At the westernmost end of the Hexi Corridor, in Dunhuang City, Hou Junji was listening to reports from his subordinates.
"Commander, how long will we have to block the border?"
A school captain asked with his fists clasped.
Hou Junji glared: "Do I know that?"
"It is His Majesty's decree to seal the border. It will remain sealed until a new imperial edict is issued."
Although Yumenguan, west of Yangguan, the Western Regions and the Western Turks now also belong to the Tang Dynasty, they belong to the Tang Dynasty only in name.
The Western Region is too big for the Tang Dynasty to manage at present. However, some troops are stationed in some important locations to prevent the remnants of the Western Turks and other countries in the Western Region from rioting.
Therefore, Li Er ordered Hou Junji to block the border passes, which actually meant the Yumen Pass and Yangguan areas at the west end of the Hexi Corridor.
Seeing the embarrassment on the face of the captain who was asking the question, Hou Junji asked: "What?
Are those merchants making trouble again?"
The captain smiled bitterly and said: "When will those merchants stop making trouble?
Now the countries in the Western Regions have also sent people to inquire."
"Commander, you also know that the prosperity of the Hexi Corridor and the countries in the Western Regions depends entirely on the Silk Road. Now that we have blocked the border, we have directly cut off their financial resources. Over time, something may happen."
"Why don't the commander write to the court and ask?"
Hou Jun gathered and said: "Okay, Marching Sima, you write an urgent memorial to His Majesty!"
Seeing that no one agreed, Hou Junji looked around and frowned: "Why isn't Zhao Ang here?
?
"
A school captain replied: "Zhao Sima led people to investigate those merchants."
After hearing this, Hou Junji complained with a face full of complaints: "This Du Ruhui suddenly sent a letter asking us to investigate suspicious merchants, but he didn't explain clearly!"
"I almost lost my life. I'm still not honest and have to run to the northwest."
"How do we carry out this unclear instruction?
There are so many merchants, I think everyone is suspicious!"
Just as he was complaining, the voice of the marching Sima Zhao Ang came from outside the door:
"Don't worry, Commander, you already have some ideas."
In the meantime, Zhao Ang came in with a few soldiers and several baskets.
Hou Junji glanced at the baskets placed by the soldiers on the ground and glared: "Old Zhao, why did you bring a few baskets of raw sweet potatoes?"
Zhao Ang said: "These are all collected from merchants in the Western Regions."
Hou Junji, as the general manager of the Ganliang Road march, is of course highly intelligent. After thinking about it for a moment, he said angrily:
"These merchants from the Western Regions want to smuggle sweet potatoes out of customs?"
Zhao Ang nodded, pointed to a basket and said: "Not only sweet potatoes, but also a bag of high-yielding rice."
Hou Junji slapped his hand on the table: "Damn thing, you are so courageous!"
Li Er and the ministers in the court were not stupid. They knew what kind of trouble these high-yield food crops, such as sweet potatoes and high-yield rice, would bring to the Tang Dynasty once they flowed into hostile countries.
Therefore, an order was issued very early on that these high-yielding crops must not leave the Tang Dynasty!
Zhao Ang sighed: "It's not just a high-yielding crop. Commander, what do you think this is?"
With that said, Zhao Ang handed Hou Junji a roll of silk.
Hou Junji took it over doubtfully and found that there were pictures on it. He unfolded it and looked at it carefully, and said in surprise: "Qu Yuanli?"
Zhao Ang frowned and said: "The drawings of making a Quyu plow are very delicate. With this, ordinary craftsmen can easily make a Quyu plow."
"It was found from a merchant from the Western Regions."
Hou Junji said angrily: "Where do these idiots want to smuggle my good things from the Tang Dynasty?"
Zhao Ang said in a deep voice: "I have already asked, the prime minister of Dashi is asking for these things at a high price!"
"Big food?"
Hou Jun stood up excitedly: "This matter needs to be reported to Your Majesty urgently!"
Zhao Ang nodded: "Last year's locust plague was the mastermind behind this big food country. Now they spend a lot of money to collect all kinds of good things from our Datang. They definitely have no good intentions towards our Datang!"
"I guess Prime Minister Du has discovered the clues a long time ago, so he asked us to carefully investigate the merchants going west."
Hou Junji said: "This Du Ruhui, can't you explain things clearly?"
"Inform him of these findings, and I will send an urgent document to His Majesty!"
Hou Junji and Zhao Ang immediately went about their own business.
…
Du Ruhui has arrived in Liangzhou and is meeting a group of Persian Zoroastrian people.
"You are saying that Persia has been destroyed?"
Du Ruhui looked surprised.
He had heard Su Chen say that although the Sasanian dynasty in Persia had declined, it was estimated that it could still last for another year and a half.
The Persians' faces were full of pain and they cried: "Those devils from the west are killing everyone who does not believe in them..."
Du Ruhui then asked about some details in detail, and then sent the Persians away.
Du Ruhui also met the Persian Zoroastrian Cult in Chang'an. Since they wanted to go to Chang'an, they went with him.
The Tang Dynasty was still very open in terms of religion.
After the Persians left, Du Ruhui let out a long sigh: "Su Chen made a miscalculation this time!"
"He also expects Persia to last for a year and a half. Persia was wiped out by the Great Eclipse at the end of last year!"
Du Ruhui hurriedly took out a simple map, which was exactly the one Su Chen drew casually.
"Crossing the Persian Plateau, you can reach northwest Tianzhu."
"The cannibal's army has already reached the Hezhong Land, and it won't be long before they can come into contact with the countries in the Western Regions and even the Western Turks!"
"It's pity that everyone in the Tang Dynasty still thinks that food is far away!"
After muttering for a while, Du Ruhui put away the map.
I hurriedly wrote two urgent letters to Li Er and Su Chen.
Just as he asked his men to send away the two letters, a clerk came in and reported:
"Prime Minister Du, an urgent message from Dunhuang!"
Du Ruhui took it and took a look, and it was just as he expected.
"Reply to Dunhuang and ask Hou Junji to continue to strictly investigate the merchants from the Western Regions who are going west. I must not let the treasures of the Tang Dynasty flow into Dashi!"
"yes!"
After the clerk went down, Du Ruhui said to himself: "I can't stop this kind of thing. Let's do our best to obey fate."
After pondering for a while, Du Ruhui said to the guard: "Go and ask Governor Li Daliang to come and discuss matters."
Then he said to the scribe: "Make a copy of the Dunhuang documents and send them to Su Chen, the governor of Guanzhou, as a matter of urgency."
Su Chen, who was busy making a steam engine locomotive, couldn't help but cursed after receiving Du Ruhui's urgent letter:
“Are the entire Persian Sasanian dynasty all pigs?
He was wiped out by the giant cannibal so quickly!"
Looking at the copied Dunhuang report again, Su Chen sighed: "This Prime Minister of Great Eclipse is really pervasive!"
"But since the big cannibal wants to steal the treasures of my Datang Dynasty, there are not only merchants who can be exploited, but the important ones are the rich and powerful families who are trying to steal the treasures of the Tang Dynasty!"
Although Su Chen did not doubt Du Ruhui's intelligence, he still wrote a reply to Du Ruhui to remind him, asking him to be careful of those who eat the inside out, especially those like Linghu Gui.
