Chapter 6 The 5th visit to Xingqing Zhao Xingde to hire a scholar

In the first year of Ming Dynasty (AD 1032), Wang Deming of Xixia passed away at the age of 51.Prince Yuan Hao inherited the Datong.During his lifetime, Deming had a gentle temperament, and adopted a policy of both the first and the second, towards the Song and Khitan countries. Throughout his life, although he made few achievements, he did not do much harm to the thriving Xixia Kingdom. Yuan Hao is very different from his father in character. He is a hard-working and ambitious person.He also often contradicted Deming's opinions on Song and Khitan policies.Deming has always entrusted the military power to him, so Yuan Hao is not very old, but he has rich actual combat experience. In all previous conquests, he must conquer and win every battle. Smug and full of confidence.Yuan Hao originally believed that Xixia people should live according to their own customs and habits. He had repeatedly advised Deming to wear the gorgeous clothes bestowed by the Song Dynasty.

Not long after Yuan Hao succeeded to the throne, in response to the new situation in the Xixia Kingdom, the Tubo King Jiao Siluo moved from Zonghe City to Qingtang to prevent Xixia from invading. Now, Yuan Hao is no longer worried about going to war with Song Da.First of all, there is a decisive battle with Tubo, who secretly communicated with the Song Dynasty. After it is eliminated, there will be no worries, and then it will annex Shazhou in one go.But Jiao Siluo and Yuan Hao are waiting for the opportunity and will not act rashly yet. In the tense atmosphere where war could break out at any time, Zhu Wangli and Zhao Xingde spent the first year of the Ming Dynasty in Suzhou City and ushered in another spring.Zhao Xingde has been tirelessly reading Buddhist classics during this period.In the past six months, he found and read all the books on the relationship between theories that he could get his hands on.

In March, the Ministry of Rites of King Zhu suddenly received an order to move to Guazhou.So far, Xixia has not stationed a single soldier in Guazhou.Since Cao Yanhui, the prefect of Guazhou, surrendered to Xixia, there have been frequent exchanges of envoys between the two countries, but Xixia has not sent troops to station in consideration of their independent status.This time the approach appears to be different.Li Yuanhao changed his father's gentle attitude and adopted a tough policy. The five thousand Han soldiers from King Zhu's Ministry of Rites left Suzhou City, where they had been stationed for a year and a half, and headed west.Along the way, I saw the white grass in the desert growing luxuriantly.

Zhao Xingde and Zhu Wangli walked in front of the team side by side.The scenery in front of him can't help but remind Xingde of the poem "Looking west at Jiuquan Yumen Road, thousands of mountains and thousands of moraine are white grass".This poem was learned when he was studying in his hometown. He told Zhu Wangli about this poem and explained that if the poem is correct, the white grass should continue to Guazhou. Zhu Wangli didn't add any comments on the poem, but expressed his emotion at the fact that such a learned man as Xingde came to the western frontier.He even thought that Xingde should go back to the Central Plains when he was celebrating.

"But since we're here, there's nothing we can do about it." Xingde replied with a smile. "Yeah, since you're here, there's nothing you can do. I'm afraid you came back only after making up your mind to die in the white grass." Zhu Wangli said. Xingde felt from Zhu Wangli's words that he seemed to be mentioning the death of the Uighur princess again.Once, from Ganzhou to Suzhou, the troops camped by a dry river on the first night of the march. The two once talked about the Uighur woman. Although they had different thoughts, they both felt sad for her death.Since then, the two seem to have reached a tacit agreement, and never mentioned the matter of the Uighur woman again.

Now, Xingde seldom thinks of her.Of course, it wasn't because of the embarrassment of the army that she was forgotten, but even if I remembered it occasionally, I felt like a world apart.But his nostalgia for the deceased Uighur princess has never been weak.Although it has been a lifetime since he thinks about it, once he thinks about it, her voice and smile will still appear in front of his eyes, and he can still clearly recall her expressions of joy, anger, sorrow and joy.What is especially unforgettable is the thin black line that caught Xingde's eyes when she jumped off the Ganzhou City.

When recalling the past of the Uighur woman, Xingde will feel a sublime tranquility in his body. It is neither love for the old man nor pity for the wronged soul, but a kind of admiration for pure and perfect things. "Everything in the world happens for a reason." Virtue is spoken in the language of Buddhism.He thought that Zhu Wangli would not understand what is karma.But there is no better explanation than that. Zhu Wangli did not listen to Xingde's words, he said: "This time you are stationed in Guazhou, you will have the opportunity to serve the king of Guazhou. There must be something you like to do. Although I don't know what karma is, I still think it was a mistake for you to join the Xixia army. It must be a mistake. Guazhou is a small country ruled by the Han people, as long as you are patient, you may find a chance to return to the Central Plains in the future."

Zhao Xingde didn't hear any special emotion from Zhu Wangli's words, and he didn't think there was any special significance for him to have the opportunity to leave the army and work in the Guazhou palace.The presence or absence of such an opportunity depends on karma.Although he would not refuse to return to Song Tu, he did not want to pursue it deliberately.Here and now, these words are uttered from his old boss, and it is very evocative to reflect another side of his heart through his brave appearance. "From this point of view, for me, there is nothing to worry about. But I don't know what the future holds for my lord."

Xingde asked. "As for myself, of course I have something to do." "How important is it, dare I ask?" "It's not clear yet. I've been thinking about it every day for a while, but I haven't figured it out yet." After Zhu Wangli finished speaking, he laughed boldly, and then he said very confidently: "There's definitely something I'm going to do." He never talked about what he had to do.Although Xingde didn't know the details, he knew that Zhu Wangli would one day do what he said.Nothing he set his mind to do was done halfway.The journey from Suzhou to Guazhou is 630 li, and the journey takes ten days.The roads in the desert are covered with ice and snow.On the second day, white snow can be seen on the ridges on both the north and south sides of the road.On the fourth day, there was a strong wind, and the troops braved the wind and snow and walked into the desert.On the sixth day, they crossed several dry tributaries of the Shule River, and finally came across a meadow covered with snow and ice.On the seventh and eighth days, we marched in the desert against the severe cold wind.On the ninth day the meadow appeared again.

On the tenth day, the Ministry of Rites of King Zhu drove into Guazhou City against the strong wind.Guazhou City has gates on the east, west and south sides, and the Guazhou garrison composed of various nationalities lined up at the east gate.Zhu Wangli's troops numbered five thousand, plus horses and camels, and the small city of Guazhou was suddenly overcrowded.Guazhou City is a small city in the desert. The roads in the city are covered with dust, walking on it is like walking in the desert. Since Zhu Wangli's troops entered the city, there have been continuous strong winds for three days and three nights, and the top of the dilapidated city wall of Guazhou City was almost blown down by the wind.There are not many days in the year where the wind is not blowing all day in this place.

Zhao Xingde was a little unbearable to the continuous wind, but since he came to Guazhou, the sense of loss that he often had for many years has disappeared.In Guazhou City, most of the merchants in the wool and animal skin business, or the farmers selling licorice and miscellaneous grains, were Han Chinese.Although there are quite a few Han people in Suzhou, they have long since followed the village, no different from the barbarians.Compared with Suzhou, Guazhou is quite different.The language, customs and clothing of the local Han people all make people miss their homeland.Although the walls and gates of Guazhou City are smaller and more broken than the previous cities, in Zhao Xingde's eyes, they always feel familiar.Although it was windy outside every day, Xingde still had to go for a walk in the street every day. On the seventh day after the troops entered the city, under the order of the prefect, Zhu Wangli led Zhao Xingde and several other generals to the Cao Mansion to have an audience. Cao Yanhui's mansion was built in a very grand style.Cao Yanhui was about forty-five or six years old, with a gloomy expression and a calm expression.Because of his fat body, his gait is a bit clumsy, but after all, he is a descendant of the Jiedu envoy Cao who ruled the Hexi area, so his speech and behavior reflect grace and generosity.After the meeting ceremony, Cao Yanhui introduced to Zhu Wangli and his party: "My elder brother Xianshun is currently guarding Shazhou. It is a metropolis where Buddhism is flourishing and merchants from the Western Regions gather. The place is prosperous and the economy is prosperous. In comparison, Guazhou is a small town. The government came here to take up the post at the order of my elder brother. , and there is nothing worth showing off here. It’s just that when it comes to the piety of believing in Buddhism, I think I’m not inferior to others. What’s more, after years of hard work, I have collected a large number of classics in two or three local temples. If you find it convenient in the future, the government is willing to go with you at any time." In fact, here and now, the only person who is interested in the classics is Xingde.Xingde said to Yanhui: "Thanks to the love of my lord, I must invite my lord to pay my respects at another day." Yan Hui then turned to everyone and said: "I recently heard that there are Xixia scripts in Xixia. Our government intends to translate the Buddhist scriptures here into Xixia scripts and donate them to the Xixia Kingdom. Of course, Xingqing must also be translating scriptures at this time, but in order to repay the Buddha's favor, I hope Do your best, and all the expenses will be borne by the government, I wonder if you can help me?" No one can answer this question except morality.Zhu Wangli didn't see the food and drink for a long time, and he was very dissatisfied with the king of Guazhou, so he sat aside and didn't say a word.He decided that Yan Hui was an unsophisticated person, but his conclusion was too early.Just as they got up to say goodbye and wanted to end this dull visit early, Yan Hui continued: "Everyone has come from a long distance. It must have been exhausting and exhausting. Our government has prepared a set of mansions for each of you in the city, and equipped them with some Khotan jade wares. General Zhu has been fighting for many years, and he may not have a family yet. The government wants to give a concubine so that she can take care of her, I wonder if General Zhu is willing to accept it?" Zhu Wangli was overjoyed immediately after hearing this, and hurriedly said to Yanhui: "In the future, please just tell me what you have to do. Since we have come to Guazhou, we will definitely do our best." Zhu Wangli specially introduced the virtues around him to Yanhui. "I don't know much about Buddhism, but he may be able to help. No matter what it is, it's easy to discuss with each other." The mansion that Zhu Wangli shared was located in the east of the city. It was originally the private residence of a Uyghur merchant. It had a spacious courtyard and a clear spring in the middle of the courtyard.The interior is equipped with luxurious furniture, and couplets and plaques are hung on the pillars and lintels respectively.Zhu Wangli wants to spend the best time of his life here. The mansion obtained by Xingde is also in the east of the city. Compared with Zhu Wangli's, it occupies a much smaller area, but it is adjacent to a dilapidated Ashoka Temple.Not far from the door, you can also see an ancient pagoda, hidden in a sparse forest.In addition to the Ashoka Temple, there are several small temples nearby, all of which have been abandoned for a long time and have long been in ruins.After all, Xingde is different from Zhu Wangli, and he is already deeply satisfied with being able to live in such a place.Zhu Wangli arranged for two soldiers to take care of Xingde's daily life. For convenience, the daily three meals were taken from the army's big stove. Since moving into his new home, Xingde has visited Yanhui's residence several times.Before long, the relationship between the two has become very close.Once, Yanhui praised Xingde's calligraphy after seeing Xingde's ink, claiming that there is no one in Guazhou today who has this skill.Xingde's devotion to Buddhism and his deep understanding of Buddhist scriptures convinced the king of Guazhou. After several visits, Yanhui once again talked about the translation of the scriptures mentioned in the first meeting.Although Xingqing may be organizing special personnel to translate scriptures, in order to show his heart of worshiping the Buddha, he still intends to continue this matter.Xingde does not think that Xingqing is already translating scriptures.His reason was that in the few years since Xixia created Chinese characters, there were only a handful of Buddhist classics in Xingqing, not to mention the imminent matters at the beginning of the founding of Xixia, how could he be in the mood to care about translating scriptures?The Xixia authorities must agree to what Yanhui advocated, but once they agree, it will be a laborious and protracted event. "However, General Zhu of your department promised to help. In this case, Mr. Wan Wang will help you." Yanhui said to Xingde.Xingde already has a good impression of Yanhui.He is not a coward, he is willing to surrender, but he has no choice but to surrender in the face of such a powerful enemy as Xixia.Xingde also felt pleased with his smile.Although Guazhou is located at the border, Cao Yanhui can still be pampered here. His fair face is a little loose, and when he speaks, he smiles and is gentle. Xingde really wanted to agree straight away, and a satisfied smile appeared on his face.But he changed his mind, it was better to discuss this matter with Zhu Wangli first, so he bowed his hand to Yanhui and said: "It's not that I don't want to serve your lord. It's just that I'm serving in the army. I need to discuss this matter with General Zhu. Let me take my leave today, and I will report to you later." Yanhui sent Xingde to the gate, and Xingde went back When he arrived at the army station, he immediately told Zhu Wangli about it.After hearing this, Zhu Wangli said: "I don't understand this kind of thing, but as long as it's not a bad thing, you can help him once." "It's just that this matter cannot be done by one person alone. It requires several people with the same academic ability to work together." "In that case, wouldn't it be enough if you invite a few of these people to work together?" "Only Xingqing has this kind of talent." Xingde said. "You can go to Xingqing and invite a few scholars to come." Zhu Wangli said nonchalantly. It is easier said than done to go to Xingqing!Of course, once in Xingqing, Xingde still knew where to find someone who could translate Chinese classics into Xixia.Thinking of this, Xingde already had several familiar faces in his mind.They are all Han Chinese teachers who once worked together in Xingqing Academy. At the beginning of May, Xingde made preparations to go to the capital of Xixia to celebrate.He also asked Yanhui and Zhu Wangli to write several official documents in their respective names.But a departure date could not be determined.Xingde had to wait patiently until some troops developed from Guazhou to the east before accompanying him. One day in the middle of May, Cao Yanhui sent Zhao Xingde to his residence to discuss matters.When Xingde arrived at the prefect's mansion, Yanhui said to him: "Recently, Yu Chiguang, a businessman from Shazhou, is planning to go to Xingqing. Can you go with them, sir?" Hearing the words, Xingde thought secretly in his heart that at the time when Xixia and Tubo were fighting continuously, he organized a caravan to go out of Guazhou and go to Xingqing.But waiting here for a long time is not a good strategy, so Xingde still made up his mind to meet this businessman Yu Chiguang.Yanhui didn't know the details of this person either. The next day, Xingde went to visit Yu Chiguang on the inn street near the south gate, but unfortunately, he just went out.The clerk in the store said that the guest officer told him when he left that he would be back soon, so Xingde decided to wait for him at the alley outside. After a while, Xingde saw a slender, dark-complexioned, sharp-eyed man of about thirty years old walking towards the hotel, and he thought that this person might be Yu Chiguang.Just at this time, the guy just stuck his head out from the door of the hotel, and said loudly to the visitor: "The guest officer just came back, and there is a gentleman waiting for you." Xingde hurried forward to meet him, cupped his hands towards Yu Chiguang, and said: "My surname is Zhao, and my name is Xingde. I serve in the garrison in the city. It is really rude to visit today. I hope your Excellency will forgive me." Yu Chiguang obviously didn't know why Zhao Xingde came to him, he sized up the uninvited guest in front of him with defensive eyes, and asked: "Since you are serving in the army, sir, why do you want to come to me?" "It was ordered by the prefect to visit your Excellency." "Stop mentioning the prefect again. My generation has never accepted this kind of thing, not to mention the customs clearance documents have been obtained now. I am too busy here. If you have anything to ask, sir, feel free to speak up." When they met for the first time, they were so angry that Xingde could see that Yuchiguang was a short-tempered person.He briefly explained to Yu Chiguang his plan to go to Xingqing together. "Is this an order from the Xixia Army, or from the prefect?" Yu Chiguang asked. "Both." Xingde replied. "I've never led a caravan. If it's an order from either the prefect or the Xixia Army, I will definitely not accept it. Now that it's the mutual intention of the two parties, it seems impossible for me not to do it. It's just to bring more An outsider is a lot of trouble. If you like, you can start early the morning after tomorrow. However, we want to get ready by the moonlight tomorrow night, so come then." Yu Chiguang confessed to Xingde that if he went with his caravan, he must obey his orders, and Xingde must agree to this condition now. The next day Zhao Xingde went to Zhu Wangli's mansion to bid farewell to him.Zhu Wangli told him that he was going to Xingqing this time to bring weapons for 20 people.Xingde didn't know what Zhu Wangli meant for a while, Zhu Wangli explained to him that as a reward for accompanying the caravan, Yu Chiguang asked Zhu Wangli to give him twenty sets of weapons. "I kind of like that daring guy. So I accepted his terms. Now you can show off." Zhu Wangli continued. After leaving Zhu Wangli's mansion, Xingde stopped by Cao Yanhui's mansion.There he knew that Yu Chiguang had come to Yanhui, but he didn't want weapons, but fifty camels.He proposed to Yanhui that as a matter of official business, he would use fifty camels from the government.Yanhui agreed to his request, but still needs to go to the camel official for a handover. Like Zhu Wangli, Yanhui said to Xingde: "Sir, it's justifiable and unceremonious to go here. Because besides his own fifty camels, Yu Chiguang also bought fifty camels from me. These fifty camels must have been borrowed and never returned. They are considered free gifts." I gave it to him. Mr. Wang hoped that he would cherish it all the way." But Xingde didn't take it seriously, Yu Chiguang's rebellious appearance appeared in front of him, thinking that no matter how much reward this kind of person gave, it would be in vain. That night, Zhao Xingde asked two soldiers to bring their luggage to the agreed place.After a while, Yu Chiguang also came. He took Xingde's luggage from two soldiers, handed it to a camel driver, and said to Xingde: "Come with me." Walk away after speaking.Xingde sent two followers back, followed Yu Chiguang, and walked forward in the sand with difficulty.It was a chilly night in May. Zhao Xingde thought while walking, what country is this Yu Chiguang from?He is not a Han, nor a Uighur, nor a Tubo. Xingde has seen people from the Western Regions, but there is no one who resembles him.He spoke Chinese with a strong local accent.Xingde walked along the dark road at the base of the city wall, and couldn't bear it any longer. He asked Yu Chiguang: "May I ask where your Excellency's house is?" Yu Chiguang stopped, turned his head and said to Xingde in a questioning tone: "My name is Yu Chiguang." "I know your surname and name, but I just want to ask about your hometown." When Yu Chiguang heard this, he immediately shouted: "You nerd, have you never even heard of the surname Yuchi? Except for the Yuchi Dynasty in Khotan, no one else uses this surname. My father is a member of the royal family." After speaking, he walked forward, and continued to say as he walked: "The Yuchi family was unfortunately defeated in the battle with the Li family. To this day, the throne of Khotan is still in their hands. However, the Yuchi family has also become a wealthy family." If what he said was true, then his father should be from Khotan.But there is still a difference between Yu Chiguang himself and the Khotanese that Xingde has met before. "Where is Ling Ci's family?" Xingde couldn't help but continue to ask. "My mother? Her natal family is the famous Fan family in Shazhou. My grandfather once dug several Buddhist caves in Mingsha Mountain in Shazhou." "What is the purpose of digging the Buddhist cave?" When asked here, Yu Chiguang stopped again, turned around, stretched out his hands and grabbed Xingde's lapel, and shouted: "How is it so easy to dig a Buddhist cave on Mingsha Mountain? If you are not a well-known and wealthy family, how can you afford it. You give me a good life to remember." Xingde felt that his neck was tightly strangled and lifted up, and it was difficult to breathe. He struggled and swayed desperately from side to side.He wanted to cry out, but no sound came out.Finally, he felt his feet lift off the ground and his body float in the air.Suddenly Xingde was thrown out, and fell on his back on a sandbag, but it was as if he had been thrown on a pile of grass, and he didn't feel any pain from the fall. Xingde brushed off the dust from his body and stood up.It may be because he didn't feel any pain from the fall, and he didn't hold any grudges against Yu Chiguang's actions. Xingde didn't dare to ask anymore, and silently followed Yu Chiguang forward.Yu Chiguang, according to his words, should have both Khotanese and Han blood.His father is undoubtedly Han, because most Han people in Hexi have mixed race.It can be seen that Yu Chiguang brought some alien elements from his mother.In this way, it is not surprising that his appearance is a bit different. The road at the foot of the Great Wall seems to stretch forward, and Xingde can't help but think, is this road endless?It was pitch black all around, and after walking for a long time, I finally saw a little light.Xingde finally saw the silhouette of a house appearing in the distance in the twilight. There is a straight and narrow path in front of you. The houses on both sides of the road are very small. What is different from ordinary houses is that all the houses are surrounded by walls.In front of the house, five or six large animals can be vaguely seen.Xingde suddenly stopped and looked over there.After a while, he looked around again.Yu Chiguang who was standing with him disappeared at some point.Zhao Xingde immediately felt that he should leave this place quickly.Perhaps a few more came out of the house, and the number of animals standing on the road suddenly increased a lot, forming a large herd, and gradually walking towards him. Zhao Xingde was chased by this large herd of animals, and retreated along the city wall to a spacious place.It turns out that there is such a spacious place in the city, which Xingde never noticed before.There is a large herd of camels, and there are more than a dozen strangely dressed men busy in the camel herd.They are loading the camels. Xingde finally heard Yu Chiguang's voice.From time to time his short, powerful roar came from the crowd of men and camels.Xingde walked in the direction of the voice.In order not to get lost with Yu Chiguang, Xingde followed Yu Chiguang closely.Many languages ​​were mixed in Yu Chiguang's words.When he spoke Uyghur, Tubo, or Xixia, Xingde could still understand him, but when he spoke some other language, he didn't know it at all.When Xingde heard the language he was used to again, he couldn't help asking Yu Chiguang to clarify. Yu Chiguang explained to him at first, but later he felt a little annoying, so he shouted: "What a nuisance, shut your mouth!" He rushed up suddenly and grabbed Xingde by the collar.Just like before, he lifted Xingde up, lifted Xingde's body into the air, and then threw him onto the sand pile. The moonlight shone on the square, and the figures of more than a hundred camels and a dozen people slanted on the gray ground.People stayed up all night, busy loading cargo. Xingde had nothing to do, so he left Yuchiguang and came among the camels and workers, wandering slowly while checking the goods.He wanted to find out what the camel caravan was transporting.He tried his best to ask simple questions, using the various languages ​​he had mastered, and finally figured out that the goods that this caravan transported to the east included jade, brocade, animal skins, fabrics and spices from various countries in the Western Regions. And seeds and other miscellaneous things. The noise around finally calmed down, and after the cargo was loaded, Yu Chiguang gave an order, and the caravan set off.They opened the south gate, which was usually closed, and walked out of the city.More than a hundred camels formed a long procession, accompanied by guards on horseback.Zhao Xingde sat on a camel at the end of the team, unsteadily following the team. "Where do I keep my stuff?" Xingde asked Yu Chiguang who was walking in front of him on a camel. "Riding on your camel. Don't ask me for your own stuff!" Yu Chiguang said loudly.There is still a period of time before dawn, and a clear moon rises in the middle of the sky, and the dim moonlight falls on the wilderness. It took nearly 50 days for the caravan led by Yu Chiguang to travel from Guazhou to Xingqing, which was unexpected when Xingde was in Guazhou.No matter where in the Hexi area, there will be some small conflicts between the Xixia army and the Tubo army from time to time.In the event of a big battle, the caravan had to wait in place or take a detour, so a lot of time was wasted. What surprised Xingde most about Yu Chiguang was that he had a lot of face in both Xixia and Tubo armies.When the two armies went to war, the two armies confronted each other. Before they could make a move, Yu Chiguang was able to lead his troops through the formation of the two armies in an even and steady manner.They planted a large flag with the sign of the patron saint of Yuchi's family "Bishamonten" in the narrow strip between the two armies, indicating that his caravan is passing through here, and the armies on both sides will wait for the caravan to pass before starting the battle. Little battles between Tubo and Xixia blocked Yuchiguang's way from time to time, but he didn't care about it. Instead, he was greatly annoyed by the troubles encountered in passing through the various towns.In Suzhou, Ganzhou and Liangzhou, Xingde saw Yuchiguang lose his temper, and the sound of roaring was endless.Usually the caravan had to stay there for two or three days in order to pay the toll.According to what Yu Chiguang said, before the Xixia people took over, they only had to pay to the Uyghur yamen, but now in addition to paying to the Xixia people who replaced them, they had to pay to the Uighur yamen that still held real power.Because of this, one-fifth of the fifty pieces of raw jade carried on the hunchback had been consumed on the way. Zhao Xingde didn't know much about this young captain at the beginning of his departure, but now he can be said to have seen him clearly.Yu Chiguang is a person who dares to do anything to make money.He is a trader in name, but it is not an exaggeration to call him a thief. On the road, when they encountered a small caravan, he often led two or three people to run over and bring all the goods of others, and sometimes there was no room for negotiation.This kind of method was also seen by Xingde one by one.In Yuchiguang's caravan, there were some Long people who lived in the mountains south of Shazhou. Yu Chiguang seems to be a man who is not afraid of heaven and earth.Although sometimes he loses his temper and feels embarrassed, there is nothing that can scare him.Maybe he won't worry about it until his death is approaching. Xingde believes that the basic reason governing all the actions of this tyrannical fellow is the noble blood he is often proud of.The Yuchi dynasty has long since disappeared, but the glory of the Khotan royal family often made him emotionally restless and even abnormal.In order to show the majesty of the family, he can be bold and ruthless.When attacking other caravans in the desert, he must have thought in his heart that this was the only way to win glory for the Yuchi royal family.For the sake of the glory and power of his ancestors, he will never give up until he completely snatches the other party away. The current Xingqing and Tiansheng eight years ago when Zhao Xingde lived there are not what they used to be, and great changes have taken place.The population in the city is denser than before, the streets are prosperous, new shops are being built one after another, and the original style of the ancient city no longer exists.Not only is this inside the city, but there is also a danger of overcrowding outside the city.A new street is being built near the eleven-story north tower.The Xita area in the west of the city and the northwest corner of the temple where Xingde used to live are all thriving. Xixia is rapidly developing into a big country, and Xingqing City is also expanding rapidly as the country becomes richer and stronger.Xingde walked around the city, and everywhere he could see that people were still poorly dressed.He thought that this must be due to the years of war with Tubo and the heavy taxes imposed on the people by the country.When Xingde lived here before, he heard that a large number of temples were going to be built at the foot of Helan Mountain, 80 miles west of the city, but today, three years later, this rumor has disappeared. It must be that the money used to build the temples is used for military pay up. This time, Xingde stayed at the Jialan Temple in the northwest corner of the city just like last time.The scene in the temple is no longer what it used to be, the system of the academy has become more clean, the number of teachers and students has greatly increased, and more Han people are hired to teach than before.Several old acquaintances who used to study Xixia characters together are still here.What surprised Xingde the most after he came to the temple was that the comparison table of Xixia script and Chinese characters that he compiled back then had already been published in a single volume, and on this basis he also compiled several writing exercise books.An old man surnamed Suo has been teaching Xixia characters in this temple. When he heard about Xingde's arrival, he specially took a separate copy of the comparison table and asked him to sign it.The old man Suo is not only a scholar, but also an administrative official of the school.In this place, he has the oldest qualifications and the highest status.Although it is said that the author of this pamphlet has been named by a Xixia person, in terms of Xingde's dedication to it, Mr. Suo believes that the person who wrote the booklet must be Xingde. Zhao Xingde opened the title page of this booklet, and the words selected one by one by his own hand came into view again.Thunderbolt, flame, nectar, whirlwind, these are a group of words related to natural phenomena, they are written on the same line, and the corresponding Xixia characters are marked beside them.The pronunciation of Chinese characters is marked on the Xixia characters, and the pronunciation of Xixia characters is marked on the Chinese characters.The words may have been clumsy, written by students, but in any case the pamphlet evokes Xingde's nostalgia. Looking at the other pages, there are also names of animals, such as cats, dogs, pigs, camels, horses and cows, and so on.On the next page are some vocabulary about body parts, such as head, eyes, brain, nose, tongue, etc. After reading a few pages, Xingde took a pen in his hand, dipped it in thick ink, and carefully wrote "Pearl in the palm of Fan Han Heshi" on the white eyebrow of the cover.After finishing writing, Xingde put the pen away and said: "I wonder if it's possible?" After speaking, he handed the booklet back to the old man Suo.The old man shook his beard and nodded, repeatedly praising.Seeing that the old man was satisfied, Xingde wrote the same words on a few small pieces of paper so that he could paste it on the booklet. As soon as Xingde arrived in Xingqing this time, he went through all the necessary procedures through the old man Suo who was his boss, and finally got the government's approval a month later.Xingde hopes to recruit six Han Chinese for Yanhui and send them to Guazhou.Two of them are monks.They are all proficient in Xixia and Chinese, and have Buddhist training. Except for two monks in their fifties, the other four are all around forty years old, and they are all former colleagues of Xingde.The reason why Yanhui's request was quickly approved by the authorities is because Xingqing has not yet organized personnel to translate scriptures, and has not collected all kinds of classics.Xingde just heard that envoys will be sent to the Song Dynasty to buy a large number of books recently. Once the matter is decided, Xingde decides to take the first step and go back to Guazhou by himself.It is of course best to go back with other people, but it is their first time to go out, and the preparations are cumbersome, and it seems that they will not be able to do it until autumn. In July, the heat is hot, and the fire is shining gold.Xingde found Yu Chiguang again, and his caravan happened to have done a large amount of business in Xingqing, and was planning to leave for Guazhou.This time, the goods brought were several times more than when they came here, so there were more than 30 camels, and the camel driver had to drive ten camels.Most of the goods were silk, and others also brought some stationery and antiques such as paper, pen, ink, and inkstone. Xingde is already very familiar with Yu Chiguang's temperament, so he tries to stay away from him when there is nothing to do.Because of Yu Chiguang's strong self-esteem and showing off to his family, he often does some inexplicable and strange things. It is really not easy to get along with others without causing trouble.After much deliberation and deliberation, I still feel that it is better to respect and keep a distance.But Yu Chiguang took the initiative to find him.Among this group of people, the others are lowly and ignorant hunchbacks, only Xingde is a well-educated person, and he can have a chat with him. However, Yu Chiguang and his group did not have a safe journey.On the second day after leaving Liangzhou City, the caravan camped on the grass beside a spring.Xingde shares a tent with five camel drivers, and Yu Chiguang finds them.As before, as soon as he came, the atmosphere in the tent suddenly became tense, and the hunchbacks shrank to one side and sat back to back.Yu Chiguang dismissed these hunchbacks and walked straight towards Xingde.Not knowing what the intention was, he suddenly asked: "Hey, tell me, why are all Uyghur women bitches from top to bottom?" Usually, Xingde would keep silent on such occasions, and let Yu Chiguang go on talking alone, but after hearing this, he couldn't help it anymore. "it's not true!" Xingde's tone was somewhat angry. "Among the Uighur women, there are also those who keep chastity." "not even one!" "There are many humble people, and the power is unknown. However, some of the daughters of the authentic royal family sacrificed their lives to prove their chastity." Xingde retorted. "Nonsense!" Yu Chiguang shouted loudly. "What is the authentic royal family you are talking about? Uighurs don't have any royal family at all!" Yu Chiguang stared closely at Xingde and asked loudly. For Yu Chiguang, the authentic royal family can only refer to the Yuchi family in Khotan.Xingde knew it clearly, but he was unwilling to bear it.行德对这个不知天高地厚的家伙已经忍让再三，但是这次事关回鹘王女的贞节，他不能让步。 “回鹘人中怎么没有王族？高贵的血统上承天命，下传子孙，这样的家族才是真正的王族。” “你这个讨厌的家伙！” 尉迟光突然伸出双手，抓住行德的衣襟，勒紧了他的咽喉。 “把你刚才讲的混帐话再说一遍！” 行德被尉迟光拎起来，双脚不着地，在空中乱晃。 "Say it again!" 行德这时就是要说也说不出声来了。尉迟光见他不说话，一把将他扔到草地上，行德还没有来得及逃走，尉迟光又一把将他抓了起来，然后再扔到地上。行德已经遭受了数次这样的欺负，而在这种场合，他是从不服输的。躺在地上，行德口里还在断断续续地说： “王族……高贵……精神……” "well." 尉迟光见行德一直不服气，虽然已经倒在地上，嘴里还在不停地说，他也束手无策，只是约有所思似地说了一句： “随我来吧。” 说完自己先回帐蓬去了。行德站起来，拍了拍身上的尘土，跟在他身后，也向帐蓬走去。已是深夜时分，寒气逼人。白天晒得滚烫的沙砾，现在却一片冰凉。行德透过夜幕一眼望去，几十个帐蓬整齐有序地排列在荒原上。 尉迟光从他的帐蓬朝着荒原的方向走了几步，又停了下来，说道： “配称王族的只有于阗尉迟一家。你这样说一遍我就饶你回去。” “不说！” 行德还是不愿意低头认输。尉迟光考虑了一下，又说道： “为什么不愿意说？好，不这样说也罢，换个说法，就说回鹘的女人都是婊子，快说！” “不说！” “不说？为什么不说？” “因为我曾亲眼看见回鹘王女飞身坠楼，以死来证明自己的清白之身。” "it is good." 尉迟光说完又扑向行德。他将行德拎起来，在空中转圈。 行德突然感到自己的身体脱离了旋转的中心，向外飞去，一下摔到被夜露打湿的草地上。倒在地上，抬头向上看，天空似乎发生了倾斜。行德的脑海中闪现出一排文字，白露、冰雹、闪电、霓虹、天河。这些关于天文的词汇写在他题为“番汉合时掌中珠”的一本小册子中。 过了一会他感觉到那个凶狠的对手又朝自己逼近过来。 “混帐东西，快说！” "Say what?" “尉迟……” 听到尉迟光的声音，行德本能地收拢四肢，准备向对手还击。尉迟光看到行德还要与自己对抗，怒从心头起，大骂道： “你这个死脑筋的家伙。” 尉迟光盛怒之下，又抓住行德的衣襟，将他提起，再把他甩出去。行德这次没有摔倒，蹒跚了两步，坐到草地上。 “怎么样，看看这个。” 行德向上看去，见尉迟光的手里拿着一串像项链一样的东西。他赶快伸手到自己的衣服中去摸，但是原本应在那里的东西已经不翼而飞。“还给我！”他的语气比以往激烈得多，他盯着尉迟光手上的项链说道。 “你在哪里弄到的？” 尉迟光的口气反而平静下来。行德没有回答。他不愿意告诉面前的这个无赖，这串项链是从回鹘王女手中得到的。 “这么重要的东西还是你拿着吧。把它收好了。” 尉迟光想了想，将项链扔还给了行德，好像忘了打行德的事，径自掉头走了。项链已经断了，幸好没有弄散，玉珠一个也没丢。 经过这件事后，尉迟光改变了对行德的态度，比以前好多了。在整个驼队里，只有对待行德，他不再说粗话了，而且还时常凑到行德身边来，打听玉珠项链的来历。 行德正好相反，对这个一下子变得性情温和的暴徒采取了一种强硬的态度，要求收回自己应有的权利。朱王礼赠送的可以武装二十个人的武器，还有曹延惠打发的五十头公用骆驼，这些当然都应该属于自己。 行德心中暗自忖度，像尉迟光这样的恶棍，居然把项链还给自己，他肯定是要知道项链的出处，从而捞到更多的玉石。 商队在甘州的驼马店里住了三天。在此期间，行德曾一度独自登上西南角的城墙。从城墙上可以看到一直延伸到南门外的市场。再往前就是一望无际的大草原。The past is like smoke, and I can't bear to look back.惆怅之余，行德信步来到城下的广场。人潮如涌，摩肩接踵，他一人独自沉思徐行。猛然抬头西望，正好看到当年回鹘王女跳城自尽的那段城墙，他不由自主地向那个方向走去。 赵行德想，回鹘王女之死实为向自己证明心迹的缘故，而今自己却不能再替她做一点事，痛哉，痛哉！行德在这一段城墙下久久地徘徊。此次再返瓜州，所做之善事当奉献给此女，聊表薄意。他想到的所谓善事当然是指为曹延惠译经一事。将所译经卷都算作回鹘王女的供奉之物，我佛慈悲，定当引渡她的亡灵，超生三界之外。 想到这里，行德的精神为之一振。以往虽然对译经之事并非缺乏热情，只是此番又加入了对回鹘王女的祭奠，意义大为不同了。 在强烈的阳光照耀下，行德走得浑身大汗淋漓，他开始诵读金刚般若波罗蜜多心经中的启请发愿文。 “稽首三界之尊，归依十方大佛。弟子今发弘愿，愿持金刚圣经，上报四重之恩，下救三涂之苦。菩提之心，天地可鉴……” 念到动情之处，行德黯然神伤，泪如雨下。泪水和着汗珠滴落在城下的尘土上。