Chapter 417: Broken Leaf Cut Silver (Part 1)

In the golden September, under the vast sky, the autumn air is clear and the pure blue covers the sky. It is the harvest season of the year. On the big plain south of the Qing pond in Suiyezhou, the Yezhi River winds north like a jade belt, pouring a blue wave into the Qing pond. On the east of the Yezhi River, cattle and sheep grazing quietly in the undulating grass, and groups of war horses rushing past from afar. Several young herders shouted loudly, and laughter echoed on the grassland for a long time. Suiyezhou belongs to the official territory of the Tang Dynasty. According to the Tang calendar, this year was the fourth year of Dazhi, and the Emperor Li Huan of the Tang Dynasty had ascended the throne for three years.

About two miles from Yezhi River, there is a newly built official road that extends flat and straight to the south, reaching the Tuoyun Mountain Pass. This was built by the Anxi Protector Wang Siyu used 20,000 prisoners of war and 30,000 soldiers collected from various countries in Anxi, and used hundreds of thousands of civilians from various countries. It took a total of two and a half years to complete. The road was about five meters wide, all of which were rammed with soil, the roadbed was tight, and no grass grew. A beacon tower was built every twenty miles, and a soldier was sent to guard it.

Poplar trees are planted on both sides of the official road, with yellow leaves in golden autumn. From the sky, this road is like a long golden dragon stretching towards the distant horizon. The soldiers of the Tang Dynasty named it by their Emperor's down, calling this official road the Golden Dragon Avenue.

At noon, a long camel caravan walked by on Jinlong Avenue, loaded with goods transported from the West, heading towards the Tang Dynasty in the east. More than a dozen grazing boys were holding bags filled with clear water in their hands, waved goodbye to the merchants, and waited for the arrival of the next group of merchants.

At this time, a thunderous sound of horse hooves suddenly came from the far south. The young men hurriedly picked up their bags and ran deep into the grassland. The team was approaching. This was a team of more than a thousand Tang cavalrymen. The red tassels on their helmets were flying in the sun. Their armor was bright, and their long spears hung on their saddles. They all looked heroic. Under their crotch were all Dayuan horses. According to the standard configuration of one person and two horses, they were the tenth chapter of the silver army. After returning from Chang'an, thousands of miles away, Shule returned to Shattered Leaf for five days.

Seeing Yezhihe from afar, the cavalry slowed down and changed their horses and slowly recovered their strength. A dozen grazing boys saw that it was the Tang army, and they ran forward with their skins filled with clear water. The soldiers took the bags and drank water in big mouthfuls. Several soldiers took out a handful of copper coins from their waists and threw them at them, shouting loudly: "Get water again, and there is a reward." The boys happily put away the copper coins, and rode their horses to the river in the distance.

The captain of this cavalry is in the middle of the team. His name is Han Yue, and he is less than 30 years old. He is from Fuping County, Jingzhao. He joined the army in Longyou at the age of 20. He participated in the battles of regaining Hehuang and regaining Anxi. He has experienced many battles and has been promoted to the commander. Next to him is a civilian officer. He is the military officer Cao, a servant of the governor of the Leaf, who is over thirty years old. He is from Fenzhou, Hedong. His surname is Guo Mu, who came to Anxi to join the army three years ago. He first made a department in his first department three years ago.

After failing the exam, Guo Mu went to the Western Regions to join the army. Because he was originally a Jinshi, he was particularly valued in Anxi, where there was a lack of talent, so he quickly appointed him as the chief clerk of the Kucha Army. Last year, he was promoted to the military of the governor's office, and was promoted to the military of the governor's office. The military of the governor's office was the military of the governor's office, which was the military of the governor's office, which was the military of the governor's office, which was in charge of the civil affairs of the Qianmi household registration of Saiye. Four months ago, it was his turn to escort a million kilograms of coarse silver to Chang'an to protect the silver.

After returning from Chang'an, he felt a little more anticipation and sweetness in his heart. When the commander General Han Yue saw Guo Mu looking at the direction of Saiye from time to time, he jokingly said, "Guo joins the army, we want to drink your wedding bar when we go back to Saiye this time!"

Guo Mu's face turned slightly red, knowing that his longing had been seen through by others. His fiancée was a fellow villager with him. The small family was a jasper. The scattered leaves were gradually introduced to the Central Plains to immigrate from three years ago with the generous conditions of giving each household two hectares of land and three horses of animal power. In three years, there have been 20,000 households, distributed in the small towns around the Qing pond. Guo Mu's fiancée's family is a small businessman who moved from Fenzhou. His fiancée's surname is Bai. His fiancée is only seventeen years old this year. She is gentle and beautiful and can also recognize some words. He was caught by Guo Mu at first glance. The central matchmaker went to talk about the matchmaker. The woman's family was naturally willing to get married. She was originally scheduled to get married on the Mid-Autumn Festival, but Guo Mu bet the bank to Chang'an again, and the marriage was delayed. Now it was about to be about to reach the scattered leaves. He thought of Bai Fang's moving figure and was already impatient.

Guo Mu's thoughts were seen through, and he couldn't hold back his face, so he reached out and knocked on Han Yue's helmet, and laughed and scolded: "You kid think about what others are doing all day long? Are you itchy?"

Han Yue covered the back of his head with an exaggerated look and shouted, "Ouch! What a big deal, have you been holding it in for a long time?"

After shouting, he urged the horse to escape forty or fifty steps away, laughing loudly, and the dozen soldiers next to him laughed. Suddenly, a soldier pointed to the distance and shouted: "Gelu people!"

Guo Mu and Han Yue were both surprised, their smiles were restrained, and they looked northeast together. They saw more than a dozen horse riders appearing on a grass hill two miles away, looking at the Tang army from afar. They were all wearing black robes, which were typical symbols of the Geluo people. This was influenced by the great food and food in black. The entire Western Regions was only one tribe wearing black clothes.

"It's not a cavalry, it's just a dozen herders." Han Yue frowned slightly. Since last year, the Gloru people have crossed the border and grazed more and more, and now they have entered the Golden Dragon Avenue.

"I'm afraid the severe cold in the north will intensify again this year, and the survival of the Gloru people will become worse."

The climate has become colder in the past two years, and the Daqingchi Basin is a little better, and the life of the Geluo people in the north has become sad. Guo Mu sighed softly and said, "These herdsmen are really pitiful."

"What's the pity? They are now herders, they are soldiers, and they can only steal other people's things." Han Yue had no mercy. He immediately turned around and said, "The first battalion will be dispatched to drive them all away. If they refuse to leave, they will kill them all."

Three hundred cavalrymen ran out of the team. They set their bows and arrows and rushed towards the Gelulu people. More than a dozen Gelu people were so scared that they fled when they saw the Tang army chasing them. The Tang army chased them for dozens of miles. Seeing that the Gelulu people had fled far away, they returned to the team. The army accelerated and continued to sail towards the direction of Shuye.

Guo Mu and his party walked for two more days. On the morning of that day, Saiye City finally appeared on the distant horizon. The Saiye City is no longer the border of the Western Regions, which was dominated by the Hu people. After three years of great development, with the migration of 20,000 Central Plains immigrants, the population of Saiye City has reached 200,000, making it the third largest city in the Zhaowu area, second only to the capital of the Kang Kingdom, Samojian City (Samarkand) and the Shiguo Capital Tuozhe City. In particular, the construction of Jinlong Avenue greatly shortened the journey to Anxi of the Tang Dynasty. Moreover, there are Tang army patrols and posts on the road from time to time, which is very safe. It is this Golden Dragon Avenue that has moved the Silk Road northward, and Saiye City has also become a trading city with thousands of merchants in one fell swoop.

There are currently 10,000 troops in the Saiye City, second only to Shule among the five major governors' offices in Anxi. Saiye is also Cao Hanchen. He has received the news that the escort army has returned and came to the city gate to greet Guo Mu and his party. Since the first batch of Saiye silver was sent to Chang'an three years ago, Saiye has sent away ten times of thick silver, with a total of eight million kilograms. The silver of Saiye is usually sent to Shule, and then from Shule to Dunhuang, and finally from Dunhuang to Chang'an. It is divided into three sections every year. However, once a year, the silver guard is sent directly from Saiye to Chang'an to report the development of Saiye to the court. This year, Guo Mu goes to Chang'an.

Cao Hanchen stood at the top of the city and looked into the distance. At his feet, a Persian caravan composed of five hundred camels was lined up and slowly entering the city. On both sides of the road outside the city were tea sheds run by more than a dozen Han people. Several smiling shopkeepers were enthusiastically greeting guests in clumsy Persian language. Although the language was not clear, the red wine in their hands was the best sign. From time to time, Persian merchants climbed down the camels and went into the tea shed to buy wine. Not far away, hundreds of Turkic tents were arranged along the Suiye River. The river was filled with women who were washing clothes. The women suddenly dropped their clothes and ran to the distance. In the distance, hundreds of carriages returning from grass were slowly driving towards the hills.

Chinese, Persian, and Turkic were intertwined in Cao Hanchen's ears. He looked at the busy scene of this faction and felt very moved. In a few months, his four-year term would be over. There was news that he would go to Shule to serve as the deputy envoy of Anxi Jiedu, and he would leave this land he loved deeply. Cao Hanchen's heart was full of nostalgia.

"General, here we come!" A soldier shouted from a distance. Although Cao Hanchen was appointed as the governor of Saiye, there was an unwritten rule in the Tang army that all the governors were not called "governors", but called generals or military envoys. There is no need to say much about the reason in the middle.

Cao Hanchen's thug curtain looked at the dazzling sunshine, and saw a team of Tang soldiers coming from afar, "It's them!" Cao Hanchen hurriedly ordered people to run down the city wall to stop Guo Mu who had returned from Chang'an. Don't blame him for being anxious, because Guo Mu would have his official transfer order, which was issued by His Majesty the Emperor. It was said before that he would serve as the deputy envoy of Anxi Jiedu. After all, it was just a rumor.

After four months of long journey, Guo Mu finally returned to the Sailye City, which he had been thinking about day and night. He wanted to fly to his future father-in-law's house. However, he had to wait for a while. Guo Mu saw Cao Hanchen standing on the top of the city from afar.

"Drop off the horse!" The commander general Han Yue shouted loudly, and a thousand cavalry dismounted one after another and walked towards a white marble monument located on the east side of the city gate. The monument was three meters tall and looked like a Tang Dynasty sword pointing straight towards the sky. It was engraved with the inscription written by Emperor Li Huan of the Tang Dynasty: Heroes of the Tang Dynasty.

Behind the monument is more than a thousand small tombstones, covering dozens of acres of land and surrounded by wooden fences. Special soldiers are guarded by special soldiers. More than a thousand Tang soldiers who died in order to recover the broken leaves are buried here. One of the small tombstones is engraved with the tomb of General Tang Zhonglie Guan Ying.

A thousand cavalrymen lined up in front of the monument and stood in front of the monument with helmets. This was the rule set by His Majesty the Emperor of the Tang Dynasty in the first year of Dazhi. Any Tang soldier who came to Shatter Leaves must observe silently in front of the monument. There is another tombstone guarding Zhangsancheng, Anxi. This is to commemorate the heroes who sacrificed their lives to safeguard the dignity of the Tang Dynasty. There is also a Tang Dynasty Martyrs' Temple by the Qujiang Pool in Chang'an, which echoes the monument in the Western Regions.

After a stick of incense, the soldiers put on their helmets, turned over their horses, and galloped towards the Suoye City Gate. Han Yue went up to the city to hand over the orders to Cao Hanchen, while Guo Mu was kept by one of Cao Hanchen's subordinates.

After a while, after Han and Yue handed over the order, they led their troops back to the barracks. Cao Hanchen walked down the city tower quickly and laughed at Guo Mu from a distance: "Thank you for the hard work of joining the army."

Guo Mu hurriedly stepped forward to salute, "The general came to greet him in person, and his subordinates are really ashamed."

Why did the boss come to greet him so anxiously? Of course Guo Mu knew it very well. He quickly took out a document and handed it to Cao Hanchen, "General, this is the order that Your Majesty gave you."

Cao Hanchen seemed to be burned by fire, hurriedly sorted out his official uniform and respectfully took the official document. He saw his official name written on it: General Yunhui, Governor of Yezhou, and Governor of Ye soldiers and horses Cao Hanchen.

The emperor's jade seal was covered in sequence, with the seal of the Secretariat and the Ministry of War. The seal was sealed with fire lacquer. Cao Hanchen nervously picked up the seal and took out a document from it. He saw only a line of words written on it: "I have been appointed as the governor of Saiye for two years and have been granted the title of Marquis of Gaochang." There are still three large seals below.

Cao Hanchen was ecstatic. He could stay in Sailye for two years and was also named a marquis, but then he was full of doubts in his heart. Why? Why did the emperor ask him to renew his post for two years? He couldn't help but look at Guo Mu in confusion. Guo Mu smiled bitterly and said, "I heard from my friend who served in the Ministry of Personnel talk about another thing. Marshal Wang was originally going to be transferred back to Chang'an to serve as the general of the Zuo Jinwu Guard, but he had also renewed his post for two years. It should be the same reason as the general. What is the specific reason? My friend's official position is small, and he doesn't know. He probably will be reported by his subordinates soon."

Since Wang Siyu was also renewed for two years, Cao Hanchen felt relieved. He put away the appointment letter, patted Guo Mu on the shoulder and smiled: "When you are not here, your prospective father-in-law came to inquire about the time of your return. It is probably because your fiancée is anxious. Go back quickly!"

Guo Mu's face turned red and wanted to say a few words of scenes, but he couldn't say anything. He had to bow his hands and say goodbye, and then ran away after walking a few steps, running straight toward the destination of his soul.

Seeing that his running posture was really ugly, Cao Hanchen couldn't help but smile and shook his head, turned to his subordinates and said, "Please pay attention to the information about the pigeon station these two days. If there is any news from Chang'an, I will inform me immediately."

In order to strengthen the connection between Anxi and Chang'an, the imperial court specially built twenty special pigeon posts in various prefectures along the way to convey messages relays. There were two pigeon posts on the area where the shoye were, one was shoye and the other was in the Tuoyun Castle. If there was any major news from the imperial court, it would be spread to shoye within almost ten days.

Let’s talk about Guo Mu running and sprinting regardless of his image. After a moment, he ran into Chongrenfang. There were thirteen Han people gathering areas in Suiye City, called Thirteen Fangs. It was named after the name of Chang'an. The architectural style in the area was no different from that of the Central Plains. When walking on the street, what he heard in his ears and Chinese characters in his eyes, it was as if he was walking on the street in the Central Plains.
Chapter completed!