Thousand Miles of Bright Moonlight

Chapter 149

Whenever a Northern Rong soldier passed through, the common people had to move to the side of the road and salute respectfully, not looking directly at them. Anyone who dared to speak loudly or raise their eyes to look at the Northern Rong soldiers would be regarded as disrespectful. In the best case, they would be publicly flogged, but more severe punishments included having their hands cut off and their eyes gouged out, which was exceedingly miserable.

Li Xuanzhen was afraid of exposing his identity. When he encountered Northern Rong soldiers oppressing the people along the way, he could not go forward to intervene, and could only silently grit his teeth.

Once, they saw the Northern Rong soldiers drive a group of ragged, gray-haired, skinny and bony elderly people out of the city. The many men and women following them from behind, crying, tears falling like rain, howling and bidding old people farewell, were driven back by the Northern Rong soldiers.

Tears streamed down the old people's faces as they looked back at their loved ones in the city, wiping their tears as they walked away.

In front of the city gates, the cries shook the sky.

Li Xuanzhen clenched his fists and asked the spy, "What crime did they commit? Where are they being driven to?"

The spy replied in a low voice, "The Northern Rong people hold military force in high esteem, valuing the strong and deeming the weak as inferior. Every winter time, they order the old people of each tribe who are over sixty years old and are unable to plow or hunt to move out of the city... to avoid wasting food. Whoever dared to disobey must pay the tax money according to the regulations: five taels of gold and ten sheep, or one horse, three stones of grain, and twenty sheets of felt per mouth..."

For the common people, in such a bitterly cold winter climate, families did not have spare food. Having to pay heavy taxes on top of that to please the Northern Rong, how could they gather five taels of gold to keep their elderly?

Most of the old people didn't want to involve their families, so they could only be driven out into the bitter elements and wait for death.

The farewell at the city gate was a life and death parting.

Hearing this, everyone was filled with righteous indignation.

They could not believe that there was such an utterly heartless thing in this world!

Li Zhongqian's eyes signaled his personal soldiers to not be hot-tempered. They were here to look for someone, so it was best not to cause any trouble.

He only wanted to save Ming Yue Nu. Other people's life and death were none of his business.

After leaving Shazhou, crossing Wufang, they passed through 800 miles of deserted and uninhabited desert, getting closer and closer to Yizhou.

On this day, the group rested in an overhang under a mound of earth that had been hollowed out by the northern wind. Li Xuanzhen sent out a few of his personal soldiers to split up and go to Gaochang, Qiuci, and other places.

Li Zhongqian asked warily, "Why did you send them to Gaochang?"

Li Xuanzhen drew several lines on the sand with his finger: "This is Yizhou. This is Gaochang, Yanqi, and Qiuci. This area is the northern road of the Silk Road. When the previous dynasty was stable, there were prefectures and counties in various places, with soldiers dispatched to guard them. At that time, there was peace and stability along the commercial road, and the population flourished. Then the Central Plains were in turmoil. The Western Regions was lost, and the commercial road was blocked. Nowadays, most of these places are subservient to the Northern Rong.

"Northern Rong customs are barbaric, using iron blood means to suppress the various tribes. Condoning their soldiers to plunder the caravans, perhaps these small countries may pledge allegiance to the Northern Rong because of the situation, but inevitably, there are people whose hearts are still with the Central Plains dynasty. After all, most of the lords and nobles from the Hexi area are the descendants of famous families.

"Since we are going to the Northern Rong's main encampment to rescue her, it would be better to send people to these places to probe the truth and see if we can persuade them to coordinate a plan with us inside and outside, and fight against the Northern Rong together in the future."

Li Zhongqian nodded. After listening, he understood Li Xuanzhen's intentions.

They were deep in the Western Regions, helpless and isolated, so they had to try to find a few helpers first.

For one, if they were discovered by the Northern Rong in the future, they could flee to these places first. Secondly, with the help of these people, there was a greater chance of returning to the Central Plains safely. Thirdly, naturally, it was for the sake of the world, to recover their lost territory for the homeland.

Li Zhongqian did not care about the third point. After rescuing Li Yaoying, he would immediately bring her back to the Central Plains.

"There is one more place that I may have to personally travel to."

Li Xuanzhen pointed his finger at a point in the far north.

"There is a Buddhist country here, making it impossible for the forces of the Northern Rong to continue to penetrate deeper; the Northern Rong Khan was once defeated at the hands of this Buddhist monarch, so the countries of the Western Regions are surely harboring their own thoughts."

Li Zhongqian's thick eyebrows slightly wrinkled, "A Buddhist country?"

Li Xuanzhen pursed his peeling lips and said, "The Royal Court reveres Buddhism. Their monarch is a senior monk. About eleven years ago, he led his troops to repel the Northern Rong Khan, and his fame shook the Western Regions."