Styx.
This is a very magical river.
In the land of China, all rivers flow eastward.
For example, Li Bai said: "The water of the Yellow River comes up from the sky and rushes to the sea never to return. The Tianmen interrupts the opening of the Chu River, and the clear water flows eastwards until this point."
Li Yu: "Asking you how much sorrow you can have is like a river of spring water flowing eastward."
Su Shi: "Go to the east of the Yangtze River and sweep away all the heroes, and you will find all the romantic figures of the ages."
Huh?
The River Styx, it just doesn't, it just flows backwards, and it's as fickle as a woman.
It originates from the snow-capped mountains in the northern and southern mountains of Shule. After the ice and snow melt, it jumps down the mountain like an elf, calling friends along the way, and runs towards the Gobi Desert where the hunger is like a big man.
Perhaps because this big man was too good to eat, Styx slowed down, suddenly changed direction, and rushed straight along the foot of Beishan, towards the long-awaited lake - Lop Nur.
From now on, there is no way out.
However, it was this Styx River that allowed countless oases to appear in this desert, becoming the gateway connecting the Central Plains and the Western Regions.
In July, the Styx River has a huge amount of water, which has flooded the passable roads. If people want to cross this river, they must use pontoons or wooden bridges.
The surging river water, carrying turbid sediment, rushed toward the southwest, and all the bridges on the river were destroyed by the order of Qu Wentai, the king of Gaochang.
If the Tang army wanted to cross the river, they had to build a pontoon bridge. According to the amount of water at this time, it would be impossible to cross the river to the north or south unless they kept going north, but this would take a lot of time.
When Xuanzang went to Yiwu, he smuggled across here on horseback. The water volume was a little small at that time, so he asked someone, walked ten miles north from Yumen Pass, rode a horse, and smuggled across in the middle of the night.
Qu Wentai, the king of Gaochang, led thousands of his bodyguards and stood by the river, looking at Yumen Pass across the river.
"Hahaha, I would like to see how the Tang army crosses the river?"
This time, he led a large army to raid the Yumen Pass of the Tang Army and the three military fortresses on the edge of the Styx River, killing all the defenders inside. When the Tang Army arrived, they would definitely be furious.
Especially the King of Shu, when he heard this person's name, he became angry and itched his teeth.
This shame of the Sui Dynasty, he should not exist in this world.
If the King of Shu dares to cross this river, he won't mind letting this living King of Hell be the real King of Hell.
"King, there is a secret report from the other side of the river..."
A horse came galloping in the distance. He dismounted and knelt down on one knee to report.
"Bring it..."
The visitor handed over a sheepskin, which was filled with dense Chinese characters, and the reign name of Emperor Yang of Sui Dynasty was still used.
After reading this, Qu Wentai said with a gloomy face: "King Shu, you little beast, you really dare to attack me. I am the King of Gaochang who was personally canonized by your grandfather."
"I will never collude with that treacherous Li Shimin."
"This king is the true legacy of the former dynasty, and I am the orthodox one..."
"Li Shimin is just a dog of the Sui Dynasty. He is so virtuous and capable that he can be the emperor of the Central Plains."
…
In fact, most of the people in Gaochang State are Han Chinese. Even the royal family of the Qu family are also Han people. Gaochang State is also the only country in the entire Western Region established by Han people.
The Han people who first settled here were the garrison soldiers who immigrated here from the Hexi area in order to open up fields for border defense in the late period of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty.
Later, Li Guangli's second expedition to the Kingdom of Dawan failed. When he returned, he left behind a large number of old, weak, sick and disabled people, and these people were integrated into the local tribes.
During the reign of Emperor Xuan of the Han Dynasty, soldiers were sent to settle here with their families. During the reign of Emperor Yuan, a military barrier was built, saying that "the terrain is high and open, and the people are prosperous". From then on, it was called Gaochang, and a school captain was set up to rule Gaochang.
During the Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties, this place was ruled successively by Qianliang, Qianqin, Houliang, Xiliang and Northern Liang.
After that, they experienced the rule of the Kan family, the Zhang family, and the Ma family. Until the period of Emperor Xiaowen of the Northern Wei Dynasty, the Qu family replaced the Ma family, established themselves as king, and established the Gaochang Kingdom.
Gaochang under the rule of the Qu family basically followed the political system of the Central Plains Dynasty. Four counties and eighteen counties were established within the territory, and the city was built according to the city of the Central Plains Dynasty.
In the early years of the Sui Dynasty, Gaochang was invaded by the Turks, and then became dependent on the Turks. In the fourth year of Daye, Emperor Yang Guang of the Sui Dynasty sent a large army to the west. He first captured Yiwu and established Yiwu County, and then captured Gaochang under the control of the Turks. Help the Qu family recover their country.
Emperor Yang Guang of the Sui Dynasty consecrated Qu Wentai's father Qu Boya as the King of Gaochang. Gaochang became a vassal state of the Sui Dynasty. Yang Guang conquered Goguryeo three times, and King Qu Boya of Gaochang personally led his army to conquer Goguryeo.
Later, Yang Guang betrothed Princess Huarong, the royal daughter, to King Qu Boya of Gaochang. In the 14th year of the Great Cause, the Sui Dynasty fell apart. King Qu Boya of Gaochang still ordered his son Qu Wentai to lead troops to rescue.
But also in this year, Qu Boya, the king of Gaochang, passed away. Yang Guang conferred Qu Wentai as the king of Gaochang and asked Qu Wentai to return to Gaochang to preside over matters.
After Qu Wentai returned to Gaochang, he heard that Yang Guang had been killed by the traitor Yuwen. He set up a mourning hall toward the east to see off Sui Yang Emperor Yang Guang, and then married his stepmother, Princess Huarong, as his queen.
After the founding of the Tang Dynasty, the Tang army directed its troops towards the four counties of Hexi. Yiwu, the small neighbor next door, defected to the Tang Dynasty. However, Qu Wentai, the king of Gaochang, united with the Turks, preventing the Tang Dynasty from moving forward.
This has formed the current structure.
However, after Li Shimin ascended the throne, the world changed. That bastard Li Shimin killed the Turks who dominated the north in one battle. He was so frightened that he quickly took his stepmother to Chang'an for an audience.
After this trip, shameless Li Shimin insisted on giving his stepmother the surname Li and the title of Princess Chang Le.
His stepmother's surname is Yang, you bastard, you are just rubbing salt into the wound, do you know that?
Although Nima is always happy, he is often unhappy.
Nai He had to bow his head under the eaves and returned to Gaochang with his stepmother surnamed Li.
However, the Tang Dynasty's distant water could not quench its thirst. The Western Turks controlled the countries in the Western Regions and stared at them, often sending envoys to threaten them.
For the sake of Gao Changguo, he could only sway back and forth and act like a faggot.
Li Shimin and the Western Turks wooed him and threatened him...
In the final analysis, it was for the smooth flow of trade routes that Li Shimin asked him to open up trade routes and not be able to eat alone. However, the Western Turks did not let him open up trade routes, fearing that the Tang Dynasty would do something to them after controlling Gaochang through the economy.
He didn't want to let go. It was good to eat alone. If he changed the products on both sides, he would be able to feed the people of Gaochang. His mouth was full of oil after eating these years.
But in recent years, Datang's development had been so fast that it made him fear from the bottom of his heart. It seemed that if he didn't open trade routes, Li Shimin would do something to him.
Until last year, my friend Tuyuhun from next door went to Datang to propose marriage.
This is so bad, Tubo also went to propose marriage, Xue Yantuo also went to propose marriage, even that little bastard Yiwu also went to propose marriage...
This was a good opportunity, so he also went to propose marriage. Although he had married his stepmother and was canonized as Princess Chang Le by Li Shimin, he was not of Tang Dynasty Li family's blood after all.
But everyone rushed to propose marriage, but in the end they got nothing. That boy Tuyuhun was so fierce that he directly attacked his city.
This is bad news!
Li Shimin was like a violent little lion, and he killed the king of Tuyuhun coolly.
For a moment, the entire Western Region opened their eyes and looked to the east.
Biquge
