After receiving food replenishment, the soldiers and civilians of Putaocheng regained their strength, and they packed up their belongings and followed Guo Song's team to Qiuzi.

More than 70 women and children were divided into more than a dozen carts, all the soldiers rode war horses, and the rest of the horses carried all kinds of supplies, driving more than 200,000 sheep to the east.

They still returned to the east by the same route, first to Puchanghai, and then from Puchanghai to the west along the Chihe River, although it was nearly a thousand miles longer than walking in a straight line, but it was a very wise move.

Walking in a straight line to cross the vast Taklamakan Desert, although it is only the edge of the desert, it is still a difficult road, and there is no water source along the key road, which is tantamount to a road of death for the Tang army team driving hundreds of thousands of sheep and more than 5,000 war horses.

Although it is a distance of seven or eight days, this road is along the river, and there is a guarantee of water, and in Anxi, where there is water, there is life and hope.

Five days later, the team bypassed the Puchang Sea and began to travel west along the Chihe River, which is today's Tarim River, also known as the Peacock River, although it also belonged to the seasonal river in the Tang Dynasty, but it was not completely cut off in winter, but the water flow was very small and thin, occupying a small part of the riverbed and flowing shallowly, but now it is also frozen, and the ice can be melted and boiled directly, ensuring that people and animals drink water along the way.

It is precisely because of the sufficient food guarantee that although the march was hard along the way, most of the soldiers and civilians in Putaocheng looked better and better day by day, and even Zheng Ju completely recovered and became a brave Tang army general again.

In the afternoon of that day, the Tang army was not far from the Mobei Oasis, and Guo Song asked the soldiers to find Zheng Ju.

"I heard that Changshi is looking for me?" Zheng Ju galloped over on horseback.

Guo Song smiled and said: "Last time you heard that the Tubo people occupied the oasis, and you could only defend the city alone, and now we have to pass through the oasis, wouldn't it be to go to the territory of the Tubo people, will it cause conflict?" ”

Zheng Ju bowed down and said: "Although most of the oases on this side of Qiuci are occupied by the Tubo people, the oasis near Yanji Town and the oasis along the Chihe River in the south of Qiuci Town still belong to Qiuci Country, and we can take the territory of Qiuci Country." ”

"In addition to Qiuzi, where is there a garrison in the Anxi Tang Army?"

"There are garrisons in Yanji, Khotan, and Shule, and the number of them is about 1,000 people, and Qiuzi is a little more, but it can only be 3,000 people."

"But the small countries of Anxi have all surrendered to Tibet, am I not wrong?" Guo Song asked again.

Zheng Ju smiled bitterly and said: "Qiuzi State, Khotanese State, Shule State, these small countries in Anxi have already surrendered to Tubo, but they do not want to be assimilated by the Tubo people, so they are the first to continue to keep the Tang army garrison in the city, this is a very complicated relationship, it seems unreasonable, but it has always existed like this, for more than 20 years, the Tubo people, Tuyuhun people have tried to destroy the Tang army many times, but they have not succeeded, on the one hand, the Tang army stubbornly resisted, on the other hand, the small countries of Anxi secretly supported the Tang army. ”

Guo Song nodded, he now understands why the Tang army has a small number of troops, and it is still scattered in Yanji, Khotan, and Shule, the key is that the Tang army and these small countries have formed a symbiotic and coexisting relationship, and it seems unrealistic to persuade Guo Xin to withdraw the Tang army to Dunhuang.

The team walked along the Chihe River for another two days, and the greenery became more and more, the woods were lush, large wheat fields could be seen everywhere, and the villages and populations had also increased, and groups of children kept running to watch the Tang army coming from afar.

On this morning, a city finally appeared in the distance, and that was Qiuci City, the residence of Anxi Jiedu Prefecture and the capital of Qiuci Kingdom.

Yang Xiaoyan had already gone to Qiuzi City to inform the coach Guo Xin, and not long after, a team of hundreds of people rushed from a distance, and Guo Xin personally came to welcome Guo Song's arrival.

In a moment, the cavalry of the brigade galloped forward, led by a middle-aged man in his fifties, wearing armor, dark skin, white temples, his face was covered with vicissitudes, but a pair of eyes were extremely sharp, most of the soldiers behind him were yellow and thin, looking at hundreds of thousands of sheep, the soldiers showed eager eyes in their eyes.

The person who came was Guo Ziyi's nephew Guo Xin, who was now the queen of the four towns of Anxi, Guo Chongqing couldn't hold back any longer, jumped off the horse and cried, "Little third uncle, do you still know me?" ”

Guo Xin was taken aback, only the Guo family's own children called him the third uncle, he looked at Guo Chongqing, hesitated and said, "Are you Qilang Chongqing?" ”

Guo Xin left Chang'an and went to Anxi for fifteen years, when Guo Chongqing was only fifteen years old, and now Guo Chongqing is thirty years old, and he still has a little bit of the appearance of the year.

"Little third uncle, it's me!" Guo Chongqing fell to the ground and cried bitterly.

He was originally an orphan whose parents died, and was picked up by Guo Xin when he was five years old and returned to Guo's mansion, Guo Xin taught him to read and practice martial arts, and the two had a deep relationship, like father and son, which is why Guo Ziyi asked Guo Chongqing to follow Guo Song to Anxi.

Guo Xin hurriedly helped him up, "Don't cry!" Don't cry! Let's talk about it slowly, let's talk about business first! ”

Guo Chongqing wiped away his tears and introduced Guo Song to him: "This is Guo Changshi, the Son of Heaven personally appointed the pacification envoy of the Western Regions and the governor of Anxi Prefecture. ”

Guo Xin was stunned, although Yang Xiaoyan had already told him in advance, he never imagined that the other party would be so young, he hurriedly hugged his fists and said: "Under Guo Xin, welcome to appease the envoy to Anxi!" ”

When Guo Xin set off to Anxi fifteen years ago, he was already a general from Sanpin Yunlu, but the court thought that he had disappeared and had not been promoted for fifteen years.

Guo Song took out the holy decree and said loudly: "The holy decree is here, Guo Xin accepts the decree!" ”

Guo Xin hurriedly knelt down, "Weichen is here!" ”

The rest of the hundreds of Anxi soldiers knelt down with him.

Guo Song unfolded the holy decree and read: "General Yunlu, Guo Xin and the soldiers of Anxi have worked hard to defend the border, bravely serve the country, and be loyal, so that the important town of Anxi still belongs to the Tang Dynasty, and the merits are great, and they should be rewarded. ”

Guo Xin kowtowed with tears and said: "Holy grace is like a mountain, and the minister can only repay him with death!" ”

Guo Song handed over the holy decree to Guo Xin, Guo Xin held the holy decree high, and the Anxi soldiers all shouted long live.

After reading out the holy decree, Guo Song told Guo Xin about supporting Pu Tao City, to Guo Song's surprise, Guo Xin didn't care about Guo Song's abandonment and the last five cities, and he didn't ask much about the annihilation of thousands of people, he was obviously more interested in the booty captured by the Tang army, more than 200,000 sheep, more than 5,300 war horses, a large number of weapons and more than 1,000 stone barley, which was a huge wealth for them.

Guo Xin was so happy that he couldn't close his mouth, and hurriedly asked the soldiers to send all the supplies and livestock into the city, and then he accompanied Guo Song into the city.

"Changshi doesn't know how precious food is to us, we also have two or three thousand acres of wheat fields, plant a little wheat, but these two or three thousand acres of land to feed three thousand soldiers and more than two thousand military dependents, one person's annual ration is only more than 100 catties of wheat, so we have to cook and eat with sand dates, wild vegetables and the like, and occasionally catch a little fish from the Red River, this time you bring so much loot, everyone will be ecstatic."

Guo Song smiled and asked: "How to raise more than 200,000 sheep, is there a grassland?" ”

Guo Xin shook his head, "No, all the sheep have been slaughtered, while the ice in the river has not melted yet, quickly build an ice cellar and store it, keep part of the sheepskins, and use the rest to exchange food with the Guizi country, as for the war horses, we will keep three thousand, and send the rest to Khotan and Shule." ”

"It's my order to give up and end the five cities, and Du Hu doesn't seem to care?"

Guo Xin smiled bitterly and said: "I received their eagle letter for help two months ago, but I couldn't rescue them, so many years, I have already told the soldiers that people are the most important, and if you can't hold it, you will give up, and the last five cities have been destroyed four cities, how long can the last city last?" Don't I know yet? In fact, even if Changshi doesn't give an order, I will also order them to abandon the military city and retreat north. ”

Guo Song's heart was slightly lowered, he heard the eagle letter, and suddenly remembered that he hadn't seen the fierce son for many days, he looked up at the sky, there was no trace of the fierce son, and he suddenly had an inexplicable worry in his heart.