As early as the pre-Qin period, the channel connecting the East and West of China already existed, the official westward spread of silk began in the Western Han Dynasty through the Western Regions, and the real formation of the Silk Road began in the Western Han Dynasty Zhang Qian's hollowing. www.biquge.info During this period, the source of silk, the destination of transmission, and the route of transmission were very clear, with history to follow, well documented, and the number of transmissions was also very large, and the East and West were planned and even organized to carry out silk trade, so the Silk Road was really opened up in the period of Emperor Wu of the Western Han Dynasty.

In the Western Han Dynasty, the places west of Yangguan and Yumen Pass and even further away were called the Western Regions. At the beginning of the Western Han Dynasty, the passage connecting the East and the West was blocked by the Xiongnu. During the reign of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, the Central Plains were connected with the Western Regions, and they began to strengthen their strategy for the Western Regions. There were originally 36 states in the Western Regions, and later divided into more than 50, all of which were located in the west of the Xiongnu and the south of Wusun.

Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty heard that the Dayue clan, which had been invaded by the Xiongnu and moved westward, had the intention of retaliating against the Xiongnu, so he sent an envoy to the Dayue clan to contact them to attack the Xiongnu from east to west. Zhang Qian, a native of Hanzhong, Shaanxi, applied for the recruitment.

In the second year of the founding of the Yuan Dynasty (139 years ago), Zhang Qian led more than 100 people to the Western Regions, was captured by the Xiongnu on the way, stayed for 10 years, and finally found an opportunity to escape, and traveled west for dozens of days to reach Dawan.

At this time, the Dayue clan did not want to attack the Xiongnu and continued to move westward, Zhang Qian did not achieve the goal, stayed in the Western Regions for more than a year and returned to the east, and was detained by the Xiongnu for more than a year on the way, and then coincided with the death of the Xiongnu, the domestic chaos, Yuan Shuo three years (126 years ago), Zhang Qian took the opportunity to return to the Han Dynasty, was warmly received by Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, and was named the Taizhong doctor.

This trip to the west lasted for more than 10 years, although it did not achieve its goal, but obtained a large amount of information about the Western Regions, and the historian Sima Qian called Zhang Qian's act "hollow out".

After Zhang Qian returned to China, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty sent an envoy to explore the opening of a communication route to Bactria through Rome without passing through the Xiongnu, but it was unsuccessful. Later, the Han army defeated the Xiongnu and obtained the Hexi Corridor area, opening up the passage between the Western Han Dynasty and the Western Regions. After Huo Qubing defeated the Xiongnu in Qilian Mountain, Zhang Qian suggested contacting Wusun, a powerful country in the Western Regions, to cut off the Xiongnu's right arm.

In the fourth year of Yuanzhan (119 BC), Zhang Qian once again sent an envoy to the Western Regions, with the purpose of luring Wusun back to his hometown in Hexi and contacting the countries of the Western Regions. Zhang Qian went to Wusun, but did not achieve his goal, and returned to Chang'an with Wusun envoys in the second year of Yuan Ding (115 BC), and the deputy envoys sent by Zhang Qian to other countries in the Western Regions also returned to China one after another.

Wusun envoy saw that the Han people were rich, and after returning to the country, Wusun gradually had close contacts with the Han Dynasty, and in the following years, Zhang Qian made the Great Xia, and since then, the Western Han Dynasty and the northwest countries began to contact frequently, Zhang Qian chiseled the Western Regions, the Silk Road was officially opened, and Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty named him the Marquis of Bowang with military merits.

However, the countries of the Western Regions were still not completely free from the control of the Xiongnu, and Loulan, Cheshi and other countries often plundered the envoys and caravans sent to the Western Regions by the Western Han Dynasty under the instigation of the Xiongnu. In order to ensure the passage of the Western Regions, in the third year of Yuan Feng (108 BC), the Han general Wang Hui led the cavalry to break Loulan, and Zhao Ponu led the army to break the Che division.

In the sixth year of Yuan Feng (105 BC), the Western Han Dynasty and the king of Wusun made peace and jointly held the Xiongnu hostage. At the same time, in order to break the control of the Xiongnu over Dawan and obtain Dawan's excellent horse breed, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty sent Li Guangli to lead his troops to attack Dawan several times, and after paying a heavy price, he broke through the capital of Dawan, so that the prestige of the Western Han Dynasty in the Western Regions was greatly boosted and the safety of the passage in the Western Regions was ensured. The "Silk Road" to the Western Regions has been unimpeded.

In the fourth year of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty (101 BC), Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty set up envoy captains in Luntai and Quli to manage the affairs of Tuntian in the Western Regions. This was the first time that the Western Han government set up officials in the Western Regions. After that, the government of the Western Han Dynasty established a base in the Western Regions.

In the second year of Emperor Xuan of the Han Dynasty (60 years ago), the Xiongnu Emperor Xianxian Shan led the people to surrender, and the Western Han government achieved the final victory of the war against the Xiongnu and set up the Western Regions Protectorate, which was the beginning of the central dynasty to formally set up administrative institutions in the east of the Green Mountains.

The government of the Western Han Dynasty set up permanent officials in the Western Regions, sent soldiers to the fields, and set up school captains to lead and protect them, so that the Han nationality and the ethnic minorities in Xinjiang could have closer contacts. The Han Dynasty set up the Western Regions Protectorate in the Western Regions, and the Silk Road, which began to enter an era of prosperity from the Western Han Dynasty.

Buddhism was first introduced to China on the Silk Road. In the first year of Emperor Yuanshou of the Han Dynasty (2 years ago), Yi Cun, the envoy of the Dayue clan in the Western Regions, came to the dynasty and dictated the "Futu Sutra" to Jing Lu, a Chinese doctoral disciple, in the imperial capital Chang'an.

Since then, Buddhism has officially begun to be introduced into China, and the history of this first transmission of Buddhism is called "Yicun Sutra".

In the third year of Tianfeng (16 years), the countries of the Western Regions severed their ties with the Xinmang regime, and the Silk Road was interrupted.

In 73, Ban Chao followed the general Dou Gu to attack the Northern Xiongnu and was ordered to send an envoy to the Western Regions. He led 36 officials to Shanshan first, and with the determination of "not entering the tiger's den, but getting the tiger", Shanshan was shocked.

Later, he persuaded Khotan to join the central government. Ban Chao reopened the Silk Road, which had been isolated for 58 years, and helped the countries of the Western Regions get rid of the control of the Xiongnu, and was appointed as the protector of the Western Regions by the Eastern Han Dynasty, Ban Chao operated in the Western Regions for 30 years, strengthening the connection between the Western Regions and the interior.

In 91 years, Qiuci, Gumo, and Wensu in the northern province were all attached to the Eastern Han Dynasty, and Ban Chao set up the Western Regions to protect the government in Qiuzi, and personally sat in the northern province. He also ordered the governor of the Western Regions, Xu Gantun Shule, to echo with the northern province.

In 94, Ban Chaofa sent more than 70,000 soldiers from eight countries, including Qiuzi and Shanshan, to crusade against the rulers of Yanqi and other countries against the central government, and more than 50 countries in the Western Regions belonged to the central government.

In 97 years, Ban Chao had sent a deputy envoy Gan Ying to the Great Qin State (Roman Empire), until he reached the Tiaozhi Sea (now the Persian Gulf), near the sea to cross, due to the gentle words of the sea merchants, although it could not be realized, but this was the first time to break through the barrier of the rest of the country, the Silk Road extended from Asia to Europe, and once again opened up the Silk Road that had declined.

The Monchidoune (Macedonian) region under the Great Qin sent an envoy to Luoyang, the capital of the Eastern Han Dynasty, to present gifts to the Han and Emperors. Emperor Han and Emperor treated the envoys of the two countries favorably and gave them purple ribbons and gold seals.

In 166, the ancient Roman King of Qin, Andun, sent an envoy to Luoyang in the Eastern Han Dynasty to meet Emperor Huan of the Han Dynasty.

After the Yellow Turban Uprising, there was a rebellion in Liangzhou, the trade route was blocked, and the Silk Road did not have its former glory, and later with the cooperation of the Wuyuan Chamber of Commerce and some merchants in Liangzhou, the goods of the Wuyuan Chamber of Commerce were able to enter Liangzhou, and Western merchants directly purchased goods in Liangzhou to transport them to the West, although the scale was not as good as before, but it was better than nothing.

Later, Liangzhou fell into a situation of warlordism, the Silk Road was interrupted for a time, and caravans were often plundered by local warlords, resulting in no merchants willing to transport the goods of the Han Dynasty to the west.

Dunhuang is the Silk Road must pass through, and then to the west, it entered the Western Regions, if the Silk Road can be restored, and even can be connected with the Wuyuan Chamber of Commerce, directly transport goods to Dunhuang and trade with Western merchants, it will be a huge benefit for the Gai family and the Suo family.

So after hearing Zhang Chang's promise, the two heads of the two families changed color together, and they all secretly swallowed a mouthful of saliva, if they can really get on the line with the Wuyuan Chamber of Commerce, what is it to worry about a mere Liu Bei, for them, Liu Bei is just a spokesperson they have raised, without the support of the two of them, Liu Bei is difficult to move an inch in Dunhuang.

Seeing that the two of them were a little moved, Zhang Chang asked, "What is the idea of the two families?" ”

The head of the Suo family asked: "It's not that I don't believe the words of the virtuous nephew, it's just empty words, how can the virtuous nephew represent the general of Zhengxi?" ”

"Hahahaha!" When Zhang Chang heard this, he laughed a few times, clapped his hands, and suddenly a person came out from behind the screen, it was Zhang Meng.

"Zhang Meng has seen two uncles!"

The two heads of the family were a little shocked when they saw Zhang Meng, after all, according to the news they got, Zhang Meng was captured by the Yan army, and now that he has appeared here, the meaning is self-evident, the Zhang family has been attached to the Yan country.

Zhang Meng also saw the shock on the faces of the two, and explained: "So that the two uncles know that I have now taken refuge in His Majesty Yan State, and the general of Zhengxi sent me back to Dunhuang to contact the two uncles, this is a personal letter from General Zhou, the two uncles may wish to take a look first." ”

After receiving the letter handed over by Zhang Meng, the head of the Suo family and the head of the Gai family read it carefully, the letter was full of Zhou Yu's greetings to his two family heads, and only in the last place it was stated that Zhang Meng's words represented his own meaning.

Now that the evidence is ironclad, the two of them suddenly relieved their suspicions, and the head of the Gai family first said: "If it is really as promised by the virtuous nephew before, my Gai family is willing to take refuge in Yan Kingdom." ”

"Brother Gai, you..." The head of the Suo family didn't expect the head of the Gai family to express his attitude so quickly.

However, the head of the Gai family persuaded him: "Brother Xian, now that the Han Dynasty exists in name only, Liu Bei's demise is only a matter of time, even if you and I give everything we have, we can't stop General Zhou's hundreds of thousands of troops, as I expected, after General Zhou pacified Liangzhou, he will definitely continue to use troops in the Western Regions and rebuild the Western Regions Protectorate. ”

The words of the head of the Gai family are not alarmist, but can be seen by anyone with a discerning eye, and after hearing this, the head of the Suo family sighed: "Well, since it is impossible to do anything, my Suo family is also willing to take refuge in Yan Kingdom." ”

Speaking of this, he suddenly looked at Zhang Meng and said: "Virtuous nephew, our three surnames in Dunhuang have always been respected by the Zhang family, and we will ask the virtuous nephew to take care of them in the future." ”

"Well said, well said!"

Zhang Meng has now made this meritorious work, and it will definitely be reused, and it is already a sure thing for the Zhang family to produce a high-ranking official of 2,000 stones, and even in the future, there will be a place for the Zhang family above the court.

Zhang Meng quickly passed the news of the surrender of the Gai family and the Suo family to Zhou Yu, Zhou Yu was overjoyed when he saw the news, and immediately ordered a comprehensive attack on Liu Bei, and at the same time asked Zhang Meng to gather private troops in Dunhuang and occupy Dunhuang as soon as possible, so that Liu Bei must not have a chance to breathe.

After Zhang Meng received Zhou Yu's order, he immediately recruited 20,000 soldiers from among the major heroes in Dunhuang, easily controlled the power of the entire Dunhuang, and cut off Liu Bei's grain and grass.

Liu Bei never expected that the three surnames of Dunhuang would be betrayed, there was no way forward, there were chasing soldiers behind, and for a time Liu Bei in Jiuquan was like sitting on pins and needles.