The sky is clear, the fields are vast, and the grass is blown by the wind, and cattle and sheep can be seen low.
This Northern Dynasty folk song describes the beautiful scenery along the Hun River.
It is different from the Ming and Qing Dynasties and even the early Republic hundreds of years later, when the ecology of this place was destroyed, resulting in yellow sandstorms.
At this time, by the Hun River, you can really enjoy the beautiful scenery of wind-blown grass and low-lying cows and sheep.
Even the Hun River, which in later generations had a wide and shallow river channel with a high sediment content, was relatively clear and had sufficient water at this time.
After Zhang Zhao received the Khitan envoy who came back with Wu Dal'er, he summoned the generals to discuss the situation for a long time.
The final conclusion was that this meeting should not be missed.
First, it can ease relations with the Khitan people, so as to buy time to digest the four states of Dingnan Army, the three states of Lingwu Army, and continue to develop the territory of Longyou in Hexi Province.
Second, we can take advantage of this window period to capture the Gaochang Uighurs and eliminate the biggest hidden danger behind us.
As long as there are no Gaochang Uighurs, there is no need to worry about being attacked by the Khitans from both east and west.
Moreover, the Pugu family khan of the Gaochang Uighurs was the last Uighur khan in the entire Anbeiting.
If Zhang Zhao defeated the Gaochang Uighurs, he could force the Uighurs to recognize his title of Ju'er Khan and become the common khan of the Anxi, Beiting, Hexi Uighurs, and Basimi people.
What's more important is that there are still 200,000 people from the Xijiasi tribe to the north of the Uighurs.
In the second year of Changxing, nine years ago in 931 AD, Xijiasi suffered a serious white disaster and was threatened by the Khitan, so he took refuge with the Khitans. The Khitan people established the Xijiasi Grand Palace to rule.
Later generations regarded Xijias and the tribes of the Altai Mountains south of Xijias as the jurisdiction of the Khitan people. In fact, this is inaccurate.
These tribes were only nominally subordinate to the Khitans.
The Khitan people only carried out a rough rule of collecting a few cattle and sheep skins and did not plunder them.
To put it bluntly, these tribes are just paying protection fees to the Khitans to avoid being robbed by the Khitans.
Historically, they gradually became Khitanized after more than a hundred years of Khitan rule.
Some tribal leaders even married the Khitans, which eventually became the foundation for Yelu Dashi to gain a foothold in the river.
But now to the Khitan people, these tribes are not important.
However, Zhang Zhao still liked them. At least their cow hides, tendons, horns and other war preparation materials could be used to make armors and bows, which Zhang Zhao needed very much.
Therefore, Zhang Zhao planned to threaten and win over the Uighurs in Gaochang and gradually control these tribes after getting them to respect him as Juer Khan.
Moreover, he also has an advantage that Yelu Deguang does not have, and that is the identity of Zhang Zhao, the Holy King of the Rotation.
The beliefs of the Chigas are similar to those of the Gaochang Uighurs. They are both Zoroastrianism mixed with Manichaeism. It is very easy to convert these two religions into Buddhism.
In the Central Plains, Zhang Zhao's title of Rotating Saint King, Dharma King and Bodhisattva cannot be spread, because he has to obtain the means of production to promote production by beating up the local tycoons in Buddhist temples in the Central Plains to a certain extent.
Moreover, the culture of the Han people in the Central Plains basically has no soil for the survival of theocracy. If we do this in the Central Plains, the gain outweighs the loss.
But in the outer Tianshan Mountains where Qingtang Plateau and Xijiasi are located, Tangnu Ulianghai, and Beihai (Lake Baikal), this method is very popular.
Threatening with force, tempting with the three deadly weapons of salt, sugar and tea, and using modified Buddhism to control thoughts, the picture is beautiful to think about.
Of course, Zhang Zhao and all his generals did not say the biggest reason for choosing to meet, but everyone knew it.
That is, it has been more than eight months since Zhang Zhao led his army on the expedition at the end of July last year and the army left Liangzhou.
In the past eight months or so, the maximum number of troops including civilians has been close to 70,000.
For the newly born Hexi regime, the amount of money and food consumed has reached its limit, and the food and grass accumulated over the past year has basically been consumed.
At the same time, last year's autumn harvest and this year's spring plowing both had a slowdown in progress due to the deployment of a large number of young men.
In terms of military morale, after six months of the siege of Xiazhou, everyone from top to bottom was exhausted and wanted to return to Hexi to repair as soon as possible.
At the same time, the 20,000 Qiang cavalry from various tribes have just been subdued, and their combat effectiveness is still in a Schrödinger-like state, and cannot be relied upon reliably.
So looking at Zhang Zhao leading an army of tens of thousands, in fact, the whole army did not want to continue the war, at least with a seemingly stronger enemy like the Khitan.
They are now following Zhang Zhao to the Hun River with high spirits, relying entirely on Zhang Zhao's own prestige to keep the morale of his soldiers high.
But prestige is something that cannot be used too often or too harshly. It is very difficult to accumulate, but it is too fast to throw it away.
To put it bluntly, even if everyone from top to bottom was willing to have a chance encounter with the Khitans, Zhang Zhao would not choose this time.
Because the Hexi Army can attack in all directions with only 20,000 to 30,000 people, and the magic weapon that guarantees strong combat effectiveness is very special.
For example, in the Song Dynasty, a regular soldier needed to be equipped with an auxiliary soldier who would help him put on his armor, charge repeatedly in battle, feed him food and water intermittently, and even act as a massage technician.
A warrior who helped him carry his armor when he was short of mules and horses.
A would-be craftsman who took care of him, repaired his armor, and carried rice and grain on his back.
Each fire requires ten soldiers and two men to take care of the mules and horses.
In other words, at least three people are needed to serve behind a soldier, and sometimes four are needed to ensure that the soldier has sufficient physical strength and can focus on fighting on the battlefield.
This is also the biggest reason why the Song army often mobilized hundreds of thousands of people, but in actual combat, only 30,000 to 40,000 to 40,000 to 50,000 were actually fought.
And in the Guiyi Army, how many auxiliaries and civilians did the soldiers have?
About three to four people have one, and most of these auxiliary soldiers also serve as united archers, and are not always beside the soldiers.
Of course, the reason why the Guiyi Army had a lot of cloth-covered iron armor and chain mail armor was that it was easy to wear, was light in weight, and had far more mules and horses than the general army.
There is also the factor that the soldiers of the Rebel Army were able to endure hardships and endure hardships.
Since ancient times, Qin soldiers have endured hard battles, which is no joke. Longyou in Hexi Province is also a major source of Qin soldiers.
But in any case, although this enabled the Guiyi Army to dispatch a large army, it saved a lot of costs and increased the marching speed.
And it is not easy to collapse on the battlefield. After all, there are many soldiers and elites, but few auxiliary soldiers and civilians, so the army will naturally not be easily defeated.
However, after a long period of battle, this advantage will be gradually offset.
Physical and mental fatigue will come on faster than in an ordinary army.
Therefore, the fighting power and will of the Guiyi Army at this moment are not in the best condition.
Facing enemies like the Khitan, Zhang Zhao would not choose to start a fight with them at this time. Meeting with Yelu Deguang was the best opportunity to avoid starting a war at this time.
The meeting place for both parties was set in a small beacon fort by the Hun River.
This Beacon Fort was originally part of the Great Wall. The Great Wall was not built in the Tang Dynasty, but it was not without the Great Wall. On the contrary, some functional sections of the Great Wall in the Han Dynasty and Northern Dynasties were maintained very seriously.
This nameless beacon fort is one of them. Four hundred years later, it will have a famous name - Sha Hukou.
Of course, it is far from becoming the main gateway out of the fortress as it was in history. It is just a small earthen city and a beacon fort.
For Zhang Zhao and Yelu Deguang, the meeting between people of their level is a very, very test of the abilities of all parties involved.
After selecting the place and date, the vanguard troops from both sides began to station here.
Zhang Zhao chose Bai Congxin's 300 light-armored cavalry and Li Cunhui's 300 most elite cavalry.
As for Murong Nobunaga, he was controlling the army for Zhang Zhao about five miles away.
Yan Jin, Fan Quan, Yin Yaozi, Ma Yaozi, and Ma Shacai were all gone, and only Murong Nobunaga controlled the army, so Zhang Zhao felt most at ease.
Similarly, Yelu Deguang also selected three hundred cavalry from the left and right Pishi armies, and he also thoughtfully brought his uncle Yelu Anduan and his younger brother Yelu Lihu with him. He had to do this so as not to worry about anyone causing trouble.
Before the two sides met, each side sent dozens of military observers to the other side.
On the surface, it is to admire the other party's military appearance, but in fact, it is to confirm whether the other party has complied with the agreement.
Because according to the agreement, both sides, except for these 600 cavalry, must retreat their troops to a distance of five miles.
Zhang Zhao sent Shen Nianban, Zhebu Jiashi, and Huang Yingda as envoys to observe the army, and led hundreds of elite cavalry to patrol. It was basically confirmed that the Khitan soldiers and horses had abided by the agreement.
Yelu Deguang sent Yelu Wuzhi, Han Kuangsi and others as envoys to observe the army. In addition to confirming that the Hexi soldiers and horses were at the designated positions, they also reported to Yelu Deguang the rebel army in their eyes.
Banners were fluttering, war horses were strong, thousands of armored soldiers armed with strong bows and crossbows were arrayed for an hour without moving an inch. The light and heavy armored cavalry were extremely powerful, and the various horsemen covered the sky and the sun.
In the opinion of Zhang Zhao and Murong Nobunaga, their 35,000-strong army could not exceed the level of the Khitan Pishi Army at most, with no more than 5,000 soldiers.
But in the opinion of Yelu Wuzhi and Han Kuangsi, among the Hexi Guiyi Army, there were at least 10,000 people who could compare with the Pishi Army.
Especially the more than a thousand elites who are armed with Mo swords, equipped with cloth-covered iron armor and strong bows and crossbows. Their combat effectiveness is far higher than that of the ordinary leather warriors. They are quite terrifying elites.
After receiving this reply, Yelu Deguang immediately understood that the Guiyi Army could not be defeated by randomly deploying 30 to 50,000 people, so he also put off his plan to raid Zhang Zhao.
In addition to the meeting, Zhang Zhao did not leave any loopholes for the Khitans to exploit, and the meeting between the two parties went as planned.
Shahukou is located in a valley where the Hun River flows, with mountains on both sides facing each other, and the valley in the middle. It has always been an important passage for Shuozhou and Yunzhou to enter and leave the grassland.
There are no troops stationed on either side of the gate, and the location on the river is on the beach beside the valley.
A high platform for meeting was set up here. Zhang Zhao and Yelu Deguang each brought thirty guards, and the rest of the cavalry were waiting a few hundred meters below the platform.
Yelu Deguang was dressed in a purple robe, dressed in a Han style, with a bun and a net bag on his head as usual.
However, this purple robe is quite bulky, and it looks like there is something hidden under the robe.
Zhang Zhao's outfit is similar to that of Yelu Deguang. He is still wearing a purple round-neck shirt, but it seems a bit too big, and he has a Luo Fu headband wrapped around his head.
The biggest difference is that Zhang Zhao is still young and exercises regularly, so his body is as long as jade and his back is straight, giving him a masculine beauty.
Yelu Deguang was thirty-eight years old. After becoming the leader of the Khitan Kingdom, he inevitably began to gain weight.
This fat purple robe made him look even more bloated when he wore it, making Zhang Zhao look much less attractive.
However, as soon as the two met, they immediately felt a sympathy for each other.
Without him, although one person brought thirty guards, there were only two guards who could get close enough for the two of them to meet on the high platform.
Coincidentally, Zhang Zhao brought Barbarian Bear and Dunzhu with him. In addition to being invincible in these two steps, there is another advantage, that is, their bodies are very majestic. If something changes, the two of them can completely cover Zhang Zhao by closing the door.
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The same goes for Yelu Deguang. The two guards he chose were as good as Man Xiong and Dunzhu in stature.
Zhang Zhao estimated that if he pounced now, if the two majestic warriors on the opposite side blocked Yelv Deguang's body, he would most likely not be able to hit him.
Even if Barbarian Bear, Dunzhu and the three of them were to go up together, Yelu Deguang could calmly climb down the high platform. Then there would be trouble, and the two sides would really start fighting to the death.
Moreover, the two of them must be wearing ring-lock armor in their loose robes. Not to mention not having weapons in their hands, even if they have weapons, it cannot be solved with a few swords.
Considering this, Zhang Zhao also gave up the idea of killing Yelv Deguang and causing the Khitan people to start civil strife.
Both of them gave the most rigorous consideration to their own safety.
"The Lord of Hexi invites His Majesty the Emperor of the Khitan Kingdom for a drink!"
After the two of them sat down, they were protected by their respective generals of bear and tiger, and their own servants came forward and placed fruits, vegetables and fine wine on them.
This sentence was not said by Zhang Zhao, but by his chamberlain Basimi.
After the chamberlain finished speaking, he bowed respectfully and went over to pour wine for Yelu Deguang.
However, Yelu Deguang's chamberlain stood beside him and did not leave, preventing Zhang Zhao's chamberlain Bashmi from passing by.
"The land west of Hexi is a minister of the Jin State?" Yelu Deguang looked at Zhang Zhao and spoke personally.
"The land west of Hexi is the land of the Central Plains. It is not a subject, but the hands, feet, ears and eyes."
Of course Zhang Zhao knew what Yelv Deguang meant, if he recognized Hexi as a vassal of the Later Jin Dynasty.
Then Yelu Deguang is Shi Jingtang's father, and Zhang Zhao is just his pretender subordinate. What etiquette should be used to treat Yelu Deguang?
"The King of Han regards himself as a loyal minister and a righteous man, but now he refuses to say clearly whether he is a minister of the Jin Dynasty and returned to the country from the eighteen states. Is this a lie?"
"The land of Yanyun is also the land of China. If Your Majesty occupies Yanyun, will it be like the Xiongnu, Turks, and Shatuo who are subordinate to the Central Plains?"
Yelu Deguang was furious, "I am the father of the Lord of Jin. I did not claim the land of Yanyun, but the Lord of Jin was willing to cede it!"
Zhang Zhao also retorted, "I only heard that a father left an inheritance to his son, but not that his son gifted his ancestral property to his father. Could it be that your majesty is the stepfather of the entrance wall?"
The so-called "stepfather" refers to the kind of wealthy woman who hires a young and strong husband after her husband dies.
However, although he is said to be a husband, he is actually just like a bride-in-law. The child does not have his surname and still lives in the woman's home, so his status is very low.
Don't tell me, when compared to this, they really look a bit alike!