In the blink of an eye, it was already the fifth month of summer in the fifteenth year of the Yanxing of the Han Dynasty (AD 207), and two years had passed since the thrilling battle at the foot of Baishan Mountain. This is the hottest time of the year, but for the terroir of the desert Saibei, it is a different story.
The hot wind from the Bohai Sea was blocked by the Yinshan Mountains of Yanshan, causing sudden rain in Hebei. However, the sky wind on the Saibei Plateau was still desolate and dry. It came from the extreme north, blowing from the icebergs to the sand sea, carrying a The strange roughness of the gravel in their mouths, this strange feeling, made it even more refreshing for a group of people who were able to climb over the Yinshan Mountains and continue their journey north.
When they set out from Jinyang, they were still wearing single clothes and even silk clothes, and they were carrying wine and plum juice to relieve the heat on their horses. Even so, a gray and hot damp mist shrouded the mountains and rivers, making everyone sweat profusely every day, and soon they Finished the drinks I brought. Then they searched for cold water along the way and drank from the horses repeatedly. Both humans and animals were listless.
Unexpectedly, after crossing the Yinshan Mountains, at dusk, a cold mud rain suddenly fell head-on. The soldiers hurriedly took out the raincoats from their luggage and put them on, looking at the surrounding fields, they saw that the originally green cliffs were slowly covered with muddy yellow. In the river valley, everything was silent, and only the sound of rustling muddy water hitting the ground could be heard. This group of lonely people and horses walked helplessly in the endless muddy world, trembling and shaking. Wait for this rain to stop.
When the rain stopped at night, before everyone had time to rejoice, they discovered that the wind on the plug seemed to be unstoppable. After a while, the water vapor dried up, and there was still the heat of the south of Yinshan Mountain. When the sun rose on the second day, the dim sunlight shone down, but people felt that the warmth was weak. Fortunately, everyone put on fur coats and animal skin hats, which were enough to withstand the blue wind. Passing through hundreds of miles of yellow sand, we were able to see the vast expanse of grassland in Mobei.
The guide led them on horseback to the north, whereupon the people galloped in the open fields, and billows of dust and smoke rose on the ground. At this time, clear cries came from the sky, and looking up, several goshawks were seen circling in the clear sky, seemingly The floating yellow dust was used as a target for fighting. This caused the people on the ground to laugh, shouting to the sky, and singing in harmony with the goshawks.
After running through dozens of green hills, people finally saw a majestic mountain still covered with white snow. That was their destination - Langjuxu Mountain. As soon as we saw the foot of the mountain, a group of people came to greet them from a distance. As they walked, they asked, "Are they the General and Prime Minister Chen?"
Liu Bei, the leader, recognized that it was Tuoba Liwei's cousin Tuoba Fei, and immediately waved his hand and replied: "Ha, they are all here, where are Yuanlong and Liwei?"
Tuoba Feilima smiled and said: "Of course I'm waiting for you two!"
Chen Chong, who was beside Liu Bei, took off his leather hat and asked, "Are the rest of the people here? There is no surprise, right?"
"If we don't all arrive, how can we dare to send a message to you? They are all waiting in the big tent!"
The group of people then dismounted and walked slowly towards the valley.
Since the Second Battle of Pingcheng, although the Western Dynasty had won a complete victory, it had suffered heavy losses and had to spend a year recuperating. It had no plans to launch another offensive against the Eastern Dynasty in a short period of time. However, Chen Chong persisted in pursuing Kebineng, whose vitality was not harmed, and pursued him fiercely to eliminate the fundamental idea. Therefore, in the 13th year of Yanxing's reign, the Yunbei Changshifu was established to help Tuoba Liwei restore the country. On the one hand, he appeased and recruited the Xianbei tribes in Monan, and on the other hand, he inquired about Kebineng's information.
In the 14th year of Yanxing, Chen Deng found out that Kebineng was temporarily stationed in Jiluo Mountain in Mobei, and tried to recruit Gaoche, Duan, Murong and other tribesmen to make a comeback. He made a prompt decision and only sent a letter to the Ba Mansion. Then he and Tuoba Liwei led six thousand elite cavalry across the desert secretly, and drove straight into the Junji Mountains to take Ke Bineng's royal court.
It was the first month of spring, the weather was bitter and cold, the horses were hungry and thin, many of Kebineng's troops were scattered, and there were still many wounded soldiers who had not yet recovered. These matters made Kebineng very upset and he did not go outside the king's court. Spread out scouts. This caused him to be completely unprepared for the coming danger, and he didn't notice it until Heng's army was twenty miles away from the camp. At this time, he could not reorganize his army and fight again, so he had to abandon his tent and flee west again. Tuoba Liwei pursued him day and night, following him for more than sixty miles. Although he was lucky enough to let Ke Bineng escape again, at this time, Ke Bineng was surrounded by people. Of the more than 30,000 people who had followed him before, there were now less than 4,000 left.
Tuoba Liwei's reputation shocked Mobei, while Chen Deng took advantage of the situation and sent out messages to various tribes in Xianbei, asking for Kebineng's head for thousands of gold. For a while, Kebineng's reputation was shrill, and he didn't know where he was, so he could only spend his days hunting in the Yanran area. , no longer have the style that dominated the grassland in the past.
In the middle of this year, Kebineng's son-in-law Yu Zhugan couldn't bear the bitter cold, so he assassinated Kebineng and his brother Juluohou, and took their heads to the Changshi Mansion to receive the reward. After hearing about this, the court couldn't help but sigh. The number one hero of Xianbei since Tan Shihuai died quietly in the hands of his own people. I wonder if he regretted his hesitation on the battlefield of Pingcheng before his death?
But Kebineng died soon, and the position of overlord on the grassland became vacant. In order to prevent the power vacuum from falling into the hands of others. Therefore, Fa Zheng suggested to Liu Bei that he might as well go to the grassland to meet with the leaders of various tribes to reaffirm the authority of the imperial court. Liu Bei then set the location of the alliance at the foot of Langjuxu Mountain. Firstly, it was to commemorate Huo Qubing's great victory over the Xiongnu hundreds of years ago. Secondly, it was also to comfort the ancestors that future generations would not be inferior to their predecessors.
However, unexpectedly, after Liu Bei decided to travel, Chen Chong rarely put down his affairs and planned to hand them over to Zhong Yao and Kong Ming before heading north with Liu Bei. This caused a lot of discussion among the government and the public. After all, Chen Chong has always been known for his diligence. He often personally took over the six hundred stones reported in each county. Even before Lu Bu's rebellion, he stayed away from Chang'an for six years. Therefore, The people in Guanzhong joked that he was the "Prime Minister of Anju". This time he wanted to travel together, which was really hard for everyone to understand.
On this day of the meeting, there were as many as thirty-seven tribes from the Mobei tribe who came to join the alliance at the foot of the mountain. Their residences ranged from the Daxianbei Mountains in the east to the Qilian Mountains in the west, and even to the nomadic Ding Ling in the North Sea. There are also tribes of people who come to pay homage.
Liu Bei had lived in Jinyang for a long time and had many interactions with the Xianbei people, so he knew some Xianbei dialect. At this time, he could talk freely with the leaders of various tribes, which flattered them. After the exchange, everyone saw Liu Bei's majestic appearance and heroic demeanor. He could remember everyone's names and preferences after just talking to them a little. By the time of the banquet that night, they had become familiar with him like old friends, and they gradually developed some admiration for him. Come.
Early the next morning, Liu Bei set up an altar to worship heaven on the hillside of Langjuxu Mountain, and ordered the accompanying musicians to play "Crane Song". Then he and others slaughtered a green bull and drank its blood as an alliance. Then, with Liu Bao on the left, Tuoba Liwei on the right, and the leaders of the other tribes behind, they all swore an oath to the sky, saying:
"No one is king unless he is ordered by the court, no one is guilty unless he abuses the Han people, and no one raises an army unless he is harmed first."
"Those who violate this oath will be attacked by all departments."
After the oath was over, Liu Bei gave everyone silk treasures. Among them are five hundred swords, made of iron from Xiangshan Mountain. The swords are all inscribed with the word "Zhang Wu" and are very popular among the leaders. When the banquet was held again at noon, all the leaders present agreed to send protons to the court. The purpose of this trip could be said to be successfully completed. However, before and after the covenant, Chen Chong only watched from the sidelines and did not participate in it. As a result, everyone in the gathering saw that he was simply dressed and thought he was an ordinary staff member of the Ba Mansion. However, after Liu Bei introduced him, they found out that he was a Chinese official. The beauty of the world.
When the meeting was over, Chen Chong found Master Ding Ling Zhai Sata and asked him in Xianbei dialect: "I want to see Beihai (Lake Baikal) in the north. I wonder if you can lead the way for me?"
Zhai Sata was stunned for a moment, then turned to look at Liu Bei. Liu Bei smiled and nodded and said, "I will go with him too. I will ask you to take care of him on the way."
The next day, the group set out again from the foot of Langjuxu Mountain. They made a large circle from the northwest, and then continued northward along an open mountain road. The further north we go, the higher the mountain peaks rise, and the mountain roads become increasingly narrow, but the grasslands are gradually replaced by dense pine forests. However, everyone galloped for seven or eight days in a row, covering about 500 miles. There was no time to look at the surrounding scenery. Only when they felt a slightly cold and wet wind, they realized that they were not far from the North Sea. .
Only then did they realize that the sky was so clear. The space between the aqua blue sky and the solid rocky ground was as transparent as glass. Even the clouds no longer seemed thick. The edges were as thin as silk and trembled, as if they could be touched. Similar. The horseshoes are surrounded by light, wet moss, and clusters of meadows can be seen on the soil in the distance. Between the mountains and the cedar trees, you can vaguely see the snow-white birds and the sound of the waves of the North Sea.
After rounding the last cliff, a sheet of waves suddenly appeared in front of Chen Chong. He discovered that the white birds he had just seen were seagulls perching on the beach. Several rocks stood out among the pure waves, and several seals lazily bathed in the light. Looking north, he could see the snow-capped mountains and their surroundings. reflection. Chen Chong couldn't help but dismounted and walked to the coast, took a mouthful of seawater and drank it. It was unexpectedly cold and ice-cold.
This cheered up Chen Chong, and then he slowly stood up and said to Liu Bei, "This is where Su Wu shepherds sheep."
Liu Bei walked over slowly, looked around, and felt the slight coolness in the summer wind. He imagined the ice and snow here in winter, and couldn't help but sigh: "Su Ziqing can stick to this place for nineteen years. His integrity is really better than ice and snow. He is worthy of being a famous minister of Qilin Pavilion [1]."
Liu Bao who followed was dumbfounded. He had only heard of Beihai from Yu Fuluo's words. To the Huns, they had not seen this ancestral land for nearly a hundred years.
While Chen Chong looked at the scenery of Beihai, he thought in his heart: "If I have seen such a glorious scenery, how can I be willing to be a secular scholar?" Then he thought: "It's a pity that I can't stay long now until the country is unified. , I am free, it would be great if I could come here to rest again."
They spent the night by the lake so that they could follow the north wind south and return to Bingzhou the next day.
[1] Su Wu and Qilin Pavilion: In the third year of Ganlu, Emperor Xuan Liu Xun of the Western Han Dynasty, the leader of the Western Han Dynasty, surrendered to the Han Dynasty due to the return of the Xiongnu. He recalled the ministers who had made great contributions to the left in the past, so he ordered eleven images of the meritorious officials to be painted in the Qilin Pavilion to commemorate and praise them. , among which Su Wu ranked last.
