In mid-February, after a lapse of many days, the ten officials of the legation returned to Julucang at the eastern end of the Achik Valley.Xi Chongguo knelt on one knee beside the graves of the soldiers of the Han army who had conquered the Great Wanwu in the past, dug a small pit, and buried the five baht coins that had been taken from the Sogdian profiteers, one by one, back to the grave."
I said that when I was in Bailongdui, why did the Xi knight prefer to bring less naan and water, and had to carry such a heavy bag of things, it turned out to be money."
Xi Chongguo's subordinate, the right-hand wind rider named "Su Da" watched with a shovel.Another Longxi knight named "Sima Shu" shook his head: "After burying it back, aren't you afraid that someone will come to steal and excavate?"
”"Who dares!
This was the fate of the more than 20 Sogdians who died in vain. ”Xi Chongguo raised his eyebrows: "You have forgotten what Fu Gong said?"
Soon, the Han army will restore the beacon pavilion barrier leading to Loulan, and the banner of the Han will return here, protecting this road and the tombs of soldiers along the way!
”According to the rules of the Han army, the corpses of the dead will be prepared to be coffins and transported back to their hometowns, but the Western Regions are too far away, and there are too many people who died in those two expeditions, and the living are still too busy to take care of themselves, so it is not easy to dig a pit on the spot and bury the robe.Therefore, the tombs of the Han family's sons are all over the north and south roads, reaching Dawan.Xi Chongguo solemnly shook these graves, and secretly swore that he would wait, sooner or later, he would let Luntai and Dawan become the territory of the Han Dynasty, and the soldiers buried in the local area would be able to smile at Jiuquan.It's a pity that Xi Chongguo's father's grave in Dawan Ershi City can no longer be found, and at this time Sima Shu was complaining again: "Didn't you say that after the mission traveled west, the Yumen Commander would gradually restore the beacon to Loulan, why did we come thousands of miles to the east and not see a single figure?"
”Xi Chongguo kicked him: "How can the road that has been abandoned for more than ten years be restored overnight?"
There is no water source in this vicinity, and the Commander of the Jade Gate is at most stationed at Yushu Spring, waiting for our news.After passing through the three ridges of sand and the ridge city, you can see it. ”It was getting dark, and a few people entered the beacon, but they saw the deputy envoy Wu Zongnian carefully wiping the festival.In addition to the festival, Fu Jiezi also gave Wu Zongnian the box containing the head of King Loulan and the customs clearance talisman of the Han envoy, and the heavy responsibility of returning the news was on his shoulders, which put Wu Zongnian under a lot of pressure.On this trip, more than 30 people did their best, or contributed their wisdom like Ren Hong, or paid courage like Han Dangdang and Zhao Han'er, but Wu Zongnian did nothing, and only drafted a letter for Fu Jiezi to report to the imperial court at the end.Xi Chongguo has never understood what Duke Fu brought this official to the Western Regions, and he didn't understand why Wu Zongnian, who was full of poetry and Spring and Autumn, would take the initiative to ask for an envoy to a foreign land and mingle with their group of big bosses.Unexpectedly, after drinking a few sips of wine at night, Wu Zongnian took the initiative to mention something that had puzzled Xi Chongguo for a long time."
Sometimes, you do something just because you listen to a word."
Wu Zongnian said with emotion: "Although I am from Qidi, I really don't learn Qi poems, but Han poems." ”Hearing this, the old and rough people looked at each other, what Qi poems, Han poems, they didn't understand at all, this is also the reason why everyone doesn't like Wu Zongnian, and they always like to drag some allusions that everyone can't understand.Wu Zongnian said to himself: "When I was young, I listened to the master's lectures, and when I talked about a matter, Confucius once asked his disciples about their aspirations, and Zigong replied: "You have to be dressed in plain clothes, so that between the two countries, there is no size of the army, and the food of the fight, so that the two countries are like brothers." ”"Later, as soon as Zigong came out, he saved Lu, chaotic Qi, broke Wu, strengthened Jin and overpowered, Zigong made a messenger, so that the situation was broken, and in ten years, the five countries have changed.""
Don't hide it from the horseman, I just listened to this story back then, and I respected Zigong quite a lot, and I intended to follow suit.Inspired by the deeds of Bo Wanghou, Tang Meng and others who went to foreign countries to make meritorious contributions during the filial piety period, they served in the subject country to make foreign countries as their ambition, and when Fu Gong selected the deputy envoy, he fell in love with me. ”He took a sip of wine and sighed: "But since the first mission, I have realized that I am different from Zigong, not an eloquent, easy to panic when encountering things, the last time I made Dawan, Tianma died violently on the way back, and I was at a loss."
I thought that Fu Gong would not ask me to go with me anymore, but I never thought that he ordered me again. ”Wu Zongnian looked at the Jingjie in his hand and smiled bitterly: "Fu Gong probably thinks that although I can't make achievements, at least I won't hold him back."
But I also understand that this Han Festival, you have to be heroes like Bowanghou, Su Shaoqing, and Fu Gong to be able to hold the festival and promote the prestige of the country, and I am not worthy of it. ”Xi Chongguo shook his head, it seems that not only these good sons of the six counties and evil young men in Chang'an, even scholars like Wu Zongnian also have the dream of meritorious service, this is the atmosphere left by Emperor Xiaowu.At this time, Wu Zongnian's interest rose again, and he got up and said, "Do you still remember Ren Hong's poem?"
”Wu Zongnian loved the poem very much, and recited at this moment: "Huangsha wears gold armor in a hundred battles, and if you don't break Loulan, you won't return to Loulan, and now you can finally go back and return to Yumen." ”The atmosphere suddenly became cheerful, and the eight officials who were traveling with him all cracked their mouths and laughed, and Fu Gong said that the assassination of King Loulan was extremely smooth, and the mission made a great achievement.After going back, everyone will be rewarded with at least more than 100,000 yuan, and their rank will be increased by one level.In addition, there are those who have killed and captured the Sogdians, participated in the assassination of the king of Loulan, and controlled the city of Loulan, and more than that.Su Damei, the knight of the right wind, said: "If you have money, you can buy dozens of acres of land for your family, and then buy a big slave, and someone will plough the land for my father when I am not there in the future." ”Sima Shu, the knight of Longxi, quipped: "You'd better castrate that big slave, otherwise, I'm afraid your wife can't bear the loneliness, beckoning him to bed, and when you go back, there are a few more children, I have heard a lot of similar things!"
”Su Qi chased after him and kicked him in the ass.After being kicked twice, Sima Shu, who had a foul mouth, also returned to the fire, and said longingly: "What I care about is not money, but increasing rank, when the time comes, I am also an official, and I can go back to my hometown to brag, and I don't hide it from you, since I was a child, I feel that I am a wicked boy who only knows how to steal chickens and touch dogs, and my family is poor, and I look down on me." ”"However, wealth does not return to the hometown, like brocade clothes at night!"
The officials held up the lamps together, happy that they were about to end their mission and get their share of the reward.But when it dawned the next day, the people who were still sleeping were kicked awake by Xi Chongguo one by one!"
It's time to hit the road?"
Wu Zongnian got up dizzily, only to see Xi Chongguo hurriedly stepping on the fire, with a solemn face: "There is a Hulu coming!"
”Xi Chongguo was vigilant, and did not be careless because of his approach to the Han land, and got up early in the morning to go up to Fengsui to wait, and accidentally found the dust raised by Hu Qi's galloping."
Hu rode sixty or seventy, four miles away on the Gobi, and could reach the valley in less than a moment, and" "They should have seen the smoke of Julucang!"
”Wu Zongnian really did as he said, panicked again, and muttered: "How could it be, Hu Lu learned the news of Loulan so quickly and came to intercept us?"
”Calculating the time, even if the king of Rizhu heard the news and immediately sent someone, he couldn't catch up with Ah Xi Chongguo shook his head: "Look at the direction, it is not from the royal court of Richai, but from the eastern Pu royal court of Hami Balikun Lake in Pu Hai, eighty percent is to find out that the Han envoy is going to Loulan after the beginning of spring, and send someone here to intercept it." ”It's a pity that Fu Jiezi and they left before the ice melted, half a month earlier than the Huns expected.But what I didn't expect was that Hu Lu didn't block Fu Jiezi, but happened to bump into Wu Zongnian, Xi Chongguo and others on the way back.There is not much chance of winning directly to fight, although the soldiers have an advantage, but the so-called dangerous road is tilted, and gallop and shoot, China's riding and also, the terrain here is just favorable to Hu Cai."
What then?"
Wu Zongnian's first reaction was to shrink and hold on."
I heard Ren Hong say that he once defended a beacon with a mere five people, facing a siege of more than 100 people, and now we have ten people, and Hu Lu is only sixty or seventy."
Xi Chongguo shook his head and said: "Ren Hong only needs to keep watch for a moment or two, even if we light the beacon smoke, it is still unknown whether we can be seen by Yushuquan nearly a hundred miles away in the east.What's more" He raised his head and stared at the wooden letter that Wu Zongnian was holding in his arms, which was the pickled head of King Angui of Loulan: "Duke Fu wants us to wait for fifteen days, we must arrive at Yushu Spring, and let the Captain of Yumen send troops to the west to aid Loulan, not a day late!"
”Loulan Yizhi, the king of the day will definitely take action, at most more than 20 days, the Xiongnu kings in the Western Regions can send troops south, so the envoys can not be delayed for a day.Xi Chongguo quickly had a plan: "In this way, I will take a few people to lure away Hu Lu, Deputy Envoy Wu, you go back with your head and letters!"
”"No, no."
Wu Zongnian seemed to be frightened, and waved his hand again and again."
I'm not good at riding, if Hu Lu pursues, I won't be able to get out, and my death is small, I'm afraid I will miss Fu Gong's big event."
Wu Zongnian was so nervous that he bit his thumb and was anxious, until he finally looked at the Jingjie handed to him by Fu Jiezi himself, and there was a hint of determination in his eyes: "It's better for me to make a big show and lead the Huns away." ”The weak official's voice was a little hoarse, and he handed over the wooden letter in his hand to Xi Chongguo."
Xi Knight, you bring the best riding officer, ride the fastest horse, and be sure to send the head and the letter, and the news of Fu Gong's success, to Yushu Spring!"
PS: The second chapter is in the evening.