Chapter 231

There are hundreds and thousands of large and small oases in Jinzhou desert, which are occupied by large and small forces of Qiang Hu. Although they are mainly Qiang Hu people, they fight and fight with each other much more frequently than Yanzhou. Therefore, the change and replacement of the king's kingdom is much more frequent than Yanzhou.

It is quite rare for Western Qiang to have a history of 500 or 600 years.

Even so, the Western Qiang state lost more than 90% of its cities and was almost destroyed 20 years ago. At this time, its borders were basically rebuilt on the ruins after the withdrawal of Dayan soldiers and horses.

In addition to the large forces such as the Western Qiang state, many medium-sized Qiang Hu forces in Jinzhou usually call themselves state masters, city masters and officials and barons in the territory they occupy. However, in addition to farming, animal husbandry, commerce and mining, they sometimes play a guest role as a horse thief and send troops to plunder business travel and other forces.

It is hard to tell the difference between such forces and horse thieves; However, it is difficult for a large number of horse thieves to sustain themselves for a long time only by plundering the four sides. They also pay great attention to operating their territory and maintaining basic material supply, or directly attach themselves to stronger vassal forces and seal one or two oasis cities to recuperate.

Big vassal states like the Western Qiang state usually attract some large forces of horse thieves, either openly or secretly. In addition to enhancing their own strength, they can also use horse thieves to attack and weaken the enemy's strength; There are also many horse thieves, who themselves are the losers in the struggle for hegemony of the Qiang.

In short, the situation in Jinzhou desert is much more complicated than expected. Many times, the enemy and ourselves are confused and unknown.

As far as the eastern part of Jinzhou is concerned, Pinglu oasis, where the Western Qiang state is located, is the first large oasis with a radius of more than a thousand miles after the tieliuling mountain in the west of Hexi, with a distance of more than 13000 miles.

Between Pinglu oasis and tieliu mountain, the glacier melt water from wushao mountain is also pregnant with a series of hundreds of small and medium-sized oases, like a long bead chain connecting the two regions.

These oases, like Yequ mountain, are only three or five thousand mu, several miles around, and the larger ones are hundreds of miles wide. They are used as springboards for business travel in peacetime and troops in wartime. They have a light and important position in the east of Jinzhou, collectively referred to as Xixia corridor.

Historically, the old Western Qiang road connecting Jinyan and Yanzhou coincides with the Xixia corridor.

The old forces in these small and medium-sized green states have long been completely destroyed by the war between Yanzhou and the Qiang over the years.

In the war twenty years ago, no one would admit his defeat. In fact, both sides were hurt.

The Huben army collapsed, the troops and horses in Hexi withdrew to tieliuling, and the troops and horses of Western Qiang and the coalition forces of Tibet and Qiang also withdrew to the west of Pinglu oasis.

Neither Hexi nor Western Qiang has the ability to separate troops to control the hundreds of small oases in the Xixia corridor for a long time, but the two sides will not tolerate other forces to intervene. They will send troops to sort them out almost every once in a while. They would rather leave them desolate than tolerate the breeding of other threats.

Five hundred miles to the south of Yequ mountain, that is, under the Rongyang peak of Wushaoling mountain, there is a crescent Lake oasis with a radius of hundreds of miles, which is completely deserted. At this time, it is only a resting place for business travel.

Only the Yequ mountain, which deviates from the old road of the Western Qiang, will allow the horse thieves to operate. After all, the strength of Hexi and the Western Qiang country is still limited, and it is impossible to eliminate the horse thieves like weeds around the old road of the Western Qiang.

Of course, the strong enemy that Hexi really wants to prevent is not the Western Qiang state that occupied the Pinglu oasis and was destroyed 20 years ago, but the Tibetan Qiang state that just unified the broken Chaihu oasis in recent years.

The chachaihu oasis with a radius of more than 3000 Li is less than 2000 li away from Pinglu oasis in the West. Whoever can unify the chachaihu oasis is destined to be the overlord in the east of Jinzhou; Three thousand miles of fertile soil is enough to raise hundreds of thousands of soldiers, and its strength is even much stronger than Dong's.

At this time, the Western Qiang state was willing to form an alliance with the Dong family, which probably also deeply felt the threat of annexation of the Tibetan and Qiang state.

Chen Hai's thoughts flew away. Ning chaner looked at the scene in front of him, but he asked Hu Bilie with innocence and curiosity:

"Aren't you afraid that so many slaves are scattered outside to work and no one is watching them?"

At this time, on the oasis and Yequ mountain, in addition to the necessary supervisors, the horse thieves did not even set out a warning outside.

There's really no need to send out a sentry.

The oasis covers an area of three or four thousand mu, and the edge of the meadow is only more than 2000 steps away from Xiaoshi city.

Horse thieves occupy a solid stone city and are not afraid of raids by foreign forces.

As long as foreign forces can't attack Shizhai in a short time, they can't even get water from Yequ lake to get supplies, and they can't get a foothold in Yequ mountain.

Although Yequ mountain is only five or six hundred miles away from the ancient Western Qiang Road, it is a desperate way for ordinary people. Horse thieves are not afraid that these slaves can escape from Yequ mountain.

"There are slaves who will run away. You see, those are the end of runaway slaves!" Hu Bilie smiled and pointed to a small forest not far away.

Over there is the southern edge of the oasis. Seventeen or eight Populus euphratica trees are rooted in the depths of the sand. At this time, there are three or five dead bodies with ragged clothes hanging from each tree, absorbing seven or eight vultures hovering in mid air, waiting for Chen hai to pass and then fly down to peck at the dead meat.

There must be a lot of these dead bodies, looking at their clothes and jagged bones and flesh. They are fugitive slaves who were caught and executed after escaping.

Even if the fugitive slave prepares enough water and food and walks on foot in the vast sand sea, how can he escape the pursuit of the horse thief? Even if you escape to the crescent Lake oasis in the south, there is a desolate area. In addition to the monster hunting from wushao mountain, you just have a 12% chance to encounter those who pass through the business trip and don't hesitate to offend and annoy the horse thief forces.

Seeing Chen Hai and other nine people galloping, twenty or thirty armored horsemen galloped out of the stone city.

Hu Bilie showed an iron plate that was dark like ink and engraved with the figure of the eagle's head. The horse thief didn't ask anything. He only said that the leader fan Dachun was not in the mountain, but when he left, he said that Hu Bilie might come over these days and specifically told them to treat them warmly.

Leader fan Dachun is not in the mountain at this time. Although there are more than 200 horse thieves stationed in the stone city, it is difficult to decide major events. Therefore, Hu Bilie and them will stay in the stone city for two days and wait for fan Dachun and them to come back to discuss important matters.

Chen Hai and Ning chaner also pretended to be ignorant and lived first in the night canal mountain stone city. The next night, fan Dachun, the leader of the horse thief, led more than 100 horse thieves back and put a banquet in the narrow stone city to entertain Hu Bilie and his party.

Chen Hai and Ning chaner were also invited as distinguished guests.

"The Dong family in Hexi wants to form an alliance with the West Qiang country, but the leader of the West Qiang country can forget the deep blood feud in those years. Once Ye family colludes with the Dong family in Hexi, don't say that we will be suppressed by Ye family in the West Qiang country, and ye family will rely on Dong family's strength and will no longer tolerate you to inhabit outside the ancient road of the West Qiang. I'm afraid even the city Lord fan will not be able to relax in Qushan this night Are you free? "

At this time, Hu Bilie did not mind that the secret was heard by Chen Hai and Ning chaner. At the banquet, he directly explained to fan Dachun the purpose of his trip.

"I'm afraid it's inappropriate for captain Hu to say this in front of outsiders? You're not afraid to let your identity leak out and let the Lord of the Western Qiang know that you are secretly colluding with us horse thieves to destroy the marriage between ye and Dong Ning?" fan Dachun thought he was a bearded man at first glance, but actually he was a middle-aged man with white face and gloomy eyes, At this time, Yin Rou smiled in response to Hu Bilie's words, but when she raised her glass to drink, her eyes turned on Chen Hai and Ning chaner of unknown origin.

"I left in a hurry and didn't bring any gifts. I just met a lost little fat sheep on the road, so I took it to Yequ mountain to honor Lord fan." Hu Bilie laughed and said without concealment.

"Are they talking about me?" Ning chaner pointed to his nose and asked Chen Hai naively.

Chen Haitan stood up and said: "You look a little ordinary at this time, but most of the women have rough and black skin in such a big desert. Even if they grab a few beautiful women and play with them for a while, they will wither. Those who are as thin and tender as you can be regarded as the best. Don't you see that Captain Hu has to swallow saliva from time to time? If he didn't want to give you to city leader fan, I'm afraid he would have done it long ago I've lost my hand. "

Chen Hai said so. Rather than being angry, cicada Er smiled shyly, as if she was embarrassed by Chen haikua.

Although Ning chaner didn't show her true face, this smile was also a state of overturning the city and the country. Even if Hu Bilie and fan Dachun realized that Chen Hai and Ning chaner looked too strange at this time, they were confused by Ning chaner's smile.

Chen Haichao, Hu Bilie and fan Dachun arched their hands and said with a smile, "the maid around me has a bad temper and a sinister mind. She has tried to murder me several times. I've been like selling away. Thank you, city Lord fan, for taking over this time!" " After all, fan Dachun was a strong martial arts practitioner in the early stage of Mingqiao territory. He was confused by Ning chaner, and his mind was momentary. At this time, he broke the jujube case in front of him and destroyed the black sheath spirit sword behind him. Just about to ask Chen Hai and Ning chaner what they were, he felt that the Zhenyuan mana in Linghai secret palace was boiling uncontrollably, like water rushing into a boiling oil pot, and the violent Zhenyuan rushed into the twelve Xuan veins, suddenly Zhenyuan, who couldn't suppress the riot, burst out with a mouthful of blood and shouted, "inverse spirit powder!"

Ning chaner pressed her slender jade hand on the ground, and thousands of lights bloomed, like the spring tide against the ground and walls in all directions. In an instant, a sparkling spring tide spirit mask was formed, completely enveloping the banquet hall, and shouted to Chen Haijiao, "I can only hold on to thirty or ten breath. If you can't kill these people, we can only run."

In the stone hall, in addition to nine people, including Chen Hai, Ning chaner and Hu Bilie, there were also 13 horse thief leaders attending the banquet. In addition to these people, there were more than 400 fierce and fearless elite horse thieves outside the stone hall.

Once a trace of news comes out and more than 400 Puma and Hummer thieves come in crazy, Chen Hai and Ning chaner can only escape as the best policy.