Han Zuo Gaomen

Chapter 1359
In the white world, a group of travelers trudged hard. From a distance, nearly half of their bodies were buried in the thick snow, and their speed was as slow as a turtle crawling.

Liu Qun had been waiting in front of the camp gate early on. Seeing this group of travelers slowly approaching their camp from a distance, he hurriedly led the crowd to meet them. The meat soup and cheese drinks that are still warm are enough to keep the cold away in this weather.

Those travelers beat the snow off the thick leather cloaks with leather ropes and wooden sticks. They were all burly and heavily dressed, like ferocious black bears.

Liu Qun stepped forward in person and brought the earthen pot full of buttermilk to a short and stout middle-aged man, with a slightly courteous and apologetic smile on his face: "It's freezing cold, and I have to thank Mrs. Bohai Qun is really ashamed to do so.”

That short, middle-aged man is Duan Lan, the leader of the Xianbei Duanbu. Hearing that Liu Qun still referred to him as the old title, a trace of loneliness flashed across his face flushed by the wind and snow. Can took a sip, and then sighed: "It's all a passing matter, and now I am like Mr. Liu, a poor man who survived the robbery, and the name just needs to be commensurate."

After Liu Qun heard the words, he said seriously: "If there is no patronage from the Lord of the West of Liao in the old year, how can Qun and others live in Liao. Although many people from the old year are gone, this friendship still dare not be forgotten."

While speaking, he led Duan Lan and a group of strong soldiers behind him into the camp, and chose a spacious camp to sit in, with Liu Qun and Cui Yue as companions.

After taking her seat, Duan Lan looked at Liu Qun with a grin, and said, "Although the journey is hard, but thinking that as long as you enter Liu's camp, you will have the pure brewing of the southern country, and your heart is very hot."

"If you talk about the rest, it's fine, but if this is the case, there is no reason not to let Duke Bohai have fun."

Liu Qun also laughed after hearing the words, raised his hand and ordered many wine jars to be brought, and filled Duan Lan with wine himself.The pure wine was poured out, and there was a mellow wine smell in the whole house.

Hu people are good at drinking, and this fine wine from the southern country is quite effective in keeping out the cold. Soon the whole house resounded with the sound of Duan Bu and these strong men drinking, and Duan Lan was no exception.

"The things in the southern country are really not comparable to ours in Liaohuang."

After drinking several bowls of wine, Duan Lan twitched her messy beard and said with emotion, and then looked at Liu Qun and said, "Liu Gong's letter said that business will change again this year? But no matter what the variables are, these wines are really indispensable, otherwise My subordinate Erlang still doesn't know how to disturb me."

Liu Qun and the others were able to gain a foothold among the pack of wolves in the wilderness of Liao. In addition to Liu Kun Yu Yin, they had another reliable event in the past two years.In the fourth year of Qitai in the Southern Kingdom, Wen Fangzhi, the son of Wen Qiao, was ordered to travel northward to Liaodong, and established a stronghold directly under the Southern Kingdom Xingtai in Mashijin in Liaodong. Soon after, he got in touch with Liu Qun and others in Western Liaoning.

At that time, Nanguo Xingtai was still trying its best to open up the west, and Yu Liaohuang only had some business contacts.Previously, the target of the trade was only the Murong Ministry of Liaodong, but with the arrival of Wen Fangzhi, the scale of commerce had to be expanded, and it was also necessary to get in touch with more forces in Liaodong.

Liu Qun and others are barely gaining a foothold in western Liaoning, but thanks to his father, Yu Yin, all forces in the Liaoning border will sell him an insignificant face. Entrusted to Liu Qun and others.Many forces in western Liaoning want to obtain a stable source of southern goods, and Liu Qun's here is the only choice.

Of course, these trades need to be carried out in private. Whether it is the Jie State that controls the west of Liaodong or the Murong Ministry that controls the east of Liaodong, they are not very happy to see Zhongzhou Xingtai penetrate too much in Liao, so the scale is not very large.

However, from the fourth year of Qitai to the end of the seventh year of Qitai, these forces in western Liaoning have more or less conducted several successful trades, all of which have gained something from it, and have formed a tacit understanding that cannot be treated by outsiders.

Through these business interactions, the living environment of Liu Qun and his tribe was greatly improved.There are many reasons for maintaining such simplicity and simplicity.

For one thing, in Liu Qun's view, this is also a way of repaying Wen Qiao's kindness, helping the younger generations of the Wen family gain a foothold in the wilderness, and not treating it as a means of profit.The second is to conceal people's eyes and ears, not to be too carried away, so as not to be noticed by the Youzhou Jie army.

Another reason is that the Liao border Hulu are so cunning. Although they have made a profit from the transaction, they will not relax their suppression of Liu Qun's tribe.Without enough self-protection ability, if Liu Qun and the others hoard too many goods here, they are really looking for death.

Therefore, when the two parties trade, they often agree on a time and place, and Ma Shijin will transport them to the west of Liaoning by sea or land, and all the ministries will pick up the goods by themselves.Liu Qun's here is just a channel for the two parties to contact each other.

Hearing what Duan Lan said, Liu Qun sighed, clasped his fists and said, "It's not that I want to make things difficult for my old friend. To tell the truth, this year's trade doesn't matter whether there is a shortage of goods or not. I'm afraid it's impossible to go on."

Hearing this, Duan Lan's complexion suddenly changed, and she said quickly: "Why did you say that? I heard that Nanguo won another big victory this year. He went down to several towns in Hebei, and even Bohai was under the control of soldiers. , if the passage is naturally more convenient, how can it not be carried out..."

With the resumption of trade between the two places, the transmission of news has become timely.These forces in the Liao region also know that the two great forces in the north and the south fought at the turn of summer and autumn. Not only was the country of Jie defeated, but even the country was robbed by the Jin army. Hu moved his capital to the north, and in the middle of winter, he urgently recruited a group of manpower and material resources in western Liaoning.

It is precisely because of this that after receiving the letter from Liu Qun, Duan Lan went here in person regardless of the wind and snow blocking the way.Otherwise, although Liu Qun has some face, it is far from worthy of Duan Lan's coming in person.After all, face is all vain. Without strength, one cannot gain respect from the bottom of one's heart.There may be some old friendship between the two parties, but with the death of Duan Liao and the destruction of Duan Bu, it has actually become so weak that it cannot be counted.

Many things, once started, are hard to stop.Duan Lan, the remnants of the Duanbu, are relatively strong in western Liaoning, but their living conditions are not good.Now the person who is talking about the matter in western Liaoning is the country of Jie, and he is already on guard against the remnants of these sections.In addition, the Liao land is bitterly cold, the products are not abundant, and there are many military and labor services sent by Jie State, Duan Lan is also very hard to maintain.

Compared with the entire Duan tribe, the transaction with Ma Shijin in Liaodong actually didn't yield much. After all, such a private transaction is difficult to carry out on a large scale.But when people are in poverty, even if it is only a small improvement, it is clearly visible, and it is very soothing to people's hearts.

The Liao land is remote, and there are not many products that can be used for commerce. The goods from the southern country are not for good deeds. They need fur, medicinal materials and some precious minerals from the Liao border.

Knowing that the war in the South was victorious as early as autumn, Duan Lan judged that the scale of trade could be expanded this year, because most of the tribe's manpower was invested in the collection of these materials, and even the normal production and farming were somewhat neglected.Because as long as more southern goods are traded this year, whether for self-use or resale, the harvest will far exceed their own production.This account, Duan Lan is very clear.

However, Liu Qun suddenly said that he would suspend the transaction, which naturally surprised Duan Lan.If the fur and medicinal materials that his department has stored this year cannot be traded, they will be useless if they are piled up in the warehouse.Once the expected return cannot be obtained, this winter will be extremely tormented!

Hearing Duan Lan's questioning, Liu Qun also had a sad face, sighed a few times before saying: "Because of the deep friendship, I have a little backing up with you, Lord Bohai. How the war in China is going to be, I think Lord Bohai will naturally I understand that with the new additions to Xingtai, it will not be too long before we attack the Pojie country from the north. When this military force is used to great effect, there will not be many goods that can be exported to Jiyuan.”

"If it's just this one, Liu Gong doesn't need to worry. No matter how many southern goods arrive this year, our department can support them all. The clan's momentum is strong, and the country's revival is expected. We, the frontier servants, are also sincerely happy. If Liu Gong can help This time, I can assure you that if there is any need in the future, I will send Liu Gong back to the country with my family strength, and welcome Master Wang!"

Duan Lan said with a serious face, he was not deceiving Liu Qun by saying that.Not to mention that Jie Guo and him have a genocide feud, and they, the Hu tribes in the Liao border, were originally born by relying on the powerful Chinese lord. If the southern country can really kill the Jie country, it is also the best choice for him to seek refuge in the past. Can't really be loyal to Jie country until death?
After Liu Qun heard the words, he waved his hands and said: "If this is the only point, why should I bother Mr. Bohai for a visit? Just because of our old friendship, this trivial matter is nothing to worry about. Besides, there is another one. Originally A month ago, I sent a message to Ma Shijin, please send a batch of goods to your ministry. But not long ago, this batch of goods disappeared on the way, and I don’t know where it was taken away..."

"Is there such a thing?"

After Duan Lan heard the words, her face was full of anger, and she shouted loudly: "Who is the perpetrator? Is there any clue?"

"I've been very worried recently, and I've made many inquiries, but there is no conclusive news. Bohai Lord should also know that Wen Hongzu, the supervisor of Ma Shijin, is the heir of my cousin Wen Taizhen. It is difficult for the younger generation to do things for the side. As an elder, I Not only is it useless to help, but it is really embarrassing for such an evil thing to happen before my eyes. Before this matter is over, I will never dare to let the junior take risks again, and I ask Lord Bohai to be considerate..."

When Duan Lan heard this, her brows were already tightly furrowed, and her thoughts were turning rapidly.This kind of private transaction has lasted for more than two years, and the large and small forces in western Liaoning have benefited a lot from it. If any party dares to plunder in private and affect the future transactions, it will definitely commit public anger evil deeds!

What's more, this batch of goods is exclusively for their section, so when the perpetrators do it, they really have to think carefully about the consequences.Although their Duan tribe has already been exterminated, Duan Lan still has tens of thousands of people under his command, five or six thousand strong soldiers, and is still one of the few forces in western Liaoning. Not everyone has the courage to bear his anger.

"Could it be Murong traitor in Liaodong?"

After pondering for a moment, Duan Lan asked again.

Liu Qun shook his head: "It wasn't Murong, the incident happened in the west of Liaoning, it must be the strong people here!"

Originally, Duan Lan didn't have any other thoughts, but when she heard Liu Qun's denial so straightforwardly, she became suspicious.You just said that there is no news, why are you so sure now?

"That must be the Yuwen traitor!"

Another young man in the banquet said angrily, this young man is Duan Lan's son named Duan Kan, he looked at his father and said angrily: "Please allow me thousands of armored soldiers, I will kill them immediately Yuwen camp, recover our goods!"

"The elders are discussing things, there is no room for your child to intervene, sit down for me!"

Duan Lan was feeling irritable in her heart, and when she heard this, she let out a low growl and scolded her son, while at the same time, she glanced at Liu Qun indifferently.

As the current leader of the Duan Department, Duan Lan is naturally not a young man who is not obsessed with world affairs. As Liu Qun's stance became more and more obvious, he naturally gradually realized.

Of course he didn't believe that the Jin country really traded with them across the sea to help them, the poor people on the border, and there must be other plans.First let them, the Liao people, taste the benefits of commerce and trade, and then suddenly cut off this channel. Naturally, they want to urge them to do something.

In other words, in this year's war, the Jin State has completely locked in the victory of the North-South confrontation, and now it is going to spare its energy to really interfere in the Liao border.

However, what kind of situation do the Jin people want to create in the Liao border?How much intervention will be invested?
For a while, Duan Lan thought a lot, and was not in a hurry to express his opinion.Now that the forces in the North and the South are being compared, even though he is far away from the Liao border, he has an understanding.The fact is that the capital city of Jie Kingdom's old nest has been destroyed, and Jie Lord Shihu had to be forced to move the capital. If it is said that the north is still stronger than the south, it is really lying.

Under such circumstances, it is naturally in the interests of Donghu to favor the South.

But things are not that simple. Although the Southern Kingdom is strong, it has not really controlled the Liao border after all.Although Jie is weak, it is relatively Jin, and it is very easy to kill them.

Now that Liu Qun is threatening to cut off business on behalf of the Jin State, Duan Lan is secretly ashamed and annoyed. Even if Duan Bu is down and out, they will never be able to drive them to fight with their lives just because of this mere material benefit!Of course, without this kind of supply, this winter is destined to be very difficult, enough to hurt the muscles and bones, but it is not to the point of endangering life and death.

Seeing that Duan Lan remained silent, Liu Qun was not anxious either. Compared to the early days when he moved around and depended on other people, he enjoyed the current negotiations that pinched other people's necks, and he also understood Wen Hongzu's words and deeds more and more. The general's palpable pride.

If he hadn't personally experienced and witnessed all kinds of sinister power struggles, he would really be very willing to devote the rest of his life to such a powerful and powerful regime, and use his own talents to fight for his fame before and after his life.

"Before this matter is settled, the border trade matter can only be suspended. All these, because of old feelings, I first ask Mr. Bohai to discuss them. But if there is still no gain, I also ask other parties. Except me Afterwards, Ma Shijin will also send people to ask questions, and if necessary, after the warm sea road clears up next year, there will also be Master Wang who will come across the sea to ask questions."

Liu Qun said word by word, seeing Duan Lan's face became more gloomy, he felt very happy.This is a statement that Xingtai is determined to officially start interfering in Liao border affairs this time, and will continue to invest its strength.If Duan Lan doesn't cooperate, he will negotiate with other forces. Even if he is killed, Xingtai will send another person.

"Why did Mr. Liu say that this was not the work of Murong's traitor? I have a feud with my subordinates, and Mr. Liu naturally knows..."

After a long while, Duan Lancai said again, this is also a big fear in his heart, he doesn't know what kind of situation Nanguo will create in Liaobian.Moreover, among the many forces in the Liao border, the Murong Department was the first to contact Zhongzhou Xingtai. Duan Lan was afraid that even if he was willing to take the risk to help Xingtai use his affairs, the Murong Department would rob his best interests.

"Murong in Liaodong is dominant, this is a fact. It is a natural choice to use Liao's weak power at the moment, and to temporarily suspend its power. However, General Shen Da of the Southern Kingdom will never just focus on the strength of the power Weak, the number of people is small. I and Bo Haigong share the same house and have an old friendship. If we are lucky enough to return to the south in the future, we must keep this friendship and help each other inside and out."

After Duan Lan heard the words, she shook her head: "When the Former Lord was here, it was often said that it was a great fortune to be able to guard against such great sages as Mr. Liu. You can easily abandon me!"

Hearing what Duan Lan said, Cui Yue's eyes flashed with embarrassment.Liu Qun also hesitated for a while, and gave Cui Yue a wink after a while, and then said to Duan Lan: "I'm afraid that mediocrity will be annoying, and it's a great honor to be honored by Bohai Gongya. Liaobian is like my hometown to me. I’m also sorry for that.”

Duan Lan was not satisfied with just Liu Qun as a hostage. He pondered for a while and then said: "The west of Liaoning is my ancestor's legacy, and the country of Jie lost it because of poverty. I am mediocre and weak, and I dare not do my best." It is a plan to restore the old business, but there are many captives on the border, but they are evil thieves galloping around my old family. If it is really helpful, I hope these thieves can be handed over to me to deal with it. I don’t know if this matter can be vetoed by Liu Publicly?"

Although Duan Lan is greedy, he is not without self-knowledge. He knows that even if the Jin State comes forward to regulate and reorganize the affairs of the Liao border, it will be difficult for him to take advantage of the situation to dominate the west of Liao and restore his old business. Secondly, I hope to be able to get the students of the Hu tribes in western Liaoning.

In troubled times, population is the most important thing, especially in the remote and bitterly cold Liao border.The reason why he wanted to keep Liu Qun by his side was that apart from being a hostage, he also valued Liu Qun's reputation for his ability to appease those poor people.

"I can't decide this matter, but I will definitely make it happen."

Liu Qun nodded slightly after hearing the words and said, it should be said that Duan Lan's attitude was very rude, not only did he want to take him hostage, but he was simply treated as a messenger.But he has been to and fro for many years, and it is not uncommon for him to suffer humiliation. If he couldn't bear even this little bit of anger, he, including the rest of the people around him, would have died many years ago.

Compared with his early years, this half-life of suffering has given him the greatest harvest, which is to realize that the process is not important, but the result is.He needs the help of the Duanbu to disrupt the situation in western Liaoning and weaken the control of the Jie Kingdom.Otherwise, with the old, weak, sick and disabled under his command, he might be beaten to death by the tigers and wolves around him before he even rushed out of the camp.

The two sides initially reached a consensus, Duan Lan did not leave, but stayed in Liu Qun's camp, but sent his son and several cronies back to the tribe to gather troops to prepare for the task.He didn't have too much psychological burden to rebel against the Jie country. The current wind and snow blocked the way and it was not suitable to dispatch a large army.

Although he is strong in front of Liu Qun, he is very wary of him in his heart.Liu Qun has been hanging out in the Liao border for many years, and he knows the details of the Hu tribes. He has his father, Yu Yin, and now has a big backer like Nanguo behind him. He wants to gather these tribes in Liaoxi to disrupt the situation. It's not difficult.

Now that Liu Qun found him first, Duan Lan felt very lucky, otherwise, it is very likely that he was the one who was besieged and killed in ignorance.Now, he is taking the first step, and he is worried that the situation will repeat itself.

(End of this chapter)