Beidi County, Wushi County (Guyuan, Ningxia), the continuous mountain rocks are dark red, like groups of burning flames, so they are called flints, and they resemble the crest on the top of a chicken's head, also known as Chicken Head Mountain.
The newly promoted Guannei Hou Wushi family of the Great Qin Dynasty is located in the wilderness at the foot of Jitou Mountain. It is a fort made of fiery red stones and withered vines on the high brick walls. There are heavily armed cavalry patrolling around. They are disciples of the Wushi family.
Attached.
Standing on the military tower, the fat Wu Shiluo watched a group of retinues escorting a mysterious guest away, showing a sneer.
"Father, why did Zhang Han come here?"
The Wushi family had two sons, one was Wuting and the other was Wufang. They had been in the Qin Dynasty for many years, and their clothes and food had long been transformed into the Central Plains.
Just now, Wu Shiluo shielded others and met Zhang Han, the wanted criminal who was on the run from the imperial court. The second son could not help but feel suspicious.
"Wolves in the mountains will come out of their holes when they smell blood. What do you think Zhang Han can do?"
Wu Shiluo waved his hand and sat down cross-legged on the other side of the table. Zhang Han came and left in a hurry. The mutton had just been roasted and delivered, with a lot of spices sold from Lingnan not far away. It was fragrant.
"It's a pity that Zhang Han has no luck."
Wu Shiluo cut the overcooked mutton with a knife and put it in his mouth, while saying: "He came here to remind me to be careful. Xianyang may know that I protected him and Heifu's eldest son!"
"Ah!" Wu Fang was young and timid, and was shocked when he heard this.
Wu Ting was quite calm: "My family has spies inside and outside the Great Wall. There are also many servants in Xianyang who manage cattle and horses. They live in the market and deliver news day and night. Although some time ago, someone leaked the whereabouts of Heifu's eldest son, which led to Xianyang's envoys coming to look for him.
, but my family notified them in time and asked them to move immediately, and they were not arrested."
Wu Shiluo gnawed on the sheep's hoof: "Although Zhang Han didn't say it explicitly, I guess it was Gongsun Bailu who said this."
Wu Fang was furious: "This thief has taken a lot of money from my family in the past. Father, why don't you send someone to kill him!"
Wu Ting shook his head: "No, my family's power is along the Great Wall and cannot reach Yiqu City. Besides, although Xianyang's envoys have gone to the north, if they want to attack Wushi, they must return to Xianyang. They must go back to Xianyang for at least two months.
If you go to kill Gongsun Bailu at that time, won’t you confirm my family’s crime in advance?”
Wu Shiluo spoke up: "Don't you think it's strange? Gongsun Bailu was relied on by Hei Fu, and later became Zhang Han's confidant. When Zhang Han was in trouble, all the white wolves in Yiqu ran away with him. Why didn't Gongsun follow him?"
Wu Fang said: "Is it because he... covets official position?"
Wu Tingze said: "I'm afraid it's because of the large number of people in the clan that you don't dare to run away?"
Wu Shiluo smiled and said: "You should know the past of Gongsun and Yiqu families. Their eldest father was originally the second son of Empress Dowager Xuan and Lord Yiqu..."
"Gongsun Bailu's eldest father was ashamed of his Rong clan identity, so he changed his household registration and considered himself a son of Xia. He wore Xia clothes, spoke Xia language, and changed his surname to Gongsun."
"Yiqu Bailang's eldest father is not like that. He just wants to be a Rong man. He will continue to take Yiqu as his surname, braid his hair in military uniforms, and wear his hair in left lapels. He will lead his people to move livestock, eat meat and drink cheese."
One stem bears two fruits, which also represents the two ways of life in Beidi County. This is something that everyone in Beidi County knows, but in Wu Shiluo's eyes, it has a different interpretation.
"The Gongsun Yiqu family seems to have been fighting for decades, for three generations, but in my opinion, they are just enemies in the open and protecting each other secretly."
"For example, during the Lao Ai Rebellion, most of the Rong rulers in Guan Nei followed Lao Ai's edict, raised troops to respond, and besieged Qinian Palace. Yiqu Bailang's father also participated in it, but at that time Gongsun Bailu's father firmly supported the First Emperor."
"After the rebellion subsided, the First Emperor went on a rampage to liquidate Lao Ai's party. The Yiqu clan was severely damaged and almost wiped out. It was the Gongsun clan who helped Yiqu Bailang survive."
In short, these two families often make different choices in order to protect the other family and help each other no matter which family gains power. This is a kind of survival wisdom to survive in this difficult world.
"So Yiqu White Wolf resolutely followed Zhang Han, and the Yiqu family's pasture, people, cattle and sheep were all taken over by Gongsun. It seemed to be annexed, but in fact, who knows if he would take care of it? One day, if Hu Hai is defeated, it will be dark
When the husband is in power, Yiqu can in turn protect Gongsun."
Thinking more darkly, Gongsun Bailu might be a double agent. While reporting the whereabouts of Heifu's son to Xianyang, he also wanted to lure the Wu clan into the water on Zhang Han's orders...
"What does father mean, is Zhang Han planning this matter to force father to rebel?"
Wu Fang was trembling with anger: "This Zhang Han, my family kindly protected him, but he repaid kindness with vengeance and did such a thing. Father, I will take my servants to capture him right now!"
"Confused, if my father had murderous intentions, would Zhang Han still be able to walk out of Wuzhibao alive?"
Wu Ting reprimanded his younger brother and said: "Father, the matter has come to this. No matter how we make amends, we can no longer win the trust of Xianyang. Do my family want to follow the example of the governor of Shu County and raise troops to respond to the Northern Expedition?"
As the eldest son of the family, Wu Ting traveled between Xianyang and Beidi, and was very concerned about the war situation in the east. According to his opinion, the Qin court was besieged by the Northern Expedition and the six restored countries, and the building was indeed about to collapse...
Furthermore, Wu Shi and Heifu have always had a good relationship, and it is thanks to him that the wool and brown sugar trade has become as prosperous as it is today.
"Zhang Han also advised me the same way."
Wushiluo ate the mutton and burped: "But the reason why the governor of Shu raised his troops was because he was afraid that Heifu would send troops into Bashu and disrupt the counties under his rule. It was better to surrender directly. Anyway, once the war reached Hanzhong, Xianyang would be destroyed."
It would be difficult to send troops into Shu to punish him. In addition, he also wanted to make great achievements as the leader of the country, so that after the war, he could sit on the throne of Prime Minister Chehou. "
"But that's not the case in the north. The troops from Guanzhong can arrive in ten months. Although the Wushi clan has more than a thousand people and can summon the Hu Rong tribe, it is no match for the official army. Besides, what is the purpose of raising an army?"
Being able to become the most wealthy businessman in the world without being cut off by the imperial court, Wu Shiluo has his own strengths, and he has a clear positioning of himself.
"Wu Shiluo was just a lowly Rong merchant. He was favored by the First Emperor. He was able to achieve the status of a monarch. He was able to go on pilgrimage with all the civil and military officials. He also traveled to the Western Regions and opened the northern part of the Great Wall. He sold silk and sugar for the country and became extremely rich.
Wanjin, I have no desire for status or wealth."
"What I want is that only the Wushi family can enjoy wealth and honor for the rest of the world, at least richer than two generations, that's all..."
Three generations? It depends on whether the grandson is a virtuous person or not, so don’t force it.
In short, when troubled times come, some people are dissatisfied with the status quo and rise up, but Wu Shiluo is the one who is most eager to maintain the status quo.
Unfortunately, it is not easy to find balance on a single tree, so these two states of not being offended are still broken.
Zhang Han is not willing to keep being a hen, and wants to force Wu Shiluo to make a choice!
Wu Shiluo told his two sons: "Now that things have happened, I can't refuse Zhang Han face to face. I have to refuse and let him beg me and look forward to me."
"But we cannot follow the example of Ba Zhong, the son of Widow Qing, who brazenly rebelled and ended up dead. His wife fell into the hands of others, and all his wealth was used as a dowry, which gave Hei Fu an advantage."
"Other people's property is immovable, but my property is movable. I only need to drive the cattle and sheep, take the tribesmen and children and servants, and leave the outside of the Great Wall to the foot of Helan Mountain. Two out of three of the troops along the Great Wall have been wiped out, and only half of the remaining troops are left. The people below can only guard the Fengsui Pass. Even if Xianyang wants to capture me and hold me accountable, it will be difficult to send troops out to pursue me in a short period of time. What's more, I also have friends outside the fortress..."
"Let's wander on the grassland for a year and a half, preserve the wealth of the clan, and watch the changes in the situation. Let the bloodshed be left to those who want to conquer the world."
Wu Shiluo understood that the ownership of the world has not yet been determined, and it is too early to make a decision at this time.
Ba Zhong, who is eager for quick success and instant benefits, is the lesson before his eyes. Wu Shiluo shook his head and said:
"How could such a shrewd woman like Widow Qing give birth to such a stupid son?"
He taught his two sons: "You must remember that as a merchant, no matter how rich your family is, you must remember two sentences..."
"The first sentence is, if there is drought, you will need boats; if there is water, you will need carts, just in case there is a shortage."
"The second sentence is, a man with long sleeves is good at dancing, and a lot of money is a good man!"
The former is easy to understand. Wu Shiluo came to help Zhang Han and Heifu's eldest son when they were in trouble. Now that the south has gained momentum, he has more routes.
It is not difficult to be a good businessman with a lot of money. If you have more capital, it will naturally be easier to do business. Wu Shi deeply understood the essence of this way, so he was able to give 20 million yuan to Hu Hai. It was like buying peace and getting peace of mind for most of the year.
The most difficult part is to be good at dancing with long sleeves.
In dance music, whether a dancer is good or not depends on how well she swings her long sleeves when she appears.
Whether a businessman is smart or not depends on whether he can make friends: his long sleeves swing half a foot in front of you, and the fragrant breeze makes every onlooker feel that he wants to be friendly with you. No matter who wins in the end, Nothing can be lost to him...
"Take two boats." Wu Ting summed up his father's business experience concisely and comprehensively.
"Two?"
Wu Shiluo laughed loudly: "In the current situation, if you want to survive to the end, just two steps are not enough! Do you think that the only people I protect in secret are Zhang Han and Heifu's eldest son?"
At least he could count how many forces he had invested in.
Starting from the thumb wearing a turquoise ring, the jeweled fingers stretch out one by one.
"Hu Hai."
"Black husband."
"Li Xin."
The small eyes on Wu Shiluo's fat face shone with a cunning light.
"And the Huns and..."
"Xiang!"
…
In the 38th year of the First Emperor of Qin, in the twelfth month of the lunar calendar, there was heavy snow everywhere in the northern part of the country.
Crossing the winding Great Wall and heading north, the colder it gets, the further north you go, especially to the north of the Yinshan Desert, where even Chen Ping had never been. The snow is as heavy as goose feathers, and even wearing several layers of fur jackets can make you feel bone-chilling. Anyone who dares to be active outdoors will either lose their fingers or have their ears frozen off.
Across the desolate Gobi Desert, at the foot of Langjuxu Mountain, three thousand miles away from the Great Wall, a patch of felt tents stretches for several miles against the ridge.
This is the royal court of the Chanyu. Since Prince Moton killed his father Touman ** years ago, he has taken his tribe to the desert to avoid the Qin Dynasty in a bitter cold land with no water or grass.
As winter turns to spring, ewes give birth, mares foal, and women give birth to children. After years of recuperation, the Xiongnu tribes recover slightly. Maodun gathers together several tribes that fled north after the demise of the Yueshi, and annexes further north. At Ding Ling, the national strength of the Xiongnu was close to that of the Qin Dynasty before the Northern Expedition, and they had tens of thousands of bow-drawing cavalry.
In the Shan Yu's golden tent, firewood was burning, making the tent warm. Mao Dun was eating meat and drinking wine with his most trusted guards, until the sheepskin tent was opened, accompanied by the cold wind, and the three bodies were covered with snowflakes.
The man was pushed in by the Huns warriors.
The leader was the envoy of the Wushi Luo family. He knelt down on one knee and said in skilled Hun language to the Hu man wearing a golden eagle crown in the center:
"Born from heaven and earth, placed by the sun and moon, the Xiongnu Great Chanyu, the head of the Wushi family asked the villain to bring his greetings and small gifts!"
After saying that, he turned around and let the two people behind him come forward.
Mao Dun put down the kumiss in his hand, touched his curly beard, and said in Hun language:
"Wushi has resumed trade with the Xiongnu since a year ago, but I don't want silk, fine wine, only copper and iron utensils, and people. What I'm sending this time is..."
He looked at the two people behind the messenger: one was a middle-aged man in his fifties who lost one ear due to heavy snowfall, walking with a limp, and the other was a young man in his twenties, with lips that were purple from the cold.
, there was a deep whip mark on his face, and his eyes were full of alertness.
"Two skinny slaves?"
The guards on the left and right were furious, feeling that Wu Shiluo was insulting the Great Chanyu, and almost wanted to draw their swords, but Maodun stopped them.
"They are the Chu people mentioned by the head of the Wushi family?"
"That's right."
The middle-aged man who had endured hard labor and humiliation on the Great Wall took off his heavy felt jacket. He had a thin body and resolute eyes. He even lost an ear for this journey.
He was supposed to be a hero who stirred up the world in history, but now he is in such a state of decline.
He scanned the room full of barbarian princes, finally fixed his eyes on Mao Dun, and said loudly:
"I am the father-in-law of Shangzhu Guoxiang of Chu State."
"Xiang Liang!"
"Fortunately, thanks to the protection of the head of the Wushi family, I traveled thousands of miles to come here because I want to form an alliance with the Xiongnu Great Chanyu for the Chu Kingdom!"
…
ps: There is only one chapter today, Chapter 465 of Mao Dunbei Escape.
