The second year of the New Year (762) was a year of chaos for the entire world.
The Northern Tang, Southern Tang, Yan State, Shannan, Tubo, Uighur and other forces were intertwined, making the Central Plains shrouded under the dark clouds of war, and they could not breathe for a moment.
However, the second year of the New Year was also a peaceful year.
During this year, although many forces were hostile, they were all accumulating strength and fearing each other. No one took the lead in attacking, which gave the fragmented world a brief respite.
Time passed, and the second year of the New Year passed quickly.
In the third year of the New Year, early April.
Eighty miles south of Chang'an, in front of Lantian Pass.
A meandering motorcade came from Shangzhou (now Shangluo City, Shaanxi Province) on Shannan East Road, heading north to Chang'an.
The man at the head of the convoy was a strong man. The right side of his face had been severely injured by weapons such as flails. His gums were broken, his cheekbones were sunken, and his eyeball was missing from his right eye frame, leaving only a hole. He looked particularly terrifying.
Someone in the motorcade shouted: "Sha is in charge."
Hearing this, the leading man turned around and said in a deep voice: "We have not yet entered the territory of the Northern Tang Dynasty, so please stop talking."
The convoy fell into silence again.
After walking another three miles, Manager Sha saw the flag of Beitang in the distance. He breathed a sigh of relief and said behind him: "We are here."
Cheers suddenly came from the motorcade.
A small group of knights came from the pass at Lantian Pass. Among them were soldiers who were familiar with Guanshi Sha. Seeing the convoy behind him, they asked: "Sha Shiqing, these people you brought are from the south again."
A homeless person?"
Sha Shiqing: "Some are from Shannan, some are from Shuzhong, and the rest are from the Southern Tang Dynasty."
The knight from the Northern Tang Dynasty nodded and said, "Let these people follow you and register at the customs office first."
Sha Shiqing shouted several times to the convoy, then followed the Northern Tang cavalry and strode towards the pass.
Just approaching the gate of the pass, Sha Shiqing saw that there were many more people and horses around the camp, and he couldn't help but ask: "What's going on?"
A knight from the Northern Tang Dynasty replied: "Shangguan is here. Please be careful about your words and deeds, and don't cause trouble."
Sha Shiqing nodded and entered the detention center, followed by a large number of refugees who had just entered the Northern Tang Dynasty.
When a civil servant in the office saw these refugees, he stood up and walked out of the room quickly, shouting hello and taking out pen, ink, paper and inkstone.
Just as Sha Shiqing wanted to follow him to help evacuate the refugees, someone stopped him and said it was the general who invited him.
Sha Shiqing saw that the visitor was wearing the uniform of a school captain and had been awarded a license by a garrison rider. He knew that the visitor was an elite soldier left behind in Chang'an. He quickly adjusted his clothes and followed him into the rear camp.
In the meeting room of the rear camp, Duan Xiushi was discussing military affairs with Li Siye. When he saw Sha Shiqing come in, he stopped talking, looked at him up and down, and asked: "I heard others say that you were born in the military and later left.
?
Sha Shiqing: "Yes."
Duan Xiushi: "Where did you originally join the army?"
Sha Shiqing bowed and said: "In the early years, I served in Shuofang's army and followed the king's guard."
Li Siye on the side was stunned: "Wang Duhu? Which Wang Duhu?"
Sha Shiqing: "Wang Zhongsi, King Duhu."
Li Siye suddenly realized: "So, he is an old pawn."
Duan Xiushi: "I heard from others that since you left the Tang Army, you have concentrated on the slave tooth business?"
Sha Shiqing: "Back to the general, the business that the villain is doing now can't be said to be slave teeth, but more like water and land travel."
Duan Xiushi: "How do you say this?"
Sha Shiqing: “In the Northern Tang Dynasty, those in business and industry could take the imperial examinations, cultivators could obtain land without paying anything, and children from any family could attend school for free, so the people in the south wanted to go north.
Tang Lai."
Duan Xiushi understood somewhat: "Someone from the south wanted to come to the Northern Tang Dynasty, but had no one to guide him, so he found you."
Sha Shiqing: "In Southern Tang, Shannan, Jiannan and other places, in the past year, the population has been rapidly losing its population to the north. Some villages have already had ten houses and nine empty houses. Therefore, the government is encircling the people and not allowing southerners to move north. And
I did business in the north and south in the early years. Not only did I have the qualifications to serve as slaves in various places, but I also managed the government, so I had the ability to collect money and attract people to the north."
Duan Xiushi and Li Siye looked at each other, and the former sighed: "I didn't expect that helping southerners move north would actually become a business."
Li Siye asked Sha Shiqing in a deep voice: "You come from the south of Shannan. You should know something about the situation in the south, right?"
Sha Shiqing nodded and said: "Shi Siming and Ashina Chengqing killed An Qingxu, the emperor of the Yan Kingdom. Later, although An Qingxu's son was promoted to the throne, he was killed again in just one month. The Yan Kingdom is now
It’s almost gone.”
"After the fall of the Yan Kingdom, Shi Siming and Ashina Chengqing returned to the Southern Tang Dynasty. Shi Siming retreated to Pizhou, and Ashina Chengqing took control of Dengzhou. The two of them, one in the east and the other in the west, became allies of each other and developed separately."
"At the end of last year, Ashina Chengqing led his army to capture a large area of Shannan East Road, almost doubling his sphere of influence. The former army was concentrated in the Shangluo area, just across Lantian Pass from Chang'an."
Having said this, Sha Shiqing looked at Duan Xiushi and Li Siye: "If my prediction is correct, the two generals should be planning to use troops against Shangluo."
Duan Xiushi narrowed his eyes slightly and said to Sha Shiqing: "It is a serious crime to make irresponsible remarks on military affairs. Since you are a veteran of the Tang Army, I will not be punished for the time being."
Sha Shiqing did not defend himself and took out a defense map drawn on linen from his arms, handed it to Duan Xiushi's hand, and said: "General, this map is the defense map of Ashina Chengqing's troops, no matter what
Whether it is a fortress, a beacon or a hidden sentry, it is all marked, please take a look."
Duan Xiushi and Li Siye looked at the map in front of them, stunned in place.
After carefully examining the map, Duan Xiushi found that the map was carefully marked, not only with facilities but also with troop strength, and the rulers used were also military regulations.
Duan Xiushi looked at Sha Shiqing, was silent at first, and then asked: "Who are you?"
Sha Shiqing grinned: "General, Sha is a rough man."
Duan Xiushi put away the map, hesitated for a moment, looked at Sha Shiqing and asked: "A certain subordinate is still short of a guerrilla, would you like to come?"
Sha Shiqing shook his head and said: "Sha has received favors from the court over the years, is grateful to the Holy Father, and has always wanted to repay a favor... However, military operations are not just on the battlefield. Instead of joining the army, Sha might as well just do this.
If you continue to lurk around, it will be more useful."
Duan Xiushi took a deep look at Sha Shiqing and did not intend to continue persuading him. He called for his personal guards and directly said that he would send the latter out.
When Sha Shiqing walked away, Li Siye looked at Duan Xiushi and said: "Commander Guo led the main force and left Tongguan ten days ago, and is now approaching Luoyang. The order given to you and me is to leave Lantian Pass."
, marched south to Shangluo, attacked Ashina Chengqing, and prevented the other party from rushing to the aid of Shi Siming."
Duan Xiushi picked up the defense map, nodded and said, "With this, everything will be easier to handle."