Liu Cheng had to order the army to stop advancing, and ordered a soldier to bring out something.
It turned out to be a round disk, the prototype of a compass, which he ordered to buy at a high price from a wandering Taoist.
He took a torch from the guard next to him and illuminated it.
Liu Cheng looked at the pointer on the disk, pulled the guide to his side and pointed at the compass and said: "Look here, the direction of this pointer is due south.
Come here."
Determine the direction and how the army should move."
"Oh, this direction is due south."
The guide muttered, made some gestures with his fingers, pointed to the northwest and said, "General, you should go in this direction."
"Are you sure?"
The guide replied: "If the pointer is indeed pointing due south, then you should go in this direction."
Liu Cheng decided to trust the guide and immediately ordered the army to continue moving in the direction pointed by the guide.
As night fell, the temperature began to drop.
Due to the alternation of cold and heat, white mist began to appear in the air, which seriously affected the line of sight.
With the simple compass in his hand, the guide adjusted the marching direction from time to time.
Liu Cheng also ordered that no one should make any stops during the march.
Even if they were in urgent need of urination, they should hold it in until they got out of the white dragon pile to prevent anyone from falling behind.
Once they fell behind, it would be a disaster.
After walking for less than half an hour, Liu Cheng received a report: "General, there are more than 30 people in the baggage team behind who have fallen behind."
After hearing this, Liu Cheng was furious and said: "What did this general say?
You are not allowed to stay.
Why do you still fall behind?"
"This" Liu Ye couldn't say anything, he could only hold his hands and keep bending down.
He thought for a while and ordered: "The army continues to advance.
Send a hundred-man general to lead a team as a search team to go back to look for them.
Send someone to leave obvious marks wherever the army passes.
They use flags to mark them.
They pass through a mound and insert them.
The last flag” "Yes, I will make arrangements now."
The army walked for nearly two hours and finally walked out of Bailongdui.
At this time, the army was located in the northeast of Bailongdui.
There was an obvious road under the Gobi Desert, but a fork appeared here.
The guide said to Liu Cheng: "General, you can go southwest to Wuni City, go west to Yuli, and go north over the dry mountains to reach Gaochang."
"The army is camped here, waiting for the search team to find the lost officers and soldiers of the baggage train."
Until the next morning, the search team and the separated baggage team officers and soldiers sent back did not return.
Liu Cheng defied all opinions and sent another team of 200 people back along the original route to search and rescue.
This time, there was a large army left behind the night before. flag mark, and soon returned along the original route to the location where the officers and soldiers of the baggage team were separated.
After more than an hour of searching, they were finally found, along with the previous search and rescue team.
When the separated personnel finally returned to the team, Liu Cheng felt relieved and ordered the army to move forward.
After two days of marching, the army was very tired and arrived at an oasis.
The oasis surrounded a huge lake.
A river flowed through it from the northwest.
The lake was full of fertile fields and woods, and there was a large-scale lake on the other side. city.
The guide pointed at the city on the other side with his riding crop and said: "General, that is Wanni City.
It used to be the capital of the Loulan Kingdom.
After the Loulan Kingdom moved the capital to Yixun City, it changed its name to Shanshan Kingdom.
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Although it is no longer the capital, it is still very prosperous. , business travelers from various countries in the Western Regions often come here, but this lake is getting smaller year by year.
I heard that Before the Loulan Kingdom moved its capital, the lakeside was very large and the river was very deep.
Perhaps the smaller area of the lake oasis was the reason why the Loulan Kingdom moved its capital.
After all, as the lakes became smaller and smaller, the rivers became smaller and smaller.
Yue Qian, we can no longer support more people, so we can only move the capital outside this city, and there is still a group of soldiers and horses of my big man stationed here."
The arrival of the Western Patrol Army caused great panic in Wuni City.
The local Loulan people ran into the city with their families in fear, abandoning their houses and everything outside the city.
The city gate was closed tightly, and the city tower was full of soldiers.
There was a lot of excitement in the city, and soon there was the sound of neat running.
Just as the western patrol army was advancing around the lakeside towards Wanni City, the city gate opened, and a Han military captain and some soldiers rode out from the city gate to meet the westward army.
A group of more than ten cavalrymen galloped away from the westbound army and headed to Goni City first.
On the way, they met a group of Han military captains who came out of Goni City.
When the two sides met, they reined in their horses and stopped.
The Han military commander who came out of Goni City clasped his fists and said loudly: "I am Wei Li, the colonel stationed in the field in Goni City.
May I ask where the general is coming?"
Zhang Xiu clasped his fists and came back and said: "Now the Anyi Marquis, Hussar General, and Sikong Liu Gong are under the command of Zhang Xiu, the rebellious captain.
They are ordered to come to contact Shanshan State's Muni City.
The general is leading an army to patrol the Western Regions on the emperor's order.
Lieutenant Wei, you should go with me to pay homage to General Liu."
It is extremely honorable to hunt on behalf of the sky.
He is also one of the three princes.
This general Liu is afraid that he will have all the power.
Wei Li thought hard, but he cupped his fists and said: "Excuse me, Lieutenant Zhang, to lead the way.
I'll go right away."
Pay homage to General Liu" "please" Wei Li quickly came to the front of the army under the leadership of Zhang Xiu.
He was a little stunned when he saw that Liu Cheng was so young under the canopy, but he quickly reacted and clasped his fists and said: "The Western Region Changshi Mansion is stationed in Muni City.
Wei Li, the captain of the army camp, met with the imperial envoy General Liu."
Liu Cheng looked at Wei Li and saw that he looked about forty years old.
He nodded and asked, "With no courtesy, Lieutenant Wei, how many years have you been stationed here?
How many soldiers are there under your command?
How many fields are there now?"
Who is the city lord?”
"Back to the general, I have been in charge of farming affairs here for ten years.
I have 108 officials and soldiers under my command, and 20 acres of land.
The owner of the mud city is called Chihe, and he is the younger brother of Banren, the current king of Shanshan."
Liu Cheng nodded and said: "Okay, I have been ordered to patrol the Western Regions, and I will take the time to ask you about the situation in Wuni City.
You can go back to the city first to inform Chihe that I have been ordered to patrol the Western Regions."
Tell him about the matter and ask him to inform King Banren."
"Yes," Wei Li agreed with his fists clasped, and he led his men to ride away.
Soon, the army arrived at the gate of Yuni City and saw the city gate wide open.
The roads leading from the city gate to the outside of the city were lined with local residents and businessmen and travelers from various countries in the Western Regions.
These people came to see the excitement and also came.
Look at the might of the soldiers and horses from the Central Plains Dynasty.
At the gate of the city, a middle-aged man wearing the official uniform of the Shanshan Kingdom was looking forward to it.
Wei Li was standing next to him.
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Behind them and on both sides were several officials.
Some soldiers from the Shanshan Kingdom were standing guard on both sides of the road with spears.
Keep people off the road.
The people who lined the streets to welcome them had been notified by the city lord's palace that this army was sent by the emperor of the Central Plains Dynasty to inspect various countries in the Western Regions.
Riding under the canopy was the emperor's envoy, Lord Sikong Liu Cheng.
The local people are also very gossipy people.
Before anyone sees him, everyone is discussing what kind of person this imperial envoy is.
The city lords Chi He and Wei Li led officials to greet Liu Cheng and saluted: "Chi He, the lord of Muni City in Shanshan State, led the officials and people in the city to welcome the arrival of the special imperial envoy of the Han Dynasty Emperor, Lord Sikong, General Liu and all the soldiers. " Chihe was a slovenly man, with a beard that almost covered his entire face.
Liu Cheng looked at him and said with a smile: "Chihe City Lord and all the officials are exempt from courtesy.
This general and his soldiers have traveled a long distance.
My eyes are a little tired, so I will continue to camp, rest and eat.
I will have a detailed discussion with the city lord and officials later."
"Yes, yes, I have ordered people to prepare meals.
I don't know whether the general wants to camp inside the city or outside the city."
"Stay outside the city and choose a place to camp.
There are so many people.
Entering the city will be too troublesome and will cause a lot of inconvenience."
"Thank you very much, General, for your concern for the common people.
I will ask the officers and men to station outside the city.
I will ask the General and the officers and officials to go to the city to rest.
I will prepare a small amount of wine in the city lord's palace, and I will ask the general to appreciate it."
Liu Cheng waved his hand and said: "There is no need for drinks.
I appreciate the kindness of the city lord.
However, I would like to go to the city to visit.
I heard that this city was the capital of the Loulan Kingdom at that time."
"Yes, yes, I am willing to be the general's guide."
Liu Cheng immediately ordered Xu Huang, Zhang Xiu, Ma Chao, Pang De and others to set up camp outside the city, while he himself took Chen Qun, Liao Hua and some bodyguard cavalry to follow Chihe into the city.
The scale of Muni City is not large, and it is not as large as Dunhuang City.
However, this scale is relatively large in the desert.
After all, the population base is only so large, and as the lake area and river water flow decrease, it is becoming more and more popular.
Many people have left here, and the prosperity is far less than before.
The City Lord's Palace is the palace of the former royal capital, but its scale has been much smaller, and it only complies with the regulations of the City Lord's Palace.
There are all the buildings that should be found in the city, including a large market, a medical center, a horse market, various shops, and a temple for worship.
The temple is very important to the Loulan people and is very grand.
The main building materials are made of Pieces of rectangular stone.
The Tuntian Colonel's Mansion is located near the city gate.
After visiting the buildings in the city, Liu Cheng politely declined Chi He's invitation and came to Wei Li's Tuntian Colonel's Mansion.
"Captain Wei, if there has been any change in Shanshan Kingdom's attitude towards my big man over the years, you shouldn't have noticed it since you have been working here for ten years," Liu Cheng asked as he sat at the main seat in the lobby and drank some water.
Wei Li cupped his fists and said: "General, the Western Regions have lost contact with the Central Plains in recent years.
Countries in the Western Regions have speculated that something might have happened to the court, so they have lost more and more respect for the imperial court.
The Governor of the Western Regions even received no information from Dunhuang County.
How much support, this is not only felt by Shanshan Kingdom, which is closest to Dunhuang County, but also by Shule Kingdom, which is the farthest away.
Thanks to Chang Shi Zhang Gong's efforts to maintain it, otherwise the Chang Shi Mansion of the Western Regions would not be able to survive now."
Liu Cheng hurriedly said: "Zhang Yan is still alive."
"Yes, but I heard that Mr.
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Zhang has been feeling unwell recently, and the officials and soldiers in Changshi Mansion are a little worried."
Liu Cheng felt a little relieved.
He was afraid that the situation in the Western Regions would turn into a pot of porridge, which would be troublesome.
However, the situation in the Western Regions was not optimistic.
It seemed that he led his army in time
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