Looking at Du Zhongxiao and Fu Bi outside the door, after being introduced by a soldier, Yuanzhi stepped forward and said, "It turns out that Jieshuai is so young!" Speaking of Jieshuai in Gaochang City, he has lost Khitan and Dangxiang in a row in the past few years, and he must be a great general, but he doesn't want to be a Pianpian literati. ”

Du Zhongxiao said: "The master is too dependent, I am a civil official. It's been a hard journey, so please sit inside. ”

After the ceremony, Yuanzhi followed Du Zhongxiao and Fu Bi into the city lord's mansion. Entering the official hall, the guests and hosts sat down, and Du Zhongxiao ordered tea.

Coming up for tea, Du Zhongxiao said: "Master, this is a good tea from Xinyang in the Central Plains, how about tasting it?" ”

Yuanzhi took a sip, closed his eyes slightly, opened his eyes and said, "It's really good tea, and there is a sweet aftertaste after the entrance." Such a good tea could not be drunk in the Western Regions before. It takes a year to traffic goods from the Central Plains, and it takes a year on the road, and all that comes is old tea. ”

Du Zhongxiao said: "Yes, in the past, from the Central Plains to the Western Regions, it took a lot of time and inconvenience on the way. Now it's different, the railway has been repaired to Yizhou, and it can be reached in a few months, and the fresh goods from the Central Plains are easy to sell. ”

Yuanzhi put down the teacup and folded his hands together at Du Zhongxiao: "The merit of the festival commander is immeasurable." ”

After gossiping for a while, Du Zhongxiao said: "I don't know what happened when the master came here from Gaochang to see me?" ”

Yuanzhi said: "It's not a secret, the army under the rule of the marshal surrounded Gaochang, and now look at the city will be broken." The king of the Khan was puzzled, where he offended the marshal, and he wanted to send a large army to suppress it. Several envoys had been sent before, but the front-line generals only said that they were acting on orders and did not ask for an answer. ”

Du Zhongxiao said: "At this time, the King of Beiting Khan still doesn't know why he sent troops? More than two years ago, I led my troops to build the Hequ Road, which included Juyan and was already in the Western Regions. Look at the city lord of Yizhou, after the imperial army occupied Juyan, he immediately went to the capital in person to send an envoy, but Gao Changguo ignored it. This is one of them. There is another thing, the Western Regions and the Central Plains trade, I specially built a freight yard in Shengzhou, if it is only for transshipment to other countries, there is also a duty-free area. But the king of Beiting Khan ordered the caravan not to go to Yizhou and Juyan, but to take the Khitan Shangjing Road, what is the reason? With these two pieces, the King of Beiting Khan is determined to be a thief! As a strategic envoy of the Great Song River, the King of Khan wants to be a thief, how can I not send troops to suppress it! ”

When Enji heard this, he was stunned for a moment. He didn't expect that these two trivial things would now become an excuse for sending troops. The front line won a big victory, Du Zhongxiao didn't have any psychological burden when he said it, he just took it for granted. In this wait, Gaochang is already facing a catastrophe, and Du Zhongxiao is right in everything he says.

After being silent for a while, Yuan Zhi said: "Jieshuai, these two things are just discussions within Gaochang, not a big deal-"

Du Zhongxiao said: "Master, what's the big deal?" Today, the imperial court has been serving for a hundred years, and the army is coming to the Western Regions again, and the forces in the Western Regions are not greeted early, but have different thoughts, isn't this a big deal? can serve the court, and the court will never forget its kindness. And half-heartedly for the imperial court, the imperial court now has spare strength, so it should naturally be eliminated. That's how the King of the North Court Khan! ”

Yuanzhi said: "Jieshuai, since the decline of the Tang Dynasty, the Western Regions have not been under the Central Plains for nearly two hundred years, and the founding of Gaochang has also been more than a hundred years. Even if the Central Plains is now re-emerging by force, there is no reason for the Western Regions to surrender their hands. Use this as an excuse to destroy the country, with all due respect, I'm only afraid of the forces around you-"

Speaking of this, Yuanzhi shook his head again and again, obviously feeling that Du Zhongxiao's reason could not convince him.

Fu Bi on the side said: "Master Fang outsider, just tell this to the King of Beiting Khan." In fact, what the commander said has been euphemistic, after the imperial army occupied Yizhou, the king of Beiting Khan cut off transportation, did not allow merchants to pass, and did not send envoys, which has made it clear that he is hostile to the imperial court. It's just that in the eyes of the imperial court, Gaochang is just a small force, and when the time comes, it can be eliminated. This is the homeland of the Han and Tang Dynasties, and there are many Han people, if the king of Beiting Khan does not pay tribute to the court as soon as possible, and does not obey the court, how can the court not send troops? You think it's a trivial matter, but it's just that two hundred years have passed since the decline of the Tang Dynasty, and the time is too long, and you forget what to do. When the Tang Dynasty was in its heyday, if he did this, would the soldiers and horses come soon? ”

After listening to Fu Bi's words, Yuan Zhi could feel that Fu Bi was more enthusiastic about exploring the Western Regions than Du Zhongxiao. The meaning of his words is to take it for granted that the status of the Tang Dynasty in the Western Regions should be inherited by the Song Dynasty.

Seeing that Yuanzhi was a little embarrassed, Du Zhongxiao said: "The master is a member of Buddhism, so you don't have to worry too much about these idle things." After going back, tell the King of Beiting Khan why we entered Gaochang. What does he think, it doesn't matter now, the army is besieging the city, and it won't wait long. ”

Yuanzhi clasped his hands together and said to Du Zhongxiao: "The festival marshal said so, the poor monk went back and told the King of Beiting Khan that it was." In addition, does the marshal have anything to say to the King of Beiting Khan? When a poor monk comes here, he always has to bring something back. ”

Du Zhongxiao said: "The master can go back and tell the King of Beiting Khan that the army has besieged the city, and the reinforcements everywhere have been cut off, and I hope he will surrender soon." Don't wait to blast open the gates, it's too late to surrender. Surrender now, and don't lose the rest of your life to be a rich and noble man. ”

Yuanzhi said that it was, and the two sides had nothing to say about Gaochang.

Du Zhongxiao said: "Gaochang is included in the imperial court, and the master can enter the Central Plains Temple and communicate with the monks." Since the decline of the Tang Dynasty, Buddhism in the Western Regions has suffered many setbacks, and now it is back under the rule of the imperial court. ”

Yuanzhi said: "I have heard that the Central Plains is prosperous, and if you have the opportunity to go, it is naturally good." It's just thousands of miles away, and it's not easy to make a trip. ”

Du Zhongxiao said: "Master forgot, the train has arrived in Yizhou, and it won't take much time to go to the Central Plains, and it won't take much time to buy a ticket in Yizhou." ”

When Yuanzhi heard this, he was a little dazed for a while, and after a while, he said: "Dare to ask the festival commander, is the train really like the legend, can you travel thousands of miles in a day without grain and grass?" Such a divine object is really desirable. ”

Du Zhongxiao said: "Of course so, otherwise where would there be so many soldiers and horses to attack Gaochang?" With trains, the world is different, and the distance is no longer as unreachable as it used to be. A train ticket, the price is not expensive, the world is free. ”

Yuanzhi nodded: "The festival marshal brought this kind of divine object to the Western Regions, and the merit is immeasurable. Now that the train has arrived in Yizhou, the Western Regions and the Central Plains are no longer far away. During the Tang Dynasty, although the Western Regions were under the rule of the Central Plains, the Central Plains was too far away to wait for idlers to go. Now that the train is open, if the train ticket is not expensive, even ordinary people can go to the Central Plains to have a look. ”

Du Zhongxiao said with a smile: "Compared with the previous expenses on the road, the money for the train ticket now is not worth mentioning. Ordinary people have a heart, of course, they can go to the Central Plains. It's just that the Central Plains is vast, and I don't know where to go, so it's a bit troublesome. ”

Yuanzhi said: "Poor monks carefully Dharma, as long as you go to the famous mountain and temple, and exchange Buddhism with the monks, there is nothing." ”

After gossiping for a while, Du Zhongxiao said: "It's getting late, I prepared a feast in the back office to catch the wind for the master." I don't know if the master fasts or not? ”

Yuanzhi said: "Our Buddhism in the Western Regions is a little different from that of the Central Plains, and we do not fast. ”

Du Zhongxiao said: "This is the best. The atmosphere here in the Western Regions is a little different, although it is autumn now, there are not many vegetables, and it is really inconvenient to fast. The monks of the Central Plains are not all fasting, and there is a roast pig courtyard in the Daxiangguo Temple in the capital, and the business is excellent. ”

Yuanzhi said: "I have heard the name of the Great Xiangguo Temple for a long time, and I have always longed for it. When to go for a trip, only to fulfill the wish of the heart. ”

When he got up straight, Du Zhongxiao and Fu Bi accompanied Yuanzhi to the back office.

In order to prevent the elderly from rescuing Gaochang, Zhang Qi led his generals to camp at the valley mouth south of Gaochang, not in Liuzhong. The only important officials here are Du Zhongxiao and Fu Bi, who are much quieter.

The guests and hosts sat down, Du Zhongxiao held the wine, and said to Yuanzhi: "The imperial court sent troops to recruit Gaochang, which is a secular matter and has nothing to do with the master. Today's master will drink a glass of wine, use some wine and meat, and return to Gaochang tomorrow, so that the King of Beiting Khan can surrender as soon as possible. ”

Yuan held the wine glass in his hand and said, "If you are handsome, I will definitely bring it." How the King of Beiting Khan is, but it's not something I can control. ”

Du Zhongxiao said: "It's okay, no matter what he does, it has nothing to do with the master." If the king of Beiting Khan does not surrender, when it is time to attack the city, the master only needs to stay in the temple. I will command the soldiers to protect the temple and not conflict with the master. ”

Enji thanked him, and the three of them drank a glass of wine together.

After three rounds of drinking, some wine and food were used, and the topic was slowly released, and Du Zhongxiao asked about Buddhism in the Western Regions.

Yuanzhi said: "The religion of the Black Khanate is different, and in principle, they are not allowed to preach Buddhism in their territory, needless to say. In the country of Gaochang, there is now a monk in every big city, who is in charge of Buddhist affairs. The principle is that each city is unified and not subordinate to each other, and each city is autonomous. ”

Du Zhongxiao listened and said, "This is different from the Central Plains. In the Central Plains, there is a monk record, and the monks of the world are managed in a unified manner. In the future, it may be the same here in the Western Regions, and it will be set up as a monk and attributed to the meritorious department. ”

"Since it is under the rule of the imperial court, it should be in accordance with the laws of the imperial court." ”

In the Song Dynasty, the Kaifeng Mansion was also in charge of the merit division, and the monks all over the world had to take the exam before they could be killed, which was very different from the Western Regions. According to the Buddha country of the Western Regions, there are so many monks, and there are not so many degrees. After all, in addition to the degree issued by the exam, most of the degree of monks in the world actually comes from buying and selling, and it costs a lot of money a year. Since there is a Buddha country here, there should be a special system.

Du Zhongxiao didn't know much about Buddhism, just chatting about ordinary matters. It's different from Fubi, he is already strong in memory, and he knows a lot about the Buddhist scriptures, and when he talks about it with Yuanji, he has a lot to say.

Although Du Zhongxiao didn't know much about Buddhism, he knew that in politics, these ideological things were very important. The regime's jurisdiction over the localities, if not supported by ideology, can be very confusing. In this era, the knowledge he learned in his previous life was basically not of much use, and he still had to respect the place. For Enji, enough respect was given to prepare for the reign of the rear.