Chapter 189 West
On the sand dune, there was a tent standing with a single purple horn on the top of the tent.
This is a symbol of the supreme power of the barbarian royal court. It is somewhat similar to the Jinwu Huan of the Qian Kingdom. They are both artifacts that can only be used by the "emperor". Its symbolic significance far exceeds the actual use itself.
There were three tents like this in the Royal Court in history, and each one had a single purple horn on top.
The unicorn comes from Pixiu.
In history, two generations of Ji family emperors died in battle in person, and their crotch mount Pixiu was also kidnapped by the barbarians, whose horns were cut off and used as utensils. The third one was left behind by a commander-in-chief of the Yan Kingdom after he died in battle.
Only brave beasts with truly noble bloodlines will have such a purple horn on their head. The barbarians regard it as a trophy and a symbol of honor.
However, historically, during the barbarian expedition to the west a hundred years ago, one of these tents was lost in the west;
The other one was used by the first Zhenbei Hou to guard the desert. Not long after, he led his cavalry to chase the barbarian royal court and snatched it back.
In other words, there is only one tent of this kind left in the Royal Court, but it appears here.
Outside the tent, stood a middle-aged man wearing animal skins. His hair was red, his eyes were glowing with amber, but his face was dark and rough like a barbarian.
According to legend, King Yougu Li of the barbarian royal court was of mixed race. His father was a Roman and his mother was a barbarian slave.
He returned to the Barbarian tribe when he was young, grew up along the way, and eventually became King Yougu Li.
He stood there, looking ahead, where there was a black cavalry team, flying the black dragon flag of Yan State, heading here.
In the team, there is a carriage.
There was a young man leading the way, wearing golden armor and exuding heroic spirit, like a rock.
When he came to the tent and saw the purple horn on the tent, a scowl appeared on his face.
King Yougu Li smiled slightly, perhaps because he had lived in Rome when he was young, and there were still some traces of the West on him.
The eyes of the two men met in the air, but there was no friction, but one was calm and restrained, and the other was domineering. It is impossible to say who loses and who wins. It can only be said that each has his own merits.
The young man in golden armor wanted to ride his horse forward, but King You Guli stretched out his hand to stop him.
"Get out of the way, I want to check the tent!"
King Youguli said solemnly:
"Your Highness, only one person among my barbarian tribe can enter this tent, you can Don’t worry.”
“Why do I believe you!”
A smile appeared on the corner of King Yougu Li’s mouth, and his eyes looked even more enchanting in the sunlight:
"Believe it or not, you only came with a hundred cavalry this time, and none of the remaining general soldiers came. If you really want to do something, I can do it alone.
I admit it, Your Highness He indeed has the talent to practice martial arts, and he has already reached the level of a fourth-level martial artist at a young age. As time goes by, his achievements in martial arts will surely be immeasurable. But right now, you are not my opponent."
Said,
King Youguli raised his hand, pointed at the carriage that was slowly approaching, and said:< br>
“The nobles in the carriage are not worried about this, so why would you, Your Highness, break the rules?”
"Are you a boy from the Ji family? Come in and show Ben Khan."
An old voice came from inside the tent.
King Yougu Li took back his hand.
Ji Wujiang got off his horse, walked to the tent, cupped his hands and said:
"Ji Wujiang came here to pay homage to the barbarian Khan."
"Haha, things have really changed. People in the Ji family have actually begun to understand etiquette, haha."
Ji Wujiang opened the curtain of the tent and saw an old man sitting cross-legged inside and dressed in rich clothes. , the old man is very old, huddled inside, there is no trace of a barbarian king, and he is almost the same as the old rich man on the farm of Yan State.
"Why, are you allowed to behave like a human being in the Ji family now, and I, the barbarian, have to keep eating hair and drinking blood?"
Ji Wujiang walked into the tent.
“The boys of the Ji family are indeed powerful. It’s a pity that the Ji family has not visited the desert in person for many years. I almost thought that the descendants of the Ji family have begun to indulge in pleasure. I can’t eat this desert sand.”
A hundred years ago, the barbarian royal court marched westward and was defeated;
The first generation of Zhenbeihou was granted the title of Beifeng County and began to suppress the desert.
For hundreds of years, the barbarians have been a serious problem for Dayan. Since then, they have been unable to go further east. The scenes of the ancestors of the Ji family and the emperor personally conquering the desert again and again have become extremely distant memories indeed.
"Desolate, I have always wanted to come, but there has never been a need to come."
"These words are indeed the tone of a child of the Ji family." The Barbarian King pointed in front of him without any anger. took a glass of kumiss and said: "Drink."
Ji Wujiang didn't lose his share, he directly raised the wine glass and drank it all in one gulp.
"How?" asked the Barbarian King.
"It tastes extremely bad."
"Hahahahaha..."
The Barbarian King laughed loudly and then said:
"I, Khan, still have wine from Westerners here. I will send someone to give you some in a few days. The wine is only interesting if you drink it."
"Thank you, King Khan."
The old barbarian king has always behaved like an elder. Although the two sides are in a hostile relationship and are currently in a tense situation, Ji Wujiang has slowly changed his previous arrogance and begun to show the attitude of a junior.
"In fact, I have been very afraid in my heart. I am afraid that until I kick off my legs, I will not be able to get the Ji family to come to the desert on horseback."
There is something in this sentence,
Because the Li family is too stable in guarding the desert, the princes of the Ji family in the past generations have no need to drive in person. The way to let the Ji family appear in the desert again is that the Li family is about to be unable to hold on to the situation.
It is a pity that I have not been able to wait for this opportunity and it is difficult to achieve this goal.
The ancestors have been fighting with the Jis here for hundreds of years. As a result, in our own generation, the Ji family members are not happy to come to the desert. It can really be said that they have no face to see their ancestors.
“In the future, you can come and visit me often.”
The old barbarian king shook his head and said:
"Aren't you going to fight for the throne?"
This question is very direct.
Ji Wujiang smiled and said:
“I don’t have the brain.”
“Since ancient times, there have been many people who have no brain to become kings and emperors.
Tell me honestly, do you want to be the emperor? "
Ji Wujiang didn't hide it. There is really no need to hide it here. Moreover, as a prince, he actually knows his father's temper very well. To a certain extent, his father is actually very open-minded. .
“Want to sit. ”
Who wouldn’t want to sit on that dragon chair?
But in this world, there is no truth that if you think about it, it must be realized for you.
"I heard that the prince that Emperor Yan prefers is your second brother?"
"Yes."
"Oh, yes, the second prince's uncle is the Marquis of Jingnan, and his father-in-law will still be Zhenbei in the future. Hou, if he doesn’t sit in that position, who will?
It’s a pity for you, because you have a bad background.”
The eldest prince’s mother is a daughter. slave girl.
Ji Wujiang nodded and said with emotion: "Yes."
"Hehehehe, hahahahaha!"
The old barbarian king pointed at Ji Wujiang and said:
" You bastard is what I like. If you have no family background, I can give you a family background.”
The family background here naturally refers to the “wife clan”.
Whether it is in this era or in future generations, there are probably only three direct family connections for a person. One is from his father's lineage, the second is from his mother's lineage, and the third is from his wife's lineage.
"Could it be that King Khan wants to give me a seat in the royal court?"
"You boy, if I really let you sit, your father will definitely be willing, even if he is with you in name only. I would never hesitate to break up a grudge, but this position , can you, a Yan or a Ji, stand?
I have a young daughter who is a pearl in the desert. If you want it, I can betroth you to her. ”
"Where's the dowry?"
"The people of the Ji family are indeed still so shameless."
"Since the old King Khan wants me to call you father-in-law, I have to pay a change fee."
Old Khan The Barbarian King stretched out a finger and said:
“Ten thousand royal court cavalry.”
"Less."
"Where's the face?"
"The second brother, the Marquis of Zhenbei and the Marquis of Jingnan add up to hundreds of thousands of cavalry, so you just give me 10,000? My son-in-law How can we fight for the throne?"< br>
"Wujiang, don't embarrass the old man. No one knows how many families he has left. You can't get anything out of him even if you try."
The old lady's voice came from outside the tent. Come.
Ji Wujiang took the initiative to walk to the entrance of the tent, opened the tent, and saw King Yougu Li, who had previously been polite to him, bowing to salute the old lady.
The Li family has guarded the desert for a hundred years.
A hundred years is really a long time.
It has been so long that the barbarians are now afraid of the Li family and not Ji. Home.
My status as the eldest prince of the Yan Kingdom is not comparable to that of the contemporary Madam Zhenbei Hou.
"Aunt."
Ji Wujiang took the initiative to reach out and support the old lady's arm.
Here,
the old barbarian king who had been huddled there lazily also stood up unsteadily,
coughed a few times,
Smiling:
“I’ve met the girl from the Li family.”
The old lady smiled slightly, nodded and said:
“I’ve met my brother from the other side.”
One is the Great Khan of the Barbarian Royal Court, a genuine Barbarian King;
One is Mrs. Zhenbei Hou, who is also a figure in this north who can make the ground shake when she stamps her feet;
but when she greets her,
it is like when old neighbors meet. greeting.
“My brother Li went to the south to be happy?
I said, sister of the Li family, don’t you still know what kind of virtue a man is?
He went out to have fun and left you at home. This was really unethical.
I have heard that the women from the south of the Yangtze River in the Qian Kingdom are all very lively and fragrant. I’m sure the Li family’s brother will have a new love there. "
"The family is too poor to open the pot. As a man, you have to go out and sell your strength to earn some money to spend.
But now, my daughter is getting married soon, so I have to buy some dowry, so as not to make her angry when she gets married. "
"The eldest sister of the Li family, you are out of touch now, aren't you? I have watched your daughter grow up, and I, the royal court, deserve to add a share to her wedding dowry. ”
Almost everyone knows what kind of methods the Princess of Zhenbei Hou Mansion used against the desert barbarians, how the Shatuo tribe was exterminated, and how King Zuo Guli of the Royal Court fell.
But despite this, this dowry is not a joke.
"Don't bother me, brother. Your life is not easy, brother."
"Hey, that's not bad at all."
"Haha. , The current year is not good, and everyone’s life is very tight. Brother, if you have this heart, stop thinking about coming to my house to enjoy the autumn breeze, and my Li family will be satisfied.”
"You can't say that."
The old barbarian king's face began to become serious, and he continued:
"In the early years, my barbarian tribe had a hard life, but we could still We eat meat during the holidays, and now it’s better. Since the Li family came, we have been living a hard life for almost a hundred years. These days are so difficult.”
“That’s not the case. My Li family was a wealthy family in Yinlang County in the early years. Since we moved to this desert, we have eaten sand for a hundred years. On weekdays, the Li family’s It’s hard for men to even eat meat.”
“So, sister of the Li family, why should this person suffer for himself for the rest of his life?”
The old lady nodded.
"Actually, after being old neighbors for so many years, we have to show some affection, and I won't waste my time talking nonsense about you and I joining forces to achieve wealth.
Since you, the sister of the Li family, want to invite me to come out and talk, then I will give you this face.”
The old lady said:
“Barbarian soldiers are not allowed to attack. Further.”
The old barbarian king sat down slowly and
said:
“In the past, when your Li family’s 300,000 cavalry were placed there, we couldn’t get in even if we wanted to.
But now, I They want to come in, can you stop them?"
Originally, the territory guarded by the 300,000-strong Northern Army in the six towns is now less than 100,000. The control has been greatly weakened at once. It's really difficult to stop the barbarians from coming in.
What's more, under the call of the Royal Court this time, the barbarians not only have the Royal Court's 100,000 cavalry, but also many tribes who responded to the call. They can also gather more than 200,000 cavalry.
In the past, when the 300,000-strong Northern Army was present, the barbarian tribes would not dare to gather in such a big way, because they knew very well that even if everyone was 300,000 against 300,000, their own side It is bound to be a complete defeat.
But now, precisely because they have seen hope, many large tribes that had not listened to the royal court for a long time have reunited under the banner of the royal court.
The old lady said:
"I came here today because I actually want to negotiate a deal with the Khan."
"Mrs. Hou, please speak."
"This time, as long as the barbarians do not cross the border, in the next ten years, I, Zhenbei Hou Mansion, and I, Dayan, will never step into the desert again."
Although large-scale battles between the two sides have been rare in the past few decades, the Zhenbei Army still comes over from time to time to find some battles. Knowing that the living conditions in the desert are harsh, they help them reduce their numbers and relieve population pressure. .
People like Li Fusheng can be directors of family planning offices in future generations.
The old barbarian king waited for a long time,
Then he seemed to realize it,
smiling:
“That’s it?”
I won’t take the initiative to beat you for ten years,
what the hell is also a gift?
For a moment, the old barbarian king really had mixed feelings in his heart.
“Not satisfied?” the old lady asked.
"It's not a matter of satisfaction or dissatisfaction. The price is really too low. You Dayan didn't even pay anything, and I can't explain it to my people."
The old lady nodded. Head, said:
“I, the Marquis, are actually not very good at doing business.”
"You can see it."
"What I'm better at is talking with a knife."
"You can't compare with Ben Khan when it comes to knives now."
Old man The man said sternly:
“Once the barbarians cross the border, all of my hundred thousand Zhenbei Army will march into the desert, pointing directly at your barbarian royal court!”
The old barbarian king suddenly narrowed his eyes.
I don’t have to have my home, I don’t have to have my old lair, even if you barbarians burn, kill and loot my house, but I must also destroy your royal court!
The old lady continued:
"One hundred thousand troops to suppress the north, I will never destroy the royal court!"
The desert is not entirely sand, but there are actually things inside. Lots of oases.
Barbarian tribes can indeed migrate, but their migration is based on climate and water plants, and has its own rules.
Even if Wang Ting keeps running, escaping, and never fighting, the loss of the tribe in this process of being driven away is extremely terrifying.
Both Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty and Chengzu of the Ming Dynasty launched many such expeditions in the later period with seemingly small gains. Although there were not many beheadings, the consumption of the tribes during the escape process cannot be ignored.
The most important thing is that the old barbarian king knows that other tribes, especially the big tribes, are very happy to see Wang Ting and the Yan people fight to the end, and it is best to die together.
If they march eastward together, they will listen to their own arrangements, but when the Yan people fight into the desert, as long as the Yan people don't attack them, they will sit on the sidelines.
The old barbarian king rubbed his eyebrows and said:
"Your Li family, are you threatening me?"
"Yes."
"Maybe I can too Learn from you and tell the truth, Ben Khan I have lived for many years, and I have lived enough. Tell me, can I sacrifice myself to give my barbarians a broader sky?"
The old lady looked at Ji Wujiang, Road:
"Take out His Majesty's secret decree and present it to the old King Khan."
Ji Wujiang nodded, took out the secret decree from his arms, and handed it to the old Man King.
The old barbarian king weighed the secret decree in his hand,
slowly opened it,
the secret decree was very short, only a few lines of words.
It was the handwriting of Emperor Yan,
but after seeing these few lines,
the old Man King trembled suddenly,
raised his head and glared at the old lady,
"Your Li family, no..."
Turning around,
the old barbarian king glared at the eldest prince again,
"Everyone named Ji is indeed a lunatic, all lunatics!!!"
After that,
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The old barbarian king firmly grasped the secret decree in his hand and said fiercely:
"I'm waiting, waiting, waiting to see how you Yan people will destroy you!
Even if I, the barbarian tribe, don't take action, I don't believe that this fate will be with you, Dayan!"< br>
People will get angry when they are afraid;
People will lose their temper only when they are panicked.
Talk,
It ends this way.
The old lady got into the carriage,
At this time, the eldest prince Ji Wujiang also came in and said:
"Aunt."
The old lady didn't seem to be surprised at all by this. In fact, as His Majesty's first child, the eldest prince had stayed in the Marquis Mansion for a period of time very early on, and was personally taken care of by the old lady.
This has become a tradition of the royal family and the Li family, just like when the late emperor asked his Majesty to grow up with Li Liangting.
“I want to know what is written in your father’s secret decree?”
“Yes.”
“I didn’t read the secret decree.”
"But I believe that my aunt can definitely guess what my father wrote."
The eldest prince knew that this old lady was special. He even knew that his father and the Marquis of Zhenbei had regarded her as their sweetheart.
It can be said that if the old lady had been willing, she would now be the queen of the dynasty, and her mother would be the queen of the world.
However, in fact, the difference between Mrs. Zhenbei Hou and the Queen does not seem to be very big.
“I’ll help you guess.”
“Thank you, aunt, for clearing up the confusion.” The eldest prince made a listening gesture.
The old lady smiled slightly and imitated Emperor Yan's tone and said:
"If the barbarians cross the border while the Yan Kingdom is at war, then I will cede most of Yan's territory to Tongqian and Jin to seek peace, and then spread the empire across the country. All the troops are gone Go to the desert and fight to the death with the barbarians!
The Ji family can be destroyed,
Da Yan can be destroyed,
The barbarians cannot advance eastward!" (End of this chapter)
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