The sun is in the sky, releasing thousands of rays of light, easily piercing the sparse clouds in the sky and spreading to the earth. Under the blue sky and white clouds, the mountains, forests and fields are connected. In the early summer, everything in the world is showing a vigorous trend and growing vigorously. The wilderness also seems to be glowing with infinite vitality.
However, being located in the hinterland of the Central Plains and on the outskirts of the capital, it is difficult to see much of the original features. There may be some deep forest secluded areas within Mang Mountain, but outside Mang Mountain, traces of humanity are already everywhere.
In the ninth year of Kaibao's reign, in summer and April, I chose a good day and good weather, so I set off on a journey and went hunting in Mang Mountain.
In Luoyang, the most suitable place for hunting is undoubtedly Luoyang Xiyuan, which is a royal garden inherited from the Sui and Tang Dynasties. Although it has declined in the past, after Luoyang was rebuilt, it was also developed and renovated, and restricted areas were demarcated. Trees, flowers and grass were planted, various animals were raised, and people were prohibited from cultivating and cutting down the area. Over the years, it gradually regained its vitality.
However, this time Emperor Liu left Xiyuan instead and went hunting in Mang Mountain for no other reason than because he was interested here...
In the southeast of Mang Mountain, the Luoyang government and the accompanying imperial troops cooperated with each other to set up a paddock of nearly 20 miles, occupying the roads and controlling the access passes, so as not to cause casualties due to accidental intrusion by the people, but also to avoid affecting the emperor's hunting.
Under the bright sunshine, in the wilderness, a large number of forbidden cavalry wore light armor and galloped around. While practicing cavalry tactics, they also drove away the prey in the woods and prepared for the next hunt.
In the middle of the paddock, the camp has been set up, and accompanied by a large number of entourage, the royal driver has also settled in. The summer wind was not too strong, but the high-flying dragon flag was still flying in the wind. The bright yellow flag revealed nobility and majesty, and the armor and weapons of the Forbidden Army soldiers also reflected dazzling light.
This time, in addition to the Ouchi Guards, 3,000 soldiers were transferred from the Sanya Ma Infantry Guards who were on duty in Beijing. Every army was not missing, and all the elites were selected. It is their duty to escort them. , and the main purpose is for the emperor to review the military appearance, inspect training results, and inspect tactics.
In response to the confrontation between the various armies, the camp arranged a full-day program for the emperor and the accompanying nobles, ministers and foreign envoys to watch.
The number of people accompanying Emperor Liu on his hunting tour was equally large, including thousands of concubines, princes, ministers, and children who were eligible to have leisure time.
Nowadays, when Emperor Liu goes on patrol, he must mobilize his troops and mobilize the masses, and it is difficult to achieve the "light carriage and simple obedience" of the past. Every time he makes a move, the general mountain calls out and the shadows follow, attracting everyone's attention.
The high platform stands in the center of the paddock, and bright silk cloth is spread out, enclosing a large area. The seats are spread out in order from high to low. Compared with the paddock, this is more like a theater, a theater for Emperor Liu to watch and have fun. .
The dragon chair made of gold and jade is placed on a temporary high platform, shining brightly under the sunlight and catching people's eyes. Emperor Liu and Fuhou sat on it. The space was large enough for the two of them to sit together.
Today's season is probably Emperor Liu's favorite of the year. The spring cold has disappeared, the hot summer has not yet arrived, the weather is warm, very comfortable, and his heart is intuitively bright.
As for Emperor Liu, he wore a jade-inlaid turban and a round-necked dragon robe. He was dressed in yellow and covered with a light gauze robe. He looked a little coquettish. The beard is also neatly trimmed, but it is unconsciously mixed with a little white.
The noble people accompanying him were sitting separately under parasols. They were all well-dressed and chatting and laughing. The atmosphere was very harmonious.
A little closer to the throne, there is a special group of people, namely the leaders and representatives from the Tubo, Dangxiang, Uighur, Tuyuhun and southwestern Tibetan tribes.
Some of these people surrendered to the Han and were awarded official positions by the court, while the other part were people who had made peace with the court and actively moved closer to the Han, especially the Tubo people.
In the past ten years or so, the strength of the Han Dynasty has continued to expand westward. Especially after opening the treasure, it has become more radical and greedy for perfection. It has not only restored the realm of the prosperous Tang Dynasty, but also occupied many traditional Tubo cities and passes.
This undoubtedly compressed the living space of the Tubo people, and this process was not smooth and calm. It was also accompanied by conflicts and struggles. Some surrendered when they saw the situation, and some resisted the struggle. There were many Both the Han soldiers and the Tubo people lost their lives in the Han's western expansion.
Although Tubo was torn apart and had been in decline for a long time, it still occupied the home field. Although it was always at a disadvantage in the Han's westward expansion strategy, it also caused a lot of losses to the Han.
Moreover, as early as the fourth year of Kaibao, the expansion of the Han Dynasty to the western plateau was approaching its limit. In recent years, the westward advance has also stopped early, and the Han Dynasty has entered a substantial period of consolidation. not easy.
Every year, the imperial court receives a large number of reports about conflicts in the border states from the southwest and northwest. Although there are no major disturbances, there is no doubt that the western frontier of the Han Dynasty, especially the area bordering the Tubo forces, is not peaceful. , it can even be said that conflict is normal.
With the end of the Northern Expedition, after Emperor Liu and the Han princes discussed and decided to shrink their power and stop expansion, it was time to resolve the Tibetan issue.
Nine years after entering Kaibao, the imperial court sent envoys to invite all Tibetan ethnic groups and forces on the plateau to come to Luoyang to discuss friendly exchanges between Han and Tibetan people, with the intention of peacefully resolving the conflicts and disputes that had lasted for more than ten years. conflict.
Faced with the court's warm invitation, most of the tribal forces on the plateau actively accepted the invitation. Many local leaders did not hesitate to come in person. Those who did not come also sent important representatives.
Apart from Tubo, other tribes, whether in the northwest or southwest, within the country or outside the country, as long as they had contact with the Han Dynasty, were invited to travel thousands of miles to the Han court.
Therefore, in recent times, as representatives of various ethnic groups and forces have entered Beijing one after another, the number of Ban and Hu people with various accents and foreign languages in Luoyang has increased significantly.
These people not only brought gifts, but also many caravan goods arrived in Beijing, which also triggered a wave of "international trade" prosperity in Luoyang City.
Due to the overcrowding of people, the guesthouses in the capital were even full. This also created a scene for the Han Dynasty that all nations came to the court. Many officials in the court came to the court, wrote articles, and praised each other. Kaibao prosperous age. For the representatives of various ethnic groups and forces who came to Beijing, the imperial court also gave generous courtesy, and the Ministry of Household Affairs allocated special funds to allow them to enjoy the prosperity of the imperial capital of the Celestial Dynasty.
The decision to go hunting had been made long ago, and because of the representatives of various ethnic groups who came to the court, Emperor Liu specially postponed some time and specially brought these people with him so that they could feel the might of the Han military power again. Afterwards, further consultations were held on matters such as the security of the Han border areas and the tolerance of all ethnic groups.
Originally, Emperor Liu was just in his spare time and wanted to hunt to relax his mind. However, due to various factors, this hunting has been given more political significance.
The high-pitched and melodious sound of the horn floated among the camps. Although it was a bit ethereal, it also shocked the birds and beasts in the mountains and forests. Accompanied by a burst of rhythmic drumming, the first program of this hunting event began.
A large number of young knights, galloping on their horses, came to pay homage. These young people have special status. They are all outstanding sons of princes and nobles. They basically represent the future of the Han Dynasty. This time, they have to accept the review of their bows and horses by Emperor Liu.
