Winding mountains, endless rivers, sometimes open and sometimes narrow valleys, and high and raised loess plateaus on both sides. In the past half month, Qin Shihuang's chariot has been driving along the Great Wall in such terrain.
Only after putting himself in his shoes and inspecting it, he realized: "Oh, so my northwest territory looks like this."
It was empty and barbaric, but full of vitality. Standing on the Great Wall and looking out, the emperor discovered that there was such a vast land in the west, waiting for him to conquer...
The Great Wall of Qin, which stretches northeast from Lintao, had to avoid its edge when it reached the towering Jitou Mountain (Liupan Mountain), and took a long detour, passing through the southern foot of the mountain to reach the key point of the western section of the Great Wall: Wushi Sai.
After arriving here, the terrain suddenly became clearer. In the midsummer, among the pastures filled with orioles, there was also a new palace: Huizhong Palace.
This is a unique palace that combines Qin and Rong styles. It is completely modeled after the Linguang Palace in Ganquan Mountain. The utensils placed inside are all exquisite and valuable. In addition to the Central Plains ritual utensils, there are also exotic-style gold cups and silver cups. In addition to the main building
Outside, the rest of the houses were Hu Rong's felt tents, which were enough for the emperor's two thousand entourage to stay.
"Wu Shiluo is really attentive."
The emperor verbally praised the sponsor of this palace, but Wu Shiluo said he didn't dare. He had taken off his ordinary military uniform and put on a royal robe, holding a jade gui, as if he were a courtier conferring a title to the emperor.
"It is our great fortune that Your Majesty can come to the north and come to the remote small county of Wushi!"
Wushi County is the westernmost county in Beidi County. It is the hub of east-west traffic. It passes through the Jing Valley in the southeast, passes through the "Huizhong Road" and goes straight to Guanzhong. In the west, it goes from Boluo Valley to Jitou Mountain and goes straight to the land of Hu Rong in the northwest. It is the Qin Dynasty
The largest gateway for North Korea’s foreign trade.
Although Wushi Luo was a Rong people, he took advantage of the unique geographical advantages of Wushi County, raised cattle and horses, and used the cattle and horses to trade silk and silk in the customs, and then turned to the Rong. At that time, the Qin Dynasty wiped out the six kingdoms and needed a large number of cattle and horses, so Dian let Dian
Ke and Shaofu recruited Wushiluo into the control of the government and became an official and merchant protected by the imperial court, responsible for the transit trade between Qin and Hu Rong. It has been ten years now. While Wushiluo accumulated a lot of wealth, he also
Countless cattle and horses were exchanged for Qin.
Wu Shiluo was also a good person, and knew that although Qin Shihuang treated great merchants favorably, the nature of Qin's laws was still to emphasize agriculture and suppress merchants. The wealth in his hands might in turn kill him. After the fall of the Six Kingdoms, he began to take the initiative to
He made money, widened the Hui Zhong Road, and built the Hui Zhong Palace for Qin Shi Huang, just to show his loyalty.
While complimenting the emperor, Wu Shiluo asked people to bring the rare and exotic objects obtained from trade with the Yueshi, Rong kings, Qiang chiefs, and even the Xiongnu Chanyu in the spring to Qin Shihuang for inspection.
The beautiful jade from Khotan, the famous horses from Hexi, the white wolves and white deer from the Qiang Rong, and the juéti from the Xiongnu, but Qin Shihuang only looked at them briefly and then asked about the things that concerned him most.
"You led a caravan out of the fortress and traveled through the Qiang and Rong states, reaching Hetao in the north and Hexi in the west. You are the person who is most familiar with the Xiongnu and Yuezhi terrain. Do you have any suggestions for the strategy of expanding to the west?"
Since Wushiluo had the status of being "compared to a lord" and could make pilgrimages to the emperor with the courtiers, he was naturally qualified to discuss politics. What's more, it was the situation outside the Great Wall that he was most familiar with.
He was well-informed and had also heard about the proposal made by the right concubine Chang Heifu in Qinian Palace last month.
Compared with usual, this spring, a new product called "brown sugar" was added to the cargo of the Ushiluo caravan. Unlike honey and sweetmeats, which are difficult to carry and preserve, brown sugar is in the shape of a horseshoe, dry and easy to preserve. Two
Thousands of kilograms of brown sugar were transported across mountains and rivers to the Yuezhi in Hexi who loved sweets. It was greatly loved by the Yuezhi King and the five princes of She. They bought it at a high price and obtained many cattle and horses for Wushi Luoduo.
Because of the brown sugar, Wu Shiluo had a good impression of Heifu.
However, after thinking carefully about Heifu's suggestion of "expanding to the west", Wu Shiluo felt that if this suggestion was implemented, it would be simply digging into the roots of his own family!
The reason why he became rich with tens of thousands of gold and received thousands of gifts was because he was good at dancing between Qin and Hu Rong, doing resale trade and making profits, and the Shaofu and Dianke did not have strict control over him.
But now, once the strategy of westward expansion is implemented, first of all, many inland immigrants will flow into the Northland, Wushi, to compete with the Wushi Rong tribe for profit. Secondly, if Qin Ruo sends troops to attack the Hu Rong people, they will wipe out the Qiang people and the Huns outside the Great Wall.
, Yuezhi, took over the rich grasslands such as Hetao in Hexi Province as their own, and the government directly raised cattle and horses in that year.
In that case, what use would he have as a transit merchant? I am afraid that within a generation, the family will decline.
Therefore, when the emperor ordered the ministers to discuss this policy, Wushi Luocai clearly expressed his opposition.
But things went beyond his expectation. Based on the idea of "choosing the lesser of two evils", the Guanzhong Laoqin family who did not want their children to go to the swampy land in the south to get moldy almost all supported the expansion to the west.
What's even more terrible is that the emperor actually had a strange dream in Longshan. Chen Baowu interpreted the dream and thought it was a sign of westward expansion. He strengthened his determination and made it a national policy to vigorously implement it in the next few years.
Implement.
Therefore, the emperor's question at this time was not about Wu Shiluo's opinion, but to see what role he could play in the national policy of westward expansion...
Wu Shiluo no longer dared to speak out his objections, and could only talk in a roundabout way about the many difficulties in conquering Hurao's land.
First of all, military conquest is not easy.
After Wu Shiruo thought about it, he said in fluent Xia dialect: "I dare to tell you that the Qiang and Rong people outside the Great Wall are weak and there is nothing to worry about. However, the Xiongnu and Yuezhi are both large kingdoms in the grassland, with a population of dozens
Ten thousand, one hundred thousand string controllers..."
"The Xiongnu, people of the Yuezhi, children can ride sheep, use bows to shoot birds and mice, and when they grow up, they can shoot foxes and rabbits for food. Adult men can shoot strong bows, all wear leather armor, and ride war horses.
Their custom is that when there is no war, they are nomadic at will and make a living by shooting birds and animals; when the situation is urgent, everyone practices their offensive skills in order to invade and plunder. This is the nature of their people. Their long weapons include bows and
Arrows, short weapons have knives and collars. If you are good at it, you will advance, if you are not good at it, you will be retreating. You will not be ashamed to run away, and you will come and go like the wind."
At this time, a voice behind him sounded: "More than twenty years ago, Zhao general Li Mu not only had thousands of chariots, but also had 13,000 horses, 50,000 men of 100 gold, and 100,000 gou.
Were there hundreds of thousands of people who could defeat the Xiongnu invaders?"
When he turned around, he came all the way from Jingyang County to see Qin Shihuang's grand master, Qiang Xu (lěi)...
Although he was nearly sixty years old, Qiang Yu was a militant. He took a year's rest after destroying the six kingdoms, and he felt uncomfortable all over. He was also in favor of the proposal to expand to the west: Hei Fu was not the only one who wanted to be made a marquis.
The old man also wants to go one step further and earn a position as a Guan Neihou Dangdang!
After bowing to Qin Shihuang, he looked at Wushi Luo and said: "In this battle, Li Mu not only defeated the Xiongnu, but also destroyed Xiuzhao, defeated Donghu, surrendered Linhu, and the Xiongnu chanyu ran away. After more than ten years, he did not dare to approach Zhao.
border town."
Although Li Mu was Wang Jian and Qiang You's rival, Qiang You still respected him.
"Li Mu was able to defeat the Xiongnu with only Zhao's troops. Now that your Majesty has combined the power of the world and has soldiers who have swept through the six kingdoms, why worry about not being able to capture Hexi and Hetao?"
Although they are both Qiang Rong lords in the north, the Wushi and Qiang clans are not in harmony. Before the Qin Dynasty ruled this area, their tribes were enemies. Now, although they are ministers in the same dynasty, their opinions often go to the left.
Wu Shiluo knew that Qin Shihuang deliberately maintained the balance of power between the two powerful families in the north, and would never sit back and let any one overwhelm the other. Therefore, he had his own confidence, and his status as "Bi Feijun" was no less than that of Da Shang Zao
,sidewalk:
"Otherwise, Li Mu relied on the border pass to lure the Huns to invade, and then fought back. But now His Majesty wants to take the initiative to attack, which is completely different from the situation at that time. The Huns and the Yueshi are both grasslands and vast fields, which is conducive to
Where cavalry fights, infantry encounters them, and they are incompatible..."
Qiang He was a little disdainful: "The Yueshi of the Xiongnu have cavalry, but Qin has no cavalry? The cavalry of Longxi, Beidi, Shangjun, Yunzhong, Yanmen, and Shanggu, added together, are no less than tens of thousands! I, the general, and Li
I believe they are all good at riding and fighting!"
Wu Shiluo still shook his head and said: "The Chinese cavalry is probably not as good as the Hu raccoon cavalry. The horses in Hetao and Hexi can go up and down the mountains and slopes, in and out of streams, and gallop. The Chinese horses are not the same. The Xiongnu and Yuezhi cavalry are in danger."
The road is tilted, galloping and shooting, which is not the same as the Chinese cavalry; the Xiongnu, the people of the Yuezhi, are tired from wind and rain, hungry and thirsty, but the Chinese people are not the same. The Xiongnu, the Yuezhi's great skills, if they enter the Hu territory
, is tantamount to using one's own shortcomings to attack others' strong points. Do you dare to say that Dashangzao will definitely win?"
Although what he said was true, Qiang Yu got angry and immediately dropped his words and asked Qin Shihuang to let him lead the army. He would surely capture the Xiongnu Chanyu and the Yuezhi King.
Qin Shihuang said: "Old generals are naturally indispensable for military affairs in the north. However, before the Xiongnu and Yueshi, we should first wipe out the Quyan (quyǎn) army north of Jitou Mountain for me."
Quyan is a tribe outside the Northland and later in Ningxia. Although Qin Shihuang liked haste, in the final analysis, he was still a mature politician. He knew that the expansion of the west would be done step by step. Within three years, he would first connect the country's borders with
Let’s talk about the Xiongnu and the Yueshi. As for the Xiongnu, the Yueshi had the strength to control a hundred thousand strings. He had already known about it, so he had the idea of going south first and then north.
The emperor looked at Wu Shiluo again and asked him to continue.
Relying on the fact that he was the person who knew the Xiongnu and the Yuezhi the best, Wu Shiluo kept up his efforts and continued:
"I have also said that the Hu people eat meat, drink cheese, wear furs, and do not have cities, fields, or houses to live in. They are like birds and animals in the open fields. The grass and sweet water will stop when the grass is dry, and the grass will move when the water is exhausted. So look at it.
, come and go as disciples, come and go as they come, this is the karma of a barbarian."
"But Chinese people are not like that. They must build a city and cultivate acres of land as their occupation. When they get to Hetao and Hexi, what will they do as their occupation?"
"Furthermore, I have been to Hetao and Hexi. The biggest feeling I felt was...cold!"
He raised his head and said: "The land of wild raccoon dogs is also a place where shade accumulates. The bark of wood is three inches and the ice is six feet thick. You must eat meat, drink cheese, and wear thick furs of birds and animals to keep out the cold. Chinese people go there in spring and summer
It’s okay, but if you overwinter locally and cannot adapt to the soil and water, you will probably die..."
"I believe that there is no problem in consolidating the three counties, seizing the land of the Qiang and Rong, and opening up new territories. However, the use of troops against the Xiongnu and Yuezhi needs to be negotiated. It will not be easy to defeat the two countries. It will be difficult to capture Hexi and garrison the Hetao.
, then the garrison will die on the sidelines, and the losers will wander into the Tao, which will not be beautiful."
After talking about Datong's difficulties in using troops against the Xiongnu and Yuezhi, Wu Shiluo also lost no time in putting forward his own suggestions:
"I thought that I could lure the Xiongnu with the grain and fodder that the Yuezhi lacked, and the silk and brown sugar that the Yuezhi lacked, so I sent a caravan deep into the west of Hexi and across the quicksand to look for the Kunlun Mountains where their ancestors are hard to find. I want to find the land of the Queen Mother of the West.
Finally, the caravan has also mastered the dangerous transportation points in Hexi, and it will not be too late to use troops at that time!"
Since there is no way to stop it, let yourself be useful in this expansion to the west. This is the only way Wu Shiluo can think of...
So he preferred to use caravans to solve the problem, while Qiang Su just rolled up his sleeves and wanted to use force!
However, Qin Shihuang did not make a decision immediately. While Wu Shiluo and Qiang Yu were arguing, he had been reading the memorial that had just been handed over by the visitor.
The memorial comes from Longxi, a thick pile, and is signed by Heifu and Li Xin...
When Wu Shiluo and Qiang You were arguing with each other and their mouths were dry, Qin Shihuang said: "Everything the two ministers said is reasonable, there is no need to argue, because..."
He held up three memorials and said with a smile: "My black dog and white horse, while praying for me in the river, they also don't forget to worry about state affairs. These three memorials have guarded the cavalry that Wu Shiluo was worried about.
The three issues of keeping out the cold are all solved!"
Wu Shiluo and Qiang You looked at each other. With Qin Shihuang's permission, they were able to read three memorials respectively.
Among them, the one they were allowed to read together was "Tuntian Shu", which was related to military secrets, and the one only allowed Qiang Yu to read was "High Saddle and Stirrups".
As for the memorial related to foreign trade, it was only read by Wu Shiluo and was called "Shearing Wool for Clothes"!
