Leaving Zhubin City, along the Peacock River to the northwest and west for 400 miles, although there is river water along the way, but there are no people.It was not until four or five days after the rapid march that the Han army encountered the first city on the Northern Road of the Western Regions.Quli City is circular, standing on the bank of the Peacock River, and the land is vast.Ren Hong pinched up a piece of soil, and after breaking it, he found that it was black soil, and he learned a little bit of soil looking at soil from Song Litian in Shanshan, knowing that it meant that the land was relatively fertile."
The long-term hearing canal ploughs widely, rao water and grass, can irrigate more than 5,000 hectares of fields, the location is mild, the field is fertile, can benefit the ditch, plant five grains, and cook at the same time with China, no wonder Xiaowu sent people to Tuntian here, and Sang Hong sheep also remember this place."
Ren Hong patted the soil in his hand and stood up, and saw that there was a forest not far away, which should be a pear tree.Those pear trees were planted by the Tuntian soldiers who brought seeds from the Central Plains, and they have grown into forests.The exchange is mutual, not only the Central Plains is absorbing vegetables and fruits from the Western Regions, but also many Central Plains crops have been introduced into the Western Regions.Thinking of this, Ren Hong's mouth was a little sour.Lishu testified that the ditch plough had become the territory of the Han Dynasty, but after the Luntai edict, the Han army completely gave up in the tuntian of the canal plow.Finally, after 12 years, Tude Huangqi and a group of people who love to eat pears have finally returned here.However, the gate of Quli City was still closed to the Han soldiers who lined up outside the city, and after the Han people gave up such a fat piece of land, someone would naturally come and occupy it immediately.Located on the north side of the ditch plough, the Yu Li Guo Gu occupied the magpie's nest and appointed a city lord in the ditch plough, who was standing at the head of the city at the moment, looking at the Han army who suddenly knocked on the door in panic.This is a blitzkrieg, Fu Jiezi let the foot soldiers and the people carry their baggage, personally led 700 cavalry to the first, the Huns and their servant states were caught off guard, they thought that Fu Jiezi seized the city of Zhubin was satisfied, never expected that the Han army did not play cards according to common sense, marched in winter, and took the canal plow!
At present, 400 horsemen have been arrayed outside the city for a long time, and the other 300 horsemen were sent by Fu Jiezi to the mountains more than ten miles away to the north to guard the pass.Xi Shilang has cut off the iron gate, and the reinforcements of the Yuli Kingdom and the Huns can't come!
”"Good."
Fu Jiezi bowed his head and squinted at the Quli City, which was still closed: "Since the Quli City Lord has not surrendered for a long time, we don't have to talk nonsense, let's attack the city!"
”"Yiyang Hou is slow!"
Lai Dan, the envoy captain who was side by side with Fu Jiezi, arched his hand and said: "The subordinate has an old relationship with the city lord of Quli Karehan, so it is better to let me enter the city to persuade him." ”Although this envoy captain was dressed in Han-style clothes, his appearance did not resemble a Han Chinese, but a deep-eyed Hu man from the Western Regions, with a slightly curly and yellowed thick hair, and a high nose!
Ren Hong knew that Lai Dan was indeed not a Han Chinese, he was originally the prince of the small state of the Southern Western Regions, and twenty years ago, among the states of the Western Regions, the Qiuci State was the most powerful, coupled with the prosperity of dance and music, its influence even crossed the desert and affected the southern province.Therefore, small countries such as Humi belong to Qiuzi, and Lai Dan is a hostage in Qiuci country.But after the Han army entered the Western Regions, it completely changed the pattern of this, in the early years, Li Guangli attacked Dawan, and when the army passed through Humi, he heard that the prince of Humi, Lai Dan, was in Qiuci, so he sent someone to ask Qiuci: "Foreign vassals belong to the Han, how can Qiuci be subjected to Humi?"
”You dare to accept my little brother as a little brother, I don't want to live anymore!?
Guizi pleaded guilty, and Li Guangli took Lai Dan to Chang'an, where he stayed for more than 20 years.It is a bit similar to the experience of King Shanshan, but Lai Dan is obviously much more powerful, he thinks that being an official of the Han Dynasty is more promising than the "king" of a small state, so he gave up the throne and stayed in the Han Dynasty with all his heart, serving in the subject state.He was first appreciated by Sang Hongyang, and then changed his court, hugged the thigh of the general Huo Guang, and often served as a deputy envoy and envoy to the Western Regions.Ren Hong met him for the first time, it was in the summer, Lai Dan took the position of Zhonglang out of Yumen, passed through Shanshan, and sent envoys to the states of Nandao and Mo, Jingjue, and Humi, and successfully persuaded them to join the Han Dynasty.After returning to China, because of the beautiful errand, he had to increase his rank to Bi Qianshi, and Lai Dan was considered by the imperial court to be proficient in the affairs of the Western Regions, and was promoted to the envoy captain, and this time he sent troops with Fu Jiezi.The envoy captain is a new official position set up by the Han Dynasty in the Western Regions, presiding over the affairs of Tuntian in the Western Regions.This also means that in the future, Fu Jiezi returned to Yumen, and the person who was in charge of the Han in the Western Regions was Lai Dan.Regarding the arrangement of this imperial court, Ren Hong was a little puzzled in his heart.It is necessary to set up an envoy captain, after all, the Western Regions are large, and it is inconvenient to communicate with Yumen Pass.But why is it Lai Dan, Ren Hong faintly feels that something is wrong.Regardless of his identity, judging from his personal ability alone, Lai Dan really can't find fault with it, and he is also very familiar with the Western Regions.Hearing that Lai Dan and the city lord of Quli were still acquaintances, Fu Jiezi raised his eyebrows: "Oh?
But I didn't hear the messenger Lieutenant mention it. ”"It was only when I saw it from the head of the city that I knew that Karehan had become the lord of the city of the canal plough."
Lai Dan recalled: "It was more than 20 years ago, when I was a hostage, and Karehan, as the little prince of Yuli, was also a hostage, and I lived next to him, and I learned the music and dance of Qiuzi together, and I was a good friend.By the way, we even fell in love with Princess Guizi together. ”"It's just that Princess Qiuzi later married the king of the Xiongnu Right Valley."
At the mention of this, Lai Dan smiled a little bitterly."
But thankfully, Karehan and I are still brothers."
Fu Jiezi shook his head and said: "Quli small city, there are only more than a thousand people, less than two hundred soldiers, a man can be a five-hundred, if they dare to resist, but it can be broken in half a day, why should the envoy captain take risks?"
”Lai Dan has his own opinion: "The Marquis of Yiyang, north of the Iron Gate, the three kingdoms of Yanqi, Weisu and Yuli have been attached to the Xiongnu for a long time, and they are married to each other, and they often send troops to help on the orders of the servant Duwei. ”"Yanqi is a big country, with more than 30,000 mouths and thousands of victorious soldiers.Among the kingdoms of the Western Regions, the population is second only to Qiuzi.The combined army of the three states, plus the Xiongnu Richa Wang, there were nearly 10,000 people.And the sum of my Han soldiers and civilians is only more than 1,000, and it is not easy to start Tuntian again on the one hand, and to fight against the enemy on the other. ”"If we can talk about lowering the canal plough and let the city lord and the people help us, the Tuntian soldiers will be able to gain a firm foothold here!""
It makes sense, but it's still too risky."
Fu Jiezi hesitated.Lai Dan dismounted and bowed for a long time: "Lai Dan is in danger alone, in exchange for the people of a city, it is worth it."
As long as I go in and talk about the Wheel Slaughter with the Second Master, the city lord will definitely make a choice. ”In the end, Fu Jiezi still agreed to let Lai Dan enter the city, and after he entered, he glanced at Ren Hong, who was speechless: "What do you think of this envoy captain?"
”"Courage and knowledge, it's just that I like to risk my life too much, and" Ren Hong said in a low voice: "I still don't quite understand, why the imperial court wants Lai Dan as the first envoy captain, although he is familiar with the situation in the Western Regions, but after all, he is the prince of Hu, and it is appropriate to be a deputy, not a positive."
In addition, will the country of Qiuzi have any thoughts about the hostages of the former subject country above their heads?
”"Put away your thoughts."
Fu Jiezi shook his head: "With Lai Dan as the envoy and the captain of the Tuntian Western Regions, this is the choice of the court, do you know how many times the court has quarreled about whether to return to the canal plough this year?""
Lai Dan was the hero who helped me persuade the general to send troops back to the canal plough, and many people in the court believed that he was the Kim Il Pan of the Western Regions!"
The court has decided, even if it feels inappropriate, the officials who stay in the Western Regions will obey the order. ”"No."
Ren Hong muttered in his heart, anyway, he was going to leave after this trip, Fu Jiezi couldn't leave without himself.Time passed minute by minute, it is now the beginning of November, the weather is very cold, everything in the wild is lonely, only to see the withered yellow grass and the leaves of the slippery forest, looking at the gloomy sky, even if it snows Ren Hong does not feel strange.The cold wind blew, and the soldiers were a little shivering after staying outside the city for a long time.Wearing a thick iron armor, Han Dangdang felt uncomfortable, probably because there were fewer clothes in the iron armor, and after twisting his neck for a long time, he complained: "Ren Jun, the messenger captain Lai Dan has been in for a moment, and there is no news, isn't it the poisonous hands of the Yu Liren?"
”As soon as the words fell, the gate of the canal plough city was opened with a bang.Lai Dan rode out lightly, full of spirit: "God bless the big man, the ditch plow, it's down!"
”"There are one hundred and thirty households in Quli City, one thousand four hundred and eighty mouths, one hundred and fifty victorious soldiers, Yiyang Hou, Quli City Lord is willing to give up his courtyard to Yiyang Hou to live in, do you want to" Fu Jiezi interrupted Lai Dan's words: "No need, the affairs in the city are handed over to the messenger captain, Ren Hong, you and others will follow me to the iron gate to see." ”Yan Ba took Ren Hong and other people, rode north, crossed the abandoned fields that were a little hard due to the cold weather, and walked along the Peacock River for more than ten miles, and arrived at a narrow mountain pass, where Xi Chongguo and hundreds of Han soldiers were guarding both sides with bows and crossbows."
Is this the Iron Gate Danger?"
As soon as Ren Hong looked up, he could see the snow-capped peaks of Mount Hora in the north, and the fiery red Kuruk Mountain to the east.The two mountain systems converge in the north of the canal plough city, leaving only a narrow pass, and the mountain stone is as black as iron, so it is called the iron gate.He looked inside, but saw that the deep canyon was so deep, the water of the Peacock River flowed west after the Bostenaoer came out, and then turned to the southwest after entering the gorge, and the rocky walls on both sides of the bank stood up, and the river water flowed through it, and the clear waves rippled.It was a cold winter, the grass and trees withered, a lonely and the opposite of the water flow, the cold wind continued to surge in from the outside, and on the road near the pass, there were more than ten unlucky Yu Lili people who were shot to death, which was heard that the Han army was coming, and hurried to support, but was blocked by Xi Chongguo, and could not pass the iron gate.Fu Jiezi has been back and forth in the Western Regions for many years, so he naturally knows the geography here, and pointed out: "Entering the Iron Gate, there are dozens of miles of canyons and deep streams, and inside is the basin where the three kingdoms of Yuli, Yanqi and Weisu are located. ”Fu Jiezi made an analogy: "It's like four rats crowded in the cave, and there are only three openings in the cave that lead to the outside." ”"A hole is in the northwest, along the Kaidu water, leading to Bayinbrook, a summer and autumn pasture prairie of the Rizhu Wangbu, but after that it is a dead end, separated from Wusun by the Tianshan Mountains.""
A hole is in the east, and you have to walk thousands of miles, over mountains and mountains, to reach Turpan, the country of Cheshi.""
A hole in the south is this iron gate."
Ren Hong said: "Therefore, when our army returns to the canal plow, it will block the passage of the king of Rizhu to Loulan, and the Xiongnu will completely lose the southern road of the Western Regions!"
In time, the northern province is also in jeopardy. ”Offense is the best defense, the old man really has to inch in, before the Huns reacted, he ran to the door of someone else's house and splashed.However, it only occupies the canal plough city, and it is only far away to keep an eye on the entrance of the cave, and it is impossible for the soldiers of the Han army to keep guarding this pass, and the rats can still run out if they want to.So Ren Hong put forward his own suggestion: "Fu Gong, why don't you directly build a pass here, plug the rat hole, so that the Huns can never come out again?"
”Xi Chongguo on the side shook his head: "Although the main force of the Huns is in the winter pasture in the mountain nest, the servant Duwei is still stationed in Yanqi and Weisu with thousands of horsemen.Don't look at the narrow pass, but with our manpower, it will take five or six days to build the city. ”"I sent scouts to test, there are already Hu Lu figures in the valley, once we build a city here, we will definitely attack with soldiers from the three states, our army is small, I am afraid that before the city is built, it will be demolished and burned."
Ren Hong groaned, raised his head, and found that the sky was even more cloudy, and suddenly like a night of spring breeze, the scene of thousands of trees and pear blossoms was approaching.He sighed again, looked at the white water vapor that was immediately born in front of him, and laughed out loud.Xi Chongguo frowned: "Why is Ren Shilang laughing?
”"I don't laugh at others, I only laugh at that, I only laugh at the Huns!"
Ren Hong bowed his hand to Fu Jiezi and praised Haikou: "Fu Gong, as long as you allocate me five hundred people and get ready, within one night, Ren Hong can build an indestructible iron city at this iron gate pass!"
”PS: It's a bit late to change, sorry.