Chapter 1 Shanzhou

The bride-sending team set up a camp in Shanzhou to repair it. Liu Ne, the governor who was recovering from the aftermath, got a batch of cattle and sheep from somewhere, which made the troops have a good meal.

Liu Ne was so concerned about the sake of Zhang Shuo, the Minister of War. After all, Zhang Shuo was the prime minister of the dynasty and could speak in the center.

So Xue Chongxun and the Flying Tiger Regiment soldiers raised a bonfire in the camp to roast lamb and gathered together.

This small incident was recorded in the later "New Book of the King: The Bible of Emperor Gaozu": After the emperor sent his marriage to Shanzhou, he was about to lead the army to the west, and Liu envoys rewarded the cattle and sheep and gathered in the east of the city.

At this time, Xue Chongxun felt that he had become a storyteller, telling stories while everyone was eating and drinking.

He didn't want to talk nonsense at first, and he had a good meal and had a rest, but as soon as he started, everyone refused to follow and had to let him finish his speech.

He had no choice but to say: Who is this Ban Gu?He just copied books and was just a minor official. He hoped to make contributions to the foreign land to obtain the title of marquis, so he sighed: How can he spend his writing for a long time...

The lamb was squeaking on the fire, and the oil was roasted, making people feel salivation in their mouths.

The eyes of the soldiers were shining with the light of the bonfire, and they all listened to Xue Chongxun's story with concentration.

Perhaps it was because I saw the tragic situation in Shanzhou City today that ignited everyone's blood and I especially loved to listen to the great achievements of the Han people.

Admiring the glory of our ancestors and eager to restore the hegemony of the past, this idea is deeply buried in the hearts of many people.

At some point, the governor Liu Ne also came. Listening to Xue Chongxun fooling him, Liu Ne couldn't help but sigh: The martial arts of the early Han Dynasty were still successful, but wasn't it a melee and internal friction?

After hearing this, Zhang Wulang said unwillingly: I was studying history at home and never heard of the defeat of the Han army by foreign invaders.When the world is in chaos, the world is divided into three parts, and a corner of the country still makes the barbarians unable to find the north.

Liu Ne smiled bitterly and said: The Han Dynasty also married the Huns.

Xue Chongxun pondered: How about I send you a poem to Liu Envoy?

Liu Ne clasped his fists and said: I wish to hear the advice of the prince.

Xue Chongxun chanted: Why don’t men bring Wu Gou and collect the fifty states of Guanshan?Please go to Lingyan Pavilion for a while, what if you are a scholar, a marquis of ten thousand households?

Li Kuiyong spoke in time and praised: Good poem!Suddenly, he was ridiculed by the generals again.He touched his head and said innocently: I really understand!

However, Liu Ne pondered deeply and was quite puzzled by the Fifty Prefectures of Guanshan Mountain.

At this moment, a man in a long gown came over and politely said to Xue Chongxun: Your Highness Jincheng summoned the King of Hedong, please follow me.

Xue Chongxun picked up the helmet next to him and hugged it in his arms, stood up, and said to everyone: I'll come, everyone eats and drinks well.

After saying that, he followed the man to the tent in Jincheng, and he clasped his fists and said: Please see me, Mr. Xue.

Jincheng's voice said: Please ask the King of Hedong to enter the tent to speak.

As soon as he finished speaking, a maid lifted the hanging door and Xue Chongxun walked in with his helmet in his arms.

I saw a fire burning in the tent with an iron pot hanging on it.

Jincheng Kuankuan invited Xue Chongxun to take his seat and then brewed tea for him with his own hands.

Seeing the gentle bright light on her face, and it was getting late, Xue Chongxun was a little nervous and couldn't help but sit up straight.

However, Jincheng sighed quietly: After leaving Shanzhou, it is the Tubo territory. Why doesn’t Xue Lang return?

Xue Chongxun said: There are invaders in this place, and I am worried about the safety of Your Highness, so I sent them to see you off.

Jincheng's face suddenly turned cold: You must have something to hide from me!

Seeing Xue Chongxun silent, Jin Cheng said sadly: Xue Lang, there is one thing I hide from you. When I approached you, I was just having a little fantasy and thinking that Xue Lang would say a few words to me in front of Princess Taiping... In fact, it was just a waste of time.

Xue Chongxun said calmly: There is someone around me (Yuwen Ji) who once told me that Your Highness is scheming; and you also went to the Sanqing Palace to meet the Supreme Emperor and wanted to win my mother's favor with this, and my mother also told me.I know all these things.

Jin Cheng's face turned red and he lowered his head and said: Since you can't hide it from Xue Lang, why do you still have to send it off?

Xue Chongxun smiled and said: I don’t care.Since Your Highness is unwilling to join the foreign countries, he has worked hard to change his destiny because of this. I think it is human nature.I prefer this kind of thinking if I don’t admit defeat or accept my fate. On the contrary, those women who have virtue but not talent, obey and obey the three and four virtues are too ignorant and a little pale.

Jin Cheng bit his lip and said: Do you really think so?

Xue Chongxun nodded: I am neither handsome and handsome, and I have no unforgettable advantages at first sight. I have never expected that Your Highness, who has met several times, would be inexplicably concerned about me.

He smiled confidently, but I believe that your highness will eventually be moved by me after a long time.It is a further step to be able to be honest today...but why does Your Highness want to tell me?

Jincheng said: I grew up in the palace and did not know the sufferings of the people. Today, when I saw the tragic situation in Shanzhou City, I realized the harm of war. Thousands of people were in dire straits... Compared with the pain of thousands of people, what is my pain alone?Compared to those families whose families were destroyed, I just married a barbarian I didn’t know, which was not something I could not bear.I no longer want to do meaningless things anymore. I just want to arrive at Lusa City as soon as possible, try my best to persuade Zanpu to quit the army and stop the attack, and make the border peaceful... This is what I should do.

After hearing this, Xue Chongxun thought to himself: Although Jincheng is very scheming, sometimes his ideas are different from those of ordinary people, but he still has a kind heart in the end.

Compared to myself, in order to survive, he could completely ignore the upcoming Kaiyuan prosperous era and use any means to seek Li Longji. What can Jincheng calculate that snack?

Perhaps the lover's eyes showed Xi Shi, because of her kindness, Xue Chongxun felt more and more difficult to give up.

He hurriedly said: Tubo has long had a ancestral system, and women are forbidden from interfering in politics.The court's unilateral hope that marrying a princess would have an impact on her national policy is just a dream.Just like this time the Shanzhou invaded, when is this time?Our princess is on the way to Fanfan, so they can't calm down for a while?Therefore, it is absolutely impossible for Your Highness to promote peace through marriage. Peace can only be achieved through war!

After hearing this, Jincheng lowered his head and was silent for a long time before sighing, but it was too late for the court to decide what the court had decided, so Xue Lang should not do anything biased, as it would be harmful to the general situation.

Xue Chongxun said: Why did Your Highness say these words to me today?

Jin Cheng whispered: I went to your mansion that day, and it hasn't been so happy for a long time... I don't want to deceive people like you anymore. After I went back that day, I missed and felt sad. I kept hesitating whether to tell you frankly.

Xue Chongxun smiled and teased: I am missing a capable virtuous supporter. The title of the prince is not important, what is important is my person...

Jin Cheng blushed and said: Stop saying that!It’s getting late, please come back.I will never do anything against the etiquette!

Xue Chongxun laughed: Didn’t you say that I was a gentleman who was not confused last time?Don't worry, Your Highness, I will say goodbye now.

……

After leaving Shanzhou, the group entered the territory controlled by Tubo, passed through Shancheng, Linfancheng to Suirongcheng, and then followed the Qiang River to Shibaocheng.

At this time, Qinghai Lake was not far away. The climate in the plateau area made the Tang people not very adaptable. The guards were not as good as the Baigong band, and the entourage of the Baigong band was weak, which made the marching speed slower.

The road is sparsely populated, and you can see the white top of the mountain from afar, with snow all year round.

The environment in this place is relatively harsh, but the scenery is particularly magnificent. White clouds are floating in the blue sky, the air is clean, the sight is aurora, the vast grasslands, towering snow-capped mountains, and winding rivers are all in your eyes.

At this moment, a lonely castle appeared in front of everyone.

On this desolate Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, between the wind and clouds, it is backed by Huashi Mountain and facing Yaoshui River. At the top of the red cliffs is a castle that seems to be very inconspicuous...

Stone Castle City!

Those musicians did not pay attention to such a small city, but when Zhang Shuo pointed at it in a calm tone and said: Stone Castle City has been lost for decades.

Such words made the Tang army soldiers look complicated and they all look up at the city.

The Tang army and Tubo have fought over the stone castle six times before!

Every time, it comes at the cost of tens of thousands of casualties. Are the red cliffs stained with blood?

Since the last time the stone castle was lost during the reign of Emperor Gaozong, it has been controlled by Tubo for forty or fifty years.

In recent years, Tubo used this as a springboard to directly threaten the Longyou Plain and the Hexi Corridor, and frequently invaded the Tang people. The losses were extremely heavy.

Its strategic significance is very important.

A general sighed: When will the stone castle city be recovered, it will definitely become famous all over the world.

Zhang Shuo said angrily: This place is easy to defend but difficult to attack, and it is of great importance. We know it, and the Tubo people also know it.There is no pie falling from the sky in the world. If you want it, you have to exchange it for human life!

After a sigh, everyone continued to rush.

Two days later, they arrived at Chiling thirty miles away. The border between the Tang Dynasty and Tubo was originally here. The area to the east, including Shibao City, Shancheng, Linfan City, and Suirong City, should be the territory of the Tang Dynasty, but it has been controlled by Tubo for decades.

Zhang said that he would send people to exchange border seals. At this time, a large group of people came from Chiling, and the Tang army hurriedly set up a formation.

A moment later, a war horse ran over with a Tubo.

I saw that the man's face was ochre, with many small braids under his hat, and a fur strap.

Seeing this, Xue Chongxun remembered the Qing Dynasty and couldn't help but say in a deep voice: I'm the most annoying man with braids.

The visitor said in awkward Chinese: We are the tribe of the Tubo noble Lang family. When he heard that Princess Jincheng came from afar, the master Lang Fu led the crowd to welcome him and personally escorted the princess to Lusa City to fulfill his friendship as a landlord.

Zhang Shuo then stepped forward and talked to the envoy.Xue Chongxun, among the crowd, said to Zhang Wulang beside him: Lang... When we were in Guanzhong, we heard that the Tubo general who invaded Shanzhou was Lang?

Zhang Wulang frowned and said: Yes, I'm afraid that this person who welcomes us is the barbarian who just entered the pass and robbed him.