Ninety-six meeting
The appearance of caravans in the steppes is not unusual. Even though there is a war between the Mongols and the Kereh, the more there is a war, the more business opportunities there are, so many businessmen will not miss this opportunity. However, caravans generally choose to walk from places where aquatic prey is abundant, rather than such remote places.
Temujin thought as the caravan apparently spotted the Mongols and stopped far away.
At this time, Temujin discovered that the scale of this caravan was not small, the whole team had not a thousand people but eight hundred, and the size of the vehicles was about more than a hundred, it seemed to be a large caravan, but because this was not the men and horses of the Kerebu. Temujin was not too worried, on the contrary, he welcomed it, because he could exchange it with them for something he needed at the moment.
Therefore, Temu was really thinking about what he could trade with at the moment, and he planned to send someone up to greet the caravan, indicating that he was not hostile. At this moment, two horsemen ran out of the caravan and galloped towards the Mongol army.
As it got closer, Temujin also saw it, and couldn't help shouting, "It's Huo'erchi." ”
The other generals also recognized Huo'erchi, and some people recognized another person: it turned out to be Chalahan, He'er's father-in-law. I didn't think these two would be in this caravan.
However, it immediately occurred to Temujin that the Zabal Fire Collector had said that Huo'er Chi would bring the envoys of the Song Dynasty to the grassland to meet with him, so there would probably be envoys from the Song Dynasty in this caravan. Temujin couldn't help but be surprised and delighted, he had been looking forward to the arrival of the Song envoys, but he did not expect to meet the Song envoys in this situation.
However, the others did not have as much scheming as Temujin, and Huo'er Chi was a very respected old man in the Mongolian tribe, and he was also very shrewd and witty, and he was very liked, so he couldn't bear it and greeted him.
Huo'er Chi came to the Mongolian army surrounded by everyone, turned over and dismounted and came to Temujin, grabbed Temujin's hand, shook it again and again, and said excitedly: "Great Khan, you are fine, it's really good." On the way, I heard that our army had been defeated by the Kerebu, and I was so impressed. ”
Temujin laughed and said, "Don't worry, Huo'erchi. Isn't that all right for me? Are you okay along the way? How did Tsarakhan end up with you? And what's going on with this caravan? ”
Huo'er Chi slapped his forehead and said, "Look at me so happy, I forgot all about business." Then he leaned into Tie Yuzhen's ear and said, "This is not an ordinary caravan, this is an envoy group of the Song Dynasty." It was the concubines and princesses of the Song Dynasty who personally came to meet with the Great Khan. But please keep your voice out for now. ”
Temujin nodded, saw Charakhan, comforted him a few more words, asked him to take him to rest, and then immediately gathered the generals to listen to Huo'erchi tell him what had happened.
This caravan was indeed made up of envoys from the Song Dynasty.
It turned out that after Zhao Chen agreed to let Yang Yan go to the grassland to meet Temujin in person, he began to make active preparations. Because the envoy to Mongolia had to pass through the land of Western Xia, it was better to disguise himself as a caravan. However, in the DPRK, only Zhao Chen, Han Yanzhi, Zhao Xiangyu, Wang Yan, and Xin Qiji knew about this matter, and nominally, it was Yang Yan who served as the head of the soldiers and horses on the east and west roads of Lizhou, and was responsible for inspecting the northwest border.
This time to Mongolia, the preparation is also very sufficient, Zhao Yueru is determined to go with Yang Yan, and Zhang Wei is also taken by Yang Yan, and Ling Xiang and Huang Mingxia are transferred from the staff department, and thirty capable members. In addition, twenty female soldiers were selected from the Jingyan Army to serve by Zhao Yueru's side. In order to ensure the safety of the halfway, 300 people were selected from the Ma Jun Si Xiao Cavalry Army and the Infantry Si Xiongwu Army, including 150 people each from the Jujia Cavalry Army and the Heavy Mazha Sword Army, all of which were led by Qi Dazhu, but they all disguised themselves as merchants.
At this time, Wu Kuang and Wu Qing, brother and sister, also came to Jiankang to report. It turned out that after the Jin army was repulsed, both of them were rewarded, but because of their father's death, they have been worried at home and have not served in the army, so they did not participate in the battle against Western Xia. Now that Ding Wei is over, he came to report to the Jiankang Privy Council.
Because there was no errand for their brother and sister for the time being, they were also taken by Yang Yan, Wu Kuang was Qi Dazhu's deputy, leading the military horses, and Wu Qing followed Zhao Yueru and went to the grassland together.
When Lai Wenzheng received the news, he didn't dare to be careless, and immediately began to organize a caravan, organized more than 60 people into the lurking personnel, and recruited another 150 real caravan members, so as to really look like a caravan, led by himself, Suzaku and Zhao Cao, and only Yang Yan led people to sneak into Western Xia, and the two sides converged together into the grassland.
Of course, with such a big movement and flow of people, it is impossible to completely hide it from Western Xia. Lai Wenzheng also contacted Ren Dejing, and did not hide him, only said that the Great Song Dynasty wanted to use the alliance with Mongolia to attack the Jin State in the north and south, so he would send an envoy to Mongolia to meet the Mongol Khan Temujin in the guise of a caravan to discuss the affairs of the alliance. Of course, Lai Wenzheng did not mention that Yang Yan and Zhao Yueru were also in the mission.
The contact between the Song Dynasty and Mongolia was all through Western Xia, and Ren Dejing was also aware of it. So Ren Dejing is not surprised. He now needs to rely on the power of the Song Dynasty, and if he makes such a request to the Song Dynasty, he naturally has to do it. Moreover, the garrison of the Jin State in Xiazhou is a great threat to Ren Dejing, and it is also beneficial for Ren Dejing to join forces with Song and Mongolia to attack the Jin State. So he was also very active in helping.
With Ren Dejing's care, the envoys of the Song Dynasty and the Mongolian envoy Huo Erchi and others who remained in the Song Dynasty entered Western Xia in batches, and joined Lai Wenzheng and others in Lingzhou, and quickly formed a huge caravan of more than 900 people, and there were nearly 600 horses, a total of 95 large and small vehicles, of which 30 were armor and weapons loaded with soldiers. In terms of name, the caravan was still led by Ali and a few other big food merchants, and then went north along the Yellow River and entered the prairie from the Yanjun Division of Heishui Town.
At this time, the battle of the Red Willow Forest took place between the Mongols and the Kereh. However, the steppe tribes have never attacked caravans, so everyone is not too worried. The caravan was led by Huo'er Chi and advanced towards Wendurhan Mountain. When he arrived near Wenduerhan Mountain, he heard that the Mongol army had been defeated, and Tie Shuzhen fled with the remnants, Huo'er Chi was very anxious, and led the caravan to the east along the Tilulian River to find the remnants of the Mongol army.
Although they also encountered the army of the Kereb tribe along the way, they were really very polite to the caravan, and Ali and others came forward to give some gifts, which was easy to hide. On the bank of the Tilulian River, the caravan encountered Charakhan, the father-in-law of He'er.
It turned out that after their team was broken up by the Kreh army, Hejia'er broke through the siege with his young son and fled, and Hejia'er's wife and two other sons were captured by the Kree's army. Charakhan hid in a pile of corpses and pretended to be dead, so he narrowly escaped this fate. After the Kreh army retreated, Tsarakhan got up and was about to look for Temujin, but he encountered Yang Yan's caravan.
Knowing Tsarakhan of Tsarakhan, he immediately rescued him and learned from him that it was possible for Temujin to return to the camp in the fishing sea from the banks of the Tsunan River. The caravan was well stocked, so it immediately turned back and searched for the Mongol army along the river of Urnan, and finally found the remnants of the Mongol army by the Banjuni River. So Yang Yan ordered the caravan to wait in place, and asked Huo'erchi and Charakhan to meet Temujin first to explain the caravan's intention.
After listening to Huo'erchi's words, Temujin also briefly told Huo'erchi about the battle in the Red Willow Forest this time. Huo'er Chi was also very sad to hear the news of his death in battle, but now that the envoy of the Song Dynasty had arrived, he asked Temujin how to receive the Great Song delegation.
Tie Qi is really a little embarrassed. He has always hoped to form an alliance with the Song Dynasty, but he has just lost the battle, if it is in the camp, it is fine, but now although he has received the assistance of the Yiqi Si Department, but there is only no shortage of food, almost all the Mongolian warriors are untidy, and the vast majority of them have not bathed for more than ten days, so they are unkempt and very embarrassed.
And the Great Song Dynasty obviously attached great importance to this alliance, and sent the princess and the horse as envoys, and the way he is now is indeed not the time to meet the envoys of the Song Dynasty.
At this time, the Zabal Fire Scholar also saw Temujin's embarrassed appearance, and said: "Great Khan, even if the envoys of the Song Dynasty come with the scriptures, they can't avoid it. But we do look a little too ugly. This is not far from Kuoyi Haizi, only less than a day's journey, I think it is better for us to set off immediately, go to Kuoyi Haizi first, at least let the soldiers wash their bodies a little, and then meet with the envoys of the Great Song Dynasty. I was very familiar with Yang Juma during the Song Dynasty, and I went to explain it to him clearly, and I believe he would be able to understand. ”
Temujin thought for a moment, nodded, and said, "That's the only way to go, you go!" I prepared the whole army to go. ”
Zaba'er Fire Man borrowed a clean suit from Xiao Bald, cleaned up his body again, and then came to the caravan with Huo'er Chi to see Yang Yan.
Seeing Zaba'er's fireman, Yang Yan was also startled, and said, "Mr. Zaba'er, how did you make it like this." Then he ordered a bucket of water to be brought at once, and the one who was on fire in Zabal should wash it first, and then say that he would live.
Zaba'er Huoist smiled bitterly, and it was inconvenient to refuse Yang Yan's kindness, so he first found a corner, washed up briefly, and then came to see Yang Yan, and told him about the defeat of the Red Willow Forest and the plan between himself and Temujin just now.
Yang Yan pondered for a while and said, "Mr. Zaba'er, I don't think it's necessary. is also a military general, so he naturally knows that victory or defeat is still a common thing. Mongolia will not be despised for this. So I hope to be able to meet Temujin Khan right away. ”
"This ......" Zaba'er Fire Man hesitated slightly, but still said, "Okay! If the Pony so wishes, then I will reply to the Great Khan at once and see his opinion. ”
(Full Text)