Chapter 355: Plans for the Western Expedition

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In late October, when the morning sun was just emerging from the east, a rapid sound of horses' hooves broke the tranquility of Guzang.

Looking at the riders who were rapidly approaching the city gate in the distance, the city gate guards couldn't help but be secretly startled.

Since the first battle of Gaochang and the pacification of the Western Regions, they have not seen an urgent military report from the Western Regions for a long, long time.

In a matter of moments, the messenger quickly passed through the city gate and galloped towards the Great General's Mansion in the west of the town.

When he came to the gate of the general's palace, the messenger turned over and dismounted, untied the fire-lacquered wooden box from his back, and walked towards the guards in front of the door.

"Quick...... Quickly report to the capital to protect the emergency military situation in Shazhou. ”

The guard didn't dare to slack off, took the fire-lacquered wooden box, and immediately turned around and walked towards the mansion.

At this time, several guards came out of the side, carrying messengers and leading horses to the backyard.

Not to mention how the scouts went down to rest, just said that the guards walked through the corridor with the secret letter and quickly handed over the urgent report to the general on duty, Wang Maide.

After carefully checking the fire paint of the wooden box first, Wang Maide asked casually: "Where is the urgent report?" ”

"The countries of the Western Regions colluded with Rouran to rebel and gathered a total of 70,000 allied troops to invade Shazhou."

"All white-eyed wolves that can't be raised."

"What?!"

Listening to what the guards said, Wang Maide was taken aback.

He was shocked by the audacity of the Rouran people, and he was also angry that the people of the Western Regions betrayed Hexi again.

……

At this time, Wei Shuo had just had breakfast, changed his clothes and was about to go out, but when he looked up, he saw Kang Long's face was panicked, and he hurriedly walked towards him.

Seeing this, he couldn't help but quip: "What happened again?" Let the Kangda guards remember that they were sweating? ”

"Dadu Protector, the Shazhou Governor's Mansion sent an urgent military report." After speaking, Kang Long handed the fire-lacquered wooden box to Wei Shuo.

Opening the wooden box sealed with fire paint, Wei Shuo quickly launched an emergency report, but after only one glance, his face turned pale.

"Kang Long, go and inform the others, and go to the General's Mansion immediately."

"No!"

After Kang Long received the order, he went out and rode on his horse, and quickly went to deliver a letter home.

After Kang Long left, Wei Shuo's face instantly became gloomy.

Since Gaochang started the army, it can be said that everything has gone smoothly, but I didn't expect to suffer a secret loss from Rouran people today.

Looking at her husband who was full of coldness, Guo Yuan frowned lightly, and said secretly: Alas, I don't know which guy who doesn't have long eyes has provoked her husband to be angry.

To be honest, after all these years of marrying Wei Shuo, it was the first time she had seen such a strong aura emanating from her husband.

Guo Yuan waved away the frightened servants around her, and personally stepped forward to help her husband tidy up his clothes.

Looking at his wife with a worried face, Wei Shuo suddenly realized that he felt that he was a little out of shape, so that his wife was worried.

As soon as he grabbed Guo Yuanrou's hand, he comforted: "Let Mrs. be frightened." ”

"Don't worry, it's okay for your husband."

"It's just some barbarians who make the husband feel unhappy."

"Stay at home for a while, and go back for your husband."

……

When Wei Shuo came to the Zhenxi General's Mansion, Liu Muzhi, Wang Zhenwei, Cui Hao, Song Xuan, Duan Ye, Wang Maide, Jiang Ji and other civil and military officers had been waiting for a long time.

At the beginning, when they received the call of the capital, everyone thought that the Northern Wei Dynasty had invaded on a large scale.

After all, in terms of the current strength of Hexi, it is worth such a big move in the Northern Wei Dynasty.

Clinker, after arriving at the General's Mansion, everyone learned one after another that it turned out that the Western Regions were in chaos again.

The Rouran people entangled with Qiuzi, Yueban, Khotan and other countries that were dissatisfied with Hexi's monopoly on the Silk Road, and invaded Shazhou on a large scale, trying to expel Hexi from the Western Regions.

"I summoned you early this morning because the enemy invaded Hexi."

"Shuo has just received an urgent report that Rouran and the countries of the Western Regions have gathered 70,000 allied troops to invade Shazhou from the northeast and west."

"In just half a month, nearly 2,000 soldiers have been bloodstained on the battlefield."

"Du Jin, the governor of Shazhou, was forced by the huge enemy and had to order the army to temporarily retreat to Yancheng, Hami and other places to hold on."

"At present, the situation in Shazhou is critical, and immediate support is urgently needed."

In an instant, the atmosphere in the hall suddenly became solemn.

No one expected that the countries of the Western Regions would actually ally with Rouran and attack Hexi together.

Looking at the silent crowd, Wei Shuo slammed his fists on the desk.

"This time, the countries of the Western Regions have joined forces to make trouble, and it is obvious that it has been planned for a long time."

"Not only did they collude with the Rouran soldiers to invade Yancheng, but they also wantonly attacked and killed the merchants of Hexi and drove out the New Heavenly Master Daoist."

As soon as these words came out, everyone at the scene was stunned, and suddenly understood why the people of the Western Regions suddenly rebelled.

On the one hand, it is greedy for Hexi to dominate the Silk Road, and on the other hand, it is inseparable from the New Heavenly Master.

With the unsparing support of the Protector of the Metropolis, the New Heavenly Master Dao quickly became the number one sect in Hexi in less than four years.

Next, the New Heavenly Master Dao took the opportunity of Hexi's dominance of the Western Regions and went to the Western Regions to preach and preach.

And the Western Regions was originally the sphere of influence of Buddhism, so naturally they did not wait to see the new Heavenly Master Dao that dared to break in.

It's just that in the past, due to the prestige of most of the capitals, the countries of the Western Regions could only secretly restrict it.

However, the effect was limited, and the influence of the New Heavenly Master Dao became more and more great, and at the same time, the countries of the Western Regions were becoming more and more dissatisfied.

Finally, when the people of the Western Regions encountered the Rouran people who were beaten by Tuoba Jue and did not dare to go south, and turned to the west, the two sides almost hit it off and quickly colluded together.

In addition to the religious conflict, this conflict is also inevitably related to Hexi's monopoly on the Silk Road.

After the end of the Gaochang War, Hexi occupied half of the Western Regions, and since then it has monopolized the trade rights between the East and the West.

In recent years, the trade volume between the East and the West has been expanding day by day, and the benefits contained in it have also become greater and greater.

However, more than ninety percent of the benefits were monopolized by Hexi, and less than one percent of the benefits were left for the people of the Western Regions to share.

It's okay to say for a short time, but after a long time, those people in the Western Regions have healed their scars and forgotten the pain, and naturally they are no longer satisfied with their immediate interests.

Now that the Rouran people are taking the lead and want to overthrow the hegemony of Hexi, the countries of the Western Regions will certainly not miss the opportunity in front of them.

"Originally, Bendu Hu wanted to recover Guanzhong, and then go back and pocket the other half of the Western Regions."

"However, the pioneers of the Western Regions are now my missionaries, and then they kill my merchants, which is tantamount to declaring war on Hexi."

"It's tolerable but it's unbearable, Shuo has made up his mind, choose a day to go west!"

"The ministers seconded it!"

Although the people of the Western Regions and the people of Rouran suddenly attacked, they caught Hexi off guard.

However, Weishuo still decided to launch the western expedition in advance, which was also unanimously supported by everyone.

In fact, Hexi has long had the intention of unifying the Western Regions, but because in recent years it has been fettered by the situation in the Central Plains, and it is impossible to free up his hands to rectify the Western Regions.

Although there is another Rouran person, he has not been taken into account by Hexi.

The Rouran people chose to go west because they couldn't afford to provoke the Northern Wei Dynasty, but they didn't know that Hexi was stronger than the Northern Wei Dynasty.

In addition, the section from Yancheng to Guzang, which runs from east to west, has long been built, and the supply problem that plagued the expedition of the army no longer exists.

There is no need for Wei Shuo to go out in person, just send a general to command tens of thousands of troops to quell the rebellion.

After the opinions of the upper echelons were unified, the upper and lower levels of Hexi began to warm up for the expedition of the army in advance.

Newspapers under the names of the Shogun's Mansion and the Metropolitan Protectorate successively published news of rebellions in the Western Regions and successive invasions of Rouran.

The two pieces of news detonated up and down Hexi at once, and the crowds in various places were excited, clamoring to send troops to the Western Regions and conquer Rouran.

At this time, the "Hexi Xunbao" presided over by Tao Qian made public the murder of the merchant and the expulsion of the Taoist priest, and lit another fire in the public sentiment that was about to erupt.

Suddenly, the entire Hexi was like a volcanic eruption, and countless people took to the streets and ran to the Dadu Protectorate to ask for their lives.

After recounting in detail the details of the murder of Shang Jia and the Taoist chief, the "Hexi Xunbao" also pointed out the reasons for the attack without concealment.

That is, the people of the Western Regions and the Rouran people coveted Hexi's monopoly on the benefits of east-west trade, and were eager to defeat Hexi and seize the hegemony of the Silk Road.

As soon as this article came out, it shocked the whole Hexi, and some traditional scribes were worried that it would cause a shock in the hearts of the people.

Clinker, in addition to being criticized by a small number of people.

Most of the people all supported the capital to protect the troops in the Western Regions, especially the major merchants and the great families of the great families who supported the most.

At that time, those Hexi Gaomen were forced to hand over their land and tribes, and in order to make a living, they had to join various trading companies organized in Hexi.

Now nearly ten years have passed, and the major families have already made a lot of money.

After tasting the sweetness of foreign trade, they knew the importance of the Silk Road better than ordinary people, and they would never allow forces outside Hexi to get involved in the hegemony of the Western Regions.

When the people's emotions were mobilized, the Dadu Guardian Shuo, who had been silent for several days, finally appeared in public.

He promised everyone in public that all the officers and men of the Hexi Army would swear to protect the interests of Hexi from being violated.