Chapter 39 Section VII

The war horse snorted lowly, the white flag rolled in the wet wind, and the two armies stopped facing each other at a distance of a hundred paces. The tiger and leopard cavalry warriors looked curiously at the well-armored Donglu fighters. Although they had trekked through the wind and rain for so long, the hand-forged scales on their bodies still reflected the silvery light like a sword. Long black tassels sprinkled down, and the forehead iron that extended to the tip of the nose and protected the entire face covered their faces.Under the banner of scarlet golden chrysanthemums, a burly warrior sat on a black horse. He was shrouded in heavy iron armor, as if he had been forged entirely of black iron.

For forty years, the army of the Eastern Land had never set foot on the grasslands of the Northern Land.The barbarian warriors not only despised the cowardice of these Easterners, but also were wary of their excellent armor and swords.Most of the fathers of the tiger and leopard cavalry warriors fought in that war forty years ago, and now they see the enemies of those years, and they feel faintly uneasy. The Donglu soldiers were terrified in their hearts.On the opposite side, I saw thousands of large flags like floating clouds, and so many healthy horses with broad breasts and long legs, all in pitch black, one foot taller than the Donglu war horses.Under the control of the barbarian cavalry, the war horse still turned its hooves and shook its mane uneasily. At first glance, the tide of horses was churning, as if it would launch a charge in a landslide posture at any time.Lei Yun Menghu licked his lower lip, feeling his throat was dry, and Jia Ma's legs were a little weak.He is a descendant of a military family. When the elders talked about Emperor Fengyan's Northern Expedition, they must mention these barbarians wearing thick iron ring armor. , It seems that everyone is not afraid of death, shooting one down and then rushing up one after another, the famous generals of the Eastern Continent have never heard of such a tactic in their lives.

Far from being a lively scene of the two countries having sex, there was only the low neighing of war horses on the grassland, and there was a different kind of silence besides. "Majesty, we are the masters." Dahesa lowered his voice. The majesty nodded silently, and was about to lead the horse, but saw the warrior on the black horse in front of the formation jump off the horse. He took off his helmet, threw down his cloak, and walked step by step on the muddy grass. The Maharaja was a little astonished, sitting on the horseback and looking at the other party, he saw that the sides of his face were neatly shaved, and his brown and gray hair was tied up with a piece of leather rope.Except for the heavy armor, he is not like the envoy of Donglu, but like an aged tiger and leopard knight.

"Tuoba Shanyue, the Imperial Envoy of the Three Armies of the Lower Tang State under the Dayin Dynasty, Duke Baili of the Tang Dynasty, see the Lord of the North Land and the Lord of Qingyang." The warrior knelt down on one knee respectfully, with half of his calf submerged in the mud , he didn't mind. A hundred paces away, the Donglu warriors dismounted one after another, pulling their stirrups and kneeling on one knee, but the lieutenant general who held the flag did not kneel. He raised both hands, and the chrysanthemum embroidered with gold thread was shining brightly on the scarlet banner. dazzling.

The Maharaja suddenly realized who he was facing, he immediately dismounted, and leaned low to hold Tuoba Shanyue's arm. Tuoba Shanyue did not get up, but took out a blue-gray sharkskin bag from the seam close to her armor, untied the sealing rope at the mouth of the bag, and held the scroll sealed with wax above her head: "Duke Tang's The souvenir, brought by Tuoba Shanyue, has lived up to the expectations of Duke Baili and Maharaja." The Maharaja turned his head to signal, and Qingyang's document interpreter stepped forward to take it, unfolded it slowly, and cleared his throat:

"To the Maharaja of the Northern Continent and the Lord of the Qingyang Kingdom: Thousands of years away, the division of heaven and earth, there is no such thing as nine states and seven seas. All the races in the world are inseparable from each other, love each other, and share the vicissitudes of life. A hundred generations away, the God Emperor established the country, there is no separation between the three continents, Huayi, and the people of the world, all brothers in harmony, peace and harmony, and assisting the Lord. Why the world is divided, why brothers fight, why people's hearts are betrayed, why the blood relatives of the East and the North become enemies.Every time I think about this, I often feel sorry for myself.

..." No one dared to speak out, the Hokuriku warriors and even the Maharaja himself couldn't understand these red tapes, but the loud voice of the document was sent far away on the silent grassland, suppressing the neighing of the war horses.Guessing from the meaning of the speech, it is no longer the coercion of the Eastern Continent Dynasty, but the rare goodwill between the Eastern Continent and the Northern Continent. The majesty looked sideways at the Donglu envoy, and finally his eyes fell on his neck, where a small silver medal was hung with a leather strap, which looked familiar.

"...May the two countries be like brothers and sisters from now on, and live in harmony forever, enlightening all peoples, and passing it on for thousands of years. It is written by Baili Jinghong, the Duke of the Tang Dynasty under the Dayin Dynasty." After the document was recited, the scroll was returned to the Maharaja.The Maharaja held the scroll high above his head, and after a brief silence, the nobles and warriors shouted together. Tuoba Shanyue got up.The slaves in brocade clothes and small sleeves meandered out of the queue, and the long, thick and soft woolen blanket was rolled up to his feet. The fire of roasting the whole sheep was set, and the strong aroma of wine wafted from afar, and the tin seal of the barbarian spirits in the big altar was lifted.

The warriors of the Lower Tang Dynasty had never seen the big scene of welcoming guests on the grassland. The endless barren land was suddenly surrounded by fine wine and silk as a place for feasting. The warriors riding tigers and leopards withdrew, and the young female slaves respectfully Respectfully invited them to sit down, all they saw were smiles, the uneasiness in their hearts receded a little, and everyone was a little excited. "Majesty's kindness is truly indebted." Tuoba Shanyue gave a low praise, and bowed to salute. "How can some small hospitality compare to the generous gift brought by General Tuoba?" The Maharaja helped him up again, "No gift can compare to the letter from the Duke of Baili. We barbarians are waiting to be with you." I have been waiting for a long time for the day when friends from the Eastern Land Shangguo forget their hatred and sit down and drink together."

Tuoba Shanyue and the Maharaja sat side by side on the main seat. "A toast to the imperial envoys and brothers of the Eastern Land Kingdom!" The Maharaja raised the silver cup high. The nobles raised their silver cups together, and the warriors of the next Tang Dynasty also raised their glasses. The barbarian wine in the cups was light blue in color, with an intoxicating aroma like pears.Everyone drank the fine wine in their cups together, and then almost all the Xia Tang warriors were stunned for a moment, and then their faces turned blood red suddenly, and several of them lay on the table, coughing non-stop.

"Hahahaha..." Maharaja laughed loudly and heartily. Leiyun Menghu was sitting next to Tuoba Shanyue, holding his neck with both hands, he felt like a fire was burning from his mouth to his stomach, and the wine seemed to burn through his internal organs, majesty His laughter made him burst into anger, but he was speechless. Tuoba Shanyue glanced at him: "Do you want to drink such a big cup like others? How can you drink Gurqin's spirits freely?" "Send wine to our Eastern Land guests." As the Maharaja waved his hand, young barbarian girls flocked to the blanket in the middle from everywhere. Dancing with the long white gauze, the flute and snare drum sounded unscrupulously around, the girls sang and danced, and the white gauze on both sleeves flew up to the sky. The dancing and singing distracted the attention of the warriors of the Tang Dynasty, and the potency of the wine seemed to fade away in amazement, and another servant came up to persuade him to drink with roasted mutton and rare fresh fruits from Hokuriku.The warriors of the Lower Tang Dynasty learned to drink Qingyang strong wine in small sips, and the freshly roasted mutton was not smelly, and there was a faint sweet taste after chewing.Lei Yun Menghu was the deputy general of this mission, and he kept reminding himself that he must never get drunk on such an occasion.But gradually, what he heard and saw was a scene of jubilation. The smiles of the girls were like sunshine, and the servant who persuaded him to drink worked extra hard. The white gauze on the sleeves of the girls was dimly seen on the forehead and in front of the eyes, and the last trace of vigilance against the barbarians also collapsed in the drunkenness, and they couldn't help but beat the time to the music. The Maharaja raised his glass again and again, and the nobles in Qingyang had no choice but to follow suit.The drinking capacity of the barbarians is far from that of the warriors of the Eastern Continent, but the whole jar of spirits is constantly being served, and the drunkenness of the nobles is getting stronger and stronger, and everyone's face is full of half-drunk blush. The Maharaja scanned the surroundings, and placed the silver cup on the table with care. With a sound of "Dang", Tuoba Shanyue also turned her head, the eyes of both of them were extraordinarily clear, without the slightest hint of drunkenness, which seemed a bit abrupt in the scene of the feast. "We have been fighting with our friends from Donglu for so many years, and it's rare that we drink so freely and happily. I'm really happy to see such a scene." The majesty moved the cushion and changed to face Tuoba Shanyue, bowing slightly salute.Such a humble and courteous attitude is completely like a nobleman from the Eastern Lu Family, Tuoba Shanyue's heart moved slightly, knowing that this barbarian lord had spent a lot of thought on these matters. "Gurqin's fine wine is still as strong as it was back then." Tuoba Shanyue pressed his chest and responded with barbarian etiquette. Maharaja and Tuoba Shanyue both laughed.Both let go of the swig, the maharaja and the envoy got drunk slowly, not because they had a lot of alcohol, Tuoba Shanyue knew that half of the wine on the table between himself and the maharaja had been mixed with water after the first sip.Qingyang's Guerqin liquor is Qingyang soul, which is also famous in Donglu. If you really drink it, even a tough man can't hold it. "I have long heard that General Tuoba is also a man of our barbarian tribe. He should be able to understand my approach. Those who can sit down and drink together are friends. Such an opportunity is rare in a hundred years. Our Qingyang is willing to be forever with Xiatang Kingdom. The alliance of the year is sincere and sincere. Any hatred in the past will be wiped away, and the Pantar God is above, witness my sincerity!" The majesty raised his finger to the sky. "Our sincerity in going to the Tang Dynasty is witnessed by heaven and earth. If there is any deception, ghosts and gods will not forgive it. This is a personal gift from our lord to the majesty." He took out a brocade bag again and presented it secretly. The Maharaja untied the red brocade packet embroidered with gold.A crystal clear light blue jade seal lay in the red brocade. It was cold to the touch, like a piece of clear ice. It was carved as a dragon crouching. The veins of the wings raised behind it were also clearly visible. A black pearl.The majesty put his hand behind the jade seal, and he could see his own fingerprints clearly through the three inches of jade.He remained calm, and finally turned over to look at the seal, and then showed a slight smile: "The Lord of Baili gave me such a precious seal stone, and I don't know when I will be able to use it." Tuoba Shanyue bowed reverently: "There are frequent wars in the Eastern Land, and our lord is very worried. Seeing the suffering of the people, it is a pity that the country is small and weak, and there is no way to save it. I admire the heroism of the Qingyang Iron Cavalry, so I have this alliance. With sincerity, it will take five years at the earliest, or ten years at the slowest, and the majesty will surely conquer the sea, and if this jade seal is lucky enough to be printed on the majesty's military order at that time, it will not be in vain for our lord's deep meaning." The majesty looked directly into his eyes, revealing an intriguing expression, fingering this and that jade seal, and remained silent for a long time.Tuoba Shanyue was looking at him and did not avoid it.The two laughed together. Dahesa was far away, as if the maharaja and the envoys of the Eastern Continent had a drink and chat, but no one present could hear what they were saying. "Come on, General Tuoba, look at my sons!" The Maharaja let go of his voice. The princes left the table and stood side by side in front of the main seat, and Tuoba Shanyue also stood up. "This is my eldest son, Bi Mogan, who is in charge of our military orders and sacrifices. He is already twenty-four years old." Bi Mogan pressed his chest and saluted: "General Tuoba is good." After Tuoba Shanyue returned the gift, looking back at the Xia Tang warriors he brought, Leiyun Menghu was already lying on the table drunk. Luggage, holding out a white satin package.Tuoba Shanyue untied the silk, and the people around were amazed. Inside was a jade flute. Hokuriku does not produce jade, and they have to buy it from Donglu at a high price. But no one has ever seen such a flawless jade flute. .It is lined in white silk, which is indistinguishable from the color of silk, only the red tassels are tied at the end, just a wisp of red, but it is extremely gorgeous. "Small gift, I once heard Hesa ​​say that the eldest prince likes music." Tuoba Shanyue held up the flute. Dahesa's heart was awe-inspiring, and he only briefly mentioned it in front of Tai Changqing in Xia Tang, and it was recorded in the documents of Xia Tang.Bimogan took the flute and began to feel it in amazement, obviously liking this gift very much. "This is my second son, Tie You. Tie You is already twenty-one years old, and he works with his elder brother." What Tuoba Shanyue presented this time was a piece of plain brocade yarn, barbarians were not good at weaving, and brocade yarn was also a valuable gift, but compared to the jade flute given to the eldest prince, it seemed ordinary. Tuoba Shanyue held it up and spread it out gently: "This beautiful green horse is the most luxurious brocade in our Eastern Continent. This kind of blue dye is obtained from flower petals. It is said that tens of acres of flowers are not enough to dye a single piece." The brocade of Meirenqing. The weavers call it Triple Feather. Although it is light and thin, there are patterns of triple feathers in it. A weaver can only weave a few feet a year. Wanzhou can’t buy such brocade now. There is the last horse, and the lord of the country is willing to give it as a gift." As he shook it lightly, the frivolous brocade veil spread out like a cloud of cyan smoke. When it was blown away by the wind, the layers of feather patterns were unpredictable, but the light cyan color was so gorgeous. People are in a trance.Tie You was stunned for a moment, and hurriedly leaned down to grab it, for fear that the brocade yarn would be swept on the ground.Tuoba Shanyue smiled slightly and handed it to him. "This is my third son, Xu Dahan," the maharaja pointed again. "Xudahan is twenty years old, and he is my smartest son. He is in charge of the herding and documents in the tribe." "I've heard it for a long time." Tuoba Shanyue took the gift from the soldiers and shook it away, revealing a silver soft armor in front of everyone.It was an extremely light and thin armor, with a pearl-like luster on the surface, and it trembled like a light garment when the wind came. "It's not made by human hands. Only Heluo's craftsmanship can make such body armor in the world. The material is coral gold, which is not known by Heluo. Each armor ring is only the size of a corn grain. It will take five years, and it is very difficult to pierce it." Tuoba Shanyue turned around abruptly, and pulled out a sharp blade from the soldier's hand, everyone took a step back in shock, Tuoba Shanyue put the soft armor on his arm, and chopped it off with force.The princes were also shocked. When Tuoba Shanyue made a move, there was a sharp whistling sound on the knife, which was extremely powerful, even a piece of pure steel hard armor could not guarantee that it would not be cut open.But when the knife landed on the soft armor, it seemed as if it had hit the hard steel coated with oil, and it slipped out on one side, but there was no mark on the armor surface. "I hope this armor can help the third prince." Xu Dahan took it with admiration, and felt that the surface of the software was as slippery as pearls with his tentacles, and he could hardly hold it with his hands. "This is my bravest son, Guimu. He is only sixteen years old, but his sword skills are better than his brothers. He is the little leopard of our Qingyang Department." Tuoba Shanyue swung the knife in his hand, and stepped forward to offer it. To the sixteen-year-old boy, his etiquette is also neat, just like to his brothers, "The most valiant prince of the Qingyang Department, Our lord has also heard such rumors, and today I saw the fourth prince's sword for the first time, and I knew it was not just a rumor." "My knife?" Guimu touched the handle of the knife at his waist in surprise. "Such a majestic sword must be the wolf's blade. To be able to learn the strongest sword technique of General Muli, of course he is a warrior like a lion and a tiger." Tuoba Shanyue lowered his head and held the sword, "Please use this sword, Help the might of the fourth prince." Guimu took a step forward, stretching out his hands to catch the knife. "Fourth Prince, be careful!" Tuoba Shanyue shouted. Guimu's hand has already touched the blade.When Tuoba Shanyue yelled, his fingers had already brushed the edge of the blade.He has also tasted many good knives, as long as he touches the edge, he can feel the quality of the knives.But as soon as he touched the edge of the knife, he felt like being bitten by a mosquito on his finger. He quickly withdrew his hand, and a drop of blood had already been left on the blade.When he was in a daze, the drop of blood slowly slid down from the knife, leaving no trace left. "What a sharp knife!" Maharaja also praised. "This is a lion's tooth. Although it is not a famous knife, it has always been the favorite of our lord. There is no knife that Tuoba has seen in his life that surpasses it." Tuoba Shanyue took out a towel from his arms along with the knife. Passed it over, Guimu took the knife, but the towel fell on the ground.He stared at Blade in wonder.Xu Dahan also couldn't help looking at the soft armor in his hand, such a sharp blade couldn't cut Heluo's golden coral armor. "General Tuoba prepared very carefully," the Maharaja smiled faintly, "These four gifts are really suitable." Tuoba Shanyue was just taking the last thing from the hands of the soldiers, which was also a package of white silk. Hearing this, he was slightly stunned. It seemed that it was over when the majesty said so. He hesitated for a moment, then looked around: "Is His Royal Highness not here? Our lord has also prepared a small gift for the son." The surroundings suddenly fell silent, Dahesa turned his head away, the Maharaja was stunned for a moment, and looked up into the distance.After a while, he looked back and shook his head: "Thank you for the kindness of the Lord Baili, but it is a pity that Asule can't see this gift. He is no longer here... I don't know what the Lord Baili brought to Asule. what?" Tuoba Shanyue was silent for a moment, then untied the white silk, this time it was just a simple white jade tablet, four fingers wide and as long as a book page, engraved with incomprehensible characters, filled with cinnabar. "I heard that the son is not in good health, and I didn't expect to die early. This is the longevity talisman of our country, and it is a ritual vessel used by the son. If he is established as the son, he will ask the master of the secret way to make a jade longevity talisman. Auspicious luck blesses the son and continues the country. This is the longevity talisman used by His Royal Highness Bailiyu when he was a child. The king said that the son Yu was also weak when he was young. It's getting better, and now it's like an ordinary person, so..." The majesty took the jade plate, stroked it lightly for a while, and put it into his sleeve, "Thank you for the kindness of the king, but it's a pity that Asule is an unlucky child."