Knowing from Qin Hao's mouth that the Ghost Desert in Western Xinjiang had returned to the Holy Tang Dynasty, Dong Tianxing felt an uncontrollable impulse in his heart. He wanted to go to Zijin Pass and Shengyuguan, to see Western Xinjiang, to see with his own eyes the heroic deeds of the Xinjiang Suppressing Army that swallowed up thousands of miles like a tiger.
I even wanted to visit Li Jiangyao, the commander-in-chief of the Xinjiang Army and the Protector-General.
Shengtang’s new generation of unparalleled generals!
Wu Rong and Amonta had the same idea as him. Anyway, continuing to go east now is purely seeking death. It is better to stop by Western Xinjiang and meet the great hero who can beat the Turks to pieces.
After the three of them made a final calculation, they told Qin Hao what they thought. Qin Hao immediately expressed his welcome, and then selected a hundred-man team from his subordinates to escort Mr. Dong from the Ministry of War to Shengyuguan.
It is about five or six hundred miles from the border of Yongliang to Shengyuguan. Although this area is still under Turkic control, since the main force of the Eastern Expedition went to the Central Plains battlefield, the Turks' power here is not very strong. In addition, after Du Jian occupied Shengyuguan, he continuously sent hundreds of guerrilla cavalry to the east, taking turns to carry out harassment and destruction, which made the Turkic defenders miserable. Therefore, this large area gradually became the domain of the Second Army. They could come and leave as they pleased, and the Turks had no say.
Being escorted by the Zhenjiang Army cavalry, Dong Tianxing and his party also became very proud. Moreover, the poison masters from Miao and Yunnan had never been to the northwest. The journey along the way was full of strange scenery. Everyone was talking and laughing, and they were very happy.
Dong Tianxing asked the guards about the situation in Western Xinjiang on the way. When he heard that the Zhenjiang Army currently had eight main armies and 350,000 troops, he couldn't help but secretly gasped: My dear, so many people? ! Being able to command such a huge army is definitely considered a general at the level of Shangzhu Kingdom, but why is there no reaction from the imperial court?
Don't you know at all?
With all kinds of questions, Dong Tianxing arrived at Shengyuguan.
Du Jian, the commander-in-chief of the Second Army, was a little surprised when he heard from his subordinates that someone from the imperial military department had come: for six years, except for dealing with the Beiya Nilin Division, the imperial court had almost ignored Western Xinjiang. Why did it suddenly happen now? Have you sent someone?
At the command post, Du Jian met with Dong Tianxing and his party. However, there was an embarrassing problem. Dong Tianxing only carried a waistband issued by the Ministry of War and no other official documents. For a while, it was difficult for Du Jian to determine his true identity.
Especially when Dong Tianxing told his own experience, he mentioned the poison soldiers, which aroused Du Jian's vigilance: Damn it, this guy couldn't be sent by that guy named Ge Shuxuan to steal lead. ?
Two days ago, your Excellency sent a special order to the Shengyuguan garrison to be on alert to prevent Turks from stealing lead. Could it be that this is what happened?
Look at the people who came with Old Man Dong. Each one of them is dressed in weird clothes and looks weird, which is not a good idea at first glance. Especially those guys who call themselves Nanzhao poison masters. They are dark and thin, like little monkeys. They can wear animal skin skirts on such a cold day and they won't be too cold.
Dong Tianxing had also noticed the confusion in Du Jian's eyes at this time, and couldn't help but secretly scream in his heart: Something bad may happen!
Sure enough, Du Jian made a few perfunctory remarks and then changed the subject: "Mr. Dong, I am a rough guy and I speak straightforwardly. Don't take offense to me."
This kind of opening remarks is usually not followed by any kind words. Dong Tianxing smiled awkwardly: "Oh, General Du, it's okay to say it."
"Look, the situation is like this," Du Jian groaned: "We have been fighting with the Turks for so long, and we often encounter spies sent by the other side. Those people pretend to be whatever they are. What do you think? You are a member of the Ministry of War. As for me, I used to be just a top soldier in the Zhenjiang Protectorate, and I never had the opportunity to contact such a big official, so...how should I confirm it? Just rely on such a small piece of wood to make a sign?"
Dong Tianxing swallowed his saliva and said with a wry smile: "This is indeed a bit hasty."
Du Jian looked at him, sneered, and said nothing.
Wu Rong, who was sitting next to him, was a little unhappy at this time: "What? Do you suspect that we are spies of the Turks?"
Du Jian glanced at him: "It's not that I doubt it, but you need to prove that you are not a spy."
"We were chased by Turkic cavalry for hundreds of miles!" Wu Rong's fiery temper immediately rose again: "Can't you prove this? How else can you prove it!"
Du Jian's temper was not much better than his, and he yelled back: "What happened to being chased by the Turks for hundreds of miles? Are you dead? Who dares to say that this is not a cruel trick!"
Seeing that Wu Rong was about to jump up and start a fight, Amenta quickly grabbed him. Dong Tianxing hurriedly tried to persuade him: "Don't be angry, don't be angry. If you have something to say, say it well. Say it well."
He turned to Du Jiangong and cupped his hands: "General, I understand your doubts very much. The war is fierce now, and we cannot relax our guard against the enemy for a moment. We all agree with this. Right, Wu Rong, you agree too, right?" of."
Wu Rong snorted and ignored him.
Dong Tianxing smiled cheekily and continued: "But, General Du only had doubts, but did not clearly identify us as spies. Otherwise, I am afraid he would have sent people to arrest us all long ago."
Du Jian nodded silently.
"The main reason behind this is actually very simple," Dong Tianxing said with a thief smile: "General Du is worried that if he makes a mistake, he will really tie up the court officials. Even if the misunderstanding is solved later, everyone will It’s inevitably very embarrassing.”
As soon as this sentence came out, it immediately hit Du Jian's heart: If he hadn't had this concern, he would have ordered the arrest long ago.
All said and done, I am still afraid of making the wrong mistake.
Dong Tianxing stroked his goatee: "General Du, this matter is easy to handle. You can't verify our identity and purpose here, but I think Protector Li can definitely do it. Send us to him, won't you? Come on?"
Du Jian thought to himself: Yes! Your Excellency, Yuduoluo and the others are here, as well as people from the Beiya Nilin Division assisting. It is much easier than me to verify the identity of this old man.
However, if they really have a problem and rush it to adults, will it cause danger?
Dong Tianxing obviously guessed what he was thinking and said: "I know you are still worried about the safety of the Protector, but it doesn't matter. You can send someone to escort us or tie us up."
"Old Dong, you have gone too far!" Wu Rong said angrily: "If I want to tie you up, I am not a prisoner!"
Dong Tianxing quickly winked at him, hinting to Wu Rong not to cause trouble.
Sure enough, the more Dong Tianxing said this, the more Du Jian felt embarrassed to actually use force. He nodded slightly and said: "That's not necessary. Mr. Dong, please forgive me. I have a responsibility and I don't dare to be careless. Let's do this. You have been tired from the journey, have a good meal first, and then go to Shengyu Rest for two days, and then I will send someone to accompany you to see the Great Protector."
Although his identity was doubtful, the prestige of the Xinjiang Army could not be lost. Du Jian ordered his men to prepare a large table of sumptuous meals for Dong Tianxing and the others, which was very characteristic of Western Xinjiang. He himself used the excuse that he was busy with military affairs and could not accompany him more, so he just After a brief toast, he stood up and left.
It was just right that he left early, and everyone was no longer restrained. Under Dong Tianxing's greeting, they all temporarily forgot all the unhappiness just now, and began to eat and drink happily.
After staying in Shengyuguan for three days, Du Jian kept his promise and found someone to escort Dong Tianxing and the others to Zijin Pass to meet Li Jiangyao.
Since he had asked his men to go to Zijin Pass to report in advance, Dong Tianxing and the others met the greeting team sent by Li Jiangyao just halfway.
Unexpectedly, the person who led the team to greet him was actually an acquaintance of Lao Dong—Zhou Xing, the flag-bearer of the Second Section of Beiya Nilin Division.
It turned out that Zhou Xing had been on business in Western Xinjiang on the orders of Shen Lie some time ago. When he was discussing matters with Li Jiangyao, he happened to hear someone from Du Jian come to report that there was a man named Dong, a member of the Ministry of War, who asked to see the governor.
Zhou Xing asked the messenger and confirmed that Mr. Dong called himself Dong Tianxing. He couldn't help being surprised and happy. When they were in the imperial capital, the two of them had known each other year after year. They often drank and chatted together, and they were very close to each other.
When the imperial capital fell, Zhou Xing was still worried that Lao Dong could not escape. It was not until he later heard that he had gone to Yizhou with the Ministry of War that he felt relieved.
Unexpectedly, this old man is quite capable of doing things, and he actually sneaks into Western Xinjiang again.
Dong Tianxing met his good friend Zhou Xing in Xijiang. He was equally surprised and happy, and almost danced with joy. However, he didn't know Zhou Xing's true identity, and thought that Zhou Xing was separated from Yushitai and fled here alone.
More importantly, since there are acquaintances in the Xinjiang Army, all doubts about the identity of this group of people can be eliminated. They are so lucky!
Unlike Du Jian, Li Jiangyao not only did not doubt Dong Tianxing, but also admired his and Amenta Wu Rong's patriotism. To express his welcome to them, Li Jiangyao called Xu Youchang, Huo Liya, Yu Duoluo and other leaders of the Zhenjiang Army, and also specially invited Xiahou Ninghan and Lian Ji to host a banquet for Dong Tianxing. Dong Tianxing and others witnessed the heyday of the Zhenjiang Army with their own eyes and were equally impressed.
The warm and friendly atmosphere was completely opposite to that at Shengyuguan.
Li Jiangyao had a brief encounter with Dong Tianxing and found that the old man was knowledgeable, smart and capable, and he was also very funny. What is particularly rare is that this person has lived in the court for a long time, but he is not greedy for fame and fortune. He only pursues his true intentions in everything he does, and he is quite right about his own temper.
Dong Tianxing also didn't expect that Li Daduhu, who single-handedly created a powerful army, swept across the ghost deserts of Western Xinjiang, and completely drove away the Turks, would be so young, unpretentious, approachable, and always remain innocent. I can't help but feel sad in my heart.
The old man and the young man touched the bottom of the wine glass, and the more they chatted, the more they got to know each other.
After Dong Tianxing made a few witty remarks and made everyone laugh, he suddenly changed the subject and asked Li Jiangyao: "Brother, now that the two levels are in your hands, do you have any plans to enter the Central Plains next?"
Li Jiangyao smiled slightly: "Old man, what do you think?"
"A man should make unparalleled achievements!" Dong Tianxing said loudly: "The great army of Zhenjiang has left the two passes eastward, and the Turks are over!"
Li Jiangyao nodded: "That's right. But... now is not the time."
