"It's snowing!" Du Zhongxiao looked at the snowflakes flying in the sky and muttered.

This year's snow fell exceptionally early, and it was falling before October. The warmth of the previous days was suddenly gone, and the sky and the earth suddenly became biting. The lively scene in Shengzhou City disappeared and suddenly became deserted.

Looking at the sky, Du Zhongxiao said: "Deputy envoy, judge, let's go out for a walk and find a glass of wine to drink." ”

Tian Jing said: "What the festival marshal said is that in such weather, it is not interesting to do anything, it is better to go out for a drink." ”

A few people walked together, left the official office, and went to the mall. There were no pedestrians on the road, and many shops were closed, except for snowflakes falling down the sky. There was already a thin layer of snowflakes on the ground, and when you stepped on it, it felt soft.

Fu Bi said: "Here in Shengzhou, it is much colder than the state and county on Shaanxi Road. When I was in Shaanxi before, although there was snow in October, it was not cold like this. Two days ago, I woke up early and found that it was already freezing at night. ”

Li Fugui said: "Deputy envoy, it has already frozen at night. I listened to people from upstream say that the Yellow River in Fengzhou is about to freeze. ”

Fu Bi shrunk his neck: "It's not yet October, the Yellow River is going to freeze, if you talk to the people of the Central Plains, how can you believe it!" Hequ Road is really cold here, and it doesn't make any sense at all! It's snowing this time, there's nothing special, don't go out of town in the future! ”

Du Zhongxiao said: "The air conditioner comes from the north, of course, it is so, the further north it is, the colder it is." I heard that in the place north of Yinshan, there are only a few days of summer in the year, and most of the time is cold. We have Yin Mountain here to block the cold, and the north of the mountain is much warmer. ”

Fu Bi said: "I heard that this is the case. Su Wu shepherds sheep on the north seaside, I heard that there is no summer, I don't know if it is or not. ”

A few gossiped as they arrived near the mall. Du Zhongxiao looked left and right and said, "Are we going to the official restaurant, or are we going to Wang Pu's shop over there?" This kind of weather, according to Wang Pu's shop, eating a mutton pot around is more feeling. ”

Fu Bi said: "Jie Shuai thinks so, then let's go to Wang Pu's shop." He still works hard in business, and the taste is acceptable. ”

In front of Wang Pu's store, a small guy hurriedly came over and welcomed Du Zhongxiao and others into the store. Wang Pu was behind the counter when he saw a busy run over and took a few people to the pavilion on the second floor. The people sat down and asked a few of them what they wanted to eat.

Du Zhongxiao felt that the pavilion was extraordinarily warm, and said to Wang Pu: "Unlike last year, have you added a warm kang here?" ”

Wang Pu said: "What the marshal said is true. I heard that the buildings in the government are all built with ondols, and when it is cold in winter, the fire is lit, and I don't feel the cold at all, so I specially added it to the store this year. If you feel hot, you can open the window over there so that you don't panic. ”

Du Zhongxiao nodded and said, "That's fine." A few of us, either from the Central Plains or from the south, really can't stand the cold of winter here on Hequ Road. Today let's start with a copper pot with two plates of lamb and a plate of beef. For the rest of the dishes, you look at them first. ”

Wang Pu promised, turned around and walked out of the pavilion, and went to prepare the dishes by himself. There is money from the minister in the government, and Du Zhongxiao plus the minister of his own festival envoy is used by the yamen, which is quite generous, and there is no need to reduce the wine and food. There is one table in the inner cabinet and two tables of the retinue outside, which does not cost much.

Du Zhongxiao felt a little hot, and said to everyone: "As soon as the fire is added in this pavilion, it is really not cold." It's not yet October, and it's not very cold, so how about opening the windows? ”

The rest of the people said yes together, and Du Zhongxiao piled up the window to see that the snow outside was already falling.

After a while, Wang Pu brought the copper pot and wine and food up, served three plates of meat, and said: "Jie Shuai, all officials, these are the cattle and sheep slaughtered today, and they are the freshest. You can use it slowly, just call me up if you need it. ”

Du Zhongxiao said: "That's pretty much it. The following entourage, let them eat more meat, today is really cold. ”

Wang Pu promised, withdrew with the servant, and closed the door of the pavilion.

After pouring the wine, Du Zhongxiao said: "Let's have a drink, eat sauce beef and cold vegetables, and wait for the pot to open." ”

After drinking a glass of wine and eating for a while, Du Zhongxiao said: "Yesterday, the official document from the imperial court said that Wei Chi Saburo was very knowledgeable and knew how to advance and retreat. Khotan is a Buddhist country, and Yu Chi Saburo is also a person who believes in Buddhism, and the imperial court has sent him to the Great Xiangguo Temple to learn Buddhism. In a few months, he may be sent to Wutai Mountain to familiarize himself with the Central Plains Buddhism. ”

Fu Bi ate a piece of beef in sauce and listened: "This Wei Chi Saburo, although it is said that after the Khotanese royal family, he is far away after all. What if we rebuild Khotan, and the king's descendants come in? ”

Du Zhongxiao said: "According to the news we got, when the country was broken, the Khotanese royal family was exhausted, and there should be no queen. Even if someone really comes to it, as long as there is no mistake, it is nothing more than to give an official position, so what's so difficult. In the final analysis, the Western Regions is not the Central Plains, and the conditions for complete counties and counties are not yet ripe. This Khotanese state is nothing more than to enhance the prestige of the imperial court and win the hearts of people everywhere, but it is not really a country. ”

Fu Bi said: "According to the mind of the handsome, in Khotan, which ones are they in charge of?" Which ones are under the control of the imperial court? It is always necessary to distinguish clearly, so that the two can go hand in hand. If we do not distinguish clearly, one country and two masters will inevitably cause trouble in the future. ”

Du Zhongxiao said: "Khotan already has two cities, the old and the new, in my mind, one of them is a military city, where a large army is stationed, and the other city is the new capital of Khotan. Except for the military affairs stationed there, the rest can be governed by the Khotanese state. A part of the land was set aside for the army station, and it belonged to the imperial court along with the military city. The rule of law in its territory saves a lot of trouble. ”

The population and tribes of the Western Regions are numerous. In addition to the natives, there were Turkic peoples, Uighurs, Sogdians, etc., as well as small tribes of various origins. The entry of the Song army, in a short period of time, should still be a situation of co-governance of all ethnic groups. Khotan is mainly indigenous, let them establish their own state, govern by themselves, and the central court is in charge of the military. Elsewhere, if possible, such kingdoms could also be established. If not, then go straight to the county. It's nothing more than learning from the river meandering road here, merging villages and towns, and the population lives in a concentrated manner.

Du Zhongxiao did this because the population of the Western Regions was too mixed, and each ministry was independent and had no common source. After the army entered, the cost of all the counties and counties was too great, and the imperial court was not able to catch it. There are only a few states on the Hequ Road, and the officials cannot be matched, and after entering the Western Regions, there will inevitably be more states and counties, and it will be too difficult to match the officials. It is better to establish a few kingdoms for the time being, rule according to customs, and slowly assimilate them.

Of course, there is another point, except for the Black Khan, the rest of the forces in the Western Regions are all Buddhist countries, which are different from the customs of the Central Plains. After more than 200 years of separation, Buddhism in the Western Regions has been too different from that of the Central Plains, and it takes time to gradually change its customs. At this time, Buddhism in the Western Regions, including Tibet, was different from the Tantric Buddhism of later generations, and the eminent monks of the Central Plains were extremely popular there. This is also the reason why the imperial court sent Yu Chi Saburo to Daxiangguo Temple and even to Wutai Mountain.

Fu Bi nodded, no objection to this. Nearly 50 years after the destruction of Khotan, the Black Khan preached fiercely, and many customs have changed. Not used in Khotan, it was not easy for the imperial army to enter.