Snow falls at different times in every place, such as those relatively close to the North and South Poles and at relatively high altitudes, and is usually the first place of the year when it snows.

In the vast territory of the empire, the first snow to fall was in Liaodong, and then in the grasslands of the north.

Liaodong was the empire's closest territory to the North Pole, and the Donghu territory further northeast was already snowing heavily long before the counties of Liaodong began to snow.

The grasslands in the north of the empire can be regarded as high-altitude areas, and it is already the snow season in October every year, but the snow has begun to fall in the Western Regions in mid-September, does it mean that the altitude of the Western Regions is higher than that of the grasslands in the northern part of the empire?

In fact, the altitude of the grasslands in the Western Regions and the northern frontier of the empire is basically not much different, they are all more than one thousand meters, but relatively speaking, the individual places of the grasslands in the northern frontier of the empire are about two or three hundred meters higher.

"Hundreds of miles further southwest is the plateau, which is extremely sparsely populated, and there are a small number of yak-raising savage tribes." Shea has already introduced a lot about the recent situation in the Western Regions: "The last time your country fought with Touman, the savages on the plateau were encircled, and nearly 10,000 people came out to stand on Touman's side. ”

The so-called plateau is the Tubo of the Tang Dynasty, the West ~ Tibet of later generations, the empire has plans to occupy there, but it has been tried many times, and the troops on the plateau cannot adapt to the plateau climate, and they are forced to retreat every time they have not been able to drive far.

There are indeed some yak-raising tribes living on the plateau, and the tribes there are usually not too big, rarely more than a thousand tribes, basically dozens or hundreds of people. The expedition team of the empire also found that the plateau was basically in a primitive society, where people relied on gathering, hunting, and herding cattle and sheep, which can be regarded as a semi-nomadic and semi-agricultural state.

"It's not clear how many people there are on the plateau, some say at least hundreds of thousands, some say at most 30,000." She'a should be more inclined to the former, and said: "After all, the Huns didn't go deep into the plateau to entangle 10,000 people to stand on their side to participate in the war, so how could there be only 30,000 or 40,000 people alive on the deeper plateau?" ”

Han Xin and Yu Fanjun draw a conclusion from some of Shea's descriptions. Wusun estimates that he doesn't know much more about the plateau than the empire, at least the Wusun people don't know that the Qiang people live on the plateau, and the basin below the plateau also has a lot of Qiang people.

For the Empire, the Qiang people are not a threat, and sometimes they are even helped, at least the Empire's exploration team has received help from many Qiang tribes on the plateau, and has also accepted a small number of Qiang people. Make it a helper for the Empire's exploration of the plateau.

The term Qiang first appeared in the Yin Shang period, and generally referred to some uneducated, semi-agricultural and semi-nomadic savage tribes, generally living in the northwest region of the Yellow River, relatively close to the plateau and the Tuyuhun Basin.

During the Qin Mugong era, the Qiang people in the west became the object of the Qin people's integration, and most of the Qiang people were concentrated in the Qingtang area in order to avoid being annexed. Since then, Qingtang has been the habitat of the Qiang people, and they have expanded around Qingtang for hundreds of years...... It doesn't seem to be called expansion either? It should be said that it migrated, and then spread all over Qingtang for hundreds of miles. It has become the main ethnic group on the plateau.

There are also records about the Qiang people in some historical records of the Zhou royal family, and it is rumored that the Qiang people are the shepherds of Dayu, and it is also said that Dayu is a descendant of Xiqiang. In the records of the Zhou royal family, the Qin State with the surname Zhao Ying was actually from the Qiang species of Tianshui. Therefore, the Qin State has the conclusive conclusion that "Qin Zhi is Rong, and there is no doubt about it", and the "Rong" here refers to the Qiang in the west of Guanzhong, and it is rumored that the successive Qin monarchs of the Qin State also issued decrees. It is said that it is forbidden to use troops against the Qiangrong tribe in the west.

In fact, for a long time, the Qin State did not participate in the conquest of the princes under the command of the Zhou royal family, and it took about 200 years to integrate a considerable number of "Rong" and expand the vast territory in the west. It also added hundreds of thousands of people to the Qin state.

Whether in the eyes of Huaxia or the Qiang people themselves, the Qiang people have never been a whole, and "Qiang" is even a name that has been imposed on the head, all because the Qiang people love lambs. In fact, they do not call themselves Qiang, but call themselves "Rimai" or "Erma", which means people on the clouds. It can also be seen from here that most of their habitats are at higher altitudes, that is, closest to clouds.

The empire expanded westward, and the land of Jincheng County was next to the habitat of the Qiang people, and the county was established, but to be honest, the population was a little pitiful, and even because of the small number of garrisons, Qiang tribes often wandered into the territory. Because they found that there were many wandering Qiang tribes, when they gave back to the center of the empire, many officials put forward the idea of "peaceful evolution" in view of the example of the Qin state that had integrated a large number of Qiang people, believing that the empire could learn from the former Qin state. However, it didn't take long for new news to come from Jincheng County, and the Qiang people who had wandered into the territory of the empire were frequently attacking civilians or garrisons, which made the officials who said that they wanted to "evolve peacefully" extremely embarrassed.

In view of the relative proximity of the Western Regions to the living areas of the Qiang people, it is estimated that the countries of the Western Regions have spent a lot of time with the Qiang people, probably to understand the Western Qiang, unlike the empire that has been in contact with the Western Qiang for no more than five years, and the center has issued an order for officials at all levels in the Western Regions to collect information about the Qiang people as much as possible.

The Chinese ethnic groups, whether they were in the Yin Shang period or the later Zhu Ming Dynasty, as long as they were the "origins" of the "Zhengshuo", they actually did not pay so much attention to any "extraterritorial" ethnic groups, and they could not talk about understanding, and even in many cases, it was clear that the relationship between these "Zhengshuo" and some foreign races was mortal enemies, but they did not understand what their mortal enemies were. The most special example is that during the Han and Han dynasties, the grassland was not all Huns, and as a result, the Han Empire regarded all the steppe people as Huns, and the process was that as long as they were steppe people, they were enemies, and then it evolved into a situation where the Central Plains Dynasty and the entire grassland were at war.

In the pre-Qin period of ancient times, the dynasties of the Central Plains could still distinguish who was who among the different races, and they would not divide all the different races into one race as long as they were dressed similarly. At least this kind of differential treatment did not make too big a mistake in diplomacy, and the races involved in the war were relatively small, and it was relatively targeted, which is basically the main reason why a regional warring state can take charge of itself.

The empire was not established for a long time, and there was not much experience in the past, and before it was mainly Huairou internally, and when it came to expanding non-"traditional territories", bloody conquest was used. However, countless facts also show that it is not appropriate to rely on bloody conquest alone for expansion, and there is a necessary distinction between co-opting and digesting or resolutely exterminating.

"The kingdoms of Wan and Shanshan are located below the plateau, and they are the countries that have the most contact with the Qiang." She'a looked at Han Xin with an inquiring expression and said, "If the general thinks it is necessary, can he send someone to let Wanguo and Shanshan send officials from the Qiang tribe who are familiar with him?" ”

The Kingdom of Wan has not yet split into Dawan and Xiaowan, and the rest of the states of the Western Regions are a little crumbling under the impact of refugees migrating from west to east, but the Kingdom of Wan has grown stronger instead of being weak because of the proper handling.

Han Xin knew about Wanguo, the last time he fought with the Xiongnu at the source of the Yellow River. The troops of Wanguo appeared on the side of the Maodun cavalry who participated in the war, and a considerable part of the Maodun elite Hun cavalry was also a good horse equipped with Wanguo, which once caused a lot of trouble to the imperial army.

"Shanshanguo?" Yu Fanjun heard the name of this country for the first time and asked, "What kind of country is it?" ”

Shea smiled bitterly and said: "Originally, it was a country of four cities, with a population of about 60,000, and the back ...... It's not so clear. ”

Shanshan is very close to the modern Qaidam Basin, which is a swampy terrain with a considerable number of Qiang tribes in its southeast, and was a bridgehead for the city-states of the Western Regions to resist the expansion of the Qiang into the Western Regions. There were frequent battles with various large and small Qiang tribes, and in general, Shanshan had always been in an advantageous state in the war with the Qiang.

"Wanguo and Shanshanguo are the first stops for Mao Dun to enter the Western Regions, right?" Han Xinxin asked a question, but his expression was more affirmative. He said: "In the battle of the source of the Yellow River, there were many people from the city-states of the Western Regions, with envoys, and even directly sent troops to participate in the war. ”

"Zimouton is raging in the south, and we have lost contact with some countries in the south." Shea hurriedly cleared up the relationship.

Yu Fanjun smiled and said nothing. He clearly remembered that She'a had just said in a more confident tone that he could summon people from Wanguo and Shanshan to come over to inquire about the information of the Qiang people, but now he said that he had lost contact.

The reality is that Wusun has lost control of the city-states in the Western Regions, and the reason why there are too many fugitives pouring into the Western Regions for this phenomenon. There are also relationships between tribes such as Hujie, Ding Ling, and Xiongnu who invade Wusun, causing Wusun to be in a hurry just to parry the invaders, how can he have the energy to control the city-states in the Western Regions?

Maudun showed signs of fleeing westward, and the Empire had planned to do so. In the plan, Mao Dun stayed where he was and tried his best to encircle and annihilate him, and the imperial army would also point the finger at those Western Regions city-states who participated in the battle at the source of the Yellow River.

Wusun could probably guess that the overbearing empire would definitely take revenge on those city-states that sent troops to stand on the side of Maudun, but he didn't expect the empire's revenge to be so fast. According to Wusun's guess, the empire should first solve the threat on the grassland, and then attack the Western Regions, but whether it is some people from the envoy group or the military stationed in Wusun, people on both sides have begun to understand the current situation in the southern part of the Western Regions, and the signal has been relatively obvious.

"Many kings are deceived and deceived," said Shea, nervous, "and they are forced by Maudon to do their wrongs." ”

"But they just did." Yu Fanjun chuckled and said, "Whether it is active or forced, what you do is what you do." We never look at the outcome of things, regardless of the cause and process. If they do, they must be prepared for retaliation. ”

Shea was silent for a long time and asked, "What should be done so that the empire will forgive them?" ”

"Those who offend us usually have only one end." Yu Fanjun was still laughing, but the words he said were a little scary. He said: "Destroy the family, destroy the country." ”

"......" Shea smiled bitterly, he wanted to say that the empire was too domineering, but now that Wusun needed the empire, those city-states who stood on Maudun's side to wage war against the empire were really stupid, and the reason for the empire's revenge was too suitable, so what else could there be to say.

"General Zhengxi will come to the Western Regions soon." Han Xin's tone was incomparably calm: "With it is a legion. After General Zhengxi stepped into the Western Regions, Deputy Commander He would lead his army south. ”

General Zhengxi is Meng Tian, he did not take the Hetao route, he took the Longxi County side. The regiment he led was adapted from the previous Third Mixed Regiment, so Zhou Wensuo's department had already retreated to Longxi County for rest and reorganization very early.

During this period of time, the empire once again changed positions for the army, some of the lieutenant generals returned to Nanling and became central officials, some of the generals who originally stayed in Nanling were released as lieutenant generals of a corps, and the few legions that were not transferred were cavalry units.

The cavalry currently in Wusun comes from the First Cavalry Regiment and the Fifth Cavalry Regiment, plus the reorganized Second Cavalry Regiment, and almost half of the several cavalry regiments in the empire have been thrown into the Western Regions.

Meng Tian led the army from Longxi Road into the Western Regions, the first thing they will encounter is Shanshanguo, according to the marching speed of the army, waiting for them to enter the Western Regions should also be the season of spring, they will probably stay in Jincheng County for a short time to rest, it can also be regarded as recuperation, when to launch an attack on Shanshanguo, as a general of Zhengxi, Meng Tian was not limited time.

"Our army will start a winter war in the next fifteen days," Han Xin didn't say anything too specific, nor did he say who he was going to conquest, he looked at Shea and said, "As an ally of the empire, does Wusun send troops to war?" ”

"This ......," Shea was a little confused: "Winter...... It's not the time to fight, is it? ”

"It's because it's not, so we can surprise it." Han Shin was not a person who liked to dwell on the same topic, and said: "If Wusun has no intention of sending troops to war, can he guarantee logistics as an ally?" ”

The nomads would kill a large number of old and weak cattle and sheep during the winter, and Wusun would certainly do the same, precisely because of this, Shea had no reason to refuse. Moreover, after a period of rest, the empire has begun to eagerly show its magnificent side, no matter how unwilling Wusun is to let the empire launch a war against the city-states in the Western Regions, under the premise of desperately needing the empire, under the threat of the Hujie, Ding Ling, Xiongnu and other tribes, they will never dare to turn their faces at this time.

"Being able to supply logistics, it's just ......" Shea wanted to fight for it again, but was cut off by Han Xin.

"Good!" Han Xin grinned toothily and said, "We'll pay." (To be continued.) )