Defend the Tang Dynasty

Chapter 37 The Shameful Failure

Tuncheng is five miles away from Yele City.

Compared with Yele City and Military City, this place looks very simple.

There is no tall and strong city wall, only a circle of earth walls made of loess.Most of the houses in the city are low earth houses, only the General's Mansion is built with bricks and wood.

If it weren't for the Dajiaochang, which doubles as a grain drying field, and the surrounding turrets, it would be no different from those Hu people's villages outside Yele City.

The reason why the general is stationed here, not in the easy-to-defend and difficult-to-attack military city or the lively Yele city, is entirely to lead by example.

Because guarding the border, farming is even more important than fighting!
If there is no food, more than 4000 soldiers will starve to death.

If there is not enough to eat, the soldiers will not have the strength to fight.

What's more, there are not only more than 4000 soldiers with long mouths, but also more than 1000 family members, nearly 1000 horses and camels, and more than [-] cattle and sheep.

The land around Tuncheng was cultivated by the frontier army, growing millet, highland barley, peas, alfalfa, grapes, melons and other vegetables and fruits.

The harvest of wheat is not as good as that of cold-resistant millet and highland barley, and there are not many planted.

Rice has been planted before, but it is laborious and laborious, and the harvest is not as good as wheat, so no one has planted it anymore.

In the customs, what is most lacking is people, and what is most lacking is land.

Here, on the contrary, what is most lacking is land, and what is most lacking is people.

Therefore, every soldier should farm the land.

According to official position, military merit, age and physical strength, there are one to four "jumps" for each race.The amount of land that two oxen can plow in one day is equivalent to ten acres in the Tang Dynasty.

There is a fixed number of how much grain should be handed over to each cropland every year, and this is what is in charge of garrisoning the fields and joining the army.If you fail to pay at the end of the year, you will be severely punished by military law.

The same is true for the soldiers stationed in the various garrisons and beacon forts.

In addition to planting these fields that should be planted, you can also apply for Xuntian.

All the border gates are honored officials, there are a lot of Shangzhu countries, and there are several Shuangshangzhu countries.As long as you want to plant, Tuntian Join the Army will take you to measure the land immediately.

But there is no one, what's the use of the land, it can't be planted at all.

It is also impossible to rent to others and collect rent every year.

The terrain here is high and cold, the land is barren, and there are not many fertile fields, so they can only apply for newly reclaimed land.The harvest of that kind of field is even less, and if the rent is paid, the family may not even be able to support themselves.

Second, farming requires not only people, but also seeds, farm tools, and cattle.

Those who have these have their own land, and even those who do not have these, you dare not rent the land to him, even if you rent it to him, you will not be able to grow it.

Furthermore, although slaves can be bought to work, slaves are not cheap. Many people can't even afford a wife, so how can they have the money to buy slaves.

Because of this, people who wanted to farm in the pass but couldn't get it, became more and more afraid of farming when they came here.

Especially in the busy farming season, from morning to night, I am more tired than fighting.

Now it's the busy season of farming, the general is out on tour, and the old lady who has endured hardships and always talks about not forgetting her roots has set an example again.

Early in the morning, they loaded up the farm tools, water and dry food, and led their daughter-in-law and granddaughter to work in their own fields.

This situation made High Priest Qu Du, who had been staying in the General's Mansion for seven days, very uncomfortable.

Going to the fields with the master's family can neither do farm work nor do it.

Doing nothing, staying in someone's house and waiting for dinner, is really unreasonable.

He weighed it up and decided to walk around.

As soon as he walked out of the west gate of Tuncheng, Shi Zeshan, the general's clerk, led the Zunzhu Ashinasai from the Fire Temple in Yele City to chase after him.

"Dear Maggie, I'm sorry I'm late."

"Needless to say I'm sorry, dear Ashina Sai, I think you must have been delayed by something."

The high priest is always so wise and gentle. Ashinasai felt favored by the high priest, and said respectfully, "A lot of things have happened in the past few days. Not only is it difficult to inquire about the news, but it is even impossible to get out of the city."

High Priest Qudu was as calm as ever, looked at him with a smile and asked, "What happened."

"Seven days ago, Han Sanlang disappeared again. On the night of his disappearance, two assassins sneaked into the Governor's Mansion and were captured by the guards of the Thieves Arrest Bureau."

"Han Sanlang disappeared again, did you find him?"

"Before Li Chengye went to Baisha City, he told Cui Han that he would find him even if he dug three feet into the ground. Cui Han was so anxious that he ordered the city gate to be closed that day, and led a group of servants to search around. I didn't let it go."

Ashina settled down, and continued: "I have searched all the places I should look for, I have asked all the people I should ask, and I haven't found them until today. But if we don't open the city gate, everyone will have no livelihood. Shi Xianning went left and right. I went to the City Lord's Mansion to look for Cui Han, and tried my best to make him order to open the city gate."

"Han Sanlang is gone again, where can he go?"

High Priest Qudu murmured a question, lost in thought.

Shi Zeshan, the general's clerk, thought for a while and said meaningfully: "Teacher, Han Sanlang is already crazy. I didn't see him once last year. He came back after not seeing him for more than half a year. I don't think we need to worry about him."

"Yes, Mazda, the kind and benevolent creator, will protect him, and he will return sooner or later."

High Priest Qu Du nodded and said nothing more.

Today is the report, Ashina said quickly: "Six days ago, that is, on the 21st, Xu Haoran took his servants to Mifatai's house, inspected carefully inside and out, and did not return to the Metropolitan Governor's Mansion until the sun was about to set. And took Mitif away."

"He locked up Mephatai's eldest son?"

"It's not a lock. They stole a lot of account books, claiming that they can't understand our script, they can't understand the accounts of Mifatai's life, and they asked Mitif to go to the Thief Bureau to cooperate with the investigation."

Shi Zeshan, the general's clerk, frowned: "They let go, and Mitiff followed?"

Ashinasai explained: "They not only asked Mitif to cooperate with some investigations, but also asked Mitif to temporarily act as Mifatai's righteousness."

Shi Zeshan said coldly: "It's a good move that combines kindness and strength, but fortunately Mitiff doesn't know much about it."

Mifatai was already dead, High Priest Qudu was not interested in Mifatai's son, and asked as he walked, "Why did those two assassins enter the Metropolitan Government's Mansion at night?"

"There are different opinions."

"What did you say?"

"Some people say they want to imitate the Turkic horse thief and kidnap Han Sanlang for ransom; It’s the West Courtyard of the Governor’s Mansion, who wants to assassinate Han Sanlang.”

The high priest turned around and asked, "Shi Zeshan, what do you think?"

The general's clerk pondered for a moment, then said solemnly: "Teacher, maybe they are really going to assassinate Han Sanlang!"

"It appears that someone, blinded by money and easy life, dared to betray the good and benevolent Creator, Allahu Mazda."

"Ma Ge, it's none of my brother's business, I stare at him every day, but he didn't do anything!"

"Dear Ashina Sai, I know it has nothing to do with your brother, he is an honest and devout believer."

Han Shimei didn't die, but Mi Fatai did.

Thinking that Han Sanlang was gone and didn't know when he would come back, Shi Zeshan felt that it was pointless to pursue who sent someone to assassinate Han Sanlang.

He hesitated for a moment, and summoned up his courage to say: "Teacher, you have been in Yele for almost a month, and there are many things in Guishu, why don't I send someone to escort you back first."

"Son, you want me to accept a humiliating defeat?"

"Teacher, Han Sanlang just disappeared, and he disappeared at the right time. I believe he will come back sooner or later. We have not failed."

"Miphatai is the most loyal follower of the creator, Mazda, and believers who believe in the orthodox religion cannot die in ignorance."

"Teacher, leave these to me. I swear to Vulcan that those who betrayed the creator Mazda will pay the blood price!"

After traveling all the way, this is the result.

High Priest Qu Du thought about it and was still not reconciled. He stared at the general's paper and asked, "Shi Zeshan, why are you in such a hurry to send me away? Are you afraid? What are you worried about?"

"I fear for your safety."

"Worried about my safety?"

"Teacher, I have asked the old lady to send three groups of people to deliver letters to the general, but I haven't received a reply until today. I don't know when the general will come back."

Shi Zeshan took a deep breath, and said worriedly: "The general should be entangled by Han Shimei, and even Li Chengye was transferred to Baisha City, and now Yele, Cui Han and Xu Haoran have the final say.

Not only did they take the official document stamped with the official seal of Han Shimei, but they also transferred the commander-in-chief of Langyafeng to the Thief Arresting Bureau.He also led his subordinate officers into the military city, and interrogated the soldiers on duty in the military city one by one like an interrogation. "

Qu Du was taken aback: "What are Bingcao Canjun and Gongcao Canjun doing? How could they let Cui Han act recklessly!"

"Teacher, Cui Han is not only the lord of Yele City, but also a member of Cang Cao's army. He is the head of the Six Cao Cao, and he has the official document printed by Han Shimei in his hand. Who dare not listen to his orders."

Fearing that the high priest would not take it seriously, Shi Zeshan said solemnly: "It is said that in two days, he will come to Tuncheng. Especially that Xu Haoran, who is notoriously disowned by his relatives, the soldiers are panicking now, for fear of being targeted by Xu Haoran .”

Qu Du asked: "They do whatever they want in the army, there must be an excuse."

Shi Zeshan said helplessly: "They kidnapped Han Sanlang on the pretext that someone in the army was dissatisfied with Han Shimei's purge of military discipline five years ago, so they have to investigate thoroughly. And Li Chengye said before he left that he must find someone and meet him. To die is to see a corpse!"

(End of this chapter)