Hanhou

The caravan stationed in the pastures of the Qiang tribe for several days and exchanged more than five carts of goods.

After hearing the news, some grassland caravans came to buy salt, grain and silk from Zhao Jiashou at a high price, and then transported them to the depths of the grassland. The price can still be doubled.

Zhao Jia has been waiting for news from the Wuhuan businessman, but unfortunately, the matter has not been settled as time passes day by day.Just when his patience was almost exhausted, the Wuhuan businessman finally walked up with a smile and gave the answer Zhao Jia wanted most.

"Lang Jun, the Qiang tribe agreed."

"Agreed?" Zhao Jiateng stood up.

"Lang Jun can bring them salt and millet, and they are willing to present a group of slaves and Han family sons to graze cattle and sheep for Lang Jun in accordance with the rules of the grassland."

Wuhuan merchants have been walking on the grasslands all year round and are familiar with the rules of various ministries. He did not reveal Zhao Jia's real intentions, but said that this time the caravan traded too many cattle and sheep, and there were also a group of camels that could not be driven away by guards alone, and needed more. manpower.

Recruiting from the grassland, the team leader and Zhao Jia were both worried and preferred to choose these slaves who were born in Han.

These words were convincing, Tuobajie agreed to give away a batch of sheep slaves without much thought.They had just slaughtered the Gao Che Department, so they didn't worry about the source of the sheep slaves at all.That being the case, it might as well take this opportunity to sell favors, in the hope that Zhao Jia will bring more salt and grain next time he goes north.

After the matter was finalized, the Wuhuan merchant excitedly came to see Zhao Jia, thinking that the other party would be happy, but unexpectedly, Zhao Jia's excitement lasted for less than two seconds, and soon frowned again.

"Only the Tuoba Department?"

Understanding what Zhao Jia meant, the Wuhuan merchant paused and explained: "Mr. Lang, this is the grassland of the Tuoba tribe, and the other Qiang tribes have other residences."

In other words, if you want someone from them, you must either follow them, or you must stay for a while.Not to mention whether the Qiang people are willing to run back and forth as winter is approaching. If they don't leave immediately after the goods are traded, instead they linger for a long time, which will inevitably arouse suspicion.If the Xiongnu headquarters are attracted, the entire plan may fail.

"It's not that I don't want to help, there really is no caravan that does this, and the same goes for Han Chinese caravans." Wuhuan merchant said.

"Your Majesty, the overall situation is the most important thing." Hu Bo said in a deep voice.

Zhao Jia pondered for a long time, took a deep breath, and said to the Wuhuan merchant, "Trouble, I want as many people as possible."

The decision was difficult, and Zhao Jia's voice was a little hoarse.

"Don't worry, sir."

The Wuhuan merchant nodded and left, taking two jars of pickled vegetables to see Tuobajie.Pickled vegetables have a salty taste and can be preserved for a long time. They can be used as a backup reserve of salt, and their value on the grassland is quite high.

"Leader Tuoba." Walking into the tent, the Wuhuan merchant presented the clay pot and explained why he left and returned.

Tuoba Jie accepted the gift, and with a big wave of his hand, asked the warrior in front of the tent to take the Wuhuan merchant to the sheep pen, and the sheep slaves were chosen by him.

"Only Han people?"

"Only the Han people." Wuhuan merchant said.

Tuoba Jie didn't ask any more questions, and sent the Wuhuan merchant away from the tent.Turning around and seeing the two clay pots placed in front of the animal skin, the smile on his face became sly, revealing a bit of ferocity.

No matter what the other party's real purpose is, as long as it can bring benefits to oneself, everything is not a problem.

He will not attack this caravan, and will also warn the surrounding Qiang tribes that they must use cattle and sheep to sell goods when encountering this caravan, and must not play the trick of turning around and stabbing knives.

After this Longcheng meeting, Tuobajie saw the cracks in the Xiongnu headquarters, the suppressed hatred began to rekindle, and ambitions also grew.

Before Modun unified the grasslands, the Xiongnu also declined for a time.If it were decades ago, when the Qin soldiers swept across the grasslands, who would have thought that the King of the Huns would have the power they have today?

The Xiongnu soldiers are strong and the horses are strong, and the Qiang people are not weak either!

The Qiang tribes are united, and there are tens of thousands of warriors who can fight. As long as the Huns show fatigue, they may not be able to take advantage of the situation!

Tuoba Jie knew that his idea was crazy, and he would not be accepted by the elders in the tribe.They were already terrified by the Huns, and they did not dare to have the slightest thought of resistance.

But he is different.

It is impossible to unify the grassland like the Xiongnu, but it is by no means out of reach to slaughter the headquarter that is pressing on the head and occupy a wider grassland.As long as there is chaos within the Xiongnu, it will be an opportunity for the Qiang tribe!

Tuoba Jie was like an insidious jackal, hiding in a dark corner and waiting for an opportunity to move.As long as the beasts around him show fatigue.He would open his mouth, displaying a mouthful of sharp teeth, and bite hard, tearing off a piece of flesh.

"Boss, that Wuhuan man took all the Han slaves away."

After the tribal warriors returned, they reported the actions of the Wuhuan merchants to Tuoba Jie.

"all?"

"All." The tribal warrior nodded, very puzzled, "He even took away the children who couldn't hold the lamb."

Tuobajie sat on the animal skin, waved his hand, and said casually: "Take it away, take it away, and there are Gaoche slaves. Let the warriors cheer up, the winter will come soon, before the first snow falls , must be moved to pastures for the winter!"

The Tuoba tribe has the copper coins robbed from the Gaoche tribe, which can make more weapons, search for weak tribes, and plunder more cattle, sheep and slaves.On the grassland, as long as the soldiers are strong and the horses are strong, there is nothing to worry about.

When Tuoba Jie was about to move the tribe, the Wuhuan merchants were returning to the caravan station with their women and children.

When the Qiang people opened the sheepfold, the people inside had no idea what would happen.Hearing the Wuhuan merchant's words, the reaction also seemed a little slow, only a few showed excitement and joy, and most of them were numb, as if they had lost their response to everything around them.

On the contrary, the Gaoche man who was arrested not long ago was even more excited. Several plump Gaoche women in leather robes yelled loudly, and two of them pushed out the children in their arms, hoping that the Han women would take them away with them.Seeing that the other party ignored him, he immediately looked ferocious and cursed on the spot.

The scolded woman walked a few steps, then stopped suddenly, turned her head, and finally showed a trace of expression on her numb face.

"Your man killed my beloved, and you whipped my child to death! Let me take your child away? Say I'm vicious and have no conscience?" The woman's eyes were bloodshot, and she said word by word, "How dare you Say it out?!"

"Mom." A little girl grabbed the woman's hand.She was not born of a woman, just like other looted Han Chinese, her parents were killed and she was thrown into the sheepfold.If it wasn't for the protection of women, I wouldn't be able to live today.

The woman took a deep breath, said nothing more, bent down to pick up the girl, and walked towards the circle door step by step.At first, his footsteps were a little staggering, but as the distance got closer and closer, his feet became more and more stable, his hunchback gradually straightened, and finally there was a trace of vitality in his eyes.

The lady Gaoche behind her was still cursing, her expression almost insane.

Too bad no one cares.

The Wuhuan merchants took away all the Han slaves in the Tuoba tribe, but the total number did not exceed one hundred.

Leaving the tribe of the Qiang people, entering the caravan station, seeing the familiar Han family clothes and hearing the familiar language, the women suddenly felt as if they were separated from the world.

The gentleman of the Han family, with a gentle smile, handed over steamed pancakes. The women and children didn't care to talk, they grabbed and bit hard with both hands, even if they were choked, they couldn't bear to stop.

After eating the steamed cakes and drinking the whole bowl of warm water, the women stopped the children and forbade them to eat any more.

Just like what Zhao Jia heard before, in the sheep pen, you can't eat enough all year round. If you eat openly, you can't stop at all, and you will eat until you are full.

"Thank you, Mr. Lang, for your life!"

The woman with the girl was lying on the ground, Zhao Jia hurriedly stepped forward to help her.But the woman was so strong, and the arm outside the sheepskin was covered with whips, so he didn't dare to support her.After hesitating for a moment, more women and children saluted Zhao Jia.

"Lang Jun, you have to accept it." Standing behind Zhao Jia, Hu Bo said in a low voice, "Otherwise they won't feel at ease."

Zhao Jia's throat seemed to be blocked with a stone, and his eyes hurt.According to what Uncle Hu said, he received the woman's gift, and then he bowed and bowed to the ground.

There was silence in the camp, and no one spoke for a long time.

The north wind whizzed past, and a choked sob broke the silence. A woman shed tears and cried loudly while holding a child.More women joined in, laughing through tears, unable to speak, and could only yell, expressing their uncontrollable emotions.

When the women stopped, Zhao Jia took two steps closer, met a few children with tears on their faces who still couldn't hide their curiosity, put their hands to their lips with a smile, and made a long whistle.

The bay red horse came over and rubbed Zhao Jia's shoulder with its big head.

Zhao Jia raised his fingers, hissed, and then untied a skin bag from the horse's back, took out the caramel that had been hidden before, and distributed it to the children present.The children's eyes widened, a little bewildered.It was not until Zhao Jia reminded him that he put the caramel into his mouth, puffed up his cheeks, and closed his mouth firmly.

At this moment, a cry came unexpectedly from the air.Immediately afterwards, a dark brown figure swooped down, threw half of the gazelle from its claws, and landed on a wooden post not far from Zhao Jia.

Zhao Jia was stunned on the spot.

"Akin?"

The golden eagle uttered a cry, flew over for the first time, bit Zhao Jia's hair with its mouth, then flew back to the wooden frame, spread out one wing, and began to comb its feathers.

Zhao Jia continued to be dazed.

When did the arrogant Brother Diao become so approachable?

The Qiang people who rushed over after hearing the sound were all in awe when they saw the golden eagle, and they looked at Zhao Jia in a completely different way.

The women looked back and forth at Zhao Jia and Jin Diao, not knowing what to say.Instead, the Qiang people outside the camp shouted in Hu language, and then more voices rang out.Zhao Jia didn't understand, so he turned around and asked the Wuhuan merchant, and found that the latter's expression was rather complicated.

"My lord, they are saying 'warrior' and 'majestic'."

Zhao Jia's expression was numb.

warrior?

Majestic?

Do you mean him?

Before Zhao Jia could react, the golden eagle fluttered its wings and flew up again. Its vigorous figure hovered in mid-air and let out a resounding cry.

Zhao Jia raised his head, looked at the figure in the air, and at the Qiang people around him, not knowing how to react.

Wave your hand and smile?

……

Do not be silly.

The golden eagle vibrated its wings, and quickly turned into a black spot, disappearing behind the clouds.The enthusiasm of the Qiang people gradually faded away, and after confirming that the golden eagle had disappeared, they left with some reluctance.

From the beginning to the end, Zhao Jia was in a daze.

How could the golden eagle, which was supposed to stay in the livestock farm, suddenly appear on the grassland and bring half a gazelle to him?

The Qiang people's attitude puzzled him even more.

The Wuhuan merchants were vague, only saying that this was a tribal custom.Zhao Jia pondered for a while, thinking that this might have something to do with the totem of the Qiang tribe.However, it is related to the cultures of various ministries. It is estimated that the Wuhuan merchants only know the general idea. If they want to really understand, they can only ask the Qiang people.

Leaving aside this inexplicable episode, Zhao Jia asked Hu Bo and Ji Bao to fetch short browns from the cart and distribute them to the women present.The guards have set aside several tents for women and children to rest.

The space is limited, and it will definitely be crowded if it is crowded, but the matter is urgent, and the caravan does not carry many tents, so everyone can only make do with it.

Listening to Zhao Jia's explanation of the situation, the women all showed astonishment, then shook their heads and laughed.

"Where are you talking, Mr. Lang, it is great to be able to sleep in a tent. There is really no place, give us a few sheepskins, and sleep on the grass!"

From leaving the Qiang tribe to entering the camp of the caravan, the women finally had a sense of reality, they were no longer numb, their eyes were full of vitality, and their whole body was full of strength.

Zhao Jia laughed with the women, but behind the smile was a touch of bitterness.

At this moment, he could truly understand why Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty wanted to drive the Xiongnu northward with all his might.Everything can be summed up in two words: survival!

If the people of the Han family are not allowed to live, then you must die!

Zhao Jia knew that his thinking had a narrow side, but after going out of the border county and experiencing the cruelty on the grassland, he really wanted to do something.Not just for myself, not just for those close to me, but for this era!

If Emperor Wu's dynasty could wipe out the Xiongnu without depleting the treasury, would history be a little different?

In Zhao Jia's view, some things are not impossible, but limited by the times, and people in the world could not think of them.However, no matter how good the idea he put forward, he needs to stand at a certain height in advance to be valued by others.May I ask if his father is not Wei Taishou's guest, he is not Wei Yue's hand stove and mascot, how can he still come to this day safely?I'm afraid it would have been destroyed by Zhang Tong long ago.

To put it bluntly, the reality is cruel, but only by facing cruelty can we grow.

Zhao Jia aspires to climb upwards, so he must face this cruelty and force himself to trek through the predicament until he cuts off all thorns and walks out of a broad road!

The women regained their strength and took the initiative to take care of the cattle and sheep.

The women and children who used to be in the high-vehicle department specially fed camels and collected the camel's favorite feed.A woman told Zhao Jia that camels, like horses, can be used for different purposes.

"Most of them can be ridden, and can also carry goods. These can be used as mounts for cavalry." A woman said.

"Battle?" Zhao Jia was surprised.

"I have seen the Gaoche people fight with camels. In Longcheng, there was a powerful Biebu with thousands of horsemen, who could fight the same number of Huns."

The fact that the women are locked in the sheepfold does not mean that the news is cut off.

In fact, they knew a lot, and some trivial things that seemed ordinary to them were extremely important to Zhao Jia, not to mention the leaders and guards who had faced the Xiongnu face to face.

"Camel cavalry?" Zhao Jia walked to the simple fence and looked at the cute Bactrian camel with big eyes and long eyelashes. It was really hard to imagine what it would be like for these guys to charge on the battlefield and even bite each other.

As more and more grassland caravans arrived, the goods brought by Zhao Jia were about to run out, and the team still stayed near the Qiang tribe, and never went further into the grassland.

Zhao Jia asked the team leader, and the latter thought that he had achieved a lot this time.The weather is cold, so you might as well finish the rest of the goods and set off as soon as possible.

"The market will be exhausted, and going forward may arouse suspicion."

If there are too many goods to sell, it is normal to keep going.It is a bit unreasonable to take a large number of cattle and sheep to venture deep into the grassland when there is not much goods left.Not only does it arouse the suspicion of the Hu people, but it may also attract thieves and robbers. In the end, the gain outweighs the loss.

"Since that's the case, let's start after the Silk Cloth City is over."

The decision of Zhao Jiahe and the team leader was announced to everyone in the caravan. Soon the merchants in the grassland also got the news, and they bid with each other.

Knowing that Zhao Jia was about to leave, the women acted suddenly at night and strangled to death two slaves in colorful clothes who had been thrown into the sheepfold due to mistakes.

Zhao Jia rushed over after hearing the news, saw the corpse in front of the tent, and looked suspiciously at the leading women.

"Your Majesty, they have Han blood, but they have long considered themselves idiots, so they cannot be brought back to the border county." The woman said in a deep voice.

The caravan stayed in the grasslands of the Qiang people, and they could still be used as labor.Plus there are women watching, so naturally they are not afraid of trouble.However, taking them back to the border county, there is no guarantee that they will not become spies of the barbarians.The woman knew that Zhao Jia was not easy to do anything, so after discussing it, she decided to do it herself.Even if the matter spreads, it can be regarded as mutual grievances, and no one else will be involved, and the Qiang people will not be suspicious.

Knowing what had happened, Zhao Jia realized that he was indeed not cautious enough. The next time he changed from the tribe, he had to be carefully screened to avoid being mixed up with spies.

The death of the two slaves in colorful clothes did not cause any waves.Seeing the corpse sent by the caravan, the Qiang people only looked at it twice, and quickly lost interest.

After the last few horses of silk were sold, the caravan was ready to set off.Tuobajie came to see him off in person, his eyes fell on Zhao Jia, he smiled and wanted to reach out to pat him on the shoulder, but Wei Tong blocked him.

Tuoba Jie withdrew his hand, but he didn't care, and instead asked Zhao Jia when he would go north again.

"At least until after Xuerong." Zhao Jia laughed.

Tuoba Jie felt a little regretful, but he also knew how heavy the snow was, so he didn't say much.After several miles, Zhao Jia was invited to come again next year, and he said that they would be nomadic in the nearby pastures.

"Don't worry, Chief Tuoba, Jia will definitely come again!" Zhao Jia was riding on the horse with a sincere and friendly smile.

Watching the caravan leave, Tuobajie inexplicably felt that there seemed to be something different in Zhao Jia's words.Thinking back, I felt that I was superstitious, so I put aside this matter and galloped back to the tribe, preparing to pull out the camp before the wind became colder, and move the tribe to the pasture for the winter.