The civil and military people were still talking in the tiled house. The people who spoke the most were Gao Xianning and He Kuisi, who were also the most knowledgeable thinkers around Zhu Gaoxu at present. However, Zhu Gaoxu was silent for a long time, and he paced around the table, listening to the ministers while thinking.

At this time, several people were discussing the question of the authenticity of the various signs. The most credible thing, of course, is that Arutai took the initiative to claim the title of vassal, which happened in Jingshi, and seeing is believing.

Second, Arutai intended to install the Korqin Adai as Great Khan, and the remnants of the Hamiwei Tatars included Mongol princes, and the reliability of these sources is limited. But it's not completely implausible, at least the source of the information is not groundless.

The most mysterious and unreliable is, of course, the inferences of the monarchs and ministers, many of which are not supported by any evidence.

But Zhu Gaoxu only grasped one point, and Arutai took the initiative to claim that his subordinates were entitled, which is indeed a bit abnormal. And Zhu Gaoxu recognized what He Kuisi said before: Many things in the world are unreasonable, but a powerful person like Arutai always has some plans to do things.

"I just want to see how godly the two Tatars are, Arutai and Dehuochi." Zhu Gaoxu suddenly spoke.

Everyone immediately fell silent.

Zhu Gaoxu turned his head and said, "Cao Fu, go and bring me the map and see how far this place is from Hamiwei." ”

He Kui said: "On the Holy Side, Ningxia Mansion (Yinchuan) is nearly three thousand miles away from Hamiwei. Jingshi is more than 3,000 miles away from Ningxia Mansion, and it is estimated that the distance traveled by the Northern Patrol during this period of time is about 2,000 miles from here to Ningxia Mansion. ”

Zhu Gaoxu asked, "Because of Ling Zun's position in Ningxia Mansion?" ”

He Kuisi was stunned for a moment, and hurriedly said: "Back to the saint, exactly." My father worked for the imperial court, and the ministers also heard about everything. ”

Gao Xianning said: "The Holy Lord intends to transfer troops to save the remnants of the Tatars? ”

Zhu Gaoxu said: "There are not only Tatars, but also our escorts. ”

Gao Xianning said: "Holy Mingjian, I'm afraid this matter is a little difficult. First, the road is long, and it may be too late in time. Second, he could only order the Marquis of Ning Yuan (He Fu) to transfer cavalry from Ningxia Prefecture, and even in a hurry, he could only transfer troops from the guards of the Hexi Corridor, which would affect the defense of the northwest for a period of time. Third, we know very little about this matter, and we cannot determine the strength, time, and place of the Watt Thorn attack. ”

He Kuisi also persuaded: "The minister's inference is just a guess, and there is no certainty. Whether the Varspurs would attack or not, and how they knew when the Tatar remnants would travel, is uncertain. It is very likely that the Watt Thorns will not come at all, and if the soldiers are asked to run for nothing, the central officials of the imperial court may be criticized by the border army. ”

Zhu Gaoxu looked at He Kuisi and said in his heart: He Fu's son has a good brain, but he really lacks experience in difficult situations, so he can't bear the pressure.

"Don't worry, don't worry." Zhu Gaoxu said, "You are just giving advice, helping to come up with ideas, and the person who makes the decision is me." Who makes the decisions, who is responsible for the consequences. If I blame you for the wrong idea, who will dare to speak in the future? ”

He Kuisi hurriedly said: "The ministers are willing to assist the saint with all their hearts, and ask the saint to think twice before deciding." ”

At this time, Cao Fu brought the map, and Zhu Gaoxu took out one to see, wanting to see some clues from it. However, the map information at this point is too simple

It's a little rough, and he can't see anything.

However, Zhu Gaoxu looked back and thought that He Fu had fought in the northwest during the Hongwu period, and He Fu must have a better understanding of the situation.

Zhu Gaoxu pondered for a long time. According to He Kuisi's speculation, the cooperation between Arutai and Dehuochi is indeed wonderful, which has aroused Zhu Gaoxu's competitive spirit. Of course, what He Kuisi said was not necessarily right, and Zhu Gaoxu didn't want to make a mistake in his judgment and become like a nervous fool.

"You're all right, the decree and the military order are not child's play." Zhu Gaoxu weighed it for a moment and said, "I will think about it for another night, and make an order early tomorrow morning." ”

Several people bowed one after another: "Holy Wisdom." ”

…… In early August, the team that set off from Hami had already embarked on the road to the Ming Dynasty itself.

There were hundreds of people in the group, and the composition was quite complicated. In addition to the remnants of the Tatars, there were also several soldiers of the hundred households who came to meet the Ming army, the Han Chinese officials in charge of negotiations, and a small group of Mongols sent by the Hami State.

Most of the people ride camels, but there are also a small number of horses. Because there are large sections of the Gobi and desert along the way, camels are more adaptable, and horses need more food and water than people, which undoubtedly increases the burden of carrying supplies.

Asari sat on a camel, and the fabric of her clothes wrapped her like a rice dumpling. She was wearing a black robe, and her head and face were also covered with black turbans, revealing only a pair of eyes, just like the black-clothed eater woman who appeared in the Western Regions before. However, the Mongols of the Asut tribe were indeed Mongolized tribes of the Persians, and most of the Mongols at this time also converted to Islam.

It rarely rains here, and the last few days have been no exception, with the sun being very strong during the day and blankets and bedding at night.

Asari turned her head to look at the surrounding scene, only to see the yellow sand full of eyes, the Gobi Mountains in the distance undulating rocks, and there were no people in all directions. Between heaven and earth, it seems that there is only their team, and there is no living thing else.

The Mongolian prime minister on the side, Dehuochi, glanced at her and said, "In a few days, I will be in Guazhou." There are oasis pastures, sweet streams, and fragrant roast sheep. ”

Asari nodded slightly. But the people around heard it, and the originally lifeless atmosphere suddenly became lively, and everyone began to talk about Guazhou's products and Xiaoniang.

Dehuochi said in Mongolian again: "After leaving Guazhou, which is rich in products, until I reach Jiayuguan, there are gradually more oases along the way. Entering Jiayuguan is the Hexi Corridor, full of crops, cattle and sheep. Since the Han Dynasty, most of the time that place has been firmly occupied by the Han people. ”

Asari could hear the melancholy in Flame's words.

Dehuo Chi is a prime minister and well-informed. Asari didn't know much about it, and her mouth was under the black veil and asked, "Why don't the steppe people come and occupy that good pasture?" ”

"Weather." Offfire pointed to it.

Asari didn't think much of it, and subconsciously looked up from where he pointed, there was nothing in the sky, and the clear blue sky was very clean.

Detachment did not speak again, and everyone continued on their way.

As Dehuochi said, it didn't take a few days for the team to reach the Guazhou area. The long-lost expanse of greenery comes into view, and the locals not only graze their cattle on the flat pastures, but also cultivate many fields. Through the Han Chinese officials, the people were well supplied and then traveled east.

As long as they arrived at Jiayuguan, everyone no longer had to worry about water and supplies. Asari and the others were a little worried, but it was just the local Han people.

She was in a strange mood. Having lived on the grassland before, she was not afraid of the Han people at all, and even despised them a little most of the time, because most of the Han people she saw were very thin slaves. But after entering the land of the Han people, Asari's heart was shrouded in inexplicable fear, after all, it was on someone else's territory.

Although she was comforted several times, telling her that the Tatars had reached a peace agreement with the Han Chinese, and that the Han people who accompanied her would help them; But Asari was still worried, in addition to the fear of the stranger, she was also worried that Benyari's Khan son was here, and that the matter would be known to the Han Chinese. After all, the news seems to have been leaked, and if the king of Hami (King Zhongshun) can know about it, then more people may know.

Along the way, large fields and pastures gradually disappeared, and they soon entered a place full of desert. The wind is also very strong, and it seems to go down every day. Even the Han people who traveled with them wrapped their heads and faces with cloth towels, otherwise people would have their mouths full of sand.

The desert here looks flat, but in fact it is undulating, and Asari doesn't see far as she squints ahead. For the last two days, they have been walking to higher ground.

The wind was loud, and the whistling sound in the distance seemed to be a howl of a ghost crying god.

At this moment, Asari faintly saw a dark figure appear in the desert in front of her, and she hurriedly looked closely, and felt that there seemed to be a man on horseback standing there. "Prime Minister......" Asari called. When she turned her head to look for the fire red, she saw that the fire red was also looking on the camel's back.

After a while, several other figures appeared. Immediately shouts rang out, and the accompanying Han people were shouting in Chinese. There are some Han Chinese slaves on the grassland, and Asari has been in contact with the Han people a lot lately, so she can understand some words, and one of the generals is saying: "There may be an enemy situation, so let the teams prepare for battle!" The horsemen stepped forward to check. ”

There were more and more figures in front of them, all of them on horseback.

Many people in the procession began to panic, people stopped the camels, and a few people's camels ran in all directions.

Three horsemen spread out and rushed forward, two with bows and arrows, and one with a cherry spear. The group had stopped, and Asari was perched on the back of a camel, watching the sporadic rides in the wind and sand.

After a long time, there was a faint sound of strings, and a Ming knight fell off his horse in response.

In the brigade here, a person immediately shouted: "Circle the array!" ”

The Ming soldiers quickly jumped off their camels and formed an infantry formation, surrounding the camels, civil officials, and Tatars.

And the two cavalrymen left in the distance, after rescuing the man who had been hit by the arrow, also turned around and rode back to this side. The enemy cavalry in the distance ahead rushed over on horseback.

When the cavalry returned, they said in Chinese: "Mongols, Mongol cavalry!" ”

When the Tatars around Ashari heard this, someone said in Mongolian dialect: "The Tatar tribe cannot appear here, and the men and horses of King Su are not our enemies." Those enemies are the Watts. ”

Another voice said, "How do the Watters know about our whereabouts?" How did they get here when they were so far away? ”

No one answered the question, and there was a noise on all sides.