Three Kingdoms

Chang'an.

A sudden military intelligence report made Fei Qian's initially relaxed mood start to become a little troubled again.

After Pang Tong looked at it, he shook his head, and then said: "This matter... Since Li Changshi has invited troops, it must be useful... Yarkand, well, after Yarkand... is Kangju... and then... Shule, after Shule... Forget it, I am also a little dizzy. Pei Wenxing knows about the affairs of the Western Regions, why not ask him to come over and ask a question? 』

Yes, there is a problem in the Western Region.

The Western Region is now like gruel that has been heated up. It pops out. Not only is there heat, but there is also water, rice grains, etc. mixed together. Of course, it is not ruled out that there are mouse droppings or gravel inside. Broken glass or something...

After Lu Bu defeated King Fei Yun of Juqu, he further expanded his territory in the Western Regions and once again erected the name and banner of the Han family in the Western Regions. However, the changes that followed made Li Ru They are all a bit overwhelmed.

Fei Qian also thought that there would be chaos in the Western Region, but he did not expect that it would be so chaotic.

The beginning of this chaos in the Western Regions, Li Ru said, started from Shache Kingdom and Xiaoyueshi...

Fei Qian also had a headache when he looked at the map of the Western Region. Xiao Yueshi, Fei Qian generally knows, but Shache Kingdom... Sun Monkey has seventy-two changes, and Zhu Bajie has thirty-six changes, so the Western Region happens to be a pig, with thirty-six changes swinging around. , Fei Qian has worked very hard to smooth out the relationship, but he is still a little confused.

Soon, Pei Xi and Pei Wenxing arrived and came to pay their respects. Pei Xi's original name was also just "Qian", but because there was Fei Qian standing in the way, he silently changed his name to "Xi".

"I heard that Wen Xing knew something about the Western Regions. Would you like to quote a few words?" To clear up someone's confusion..." Fei Qian asked Pei Xi to sit down and asked straight to the point.

"I obey the order of the hussar..." Pei Xi replied respectfully. Regarding the Western Regions, the Pei family was somewhat more proficient and concerned about the gentry family among the Han Dynasty. Of course, if we say that the Han Dynasty’s first diplomat in the Western Regions, it was Ban Shi. Unfortunately, after Ban Chao and Ban Gu, Ban Shi either died in the Western Regions or in the hands of his own people. Then Ban Shi also declined and completely withdrew from the Han Dynasty. Han Dynasty Hall.

Among the Pei family's ancestors, there were two governors of Dunhuang, and Dunhuang is undoubtedly a key node in the Western Regions, so some records of the countries in the Western Regions have been passed down, which has become Pei Xi's advantage today.

"At the beginning of the reign of Emperor Guangwu, the imperial court had no time to look westward, so the king of Shache in the south, Yan and his son Kang, led the troops and supported the banner of the Han family. "Pei Xi is really familiar with it. Speaking of brakes, well, when he came to Shache Kingdom, he just thought about it for a moment and then talked eloquently, "After Yan died, his son Kang came to the throne. At that time, he had an old relationship with Hexi General Dou, so he asked him to He went to court on his behalf and was appointed as the Protector of the Western Regions..."

So, Yarkand is actually pro-Han? So why has it now become a force against the Han Dynasty?

Although Fei Qian had questions, he did not interrupt Pei Xi, but let him continue.

"Guangwu said that the mainland was initially decided, and he did not hesitate to look outside, but he did not agree to the invitation. After Shachekang died, his younger brother Xian came to the throne. ” Pei Xi continued, “Please be kind again. At that time, Duke Zhou of Dou expressed his loyalty, saying that Shacha would remain unswerving for generations, and that he was a loyal man, and that he would be allowed to do so with great military prowess. Later, he granted the virtuous person the title of Protector of the Western Regions, and a number of splendid chariots and flags..."

Pang Tong put his palms on the side and smiled and said: "Yes, and then it is "Yidi cannot pretend to be powerful"! "This is Pei's highlight moment. No wonder Pei Xi is so familiar with it.

Pei Xi nodded awkwardly and said, "What Pang Lingjun said is true..."

Pang Tong chuckled, then waved his hand, indicating to Pei Xi to continue.

The words Pang Tong said before were actually said by Pei Zun, who was the prefect of Dunhuang at that time. At that time, Pei Zun was very opposed to King Yarkand's appointment as the Protector of the Western Regions, and he even went so far as to openly disobey his orders. Not only did he detain the Yarkand envoys, he also deprived the Yarkand Kingdom of the seals, ribbons and splendid flags that Guangwu had given him.

When Pei Xi said this, he secretly glanced at Fei Qian.

Fei Qian didn't show any special look on his face. Why, it's Pei Xi. What do you think I should say or show?

Seeing that Feiqian was as motionless as a mountain, Pei Xi could only continue to narrate.

From then on, the Shache Kingdom completely turned against the Han Dynasty. The process of King Xian of Yarkand's ascension to the throne was not glorious. There are even rumors that he killed King Kang of Yarkand, and then took action against Kang's vassal tribes Kumi and Xiye, constantly killing people from neighboring countries and asking for taxes. , ambitious, violent and arrogant.

From this perspective, Pei Zun's opposition is correct to a certain extent, but...

Fei Qian squinted his eyes and rubbed the beard on his chin.

Of course, Liu Xiu still has to bear the blame.

Liu Xiu didn't know whether it was because he was old, or because he felt that the Western Region was far away, and it was better to do less than to do more. When Wang Xian of Shache began to retaliate against some tribes and countries in the Western Region that were more friendly to the Han, Bushan and Che Shi Shi and other eighteen countries sent envoys to Luoyang to meet with Guangwu. They expressed that King Xian of Shache was tyrannical and begged the court to send a guardian. Then Emperor Guangwu said, "Today the envoys and soldiers are not able to come out because the countries are unable to do what they want. North and south are at ease..."

"Although there was Marquis Dingyuan later who opened the Western Region again, but..." Pei Xi couldn't help but sigh softly, "Marquis Dingyuan was loyal to the Han Dynasty and allowed the Han Dynasty to connect to the Western Region three times. It's a pity..."

The Ban family is a tragedy.

Fei Qian generally knows something about this.

Going back on his word led to the decline of the Han's prestige, and then he pretended not to hear the request for help, which caused a heavy blow to the pro-Han people in the Western Regions. From this perspective, Guangwu did not do very well.

Later, during the period of Emperor Ming, the Southern Xiongnu had surrendered to the Han Dynasty, and the power of Yarkand in the Western Regions had also declined, and the chaos among the countries became even more chaotic. At that time, Geng Bing, the emissary of the Servants, wrote a letter suggesting that troops should be sent to restore control of the Western Regions. Emperor Ming accepted this suggestion and sent The soldiers attacked in all directions.

The first three armies had mediocre results, but the last army led by Dou Gu reached the eastern Tianshan Mountains, defeated the Xiongnu Nanhuyan King stationed in Yiwu, chased him to Puleihai, and established Yihedu in the Yiwu area. Wei, who left officials and scholars to garrison Yiwu City, opened a new channel of communication between the Han Dynasty and the Western Regions.

At the same time, with the support of the military power of the Han Dynasty, Ban Chao also achieved great success in his activities in the Western Regions. He traveled among the countries in the Western Regions and easily killed the envoys of the Northern Huns, forcing many Western Regions countries to have to Returned to the big man...

This is Ban Chao's first link between the Han Dynasty and the Western Regions.

Although Ban Chao's success was due to his personal wisdom and courage, it also proved once again that "a weak country has no diplomacy". Unfortunately, after the death of Emperor Ming, people in Shandong began to advocate the idea of ​​wasting people and wasting money in the Western Regions. "We conquered the Xiongnu in the north, opened thirty-six kingdoms in the west, served for many years, and spent a lot of money on transportation. We also stationed in Yiwu, Loulan, and Cheshiwuji far away. The people were homesick for their country and resented the border towns." "Let's stop the border villages", and once again gave up the authority of the Western Region that was finally obtained.

Later, Ban Chao was very distressed by this situation. He violated the instructions of Emperor Zhang and joined forces with the Shule tribe, which was friendly to the Han Dynasty, to attack the Northern Xiongnu forces who were still in the Western Region at that time. He also led Shule, Kangju, Khotan, Kumi and others The tribes and people conquered Gumo and expelled most of the Northern Xiongnu forces in the Western Regions...

During this process, Ban Chao did not receive much support from Emperor Zhang of Han.

Seeing that the Western Regions had become more advantageous again, the Shandong nobles began to say that the countries in the Western Regions "relied on the Han and relied on the sky" and so on. Only in this way did reinforcements come...

Ban Chao had been waiting for this reinforcement for fifteen years.

This is the second pass.

Although Ban Chao was given a lot of honors on the surface, Ban Chao's disobedience to the imperial edict was always recorded in a small notebook, so much so that Ban Chao, who was old and seriously ill, requested to return to Luoyang and cried in the above table. , "I dare not see Jiuquan County, but I hope to be born in Yumen Pass..."

As a result, Banchao had applied for approval for three years, but still could not get approval.

Later, his sister Ban Zhao went to the palace in person and wrote to Emperor He in person. In full view of everyone, he got Emperor He's permission. After that, Ban Chao finally returned to Luoyang and died that year.

Then the third pass was completed by Ban Chao's son, Ban Yong.

Under the brutal management of the newly dispatched Protector of the Western Regions, the Western Regions fell into chaos again. A few knowledgeable people insisted on safeguarding the great cause of Hanwu and unifying the Western Regions. However, most people in Shandong opposed sending troops and wasted money on people and money. Hanging out in front of the emperor. The struggle between these two factions had its ups and downs, and the court's decisions also went back and forth. As most of the court was eventually controlled by the Shandong gentry, and the internal political corruption became more and more serious, the conflicts between the upper and lower classes became more and more acute, and the national power Weakened, so they gave up their idea of ​​retreating to Yumen in the Western Regions, and they became more and more dominant.

Later, although Ban Yong, the son of Ban Chao, was appointed as the chief historian of the Western Regions, only 500 people were given...

With such a weak force, if they want to go out of the Jade Gate and reopen the situation in the Western Regions, not only the dissenting dignitaries shook their heads and sneered, but Ban Yong himself also bravely stepped out of the country with a death wish.

Perhaps it was Ban Chao's heroic spirit who protected him, or perhaps Ban Yong was half of the Shule Wang family. The development of the situation far exceeded his expectations. The next year, Shanshan was the first to express its allegiance, and then Kucha surrendered in the face of a thorn. With the support of three countries, Ban Yong once again defeated King Yili of the Northern Huns and successfully opened up the Western Region.

On this basis, Ban Yong continued his efforts, summoned tens of thousands of troops from various countries, and completely destroyed the Northern Huns' lair in the Western Regions. King Huyan of the Northern Xiongnu fled, and more than 20,000 of his people surrendered. The Shanyu of the Northern Xiongnu led the army, and was captured Ban Yong fights back...

The Western Regions were once again connected with the Han Dynasty under the banner of Banshi. But for such a warrior, Ban Yong also followed almost the same path as his father.

Ban Yong and Zhang Lang, the governor of Dunhuang, attacked Yanqi in two groups. Ban Yong went from the south road, and Zhang Lang went from the north road. They agreed on a date to meet at Yanqi City. However, Zhang Lang was eager to seek credit for his previous sins, so he arrived early and did not wait for Ban Yong. He led his army to attack in advance, and the result was a defeat. He won and beheaded more than 2,000 people. The Yanqi people were afraid, so they sent an envoy to ask for surrender. Zhang Lang then entered Yanqi City directly, accepted the surrender and returned.

As a result, Zhang Lang's meritorious service in this battle offset his previous charges, while Ban Yong was conscripted back to Luoyang, Kyoto, and was imprisoned and exempted from official duties because of the so-called "Chi Jun". Although Ban Yong was pardoned soon after, he never went to court again and later died at home.

This is not the most tragic thing about Ban's family. Ban's sorrow has continued to the third generation.

Ban Chao's grandson, Ban Shi, although he married Princess Yincheng and looked good on the surface, this Princess Yincheng was also a famous cuckold wholesaler in history. She didn't even mention an excuse to do her hair in front of Ban Chao. In front of her, she summoned her favored pile driver. Finally, Ban Shi couldn't bear it anymore and beheaded Princess Yincheng in half. However, he was sentenced to be quartered by Emperor Shun of the Han Dynasty because of this. He also killed all the Ban family members.

Fei Qian touched the beard on his chin, then looked at Pei Xi, and finally felt that Pei Xi emphasized these things about Ban Chao, especially the unfair treatment of the three generations of Ban Chao by the Shandong gentry. It seemed that he was expressing something extra. mean……

Are you saying that the Western Regions have always suppressed rebellions and revolted?

Or are you saying that no matter how much Fei Qian does for the Western Regions, he still won't be recognized by the Han nobles, especially those in Shandong?

Or is it that even if he opens up the Western Region, even if Fei Qian becomes successful and famous, he will inevitably end up being feared by the court like Marquis Dingyuan, and will eventually bring harm to his descendants?

Or...

The hidden meanings of Pei Xi are indeed remarkable.

After all, Fei Qian has now obtained the Xijing Shangshu Desk, which is considered a landmark institution on a political level. Although it is not yet complete and some things are still subject to restrictions, in the eyes of Pei Xi and others, even if these restrictions exist, it is speculated that they will be eliminated in the near future...

The issues Fei Qian was considering were not quite the same as what Pei Xi was thinking.

Regarding the Western Regions, after listening to Pei Xi's introduction, Fei Qian vaguely had a conceptual framework for a big topic...

Ban Chao and his son made three connections to the Western Regions. Although it highlighted the brave spirit of Ban Chao and his son, it also showed that in fact, even Ban Chao, or the entire Han Dynasty, took very rough measures against the outside world.

At the same time, Ban Chao and his son achieved three connections to the Western Regions, but the Shandong nobles couldn't see the mystery? You must know that both Ban Chao and Ban Yong did not have many manpower at the beginning. It is not like the Shandong nobles who talk about "wasting people and money and ruining the foundation" every day. Even if it is really wasting people and money, three hundred and five hundred soldiers can do it. How can you get hurt by overwork? Therefore, the focus of the debate in the Han Dynasty was not really whether the people worked or not, but what lay behind them.

But now Fei Qian has a new idea about the countries in the Western Region, and he can even mix in some personal belongings to promote and solve some previous problems.

"Send the order to Jia Wenhe!" Prepare military supplies in Longxi! Fei Qian finally gave the order, "Soldiers will enter Hexi soon!" ” No matter what, the Western Region cannot be given up, and this time, the Western Region will be dealt with according to Fei Qian’s ideas!