Although the Gekun tribe was influenced by Li Ling and the Han culture, they still retained the traditional customs of other ethnic groups in their living habits.
In their perception, captives are spoils of war, and spoils of war can be bought and sold or even given away at will.
Li Han had made a decision and didn't care how aggrieved Yanmujin and Yuelixin were. He immediately sent them to Zhu Li's army and handed them over to Zhu Li's men for custody. Eventually, the two fell into Zhu Li's hands.
Zhu Li was so grateful for the sudden arrival of two daughters that he thanked them repeatedly. He bowed and asked, "Brother Li, you are leading such a large camel caravan through the Gobi Desert. You are not going on business, are you?"
Merchants pursue profits, but they also consider safety. The Great Gobi Desert may be okay in later generations, but in ancient times, it was like a forbidden area. Which merchant would be so risky and value money over life
"Hey, brother, you have a good eye. I don't have nothing better to do than to cross the Gobi Desert to do business." Li Han sighed, looking a little melancholy and seemingly a little helpless.
"To be honest, my brother, our Gekun tribe is in a very difficult situation now. Have you seen those Uighurs around the Gobi Desert? These bastards seem to be determined to fight us to the death."
It is easy to understand why the Uighurs and the Gekuns were at odds with each other. The Uighur Khanate was destroyed because of the Gekuns. The hatred of losing a country will not be easily forgotten by any nation.
Although Zhu Li knew the answer, he still asked, "Could it be that the Uighurs still remember the hatred of losing their country and are wandering around the Gobi Desert just to seek revenge on you?"
"Oh, it's hard to explain, brother Zhuli," Li Han sighed again, "Brother, your words are not far from the truth. Forty years ago, my Gekun clan took advantage of the civil strife in the Uighur Khanate and raided its lair, overthrowing the Uighur Khanate in one fell swoop."
"For decades, the roaming Huihe people, now known as the Uighurs, have been seeking revenge on us all the time. After decades of conquests and conflicts, most of the people are exhausted and have suffered heavy casualties. Now even normal farming and animal husbandry are difficult."
This is probably the reason why those who are barefoot are not afraid of those who wear shoes. The Uighurs' country has been destroyed, and most of them moved westward to establish other regimes. The Uighurs who remained in the central and eastern parts of the country live by following water and grass. If they were to retaliate wantonly, it would really be a headache.
"We risked our lives to cross the Gobi Desert in order to head to the Tang Dynasty, hoping to get help from the Tang Dynasty to help us wipe out the remnants of the Uighurs." Li Han said solemnly.
His expression also shows that the situation faced by the Gekun clan is indeed not optimistic.
After hearing what Li Han said, Zhu Li felt a little emotional. As the saying goes, countries are like neighbors. If a good friend is bullied, no one would sit idly by.
But the current situation in the Tang Dynasty is not good. Even if Li Xuan is willing to help, with the power he currently controls, he is willing but unable to do so.
Thinking of this, Zhu Li sighed with a complicated expression: "Brother Li, I'm afraid it will be difficult to get any results if you go south this time."
Li Han was stunned when he heard this, and asked in surprise: "Brother, what do you mean? My Gekun tribe has always been friendly with the Tang Dynasty. My tribe is on the verge of crisis. Will the Tang Dynasty turn a blind eye to it?"
Zhu Li looked at him with a complicated expression and explained, "Brother Li misunderstood. It's not the Tang Dynasty.
We are not willing to lend a helping hand to the Gekun tribe, but we ourselves have problems. "
"Is there something wrong with the Tang Dynasty itself?" Li Han's expression became even heavier when he heard this. If there was something wrong with the Tang Dynasty itself, it would be hard for him to point fingers at anything.
The Tang Dynasty was Gekun's last hope. If the Tang Dynasty could not help, Gekun would either have to migrate to another place like the Uighurs, or fight to the death with the Uighurs. They dared not even think about this consequence.
Seeing Li Han's uncertain expression, Zhu Li naturally knew what he was worried about, but he still briefly told Li Han about the current situation in the Tang Dynasty, where the feudal lords were self-reliant, the eunuchs were tyrannical, and wars were raging everywhere.
After listening to this, Li Han looked surprised and doubtful, his face heavy. He had no reason to doubt what Zhu Li said. After all, Ge Kun had also been granted a title by the Tang court. He was not completely ignorant of the evil caused by eunuchs in the Tang court and the self-importance of the feudal lords. Precisely because he knew the situation well, he believed in Zhu Li's words without a doubt.
Li Han is a good person, and the Gekun ethnic group is also good. Among all the ethnic groups in the northern border, if Zhu Li were asked to choose one that he could trust, he would definitely choose the Gekun ethnic group. There is no other reason, because this ethnic group is really good to the Han people, at least it was like this throughout the Tang Dynasty and even the Five Dynasties.
"But Brother Li, you don't have to worry. The foreign tribes such as the Uighurs and Khitans have lived in the northern border for a long time and have caused trouble on the border. I am stationed in the northern border and it is a good opportunity for me to deal with them. If the Gekun tribe is willing, I am willing to join forces with Brother Li to deal with the Uighur tribe. What do you think, Brother Li?" Zhu Li spoke sincerely and with real feelings.
Having just heard about the current situation in the Tang Dynasty, Li Han had already felt hopeless about going south this time. Unexpectedly, Zhu Li's words aroused his curiosity, and he hurriedly asked, "Brother, you are stationed in the northern border. I wonder what position you hold and how strong you are?"
It's no wonder that Li Han asked this question. The term "stationed in the northern border" can be a big or small thing. A guarding envoy can also say that he is stationed in the northern border, but he has at most a few thousand soldiers under his command, which is not enough to fill the teeth of the Uighurs.
Zhu Li was so young, and he claimed to be in charge of the northern border, which aroused his interest. If the other party was General Yi Zhen, he might be able to help Ge Kun. After all, all the Tang army soldiers along the way called Zhu Li general.
"I am not talented, but now I am honored to be the General of Huaihua, and I am ordered to control the thirteen states of Hebei. I dare not say anything else, but I still have the confidence to deal with the Uighur tribe who is on the decline." Zhu Li said frankly and confidently.
On the grassland, the alien tribe that he feared the most was the Khitan; although the Uighurs and other tribes were not weak in strength, Zhu Li was not afraid of them. This was determined by strength.
When the decision was made to launch the Northern Expedition, Zhu Li set his sights on all the ethnic minorities in the northern border. Although he had made sufficient plans and arrangements, more than half a year had passed and he had only managed to recapture Fengzhou. He was very dissatisfied with this progress.
If Zhu Li could join forces with Ge Kun, it would be what he wanted. After all, Ge Kun lives in the northern frontier and is more familiar with the environment of the grassland and desert. If the two sides join forces and each gets what they need, it will definitely be a win-win situation.
Upon hearing that Zhu Li was in control of thirteen states at such a young age, Li Han's eyes immediately widened. Thirteen states, their Khan Gekun did not have such power when he was an official in the Tang court. This was a genuine frontier official, and his strength should not be underestimated.
The former Shukun Khan once occupied the north and south of the Tianshan Mountains and tried his best
The Gekun people were not unfamiliar with the concept of prefectures and counties in the Tang Dynasty as they expelled the Uighurs.
When Shukun Khan was granted the title of the Thirteen States, he had never occupied such a vast area. This shows how powerful the young general standing in front of him is.
"Brother Zhu Li, you are not deceiving me, are you? How old are you? How come you are the general of Huaihua?" Li Han was really shocked.
Zhu Li's face looks older, but he is actually only eighteen years old. Even if outsiders overestimate him, he is only in his twenties. Young men of this age in the Tang Dynasty seem to still be putting on powder, applying facial masks, and seducing delicate girls. How come this young general in front of him has become the general of Huaihua
"Haha." Facing Li Han's doubt, Zhu Li didn't mind and said frankly: "If you don't believe me, you can follow me all the way south. When we get to the Heshuo area, you will know whether I have deceived you or not."
Zhu Li came from later generations. Although the social atmosphere in which he lived was a bit impetuous, there were still people who maintained their integrity.
Those people, despite being slandered and criticized by others, still stick to their own beliefs and faith. Zhu Li is just such a person. A gentleman is open and honest, while a villain is always worried.
I would rather be an honest person who starves to death on the streets than become the dregs of society and become corrupt.
He carried this good habit until the end of the Tang Dynasty, and he was frank with others. As for what others imagined about him, that was their business and had nothing to do with him.
Li Han felt a little embarrassed when he said that, but what he did was related to the survival of the entire Gekun clan. Although he said he didn't dare, he still insisted on going back to the interior with Zhu Li to take a look.
Zhu Li was very casual about these things and could understand his painstaking efforts.
Zhu Li was in high spirits after capturing Yanmujin and Yuelixin. The eight Khitan tribes were scheming against each other. If there was no powerful hero to stand up and integrate them, to Zhu Li, they would be nothing more than a pile of loose sand.
And the upcoming and growing hero, the other party's closest relatives, have now fallen into Zhu Li's hands. The matter of Khitan endangering the Central Plains and the northern border seems to be becoming increasingly distant.
It concerns the life and death of millions, or even tens of millions, of people in the Central Plains. No means are too much to use against the Di people. If someone wants to kill your relatives, do you still want to sharpen his knife for him
With the help of the Gekun camel caravan, the return journey was smoother. At least the wind and sand and drinking water were no longer a problem. In addition to Gekun's large supply of food, the group safely stepped out of the Gobi Desert and returned to the grassland.
The Liaoyuan Plain is still vast and boundless, and the fresh air makes people feel relaxed and happy, as if even their minds have become more open.
Walking out of the Gobi Desert, countless soldiers hugged each other and cheered, extremely excited. After experiencing everything in the Gobi Desert, returning to the green grassland again, everyone seemed to be reborn.
Just when everyone was rejoicing, a few curious Shiwei cavalrymen saw them. When they saw the large number of camel caravans, they immediately stealthily galloped towards the Shiwei royal tent, with greed and excitement on their faces.
Zhu Li sent out his troops in April to attack Fengzhou in the north, and stayed in the Gobi Desert for nearly three or four months. When he returned, it was already mid-August. This period was the time when grassland herdsmen searched for food and fodder, counted their income, and prepared for winter.