Datang: Stop pretending, you are a peerless expert

Mohe City in the Western Regions.

Simple stones are built into a low city wall, tents are set up inside the city wall, and camels, cattle, sheep and horses are scattered around the city wall.

There are also some brick and stone houses in the city, but not many.

People wearing fur clothes come and go, and occasionally some people wearing cotton clothes can be seen, but very few.

The mountaintops in the distance are covered with white snow, and the melted snow water begins to flow along the dry river.

This is where the tooth tent of the Western Turkic Khan Ashina Helu is located - Mohe City.

This place is located in the north of the Western Regions, next to the mountains in the north, there is a lot of snow, and there will be green grass after spring, which can be used for grazing.

But it is still very cold at this time, and spring here is very late.

The people gathered here are supported by Ashina Helu, the three most powerful ethnic groups in the Western Regions:
Zhishedi, Chumukun, and Pobi.

These people follow Ashina Helu wholeheartedly, which is the basis for him to become Khan.

A horse came galloping from the east, and the horse's hoof brought up a burst of dust.

Separated the cattle and sheep, rushed into Mohe City, and stopped in front of the stone house in the middle.

At the door stood a Turkic bodyguard with a scimitar hanging from his waist.

A man got off his horse and went straight into the house, but the guards didn't stop him.

Obviously, they know each other.

Into the room, there is singing and dancing.

Two musicians clapped a snare drum under their armpits, and several orchids were dancing. The orchids spun rapidly, and their long braids spread out, and together with the skirt, they looked like spring flowers.

Sitting on the stage was a man with a mustache. He was a little fat, with fierce eyes, and he looked very vigorously.

In his hand he holds a golden goblet with wine in it.

When he was happy, he raised his glass and drank it down, and the maid next to him filled it up again.

There were four people sitting beside him, a young man with a handsome appearance.

He is the son of Ashina Helu, Xi (xi) Yun.

The other three are men around the age of 50. They are the patriarchs of the Zhishedi, Chumukun and Pobi clans.

After the man walked in, he didn't dare to disturb Ashina Helu's interest, but he was very anxious, and stood aside and looked at Helu.

He raised the wine in his hand and drank it in one gulp.

Ashina Helu put down his wine glass and motioned for the musicians and dancers to back down.

The dancer left, but the elders of the three clans still had something to say.

"Khan, you danced just right, why didn't you jump all of a sudden?"

She asked, the patriarch of Zhishedi.

"Khan, I want to watch another song."

Chu Mukun's patriarch all laughed.

Ashina Helu shook his head, turned to the man standing at the door and said, "Sheye must have brought important news when he came back."

The man who came in was called Sheye, a Turkic spy who was responsible for collecting information about Datang.

She Ye reported: "Respected Khan, princes, and clan leaders."

"Information has just been sent from Chang'an City, and Li Shimin and Su Yu have set off."

"They sent a total of [-] troops, heading towards our Western Region desert."

The Western Turks have spies in Chang'an City, who specialize in collecting intelligence.

They use flying pigeons to pass books at a high speed.

Ashina Helu's expression changed suddenly, and he asked, "When did you set off?"

She Ye replied: "Three days ago, when Li Shimin left, our people sent a message from Chang'an City."

The three patriarchs were very surprised.

Sheti, the patriarch of Zhishedi, said: "It was said a few days ago that Li Shimin was going to go to war, but I didn't expect to go so soon."

Ashina Helu also felt strange, and did not expect to send troops at this time.

The snow-capped mountains have not yet melted. After a winter of hunger, the war horses are not full, and the cattle and sheep are also very thin.

In addition to the blizzard last winter, many cattle and sheep froze to death.

Meeting Li Shimin at this time, Ashina Helu yelled in his heart that something was wrong.

"This Li Shimin really knows how to choose the time. He will send troops in the spring."

Ashina Helu sneered.

He hoped that Li Shimin would send troops later so that he could catch his breath at least.

Wang Ziyun said: "Father, there is Su Yu in the Tang Dynasty. This man is full of tricks, and he saw that our Turkic cattle and sheep are not fat, and the war horses are not full."

"If we let them enter the Western Regions smoothly, we may be at a disadvantage."

Ashina Helu leaned in the arms of the beauty, closed his eyes and meditated.

After a while, He Lu opened his eyes and said, "They must be intercepted, and they cannot be allowed to enter the Western Regions so smoothly."

"Which one of you dares to go?"

He Lu looked at the patriarchs of the three clans and asked.

Sheti, the patriarch of Zhishedi, said: "Your Majesty, one hundred thousand warriors from our clan are willing to go."

Among the three clans, Zhishedi is the strongest, with more than 6 cavalry under his command, so it is called [-].

He Lu was overjoyed when he heard this and said: "Okay, this opportunity to lead the battle is given to you Zhishedi."

The other two clans wanted to argue, but He Lu had already decided to go to Sheti, so they didn't say anything.

She stood up, saluted with his hands on his heart, and shouted: "Don't worry, Your Majesty, I will definitely bring back the heads of Li Shimin and Su Yu."

After finishing speaking, Sheti sneered and left the room.

Ashina Helu smiled and said nothing.

The remaining two patriarchs were still there, He Lu said: "Li Shimin's army is coming, you also go to rectify the troops and prepare for the battle."

Chu Mukun and Pobi's patriarch stood up to thank them and left the room.

The remaining Turkic prince was lucky to be in the room.

After everyone left, Ashina Helu asked He Yun, "My lord, you have been to Chang'an City and met Su Yu. Tell your father what kind of person this Su Yu is."

Wang Ziyun went to Chang'an City last year with a caravan, disguised as a Hu merchant.

I also happened to meet Su Yu at that time.

Xi Yun said: "Father, my son has been to Chang'an City and met Su Yu once."

"This man looks like a rich man from a Han family, and he has no strengths."

"Especially this guy is lazy and doesn't look like a fighter at all."

He Yun was in the restaurant at that time, just when Su Yu passed by, riding a white horse, and slowly entered the city.

The Chang'an woman by the road screamed and cheered.

At that time, He Yun didn't understand very much.

What's so good about a person like Su Yu, he's not tall at all, he doesn't have a beard on his face, and he doesn't have a murderous look on his body.

In the desert, people like Su Yu would not live long.

Ashina Helu's eyes flashed a sly look.

"What you mean is that Su Yu is actually not very good, and the news we got is false."

He Lu asked.

According to Xi Yun's description, Su Yu is not a god of war at all.

He Yun shook his head and said, "I think he can't even defeat our ordinary Turkic warriors, so how could he be the God of War?"

"But...everyone says that, in case Su Yu deliberately hides his strength."

"Father knows that the people of Tang Dynasty are full of tricks and often deceive us."

"Also, it is said that the two waves of assassins we sent to Chang'an City all died in the hands of Su Yu."

He was talking about the lone wolf and the wizard Kuti, of course.

You use the word "it is said" because none of the assassins sent out came back alive.

He Yun didn't know whether Su Yu killed him or not.

Ashina Helu nodded and said: "Wang'er is right, you can't trust Tang people, they are too cunning, as cunning as wolves in the desert."

"However. What kind of person Su Yu is, we will know soon."

Seeing that there was something in He Lu's words, He Yun asked, "Did your father make any arrangements?"

He Lu asked the beauty to pour a glass of wine, and drank it in one gulp.

"Ah."

He Lu smiled meaningfully.