Heavy snow is falling all over the sky, and goose-feather-like snowflakes are falling with the biting north wind. The sky and the earth are covered in silver, and dripping water turns into ice.
"The Tang Dynasty traveled seven thousand miles here, and the sand moraine was two thousand miles wide. There was no water or grass on the ground. The winter wind was freezing and the summer wind was burning. Wherever the wind blew, many travelers died..."
This is the Gaochang City in the eyes of the Han people in the Central Plains.
For the Han people, it is hard to leave their homeland. Whenever they have to leave their hometown and wander around the world in troubled times, their hearts are filled with sadness. They feel ashamed of their ancestors and failed to keep their family property. Therefore, even if they are wandering around, they cannot experience paradise on earth.
That kind of warmth from the countryside, let alone the remote and barren Western Region?
However, in the entire Western Region, Gaochang City can be regarded as one of the most prosperous cities.
In the inner courtyard of a temple in the south of the city, the ground dragon was burning hot. Two people were sitting on their knees on the mat. A small red clay stove was burning charcoal fire and boiling spring water. One of them, a middle-aged man with a very luxurious figure and a good figure, was reaching out to brew a cup of water.
Tea, the movements are meticulous, the expression is focused and reserved, and after a while, the faint fragrance of tea fills the Jingshe.
Outside the half-opened window, a breeze was blowing by, and heavy goose-feather snow was flying, covering the dry trees in the yard with white frost.
The rich middle-aged man filled the tea with water and pushed one cup in front of a tall old man with white hair and a childish face. The old man nodded and smiled: "Thank you, Prime Minister."
The middle-aged man was stunned for a moment, then waved his hands and said with a wry smile: "The motherland has been dispersed like wind and clouds, why bother mentioning the stories of the past? If this kind of title spreads, I am afraid it will lead to death, Akagi Hague, you old man, don't
Want to harm me."
He is Ju Wendou, the former Prime Minister of Gaochang Kingdom.
At that time, Hou Junji was ordered to lead an army to attack Gaochang. He killed the surrendered kings and ministers of Gaochang outside Gaochang City and destroyed Gaochang. Later, he sent troops into the city and started killing, causing Gaochang City to be on fire day by day, killing residents, officials, and merchants.
There were countless casualties.
At that time, Fang Jun, who was only the Marquis of Xinxiang, commanded the Shenji Battalion and went out with the army. When he saw Hou Jun gathering troops to plunder, he was angry and stopped him, and started a feud with Hou Jun.
Later, when the Tang army retreated, Fang Jun stayed in Gaochang City for a period of time, supporting Ju Wendou as the governor of Gaochang County and taking charge of one side.
The old man is Akagi Hague, who once cooperated with Fang Jun to open the largest brewery in the Western Regions.
Just a few years passed by in a hurry, and the old Uighur who used to have a childish face and a strong body is now stooped and old. When he heard this, he laughed and said: "How can the people of the Tang Dynasty care about such old titles when they are forgiving? In those days, Yue
The Duke dared to personally appoint you to take charge of the old affairs of Gaochang State, why was he ever afraid that you would take the opportunity to cause chaos and plot to restore the state?"
The fat on Ju Wendou's face shook, and he sighed softly: "Although the Tang people don't care, there are still people who care when they fall to the ground. In recent years, the Turks have sent people to secretly contact you from time to time, hoping to support me in raising troops to restore the country... But
Where can I have such ambitions? Of course, the people of the Tang Dynasty don't care about my identity as the Prime Minister of Gaochang, but if they know that the Turks have never given up contacting me, no one knows what will happen. There are so many monsters in the Western Regions Protectorate now, who is it?
No one can tell which one is the ghost among humans, so it’s better to be careful.”
The Turks are like ghosts, always lingering in the sky of the Western Regions, and they have never given up their coveting of the Western Regions.
Now that the Tang Dynasty controls the Western Regions, if it is known that the former Prime Minister of Gaochang Kingdom had secret contacts with the Turks, how can we explain it clearly?
Akagi Hague just made fun of him, but he didn't want to seriously kill Ju Wendou, so he smiled without saying a word and drank tea from a cup.
The two of them each took two sips of tea and were speechless for a moment. There was silence in the monastery. There was no sound of wind blowing outside the window, mixed with snowflakes.
After a long time, Ju Wendou said quietly: "Today's Gaochang City is no longer as prosperous as it was back then."
This sentence is truly inspired.
During the reign of Emperor Xuan of the Western Han Dynasty, soldiers and their families were sent to the front of the Che Division to farm, cultivate and guard the fields. At the same time, Wuji Xiaowei was set up in Gaochang to be in charge of the farming and military affairs. With the rise of the Silk Road, the Central and Western Overland Road gradually developed
The transportation hub has become an important town on the Silk Road.
The name of the country Gaochang comes from the local natural geographical environment. It was named because of its "high and open terrain and prosperous people".
Since the Han and Tang Dynasties, Gaochang has been a hub connecting the Central Plains, Central Asia, and Europe. Economic and trade activities have been very active. Religions from all over the world have been introduced to the mainland through Gaochang. This may be the most active and developed place for ancient religions in the world.
After years of operation, it finally became a dazzling pearl on the Silk Road, the window to foreign countries in the northwest region at that time, and the most prosperous city and commodity trading center in the west.
Economic prosperity made Gaochang the political and cultural center of the Western Regions.
Gaochang City is a hub connecting the Central Plains, Central Asia, and Europe. Merchants from Persia, Dashi and other places brought alfalfa, grapes, spices, peppers, gems and horses to Gaochang City, and took away silk and porcelain from the Central Plains.
,tea.
Once upon a time, the houses in the city were lined up on both sides of the streets, with workshops, markets, temples, etc. Among them, there were as many as 3,000 monks alone. Everywhere showed the prosperity of Gaochang's trade.
But things are not what they used to be.
After Hou Jun gathered outside the city to kill the kings and ministers of Gaochang, he sent troops into the city to loot and even set fire to countless houses, causing great damage to Gaochang City, which has not been restored to this day.
Especially after the Tang Dynasty established the Protectorate in the Western Regions, and located the Protectorate in Jiaohe City in the west, which immediately became the center of the Western Regions, causing the importance of Gaochang City to plummet and never regain its former glory and prosperity.
Akagi Hague held the tea cup in his hand, looking at the heavy snow outside the window, and suddenly said: "It is heard that the Duke of Yue led the Youtun Guards to support the Anxi Army. They have already passed Shanshan and went straight to Luntai City."
It became quiet again in the monastery, and there was a heavy wind and snow outside the window.
The kettle on the stove made a "gurgling" sound, and white gas was sprayed from the spout. Ju Wendou lifted the kettle and poured boiling water into the teapot.
After pouring a cup of tea for Chimu Hague, Ju Wendou said: "Today's Western Region is no longer the Western Region in the past. There are mixed forces in Jiaohe City, and not everyone may be willing to see the Tang army repel the Arabs. I don't know, but at this moment, I don't know how many people are willing to see it.
Planning in secret."
He is in Gaochang, but although the Ju family has perished, its descendants are all over the Western Regions, so they are naturally very clear about some things.
Akagi Hague nodded, his expression heavy.
He is a Uighur, now also known as Uighur. Although he was once attached to the Turks, he has always maintained his own position. Now he and the Turks have become estranged from each other and almost parted ways. Naturally, he is well aware of all the news.
He took a sip of tea and said slowly: "The Arabs from the west are marching straight in. The Anxi army has so few generals that they can no longer resist it."
Logically speaking, the Arabs are coming in force, and a mere half of the right-hand guard is nothing more than a drop in the bucket. Who believes that they can influence the outcome of the battle in the Western Regions?
However, in the Battle of Hexi not long ago, Youtunwei displayed great power in one battle and completely defeated Tuyuhun's 70,000 cavalry with very little losses, shocking the world.
With the remaining power of the victory in the Battle of Hexi, the Youtun Guard marched straight into the Western Region without stopping. Who dares to underestimate such a powerful army in the world?
Those who resisted the rule of the Tang Dynasty or secretly colluded with the Turks would definitely not want to see the Tang army win another great victory in the Western Regions.
Taking action is inevitable.
Ju Wendou looked at Chimu Hague and said: "How come we have cooperated so well over the years and are trustworthy to each other? I would like to ask you, what is the position of Huihe?"
Akagi Hague slowly drank tea and remained silent.
The sound of wind came from the half-open window, occasionally blowing a few snowflakes and falling onto the windowsill.
After a long while, Akagi Hague said: "Back then, I had the opportunity to become the richest businessman in the Western Regions, and the Uighurs could also become close comrades-in-arms of the Tang Dynasty and enjoy the peace and prosperity brought by the Tang Dynasty's prestige in the world. It was just a thought difference.
, was destroyed at the hands of Guo Xiaoke. This time, I will not sit back and let the opportunity slip away again."
When Fang Jun was stationed in Gaochang, he and Akagi Hague established the largest winery in the Western Regions to brew wine. For a time, the supply exceeded demand and the company made a lot of money.
However, later Guo Xiaoke served as the governor of Anxi. He was greedy for the profits of the winery and resorted to tricks to seize the secret recipe of winemaking, which led to the closure of the winery. In the end, Guo Xiaoke died in the Western Regions, and the connection between Akagi Hague and Fang Jun was also interrupted.
And just after that, Fang Jun rose through the ranks and became one of the most powerful ministers in the Tang Dynasty. His achievements were illustrious and his fame spread all over the world.
On one side are Datang and Fang Jun, on the other are the Turks and those ambitious but blind people, Akagi Hague naturally knows how to choose.