Tibet

Winter in the river comes at a moment’s notice.

In the blink of an eye, it was mid-October, and the first light snow fell one after another.

The western part of Yibohai was also shrouded in heavy snow. Thousands of Geluolu herdsmen lived here. They were the Geluolu people who used to belong to the Tashili tribe. Now the Talishi tribe has disappeared, and they have been merged into the Geluolu tribe of the Po'an tribe. Luolu.

As winter approaches, every household is storing food, making yogurt, and settling their flocks for the winter.

That morning, a cavalry force of several thousand people suddenly came from the northwest and rushed into the unprepared herdsmen's area. Screams and cries broke out instantly. The cavalry was extremely brutal and they killed without mercy. Men and old people were left, leaving only women and young children. The originally peaceful and peaceful herdsman area suddenly fell into a bloody storm.

From a herdsman family in the far south, a strong herdsman helped his wife and young son onto their horses and shouted: "I'll cover you, run away!"

The horse ran a hundred paces in one breath. When the wife looked back, she saw her husband holding a spear and desperately blocking a dozen cavalrymen trying to catch up. He killed three people in a row, but there were too many of them, and they were quickly cut down to the ground by the cavalry. .

The wife screamed in grief and turned her horse to rush back, but the son in her arms burst into tears, which suddenly woke her up, and she galloped away to the south.

The Tang Army had a garrison in the northernmost part of the Chu River Valley. To the north of the garrison was the southern pasture of Yibohai, and to the east was the Yili River Valley. The garrison was located at the intersection of the two roads, and there were ten soldiers here. garrison.

The first snow has arrived, and the soldiers at the garrison are packing up and preparing to withdraw to Broken Leaf. As usual, only two soldiers are left to guard the place in winter.

The soldiers were in a good mood. Although they did not participate in the Battle of Juzhanti, each of them was given sixty gold coins, which is equivalent to sixty coins. This money can buy several acres in their respective hometowns. land.

But the soldiers were very realistic. What they thought about was not the land, but rushing back to Suiye City, spending a few gold coins, going to a restaurant to eat and drink, and then find a Tuqishi prostitute to sleep well for a few days.

Suddenly, a soldier pointed to the north and shouted from the top of the fort. Everyone stopped packing their belongings and looked to the north. They were all shocked to see a huge team of herdsmen coming from the north under snowflakes. Come.

They drove a cart, which contained tents and belongings. The elderly and children were also sitting in the cart. The sheep were driven on both sides of the cart. The loyal hounds guarded the left and right, chasing the stray sheep back at any time.

The team was more than ten miles long and contained thousands of households. The soldiers recognized them as the Tuqishi tribe living in the southern part of Yibohai.

The Chu River Valley, the Yili River Valley, the south of the Yibo Sea, and the surrounding areas of Rehai, these four areas were directly under the Tang Dynasty, and all the people living in these four areas, whether they were Han people or nomadic tribes, They all belong to the subjects of the Emperor of Tang Dynasty and are legal residents of the Tang Dynasty. They have household registration in Suiye, pay taxes to the Suiye government every year, and are also protected by the Suiye government.

This Tuqishi tribe is a legal resident registered in Suiye. They live on the vast pastures in the south of Yibohai. But when winter comes, why do they suddenly move south?

The soldiers were very surprised, and the leader, the fire chief, rode up to meet him.

The rice harvest in Suiye City was abundant in early October, which solved the food problem of the Tang army.

In the past few months, the Tang Army has been conducting targeted plateau training to prepare for military operations next year.

Perhaps the 200,000 gold coins had an effect. Li Ye and Feng Changqing reached a new consensus. The Anxi Army would not completely abandon the Big and Small Bolu, and would work with the Hezhong Army to wipe out the Tubo Army of the Big and Small Bolu and completely seal them off. The Tibetan army's westward advance.

Otherwise, it would be difficult for the Hezhong Army to wipe out the Tibetan armies of Big and Small Bolu.

In the afternoon, Li Ye returned from inspecting the pasture outside the city. The wind was so strong last night that a sheep shed outside the city collapsed, killing more than 300 sheep. Hundreds of soldiers were dispatched to repair and reinforce the shed overnight, saving other sheep sheds.

The Hezhong Army has 600,000 sheep. Ensuring that the sheep survive the winter safely is also a big problem.

As soon as we arrived at the steps of the government office, Chief Shi Xie Jin came out and said, "Captain, something big has happened!"

Li Ye turned over and dismounted and asked, "What happened?"

"Just now, soldiers from the garrison came to report that thousands of herdsmen from the south of Yibohai have gone south and have entered the river valley. They will soon reach Suiye City."

This news was really surprising. Li Ye frowned and asked, "Did you tell me the reason?"

"The reporting soldier said it might be an alien invasion?"

"Let's go take a look!"

Li Ye did not bother to rest, and led a dozen officials and a large number of soldiers out of Suiye City and headed north of Suiye City.

After only running for more than ten miles, we encountered a mighty herdsman team ahead.

The team stopped, and Germain, the leader of the Tuqishi, was led up.

The chief bowed and said, "Please help us, Governor Li!"

Li Ye nodded, "You have to tell me what happened first before I can help you!"

“We received news that a large cavalry team attacked the Geluolu tribe to the west of Yibohai, killing people and setting fires, committing all kinds of evil. We were worried that their next target would be the southern part of Yibohai, so we decided to go south for refuge. "

"Is the news true? Where is the cavalry team?" Li Ye asked again.

"I don't know where the cavalry is, but the news is definitely true. It was the wife of the Geluolu warrior Zah who escaped to report that her husband Zah had been killed by the invading cavalry to protect their mother and son."

"How many intruders were there?"

"Zah's wife said there were many people, at least several thousand, but they were all wearing armor and carrying spears."

Li Ye nodded and said to Xie Jin: "Take them to Helie City to settle down temporarily for the winter. There is open space there. After spring, let them go to the Yili River Valley."

Xie Jin immediately arranged for officials to lead the team toward Helie City.

Li Ye sent another team of cavalry scouts to Yibohai to inquire about the news. Although it was already winter, it would not really enter the cold winter season when heavy snow blocked roads and made it difficult to walk until mid-November.

"Where do you think the cavalry is from?" Xie Jin asked in a low voice.

Li Ye said slowly: "Cavalry in armor are no ordinary nomads. They are at least a relatively powerful country. There is only the Khazar Khanate within two to three thousand miles of the Yibo Sea to the west."

Xie Jin shook his head, "I have never heard of the Khazar Khanate!"

Li Ye pondered for a moment and said: "I heard King Murdo of Bukhanna mention this country. They are actually the Gesa tribe among the nine Uighur tribes. They still lived in the Yili Valley during the Sui Dynasty. Later, they were defeated by the Turks, and they went to It migrated westward between the northern Caspian Sea and the Aral Sea, and is now a relatively powerful khanate. The entire kingdom collectively converted to Judaism around the first year of Tianbao. To the east of the Khazar Khanate is the Great Qin Kingdom."

Xie Jin frowned, "Why did the cavalry of the Khazar Khanate come to Yibohai?"

Li Ye shook his head, "I don't know the specific reason, but Nalman, the chief of the Pogo tribe, should send someone to inform us soon. He should know better than us."

After temporarily settling the Tuqi Shi people who had fled, Li Ye returned to his residence in Suiye City.

Li Ye still lives in Sui Ye Gui Hotel, which is a private courtyard. Other officials have their own temporary residences. Basically, every official has a woman beside him to take care of him.

They were brought there by Ju Zhanti. Li Ye thought carefully and arranged a concubine for each of them. Even Yu Chiguang, Wang Yu, Wu Tai and others also had their own wives.

Li Ye also has a little maid beside him. The little lady he brought back from Samarkand is well-off.

Li Ye walked back to the yard, Xiaokang burst out with a smile on his face and said: "The young master is back!"

"Is there any hot tea?"

"Yes, it was fried just now, and I knew the young master would be back soon."

"How do you know?" Li Ye asked with a smile.

"Feeling! My feeling is always accurate."

Li Ye laughed loudly, "Did you make yourself a pot of tea? You were going to eat cookies, but I came back."

"Where is it? Go drink tea quickly!"

Xiaokang's secret was guessed by Li Ye. She blushed and pushed Li Ye in quickly.