Thousand Miles of Bright Moonlight - Chapter 144

Out of the sand city, there is a vast expanse of desert in front of you.

The sun is scorching, the summer heat is steaming, and the caravans full of loads are heading towards the prosperous holy city, Manman’s camel bells and the agitated pipa sound whirls in the sand sea.

On horseback, Li Zhongqian looked back at the sand city standing in the yellow sand. The heavy armor of the defenders on the tower was shining in the sun.

Outside the city gate, wars are permeating, and the major forces are intertwined and chaotic.

Inside the city gate, singing and dancing are noisy, merchants are diversified, and trade is prosperous.

One gate, two completely different worlds.

Every time you pass through a town, you can see towering pagodas almost everywhere.

Li Zhongqian was thinking about it for a long while. In the troubled times, Mingyue slaves fared away from their homeland, fled to a strange country, and received the shelter of the king’s Buddha. It is not easy.

He did not believe in fate, in ghosts and gods, and only believed in the weak and the strong, but at this moment, his heart was still a little gentle.

I just hope that the world will treat her kindly and don’t let her suffer too much.

Li Yaoying had braided hair, a jeweled shawl, and a narrow-sleeved light gauze dress that was so beautiful that even the sun was dimmed. With a veil on her face, she was driving her horse while discussing with Lao Qi about buying slaves and prisoners of war.

Li Zhongqian listened for a while, frowning and asked, “You also want to redeem the Bei Rong prisoners of war?”

Yaoying explained: “Many of the Bei Rong prisoners of war are civilians who were forcibly recruited from various tribes and are unwilling to fight for Bei Rong. We redeem them, not immediately let them return home, but let them guide the way for us. , Cooperate with us to regain the various oases scattered in the desert, and then find a way to relocate them. If we redeem more people, we will have more comrades in arms and fewer enemies.”

“I have already redeemed several batches of people. Those who want to continue to join the army and join the Western Army, and those who want to return to their hometowns, let them go back to their hometowns together, honestly shepherding sheep or farming.”

The number of Western troops is still too small, and the terrain of the Western Regions is limited, it is difficult to completely calm all the chaos in a short time, only to take the important town first, and then stabilize the situation. After taking down the important town, in order to prevent Bei Rong from counterattack in the future, the soldiers must be on the spot to recuperate, resume production, and supply the army’s needs, while maintaining training and preparing for battle.

As the Western Army gradually regained lost ground, a large-scale migration of people would soon be carried out. At this time, every labor was precious-to calm the troubled times, it was for people. If everyone can live and work in peace, there will naturally be fewer wars.

After Gao Chang recovered, Yaoying ordered Lao Qi to draw up a roster so that he could prepare for the placement of prisoners of war and refugees, so as not to be in a hurry and make mistakes.

Li Zhongqian nodded slightly.

He thought about it later.

The situation in the Western Regions is complicated. The Western Army cannot rely on the court, let alone fall into Li De’s hands. It must be rooted in the locality to adapt to the situation. Then the Western Army must raise its grain and grass weapons. Tuning the land can reduce the pressure on the army’s grain and grass and solve the problem of long-distance transportation. The big problem is to omit layers of checkpoints and avoid deductions. However, the soldiers’ farming and busy farming will lead to a decrease in combat effectiveness.

It is a good way to redeem the population and fill the land.

“Is there enough money?”

Lao Qi smiled and said with a smile: “A Lang does not need to worry about this, don’t worry about it. Not to mention that we are making money every day, and we do not worry about costs. The Western Army is what the people want. When General Yang just raised the banner of the uprising, the wealthy family and The people were all vying for money and offerings. Before the uprising, the princess found some Sogdian merchants and told them their interests, and the merchants also generously donated their money and provided large sums of money for the Western Army.”

Li Zhongqian raised his eyebrows, thinking of the generational accumulation of the Xie family.

She helped him take care of the accounts of the Xie family since she was able to manage the accounts. In order to save him, she took out half of the minister of the Central Government, and the remaining unknown properties were enough for him to spend the rest of his life without worries.

Yaoying sent away the radiant old Qi, smiled bitterly at Li Zhongqian, and whispered: “Brother, it is true that the people send money and food by themselves. The wealthy and Sogdian businessmen are the smartest. They donate money for future plans. These favors I will pay it back later.”

The aristocratic family and Sogdian merchants hope that they can control the business way and take advantage from it after the business road is unblocked. That is a lucrative business. When Bei Rong was strong, they attached to Bei Rong, and Bei Rong lost power. They immediately flattered the Western Army. These people wanted to draw in, but they also had to guard against being emptied by them in the future.

Li Zhongqian looked at Yaoying, who was sweaty, with a complex expression on her face. He said, “It’s human nature to have no profit. .”

Yang Qian is a stunned boy. He is courageous, but he is less sleek and cautious. He thinks that justice and aspirations can be achieved with a sword. If it weren’t for the mediation of Yaoying and Yuchi, he would have It was betrayed by other wealthy families.

Yaoying chuckled, “Yang Qian is full of courage, I think he is very good.”

Li Zhongqian raised his brows, thoughtfully: “Yang Qian hasn’t married yet. He is only a few years older than you. That’s right. He looks good and handsome… After he came from the Hexi family, he was worthy of his identity… “

Yaoying couldn’t help but laugh: “Brother, do you think I need to rush to marry now?”

Li Zhongqian was silent.

Yaoying urged the horse, and went with him: “Brother, you used to worry that Li De would marry me indiscriminately in order to win over other forces, but now he can’t force me to marry, and my marriage can be the master of my own. Brother, you don’t have to always think about finding a good relationship for me like before. Yang Qian and I are just friends.”

Li Zhongqian raised his eyes to look at her with deep eyes: “You are married, I can rest assured.”

Yaoying snorted softly and wrinkled the tip of her nose: “That’s how you want me to marry? If you marry, you will be able to worry about everything? What if Lang Jun doesn’t agree with me, will it be good for me?”

Li Zhongqian’s face sank.

“Then I will dig out his heart and give you wine.”

Yaoying laughed: “It’s better not to marry! I don’t want to marry now.”

She straightened her face, glared at Li Zhongqian, and said, “Brother, you have never married a wife, but I have never nagged you.”

Since Li Zhongqian was fifteen, the old servant of the Xie family persuaded him to get married as soon as possible, and also helped him find a few well-known family daughters, which he flatly rejected.

“With my status, catastrophe will loom at any time. As my wife, if I can’t live a good life for a few days, why bother?”

The old servant persuaded him several times. He stayed unmoved, preferring to sleep in the flowers and willows, letting out the waves, and interacting with those flower girls who only recognize money and people but not people.

Most of the Ji concubines in his mansion are low-ranking citizens, knowing that he has no intention of marrying a wife, and begging him to be admitted to the mansion, he said: “I am alive.

So whenever he had an accident, Yaoying gave each of his Ji concubines a sum of money and let them go away on their own, so as not to be implicated, and they left simply.

“Long and young are in order. Brother brother hasn’t married yet, so I’m not in a hurry to marry someone.”

Yaoying said word by word, with a threatening language.

Li Zhongqian glanced at Yaoying, the corners of his mouth curled up, “Okay, I won’t talk about this today.”

There are so many family members in the Western Army, and she can always find a few who are pleasing to the eye.

They then rushed.

Passing through a single inch of grass, rolling ups and downs, one after another sand hills, there is a towering cliff of dangerous rocks in front of them, the team walked over the mountains and the mountains for a day and night, the sound of the howling wind slowly faded, and the front was bright and bright, and a large area of ​​fertile wild was reflected in the crowd. eye.

Under the boundless sky, several rivers meander and sparkle. The river is lined with trees, cattle and sheep are in groups, the river valley is full of green, paved verdant, and houses and villages are located in it, with smoke curling.

The blowing wind became cooler.

The mountains and wilds are planted with cotton, mulberry, and wheat, and the fruit trees on the hillside are full of fruits. In the vineyard, bunches of grapes are full of branches and the fruit is full of fragrance.

Li Zhongqian secretly said, it’s no wonder that Wang’s court is wealthy. Here, there are deserts and fertile oasis. There are frequent trades with Persia, Tianzhu, and Fulin, and commerce and trade are developed.

The caravan had to stay in the city of the river valley to trade with local merchants. Li Yaoying and Li Zhongqian hurried to leave the caravan.

A few days later, the two and their soldiers arrived in the holy city.

The weather is hot and the fruits are ripe. Vendors are pushing trolleys to sell plums, courgettes, apricots, and pears in the streets. The shelves are dazzling.

Yaoying and his party were warm and thirsty. Two lights flashed in their eyes when they saw the shelves of the trolley.

The crowd got off their horses and surrounded the hawkers.

Yaoying took some melons and fruits to Li Zhongqian to taste: “The melons here are sweet and juicy, brother eat some to quench your thirst.”

While speaking, she saw a rattan basket of amber-shaped, crystal-clear golden yellow fruits on the cart, and she took out silver coins and bought it.

The soldiers were full of melons and fruits, sighed for a long time, wiped their mouths, clasped their fists and said: “Princess, the younger one, will I go to Wangsi to report?”

Li Zhongqian shook his head: “First find a place to change clothes.”

It was the first time that he saw the monarch of the royal court, to thank the Buddha on behalf of Yaoying, and to settle the matter of the modern girl, so that he could not enter the palace with such a dusty face.

“The courtyard of the Wangsi must have been cleaned up long ago. Go to the silk and satin shop in the city square, where there are our people.”

Everyone led their horses to the market place, which was extremely deserted. The Hushang shopkeeper in the silk and satin shop dozed off on the second floor and was greeted by the underground floor.

Li Zhongqian freshened up carefully, put on a Lianzhu hunting-pattern brocade robe, his head was wrapped in hair, his feet were brocade boots, his temples were like a sword cut, he was handsome and straight, he was dressed in fresh clothes, a long sword was worn on his waist, and his leather belt was worn out. A short dagger studded with gems.

He heard from the soldiers that in the royal court, the more jewels and jade on his body, the more magnificent.

Yaoying also changed her clothes. Li Zhongqian frowned when she saw her: “Why do you dress so plainly?”

She wore a long gray dress, her long hair **** with a hosta, and she was clean from head to toe, without any other decorations.

Yaoying said: “I’m going to the Wangsi, I’d better be more plain.”

After seeing Li Zhongqian, she was relieved, in a good mood, and dressed brightly. Now when she is back in the holy city, she must not be able to dress like usual.

Li Zhongqian frowned: “You will no longer be a modern girl of the Buddha. Don’t be taboo, go and change your clothes.”

She is less than eighteen years old, so she should be dressed beautifully and surrounded by beads every day like she did in the Central Plains, without paying attention to anyone’s eyes.

Yaoying thought for a while, and shook her head: “Forget it today, I will talk about it after I officially end the modern girl.”

Li Zhongqian had to follow her.

After leaving the city, the soldiers who went to the Wang Temple to report the letter returned and said: “The Buddha is not in the temple. Today, the Buddha will be out for the ceremony.”

Yaoying frowned lightly: “No wonder the city is so deserted today…”

She remembered that after the war, Tamaraga would preside over the puja, chant sutras to save the soldiers who died in battle, and soothe the people.

I don’t know if his legs are better…

Li Zhongqian motioned to the soldiers to lead the way: “Where is the ceremony? Let’s go over and take a look.”

…

The ceremony was held in the square in front of the palace, and a group of people walked towards the palace.

There are more and more pedestrians on the road, and before the long street, there are crowded, impervious to the flow of people, and there is a dark crowd under the high platform.

The guards in white robes and blue shirts were stationed at several entrances of Long Street. Yaoying and his party arrived too late and were stopped by guards outside the square.

They stood with other people who couldn’t get in and looked at the square.

The wind is hunting, the prayer flags are flying, and the atmosphere is solemn.

Although there were many people in the field, everyone stood in line religiously, and apart from the monks chanting sutras, no voice was heard.

Yaoying stood in the crowd, looking up at the high platform.

A dozen monks in gorgeous vestments stood on the high platform. One of them was dressed in a crimson robe with half of his shoulders bare, leading the crowd to draw incense.

After finishing the incense, he slowly turned around, facing the people, holding the beads in his hand, and reciting a string of scriptures, the tone turned round, and the rhythm was elegant and calm.

Suddenly, there was a masterpiece of Sanskrit sound on the square, drums lingering, and incense mist. He stood tall and tall, his eyebrows were calm and indifferent, handsome and cold, and he seemed to be surrounded by Buddha’s light, unlike the people on earth.

In the solemn and solemn atmosphere, the people below the stage were all deeply moved, clasping their hands together, chanting the Buddha’s name in unison, and some people were weeping quietly, and the voices merged into a surging torrent, hovering over the square for a long time.

Li Zhongqian and the soldiers did not believe in Buddhism, but they couldn’t help but stand in awe when seeing the scene in front of them.

At the end of the ceremony, the monks and guards walked away surrounded by Tamaraga.

Yaoying stood on tiptoe and looked around, his movements when he stepped off the platform were not a bit strange, he looked like a okay person.

The believers began to exit the square one after another under the command of the guards, Yaoying and Li Zhongqian turned and left.

“Brother, did you see the Buddha just now?”

Li Zhongqian nodded: “I saw… it really looked outstanding.”

After meeting people, he knew why Yaoying was so full of praise for Buddha.

Yaoying’s eyebrows are slightly curved.

The two were talking, and suddenly a black shadow cut across the air and slammed straight towards Yaoying.

Li Zhongqian’s eyesight is quick and quick, he grabs Yaoying and retreats.

With a bang, a piece of courgette hit the place where Yaoying was just standing, breaking into several pieces, and the flesh and juice splashed.

Yaoying’s ears were buzzing, and she hadn’t recovered yet, there was a shout from the crowd who didn’t know which corner: “She is the Chinese girl who entangled the Buddha!”

“She has been watching the Buddha just now!”

The hustle and bustle of the crowd immediately exploded, and countless gazes of disgust or contempt turned towards Yaoying, like a thousand arrows, which could pierce her into a hedgehog in a blink of an eye.

“Shameless!”

“shameless!”

Soon, cursing was everywhere, and fruits and fruits were flying in the sky. The believers slammed their fists and sleeves, grabbed the baskets of roadside vendors and the fruits on the shelves, and threw them in Yaoying’s direction.

Li Zhongqian changed color suddenly and stretched out his arms to protect Yaoying in his arms. The soldiers reacted, drew their knives to surround them, and raised their knives to block the flying melons, fruits and vegetables.

There were too many believers in the square, and layers of people flowed up, blocking the intersection, and screaming and asking questions were a mess.

Li Zhongqian’s muscles were stretched, and he drew his sword in anger.

Yaoying hurriedly held his hand: “Brother, don’t make a big deal, let’s get out of here.”

If things are getting bigger, Tamara Gha will definitely be embarrassed. She did pester him and corrupted his reputation. It is normal for these believers to hate her.

Li Zhongqian glanced around coldly, his face gloomy as water, holding Yaoying’s hand, protecting her from the crowd.

…

Deep in the long street.

A guard knight in white robe and light armor rode ahead, and a carriage decorated with Qibao coral slowly drove through the deep alley. Amidst the sound of rolling wheels and neat hooves, there was a sudden rush of footsteps. .

A guard rushed forward and said to Bi Suo who was guarding the carriage: “General! Princess Wen Zhao is surrounded by believers!”

Bi Suo shook all over and pulled the reins abruptly: “What did you say? Who is surrounded?”

Before he finished his words, the car curtain shook, and a well-knotted hand opened the gauze curtain. Two cold eyes shot out and fell on the guards.

The guard rolled over with a shudder and clasped his fists, saying: “Wang, Princess Wen Zhao appeared on the square just now, watching you preside over the puja. The believers recognized her and surrounded her… Now there is a mess over the square, the head of the army, please The general shows, do you want to drive the people out?”

Bi Suo hesitated for a moment, looked at the carriage, and said, “Wang, I will handle it myself…”

“go back.”

The person in the car whispered softly, interrupting him directly, his tone was calm, as if he were calm.

The next moment, he said again: “Turn around.”

It was clearly urging.

Bi Suo should have ordered a U-turn, and the carriage speeded up, not as slow as before.

When they hurried back to the square, the riot had almost subsided. Guard Bayi rushed over to report the message, saying: “Princess Wen Zhao is afraid of something serious. Let her soldiers separate and draw away the most excited believers. Now the crowd has dispersed.”

Bi Suo breathed a sigh of relief, but fortunately nothing happened: “Where is the princess?”

Bayi pointed in the direction of a corner: “The princess is hiding over there. She said she waited until everyone was gone before leaving, so as not to have another right and wrong…”

Before he finished speaking, he opened his mouth wide and looked surprised.

The curtains were raised, and the crimson robes swept across the cowl, and Tamaraga walked directly out of the carriage, frowning slightly.

Everyone was dumbfounded, and hurriedly went to get the golden carpet and other things on the floor.

Tamara Gha was silent, his blue eyes patrolled around.

The area at the exit of the Long Street was in a mess, and there were smashed melons and fruits everywhere.

Thousands of believers gathered in the Fa today. Just now, thousands of people surrounded her…

He squeezed the Buddha beads with his fingers, and the monk shoes stepped across the dirt, and walked in the direction of Bayi’s finger step by step.

In the corner, a few soldiers guarded a young woman, her temples were scattered, her plain gray dress was covered with melon juice stains, a boot on her foot was dropped, and a big cut was made on one side of her sleeve. The snow-white skin was exposed, and there were a few reddish marks on his elbows.

Hearing the sound of footsteps, she looked up and saw the Tamaraga in a cassock. She was shocked and stunned for a while, slightly embarrassed.

“I’m sorry.” She smiled at Luo Jia, “I’m causing trouble to the mage.”

Tan Moroga stared at her for a long while, his gaze swept across the few bumps on her hand.

Does it hurt?

He wanted to ask.

The prayer flags on the high platform that have not been removed are hunting and flying.

His chaotic thoughts converged little by little, and said lightly: “Get on the carriage and go back to the temple.”