It's the dry season, the Ganges River is shallow, and at its lowest point, the water level is no more than knees. There are no dense forests, but there are patches of meadows, and in the distance there are clumps of sparse trees on the low mountains.

Looking beyond the clouds, it seems that you can still see the yellow sand brought by the endless sea of sand...... It's a world of paradoxes!

Here, there is no so-called royal paradise, and there will be no kind people. The most people here are horse bandits who treat human life like a mustard!

Jixian Mountain, just in the southwest of Loulan, resembles a cockscomb, the mountain has shrubs, and there are a chain of caves. At the foot of the mountain is a lush meadow with a winding road that leads to a sea of sand. There is an octagonal pavilion next to the ancient road, the pavilion is broken, only on the side of the ancient road outside the pavilion, a truncated remnant tablet can vaguely see several huge Chinese characters - "Guyuan Pavilion".

There was also a grass hut outside the pavilion, and several people in tattered robes were lying in it and napping.

Suddenly, someone came on horseback from a distance, and the people in the hut suddenly woke up, jumped up, put their hands into the haystack beneath them, and looked vigilantly into the distance.

In the distance, a man rode a yellow horse wrapped in a white tarpaulin, a costume in the sunlit region. After approaching, the people on the horse raised their hands and made a gesture, and the people in the straw hut relaxed again, and lay back one after another, and only one person went out.

"It's someone from the Zhang family!" The people in the grass shed muttered a few words, "Isn't there another fat sheep coming to the door?" ”

Someone next to him accosted: "If only there were really one, let's also go out and fight a few catties of strength to eat and drink on Jiyi Mountain." There is also a little lady to serve, which is better than the job of being a watchdog. ”

"Who's to say it isn't. I knew that Han Ting was not good, and we didn't have to be afraid of being retaliated by the Han army at the beginning. I hid behind the last time I robbed that order, and it turned out to be ...... Alas! The rest of the people sighed.

The majesty of the Great Han is still like a mountain pressing on their hearts, but the pursuit of a better life, as well as the result of plundering the merchant travel many times without punishment, have made these horse bandits in the Western Regions who are at the bottom of the hierarchy almost forget their awe of the Great Han!

……

It is 100 miles away from Jixiang Mountain, and there is a depression 30 miles away from Loulan City, which is a funnel-shaped terrain. It can withstand the cold wind of the Western Regions at night, and is very suitable for camping.

Of course, from a military point of view. In the funnel-shaped depression, only the logistics song and the main general's camp were placed. The rest of the tribes were still located along the river, and the sentinels were scattered at least ten miles or so, especially in the northeast, and the farthest outposts were twenty miles away.

The Lord will be busy in the camp. Shen Yun stood on the only piece of sheepskin map. said to Bai Xiaosheng: "Zhao Xianzhi's men and horses must turn around immediately. Where is Wencui's female soldier song? ”

This sentence was asked by Ouyang Fu next to him.

Ouyang Fu finished the matter of salt, and was complacent, thinking that he should be able to overwhelm the time, when Shen Yun's personal guard Qu Qu Chang, heard the words and hurriedly said: "I received the news three hours ago, Wen Qu Chang has swept away the last wave of the Xiongnu Keba army, defeated six hundred people, and brought back hundreds of stone baggage. ”

Shen Yun frowned: "It's about to enter Loulan City." How come there is still a Hun Keba army?! ”

Bai Xiaosheng said with a smile: "Master Hou killed so ruthlessly in Tyumen this time, how can King Zuoxian of the Huns not act like a show?!" Besides. Loulan City nominally belongs to the Tushi country, although no one took it seriously, but the Xiongnu are not afraid of Tushi after all. ”

Over there, Ouyang Fu also smiled and said: "Yes, this time we can take away what we can take with the army, and burn all the ones that can't be taken away, those tent forage is nothing, the key is that those lambs, cattle and horses that are storing fat, and they are also grateful to the Hou Ye for being so ruthless, and the brothers have really eaten and vomited the beef and sheep and horse meat recently." I just don't know how many Huns can't survive this winter! So many leaders and leaders cried to King Zuoxian, and he didn't dare to send Wang Qi's army to encircle and suppress, so he could only send some Keba troops to make a gesture. ”

Speaking of this, Shen Yun sneered: "I only hate to kill less." Huns, I don't care how many people die. As long as I'm okay! By the way, can there be statistics, how much loss will the Xiongnu Zuoxian Wang Department have this time? When we return to China, we can also count this as a military merit! ”

Pang Tong pouted, took a piece of paper, and said loudly: "Preliminary estimates, the seventeen tribes of the Xiongnu Zuoxian Wang Department have been fatally hit, we have slaughtered no less than 100,000 cattle, sheep and horses, as well as grassland, forage and living tents, etc., it is expected that in the coming year, the strength of the Zuoxian Wang Department will be reduced by fifty percent, the number of Keba troops will be compressed to 40,000 scale, and the eight banners of the elite Wang Banner Army have also suffered serious setbacks. ”

When this data was reported, everyone was stunned.

Ouyang Fu opened his mouth and said, "Obediently, it's just that our four thousand people are tossing back and forth like this, and this Zuo Xian Wang's department will be ruined?" ”

Bai Xiaosheng didn't expect this result, and was stunned for a while before saying, "Really, why is it such a big loss?" Can't be mistaken? ”

Shen Yun had actually read this report a long time ago, and this time it was read out to stabilize the morale of the army. He smiled and said, "Hehe, this is the power of guerrilla behind enemy lines. Of course, this is a long-term calculation, at the moment the Xiongnu Zuoxian Wang Department can still support the supply and combat of 100,000 troops, we can't take it lightly, in case he starts crazy, we are enough headaches. It is necessary to enter Loulan as soon as possible, and then go to Cai Xiang. ”

Everyone agreed in unison.

But salt is a big problem...... Shen Yun thought for a while, and then said: "I don't wait for the time to negotiate, I still don't believe it, a small Loulan City saw that my Han Wang Shi dared not to give salt." ”

Next to him, Zhang Ji also nodded wildly. He, the man who dared to steal the Empire's grain, really felt that it was the right thing to do. What's more, let's exchange things for salt.

……

Twenty miles, on the imperial straight, the cavalry is faster, that is, an hour or two away. But here, it's three hours. There are no mountains and mountains in this area, just a barren grassland or the Gobi, there are no roads but there are roads everywhere, as long as you look for the direction, you can generally walk quickly.

Despite this, it took a lot of time for the sentry scouts to pass messages back and forth. At nightfall. The Red Fox tribes scattered around had already begun to rush to the depression thirty miles outside Loulan City.

In fact, under the conditions of cold weapons, more time to fight a war is walking. War though there are so many renderings. What thirty-six plans, what soldiers are treacherous, but in fact, the most real war is actually walking.

From this point, go to that point, and then set up a position, fight, win or lose. It's that simple! After all, those battles that often confronted each other for years are rare, and it is precisely because of their rarity that they become classics. And from the ancient Yan Huang Chiyou to the present day, there have been tens of thousands of wars. For thousands of years, people have been fighting like this, so why is it more different now?

Shen Yun never thought that he was going to play a war like no other. He just wanted to shift the balance of war a little to the Han army. For example, when he was in a hurry, he wanted to hurry up. Martial arts in the world. Only fast is not broken! This is the Cult of the Great God of Slaughter.

Therefore, after the scout sent back the news that the last song of the soldiers was already five miles away, Shen Yun immediately ordered the whole army to be mobilized, and the last song was responsible for guarding the baggage, and the rest of the troops were all on the horse and rushed to Loulan!

According to the information gathered by the scouts, although the Xiongnu Keba army was still unwilling to let the Han army leave in this way, it would take at least three days for their formed army to catch up. Don't worry at all. And the front of Loulan ...... Shen Yun didn't think that the Wuhuan Loulan could withstand the light blow of his cavalry! Not only is Loulan not good, but the entire Loulan is hundreds of miles around. Including the eight hundred miles of Hanhai, there is absolutely no force that can resist his iron horse! Absolutely nothing!

This is not Shen Yun's blind pride, or his conceit. Since the attack in the Valley of the Thousand Birds, except for the loss of some men and horses in the battle of Tyumen, other battles such as the sweep of the Huns and tribes in Tyumen can almost be described as marching, which is too easy. And in the midst of this constant sweep, his 4,000 men and horses not only recovered one man and three horses, but even had extra horses to use as a reserve and to carry the baggage - as a nomad, the last thing that lacked was horses.

Of course, the advantages and disadvantages of these horses must not be compared with the specially cultivated war horses brought out from the Thousand Bird Valley, but when they were withdrawn from Tyumen City, they were a little embarrassed, at least the knights did not lose their war horses, and those reserve horses and horses can be used even if they are pulled out of the Hun tribe.

In a non-combat state, Shen Yun was not willing to ride the Rui Beast, but changed to a maroon mare - to say more, this mare is also tall, not like a Mongolian horse breed, but like an Eastern European horse that has passed through mixed breeds. And the mare is also carried for the sake of drinking mare's milk.

Without further ado, when Zhong Lisi, as the vanguard, arrived at Loulan City with two hundred cavalry and nearly six hundred war horses, the entire Loulan City did not make any resistance at all, and some people were already kneeling on the ground and shouting: "Welcome to the Han Dynasty!" ”

……

"Welcome to the king!" When Shen Yun arrived on horseback, he saw that a place on the outskirts of Loulan City that looked like a post station and a place like a warehouse had already knelt down on the ground, most of them were wearing Han-style robes, and a few of them were wearing white robes of the caliphate, wrapped in white scarves.

Since it was already late at night, countless torches were lit near the post station, and under the firelight, the figures of the kneeling people shook a little, and they seemed to tremble under the unparalleled momentum of the Han army.

Shen Yun frowned slightly, and asked in a condensed voice, "Who are these?" ”

Zhong Lisi had already entered the city with his cavalry, divided his troops to guard the passes of the main streets, and sent a platoon of cavalry in the direction of the mining area, which was the only commanding height in Loulan City, which had to be seized, leaving only two captains with horizontal sword badges waiting.

"Marshal Qiyu, these people are from the Loulan Guild......"

Without waiting for the lieutenant to finish speaking, the person who knelt at the front immediately said loudly: "Ministry marshal, department marshal, the villain is the president of this Loulan Guild. Elmont, I have something to tell the commander! ”

Shen Yun's eyes were sharp, and he could clearly see that he was a Westerner in the flickering firelight, and in his memory, the last time Ouyang came back to Loulan, it seemed that he was also dealing with someone called Elmont, so he said to the left and right: "Find Ouyang Fu, and in addition, bring that guild leader over." Others are stationed on their own in accordance with military discipline, and they are not allowed to disturb the people, let alone unload their armor without permission. ”

"Whoa!" Suddenly the cavalry had dispersed all around, some immediately began to tie their horses and loosen their saddles, ready to settle down, and a group of cavalry began to disperse along the perimeter of the post station, looking for suitable locations for the sentry points, everything was in order, but there was a murderous atmosphere. For a while, except for the extremely cold military orders shouted out of the mouths of officials at all levels, and one after another. There was not a single murmur in the whole army.

All of this shows that the army in front of you is definitely the best of the best. Although their armor was a little shabby, the horse leather also looked messy and dirty. But their spirit is incomparably high.

Fett secretly looked around and made a judgment.

Of course, he didn't know that the cavalry in front of him was the famous flying cavalry guard of the Great Han Red Fox Division, if he knew, he would not be surprised - the two major empires of the world, the flying cavalry of the Great Han is an army as famous as the Roman double-headed eagle army in the west, if it comes to the name of fierceness, the flying cavalry guard is even better!

Not much. Fett came to Shen Yun's side. Shen Yun had already dismounted, casually found a wooden stake by the post station, and led the Rui Beast over. I was loosening the belly belt of the saddle, and by the way, I took some soybeans from the back of the horse and fed it to it.

For knights, the war horse is a second life, in addition to rest. This feeding was usually done by the knight himself. I won't borrow from someone else.

Fit didn't know this rule of cavalry, and he felt a little unbelievable when he saw that as a marshal of the Han army, he had to feed the horses himself. You know, in Rome, a chief can already use two slaves, not only do you not have to feed the horses yourself, but if you are squeamish, you don't have to shake yourself to pee.

Fett stood in front of Shen Yun. Shen Yun glanced at him and didn't speak. Just when Fit was a little worried about whether the Han army commander in front of him would be moody. Ouyang Fu had already arrived quickly, and the first sentence of dismounting made Fett startled: "Master Hou, Ouyang Fu reports!" ”

Hou Ye?! Fit's eyes widened.

After staying in Loulan for so long, Fit naturally knew what level of character the person who could be called "Hou Ye" was. If it is placed in Rome, it is a mid-seat senator who can wear a four-leaf clover coat of arms; If it is placed in the caliphate, it is the great holy envoy who can wear a wreath of thorns on his head, and they are all prominent and at the same level as the country! But, how can this character be a commander?

Of course, you can't blame Lord Fett for being short-sighted, it's just that for a person of his level, a nobleman with a million Roman eagle coins is unattainable, let alone a marquis of the Han Empire! The Roman seven-level citizenship system has long been deeply rooted in the hearts of the people, not to mention that Fett knows that the noble titles of the Han Dynasty are rare, if you really want to compare, the marquis of the Han Dynasty can almost be compared to the chief senator of the Senate, that is to wear the Roman eagle emblem.

Shen Yun didn't pay attention to Fett's surprised and frightened expression, but turned his head to Ouyang Fu and said, "Is this the merchant you promised to exchange salt with me when you came last time?" ”

Ouyang Fu took a few steps forward, carefully identified it, and nodded: "Yes, Master Hou, it is the manager of the Elmont Commercial Bank that I told you last time." ”

Shen Yun said "um", then walked up to Fit, hugged his fists and made a river and lake etiquette, and said, "Manager Fit, thank you for your support to our army." I'll have someone take you to give you what I promised you, but don't forget to refill us with salt. ”

Fei Te was a little at a loss, wanted to kneel down on one knee but felt wrong, hugged his fists and felt that this etiquette was a bit too casual in the face of a marquis of the Han Empire, and finally he could only use the Han courtesy, took a deep look, and replied: "Hou, Hou Ye is polite, I didn't know that Wang Shi wanted to use salt before, if I knew, I would definitely not want those goods to be exchanged." Hou Ye rest assured, the salt promised before will not be less, on the contrary, he will persuade the rest of the guild to collectively raise donations for Wang Shi......"

Shen Yun smiled and said, "There's no need to raise donations, since you also call my Han army the king teacher, how can there be a king master who robs things?!" Take what you give you, it's a burden for us to carry. However, if you can give more salt, it is also a good thing. ”

"Yes, yes, yes!" Fett smiled awkwardly. I was a little nervous before, but seeing that this Hou Ye spoke casually, he also relaxed.

Shen Yun saw that the matter was almost over, so he asked casually: "I see that there are a lot of goods in the warehouse behind this post station, are they from your guild?" ”

Fett was stunned for a moment, as if he suddenly remembered something, this time he simply knelt down on one knee and said, "Master Hou, in the next generation, all the members of the Loulan Guild begged Master Wang to save the Han people in Loulan City!" ”

Shen Yun was stunned for a moment, and did not immediately agree, but put away his smile and said, "Han?!" Have my Han people been treated unjustly in Loulan City? ”

Seeing Shen Yun's tone hardening, Fett was suddenly a little anxious, and hurriedly explained the matter.

It turned out that just before Shen Yun rushed to Loulan City, the president named Zhang Li had already convened a meeting with representatives of all forces. At the beginning of the talks, Zhang Li first persuaded everyone to gather troops to resist the Han army, but except for the Wu clan in Xihaizhou, who was willing to send his own 500 soldiers, everyone else was against sending troops.

The reason is very simple, if it is a horse bandit, then needless to say, each family must gather manpower to resist, but it is a regular Han army, the Han army never loots, fair trade, why suddenly resist? In particular, the Caliph's Bu Luo Jilie, the Shi clan of Tushi, the Cai clan of Cai Xianguo, and Zhang Sheng of Dayue Prefecture rebelled, what did it matter to the three of them? Even if the Han army came, it was impossible to trouble them. As for the Cen family, they have no reason to follow Zhang Li to go crazy.

And Fett himself only represents the Elmont family, and he can't find a reason to confront the Han army until the Elmont family is not threatened and harmed. So the crowd was against it.

Zhang Li himself only has three or four hundred family members and mercenaries, and the Wu clan only has a thousand people at most, how can these manpower resist the Han army? So Zhang Li, who was in a hurry, reported the "Qi Heavenly King" of Jiyi Mountain, and threatened that if everyone did not help resist the Han army, he would lead the "Qi Heavenly King" into Loulan City.

Originally, Loulan City gathered the strength of all the people in the Loulan Guild, and the armed forces of six or seven thousand people could still be put together, plus the guards of the stranded merchants, there were also tens of thousands of people, which was also the reason why King Qi did not dare to storm Loulan City. But if Zhang Li stood on the side of King Qi, the form would be completely reversed.

Who is King Qi? That's a bandit who even dares to move the Han army! Such a character has scruples for everyone.

Just when everyone was a little hesitant and Zhang Li thought that he could move everyone, the eldest Bu Luo Jilie said something to reverse the situation: "Allah is the greatest, the caliph is above, and the king of Qi may not be able to break through Loulan tomorrow, but the Han army can reach Loulan tonight." Ladies and gentlemen, you won't forget the past in Stone City, will you? ”

With just this sentence, Zhang Li suddenly felt bad. (To be continued......)

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