By the time the heads of Grand Shaman Kirstan and a dozen others were hung on the poles, the Turks were already preparing to move out.
Perhaps as early as ten days ago, when the shepherds were about to move out, Moche was already making preparations for the expedition, but the speed at which they gathered was still far more efficient than the army of the Central Plains Empire.
Musi's little son, who liked to wander around, was led by his mother by the hand and hobbled to Yang Fan.
Yang Fan had just finished giving instructions to Maqiao. Maqiao was to return to Hebei and report the news of the Turks' departure to Li Duozuo so that the military there could respond in time. Meanwhile, Yang Fan was to act as a guide for the Turks and a messenger to communicate with the army around Wuzhou, accompanying Moche's army to launch a surprise attack on Yingzhou.
"You … where are you going?"
The little guy was very beautiful. He had well-defined facial features and a chubby face with two healthy blushes. Seeing the attire of Yang Fan and the others, he stopped and tilted his head to look at them curiously before asking in a childish voice. He spoke in Turkic, and Mu Heyue translated for him with a smile. Mu Heyue knew that they were from the Central Plains.
This time, Yang Fan did not avoid the question. He bent down and patiently answered, "We … are going to a place far, far away!"
After hearing his mother's answer, the little boy seemed to understand and nodded vigorously, asking, "Herding or going to war?"
Mu Heyue burst into laughter and said to Yang Fan, "My son is asking if you are going to herding or going to war!"
Yang Fan could not help but laugh as well. He gently pinched the little boy's face and thought for a moment before replying, "We are going … to herding!"
The child was still too young. Perhaps he would grow up to be a ferocious grassland wolf, but right now, he was innocent and adorable. Yang Fan was unwilling to tell him about this bloody matter.
This was a grassland with a harsh climate and scarce water. Other than a few large rivers that could be used for farming, other places could only grow weeds with strong vitality. Therefore, only herdsmen could live here.
If someone fantasized about turning this place into a piece of land for farming, then he would only reap the desert. The desert would turn into an earth-shattering sandstorm, and even the faraway farmlands of the Han people would be swallowed up. This world was using a precise design, ingeniously balancing everything in the world.
Because of this, the people who lived in the grasslands and the people who lived in the Central Plains fought for land that was more suitable for survival. Yang Fan did not know if they would be able to live in peace one day. If the enemy attacked again, he or his descendants would still hold the sword in their hands tightly, but at this moment, he did not hesitate to show a friendly smile to a child.
The little fellow smiled sweetly and showed off to him in a childish voice, "I'm also … a nomad. I move around a lot!" After saying that, he suddenly seemed to have made a big discovery. He turned to his mother and asked, "Why do we keep moving?"
It might be difficult to explain this question to a child. Muheyue thought for a moment and then answered seriously, "The earth is the mother of all of us. It feeds us. If we live in one place for a long time, Mother Earth will feel uncomfortable. Plants will not grow and herds of animals will disappear. If we keep moving, like blood flowing, Mother Earth will feel comfortable. "
She pinched the tip of her son's nose and said with a smile, "It's like when you massage Mother's back. If you keep patting up and down, Mother Earth will feel comfortable. But if you only hit one place, will Mother Earth feel uncomfortable?"
The little fellow nodded as if he understood.
Yang Fan did not understand the conversation between the mother and son. He saw Musi shouting something in the distance. He was riding on a horse. The child turned his head and saw his father. He jumped up with a smile and impatiently pulled his mother's hand and walked away. Soon, he was sitting on the back of the horse, carried by his father, and galloped to the flat grassland.
Yang Fan looked at the family with a smile. Maybe one day, they would have to fight each other, but at least at this moment, they were in harmony.
Not far away, a miserable cry was heard. It was a sheep that was about to be slaughtered by its master and become food for its master on the long journey.
Perhaps it was born in this world under the care of its owner. In the summer nights, in order to prevent the lamb from falling into the belly of the wolf, he gripped his saber tightly. In the winter, in order to prevent the lamb from starving to death, he spared no effort in searching for weeds, but his ultimate goal was to survive.
As a philosopher of the grassland said, "You will not die because you are guilty, and we will not live to starve."
From Yang Fan's point of view, he said, "You have your reasons to plunder for survival, but I have my responsibility to fight for what I protect!"
…
The long journey began. The astonishing speed of the army finally allowed Yang Fan to understand how terrifying the knights of the grassland were. Their will to survive was so strong, and their vitality was so vigorous in the bitter cold environment. Perhaps, they were the incarnation of weeds.
Yang Fan and Gu Zhuting were both skilled in martial arts and had abnormally strong bodies. But compared to the knights who had adapted to the life of the grassland, it was useless.
Soon, the two of them felt like all the bones in their bodies had been broken. Even wearing such thick clothes, the inside of their thighs had become red and swollen, and the moment they mounted their horses, they felt excruciating pain. It was to the extent that the Turks had no choice but to borrow a cart from a small tribe along the way to pull them along.
These Turks drank a bowl of horse milk every day and gnawed on a few pieces of tough dried meat before they could continue on their journey. On the other hand, Yang Fan and Gu Zhuting had not eaten a bowl of hot porridge for three days straight, and their stomachs could no longer take it. But they still gritted their teeth and persevered, unwilling to slow down the advance of the army.
The earlier the army arrived, the earlier the war in the Hebei Province would end, and the earlier one less comrade would die on the battlefield in Hebei. Perhaps, every second they bought would determine the life and death of many people!
After traveling day and night, the Turkic cavalry finally arrived at the Songmo Commandery. The Songmo Commandery had been set up to manage the various Khitan tribes, but at this time, it only existed in name. Of the Eight Khitan Tribes, Li Jinzhong's and Sun Wanrong's had rebelled, and Li Jinzhong was the commander-in-chief of the Songmo Commandery.
Of the Eight Khitan Tribes, Li Jinzhong's was the strongest, followed by Sun Wanrong's. Because of Li Jinzhong's strength, his tribe had always been the leader of the Khitan Tribal Alliance.
However, the Eight Khitan Tribes were still far from the centralization of power that Yelu Abao had achieved in his later life. At this time, the leader of the tribal alliance had limited control over the entire tribe. The internal affairs of the tribes were handled by the tribes themselves, and the alliance leader had no authority to make decisions on his own.
Li Jinzhong and Sun Wanrong had rebelled, and while the other six tribes were dissatisfied with the domineering and oppressive behavior of the generals around Wu, they did not have the courage to join in the rebellion. This was a spontaneous action by Li Jinzhong and Sun Wanrong, so the other six tribes continued to live in their own territories, adopting a neutral attitude toward the rebellion of the Imperial Court and Sun Wanrong.
The sudden assault of the fifty thousand Turkic cavalry on the Songmo Commandery immediately caused the Six Khitan Tribes to feel uneasy. The chiefs of the Six Tribes urgently gathered their troops and prepared for battle. At this time, Yang Fan came into play. He immediately took the token that Li Duozuo had given him and urgently called on the chiefs of the Six Tribes to inform them of the Turks' intentions.
The chiefs of the Six Tribes had all been appointed provincial governors by the Imperial Court, so they were no strangers to the seal of the Imperial Court. After confirming Yang Fan's identity, the chiefs of the Six Tribes were caught between a rock and a hard place.
They were not optimistic about Li Jinzhong and Sun Wanrong's rebellion, so even when Li Jinzhong and Sun Wanrong defeated the Great Zhou army and became famous, they had not been tempted and had restrained their troops from participating in the rebellion.
But on the other hand, the border generals' plundering and oppression of them had left them with bitter hatred. They were well aware that whether Li Jinzhong and Sun Wanrong's rebellion succeeded or failed, it would still be beneficial to them. This was because Li Jinzhong's rebellion would ensure that the Imperial Court would not dare to act so brazenly against them for a very long time. Thus, in their hearts, Li Jinzhong and Sun Wanrong were the great heroes of their tribes.
At the moment, the main forces of Li Jinzhong and Sun Wanrong's forces were fighting in the southern part of the Hebei Province, and their old, weak, women, and children were in the rear. Because of the cold winter, the new city had not yet been completed. Once the fifty thousand Turks arrived, their defeat would be assured. These old, weak, women, and children were the parents, wives, and children of the volunteer army. If they were captured, the army at the front would collapse without a fight.
But the Turkic army had already arrived. If they wanted to protect the old and children of Li Jinzhong and Sun Wanrong, the only way was for the Six Tribes to participate in the war. But once they did, they would not only have to face the ferocious armies of the Turks, but they would also be participating in Li Jinzhong's rebellion. When the Imperial Court quelled the rebellion in the future, how could it let them off so easily?
The chiefs of the Six Tribes discussed for an entire day without reaching a conclusion. On the second day, the highly respected elders of the Six Tribes also participated in the meeting, but there was still no conclusion. On the third day, Seljuk and Chebekri lost their patience. They brought out the fifty thousand cavalry and placed them in front of the Duhuo Tribe and Fenwen Tribe of the Six Khitan Tribes, giving them a final warning, "If you don't let us pass, we will meet on the battlefield!"
In truth, the Rao Le Commandery was adjacent to the Songmo Commandery, and the Rao Le Commandery was where the ten major Xi Tribes resided. The Xi King had also participated in the war and was an accomplice of Li Jinzhong and Sun Wanrong. But at this point in the war, the Xi King's role had been minimal. It seemed that the Xi King's determination to rebel against Zhou was not firm.
Thus, even though they would be leaving their backs to the Xi Tribe if they fought with the Six Khitan Tribes, the Turks were not worried.
As expected, the most powerful thing was still military might. The Six Khitan Tribes discussed for two days without reaching a conclusion. On the third day, Chebekri placed his troops in front of them, and the chiefs and elders of the Six Tribes, who had been arguing furiously, finally lowered their heads in the face of the pressure of a great army.
Chebekri grew impatient and was about to order his men to blow the horn to prepare to attack when the Khitans sent someone out of the camp to express their opinion to the Later Zhou envoy and the Turkic generals, "We agree to let them pass, and we will not interfere with the movements of the Turkic soldiers on the route to Li Jinzhong and Sun Wanrong's tribes."
But they had two requests. First, they could let them pass, but the Turkic soldiers were not to take the opportunity to plunder the people of their tribes along the route. They would gather their soldiers and prepare for battle. It seemed that the Turks' act of peace with Later Zhou, immediately falling out, and raiding Hebei had completely ruined the credibility of the Turks.
Second, they would maintain their neutrality and would not follow Yang Fan's request to provide the Turkic army with a guide. But Yang Fan only needed them to be willing to let them pass. As for guides, they were not willing to send anyone. There were still many Han in the area, and some of them had even served in the border army. Yang Fan quickly found two local Han who were willing to lead the way. Fifty thousand cavalry charged straight for Sun Wanrong's new city.
From start to finish, the Xi King did not send a single soldier to stop them. On the contrary, when he learned that the Turks had launched a surprise attack on Sun Wanrong's rear, the Xi King hurriedly issued an order for all his troops to immediately withdraw. It seemed that he was going to cease all activities.
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