I studied in modern times

Chapter 595 Before the War (2)

The rolling Yellow River roars and rushes down the Longyang Gorge.

The undulating mountains stand on both sides of the gorge.

On both sides of the river valley, there are continuous wilderness.

Especially when you reach the middle of the canyon, everything suddenly becomes clear.

The flow speed of the Yellow River also became gentle in this area.

It seemed like we had arrived at a large plain.

It was late autumn at this time, but the temperature here was still a relatively pleasant ten degrees.

The clear river water nourishes the grasslands and mountains and forests on both sides of the river valley.

Qingyi Jie Guizhang set up his handsome tent on a grassland in the middle of the Longyang Gorge canyon.

Hundreds of thousands of livestock are scattered in the valley grasslands on both sides of the canyon, driven by herdsmen.

This is a huge pasture.

It was excavated by the mighty power of the Yellow River over thousands of years. It is filled with rugged ravines and jagged peaks.

At this time, there had just been a light rain.

Qingyi Jie Guizhang led the people and rode horses to the exit of Longyang Gorge.

The terrain of Longyang Gorge is a typical cutting terrain of the Yellow River.

The two ends are small and the middle is large.

The land in the river valley is extremely spacious, stretching from east to west for more than ten miles.

But the pass at the exit is extremely narrow, and the Yellow River still occupies its flattest part.

The pass for people and animals to enter and exit is only a few dozen steps wide.

Not only that, the cliffs on both sides of the pass are also extremely steep and solid.

The mountain composed of granite is more than ten feet high.

Thousands of years from now, someone will build a huge hydropower station here.

Today, this rugged, narrow and dangerous pass has become the only exit from Longyang Gorge.

This is also the origin of its name - Longyang Gorge, which means danger in Tubo language.

Qingyi made a ghost seal and came to the pass.

After leaving Longyang Gorge, there is still a rugged terrain with ravines and undulating mountains ahead.

But Qingyi Jieguizhang knew that after walking this section and continuing along the Yellow River, he would be able to see that great city - Xige City.

"Have all our scouts been dispatched?" Qingyi Jieguizhang asked his son Jiewahao who was following behind him.

Jie Wa Na replied: "Father, everyone has been sent out!"

"In the past two days, the scouts have arrested hundreds of four spies."

The so-called four tribes are the Mubo, Longbu, Xina, Xinmu and other Tubo tribes that support Xibawen and are active near Xige City.

Of course, spies and so on are actually just trying to put money on their faces.

Those arrested were just herdsmen and businessmen grazing.

Moreover, none of them are from Kiba and other tribes.

It is a small tribe active near Longyang Gorge.

Because at this time of year, herders from Mubo and other tribes should have driven their livestock to the south bank of the Yellow River where Xige City is located.

It has the best wintering pastures on the entire plateau.

The local altitude is only more than two thousand meters, and the terrain is the flattest for hundreds of miles.

There is also the Yellow River as a natural barrier.

At the same time, if you look at Xige City as a dot, the entire Xige City is actually in the center of a basin surrounded by mountains.

Therefore, since ancient times, it has been a strategic location that is easy to defend but difficult to attack and controls Hainan (south of Qinghai Lake).

Qingyi Jie Guizhang listened, with a trace of hatred on his face.

Because more than a year ago, he was the master of Xige City.

However, the four tribes of Mubo, Longbu, Xina and Xinmu colluded with Zhongyi, the governor of Hezhou, and launched an attack on Xibawen in the name of supporting Xibawen's restoration.

Zhong Yi even personally led 3,000 elite soldiers. With the cooperation of Mu Bo and other troops, he took advantage of the opportunity when he went to Qingtang City to meet with Zan Pu, and seduced his cavalry stationed in Xige City into Longyang Gorge, and then Ambushed here.

Of more than two thousand people, only eight hundred escaped.

Immediately, Xibawen returned to Xige City and drove out his forces.

Now, he's back!
It’s time to avenge last year’s revenge!

How to report it?

Qingyi knotted his tongue and licked his tongue.

He decided that he must 'repay' Xibawen well, especially those who supported Xibawen.

For example, there are four tribes: Mubo, Longbu, Xina, and Xinmu.

So he looked back at his horse.

On the horse's saddle hung a long-dried human head.

Those were the spoils of war from the Battle of Tabaicheng more than ten years ago.

The head of Nanman general Jing Sili!
Recalling those years, Qingyi Jieguizhang suddenly felt high-spirited.

That was the pinnacle of his life!

It was that battle that broke the myth that the Southern Barbarian Western Army was invincible in the hearts of the Tibetan people.

Thousands of people were wiped out, and Jing Sili was killed in formation.

Qingyi knotted the ghost chapter and was recalling the glory of the past.

A group of scout cavalry from afar drove a team to appear at the other end of the canyon pass.

"It's Zhuoluo who's back!" After Jiewahao led his people forward to explore, he excitedly reported back to Qingyi Jieguizhang: "Zhuoluo also captured a caravan of the Mubo family."

"The Mubo family's caravan?" Qingyi Jieguizhang frowned.

"Bring them to me!"

Mubo is a tribe near Xige City.

Mainly settled and planted, this tribe has a population of over 10,000 and a fighting force of two to three thousand.

It is said that the ancestors of this tribe once followed the great holy god Zampu (Cide Songtsan).

They have been camped in Xige City for two hundred years, and their long history enables this tribe to influence the attitudes of many tribes.

Qingyi Jie Guizhang also treated them with courtesy, hoping to gain their support.

but……

In the eyes of the Tubo people, blood is above all else.

Therefore, as soon as Xibawen greeted him, the Mubo family immediately changed their attitude.

Soon, a dozen men in a state of embarrassment were brought to Qingyi Jie Guizhang.

When these people saw Qing Yi's ghost seal, they immediately knelt down.

Qingyi Jieguizhang ignored them.

Looking straight at the cargo carried by the captured carriages and horses.

Qingyi Jieguizhang pouted, and the goods were carried in front of him.

One piece of ironware after another, one piece of tea brick after another.

Qingyi Jieguizhang looked at these products and his face turned crimson.

He remembered a legend he had heard - the Xihe Road government of the Southern Barbarians relaxed trade controls that had persisted for hundreds of years on Xiba Wen of Xige City and Wen Xixin of Miaochuan City.

Don't just trade with them with unadulterated iron money.

Merchants registered in Xizhou and Lanzhou were even allowed to purchase iron farm tools.

Not only that, the Nanman officials in Xihe also allowed the goods of merchants from these two groups to be freely sold in the Xihe states - they only need to pay a five-cent tax when entering the country, and then pay another five-cent tax at the place of sale. Residential tax.

It’s completely Nanman’s treatment of merchants!

All this time, Qing Yi and Gui Zhang thought this was a rumor!

Because, with such a preferential treatment policy, let alone those two losers Xiba Wen and Wen Xixin!

Even the great Buddhist disciple, Zanpu, and the founder of Tubo in the Qing and Tang dynasties, Xisiluo, knelt down and begged to the Nanman, but he never got any of them.

But now, these iron tools and tea bricks prove that the legend may be true!

Qingyi Jie Guizhang's face became extremely gloomy.

He turned around and looked at the trembling people kneeling on the ground.

"Tell me!" Qing Yi Jie Guizhang sternly grabbed the neck of a merchant who looked like he was the leader, and asked, "Where do these things come from?"

The other party trembled and replied tremblingly: "Reply to Ruben (the official position of the Tubo Empire is equivalent to the Jiedu Envoy in the Tang Dynasty or the Economic Envoy in the Northern Song Dynasty. After the collapse of the Tubo Empire, it generally became the honorific title for the great nobles by the Tubo people). These are all from I bought it from the market in Hezhou!"

Qingyi Jie Guizhang stared at them fiercely and asked, "What's the price?"

The other party replied tremblingly: "Iron weapons range from fifteen to thirty..."

"One piece of tea brick has ten sticks..."

"Iron money?" Qingyi Jie Guizhang asked.

The other person nodded.

After Qingyi Jie Guizhang heard this, he immediately asked: "Where did the money come from?" "Ru Ben gave it..." the man answered tremblingly.

"Ruben? Mubo?"

The other person nodded.

"Where did Mu Bo's money come from?" Qing Yi and Gui Zhang continued to ask.

"Given by Yahang..."

"Yaxing?"

Another name Qingyi Jieguizhang has heard in legends.

"Yes……"

"My uncle from the Han family authorized the great Buddhist disciple to establish Yaxing in Xige City. Yaxing hired serfs to the cotton farm on Xihe Road..."

Qing Yi and Gui Zhang listened quietly to the other party's explanation.

A business ecosystem that he had never imagined gradually took shape in front of him.

Mianzhuang in Xihe Prefecture of Nanman signed a deed with Yaxing owned by Xibawen of Xige City through Nanman government.

As a result, tribes such as Mubo sent their remaining young men to Mianzhuang for work through Yaxing.

Yahang pays money on a monthly basis based on the number of people and age, euphemistically called 'management fees'.

Generally speaking, a young man under the age of twenty can provide his owner with a management fee of one hundred iron coins per month.

In addition, from working in the cotton village, about 30% of the wages earned must be paid to the owner as tribute.

In this way, the tribes could send the remaining members of their tribes and the serfs who could not feed themselves to work in Xihe to make money, and they could also gain a reputation for mercy.

In addition, tribes can also "introduce" other tribes to work in Xihe Road Cotton Village and receive rewards.

Qingyi Jie Guizhang was trembling all over after listening to it.

The countless unsolved mysteries of the past year or so now have answers.

Why is Xibawen so determined to leave with Nanman?

Because Nanman made him an offer that he couldn't refuse!

Why did Mubo and other ministries resolutely reject all the conditions he offered and remain loyal to Xibawen?
Because by following Xibawen, they can enjoy various preferential treatment from Nanman.

You can even send all the remaining members of the clan to Nanman to make money!

You can be rich even while lying down!
Why are these tribes so active in going deep into the plateau and abducting the simple tribes on the plateau to flee south?
There are even a large number of monks participating in it!
Because of profit!

but……

Xibawen stared at the other party and asked sternly: "Then, why have you been sending people into the snow-capped mountains of the plateau since May to attack various tribes and rob people?"

This is the reason why Qing Yi and Gui Zhang are going to come out in full force this time.

Things have changed since May this year.

In addition to monks and merchants, they entered the plateau and tried every means to trick the tribes on the plateau into fleeing south.

They even started to steal!

In the last month alone, more than a dozen tribes have been attacked.

Thousands of serfs were robbed.

The other party swallowed and looked around.

"Say!" Qing Yi Jie Guizhang shouted: "If you don't tell, you will die!"

Qingyi Jie Guizhang was intimidating while staring at the opponent with his eyes wide open.

This is the answer he has never been able to figure out.

It began last July as drought spread across the plateau.

Large areas of pasture withered, a large number of livestock died of starvation, and the land in the manor was also hardened under the scorching sun. The highland barley withered and there was a food shortage.

As a result, the docile serfs began to become violent.

They even dared to resist their masters!
There were many cases of serficide in succession!

Therefore, last year, when Xibawen of Xige City began to send people to deceive the tribes on the plateau.

In fact, Qing Yi even tacitly agreed to Jie Guizhang.

The population on the plateau is already too large.

Xi Bawen wants to be a Bodhisattva, so let him be!
Look how much food he has to support!
However, after the New Year, Xibawen still did not stop his little moves.

It seems that there is countless food in Xige City!

It wasn't until Qingyi formed a ghost chapter that he learned through intelligence that Xibawen had sent all those tribes to Xihe Road in Nanman to grow something called kapok.

At that time, Qingyi Jie Guizhang was not yet angered.

Because the drought on the plateau has not eased.

Instead, it started to make a comeback starting in April.

The sun is scorching the earth, and only the land moistened by melted snow from the snow-capped mountains has life.

Countless tribes fell into famine.

Qingyi has a ghost chapter and is tired of running for his life.

After a month, the drought began to ease, and high temperatures melted enough snow.

It also allowed large areas of pasture to begin to recover, and cattle, sheep, and horses began to breed again.

But Qingyi Jieguizhang discovered that bandits appeared on the plateau at this time.

Tribes kept reporting attacks.

Raiders plundered grain, livestock, and serfs.

They were few in number, often no more than a hundred.

They are familiar with the geography of the plateau and come and go without a trace.

Qingyi Jie Guizhang searched for a long time before finally catching some robbers.

So I knew that these people were from Xige City.

They were ordered to plunder the population.

Under Qing Yi Jie Guizhang's fierce questioning, the merchant finally trembled and trembled and said the answer: "The reward is only a one-time..."

"How can you turn serfs into tribesmen of your own tribe and then send them to uncle Han's cotton farm to work?"

Qingyi Jie Guizhang's expression suddenly solidified.

This answer was unexpected, but it was reasonable!

Yes!

Although you can get a large reward by luring the tribe down the mountain.

But where are the plundered serfs and captives who are directly treated as hired workers of their own tribe and sent to the southern barbarians through Yaxing to work as laborers on Xihe Road?
Qingyi knew it almost subconsciously.

He must capture Xige City at all costs.

Because, as long as Xige City is there, the Southern Barbarians can continuously invade the plateau through Xibawen and Mubo tribes in Xige City.

Robbing and plundering the tribal population under his control.

"Xi Bawen's soul has been occupied by the demon!" Qing Yijie Guizhang kicked the captured merchant down, then looked back at his son and his generals.

"If this devil cannot be destroyed!"

"Then, the sacred Qinghai will definitely be defiled by him!"

"Even the sacred temples on the snow-capped mountains will be destroyed by him!"

Qing Yi and Gui Zhang knew very well that this was almost inevitable.

Under the lure of the Nanman's huge profits, Xibawen had already sold his soul to the Nanman.

As long as he is eliminated, the tribes around Qinghai Lake can have peace.

But for Qingyi Jieguizhang, the thing that made him most angry was not this.

What made him angry was that Nanman would rather find that good-for-nothing Xibawen than cooperate with him and Zampu behind him.

What kind of hostility is this?
It is even more naked and provocative without any concealment!
From now on, Qingyi Jie Guizhang knew.

He must win this war!
Because if he couldn't win, he would never have any hope of returning to Xige City.

The territory he currently controls will gradually be lost.

I should never think of going back to my old place of Taozhou.

So, it's a battle for survival!

"Jie Wa Zhan!" Qing Yi Jie Guizhang looked at his son.

"Immediately lead a team of people to Qingtang City and report to Zanpu what Xiba Wen and Wen Xixin did."

Qingyi Jie Guizhang didn't believe it. How could Ali Gu still sit peacefully in Qingtang after knowing these things?

This is a battle of survival and life and death.

If we can't pull out the two nails of Xige City and Miaochuan City.

The Qingtang and Tubo founded by the great Buddhist disciple Zanpu had the possibility of destroying the country.

"No!" Jie Wachan took the order and left.

Qingyi Jieguizhang continued to look at the captured merchants.

He wanted to know the current situation in Xige City.

(End of this chapter)