In terms of the speed at which inquiries spread, the ubiquitous radio waves would have been the first to be used in later generations, but in the world of ancient traditions, word of mouth information does not seem to be much inferior to the speed of electronic jumps.

In just two and a half months, the changes in Lingzhou along the upper reaches of the Yellow River have spread thousands of miles away.

In this season when snowflakes rule, the personnel changes of the Jingsai Military Division seem to be more important than the outsiders in Lingzhou, but the new civilian transfer envoy has set his eyes on Lingzhou and is a little confused, and the Khitans in the north seem to have struggled out of the changes in the Tanyuan Alliance and began to patrol around.

Oh, by the way, the transfer envoy of the civil official who seized the military power mentioned by Yang Yanping of Huanzhou is just one of the many people who pay attention to the changes in Lingzhou, and the reason why he will react to Lingzhou is not how conscientious such civil officials are, but that they do not understand conquest, but understand that the land west of Hexi is not deserted, but a sensitive place, once the slightest change affects the status quo on the border, it will not only bring turmoil in the Song Dynasty, but also may lose their official positions and abandon their posts, and even care about their own lives.

What's more, the arrival of Luo Kaixian with the crowd is by no means a trivial matter, a strong military force of tens of thousands of people, at least forty or fifty thousand people, may not affect the overall situation, but it is absolutely crucial to the future direction of the land of Hexi.

How can such a confusing force quietly not attract attention?

Of course, no matter what era, there are conscientious people, there are careful and sensitive people, there are also people who neglect their duties, and there are people who are negligent, but this kind of people are really not worth mentioning.

……

The Yellow River, the mother river of oriental civilization, her whole figure is very enchanting and graceful - a very large zigzag is drawn on the ground, and in the northernmost middle of the "several" bend, on the north bank of the river, there is a towering mountain system standing here.

The Dangxiang people called this mountain Lagu Mountain, and the Khitan people called it Muna Mountain (1).

The south of the mountain and the north of the water, is a radius of at least thousands of miles of abundant water and grass open land, here stood a Jiuyuan city (2) at the earliest, that was the place of the past, but with the decline of the Qin and Han dynasties, the north does not pay attention to the city's lineage southward, the ancient city has long been abandoned, and to the Xianbei people established the regime of the Great Wei (Northern Wei), once established a stone city here, called Huaishuo Town, but unfortunately, the inheritance of the grassland tribe has always been unstable, with the decline of Wei, Huaishuo Town was also quickly abandoned.

Then in the Sui and Tang dynasties, Zhang Renyuan (3), who was a civil and military all-rounder, took advantage of the Turkic Mosi Khan (4) to conquer the west, and established three surrendered cities in Shuibei, among which the middle surrendered city was located here, which was the hub of the north to communicate with the east, west, north and south, and was also an important place for business travelers on the north road.

After the death of the Tang Dynasty, the various ethnic groups, including the Tang Junzhen forces, came and went, and after many land battles, the Khitans in the north finally rose strongly to occupy this place, and were divided into the sub-administrative region of Xijing Province - Yunnei Prefecture, and the city of Zhongshou was able to continue to be used as the state capital.

Unlike the Han dynasty of the Zhao and Song dynasties in the south, the states of the Northern Liao Khitan were not completely administrative, but mostly hereditary territories divided by several nobles uniting (or acting alone) by plundering the slaves and staking the land, called the Touxia Military Prefecture, which was in fact similar to the hereditary fiefdoms of the princes in the south (5).

Around the Mu Na Mountain, the south is across the river is the Hetao area, the north is far away is the sparse desert, the east and west sides are Yunnei Prefecture and Fengzhou (6), both are the Northern Liao rule, but slightly different, Yunnei Prefecture is the head of the military state, Fengzhou is directly under the central garrison region, there is a difference is that the ruler of Yunnei Prefecture is called Yili Jin (7), the garrison of Fengzhou is the Tiande Army (8), the commander followed the Tang system, called the Jiedu Envoy.

The same thing is that both of them are guarding the southwest region of Northern Liao, and both have the task of defending the northward expansion of the difficult army.

Luo Kaixian settled in Lingzhou this year, for the third year of Zhao Song Jingde, the twenty-fourth year of the Khitan calendar, Yunnei Prefecture's Yili Jin Pugu and Fengzhou Tiande Jun Festival made Yelu Qingxi have a good relationship, often get together to drink and have fun, but because of interests and character habits, get together to quarrel and even fight to divide the victory.

On this day in November, the continuous heavy snow made the mountain road blocked, making it difficult for people and horses to walk, and Yelu Qingxi, who was hindered by the heavy snow and could not return to Fengzhou, had to stay, and Pugu had no choice but to entertain his friends with good wine and meat every day.

The most spacious building in the city, the most luxurious banquet hall in the Yili Sumire Mansion, several huge copper charcoal stoves in the flames, plus the corbel candles placed everywhere, and the maids walking back and forth to add wine and their eyes fluttering, making the temperature in the guest hall like the height of summer.

Yelu Qingxi, who had a curly and bearded face, took off the sleeves of the brocade robe on his right arm, wrapped his thick arms around the girl beside him, kneaded them arbitrarily for a while, patted the girl's buttocks, and asked her to add wine to herself, before laughing wantonly and said: "Pugu, the bald head (party member) in the south has just died The leader (referring to Li Jiqian), the current Li Deming is not prestigious, what is the new Luo Kaixian...... I think it's just a madman from a small clan in the Western Regions, what is there to worry about like this? ”

Pugu's image is not much more than Yeluqing's, half-open leather robe, the black hair on his chest is wanton, but the expression on his face is much calmer than Yeluqing, who was born in the royal family, "Pull a wild slave, you haven't seen Naluo Kaixian, how do you know that he is just a madman from the west?" ”

Baye Nu is Yelu Qingxi's Khitan name, and he doesn't care about Pugu's Han name that doesn't call him, but the corners of his mouth are twitched, and he said with some disdain: "Ahh Don't listen to those rumors, maybe it's something to scare people with words, Li Jiqian's youngest son has a lot of scheming, how can he be so easy to suffer? ”

Pu Gu threw the parchment scroll in his hand to the maid, asked her to hand it to Yelu Qingxi on the other side, and then said with some solemnity: "Baye slave, look at this secret letter, the wolf of the Xingzhou Ma clan sent someone to send it!" That Baobu's head is insidious and ferocious, but it's not a good ......."

Yelu Qingxi was stunned, and he didn't say much, turned his hand and took the secret letter and read it.

After half a ring, the bearded Yelu Qingxi retracted the arbitrariness on his face, waved away the fair girl beside him, and said to Pu Gu, who was silent and contemplative, "Is what is written on this credible?" Pugu, you want to send troops south in winter? ”

"What is written on it should not be bad, Ma Zurong doesn't dare to deceive us, it's just ......" Pu Gu grabbed the thick porcelain wine glass in front of him, took a big sip, squinted his eyes and said: "It's just that the land west of the river is not chaotic, what does it have to do with us?" For you and me, it's best if the Dangxiang, Han, Song, and Uighurs in the south are all dead, isn't it? ”

"Well, but Ma Zurong often sends people to bring gifts, just leave him alone, it seems to be ......" Yelu Qingxi hesitated, he looked rude, and he was born in the Yelu royal family, but he was not an arrogant person.

"Baye slave, how could Ma Zurong be so easily destroyed? Even if Luo Kaixian or Bartol are very fierce, they must be exhausted when they come from a long distance, how can they move immediately? As the leader of Yunnei Prefecture, Pu Gu is of course familiar with military affairs, and after analyzing a large number of passes, he turned to a low voice and said, "What's more...... Last year, Nanjing Dao suffered a lot of losses from the war with the Song people, and needed to recuperate, but the Queen Mother (9) issued an edict not to open the gap privately, do you dare to disobey the will of the Queen Mother? ”

Yelu Qingxi shrunk his neck, "How dare I, although Uncle Mu doesn't like me, he also gave me the opportunity to control the land alone." ”

Pu Gu stared at this bad friend, and sighed in his heart, the Queen Mother has controlled the government for decades, and no one is not afraid of her strength, even if she is no exception, the royal family has already done it, "There are still two years for Manjushri (10) to officially come to the court, this is what the Queen Mother promised after the Tanyuan Covenant last year, I don't know what variables will be in the future, you and me...... According to the Han people, it is better to be still than to be still......"

"Pugu, you have a point." Yelu Qingxi was able to control the Tiande Army, relying not only on martial arts, but also from the royal family, and his knowledge and wisdom were also good.

Pu Gu noticed that his friend was still a little hesitant, so he said simply: "As for the matter of Hexi, there is no need to send troops, Ma Zurong is not ambitious, he will not be controlled by anyone, it is a big deal to send a team of people over, and rescue him when he is defeated, then you and I will have the opportunity to meddle in Hexi." ”

Yelu Qingxi's eyes lit up, "Pugu, why are you so smart today?" ”

"I'm always smarter than you!" Pu Gu glared at his friend and shouted: "After the snow clears, you will go back to Fengzhou, don't pay attention to the mundane things in winter, drinking is the most important!" Drink! ”

"Hah! Drink! ”

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(1) Muna Mountain, known as Muniora, is located in the south of the Anchuan River in Bayannur, Inner Mongolia, north of the Yellow River, starting from the Kundulun River in Baotou City in the east, and ending at the Xishanzui of the Urad Front Banner of Bayannur League in the west, with a total length of more than 70 kilometers and a length of 34 kilometers in Baotou City. The average altitude of Wula Mountain is 1900-2000 meters, and its main peak, Dahuabei, is located in the northwest of Agarutai Sumu in Jiuyuan District, with an altitude of 2324 meters. The southern foot of the Ula Mountain is steep and the vegetation is sparse, and the northern slope is gentle and lush with vegetation. The existing largest gold mine in Baotou City, the Hademen Gold Mine, is located in this mountain, and there are scenic spots such as Meiligen Tourist Area distributed in the mountains.

(2) Jiuyuan City, between 300 and 200 AD, Qin and Zhao successively expelled the northern Xiongnu on the north bank of the Yellow River. After the earliest Zhao cavalry shooting in Hufu, Yunzhong County was set up on the north bank of the Yellow River, and the Great Wall and the city were built, the city wall was used as a fortification, and the city was the place where the troops were stationed, the largest of which was located in the south of the Hademengou Pass, which was the Jiuyuan City, and was a military town in the northwest of the Zhao State. Later Jiuyuan City was occupied by Qin, who built 34 county towns along the Yellow River, and divided this place into Jiuyuan County, one of the 36 counties in the world. During the Han Dynasty, Jiuyuan County was changed to Wuyuan County, which was an important farmland reclamation area, but then gradually declined due to the political mistakes of the Han Dynasty and the southern invasion of the Xiongnu tribes, and at the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, the south was in turmoil, the army was unable to defend the border, the residents of the place moved inward, and the city was abandoned. Lü Bu, a famous general in the late Han Dynasty, was born here.

(3) Zhang Renyuan,?- 714, formerly known as Ren Gan, was a native of Xiatai Gui, Huazhou (now Linwei District, Weinan, Shaanxi), and was a prime minister and famous general of the Tang Dynasty.

(4) Mur Khan,?- 716, the Eastern Turkic Khan in the middle of the Tang Dynasty, the younger brother of Ashina, Minghuan, and Gululu. In the second year of the Heavenly Grant (691), he was called the Khan of Apogan. In the first year of Zhengsheng (695), he was named the Khan of Qianshan. In the first year of Long Live Tongtian (696), he helped Tang Ping Khitan and was awarded the title of Khan for meritorious service. From the Tang Dynasty, he obtained Turkic households, seeds, farm tools, pig iron, etc. from the six states of Hequ, and his power became more and more powerful. Since then, he has repeatedly disturbed the Tang Realm and captured people and livestock. He also attacked the Khitan, Xi, Huangjiasi, and Western Turkic tribes, and expanded the territory to the east of the Black Sea. In the third year of Kaiyuan (715), the northern expedition of the nine surnamed Ole in the following year, in the Dule River (Tula River) broke the Tulu Gu Department, lost the victory and returned lightly, and was killed by the Tulu Gu rout on the way. During his fifteenth year of reign, he waged wars twenty-five times, so many of his subordinates were dissatisfied. After his death, his son Little Khan succeeded to the throne.

(5) For details, please Du Niang "Liao State Official System", in short, it is a word "chaos", the dynasty established by the Yelu family, its ruling strategy includes its grassland ancestral system, Tang Dynasty military system, Bohai State national policy, and the official system of Zhao and Song at that time, in short, it feels like a hodgepodge, messy.

(6) Fengzhou, which refers to here should be a large area on the north bank of the Yellow River, including Wuliangsuhai (around the present-day Bayanjuer).

(7) Yili Sumire, Khitan language, king, tribal leader.

(8) Tiande Army, originally the number of the army in the Tang Dynasty, in this article refers to the Khitan people in order to rule the southwest region, but also to deal with the difficult army, set up in Fengzhou, its jurisdiction and garrison position are the same as the Tang Dynasty, together with the number of the army are exactly the same, it is estimated that the Khitan people who led the army at that time were a very typical admirer of the Tang Dynasty.

(9) Empress Dowager, referring to Empress Dowager Xiao Xiao (953-1009), the most famous female powerful figure in Khitan history, who had controlled the power of Northern Liao for more than 40 years, and the period when she controlled the government was the most powerful period of the Khitan.

(10) Manjushri, referring to Yelu Longxu, the Liao Shengzong, 972-1031, was a rare king in the Northern Liao Dynasty after Empress Dowager Xiao.