It was a matter of course for foreign envoys to visit and hold banquets to receive them, whether in the Tang Dynasty or other countries.
It is also common for various grassland tribes to communicate with each other through envoys.
Both He Gu and Bu Liuda were powerful tribes in Modong, and the two tribes had long concluded an alliance and had a relationship of allies. Therefore, when the He Gu delegation came to visit, it was natural that Bu Liuda would hold a grand banquet.
Generally speaking, prairie people prefer to hold banquets on open grasslands, light bonfires, sit in a circle, sing and dance, and celebrate together.
But it's winter now and it's extremely cold, so hosting a banquet outdoors at this time is naturally out of the question.
In fact, unless there are urgent matters between the various ministries, they often will not send out envoys after winter.
After all, the Modong Grassland is covered with continuous snow after winter. Not only is it very difficult to walk, but if you are unlucky, you may encounter heavy snowstorms, which may even lead to death or injury.
This year's visit by the Hegu Mission is quite special.
The official Suo Gutu was not in danger, and he was really grateful to Qin Xiao for interceding for him, so he made preparations with all his heart.
Unable to hold a banquet in the open air, Suogutu set up a tent in an open space not far from the sweat tent as a place to host the banquet.
Although it was a temporary banquet venue, it was done with great care.
But compared to the luxury of the Tang Dynasty, it is still far behind.
At noon, when Qin Xiao and Mang Duo arrived at the banquet, many leaders from Bu Liuda were already waiting.
Because of the great epidemic, the leaders of Bu Liuda's tribes were all dealing with the epidemic in their own tribes, so not many leaders could come to the Khan's Court. Except for a few leaders such as Heihe Tutun who were summoned by the Great Chanyu as witnesses last night, the others
Those attending the banquet were the guards, elders, Qi Jin and other Buliuda noble officials from the Khan Court and its surrounding areas.
If it is just to entertain the Gu Gu envoys, it is actually enough for the chief ceremonial officer to attend the meeting. For example, Donglin Khan's attendance at the meeting is a great honor for the envoys.
But today the Great Chanyu came in person.
This is of course because of the existence of Qin Xiao.
Although the Great Chanyu has the supreme status in Buliuda, after all, he has already surrendered to the Tang Dynasty. Qin Xiao is a marquis of the Tang Dynasty and a general of the Tang Dynasty with heavy troops. It is difficult for the Great Chanyu to lose to Qin Xiao.
As a courtesy, I personally took all the officials to wait.
After Qin Xiao and Mang Duo arrived, Shanyu personally stepped forward and held Qin Xiao's wrist. He was very enthusiastic. Although he greeted Mang Duo with a few words, it was obvious that Mang Duo was nothing in his eyes.
Although Bu Liuda is an ally with He Gu, this is because the Zhen Yu tribe among the three tribes of Xile is too powerful. Neither He Gu nor Bu Liuda tribe can fight against the Zhen Yu tribe alone, so they can only
Being able to hold each other together for warmth allows the three parts of the Desert to maintain a delicate balance.
The Kingdom of Sile originated in the Black Forest. The royal tent of the kingdom was also located in the Black Forest at the beginning, and most of the Black Forest is now controlled by Bu Liuda. In addition, the Great Chanyu lineage is indeed a descendant of the royal family of Sile.
Therefore, Bu Liuda has always regarded himself as the Xile orthodoxy, but in his heart he really despises the other two works.
In fact, the Great Chanyu didn't even pay attention to He Gu's Great Khan. He only thought that He Gu's Great Khan was on an equal footing with Donglin Khan, and was certainly a step below him. That's why he saw He Gu's envoy today.
Mang Duo, although he is kind on the surface, but in his heart he is dismissive.
But Qin Xiao's status is definitely different.
Qin Xiao was a favorite of the Emperor of the Tang Dynasty and a powerful figure with a large number of troops. Of course, the Great Chanyu did not dare to neglect him.
The most important thing is that Bu Liuda was too close to the Liaodong Army and even sent troops to fight Long Rui's army. This caused Bu Liuda to have no way out for a while. All the leaders of Bu Liuda only thought that Long Rui's army would be defeated because of this.
And Qin Xiao, the general who hates Bu Liuda, will also regard Bu Liuda as his enemy. In this case, Bu Liuda can only go to the dark side and has no choice between the Liaodong Army and Long Rui Army.
This is of course an extremely unfavorable diplomatic situation for Buliuda.
Moreover, the strength of the Long Rui Army has developed rapidly, and everyone can see it. Although the Liaodong Army has been a local leader in the four northeastern counties for a hundred years, Qin Xiao's Long Rui Army is not a vegetarian. It is a serious and powerful dragon.
, if the current situation continues to develop, the situation of the Liaodong Army will become increasingly difficult, and it will even be completely swallowed up by the Long Rui Army sooner or later.
In the dispute between the three tribes of Xile, in order to balance the power of Modong, the Liaodong Army always attacked the most powerful Zhenyu tribe, secretly supporting Bu Liuda who wanted to unify Modong as a counterweight to Bu Liuda.
tool.
Frankly speaking, there is indeed nothing wrong with the Liaodong Army's strategy.
Because of this, many people in the Buliuda tribes are close to the Liaodong Army and feel that they must maintain a close relationship with the Liaodong Army. Only in this way can they rely on the support of the Liaodong Army and one day be able to take advantage of the opportunity to unify Modong.
Purpose.
The Undead Army sent troops to help out precisely because there were many people in the tribe who supported the Liaodong Army, and they could get huge rewards for doing so.
Even in the eyes of many people, although the Liaodong Army was passive in the battle between the two armies in the Northeast, it was far from defeated. Perhaps the Liaodong Army could reverse the situation and regain the initiative after organizing a large-scale counterattack.
In the hearts of Bu Liuda's tribes, Long Ruijun and Bu Liuda's mortal enemy Zhenyu tribe have reached a silk and horse trade, so they already have allies. In this case, the enemy's friends are enemies, and Long Ruijun will certainly
Become Bu Liuda's opponent.
Therefore, in the battle between the two armies in the Northeast, more people still hope that the Liaodong Army will win the final victory in this duel.
However, after Long Rui's army captured Shunjincheng and then took control of Yingping County, Bu Liuda had already keenly felt that Long Rui's army's victory had dealt a heavy blow to the Liaodong Army, which was already in trouble.
The Liaodong Army made matters worse.
In fact, these days, Buliuda is in a state of depression.
With the epidemic spreading among the various tribes, and knowing that Bu Liuda's backer, the Liaodong Army, was in a worse situation, Bu Liuda's leaders were extremely worried. They all thought that once the Liaodong Army was finally eaten by Long Rui's army, what would happen to Long Rui's subordinates?
One goal must be to reach Buliuda.
At that time, it is not even necessary for Long Ruijun to take action personally. He only needs to fully support the Zhenyu Department, and Bu Liuda's situation will be in danger.
Da Chan is naturally also worried.
He did not expect that the once invincible Liaodong Army had become so weak that it was defeated by the Long Rui Army who had just left the border.
The situation in the Northeast has changed suddenly. These days, Da Shanyu is not only worried about the great epidemic suffered by his tribe, but also thinking about where Bu Liuda will go.
Before Qin Xiao came to Bu Liuda, Da Shanyu only thought that Qin Xiao must have included Bu Liuda as a target.
Based on the current situation in the Northeast, if Bu Liuda hugs the Liaodong Army and continues to develop, Bu Liuda will probably be buried with the Liaodong Army in the end. Not to mention unifying Modong, I am afraid that the entire tribe will eventually be annexed by the Zhenyu tribe.
This is of course something that Shanyu absolutely cannot accept.
If we keep a distance from the Liaodong Army, Bu Liuda will be in an equally difficult situation without the Liaodong Army as a backer in the future.
The Great Chanyu knew that Bu Liuda, like the Liaodong Army, was in an extremely difficult situation.
But he didn't expect that Qin Xiao would come to Buliuda in person and show enough sincerity.
For the Great Chanyu, this was actually something he could only hope for.
If the relationship with Long Ruijun can be eased, or even turned into a friend, Bu Liuda's predicament will be greatly alleviated.
The situation that the Great Chanyu most hopes for is to stay out of the battle between the two armies in the Northeast, sit on the sidelines, not be an enemy of any party, and will not get too close to any party, and have both sides, so that no matter who ends up becoming the Northeast
My master, Bu Liuda will be as safe as a mountain.
But he knew this was just a wish.
With such drastic changes happening in the Northeast, it is simply a daydream for the surrounding affiliated forces to stay away from the disputes and live alone.
The Great Chanyu was hesitant to resolutely follow the Liaodong Army, but he had no other way to go, which made him really worried.
The appearance of Qin Xiao was even more important to Shanyu than getting the antidote to the epidemic.
He also tested Qin Xiao in his words last night, and even took advantage of the epidemic to express his attitude to Qin Xiao, promising that he would no longer support the Liaodong Army. Such a statement was obviously approved by Qin Xiao.
Lao Shanyu was extremely shrewd. In fact, from Qin Xiao's words, he did not feel that the other party was hostile, and he also had a vague idea of Qin Xiao's attitude.
Qin Xiao did not seem to give in to Liuda's request to fully support Long Rui's army. He just hoped that Bu Liuda would stay out of the matter and not get involved in the Northeast War.
For Bu Liuda, this was exactly what he wanted.
As a great chanyu, he considers the interests of the entire tribe. Since the defeat of the Liaodong Army has become apparent, Bu Liuda certainly cannot become a burial object of the Liaodong Army. If he has the opportunity to reconcile with Long Ruijun, he may even choose Long Ruijun as his backer.
That is of course the best choice.
In fact, this is also the survival method that the grassland tribes are accustomed to. They choose the forces to rely on according to the situation and survive with difficulty.
Many tribes in the border areas of the three Siler tribes often have to make such a choice.
A powerful Xile tribe like Buliuda naturally does not face the same dilemma of choice as those small tribes. However, when facing the powerful power of the Tang Dynasty, Buliuda is also a weakling. In today's situation, the same
You also have to make a choice.
Therefore, today's banquet is said to be to welcome the Gu delegation, but in fact it is to entertain Qin Xiao, the general of the Tang Dynasty.
He held Qin Xiao's wrist and was very enthusiastic. He personally pulled him into the tent and walked along the carpet to the end. He set up two seats at the main table and asked Qin Xiao to sit with him.
The banquet tent that was set up was very spacious and could easily accommodate a hundred people.
In addition to the two main seats, there are two groups on the left and right sides. Each row has about ten individual seats. Each table has a table with wine and food placed on it. Everyone sits on the floor.
Qin Xiao knew that prairie people had a straightforward temperament and did not like to be coy. Since the Great Chanyu had already made arrangements for the seats, if he refused, he would appear coquettish and rude.
Officials and dignitaries were also present.
Mang Duo was He Gu's envoy, and Bu Liuda did not hesitate to place him in the chief position on the left.
The person sitting opposite the chief is Donglin Khan, and below him is Tatu Buliudazhang. The other officials are also seated according to their status.
Qin Xiao glanced at it, but did not see Hong Ye's figure. It was a little strange, but he immediately thought that Hong Ye's temperament was a bit withdrawn, and due to his status, he must not be willing to participate in such an occasion. He probably refused the invitation of Shan Yu.
"This is the envoy sent by He Gu, Mang Duoqijin." After everyone took their seats, Da Shanyu raised his hand and pointed at Mang Duo and said: "He is our good friend of Bu Liuda. There should be many of you here.
We all know each other.”
He stood up and saluted everyone.
The Great Chanyu then introduced: "This is General Qin Xiaoqin. Most of you have never met him, but you must have heard of General Qin's reputation."
There were thirty or forty people attending the banquet. Except for a few people who were in the sweat tent last night, most of the people present really didn't know that Qin Xiao had come to Buliuda. They only thought that today's banquet was to entertain the congratulatory delegation.
.
After all, the Khan Court is like a city on the grassland, covering a very large area, but there are no walls around it.
These officials live in different parts of the Khan's court. Most of them don't even know anything about what happened in the Khan's tent last night. When they received the order to attend the banquet today, they only thought it was because of the congratulatory mission.
Previously, when the Great Chanyu showed up, attended the banquet in person, and even waited outside, many people were puzzled. They secretly wanted to receive the Hegu envoys, but they had never done such a big event. The Great Chanyu had never attended in person, but this time
This is uncharacteristic of the norm. Could it be that the He Gu mission brought about something major?
Many people were even more surprised when they saw Da Shanyu personally holding Qin Xiao's hand into the tent. At this time, they understood after hearing Da Shanyu's introduction, but they were also shocked.
Of course everyone present has heard of Qin Xiao's name.
The situation in the Northeast directly affects the surrounding forces. The battle between the two armies in the Northeast is naturally a matter of great concern to the surrounding forces. As the chief general of the Long Rui Army, Qin Xiao has naturally become the subject of attention.
.
Rumors about Qin Xiao have long spread in the Modong grassland. Those attending the banquet today are all noble officials from Buliuda. Of course, they are all familiar with Qin Xiao's deeds.
Except for a few people such as Heihe Tutun who were summoned to the Khan tent by the Great Chanyu last night as witnesses, everyone else was shocked when they saw Qin Xiao appearing at the banquet. They just thought it was incredible. They whispered to each other for a while, and there was quite a feeling in the tent.
noisy.
"Donglin Khan, please explain the situation to everyone!" the Great Chanyu ordered.
Although Da Chanyu seemed to be in a good mood, he obviously did not sleep well last night, his complexion was not very good, and there was a hint of tiredness between his eyebrows.
Donglin Khan stood up and bowed to the Great Chanyu and Qin Xiao, then turned to everyone and said: "We have found out clearly that the great epidemic in Modong is not a crime from the gods, but the work of evil people. Someone spread it in Modong
The epidemic has poisoned all tribes, and the crime cannot be forgiven!"
As soon as these words came out, many people present changed their expressions in shock, and then the noise became even louder.
Qin Xiao knew that the affairs of the grassland tribes were not like those of the Tang Dynasty. The Tang Dynasty court would try to keep silence when discussing matters, and the ministers would give advice one by one. However, the grassland tribes did not have so many rules when discussing matters, and their speech would be much more casual. No one would
You can express your own opinions, and sometimes you will even get into a quarrel because of different opinions. If you really get into a quarrel, it will be much more noisy than in the wet market.
It is indeed shocking news that the epidemic virus was spread artificially. It is understandable that everyone present was shocked.
"Donglin Khan, who is the murderer?" Someone stood up abruptly, with a ferocious look on his face, clenching his fist and saying, "If you name the murderer, we will cut him to death with a thousand knives!"