Chapter 29

In the fourteenth year of Emperor Wen of Han, at the border between the Han Empire and the Xiongnu, a group of Han cavalry had just concluded a small but extremely brutal battle. They entered the city gate and returned to the interior, with several Xiongnu captives tied behind their horses, their hands bound and dragged behind. Ganfu was instantly captivated by the bustling scene upon entering the city. Is this what a Han city looks like? How wonderful it would be to live in such a city!

Whenever he thought about this incident later, Ganfu's face would flush! It was only after entering Chang'an that he truly understood what prosperity meant. Compared to Chang'an, the small border town was not worth mentioning.

After being captured by the Han army, Ganfu went through many twists and turns and was sold to the famous Marquis of Tangyi, Chen Wu, as a household slave. He was given a new name, Tangyifu! In Han times, "fu" meant an old man or a male, so Tangyifu meant the old man of the Marquis of Tangyi's household.

Marquis of Tangyi Chen Wu was a remarkable figure. His ancestor, Chen Ying, had once fought with Xiang Yu and later surrendered to Liu Bang. His wife was Princess Guantao, the most favored daughter of Empress Dowager Dou, and his daughter was Empress Chen Ajiao, the wife of Emperor Wu of Han, who is known for the story of the "Golden House."

Before Liu Che inherited the throne, Tangyifu had seen this man, who would write a glorious chapter in Chinese history, several times in the mansion.

Jianyuan was the era name when Emperor Wu of Han, Liu Che, ascended the throne, and it was the first era name in Chinese imperial history. From then on, historians no longer needed to record history by the years of Emperor Wen or Emperor Taizu!

In the early years of Jianyuan, Tangyifu saw Emperor Wu of Han, Liu Che, again in the mansion. This time, Liu Che's gaze fell on him, "Hmm, your appearance seems somewhat special? You are not Han, are you?"

"Your Majesty, this slave is a Xiongnu! I was captured by the Han army and became a slave in the marquis's household!" Tangyifu prostrated himself on the ground and answered cautiously.

"Oh? You are a Xiongnu? Do you know anything about the internal affairs of the Xiongnu?" Liu Che had only intended to make small talk, but unexpectedly gained valuable information, and he immediately sat up straight!

Thus, the gears of history began to turn slowly with this casual inquiry. This year, Emperor Wu of Han, Liu Che, was sixteen years old, and Tangyifu had been a captive in Han for sixteen years! In another corner of Chang'an, Zhang Qian, a native of Chenggu in Hanzhong Prefecture, who served as a "lang" (attendant), sneezed. He looked up at the sky in confusion, wondering who was talking about him?

"So, the Xiongnu are not only enemies of our great Han, but also of the Great Yuezhi?" After listening to Tangyifu's answers, Liu Che not only learned more about the internal affairs of the Xiongnu but also obtained a crucial piece of information: the Great Yuezhi in the Western Regions had a vendetta against the Xiongnu!

He immediately asked Marquis of Tangyi Chen Wu for Tangyifu and issued a new order: to recruit envoys to the Western Regions to ally with the Great Yuezhi and attack the Xiongnu from both sides, cutting off their right arm!

Liu Che's method was similar to Spain's colonization of South America: anyone willing to go to the Western Regions and had ideas would be given the title of envoy and sent there. Those who succeeded would be rewarded, and those who failed... would probably never return!

"Tangyifu! I have removed your slave status and appointed you as the deputy envoy of the Han mission! You will accompany the Han mission to the Western Regions to contact the Great Yuezhi and attack the Xiongnu together! If you succeed, I will not hesitate to reward you!" This was the promise Liu Che made to Tangyifu, who, after living in Han for sixteen years, deeply understood the value of the emperor's promise and bowed deeply in gratitude.

However, to Liu Che's disappointment, the first few volunteers who offered to be envoys did not meet his expectations, so he did not send Tangyifu out. It was not until a young man arrived...

Zhang Qian could not sleep for a long time after seeing the emperor's edict. After several days of contemplation, he decisively chose the dangerous journey to the Western Regions over the comfortable life of an attendant, "A man should strive for great achievements and not be content with a life of luxury!"

Zhang Qian resolutely entered Weiyang Palace and conveyed his desire to hold the envoy's staff and open up the Western Regions to Liu Che. Liu Che was delighted to see this, knowing that the envoy he had been waiting for had finally arrived!

After some preparations, Zhang Qian set out on the western journey with over a hundred young men he had recruited from Chang'an, along with his deputy, Tangyifu! This year, Liu Che was 17 years old, and Zhang Qian was 25!

On this day, outside the gates of Chang'an, the city was filled with music and drums. High-ranking officials of the Han Empire, all holding positions of 2,000 stones or more, gathered outside the city gates. The Imperial Guards, in bright armor, held swords and halberds to keep the crowd at bay. Under the watchful eyes of tens of thousands of Chang'an residents, Liu Che handed the green and red Han staff, symbolizing the dignity of the Han Empire, to Zhang Qian, "This journey is long and arduous. I await your return in Chang'an!"

At this moment, Zhang Qian was immersed in the highest honor, unaware that it would be ten years before he returned to this great city!

"Oh? The young emperor of Han plans to send envoys to the Western Regions to contact the Great Yuezhi and attack my great Xiongnu?" In the Xiongnu king's tent, Modu Chanyu's grandson and Laoshang Chanyu's son, Junchen Chanyu, turned his gaze to the only minister in the tent dressed in Han clothing and without a beard, "Zhonghangshuo, you know the affairs of Han best! Deal with these envoys!"

Zhonghangshuo, who made it his life's mission to be a great threat to Han, gladly accepted the order, "I will follow the command of the great Chanyu of the Xiongnu, placed by heaven and earth, and ensure that the Han envoys do not return!"

With that, Zhonghangshuo left the Xiongnu king's tent, holding the Chanyu's seal, and gathered a thousand elite Xiongnu cavalry to intercept the Han envoys on their inevitable path.

A rain of arrows flew, and the Xiongnu cavalry charged, cutting down the scattered envoy group. By the time Zhonghangshuo arrived at the battlefield, no one had survived.

Zhonghangshuo rode through the battlefield, his gaze suddenly stopping at a certain spot. He pointed with his horsewhip at the object tightly held in the hand of a dead Han man, "Yingbi, bring me what he is holding!"

A short and stocky man with a large, round head, a broad face, high cheekbones, a wide nose, and a thick mustache, with only a small tuft of beard under his chin and long earlobes pierced with an earring, dismounted and grabbed the Han staff tightly held by the dead man. He pulled, but it did not budge. Without hesitation, he drew his curved sword and cut it off...

Zhonghangshuo, holding the blood-stained Han staff, gazed in the direction of Chang'an, "This is the third envoy group! They are all weaklings. How long until the fourth envoy group arrives?"

"Three days' journey!" The leader of the cavalry, Yingbi, replied.

"Good, let them die with these people!" Zhonghangshuo threw the Han staff aside and looked at the direction from which the envoy group would come, his eyes filled with malice.

At this moment, Zhang Qian and Tangyifu were completely unaware.

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