Han Khan

Chapter 63, Continue Migration

The next morning, the sun had just risen, and the soft sunlight shone on the walls of Yizhou, as if covering the walls of this small fortress with a layer of golden coat.

At this time, the camp of the Jinhan tribe was already bustling with activity.

People are busy moving around, each doing their own job.

Children and women drove cattle and sheep to graze, drink water and milk near the camp. The cattle and sheep and their voices echoed around the camp, making the whole camp full of vitality.

On the other side, blacksmiths held red-hot irons and focused on branding religious symbols on the buttocks of cows and horses.

These symbols represent that these livestock belong to the Jinhan tribe and the emperor.

The people of each hundred households, led by the head of the hundred households and the head of the ten households, lined up in neat and orderly rows.

They looked ahead at the carriage with weapons and armor on it.

When it was their turn, everyone excitedly took their own equipment and put it on.

These former centurions were now wearing captured armor and holding sharp weapons such as shields, spears, sabers, hammers, bows and arrows in their hands.

Knowing that they had been selected into the Guards, they marched with steady and powerful steps, and held their heads high and chests puffed out like proud roosters, proudly showing off their prowess to those around them.

A group of guards stood among the captives, scanning each of them with sharp eyes, picking out those slaves who were strong and energetic.

The chosen slaves looked terrified and confused, but were soon taken out from their respective captive groups by other warriors.

Then, the warriors began to randomly select ten slaves from the captives of different ethnic groups. These slaves had different family backgrounds, but they were all gathered together.

Afterwards, the guards appointed those strong slaves as the heads of ten slave households on the spot, responsible for managing these ten slave households.

Next, these ten households were organized into a hundred households, and the strongest slave was selected from among them to serve as the head of the hundred households.

This organizational method was quick and efficient. In just about three hours, the 31 centurions were successfully reorganized.

However, these newly formed forces had almost nothing.

They had no weapons to use, no sturdy armor to protect themselves, let alone horses.

They didn't even get any wealth distributed.

For these slaves, although they were separated from their tribesmen, being able to stay with their families was the greatest gift God had given them.

The 400 captured Tang people from Yizhou were mostly tenants of the Chen family. Except for the literate Tang people and their families who were transferred to the priest camp, the rest were directly reorganized into four hundred households based on family units.

Its ten-household head Liu Mancang, one-hundred-household heads Sun Meng, Wang Hu, Li Tieniu, Zhao Yong and others were also selected directly from these one-hundred-household heads.

They will be directly under Zhang Sheng's command, herding cattle, sheep, horses and camels for him. When more Tang people are captured in the future, they will be directly incorporated into this
In addition, the guards also assigned women to the men among them who had no families.

The Tang women and widows without husbands were assigned to the warriors without women in the guards, and they would increase the proportion of Chinese speakers among the Jin Han people.

Zhang Sheng stood on the high platform, looking at the neatly-organized team below, his heart filled with pride. The Jinhan tribe was full of talented people.

Zhang Sheng was open to those mixed Han and Hu generals who had followed him and left Dunhuang in the early days, and he only employed talented people regardless of their origins and family background.

They all regarded themselves as the "conceptual ethnic group" of Jin Han people created by Zhang Sheng. The Tang people had no opinion on this, but the military generals of Hu people were proud of it and tried hard to learn elegant language.

Arrogantly showing off their status in front of their own people.

Those elite Han and Hu generals who had followed Zhang Sheng in leaving Dunhuang in the early days have almost all become military nobles of the Jinhan tribe, commanding and managing a large number of tribesmen.

He turned to Yin Shanxiong, Zhang Zhongxian and others around him and said, "Although these slaves are still very weak, they are definitely not enough to deal with the Uighurs who have settled in towns.

But from now on, as long as they kill enemies and make meritorious contributions in battle, we will cancel their slave status and enroll them as normal centurions. They will definitely be grateful.

So please do not kill them at will. Now the Jinhan tribe, including these slaves, has more than 7500 households, which is considered a large tribe even in Mobei.

They will follow us and migrate to the now fragmented Mobei. They have no one to rely on, so it will be easier for us to manage them.

If he is trained and given some high-quality armor and weapons, he will definitely become a qualified soldier of the Jinhan Army.

We must let them know that following the Jinhan tribe is better than following the Uighurs. Not only can they survive, but after making military achievements, they can also become officers and have dignity! "

The generals nodded in agreement.

Zhang Sheng stood on a high place, looking at all this, feeling extremely proud. He knew that the road ahead was still long, but he was confident that he could lead the Jinhan tribe to glory.

........................

After three long hours, all the tribesmen finally completed the reorganization! However, no one had time to rest.

Because the Jinhan tribe came to the vicinity of Yizhou for the purpose of migration. After breaking the blockade of Yizhou, Jinhan would definitely continue to migrate.

The men were busy dismantling the tents. Their strong and powerful hands skillfully untied the ropes, removed the wooden poles and felt supporting the tents one by one and put them into the carriage.

The women were also hurriedly packing up their belongings, carefully wrapping precious wooden jars, pottery jars, porcelain bottles and other utensils with soft cloth and putting them into the carriage.

The children brought sheepdogs and shuttled among the cattle and sheep, shouting loudly and helping to drive the livestock.

The sheep bleated as if they knew they were about to embark on a new journey. The horses snorted and pawed the ground with their hooves, seeming impatient.

Smoke rose from the kitchen again, as women prepared dry food for the long journey ahead. The air was filled with the aroma of baked wheat cakes and the smell of dust.

The carriages and camels were piled high with all kinds of daily necessities and necessary tools, and each item represented hope for survival.

Afterwards, Yin Shanxiong and Boniek, with two guards regiments and 2400 households from the blacksmith camp and priest camp, led by the tribal Turks, headed towards the Zheluoman Mountain and Pulehai grassland in the north of Yizhou.

(Zheluoman Mountain and Puleihai are today's Barkol Grassland next to Hami)

The remaining two guards regiments and nine battalions of tribesmen, led by Zhang Sheng and the two guards commanders Zhang Xibao and Koza, also migrated towards Zheluoman Mountain and Pulehai.

There are rolling lush grasslands around the shores of Puleihai Lake and on the hills to the west. The top of Zheluoman Mountain to the west is covered with snow all year round. Puleihai Lake was formed by the meltwater from the glaciers on the mountain.

This scene is like a majestic natural painting, slowly unfolding across the vast heaven and earth.

The grassland is vast and boundless, with waves of emerald green grass rising and falling with the wind, as if they are the breath of the earth.

Under the blue sky and white clouds, the horses are galloping, their agile bodies leaving graceful arcs in the wind. The sheep are dotted like white clouds, nibbling the fresh green grass leisurely.

Next to them are the Jinhan people migrating in a long queue.

In the distance, rolling mountains and grasslands coexist, and their majestic outlines outline vigorous lines on the horizon.

The snow on the mountains shines silver under the sunlight, adding a touch of mystery to the grassland.

The lakes on the grassland are like shining pearls, and the clear water reflects the sky and the surrounding beauty. On the lakeside, wild flowers bloom in a variety of colors, emitting bursts of fragrance, attracting bees and butterflies to dance among the flowers.

When night falls, the stars shine brightly, filling the entire night sky. The bonfire is burning, and the herdsmen sit together, playing the dombra and singing melodious songs. The cheerful laughter echoes on the grassland, making the grassland full of vitality and warmth.

A large army of tens of thousands of people began to march forward in a mighty manner. Along the way, everyone was silent, and only the sound of horse hooves and wheels echoed in the empty grassland.

At the front of the team, Zhang Sheng led a group of elite cavalry, vigilantly observing the movements around them.

He used his hands to block the dazzling sunlight, looked at the beautiful scenery in front of him, and sighed in his heart that this was a gift from God and a place for the soul to rest, making people indulge in its endless beauty and tranquility.

But this was not a place for permanent residence, because the main force of the Uighurs was in Gaochang and Beiting, 800 miles away.

We migrated here today just to provide fodder for the livestock. We will stay here for about two days at most, and then we will head north to the foot of Jinshan Mountain.

It was already autumn, and the grass on the grasslands near Zheluo Mountain and Pulehai Lake had gradually begun to turn yellow.

It should have been a bustling and prosperous scene, but now it is empty.

This was once a nomadic land for tribes such as the Turks, Tatars and Uighurs, but they had long been looted by the Jinhan tribe.

Zhang Sheng stared into the distance, thinking about his future plans. He knew that despite the picturesque scenery, dangers were still lurking around. In two days, they had to leave here and head north.

During this short stay, Zhang Sheng decided to let his troops have a good rest. He sent out a large number of scouts to conduct close surveillance and searches within a hundred miles around the camp in order to understand the surrounding situation and ensure that no enemies were approaching.

The tribesmen used this time to mend their clothes, pack their bags, and prepare for the next journey.

That night, by the campfire outside the golden tent, Zhang Sheng discussed the migration plan with the commander of the Guards, the battalion commanders, and several centurions.

What they have to face is not only the harsh natural environment, but also various unknown tribes.

But Zhang Sheng always believed that as long as the Jinhan people united as one, they would be able to find a piece of land and a home to survive.

(End of this chapter)