Realm of Power

The white snow on the top of the rolling mountains looks like a new dress between heaven and earth when viewed from a distance. Between the undulating mountains, you can occasionally see the stretching rivers and small villages dotted in the distance of the field of vision. The ups and downs of arrows show a different scene from this white world. Yanzhou has been thought to be called China since ancient times. Bia Cangqiong is not only because of its geographical location, but also because the terrain of Yanzhou is obviously much higher than the southern part of Central Bia. It is like a huge fence, protecting the large plain area south of the fence. , this fence faces south, with the smoke and clouds of the Imperial Capital, the magnificence of the great river, and the flourishing osmanthus flowers in the south,

To the north of this fence, there is the cold wind from the north, which is like a Shura field. The different climates and temperaments of the two regions have caused the Zambians in the south to be good at construction, while the grassland people in the north are good at plundering. , one is a housekeeper, and the other is a bandit. For thousands of years, Yanzhou has been the center of competition between the farming people within the fence and the nomadic people outside the fence. It is also the throat where the north and south regions clash.

The boundaries are almost invisible here because they are never really determined

Every time when the Zhongbia dynasty was strong, the Zhongbia people would cross Yanzhou and attack the North Grassland. Similarly, when the North Grassland was strong, there would be a series of beacon fires on the border, and countless grassland nomadic cavalry would rush southward. In such an area, The border line only exists under the hooves of the warriors. One step forward is a foreign country, one step back is the homeland.

At this moment, under the snow-capped mountains in the north of Yanzhou, countless grassland tents covered the earth like dense flocks of sheep, carrying the flags of various grassland ministries fluttering in the wind.

Such a large-scale gathering has never happened since the Yelu family fell from the position of leader of the group, the Yelu Group was divided internally, and the Fengtai tribe was defeated by the empire, and was subsequently divided and strangled by various departments. But now, the Yelu group at the center The King's Flag is the tallest, like a sharp sword pointing straight into the sky, indicating the determination to unify the northern grassland with force. This land, the most beautiful in the June season, is about to be filled with war.

Prairie people have always had the habit of surrounding markets. This large-scale gathering in the north of Yanzhou attracted a large number of imperial merchants who were attracted by the news, numbering more than 2,000.

The army of prairie people gathered here, and they spread out outside the camp. They had imperial status, and they were not afraid of the tough and capable prairie people. There were even many businessmen, and they were also the VIPs flocked to by all the prairie tribes. They temporarily set up a market. It is two or three miles long and sells everything from weapons and armors to A variety of commodities were found, which also gave the grassland tribes the most intuitive understanding of the vastness and power of the empire for the first time. Although they were all merchants of the empire, they spoke a variety of different spoken languages ​​and came from dozens of countries. It's a bit confusing to the grassland tribes. How big is the empire and how many countries has it conquered?

Although imperial merchants and imperial goods can be seen in Central Asia, they are only scattered here and there. Such a large gathering and all kinds of novel things simply make the prairie nobles almost fanatical. , I can’t even move my eyes away.

A tribal noble showed off a war horse that he bought at a high price and was wearing a full imperial vest. As a result, he was laughed at by his companion who was riding on an elephant that was as big as a hill. The man from Istanbul hugged his waist and had slender legs. The long-waisted beauty, over there, I saw someone followed by several strong men with black satin-like bodies. The comparison between people was so irritating that the imperial merchants even deliberately evoked the grassland. The nobles' desire for comparison and various things that can only be traded on the black market are also blatantly displayed here. In just a few days, many prairie nobles have squandered countless amounts here. One of them is a temporary tent. The restaurant was set up, and the proprietress from the Empire was smiling brightly. The tent was already full, and the few tables set up outside were also filled with drinkers.

It was already a custom for the prairie people to drink before the war. After staying in Central and South-Bia for two years, even the poorest prairie people had a certain amount of savings at this time. No one would save a few drinks and follow The imperial merchants behind also made a lot of money. Although the imperial wine was not as strong as the prairie wine, it was still With the name of the empire, the taste is not bad. In fact, in the past two years, the grassland people in Central Asia have gradually become accustomed to the taste of the fruit wine shipped by imperial merchants from the Western Continent. It is spicy and sweet. Especially in the scorching heat of June, many prairie drinkers flock to the imperial fruit wine chilled with ice.

The table was full, and there were still people asking for drinks from behind, and no one had any intention of leaving immediately. The proprietress had to move out a few stools. The prairie people didn't care, they just drank from the big bowls. Eat meat together. Under normal circumstances, these drinking prairie men would , or even joke a few words with the proprietress, but today, they all seemed to turn to the northern horizon in unison, "We are about to enter the grassland. What do you think of the North King Court sending people?" A grassland man fiercely He took a deep breath, and under his messy hair, his eyes were frighteningly red.

"What the hell is the North King's Court? Damn, I only serve the empire now, no matter what the North King's Court is!" A strong man on the prairie put down the wine glass in his hand with a look of disdain and spat on the grass. "I miss you hundreds of thousands of people on the prairie." Years of strength, but now the people from the cold land have invaded their homeland. This new king is just superficial. Fortunately, we were not deceived by him at the beginning, otherwise we would be like Kanobe and become the victims of the Northern Royal Court in vain. "

"Who says it's not the case? It's pitiful that Muriza from Konobe is also a famous warrior in our northern grassland. His limbs were cut off alive by the cold people and hung under a wooden flag. There were 16,000 people in Konobe and he survived in the end. The old, weak, women and children encountered heavy rains in the grasslands in June, and were ordered by the Northern Court to fill in the soil to strengthen the camp. Most of them fell ill overnight, and in the end, they even filled in the ravine outside the camp with people and soil. "

Hearing Kanobe's name, the prairie people who were drinking around them suddenly became silent. Even their voices became much quieter, leaving only a few whispers. Eleven days ago, the Battle of Yawu Taniguchi, Bei The alliance between the Royal Court and the Keyebe was defeated by the Coldland Army. The Northern Court abandoned the injured leader of the Keyebe when escaping, which eventually led to the leader being captured alive by the Coldlanders and tortured to death under the banner of the Coldlanders.

This news came from the North Grassland. Although Wang Ting described the responsibility for the defeat as the Keye tribe's greed for credit and rashness, which led to the deep siege, some people from the Keye tribe who escaped gave Wang Ting's explanation He refuted it so angrily that the special envoy sent by the royal court was so angry that he drew his sword and hacked to death the two Nakoye tribesmen on the spot.

"Even if the North Royal Court wants to lure the Yelu family to move north quickly, this method of showing weakness to the enemy is really clumsy." A black-haired Central Bian young man smiled and put down the fruit wine in his hand. Unlike other people who crowded together to drink, here was a table occupied by young people from China and Libya, which made them stand out.

But the grassland people around them just glanced at this place and immediately looked away.

Surrounding the young man from Zhongbia, there were more than a dozen tall and strong imperial men, looking around with cold eyes. Although these imperial men did not wear the armor of the imperial army, they were from across the sky. The Imperial sword on his waist is enough to show his military status, not to mention these strong Imperial men are just standing here. , giving all the prairie people the illusion of being suppressed. It seemed that the people standing there were not people, but beasts that were addicted to humans. This alone was enough to show that the other party was not only a person from the imperial side, but also that person. A truly ruthless character who kills countless people, otherwise he would never have such an aura about him.

Facing the empire, even the fiercest prairie warriors will lose their confidence.

The power of the empire has been deeply imprinted in the souls of the prairie people. At first, the Eighth Army of the Royal Court was swept by the empire in Onnacuo, and then the Yelu family, which was at its peak, was swept away in the northwest wilderness, and then Fengtai, who was known as the descendant of the Golden Family. The tribe was once again swept away. It seemed that as long as the grassland people faced the empire, there would be no good end. If the Yelu family had not changed their attitude quickly, and there was the most beautiful woman in the grassland like Yelu Qiyeguang, the Yelu family would still be here. It's two different things if you're not there! The prairie people may seem barbaric, but in fact they are absolute followers of order. Just like the wolves on the prairie, the wolf king has absolute power and majesty.

The empire has used its incomparably powerful force and power of conquest to become the master of everything in the eyes of the grassland people. The black-haired Central Bian youth in front of them is undoubtedly the biggest word here that the elites of the empire can follow and protect them. Quan, not to mention monopolizing a table, even if you drive them all out, they will walk out obediently.

At this moment, there was a roaring noise from the auction house not far from the tent, and an angry Zambian voice came over, including a woman's voice.

The black-haired Central Bian youth had no intention of caring about this. The slave trade, which was explicitly prohibited by the empire, was blatant here. But this is the northern grassland, not the empire. Even if the empire is the suzerain of these grassland ministries, it does not serve in the school. I will definitely be able to manage this! After hearing the sound of the Lu family, he put down the wine glass in his hand,

"Haven't the Lu family members been taken to Xinjing in Zhongbia by Lu Yangyu? How come they are here?" The black-haired young man tilted his head, frowned slightly, and a frightening coldness flashed through his eyes. It was the fat man who came from Dijing West Road. He came to see Yelu Qiyeguang. He was preparing to have a good drink on the outskirts of the camp before going to the center of the camp. He did not expect to hear someone calling himself the Lu family at the nearby auction house.

"Rulwe, take this with you and get the people over here!"

The fat man took out a small round sign with a wolf head pattern on the outside from his arms and handed it to an Imperial Guard captain behind him.

That is the identity plate of the Yelu family's Ten Thousand Cavalry Commanders. This time the Yelu family seized the opportunity and wanted to unify the Northern Grassland. Yelu Qiyeguang sent people to send six such identity plates of the Yelu family's Ten Thousand Cavalry Commanders. There are different meanings in them. It goes without saying that as long as the empire allows the Yelu family to unify the northern grassland, the empire will The six emperors can be directly appointed as the Yelu family's ten thousand cavalry commanders. This is the brilliance of Yelu Qiyeguang. He knows that the empire cannot let the Yelu family get the royal power of the North Grassland in vain. Once the empire does not agree, it only needs With one word or attitude, the northern tribes would immediately abandon the Yelu family.

But if the Yelu family is willing to give away control of the North Grassland and get the North Grassland for nothing, the empire has no reason not to agree.

The Yelu family can gain the great cause of unifying the Northern Grassland, and the Empire can gain actual control over the Northern Grassland. The six thousand cavalry commanders are what allow the Empire to garrison the Northern Grassland. If not for the acquiescence of the Empire, how could the Yelu family dare to be so arrogant in the Northern Grassland? The royal flag was raised in the center. This was the first large-scale military operation after the establishment of the Yelu Royal Court. It was also the best opportunity to promote the authority of the Yelu Royal Court to all the grassland ministries.

"That's the Lulin Chamber of Commerce's auction house over there. If you don't pay, it's useless for anyone to go!"

"The Lulin Chamber of Commerce is the Lulin Horse Thief. It specializes in trafficking slaves from the south of China to the north for sale, because slaves cannot be sold in the empire area, and the empire can't control it here." Seeing this Chinese Young Biya handed his men a sign at any time and wanted to take people away from the auction house. The faces of other grasslands showed a bit of gloating.

If it was the auction house of the prairie people, it might be useful to have a sign from a nobleman, but it was Lulin's auction house. Lulin Chamber of Commerce belonged to the empire, not the grassland department. There were prairie nobles who wanted to buy from Lu Lin. In the case of the Lin Chamber of Commerce who robbed someone and was beaten violently, it was finally resolved when the father of the nobleman who was beaten went to apologize in person. The Empire The strength of these chambers of commerce is fully demonstrated. If the nearby grassland people know that the Central Bian youth in front of them casually throws out a genuine Wan Qi Chang brand, I am afraid they will all go crazy. Wan Qi Chang He is a core figure in any large grassland clan. Even if he is a grassland noble, he is also the head of the clan.

Something happened that made all the prairie people break their glasses. The strong man from the empire holding the sign walked to the auction house. In just a few minutes, the auction of Lulin Chamber of Commerce stopped urgently. Everyone saw the auction. The owner of Lulin Auction House, who dared to chase and beat up a prairie dignitary for the first time, personally sent the imperial strongman out with an apologetic smile. He also sent away a Central Bian young man wearing a bracelet and anklet, as well as a young man lying on the bed. woman on wooden board

"What smell?

"It's really terrible. I don't know what the wound is. It's already rotten."

A stench came with the wind, and even the prairie people who had not bathed all year round dispersed. It could be seen that this woman was wearing linen clothes, her body was covered with mud and water, there were ulcers on her feet, and her hair was disheveled. , even more like a fierce ghost, even the grassland people are not willing to take a second look, After two years in Zhongbia, the grassland people's requirements for women have also become higher. Such a woman with a stinky body would not be interested even if she was stripped naked. The young Zhongbia man with shackles on his hands and feet was seen sitting in a seat alone. The black-haired young man on the bed was also from Central Asia. His haggard and thin face couldn’t help but froze.

"Are you from the Lu family?" A slightly weird Central-Bian language came from the other side.

"I am Lu Xiao from the Lu family!" The young man from Zhongbia tried his best to straighten up, but his long-term hunger and thirst made his face look even more ugly. Like the woman on the board, Lu Xiao's body was also covered in mud, which had already mixed with the wounds on his body. The blood armor mixed together, and I don’t know how they survived until now. Luzhou city was destroyed, and he and Lu Yu left through the secret passage, but After leaving the secret passage, no one from the Lu family was seen. As a result, they were overtaken by the Long family cavalry. After more than a hundred subordinates fought to the death, they and Lu Yu managed to escape by jumping into a deep ditch. Lu Yu's legs were broken and her wounds were broken. Moreover, due to lack of medicine, the disease festered and was captured by the Ma Lin Chamber of Commerce, which was arresting Luzhou people while the Aden people were raging near Luzhou, and was taken to the north as a slave to be sold.

"Who is she to you?" The fat man raised his hand to the woman on the board.

"My sister" Lu Xiao gritted her teeth

"Why did you come here?" The fat man's eyes flashed, and his eyes were so cold that it made people feel scared. He tapped his fingers on the table, "We were caught when we were escaping and were brought all the way here!" "It's naturally impossible for Lu Xiao to tell the truth. The other party can appear where the prairie people gather, and he can just show the boss of the slave farm a waist card and get the boss of the slave farm to send him out obediently. This is enough to prove the identity of the other party. extraordinary,

"If you don't want your sister to die like this, just come with us!" The fat man felt that he couldn't ask anything here. He stood up and took the reins of the war horse from the guard behind him. He couldn't tell from his eyes that Lu There were obvious military marks on Xiao's body, and he was just casually saving people. He needed to know that he believed Lu Yangyu correctly. This was a major matter related to the layout of the six cities and ports in the empire. .