Chapter 436 Extra 1 (5) (2nd update)
But taking the Xuandu Mountain route requires more than just giving up your warhorse and following.
According to the geographical names of later generations, when they set foot on the territory of Wushe Kingdom, they were already on the Pamir Plateau.
When the northern route of the Silk Road reaches the Pamir Mountains, which was later named the Pamir Plateau, it either goes north to Kashgar and then west along the road between the Tianshan Mountains and the Pamir Plateau, north of the Alay Mountains, or relies on the Wakhan Corridor to enter the Panj River Valley and the delta formed by its alluvial deposits. Very few people choose to go through the extremely dangerous place such as Xuandu Mountain.
Of course, there was no Karakoram Highway at that time. To cross the mountains and enter foreign territories, all you could rely on was your two legs and a lot of willpower.
Even the 20th-century explorer Stein said when he retraced this route that the difficulties and dangers he experienced during the march were many times greater than those experienced by Hannibal, Napoleon and others when they crossed the Alps.
But for Ma Chao and others, this was not just a fight for military merit after the unification of the world.
That was the first battle to publicize our country’s power against a powerful foreign country!
They must not lose!
When the troops from all directions attacked Ye City, the gap in strength between the enemy and us was so great that it was more like an unstoppable propaganda of the inevitability of Yong replacing Han. Today, it was time for these generals to show their true abilities.
"You should know that if you send troops in this way, you will lose the mobility of the cavalry." Lu Yuan said seriously to the two people who spoke first.
Even though the experience of living in Liangzhou for many years made it much easier for Ma Chao and others to adapt to the environment of Pamir Mountains and Xuandu Mountain than any other generals, it did not mean that this dangerous mountain range would open its arms to them and allow them to travel freely through it.
This is the power of nature. At least for now, they do not have the ability to change it.
Yan Xing was a man of few words, especially after he had surrendered to Dong Zhuo and returned as arranged by Qiao Yan. But when he heard Lu Yuan's words, he said, "Then we can just wait until we get over the mountain and then rob the horses."
He spoke so calmly, making it seem as if robbing a horse was like picking up something, leaving everyone speechless for a moment.
Xu Rong and Yan Xing have worked together for many years and he knows the other's temperament very well. At least he is not the kind of person who would act recklessly due to momentary rashness. If he dares to say this at this time, he must be sure of it, and it is clear that he is stubborn and will not turn back.
In that case, we might as well let these two young people give it a try.
but……
He thought for a moment and said, "I think that after we have conquered the four small countries from Shanshan to Yutian, we may not need to march alone because the southern and northern borders are isolated. According to the Book of Han, Wushen is 9,950 li away from Chang'an, and Yutian is 9,670 li away from Chang'an, with a distance of 300 li. It will take at least six or seven days to march in such a mountainous and deep valley. If we can advance to Wushen and defeat Wulei, and make Congling a backup for the army heading south to Xuandu Mountain, and wait for an opportunity to reach the place where Kushan and Dayuan are fighting from the river valley, it may be a backup option."
"In your opinion, if you stay in Khotan and continue to plot to win over Shache and other countries, while Junyi, Yancai and I conquer Wulei, go down through the plateau, wait for an opportunity to advance, and Mengqi and Yanming go straight to the rear of the Kushan Empire through Xuandu, is that feasible?"
Since the recovery of the four kingdoms until now, although they have undergone several rounds of screening among the soldiers, they still have nearly 10,000 more troops than before. As long as the military rations transported from Liangzhou to the Western Regions can continue, they can fully support their two-pronged advance at this time.
To be frank, when marching into such an environment, relying solely on a compass, cold-proof clothing, and various climbing tools prepared in advance, there is no guarantee that they will not encounter avalanches or get lost in the mountains.
Having two routes of troops can at least ensure that if an accident really occurs in one of the routes, the marching plan can be put back on track.
Lu Yuan replied: "Your Majesty mentioned in the letter that arrived with the Ping An Kou that we don't have to worry about follow-up support from Liangzhou. With General Huangfu in charge, we don't have to worry about the transportation of supplies along the way. General Duan travels back and forth between Shanshan and Yumen Pass."
Huangfu Song has been itching to fight for many years, but unfortunately he knows very well that with his age and energy, he is no longer suitable for fighting in the Western Regions, otherwise there will inevitably be problems. However, as the Grand Marshal, he is currently guarding the rear for this crucial battle in the Western Regions, and he will never slack off.
Duan Wei was able to join the team in the war in the Western Regions this time, and he no longer existed as Dong Zhuo's old subordinate. He was just waiting for an opportunity to send troops north to Cheshi when there were sufficient reserves. Therefore, the escort of grain and grass at this moment was a good opportunity for him to further control the march in the desert.
But what moved Lu Yuan the most was the next sentence Qiao Yan said.
"Your Majesty also said that we don't have to worry about her refuting our marching plan. She is thousands of miles away from here. Could she know the situation here better than us based on a few letters and records from who knows how many years ago? If that were the case, why would she let us send troops here?"
"I think General Xu's arrangement is safe, so let's do it this way."
Lu Yuan, Ma Dai and others stayed in Yutian, looking for opportunities to deal with neighboring countries. The Queen of Jingjue, who seized this opportunity, and the King of Shanshan, who had been awarded the title of Marquis of Guiyi from Chang'an, would assist them in their actions.
Xu Rong, Fu Gan and Zhang He led troops to wipe out the small countries on the Pamir Mountains and keep an eye on the war situation in the west.
Ma Chao and Yan Xingze sent troops from the Xuandu Mountain route.
Of course, before that they had to deal with the Wulu Kingdom and select the elite among the elites to ensure that this difficult mountain journey was accomplished with the least possible losses.
During this mountain crossing that may last nearly a month, they must also bring enough food and water until they reach the other side and get the next batch of food by fighting to support themselves.
The preparations for the attack on the Wuling Kingdom took them nearly a month.
In order to increase the success rate of crossing the mountains, Ma Chao had to suppress his desire to send troops and wait until March arrived.
It is not yet the time for the water to thaw in this plateau area, but fortunately it is no longer as cold as in December and January.
More importantly, although the movement of the southern Xinjiang countries to surrender to Dayong may seem small, it will sooner or later be noticed by those with ulterior motives, and they can no longer delay.
It's time to march!
What Ma Chao never expected was that when he embarked on this life-or-death journey, among the people traveling with him was a guy named Yu Fan.
Ma Chao's mouth twitched: "Why are you acting together with me and Yan Ming?"
Yu Fan asked back, "Who are you counting on? Are you going to ask Mr. Wu Jiao and his men to use their magic to take you up into the air and over the mountains?"
Ma Chao: “…”
He hadn't thought of it that beautifully.
Whether the magic of immortality is real or not, just by looking at how Your Majesty scared Zuo Ci away, you can tell how valuable it is.
Rather than hoping that this thing can help him cross mountains and rivers without any damage, it is better to hope that they will not encounter any disasters that are difficult to deal with by human power along the way.
As soon as he saw Yu Fan, he couldn't help but think about what kind of outrageous excuse Yu Fan used to reject him when he proposed to advance into Cheshi and Shanshan at the same time.
The heroic General Dayong and the ugly man who is ignorant of the immensity of heaven and earth, huh!
This is really not a sign of fear that the two of them will start fighting halfway.
But he heard Yu Fan say: "General, you have the courage to defeat three armies, but you lack the talent for long-term planning. Although I, Yu Fan, am not a natural genius, I still have some brains, so I can give you advice."
More importantly, his words were harsh enough.
What Yan Xing said in front of Ma Chao might not carry enough weight, but it is different for him, Yu Fan. He even said that Your Majesty had lived in Chang'an for a long time and suffered bloodshed, but was not purged after Your Majesty ascended the throne, and was even given such an appointment and respect. Ma Chao had to consider whether to follow his advice.
Ma Chao obviously thought of this as well.
He was also very clear that relying solely on his and Yan Xing's martial arts would not be enough to act recklessly in such an unfamiliar place. Yu Fan was, after all, a wise man and should be able to guide them to avoid any irreparable mistakes.
But despite thinking so, Ma Chao still asked stubbornly: "Then don't fall behind."
Yu Fan responded with a cold laugh, "General, have you forgotten what I said at that time? I have never walked through this wild land of the Western Regions before, so I cannot travel a hundred miles. But it has been more than four months since we sent troops here. If I still hold you back by saying that I have not adapted to the situation, how can Lord Lu dare to entrust this thing to me?"
Yu Fan patted the box he was carrying.
Although he did not explicitly say what it was, Ma Chao had a hunch that it was definitely not an ordinary thing.
In order to prevent Yu Fan from saying anything that would upset him, Ma Chao decided to temporarily ignore the question of why they were traveling together.
When they crossed the Pole River and climbed up to the border outpost of the Wushen Kingdom to rest, they saw the snow-capped mountains in the distance becoming increasingly clear on the plateau. It was not yet the summer rainy season, but it seemed as if the clouds and fog had cleared.
When Ma Chao came back to his senses from the scene in front of him that looked a bit like Longxi County but also a bit different, he saw Yu Fan, who had also deposited his mount in the capital of Wushen State, following him without blushing or breathing hard.
From this perspective, Yu Fan's statement about not being a drag was not just bragging, but also his modesty.
When this destined to be a difficult journey finally started here, Ma Chao could not help but ask Yu Fan: "I heard that you are from Yangzhou. The Shanyue people in Yangzhou are rampant. Have you ever fought against them?"
"More than once," Yu Fan replied calmly, "I can still travel 300 miles a day."
Even if the li used as the unit of measurement in the Han Dynasty is 20% lower than the modern li, it is still a very astonishing figure.
"..." Ma Chao was silent for a moment, and finally could only utter four words, "Happy cooperation."
Your Majesty is indeed a man who knows how to appoint the right people to the right positions. He sent Yu Fan to Liangzhou to be Lu Yuan's assistant. I'm afraid he was waiting for something like this to happen today!
Fortunately, this guy is his ally after all, not his opponent.
Ma Chao tightened his cloak and looked up at the sky which was lower than the Central Plains. A gleam of determination in his eyes to fight to the death flashed.
The Kushan Empire, located across the mountains, was mentioned by Qiao Yan during a conversation with them. It was one of the four most powerful empires on this continent.
But the Han Dynasty is a thing of the past, replaced by today's Yong Dynasty. Then the Kushan Empire should also see what they are capable of!
——————
At this time, it finally started to rain in the Central Plains.
Ever since it snowed last winter, people in all provinces of the Central Plains have guessed that next year will probably not be a year of drought.
But speculation is speculation, and it was not until today when this precious spring rain finally fell that everyone breathed a sigh of relief.
The third year of Yuan Zhao probably won’t be a disaster year!
This is more than just a disaster year.
In the first year of Yuan Zhao, there was a battle between Qiao Yan and the Yecheng court after he ascended the throne. The hidden households of the aristocratic families in various states were released one after another under the coercion of Qiao Yan. There was an undercurrent. The subsequent population transfer and prisoner trial also made the end of the year appear busy and disorderly.
However, in the third year of Yuan Zhao, except for Liangzhou and the Western Regions where troops and food were being dispatched, all other places were preparing to welcome the new year.
The accumulation and optimization of improved varieties over the years, coupled with the scientific farming methods that have been deeply rooted in people's hearts, have meant that people no longer need to worry about anything and can just devote all their energy to farming in the new year.
This year is their best opportunity to replenish the granary that was consumed last year.
Although there is no tax reduction or exemption like last year, this is obviously not a cause for concern as the yield per mu is much higher than it was ten years ago.
Perhaps the only ones who would really feel uneasy are those children of noble families in Jizhou who are still serving labor service.
Just because a piece of news that was like bad news for them reached their ears.
At the beginning of spring this year, Yuan Shao fell ill.
Yuan Shao's repeated setbacks during the Jian'an period, the battle of manifestos in the first year of Yuanzhao, the defeat in Yanzhou and the final collapse of the court in Yecheng had already severely damaged Yuan Shao's body.
If he could become the victor and rest here, or if he could escape the whirlpool of political games by traveling across the ocean and escaping from the world, he might still have a glimmer of hope, but unfortunately -
Qiao Yan needed to use Yuan Shao as a rope to tie down the Hebei family, forcing him to survive by using this method of counting wheat, thus cutting off his last chance of longevity.
Thick winter clothes and a strong enough charcoal fire did not give Yuan Shao the chance to catch a cold in winter, but when spring came, Yuan Shao vaguely realized that he had actually endured this repetitive and boring situation for a year and a half.
One and a half years, more than five hundred days!
Counting day after day made him almost forget the passage of time, but the fragrance of flowers wafting in from the top of the cell reminded him of the arrival of spring and awakened all his early memories almost in an instant.
In his youth, Yuan Shao had the capital to ride a horse at will. In his middle age, Yuan Shao held great power. Every spring, it brought him a new prospect.
But today, he didn't want to know at all. The damn Yong Dynasty had actually survived another year, and even the news revealed by the jailer showed that it was becoming more and more prosperous.
Under such a terrible contrast, his so-called self-deception and resignation to his fate became simply vulnerable.
When he saw that his hair had turned gray again, he suddenly became so seriously ill that he could hardly get up.
This disease...
"I sent a doctor from Jizhou to send a message back to Chang'an, saying that he may not live for more than two months." Qiao Yan looked at Cao Cao, who was invited here by her, and said, "Meng De did have a friendship with him in his early years. If he wants to go to the prison in Yecheng to meet him, it's not a bad idea."
“Whether we meet or not, it doesn’t really matter. The grudge between Benchu and I has vanished with the demise of the Han Dynasty. There’s no need to get involved with it any more.” Cao Cao suddenly heard the news of Yuan Shao’s death from Qiao Yan. Although he sighed, he was not surprised.
If he were in Yuan Shao's position, he would probably have perished together with the Han Dynasty, which was ultimately heading towards its doom, when Yecheng fell. He really shouldn't have been able to live for another year or two in this way.
What benefits does this bring to Yuan Shao?
Perhaps it can only let him know that there is really no possibility of revival of the Han Dynasty.
Even after experiencing last year's drought, Dayong continued to move forward with the support of the people.
"Wait a minute," Cao Cao asked as if he had suddenly thought of something, "If that's the case, how should we deal with the Hebei noble families?"
If he intended to let go of those Hebei noble families who needed to repay their debts just because Yuan Shao was dead, it would not be beneficial to Qiao Yan's imperial dignity at all.
But if they were all executed for this reason, it would obviously go against Qiao Yan's original intention.
"As soon as Yuan Shao fell ill, they became anxious," Qiao Yan replied, "Let them worry for a while. When Yuan Shao really dies, let his son take over the job of counting wheat."
Yuan Shao’s third son, Yuan Shang, was executed, but weren’t there two others?
We can always give the survivors from the Hebei families another chance to survive.
This is not the purpose of Qiao Yan calling Cao Cao here today.
"Since Meng De is not going to Yecheng, let's hear another story," Qiao Yan suddenly changed the subject and said, "I intend to ask Meng De to go to Liangzhou."
Liangzhou?
Cao Cao was surprised and asked, "Why do you have such an idea, Your Majesty? Isn't there already a general in Liangzhou, Huangfu?"
Although Cao Cao mentioned in his early conversation with Qiao Yan that he had the ambition to conquer the West, the deployment of generals and counselors in the Western Regions was already in order, and there was no need to force him in just to fulfill a promise made in the past.
Their Emperor Dayong is obviously not an emotional person and will never waste any resources at this time.
Qiao Yan replied: "No, to be precise, I am not asking Meng De to go to Liangzhou, but to the west of Liangzhou, where the Xigong Salt Pond is located."
That is the land located on the plateau, passing through the Riyue Mountain Pass, from Huangzhong to the west.
"More than a hundred years ago, this place was also controlled by the imperial court. But now, we only travel from Huangzhong to the salt pond. We have never built a county government there to completely control the surrounding area. From the Xigong Salt Pond to the west, there are more vast lands, waiting for us to bring them under our control, recapture the Qiang people, and establish order."
"It is the beginning of spring, and the weather on the plateau is no longer as bad as it was in winter. It is the right time to plan to send out troops."
Anyway, the grain was originally going to be sent to Liangzhou and then all the way to Jincheng County, so there was no pressure to supply it to Cao Cao to develop the Qinghai Lake area.
She added: "However, this place can no longer be called Xihai County."
The Qinghai Lake area was named by Wang Mang because "The Han Dynasty already has Beihai, Donghai and Nanhai counties, so there should be Xihai County". However, it was recaptured by the Beihe Qiang following the uprising of the Green Forest and Red Eyebrow Armies, and the name was abandoned.
Although the name had not yet been taken up by Zhangye's vassal state of Guyan, which changed its name to Xihai, it would be somewhat plagiarizing if it were to be used again.
It is also inevitable that the shortcomings of Wang Mang's new policies made it seem a bit unlucky.
Qiao Yan put down his pen, wrote two words on the paper, and handed it to Cao Cao.
Cao Cao took a quick look and saw two words written on it: "Qinghai?"
She replied: "Yes, let's call it Qinghai County."
The author has something to say:
Although this extra chapter is mainly about the Western Regions, other places are still touched upon.
Boss Cao is finally going to start his expedition to the west, but this expedition to the west is not to the Western Regions, but to Tibet.
Xuandu is a really difficult place to walk in.
Several people have walked this road.
First, it was recorded in the Book of Han:
"Book of Han·Biography of the Western Regions·Wuxi State" records: "To the west there is a county... A county is a rocky mountain with streams and valleys that are impassable, so people use ropes to pull people across the mountain." (County-Xuandu)
Then, in the Book of the Later Han Dynasty, Biography of Ban Chao, it says: "Chao then crossed Congling and reached the county."
Then, during the reign of Emperor Xuanzong of Tang, Gao Xianzhi crossed the Pamir Plateau and marched to Xiaobolü, taking this route.
This section of Tanjuling (belonging to the Hindu Kush Mountains) is the place called Xuandu in the Han Dynasty.
Therefore, Mengqi's journey will take a long time, and it will not be easy to walk after crossing the mountain.
See you tomorrow morning at 9:30! Achieved on the 9th day.
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