Pingyang Fu of the Red Chamber

Chapter 665: The movements of the Eagle Division outside the Pass
"Report, Leader Lan and Dawuren's scouts have all been wiped out. No one has returned to the pass."

"Report, Chief Lan, Shanbei Pass has put down its resistance horses and closed the door tightly. It seems that no more scouts will be sent out."

"Okay, it's better not to go back! It's just to let them lose their eyes in the grassland outside the pass. This is the first step. We succeeded!"

The voice that replied was calm and filled with excitement. Master Lan happily sat in the main seat of the Donghu people's Yingshi tent. He laughed and felt very happy in his heart. The previous arrangement was considered a success.

With the army of King Youxian returning,
The days left behind,
Sitting on the elite men and horses left behind by the king, Lan's division also has the confidence. Although there are elite cavalry in the border gates of the Dawu people, on the grassland, it is not just a boast. Except for the cavalry of the royal court, there is really no one who dares to fight in the grassland. Even the Xianbei people can't dominate in front of the Eagle Master.

Looking at the commanders of thousands and commanders of ten thousand in each tribe in the camp, Master Lan spoke;
"Dear warriors of the grassland, we have been staying here for more than a month now. To this day, the guard of the Dawu border army should not send out any more scouts to investigate. The important matters left by the king should also be brought up. The schedule is up, generals, if you have any ideas, let’s talk about it.”

After Master Lan finished speaking, he reached out to pick up the koumiss in front of him, took a swig, and tore off another piece of mutton and put it into his mouth. This day was more enjoyable than when he was in the tribe. The king left enough supplies and food. , enough for the first half of the year.

The captains present below were all whispering to each other, with some confused looks on their faces. After all, Lan Dangtou wanted them to check some secret passage, a small road, but after searching for so long in the past, they had not heard of any small secret road. To enter the pass, if you look to the south, you will see towering mountains. Even if there is a path, you need to climb over the mountains and ridges, and the army cannot pass through at all.

Thinking of this,
Even the two captains of the Eagle Division looked at each other with doubts in their eyes. Niu Nan, one of the captains, clasped his fists symbolically like a great martial artist and said to Leader Lan;
"Chief Lan, we all know what you told us, which is to find a way into Dawu Pass. But Chief Lan, we people have lived on the grassland for so long, and we have never heard of any secret roads. We can only break through Everyone knows that you have to pass the pass to get in. "

"Yes, I haven't heard of any other way. If we had known, we would have rushed in long ago. The woman's money and other things could still be left for him."

"That's what it means. Although the Dawu border can let those caravans enter the grassland privately, it can only be limited to those they know. Those who don't know the caravans with a large amount of iron materials, tea leaves and salt can only find other ways. We can only smuggle, and the route we take is the key. I also sent people to follow, but the southerners were cunning and easily got rid of our spies. They even went back through all the checkpoints when they went back. In this way, there was no way to investigate. Come out, but the people sent by my leader were lucky enough to follow us for most of the journey."

Niu Nan was also thinking about the words of Leader Lan just now. After all, before the king left, he told the two of them that one was to listen to Master Lan's words and find the secret passage into the pass, and the other was to monitor every move of Master Lan. Now it seems that after so long, the real thing is finally here.

Master Lan held the porcelain bowl in his hand and sneered,

Master Lan suddenly opened his eyes and his eyes flashed. This was the key.

Only Master Lan, who was sitting on the main seat, smiled and said nothing. He put down the kumiss in his hand and brushed his scattered hair with his hands. There were still a few hairpins made of ground bones stuck in the slightly scattered bun. , wild and majestic, shouted loudly and said;

"Well said, what you said makes sense. Among us people on the grassland, who doesn't want to go to the flower world in the south to have fun? If you want to enter the pass, you must occupy those dangerous passes. But Dawu people don't Stupid, we have built a strong city wall and it is heavily guarded. There is no hope of seizing it, and there are mountains blocking it. We, the prairie warriors, have so many casualties and are not allowed to move in. What a shame."

The generals below,
It was as if they had suddenly realized something, and they were all discussing it doubtfully, but they didn’t know where to start.
suddenly,

A captain stood up, rolled up his sleeves, and replied;
"Chief Lan, as far as I know, those southern caravans all come out of their passes. A large number of caravans enter the grassland every day. This is no secret. We nobles of the grassland will almost always send People will stay outside the pass and lead those caravans back to the tribe. It is well known that the southerners value profit, and there is nothing they dare not do."

After a while, everyone was tired of laughing, and then they stopped.
Only Master Lan raised the corner of his mouth and shook his head. He was right. Even he spent a lot of money to buy a girl from Jiangnan. The taste was so delicious that he usually hid her in the inner tent. Afraid of being noticed by others, he slapped his mouth and said;
"It's because those businessmen value profits that we and others have a comfortable life, so the more profit-oriented they are, the better. General Niu, do you have any ideas?"

I saw someone speaking first, and then another captain also said;
"Yes, Chief Lan, although the court in the south prohibits many things, none of the caravans they came here have contraband. What the court said is nothing to these merchants. We are just spending some money. , bought them all, even those pretty girls from the south of the Yangtze River, as long as they are willing to spend money, they can buy a lot of them. When I think about that figure and voice, I can’t help it now, haha,"

Then he opened his mouth and replied;
"Leader Lan, everyone on the grassland knows that these food, drinks, and supplies are all brought by the greedy and powerful warriors. Some people's caravans have everything, even their contraband. I dare to transport it here to sell it, but I don’t know how it was transported here.”

Then, the generals laughed loudly, and they were right,

As soon as the voice changed, everyone's eyes turned to Niu Nan, the leader of ten thousand men sitting at the east end.
"Leader Lan, the general understands what Leader Lan means. Those caravans, especially those carrying contraband prohibited by the Southern Court, should not dare to go through those passes. They should be smuggled. This smuggling route That’s the key, General Mo is right.”

A sad and depressing atmosphere floated in the big tent,
Master Lan wiped her tears, and after crying for a while, she opened her red and sparse eyes, then looked at everyone, and asked in a deep voice;
“Generals, do you know where the porcelain used by the nobles on the grassland, the tea they drank, the salt they ate, the silks and satins they wore, their brocade clothes, and even some of the ironware you used came from? Come.”

"Okay, that's right. Most of our food and clothing were brought by the Dawu caravan. General He also said that those merchants didn't know how they brought it. This is the strange thing. It's worth pondering. What's the point? Who knows how they got here?"

The captains below also talked to each other, but they didn't believe it. After all, the separation of the mountains did not happen overnight.

Talking,

Master Lan squinted and pointed at the exquisite dishes and bowls on the table. Some were made of white porcelain, and some were actually made of the finest celadon from Dawu Jiangnan. Even the courtiers and officials could not afford to use many of them. And the brocade clothes he wears are no different from those worn by the wealthy squires in Guan Nei.

"Haha, that's right. Could it be that Leader Lan remembered it wrong?"

Master Lan unexpectedly burst into tears, grabbing snot and tears, and cried so loudly that everyone in the big tent felt the same, and their faces were a little depressed. Those city gates were tall and steep. No matter how brave the grassland warriors were, they could almost stand under the city wall. After less than half a stick of incense, he returned to the embrace of Changshengtian. He went on and on, and hundreds of thousands of people were buried under the city wall. The place was filled with the innocent souls of the Donghu people, and Changshengtian shed tears for them.
People from all tribes in the grasslands are afraid of the tall city walls.
Therefore,
Later, when attacking the city, they used slave troops and infantry trained by other ministries. The cavalry stayed behind, hoping that one day, the gate to the pass would be opened, and the cavalry would march straight in and enter the colorful world inside the pass. .

Chief Ten Thousand He Lanhong tightened his waist and stared at the porcelain bowl in front of him. There was still boiled tea in it. The alluring fragrance came from it. He couldn't help but reach out and pick it up. He drank it in one sip. The aftertaste was long and left a fragrant taste in his mouth. , is the best tea,

"Lan Ju, come and tell me, my lords, where is the secret passage?"

"Yes, leader."

Behind Master Lan, an extremely short man walked out immediately. Although his name had a giant character in it, the difference was so big that people couldn't help but take a second look.

I saw him walking out, holding a red-hot stick from the brazier, and inserting it into the water. There was a "pop" sound, and green smoke rose up. The other generals couldn't see what was going on. After waiting for a while, the stick was on fire. After extinguishing,
I saw Lan Ju holding a wooden stick and drawing on the carpet in the tent.

First choice, Lan Ju first clicked a spot on the ground and said;
"Generals, this is Shanbei Pass, where we are, then keep going east,"

As he spoke, he used the wooden stick in his hand to draw eastward, towards the end of the Yunshan Mountains in the northeast. A long black line followed the outline of the mountains, and then ended up in a mountain range at the east end. , drew a circle.

"This is where the caravan disappeared. My subordinates followed them for three days and three nights. They were very fast, running almost non-stop through the night, and they were very vigilant. They changed the road nine times during the journey. I want to tell you something. If you’re not proficient in the art of hunting, I’m afraid I won’t be able to keep up.”

After saying that, he tapped the circle at the east end again and continued;

"It's here, at the end of the Yunshan Mountains, surrounded by mountains. Those caravans disappeared. Unfortunately, I didn't dare to go deep."

The regret on Lan Ju's face was beyond words.
Only He Lanhong stared at this person and asked;
"Why don't you continue to follow? Is it possible that you have lost your way?" "When I return to General Helan, I am not afraid, but I have already eaten all the dry food on my body. I don't know what is going on in the mountains. I rely on the snow and some trees. Hold on, we will reach the camp, otherwise, all the hard work will be in vain. "

Lan Ju's face turned red. He didn't run away in shame, but he couldn't do anything.

Helanhong didn't press any further. He took a closer look and found that the approximate location was outside the pass near Dawu. Although to enter the pass, he had to go north and bypass the tens of thousands of mountains at the end of the Yunshan Mountains. This distance is too far,
Is there a path through this mountain range? The distance directly into the pass is too close, and it is not far from Luoyue Pass in the east of Dawu. If they take this pass, their troops and horses of Luo Yunhou will be locked up. Outside the customs, tsk tsk, what a good opportunity.

Almost at the same time, Niu Nan, who was thinking, raised his head and said;

"Leader Lan, this matter is of great importance and we cannot draw conclusions easily. We will prepare for a few days to form elite condor warriors and rush here to investigate. Most of the troops still need to stay here and blockade Shanbei Pass. We can't let them anymore. If you notice our movements, if"

A hint of vicious excitement flashed through the eyes of the two captains,
"If there really is a secret path, the king's wish will definitely come true. At that time, the king's prestige will be comparable to that of the royal court and no one can match it. Then our status will naturally rise, or even go one step further."

As soon as the words fell,
The whole tent suddenly became eerily quiet. There was a hint of ambition in everyone's eyes, even ambition. Once the seeds are planted, they will eventually grow and germinate.
Only the leader of Lan's division was also deeply shocked. He underestimated these people. How should the royal court in the north treat Youxian King Qie Tihou? As King Youxian, his territory is next to the Dawu Court, so I want to restrict him. After all, the Dawu Court is the strongest. Unfortunately, the Yuezhi people further north are expanding too fast, and they have all entered the territory of the royal court. King Zuoxian Yi Zhihu The evil army was in the west, guarding the Xianbei people, and the three-legged force was established.
If this happens, I will be afraid.
suddenly,

Master Lan woke up and suppressed the thought in his heart. That will all happen in the future. Looking at the enthusiastic eyes of everyone, he could only cough a few times, comfort himself and said;

"Generals, that's all for the future. I don't want my boss to talk about the importance of finding a road. Now that the two generals have countermeasures, let's hurry up and make arrangements. It's almost May now. According to the Southerners It is customary for them to hold any imperial examinations and their energy is tied up. This is a rare opportunity for us. God bless us."

In the entire big tent,
As if they were infected, all the generals closed their eyes at the same time, stretched out their hands, hugged the sky, and shouted at the same time;

"Blessed by eternal life."

then,

Everyone stood up,

"Chief Lan, I'll take my leave."

"Go ahead and be careful."

Subsequently,

The generals in the big tent all quickly turned around and left, not knowing what the arrangements were.

After people leave,

On the contrary, Master Lan had a solemn look on his face, and his confidant general Lan Tai came close to him and whispered;

"Chief, what we did is a little too much."

Lan Tai was a little flustered in his heart. He had already passed. He felt like he was in imminent disaster. It was not that this road was really going to be found. Then Youxian King Jie Tihou had been preparing for so many years. He was bound to go south in a big way. He really wanted to gain a lot and gain strength. Beyond the royal court, life for the Donghu people may not be easy from now on.

in addition,

After King Youxian's strength increases greatly, he will definitely get the support of the subordinates and tribal leaders. In this way, where will the way out for the Lan tribe?

"Oh, so you are loyal, and what you think is actually right. Besides, Tihou has outstanding military exploits and has many men and horses under his command. If we don't spend a lot of time, neither Shan Yu nor King Zuo Xian will be stable."

Master Lan sighed, and there was a letter from the Shanyu of the royal court, asking him to find a way to consume Qie Tihou's power, wait for the opportunity, return to the royal court, and give him the position of right captain, and it is hereditary. Come on, the Lan family must find a noble man.

He just wanted to consume King Youxian's strength, so he had no choice but to go south to compete with the warriors. However, he was blocked by the pass and has not been able to see any benefits. This is a rare opportunity.

"Chief, what should we do if King Youxian really breaks through Jinbei Pass, enters the pass, and wins a complete victory?"

Lan Ju was also a little uneasy. As close confidants, how could they not know about the leader's matter? Only Master Lan had a mysterious smile on his face.
"What are you two worried about? The Dawu court is not stupid. Although the southerners are weak, they also have bloody people. Especially their border troops are veteran elites. If they really want to attack, the loss will not be the slightest. Of course, if Jie Tihou really wanted to break the Shanxi North Pass and occupy a large area of ​​​​the southern area. We, the Lan tribe, were the ones who made the first contribution, huh."

Master Lan snorted coldly. He had also made a double plan. He really wanted to enter the Southern Pass. If King Youxian, Marquis Jiti, became the hero, his status would definitely not be low. Even if King Youxian entered, Within the pass, there was no gain, and the losses were huge. In this case, Wang Ting would find a way to contact him and make up for his losses.

No matter what, it will not damage your vitality. There is a good saying from the South: the grass on the wall falls on both sides, so of course you have to eat the benefits.

The two confidants around me immediately showed joy after hearing this.

"The patriarch is wise. In this way, our clan will be invincible. Patriarch, there should be a secret road to the east. Although my subordinates don't know the specific roads that the southerners take, but since there are carriages that can accompany them, then The road can be walked. In this way, as long as there is a chance, the barrier will definitely be broken. No matter what happens at that time, we still have to enter the barrier to plunder and strengthen our strength. "

Lan Ju suddenly knelt on the ground and said solemnly.

Master Lan nodded. He had thought of this a long time ago. As long as he waited for the letter, the clan soldiers would arrive in an instant and follow the army into the pass. But the most dangerous thing was when attacking the city pass in the early stage. Take human life to pay for it,

Think of a way,

Delay the warriors of the tribe and attack the city with the last wave.

"You two must be careful. When Lan Ju leads the way, remember the important places. As for Lan Tai, find an opportunity to return to the tribe and prepare to train tribe warriors. Keep an eye on what's going on here at any time. Remember, I am needed for everything. Only with a warrant can troops be mobilized.”

"Yes, patriarch,"

The two of them shouted loudly
(End of this chapter)