Li Shun and several soldiers who stayed to guard Hu Ben died. Li Shun died of hydrophobia, and the soldiers were ambushed by these horse thieves on their way to Guzang, and their weapons and armor became the spoils of these horse thieves.
After Li Shun's death, the old servant was reluctant to go to his aunt, carrying Li Shun's relics and the gold and silver on his body on the return journey, and finally escaped the catastrophe.
Meng Yulong used some means to interrogate them and found out that they were part of a gang of horse thieves called "Shafeng Pirates". Due to the large number of people and their unity, among the thousands of Sandstorm Pirates, only their team dared to leave Guzang. "Start" in such a close situation.
Most people will relax their vigilance when they are approaching Guzang, so these people are ambushed in smaller oases everywhere, waiting for the rabbits, and they can always succeed. Cheng merchants sold them to Guzang, Dunhuang and the Western Regions, and then exchanged them for the items they needed.
Of course, few horse thieves are hard bones, but after a night of hard work, they even wanted to reveal their grandfather's name to change their lives. When the mission knew the answer they wanted, these horse thieves were also eliminated by Meng Yulong with one knife. span
What troubled the people of Wei the most was that the sandstorm pirates said that the sandstorm in the desert this year was strange, so they had to avoid the edge of the desert to prevent the big sandstorm from happening.
Their lair is an abandoned city eroded by wind and sand in the desert, but every time the storm blows, the abandoned city will be covered up. This time is when they "rest". Leaving the stronghold, take the supplies that have been looted for a year to various places to exchange for food or gold and silver.
It is precisely because of this that after He Mulan eliminated this horse thief, he seized a large amount of goods that they were going to sell in Guzang. These goods are all kinds of strange things, but they are all valuable things. Yuan Fang, Zheng Zong, Liu Zhen and three people just counted the things and they counted the things in the middle of the night, and finally divided them according to the rules of the army. The envoys in the mission also have a It's a small fortune.
"What should I do now? Are we going to enter the desert?" We will soon arrive at Qingtong Gorge. After passing the Qingtong Gorge, we will officially enter the desert. After walking in the desert for about four days, we will reach the edge of Qinhan City. These four days are also part of our journey. The most dangerous part, because there were guides from Daxingyi and Qinhan City, and it happened to be in the rainy season, this journey became much easier.
Hearing He Mulan's doubts about this section of the road, Meng Yulong couldn't help but explain nervously: "We have more than 5,000 people, not 500 people, and it is very safe to walk in the desert. There are skilled guides in Qingtong Gorge, and our country is also very safe. We have prepared a lot of water and food, and we are not going to go straight through the desert, but just insert it from the side, I think it is safe."
He Mulan almost always listened to skilled guides about the arrangements for the itinerary. After she discussed with the Wei envoys in the embassy for a while, the rest of the people thought that a team of more than 5,000 people would not be so prone to accidents, and this The road is very familiar, it is best not to change the route rashly, and finally decided to continue the desert route.
"If Master is really worried, I'll go to Lao Sangtou and ask." Gai Wu looked at He Mulan, "He often crosses the desert, so he was hired as a guide on this road. He should know the situation."
"Then ask him to come over and ask."
After a while, Lao Sangtou was led into the tent by Lu Naluo. He did not bow down to him in a reverent manner like the rest of the people, nor did He Mulan take it seriously, and asked his own questions straight to the point.
"The Sandstorm Pirates? That's not a big robber."
When Old Sangtou heard He Mulan's words, he disapproved and said, "The biggest horse thieves in the desert are all in Dunhuang, and those who wander in the Tengger Desert are all making small troubles, because there is no supply and no local people. Support, once there is wind and sand or you can't grab something, you must leave the stronghold in the desert, otherwise you will die of thirst and starvation."
He went on to say:
"You go in with water and food, and there are guides who know where the oasis is, so you don't have to be as careful as they are. Even if the wind and sand hit a team of 5,000 people, they won't be able to bury you, even if they use horses as a wall to block them, let alone Say you still have camels."
He Mulan and the others felt relieved after hearing what Lao Sangtou said. Gai Wu and the others also wanted to go with He Mulan. No matter how wicked Old Sangtou was, he would never cheat his own people.
Since he said that the problem is not big, it is worth taking the risk, otherwise, it will take at least another month to make a detour.
"Uncle Sang, let's go back to Xingcheng with us. Now the Great Khan of Wei is in Xingcheng to divide the land for us Lushuihu people, no matter men, women or children, and many people have returned. The official territory of…”
Gai Wu mentioned a glimmer of hope and persuaded: "Lunaruo and I both heard just now that the leader of the caravan who hired you died at the hands of the sand thieves, and his work is going to return to Guzang, and your business is also going down. Get one-fifth of the money. Anyway, you are homeless and tired here, and it is best to go back with us."
Lu Naluo followed suit: "Yeah, the young master is going to rebuild the Tiantai Army, those young men in Xingcheng need the guidance of an experienced Ye Xiao like you, otherwise the Tiantai Army will lack eyes and ears. "
Old Sangtou was originally in a daze, but when he heard that Gai Wu wanted to rebuild the Tiantai Army, he turned his head and looked at He Mulan before asking, "You want to build the Tiantai Army? Wei Guo will rebuild the Tiantai for you. Army?"
His words were full of disbelief, and he seemed to think that Wei Guo was a group of violent villains, and they would never allow the Lushuihu people to have any chance to grow.
"Hahaha, we have all been hired by the Wei State Mission to be the guards, so what's wrong with the Tiantai Army? You probably don't know that the young master Gai Wu has already worshipped this Huwei General as his teacher. He is a great hero. He has the trust of the Great Khan of Wei, as his disciple, rebuilding the Tiantai Army is not so difficult."
Lu Naluo smiled heartily, and did not forget to pull He Mulan out to raise the flag.
He Mulan was still listening with a smile, and when she saw Lao Sang turned her head to look at her, she couldn't help but nodded: "If the Tiantai Army does not rebel, His Majesty will not interfere with the choice of the Lushuihu people. The Lushuihu people help us. After quelling the rebellion of the Xiutu and the Qiang people, His Majesty has a special appreciation for the Lushui Hu people, that's why he gave them fields in Xingcheng."
Old Sangtou thought for a while, and then replied to them in an unsure tone: "I don't know what Xingcheng looks like now, and I can't promise you now, I'll go with you, go back to Qinzhou first, if If the situation is as good as you said, I will stay."
Gai Wu and Lu Naluo laughed when they heard the words.
"Then you definitely won't be able to go."
"Those old guys in the Tiantai Army miss you so much!"
Old Sangtou also showed a rare smile. Before that, his expression had always been gloomy, and it was only now that he was a little "human".
Seeing that these people had reunited after a long absence, He Mulan expected to have a lot to say, so she gave her place to them to reminisce, and left the tent under the pretense of going out to check on the safety of the camp.
She has no secrets, and there is nothing valuable around her (the valuables are all in Yuan Fang), so she is not afraid that Lao Sangtou and others will be delayed in her tent.
As soon as He Mulan stepped out of the camp, he saw the fire on the lake not far away. He Mulan thought it was on fire at first, and then stopped his hasty steps until he heard the high-pitched singing of the Xianbei people after walking a few steps.
"Burn".
Li Shun's wrongful death is regarded as the soul of wrongful death. There are many people in Wei's diplomatic corps who have a good relationship with Li Shun. Seeing that he died in a foreign country, he can't even bring his body back, so he is offering sacrifices by this lake, please. I hoped that Li Shun would go well all the way.
From a distance, Master Cixin folded his hands and lowered his head to recite sutras by the lake. He didn't look like this worldly person, but the Xianbei ministers who surrounded the master and sang mourning songs seemed to have been "exceeded". The one, everyone's face is reflected by the firelight, it looks very warm.
This is the power of religion. A real religion should be soothing, rather than busy expanding its sphere of influence, dividing people into "people who should believe in me" and "people who don't believe in me".
This is a kidnapping, not a benevolent force.
Master Cixin continued to recite the Sanskrit words that He Mulan could not understand. Even if He Mulan knew that Li Shun was not a good person, his death was mostly self-inflicted. Seeing the appearance of Master Cixin now, he couldn't help but rise up. A little sad.
Little Book Pavilion app
The ministers who traveled thousands of miles from Pingcheng to Wei State together are considered powerful and powerful in Beijing. Now they die alone in an oasis that can be turned into a desert at any time. The descendants can't even find a tomb for the sacrifice. For the envoys who have left their names in Qing history, this is probably the biggest irony.
"Can't General Hua come over?"
A timid voice sounded behind He Mulan.
When He Mulan looked back, it was Juqu Boti, the prince of Beiliang.
"They were embarrassed when I went there." He Mulan said something that Bodhi couldn't understand, "I'll watch it here and pray for Li Shijun."
"Li Shijun is a highly respected messenger in our country. When he was on his first mission to our country, because he did not want to see my father and king at the worship of the king of the country, he was asked by many ministers to be expelled from the country. Qun Confucianism, everyone who said it was red-faced, and finally let my father, Wang Xinyue, step down from the throne, and instead bowed to him..."
Juqu Bodhi talked about what he had heard from other people.
"At that time, our country hadn't surrendered to your country. His tough attitude was feared by many nobles. It was also because he was too tough, and many things were not negotiated later."
He Mulan shook his head with emotion.
These are common tactics used by politicians, and if you speak well at the beginning, you will be faced with endless compromises. On the contrary, the person who came here is not very good at speaking, and everyone has to start thinking about how to let him relax or soften his mouth. Money, beauty, and intrigue will all come together. For these envoys, the benefits obtained during the softening process are the most important. .
That's why Li Shun can get huge bribes, so what can be negotiated at one time has to come many times, and each time he can be properly received.
And because Li Shun was the one who negotiated for the first time, he would also be dispatched to the second and third negotiators who were familiar with the situation. In this way, the envoy of the Northern Wei Dynasty to Northern Liang would tacitly accept this person.
Even if Tuoba Tao knew that Li Shun might have colluded with Tuoba Fan, but for the sake of the situation between the two countries, he could only exclude himself from ruling him, and then ordered Yuan Po Qiang to monitor his movements and couldn't directly slap him to the end.
After all, he was a great contributor to Dawei.
But still lost to his own selfishness.
"Why does General Hua keep shaking his head?"
Juqu Bodhi opened his big round eyes.
Some people say that the Lushuihu people are the ancestors of the later generations of Xinjiang people. He Mulan thinks this is a good inference, because Juqu Bodhi looks like the very beautiful Xinjiang children seen in later generations, and he is like Gai Wu. His hair made him look very soft and cute. He Mulan didn't like children, but she was still softened by Bodhimeng's voice and answered him in a perfunctory manner.
"I regret that Li Shijun went so young."
"He's not a good person." Juqu Bodhi wrinkled his nose childishly. "Every time he comes to Beiliang, there are many beautiful ladies in the harem to accompany him. The women he touches can't continue to go back to the palace as errands, and most of them are sent to the palace or other places, so every time he Come, many beautiful palace maids cry every night, for fear that they will be chosen."
He Mulan's face froze, and when he looked at the warm fire, there was no more emotion in his eyes.
"It's very noisy here, let's go somewhere else."
Juqu Bodhi seemed to be very curious about He Mulan, and kept asking questions. When asked about Wei's iron cavalry, most of them were at the level of the Hu Ben army, the little boy stuck his tongue out with joy on his face, as if for his own sake. It's like I'm relieved that I don't have to fight with such an army in the future.
Because of the noble status of Bodhi, she also tried to satisfy some of his not-too-excessive requirements, but some of them were really nonsensical...
"Can you? Can you? They all say you're strong, and I've always wondered what's in it!"
Juqu Bodhi excitedly held a huge walnut and stuffed it into He Mulan's arms.
"I've hit it with a copper hammer, and it can't be broken!"
He Mulan silently took over the "King of Walnuts", looking at this outlier than any walnut he had ever seen in the future, and asked him curiously, "Where did you get this walnut?"
Is this really a walnut?
The skin is too smooth, isn't it?
"When my elder brother was still alive, I found it by chance in his palace." Juqu Bodhi scratched his head, "I often sneak into his yard to play, the second sister-in-law is very nice and never scolds me. There is a sister who doesn't like the second sister-in-law very much, saying that she robbed the brother, so after the second brother got married, I went to less."
He Mulan could not help but be cautious when she heard that it might be a relic.
She stretched out two fingers and pinched it, feeling that it should be crushed, so she asked him seriously: "I'm afraid it will really be broken if I pinch it. It's a souvenir anyway, do you really want to open it?"
Juqu Bodhi nodded.
"I picked it up before my brother went on an expedition. For so many years, I haven't been able to open it. My sister was afraid that I would be scolded by my mother for sneaking into my brother's yard again, so she didn't dare to ask someone to open it for me. I just kept it in the sachet for years..."
He looked at He Mulan with expectant eyes.
"You crush it!"
He Mulan nodded, clasped the walnut in the palm of his hand, clenched his fist and pressed down with all his strength, but did not break it, and was shocked.
She knows her own strength, such a great strength, not to mention walnuts, even the metal has been crushed by her, and this walnut-like thing is actually unscathed?
Feeling that the situation was not right, He Mulan took out the "rock" and instructed Juqu Boti with a solemn face: "Stand back a little, be careful that the flying walnuts hit your eyes."
Seeing that He Mulan's face had become more cautious, Bodhi quickly took a few steps back and stood watching from a distance.
He Mulan put the walnuts on a car full of debris, lifted the rock with all his strength, and slashed down!
After the shock of "Dang", a crack appeared in the walnut, and He Mulan's enormous strength even caused the car to almost fall apart and let out a few points.
He Mulan inserted the rock back into his waist, stretched out his hand to pick up the cracked "walnut", and continued to clench his fists. Only after hearing the crunching sound that made his teeth soft, the walnut finally cracked!
"Where are the walnuts!"
He Mulan opened the ball-like walnut with her fingers, and said in surprise, "It's made of pig iron!"
Juqu Bodhi approached with concern, took the "iron walnut" from He Mulan's hand, and opened it with an "ah" sound.
This object should be an ingenious container with another mechanism or method to open it, because the core made of pig iron is stuffed with a paper ball, and the inner wall of the iron walnut has many holes and machine springs, obviously the correct way to open Absolutely not to smash.
Juqu Bodhi took out the paper ball from the walnut with a shocked face. After opening it, the whole person trembled violently, and tears welled up in his eyes!
He Mulan didn't want to know about other people's sex, so she could see that Juqu Bodhi, who had always been a good baby, started to cry when she cried, so she could not help but take a few steps forward and asked with concern, "What happened? Why are you crying?"
"General Hua, don't come here..." Juqu Puti hurriedly put away the walnuts and pieces of paper, and took a few steps back, "There's a big secret involved, and I can't let you know!"
He Mulan frowned, and before he could ask any further questions, he saw Juqu Bodhi with snot and tears on his face, as if he was afraid of He Mulan chasing him, and ran away!
For such a young child, it was extremely easy for He Mulan to catch up, but seeing how he got up and continued to run after a fall, He Mulan couldn't have the heart to catch up. He was obviously flustered in his heart. Looking at the direction he was running, he was probably heading for Meng Yulong. At this time, the one who could comfort him might not be the general of the enemy country, but his cousin.
He Mulan shook his head, and then looked at the sacrifice over there when the funeral had come to an end. Suddenly, the thought of "I'm not really that important" came up, and she chose to continue "inspecting" the camp.
He Mulan didn't stop until she walked in front of Princess Xingping's tent, but when she remembered the last time she went in to show her favor, but was driven out by Princess Xingping as "too smelly", He Mulan still stopped. .
No one wants to stick a hot face to a cold butt. This Princess Xingping didn't ask him for help. She should be able to get used to it, and she doesn't need to ask her for help.
So she turned her footsteps and went in another direction.
"Princess, General Hua is gone..."
Princess Xingping's personal maid carefully retracted her head from the crevice of the tent, and patted Xingping's chest with a livid face behind her.
"I scared the maid to death, the maid thought he was going to come in!"
"Did he go directly, or did he stop in front of my door for a while before leaving?"
Princess Xingping asked her while biting her lip.
"It looked like he was coming, but when he got to the door, he turned around again." Knowing Xingping's character, the maid couldn't help but have a worried expression: "Princess, please don't provoke that killing god, looking at his unassuming appearance, Your character is not so docile either, who knows what will happen? You are now the princess of your marriage after all, and he is a general who welcomes your relatives. Frequent contact and spreading the word will damage your reputation."
"What do you know!"
All she wants is a "damaged reputation"!
"When you go out and invite him over, you say I have a stomachache."
Xingping paused, his face flushed slightly.
"You lead him over quietly, without attracting anyone's attention."
The palace maid was terrified and didn't understand how Mulan, who wasn't handsome, didn't seem to be very strong in that respect, let Xingping show this radiant look!
This is the territory of the Wei State Mission, not the harem of Beiliang. Being caught is no joke!
It is impossible to say that the relationship between the two countries is over!
The palace maid was unwilling to spread the word, so she just didn't leave. Princess Xingping's eyebrows stood upright, and she scolded the palace maid, "If you don't go, believe it or not, I will find him myself!"
The palace maid was frightened by her, and hurriedly turned around to look for He Mulan. She was really afraid that Xingping, who had become more irritable and irritable recently, would really approach He Mulan!
Fortunately, He Mulan came out to inspect the guards in various places. As she walked, she looked at the guards and chatted with the guards. She didn't walk too far. Only then did he get the courage to rush out, and he gave a big gift at once, and said very quickly as if he was in a hurry:
"General Hua, my princess is not feeling well, please come and take a look!"
He Mulan raised her eyebrows inexplicably.
"Not feeling well? Then you should go to the imperial doctor."
The palace maid hesitated: "It's just a stomachache... that... don't need to go to the imperial doctor."
stomachache?
Don't need a doctor?
What to do with her then? Is there something you need her help with?
After a while, He Mulan showed a sudden realization.
"Aren't you prepared? It's weird. Usually after so many months, everything should be ready! But it doesn't matter, I still have some, you come with me."
The poor palace maid had absolutely no idea what He Mulan was talking about. With the ambiguous eyes of the Hu Ben army in a camp, she followed her for more than half of the camp and returned to He Mulan's camp. .
After half an hour.
"Why did you come back with so much gauze and fine cotton!"
Princess Xingping cried out almost hysterically.
"Didn't I tell you to invite Hua Mulan over! Did you say I was unwell?!"
The palace maid tremblingly handed a box of clean gauze that looked like bandages to Princess Xingping.
"The maid, the maid said, General Hua said that he is a man and it is not easy to help you prepare in person, talk about finding something to nourish blood for the imperial doctor to bring it, talk about the following road will be slower... "
blood?
Bandages, gauze?
Princess Xingping's eyes darkened and she almost fainted.