Beneath the walls of Yanqi, a Uyghur envoy rode a pure white Akhal-Teke horse, his head held high, his eyes greedily fixed on the ancient city of Yanqi, which had a history of hundreds of years.
This man was none other than Azhar, a rising star and the foremost military commander of the Uyghur Khanate.
Three years ago, Azhar, disguised as the young owner of a caravan, lived in Yanqi City for a long time and had a special affection for this ancient city on the Silk Road.
Azhar volunteered to act as the Uyghur envoy, partly to take the opportunity to enter the city and reminisce about the past, and partly to investigate the city's defenses by the Anxi border troops.
Scouts dispatched by the Uyghur Khanate have discovered that Prince Chen Huai'an of Jin, leading the vanguard of the Longcheng Western Expeditionary Army, has arrived in Gaochang.
In a few dozen days, the army will be at the gates of Yanqi.
In response, the Uyghur Khan, Guli Peiluo, wanted to seize Yanqi City before Chen Huai'an's army arrived.
Therefore, he decided to personally appoint Anzhar, the chief military officer, as an envoy to go to Yanqi City to persuade them.
If they could not persuade the Anxi border troops to submit to the Uyghurs, they decided to launch a full-scale attack.
With 300,000 troops gathered to besiege the Four Garrisons of Anxi, it is impossible for Guli Peiluo to return empty-handed.
Soon, Tan Li, the garrison commander, donned his armor and carried his sword as he ascended the city wall. Together with a group of Anxi border army generals guarding the city, he looked down at Azhar, who had disguised himself as a Uyghur envoy.
Tan Li shouted sternly, "Who is knocking on the gate below the city?"
Azhar, on horseback, bowed slightly and said, "I am Alba, an envoy personally appointed by the Khan of the Uyghur Khanate, Huai Ren. May I ask who you are, General?"
"Tan Li, the military commander of Anxi and garrison commander of Yanqi City!"
Tan Li said in a booming voice, "I wonder what business your Khan Huai Ren has sent to discuss with me?"
Azhar laughed and said, "General Tan, there is no need to be nervous or worried. Our Khan Huai Ren is an old acquaintance of the general and has no ill intentions toward General Tan or the Anxi border army brothers in Yanqi City!"
snort!
On the city wall, Tan Li snorted coldly and replied with a look of disdain, "What a fine line, 'no malice intended'?"
"If Gulipeiro had no ill intentions toward my Anxi border army, why did he lead an army of 100,000 to besiege the city and even massacre my soldiers who came out of the city?"
Cough cough!
Below the city, Azhar coughed twice, but still shamelessly said, "General Tan, you must know perfectly well why our Khan Huai Ren has raised an army this time."
"That treacherous minister Chen Huai'an is truly hateful. First, he forced Emperor Jian'an to his death, and then he openly broke the marriage agreement between my Khan and your princess!"
"General Tan is also a great hero. If your fiancée were to be stolen away by someone as disloyal, unfilial, and unjust as Chen Huai'an, what would you do?"
Azhar, with his silver tongue and twisted facts, continued, "My Khan rose up in the capital in accordance with the will of Heaven and the people, simply because Khan Huai Ren did not wish to see the peaceful, stable, and prosperous Silk Road in the Western Regions be ravaged by war;"
"The Tubo Rebellion has proven that only a unified and powerful country can guarantee the safety of the people of all countries along the Silk Road."
"Therefore, Khan Huai Ren had no choice but to raise an army. This move was not to fight against General Tan and the Anxi border troops of the Four Garrisons of Anxi, but to help you all to jointly resist the powerful enemy of Tubo."
After a pause, Azhar continued, "General Tan must also know very well why my Uyghur army besieged the city for two months but did not launch an attack on Yanqi City?"
"This action is not because my Uyghur army is bad at attacking cities, but because Khan Huai Ren cares about the soldiers and civilians in the city. Moreover, Khan Huai Ren's original intention was not to slaughter the soldiers and civilians of Yanqi, but only to work with you all to build a better Silk Road in the Western Regions."
"Enough!"
On the city wall, Tan Li suddenly spoke up, interrupting Hazard's impassioned speech.
Then, with a cold laugh, he said, "Alba, even if you are eloquent and persuasive, it cannot change the fact that your Uyghur army is pressing in, intending to seize Yanqi City from the Anxi border army!"
"If your purpose in calling at the city gates is merely to have me listen to your fabricated and distorted stories, then I cannot oblige!"
"If you Uyghurs want to attack the city, feel free to come at me!"
Clang!
As he spoke, Tan Li drew his sword sharply, the blade pointing directly at Alba below the city walls, and roared with an air of dominance:
"I'd like to see whether the crescent-shaped scimitars of your Uyghurs are sharper, or the ring-pommel daggers in the hands of my Anxi border troops are sharper!"
After saying that, Tan Li turned around gracefully and left without looking back.
"General Tan, wait a moment—"
Below the city walls, a fierce killing intent flashed in Azar's blue eyes, but he quickly regained his composure and said, "General Tan, don't you Han people have an old saying: 'Isn't it a pleasure to have friends coming from afar?'"
"I have come here on the orders of Khan Huai Ren to deliver gifts to the general and the officers in the city on your Han people's Laba Festival."
"Shouldn't General Tan invite me into the city to share a few drinks and celebrate the Laba Festival together?"
After saying that, Hazard waved his hand, and the group of followers behind him who were driving the carriage immediately understood and lifted the linen covering the carriage.
brush!
Immediately afterwards, three carriages loaded with fresh vegetables and fruits appeared before the Anxi generals on the city wall.
Seeing this, many Anxi border soldiers who were on duty on the city wall and had not tasted vegetables and fruits for a long time could not help but swallow their saliva.
Even the adjutant Tan Li was attracted by the fresh fruits and vegetables on the three carriages.
It's not because I'm envious.
He was thinking how wonderful it would be if all 20,000 soldiers of his Anxi Border Army could have a bowl of hot vegetable soup on the Laba Festival.
Below the city, Hazard, who was good at reading people, immediately noticed their longing for fresh fruits and vegetables from the eyes and expressions of the people on the city wall.
He quickly pressed his advantage, saying, "Doesn't the general want his soldiers to have a bowl of hot vegetable soup on Laba Festival?"
"These three large carts of fruits and vegetables weigh at least a thousand catties. Although they may not be enough for the soldiers of the Anxi Border Army in the city to have a full meal, they are enough to satisfy everyone's cravings."
"Not eating fruits and vegetables for years on end can easily lead to scurvy!"
Azhar continued, "General Tan, please rest assured, these fruits and vegetables are absolutely not poisoned. We Uyghurs would never use such despicable means as poisoning to deal with our enemies."
"not to mention--"
At this point, Azhar changed the subject and said with a smile, "General Tan and the Anxi border troops in Yanqi City are not our enemies, but our friends!"
"As for ambushes, there's even less to worry about. I guarantee there won't be a single Uyghur soldier within a two-mile radius!"
"General Tan, with his keen eyes, must have seen through everything long ago!"
"Open the city gates—"
"Welcome!"
On the walls of Yanqi, Tan Li let out a fierce shout that shook the heavens and the earth.
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