Lin Junhong and Tuerxun's caravans can be said to be their own needs. This fat businessman has thirty years of experience in business. He has his footprints from north to south of the Tianshan Mountains, up and down the sea, Hexi and Hedong, and Qinghai, Tibet. The caravans who follow Tuerxun can always find shade in the hot noon, and find campsites that can block the wind and sand during rest at night, as well as water sources, firewood and grass. His familiarity with this land is surprising.

Lin Junhong's cavalry also benefited Tuerxun's caravan. They could shock the horse bandits and bandits with one flintlock volley to shock the horses and bandits and gangs who dared not approach. When they arrived at Huamachi, Tuerxun, who had not seen Zhendian for a month, was able to enter the city because of a military police accompanying him.

Huamachi is the largest salt pond in Shaanxi and supplies surrounding areas, so it survived the immigration wave. The caravans coming and going here are very right and are also a must-pass place between Ningxia, Guanzhong and Hetao.

"Mr. Tuerson, why don't local officials let you enter the city after seeing your road guide and business certificate?" In the foggy bathroom, Lin Junhong lay in the hot pool, enjoying the comfort brought by cleaning his body. Looking at Tuerson who was lying on a bench to enjoy back rubbing service, he asked.

Tursun said, "It's because I'm a Yarkand."

"But in the city I saw the Junggar and Huite caravans who also came from the Western Regions. Why could they enter the city?" Lin Junhong asked.

Tursun sighed, "You are from the capital and are from a military family. You must know that there is a yamen in the empire called the Religious Bureau. They have set up several cities for the Yarkand people to enter, Ganzhou, Liangzhou, Lanzhou, Ningxia, and naturalized. There are only these few. The Yarkand people cannot enter the other cities. Whether it is merchants or missionaries, they must live in places designated by the local yamen. In some places, we are even allowed to lie down during the day and walk at night to avoid contact with the local people."

Lin Junhong pondered carefully, "The reason for faith? To be precise, it should be to avoid contact with the Hui and Hui people, right? By the way, when Chen Duan helped you enter the city just now, the official reminded that you would never be allowed to get close to the Tianfang Sect temple in the city. This is definitely the factor."

"Little brother, you are right, it's because of this." Tursun said.

"But why? Are you and the Hui tribe both Tianfang Cultivators?" Lin Junhong was still puzzled. He remembered a possibility and asked, "Is the sect different?"

Tursun shook his head, "It's not considered that our Yarkand state has two factions, Baishan and Heishan, which is different from the empire. Relatively speaking, you Han people are more able to accept the beliefs of the Hui and Hui people than us. Oh, by the way, if the little brothers have the opportunity to enter the Tianfang Sect Temple in Shaanxi and Gansu, you can see that unlike the Yarkand state, there is a tablet in the Tianfang Sect Temple in Shaanxi and Gansu, which says, "Long live the emperor, it is obvious that this is impossible in the Yarkand state." (There was this tablet in the Qing Dynasty)

Lin Junhong believed that before he came, he did his homework to the Yarkand Khanate. He knew that the Tianfang scholars there were pious about their faith, and that they could also feel this in Diliguli. Turson opened up the conversation and talked about the differences between the Tianfang scholars of the two countries.

In fact, if we follow the interpretation of later generations, the Hui people believed in the old religion at this time. The so-called old religion is the result of Confucianism and Buddhism over hundreds of years. Compared with the beliefs of the Yarkand people, the secularization of the old religion is very successful. It only takes five weeks a day. Even the dietary taboos are dull. "One person is to die of one person and starve to death" is already the norm of dietary taboos.

The religious figures of the Tianfang Sect in the mainland were even more secular and their greatest interest was to "collect Tianfang Sect", which was actually to make money. Therefore, when the Empire was established and the Religious Bureau entered the northwest province with the imperial army, the religious figures of the Tianfang Sect showed a welcome attitude far beyond ordinary people.

The reason is very simple. In the past, they exploited believers like officials, gentlemen and officials, and they were just a stalemate. After the Religious Bureau intervened, under the religious tax system, these religious people could make money legitimately, and only needed to complete the "indicators" assigned by the Religious Bureau.

As for the Tianfang Sect, the Yarkand people's beliefs are full of conservatism and extremes. For Lin Junhong's opponent, Babai, talks about "Jiahad" every day and often launches religious wars. For the old scholars in the mainland, let alone wars, they do not advocate external missionary.

Obviously, the secular, moderate and old religions that can be used by the empire are what the empire is willing to see and accept. Protestantism like Yarkand is prohibited from spreading. Therefore, the empire consciously cut off religious ties between the inside and outside. Even missions like Abdullah and Dilguri were prohibited from conducting any religious activities in the northwest on the grounds of security and confidentiality.

All of this is to avoid the spread of extreme religions within the empire. At this time, Apak Hezhuo, who was causing bloody storms in Yarkand City, was the pioneer in spreading the "men's system" to the mainland. If Li Mingxun had not changed history, in the next two or three hundred years, religious people who returned from pilgrimage experience would have introduced the extremely conservative religious concepts of the Middle East into their hinterland, causing many troubles that should not have existed.

(At present, about 80% of mainland provinces believe in old religions, but all kinds of habits are also influenced by Protestantism)

Lin Junhong enjoyed the comfort brought by massage. Listening to Tursun's introduction, he suddenly felt something was wrong. After a little recollection, he remembered that Tursun's tone was not like a devout believer, but was similar to the teachers who talked about his history class in the college. The Tianfang believers Lin Junhong came into contact with, including Diliguli, were very pious and proud when talking about his faith.

Lin Junhong couldn't help but think of what his father Li Mingxun said. In terms of religious belief, there are two types of people who are not trustworthy. One is the real power lord, and the other is the merchant. Power and money are far more fascinating than the spiritual comfort brought by the gods. Obviously, Tursun is such a person.

"Mr. Tuerson, after saying so much, are you a Baishan Sect or a Black Mountain Sect?" Lin Junhong asked.

Tursun smiled and said, "Little brother, I am a businessman."

"The merchants in Yarkand are also Yarkand people." Lin Junhong said.

Tursun said, "My faith in the Lord is pious, but in addition to pious faith, I don't mind seeking such a little selfish benefit. Therefore, when I need to open my mouth, I will recite loudly, and when I need to remain silent, I will recite silently."

The expression on Lin Junhong's face was indeed like this. The last sentence Tursun said just now had already shown his attitude. In fact, the Baishan and Heishan sects divided by the Tianfang Sect in Yarkand actually had only one difference on the doctrine level, that is, at the vegetarian ceremony, the Baishan sect advocated silently chanting lyrics, while the Heishan sect advocated recitation. Tursun, who needed to silently chant, recited silently and chant when needed, and naturally no sect would be left out.

"You are such an interesting person." Lin Junhong smiled.

Lin Junhong, who was pampered and lived a luxurious life, had finally found such a good place to rest, so he would not miss it. He shaved his face, pedicures, and nail cutting. The master here was skillful and made people feel comfortable and comfortable. After taking a bath, he walked out of the bathroom and saw Tursun already in the shade of the grape trellis in the yard. He set up a lounge chair and table, raisins, sweet dates and juice, and fresh barbecue, which was refreshing.

Obviously, this goes far beyond the care of a little brother who knows about travel and speaks speculatively. Lin Junhong saw through and didn't say it out loud, tasted Tursun's food and said, "I know a few friends from Yarkand. They told me that Wei Yunfeng, the chief of the Gansu Province of the Empire, is a mean and barbaric man. Mr. Tursun, you have been traveling in the Hexi Corridor all year round. What do you think?"

"I dare not say that. If it is heard by the people on the official side, it will be amazing." Lin Junhong's words made Tursun alert, and he almost reached out to cover Lin Junhong's mouth.

Lin Junhong smiled. In Tursun's eyes, the head of a province is someone who cannot afford to offend, but in Lin Junhong's memory, Wei Yunfeng was a humble and gentle person. He still remembered that for a long time, he pushed his father's wheelchair home, and he was careful and cruel.

"Oh, I was speechless." Lin Junhong said.

Turxun said, "Actually, that Lord Wei has a good reputation in Gansu. It is just that he has strict requirements for merchants from the Western Regions, especially those from the Yarkand Khanate. I have said that the reason is that he does not want to let the Western Regions come into contact with the religious contacts in the mainland. However, for me, Lord Wei is a very good person. Under his rule, no officials and clerks forced me to collect my business taxes. The prices set by various ferry and pontoon bridges are also very suitable. If I were not a Yarkander, I would not think of any bad things."

This answer was still expected by Lin Junhong, because the person who evaluated Wei Yunfeng as mean and barbaric was Dilraguli. I thought that Abdulla's mission was under a lot of surveillance and control when it was transiting.

From Huamachi to the west, we entered Gansu. Here, Lin Junhong and his party's identity as a military policeman is more useful. After all, this northwestern province is still under the military control state. The border land on both sides of the Yellow River under the Qilian Mountains is still threatened by the Heshuot Khanate in Tibet, desert horse thieves and the Yarkand people in the Western Regions, so not only is the main army stationed here, but there are also many local recruits and recruited security brigades.

Because of this, after crossing the Yellow River, Lin Junhong left two guards to help his Yarkand friends he met on the way to Lanzhou safely and smoothly, while his party accelerated their speed and arrived first.

Wei Yunfeng is the only person in the northwest of the empire who knows the plan for the Western Expedition, so he did not welcome Lin Junhong with great fanfare, but only claimed that Lin Junhong was his nephew and arranged to live at home.

"Is there any news about Abdulla? It's been a while since he sneaked back to Yarkand." Lin Junhong asked straight to the point without delay.

Wei Yunfeng looked at Lin Junhong with a strange look. In Wei Yunfeng's memory, Lin Junhong was still an obedient and polite child. He could not have seen each other for a few years before he met him.

"Captain Wei, the prince is asking you." Chen Duan woke Wei Yunfeng up.

Wei Yunfeng stopped being stunned and said, "Abdulla came back from Aksu five days ago, but his whereabouts were a bit strange. On the surface, he only brought two guards to Lanzhou in a caravan. In fact, more than twenty Yarkand people returned with him were living in the village courtyard secretly rented outside the city. My people have already monitored all the yards. These people rarely go out, and they buy food when going out, and there is no movement, and they even bring weapons. My people can only rent the yard next to them and listen to their conversation quietly. What is certain is that they are all Abdulla students. As for what they come to Lanzhou, they don't know."

"Where is Abdulla himself?" Lin Junhong asked.

"It's nothing unusual to live in the museum." Wei Yunfeng replied.

Chen Duanze asked again, "Captain Wei, will Abdulla ask to see you in the past five days or ask about the prince's whereabouts?"

Wei Yunfeng was not familiar with Chen Duan, but he also heard that this officer from the attendant room served as the chief guard next to the prince for many years and did not dare to look down on him. Wei Yunfeng recalled, "No, but when he first arrived in Lanzhou, he asked if the prince had arrived. I said that after that, he just told him to notify him. He never raised such requests or questions again."

Chen Duan and Lin Junhong looked at each other, and both nodded slightly. Lin Junhong said, "Why is he not in a hurry? Logically speaking, Sima Yiboke in Aksu is not strong. If Apark and Zhuo take control of Yarkand City, shouldn't they invade the Aksu area first? Abdulla should ask the empire to send troops as soon as possible to resolve the dilemma."

Wei Yunfeng then understood why the two asked such questions. He thought about it and said, "From the news from Beiyi, it should be that Apark and Zhuo cannot be withdrawn. The prince may not know that Apark has always been extremely cruel and extreme. Khan is mostly afraid of him rather than surrender. He has two major actions that are unpopular to the people."

"Oh, what is it?" Lin Junhong asked.

"One is to flatter Junggar. According to the merchants, he levyed heavy taxes in the Khanate territory and constantly gave gold, silver and food to Junggar to gain support from Junggar. The second is to usurp the power and chaos. Although Apak supported the son of the Khan, Bars, as the Great Khan, but he undermined the power of the Khan. The village where Apak lived was regarded as the "upper palace". Now all the government and military orders were decided by him alone. Many real-power lords in Yarkand were disgusted with this. Although Apak had occupied the richest area in Yarkand and had a large population, the internal was alienated. I think because of this, Apak had to suppress the inside and was unable to attack Sima Yiboke." Wei Yunfeng informed Lin Junhong of the information he had already.

"Maybe there is this factor, but it may also be that Abdulla had other plans, otherwise what would he do if he secretly took more than 20 students to Lanzhou?" Chen Duan said worriedly.
Chapter completed!