On Sanshan Island, Caobang originally stored logs on the island for repairing ships. Xu Lai directed his gang to cut logs on Sanshan Island. They gathered the wood and built a total of four rafts. The first raft was not very big. Let Jing Zhencheng ride on it; the second raft is the largest and is used by Jiang Shuo, Dugu Wen, Dugu Xiang and Xu Lai; the third and fourth rafts are medium-sized, and the third one is used to carry Jiang Shuo and Dugu Xiang In order to prevent the two horses from getting frightened and running around at sea, the four hooves and bridles were fixed on the raft with leather ropes; the fourth was used as a spare, where luggage, dry food and other items were placed.
The four rafts were connected with iron locks and would not escape. Not only was it difficult for Jing Chengzhen to plot a sneak attack, but he was also unable to escape even if he wanted to. Jiang Shuo secretly praised Xu Lai in his heart for looking rough and bold, but in fact he was very thoughtful and well-arranged. It seems that the people in Caobang who can be the helmsmen of a class are not just ordinary people, nor can they be qualified just because they are good at martial arts.
Everyone bid farewell to Qin Yue and Yun Gu again and pushed the raft into the ice sea. The structure of the raft made by Jing Zhencheng was very simple. The sail was fixed. If the wind direction was wrong, he could only close the sail and use a Long bamboo poles propped up the ice. The sails of the raft made by Xu Lai are much more sophisticated and can be "adjusted to make the wind". As long as there is not a strong headwind, the sail can be turned to take the wind and sail southward. It is winter now and the north wind prevails, so the raft Sailing on the ice sea is quite fast.
Xu Lai had another extra thought here. He installed small sails on Jing Zhencheng's raft, but large sails on the three rafts behind him. If Jing Zhencheng cut off the iron rope, he would not be able to get rid of the rafts behind him.
Jing Zhencheng naturally understood Xu Lai's thoughts, but he knew that Jiang Shuo's martial arts skills were definitely not his own, and he also knew that Li Yong was protected by Nan Jiyun. If he wanted to find Li Yong and ask questions, Jiang Shuo would have to be used as a guide. Therefore, he really did not want to cheat, but instead accepted Xu Lai's arrangement calmly. He even jumped up and down on several rafts, looking back and forth, and he was full of praise for the Han people's craftsmanship.
Jing Zhencheng was even more interested when he saw two horses on the third raft. He first looked at Dugu Xiang's peach horse. He patted the back of his neck and played with the horse's shoes. It seemed that he was very expert. After a long time, he said: " This is a good horse, but it was bred by Yilu Horse Farm in Linjing and is different from the original breed from the Western Regions."
Dugu Xiang said: "Jinglang, every time I see you, you are always on foot. I never see you riding a horse. I didn't expect you to understand horses. How can you tell at a glance which horse farm Peach Blossom Horse comes from?"
Jing Zhencheng said: "The selection of envoys to the Tang Dynasty is very strict, because the number of people is limited, and everyone who is a erudite scholar must have a certain skill. I became an envoy to the Tang Dynasty not because of my boxing skills, but because of my horse herding skills. Although our country has some horses, Japan Short horses can only be used as draft horses and cannot produce good horses. Therefore, envoys sent to the Tang Dynasty would also go to the Tang Dynasty to buy some good horses and bring them back. However, horses are very strange animals. Any good horse can just change its place and give birth to offspring. They are definitely not as good as their ancestors. The good horses bought by the Tang Dynasty are no different from the local horses after being raised in Japan for three generations."
Dugu asked: "This is not surprising. I heard that the size of the horse is related to the size of the breeding ground. The wider the horse farm, the taller the horses will be and the stronger their legs will be."
Jingzhen Chengdao: "My father-in-law is right. I think our country has many mountains and narrow terrain, so good horses cannot be used, so the descendants have degenerated. However, the emperors of the past generations have not given up. Every time they send envoys to the Tang Dynasty, they will bring some people who are good at horse training. , in order to buy good horses and bring them back to Japan. It is because of the ability of this horse that I selected him as an envoy to the Tang Dynasty."
Dugu Xiang asked: "Then is this peach blossom horse good or bad?"
Jing Zhencheng said: "I have long heard about the abilities of the Tang Dynasty Horse Shepherd, and I am honest with you when I see it today. Although this horse is smaller in size than the original Dawan species, its muscles, bones and tendons are not inferior, and its body shape is more symmetrical. , it must have more endurance than the Dawan horse. If you, a little girl, come to ride it, it will be better than the big horse."
Duguxiang asked: "What's the significance of this?"
Jing Zhencheng said: "The Horse Classic says that its shape is an eight-foot rong, a seven-foot rong, a six-foot pride, and a three-foot fruit. The ruler here is a Han ruler. Although the rong and the rook look like divine horses, they are ordinary. The tall military horse is actually not very durable. It is only suitable for charging. It jumps and bumps, but it is not suitable for riding. The height of this peach blossom horse is between that of a horse and a horse. It is comfortable to ride without losing its majesty. , the person who chooses the horse is really a master."
Dugu Xiang was very happy after hearing this and said: "This
Ambassador Guo personally selected it for me, so it is naturally the most suitable horse for me. Then he said to Jing Zhencheng, "Look at Brother Shuo's old horse again."
Jing Zhencheng didn't care much about the yellow horse at first, but when he got closer and took a closer look, the more he looked, the more surprised he became. The old horse saw him sizing up around him, and kept stroking and patting him. It was not as good-tempered as the peach horse. Suddenly there was a high-pitched neighing, Jing Zhencheng was startled and couldn't help but said: "Ah...could this be the Dragon Colt Pegasus? I didn't expect such a horse to exist!"
Dugu Xiang said: "Jinglang, Uncle Tie once said that Brother Shuo's horse is a Pegasus. What exactly is a Pegasus?" The "Uncle Tie" she was talking about was the cavalry general Pu Gu Huai'en who was sent to Xixi Villa by the Western Army. , was also a master of horse herding in Shuofang's army, and it was he who told Jiang Shuo that this seemingly unattractive old horse was a "Tianma".
Jing Zhencheng said: "The name of Tianma comes from the Han Dynasty. At first, the horse that Wusun paid tribute to was named Tianma. Later, because Dawan's sweat-blooded horse was more powerful, the sweat-blooded horse was also called Tianma. This is recorded in the Song of Tianma by Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty. "Taiyi pays homage to you under the heavenly horse. It is stained with red sweat and foam is flowing with ocher. It rides with you for thousands of miles. Now you have a dragon as your friend." "
Dugu asked: "The poem says that the Pegasus' sweat is red and its foam is ocher. I'm afraid it's not entirely true. It also says that the Pegasus is a species of dragon. Ordinary horses cannot match it and can only be friends. I'm afraid it's an exaggeration." "
Jing Zhencheng said: "That's right! In fact, all dynasties have never given up their efforts to breed with the fine horse breeds in the Western Regions. According to the "Hanshu Yinyi" records, Tianma lives on the high mountains of Dawan Kingdom, but it cannot be tamed by human power, so the locals at the foot of the mountain He raises the five-colored mare to lure the Pegasus, and the foal he gives birth to is called the son of the Pegasus."
Dugu Xiang covered his mouth and smiled: "I didn't expect this herd horse to be able to use beauty traps."
Jiang Shuo said, "I didn't expect Jing Lang to be so familiar with our Han classics. I have never heard of what you are talking about." Jiang Shuo has an excellent memory. If he has heard or seen something, it will definitely leave an impression.
Jing Zhencheng said: "My country sent envoys to the Tang Dynasty to study. They also knew that there were so many Han texts and classics that it would take hundreds of years to copy the books, let alone learning. Therefore, they sought specialization rather than a doctorate, such as Zhencheng Xuemu. As for horses, we only read the classics related to horse training and horse herding, so that each person can learn only one skill and achieve success in a short period of time, and then bring it back to the country to compile it."
Dugu Wen sighed: "The Japanese people are so diligent in learning, which is indeed admirable."
Dugu Xiang ignored this and said, "Jinglang, please go on."
Jing Zhencheng said: "Actually, there is not only one kind of Tianma. According to the "Book of Wei: Biography of Tuyuhun", the people of Tuyuhun also used a similar method to obtain good horses. There is a lake in Tuyuhun named Xihai. This lake is strange to say, with a radius of more than a thousand miles. , and the water is as clear as the sea and as salty as the sea, so it is called the "West Sea" or "Qinghai". There is a small mountain in the center of the West Sea. Every winter after the lake freezes, the Tuyuhun people will select strong mares and let them rest in the mountain. They will then take the mares back before the ice and snow melt in the next spring. These mares will have foals. The sacred horse was unusual and was named Dragon Seed. Therefore, the mountain in the center of the lake was named Longju Island. "
Dugu asked Nianxu: "I heard this story when I was in Longyou. The name of the good horse produced on the island in the center of the lake is Qinghai Cong. Unfortunately, Tuyuhun has been destroyed by Tubo. Now it enters Shibao City, the key point of the West Sea. It was also in the hands of Tubo, and the Tang people could not board Longju Island in the West Sea. "
When Jiang Shuo heard Dugu Wen mention "Stone Castle City", he thought that it was no wonder that the saint wanted to capture Stone Castle City, and he was probably also trying to compete for the dragon colt "Qinghai Cong". In fact, if he thinks this way, he is a bit underestimating today's saints. Shibao City guards the main route into Qinghai. Once Shibao City is controlled, there will no longer be any danger for the thousands of miles around the West Sea. In turn, Shibao City will be a big threat to the Qinghai Sea. Tang Dynasty was just a small border town. Even if it lost this city, Tang Dynasty would still have many barriers in Ningsai, Lintao and Xuanwei. Therefore, it is said that Shibao City is a must-win place for Tubo, but it is dispensable for the Tang Dynasty.
This is also the reason why Wang Zhongsi opposed the attack on Shibao City, but today's saint has long forgotten Yao Chong's warning, and only wants to expand the territory, so he wants to seize Shibao City. The purpose is to seize all Qinghai. land.
Jing Zhencheng said: "In the fifth year of the Sui Dynasty, Emperor Yang also herded mares on Longju Island. He wanted to obtain the "dragon seed" like the Tuyuhun people, but he failed. I don't know whether it was because the herding was illegal or because the rumors were untrue. However, during the Tang Dynasty, dragon-type Pegasus was obtained in another place according to this method.
. "
Dugu Xiang urged: "Where is it? Say it quickly!"
Jing Zhencheng said: "It is in the Yuezhi Grottoes. The Yuezhi Grottoes came from the area between Dunhuang and Qilian. During the Han Dynasty, they were expelled by the Xiongnu. They went as far as Wan and lived in the north of the Wei River. The Yuezhi Grottoes mentioned here are their hometown. Shazhou Dunhuang County."
Dugu Xiang asked: "A Pegasus was bred here?"
Jing Zhencheng said: "Yes, there is Yangguan in the south of Dunhuang City, and Longle Mountain in the south. There is water at the foot of the mountain called Wowa. It has been a place that has produced good horses since ancient times. In fact, apart from the mythical color, this place is also famous for raising horses and the mountains. Match wild horses to get a good colt.”
Dugu Xiang said: "Then how do you know that this old horse, Brother Shuo, is the Pegasus from Yuezhi Cave?"
Jing Zhencheng said: "The Pegasus produced here is very different from other places. At first glance, it looks unremarkable, but it has the so-called "tiger stripes and dragon wings". It is also said that the blue clouds can attract real dragons." You see, although this horse looks thin, it is extremely tall. It can be called a military horse at eight feet. The pronunciations of "Rong" and "Long" are similar. It seems that later generations mistakenly regarded "Rongma" as "Dragon horse". I only realized it when I heard it neighing. This is a magical horse. If you look carefully at the mottled fur on its rump and back, isn't it just "tiger stripes"? Look at the bones under his ribs..."
Jiang Shuo suddenly remembered the words of gratitude he heard from Pu Gu at Xixi Villa, and said, "Yes, Brother Pu Gu once said that the two kinds of bones are called "Tooth Bone Dragons". "
Jing Zhencheng praised: "What a 'Thru-bone Dragon'. The description of this horse's bones is really apt!" "
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