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The dishes of the Xia people are simple, and they are still the same boiled whole sheep as the last time they entertained Uncle Nine and others. Li Xu was still the youngest in the seat, so the elder still cut the first piece of lamb back meat to him. With the last drill, he was already familiar with all the customs. Respectfully cut the sheep in return, just like a native of the Xia tribe, he did all the etiquette that he should do.

When the other ministers saw this, they were no less surprised than when they saw Ganluo for the first time. Du secretly said that the burly young man in front of him was probably specially given to Su Si by Changshengtian, otherwise how could he be so familiar with the etiquette of the Xia Clan.

Before eating, as usual, Eru and Tao Kuo led a team of girls to sing a toast for the guests. Li Xu had experience this time, and took the copper bowl that Tao Kuo took off the silk and no longer drank it all, but changed to the same posture as everyone else, and listened carefully to the toast while tasting it.

After listening to it for a long time, he didn't understand a few Turkic words. I didn't pay attention, but the copper bowl in my hand saw the bottom again. A light smile jumped out of the blue-shirted girl's eyes, and while singing, she took the copper bowl in Li Xu's hand and filled it for him again. Li Xu was so flustered by her laughter that the rhythm of the second bowl was not controlled, the singing had not stopped, but there was no wine in the bowl. Seeing that he was drinking sweetly, the smile on her face became stronger, and she did not dissuade him, and continued to fill the wine bowl for him. This time, Li Xu finally controlled the beat, and when the lingering and disturbing sound of the song dissipated, he still couldn't finish putting the bowl down like the Xi people, and as usual, not a drop fell.

The mare's milk wine is not strong, but the strength is ruthless and domineering. Even if he is a strong man of the Xia tribe, if he drinks three bowls in a row without accompanying vegetables, his steps will be vain. And Li Xu grew up drinking the wine syrup brewed by his uncle Zhang Baosheng since he was a child, and the wine was still above the mare's milk after several times of collecting water. So three bowls of mare's milk fell into his stomach, and he wouldn't be drunk at all. Besides, the young man's face is tender, and he always wants to be a hero in front of the girl unintentionally. If so, he will not write the smoky state on his face.

Since Uncle Nine and the others entered the account, the eyes of the ministers and elders have hardly left the little wolf. When you see the little wolf, you will inevitably see Li Xu next to the little wolf. Seeing him drink wine as if he were drinking water, his tongue did not stop at first. Together with the gaze that looked at the patriarch of the Su Si tribe, it also increased a little admiration.

Without waiting for the elders' gaze to withdraw from Li Xu, Xu Dayan's demeanor attracted their attention again. I saw that this handsome young man, who was smiling and well-behaved, actually stood up and cut a piece of meat on each plate one by one with a short knife stuck in the sheep's back. Each knife is cut down, the depth is just right, together with the outermost fat that has been rotten to the innermost part of the three-cooked flesh with blood and water, a layer does not fall, so that each piece of meat contains several layers from the fattest and thickest to the most tender and fresh.

According to the tradition of the Xia people, when a family is reunited, the youngest and oldest juniors are responsible for cutting meat for everyone. As long as any plate was empty in front of them, he was not allowed to sit down and eat. This ceremony is the last part of the banquet of the Xi clan, and no one pays attention to the ordinary banquet at all. Moreover, there are too many people in the audience at the gathering, and if this ritual is performed seriously, the meat cutter will probably have to go hungry and hold on to the end. So everyone doesn't care, and over time, they gradually forget this tradition. But he never expected that a young man of a foreign tribe would see the number of rituals passed down from his ancestors.

"Haha, it's rare to invite so many nobles to our department, it really makes the tents of Su Sibu start to glow red. Elders, please feel free and you're welcome! When Su Sixier saw this, his heart was overjoyed, and he took the lead in picking up the plate in front of him.

I'm afraid this teenager hit me by mistake. The ministers thought secretly, picked up the plate, and ate the meat in front of them like a whirlwind. When they put down the plates one by one, they found that the short knife in Xu Dayan's hand had brought new pieces of meat to them in the order in which the plates were placed.

I'm afraid this is not a mistake. The elders took the opportunity to toast each other and communicate with each other with their eyes. How did they know that just before the half-pillar incense time, Xu Dayan didn't know anything about this ceremony. At the banquet between the vendors and Su Sibu before, because everyone was not one at all, no one insisted on this ceremony. But at the critical moment when everyone's eyes were attracted by Li Xu's bold drinking attitude, Eru secretly conveyed his father's request to Xu Dayan.

Those who can achieve the position of tribal elders are all human spirits, and in the past ten years, the scene of the Su Si tribe thriving day by day is clearly in front of their eyes. However, as the common leader of the tribes, the headquarters of the Ruling Lost Bakhan is declining day by day. Especially in the past three years, the old age and dementia, and the tricks of the Xia tribe have made the Xia tribes suffer when they clash with other surrounding ethnic groups such as the Zhuxi, Murowei, and Khitan people in the nomadic areas.

The income of pastoralist peoples is far less stable than that of agrarian peoples. Tribes suffer losses in the competition for pasture, which often means a reduction in the number of livestock. The decline in the number of livestock will inevitably affect the attractiveness of the herders under his rule. In the long run, it means that a tribe is slowly dying out on the grassland.

Unable to make decisions for the benefit of the tribes, the tribes had to figure out their own solutions. Alliances with powerful tribes are one of the key means of self-preservation. Therefore, the most powerful Su Si tribe within a radius of hundreds of miles invited the nearby departments to trade in the name of the arrival of the caravan, which immediately made many old noses who had lived for nearly sixty years smell the smell of opportunity.

"Our tribes are originally one family, and although the nomadic territory is a bit far away from each other, no one can deny that we are brothers!" After a moment of silence, the elder Sha Ge, the minister of Sheto, picked up the wine bowl and invited everyone.

"Cheers to the blood of the swan that flows in our bodies!" Su Si Sier waited for this sentence, picked up the wine bowl, and saluted the guests.

"Cheers, for the descendants of the white swan to be able to wave their wings on the grassland!" Sitting near Xu Dayan, he must know that the minister Na Miye raised his glass and agreed.

The elders raised their glasses one after another, drinking and humming the ancient songs of the Xi people over and over again.

"White swans wave their wings, and there is no mountain in the world that they can't fly. The white swans are lined up as human characters, and no wind and rain can stop them from soaring......." These lyrics have not been mentioned for a long time. Today, he suddenly sang it, but it made many old people who were over half a hundred years old feel enthusiastic in their hearts.

For Turkic language, Xu Dayan didn't understand a word. But this did not prevent him from understanding the expressions of everyone at this moment. With the mysterious identity of Aunt Qing behind the scenes, Su Sibu has made rapid progress in food storage and leather sewing skills. Food and clothing on the steppe means population, and population means strength. There was already a strong strength to back it up, and now the silver wolf, which heralded good luck, suddenly appeared with the caravan in Su Si's department, and it was strange that this opportunity was not seized by Su Si'er.

Li Xu, Sun Jiu and others also have limited understanding of Turkic language, and the master sings ancient songs of the Xia people, which is not in line with Turkic language at all. Watching the elders singing as if they were drunk, especially the elders of the Su Si Department singing and singing, they were actually full of tears, and their hearts were also moved by the desolation with a bit of majestic lyrics, and they slapped their knees with their arms and hummed along with the rhythm of the song.

There were distinguished guests, and the people sang harder. After chanting repeatedly, Fang stopped singing. The women who were waiting outside the tent went in again and filled the bowls of the people, and the elders themselves did it as a respect, without the master raising the bowls.

Sussier nodded, and motioned with her eyes for the girls to stay in front of the table and continue to pour wine for the elders. Eru and Tao Kuo took the order and led the maidens to sit on the ground behind the guests. Each maiden served a distinguished guest, and when she saw that the bowl was empty, she immediately filled it for them.

"Susisier, your department, bless!" The wine is hot, and the minister Na Miye said with his tongue wide. This sentence is simple, and Li Xu can understand it completely. But the elder's next words made Li Xu feel boundless.

"They, daughters, twelve, hey!" Knowing that Namiye stretched out two large slaps, he swung and found that he was not enough, and slowly stretched out his two legs sitting on sheepskin. "Twelve daughters, married to twelve heroes. Twelve heroes, you Su Sibu will never be afraid of wild beasts snooping on your pasture! ”

Twelve daughters, twelve heroes, Li Xu stupidly counted and played for the old man, and he didn't understand a word of the other words. Sun Jiu, who was sitting on the other side of him, frowned secretly. If it is in the Central Plains, there is nothing to mention that there are many daughters of other people, but it is equivalent to mocking the other party for opening a tile field, and it is purely nothing to find a beating. (Note 6)

When Sussier heard this, he didn't think it was a pestle at all. He raised the wine bowl and took a big sip, and responded with a smile, "Sir of the Susi tribe has twelve daughters, nine of whom are married, and they are married to the heroes of the nine tribes. The three are not married, and they will be able to find a heroic husband in the future. Sir's younger brother had five sons and married the most beautiful women of the five nearby tribes. Su Sibu and the descendants of the white swan are connected by blood, and they will never deviate! ”

"My son is my brother's son, and my brother's daughter is my daughter. We are born brothers, and we will not be separated after death! Su Sisir's younger brother, after Su Si Fuli heard this, he picked up the wine bowl and echoed his brother.

"If Sir has a son in the future, he will definitely become the leader of our Su Si tribe. Detachment will become a sword in the hands of a nephew, a lamp in the night. If the Immortal Heaven refuses to give the Son of Cyr, we will embrace the Detachment as the leader after he is called by the Immortal Heaven. I believe that he will treat Syl's wife and daughter well, so that they will have food and clothing, and have a smile on their faces every day! Minister Su Si said with a smile. He did not shy away from talking about the arrangement of the handover of the position of the leader of the tribe in front of the guests. The life of people on the steppe is generally short, and ordinary men who live to fifty are considered to be long-lived. Moreover, men have to go through countless battles and vendettas in their lives, and it is not uncommon for them to die at a young age. If the issue of succession to the head of a tribe is well resolved, it means the long-term stability of the tribe. This is a big issue involving the interests of the entire tribe, and Su Sixier can't avoid it if he wants to.

"Today, we swear to the Immortal Heaven in front of all distinguished guests, as the descendants of the White Swan, we will not break our wings by ourselves." The two brothers, Cir and Fuli, drank opposite each other, their eyes full of openness.

This kind of free and easy behavior made the elder Sha Ge of Shetuo very emotional, and after drinking a bowl with the master, he praised: "If the descendants of the white swan want to fly over the mountain, they must be lined up in an array!" Without the strongest male swans to lead the way, and without the most alert old swans to guard at rest, they would have perished under the hunter's snare and feathered arrows! ”

The son of Shetsagoh married the eldest daughter of Susisir, so the two tribes became closer. At this time, he said this sentence as an elder of Sheto, obviously not only praising Cier and attaching the two brothers to the same heart.

Except for a few guests from the Central Plains, all the elders present considered themselves to be the descendants of the White Swan. The two Su Si brothers agreed on the inheritance of the leader of their clan in front of so many people, and claimed to be the descendant of the white swan, and the intention did not need to be guessed at all. But it may be too early to assume that Su Si has the qualifications of the leader of the Southern Zhuqi Tribe. He was old and wise, but his tribe was still the most numerous of all the tribes.

"He was promoted as Khan by the big people because he drove out the Khitans who came to fight for the pasture for us." The Minister of Necessity Na Miye muttered. It was as if he had drunk too much, and his speech was very inarticulate. The whole body also swayed, and at any time he could fall asleep on the sheepskin cushion under him.

"I've heard that a tribe of Xi people has migrated to the edge of the pastures that have been passed down from generation to generation in the Musty Division. May I ask Elder Namiye, is your pasture enough for two tribes to share? Su Sixier's self-cultivation was quite good, and he didn't pay attention to the provocative taste in the elder's words at all, but cared about the survival of others.

Elder Miye's face began to turn red, and the shaking of his body instantly lessened. After thinking for a moment, he sighed softly and did not answer Susiccil's question.

"I've heard that it's a big tribe of tens of thousands of people. Will they be willing to return to their hometowns next spring? Seeing that the other party did not answer, Su Sixier continued to ask with a smile.

Namiye let out a long sigh and said, "I have already asked for help from the Obsabi Khan. But he said that the group of Xi people was forcibly driven away from the source of Suotou water by the Turks. The people of the Ashina family ordered them to move away, but they didn't specify a destination! ”

"Alas!" All the elders sighed continuously, even if Su Sixier didn't mention this matter today, everyone would complain after drinking too much. In order to expand, the Turks forcibly took away the pastures of a Xi tribe. And this Xi tribe, relying on the large number of people, began to infiltrate the pastures of the Xi people.

The people of the Xia tribe are not prosperous, and even the most prosperous tribe like the Su Si tribe has only more than 4,000 people. Excluding the elderly and children, there are less than 1,000 people who can get on horses and dance with knives. The forces of other tribes are even weaker, and those who can make up 300 cavalry are already the strongest among them.

"At the beginning of spring next year, let's send Suotou Xi away together, would you like to go with me?" Susiccil did not sigh with the sighs of the crowd, raised the wine bowl, and saluted everyone.

This bowl of wine is not good to drink, so it is difficult for guests to make up their minds to answer the host's enthusiasm. The leader of Sil suggested that everyone send Xi away, and it must not be a banquet for the other party. For the survival of his own people, he should not be merciful. But once he followed Su Sixier and sent out his troops, no matter whether the result was victory or defeat, everyone would form a life-and-death alliance with him from then on. If you refuse to give up the crown, I am afraid that one day in the future, the white swans will inevitably meet each other with their beaks for the leading position. (Note 7)

Seeing that the elders refused to respond to him, the smile on his face slowly turned a little colder. Putting away the wine bowl, he took a sip of himself, shook his head and sighed: "I always thought that the immortal heaven let the silver wolf appear on the grassland of the people, which brought a lucky omen to everyone. But I never thought that the children and grandchildren of the white swan had already become domestic ducks, even if the fox built a nest beside him, he only cared about his own head and hatched eggs! Everyone, feel free, anyway, Suo Touxi won't put the horse next to Su Sibu's tent for a while! ”

This sentence was said so heavily that many clan elders couldn't sit still. Straightened up and retorted loudly: "How did we become domestic ducks!" It's not that everyone doesn't dare to fight, but the foreign war has always been led by the stubborn Ba Khan. If he doesn't blow the trumpet, how can we put up a big flag without authorization? ”

"Obsessed with sweating? Excuse me, how far away is the Ministry of Obsession, have you calculated? Su Sisier squeezed a few sneers from between his teeth and asked.

"Taimi Henan, Xinkai Hebei, from here to ride a fast horse? Two full days! The elders, who were red-faced with excitement, replied casually. In order to communicate with other tribes, the Khan would hold a grand meeting in his tribe every summer, inviting the elders of each tribe to revel. Each of the elders present here has gone to the Lost Sect for no less than ten banquets, and they know the distance very clearly.

"Then why do you think that Obsessor should be in charge of things hundreds of miles away from his headquarters? In recent years, how could he have been in charge of affairs hundreds of miles away from the Ministry of Execution? What harm is there in the loss of our southern tribes and the loss of their pastures? Su Sisir's eyes were blazing, and the questions he asked were sharper and sharper.

The elders were silent again, knowing that they had found themselves in a dilemma. He was old and faint, so the tribes under his rule had long disobeyed his orders. If you take a heavy hand to clean up these tribes who do not obey your orders, you will have a lot of scruples and scruples, and you will not have the strength. It can be eliminated by the hands of the Xi people who moved north, but there is no need to use any force to pull out the sweat. As long as he perfunctory the messengers from various ministries asking for help, in less than two years, the Xi tribe that has recovered will definitely not be willing to share a piece of grassland with the original owner here.

On the grassland, it is only natural for a tribe to rise on the bones of its neighbors. There are so many livestock that can be raised in each pasture, and the sheep of outsiders eat more grass, and the sheep of their own tribe eat less.

Neither Zhang San nor Li Xu were proficient in Turkic to the point where they could fully understand the issues discussed by the elders. Watching the old people who are not too young raise the wine bowl and put it down, put down the wine bowl and hold it up, shouting while drinking, speaking fast and sharp, and thinking that this is the habit when the other party drinks, so he does not mix with the elders, and holds the wine bowl himself, just the mutton, and chews slowly.

However, the expressions on the faces of Sun Jiu and Xu Dayan gradually became solemn. One of the two of them is an old Jianghu with rich experience. One is a young man and an old man, with a clear mind. While listening and guessing, I had already guessed the dispute in the seat.

"It's not good, I'm afraid it's a mistake to leave Xuzi here for the winter!" Sun Jiu said secretly in his heart. wanted to give Li Xu a wake-up call, but because there was a clever ghost behind Li Xu who could understand the Central Plains, he had to give Li Xu a look over and over again. And Li Xu was not a clever child in the first place, but at this moment, he was divided by most of his mind by the things in the cup. Sun Jiu was already eager to gouge out his eyeballs and throw them into his arms, but he still didn't see anything.

"Young man, I heard that your goods will be sold quickly, and after the gathering is dispersed tomorrow, will you rush back to the Central Plains with the silver wolf when the snow is not heavy? Or do you want to spend a few days in the neighborhood? "Elder Namiye didn't want to get into too much trouble with Su Sixier, so he used the excuse to divert the topic to the guests. As if to take care of Li Xu's ability to understand the Turkic language, he spoke every word in the question extremely slowly.

"Xuzi, you can think clearly. Gan Luo is used to eating mutton here, and he may not be willing to go back to the Central Plains with you in the future! Uncle Nine finally seized an opportunity and reminded him in Chinese seriously. After speaking, in order to take care of the mood of his master, he repeated it again in Turkic, each word was exactly the same, but the tone and expression of the two sentences were very different.

"Me?" Li Xu was stunned for a moment, this was exactly what he planned to ask the Patriarch of Xi'er after the banquet, but he didn't expect that as a guest, he hadn't opened his mouth yet, and someone else had already taken the initiative to ask. What he didn't expect was that Uncle Jiu, who had agreed to stay in Su Si in advance, faintly objected for some reason.

Just as Li Xu was thinking hard about how to answer to get the best of both worlds, a pleasant Central Plains sentence came from his ears: "The elder is asking you, do you stay in my tribe with Gan Luo for the winter this year?" ”

Immediately afterwards, Tao Kuo took half a step forward, sat next to Li Xu, repeated what he had just said to everyone in Turkic, and then turned his gaze to Li Xu, his eyes full of anticipation.

Why did Uncle Nine change his attention? Li Xu thought with a frown. Wouldn't staying in the Su Si Department and returning to the Central Plains with the caravan be tantamount to living up to all the sacrifices he had made beforehand? The trader industry had a low status in the Great Sui, and once you entered, you could never turn back. If you give up your studies just to earn a few pieces of silver, how can you be worthy of your father, uncle and old master Yang who have high hopes for you?

He tried his best to take his eyes away from Tao Kuo's desilked eyes, and looked at Xu Dayan, who had a way better than himself. found that Xu Dayan was drinking with his head down, and he didn't plan to give advice for himself at all.

Now, Li Xu has no choice but to respond to all changes with the same. Raising the bowl again, he toasted Susir and the others while explaining in simple Turkic words: "In winter, it is cold." I, Brother Xu, and the little wolf, stayed in the tribe and sheltered from the cold. Patriarch, accept, not accept! ”

"Such an honorable guest is willing to stay in my department, and it is too late for Su Si to be happy, how can I not agree to your request?" Su Sixier laughed loudly, raised the wine bowl to Li Xu and Xu Dayan, and solemnly promised: "Distinguished guest, please rest assured." You and the silver wolf stay in my Su Si Ministry, and our department will keep you safe! ”

Li Xu held the bowl in both hands and expressed his gratitude to the master. Then he turned around and explained to Sun Jiu in the Central Plains: "Uncle Jiu, if Ganluo likes it here, it will stay in the Su Si Department by itself in the future." Anyway, I don't plan to keep it for the rest of my life! After all, it's a wolf, not a domestic dog! ”

As soon as the words fell, the fast-mouthed Tao Kuo was already like a yellow warbler out of the valley, and the original text was translated into Turkic word for word, and it was said to everyone in the audience.

"Well, decide your own business!" Sun Jiu, who had always cared for Li Xu, suddenly seemed to be extremely disappointed in him, sighed, and replied in a very low voice.

At this point, what else can Sun Jiu say? He spoke slightly better Turkic than several of his companions, and had already realized that something was wrong with the reversal of the situation when Susisir suddenly mentioned the Xi tribe that had migrated north. The Xi tribe near Suotoushui was the first target of the caravan this time, and everyone had been wondering why those Xi people had suddenly moved before the cold winter came, but at this time, they got the answer from the conversation between Su Sixier and the elders.

The Turks expanded, driving out a part of the Xi people from their homeland. The Xi people migrated and came to the traditional pastures of the Xia tribes. Susisir had planned to integrate the surrounding tribes and spy on the Great Khan's crown by fighting the invaders. He was ready for everything, and all he needed was a banner that could command the troops. And at this time, Li Xu was holding the little wolf Ganluo, and under the guidance of a certain god in the underworld, he sent the opportunity to the tribe step by step.

The matter was indeed irreversible, and at the same time that Tao Kuotuosi translated Li Xu's answer into Turkic and conveyed it to everyone's ears, the entire felt tent was boiling.

That silver wolf is not passing by, but it is very likely to stay in the Su Si Department forever! Every elder of the Hazard Clan heard this dizzying answer. Countless people secretly regretted it, hating themselves for why they didn't send a few more shepherds to roam around these days, and take the caravan to their own territory before Su Si Ministry.

What does it mean for a rising tribe to be a sacred beast recognized by many peoples on the steppe, the answer is unique and needs no explanation. From this moment on, it was no longer possible for them to refuse Su Sixier's request to join forces to drive away Suo Touxi. Otherwise, one day, the old fox Eto of the Susi tribe will pass down the instructions of the gods through the wolf's mouth, and the tribe that opposes Susi's proposal today will become the rise of the Susir tribe? on the first stepping stone.

"Immortal Heaven is above, if there is only one piece of meat left in the Su Si Division, we will also let the guests eat first. If there is only one felt tent left in the Susibu department, our guests will not be frozen. If there is still a warrior who can fight, he will not let the enemy stand in front of the distinguished guest with a sword! Minister Su Si suddenly became excited, raised his hands high, and swore loudly to the northwest. Those few Turkic words spoke slowly and reverently, as if the whole steppe was listening to his oath.

Seeing the elder swearing, several important figures of the Su Si Department raised their hands to the northwest after following suit. "Immortal Heaven is above, if there is only one piece of meat left in the Su Si Department......."

Looking at the crazy man, turning his head to look at the two young men who were caught in the game and were dazed and ignorant, Sun Jiu sighed secretly. He suddenly believed Wang Mazi's words, and it was a huge mistake to take two teenagers out of the plug by himself. The stupid young man in front of him is not a disaster, but an out-and-out fire.

And at this moment, Su Sibu is like a pile of dry grass that has been dried for decades, and after the fire splashes on it, the outcome is no longer controllable by anyone.