A few days have passed, and November has just entered. The first heavy snowfall of the year roared in under the north wind, sweeping across the entire northwest. Overnight, the entire Guanzhong Plain turned into a snow-capped world.
Many businessmen were trudging along the official road east of Jingzhao. A heavy snowfall caught them off guard, and the originally smooth and easy official road became difficult to walk.
Fortunately, King Yong ordered the troops to plow the snow on the official road. One hundred thousand troops plowed away thirty miles of snow in one day, and many trapped caravans were able to continue to Jingzhao City.
Among the dozens of caravans, there was a caravan composed of 300 camels. They came from Taiyuan. The camel caravan was fully loaded with 30,000 high-quality sheepskins. The owners of this caravan were two brothers who had just arrived last year.
The Mongolian businessman Yin Balu and his brother Yin Erhan were cared for by Chen Qing.
This time, the two brothers not only came to Jingzhao to sell goods, but also shouldered an important task.
Yin Erhan rode up and shouted: "Brother, the official road is clear, it may snow again tomorrow, let's leave quickly!"
Yinbalu turned around and shouted: "Brothers, get up, let's go!"
They hired a dozen Han men in Taiyuan to take care of the camels for them. The men shouted loudly, and the camels lying on the ground got up and began to walk slowly. Many businessmen also used mules and donkeys to carry goods, and they all got up and set off.
.
At noon, they finally arrived at Jingzhao City. The camel team did not enter the city, but came to an inn outside the city where they had stayed last year. The inn outside the city occupied a large area and had room for their camels.
"Shopkeeper Gao, do you still remember us?"
The two brothers were both over two meters tall and very strong, like two huge black bears. Each of them had to eat a large bowl of rice at one meal. How could the shopkeeper not remember them?
"Are you... staying in a hotel?"
Yinbalu grinned and said, "We have three hundred camels and thirteen men. Can we live there?"
The shopkeeper nodded, "You are lucky. A group of merchants from the Western Regions just left the day before yesterday. They also have hundreds of camels. Come on! Bring the camels to the backyard."
Yinbalu was overjoyed and hurriedly called to the waiter, "Unload the goods first, and then take the camels to the backyard."
Groups of camels entered the yard to unload their goods, and were immediately led to the backyard. The three hundred camels were busy for almost an hour before the arrangements were made, and then they moved the goods into the room. Everyone was exhausted.
Although they were exhausted, Yin Balu and his brother Yin Erhan entered the city. They rode horses to the official office of King Yong's palace and said to a soldier: "We are looking for Wei Canjun who is beside King Yong. We have something important to tell him.
"
Last year, Wei Ji took them to sell sheepskins, and they were familiar with it. The soldiers went in to inform them.
Not long after, Wei Ji walked out quickly. The guard guard described the appearance of the two men, and Wei Ji guessed that they were brothers, which was indeed true.
"Why are you here again?"
Wei Ji's tone was a little unhappy. They had helped the Mengwu tribe, but the Mengwu tribe repaid their kindness with hatred and attacked Datong Prefecture.
Yinbalu hurriedly stepped forward and said: "We came to meet His Highness King Yong on the order of the Khan, and we have a letter to give to His Highness."
Wei Ji glanced at them and said to the soldier on duty: "After searching, take them to the corridor and wait. I will report to His Highness!"
Wei Ji hurriedly came to Chen Qing's official room and reported, "Your Highness, I have something to report for my humble position!"
"Come in!"
Wei Ji walked into the official room, where Chen Qing was reviewing an ultimatum. "What's the matter?" he put down his pen and asked.
"Your Highness, the two Mongol merchants came again last winter and said they had a letter from the Khan to be delivered to Your Highness."
Chen Qing thought for a while and asked with a smile: "But those two tall and strong brothers?"
"It's them!"
"Okay, you can bring them in!"
"Your Highness, do you want to arrange some more personal guards?" Wei Ji asked worriedly.
Chen Qing smiled slightly, "Do you think I still need personal protection? Go ahead!"
Wei Ji had no choice but to go, and not long after, two soldiers brought Yin Balu and Yin Erhan in.
The two of them bowed and saluted, "May the God of Eternal Life bless His Highness King Yong!"
Chen Qing nodded and smiled: "We haven't seen each other for a year. Are you here to sell leather goods again?"
"Reporting to Your Highness, we originally planned to sell goods in Taiyuan this year, but due to heavy responsibilities, we did not sell goods in Taiyuan and came directly to Jingzhao."
"The same goes for selling goods in Jingzhao. Just like last year, I will give you a good price later."
"Thank you, Your Highness!"
The two brothers were overjoyed. Yinbalu took out a letter and presented it to Chen Qing. Chen Qing took the letter and saw on the envelope it was written: 'Your Highness King Yong of the Song Dynasty'.
Chen Qing was startled that it was actually written in Chinese. He smiled and asked, "Why is it in Chinese?"
Yinbalu said quickly: "There are also Han staff in the Khan's tent. The Khan's dictation is dictated by the Han staff's writing."
Chen Qing opened the letter. It was a letter written by the Mongol King Hebul Khan. Although it was written in Chinese by an aide, it had his seal and signature at the end, indicating that the content had been confirmed.
The content is relatively simple. It just says that the Mengwu tribe has no idea of invading Datong Prefecture. Because of the years of war, the male casualties are huge and the strength is weakened. They are recuperating and unable to go south, and they are not willing to be used by the Jin Kingdom to become the Jin Kingdom's attack on the Western Army.
of sword.
The invasion battle that took place in Datong Mansion in the autumn had nothing to do with him.
Chen Qing frowned and asked Balu: "The content of the letter is too simple and I can't understand it. Your Khan said that he had no intention of invading the south, but my army saw the battle flag of the Mongol Army in Datong Prefecture. What's the matter?
how to explain?"
Yinbalu wiped the sweat on his forehead and explained: "This is where the Khan asked the villain to explain clearly to His Highness. Your Highness's army may have seen the battle flag of the Mongol Army, but there must be no cavalry from the Borzhin Army, or absolutely
There are no cavalry from the Qiyan tribe."
Chen Qing sneered, "What do you mean? Your Khan is the king of the Mongol Kingdom. In the end, can he only control his own tribe?"
"Your Highness does not know that the Mongol Kingdom is composed of more than twenty tribes. The Qiyan tribe is the largest tribe, but there are several tribes below the Qiyan tribe. The Borjijin tribe where the Khan is located is the main tribe.
He also controlled the Qiyan tribe. Originally, all the Mongol tribes obeyed the orders of the Khan. However, during the battle with the Jin Kingdom, several large tribes were not determined and took the lead in surrendering to the Jin Kingdom. As a result, the main force of the Mongol army was defeated.
The Jin soldiers were defeated, and finally had to seek peace from the Jin Kingdom, accept the canonization of the Jin Emperor, and become a vassal state of the Jin Kingdom."
"Go on, what next?"
"Then in the summer, envoys from the Kingdom of Jin persuaded our army to go south to invade Datong Prefecture. The Khan refused on the grounds that too many men died in battle and he did not have the strength to march south. However, several large tribes in the south were the first to surrender to the Kingdom of Jin.
Several tribes were persuaded by the Jin Kingdom, and under the banner of the Mengwu Tribe, they united with the troops of the Kelie Tribe and the Tatar Tribe, and the three armies marched south to invade Datong Prefecture."
"How many troops do they have?" Chen Qing asked again.
"The Mongol tribes have 10,000 troops, and the Kelei and Tatar tribes each send 20,000 troops. A total of 50,000 troops, led by the Kelei tribe, but they do not carry siege weapons and are unable to attack the main force.
In the same city, they retreated hastily."
"Will you go south again next year?"
"Look at the requirements of the Jin Kingdom. If the Jin Kingdom asks them to go south, they will definitely go south. My Khan reminds His Highness to be careful about Fengzhou next year. The Klei tribe has long wanted to capture Fengzhou as a springboard to go south."
Chen Qing nodded and asked again: "Will there be a sneak attack on Datong Mansion in winter?"
The two Yinbalu brothers shook their heads together, and Yinerhan said: "The heavy snow on the grassland is beyond your imagination. The snow is so thick that even the war horses will be submerged. It is absolutely impossible to send troops in winter. They will only be frozen before the troops can be gathered."
Died on the way."
Yinbalu also said: "It is true. The herdsmen burn cow dung in their tents to survive the cold winter. Even if spring goes south, it will not be until after March when the grassland ice and snow melts that the Klei Ministry will send people to notify the herdsmen everywhere, and then
It will take a month to concentrate from all directions, and it will not be until April that the army will gather and move south."
"No siege weapons?"
Yinbalu shook his head, "Unless the Kingdom of Jin provides it, there will be no siege weapons."
Chen Qing was immediately relieved. It was still the time of Temujin's great-grandfather, and the grasslands were still loose tribal alliances. It was only after Temujin unified the grasslands and destroyed the Jin Kingdom that a large number of siege weapons and Han craftsmen were obtained.
Now they are just harassing the border. It will be more than a hundred years before they become powerful! The north is still ruled by the Jurchens.