Cen Shen was a broad-minded scholar in the end, and he quickly figured it out, and happily clapped his hands and said to Li Siye: "I know, you are the same as Fan Zhen of the Southern Dynasty, you think that there is no god in the world and don't believe in anything. Isn't it possible that even the ancestors don't believe in it? ”

"Ancestors naturally have to be respected, because of them, we are today. But to say that sacrificing ancestors can bless you with wealth for generations, it is nonsense. ”

Cen Shen's expression was a little embarrassed, because his Cen family was also a small local family, and he was convinced of ancestor worship.

Li Siye immediately waved his hand at him and said, "Hurry up and do it, inform the Sa Bao of the Zoroastery Temple, and try to make the ceremony as grand as possible." ”

In just a few days, King Kang Yuanjian raised 80,000 pieces of grain from the city and its surroundings, which were made into dry food, which could meet the needs of 40,000 people for more than two months, which was enough for the Tang army to carry out the next expedition.

On this day at the end of November, the north wind was bleak and cold, the largest Sabao Zoroastery in Kangju City carried out a series of decorations and repairs, and used loess to pad the road in front of the temple, tens of thousands of Zoroastrian believers stood on both sides of the temple to welcome the Jiedu envoy Li Dafu from the west of the temple to pay respects.

The Zoroastrian elders and Sabao are also very clear that they are not only affected by the impact of the Great Food Sect, but even Buddhism and Nestorianism are constantly competing with them for living space, and they can gain the attention and faith of the supreme ruler of the Western Regions of the Tang Army, which is a kind of strengthening and stabilizing the position of Zoroastrianism in the river, and at the same time, they can also unite the majority of the Sogdians for Li Siye, and the two sides are in a win-win state of cooperation, but no one can say anything about this utilitarian factor.

Seeing through it or not saying it, this is the essence of religious leaders.

Li Siye also changed into the white clothes worn by the Zoroastrians today, representing the purity of faith. Only Cen Shen was behind him, and as for the other generals of the Tang Army, he didn't force them to follow, this kind of thing was enough for him alone.

He followed the path of the devotees to the bottom of the steps of the Zoroastral Monastery, where Sabao came down, bowed to him with his chest folded, and said, "Please join me in the Zoroastery to worship the god and sacrifice the sacred fire." ”

Li Siye also hugged his chest and saluted back according to his appearance: "It is my honor to be favored and blessed by Lord Ma, and it is also the greatest happiness in my life." ”

He gave Mazda a more earthy name, which slightly caused Sabao's displeasure, but Sabao thought about it, this guy didn't believe it in the first place, the two sides just tacitly cooperated, so there was no need to worry too much.

The two walked into the main hall of the Zoroastery one after the other, and there are mottled stone pillars erected in this hall, and the first impression of the space is that it is wide and deep, which makes people feel awe and solemnity. The walls around it are uneven, like the far side of the moon that has been hit by strong winds, and every few steps there is a stone nest with torches stuck in the stone nest, which smells of pine.

At the end of the main hall there is a stone platform, and a raging fire burns in the stone basin on the platform, which is the so-called holy fire, and legend has it that it is the first fire that Mazda brought to the world, and all the fires in the world are spread by it. On the opposite wall hangs a gold badge of the religion, which depicts an old man with a long beard on his side, with eagle wings and tail.

Sabao led Li Siye to his knees in front of the brazier, taught him a series of oaths in Sogdian, and then gave him a white cloth and a small tray with a needle in it.

Sabao said respectfully, "Doctor Li, you are to wrap this white cloth around your head and face, exposing only one hand from your whole body, and then pierce your fingers with a needle so that the unclean blood flows out into the tray, and I will pour your blood into the holy fire, so that your soul and your blood will be purified." ”

He glanced back and saw that Cen Shen had been isolated from the temple, and that only a few believers and Sabao were left standing at the door of the black, altar-like temple. If he covers his head and suddenly an assassin stabs him in the back, won't he be here in this life?

Thinking that he had not heard clearly, Sabao said repeatedly: "Please Dr. Li wrap your head and face in a white cloth and prick your own hand with a needle to draw blood." ”

He looked up and glared at the other man, but Sabao didn't show any color, it seemed that his imagination was overdone. Li Siye glanced back again, quickly covered his head and face with a white cloth, but exposed his eyes, and then quickly pricked his hand with a needle, and the blood dripped into the plate.

He quickly untied the white cloth again, and scolded in his heart that this Zoroastrian ritual was cumbersome and difficult, people Buddhism only needed to recite a sentence of Amida Buddha, Christianity only needed to shout Amen, and even the big food religion next door only needed to shout a word to praise Allah, you pierced needles and wrapped your head here, no wonder your religion will never flourish.

Sabao held the plate with both hands, stood in front of the holy fire and poured the blood into the brazier, only the sound of sizzling evaporated without a trace, Li Siye himself did not feel anything, but Sabao said: "Now that your soul has been cleansed by the holy fire, you are a faithful believer in my Zoroastrian religion, and you are under the protection of the god of wisdom and light for the rest of your life." ”

Li Siye looked up and asked him: "I now ask for the blessing of the horse god, can the horse god protect me?" ”

"It should be possible."

"Okay, wise Mazda God, please bless my Tang army with a smooth expedition, drive the Great Food Sect out of the Khorasan region, and restore the prosperity of my Zoroan Virtue Sect in the past. Horse God, I am here to fight for you, to regain the original believers from the hands of the Great Cannibals, and you will bless me with victory. ”

Sabao stood aside and closed his eyes, probably unable to bear to look at them. After the ceremony, they walked out of the temple, and there was still a large group of believers standing outside.

He shouted to the believers, "In order to regain the Khorasan people's faith in the great god Mazda, I have decided to set out tomorrow to conquer the city of Mulu, and this war should be called the Apologetic War." ”

The congregation shouted enthusiastically in support, as if Li Siye had been sent by the true god Mazda to save Zoroastrianism, and if this war could be won, Zoroastrianism would be restored to its former glory.

"Send troops to eat!"

In the tenth month of Tianbao, Li Siye led more than 40,000 people, including Anbeiting, Ning Yuanguo, and Gelulu Xiecong, to cross the Amu Darya River and enter the Kizilkum Desert, which is full of red sand.

……

The residence of the governor of the city of Khorasan, and Bo Silin stood in front of the window with a look of worry and anger on his face, his hair becoming more and more thin and gray, but the majesty in his deep eyes still escaped, filling the whole room, making the soldiers standing at the door feel cold on their skin.

A young general walked in with his head down, bowed down and said, "Governor, he's here." ”

"Bring him in."

A man with disheveled hair and a thin face was pushed in by the soldiers, and his body was in tatters except for the chain mail, if it weren't for this armor, he would definitely be regarded as a beggar, this is the once famous General Ziad.

Ziyad threw himself on his knees behind him, and as soon as he opened his mouth to shout "Archduke Abu", he was already choked up and unable to speak, and tears flowed uncontrollably.

And Bo Xilin didn't seem to be so sensitive, and asked him coldly: "Defeated?" Lost twice? ”

Ziyad nodded sadly: "That's right, it's two defeats." ”

"What's going on! Is your opponent Ares? Is it a Sphinx? Is it Khalid? Is it Alexander! ”