"The riding skills are pretty good, only half a mile slower than me."

Two moments later, in the valley several miles southeast of Xuanquan, Fu Jiezi had been waiting here for a while, looking at Ren Hong who had just arrived calmly.

"Ordinary Yima is not as good as Fu Gong's BMW."

How superb riding skills can Ren Hong have in half a year of kung fu? He has tried his best and looked at the tall horse Fu Jiezi sitting down with some envy, with at least seven and a half feet high on his shoulders. It is the second only to the sweaty and bloody horse.

Looking at the scenery on both sides, although there are oasis along the way, the desolate Gobi still accounts for the majority. However, when you reach this flaming mountain, green occupies the entire valley, and the poplar forest and red willows grow wildly.

It turned out that there was a clear stream here, surging from the cliff of Flaming Mountain, bringing vitality to the dead Gobi desert.

This is Xuanquan, which is the "Ershiquan" mentioned by Fu Jiezi.

There is a local legend that in the fourth year of Taichu, Emperor Wu of Han, Li Guangli, returned after his success in attacking Dayuan. The soldiers and horses were thirsty, but there was no drop of water on both sides. General Li Guangli, the second-class general, sighed to the sky, and was angry, drew his sword and stabbed into the stone wall. Then the mountain peaks shook and sipped. The spring water swayed and gurgled, and the springs gushed out with the sword. The soldiers were able to drink happily.

Moreover, this spring seems to have a spirit, with more people and more water, fewer people and less water...

After hearing this, Fu Jiezi only smiled and said, "Do you think this rumor is true?"

Ren Hong shook his head: "Although the Xuanquan was not established at that time, in my opinion, General Ershi may not have such magical powers. As for the amount of spring water, according to my observation, I hope that the snow in Qilian Mountains will melt or not."

"If it is summer and autumn, the snow melts a lot and the water will be strong, and it can flow to the hanging spring. But if the snow in Qilian Mountains solidifies and does not melt in spring and winter, the water will flow almost no. After flowing for a mile, it will be buried in the yellow sand desert."

This is the case for many rivers in the Hexi Corridor, so if the army chooses to cross the border in spring and winter, drinking water will become a big problem.

"It seems you understand Hexi hydrology."

Fu Jiezi said: "Yes, we already have this spring at this time."

He walked to the spring water, picked up a handful, and put it directly into his mouth. The water is cold and sweet, just like the past!

"I was ill when I was in the summer, so I was able to survive because of this water. Otherwise, I would have been buried here like them."

Fu Jiezi's eyes turned to the opposite side of the stream, dozens of slightly raised loess tombs there, walked over and bowed respectfully to them.

In the blink of an eye, more than twenty years have passed.

But he found that the tombstones made of poplar wood that should have been blown down by the wind and sand were straightened. Moreover, there were obviously people in front of the tomb for sacrifices, and even piled up with small stones, like shrines or altars.

Fu Jiezi said in surprise: "This is the garbha of the Western Expedition Army that died of illness here. At that time, I could only be buried in a hurry. Who has come here to worship recently?"

Ren Hong picked up a stone, walked to the tomb and knelt on one knee, gently placed it on the top of the stone pile and said, "Xu Sefu has always been there for free to repair and worship. The subordinates often come to ride horses to get water. When they see the tomb signs crooked, they will help them. Every time they go to the tomb, they put a stone in front of the tomb. The hanging spring is in poverty, and there is no good thing in the frontier. The subordinates can only use this as their wish to pay tribute to the soldiers."

When doing this, Ren Hong had some far-reaching scheming, but he just felt sorry for these Han soldiers who were buried in a foreign land.

Look at the hometown of poplar trees, including Hedong, and even Kuaiji County... Almost all over the country, they come from all over the world, and have sacrificed their lives for the empire's enlightenment, but no one remembers their names, and their families are thousands of miles away, and they cannot survive their blood.

I swear to sweep away the Huns without any care, and five thousand sable brocades were ruined by Hu Dudu. I feel pitiful to the bones by Wuding River, but I am still a person in the dream of spring boudoir.

The Han Dynasty was able to overthrow the Xiongnu that was pressing on her and rose into the old empire in one fell swoop. It was not only the great talent and strategy of Emperor Wu of Han, but also the way of generals and soldiers. The thousands of Han soldiers were also leading one after another...

When Su Yannian heard Ren Hong’s bold words, Fu Jiezi just smiled and asked Ren Hong to offer baked naan. When he talked about its wonderful things, Fu Jiezi just nodded slightly.

But this time, facing the accumulated pile of small stones, Fu Jiezi was moved and sighed:

"Although you are young, you are determined."

After pondering for a while, he suddenly asked Ren Hong: "Ren Hong, you were in the hall just now and kept saying that the Han Dynasty was about to return to the Western Regions. Who told you?"

Ren Hong smiled and said, "It was Mr. Fu who told me."

Fu Jiezi was unhappy: "Speak nonsense!"

Just before Fu Jiezi set out, he talked with General Huo Guangmi to understand the future plans of the empire. Ordinary border generals, such as Su Yannian, Chen Pengzu and others, were unaware of it. How could Ren Hong know about it?

Ren Hong was very upright: "I heard from past officials that Emperor Xiaowu failed to attack Wan for the first time, and then destroyed 20,000 soldiers from the Marquis of Wuye Zhao Ponu from the Huns. Both the ministers and the court officials hoped that they could suspend the attack on Dayuan and focus on dealing with the Huns."

"But Emperor Xiaowu disagreed with the public opinion, believing that only by seizing the Western Regions first can we completely cut off the right arm of the Huns and eventually realize the cause of destroying Hu. If even Dayuan cannot be recovered, the countries of the Western Regions, Wusun, Kangju, and the subordinates of Kangju will despise the Han Dynasty and surrender to the Huns!"

"Sure enough, since General Ershi attacked Dayuan and brought Tianma back to the Han Dynasty, many envoys from the Western Regions sent contributions, and he never dared to be disrespectful to the Han Dynasty. It was only later that the imperial court had just subsidized the land in Luntai, and the envoys gradually became rare and the business of the Western Regions failed."

"Now after eleven years, the court has once again asked Gong Fu to lead the public to Dayuan to welcome Tianma. I think this is a signal of the strategy of Emperor Chengxu Xiaowu. Doesn't this mean that my Han Dynasty is going to re-operate the Western Regions! Anyone with a discerning eye can see it!"

"Not everyone can see that Ren Hong, Ren Hong, you are indeed very keen."

Fu Jiezi admitted this. I wonder if Ren Hong's actions of sacrificing the sacrificial sacrificial sacrificial sacrificial sacrificial sacrificial sacrificial sacrificial sacrificial sacrificial sacrificial sacrificial sacrificial sacrificial sacrificial sacrificial sacrificial sacrificial sacrificial sacrificial sacrificial sacrificial sacrificial sacrificial sacrificial sacrificial sacrificial sacrificial sacrificial sacrificial sacrificial sacrificial sacrificial sacrificial sacrificial sacrificial sacrificial sacrificial sacrific

"Since that's the case, you have also found out that the Tianma, who was ordered to go to Dayuan to welcome him, will die in the middle of the journey!"

"The officials of the lower rank have indeed heard of it."

Fu Jiezi smiled bitterly and said, "The first person who could drink water at the Ershi Spring was not our hungry soldiers, but the Tianma from Dayuan. At that time, Ershi was inappropriate in control of his subordinates and many officials were corrupt. In their opinion, it doesn't matter if hundreds or thousands of ordinary soldiers died, but Dayuan Tianma was indispensable!"

"But this time, as a regular envoy, I didn't even bring back a living horse."

Fu Jiezi looked at Ren Hong: "So in your opinion, my mission has not been completed, and I may be blamed after returning to the court. Should I be the same as Wu Zongnian, and I am panicked?"

"And when you offer baked naan, you can make up for your mistakes, but it's like a boat that you meet with, you should be overjoyed?"

Just now in the hall, Deputy Envoy Wu Zongnian was indeed very surprised after listening to Ren Hong's statement, as if he had grabbed a life-saving straw.

But Fu Jiezi is as peaceful as a rock.

It seems that things did not follow Ren Hong's expected script of "timely help".

Ren Hong could only say: "Mr. Fu is a man who does great things. Mountains of Tai collapsed before and his beauty remains unchanged. Deer rises on the left but his eyes are not instant. How could he lose his composure like a deputy envoy?"

Fu Jiezi smiled and said, "Then tell me, why don't I panic?"

Is this the second time I got the exam?

"Because Mr. Fu has a clear mind..." Ren Hong was actually thinking about this on the way to Ershiquan.

His eyes fell on some dead bones that were abandoned many years ago in the poplar forest. They were the bones of livestock. A flash of inspiration: "Although Mr. Fu did not bring back the alive horse this time, he had dead horse bones!"

During the Warring States Period, Guo Wei, the minister of King Zhao of Yan, borrowed an allusion that spent a thousand-mile horse to buy only a thousand-mile horse bone, and told King Zhao of Yan that one or two thousand-mile horses are actually not important, what is important is the attitude of display.

Ren Hongdao: "This time, the same is true. The court sent Duke Fu to the Western Regions. Although it was nominally for Tianma, in fact, it was to explore the Western Regions again, win over the countries close to the Han Dynasty, and attack those monarchs who defected to the Huns to see if they would return to the Han Dynasty."

After thinking it through, he became more and more comfortable: "The killing of the Hun envoy in Kucha has already demonstrated the determination of the Han Dynasty and also tested the attitudes of countries such as Kucha. Therefore, although Fu Gong was killed for two days of horses, the results achieved are far better than the benefits brought by Tianma!"

Fu Jiezi has a rough and brave appearance, but a very delicate heart. He is a smart person who is not easy to fool. I am afraid that he has understood the real purpose of this mission. He knows that Huo Guang in the court will not be punished for this, so he is not panicked at all, right?

At this point, Ren Hong can only try his best to show his "wisdom":

"Zhang Qian, the Marquis of Bowang, actually failed to complete the mission of uniting with the Great Yuezhi, but he maintained his loyalty and visited the Western Regions, allowing Emperor Xiaowu to know the virtuality and reality of the Western Regions. He had the plan to cut off the right arm of the Xiongnu, so he was promoted to the title."

"The generals today are people who value real profit but not false reputations, so the officials thought that Gong Fu would definitely be commended by the court."

Fu Jiezi asked back: "Oh? This is strange. You have never been to Chang'an, and you have never seen a general. How could he know that he is a person who values ​​real profit but not false reputation?"

Ren Hong smiled and said, "I heard that the censor Sang Hongyang was imprisoned and killed two years ago, but isn't the salt and iron policy he presided over still in use now?"

In the sixth year of Shiyuan, Huo Guang mobilized virtuous literature and used the salt and iron conference to fight Sang Hongyang. In the first year of Yuanfeng, he destroyed Sang Hongyang, Shangguan Jie and King Yan. The rebellion of the Lord made Prime Minister Tian Qianqiu lose his reputation and cleared his political enemies in one fell swoop.

The virtuous literary scholars immediately cheered and were full of anticipation that the monopoly system they hated and the powerful men of the county and state would be destroyed together.

However, General Huo Guang only abolished the sale of alcoholic officials, and all the salt and iron officials in the world were in a normal way.

It can be seen from this that Huo Guang was an extremely pragmatic politician. He killed someone and used his politics. Although the military farming of Luntai was proposed by Sang Hongyang and Prime Minister Tian Qianqiu, as long as Huo Guang's interests are in line with Huo Guang's interests and the strategy is activated again, Old Huo will never hesitate.

Ren Hongdao: "Since the general can kill someone and use his politics, it shows his mind! I know that Fu Gong has made achievements but no mistakes. At that time, if you take the opportunity to present a baking naan to the court and propose the next strategy to advance the Western Regions, it will be even more of a great achievement! The future affairs of the Western Regions should also be presided over by Fu Gong!"

Fu Jiezi looked at Ren Hong. He was so young, even younger than what he did in the Western Expedition Army. However, his insight and sensitivity to political affairs were so amazing.

Looking at the entire envoy, even the deputy envoy Wu Zongnian could not see so thoroughly. As an outsider, Ren Hong had to rely on limited information to do this. It was very difficult for him to do this.

"Ren Hong, Ren Hong." Fu Jiezi lit him and exclaimed: "I read that right, you are indeed a piece of uncensored jade buried in the Gobi Desert."

Here comes!

Ren Hong immediately responded: "But no matter how good the jade is hidden deep in the stone, no one can know it, and Bian He needs to discover it."

He bowed to Fu Jiezi and said, "The officials below want to follow Fu Gongji's tail and follow you to the Western Regions!"

Fu Jiezi didn't comment and just smiled and said, "So, what you really want to offer to me is not just baked naan."

"And you myself?"

"Ren Hong, your knowledge and courage are good, and your temperament and speech are just right for me, but if I ask you another question, you have to answer truthfully."

Ren Hong bowed: "The subordinate officials and generals answered everything!"

Fu Jiezi said solemnly: "The Western Regions are far away, extremely dangerous and most people can't avoid it. You are only young, so why do you want to go?"

...
Chapter completed!