Job didn't speak, his teeth slamming against each other, and his hands tried to grasp the camel's reins. Gro looked at his master, sighed, and ran up to the top of the mound, shouting to the galloping knights, "Who are you?" ”

"Who are you!" The visitor asked rhetorically, and there was a creaking sound of the horn bow being tightened behind him, and Qiu Bu gritted his teeth, and there was no need to conceal it: "I am Lama Gero, and the Great Khan of Tushetu is with us!" ”

The uninvited guest did not speak, they exchanged their heads and discussed something. Gro could already see them by this time: unkempt hair, beard, shabby armor, short-legged Mongolian horses, scimitars, bones, and horned bows. He secretly breathed a sigh of relief, the equipment of those Ming troops was not so bad, but it was also possible that they were Jungar people, and in any case, their lives should not be a big problem.

Finally, the discussion was over, and the man at the head jumped down from his horse and bowed respectfully to Gero: "Master, we are from the Chechen Ministry, please come with Tushetu Khan, I think the Great Khan must be happy to meet you!" ”

After traveling more than ten miles to the south, they saw a river, and then walked east along the river for half a meal, and then saw the bonfires dotted along the river, which was the camp of Shuo Fortress, and there were barriers and simple barricades surrounded by carts on the periphery of the camp. They had to dismount and walk, and Qiu Bu saw that the soldiers were gathered around the campfire, the horses were eating hay, and the air was filled with the aroma of mutton and milk tea.

"Damn traitor!" Qiu Bu scolded hatefully: "We wouldn't have lost this battle!" ”

"Great Khan, please be quiet!" Lama Gro lowered his voice: "We are on the territory of Shuo Lei, and there are many of them!" ”

Suppressing the anger in his heart, Qiu Bu came to a cowhide tent, to which the guide owed: "Tushetu Khan, Master Gero, our Great Khan is inside!" ”

Compared with the cold field, the tent was full of comfortable warmth, Shuo Lei sat cross-legged on the cowhide cushion, with flour cakes, milk tea and mutton on the low table in front of him, and when he saw Qiu Bu and Gro, he stood up with a smile and opened his arms: "Welcome, you are all hungry, come and eat something!" ”

Qiu Bu glanced at his former ally, wanting to say something, but the words reached his mouth and swallowed again, the aroma of barbecue and milk tea aroused his appetite, and he moved his fat body to sit down on the side of the table, and began to eat and drink. Gro looked at Qiu Bu, sighed, sat down on the side of the dwarf, and asked, "Shuo Lei, what are you going to do with us?" ”

"What do you do?" Shuo Lei spread out and replied in an exaggerated tone, "I put lamb, milk tea and dough in my tent, but you ask me what I plan to do with you?" ”

"Shuo Lei, don't play these little tricks! We are not fools! We all know how we lost today's battle. Gro sneered: "You escaped from the formation, and opened a big hole in the center that was almost two miles wide, so that those damn ironclad cavalry rushed in." ”

"Don't say it so badly!" Shuo Lei laughed: "From morning to noon, the blood of Tushetu and the men of the Chechen Department soaked the meadows, but if you didn't take Temur Mountain, the Ming general can still retain so many ironclad cavalry, do you think this battle can still be won?" ”

"At least you won't lose!"

"Yes, but that's just not going to lose, and my people will only survive more than 30%!" Shuo Lei sneered: "Then what can I get from the labor expedition?" ”

The atmosphere inside the tent became tense, and after a long while, Gro sighed: "Okay, let's not talk about the past, what are you going to do with us?" “

"It's easy!" Shuo Lei picked up a piece of mutton with a dagger, took a bite, and said as he chewed: "The alliance between the Tushetu Ministry and the Chechen Ministry continues to be valid, and we will unite to resist the invading Dzungars!" ”

"You want to use our Great Khan as a puppet and take the opportunity to annex the Tushetu Division?" Gro's voice suddenly became sharp.

"Don't say it so ugly, do you have a better choice? If it falls into my hands, you can still be a puppet, but if it falls into the hands of someone else, I'm afraid you won't be able to get it if you want to be a puppet, right? ”

Shuo Lei's words are like a dagger, cutting open the veil that was still a little warm, revealing a cold bottom. There was a sudden silence in the tent, and only the sound of Qiu Bu chewing food could be heard. Suddenly, a person came in from outside the tent and whispered a few words to Shuo Lei. Shuo Lei's face suddenly changed, and he looked at Qiu Bu and Gro, with a look of regret in his eyes. Seeing it in his eyes, Gro couldn't help but feel an ominous premonition, stood up and stood in front of Qiu Bu, and said sharply: "Shuo Lei, what are you going to do?" ”

"Hey!" Shuo Lei sighed: "Master Gro, I really don't want to do this! ”

When Liu Cheng was woken up by the neighing of war horses outside the tent, it was already the evening of the next day, all kinds of wine was still fighting in his head, last night he finally did not escape the "poisonous hand" of Chechen Taiji, Liu Cheng was completely defeated by sour mare's milk and mead, Liu Cheng spent a while to make himself conscious, supported the mattress with his hands, squirmed back a little, and pillowed his head: "Wave the flag, wave the flag, get some water!" ”

There was a movement outside the tent, Hao Shaoqi came in, but he didn't hold the kettle, and his face showed a look of surprise: "My lord, the envoy sent by Shuolei to sue for peace said that Tushetu Khan was in his hands, and the envoy also carried the head of a lama, and it is said that this lama is the most trusted person around Tushetu Khan!" ”

"What? So fast? Liu Cheng's eyes widened in surprise, he never expected his plan to work so quickly.

"Yes, my lord! I've taken it to a tent next to it, and I'm not for anyone to see, do you want to see him, my lord?" Hao Shaoqi's voice was low, during the time when he was the captain of Liu Cheng's guard, his character has changed a lot, he is still brave, but he is a lot more refined, he began to learn to read and write, and even quit drinking, which is an extraordinary achievement for a former homeless person, for all this, Liu Chengdu saw it, for which he also specially rewarded Hao Shaoqi with ten hectares of river beach, for the grand cause in his heart, he needed many loyal warriors like Hao Shaoqi.

"Well, wait for him to come in at once, and don't let anyone else see it! Also, find a few people from among the captives who have served on the fur. “

"Yes, sir!" Hao Shaoqi bowed, turned and withdrew from the tent, and after a while, he came in with a tall and thin man, who had a goat's face, narrow cheeks, a pointed nose, slender eyes, and three long beards under his chin. He bowed to Liu Cheng respectfully, and even took the trouble to repeat Liu Cheng's lengthy title and official position--there was no mistake. All this gave Liu Cheng such a feeling: If the person in front of him changed into a round-necked official robe, wore a black gauze head, and tied a jade belt, he would be like a member of the military department.

"Alright, let's get down to business, you said that your master asked me for peace, and said that Tushetu Khan is in your hands?"

"Yes, Commander-in-Chief." The messenger respectfully bowed his body: "I have also brought the head of Gro Lama, he is the most confidant of Qiu Bu, the most insidious and vicious, he must have participated in the assassination of you, my master hopes to use this to prove his sincerity in asking for peace with you!" ”

"Oh?" Liu Cheng smiled disappreciatively, he didn't know how sincere the Chechen Khan was to seek peace, but this Gro Lama died a little unjustly, but there are more wronged people who have died in recent years, and there is not one more of him. Liu Cheng made a look and motioned for Hao Shaoqi to accept the head: "What about Qiu Bu himself?" Where's his head? “

"Lord Commander!" The envoy did not answer Liu Cheng's question, but asked, "If we hand over the fur cloth to the Great Khan, what compensation can we get?" ”

"Compensation?" Liu Cheng sneered: "What compensation does he want?" “

The messenger glanced at Liu Cheng with some fear, and finally mustered up the courage to reply: "My lord, pastures, tribes, livestock, silver, weapons, anything, the Great Khan died two thousand people at the foot of Mount Temur yesterday, and their blood cannot be shed in vain!" ”

"Huh!" As if hearing something ridiculous, Liu Cheng laughed: "Your Great Khan fought with me and defeated, but asked me to pay compensation, I have a long experience today, or not, I don't like to hide, so I cut the words apart!" Go back and tell you the Great Khan: within three days, hand over the head of the fur, hand over the Tushetu tribesmen who have been contained, and then compensate me with 1,000 war horses and 1,000 camels, so as to atone for the sin of resisting the king's master, and the previous things will be written off, and everyone will trade and exchange what they have, and live in harmony. Otherwise, see you on the battlefield! Drop-off! ”

As soon as the words fell, Hao Shaoqi walked up to the messenger, stood with his sword, and looked at the other party coldly. The messenger swallowed, did not dare to say more, and withdrew from the tent in a disgraced manner. Liu Cheng paced back and forth in the tent for a few steps, and suddenly shouted: "Someone, please come to Deputy General Wang!" ”

After half a cup of tea, Wang Anshi appeared at the door of the tent, and he respectfully bowed to Liu Cheng: "My lord, do you have something to look for me?" ”

"Hmm!" Liu Cheng nodded: "Later, when you go back, prepare for the withdrawal of troops!" ”

"Withdraw troops? So fast? Wang Anshi was stunned when he heard this, and then asked: "Isn't there something wrong with Mo Nan, and there is news here?" ”

"No!" Liu Cheng shook his head, and he briefly recounted what had happened.

"My lord, do you think that Shuo Lei sent an envoy to test our reality?" Wang Anshi thought for a while and asked in a tone of not quite sure.

"What An Shi thinks is really in line with me!" Liu Cheng showed a look of appreciation on his face: "Since he wants to use the heads of his allies to sue for peace, why do he take this extra step and ask us for compensation?" This Shuo base had a confrontation with our side yesterday, and he knew that I was powerful, but he could not defeat the Tushetu alliance, and now that the Tushetu Ministry has been completely wiped out, with the strength of his Chechen Department, what is the bargaining capital with me? Speaking of this, Liu Cheng paused slightly, and Wang Anshi continued with Liu Cheng's words: "Shuo Lei is doing this to test our reality, and he also knows that it is already September now, and our army cannot stay in Mobei for a long time. If we promise him compensation, then I will return to the division, and he will be able to delay with us while using Qiu Bu as a banner to contain the rout of the Tushetu tribe, and when our army has withdrawn, he will then attack Chechen Taiji with an unstable foothold; If we are not in a hurry to withdraw our troops, we will definitely refuse sternly, and the most he can do at that time is to ask for peace, anyway, there is a vast expanse outside the fortress, and he really wants to avoid war, and there is really no good way to take him! ”

"That's right!" Liu Cheng smiled and nodded: "This is fierce and cunning, but it is really a character, but it's okay, my uncle is not a vegetarian, if he really lets him unify the land of Mobei, who knows how many things he will give birth to, I really can't sleep peacefully in Monan." ”

"My lord sees a thousand things!" Wang Anshi quietly patted Liu Cheng's ass and asked, "Then what if this guy delays time and doesn't hand over the fur cloth?" ”

"Huh! Then we can only withdraw our troops, after all, the Hetao is our root! Liu Cheng smiled helplessly: "That's fine, as long as he doesn't defeat my brother-in-law for a day, he won't be able to cross the Hanhai Sea to threaten me for a day, as long as I am willing to sell firearms to Chechen Taiji, he will still not be able to win in two or three years, and after two or three years, I should have almost run this side of Hetao, and I won't be afraid of him." ”

"What your lord says is very true!" Wang Anshi nodded admiringly, he knew in his heart that what Liu Cheng said was not a lie, although the area of Mobei far exceeded the Hetao area controlled by Liu Cheng now, but in the grassland, water is the source of life, and the Hetao area surrounded by the Yellow River and backed by the Yin Mountain can support the population and livestock The number of people and livestock can not be compared with the barren Mobei grassland. According to Liu Cheng's rough estimate, there are more than 300,000 hectares of irrigated land that can be reclaimed in the Houtao area alone, and according to the calculation of seven buckets of rentable grain per mu, nearly 200,000 stone of rented grain can be collected every year on one piece of land in Houtao. For the nomads on the grassland, the rich Hetao area is like the legendary Garden of Eden, as long as there is no war, scattered small tribes around the country will come to take refuge, two or three years later, Liu Cheng's various departments grew to more than 100,000 accounts is a very common thing, even if the two accounts only draw a ding, there are at least 50,000 cavalry, considering the advantages of weapons and equipment, even if all the departments in Mobei add up, it is not Liu Cheng's opponent.

"Then do you want to inform Chechen Taiji?"

Liu Cheng did not answer his subordinates' questions, but stuffed his thumb into his mouth and bit his nails, and those who knew him well knew that this was a difficult problem for him to think about. Wang Anshi held his breath so as not to disturb his boss's thoughts. After a long while, Liu Cheng suddenly asked, "An Shi, what do you think of Ozir?" (To be continued.) )