Chapter 50
Two hundred miles outside Xizhou City, in the desolate wilderness, a vast expanse of snow covered the land, and the land was frozen solid for thousands of miles.
The heavy snow covered the mountains to the north, as well as the grasslands and felt tents. The cold wind howled between heaven and earth, and there was only coldness and silence in the air.
Suddenly, a series of intermittent bell sounds came from the howling north wind, and a caravan of camels braved the biting wind and snow to arrive at the camp.
The caravan leader walked to the camp gate, took off his turban, revealing a burly, strong man with brown eyes and a thick beard.
The people of the tribe recognized him, opened the camp gate, and welcomed the man, whose eyebrows and beard were frozen, and his caravan into the main tent, where they burned a pile of dried sheep dung to warm them.
News of the caravan's arrival quickly spread throughout the tribe, and the men came with animal hides to exchange for goods.
The tribespeople, having obtained the goods they wanted, said with gratitude, "With such heavy snow, dozens of cattle and sheep froze to death, and the roads down the mountain were all blocked. We never expected you would still come."
The bearded merchant from the Central Plains drank a bowl of meat soup and laughed, "I promised you I would come, and I won't break my promise even if it snows heavily! By the way, I heard some things in Xizhou."
He moved closer to the tribesman and lowered his voice.
"Since the Empress of the Great Zhou Dynasty ascended the throne, has your Ashina chieftain ever complained about her?"
The Hu man who was speaking to him did not answer, but his expression immediately changed.
Looking at the burning pile of dried sheep dung, Hu Shang whispered, "When I attended the Wuzhe Conference in Xizhou, I heard rumors that Zhou Qin, the most trusted subordinate of the Persian Suo Yuanli, was gathering intelligence in Xizhou. Someone informed him that although you Turkic tribes have submitted to the Tang Dynasty, you have always harbored rebellious intentions. Taking advantage of the instability caused by the Zhou replacing the Tang, you have been secretly communicating with the rebellious and self-proclaimed Khan, Kutlug Khan, intending to join his Turkic Khaganate. Others say that you have also secretly met with envoys from Xiliang, who promised to hand over Ani to your chieftain after conquering Xizhou. Minister Zhou is preparing to report you to the capital."
The Hu man was drenched in cold sweat. After a moment of silence, he suddenly flew into a rage: "Our chieftain has never seen any envoys from the Turkic Khaganate or the Western Liang!"
The Hu merchant looked at the Hu people and whispered, "Chief Ashina is loyal and I don't believe those rumors. However, this Zhou Qin is ruthless. When he was in the capital, he fabricated charges, framed loyal officials, and distorted the truth. In order to frame people, he can turn white into black and the dead into the living. Countless people have been driven to their deaths by him. You must be careful of him."
The Hu man's face was grim. He nodded and said, "Shabona, thank you for bringing the news. You are a true friend of our tribe! I will go see the chief now!"
As Shabo watched the Hu man lift the curtain and hurriedly leave, a smile appeared in his brown eyes.
The heavy snow that had been falling for several days finally stopped.
The camel caravans of Shabona traveled tirelessly, visiting several tribes.
The tribal chiefs all learned from him that Zhou Qin was investigating them. Some chiefs were shocked and indignant, while others were terrified.
A somber atmosphere permeated every tribal camp.
Just when the chiefs were filled with anxiety, the heavy snow finally stopped, and the sky after the snow was exceptionally clear, but the chiefs' hearts were filled with gloom.
...
Sunlight shone on the felt tent, and the snow on the roof began to melt.
The chieftain of the Mukun tribe sat cross-legged in front of the fire, his face gloomy.
His sons sat on either side of him, discussing the news that Sapona had brought.
"The news that we met with the Khan's envoy and the Xiliang envoy has been leaked. Vice Minister Zhou has collected evidence in Xizhou and is going to accuse us. Zhou Qin is ruthless and we have no way out."
After the chief finished speaking, he sighed.
The sons all looked panicked. After discussing it for a while, they said, "Zhou Qin has no solid evidence. What can he do to us?"
The chieftain's eyes darkened as he said, "Zhou Qin is Suo Yuanli's subordinate and an official in Shen Du. They are different from the governor and chief clerk. They can arrest me without providing substantial evidence. Moreover, Shabona said that some herders' cattle and sheep have frozen to death and they will not survive the winter. They went to Zhou Qin to inform on me for the reward money."
The sons exchanged a glance, their hearts sinking.
A ruthless glint flashed across the eldest son's face as he said, "If he dares to come and arrest us, we'll incite the other tribes to attack Xizhou together and see if he has the guts to betray us!"
The chieftain shook his head and said, "Do you think you can just besiege Xizhou like that? Do you think our tribe can besiege Xizhou? Besides, it's winter now, and we don't have enough food. How many days can we hold out against Xizhou? Xizhou has tall and sturdy city walls and the grain collected this year. The Protectorate can hold out for a month or two. What about us? Without food, we'll have to retreat in three days! With the snow so heavy, where can we retreat to?"
The eldest son clenched his fist and said, "Are we just supposed to sit here and wait to die?"
The chieftain sighed again, his face ashen, and said regretfully, "I shouldn't have met with the envoy of the Khan of the Great Zhou, and I shouldn't have been swayed by his sweet words. Although the emperor of the Great Zhou is a woman, she has ruled for decades and is a capable ruler. She controls her subordinates with power and her position is stable and difficult to shake."
This year, with the Empress's ascension to the throne, both Xiliang and the Turks saw it as a golden opportunity to conquer and seize territory. They dispatched envoys and spies to infiltrate Xizhou, gather intelligence, contact various factions, and incite them to rise up against the Empress, creating chaos. (Mukun tribe)
The chieftain did indeed meet with the envoys from Xiliang and the Turkic Khaganate, and was moved by their promises.
Although the chieftain was still hesitant and had not taken any concrete action, how could he explain to the governor that he had secretly met with envoys from Xiliang and the Turkic Khaganate?
“If Zhou Qin wants to denounce me, I have no choice but to commit suicide to atone for my sins.”
The chief said helplessly.
The eldest son angrily drew his sword and said, "These jackals want to wipe us out. How can we just sit here and wait to die? Let's fight them!"
The other sons looked at each other in bewilderment.
The youngest son frowned, pressed down on his elder brother, and said, "Brother, don't be impulsive. I heard that Shabona's caravan is still nearby. He is well-informed and often deals with Han people, so he is familiar with them. Why don't we invite him to the tribe and hear his opinion? Maybe he has a solution."
All the brothers looked at him.
The chief was taken aback, pondered for a moment, and said with a glimmer of hope, "Then quickly invite Shabona to the tribe! Shenqing, have your sisters dress up nicely and prepare a feast. If Shabona can help us escape this calamity, I will marry your sisters to him!"
The youngest son, Shenqing, shook his head and said, "There's no need to prepare a banquet. If we all beg him together, he'll be afraid of getting into trouble and won't agree. He'll only consider helping if I see him alone."
...
Upon receiving the news, Shabona arrived at the tribe.
Shenqing entertained him in his yurt, took off his sword, made a cut on his arm, raised the sword and knelt at Shabona's feet, pleading, "Shabona, please save our Mukun tribe!"
Shabona was taken aback. He helped Shenqing up and said with a smile, "We are the best of friends. There's no need for such a grand gesture towards me."
Shenqing, his face full of worry, told Shabona about the current predicament facing the Mukun tribe.
Shabona frowned and asked, "Did the chieftain not only meet with the envoys from Xiliang and the Turkic Khaganate, but also make any promises to them?"
If the chief had only met the messenger and made no promises, he wouldn't be so guilty, so terrified upon hearing that someone had betrayed him, and so eager to commit suicide as an atonement.
Shen Qing did not answer, but only sighed.
Shabona understood immediately, shook his head and sighed. After pondering for a while, he exhaled and said, "Minister Zhou wants to use your heads to curry favor with high-ranking Han officials in order to get promoted and make money. Chieftains now only have two choices. One is to go all out and take this opportunity to rebel and escape to the Turkic Khaganate's camp to join the Khan of the Turks, or to go to Xiliang. It is winter now, and the Protectorate will not send troops to attack you."
Mu Kun's troops were not prepared for a rebellion. They were short of supplies and their morale was low. Shen Qing believed that a hasty rebellion would not end well, and he disagreed with the suggestion. He frowned and said, "Is there another option?"
A sly glint flashed in Shabo's brown eyes as he said, "Secondly, the chieftain takes the initiative to seek an audience with the Governor of Xizhou and reports to the Governor that other tribes are secretly contacting the Khan of the Gudulu. He can escape the death penalty for the merit of informing and even receive a reward!"
Shenqing's expression changed drastically. He stood up abruptly, staring at Shabona in disbelief, as if he were looking at a fierce and cunning wolf.
The other side of the sand pot
Without changing his expression, he calmly said, “Shabona, I only told you this idea because you consider me a true friend. Your tribes are fragmented and ineffective, and they often fight each other for the smallest gains, harboring deep-seated hatreds. The Han officials govern you by exploiting your hatred to keep you in check. If Minister Zhou can capture one person from any of your tribes and torture him severely, he can extract the evidence he wants. Not only will the other tribes not help you, but they will also take the opportunity to attack you, seize your territory, and steal your women and livestock. At that time, you and your father and sons will all be executed, and your mother, sisters, and women will be sent to the beds of men from other tribes!”
Shenqing knew that Shabona's words were not alarmist, and his face grew increasingly gloomy.
Shabona looked at Shenqing with worry in his eyes and said, "Shenqing, you must make a decision quickly and not delay! Think about it, the Western Liang and the Turkic Khaganate sent envoys to persuade your chieftain to rebel against the Tang Dynasty, and they must have also sent envoys to other tribes. Now that Zhou Qin wants to investigate you, your Mukun tribe can remain calm and not report to other tribes, but what about the other tribes?"
Shen Qing was so shocked that he broke out in a cold sweat and felt a chill run down his spine.
Shabona sighed and said, "Tell the chief that whoever is the first to go to the governor of Xizhou to inform on the matter will have a way out and will also receive a reward."
Shenqing dared not make the decision for his father. After seeing Shabona off, he became more and more frightened. He rushed to the tent and told his father what Shabona had said.
The chief and his sons were all dumbfounded when they heard what he said.
Shen Qing said, "Our son thinks this method is feasible. If we don't inform on them, other tribes will go! We can't take chances."
The chief hesitated for a moment, then said, "Let me think about it some more."
...
Shabona left the Mukun tribe, rode a Turkic horse, and headed towards another tribe.
He was warmly welcomed into the yurt by the Hu people of this tribe, who asked him the same questions as Shenqing.
Sha Bona picked up the bowl, took a sip of strong liquor, frowned and thought for a long time before saying earnestly, "You only have two choices now..."
...
So, under the guise of trading goods, Shabona and his caravan split up and went to different tribes to spread the word.
There was widespread fear and anxiety among the tribes.
At this time, news came from Xizhou that Chief Secretary Fan had arrived in Xizhou and was hosting a banquet to comfort the chieftains, requiring them to attend and each of them to bring only twenty personal guards.
Every tribal chief sensed impending doom.
"The Han Chinese chief clerk is trying to lure us to our deaths! The banquet the day after tomorrow is a trap!"
"Zhou Qin is about to make a move against us; their true intentions have been revealed!"
Several tribal chiefs suspected that there was an ambush in Xizhou and dared not go to the banquet, but not going was tantamount to disobeying military orders, which also meant death!
Shabona had been observing in secret, and seeing that the time was right, he quickly sent his men to spread a message: the chieftain of the Mukun tribe had already set off for Xizhou.
The message quickly reached the desks of the other tribal chiefs.
"Mu Kun's troops are indeed all despicable villains! They want to denounce us in exchange for credit!"
"We can't let Mu Kun's tribe get away with this!"
Almost simultaneously, each tribe dispatched its strongest warriors and fastest horses, all heading towards the Western Regions.
...
Although the heavy snow has stopped, the weather is colder than before the snowfall, with water freezing instantly.
Protectorate General.
The Governor of Xizhou and Chief Secretary Fan sat by the window playing chess.
Outside, it was a frozen wasteland, but inside the house, with a stove burning, it was warm and cozy.
After the game of chess ended, the governor took a sip of tea and glanced at the figure sitting at his desk writing under the opposite window.
Suddenly, a series of hurried footsteps came from outside the window.
A soldier rushed into the room with an urgent report: "Governor, a group of Turks in western Angxi has rebelled!"
The governor was stunned for a moment, his heart pounding. He stood up, took the urgent report, read it, and then his gaze fell on Wei Mingsu, his expression complex.
Wei Mingsu raised his head and looked out the window. His pale face was calm and composed, and his gaze seemed to penetrate the earthen wall and see the hastily rebelled Ang Xibu.
The governor came to his senses and turned his head.
He ordered the guards: "Pass on my military order, ordering Zhang Yuan to immediately lead two thousand elite troops to quell the rebellion, without fail!"
Zhang Yuan had already led his elite troops out of the city to set up camp, awaiting the commander's orders. When the scouts saw the smoke and fire warning, they immediately went to the main tent to report the news.
The wind howled and the cranes cried.
Zhang Yuan immediately led two thousand elite soldiers to rush towards Ang West.
Urgent reports kept arriving at the Protectorate General's office.
The chieftain of the Mukun tribe sent someone to apologize, accusing other tribes of secretly colluding with the Western Liang and the Turkic Khaganate in an attempt to launch a rebellion.
Before the governor could finish reading the urgent report, another urgent report arrived, this time from Ge Shu's tribe, who had also come to inform on the matter.
After reading all the urgent reports, the governor's expression had become numb.
...
Upon hearing the distant sound of horns, Shabona couldn't help but shudder.
"Alang, the rebel is indeed Angsibu's eldest son! Their camp is in complete chaos."
Two Hu men rode towards him on horseback, shouting.
Shabana turned around and looked in the northwest direction.
Twenty miles away, the rebels who had left the Angsi camp encountered Zhang Yuan and his two thousand elite soldiers who were well prepared, and a brutal battle was taking place in the snow.
Shabona listened intently to the shouts of battle carried on the wind, his brown eyes cold as he said to his two Hu subordinates, "Send a message to Governor Wei, and do not fail in your mission."
He whipped his mount and slowly headed towards the battlefield.
The master and his servants rode their horses up a hillside and gazed at the distant battlefield.
The rebels in Angsi had just escaped from their camp when they were killed by Zhou's army.
The gushing blood, mixed with brain matter, stained the silvery-white earth red.
His subordinate trembled slightly and whispered, "My lord, the scheme devised by Governor Wei is truly ruthless. He stayed in Xizhou and, without using a single soldier, stirred up these tribes and quickly took control of the situation. These tribes will definitely be more obedient in the future. You must be careful when working for Governor Wei."
Shabona smiled and said, "I am not working for Governor Wei, but for the reward he has given me."
...
The rebellion in western Angers was quelled within a day.
When the news reached other tribes, the tribal chiefs were filled with lingering fear and relief that they had never considered rebelling.
Zhou Qin, who was hiding in his warm study writing a letter of denunciation, was taken aback when he heard about the rebellion in Angxi.
The person he was going to report was Ang Sibu.
The eldest son of the Angxi chieftain accepted the gifts from the Xiliang envoy, and Zhou Qin found evidence of this.
Why did Annecy...? (The sentence is incomplete and lacks context.)
The chieftain's eldest son rebelled?
Suddenly, a commotion broke out outside the courtyard.
"Vice Minister!" A subordinate rushed into the study, his face anxious. "Vice Minister, the Commander-in-Chief and the Chief Secretary have sent a troop of soldiers, and they've stormed in!"
Zhou Qin trembled slightly, and the ink from his Xuan brush splattered onto the paper.
...
That night, Zhang Yuan's deputy returned to Xizhou and reported the military situation to the governor of Xizhou.
The next day, the tribal chiefs arrived in Xizhou one after another to request an audience with the governor.
Several chieftains who had met the Turkic Khanate envoys were trembling with fear, begging for forgiveness and mercy.
The other chiefs stood uneasily to one side, not daring to plead for them. They had never harbored any thoughts of rebellion and were of course innocent, but they were afraid of being implicated.
The governor's face was gloomy, and he remained silent.
The atmosphere was somber.
Chief Secretary Fan stepped forward and said with a smile, "All of you chieftains have always been loyal. In every battle, you have brought your own saddles and horses to help us. Your achievements are outstanding. His Majesty is wise and discerning. How could he believe those rumors?"
As soon as he finished speaking, two guards carried a box forward.
Chief Secretary Fan ordered the guards to open the box and take out the letter inside for the chieftains to read.
After reading the letter, the chiefs were all shocked and cried out that they were innocent.
With a smile, Chief Secretary Fan said, "These are secret letters sent by Zhou Qin to the capital. He wants to fabricate charges against you all. Please rest assured, Chiefs, I, Fan, will not allow such a framing of loyal officials to happen."
He glanced at the guards.
The guards collected all the secret letters, brought over a brazier, and burned them all inside.
As the last secret letter disappeared into the firelight, all the chiefs secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
The guards then carried out several large chests filled with treasure and opened the lids.
The chiefs stared at the box, momentarily stunned.
Chief Secretary Fan smiled and said, "This is a reward from His Majesty to all the chieftains. I, Fan, have been ordered by His Majesty to entertain you all. A banquet has been prepared in the main tent. Please take your seats!"
The chiefs were overjoyed.
...
After the banquet, Fan Hui did not return to the Protectorate General's residence, but went to Wei Mingsu's quarters.
The courtyard was a bit messy, as Wei Mingsu's entourage were packing their luggage; they were leaving Xizhou that night.
Fan Hui entered the study.
Wei Mingsu stood in front of his desk, organizing official documents.
Fan Hui walked over and said, "The governor asked me a question before the banquet: why is it Angsi?"
After the chief secretary was arrested, the governor did not inquire about Wei Mingsu's affairs. A few days ago, Wei Mingsu reminded the governor to pay attention to the movements of the Turkic tribes and strongly requested that he send troops to guard against tribal rebellion. The governor felt that Wei Mingsu was just trying to stir up trouble and was talking nonsense, but just in case, he still sent troops.
Wei Mingsu pointed to the neatly arranged official documents on the left side of the desk and said, "When I interrogated the chief clerk, I learned that it was his Hu subordinates who took it upon themselves to help the Xu family escape. The escape route arranged by the Hu people was a bit strange, so I took note of it."
He suspected that the young master Xu's destination was the Turkic camp. The reason why the Hu people risked their entire family's lives to help him escape and even implicated the chief secretary was not to repay a debt of gratitude, but to take the young master Xu to the Turkic Khaganate.
The Hu people must have arranged to meet in the valley beforehand to escort the young master of the Xu family to the Turkic camp.
Following this suspicion, Wei Mingsu discovered that the Angxi tribe might be an inside agent covering the escape of the Xu family's young master.
Lacking evidence, he deliberately sent someone to leak the information to Zhou Qin, who was skilled at informing and investigating, and then sent the Hu merchant Shabo to various tribes to test the waters.
After the Chief Secretary and Young Master Xu were arrested, Ang Xibu was indeed feeling guilty.
Fan Hui picked up the official document and walked to the lamp to read it: "So you're in a hurry to stabilize the situation in Xizhou before leaving?"
Wei Mingsu said, "You are too inexperienced and lack connections. It will be difficult for you to control the situation after you arrive in Xizhou. I am going to Wuzhi. There must be no chaos in the rear."
Fan Hui nodded. He understood Wei Mingsu's intentions. Wei Mingsu was helping him stabilize the situation, build prestige, and win over people's hearts.
The two had discussed the situation in Xizhou many times while in Luoyang, and these were all part of their plan.
Before you go to Wuzhi, do you want to visit Third Sister in Liucheng?
Fan Hui suddenly asked.
Wei Mingsu paused for a moment, shook his head, and continued tidying up.
Half an hour later, Wei Mingsu handed over all the official documents he had compiled to Fan Hui, looking him into the eyes.
Fan Hui nodded and said, "Don't worry, I will do my best to take care of Third Sister."
Wei Mingsu turned and left.
Fan Hui watched his figure disappear into the night and sighed.
With his fate uncertain, Wei Mingsu's only concern was Lu Huaying.
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