. Therefore, the seasonal rivers and underground rivers have become the only choice for everyone. As long as you walk along the rivers, you will definitely have no worries.
Fresh water replenishment. But at the same time, as long as you chase along the river, you will definitely not lose the target.
"Who are those people?" He couldn't fight, he couldn't drive them away, he couldn't get rid of them. Wang Xun's patience was exhausted day by day. Taking advantage of the opportunity of everyone camping on the road, he asked in a low voice like an old fox.
"The Tiele people, to be more specific, should be the Hegu tribe of the Tiele tribe. Only they like to cover themselves up with black clothes!" The old fox responded, squinting his eyes and staring at the fire in front of him for heating.
"Tie Lehe Bone Tribe?" Wang Xun couldn't figure out the miscellaneous tribal names in the Western Regions, and he didn't have the energy to distinguish them. "This road is not for you, you Loulan people, that one or something? Why don't they seem to buy it at all?
Your account?”
"Don't you think that in the green forests of the Central Plains, there has never been a fishing trip?" Hearing the disdain in Wang Xun's tone, the old fox counterattacked with a smile. "What's more, I have never been the only one who made a fortune on the Loulan Ancient Road!"
Weird, I can only blame the fact that the goods you are carrying this time are too valuable. A Mo Dao can be exchanged for twenty ingots of silver, five yaks, and a piece of pasture if sent across the snowy mountains. Tsk, tsk, even I heard this price.
, it’s hard to avoid being moved!”
"Then why don't you take down all the Mo Dao?! It's too heavy for me to carry!" Wang Xun curled his lips and dismissed the old fox's threat. After getting along with him for a few days, he found that although the other party spoke a little too old,
He was disrespectful, but he actually had a good heart. At least along the way, the guards and civilians were taken care of by him.
"No. Tubo women never take baths. When I smell their smell, I immediately feel so miserable!" Kang Zhongxin, an old fox, narrowed his eyes and started to find something to talk about.
"It seems like you haven't had a shower for a long time!" Wang Xun shrugged and revealed unceremoniously.
The old fox Kang Zhongxin smiled and did not respond. Some words can only be left in his own heart. As a small tribe with a total population of less than 30,000, the Loulan people will sooner or later need to take shelter under one of the major forces that influence the Western Region. But
The elders in the tribe have never reached a unified opinion on how to choose. He and the other three elders surnamed Chen, Shi, and Zhang strongly advocated moving closer to the Tang Dynasty. The other four elders were more inclined to Tubo or the newly rising
The two sides had argued several times, but no one could convince the other. Including this time of taking in Wang Xun and others, the other four elders also suggested that the Loulan tribe simply swallow the goods in one gulp, and then take the opportunity to hand over to Tibet. But
On the one hand, they were patient with the clan rules of the tribe, and on the other hand, due to the firm opposition of the three elders surnamed Chen, Zhang and Shi, the council of elders was unable to act cruelly. Subsequently, Feng Changqing sent his confidant general Zhou Xiaofeng to Yanqi.
...
Seeing someone holding a knife to their necks, the elders had no choice but to put away their interest in spying on the ordnance and continued to fulfill their previous promises to the Anxi Protectorate. However, it was no longer possible to quietly send the baggage train to Yanqi, because of the domestic thieves.
It is difficult to prevent, the black rangers appearing everywhere in the past few days have fully proved the crisis hidden within the Loulan tribe.
Seeing that the other party suddenly became silent, Wang Xun felt vaguely regretful. In fact, he didn't really want to embarrass the old fox. After looking around, he began to look for a new topic, "You come out this time and tell me
At least half of the tribe’s elite warriors have been mobilized, right?”
"Yes!" Mr. Kang nodded and answered a little absent-mindedly. Who leaked the news? Didn't he know that doing so might bring disaster to the tribe? The faces of several elders were reflected on him one by one.
In front of me, everyone looks different, but everyone has a little bit of suspicion.
"Those guys, will they take advantage of your absence to take advantage of the valley?" Wang Xun reminded him kindly, pulling the leather robe on Mr. Kang's shoulders with his hand.
"No!" the old fox agreed. Then, he immediately put back his wandering thoughts. "That valley is difficult to find, and there is only one entrance. Elder Chen also followed the method of you Central Plains people and found the dangerous place at the entrance of the valley.
Several forts have been built. Unless the enemy comes with stone cannons, even if a hundred thousand troops are launched to attack, it will be difficult to enter even half a step into the valley entrance!" (Note 1)
"Oh! It seems I'm talking too much!" Wang Xun smiled and laughed at himself. Since the moment when the Turks were destroyed, no tribe on the grassland has ever owned a stone cannon. A hundred thousand troops were gathered to attack the hiding place of the Loulan people.
The valley is a huge joke. Not to mention that the Anxi Protectorate of the Tang Dynasty could not tolerate military operations of this scale under its rule. Just food and water for people and livestock would be enough to consume the offensive organizers alive.
die.
Unexpectedly, this time the old fox suddenly became serious. He hesitated and responded seriously, "No, you are right to remind me. It is always right to make more preparations. Otherwise, I will not be able to send you safely to Yanqi, my home.
But it was served to me. Isn’t it like a chicken with a flying egg?!"
After pausing for a moment, he took a copper hammer from the guard and placed it on the bonfire in front of him for heating. Then he took a thin piece of sheepskin and burned several lines of words on it with the red-hot hammer.
.Immediately, he rolled the sheepskin into a bamboo tube, sealed it with beeswax, and stamped it with his seal. After repeatedly confirming that there were no omissions, he handed the bamboo tube to a close warrior beside him, "Mitun, you bring twenty brothers."
, each with three horses, immediately rushed back to the valley. Notified Elder Chen and ordered him to strictly guard the entrance of the valley. No outsiders are allowed to enter before I come back!"
"Yes!" Mi Tun bowed and saluted, put away the bamboo tube, and jumped on his mount.
"Bring enough water. Each person brings a cavalry crossbow. If you encounter interceptions along the way, don't get entangled. Just rush through. In any case, deliver my letter to Elder Chen before sunset tomorrow!" Rushing the horses before Mi Tun.
Before, the old fox shouted an order.
"Come here and hang your water bags on the saddle for him!" Shi Huaiyi, who was standing next to the old fox, added loudly.
The Loulan warriors scattered near the fire quickly took action. Either following Mi Tun's order, they jumped on horseback to deliver the message with him. Or they hung their own water bags on the backs of the messengers' saddles. In the blink of an eye, a group of cavalry arrived.
He rushed out of the campsite, leaving several trails of smoke in the desert.
"Should we turn back immediately? I'll go over to the Protectorate's side and explain myself later!" Seeing that all the Loulan people around him had solemn expressions on their faces, Wang Xun took the initiative to suggest.
Gains and losses in that valley are the difference between life and death for the Loulan people. The products in the oasis are not rich, and just by looting caravans, it is impossible to accumulate enough material reserves for the tribe. Therefore, it all depends on how many people there are in the valley.
This huge hot spring enables the Loulan tribe to survive winter after winter. If suddenly, the evergreen valley was taken away by outsiders, at least half of the old and weak Loulan people would die on the way to migration.
"No need!" Mr. Kang smiled and declined Wang Xun's kindness. "As long as the stag's internal organs are healthy, it will not be overtaken by wild wolves. I believe that in front of the God of Fire, all darkness will have no escape. On the contrary,
You may have to be more careful in the future. Although tigers are ferocious, the number of people who die from the mouths of tigers every year is less than 10% of those who die from the mouths of poisonous snakes!"
"You always say..." Confused by the old fox's inconsistent words, Wang Xun frowned and asked.
"Boy, how much raw mutton do you have to eat before you remember the smell of mutton?" The old fox was very dissatisfied with Wang Xun's dullness and punched him angrily. "You are such a smart person, why don't you get enlightened here?
Whose territory is this desert under our feet? On his territory, are we planning to attack him? If there is no one behind us, how can those guys in the Hegu Department be so bold? Forty miles away is the Stone Castle, let’s set off
I sent the message a while ago, but until now, I haven’t seen half a person from Stone Castle come to respond! Could it be that in the eyes of the guards of Stone Castle, you don’t even have a shit to pay for the dozens of carts and luggage in your hands?
Is it worth it?”
Who have I offended again? Suddenly, Wang Xun's eyes went dark. He was not familiar with the terrain of Anxi, nor was he familiar with the location and structure of the various tribal forces in Anxi. Now, even Zhou Laohu and Su Shen, who have close friendships,
Okay, the images of Zhao Huaixu and others also became blurred.
Everyone seemed to have another face hidden behind them. Everyone seemed to pull out a knife when they turned around. But he was the only one who continued to go west and west in a daze, not knowing what was waiting for him ahead.
What exactly is.
Maybe leaving Chang'an this time was really a wrong decision. In a daze, he couldn't help but think sadly. Suddenly, a shrill horn sounded in his ears, interrupting all his thoughts in an instant.
"Woooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo , the plunderers hiding in the desert finally take action!
Note 1: Stone cannon is a catapult.
Note 2: In addition to the Turks, it is a general term for other Turkic ethnic groups in the Western Regions. According to historical records, the Tiele people are distributed from Liaodong to the Aral Sea. From Hami to Yanqi, there are Qibi, Wuhu, Hegu, etc. near the northern Tianshan Mountains.
