It was already spring time and the weather was getting warmer. Wangjiang Tower's business was mainly hot pot. However, as the weather got warmer, fewer and fewer people were eating hot pot.
The daily attendance rate is less than half, and the waiters and waiters are no longer so busy.
Myolie called several people in charge together, explained the matters, and prepared to follow Wang Dayong and the others back to Yancheng.
Recently, Dayong and Ma Xiao purchased a thousand more slaves, including many half-grown children.
Early the next morning, Xing'er and Zhong Lixue took a carriage out of the north gate. Wang Dayong and Ma Xiao gathered the slaves sent by each family at the east gate and headed north.
The two parties agreed to meet on the north bank of Pujinyi, a ferry on the Yellow River. Once you leave the royal sphere of influence and enter Hebei Road, you won't be afraid of being noticed anymore.
While Xing'er and others were heading north, Qin Fang knelt down on one knee and saluted Zhao Bin in Prince Yan's palace.
From now on, he will be Zhao Bin's subordinate. This imperial edict surprised everyone, including Zhao Bin.
Unexpectedly, he only fought one battle and gained an army of 5,000 men for nothing. While Zhao Bin was rejoicing, a greater threat was quietly coming.
In the Sand Wolf Tribe, because the small troops who went out to rob did not return to their headquarters for a long time, the people in the tribe gradually became worried, especially the leader of the Sand Wolf Tribe, Sharzhu.
Sha Diao is his most beloved eldest son and the future heir of the Sand Wolf tribe. They have been in Yancheng for half a month, and no one has come back yet, which makes Sha Erzhu suspicious.
According to the experience of previous years, it usually takes about ten days for everyone to go back and forth. Even if they are having fun, they will return to the headquarters on time.
So Shaerzhu sent several spies over the mountain to enter Yancheng to check. It might be unlucky that none of them encountered the Jie tribesman who died in the mountain.
Tan Ma searched the territory of Yancheng for several times, but could not find any trace of the sand sculptures, but their traces had long been discovered by Yancheng's scout troops.
These Jie tribesmen did not entangle with others, but searched everywhere in the wilderness of Yancheng. In the end, they found nothing and went back to the mountains.
"Your Majesty, this group of detective horses should be looking for those Jie people." Qin Fang said to Zhao Bin, who was sitting in the first place.
"That's right, Captain Qin didn't know something. Among the Jie tribe members we captured, there was a man named Sha Diao. He was the son of Sha Erzhu, the leader of the Sand Wolf tribe." Zhao Bin said lightly.
"This... I'm afraid it will offend the Sand Wolf Clan!" Qin Fang said.
"It can't be avoided. What's coming will come sooner or later. You can't avoid it. Now we should come up with a countermeasure as soon as possible."
Upon seeing this, Cao Li said, "My lord, don't worry too much. There are 50,000 imperial troops stationed in Xiguan. The Shalang tribe only has 30,000 soldiers, excluding young and old. It is impossible for them alone to break through Xiguan."
"But what if they take a detour to the northeast? Although there are Xianbei people stationed in the northeast, there are no pass barriers and it is easy to break through." He Miao said.
"No, the Tufa tribe, the second largest tribe of the Xianbei people, is located on the only way eastward from the grassland. If the Jie people want to take a detour to the northeast, they must pass through the Tufa tribe area.
These two tribes have been grudges for a long time, and they are bound to have a big battle. Even if the Sand Wolf tribe can win, if they want to attack Yancheng at that time, they may not have much chance of winning. Sha Erzhu will not do such a thing. . "Qin Fang said.
"So there is a high probability that it will come from the west?" Zhao Bin asked.
"Yes, Your Majesty, as long as Xiguan can be defended, Yancheng will not be in much danger."
"You still can't be careless, you still need to make necessary preparations. Also, Cao Li, how are the arrows you asked to prepare?"
"Go back to your lord, we have made two hundred thousand long and short arrows each," Cao Li replied.
"Let Su Hetu transport these 100,000 arrows back and give them to the Tufa Department. With these 100,000 longbow arrows, I believe the Tufa Department's defense should be safer."
"My lord, you can't. If the Xianbei people rebel and attack Yancheng, Yancheng will be in danger." Qin Fang hurriedly stopped him.
In his opinion, these Xianbei people are no different from the Jie people. They are both nomadic people, and they are both ferocious in nature.
The reason why they can maintain peace with the Han people is because their strength is not strong enough. Once they have enough strength, they will also attack Daxia.
Qin Fang's worry is not wrong, and the same is true in history. In fact, anyone would do this, let alone a foreigner.
But now the Xianbei people have Liao people to the north, Jie people to the west, and Daxia to the south. Daxia is the only party that has temporarily maintained peace with the Xianbei people, so they will not conflict with Daxia, otherwise the Xianbei people will be exterminated. Not far away.
And relying on the support of Daxia or King Yan, it is possible for the Xianbei people to defeat the Jie or Liao people who invaded them.
Zhao Bin explained the truth one by one, and no one objected anymore!
The next day, Su Hetu and his subordinates came to Yancheng and were excited to see one hundred thousand brand-new arrows.
Su Hetu punched his chest, bent down and said to Zhao Bin: "On behalf of the Xianbei people, I, Su Hetu, would like to thank His Highness King Yan of Daxia for the gift."
"There is no need to be polite, Chief Suhe. You and I live here together, so we should take care of each other and fight against the Jie tribe together. I hope that one day I can kill the enemy with you, Tuoba Khan."
"Don't worry, Your Highness King Yan, I will definitely convey your wishes to Tuoba Khan. I believe Tuoba Khan will really want to see you."
Zhao Bin watched Su Hetu leave Yancheng with one hundred thousand arrows satisfied.
"Your Majesty, can these Xianbei people be trusted?" Qin Fang asked still worried.
"Hmph, those who are not from my race must have different minds. Just like you said, they are just not strong enough. Once they become strong, their ambitions will inevitably expand.
We give them arrows because they are weak. The weak will become attached to the strong. If they do not attach to us, they may be annexed by the Jie people.
Only when they become stronger will they resist and not be easily swallowed up by others. What we are doing now is nothing more than driving away wolves and devouring tigers.
Only by maintaining the current balance can we have more time to prepare. "Zhao Bin said leisurely.
"Your Majesty, my subordinates admire you!"
"Send someone to keep an eye on the direction of Xiguan."
"yes!"
In the Sand Wolf tribe, Tan Ma returned to the camp and reported the exploration situation to Sha Erzhu.
No trace of Sha Diao and others was found in Yancheng, and the people in Yancheng did not seem to have been robbed. Only signs of one village being burned were found, but the people were all safe.
"What? You said you weren't robbed?"
"Yes, big boss, and we tried to enter the village to capture the two-legged sheep for torture, but these two-legged sheep actually had a large number of bows and arrows, and several of the scout horses were shot and captured.
The subordinates suspected that the young master and the others might have encountered the same situation, and it was even possible. . . . . . "
Before the spy finished speaking, Sarzhu kicked the spy to the ground.
"Fart, how can those two-legged sheep resist Diao'er's cavalry? The warriors of our sand wolf tribe are all invincible."
The spy got up from the ground and looked very frightened: "What the big leader said is that the young man is confused. He will send someone to find out the whereabouts of the young master."
"Get out!" Sarju roared angrily.
The spy hurriedly climbed out of the tent, mounted his horse and drove towards Yancheng again.
Shaerzhu turned his head and looked at the two Han maids behind him. Twenty days had passed, and he had a vague feeling.
It is really possible that his son, the future heir of the Shalang tribe, was captured by the Han.
That would be a great shame and a disgrace to his entire Sandwolf tribe.
He looked at the two Han women bitterly, grabbed one of them, and roared at her with blazing eyes.
"Bitch, you Han people are all bitches. You are only worthy of us Jie clan warriors as dogs and food."
He tore off the woman's clothes and pushed her to the ground, angrily venting his animalistic desires. The woman kept roaring and slapping the ground with both hands.
After Sarju finished venting his anger, the woman lay limply on the ground motionless.
Sarju drew out his scimitar, grabbed the woman's hair from behind, and wiped her neck hard with the scimitar. A stream of blood spurted out and sprayed on the ground in front of her. The woman twitched twice and never returned. reaction.
Salzhu walked out of the camp and looked at the endless grassland. At this time, his mood was slightly relieved. This sense of conquest and satisfaction made him temporarily forget about the missing sand sculpture.
Two soldiers entered the camp and pulled out the woman's body.
In an iron cage not far away, a large mastiff was barking excitedly towards the camp. Two soldiers threw the woman's body into the cage and allowed the mastiff to bite madly.
A soldier in the distance ran to Sarju and said: "Report to the chief, the Khan's envoy has arrived."
"Oh? Bring it here"
"yes"
After a while, several big men from the Jie tribe who were dressed in slightly luxurious clothes came to the camp. They crossed their hands on their chests and saluted Salzhu and said, "I have seen the great leader Sharzhu."
"Well, tell me what instructions the Great Khan has."
"The Great Khan is gathering an army of 100,000 people. In May, the Great Khan will lead his army south. The Great Khan ordered Chief Sarzhu to lead his troops to test the defensive power of Xiguan, and Chief Momer to test the defensive power in the direction of Yanmen Pass."
"There are 50,000 defenders in Xiguan. What's there to test? They are all two-legged sheep. Go back and tell the Great Khan that our Sand Wolf Tribe will personally capture Xiguan and wait for the arrival of the Great Khan." Sharzhu waved his hand. Hui said.
After several envoys conveyed the orders of the Jie tribe's Great Khan, they left. Shaerzhu walked out of the tent and looked in the direction of Xiguan.
If Sha Diao is really captured by the Han people, he will capture Xiguan or even Yancheng before the army arrives, and he cannot let Sha Diao's incident affect the reputation of his Sand Wolf tribe.
"Send the order to set off tomorrow and head towards Xiguan."
"It's the leader!" The two soldiers responded before getting on their horses and leaving the tent.
Soon after, camps all over the grassland began to move, and the Jie soldiers began to organize their equipment, including bows and arrows, horses, swords, and various types of beef and mutton.
Early the next morning, 30,000 Jie soldiers gathered near Sharzhu's camp and split into different camps. With a few melodious horn blasts, the entire legion began to move south, heading towards Xiguan.
