In the military tent in the Han military camp, Huo Quzhi sat behind the handsome case and looked at the several strange creatures brought back by Li Dang and said, "Who are you?" Why do you say that we are among your father's people? ”

The leader stood up and said, "We are all the holy families of this world, and we have lived here for generations, and then the Holy Father came here and not only taught us to farm, fish and hunt, read and write words, but also bestowed names. But the Holy Father was very old, and he passed away within a few years. You are the same as the Father, but what are you who are not his people? ”

Huo Quzhi said: "Who is your holy father?" ”

The leader said: "The Holy Father is the Holy Father, he came from the Xianmen, and when he arrived here, he saw that our ancestors were still drinking blood in Rumao, so he taught them to fish, hunt and farm, and also let them use their furs to protect them from the cold, and they were no longer suffering from the wind and sun. ”

The leader's remarks were almost the same as what he had just said to Li Kang.

Huo Quzhi couldn't ask anything more, so he simply diverted the topic: "Since you are breeding here, you planted the fruits and vegetables that General Li said just now?" General Li said that there are no farmhouses and towns in Shanbei, where do you live on weekdays? ”

The leader sneered, "It's not a secret, we are untouchables among the Holy Clan, and we have never learned the art of building fire, so we live in caves on weekdays. It is said that the fruits, vegetables and vegetables were planted when the Holy Father first arrived here, and although we also eat them, we let them grow most of the time, so that they grow more and more, and they can be seen everywhere in the north of the mountain today. ”

Huo Quzhi said: "In this case, those melons, fruits, vegetables and vegetables can be eaten at will?" ”

Seeing the leader nodding, he continued to ask, "I wonder how many tribes you have nearby?" If the army is stationed in the north of the mountain, will they attack and disturb it? ”

The leader said: "We are a small tribe here, there are only more than 100 people, and there are large tribes from the valley to the north and east for dozens of miles. Because we are so few in number, and we are oppressed by them all the time, and we have not penetrated deep into the north, I don't know what else lies further afield. Now that the weather is getting colder, most of the tribes will move south through the valley, and in a few days many saints will pass through here. If the general lets your people be stationed in the north, it is better to go far, otherwise once those holy clans arrive, there may be some conflicts, and I heard that some large tribes are very warlike. ”

Huo Quzhi frowned when he heard this: "According to this, you are not familiar with this place, and I originally wanted to ask you to be a guide, but now it seems that I can't count on it." ”

The leader said: "This matter is not difficult, the army under the command of the general can go to the north of the mountain first, and then exterminate some tribes, and let those who are familiar with geography use as guides, and those who are useless can be handed over to us." ”

When Huo Quzhi heard this, he first looked at the leader meaningfully for a while, and then finally spoke: "If I send troops to help you exterminate these tribes, how will you thank you?" You must know that I didn't want to stay here too much, but I stayed here because the Xianmen suddenly disappeared, and I will leave when the Xianmen reappears. ”

The leader sneered: "General, not to mention when the immortal gate will reappear, the general's men and horses alone are consumed every day, and if they are trapped here, I believe that they will soon run out of food and grass." Now that Shanbei is full of holy clans, some of them will destroy melons and fruits at will, so you should move to Shanbei as soon as possible and grab the crops for a long time. If my tribe is strong enough, I am willing to lead the generals and make you unhindered here. In addition, if the general allows, I would like to learn from you how to build a house and make a fire for cooking. ”

Huo Quzhi laughed when he heard this: "What a smart alien, I promise what you said, by the way, do you have a name?" ”

Hearing this, the leader bowed deeply and said, "General Hui, my ancestor was also fortunate to be instructed by the Holy Father, but it was only later that the clan declined to such an appearance. My ancestor was originally given the surname Li by the Holy Father, so I took my ancestor's surname and was named Li Guang. ”

As soon as the leader's words fell, Li Dang on the side suddenly burst out, and the long sword came out of the sheath against the leader's throat and said: "The vertical son is bold, and he actually uses the name of his father, I think you don't want to live anymore!" ”

Huo Quzhi waved his hand to persuade Li Dare and said: "You can't use this name anymore, otherwise General Li will take your life at any time." Since your surname is Li, how about calling you Li Nu in the future? From now on, you are a slave of the Great Han. ”

Li Nubai thanked him for the account, and as soon as he arrived at the door, Huo Quzhi suddenly asked: "Since the immortal gate is here, why can't the Central Plains see you and others?" ”

Li Nu turned around and bowed down again: "General, I don't know why, you are in and out of the Xianmen without harm, but once the Holy Clan wants to pass through, it will inevitably be shattered." ”

Early the next morning, Huo Qubing ordered the army to pull out the camp and set up the village, and sent 2,000 men and horses as the vanguard to open a passage between the grassland and the valley, and then 70,000 horses marched to the north of the mountain.

On the way, Eagle Strike Sima Zhao Yi handed Huo Qubing a list: "General, no one has been damaged from Chang'an to Kunlun, but fifty-three soldiers and seventeen female dependents have been lost in Kunlun Mountain. ”

Huo Quzhi nodded and said: "You can arrange for the widow to marry again, there are no big Han people here except for us, and if you lose one person in the future conquest of the Quartet, there will be one less person, it is better to make these women give birth to Lin'er earlier." ”

Before arriving at the valley, Huo Qubing said to Li Dang: "What a majestic peak, you see the mountain peak towering into the clouds, the top of the mountain must be like a fairyland, since this mountain is nameless, how about we call it Tianyun Mountain?" ”

……

Two months later, the Han Iron Cavalry was hundreds of miles away from the original valley mouth, looking at the city under construction under the reflection of the bonfire not far away, Li Dare said to Huo Quai: "General, this is my first city of the Han Dynasty in Hanchuan, after it is built, our army has no worries, I don't know how the general will name this city?" ”

Huo Quzhi thought for a moment and said: "At the beginning, the general attacked the Xiongnu in the north, defeated the King of Aries and the King of Loufu, and recovered Henan. Later, His Majesty moved to the left to build a new city near the people, and ordered Shuo Fang, which was the first city built by the Han Dynasty in the original Xiongnu land. Today, we will go deep into the Hanchuan River to open up territory for Your Majesty, how about this first city is also called Shuofang? ”

Li Dang nodded and said, "Okay!" It's just that although it is Your Majesty's order to conquer this place, how to deal with the most important thing, legend has it that Longling is still thousands of miles south from Tianyun Mountain, and the way is all primeval jungle, which is full of miasma, and if you are not careful, you will die in it, and now two months have passed, if you can't complete the emperor's order, how can we explain to Your Majesty? ”

Huo Quzhi said: "At the beginning, I promised Your Majesty that it would be limited to one year, but now it has only been two months, and the Tanma has reported that the Xianmen has not yet appeared, and even if you find a divine object, you can't return to Chang'an immediately." So let's put your mind on Shuo Fang first, this is the foothold of your General Li in the future. ”

At this moment, the leader of the Holy Clan, who had been given the name Li Nu by Huo Quai, walked up to the two and said, "Two generals, there are now more than 10,000 Holy Clan warriors to help the army build the city, so it is estimated that the city wall will be completed in another month." ”

Huo Quzhi looked at Li Nu meaningfully and said, "What's the matter?" ”

Li Nu bowed down and said: "The weather this year is different from previous years, and it is only in September that there is a chill. Unlike the Han Chinese, the weather was too cold, either hiding in caves and faking their deaths for the next year, or migrating south to avoid the harsh winter. Therefore, the little slave wanted to wait for the city wall to be built, and then lead the people to move south, and wait for the spring of the next year to come to assist the two generals. ”

Huo Quzhi nodded and said: "In this case, after the city wall is built, you will take the clansmen back to the south, but during this time, you have to urge them not to slack off." ”

Looking at Li Nu's back in the distance, Li dared to say: "This thing is not small, and now there are more than 10,000 troops under his command, if he is let go like this, it will definitely be a big trouble for me in the future." ”

Huo Quzhi said: "You and I have destroyed hundreds of his races in two months, and killed no less than 100,000 enemies, but he didn't even frown, it is rare to be so ruthless." It's just that I promised them to help me and let him go, and I can't break my promise today. ”

Li dared to say: "Let him go so easily, I'm afraid that he will become a problem for my henchmen in the future." ”

……

In the hall of the Hussar General's Mansion in Shuofang City, Huo Quai, who was over fifty years old, was sitting behind the table and didn't know what to think, and suddenly a young general broke in and knelt down and said: "General Qiyu, Yanyun Pass has been built, and now the entire Hanzhong is locked together with Moyun Pass." ”

Huo Quzhi looked at the immature face and said, "Li Yuan, it's been three years since your father Guan Neihou died, right?" ”

Li Yuan nodded and said, "Three years ago, my father died in Yangquan, three years and four months ago. Fortunately, now that the ghosts in Hanzhong have been completely exterminated, the spirit of my father in the sky can also be blinded. ”

Huo Quzhi shook his head and said: "When your father was dying, he looked at the direction of Hanyuan Valley and failed to close his eyes, but he still thought about the homeland of the Central Plains in his heart. Li Yuan, have you ever thought that the fallen leaves will return to your roots and set foot on the land of the Central Plains in your lifetime? ”

Li Yuan said: "General, forgive the young general to tell the truth, we are different from my parents, born in Hanchuan and grew up in Hanchuan. In our hearts, Hanchuan is our homeland, and we have no idea what the Central Plains looks like, and we don't have any idea of whether we want to say it. ”

Three days later, Zhao Yi, who had been promoted to general of Pingnan, led his army to guard Moyun Pass, and Li Yuan was stationed at Yanyun Pass to prevent the ghosts from the north and south from invading Hanzhong.

Later, he ordered the Taishou of the six states of Hanzhong to carry out a large-scale purge of the remaining ghosts, but Huo Qubing also told everyone that the ghosts should not be completely wiped out, but to leave their Miao descendants to warn the people.

Ghost Rong is the name of the Han people for the aborigines of Hanchuan, that is, the kind of creatures that the Han army encountered when they first arrived in Hanchuan.

They called themselves the Holy Clan, but the Han people called them Guirong.

Before leading the army to leave, Huo Quzhi looked at Zhao Yi and said, "You and I may never be able to return to the Central Plains in this life, do you have any resentment in your heart?" ”

Zhao Yi said with a smile: "The eldest husband fought on the battlefield, and the horse leather shrouded body is a blessing in his life. It is Zhao Yi's luck to be able to follow the hussar general to fight in foreign lands, how can he have resentment? ”

"Outside the Moyun Pass, the army of ghosts gathers, if there is no opportunity, you can't force yourself out of the customs to investigate, and you can't put the army in a crisis for homesickness."

Sending Zhao Yi away, Huo Qubing came to an unusually tall independent courtyard behind the General's Mansion, where the strange creatures who came to Hanchuan with him more than 20 years ago.

After a long time, Huo Qubing walked out of the hospital, he stood in front of the gate with a sword in his hand, looked into the distance and muttered: "Your Majesty, if the passage is cut off today, I am afraid that we will not be able to return to the Central Plains, but Your Majesty rest assured, the ministers will definitely let the prestige of the Han Dynasty shake Hanchuan!" ”