Yin Xian, the first protector of the Andong Protectorate, was buried in the sea. For the Han Dynasty, it was an inconspicuous loss.
Nowadays, the imperial court is engaged in conquests and expansions, and every year there are not many casualties.
But whether it is for the Western Regions or the southwestern barbarians, this loss cannot actually stop the pace of expansion.
Because there are huge benefits to be coveted in the expansion war in these positions.
Whether it's horses, gold and silver from the Western Regions, or spices, pearls, cane sugar and other goods from Southwest Yi to Tianzhu, it can be said to be a profitable business.
But for the newly established Anton Protectorate, this loss could only halt its expansion.
Because these losses of ships and sergeants were still too difficult to replace for the barren Anton Protectorate.
Moreover, the various barbarian tribes in the deep mountains and old forests in the north are really very poor, so they might as well manage the old lands of Liaodong and Goguryeo.
The Anton Protectorate is about to start the road of consolidating the border and operating Shengju.
And right now.
Thousands of miles away from Luoyang, on the vast East China Sea, two damaged boats had just docked on a piece of land.
Because of the long period of drifting, everyone on the boat looked pale and almost collapsed.
But because they were finally able to land on land, everyone was ignited with hope.
At this time, two men ran out from the woods deep on the shore.
And both of them looked excited.
"Guardian, good news, there is someone here, there is someone!"
At first, a Han soldier said to Yin Xian with a grin.
Yin Xian was also overjoyed when he heard this, but he quickly calmed down.
"Who are they? Can you see them clearly?" Yin Xian asked.
Since we set out to sea from Zhacheng on the east coast of Goguryeo, our original plan was to cross the sea for three hundred miles and bypass the deep mountains and forests, but instead we attacked the northern Buyeo tribe who were harboring the remnants of Goguryeo.
But he never expected that he would encounter a rare storm soon after going to sea.
The assembled fleet soon became separated, and Yin Xian's ship was also swept away somewhere.
The boat we finally came across was also dilapidated.
The two badly damaged boats were drifting with the current. By the time the sails were repaired, Yin Xian no longer knew where he was.
When we were almost running out of water and food, we actually saw this piece of land.
No matter what the unknown is, it still needs to be tested.
Now that I heard that there are people here, it means that there is food and fresh water.
"We didn't see anyone, but we saw two traps set up to attack the animals!" The Han soldier said and took out a roll of rope from his waist.
Yin Xian took it and looked at it carefully.
At this time, the accompanying Han soldiers heard that there was someone here, and they all gathered around excitedly.
"This is the trigger of the Beast Cult!"
Yin Xian immediately recognized this as a mechanism for catching small prey.
This rope is made of strong animal hide bands and looks very rough.
"What else did you see?" Yin Xian asked.
Just relying on this little thing, you can't tell whether the people here are friends or foes.
"I also picked up this one." Another scouting sergeant held up a shiny black thing.
"What is this?" Yin Xian didn't see what it was for a while.
At this time, a sergeant onlookers spoke.
"Guardian, this looks like an arrow!"
"Arrow?" Yin Xian took a closer look and found that they were indeed somewhat similar in shape.
However, the tip of the arrow has been broken off, leaving only the second half.
"People in Sushen and North Fuyu will grind a kind of black stone to use as arrowheads. I have seen it before. It must be the same thing from the looks of it." The Han soldier who recognized the object continued.
"If you use stones as arrowheads, then this should be the territory of the Sushen people."
The Han soldiers nearby became nervous when they heard this.
Their Anton Protectorate was set up to conquer the Sushen people in the future. The previous attacks had already made the Sushen people more hostile.
Now that everyone is exhausted and living in the territory of the Sushen people, they can't help but feel nervous.
"Afraid of a bird!"
When Yin Xian saw this, he immediately scolded him with dissatisfaction.
"These barbarians are already using stones as arrowheads, so what else are there to be afraid of? Maybe even their swords are made of stones, so what are they afraid of!"
Yin Xian waved his hand and said to the sergeant next to him.
"Go and take down all the armor that can be worn on the ship. As long as you put on the armor, these stone arrows can block as many arrows as you want, and they won't hurt us at all!"
Infected by Yin Xian's calmness, these exhausted Han soldiers finally stabilized their minds.
Because the boats of the Anton Protectorate were simple and small, they could not carry many people at all, and they could not carry hundreds of people like the large boats of Qingzhou.
Yin Xian counted the number of people, and excluding the sick and weak soldiers who were left behind to guard the boat, he barely managed to make up a hundred people.
Although there are only a hundred people, Yin Xian is full of confidence. Once he encounters an attack from the Sushen people here, he is confident of winning a complete victory.
A group of barbarians who were still using stone arrowheads were no match for the one hundred Han soldiers wearing armor and holding steel knives.
After Yin Xian made arrangements to guard the boats, he personally led the one hundred Han troops toward the forest on the shore.
Following the previously explored road, Yin Xian and the others soon saw the place where the animal trap was discovered.
Yin Xian ordered people to look around and finally found the most likely path.
The further he walked along the forest, the more uneasy and suspicious Yin Xian felt.
In his impression, although the Sushen people in the north were far from civilized, they had always had a reputation of being brave and good at fighting.
If one hundred people of mine were besieged by tens of thousands of Su Shen barbarians, they would really not dare to boast that they were infallible.
Moreover, they have been gone for so long, and there is not even a single large-scale human settlement, just some lonely traces. Could it be that these solemn people have realized that they are hiding.
Just when Yin Xian began to think seriously about whether to turn back and spend the night on the boat, a signal suddenly came from the Han soldiers walking at the front.
Following two wild crow calls, everyone stopped.
"Protector, there is a plume of smoke ahead!"
Yin Xian received the reward and immediately walked forward in person.
Sure enough, several smoke pillars appeared in the flat dense forest at the foot of the mountain ahead.
"It's smoke!"
"I can already smell the aroma of burning meat."
The two Han soldiers with sharp noses immediately made accurate judgments.
"Hey, since there is smoke, it means there is food, and it also means they haven't discovered us."
Yin Xian was overjoyed and immediately made arrangements.
One hundred Han soldiers were divided into two groups and approached the smoke from the left and right sides.
The group led by Yin Xianqin took the lead, and the other group cooperated with the raid on the back after launching the attack.
However, when Yin Xian and others quietly approached, Yin Xian immediately gave up the idea of attacking.
First, because the tribe that lit up the smoke was really small, with more than a hundred people, it could not threaten itself at all.
Another reason is that Yin Xian saw from a distance that each of these barbarians was wearing something yellow and shiny.
"Is it gold?!"
The barbarian tribe in front of Yin Xian was very crudely arranged. Apart from a circle of sharpened wooden walls, there were no defense facilities.
There are no trenches or tower sentries. If Yin Xian ordered an attack, he would probably be able to charge in without a single charge.
However, Yin Xian had no intention of doing this.
Because he saw from a distance that these people did not seem to be Sushen people, but barbarians who were far behind the Sushen people.
Yin Xian was unfamiliar with this place, and he felt that he would have a better chance of learning more information without using force.
"You two follow me, the rest of you stay here and don't move around. You are not allowed to use your weapons without my order." Yin Xian said to the subordinates next to him.
"Captain, it's too dangerous. What if the thieves attack?" a subordinate asked worriedly.
"They are all a group of savages armed with bone knives and stone arrows. What danger can they pose?" Yin Xian dismissed them.
After he said that, he led the two soldiers out of the jungle and walked swaggering forward.
When they were less than a few dozen steps away from the barbarian tribe, the barbarian tribesmen on the opposite side finally discovered them.
'Uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu' '
As a low horn sounded, a group of barbarian men rushed out with weapons in hand.
"Uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu"
There was a sound that seemed to be asking.
Yin Xian stopped and spread his hands flat to show that he was not hostile, with a very kind smile on his face.
A soldier next to him did the same, and then shouted a few words commonly used by Sushen people.
The barbarians on the opposite side were all surprised when they saw this. Although they did not understand the words of these strangers, it was obvious that they did not mean any harm.
A group of barbarians gathered in front of an old man and murmured for a while, then sent a young man to walk towards Yin Xian and the others.
As the two sides walked only a few steps away, Yin Xian finally saw the other party's full view.
This young barbarian was wearing a jacket made of the skin of an unknown beast, and a chain made of animal teeth and gold hung around his neck.
"It's really gold!" Yin Xian was immediately ecstatic.
The gold on that thick chain is as thick as a finger. If sold in Liaodong, it would be enough to buy a good fortune.
When Yin Xian saw this, he immediately used his expertise and began to talk and gesture with the young barbarian.
Especially when Yin Xian gave the barbarian young man a dagger he carried with him, the other party immediately showed a kind smile.
The barbarian young man looked at the dagger in his hand with a surprised look on his face, the cold light flashing showing its power.
"hiss!"
As his fingers lightly scratched the edge of the dagger, a trace of blood immediately broke through the skin and seeped out, making him scream in surprise.
He looked at the dagger with ecstasy and shouted a few words to the tribesmen behind him.
As he shouted, the tribesmen lowered their guard and slowly gathered around.
When the young man handed the dagger to the hands of the tribal elder, the old man who looked like a tribal elder also showed a shocked expression.
With these 'treasures' as a meeting gift, Yin Xian and the others immediately received the warmest reception.
Facing the invitation from these barbarians, Yin Xian felt uneasy in his heart.
At this time, the barbarians who had gathered around had surrounded the three of them. If they entered the village again, if something unexpected happened, even if they were wearing armor, it would be difficult to escape intact.
However, Yin Xian felt that he still had to trust these barbarians for once.
He saw that although these barbarians were very different from the Sushen people, their appearance and clothing were somewhat similar.
According to the customs of the Sushen people, if a stranger comes to the tribe, as long as they are not enemies, they will generally treat him with courtesy and stay overnight.
Yin Xian then showed a warm smile, indicating that he accepted the other party's invitation.
"Captain, it's better not to go, it's too dangerous." An accompanying subordinate whispered.
"Don't be afraid. These barbarians are not hostile at all. They might even give us a girl to warm our bed." Yin Xian said with a smile.
He immediately arranged for another subordinate to go back, and he and this subordinate entered the camp.
When the old man understood that Yin Xian and the others had other companions, he also showed vigilance and surprise.
However, after seeing Yin Xian's generous performance, he also let the Han soldier leave.
The Han soldiers on standby in the distance saw Yin Xian entering the village with a group of barbarians talking and laughing, and their palms were sweating nervously.
"what is going on?"
As soon as the Han soldier came back, he was immediately questioned eagerly by everyone.
"The Protector said that those barbarians prepared a warm bed for women, and asked us not to act rashly, and we should all go back to the boat and wait."
Everyone was shocked when they heard this.
When the sun rose the next day, Yin Xian couldn't help but feel that his idea yesterday was a bit abrupt.
My guess was only half correct.
These barbarians did send him a young girl to get up with him, but there was no quilt, just a roll of fox fur coat.
"I never imagined that this is actually an island!"
Yin Xian looked outside through the window of the wooden house and couldn't help but feel very surprised.
After drinking fruit wine yesterday, Yin Xian achieved great results in communication with these barbarians.
He now knew that this was a huge island.
According to the description of the tribal elder, the island is so huge that it takes one or two months to walk on the long and narrow north-south side. It is slightly narrower on the east-west side, and it takes ten days and a half to walk to the other side of the sea.
The people on these islands are also Sushen people, but they are far inferior to the Sushen people on the other side of the sea. Not only are they far smaller in number, there are only nearly a hundred tribes on the entire island.
Moreover, they were far inferior in terms of force, so that the Sushen people on the other side of the sea often rowed boats to the island to plunder when the sea was calm.
However, none of the Sushen people on the island could fight. Apart from lying down obediently and letting them plunder, they could only find out in advance and hide in the mountains and forests.
Therefore, when Yin Xian told them that he still had more than a hundred men, and as long as they could provide him with food and help him prepare some planks for repairing the ship, he could give each of them a sharp iron weapon, The men in the entire tribe became excited.
Some of the Sushen people on the other side of the river they were afraid of used gleaming copper and iron weapons, which could kill them instantly with bone-obsidian weapons.
So, when Yin Xian drunkenly entered a wooden house to rest, there were already two fat girls in white clothes waiting for him inside.
There is no way, among these savage tribes, being able to eat every meal is a life of gods, and fatness has always been regarded as a beauty.
Yin Xian had also found out the approximate location of the gold yesterday. In a good mood, he didn't care whether it was a light or heavy vehicle. He drove it first.
