Chapter 70

After resting for two days in the state of Yanqi, Li You also paid a visit to the king of Yanqi; Yanqi, like the state of Loulan, was under the rule of the Xiongnu, and it was a small and poor country! However, they relied on the treacherous terrain of the Kuruktag Mountains and the Tianshan Mountains, which was enough to keep the Xiongnu's large army at bay, so they were not interested in following the Xiongnu's orders to hunt down the Han envoys.

Instead, they were attracted by the wealth that merchants could bring after the Han army entered the Western Regions, perhaps they were already starting to think about how to rob the caravans!

Therefore, the Han envoy group had a relatively easy time in Yanqi. After the group was rested, they set out again on their westward journey, now they had to travel west along the southern foot of the Tianshan Mountains to the state of Kucha; this time, unlike when they left Loulan, the group was missing more than twenty soldiers and the general Pan Feng!

Most of these soldiers had unfortunately died while crossing the Gobi Desert, where it was not convenient to bury them. Li You could only set up a cenotaph for them by the Konqi River as a memorial! He recorded their names, places of origin, and other information on a piece of sheepskin he carried with him, hoping to claim rewards for them upon his return to Chang'an.

As for Pan Feng, his three-month summoning time had expired, and he had automatically returned to the Tiger Talisman space! If he wanted to summon him again, he would have to wait another three months! Without these soldiers and Pan Feng, the strength of the envoy group led by Li You was further weakened, and he had to be even more cautious on the journey ahead.

The state of Kucha was granted to Prince Fayi by the Indian Emperor Ashoka more than a hundred years ago, but it was now also under the rule of the Xiongnu. However, the control was not as strict as in Yanqi, it was merely a nominal submission. Therefore, the journey of the Han envoy group was relatively safe, they did not have to fight the Kucha army, they only needed to deal with some bandits in the desert!

The cities of Kucha were scattered among the desert oases, and the royal family was surnamed Bai, which was a transliteration of the Sanskrit word "puspa," meaning "flowers offered to the Buddha." This shows that Kucha was deeply influenced by Buddhist culture, which would later become an important base for the spread of Buddhism from the Western Regions to the Central Plains! As they traveled, the members of the Han envoy group often looked at the monks they encountered with curious eyes.

However, Li You had no interest in introducing Buddhism to the Central Plains. Buddhism could indeed weaken resistance and stabilize the domestic situation, but it also subtly eroded the Han people's spirit, which he did not like.

About six hundred miles west of Kucha was the state of Gumo! Gumo was much weaker than Kucha and was to some extent controlled by Kucha! After traveling along the Tarim River for several days, the group entered the territory of Gumo!

"Sir, to the west of Gumo is the state of Wensu, and to the west of Wensu is the state of Shule. After Shule, it's Da Yuezhi! At most, it will take us a month to complete this journey!" Tang Yifu pointed to the distant city with a joyful expression, the information they had gathered in Yanqi and Kucha indicated that Da Yuezhi had not yet left the Ili River Basin; this saved them thousands of miles compared to Zhang Qian's journey!

However, despite this, their journey was not short. From Chang'an to the current state of Gumo, it was equivalent to traveling from Xi'an to Aksu in Xinjiang in modern times. In modern times, it would take a little over two days by train, but in the Han Dynasty, it took them more than five months to complete this journey!

This was a road rarely traveled by Han people. Li You's journey marked the first official involvement of the Central Plains' power in the affairs of the Western Regions. In the future, Sima Qian used the words "zhaokong" (opening up) to describe Zhang Qian's journey. "Zhaokong" means "opening up the road"; it was precisely because of Zhang Qian's journey that the Central Plains gained an understanding of the Western Regions, laying a solid foundation for the future entry of the Han army into the Western Regions and the establishment of the Western Regions Protectorate.

"After entering the city, we will rest for two days, and I will go to meet the king of Gumo!" The Western Regions were completely unknown to the Han, and the long journey naturally precluded any deep cooperation. Li You was only making preliminary contacts! By talking to the kings of these small states, he could understand their domestic situations and their views on other states in the Western Regions, preparing for the future entry of the Han into the Western Regions. With this information, they would know which states to suppress and which to ally with.

"Yes, Sir!" Tang Yifu would accompany Li You to meet the local king, while the other members of the envoy group had their own tasks. Chen Qingzhi would patrol these cities to find their weaknesses and draw maps; Xu Yannian would take the soldiers who had been merchants to the market to look for various items not found in the Han; others would use the interpreter from the Loulan prince Xiumitu to gather the latest news from taverns and restaurants. Upon hearing that they were entering the city, everyone prepared to start their work!

"Sir! There are troops coming from ahead!" The scout at the front returned and reported loudly. Without Li You's instructions, these battle-hardened soldiers were already prepared to engage.

"Why are the enemy troops coming from the northwest? The eastern gate is not well guarded?" Chen Qingzhi looked at the direction the enemy troops were coming from, puzzled.

"Who are you? What business do you have in our state of Gumo?" The leading general of the other side seemed to realize that Li You's group was not the opponent they had imagined, and asked in confusion.

"We are envoys from the Han! We have been sent by the Han Emperor to visit the states of the Western Regions! Are you the army of Gumo?" Tang Yifu answered in the same language, and at the same time, he waved to signal the soldiers to temporarily put away their weapons.

Seeing the Han envoy group put away their weapons, the other side also relaxed. After a few words, the tension between both sides was eliminated! The commandant of Gumo led Li You's group into the city.

"General, I noticed you were very tense just now. Is there any recent conflict in your country?" Li You rode alongside the commandant of Gumo and asked as they walked, "And why did you come from the northwest?"

"Thank you for your concern, but there has been no recent conflict in our country! It's just that the neighboring state of Wusun is preparing to fight Da Yuezhi! We set up defenses in the northwest just in case!" the commandant of Gumo replied.

"No wonder!" Wusun was to the northwest of Gumo, and his answer dispelled Li You's doubts, but another question arose. He asked anxiously, "How is the war between Da Yuezhi and Wusun going? How many troops have both sides gathered? Who has the upper hand now?"

After asking, Li You silently prayed, "Da Yuezhi, you must hold on longer! Don't let me travel thousands of miles only to find you defeated; otherwise, how can I complete the task of forming an alliance with Da Yuezhi?"

The commandant of Gumo opened his mouth, ready to tell Li You about the recent situation of the war between Wusun and Da Yuezhi!

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