The wind in the Western Region is very strong, and the clouds in the sky are always fluttering and unpredictable, so it is difficult to snow or rain for a long time. Often, the mountains ahead are covered with heavy snow, but when you cross a big mountain, you will see the vast Gobi Desert in front of you.
But no matter whether it snows or not, whether it is frozen snow or the desolate Gobi underfoot, the unobstructed cold wind blows unbridledly between the sky and the earth, especially at night if people cannot find shelter from the wind. Live animals were quickly frozen to death, making it difficult for them to survive until dawn.
Changsun Jun has always been pampered, and he is extremely unsuited to this severe cold weather. If he hadn't known how important this trip was to the family, his father would have killed him with a knife if something went wrong. Now he wants to just give up halfway and go back home... …
But no matter how cold the weather is, we still have to persevere.
If he can successfully complete the task assigned by his father, then he must be the next head of the Changsun family. But if he ruins his father's important task, then everything will be over.
We also encountered several waves of bandits on the road, but the poorly equipped bandits had limited fighting ability. They were killed by Chang Sun Jun's guards in a few seconds, which made Qin Changgeng very excited. He had found a powerful guard with fighting ability. Ah, unless they encounter a large-scale Turkic raid, the idle bandits will not be able to do anything to them.
A safe journey means that this trip will definitely make a lot of money. Traveling on the Silk Road in winter is more than double the risk than in summer, but the profit is also very optimistic, at least five times higher than usual. .On the road, we have already encountered several waves of caravans setting off from Chang'an. Several of them were ambushed and plundered by bandits. They were destined to lose everything.
Qin Changgeng was in a good mood and promised his eldest son Jun: "As long as this trip can reach Damascus safely, after the transaction, the reward for the warrior will be doubled!"
Changsun Jun made a haha, he was smiling but not laughing.
Although wealth flows through this Silk Road, it is also full of dangers. Gold is everywhere waiting for you to pick it up, but you have to be able to pick it up and carry it home...
After the caravan passed Qiuci, the sky gradually became clearer.
Heading straight to the west, and then turning back halfway to the south, deviating from the route of the Silk Road, Chang Sun Jun asked curiously: "Why not follow the old road?"
Qin Changgeng said: "The weather has been fine these days, so we changed the route and crossed the Athai to Suiye City. On the way, we went to the mountain pass where the Suiye River flows into Atami to pay homage to those who died fighting to block the Arab cavalry. Heroic Spirits. The reason why we Han merchants have a high status in the Western Regions now is precisely because the Anxi Army's scouts fought to the death at the Suiyechuan Pass to win a fighter opportunity for the army, and then thwarted the cannibal's plot to plot the Western Regions. Otherwise, the entire Western Region would have been destroyed by now. If it falls into the hands of a big cannibal, where will there be any room for Han merchants like us to pass through? I am afraid that we will be treated like livestock and lambs, having their skin peeled off, their bones fried, and their flesh eaten."
Changsun Jun suddenly realized that he had no objection at all.
The battle at Suiyechuan Pass had already spread to the mainland of the Tang Dynasty and caused a sensation.
The caravan walked south for a while, then continued westward. Two days later, it entered a mountain pass. There were high mountains on the north side that blocked the cold wind, and there was a vast lake sandwiched between a mountain range on the south side. The caravan could only go to the lakeside. Walk slowly along the path at the foot of the mountain.
One day later, we arrived at the mountain pass.
The peaks here stand towering, and the lake water pours out from here, rushing down the river on the hillside. It is not freezing in the cold winter, and the roar of the water is deafening and majestic.
In the open space on one side of the mountain pass, there is a high pile of stones. In front of the pile is a stone tablet with the inscription "The place where the Anxi Army of the Tang Dynasty died". The stone table in front of the stone tablet is filled with frozen things. The food, fruits, and incense ash in the stone troughs that held the incense candles had been blown clean by the strong wind.
Apparently, people often come here to pay their respects.
The caravan stopped, and Qin Changgeng came forward with a few servants. He first placed the food on the stone table, then held up the remaining snow in the stone crevice not far away and placed it in the stone trough, then took out the incense candle and inserted it into the stone trough. He lit it in the stone trough, took out a jar of wine and poured it on the ground in front of the stone monument, and finally arranged his clothes solemnly and bowed his head to the ground.
After the memorial ceremony, Qin Changgeng took out a white handkerchief, wiped the stone tablet carefully, and said to Changsun Jun: "As long as the weather permits, most of the Han merchants traveling to the Western Regions will walk along the hot coast. Once upon a time, I came here to pay homage. Although it is a bit sad that our sons of the Han family were buried here in order to protect the Western Regions, it also strengthened the heroic spirit of our Han family and died in a worthy place. It is precisely because of their fierceness in fighting to the death that there are no barbarians. If they dare to underestimate us, every one of them is a hero."
Immediately, Changsun Jun's heart was ups and downs, and his expression was tangled.
While talking, Qin Changgeng turned to the back of the stone tablet and said: "Look, there are names of soldiers who died here. The first one is called Gao Zhenxing, a captain of the Anxi Army, and it is said that he is from Chang'an City. Where are the children of the aristocratic family?"
Good job...
Changsun Jun raised his head and looked at the sky that was blown clear by the strong wind. He heard the rumbling sound of water in his ears and had mixed feelings in his heart.
How could he not remember Gao Zhenxing? The Changsun family and the Gao family are connected by blood, but they are also entangled in grievances. Who would have thought that the dandy kid who ran rampant in Chang'an City would be able to be brave and unafraid of death when he arrived at the border of the Western Region. , to create the heroic spirit of the Tang army?
What's more, it was the children of the Changsun family who later tried to conceal the news of the Arab cavalry invading the invaders, refused to send troops to rescue, and sat back and watched Gao Zhenxing die in battle...
Every man of the Tang Dynasty has a heroic and unyielding mind, and Changsun Jun is no exception.
He got off his horse, asked Qin Changgeng for a few sticks of incense, lit them, inserted them into the stone trough, and knelt down to kowtow solemnly.
After getting up, he took off the wine bag from the horse, took out the stopper and took a sip himself, then poured all the wine in front of the stone tablet. His mood was affected by such heroic deeds, and his eyes turned red for a while.
Qin Changgeng asked curiously: "Why is my dear brother so excited?"
Most people come to pay homage, mostly just to express their condolences. After all, times have changed and it is difficult to control their emotions.
Changsun Jun was silent for a long time before saying, "Gao Zhenxing and I are old acquaintances."
Qin Changgeng was suddenly enlightened and said in admiration: "The university captain Wei Zhen is a hero of our Han people. If I could have known him during his lifetime, I would always talk about him in the future, so that my children and grandchildren can also know the heroism of their ancestors."
Changsun Jun remained silent.
So what if we are heroic for eternity?
Now it is nothing more than a deserted grave. All the glory, wealth, ambition and ambition are gone. Only by surviving can we have the last laugh.
…
In Suiye City, the caravan rested for two days.
Along the way, the ice and snow, the extremely cold climate, and the harsh environment caused great harm to people and livestock. Many camels in the caravan fell to the ground, and several of Qin Changgeng's workers and Changsun Jun's guards also contracted wind-cold and died of serious illness. , was abandoned on the desolate Gobi Desert.
Although it is winter in Suiye City, there is plenty of sunshine, a river flows through it, and there are mountains around to block the cold wind, so the climate is obviously much warmer.
It's just that this place is the westernmost line controlled by the Anxi Protectorate. The Tang army has increased significantly, and there is an endless stream of scouts coming and going. Changsun Jun is afraid of being recognized, so he stays in the inn all day and dare not show his face. But in the inn. Businessmen and merchants lived there, and news flowed smoothly.
I had a few drinks with several Hu merchants who were proficient in Chinese and got a lot of news.
Thanks to Fang Jun's gift, after defeating the Arab cavalry south of Suiye City, almost all the Dashi troops retreated far across the border and did not dare to approach the land controlled by the Tang army. Furthermore, the Caliph was assassinated within the Dashi Kingdom. Major events such as the death of the emperor and the change of the throne were so chaotic that there was no time to take care of the countries in the Western Regions. The Turks also died in the winter. This resulted in the huge Western Regions where only the Tang army was galloping freely, and their control was unprecedentedly strong.
Although some bandits appear from time to time and intercept small-scale caravans, generally speaking, the status of Han merchants on the entire Silk Road has been significantly enhanced. The most obvious manifestation is that there are more and more Han merchants and they are suppressed. There are fewer and fewer Hu merchants.
Because whenever they could receive a call for help from Han merchants, no matter how far away, the Tang army would definitely rush to rescue them. However, even if the Hu merchants were looted by bandits, the Tang army would ignore them...
The consequence is that Hu merchants can only be more of a "land merchant", waiting for Han merchants to deliver the goods to the door and then trade. In this way, most of the profits will naturally be earned by Han merchants.
After Fang Jun led his army to fight the Arab cavalry in the west of Suiye City, the Han people had dominated the trade in the Western Regions.