Wherever a person is born, he is most precious.

- Kyrgyz proverb

Ali and Abbas, along with many Khwarazmians, were forced to follow Genghis Khan out of their homeland of Khorezm and toward the East.

They crossed the fertile Fergana Basin, crossed the majestic Tianshan Mountains, crossed the vast Taklamakan Desert, entered the Hexi Corridor, and finally set foot on the Loess Plateau, and came to the distant and mysterious land of the East. They ate and slept in the open along the way, and they worked hard. That's not the main thing, the point is that they are getting farther and farther away from their hometowns. These Khorezmians don't know what their future holds, or when they will be able to return to their hometowns.

Ali and Abbas secretly plotted many times to escape from the place in the dark, but the Mongol soldiers were so tightly guarded that they did not get the slightest opportunity.

Ali misses his relatives day and night, and doesn't know how they are doing, after all, flesh and blood have been separated for 4 years. Whenever he missed his relatives and homeland, Ali would take out the pebble that had been shiny to the touch and look at it carefully, and tears of sadness would fall on the stone.

Abbas was even more anxious. He was 10 years older than Ali, and in addition to his siblings, he also had a wife and children, and the burden on his heart was even heavier. He even thought of picking up a machete to chop meat, killing the Mongol soldiers guarding the barracks, and rushing out of the camp to flee back to his homeland, but Ali was bitterly dissuaded.

Abbas said with infinite melancholy: "The year I was captured, Adan was 5 years old and Hani was only 1 year old. Now Adan should be 12 years old, and Hani is 8 years old. I wonder what their situation is? ”

Ali comforted him, saying, "When the war is over or when the Great Khan dies of old age, we will be able to go home." Now we are going to save our lives. ”

Hundreds of thousands of Khorezmians migrated east with Ali and Abbas. Some of them worked as various craftsmen for the Great Mongolia, making a living with their skills; Some worked as errand and traders for the Mongol army, providing them with logistical support; Others filled the shortage of the Mongol army and directly acted as the vanguard to fight for the world for the Great Mongol State.

The Khorezm Empire was originally a multi-ethnic state. Therefore, the hundreds of thousands of Khorezmians who came to the East were also made up of different ethnic groups, but at that time they were not as subdivided as they are today, and roughly included Iranians, Arabs, Turkic Oghuz, Uiguls, and so on.

For example, some Uygur officers and soldiers entered the Central Plains with the Mongol army, and settled in Gansu, Henan, and Yunnan with military and civilian households. The Haralu tribe also gradually migrated eastward to the Central Plains, and became important members of the Great Mongolian State in Xiangyang, Nanyang, Longqingchuan (Yanqing County, Beijing), Daming Road (Daming County, Hebei), Zhending Road (Zhengding, Hebei), and Qingyuan Road (Ningbo, Zhejiang).

For example, the Aerkhon people are a Turkic-speaking tribe who originally lived and herded cattle in the areas of Talas (present-day Zhambyl, Kazakhstan) and Barasagon (present-day Tokmak, Kyrgyzstan) from the Seven Rivers Valley to the Chu River Valley. The A'erhun army formed by them moved to Central Asia, and after moving eastward, they merged back to 3,000 craftsmen, and stationed in the areas of Nettle Forest (now Zhangjiakou, Hebei), Fengzhou (now Hoshidong, Inner Mongolia), and Xiashui (now Daihai, Liangcheng, Inner Mongolia), engaged in brocade weaving and reclamation.

The Kangli people, the descendants of the ancient Gaoche people, also belonged to the Turkic people, and were nomadic herders in the areas east of the Ural River and north of the Aral Sea in Central Asia. There were also many Kangli people who were plundered to the Central Plains by the Great Mongols, and they belonged to various Mongol armies, mainly in Tuntian, Yongping Road (now Luanxian County, Hebei).

The Kipchaks were also a branch of the Turkic people, and in the 13th century, they were nomadic herders in the Volga and Ural river valleys north of the Caspian Sea, and many of them were captured and enslaved by the Mongol army.

In addition, there are Azo, Russians, and so on. At that time, there were about 30 ethnic groups from the Western Regions. These ethnic groups were the main sources of the new Huihui, Salur, Salta, and Baoan peoples that emerged in the eastern land in the future.

The people of the Han Dynasty in the East are introverted, kind-hearted, civilized in their manners, and gorgeously dressed. They did not call these immigrants Khwarazmians, nor did they use the Mongol term Sartas. The Han people said, "You have returned from the West and migrated, so let's call you Huihui." ”

The Mongols considered the Khwarazmian to be merchants who did business, so they collectively referred to the Khwarazmian people as the Sarthas (meaning merchants).

The Han Chinese probably believed that all the people who came from the west and the east were Uighurs of the Uighur Khanate, and they called all those who believed in Islam as Uighurs. Some Han Chinese even joked: "You are shouting all day long that you want to go back to China, go home, but you just can't go back." There's nothing wrong with calling you returnees. ”

The Mongol army conquered Xianyang, an important town in Guanzhong. Ali and Abbas followed Genghis Khan and Badr into the city of Xianyang.

Xianyang is located in the hinterland of Qinchuan in Shaanxi Province 800 miles, Weishui passes through the south of the city, and the Zong Mountain lies on the north side of the city.

Xianyang has a very long history. Qin Shi Huang made Xianyang the capital, making it the first imperial capital of China. Xianyang was the capital of thirteen dynasties in Chinese history and the important place of Gyeonggi (Ji).

Xianyang as a municipal district began in the Xia Dynasty, and was changed to Xianyang County in the pre-Qin period. In 618, Wu Zetian changed Xianyang to Chixian because his mother Yang's mausoleum, Shunling, was built in Xianyang. During the reign of the Five Dynasties, the Two Song Dynasties, and the Jin Kingdom, it was called Xianyang.

Xianyang is an important birthplace of Qin and Han culture. Xianyang is also the first stop on the Silk Road starting from Chang'an, and is an important transportation station in the Central Plains to the countries of the Great Northwest and Western Regions.

Genghis Khan, under the guidance of Badr, chose a manor with high courtyard walls and a magnificent Zhumen to rest.

The head of the estate was a local dignitary. He stood respectfully at the gate to greet these majestic uninvited guests.

Ali and Abbas looked at him and dressed differently from the rest of the Central Plains, but a little closer to the Khwarazmians.

Abbas tentatively greeted him in Khorezm.

The owner actually understood the Khorezm language. His cautious face showed joy, and he hurriedly welcomed the guests into the main hall, and then quickly withdrew, beckoning the family to pour water and make tea.

Ali and Abbas almost jumped to their feet in excitement, and ran to him in Khorezm to communicate with him.

Badr walked out of the main hall, stopped their conversation, and ordered Ali and Abbas to go and prepare dinner.

After dinner, Ali and Abbas cleaned up the kitchen and snuck into the owner's room to talk to him.

While inviting them to tea, the owner sighed: "When it comes to tracing back to the roots, the ancestors of our Ma family are the prophets of Islam." ”

Ali and Abbas's eyes brightened instantly, and they both exclaimed with envy: "Wow, descendant of the Prophet, what a noble line! ”

The owner of the village told the story:

"Once upon a time there was a small kingdom in the Western Regions called Bukhara (present-day Bukhara, Uzbekistan). Its king was the twenty-sixth grandson of Muhammad, my ancestor Sophir.

At that time, there were many small countries in the Western Regions, and the big countries wantonly annexed small countries, and the people were in a state of chaos for many years, and the people were struggling to make a living.

In the third year of Shenzong (1070), Lord Sophier led his younger brother Elsa and about 5,000 relatives and subordinates to escape the war, and took valuable treasures to Bianjing, the capital of the Great Song Dynasty in the East.

Later, the Liao State and the Bai Gao State (Western Xia) successively launched wars of aggression against the Great Song Dynasty. Lord Sophier led his subordinates to participate in a series of battles against aggression, and his achievements were outstanding and won the appreciation of the emperor of the Great Song Dynasty.

Later, when the war in Bukhara subsided, the ministers made a special trip to the Great Song Dynasty to welcome Lord Sofir back to China.

Emperor Shenzong of the Great Song Dynasty warmly kept him to stay in Bianjing for a long time.

After Lord Sofer died in Bianjing, Emperor Shenzong was very sad and posthumously presented him as the king of the court.

It has been more than 150 years since the descendants of Lord Sofiel and his subordinates settled in the Han region of the Central Plains. ”

Ali asked curiously, "How can you still understand Khorezm after you have been away from Bukhara for so many years?" ”

The owner replied with a smile: "We speak Chinese when we interact with Han people. When we went home, we went to worship and chanted in Arabic. There are also many ancient sayings handed down from ancestors in the daily language used between family members and clansmen. I'm afraid that's what you call Khorezm. ”

Abbas asked with regret: "Aren't you going to go back to Bukhara?" ”

The owner smiled bitterly and replied meaningfully: "Where your parents are, where is the motherland." My ancestors are buried here. My grandparents are buried here. My parents are also buried here. Say, why am I going back to Bukhara? ”

Ali and Abbas did not ask any further. They were caught up in infinite worry: Is it possible for us to stay here forever like the owner of the horse farm?

On this night, both Ali and Abbas had insomnia.

Ali couldn't sleep after tossing and turning, and when he heard Abbas also rolling over and sighing, he got to his feet.

Ali shouted to Abbas: "Abbas, I must go back to Samarkand." My mom and dad are in Samarkand. Khorezm is my homeland. ”

Abbas also sat up and said, "You speak quietly. Beware, the sentry hears it. My parents, wife, and children are all in Mare. I must also go back to Marre. Khorezm is also my homeland. ”

Ali said sorrowfully, "But when will we be able to go back?" ”

Abbas advised: "Don't worry, we can only wait patiently for our opportunity now." Eat a full stomach every day and take care of your body. When I go back in the future, there will be no Mongolian horses to ride. ”

Ali rubbed the pebbles in his hand and agreed, "Hmm." In the future, we will walk back to Khorezm on our feet. ”

Through the half-hidden window, Ali saw a crooked crescent moon hanging high in the deep night sky, emitting a gentle and gentle light, like a mother's warm embrace. The stars shone brightly in the distance, as if relatives in Samarkand were waving to Ali cordially.

Ali fell asleep in a daze.

He had a wonderful dream, dreaming that he had finally returned to Khorezm after many difficulties and dangers, and returned to the tea shop on the commercial street of Samarkand to introduce the fragrant tea produced in Xianyang to people......

Outside the window, the voice of the sentry on duty was heard: "Hey, Sarta, it's time to get up and prepare breakfast for the Great Khan." ”

Ali and Abbas immediately got to their feet.