Ten days later, Li Zhongqian, Li Xuanzhen and their entourage arrived in Shazhou.

The Northern Rong issued a border ban and the security was extremely strict. All passing caravans and pedestrians had to undergo careful inspection.

Li Xuanzhen was well prepared. He made arrangements in advance when he set out from Liangzhou. He used a spy of Princess Yiqing who he had captured earlier to pretend to be a spy from Beirong. He passed the search of the Beirong garrison under the pretext of "presenting birthday gifts to Princess Yiqing" and successfully sneaked through the pass. He also stayed at Beirong's post stations in a swagger along the way, taking the most convenient expressway and asking for the best and fastest horses.

During this period, there were occasional garrisons that doubted their identities. The captured spies would become furious, scold the garrisons, boss them around, and threaten to ask Princess Yiqing to make the decision for them after they arrived at Yizhou Ya Ting and send the garrisons to Samakan to blow the northwest wind.

Samakhan is farther away than Suiye, Kangguo, Shiguo and other places. It is rich in products and has many merchants. It is located on the northern route of the Silk Road to Persia. Countless caravans passed through here, transporting silk, porcelain, tea and other goods from the Central Plains to the west. Its geographical location is dangerous. The Northern Rong has expanded rapidly in recent years. Wakhan Khan has long coveted all the rich lands in the north and south of the ridge. He had sent a team to expedition before. The team reached Samakhan at the farthest, and there was no news after that.

The Northern Rong had a strict hierarchy, and most of the soldiers were civilians, and they were all afraid of being sent to Samar to die.

The defending general was skeptical to begin with, but seeing the arrogant attitude of his personal soldier, he did not dare to offend him and immediately let him go.

Xizuo told Li Xuanzhen and others that after Princess Yiqing married into the Turkic clan, she married the old Khan and his two sons successively. Later, their clan surrendered to the Northern Rong and Princess Yiqing fell into the hands of the Northern Rong nobles, who were Haidu Aling's teacher.

Haidu Aling was taught Chinese by Princess Yiqing. The reason why he was familiar with the customs and habits of the Central Plains and the courts of various countries was due to Princess Yiqing's teaching.

The group traveled day and night under the bright moon and stars. The weather was getting colder and colder, and the wilderness was vast. After walking for several days, there was no sign of an oasis. Horse bones, camel bones, and even human bones could be seen everywhere in the sand.

Occasionally, when they passed by a city built on an oasis, they sneaked into the city to inquire about the news from the civilians, but found nothing. The civilians all had pale faces and numb expressions, and dared not talk to strangers.

They were afraid that asking too many questions would arouse suspicion, so they stopped.

Li Xuanzhen's face was heavy.

The further northwest he went, the more he discovered that people's lives were more difficult than he had imagined.

Shazhou and Guazhou were now lost to the Northern Rong. All along the way, the people they saw, whether they were Hu people or Han people, were all forced to braid their hair and wear left-side robes like the Northern Rong people, speak Hu language, and follow Hu etiquette. The Northern Rong people were clearly divided into nobles and low-class people, and the lower-class people were like livestock, and their situation was miserable.

Whenever a Northern Rong soldier passed by, ordinary people had to move aside and salute respectfully, and could not look directly at him. Anyone who dared to speak loudly or look up at a Northern Rong soldier would be regarded as disrespectful, and the lighter punishment would be whipping in public, and the heavier punishment would be having their hands cut off or their eyes gouged out, a miserable end.

Li Xuanzhen was afraid of exposing his identity, and when he encountered Northern Rong soldiers bullying the people along the way, he could not step forward to stop them and could only grit his teeth in silence.

Once, they saw the Northern Rong soldiers driving a group of ragged, white-haired, skinny old people out of the city. Many men and women chased after them from behind, crying like rain, wailing and saying goodbye to the old people, but were driven back by the Northern Rong soldiers.

The old people shed tears, looked back at their relatives in the city, wiped their tears and walked away.

There were cries of grief in front of the city gate.

Li Xuanzhen clenched his fists and asked the spy: "What crime did they commit? Where were they taken?"

Xizuo answered in a low voice: "The northern Rong people worship the use of force, value the strong and despise the weak. Every winter, they order the elders over 60 years old in each tribe who are unable to farm or hunt to move out of the city... to avoid wasting food. Anyone who dares not to obey must pay taxes according to regulations, five taels of gold per person, ten sheep or a horse, three stone of grain, and twenty sheets of felt..."

For ordinary people, in the cold winter, every household has no surplus food, and they have to pay heavy taxes to please the northern barbarians. Where can they collect five taels of gold to buy back the old man?

Most of the elderly do not want to bring trouble to their families, so they can only be driven to places with bitter cold climates to wait for death.

The farewell at the city gate is a final revelation.

When the people from the Central Plains heard this, they were all filled with indignation.

There are such unscrupulous things in the world!

Li Zhongqian signaled to his personal soldiers with his eyes to be calm, as they were here to look for someone and it would be best not to cause any trouble.

He only wanted to rescue Mingyuenu, and the life and death of others had nothing to do with him.

After leaving Shazhou, we passed Wufeng, and crossed the vast desert of 800 miles with no human habitation, and we were getting closer and closer to Yizhou.

On this day, everyone was resting under a mound of earth that was eroded by the north wind and had holes in it. Li Xuanzhen sent out several of his personal soldiers and asked them to go to Gaochang, Guizi and other places separately.

Li Zhongqian asked cautiously: "Why send them to Gaochang?"

Li Xuanzhen drew a few lines on the sand with his finger: "This is Yizhou, this is Gaochang, Yanqi, Guizi, this area is the northern route of the Silk Road. In the past, the dynasty was stable, and prefectures and counties were set up in various places, and soldiers were stationed there. At that time, the trade route was peaceful and stable, and the people were prosperous. Later, the Central Plains was in chaos, the Western Regions were lost, and the trade route was blocked. Now most of these places have surrendered to the Northern Rong."

"The customs of the Northern Rong are barbaric. They suppress the tribes with iron-blooded means and allow their soldiers to plunder caravans. These small countries may be loyal to the Northern Rong because of the situation, but there are always people who still have their hearts in the Central Plains Dynasty. After all, most of the princes and nobles are descendants of famous families in the Hexi area."

"Since we are going to Beirong Yating to rescue people, why not send people to these places to investigate the situation and see if we can persuade them to cooperate with us and fight against Beirong together in the future."

Li Zhongqian nodded and understood Li Xuanzhen's plan.

They were deep in the Western Regions, isolated and without help, so they had to try to find some help first.

First, if they are discovered by the Northern Rong people in the future, they can escape to these places first. Second, with the help of these people, they are more likely to return to the Central Plains safely. Third, of course, it is for the benefit of the world and to recover the homeland for the court.

Li Zhongqian didn't care about the third point. After rescuing Li Yaoying, he would immediately take her back to the Central Plains.

"There's another place I might have to go to in person."

Li Xuanzhen pointed his finger at the northernmost point.

"There is a Buddhist country here, which prevents the Northern Rong from advancing further. The Northern Rong Khan was once defeated by the monarch of the Buddhist country. The countries in the Western Regions must have their own thoughts."

Li Zhongqian frowned slightly: "Buddhist country?"

Li Xuanzhen pursed his peeling lips and said, "The royal court worships Buddhism. Their monarch is a great monk. About eleven years ago, he led his troops to repel the Khan of the Northern Rong and became famous in the Western Regions."

Two years ago, Li Xuanzhen, Li De and their staff discussed the possibility of recovering the Western Regions.

At that time, they all believed that the Central Plains' desire to recover the Western Regions was equivalent to snatching food from the mouth of the increasingly powerful tiger of the Northern Rong.

In addition, there is a wealthy country in the north of the Western Regions that should not be underestimated. Their monarch is famous and deeply loved by the people. With a single order, people from all over the country will follow him to the battlefield.

Li Xuanzhen sighed, "Eleven years ago, the Khan of the Northern Rong was in his prime, invincible and invincible, but he was defeated by the Buddha's disciples. This monarch is a man of great talent. If he had the intention to expand, he would have been a powerful enemy... Fortunately, he is a high-ranking monk who is dedicated to protecting the Buddhist country and has no signs of expanding outward."

"Haidu A Ling is full of tricks. I don't know if we can successfully rescue Mingyue Nu. I will first send people to inquire about the news along Gaochang. If necessary, I will personally go to the Buddhist Kingdom to reveal my identity to the Buddhist son and ask him for help. The Buddhist Kingdom and Beirong have many conflicts. If I lure him with an alliance, he may form an alliance with us."

"After arriving in Yizhou, if things change, we will each find a way out. If we can escape Beirong safely, we will meet in the Buddhist Kingdom."

Li Zhongqian had led troops in battles over the years and had his own plans in mind. Although he didn't know much about the Western Regions, he could see the current situation clearly with a little thought. His mind raced, and he weighed the pros and cons and nodded.

Li Xuanzhen had been very well behaved along the way, and he could bear not to kill Li Xuanzhen until Mingyuenu was safe.

He will take action after rescuing Mingyue Nu.

…

When Li Zhongqian and his companions crossed the 800-li desert and headed towards Yizhou, Yao Ying was heading south.

In order to avoid the Beirong prince and his entourage, they rushed for several days.

The weather was freezing cold, with ice covering thousands of miles. Everywhere you looked, there was a brilliant white mass. Snow-capped peaks stretched across the sky, with the mountaintops shrouded in clouds and mist, only occasionally revealing a corner of their rugged outlines, which were magnificent and gorgeous.

Tanmaraka's eagle followed them all the time, acting as a scout and guarding patrol for them.

Whether it is sunny or snowy, Yao Ying can often see its shadow soaring in the sky.

That day, she watched the eagle swooping down and landing on Sultan's shoulder. She remembered what had been on her mind all those days, so she called Qi Nian and asked him if there were any Hu merchants selling eagles.

Qi Nian thought for a while and shook his head: "There are many Hu merchants who sell eagles, but I have never heard of anyone selling trusty eagles. Princess, do you also want to raise an eagle? I can ask around for you."

Yaoying shook her head and gave up the idea.

It is hard to find a loyal carrier falcon that has been tamed. Tanmaraka and Haidu Aling both tamed their eagles from chicks, and carrier falcons must be familiar with the environment before they can be put to use. Even if she could buy a carrier falcon, it would be of little use for the time being.

She stared at the eagle in a trance. The eagle stood on Sultan's shoulder and glanced at her with its sharp eyes.

Yaoying chuckled and took out the dried meat.

The eagle glanced at her.

Yaoying turned her face away from it, with her palm facing upwards.

After a while, she felt a slight stinging pain in her palm, and the eagle snatched the dried meat from her hand.

The man and the eagle were playing together when the team suddenly stopped. Yuan Jue, who was walking in the front, turned around and ran back, "It's bandits!"

Everyone was shocked and hastily alerted. The guards drew their swords and formed a battle formation, protecting Li Yaoying in the center. Qi Nian and others quickly climbed onto the cart.

Sultan Gu turned around, his green eyes beneath the mask were calm, and he gestured to Yuan Jue.

Yuan Jue Ying thought so and led his men back to Yao Ying's side, signaling them to take shelter on the hill nearby.

Everyone retreated to the hill. Yao Ying looked into the distance and saw a group of people with sticks, knives and guns rushing towards them, with great momentum and flashing cold light.

This gang of bandits was quite cunning. They knew how to use the terrain to cover their tracks and disguise the sound of horse hooves. They all wore white cloaks on their shoulders. It was difficult for the Eagle to spot them in the mud and snow.

The bandits approached, shouting, and in the blink of an eye they were in front of them.

Xie Qing drew her sword and kicked the horse's belly. Just as she was about to move forward, the royal guard raised his hand to stop her, looked at Sultan Gu, and held his breath.

Yao Ying looked in the direction he was looking.

Sultan Kumbh asked everyone to step back, but he himself stepped forward and rode his horse to a higher place, calmly and with a dignified demeanor.

Yao Ying felt nervous for a moment and thought: He wouldn't want to kill all the thieves by himself, right?

Yuanjue followed Sultan Gu on horseback, holding a bull horn longbow and several iron arrows.

Sultan Gu took off the black cloak he was wearing, picked up the longbow, drew the string and put the arrow on it, bent the bow to full length, and stretched his arms.

In an instant, all the cold aura on this rugged snow trail gathered on him.

The leading bandit saw Sultan Gu and continued to move forward with a devilish grin. For an ordinary person, if he could shoot an arrow more than a hundred steps, he would be considered an expert. At such a far distance, with the snow and wind everywhere, what was the use of arrows? It was just a means of scaring people!

Sultan Gu concentrated on drawing the arrow, with the tip of the arrow pointing far away, without moving.

Seeing the bandits getting closer, he still didn't shoot.

Xie Chong, Xie Peng and others could no longer hold back. If they didn't get ready to defend, they would have no way to retreat once those people attacked!

Yao Ying shook his head at the few people, signaling them to wait a little longer.

The bandits' arrogant laughter came from the wind. At this moment, there were a few light sounds of bowstrings, and the iron arrow flew out like a rainbow through the sun, piercing through the wind and snow, and rushed straight towards the bandits.

The distance was too far, so the leading Hu man was not in a hurry. He raised his sword to block. Just as he raised the sword, he heard a whistling sound in his ears, and an iron arrow, as fast as lightning, pierced his chest!

The leader of the Hu people was stunned for a moment, his face was ferocious, his eyes almost popped out of their sockets, he cursed angrily, and stretched out his hand to stop the iron arrow, but found that although the arrow looked ordinary, it was actually very powerful. It actually penetrated his armor directly from two hundred steps away!

A few Hu people nearby saw his injuries and were horrified.

The leader gritted his teeth and said, "Keep charging!"

He spurred his horse forward.

Sultan Gu stood on the snow hill, looking down at the bandits in the distance, as if he was looking down at ants. He bent the bow again, and with a few whoosh sounds, the second, third, and fourth arrows shot out one after another, as fast as the wind.

There were several loud crashes, and the leading Hu man fell off his horse, his mouth wide open, his eyes open, and his chest full of iron arrows.

Every arrow hit him squarely, with unparalleled momentum and yet a kind of ethereal calmness, like picking up flowers and snapping their fingers.

Seeing their leader dead, the others were terrified and no longer dared to ride forward. They did not even care about their leader's body and immediately turned their horses around and fled in all directions.

Sultan Kublai stopped shooting arrows.

Xie Chong and the others were amazed and whispered, "The Regent's archery skills are really amazing."

The bandits had already fled and probably wouldn't dare to come again, so everyone went down the hill and continued on their way.

Xie Chong and his companions did not dare to take it lightly. When they heard the sound of horse hooves approaching, they quickly drew their swords and stood guard.

Yuan Jue smiled and comforted them: "Don't worry, the bandits in Gaochang these days are either displaced civilians or hired refugees by nobles. Most of them are not poor and vicious. They are just a mob. The Regent killed their leader, and the others will naturally disperse. There will be no one blocking the way all the way to Gaochang."

Xie Chong didn't believe it and remained vigilant. However, just as Yuan Jue said, the rest of the journey was safe and sound, and no bandits dared to rob on the road.

Two days later, they arrived safely in Gaochang.

The author has something to say: From now on, the update time should be fixed at 10 o'clock in the evening, otherwise it will always be late.