Chapter 144 Falling into the Trap
Chapter 144 Falling into the Trap
In early spring in February, although the ice and snow in Longxi began to melt, the weather was still very cold and the breath of winter had not yet subsided.
The further west we went, the less populated the area became, and the county towns became farther and farther apart. All we saw were mountains upon mountains, the roads were dangerous, and the team moved slowly.
At noon that day, the team entered the territory of Xiping County. Xiao Xia looked at the dozens of carts worriedly. They had changed carts three times and the carts were about to fall apart again. On this kind of bumpy and rocky road, even an off-road vehicle would fall apart, not to mention a wooden-wheeled cart.
Suddenly, there was a "crack!" sound, and a wheel axle broke. The cart was about to overturn, but everyone was prepared and supported the cart together.
Dozens of trucks seemed to have a tacit understanding. When one truck had an accident, other trucks also had accidents one after another. In a row, more than a dozen trucks broke down.
Changsun Sheng sighed. They were only a dozen miles ahead and would enter the Hehuang Valley, but the problem happened at this place.
Helplessly, he could only give the order: "Rest where you are!"
The soldiers dismounted and started cooking. Xiao Xia also led dozens of soldiers to fetch water from the small river in front.
Chang Sun Sheng called a confidant, took out the envoy's gold medal and gave it to him, saying, "Sixty miles ahead is Huangshui County. Take a few soldiers to the county town to ask for help from the garrison. Go quickly and come back quickly!"
"I humbly obey my orders!"
He rode away at full speed on horseback with several soldiers.
At this time, Xiao Xia came back with dozens of soldiers fetching water. A soldier ran over and said, "Mr. Xiao, General Changsun wants you to come over."
Xiao Xia put down the bucket and walked towards the main tent.
More than fifty tents have been set up, the largest of which is the main tent.
Xiao Xia lifted the curtain and entered the big tent, only to see several important figures had arrived.
Chang Sun Sheng waved his hand, "Master Xiao, please take a seat!"
Xiao Xia sat down next to Xie Yingdeng, who was about twenty years old, tall, with fair skin. He was born in the Xie family in Jiangnan. In history, he was a famous general of Wagang and a famous archer who inherited the true teachings of Changsun Sheng.
Xie Yingdeng whispered, "Master is talking about the purpose of this trip!"
Xiao Xia quickly listened attentively.
"We have sent troops to Mobei three times in a row, and last year we finally defeated Buga Khan completely. Some people may not know that Buga Khan is the former Datou Khan, a powerful enemy of the Sui Dynasty.
Now all the tribes in the grassland have surrendered to Qimin Khan. Buga Khan is at the end of his rope and has fled to Tuyuhun. It is obvious that Buga Khan intends to make a comeback with the help of Tuyuhun.
Our mission on this trip is to persuade Tuyuhun to hand over Bujia Khan. If they don't, the Sui army will attack Tuyuhun. This is courtesy before force. We are courtesy, so we are at great risk. Once Tuyuhun realizes this, they will probably take us hostage, and we might even be in danger of our lives. "
Everyone was silent. Xiao Xia raised his hand and asked, "Does Tuyuhun have any grudge against us?"
"That's a good question!"
Chang Sun Sheng took a look and said, "There is no grudge between Tuyuhun and the Great Sui, but they have a conflict of interest with the Great Sui, which is the Hehuang Valley. This is the best land in the entire Hehuang, located at the confluence of the Yellow River and the Huangshui River. Wheat can be grown here, with abundant water and sufficient sunlight. The wheat produced every year can not only feed the local people, but also support a hundred thousand troops.
This large area of land is flat and is an agricultural area with good water and heat. It traditionally belongs to the Han people. The large pastoral area to the west belongs to the Qiang people. This has been the division since the Han Dynasty, but Tuyuhun does not accept this division. They have always demanded that half of the Hehuang Valley be given to them. But we cannot open this loophole. Once this loophole is opened, we will not only lose our strategic defense, but also give the other side a legitimate excuse, and we will soon lose the Hehuang area. " "Excuse me, general, are we at war with Tuyuhun now?" Song Laosheng asked.
Chang Sun Sheng shook his head. "Tuoba wanted to send troops to seize the Hehuang Valley, but was afraid of the strength of the Sui army. Now they are in a delicate state of balance. The court is worried that Buqa Khan will break this balance after entering Tubo."
"Is it that the imperial court does not want to go to war and wants to continue to maintain this balance?" Xiao Xia asked incisively.
Zhang Sunsheng nodded. "We have been fighting against the Turks for years. Our army is exhausted and the financial burden is very heavy. The court wants to rest and recuperate for a few years. Moreover, the best way is to attack the enemy's plans, the next best is to attack their alliances, the next best is to attack their troops, and the worst is to attack their cities. If we can achieve our goal through negotiations, then there is no need to send troops."
The next morning, the garrison of Huangshui County sent 500 camels to replace the carts. Changsun Sheng was overjoyed. He exchanged the camels for the carts. The team set out again, crossing the vast Hehuang Valley and heading towards Chiling.
Chiling is the Sun and Moon Mountain on the edge of Qinghai Lake today. It is the dividing line between the Sui Dynasty and Tuyuhun, and also the dividing line between agricultural and pastoral areas.
The Sui Dynasty stationed 20,000 troops to the east of Chiling. Similarly, Tuyuhun also stationed tens of thousands of troops to the west of Chiling.
The Sui Dynasty delegation passed through the Chiling Pass and suddenly entered a high-altitude area. The farmland disappeared, and there were large grasslands and endless mountains everywhere.
It was already late February and they had been walking for a whole month. The ice and snow on the plateau had begun to melt and tender grass was sprouting from the ground. Although the mountains in the distance were still covered with ice and snow, the air was filled with the smell of earth and a hint of warmth.
The team moved slowly along the West Sea. The endless deep blue water seemed like the residence of gods, and it was so beautiful that it made people intoxicated.
However, this intoxication was broken in less than two days. On the afternoon of the next day, a Tuyuhun cavalry of more than 3,000 people came rushing and surrounded them. A captain shouted loudly with a fierce and extremely unfriendly tone. Changsun Sheng stepped forward to negotiate with the other party.
Xiao Xia was a little surprised that Chang Sun Sheng actually understood their language. Xie Yingdeng whispered to Xiao Xia, "The nobles of the Tuyuhun people are Xianbei people. They ruled the Qiang people, and now they speak Xianbei language."
Not long after, Chang Sun Sheng came back and said, "The other side said that Bujia Khan's army would attack us, so we must be protected by them, but I feel that they are not here with good intentions. I tried my best to split our team into two, and Master Xiao would lead 50 soldiers to leave the team!"
Chang Sun Sheng whispered to Xiao Xia again, "Tuoba also has pro-Sui and anti-Sui factions. Tuba King Murong Fuyun is anti-Sui, and this army was probably sent by him. But if we can find the queen, Princess Guanghua, things will turn around. Once you are free, immediately make a detour to Fuqi City and find a way to find Princess Guanghua."
Xiao Xia nodded, "Will the other party let me go?"
Chang Sun Sheng shook his head and said, "They can't let you go, but I told them that a group of us couldn't adapt to the highland climate here and fell ill. We want to return to the Sui Dynasty. I negotiated with them repeatedly, but the captain of the other side only agreed to let you take 50 people away. They will send 500 people to escort you back to Chiling. They only have a few hundred people, so you have to find a way to escape halfway!"
This is really not a simple matter. In fact, it is still the same thing, except that there are fewer people escorting, so the chance of escape is slightly greater.
“Am I the one they appointed?”
Chang Sun Sheng nodded, "Because you don't look like an adult, they think you are less of a threat."
Chang Sun Sheng quietly took out a gold medal and stuffed it into Xiao Xia's pocket. "This is the envoy's certificate given by the emperor. The princess will need this certificate. Don't lose it."
Chang Sun Sheng repeatedly told Xiao Xia: "Follow their rules, don't resist at will, otherwise you will be executed. Do it when you are absolutely sure. You are our only chance, don't be reckless, and make sure you are sure before you act."
Xiao Xia nodded silently.
The team then split into two parts. Chang Sun Sheng led the envoy team and continued to travel west under the escort of the other side, while Xiao Xia led fifty soldiers back as sick soldiers. Soon Xiao Xia and his men discovered that Chang Sun Sheng had greatly underestimated the predicament they faced, and the Tuyuhun army had no intention of sending them back.
(End of this chapter)