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Hami, known as Yiwulu in the Western Han Dynasty.

It is north of the Tianshan Mountains, the scenery is beautiful, located in the east of Gaochang, that is, the east gate of Shazhou.

It is also the gateway to the eastern section of the northern Silk Road, and its geographical location is very important, and it is a military fortress.

Due to the strength of the Northern Wei Dynasty and the constant harassment of Rouran in the north, the people of Rouran had a very difficult life.

As a last resort, Rouran Khan Yujiu Lu Shelun had no choice but to shift his focus to the west, plotting to annex the Western Regions in order to control the Silk Road.

Subsequently, Yu Jiulu Shelun convened the ministers of state, national teachers, Tong Lifa, Tudoufa, Tong Li and other civil and military ministers in the royal court to discuss the plan of the western expedition.

"Khan, don't miss the opportunity, you won't come again!"

"If you defeat Hexi, Rouran will be able to dominate the Western Regions and enjoy the Silk Road exclusively."

"And the smelting technology possessed by the countries of the Western Regions is also the technology that Rouran urgently needs, otherwise Rouran will always be subject to the Northern Wei Dynasty."

I have to say that the words of the prime minister can be regarded as talking about Yu Jiulu Shelun's heart.

He has always been ambitious, unwilling to be soft, and has always been suppressed by the Northern Wei Dynasty.

Dream Rouran people also like their predecessors Xiongnu and Xianbei people, to establish a grassland empire spanning thousands of miles.

It's just that the Rouran people had a bad fate, and they were devastated soon after the founding of the country, and they were almost wiped out by the Northern Wei Dynasty.

After retreating to Mobei, Yu Jiulu Shelun was constantly thinking about the development strategy of Rouran.

It wasn't until he learned about the richness of the Western Regions that he found out where the tribe really came out.

However, Rouran Khan did not act in a hurry, but first sent an envoy to secretly contact the countries of the Western Regions.

"Ladies and gentlemen, this heavy westward march is a matter of the overall situation, and I hope you will pay attention to it."

"I think that the Western Regions are thousands of miles away, and the Han Dynasty has been fighting continuously since the beginning of the Han Dynasty, and has been conquered by the Han people and the Huns, and then it should be our turn to be the Rouran people."

"Ladies and gentlemen, the Northern Wei Dynasty is strong today, and I am forced to move to the shore of Beihai Lake because of the might of the Xianbei people."

"But Mobei is barren, which can only ensure that the tribal subjects will not starve to death, but it cannot make Rouran strong."

"If we are not a strong tribe, how can we take revenge on the Northern Wei Dynasty?"

"Now only by conquering the Western Regions can Rouran become strong."

"The Western Regions are not only rich, but also have countless slaves and beauties, and even the iron-making technology that Rouran desperately needs."

"A small Hexi has made a lot of money on the Silk Road."

"It can be seen that the riches of the Western Regions are innumerable, and it is not an exaggeration to say that there is gold everywhere."

"As long as Rouran dominates the Western Regions, in the future, the tribal subjects will no longer have to starve, nor will they have to look at the faces of others, and they will even have the strength to find Xianbei people to take revenge."

These words completely ignited the enthusiasm of the Rouran people, and the leaders of the tribe clamored to send troops to the Western Regions.

Yu Jiulu Shelun waved his hand very satisfied, and the big tent was quiet again.

"Yiwu and Hami are the gateways to the Western Regions of Rouran, and as long as they control these two regions, the army can smoothly enter the north and south of the Tianshan Mountains."

"Right now, Iwu, one of these two military fortresses, has been surrounded by the Grand Army, and it is just around the corner to take it!"

"Ben Khan did not want to waste time, and prepared to lead the main force of the army to the south across the Tianshan Mountains and attack Hami."

"As long as Hami and Yiwu are taken, Gaochang will be completely exposed to the Rouran Iron Horse."

Hearing this, the group of Rouran civil and military nods frequently, their eyes lit up, as if the rich and beautiful Western Regions were already in their pockets.

Yu Jiulu Shelun continued: "Therefore, the next strategic focus is to occupy Yiwu and Hami as soon as possible. ”

Rouran Guo echoed: "What the Khan said is very true, although Yiwu is still in the hands of Hexi, it has become a lonely city. ”

"I believe that it won't be long before the Rouran army can conquer Yiwu."

"Next, we will conquer Gaochang and Hami, and half of the Western Regions will be at your fingertips."

Rouran's contempt for Hexi is related to the current environment, and during the period of the Five Hu and Sixteen Kingdoms, the status of the Han people was gradually lowered.

Even if Hexi suddenly rose, it only changed the view of Hulu in the Central Plains, and the impact on the soft words of Mobei was minimal.

In the eyes of many people, Hexi, which represents the Han people, is synonymous with weakness, and naturally they will not take Hexi in their eyes.

Yu Jiulu Shelun was very satisfied with the words of the national minister, and nodded frequently: "Okay, very good!" The general of the pass Ben Khan ordered the army to march westward immediately. ”

The generals of Rouran responded in unison: "No." ”

……

The majestic and beautiful Tianshan Mountains are covered with snow all year round.

In the endless steppe under the Tianshan Mountains, herds of cattle, sheep and camels graze.

In the distance, scattered herders' tents loomed.

Suddenly, a group of soft cavalry appeared at the end of the grassland, like a black line getting thicker and thicker, gradually converging into one.

The first leader, it was Rouran Khan Yu Jiu Lu Shelun, and as soon as he raised his right hand, a large number of cavalry stopped.

On his mount were two young girls who had been taken captive, followed by a dozen or so guards.

Yu Jiulu Shelun saw a group of fat livestock grazing in the distance, and saw a lot of horses, with a greedy look on his face.

He pointed to the grazing horses with his whip, turned to one of the Rouran cavalrymen, and said, "These horses are very good, go and grab them for the Rouran warriors to ride." ”

When the cavalry heard this, they immediately rushed forward and tried to snatch the horses.

At this moment, several herders sprang out of their tents.

They were originally Wusun people, and after the destruction of Wusun State, they became subjects of Hexi, specializing in providing livestock and war horses for Hexi.

Now they have been living in peace for nearly ten years, and this is the first time they have encountered someone who dares to go to Hexi to loot.

Looking at the herdsmen rushing up, Yu Jiulu Shelun had a hideous smile on his face.

With a wave of his hand, another group of Rouran cavalry rushed forward.

After a while, a terrible scream sounded in the calm grassland.

50,000 Rouran cavalry crossed the Jinshan Mountain like locusts and slaughtered into the eastern steppe of the former Wusun, that is, the Junggar Basin in later generations.

Tens of thousands of Hexi subjects living here were killed in an instant before they had time to evacuate, a large number of cattle, sheep and livestock were robbed, and women were taken captive.

The defenders of Igo and other places were forced by the large number of enemy soldiers, so they could only retreat to the cities and guard the fortresses.

After sweeping the Junggar Basin, the Rouran army left a small number of men and horses to besiege Yiwu, and the main force of the army moved south to kill Hami.

……

Since October, Yueban, Qiuzi, Khotan, Shule and other countries have eaten the rudder and vowed to expel Hexi from the Western Regions.

As the situation in the Western Regions became more and more chaotic, a large number of merchants were stranded in Yumen Pass and Gaochang.

Gaochang is divided into two inner cities and outer cities, standing on the city tower, you can almost overlook the entire city.

The outer city is roughly square, the wall is four zhang high, and the circumference is more than ten miles.

There is a city gate on each side, and the east and west gates are the tallest, and each gate has an urn city.

After continuous renovation in recent years, Gaochang has become a heroic city that is easy to defend and difficult to attack.

Since the rise of Weishuo in Gaochang, this place has become the key to Hexi's control of the Western Regions.

At present, Du Jin, the governor of Shazhou, led 6,000 troops and 6,000 soldiers to garrison the city, responsible for guarding the security of the Silk Road.

The news of Rouran's full-scale invasion soon reached Gaochang, and Du Jin, the governor of Shazhou, received an urgent report from the border pass, and while hurriedly informing Guzang and asking for reinforcements, he ordered the defenders of Yiwu, Hami, Yancheng and other places to hold on and wait for reinforcements.

As the sun set in the west, Du Jin looked at Yiwu and Hami on the map worriedly.

Just now, he received an urgent report, saying that Rouran Khan Yujiu Lu Shelun had personally led a large army to cross the Jinshan Mountain and enter the eastern grassland of the former Wusun.

"Is the governor still worried about Igo's safety?"

Du Jin glanced sideways at the army, bowed slightly, and said in a worried tone: "Yes, Yiwu is lonely in the north of the Tianshan Mountain, and it is difficult to hold on without reinforcements." ”

"On top of that, Pontus is worried about Hami."

"What?! Will the Rouran people have the guts to attack Hami? ”

"How not? Don't forget that Hami is the eastern gateway to Gaochang, and if it is lost, the enemy will be under the city of Gaochang. ”

"Lord Governor doesn't need to worry too much, most of the Rouran people are cavalry, and it is difficult to capture the two fortresses of Yiwu and Hami."

"I hope so!"

Du Jin feels that the situation is not optimistic, first of all, Shazhou has not been in war for nearly ten years, and the local troops are seriously lacking in actual combat.

Moreover, due to the tense war on the Eastern Front, a large number of elites were transferred to the Central Plains.

The local forces in Shazhou, both in terms of the number of troops and the quality of their fighting, were far inferior to the garrison west of Yumen Pass.

In the case of the inner wing army of Gaochang City, almost all of them were recruits who had not participated in the war.

It's okay to rely on them to defend the city, but if you venture out of the city to fight with the Rouran cavalry, it is no different from sending them to death.

At present, Du Jin can only rely on the city to hold on, and wait for the main force of the army to come to the aid of the capital.