Autumn is crisp, the blue sky is domed with white clouds like fish scales, and the endless Tengger grassland is a good time for grass and horse fat.
A yellow sheep jumped out from the slanting thorn, jumping lightly, as fast as the wind, and jumped several feet away in a flash.
"Hold on!" A group of men on horseback kicked up the yellow dust in the sky, followed closely behind with thunderous hooves, obviously chasing the prey. In the lead, a middle-aged man mounted his horse and chased after him. Seeing the right opportunity, The ape stretched his arms lightly, drew his bow and set an arrow, shouted loudly, and the arrow flew away like a shooting star chasing the moon.
The yellow sheep was hit by the huge impact and rolled to the ground. Its strong body fell in the grass, its four legs twitching painfully. A middle-aged man had already rushed out from behind and lightly passed by the prey. A beautiful He hid in his pedals, and in the blink of an eye, the yellow sheep weighing seventy or eighty kilograms was caught in his hands.
"General, your archery skills are great!" The followers behind the middle-aged man cheered loudly.
"Hey, I'm getting old, I can't do anything anymore. I can't compare to what I used to do." The middle-aged man was dressed in a military uniform, with deep eyes and short beard. He had the air of a general in his movements. Although he was very happy in his heart, he didn't show it at all.
The young man who picked up the prey for him turned out to be Wu Feng's first tough opponent in his debut - Kurdo, the leader of the three warriors of Luo Beizhengdong. At this moment, he was much more restrained than he was a few years ago. He was just a pair of eagles. The occasional flash of light in his eyes showed that the man in front of him was more mature and stable.
"The general's words are wrong. The general is only in his early forties this year. It is the time when a man is in his prime to start a career. Why do you say such a thing?" Although Kurdo's tone was full of respect, there was always a hint of doubt. There is a hint of unyielding flavor in it.
The man who was called the general was naturally Besang, Luo Bei's current general who conquered the east. He was so experienced that he couldn't hear the hidden meaning of Kurdo's words, but he sighed secretly in his heart, but pretended not to hear the hidden meaning, and narrowed his eyes. He smiled and said, "Kurdo, your mouth is getting better and better at talking. I have been praised by you all day long. I'm afraid if this continues, no one will even know my last name one day." Then, there was a burst of laughter.
A year ago, Kurdo was transferred from the current General of the Western Expedition, Tu Dabu, to the deputy general of the Eastern General, Besang. After taking office, Kurdo performed very well, both in the training of the troops and in routine patrol inspections. , as the coach Besang is also very satisfied.
However, after more than a year of contact, Besang also discovered that Kurdo was very concerned about his neighbor Li Wufeng who lost to the southeast a few years ago, and had always wanted to find an opportunity to meet him again. But now Luo Bei's senior officials have signed a non-aggression treaty and a series of business cooperation treaties with Li Wufeng. The relationship between the two parties has entered a relatively normal development period. If the two sides want to restart the war, at least this is not possible yet. .
Moreover, Li Wufeng's power has expanded greatly in the past few years, and it is far from what it used to be. Especially a year ago, he captured Northern Luzon in one fell swoop, and his power has increased significantly. The economic development of the area under his jurisdiction was also very rapid. Caravans were continuously dumped to the central and western continent through the northern passage across the entire Tengger Grassland, which also brought considerable customs revenue to the Luobi people. Moreover, that guy also deliberately made friends with the upper-class nobles of his clan. General Tu Da, the general of Zhengxi, mentioned Li Wufeng's threat many times in high-level meetings of the clan and asked for necessary countermeasures, but many nobles resolutely rejected them.
Besang did not agree with Tu Da's proposal to restrict the expansion of Li Wufeng's power, because judging from the current situation, the Luo Bei people were unable to restrict the other party's development unless they actively provoked a war. But at present, in addition to Li Wufeng maintaining a good personal relationship with the senior leaders of his clan, the large influx of northwest commodities into the Tengger Grassland has indeed brought convenience to the people of his clan, and a larger amount of commodities and materials have been imported to the central and western continent through the northern trade route. The benefits brought by it also made the nobles reluctant to let go, so the possibility of taking the initiative to attack Li Wufeng was extremely slim.
However, Besang is not like those greedy and stupid nobles who think that Li Wufeng will be a close and reliable ally. He firmly believes in this. Only by maintaining strong power will Li Wufeng respect you. Otherwise, once his wings are full and you do not have the ability to compete with him, Unless you surrender to his feet, you will always be careful of his fatal blow. It should be said that he is watching the development and growth of this neighbor in the southeast with a vigilant and helpless mood, but I hope this villain can turn his target to the more fertile east, Besang can only comfort himself silently.
While I was thinking about it, I saw a horse galloping towards me from a distance. It looked like one of my own soldiers. There was probably some urgent military report.
"Report! General, a letter from the chief of Barona City." A beautiful man got off his horse, and the soldiers knelt down in front of Besang and presented a sealed letter.
Frowning, Besang took the letter, opened it, and read it carefully. The content of the letter was not long. It was only a piece of paper and could be seen at a glance. Besang showed no expression after reading the letter. He just jumped on his horse and signaled to start back to the station. Then he took the lead and galloped away.
Wulan Town is a small market town on the East Tengger Grassland. It is located deep in the grassland, more than 300 miles away from the northern trade route that spans the entire Tengger Grassland to the south, and 300 miles away from the Mote people to the east. The border of the territory is still more than 600 miles away. Since the signing of the peace agreement and trade agreement with Li Wufeng, the East Tengger Grassland has become more and more lively day by day. A large number of profit-seeking Tang traders have traveled thousands of miles deep into the grassland to sell various daily necessities needed by the herdsmen, such as tea, salt , cloth, weapons and jewelry, etc., and also purchased large quantities of furs, leathers, horses and handicrafts of this nation.
Ulan Town was originally just a small village with only a few dozen herdsmen settled there. Because there was a large lake here - Ulan Lake, with abundant water and grass nearby, Besang changed the previous practice of frequently moving camps and led 5,000 elites. The standing army stationed here, and with these thousands of people stationed here, the place immediately became lively. Merchants also noticed this and came with various supplies and commodities, and soon it developed into a small market town.
Back at the station, Besang took off his military uniform and carefully considered the contents of the chief's letter before committing the crime. After thinking about it carefully for a while, he asked someone to notify his lieutenant to come over.
"General, are you looking for me?" Kurdo, still dressed in light cavalry attire, stepped into the tent and gave a military salute.
"Well, take a look." Handing the letter to the high-spirited deputy, Besang thoughtfully played with the jade paperweight on the desk. This was specially given to him by a businessman who often traveled to the Central Plains of the Tanghe Empire and knew that he had always admired the Tanghe culture. Originally, he never accepted gifts from businessmen, but this paperweight is indeed exquisitely made, and it is also engraved with the most famous Luobi people. The eagle-shaped pattern of worship, and besides, it was just for the study and not considered a valuable item. After some refusal, he accepted it.
The black jade paperweight sent a chill through the palm of his hand. Besang felt that it could keep him awake and calm, especially when he was considering important issues. It made his mind much more careful, so he was thinking about the problem Sometimes, he likes to hold this thing in his hand and play with it.
Cuerdo took the letter and immediately read it carefully. The content of the letter immediately attracted his attention. He read the letter several times before he handed the letter back to the coach and raised his head to look at Bessan: " General, what do you think of this issue?"
After laughing, Besang teased: "Why, you still need to test me first?"
Kurdo's red face turned red and he said quickly: "My lord, you are speaking harshly. The young general just wants to know your lord's opinion on this matter."
"Well, let's not talk about my thoughts first. Please tell me your views on this matter first." Besang smiled and shook his head.
Kurdo nodded, sorted out the thoughts in his mind, and then said: "The young general thinks that this matter is actually a good thing. Since the chief also agrees, we should naturally follow the opinions above, even if we don't know We need support, but we can also secretly tell the other party that they can act according to their own plans without worrying about us."
Besang had no expression on his face and was noncommittal to Kurdo's opinion. He just motioned for him to continue speaking.
"The goal of the Western Region countries in establishing a joint army is nothing more than targeting us or Li Wufeng. Since they have taken the initiative to seek understanding and help from us, it means that their target must be Li Wufeng. They now feel that the threat from Li Wufeng is increasing day by day, so they The young general will vigorously demand the establishment of a joint army to deal with the possible changes in the situation. The young general is thinking that since the countries in the Western Regions have this intention, we can help them, and it will also be a check on Li Wufeng's expansion. The young general always thinks that Li Wufeng will join forces with us sooner or later. When humble people's interests conflict, it is also a good thing to be able to cultivate an enemy for him at this time." Kurdo's analysis was methodical, and some of his ideas made sense.
"And the young general is still thinking that maybe the countries in the Western Region not only want to adopt a defensive posture all the time, but maybe they also want to change the current passive defense situation if there is a chance." Kurdo seemed a little hesitant when he said this. Probably because I don’t have much confidence and basis.
Besang still didn't say anything, turning the paperweight over and over in his hand, but he was obviously thinking about Kurdo's opinions and views, especially the last two sentences of Kurdo that worried him.
"Do you think we should support the countries in the Western Regions to form a coalition so that they can restrain Li Wufeng's expansion of power?" After a long time, Besang asked calmly.
"Yes, the young general thinks that we should strongly support it. If you are worried about the agreement signed with Li Wufeng, you can support it secretly." Kurdo's tone was firm and strong. Seeing that Besang still did not express his attitude, he added: "Could it be that the general is... Are you worried that the coalition forces established by the countries in the Western Region will threaten us? The young general thinks this is unlikely. First of all, we live on the prairie with almost no settlement. They will not cause much harm to our people. In addition, even if they establish a coalition I'm afraid it's hard to say whether the army can respond to Li Wufeng's threat, let alone endanger us. If they really dare to refuse to pay the annual tribute and supplies, we can join forces with Li Wufeng to teach them a lesson. However, if they dare to refuse to pay the annual tribute and materials, I believe they are not so stupid. You must know that Li Wufeng has a huge appetite. No matter land, population or other things, he will accept all comers. We just ask them to pay a certain amount of money and materials on time. The difference between the two is It’s huge.”
After saying these words, Kurdo grinned, showing his white teeth.
Finally nodded, Besang showed a trace of worry on his face, pondered for a while, seemed to be considering the words, and then said: "I'm not worried about the threat they will pose to us. After all, the disparity in power, geographical environment, and national habits The reason is that they are always on the passive side, so I’m a little worried.
At this point, he shook his head, but still didn't say the last sentence.
"What are the generals worried about?" Kurdo was very curious. He knew that Besang and General Zhengdong could be called the two generals of the Luobei people. It was by no means a wasted reputation. When he was transferred to Zhengdong before leaving, he was equivalent to Tu Da, who is half a master, also warned him that Besang was not inferior to him in resourcefulness, and in some aspects even surpassed Tu Da himself. Of course, this may be a bit flattering to Besang, but it also shows Besang's ability.
"What I'm more worried about is whether this coalition of countries in the Western Regions will give Li Wufeng, who has been looking for an opportunity, an excuse?" Besang half-squinted his eyes and looked into the distance outside the big tent, "Just As you may have guessed, if the countries in the Western Regions want to re-form the coalition army at this time, it will definitely not be without aim. It must have a practical purpose. It may conflict with Li Wufeng's side. I am very worried that if I fail to defeat the tiger, I will be eaten by it instead. !”
"General, are you a little worried? Li Wufeng is now focusing all his attention on the east, and has no extra energy to take care of this side. It may be difficult for the existing power in Northern Luzon to do anything. It is really impossible. , at that time, we can also think of Li Wufeng's explicit request that he not interfere in the affairs of the Western Region. We will manage the affairs of the Western Region. I think Li Wufeng will not make enemies on all sides." Kurdo said confidently, "In addition, Haibar He is also an old fox, he will not act lightly on anything he is not sure of, and he should have thought it through himself."
He shook his head slightly without being noticed, but said: "Since the orders of the great chief have been issued, of course we must abide by them. Kurdo, please send more people to pay attention to the changes in the situation, and we will just wait and see what happens. "