Perhaps because he did not want too many people to know, on the night of August 19, Volcano Slave Burke and his party were quietly lowered from the hanging basket and entered the summer camp in a low-key manner.
Shao Shude was looking at the many Uyghur texts that he had collected with great interest - of course, he could only speak but did not understand writing, and had to be translated by people from the Tibetan Academy.
"Let the envoy come in." After receiving the report from Zhong Yanyou, Shao Shude waved his hand, asked the people to step back, and ushered in the Huoshan Slave and his party.
Shao Shude was suddenly curious. How many troops did Pugujun have at the beginning? Could it be less than 30,000? So much so that they even founded the country, but the main ethnic group was not necessarily the Uighurs.
Considering that when Pugujun was in the most embarrassing situation, he was betrayed by the Nine Tatars, and he only had Xizhou under his command. He once took refuge with Zhang Yichao and survived, maybe he really didn't have many soldiers.
But the grassland is also a magical place.
This land has its own unique political ethics, and the grassland people have their own values. In the end, Pugujun was able to gather the crowd and regain his strength. He even took advantage of Zhang Yichao's entry into Beijing to bite back the rebel army and snatch it from their mouths.
Finally, when he died, there were three places including Xizhou, Yinzhou and Beiting, with the capital Gaochang.
Although his successor was not well-known in the Central Plains, he was obviously very capable. He integrated the three states, then went westward and defeated the Anxi Uighurs (also known as the Qiuci Uighurs, named after Pang Teqin who was called Khan in Yanqi).
Expand the territory westward.
Prairie Khan, to put it simply and crudely, is actually a snowball.
If you are strong, others will be willing to join you, respect you as a great khan, cheer for you, and send troops to fight for you.
If you are weak, others will want to replace you. Just as the Uighurs took advantage of the decline of the post-Turkic power to destroy the last great Turkic Khan and establish a grassland empire, the Geluolu people once wanted to give it a try, but they died after trying and were beaten by the Uighurs.
They have to run away with their heads in their hands. As long as they can run far enough and still have some united front value, they will eventually surrender to the Uighurs, otherwise they are probably doomed.
Since the Western Expedition of the Supreme Khan Jianwen Shenwu who was born wise, he swept across Beiting. Within a few months, his reputation in the north of Tianshan Mountain has already become "big". If it ferments for a while, next year, his reputation will probably be even greater.
The ball is ready to roll.
"What is the official position of the envoy in Gaochang?" Shao Shude asked.
"Doctor Yushi." Although Huoshan Slave tried his best to neither be humble nor overbearing, he was still a little nervous after seeing the large group of warriors in silver helmets in the tent.
Whether a warrior wears armor or not, the pressure on people is different.
Moreover, this unit showed great power on the battlefield a few days ago. With only more than 3,000 soldiers, it was able to defeat the Uighur infantry and flee in panic. Rumors in the army that they were "invulnerable to arrows" and "invulnerable to swords and guns" may be lies, but
How should I put it? They should be a rare elite soldier.
For them, the Volcano Slave feels that we should maintain enough respect. Yes, I am not afraid, I just respect them.
"But are you here to deliver the book?" Shao Shude asked.
"..." Volcano Slave.
However, he has also been on many missions and has rich experience. What kind of king has he not seen? Moreover, before departure, Prime Minister Zuo Lianyou and Muja Mi Zhida had already explained many things to him and his thoughts.
It coincides with each other. Lord Xia is so straight to the point, so there is no need for him to be secretive.
So, he cleared his throat and said, "If you want Gaochang in the Great Xia Dynasty, it will not be difficult."
"Tell me, what are the conditions?" Shao Shude's eyes were still on the copied document in front of him. It looked very complicated and very rude.
"How does Lord Xia want to rule Gaochang?" Huoshan Slave asked.
Shao Shude put down the document, glanced at the envoy, and said: "Yinzhou, Xizhou, and Tingzhou were Zhengzhou in the former Tang Dynasty, and they will be Zhengzhou in the future. As for other places, I have to look at them again."
The volcano slave was stunned.
Lord Xia only mentioned Yinzhou, Xizhou, Beiting, Yanqi, and Qiuci but did not mention a word. These are all lands of the Dafu Uighur Kingdom. In addition, how will he arrange the local wealthy families in Gaochang?
"I am rich all over the world, and my focus has always been on the Central Plains and the Western Regions. I still need people with both ability and political integrity to help me look after it." Shao Shude said again.
When Huoshan Slave heard this, he felt relieved.
Although these words are a little vague, they already imply a lot. The center of gravity of Daxia is in the east, and it is unable to deal with the west. It is okay in the short term, but there will definitely be trouble over time. If there is no local agent,
It certainly won't last.
As for who this local agent is, is there any need to say? It can only be their nobles from Gaochang.
In this case, the goal has been achieved. Politics is sometimes so naked. To put it bluntly, it is just how to divide the fat. It is not surprising.
"It has been more than seventy years since the Uighurs migrated to the west. It is a lucky thing that they have survived until now." The Huoshan Slave suddenly sighed, then knelt down directly and said: "I would like to serve the Supreme Khan as my master."
Shao Shude nodded, then looked at the entourage behind him. Seeing that one person had not bowed, he asked curiously: "Who are you?"
"Greetings to His Majesty the Great Xiazi." Mi Zhida stepped forward and bowed, and then said, "I am Manichaean Muja Mi Zhida."
"You don't want to surrender?" Shao Shude asked.
"Since we came to the camp today, how could we not surrender?" Mi Zhida smiled bitterly.
"Then there must be some conditions that have not been met. Let's talk about it." Shao Shude waved his hand and asked the palace servants to serve tea to everyone.
"Your Majesty knows clearly." Mi Zhida thought about the wording and asked, "Does Your Majesty know Pang Teqin?"
"Of course I know." Shao Shude said: "After Pang Teqin led his troops to move westward, he proclaimed himself Khan in Yanqi, but it was just a flash in the pan. For decades, news from the Western Regions and the Central Plains was blocked. Occasionally, some news came through, but there were many errors. You can definitely do something
I will explain in detail."
Mi Zhida bowed again and said: "Pang Teqin learned about the death of the last Uighur Khan during the reign of Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty, so he was proclaimed Khan in Yanqi and his country was named 'Great Uighur'. The Central Plains may also be called Anxi Uighur and Qiuci Uighur."
In the tenth year of Dazhong (856), Pang Teqin requested for canonization from the Tang Dynasty, and the Tang court agreed and sent an envoy to the west. However, Pu Gujun secretly sent people to intercept the envoy, robbed the seal, and recorded the book, but the matter failed."
"What happened next?" Shao Shude asked curiously.
Chang'an has records of the above. It even sent an envoy twice, but when the envoy reached halfway, he said that someone was intercepting him and could not reach it, so he went back.
"Later, there was a civil war among the Anxi Uighurs, and some of them fled eastward and joined the rebel army Jiedu envoy Zhang Yichao. The Yichao were afraid that they would associate with the Gua and Sha Uighurs, so they moved this part of the Anxi Uighurs to Ganzhou to join the Ganzhou Uighurs." Mi
Zhida said: "Your Majesty has defeated the Uighurs in Ganzhou. You should know this past event."
"Keep talking." Shao Shude nodded and said.
"After the internal strife of the Uighurs in Anxi, they were faced with the invasion of Pugujun. Pang Teqin led his troops to the west to Suiye and established a government office. Because he was born in the Yaoluo Ge family of the Uighur royal family and had a noble status, he was supported by many tribes."
Shao Shude nodded again.
But he has his own judgment. Is it true that Pang Teqin won the support of so many tribes based on his own blood? I'm afraid it is half true and half false. It must be that military offensive and political united front work in parallel to achieve this result.
"Pangteqin was unstoppable west of Congling. He defeated Persia and won the surrender of the Talas." Mi Zhida continued: "He also won the allegiance of the Geluolu people, and then continued to expand. Before his death, except for the people west of Congling,
In addition to the large territory, there are also the western half of Beiting and Yanqi, Qiuci, Shule and other places to the east."
"In what year did Pang Teqin die?" Shao Shude asked.
Mi Zhida shook his head and said: "I don't know. It was around the time of Xizong of the former Tang Dynasty. Before his death, he divided the country between his two sons, who were honored by the people as Viga Kadir Khan."
"Can this country founded by Pang Teqin still be called the country of the Uighurs?" Shao Shude asked again.
"The Uighurs conquered these tribes and integrated into these tribes. That's all I can say." Mizhida replied.
Shao Shude nodded slightly.
In fact, just like the Mongols conquered many countries and tribes on the Eurasian steppes, they were all assimilated in the end because of their small numbers.
Not to mention the distance, the Gaochang Uighurs at present will be assimilated by the locals sooner or later, and assimilation is even in progress.
"After the death of Ponteqin, the eldest son Basil was proclaimed Khan in Broken Leaf and was honored as Aslan Khan; the second son Ogulchak was proclaimed Khan in Talas and was named Kadir Khan. The title Aslan Khan caused
Due to the dissatisfaction of King Pugu, a war broke out between the two sides in the first year of Dashun (890) of Emperor Xun of Tang Dynasty. Aslan Khan was defeated and lost Qiuci, Yanqi and other places. The tribes of Beiting and Rehai also surrendered to King Pugu.
"
"Later, due to the tense relationship between the two sides and the endless wars west of Congling, the news was relatively confusing. We only know that in the fourth year of Dashun in the former Tang Dynasty (893), the Persians attacked Talas City, and Kadir Khan's wife and his tribe were captured. Later,
He moved the capital to Shule, remarried his brother's wife, and took in his nieces and nephews. They have been fighting against the Persians year after year."
After hearing this, Shao Shude stood up, walked to the map hanging in the tent, and examined it carefully.
"What do they believe in now? Mani? Buddha? Or something else?" Shao Shude turned around and asked.
"Ogulchak follows the Uighur tradition and believes in the great shaman." Mizhida replied.
Shao Shude turned back and continued to look at the map.
He, the Supreme Khan, was "certified" by the great shaman Uruk through communication with God. It seems that Ogurchak is quite traditional, but - his name is very un-Uighur, and it has a very Turkic meaning.
Concentrated, including his brother.
If it continues to develop, this country will no longer have any Uighur elements and will become entirely Turkic, even though the relationship between Uighurs and Turks is already very deep.
"You -" Shao Shude turned around, looked at Mizhida, and said, "Can you go to Shule (Kashgar)? The capital of this great Uighur kingdom is in Shule, right? Go and see Kadir Khan, just
Said I wanted to spend some time with him."
"Your Majesty, Kadir Khan is not in Shule most of the time, but is fighting the Persians in the west." Mizhida was a little reluctant and excused himself.
"Haha." Shao Shude smiled and said, "I probably know what you want. But if you don't have special merit, how can you have a special encounter? Think about it carefully."
Mi Zhida was silent for a long time, and finally said: "I obey."
"What do we say here in Gaochang? Who will open the city? Or should we just come out and surrender?" Shao Shude sat back in his tiger-skin seat and asked.
"Your Majesty." The Volcano Slave who had been acting as an invisible man immediately said: "I will persuade the Khan when I go back. If he is willing, I will support him to surrender. If he is not willing, the descendants of Aslan's Uighurs will do the same.
'Support' him to come out and surrender."
"It's best to hurry up." Shao Shude said: "I don't have that much patience. What are you going to do about Qiuci, Yanqi and other places?"
"Since I am the Khan, I have been ordered by the Prime Minister to surrender." Huoshan Slave said.
"Are you sure?" Shao Shude asked, "Tell the truth and don't make big claims."
Huoshan Slave was about to say "I'm sure", but after hearing the second half of Shao Shude's words, he immediately swallowed it.
Seeing him like that, Shao Shude said impatiently: "Just do your best."
"Yes." The volcano slave breathed a sigh of relief and responded.
****
It was already after midnight when Vega Khan received the news. He got up in a hurry and prepared to summon the volcano slave.
Queen Nashi sat up and docilely arranged the robes for Khan Pija. After finishing, she gently hugged his waist, buried her head in his arms, and said softly: "The Khan should go and attend to state affairs."
"What a big sweat..." Pijia smiled bitterly and said, "Shao Thief may not be able to allow me to continue to be a sweat."
"It doesn't matter if I sweat or not?" Mr. Shao raised his face, blinked his lake-blue eyes, and said affectionately: "As long as I can live with you day and night, as a family, that's enough."
Pijia was moved in his heart, but he was distracted at the moment and had no intention of continuing his relationship with his wife. After a few perfunctory words, he hurried to the front hall surrounded by several guards.
Queen Haoshi went to the small Buddhist hall in the harem, with a solemn look on her face, and sincerely prayed for her husband.
"Great Khan!" Shaoyuanzhu, Lianyou, and Huoshannu all saluted him.
The strange thing is that there are several officials and tribal nobles. Who called them here? How can such a shameful thing as a surrender be announced to the public in the eyes of the public?
"How?" Vega Khan looked at Huo Nubok with burning eyes and asked.
"Great Khan, I'm waiting for you to arrive at the summer camp. Although it's night, the fight is very strict and the laws are strict."
"There are also elite warriors in armor, who can defeat a hundred, and they will attack the city in no time."
"There are also many tribes from Beiting who have changed their gates and gathered around Lord Xia."
"The Lord of Xia is highly respected by everyone, speaks the truth, and has the appearance of a heroic ruler."
Pijia was stunned and subconsciously felt that something was wrong.
"Slave Volcano, what do you mean?" he asked.
The volcano slave raised his face and let out a long sigh, shed two lines of hot tears, and said: "Sweat, please stop."
Pijia was shocked and angry. He calmly took two steps back and asked, "Has Thief Shao already appointed you an official?"
"We are all here for the people of Gaochang, and we don't have the slightest bit of selfishness." Huoshan Slave said.
"Where are the two prime ministers? Why don't you speak?" Pijia retreated to the guards and asked.
"Huo Huo Slave Burke has made arrangements to send an envoy." Shao Yuanzhu said: "Yinzhou, Xizhou, and Tingzhou were originally the main states of the Han Dynasty, and they will not be left to the Great Khan."
"What?" Pijia was very angry and said, "Without Xizhou and Yinzhou, do you want me to go to Qiuci to be the Khan?"
The biggest reason why the Anxi Uighurs were defeated by the Gaochang Uighurs was actually because of the excellent agricultural development in Xizhou and Yinzhou, which continuously provided money, grain and materials to Gaochang. If these two places were gone, he would be a pure grassland chief.
It can't be called a profuse sweat.
When the strength of both sides is about the same, nomads may be able to defeat farmers, but they are often unable to withstand a half-pastoral and half-farming regime. This is because the latter not only has the mobility of a nomadic regime, but also has ample money and food.
Materials, in theory, are a crushing advantage.
The Great Uighur Kingdom may not be purely nomadic. They have some farming in Shule, Suiye, Talas and other places. However, after years of war, they have long been abandoned. They cannot compare with the Gaochang Uighurs who have developed peacefully and maintained a certain level of blood.
, naturally falls into the disadvantage.
"Great Khan, the matter has come to this, it is useless to say more." Lian You sighed.
A group of soldiers came outside the temple. No, they seemed more like churchgoers.
Pijia Khan was so frightened that he couldn't resist and ran back in a hurry.
"The Khan is unwilling to surrender..." Shao Yuanshu and Lian You looked at each other and said, "Let's open the city first?"
"You can make your own decision," Lian You said.
Hao Yuanzhu gave him a funny look. Now that things have come to this, why are you pretending? How can he be someone who cares about feathers like this?
The sergeants quickly passed through the crowd and chased Pika, shouting loudly.
Several screams came from behind, and Pijia didn't dare to stop for a moment, and his heart became clear: If they hadn't wanted to catch him alive, he would have been hit by an arrow and fell to the ground. But, where could he escape?
Thinking of this, I suddenly felt sad. I abandoned my sword and sat down on the ground with tears streaming down my face.
On the other side of the city, after a short and bloody battle, a group of people took control of the south gate and lowered the suspension bridge.
The city gate shyly exposed a crack at first, and then opened it wide open like thighs, completely exposing its vital points. The Xia army swarmed up and rushed straight in along the avenue.
