knife

Chapter 173 Dragonflame Valley

The further northwest you travel from Yandu, the more desolate it becomes.

As the mountains receded into the distance, the greenery became increasingly sparse. As far as the eye could see, the exposed yellowish-brown filled the field of vision, while strangely shaped, weathered rocks were scattered everywhere. Reaching out to grasp those protruding rocks, a gentle squeeze would turn them into dust.

A group of more than ten cyclists rode along what used to be a riverbed.

Many years ago, this place should have been a shimmering river, with lush trees and verdant grass on both banks. But time has passed, and the world has changed. The river has disappeared, and life has gradually faded away, leaving only this desolate place for future generations to remember everything that once existed here.

The spring night was still chilly. Li Dachui, with his strong martial arts skills, didn't care. However, Gao Qunshu, who accompanied him, and some of the young disciples of Changchun Valley had shallow cultivation. If the spring chill got into their bodies, they might fall ill.

The saying goes, "Dress warmly in spring and lightly in autumn." At this time of year, keeping warm is extremely important.

Gao Qunshu dragged over a section of tree trunk as thick as a person could hug, and punched it, instantly creating a large hole and splitting the trunk into several pieces. It wasn't that Gao Qunshu's martial arts skills were particularly superior, but rather that the tree trunk had endured countless years and was already rotten and decayed.

The fire was blazing, and Li Dachui casually tossed some stones into it, which crackled and popped as they burned. This was based on his experience in wilderness survival; compared to firewood, these thoroughly burned stones could retain heat for a longer time.

At night, a mattress is laid on a heated stone, so that even if the temperature is low, one can be safe.

It's still chilly in early spring, so there's no need for such a big fuss. It's just that Li Dachui has been living in the wild for many years, so it's become a habit.

It is not surprising that there were many Qin people within the territory of the Yuan state.

Many of them even served as officials in the Yuan Dynasty's court or in local areas.

When the Yuan Dynasty was founded, it did not have a very detailed set of rules. It simply imitated the Qin Dynasty. To build a system that could basically maintain operation from scratch, it naturally needed a lot of talent.

So back then, Mamba recruited Qin people extensively. Some who were frustrated or resentful in Qin came to join him.

Over the course of more than a hundred years, these people had formed a considerable force in the Yuan Dynasty. However, as the Yuan Dynasty stabilized and its power grew stronger, these people gradually began to be marginalized. It was difficult to find such people in important positions in the Yuan court. They could only make a living in some quiet government offices or work as herders for the Yuan people in the local areas.

Li Dachui had always thought that Gao Qunshu was a descendant of one of these people. He never expected that Gao Qunshu was one of those who fled to the Yuan Dynasty after being affected by the Chang'an Incident.

Judging from Gao Qunshu's current age, he was only a teenager when he came here.

"Three hundred li northwest of Yandu, there is a place called Dragon Flame Valley!" Gao Qunshu handed the softened flatbread to Li Dachui and said, "That is where the Yuan Kingdom settled us back then."

"It doesn't seem like a good place!" Li Dachui said.

"Of course. When they first arrived, the Yuan Dynasty welcomed them warmly. Those who fled here included not only border officers and soldiers, but also local herdsmen and officials, totaling several thousand people. These people, whether civil or military, were all outstanding individuals."

"You want to use you as the vanguard in the attack on the Northern Protectorate?"

“Of course!” Gao Qunshu said, “The Chang’an Incident and the purge in Beiting are such a great opportunity to seize the territory outside the pass. How could the Yuan Kingdom let it go? We who have fled here are familiar with the local situation and military deployment. Naturally, we should try to win them over.”

"But you did not agree!"

“Yes.” Gao Qunshu said with some melancholy, “I don’t know what the leaders were thinking back then, but they were just unwilling. Isn’t this tantamount to telling the Yuan people that we need your protection, but we don’t want to work for you? Li Dachui, if you were Yingzhuo, would you be satisfied?”

“Of course I’m not satisfied!” Li Dachui said, “But from the Qin people’s perspective, I still admire them quite a bit.”

Gao Qunshu chuckled: "Since we couldn't satisfy the Yuan people, our fate was naturally not good. Fortunately, Princess Chang Le had only recently married into the family and was quite favored. Moreover, she was six months pregnant and had the Second Prince. It was thanks to her protection that we were spared and driven to Dragon Flame Valley to live. Dragon Flame Valley was like a huge open-air prison, trapping us there ever since!"

"Not free to come and go?" Li Dachui was somewhat shocked.

Gao Qunshu nodded. “At the entrance of Dragon Flame Valley, the Yuan people set up a military camp. Although it was small, with only a few dozen guards, it was indeed the throat that controlled our entry and exit. It would be easy to kill these few dozen people inside the valley, but what about next? This is the core area of ​​the Yuan people.”

Li Dachui nodded. "Fortunately, Dragonflame Valley is large enough. The original source of this river was within Dragonflame Valley. Although the riverbed is now dry, there is still enough water within Dragonflame Valley to sustain everyone." Gao Qunshu said, "From now on, everyone can settle down in Dragonflame Valley, farm, and herd livestock. Protector Li, doesn't that sound like a free and easy life?"

"The Yuan people certainly won't let you have it so easy!" Li Dachui laughed. "What additional conditions did they give you?"

“Taxes, heavy taxes!” Gao Qunshu said, “More than 70% of our annual income has to be handed over to the Yuan people as the price for our living here. The rest is barely enough to maintain the most basic survival. But when you’re under someone’s roof, you have to bow your head. Princess Chang Le has already done us a favor by letting us live. How can we trouble her for these things? Besides, the Yuan Kingdom had already decided to go to war at that time, and she was not having an easy time either.”

"You guys really had it tough!" Li Dachui said with emotion. "But as time went on, things got a little easier?"

“Over time, the Yuan people gradually relaxed their vigilance towards us. If they wanted to go out, they only needed to bribe the guards at the valley entrance. Later, people like me went out to serve them, in exchange for some resources to give back to the valley. Now I am highly valued in the Second Prince's residence, and even the soldiers at the valley entrance treat me with great respect,” Gao Qunshu said.

Are there many people like you who go out like this?

Gao Qunshu shook his head and said, "Not many. Besides me, there is an army of five hundred men guarding the northwestern border."

"Ah, there are still organized armies serving the Yuan people?"

Gao Qunshu shook his head: "It's not service, it's employment. You know, those who were able to break through the Qin border army's layers of obstacles and escape all the way to the Yuan Kingdom back then were the pinnacle of the Qin border army's combat power. It's a waste to keep them in Dragon Flame Valley all this time, even the Yuan people think it's a pity. But if we keep them on the Qin border, firstly, we won't do it, and secondly, they won't feel at ease. But there's nothing to worry about in the northwest. As long as we control the logistics, this army is a toothless tiger, and can only be driven at will."

"The hiring fee must be very low?"

"This is also one of the essentials for our survival in Dragonflame Valley. The hiring fee is naturally very small, and these fees are directly collected by the Yuan people as taxes. We don't receive a single penny!"

"It's basically working for free!"

"You could say that!" Gao Qunshu said, "This army has always consisted of five hundred men. For every one who dies, the valley needs to replenish the ranks. Over the past ten years or so, these five hundred men have gone through a complete cycle of wounded and dead."

"For more than ten years, they fought against the barbarians of the Western and Northern Hu in the Northwest, and only suffered one round of casualties. This army can indeed be called the pinnacle of Qin's border troops." Li Dachui was somewhat shocked. "However, now that the Western and Northern Hu have surrendered, the role of this army will probably disappear."

Gao Qunshu gave Li Dachui a deep look: "Yes, they are about to return to Dragon Flame Valley, but whether the Yuan people will allow you to take them away is uncertain."

"The Tiele shouldn't be so stingy, right? No matter how strong this army is, it only has five hundred men! Since the people in Dragonflame Valley have already allowed them to leave, five hundred more won't make a difference!" Li Dachui said, "It's just a matter of how much I need to pay. Let's see what price the Tiele wants me to pay for them."

"Are you willing?" Gao Qunshu asked.

“I am willing!” Li Dachui looked at Gao Qunshu and said resolutely. “They are citizens of the Great Qin. They were forced to flee to a foreign land due to court disputes and suffered for decades. As the deputy protector of the Anxi Protectorate of the Great Qin, I feel it is my responsibility to bring them home.”

"But to the Great Qin, we are traitors, beings who cannot be openly acknowledged!"

"The Great Qin is currently in dire straits, barely able to save itself, let alone care about you. I'll take charge of the area outside the pass!" Li Dachui patted his chest.

"Not Xiao Changche?"

“Xiao Changche, listen to me!” Li Dachui laughed.

"Good, as expected of the opponent that the Second Prince values!" Gao Qunshu laughed. "He is not afraid to take the Qin Emperor seriously, nor does he take Linghu Ye seriously, nor does he take his superiors seriously. He is indeed responsible and does not hide his ambition. However, whether you can take them back depends on the decision of the valley. We have no goodwill towards Qin, and we only hate Linghu Ye."

Li Dachui smiled. The Gao Qunshu in front of him only knew that he was Li Dachui, the deputy protector of Anxi Protectorate, but he did not know that his father was Li Anze and his mother was He Qingqiu.

"Was Linghuye involved in the purge of the border troops back then? Was he one of the instigators?"

“Back then, Linghu Ye wasn’t qualified to wield the sword; he was just one of the swords. The one who hunted us down the most, my brother, was killed by him when we attacked him in Qingtongxia!” Gao Qunshu said through gritted teeth, “This is also one of the reasons why he was promoted so quickly later.”

"Don't worry, I will persuade everyone in the valley. You have suffered for decades, it's time for your suffering to end!" Li Dachui tore off a piece of cake, stuffed it into his mouth, and chewed it vigorously.

(End of this chapter)