Western Regions, which is a geographical term in a broad sense. In the case of the Zhou Dynasty, it stretched from Dunhuang in the east to the Aral Sea in the west, the Amu Darya Valley, and the Tocharian region (including present-day Afghanistan and northern Pakistan). It is bounded by Yibohai and Junggar Desert in the north, and Kunlun Mountains and Qinghai-Tibet Plateau in the south.

In this vast territory of thousands of miles from east to west, due east, there is a small corner of the desert that connects the heavens and the earth: Dunhuang.

In the fourteenth year of Yongzhi, the dynasty sent 100,000 troops, mobilized the Beijing camp and the nine-border elite soldiers, and conquered the Western Regions, so as to have the whole territory. It has jurisdiction over 28 state capitals and military towns, with a total population of about 40 million. In the spring of the eighteenth year of Yongzhi, the entire territory of the Western Regions was lost.

On August 10, Jia Huan and a group of more than 50 people left Jiayuguan, and arrived at the Dunhuang boundary 700 miles away on the 13th, stepping into this stretching Western Regions painting.

The evening sun shines on the endless yellow sand. The sunset is beautiful. At the end of the horizon, the outline of the oasis and the walls became clearer.

On the bare Gobi Desert, Jia Huan and his party were galloping, and the sound of horses' hooves shook the earth!

This sudden intrusion of the cavalry team attracted the attention of the military camps and sentry posts scattered all over the city of Dunhuang. The majestic, desolate trumpet sounded in the sunset. Pull Jia Huan back from the emotions of hanging the past and the present.

During the three-day journey, riding a horse, looking at the Gobi Desert, suddenly saw the oasis with abundant water and grass, the joy can be imagined! What's more, in Jia Huan's previous life, he also traveled to Dunhuang. The splendid Buddhist culture here is amazing.

Dunhuang at this moment is very different from the Dunhuang he came to see at that time. How could he not be emotional?

However, the smell of war came from the pavement!

After a while, a ten-man scout team approached from the barracks. Xiaoqi, who was about 20 years old, wore a red tasseled headband, chain mail, a red mandarin duck jacket, a knife across his waist, and a bow and arrow. On horseback there are quivers, fire guns.

Xiaoqi, surnamed Wei, took his subordinates and checked the documents and waist cards of Jia Huan and others one by one, and then released them. Loose on the outside and tight on the inside.

"Lord Jia, three miles west of the city, it is where the governor's palace is located." Wei Xiaoqi informed Jia Huan where the Governor's Mansion was. Make a military salute, turn over your horse, and gallop away.

In the military salute of the national dynasty, the head is raised and the chest is raised, the right upper arm is pressed against the side of the chest, the lower arm is bent to the inside of the left shoulder, and the fingertips touch the collarbone near the neck. The implication is: the way of the right, the supremacy of Han unification.

Jia Huan watched the waiting team go away, rode on a horse, and looked at the military camps scattered around Dunhuang. The camp is left and right, and the law is strict. There is also a distance, which is not strong, and the Dunhuang City is shorter than Jiayuguan.

Shen Qian rode to Jia Huan's side, looked at the scenery between the vast world in the evening, and said happily: "Ziyu, we have arrived!" He wanted to participate in the Western Expedition and make meritorious contributions. Arrive at your destination with joy.

"Hmm." Jia Huan nodded with emotion and shouted, "Drive!" "Take the lead and gallop towards Dunhuang City. The cavalry behind him rode and followed!

Dunhuang!

The bright pearl of the Silk Road, where the eastern and western cultures meet. Huarong is a metropolis. Humanities and cultures. In the Ming Dynasty, due to the war, the army and civilians were moved to Jiayuguan, and Guazhou and Shazhou were abandoned. Since then, the Dunhuang countryside has gradually decayed. The wind sowing building is thousands of miles in the sky, and the moon shines on the quicksand for another day.

After the dynasty was established, the Shazhou Guard, Hami Wei and other guards in the early Ming Dynasty were reset. Tuntian reclamation. Development of Dunhuang and Guazhou. At this time, Dunhuang was fertile for thousands of miles. There are more than 100,000 acres of fertile land, which is irrigated by the Dangxiang River, and is an oasis in the desert. With the resumption of the Silk Road, the Kingdom conquered the Western Regions, and business travel resumed and regained its vitality.

At the same time, this famous city is also the end of his westward journey!

It started at the end of May and arrived today near the Mid-Autumn Festival in August. It lasted nearly three months. All the way to the mountains, trekking through mountains and rivers, wearing stars and moons. He's finally here!

This is not only the end of his westward journey, but also the starting point of his westward expedition!

At this time, the entire territory of the Western Regions has been lost, and this is the only place left.

However, the shore of the land is not the king's land! The hometown of the Han and Tang dynasties should be restored now.

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…

On August 13, Jia Huan arrived in Dunhuang. Pang Ze, Shen Qian, and Cheng You, a staff member of the Governor's Palace, greeted him at the city gate. Arrange a meeting and banquet with the powerful landlords of Dunhuang, the Hu merchants, and the grain merchants, and set it for tomorrow night.

Cheng You settled Jia Huan in a post house in the south of the city. Most of the civil officials who returned from Qiuzi City gathered here. Jia Huan has several acquaintances.

For example: hostile, the former left deputy capital Yushi, and the current political envoy of the Western Regions Han Bo'an. At that time, Scholar He ascended and descended secretly, and kicked it to the Western Regions. Unexpectedly, Jia Huan met him again in the Western Regions.

For example: the backbone of the Fujian Party, the friend of Ji Xingsheng, the secretary of the Ministry of Industry, and the Ministry of Justice, but Wang Bachelor Wang Lan, who was sacrificed. His son once knelt in front of Huamo Mansion and kowtowed and begged for mercy. He served as the official secretary of the Western Regions (from the sixth grade).

Cheng You was tall and thin, with a slightly cold attitude. He questioned Jia Huan in Beijing that day and was slapped in the face. After arranging Jia Huan and his entourage, he said: "Brother Jia, Governor Qi is taking the generals to inspect the defense area on the front line of Guazhou and Changle. It will be a few days before returning. Brother Jia was busy with his own tasks first. ”

The topography of the entire Western Regions, east of the Green Ridge and west of Dunhuang. It can be roughly described as "three mountains and two pots".

The Tien Shan and Kunlun Mountains in the center are sandwiched by the Tarim Basin. The Tien Shan and Altai Mountains are sandwiched by the Junggar Basin.

The army of the ancient tribe of Baye must have started from Qiuzi, which was located at the northern foot of the Tianshan Mountains, and attacked through the areas of Beiting, Gaochang, and Yiwu. Passing through the desert of Puchanghai and Loulan's hometown, it is less likely to attack Dunhuang.

Therefore, it lives in Guazhou, northwest of Dunhuang, and is closer to the front line than Dunhuang.

Jia Huan had already read the map many times, knew it in his heart, and calmly arched his hand: "Thank you Brother Cheng for informing me." ”

"No thanks." Cheng You nodded coldly, bowed his hand to Jia Huan and the others at the door of the small courtyard on the east side of the post house, and turned to leave.

A moment later, the news of Jia Huan's arrival in Dunhuang quickly spread throughout the city of Dunhuang.

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Dunhuang, abundant water and grass, fertile fields for thousands of miles. However, there is only one county in its territory. It is the capital of Shazhou Prefecture of the Great Zhou.

At the same time, because of its geography and topography, its influence in the entire Western Regions is very weak. It is located in the easternmost part of the entire Western Regions, bordering the desert to the west and the sandbar to the east. To the north is the mountain range, the North Courtyard Grassland

In the Tang Dynasty, there were four towns in Anxi, and even though Dunhuang was the center of the entire Liangzhou culture, the westernmost point of the Hexi Corridor, and the pearl on the Silk Road, it was still not a military town. Its radiation range is too narrow.

In such a county, the outline of the city is limited, and all kinds of news spread quickly. Jia Huan was famous all over the world, and at the same time served as the quartermaster of the army, and made appointments with merchants and local magnates (gentry) inside and outside Dunhuang City, intending to buy grain. His arrival is of particular interest.

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…

In a gorgeous mansion in the east of Dunhuang City. The night is faint. Hu Ji is musical, the music is unrestrained and enthusiastic.

A chubby Hu merchant leaned on the Hu chair, happily admiring the agile dance of the twelve Han girls in front of him: the ribbons in his hands were flying, the golden yellow thin shirt was close to the body, and the snow-white waist was exposed. The long skirt under the body is curvaceous.

In the whole territory of the Western Regions, the general trend at this time is that there is no one in Hu Daochang and Han. The Han girl is a slave!

There were also four or five Hu businessmen to accompany him. They all raised their glasses and drank and laughed sometimes.

In the city of Dunhuang, the Han people, Tuyuhun, Yueshi and Qiang people are the mainstay. These Hu businessmen are basically Tuyuhun people.

A hook-nosed, blue-eyed businessman asked, "Guli, Senator Jia wants to buy cattle and sheep, can we sell them?" ”

Gu Li is the fat Hu Shang in the middle, wearing brown exquisite satin, squinting his small eyes, and said with a smile: "Sell, why don't you sell?" Of course it is to be sold. However, sell at the price we set. 50 silver dollars per head of sheep. 300 silver dollars a head of cattle. ”

Hu Shang, who asked the question, hesitated slightly, "This..."The normal market price is about 10 silver dollars for a live sheep. The price of a scalper is around 100 silver dollars.

A bearded merchant groaned, "Guli, I'm afraid this is a bit difficult. Inside and outside the city of Dunhuang, a large army gathered, and we sold it at a high price on military supplies..."

Gu Li smiled indifferently: "What is this?" In the past, there was a shortage of grain in the Central Plains, but there was a grain merchant who sold grain cheaply? Who is not selling at a high price? If he dares to buy and sell, he will have Master Miao to uphold justice for us. ”

All the Hu businessmen immediately let go of their worries, as if the name "Master Miao" had magical powers.

At this time, the dance was over. Twelve pretty men and women were present, waiting to be selected. Guli smiled and raised his glass, and said, "Come, everyone, let's drink this cup to the full." Then the beauty pageants accompanied the wine. ”

The merchants laughed. The atmosphere in the hall was warm again.

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When the Hu merchants discussed, the heroes in Dunhuang City also connected in tandem to discuss countermeasures. It is foreseeable that tomorrow's wine banquet will inevitably be a Hongmen banquet. How can it be possible to give high prices for food purchased in the army?

The surplus grain in the landlord's house is not willing to be sold cheaply.

At the same time, in the palace of the deputy general in the city, a handsome middle-aged man was drinking alone to the moon. Outside the window, the shadow of the moon shuttled through the clouds, falling on his knife-shaped features. He had just received a report from his subordinates that Jia Huan, the transfer envoy of the Western Expedition and the left senator, had arrived in Dunhuang.

He was Miao Qi, the general of the Longxiang battalion who stabilized the front-line situation in Dunhuang and Guazhou before the arrival of the imperial court's western expeditionary army. After Qi Chi arrived in Dunhuang, he was promoted to deputy general with merit. It has jurisdiction over Longxiang Battalion, Hamiwei and Shazhou Left Military Battalion, totaling 20,000 people.

Miao Qi pinched his wine glass and said to himself: "Jia Huan..."

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Dunhuang and Guazhou are about 200 miles apart. Jia Huan arrived in Dunhuang around the evening. Cheng You later sandwiched the news in an official document and passed it to Qi Chi, who was in Guazhou.

At about 10 o'clock in the evening, Qi Chi was soaking his feet in the military tent. Outside the tent, the cold wind howled. It's cold outside.

And the cold weather also means that the big war is not far away. On the grassland, it has always been the most suitable for large-scale use of troops in autumn. Winter is not suitable for big battles.

Qi Chi was dressed in a light fur, sitting in a chair, flipping through official documents. At this time, Zeng Jigao came in from outside the tent, looked at the governor who was soaking his feet, and said, "Dashuai, Jia Ziyu has arrived in Dunhuang." His grain and grass preparations are still 70,000 stones. Ready to buy in Dunhuang. ”

Qi Chi nodded slightly, a smile appeared on his face, and said, "Ziyu came at the right time!" ”

Zeng Jigao was slightly stunned. He felt that the confidence of the marshal seemed to have increased. But what use can the quartermaster go to the front line in the overall situation at this time?

Zeng Jigao was a little puzzled. But it didn't come out. Let's talk a little about the situation of military preparations: Due to the issuance of bonds in the Western Regions, 30 million silver dollars were obtained, and the military was sufficient for the time being. Jia Huan, Hu Chi is very well prepared.

After a while, he said goodbye and left.