Chapter 821 Eight thousand miles of cloud and moon
The envoy sent by the Second Emperor never expected that after he had been chasing for more than half a year and finally caught up with Li Xin's tribe, he was arrested by Li Xin on the pretext of "falsifying the edict", tortured for a day, and then killed!
However, the entire army's westward march into Dayuan was delayed because of this. Li Xin stationed his troops at the entrance of Xingdun Valley. It was October and the pastures were dead. If the army stayed any longer, if they ran out of food, the consequences would be disastrous!
As a guide, U Thiyan was very anxious: "If we can't cross the valley, we can only do so in a few days. If we delay it any longer, I'm afraid it will be delayed for another year!"
After traveling to the Western Regions for almost eight years, Wu Shiyan also understood the climate here. Taking the foot of Congling as an example, he specially compiled a song that even the soldiers could remember: "One, two, three, the mountains are covered with snow, four, five
It rains on your head in the sixth month, it is time to leave in the seventh and eighth month, and the twelfth lunar month of winter begins."
If we wait a few more days, the mountains will be blocked by heavy snow, and the valley will be cold, slippery, and difficult to pass through.
On the other side, Anlu Renxi, a military official, a scrawny old official who was sent to the Western Regions because he angered Qin Shihuang, found Li Xin after carefully considering the edict.
Xi held up the edict and said seriously: "General Li, there is nothing wrong with this edict just based on the seal and text. Why does the general think it is fake!"
"Xijun is right, the edict is true, and the envoy was sent by the new emperor."
Li Xin indulged in wine for the past two days and sighed: "The people of the world have lost their first emperor!"
"Your Majesty is really gone..."
He was a little lost in joy. He bowed to the east and bowed to the ground in the tent. After bowing his head three times, he stood up and said solemnly: "In that case, why did General Li kill the envoy? Your move is tantamount to conspiracy!"
Li Xin swung the wine in his glass and stared at the foam inside: "Xijun, do you think we should go back?"
Xi's words were merciless: "This is Xianyang's order. It conforms to the law, so I will naturally return."
Li Xin sneered: "Does Mr. Xi know what we will face when we go back?"
"I had the messenger tortured all night, and he finally told the truth."
Xi frowned: "What's the truth?"
Li Xin raised the jade cup and said with a smile:
"It's not just the Six Nations that are rebelling."
"Heifu, Heifu from the same county as Xijun, the commander-in-chief of the Southern Expedition, and the First Emperor's Aijing, also rebelled!"
"What!?"
Xi was stunned. Compared to the news of Qin Shihuang's death, which he had long expected, Hei Fu's "rebellion" had a greater impact on him.
But if you think about it carefully, it's wrong. Since Hei Fu was appreciated by Qin Shihuang, he has been working hard and abiding by the bottom line of Qin officials. Why did he suddenly rebel?
Li Xin sighed: "It is difficult to know the cause and effect. The envoy only said that in the beginning of the thirty-seventh year, a big change occurred in Xianyang. The young master Fusu who interceded for Xijun fled to Xianyang because of his plot to assassinate the First Emperor, and the Mohists were also wiped out.
.After that, the young son Hu Hai was actually appointed as the prince, and the First Emperor went south to remove Heifu's military power..."
"Heifu first faked his death and was granted the title of Marquis of Wu Zhong by the First Emperor. However, after the death of the First Emperor, Heifu reappeared and rebelled. Now he has occupied several counties in the south and is fighting with the Xianyang court...
…”
"Heifu, Heifu, how did you get to this point?"
Xi only felt a little dizzy. He had never been a fan of drinking. At this moment, he actually sat down and picked up the table. He repeatedly criticized Li Xin's "too extravagant" jade cup and took a sip of wine to calm down his heart.
of chaos.
"It is because of the great changes in the court that the new emperor wants to summon General Li and everyone back?"
"So I can't go back."
Li Xin's attitude was very firm: "The envoy said that after Heifu rebelled, the DPRK arrested him and Fusu's old friends, and Mengtian brothers, Zhang Han, Zhang Cang and others all suffered. I have always been as famous as Heifu, and I am still here.
We worked together when we were fighting against the Xiongnu, and we are good friends with Meng Yi, but we don’t want to be captured and become a prisoner after entering Yumen Pass just because we are close to Hei Fu and Meng!”
He drank all the wine in one gulp and threw it heavily on the table: "I don't want to be forced to fight a civil war, have my roommates be at war with each other, and my lords and wives will turn against each other!"
There is another most important reason why Li Xin doesn't want to go back.
"On the orders of the First Emperor, we rush to the aid of Daxia, help them repel Tiaozhi, and head west to find the Kingdom of the Queen Mother of the West."
"Since the thirty-sixth year, starting from Xianyang, tens of thousands of people have walked more than 8,000 miles, conquered all the city-states in the North Road, and experienced many dangers before they came here, under the green ridge. We are about to arrive before we see it.
Daxia, look at what the world is like on the other side of the mountain. A flimsy edict is asking me to give up? No, Li Xin will not stop before completing this mission, let alone look back!"
Xi said seriously: "General Li, then you are disobeying orders. In Xianyang's eyes, there is no difference between you and the rebellious Heifu."
But Li Xin shook his head and disagreed: "The Art of War says that if you don't attack the city, you won't fight for the land, and you won't accept the emperor's life. What's more, I only recognize one emperor..."
"First Emperor!"
He clasped his fists toward the east: "I swore an oath that I would be the First Emperor and find the Kingdom of the Queen Mother of the West! Since my name is trustworthy, I must keep my word!"
Xi Que sternly said: "General Li, wake up. Even if there is a Western Queen Mother State in this world, the First Emperor is no longer here. Even if you go back with the elixir of immortality, it will be too late. This expedition is over! Think about the outside world.
As far as the soldiers who are far away from their homeland and have experienced many hardships, they also want to go home and don’t want to abandon their bodies in a foreign country!”
"No!"
Li Xin was still stubborn: "Since the Queen Mother of the West can make people live forever, she can also bring people back to life!"
"Your Majesty is not dead!"
"He just passed away temporarily, there must be a way..."
Speaking of this, Li Xin couldn't help himself and cried bitterly.
It turned out that Li Xin, who had sworn loyalty to the First Emperor, had been feeling sad about this for the past few days.
He was so happy to see Li Xin, who was galloping in a foreign land and became an invincible hero, that he burst into tears on the spot with a complicated expression. After a long time, he sighed.
"General Li, you are really drunk."
Li Xin wiped away his tears: "I'm drunk, is Xijun awake? What are you going to do?"
Xi rolled up his sleeves and said: "I am a Qin official. I don't recognize the emperor, I recognize the Qin Dynasty, but the laws and regulations themselves."
"Since the edict is legal and comes from the imperial court, I have to stop here and try to figure out what happened in the Central Plains."
"That's just right."
Li Xin laughed: "Xijun, Xijun, you are right. As far as the soldiers outside are concerned, this expedition is over."
"Whether they want to go home and go back to the Central Plains to wade through the muddy waters, or continue to follow me and have this drunken dream, it's all up to their own free will!"
In his eyes, there was a fire that refused to be extinguished: "The next thing has nothing to do with military orders, but Li Xin's stubbornness and rebellion."
…
Suddenly a messenger came to call him back, and the soldiers of the expedition were confused. When Li Xin informed everyone of his decision, there was even more uproar!
Two years ago, when Li Xin left Yumen Pass, he brought with him a total of 60,000 people, 20,000 soldiers, and 40,000 civilians, driving cattle and horses to transport grain and fodder.
However, because the distance was too long and the losses were too great, the peasants basically did not make it this far. Most of them stopped in front of the desert and returned to Zhangye County. A few stayed in Kucha City (Kucha, Xinjiang) to farm in the city conquered by Li Xin.
As for the soldiers, they were lost along the way, fled, and stayed behind, leaving only 5,000 people.
The final result was that of the 15,000-strong expeditionary force, 10,000 chose to stop, and only 5,000 were willing to continue to follow Li Xin over the mountains and ridges.
Li Xin worshiped Qin Shi Huang and was loyal to Qin Shi Huang.
Most of these five thousand people are single soldiers who admire Li Xin and are loyal to Li Xin!
For seven or eight years, Li Xin galloped around the frontier, expelled the Xiongnu, destroyed the Yueshi, and opened up the Western Regions. He commanded his soldiers and was loved by Li Xin like his own son. He also witnessed the unimaginable beauty in the Central Plains and had long been accustomed to this military career.
For them, home is no longer behind.
And ahead, in those lands and cities that have not yet been explored and conquered, under General Lee's flag, at the end of the horse's hooves...
And those who choose to go home feel guilty and often hang their heads.
But in the early morning of the day when he broke camp, Li Xin still patrolled each camp carefully, joked with the soldiers, and arranged a place for them to spend the winter.
"It's bitterly cold in the Western Regions and heavy snow is coming soon. Please go to Shule Kingdom (Kashgar, Xinjiang) to spend the winter."
Xi decided to stay, but he was a little worried: "Shule has been providing food for the army, and it is no longer sustainable. I'm afraid they won't accept us."
"If you don't give it, then grab it."
Li Xin was very adamant: "It's just a small country with more than a thousand households and less than ten thousand people. Have they forgotten the lesson of Qiuci? If they don't obey, let the Qianghuang Captain beat them down. If they repeat it, they will be slaughtered.
yes!"
Xi couldn't help scolding him and said: "When Dawan and Daxia become big countries, they will not be as weak as the two northern and southern city walls. General Li should act less like this."
Li Xin smiled and said: "Li Xin will remember Xijun's instructions. I just hope that Xijun and everyone can return slowly. By the time we reach the Central Plains, everything will have settled."
Nodding happily, there are tens of thousands of people, and the journey is 8,000 miles, and most of them are snow-capped mountains, deserts and grasslands. You can go back just as soon as you want. Food is a big problem. I am afraid that you will have to go through two winters just like when you came here.
Arrive at Guanzhong.
The black flag of the Qin army dances in the wind, and five thousand warriors will follow Li Xin on a new journey. This journey will not only open up the sea and the sky, but also unknown the end of the road.
Li Xin got on his horse and was about to set off, but he turned back to Xi and said, "I don't know when I can cross the Congling Mountains again. Xijun, if you can see Hei Fu, help me bring him a message!"
Xi solemnly offered his hand: "If the old bones can be returned to the Central Plains and I can still see Hei Fu, I will definitely bring him!"
"I just want to ask him."
Li Xinxin looked at the majestic snow peaks, just like he had been looking up at the great First Emperor for more than thirty years:
"Heifu, you are still loyal to the First Emperor. Do you remember the First Emperor's will?"
…
ps: I recommend a new book on fairy tales called "Fairies Please Respect Yourself". The author is Ji Cha, a veteran harem driver:
Qin Yi once believed that people who cultivate immortality should first be indifferent and peaceful, have no desires and desires, be patient, and be able to withstand temptation.
But in the end, it was discovered that Xian first had a person next to him.
The fairy road is bitterly cold, and you and I hug each other to keep warm.
