Chapter 7 Chapter 6 Loulan

In the ancient Western Regions, there was a small country called Loulan.Loulan began to appear in Eastern history around 120 to 30 BC, and its name disappeared from history in 77 BC. Counting the existence time of this small Loulan country, it was only 50 years ago. In the coming year, it will be more than two thousand years ago. The introducer of Loulan was Zhang Qian, a famous adventurer who made great achievements in the Western Regions when Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty was entrusted with the title of Marquis of Bowang.Most of the current Western Regions are in China's Xinjiang Province, but at that time it was equivalent to the great desert in Northwest China, the so-called Hudi where the Hu people lived, and the foreign land where the aliens lived.This place has become a corridor for cultural exchanges between the East and the West, and the place where the so-called Silk Road business travel road runs through is the future generations after many years.

At the time of Emperor Wu, no one was so reckless as to dare to step into this desert.No one knows how big the desert is, what kind of races live there, and what kind of countries exist. Emperor Wu sent Zhang Qian to the Western Regions not out of curiosity or interest in exploring unknown lands, but because there was a big country called Da Yuezhi on the other side of the unknown desert. For many years, the Xiongnu had been with this Da Yuezhi. Together, they have been threatening the Han Dynasty with a powerful force, and Emperor Wu deliberately used Zhang Qian to go to the Western Regions to attack the Huns.In the fifty-odd years since Emperor Gaozu of the Han Dynasty, one after another, the princesses were married to the Xiongnu and Fan, gifts of gold, silver, and silk were given, and trade was allowed, but the Xiongnu continued to invade and plunder.

At that time, the emperors of all dynasties in China were troubled by the harassment of the Huns.The Xiongnu are a nation that has been traveling between Siberia and Central Asia all the time. They have a fierce temperament and will drive south to harass China's borders whenever they have the opportunity.Famines and natural disasters do not happen every year, but wars with the Huns never stop.At that time, in order to deal with the Xiongnu, the Han Dynasty could be said to have almost exhausted its soldiers and horses.One of the captives captured by Emperor Wu during his first crusade against the Xiongnu was a Hu man, who said: "The Xiongnu defeated King Yuezhi and took his head as a drinking vessel. The allies who attacked the Xiongnu had no choice but to be in a state of helplessness.” After hearing this, Emperor Wu deliberately sent envoys to the Da Yuezhi to form an alliance with them to deal with the Xiongnu.Emperor Wu then recruited candidates for envoy to Da Yuezhi, and Zhang Qian was the one who rushed to apply for the envoy.In 139 BC, Zhang Qian led more than a hundred former Hun slaves from Longxi County and entered Hudi.Thirteen years later, Zhang Qian returned to Han soil. Among the hundreds of people who followed him, only one came back to Han soil with Zhang Qian.On the way to Da Yuezhi, Zhang Qian became a captive of the Huns for a while, wasting more than ten years, and then escaped by chance, crossed the desert, arrived at the destination Da Yuezhi, and finally completed the mission of the envoy.On the way home, he was captured by the Huns again, but this time he was able to escape and return home because of the civil strife in the Huns.

In the fifth year of Yuanshuo (124 BC), Zhang Qian entered Chang'an, the capital, and told Emperor Wu the customs, customs, and products of the countries in the Western Regions that he had inspected. At this time, Loulan appeared for the first time in Chinese history together with Qiemo, Khotan, Shache, Yanqi, Luntai, Qiuci, Shule and many other desert countries.The Biography of the Western Regions in the Han Dynasty describes the Western Regions at that time as follows-there were only thirty-six kingdoms in the Western Regions at the beginning, and then they split up and reached more than fifty kingdoms.All the small countries are located in the west of the Xiongnu and the south of Wusun. The Tianshan Mountains and Kunlun Mountains stretch from the north to the south, and the Tarim River flows through the center.It is more than 6,000 miles from east to west and more than 1,000 miles from north to south. It is connected with Yumen and Yangguan in the east, and the Pamirs in the west.

All in all, the Western Regions are equivalent to today’s Tarim Basin surrounded by three major mountain ranges including the Tianshan, Kunlun, and Pamirs. The Takulamakan Desert is formed in the center, and the desert is surrounded by scattered cultural relics that house languages, customs, skin colors, etc. A small city-state of different ethnic groups with their own differences.Of course, this area in the Western Regions had communicated with China long before Emperor Wudi, but these were all non-governmental exchanges, and formal negotiations between countries began during the time of Emperor Wudi.

As soon as you leave Yumen and Yangguan, you will see an endless desert area.On the other side across the desert is Lop Nur, which was called Puchang Sea or Salt Lake by the Han people at that time.It is several times larger than today's Lop Nur, and it is a large salty swamp full of salt called an inland sea rather than a lake.This place is more than 300 miles away from Yumen and Yangguan, and the Tarim River, the largest river in the Takulamakan Desert, flows into this lake. The country on the north bank of the lake that is closest to Han is Loulan.The road from Han to the Western Regions forks in two at Loulan.One is the road that walks south along the northern foot of the Kunlun Mountains, and the other is the road that walks west along the southern foot of the Tianshan Mountains.Going south from Loulan, there are Qiemo, Khotan, Shache, Shule and other countries, and then leading to Yuezhi, and going north, you can pass through the countries of Gushi, Yanqi, Luntai, and Qiuci to Wusun and Dawan other countries.Therefore, no matter if you go south or north, Loulan is the only place for China to go to the countries of the Western Regions.

Regarding Loulan's successor, the Shanshan Kingdom, the records in the Biography of the Western Regions in the Han Dynasty are "five hundred and seventy households, four thousand one hundred mouths, and two thousand nine hundred and twelve victorious soldiers." Based on this, one can imagine the general status of Loulan as a country scale.In any case, there is a small country with a population of 14,000 to 5,000 on the northwest coast of Lop Nur.In terms of ethnicity, the Loulan people belong to the Iranian lineage of the Aryan race, with dark skin, hollow eyes, and long Zhun.On the whole, it has a well-defined and three-dimensional appearance. It lives on farming, nomadic animal husbandry, and relies on salt mining and fishing in Lop Nur.

This country was first known to the world through Zhang Qian's introduction, but this race lived here hundreds of years ago.Before establishing relations with the Han Dynasty, Loulan was always exposed to the threat of the Xiongnu and suffered from its cruel plunder. The vassal lingers on the shore of this beautiful Lop Nur lake.Due to the small size of the country and its weak power, it was unable to resist the Huns; but every Loulan person was brave and good at fighting with swords.They are good at cavalry warfare, and their unique tactics of driving and shooting bows are enough to make other tribes terrified.

In order to form an alliance with the Da Yue Clan, Emperor Wu sent Zhang Qian to a foreign land to deal with the Xiongnu, but the Da Yue Clan never expressed his attitude. Therefore, in this sense, Emperor Wu could not get what he expected from Zhang Qian’s report. However, from Zhang Qian's narration, he got a bigger harvest that he never expected, that is, a new understanding of the countries in the Western Regions. In terms of strategic significance to the Xiongnu, the countries of the Western Regions are also of great value; they can be included in the rule to threaten the Xiongnu from the side, or they can use their troops to attack the Xiongnu.At the same time, these small countries in the desert region produce all kinds of rare treasures, including jade, amber, gold, silver, and copper; they also produce salt, pepper, wine, and cattle, horses, elephants, peacocks, and rhinos. and the lion; besides this, the fruit is plentiful, and the grains are exceedingly plentiful.If we can trade with such a small country, it will surely save part of the finances of the Han Dynasty, which has been exhausted due to the crusade against the Huns over the years.In particular, the horses produced in Dawan were even more attractive to Emperor Wu who was suffering from a shortage of horse supplies.

Emperor Wu also learned the names of some big countries on the other side of the Western Regions: Kangju, Anxi, and Shendu. He didn't know where these countries were located. treasure.Among them, Emperor Wu was most interested in Shendu (India), a country of heat and heat thousands of miles southeast of Daxia.It is said that it can be directly connected to this place without being threatened by the Huns, and that the country is willing to exchange the wealth it produces with the property of the Han soil. In the impression of Emperor Wu, Shendu became a special country. In 122 BC, Zhang Qian entered the Western Regions for the second time under the order of Emperor Wu.The mission this time was to go to Shenpo, establish diplomatic relations with the country, and exchange friendship with each other. Unexpectedly, it was blocked by the barbarians in the southwest and returned without success.

In the following year, Zhang Qian made three trips to the Western Regions.This time, because the Han army had just conquered the Huns and took back the area around Dunhuang, which was originally under the influence of the Huns, the road to the Western Regions was guaranteed. Emperor Wu seized this opportunity and sent Zhang Qian to Hudi to establish a relationship with the countries of the Western Regions. friendly. The first time Loulan people witnessed the Han army was Zhang Qian's three missions to the Western Regions in 121 BC.On this day, the small city on the banks of Lop Nur, which is surrounded by city walls, received an alarm of Han attacking, and the whole city suddenly fell into chaos.The thousands of horses and camels left outside the city were all driven into the city, the seven city gates were firmly closed, and heavily armed men were deployed at every important point on the city wall. Climbing up the city wall, you can see the lake of Lop Nur spread out quietly like a piece of blue cloth.On weekdays, a light wind full of salt is enough to make the lake turbulent, but today it is so calm that it makes people uneasy and frightened.The surface of the lake is emerald green near the shore, and darker blue as it goes further away.Looking from the city wall, the lakeshore in the north is an endless dense forest area, most of which are poplar forests, occasionally mixed with shrubs of tamarisk and other miscellaneous trees, weaving striped cloth for nature.The southern shore of the lake is covered with reeds and grasses, and several rivers are covered with grasses and reeds. If you don't go closer, you can't really see it. Speaking of rivers, there are many canals around the city walls.In Hubei, outside the dense forest area, on the land several miles around, the mesh seems to be intertwined with many canals, and between the canals are patches of cultivated land.Some of the canals were dug artificially, but most of them are formed by introducing the water of the Tarim River one mile away from the city into the old river traces of the past and the current dry river channels.Therefore, it is correct to say that although Loulan is located in the desert area, it is a city built in the fertile Tarim River Delta area along Lop Nur. There is a road on the north bank of the Tarim River.Since the Tarim River hides the bushes on both banks, most of the river body is hidden from the city wall, except for one place, showing its chaotic blue posture.It turned out that a certain part of this long meandering river mutated a few years ago, creating a new channel. Because there were no trees on both sides of the new river, it was exposed to the sun, and the road running along the river bank was also stripped. clothes. The Loulan people standing on the city wall saw the line of large people and livestock stretching for a long time on the road far away.It took quite a long time for those people and animals to walk out of this dense forest and enter another jungle.The three men selected for their good eyesight stood on the city wall, counting the people and animals that formed the queue, while the others shouted loudly one by one, from top to bottom, and then from under the wall to report. In the first camp, the movement of the Han army was reported verbally one by one in this way. At the age of seventy-eight, the thin old man with the best eyesight in the country saw with his two small eyes that the line of people and animals included three hundred people, double the number of horses, and tens of thousands of people. When he saw clearly that half of the horses were carrying large luggage on their backs, his tense expression finally relaxed, because he understood that the group of Han troops in his field of vision were not fighting. purpose group. Suddenly, the riots in the city deteriorated somewhat. However, although they knew that the war would not be imminent, no one dared to be careless. Two days later, the preparations for war were lifted, the treasure hidden in the cellar was moved out, and the horses and camels were resettled outside the city again.A few days later, the Loulan people began to discuss why the army that entered the Western Regions from the Han Dynasty did not send any envoys to the Loulan Kingdom, but went all the way to the west. This group of Han troops marched northward from Loulan to the north of the Takulamakan Desert, and communicated with Wusun, the most powerful country in the North Dao. Shi, Daxia, Anxi, Shendu, Qiantian, and Hanmi countries marched forward; it was half a year later when the news reached the ears of King Loulan.Obviously, the Han army deliberately avoided Loulan, which was within the sphere of influence of the Huns, and Gushi, who was also located at the entrance of the Western Regions and belonged to the Huns. From the second year onwards, the people of Loulan began to discover that the large and small units of the Han army came and went almost every month.Not only the Han army, but sometimes dozens of Wusun people each took dozens of horses and camels, and drove towards Han along the Tarim River. Camels and horses headed east.Although this had nothing to do with the Loulan people, they clearly saw that the relationship between the Han Dynasty and the countries in the Western Regions was getting closer day by day. Sometimes, in order to get a closer look at the passing passengers, the Loulan people would go out of the city walls and go to the bank of the Tarim River on the other side of the large cultivated land. This is something that their people have never done since they settled here. Lou Lan thought that the Huns should never appear in this place again.It was rumored that the Han army had defeated the Xiongnu and surrendered the Hunxie King of the Huns. The Loulan people could not but believe that this was an indisputable fact.According to past business travelers, the Han Dynasty had set up separate counties in Jiuquan and Dunhuang, one of the bases of the Xiongnu, and the Great Wall had also extended to Jiuquan; in the west of Dunhuang, led by Yumen and Yangguan, several beacon towers and towers had been built. Guansai, the corridor connecting the Han and the Western Regions has been completed. For the first time, Loulan spent two years without being plundered by the Huns. In the autumn of the third year after the people of Loulan saw the Han army for the first time, Loulan welcomed the envoys of the Han Dynasty.The envoy brought a one-sided order, asking the Loulan people to send an appropriate number of people to deliver water and food to the middle of the desert for the Han people who left for the Western Regions.It was not only Loulan who received this order from the Han Dynasty, but also the aunt. For this reason, Loulan had to send a large number of strong men to the desert almost every day.Carrying heavy food and shouldering drinking water to meet the Han people in the middle of the desert is a very difficult task. Although the Loulan people have suffered from the violence of the Huns for many years, this order issued by the Han Dynasty with the help of the great power also made Loulan People are unbearable. One night a month or so after some of Loulan's strong men stopped going to the plowland and went to the desert with heavy burdens, the people of Loulan were awakened from sleep again by the horse neighing of the Huns that they hadn't heard for a long time.The dozen or so Huns who broke through the city gate and stepped on the streets and alleys of the city with their horseshoes showed the Loulan people that they were still alive.The young Huns on horseback held the heads of the Han people they had just slaughtered on the tip of their spears.Still dripping with blood, it shone brightly in the moonlight. The next day, the Loulan boys who were sent to the desert as usual killed three Han merchants and returned at dusk with the things left by the dead.When the people in the city saw this scene, they all cheered and greeted him.The Loulan people began to think that since they had to belong to a powerful force to survive, it would be better to choose the Xiongnu, who had a deeper relationship, than to make friends with the Han Dynasty, which they didn't know much about. The next day, the Han people were once again killed in the desert by the Loulan people, and after this accident ended, the Loulan people were no longer willing to go on business trips in the desert for the Han envoys.Soon, some Xiongnu troops began to be stationed in Gushi and Loulan respectively.From then on, the boys from Loulan raided the passing Han envoys from time to time. It was in this year—the early winter of 108 BC—that the Han Dynasty and the Xiongnu, who reinvaded Yumen and Yangguan, met for the first time in the desert of the Western Regions.The Han general Zhao Ponu led an army of tens of thousands into the Western Regions, immediately defeated the Xiongnu and sent them to the north, and then took advantage of the victory to drive directly to the bank of Lop Nur to attack Gushi and Loulan. In the blink of an eye, Lou Lan was surrounded by the Han army.Because the Han army's attack was too sudden, the city had no way of preparing for battle, and everyone had to watch the general Wang Hui of the Han Dynasty lead seven hundred soldiers to break through the city.The Han army marched into the palace in the center of the city, and the king was immediately arrested.King Loulan was taken to Zhao Puonu's camp and forced to surrender to the Han Dynasty. At the same time, he handed over his eldest son overnight to prepare to be sent to the Han Dynasty as a hostage. After the Han army took Loulan into their hands, they then captured Gushi, which shocked Wusun and Dawan, and they returned to the court in the spring of the following year. As soon as the Han army left the Western Regions, the Xiongnu troops could not wait to march into Loulan.King Loulan had to swear allegiance to the Huns as he had previously submitted to the Han Dynasty, and sent his second son as a hostage. Emperor Wu, who once waged war in the Western Regions, began to use force to manage the countries in the Western Regions.When Dawan rejected the suggestion of exchanging horses from the daughter of the Han family, and then beheaded the envoy who went to negotiate, Emperor Wu was furious and decided to send troops to conquer Dawan.In the second year of Taichu (103 BC), Li Guangli led a regular army of 6,000 cavalry and tens of thousands of young rascals into the Western Regions.Unexpectedly, at this time, all the countries in the Western Regions closed their cities and refused to provide military supplies. Therefore, although the expeditionary force reached Dawan, most of the soldiers were in a state of starvation.Facing the Dawan army who was waiting for work, the defeat of the Han army was conceivable; Li Guangli packed up the few surviving soldiers in embarrassment, and finally returned to Yumen Pass.Emperor Wu was angry at Li Guangli's mishandling, and issued an imperial edict "Those who dare to enter the pass will be beheaded", and the defeated army will be kept outside Yumen Pass.Therefore, Li Guangli had to stay in Dunhuang. In the second year, Li Guangli set off from Dunhuang again with an army of more than 60,000. This time, in addition to soldiers, he also brought 100,000 cattle, 30,000 horses, and tens of thousands of donkeys and camels each. Be prepared. As soon as Li Guangli's army passed the Lop Nur Lake, Lou Lan sent troops to disrupt the Han army's rear under the order of the Huns.But the Han army immediately noticed this move, and Loulan was surrounded by the Han army stationed at Yumen Pass.At this time, although the Xiongnu cavalry rushed to help, they were unable to defend the city, and King Loulan fell into the hands of the Han army again. King Loulan was sent to Chang'an, the capital of the Han Dynasty, just when news of the success of the Han army's expedition to Dawan was spreading frequently. The expeditionary army surrounded Dawan City, made it surrender, and captured more than 3,000 Chinese horses headed by dozens of good horses. . When the King of Loulan was on trial, he said: "The small country of Loulan is located between the Han and the Huns. If it does not belong to the two countries at the same time, it will be impossible to establish a country; the people will be extremely tired because of this. If the big Han wants to put Loulan under the rule , there is only one way, please move all Loulan people to live in Han soil." Hearing this, Emperor Wu felt sorry for them, not only did not kill them, but released them back to Loulan. After the expedition to Dawan, the Han army built lookout posts at various important strongholds in the desert from Yumenguan to Lop Nur to guard the passage from Han to the Western Regions; soldier.From then on, no matter whether Loulan wanted it or not, she had to be under the rule of the Han Dynasty.In the fourth year of Zhenghe (89 BC), the Han Dynasty attacked Gushi, and Loulan sent his soldiers to the front line at the request of the Han Dynasty.In this battle, the Loulan soldiers had to fight the Huns who rushed to help Gushi, and the Loulan soldiers died in this battle. King Loulan, who lived in the cracks between the Han and the Huns, died of fatigue and illness, and no one in the country succeeded to the throne. The two princes were sent to the Han and the Huns as hostages and have not returned. It is said that the eldest son lived in the Han. , has been sentenced to death for violating the law, and the second son sent to the Huns has never been heard from, and his life and death are unknown.As a last resort, a relative of the former king was elected to inherit the throne.However, just as the new king came to the throne, he was asked by the two countries to send hostages, so he had to send his eldest son Angui and his second son Weituqi to the Xiongnu and Hantu respectively. Emperor Wu, who was once very active in managing the Western Regions, in his later years, on the one hand, because of financial distress, the rebellion of the people, and on the other hand, was more or less tired of conquests, he was no longer as enthusiastic as he was in the past. Western Regions.The Xiongnu then haunted the countries in the Western Regions again and gradually expanded their power.For a period of time, most of the countries along the road belonged to the Han Dynasty, but since then, they have abandoned the Han Dynasty one after another. Loulan followed the trend of the times and also left the Han Dynasty and took over the Xiongnu. The newly enthroned King Loulan also collapsed after a few years in office because he was caught between the two countries and tired of state affairs.The Xiongnu released Angui, the eldest son of the king who had been a hostage in the other country for several years, back to Loulan, and made him the king.The 28-year-old young king announced the national policy of anti-Han and pro-Hungarian as soon as he ascended the throne.He understood how painful the previous two generations of King Loulan were in the two countries, and he himself had lived in the Huns camp for a long time, so he naturally felt that the Huns were easier to get close to, and there were many friends there. The anti-Han and pro-Hungarian policy of the young new Wang Angui was soon manifested in concrete actions.Not long after Angui came to the throne, the Han Dynasty sent envoys to suggest that the new king should join the court, but Angui declined.Not only that, but Angui himself became a wing of the Xiongnu camp, blocking the way for the Han Dynasty to communicate with the countries in the Western Regions.Han envoys to the Western Regions, as well as envoys from various countries to pay tribute to Han soil, were often attacked by the Loulan people near Lop Nur. During the few years of Angui's reign, the Xiongnu troops openly entered and exited Loulan City, and groups of Huns' white horses could often be seen inside the city gate.As for the Han Dynasty, after the death of Emperor Wu, it was already the generation of Emperor Zhao. Among the countries in the Western Regions, those who made it clear that they belonged to the Xiongnu camp, besides Loulan, there is also Kucha.Qiuci is also located in a place that is vulnerable to pressure from the Han and Hungarian countries, and the distress it feels is no different from Gushi and Loulan.Now these two small countries facing each other across the desert have given up their attitude of communicating with the Han and the Huns at the same time, regardless of whether the consequences are beneficial or not, and decided to rely on their vassalage to the Huns in order to survive. However, the attitude of Loulan and Qiuci will inevitably be retaliated by the Han Dynasty sooner or later. King Angui understands this, but he did not expect that time to come earlier than he expected. In the autumn of 77 BC, Hanchen Fu Jiezi went to Loulan as an envoy.This is the second time Loulan has welcomed Fu Jiezi this year.When he came back last time, An Gui was criticized for Loulan’s anti-Han pro-Hungarian relationship. At that time, he temporarily apologized and sent Fu Jiezi back. After that, he remained the same, and the national policy did not change at all. Now Fu Jiezi came again, and he also received Han After all, Angui felt a little heavy in his heart.Unfortunately, the Xiongnu who were stationed nearby had just withdrawn, so although King Angui was reluctant, he had no choice but to extend him into the palace in the city. The banquet was held in the hall.Fu Jiezi has two attendants by his side.King Loulan's family and important officials sat around the three Han envoys. In the middle of the meeting, Fu Jiezi said that he had a secret matter to tell the king alone. King Angui approached the envoy to hear it. It was too late to say it, but at that time, two young Han envoys sitting on the right side of the king stabbed the king from behind at the same time.In the uproar of the audience, Fu Jiezi stood there, staring at the surroundings, and shouted loudly.In the eyes of everyone at the table, Fu Jiezi was a ghost with a thunderous voice and a fire-breathing appearance. He said: "The king is now punished by the emperor for the crime of rebelling against the great Han. Wei Tuqi, who has stayed in the Han soil as a hostage for a long time, will come with the Han army as the new king. You must not make riots and cause the country to perish." While all the people at the banquet retreated in panic, Fu Jiezi quickly drew his knife and chopped off Angui's head. Wei Tuqi, who stayed in Chang'an as a hostage for a long time, learned of the death of his elder brother Angui from the Han envoy, and was ordered to return to his homeland immediately to succeed Angui as King of Loulan. However, Wei Tuqi still had to wait for some time before leaving Chang'an. "When I return to Loulan, I will be killed by the Xiongnu and their henchmen. Fortunately, in the south of Loulan, where Yixun City is located, the land is fertile by the lake. If you dare to send troops to garrison the land; in this way, the small country of Loulan may be able to rely on the might of the Han to break away from the Xiongnu. Shackles. Apart from this, I really have no confidence to govern Loulan as the king of a country." A Shangshu emperor like Wei Tuqi waited for the order. The Han Dynasty promised Wei Tuqi that they would send one Sima and forty officials to the land of Yixun to farm. Under the guard of the Han army, Wei Tuqi left Jiuquan and Yumen Pass in the west, crossed the Bailongdui desert area where there were no birds above and no animals below, and looked at the dense forest area on the shore of Lop Nur Lake that he had not seen for several years. He was executed by Fu Jiezi two months later. When the people of Loulan heard that Wei Tuqi had returned, although there were crowds gathered around the city gate, their eyes were so indifferent in the feeling of the new king.And just as the new king was about to pass through the city gate, a boy less than ten years old shouted: "Don't betray Helong!" Helong is a god worshiped by Loulan people as a clan god.After walking for a while, another old woman raised her hand as if to hit the young king, and shouted, "Leaving Loulan is a dead end!" Wei Tuqi couldn't understand the meaning of the young man and the old woman.The palace was strictly guarded by Han soldiers.Many men and women of the royal family that Wei Tuqi was also very familiar with came out to greet him, but the eyes they cast on the new king's face were equally indifferent. Wei Tuqi met with the Han general stationed in Loulan. Before the new king entered the city, the Han general would guard Loulan to prevent civil strife or invasion by the Huns. "The Han soldiers are about to be sent to the land of Yixun. The new king should lead all the people of Loulan to quickly abandon this place and move to the vicinity of Yixun." Han Jiang's words were a bolt from the blue to Wei Tuqi, he had never been so shocked in his life. Loulan Kingdom was located on the bank of Lop Nur for a day, so it was hard to escape the plunder of the Huns. If they wanted to get rid of the shackles of the Huns and submit to the Han, they had to move the whole country south, otherwise it would be useless to send more Han troops. ——This is the way the politicians of the Han Dynasty thought about how to deal with Loulan. Although Wei Tuqi hoped that the Han Dynasty would send garrison soldiers to stay in Yixun, but he never thought about moving the whole country south.For the Loulan people, Lop Nur is a god, an ancestor, and their life itself. Wei Tuqi then issued the first edict as the new king, summoning all the royal families over the age of ten, as well as the old and important officials of the country, to report the serious situation facing Loulan.The participants had already learned everything from the generals of the Han Dynasty. They thought that this move was a conspiracy between Wei Tuqi and the Han Dynasty. After Wei Tuqi's explanation, they finally resolved their misunderstanding and resentment towards the new king. The royal family, the elders of the country, and important ministers gather together every day to exchange opinions.No one agreed to move the country from Lop Nur to other places, but now it is the supreme order of the Han Dynasty, who disobeys the orders of the Han Dynasty and does not hesitate to make psychological preparations for the subjugation of the country?Or obey the will of the Han Dynasty and take a place near Yixun as a temporary capital?Loulan people can only choose one of these two paths. In the end, the decision they got was to temporarily obey the orders of the Han, abandon the city of Loulan, establish a new country in the south, enrich the national power under the protection of the Han Dynasty, and then wait for an opportunity to move the capital back to the Lop Nur. For the next month, campfires were lit every night in Loulan City, and ceremonies and banquets were held on major occasions.Excited people seem to have forgotten to sleep and are reluctant to go to bed for a long time. Children and old people walk around the streets and alleys with campfires everywhere. During this period, the new world where they are about to move has been decided.It was a wilderness on the south bank of a lake not far from Yixun City.The size of the lake is so small that it cannot be compared with Lop Nur at all.Once the location of the new capital was decided, people began to call it "Shanshan", which means "new water" in their language. It was impossible for them to crown this new world. With the name of "Loulan", because after leaving Lop Nur, there is no such thing as Loulan, and there is no such thing as Loulan people. It was decided to set up the capital in Shanshan, and the day for the whole country to move was also decided. In the twenty days before the departure, the people of Loulan lived very busy.They did not think they would ever give up the land they had worked so hard to cultivate all their lives, nor could they believe they would.Just as they have repeatedly changed their minds in the past, they have been able to relatively easily change themselves from relying on the Huns to survive under the protection of the Han Dynasty.The Loulan people believed that they had only moved south temporarily to avoid the Xiongnu's looting under the armed protection of the big Han until the big Han completely drove the Xiongnu's power out of the Western Regions. The Loulan people carried the Han soldiers stationed in the city on their backs, secretly carrying their treasures, and traveled all over Lop Nur Lake to find the location of the treasure, and some even found it several miles away.Among their treasures are the beautiful jade from Khotan that was picked from the river on a moonlit night, and the small but crystal-clear and beautiful jade that was produced in the dry riverbed of the Tarim River a few miles away from Loulan City; there are hand-woven tapestries and bags. , There are silk clothes rippling calm and bright, and there are also silk slippers; in addition, there are horns of various rare animals, and handicrafts made of horns.The men and women of Loulan had to bury these treasures where no one from other countries could find them until they returned to their homeland.Some of them walked straight into the depths of the jungle under the threat of the shrill singing of birds called "the bull of the Great Lake", and some of them climbed up the dry trees on the shore of the lake. Secretly is going on day and night in secret. After the work of hiding the treasure was announced, the people in Loulan began to form several groups, and went out to the banks of Lop Nur, the Tarim River and its tributaries, and even swamps overgrown with reeds, and dry rivers with white riverbeds, etc., all places related to water, They built altars and set fires again and again, praying to their god Helong. On the eve of the Loulan people abandoning the city of Lop Nur, where their ancestors used to live, and preparing to move to the new capital Shanshan, two hundred and fifty miles away, two accidents happened. One was the death of an old woman among the royal family.This old woman was a widow when she was young, and unfortunately her only son was taken hostage by the Huns, and she has been bedridden in recent years; and on the morning when Loulan was preparing to move the capital to the south, the old woman swallowed in a room of her mansion. He took his last breath.As a member of the royal family, he had to be buried solemnly. Therefore, the nation's first step towards a new era had to be delayed by one day.The remains of the old woman put on the hat with the red ribbon that she wore in her life, put on the white shroud, and then wrapped it with black-brown spun yarn, and put it in the coffin. The funeral procession opened the empty ruins of the city.The coffin was carried to a small hill less than half a mile away from the city, and buried in a deep clay pit dug.After the tomb was properly buried, people moved several large stones and pressed them on the tomb.Everyone was reluctant to leave, although it was out of mourning for the dead, the most important thing is that once you step down the hill, you have to separate from the unobstructed Lop Nur landscape standing here. Another incident was that Angui's wife committed suicide that night, as if deliberately following the dead old woman.The queen of the former king apparently committed suicide; a maid found her lying on the bed in full dress, with no signs of struggle and pain on her face, but a leaf of poisonous weed was found in her mouth. The one who felt the most grief over the death of Angui's wife was Wei Tuqi, because he was thinking in his heart that if the beautiful and young queen, his late brother, wanted to marry her, he would rather marry her.And this is not just his own thoughts, but rather the hope of the entire royal family, and it can also be said that it is the hope of all Loulan people.She has always been loved by people all over the country.Of course, Wei Tuqi has not mentioned his wish to anyone yet.There are more pressing problems, such as the southward relocation of the capital city, and all the complicated things that follow, which busy the young new king's every day.Wei Tuqi planned to wait until the capital was moved to Shanshan, then discuss this matter with his left and right, and make an announcement after obtaining everyone's consent. Unexpectedly, the gentleman's widow unexpectedly committed suicide.Regarding the reasons for her suicide and sudden death, the whole country is discussing a lot. Some people think that it is because of lamenting the tragic fate of the former king, while others say that it must be caused by the unwillingness to leave the land of Loulan where the tomb of the former king is; It is said that she died for the city of Loulan, which was about to be abandoned as ruins.In short, no one is sure about the meaning of her death, but the strange thing is that everyone can accept the fact of her death without any surprise.What should have happened finally happened, and people wondered why it hadn't been thought of.After her death, everyone realized that there was really nowhere for her to die except Loulan; just like Lop Nur was to Loulan, no one could separate Lop Nur from the young queen. In order to bury the old woman, Wei Tuqi postponed the day of moving the whole country to the south by one day, and now because of the death of his brother, king and queen, he had to postpone it by another day.Her funeral was held with great pomp and ceremony on the third day of her scheduled departure.Her remains were wrapped with several pieces of fine cloth by two maids, and a turban-like hat was placed on her head, and then moved into the coffin by Wei Tuqi himself, covered with the colorful cloth he brought back from Han soil. The coffin was buried on a hillside some distance from the old woman's tomb.The tomb is deep and large, and besides several boxes of daily necessities and other trivial things around him, a lamb was buried with him.The crimson, eggplant, blue, etc. that can only be seen in Loulan, and the colorful sunsets add a layer of decoration to her new grave. A big tamarix collected from Lop Nur was erected on the tomb as a tomb mark.There is also a large flower pot placed in front of the tomb mark for flower arrangement.Wei Tuqi and all those who attended the funeral deeply believed that they would come back to visit the late queen's tomb in the near future. On the day of the southward migration, just after dawn, the people of Loulan gathered in the square in front of the city gate and loaded their belongings and luggage onto thousands of horses and camels.When the sun rising from the opposite bank of Lop Nur began to paint the lake surface in a rusty red color, the Loulan people ended their worship and prayers for Helong for countless times, but it was the last time for them, and the vanguard was here.出发。 宛如一条锁链，人马与骆驼绵长的行列撇弃了城邑，起初向北行进以躲避沼泽地带，接下去沿着几条乾河道改向南行。当先头部队踏入沙漠地带的时候，后队还滞留在城门那里。 后队出城约莫半刻时辰之后，有三个人脱离行进中的队伍，折回早晨刚才离去的城邑。其中之一进了城，策马来到自家门前，进入屋里，从库房中取出忘在搁板上的那把做活儿用的劈刀，插到腰间，再度跨上了马。 另一个骑马穿越城里，从另一边的城门直趋湖岸密林地带的边缘，挪开藏有财宝的那口洞穴的封石，然后将带了来的那只西洋的小罐子搁进洞穴里去。接着，重又用那块石盖封住洞口，撒了些泥土，上面盖以木头和树叶，使之看不出那儿藏有一口洞穴。做完了这一切之后，这才他重又成为马上之人，调回头重新上路。 最后一个进城的那人并没有什么特别的事情要做，他策马驰遍城里每一条深巷之后，从进来的城门奔出去，仰首望了望城墙，而后勒直马首，疾风也似的开始追赶刚才脱离的队伍。 往后的两天，楼兰完全成了杳无人迹的空城，在这短短的两天里，楼兰好似猛然之间苍老了好几十岁，一部分也因为漫天的风沙所致；泥砖墙崩塌了，每条巷子都堆积着灰尘一般的细砂，整座城邑失去了色彩，开始呈现出废墟的相貌。风停之后的第三天傍晚，汉朝的数百名骑军，横越沙漠，驻扎到此地来。无人的空城立时喧腾着人声与马声，那正是罗布泊一片黄浊，湖面骚动着无数小波浪的日子。 自从西元前七十七年楼兰人迁至鄯善，到王莽作乱的西元八年，大约八十年之间，汉朝于西域的威势经常大过匈奴。汉室于西域设置都护，复于各处安置屯田兵，大致上得以将西域诸国置于统辖之下。汉匈两国之间虽也有过大规模的乌孙、车师等地争夺战，但逐渐的，汉朝算是成功地将匈奴摒拒于西域之外。 迁往鄯善的楼兰人，在不同于罗布泊的那口全然不含盐分的淡水湖畔，开拓新耕地，建起了他们所要居住的城邑。迁来鄯善以后，楼兰人从未遭受匈奴的侵袭，在摆脱了匈奴的桎梏这一点而言，楼兰迁都鄯善算是做对了。 楼兰人舍弃故土十年后的宣帝地节三年（西元前六七年），由百多名壮男所组成的集团，带着约莫与人数相等数目的骆驼，由鄯善朝着楼兰进发。他们准备从楼兰城邑以及附近取出他们的族人从前埋藏的那些财宝。 为数百余名的一行，三分之二为二十岁以上的壮汉，迁往鄯善之后，可说一天也没有忘过楼兰城邑与罗布泊，其余的，十年前举国南迁之时，有的还只是不解事的幼儿，有的是到鄯善之后才出生的。这班少年从他们出生到今天，在给河龙的祷告里，没有一天不提及楼兰与罗布泊，但他们并不清楚那究竟是什么样的一个地方，他们难以想像世界上真的有含带盐分的水与砂子；只知道有朝一日他们必须回到那儿，在那座美丽的城邑里生活；他们从小就被灌输以这是他们的种族之神所定规于全体楼兰人的命运。 不料这一队人与骆驼的楼兰之行以凄惨的结果告终。去时，他们于沙漠中央遭受匈奴军袭击，失去半数骆驼和十几个人的生命。末了总算抵达了楼兰，没想到楼兰已然成为一座不折不扣的要塞，到处充斥着汉兵，为要攻打占据了车师的匈奴，调自汉土的大军，川流不息的在这湖畔城邑开进开出。劫后余生的那一行楼兰人，别想说进城一步，就连城门都无法挨近，更不用说奢望挖掘自己的财宝了。 他们从沙丘上远望脚底下的楼兰故都，比起所居住的那个时代，眼前的楼兰城邑和附近一带已然面目全非。再俯视脚边，凄风贴着地面刮卷，因而靠近地面的地方老是漩涡起一小股一小股的风沙，他们觉得十年前从没有见过这种砂尘。城邑四周那些起伏有致的丘陵也变了样子，显得陌生而不再可亲；至于原本澄澈如水晶的湖水，则一片污浊，芦苇变少了，只有靠近岸边的地方，波浪碰撞着彼此的身体，徒然在那里骚动个不停。 河龙生气啦—如今已成为鄯善人的十年前那些楼兰人心里想着。他们不得不空手而回。 又过了十年，一名掌管水工的七旬老人，单独骑上骆驼从鄯却善向楼兰出发。由于行前没有告知任何人，因而他的忽然失踪使得周遭熟人大为骚动。 行行复行行，老人慢慢地作着沙漠之旅，于第十天抵达梦寐难忘的楼兰城邑。他跳下骆驼，从城门进入城里，整座城廓荒废殆尽，不见人影。 自东门走了大约半条街，他发现一具汉卒的尸体。那尸体还很新。又前行了半条街，这回发现的是三名匈奴兵的尸首，每一具都背后中箭，俯伏地上。老人再朝前走了四、五步，这次看到的是汉军的尸体。突然，想必从极近的地方传来一阵马嘶，使得老人倏的止步。 老人折回头，骑上拴在城门一旁休歇的骆驼，急急地离开了这座恐怖的城邑。他在骆驼背上摇摆了一整天，等到弄清楚自己置身于靠近罗布泊南端的水草地带，这才下了骆驼，同时发觉自己空跑了这一趟，只因为楼兰城里那几具尸首，使他惊骇中忘记了此行的目的—包括搬运财宝、祭扫祖先的坟墓、以及将他居住过的罗布泊畔的风景看个够。 老人估计此地距离罗布泊不会太远，于是再度骑上骆驼。一刻时辰之后，他来到看似罗布泊的一个湖岸。老人望向湖面，首先看到的是好几座朱红色的宝塔，其中的一座特别高耸，其他几座则于它的脚边展现着朱红的塔尖。良久，老人睁大眼睛望着这幅景象，不相信那会是真的，看起来只像是骚动着小波浪的湖面，竖起了彩色的剪贴画一般。 老人立刻跨上骆驼离开了这里。他认为自己于楼兰城里所见，以及刚刚在湖面上所看到的，都是同样的出自变异，而这一连串的变异，必定是河龙的愤怒所引起。 回到鄯善后，老人一言不发。他是认为要平息河龙之怒，唯有让鄯善人早日返回楼兰故土。老人在楼兰城里看到的虽是一幅杀气腾腾的景象，却是宣帝时代大汉天威最偏及西域的盛世。宣帝神爵二年（西元前六○年）郑吉担任西域都护官，驻留龟兹的乌垒城之后，西域诸国大都归属汉室，汉与西域之间交通频繁，日日可见来自西方的商队从楼兰北部经过。 西元八年，汉朝发生内乱，王莽一纂立，便采取了漠视西域的政策，西域于是再度陷入混乱之中。匈奴乘机崛起，诸国中陆续出现了通匈奴而叛西域都护的国家。 然而，鄯善始终不改归属汉朝之策，既已抛弃历代祖先所居住的楼兰，打定主义在汉威庇护之下立国建国，就无法轻易改变汉室的仰恃。事到如今再来隶属匈奴，即将完全失去迁都鄯善的意义。当然，熟悉楼兰时代的鄯善人已然寥寥可数，但每一个鄯善人内心都存在着一个意念，那就是他们抛弃了楼兰这件事的本身，即意味着与匈奴之间永远的决裂。如今在每一个鄯善人的心目中，楼兰这个字眼儿已成为“应该回去的故乡”的同义词。 汉朝王莽之乱虽已平定，光武帝即位，只是汉家声威不复当年。一旦陷入混乱的西域便不易恢复平顺，匈奴的劫掠也日益猖獗。 西元三十八年，第三代鄯善王与当时逐渐于西域诸国之问强大起来的莎车王合议之下，遣使到汉土进贡。此举的目的在于请求汉室更加积极地派兵西域，恢复设置因王莽之乱废止一时的西域都护。当时，不仅这两个国家，所有西域诸国都不堪匈奴的重敛，希望归属汉朝。 西元四十一年，莎车王贤单独遣使汉室，再度请求设置都护于西域，光武帝不欲采取与匈奴对立之势，没有答应，却颁予他西域都护的印绶。不料，当时的敦煌太守悲遵上疏天子，奏明将印绶交予胡人之不可为，结果，汉室遂又从莎车王手上取回印绶。莎车王因而深怨汉室，也弄清楚了汉室无意经营西域，由是自谋统合西域诸国的大计，且怀抱跃登盟主之野心，进而逐渐对他国采起侵略行动来。 莎车这种态度使得西域诸国忍无可忍，遂决定联合起来诉诸汉室。这时，在鄯善王与龟兹、车师前王国、焉耆等十八国合议下，遣使并各遣质子入侍汉室，同时进贡大批珍宝，详诉西域情况，促请光武帝积极经营西域。十八国的使者轮番禀明他们极愿接受大汉统治的心意，但光武帝所表现出来的态度却是颇为暧昧，他厚赏了各国使者，却不肯接受入侍的各国质子。 当莎车入侵鄯善的时候，鄯善奋起迎敌。这还是鄯善人迁都以来为保卫自己的城邑首次执起干戈。然而，鄯善为莎车军所败。鄯善为了自保，只得三度遣使汉室申诉西域的情势，却依然不为光武帝所理会。鄯善只好改求他途，以拯救自己的国家。鄯善王终于决意与车师一起归入匈奴阵营。所有鄯善人于是在激愤填膺中投向匈奴，那是他们的祖先抛弃楼兰之后第一百二十年。 由于汉室，明帝继光武帝即位登基，同样忙于内政，无暇与边疆异族争衡。因此，通往西域的门户玉门和阳关两关，遂与光武帝时代一样的紧闭着。在这期间，西域诸国于是任由匈奴跳梁。鄯善不用说，其余诸国也都隶属匈奴，忍受匈奴苛刻的横徵暴敛。 直到明帝晚年，北匈奴开始劫掠河西，汉室这才重新去估量搁置了多年的西域。汉朝为了确保河西，不得不通西域，而欲与西域相通，就必须从西域赶走匈奴的势力。 永平十六年（西元七三年），汉廷决意讨伐匈奴。窦固与耿秉二将奉命出酒泉塞，长驱直入北方漠地讨伐匈奴，占领其根据地伊吾。大功告成之后，窦固即刻派遣班超出使西域。班超率领了三十六名随从出玉门关，费时十六日越过沙漠，抵达了鄯善国。 自从王莽之乱以来，鄯善国算是违隔了六十年之后重又迎接汉使。鄯善人从未见过这么多的汉人。国王广盛情礼遇班超，让他在此地逗留数日。这当儿，匈奴抵达了距离鄯善三十里之地，国王广唯恐触怒匈奴，不得不一改对汉使一行的礼遇。班超因而知悉匈奴的接近，从国王广探知其所在之后，连夜突袭匈奴军营帐，斩其使者首级。 鄯善王广慑于班超的英勇，遂订下臣服之约。班超接着威伏西域列国，在他努力之下，汉朝与西域隔绝五十几年之后始又复通。当时，鄯善、于阗、疏勒、前车师、后车师等西域诸国都苦于匈奴的暴虐，也就竞相表示愿意归汉。汉室于是复置西域都护，正式正道地开始西域的经营。 然而，此后的第三年，亦即永平十八年（西元七五年），匈奴率领两万大军，意欲夺回西域。自此，汉与匈奴之间于焉展开班超投注了一生的一场长远而又宿命性的斗争。 在匈奴大军与大汉势力剑拔弩张，正准备一决雌雄的前夕，鄯善王广率卒两千突袭故土楼兰。当他获悉班超以三万军力驻守疏勒，准备以该地作西域经营的立足点，血气方刚的鄯善王立时想到要乘机夺回长期被匈奴所盘据的楼兰。鄯善人对匈奴的憎恨要比其他西域诸国强烈许多，一听到匈奴入侵，人人赶快紧闭门户，躲入床底，任由他们猖狂洗劫，而类似的祸事每年必有几回，鄯善人虽年年进贡大批方物，还得忍受匈奴的这种纫掠。 对于现在的鄯善而言，“楼兰”已不是历代祖先心目中“应该回去的故乡”，而是有朝一日誓必血刃匈奴兵的复仇之地。全副武装的两千鄯善军，或是骑马，或是跨上骆驼，朝着他们从未接近过的罗布泊畔的那片坟场进发。 此番行军，开始的三天苦于狂烈的强风，但没有一个人愿意回头。来到距离楼兰三十里的地方，鄯善人弃骆驼而全部骑马，他们连夜杀向楼兰城。按原来的计划是攀上城墙，再突袭匈奴的要塞，却不料战斗于城外就开始了。原来匈奴军觉察到鄯善人的夜袭，以逸待劳的从城墙上一齐将毒箭射下去，好一场城上城下的射箭大战。鄯善人一个接一个的倒下，当他们其中的若干分之一倒于毒箭之际，匈奴军遂又从侧面加以袭击。国王广见大势已去，只得下令撒退。 鄯善兵乘黑夜三五成群的从漠地朝着鄯善的方向败走，有的被匈奴的追兵所击杀，有的在偌大的沙漠里迷了路，侥幸逃回鄯善者不足三百人，至于国王广，直到人们都以为他已经战死了，这才拖曳着遍体鳞伤的身子逃回来。 这次的突袭楼兰尽管落得惨败，却使鄯善人越发认清，那就是他们除了依恃汉室之外别无他法。明帝的西域经营，时受叛服无常的胡人所烦扰，班超因而长期驻西域，终生与胡族争战，在这种情况之下，唯独鄯善国始终没有叛离过大汉，或者该说即使想脱离，也无法脱离。 永元十四年（西元一○二年），半生干戈老迈了的班超终从西域回到洛阳。其后朝廷命任尚继为都护，却无能胜任，以至西域诸国再度叛离，匈奴的侵扰也随之益形剧烈。安帝永初元年（西元一○七年），汉以西域路遥且险峻、胡人叛服无常，以及遣军西域所耗兵费庞大为由，终于决定放弃西域，撤销都护，召回屯田吏士。玉门关与阳关再度紧闭，北匈奴复起而称霸西域，楼兰再度沦为匈奴营寨。 安帝元初六年（西元二九年），北匈奴联合西域山南诸国频频入寇大汉河西。是时敦煌太守曹宗唯恐匈奴大举来犯，上疏天子，建议对西域诸国施行某些怀柔的手腕，结果，汉以长吏索班为将，率兵千余人至伊吾庐，慰抚西域诸国。这时，率先归汉的便是最为匈奴的劫掠所苦的前车师与鄯善两国。 匈奴遂于次年再度率领后车师士卒来攻，击破前车师，并杀长吏索班。这时，鄯善王原想率军驰援索班，却被匈奴一支兵队所破。 鄯善王向曹宗求援，曹宗上疏天子，请求出兵五千讨伐匈奴，却没有被朝廷接纳。 之后，朝廷商于经营西域懋功勋业的班超之子班勇，班勇建议复兴敦煌原有的三百戎兵，复于楼兰配置以西域长吏为将的士卒五百人，只是这个建议并没有付诸实现。 其后，西元一二四年，班勇奉安帝之旨，以西域长吏领兵五百人经营西域。这时，鄯善仍旧率先归汉。 在班勇奋力经营之下，大汉天威算是又一次普及西域诸国，却也只是暂时性。待至汉室经营西域的热忱消失，匈奴立即来犯。鄯善国置身汉与匈奴的夹缝里，饱受匈奴欺凌，每当汉军进入西域，总是抢先依附，然而，终归还是被汉室所背弃；而这种情况成为鄯善国的宿命，以往一而再，再而三的重复过来，往后也将同样的重复下去。 武帝时代，塔里木盆地周遭多达三十几个的小城廓国家，夹在汉与匈奴之间，时而归汉，时而隶属匈奴，一方面彼此抗衡，但到三国时代即将开始的西元二八○年起，诸小国逐渐减少，形成少数几个大国。 鄯善并吞了且末、小宛、精绝等国，于阗则占领了戎卢、扞弥、渠勒、皮山等地，其他如焉耆、龟兹、疏勒、后车师等，也纷纷将近邻据为己有。而这六个国家所拥有的领土之大，已非武帝时代所能比。 然而，这些国家，强土虽然广大，却仍然时时被迫隶属于代替匈奴跳梁北方的鲜卑以及其他异族；同时，对于足可与那般新兴势力相抗衡的中原当朝者，也不得不频频与之通交。 东晋明帝太宁二年（西元三二四年），扬威敦煌附近的前凉王张骏，命部将杨宜越过流沙讨伐鄯善与龟兹，两国降服，鄯善王元孟且进献美女。 到东晋孝武帝太平七年（西元三八二年），前车师王与鄯善王相偕朝贡前秦王苻坚。西域这两位国王身穿御赐的朝服赴西堂进谒苻坚，惊讶于宫殿之壮丽与威仪之肃穆，表示往后愿意岁岁朝贡，苻坚却以西域路途遥远而未允，只规定他们三年与九年分别进贡和朝聘一次。不久，前车师与鄯善两国即奉苻坚之命，充任领兵七万五千成为西域长吏的大将吕光的向导，不得不与其他的西域诸国交战。 没有多久，前秦与东晋争战而败落，前秦一旦瓦解，余波所及，西域一带遂又陷入骚乱。这时，鄯善国一名年轻武将，决意袭取长久以来为中原势力所统辖的楼兰。那是他们历代祖先所居住的城邑，理所当然属于鄯善国领土。目前驻扎在那里的必然是已然覆亡的前秦兵将；他决定乘乱将楼兰攻下。 这名年轻武将正好率领五百部卒入使敦煌，闻变立即改道，中途折回转向楼兰；除了年轻统领本身以外，五百名部卒当中，没有一人知道楼兰和他们自身具有什么样的关系。 这队人马日以继夜的在沙漠里行军，到了距离楼兰城只剩半日行程的当天晚上，作了一番充分的休息。第二天早晨，队伍预备向楼兰进发之际，年轻的统领告诉部卒们，他们的任务在于从无力的守备者手中收复楼兰，并且晓谕他们楼兰与鄯善的渊源流长。鄯善兵平时就很爱戴这位统领人品，又极尊敬他的英勇，也就无一人对这番命令表示抗命。他们对要收复故国城邑这事非常感动，且深信他们卓越的统帅必能完成此项使命。 这天，出发之时风已够强，等到那座古老的城廓接近眼前时，变得益发狂烈。统帅一声令下，鄯善王士卒于伸手不见五指的漫天沙尘当中，连人带马被风沙追刮着向前进击。不多久，遮天盖地的风沙里，出现了庞大的灰色城墙和了望楼的一部分。 年轻的统领率先绕进城门，斩杀了三名哨兵，跟进的部卒成团的冲入城里。战斗立时展开，守军的兵力虽然无从作正确的估计，却比预期的要多得多。进攻的一方分成好几股队伍，各自聚拢在一起作战，绝不单独行动。战事分别于城邑所有的房宅、巷道、了望楼、以及堡垒等等每一个角落剧烈的进行着。 It was getting dark.在交战者的感觉里，夜晚似乎来得特别快。一入夜，风便止息。鄯善兵有三分之一死伤，守军所折损的却是好几倍于入侵者。 黎明时分有一场小小的战斗，也是最后一战，之后，战事就完全结束了。幸存的守军似已乘黑夜逃走，天亮以后，城里不见任何一名敌军。鄯善士兵在遍地死尸的大街小巷行走，他们进入每幢房子里，物色金银细软，一如进犯他们国家的侵略者那样。 年轻的统领率着数名部下登上了望楼。在他看来，五百年前的列祖列宗们所经营的这片土地，竟是如此的杀风景；城廓四周是一望无际的沙海，起伏着数不尽的小沙丘，犹如骚动着一层白浪那般，显得毛刺刺的泛白。 有风，虽然不若昨日那么强烈，却使得白色沙浪不时从沙丘的斜坡或顶端旋上空中，被旋起的沙尘于是成为一面薄纱，自北而南的飘逸过去。 年轻统领心想，既无河川又无湖泊，真亏列祖列宗还能居住下来。但他看到东北的部分密林，就想着，也许那片密林里有口小水池。 不一会儿，这位统领从处理完毕城中的尸首，将之丢往沙漠去的一名部下那里，知道了密林地带有口状如细长刀尖的湖泊，绵延到很远的地方，发现的那名士兵认为这条细长的湖，或许无穷无尽的绵续到遥远遥远的某处，然后注入一口大湖。年轻的统领把部卒们召集了来，决定前往一探那口细长的湖泊。他知道敌军的援兵不可能到这座城邑来，所以很放心。把刀尖似的前端深深插入密林里去的湖流，湖水清澈美丽，却非常浅。湖流一直延续过去，幅度越来越宽，不时可见成群的水鸟。 鄯善兵回城之后，把城邑里找出来的酒桶搁到当央，围坐一团，开起胜利的酒宴。天很快就黑了下来。落日以鄯善人生平所未见识过的多彩的余晖，将天空渲染成