Since the Accounting: A Chronicle of the Roman Khanate

Chapter 48 Go North or Go South

"Theoretically, it should be possible." Zhao Liang thought for a while, and walked to the map, but found that there was no place further north on the map.He withdrew his hand resentfully, and muttered, "Actually, it shouldn't be like this in the north..."

"How?" asked the Queen curiously.

"I heard people say that if you go north along the water network, you can go all the way to a place farther than Mobei and norther than Beihai. It is not as barren as the desert, but there are large forests and rivers. Merchants will go there , buying furs from local hunting tribes and selling daily necessities. When Genghis Khan ordered Shuchi to lead his army northward to conquer the 'forest people', he was probably one of these people."

"At that time, from Dadu to the north, enter Shangdu and Yingchang, and then continue north, go north along the junction of the Jurchen and Mongolian tribes, and you can bypass the desert. Now this road is very chaotic, and it happens to be scrambled by various forces. The place where the battle is fought, so it is basically useless."

"However, going north from Liaoyang, entering the ministries of the Raw Jurchen, and then going northwest into the forest boundary, you can still reach the surrounding area of ​​Beihai, or even bypass Beihai. The water network on this road is very developed, and you can go all the way to Qianqian Prefecture through the rivers. Further west, you can enter the territory of the Golden Horde."

"This route was used by the Yuan Dynasty." Cao Jian added: "According to the records, when Shizu and Chengzong were in power, because the Khans of Wokuotai and Chagatai opposed the Yuan Dynasty, the Mongols in Mobei also rebelled all day long. , leading to the interruption of the westward channel of the Yuan Dynasty from time to time. Therefore, the envoys of the Yuan Dynasty often detoured in the extreme north, trying to go to the Golden Horde. This should be the route they took.”

"How many people can pass this road?" Tuotuobuhua directly asked the key point.

"It depends on which section." Zhao Liang hesitated for a moment, then looked at Guo Kang, and replied directly: "From Qianqian Prefecture to the west, this section can completely pass through the army. When Batu Khan was marching westward, he walked through it." part of it."

"The local geography, to be honest, is a bit abnormal." He thought about it again, trying to say it more intuitively: "When I was young, I always thought that the world was centered on the Central Plains, the Central Plains was the richest, and the other four weeks were farther away and poorer. But it turned out later that it didn’t seem to be the case.”

"For example, in the north, there is actually no rich center, but a 'barren center', which is the desert. This place has the worst environment, but the surrounding conditions are better than it, including Mobei."

"After leaving the desert, there is a grassland area, where some 'yurt people' graze. Further north, there is a boundless forest. And the place where the forest and the grassland meet, I feel that the conditions in this area are the best. In some Farming can still be carried out in some places. Like Qianqian Prefecture, I think it is a typical example.”

"What is that place?" asked the Queen.

"Qianqian Prefecture is to the north of Tangnu Mountain and the upper reaches of the Qianhe River—the river here is rather strange. It does not flow eastward, but northward." Zhao Liang explained: "Although it is in the northwest of the desert, it is very rich. The soil is very fertile, and the natives sow seeds in summer and harvest in autumn without even plowing. There are also iron ore and salt mines, which can provide raw materials.”

The queen looked at Guo Kang, Cao Jian and others, and asked their opinions.Guo Kang nodded and agreed with this statement.

The Qian River is the so-called Yenisei River in later generations. These rivers indeed flow northward into the Arctic Ocean.What Zhao Liang said was indeed the truth.

"This place was the territory of the Xiliao and Jirijisi people, that is, the Xiajiasi of the Tang Dynasty." Encouraged, Zhao Liang continued: "The local people claim to be the descendants of Li Ling, and they say that they are from the Han Dynasty. Jiankun. Perhaps because of this relationship, this place is not quite... Mongolian, but rather similar to our Han land."

"At that time, Genghis Khan gave this place to Tuo Lei's wife, Solu Heteni Beji. The two often moved the Han people who were not used to Mongolia's soil and water under their rule to here, and let them cultivate millet and wheat to improve the local farming capacity. level. There are also people running workshops there to manufacture various supplies. Therefore, it quickly developed here, and there are even weapon and armor workshops, and silk and satin can also be produced.”

"The local area also established Han officials for management all the year round. Later, when the ancestors expanded it into Yilan Prefecture, Liu Haoli was appointed as the five-department judge to take charge of the Qianhe River and the Angula River area, and areas with similar conditions. Liu Haoli compiled the tax system and built government offices. , warehouses and post houses, many systems are still used by local people. In short, it is not the same as Mongolia."

"The old place of the Golden Horde, we have all the information." Cao Jian nodded: "From Sarai or Kazan, you can follow the route that Timur used to go north from the middle of the river. This road can definitely pass For the army, he has already verified it several times. Instead of going to the river, we will turn to the east halfway, go to Qianqian Prefecture, and establish a base there, which is theoretically feasible."

"This Qianqian Prefecture..." Borzhan flipped through the notes in his hand and said: "The information says that during the Tang Dynasty, the local natives paid tribute to the imperial government and asked for the establishment of Tang officials, so the imperial court set up Jiankun here. Dudu's Mansion. Therefore, this place is already considered the boundary of Peach Blossom Stone."

"Suddenly, it doesn't seem that far away." He laughed.

"Prairie trade routes are indeed much closer than those passing through the Western Regions and Persia." Cao Jian agreed: "Father has considered this issue before, and asked some scholars to calculate it. They believe that our world is a sphere, not a plane. , so the road passing through Persia is indeed farther. Caravans pass there, mainly because Persia is generally more prosperous and can trade along the way. If you just want to get from us to the east as soon as possible, the northern route must be It's the closest."

"However, I have to remind everyone that even going to Qianqian Prefecture is only the first step." He changed the subject and said, "Whether the tribes along the way listen or not, how to get there is still a problem."

"Go directly south from Qianqian Prefecture to Guting Prefecture, and then go eastward along the ancient silk road to Hexi. I know their attitude. In addition, it is hard to say whether East Chagatai is still stable. The previous turmoil there lasted for too long, which makes people feel at ease."

"And if you don't go south, continue to the east, from the north of Beihai, bypassing the border of the felt tent people, you should be able to reach Liaoyang Province. But this is the previous question-how many people can this road pass? We have sufficient information and Experience?" he questioned.

(End of this chapter)