In March, there is still a hint of spring cold, and the air is faintly filled with the fragrance of resin. It is the breath of spring. The water of the Chi River has begun to rise. The abundant water source and warm breath make the banks of the river lively. The daisies have bloomed with white flowers, and the grassland seems to be covered with a light green coat.

On the grassland thirty miles east of Kashi City, a fleet of chariots and horses were slowly moving. This was a huge transport team composed of nearly 5,000 carriages. The chariots were filled with tents, armor, weapons, arrows, siege weapons and other military supplies. There were also hundreds of carriages carrying the food consumed by this transport team on the road. The team was vast and stretched for ten miles. Three thousand cavalry were closely guarding the left and right. Any herder who attempted to approach the carriage would be warned and expelled.

This was the first batch of military supplies transported by the Tang Dynasty to prepare for the Western Regions Battle. It came from Longyou. After nearly two months of difficult journey, the long journey was coming to an end.

More than thirty miles away from Shule, the new Shule governor Cao Hanchen had arrived from afar to check. The strategic adjustment of the Tang Dynasty's Western Regions officially kicked off in mid-January. Wang Siyu was promoted to the first major Western Regions Protectorate, and the vast territory from the west of Xingxing Gorge was controlled by him. Li Han, the Minister of War, was appointed as the chief of the Western Regions Protectorate, and was fully responsible for the affairs of the Western Regions. In early February, the mobilization of troops and materials between the Western Regions governors' offices began. Fifty thousand elite troops of the Anxi Army were transferred to Shuye. Wang Siyu also moved to Shuye. After completing the handover procedures with Cao Hanchen, he exchanged defenses with each other.

At this moment, Shule, like other governors' offices, has only 10,000 troops temporarily, but hundreds of new huge warehouses have been built here. In the near future, Shule will become Shule's logistics base, and the 80,000 government troops transferred from the mainland are constantly rushing to Shule.

At dusk, a huge transport team arrived at Kashi City and would rest here for a night. They would turn north tomorrow morning. Their destination was not Shule, but transport to Shaye through the Golden Dragon Road. These military supplies that could arm 40,000 to 50,000 people will eventually be transported to the farther north in batches, the territory of the Kiagas people north of the Yibohai. This is a tangible step taken by the Tang Dynasty to support the Kiagas people.

At this moment, two young royal families in the Khikas, Shi Muhua and Gudai were in the team, and Cui Yao, who accompanied them all the way, was also among them. On the journey of thousands of miles, he remained silent most of the time, but the wind and sand and silence along the way did not dilute his first love, but instead became stronger and stronger like wine. But the more this happened, the less he dared to see Gudai, nor did he dare to talk to her. The unforgettable heart in his heart naturally hurts even more. Two months of life that is close to each other but far away in the world has tortured us, the young man who has just tasted the taste of love, was so haggard.

Cui Yao's hiding and cold attitude along the way gradually made Gu Dai's heart understand eighty or ninety. At the beginning, Gu Dai had to pluck up the courage to talk to him, but after passing Suzhou, her heart finally became cold. She was the legitimate grandson of a prominent family, with a prime minister and a concubine in her clan, and she was just a woman from a foreign country. How could he be attracted to him? Why did she climb this high branch and be discriminated against by others? She immediately got into a carriage, far away from him, and she was cold-eyed when she met him, and she didn't say a word to him.

In this way, the love path that should have made love become like a vague one has become a path of exile for thousands of miles.

The vast convoy of horses and carriages stopped ten miles away from the city of Kashi. The coachmen jumped out of the carriage, gathered together to chat and drink water, and calculated the money for the carriage along the way, while the soldiers began to build tents and prepare to spend the night here.

Cui Yao sat alone on a stone gnawing on dry cakes. The afterglow of the setting sun shone on his thin body, looking very lonely. At this time, Shi Muhua slowly walked up and smiled and said, "Why is Mr. Cui sitting here alone?"

Shi Muhua saw the changes in his relationship between these two people, and he knew very well. Although the people of the Kiagas were very tolerant of the love between young men and women, Cui Yao was a Han and had a special status. He would not ask about the matter between them until he knew whether Cui Yao really liked his sister or met by chance.

Cui Yao stared at the sunset and said slowly: "I am watching the sunset. I wonder if Ban Chao felt an indescribable loneliness like me."

"Don't be hurt by yourself anymore." Shi Muhua smiled and pulled him up, "Where is someone looking for you?"

"Who?" Cui Yao's heart suddenly jumped up, and he couldn't help but look at Gu Dai's carriage. Shi Muhua shook his head with a funny look and said, "It's not my sister, it's Governor Cao who is looking for you."

Cui Yao seemed to step on the air and fell into the deep valley of disappointment. At this time, someone was already laughing in the distance, "Young Master Cui, are you okay?"

I saw Cao Hanchen strode forward, he patted Cui Yao on the shoulder heavily, nodded and praised: "No, I have become thinner, but I have also become strong."

"I'll take a look at Governor Cao." Cui Yao quickly took a step back and bowed deeply to Cao Hanchen.

"Mr. Cui is worthy of being a scholar, he knows etiquette! Unlike that boy Shi Yang who dared to pat my shoulder when he saw me." Cao Hanchen grinned and said, "But I like it too."

Cui Yao's heart was thunderous, and he asked quickly: "How is Shi Yang now? Where are others?"

"He is still breaking leaves, very good!" Cao Hanchen praised with a thumbs up: "This kid has excellent arrow skills. Chief Gelu was shot to death by him with an arrow. He has now been promoted to lieutenant."

Cui Yao was speechless. He was both happy for his friends and a faint jealousy in his heart. He also came to the Western Regions to develop, but he had already fallen far behind Shi Yang.

Cao Hanchen looked at him, smiled slightly and said, "Actually, you are very good too. Do you know why I came to you?"

"I don't know."

"You have passed the Jinshi exam and ranked eighth. The Ministry of Rites spread the news of your pre-list to Shule with a flying pigeon."

"Ah!" Cui Yao was stunned. He seemed to be in a dream. He actually passed the Jinshi exam. He didn't believe it was true. Cao Hanchen laughed. He patted Cui Yao on the shoulder and sighed: "Talents! All talents have come to our Western Regions."

Shi Muhua next to him also smiled and said, "Congratulations, Mr. Cui actually passed the eighth place in the exam, it's really not easy."

Cui Yao slowly came to his senses. He suddenly looked at Gu Dai's carriage eagerly, wanting to tell her the good news, but her car curtain was still tightly pulled, and Cui Yao's anxious heart slowly became cold again, "Does she still care about herself?"

At this time, Cao Hanchen's smile was restrained, and he suddenly said solemnly: "The emperor's handwriting is instructed, Cui Yao will receive the order."

Cui Yao was shocked, and he quickly knelt down, "My minister Cui Yao received the emperor's order."

Cao Hanchen glanced at Shi Muhua, took out a pigeon letter from his arms and handed it to Cui Yao, "You can see it yourself!"

Cui Yao opened the pigeon letter, and his body suddenly froze. The emperor canceled his mission to accompany Shi Muhua and his sister to the Khikas. He ordered him to wait for the Tang Dynasty envoy to serve as a subordinate in Shule and secretly send an envoy to the Khan. Cui Yao suddenly realized that this must be his grandfather's intention and was not allowed to return to China with Gu Dai. Cui Yao's hand trembled slightly. At this time, he actually felt a sense of hatred for his grandfather. Why did he have to force himself to follow the path he arranged?

"Mr. Cui, what happened?" Shi Muhua saw Cui Yao's excitement.

Cui Yao sighed, "Brother Shi, I can't accompany you to Kias, the emperor has given me a new task."

"Okay, I'm going to visit the escort army, so I won't accompany you." Cao Hanchen turned around and walked, and after walking a few steps, he turned around and asked, "I'm going to go back to Shule tonight, do you want to go back with me?"

Cui Yao shook his head, "I will go by myself tomorrow morning. Thank you Governor Cao for your care."

Cao Hanchen didn't persuade him much and went straight away. Cui Yao stared at the last trace of sunset in the West with his hands. Is his first love just like this sunset, about to be swallowed by the darkness?

Although it was spring, the coldness was still blowing in the night of Shule. A thin layer of white frost formed on the grass, and the daisies curled up quietly, struggling to resist the invasion of the cold.

Cui Yao was sitting in his tent writing today's diary. This was a habit he developed since he was six years old. He had to write something every day, ranging from a thousand words, or three to five hundred words, and could not accept it for a day.

The tent was very cold. He kept putting down his pen and sniffing the heat in his hands. Suddenly, the curtain was picked and a cold wind blew in, "It's me, you come out."

It was Gu Dai's voice, Cui Yao stood up in a "twist". He strode out of the tent, and saw Gu Dai holding a horse under the cold moonlight, with his face coldly looking at him like ice.

"Come with me!" She turned over the horse, turned back and glanced at him, "Go to my horse."

Although I felt something was wrong, Cui Yao turned over her horse, "Hold me!"

Gu Dai suddenly let go of the reins, and the horse shot out like an arrow from the string, and rushed out of the camp. Several soldiers knew them, but they did not ask. The war horses ran out of the camp and drove rapidly on the vast grassland. Xia Gas grew up on the horse's back since childhood. Although Gu Dai was a princess, her riding skills were also extremely exquisite. In addition, the magical war horses given by the Emperor of the Tang Dynasty were like flying clouds and fog. In a moment, the war horses ran for more than ten miles.

Cui Yao could only feel the wind whistling in his ears, and the dark world flashed through his eyes. He hugged Gu Dai's soft and slender waist tightly, and the war horse rushed up a grass hill, slowly slowing down.

"Go down!" Gu Dai still spoke indifferently.

Cui Yao jumped off the horse, but almost fell. Gu Dai was shocked and reached out to help him. Suddenly she took his hand back. She also turned over and dismounted, threw the reins of the horse, and let the war horse eat grass on the grass.

"I'll ask you, are you leaving tomorrow?" Gudai tried his best to restrain himself, but her voice was already a little trembling.

Cui Yao nodded silently, "Yes, Your Majesty the Emperor ordered me to go to Shule and accept a new mission."

"You liar!" Gu Dai suddenly slapped him hard and knocked Cui Yao to the ground. Her eyes suddenly turned red, she pulled out her sword and pressed against his neck. She gritted her teeth and said, "Do you know how our Kias women deal with the unfaithful man? I tell you, it was just killing him with one sword."

Cui Yao looked at her blankly, he smiled desolately, slowly closed his eyes, and two lines of tears slid from his face, "You kill me! If you lose you, I'm worse than death."

‘Dang!’ Gu Dai’s sword fell to the ground. She knelt down and suddenly hugged him and cried, “Cui Lang, I know you like me. Tell me, what happened? Don’t hold it in your heart. Seeing you lose weight day by day, my heart is like a knife cutting!”

Cui Yao was extremely painful, and he said word by word: "It's my grandfather. He is determined not to let me like you and forces me to make a great vow."

Gudai's crying gradually stopped. She wiped away her tears and stared at him and said, "I don't care how your grandfather objected. I will only ask you one thing, do you like me?"

I don’t know how long it took, Gu Dai’s love leap and he was reluctant to let him go, “Cui Lang, I finally know that you like me, do you know how happy I am?”

Cui Yao picked her up. At this moment, a courage that he had never had before filled his heart. He would never! He would never give up the beauty he loved deeply. He would work hard. It was true to his grandfather's long-cherished wish, but in the major marriage, he would never listen to his grandfather's arrangements.

"Gude, I must marry you."

Gudai lay on his shoulder happily and said to his ear: "Do you know? It's not a true oath, you don't need to count."

Cui Yao was stunned. He suddenly understood what she meant. He kissed her lips again gratefully, and murmured: "Are you willing to wait for me? When my career is achieved slightly, I will definitely come to marry you."

Gu Dai suddenly pulled him down and knelt down. She put one hand on her chest and shouted to Cangtian: "I, Gu Dai Nurman swears to Cangtian that although I am a foreign woman, I will definitely be chaste for Cui Lang. I will not marry Cui Lang in this life."

Cui Yao also took a deep breath, "I, Cui Yao, also swear to the heaven that no matter how many years pass, my love for Gu Dai will never change, and I swear to marry her."

The two looked at each other, and suddenly burst into tears of joy and hugged each other tightly.

The next morning, the brigade turned around and headed north. The clouds on the grassland in the distance showed pink brilliance. The goddess of the Chaoyang had opened the door and showed the beauty of the peacock like a spreading her tail. Cui Yao and Gu Dai were reluctant to leave and sent her off. Finally, Cui Yao stood on a hill and watched the beauty go away. The sky in the distance was filled with purple morning glow, and the purple light shone on Cui Yao's face.

An endless fighting spirit burned in his chest. He suddenly turned his horse's head and let out a long roar to the distant western sky, "I'm here!"

He let go of the reins of the horse, and the war horse ran out like an arrow, running towards the vast grassland. Gradually, his figure disappeared into the boundless grassland. This day was March 15, the fifth year of the Dazhi period. The pace of the western expansion of the Tang Dynasty began to accelerate, and countless young people who were willing to make achievements for the country began to integrate into this historical trend that would change their lives.

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The full name of the Black-clothed Meat is the Abbas Caliph Empire. In 750 AD, the Arab nobleman Abu Abbas led the Khorasan uprising army to capture Damascus, overthrew the White-clothed Meat, which is the Wumaye Dynasty, and established itself as the Caliph. This year was the ninth year of Tianbao in the Tang Dynasty. Gao Xianzhi, the Protector of the Anxi Protectorate of the Tang Dynasty, took advantage of the opportunity of the great changes in the West to send troops to the nine countries of Zhaowu, and thus the battle between the two countries for Central Asia broke out.

Four years later, Abu Abbas died of illness. His brother Abu Jafar inherited the position of Caliph and moved the capital to the new city of Baghdad, officially laying the foundation for the Abbasid Dynasty. The Abbasid Dynasty also began to rise from his hands to its prosperous period.

The current Dashi Caliph is called Harun.

Rashid was the fifth caliph of the black food industry. He had been in power for three years and gradually gained the support of various major families and forces of the Abbasid Dynasty, and his rule began to stabilize.

Although the struggle for the throne of the Caliphate was extremely cruel and fierce, Abbas's national policy had never changed. No matter which caliph ascended the throne, he would continue to follow the path of his ancestors, that is, expansion. This is the common feature of the country of one political and religious affairs. They wanted to spread Islam in every corner of the world.

First, on the southern coast of the Mediterranean, they wanted to destroy the remnants of the Wumaiye Dynasty, and secondly on the northern coast of the Mediterranean, they wanted to remove the enemy of the Byzantine Empire from the world, and then conquer the Frankish Kingdom westward.

In the east, after the Battle of Talas, the Tang Dynasty completely withdrew from the vast land west of the Palaciori, and the Amu River Basin and the Zhenzhu River Basin were completely ruled by the Arabs. The tentacles of the Black-clothed Food Dynasty continued to extend southward, even to the Xindu River area.

Harlan.

Rashid was about thirty years old. He was an enterprising monarch. His progress was not only reflected in his external expansion. Based on the ruling experience of the Persian Sassanid Dynasty, he improved the administrative system, strengthened centralization, expanded the power of judges and improved the judicial system; set up post stations, established central intelligence agencies to strengthen control and supervision over local areas, implemented a new tax system, and developed agriculture, handicrafts, commerce and foreign trade. In just three years, the national treasury of Dashi was full, the economy was prosperous, and it began to enter its heyday.

Just after the interior was settled, Rashid's eyes turned to the east again, towards the sword of the Tang Dynasty that he had been patient with for three years - Broken Leaf.

The magnificent Baghdad Palace is filled with jewelry and wealth from various conquered countries, and the figures of tens of thousands of beauties wandering in every corner of the palace. Rashid, the owner of the palace, did not have the heart to enjoy wealth and women. He was meeting an old friend from the East.

"The most noble and greatest Caliph in the world, I will almost never see you again after a lifetime." Kneeling at his feet was a trembling man in black robe, and he seemed extremely excited.

He was Surman who escaped from the crack of the rock. After he turned off the cliff, he did not fall off the cliff, but jumped into a crack of the rock. He looked at it in advance, which was covered with dead vines accumulated over thousands of years. Although he was seriously injured, he saved his life. However, his left arm was also necrotic and became a one-armed man. He was injured for a month in Abulai City before setting off for Baghdad.

"Okay, my old friend, tell me your experiences in the East. I haven't seen you for three years."

Rashid's voice was soft, with a convincing affinity. His skin was fair, beautiful, and strong, and his body contained huge energy that had not yet been released. His body was straight and his kind attitude made a strange light flash slightly on his face.

He was half lying on a gold-backed chair with gems inlaid. Two charming Arab girls behind him were gently pounding their shoulders. Rashid waved his hand and smiled, "Come on to bring a chair for my old friend, he is my distinguished guest."

The two guards brought a chair and placed it opposite Rashid. Surman slowly sat down and sighed, "His Majesty the Caliph, the Tang Dynasty has begun to act. They are going to take away your city and massacre your subjects. Do you still have the intention to rest assured here?"

"You are talking about the establishment of the Western Regions Protectorate! I have heard of this, but this is not a matter of action. It only means their importance to the Western Regions. This is normal. After all, the silver mine of the Broken Leaf has become his blood. If it were me, I would do this."

Rashid's tone was a little careless, and he smiled slightly and said, "I care about the Uighurs and the Geluo people. I hope that the two families can join forces to deal with the Tang Dynasty. How about it, what kind of good news can you bring me?"

Rashid was clear about the actions of the Tang Dynasty in the Western Regions. Countless merchants brought him all kinds of latest information. He did not rest assured. On the contrary, he spent a long time in front of the huge map every day, speculating on the next move of the Tang army. He was very concerned about the Tang Dynasty's every move, but he didn't want to talk about this with Surman. What he wanted from Surman was only news about the Uighurs and the Gelulu people.

Surman touched a soft nail. He felt a little unhappy, but he did not dare to show it on his face. He quickly smiled humbly and said, "The Caliph is worthy of being far-sighted. As long as he firmly controls the Uighurs and Gelu people, the Tang Dynasty will not dare to act rashly. I came to Baghdad this time for them."

Rashid was aroused by interest, and he sat up all of a sudden, staring into Surman's eyes and said, "Tell me, what's the matter?"

"The Uighurs suffered severe disasters in the country and had a serious food crisis. The pro-Tang sect had persuaded them to send people to the Tang Dynasty for help and prepared to marry the Tang Dynasty. Under the strong opposition of the Sogdians and Manichi, the Uighur Khan finally agreed to ask for help from the Daqi at the same time, and sent me to ask His Majesty the Caliph to support 500,000 sheep to solve their urgent needs."

‘Supporting 500,000 sheep.’ Rashid sneered. He walked a few steps in the palace with his hands behind his back, and suddenly turned around and asked, “What conditions are he going to give me?”

"He promised to marry His Majesty's sister Princess Anlis as Kedun"

Before Surman could finish his words, Rashid interrupted him, "Then what did you mean by saying that he was going to marry Datang? Who would he make for Ke Dun?"

"Your Majesty, he intends to make Shuangketon."

Rashid raised his head and laughed, "Okay! What a two-faced guy. I still expect him to pinch the Tang Dynasty for me. It seems that if he wants to take out a little soldier, he doesn't know what price he will pay?"

Rashid's laughter suddenly subsided, and he looked at Surman and said coldly: "If you can fulfill my wish, I will entrust Bukhara to you as an Ikta and allow you to be the master of Bukhara for generations."

Surman was ecstatic, and he turned over and knelt at Rashid's feet, kissing his feet with great admiration, "My master, I want to be your most loyal slave, believe me! Not only the Uighurs, but also the Gloru people will become your guardian dog."

Surman left, Rashid paced back and forth in the palace with his hands behind his back. The news he had just received was that the Tang Dynasty had already used Sailing Ye as their ruling center in the Western Regions and transferred a large number of troops to Sailing Ye. In this way, the Tang people broke the tacit understanding between them, which meant that this war would be inevitable.
Chapter completed!