Han Khan

Chapter 45, departure

The entire Oijingze was bustling with activity at this moment, as if time had been sped up.

Deep down in their hearts, many tribesmen were thinking that the migration had finally begun, and if they could not reach the summer pasture in time, the livestock would probably starve to death.

The men from each hundred households were assembling carriages and bundling up luggage.

Some people rode on horses, moving steadily among the flocks of sheep and cattle, shouting loudly to gather the livestock together.

They skillfully put the reins on the horses and carefully checked whether the saddles were secure, not even caring about the sweat dripping down their cheeks.

Some people concentrate on repairing damaged leather goods, with the needle and thread in their hands moving slowly and precisely.

Sometimes they ran steadily to get tools, and sometimes they bent over to carefully check every detail, with fine beads of sweat gradually oozing out of their foreheads.

The women were equally busy. They moved back and forth in the tents in an orderly manner, sometimes coming out with a pile of clothes and sometimes going back into the tents to get other things.

Their hands were constantly organizing various items, placing the pots and pans neatly, and they were whispering about what to take, for fear of missing anything.

The children were also not idle. Their little figures were running back and forth between the crowd and the livestock, helping the adults pass things, or driving away the naughty lambs. They ran until they were out of breath and their little faces were red.

The entire camp was filled with noise and busy figures.

Patrolling cavalry kept galloping out of the camp.

At this moment, Zhang Sheng's tent was completely dismantled with the help of his three women and slaves, ready to be loaded onto the carriage.

At this time, a guard in charge of reconnaissance rushed in, immediately knelt down, and reported to Zhang Sheng while panting.

"Your Highness, they are coming."

The guards beside Zhang Sheng immediately grasped the swords at their waists.

"Yanzhi, come and have a drink of water. Speak slowly, who is coming...?" Zhang Sheng asked while asking someone to bring him some water.

The guard named Yanzhi was originally a herdsman from the Tatar tribe in northern Mobei. Due to the rise of the Khitan, the Tatars were unable to resist and fled westward in large numbers.

Later, he was taken in by Zhang Sheng. Because of his proficiency in horseback riding, archery and other skills, he became Zhang Sheng's personal guard. Now that the Imperial Guards were formed, he became a member of the Imperial Guards.

After Yan drank the cowhide water, he immediately said, "It's... it's Cao Yijin, Cao Yijin is here, with more than 2,000 soldiers guarding him.

They also brought a large amount of supplies, people, cattle, sheep, horses, camels, etc.

Commander Zhang has stopped them from approaching and ordered me to return to report to His Highness that Cao Yijin has brought the other half of the supplies to be paid to the Jinhan tribe."

Zhang Sheng jumped on his warhorse and said to Yin Shanxiong, "Blow the horn and call the guards together. Let's go and check if Cao Yijin is really here to deliver the supplies."

"As you command, Your Highness!"

Immediately afterwards, a low horn sounded, and the patrolling guards quickly gathered in front of Zhang Sheng, and then galloped away with Zhang Sheng on horseback.

Zhang Sheng said as he walked: "I wanted to lead the army to take it ourselves, but I didn't expect this bandit to be so tactful and take the initiative to send supplies to me, which saved me a lot of time."

Soon, they saw the commander of the guards Zhang Xibao and more than 400 Jin Han guards. In front of them were more than 2,000 Guiyi soldiers, half cavalry and half infantry.

At this time, the other side also saw Zhang Sheng and thousands of other cavalrymen galloping towards them.

At this time, Cao Yijin rode out of the opposite crowd on horseback, walked towards the middle, and then jumped off the horse. He was a strong man with a red beard, and Zhang Sheng saw him at a glance.

at this time.

"Erlang, come here. Let my uncle see how brave the great-grandson of Taibao Gong is. He actually annexed the entire Kucha Uighurs!"

Zhang Sheng rode his horse forward and walked between the two sides, but did not dismount. Instead, he looked at the two thousand Guiyi soldiers in front of him. He still had impressions of many of them in his mind. When these people saw Zhang Sheng coming, some stared at him intently, while others lowered their heads.

After staring for a moment, Zhang Sheng swiftly dismounted from the horse and handed the reins to Yan Zhi behind him.

"Uncle, why do you always like to take risks? Do you look down on me, or are you not afraid of my command to charge into battle?

You must know that I have many cavalrymen under my command! It's not that I can't beat my uncle." Zhang Sheng said, holding the whip and staring at the equally tall man in front of him - Cao Yijin.

"Erlang, I know your ambition is not here, so don't worry and come to say goodbye to you!" Cao Yijin said with a smile when he heard this.

Zhang Sheng shook his head and sighed, "Yes, my ambition is not here. The world is so big, I am not willing to live in a small place like Dunhuang!
Forget it, let’s not talk about this anymore. I have helped you solve the problem of the Kucha Uighurs! Have you prepared the other half of the supplies?”

Cao Yijin was stunned. Yes, isn’t this how the Guiyi Army survived in Dunhuang now?

That is to say, Zhang Erlang despises our Guiyi Army so much! Oh, forget it, don't care about these trivial matters.

“二郎，你尽可放心，姑父所欠你的 500匹马、300头骆驼、2500只羊、150套铁甲、1500石粮食、150柄横刀，而今皆已齐备。

In addition, knowing that your Jinhan tribe intends to move to Mobei, your uncle has specially prepared 200 sets of leather armor, 1000 spears, and 500 sets of bows and arrows for you.

I will also hand over to you a Tatar tribe with more than 200 households and more than a thousand people in Guazhou, as well as 100 blacksmiths, 20 veterinarians, and about 500 slaves from the Long family in Suzhou.

If Erlang is interested in exchanging sheep for food or other items, I will do my best to help you achieve it." "Zhang Sheng thanked his uncle. Today I will lead my troops to leave here and enter Moheyanqi to migrate to the north of the desert. Food is scarce now. We also need a lot of books, especially the doctrines of saints and the classics written by saints.

Three sheep for one stone of grain flour, ten sheep for one book, is that okay?" Zhang Sheng bowed to Cao Yijin.

"It's time to take some of the classics that record the culture of the Han Dynasty. Don't forget that you are also Han and Tang people. Don't worry, I will send someone back to get them for you. It will be delivered in half an hour," Cao Yijin nodded and said with emotion.

Zhang Sheng sighed heavily, his voice full of emotion: "Uncle, I am about to leave and will no longer interfere with your management of the Guiyi Army.

I hope that in the future, the Central Plains can achieve great unification, and the land west of the Yellow River can return to the embrace of the Central Plains; I also hope that my Han people can stop killing each other and no longer experience the suffering of war!

Since my great-grandfather passed away, every governor of the Guiyi Army was instigated and provoked by the imperial court to kill each other.

Every change of power triggers a brutal and bloody killing.

Our Guiyi Army was constantly weakening because of this. The Khitans in the east of the Mobei grassland continued to plunder the nomadic tribes, and the snowy area was becoming increasingly colder.

There will be more herders fleeing to various places in Hexi. If no changes are made, this place will be truly full of blood and stench.” His words revealed deep worry and determination.

Cao Yijin nodded slightly, and a sense of sadness suddenly surged in his heart. He knew very well that the Guiyi Army he took over was now a dilapidated mess.

After a moment, the two fell into a brief silence. Then, Zhang Sheng bowed deeply to Cao Yijin and said, "Uncle, I am grateful to God for giving me an oracle - in the far west, there is a vast and fertile land.

Therefore, I decided to lead my men to the west to explore that rich paradise, and use it to establish a sacred kingdom belonging to the God of Heaven, restore the former glory of our Zhang family, and rebuild a great nation.

In this way, I can comfort the Most High God, my ancestors and my father. If God blesses me and allows me to pass through the dangerous western lands safely, I will surely open up a vast and powerful country for my ancestors! "

Cao Yijin stared at Zhang Sheng in shock. The newly appointed governor of the Guiyi Army said with emotion, "Erlang is really young and promising. He has such ambitions even before he was crowned!
I, Cao Yijin, have always thought that it would be great if I could restore the post of Hexi Jiedushi during the time of Taibao Gong! However, I did not expect that Erlang actually had the ambition to become the founding monarch! "

After saying that, Cao Yijin asked again.

"Why did Erlang not go through Gaochang when he was heading west, but took the Yizhou route?"

Zhang Sheng heard this and said, "Now Anxi, Gaochang and Beiting are all occupied by the Uighurs. Hundreds of thousands of Uighurs have joined forces with the Sai people and their power is quite strong.

However, there are tens of thousands of Kucha Uighurs under the rule of my Jinhan tribe. I am worried that my people will be blocked by Pugujun's grandson Pijia Yiduhu and not allowed to travel west, and instead my Uighur people will be swallowed up by him.

Therefore, I want to take this route from Yizhou, and via the Huihe Road I can reach Mobei and Jinshan directly.

I advise my uncle to take control of Yizhou, which is a strategic point connecting Mobei and the northern part of Tianshan. Then I, your nephew, can drive cattle and sheep to Yizhou to trade with my uncle!"

Upon hearing this, Cao Yijin smiled bitterly and said, "Erlang, the Guiyi Army can no longer withstand the turmoil, and we must not make enemies everywhere.

However, you will definitely need a large number of Tang and Han people to make this work, otherwise the Jin Han tribe will be in the land of the Hu people and will be assimilated into the Hu people in no time.

My uncle told you that more than a hundred years ago, Tubo captured the military towns north and south of Tianshan Mountains, and the Tang army and civilians fled in all directions and have not been heard from since.

In the past, there were hundreds of thousands of soldiers and civilians under the military garrison. How could they all be killed by the Tibetans and Uighurs? They are very likely to have been assimilated into the Hu people. "

If you can find them and make them submit to you, your tribes will not be assimilated into the barbarians when they migrate westward.

The Guiyi Army is in trouble now, and I can't give you any other help. You should stay here, Yang. I will give you some food and the teachings, sayings, and works of the saints, as a way to atone for the sins I committed against my father!"

As he spoke, Cao Yijin tore off the object covered by the brocade quilt beside the table. It turned out to be a mahogany box full of silver ingots.

Zhang Sheng hesitated for a moment, then bowed and saluted Cao Yijin and said:

“Thank you for your generosity! May the Lord of Heaven bless you and may your cause be accomplished.

If one day, my Jinhan tribe can really establish a state, I will definitely send you the news.

If the descendants of the Guiyi Army face difficulties and have nowhere to go, they can go north to the banks of the Duoluos River and walk along the Duoluos River all the way to the grasslands to the west. There will also be people living there who speak the elegant Chinese language. These people are called Jinhan people.

As carriages loaded with food and books arrived and were handed over to the guards of the Jinhan tribe, it was time to say goodbye!

Cao Yijin and Zhang Sheng looked at each other in silence.

Zhang Sheng turned around and pulled his warhorse over, preparing to mount it. He turned back and said:
"Uncle, I am leaving to conquer my own land and build a nation. I will never come back!

The Jin Han people will no longer be Tang people, nor Han people, but we are also the descendants of Han people, Tang people, and the various states of Xia, the people of Haotian God, and the students of the saints. "

After saying this, he decisively mounted his horse and left!

Cao Yijin looked at the direction Zhang Sheng left, waving his arms and stopped, "May your spirit protect you, the descendant of the Grand Protector!"

He kept muttering: "A new ethnic group, a branch of Huaxia, was born...

Under the scorching sun, the breeze swayed the willow trees along the Ganquan River.

The two people who were originally hostile to each other now cherish each other but go in opposite directions. The willow branches sway in the wind and the Sanchen flag goes eastward.

The blue T-shaped holy flag, symbolizing the Lord of Heaven, moved westward steadily.

(End of this chapter)