Battan Duluhai liked Meitang and his group very much. After he sobered up the next day, he insisted on driving the Huntuo himself to send Meitang and his group to Xiazhou.
There were about 20 people in Meitang's group, and one Huntuo was too small to accommodate them. Battan Duluhai even went to borrow a few boats from his good brothers.
"Batan Duluhai, didn't you dislike Han people? Why did you suddenly change your temper?" A man wearing clothes similar to those of the Uighurs stood shoulder to shoulder with Batan Duluhai.
Battan Duluhai pounded his chest with a look of pride and pride on his face: "Meitang and the others are different, they are from Yunzhou. When they fight the Tartars, they kill one by one. I have never seen such warriors."
Battantuluhai's words caused an exclamation of surprise.
"really?"
Battandu Luhai was dissatisfied: "I saw it with my own eyes, how can I lie to you?"
"Haha, then I must have a competition with them."
The Dangxiang people valued the use of force. They had a proverb that went, "It is better to shoot a hawk than a rabbit, and to catch a tiger than a fox."
Therefore, Battan Duluhai's good brothers were very happy to send Meitang and others to Xiazhou.
The spring breeze blows and the river surface ripples.
Battanduluhai took the long pole and pushed hard.
The Hun Tuo swayed away from the shore.
Battantuluhai looked at the bottom of the river and said soberly: "We are lucky, the water is deep enough."
Batan Duluhai's family stood on the shore and watched them leave: "Batan Duluhai, please be careful."
Ma Juzi was trapped by his mother and couldn't break free. He shouted at the top of his voice: "Dad, I want to go too! I want to go find the fairy sister."
Battan Duluhai laughed heartily: "When you grow up, go find the fairy sister. Dad is only going to Xiazhou. You are a man, you must protect Mom!"
The spring days are warm, and even parting brings warmth and hope.
After he could no longer see his family on the shore, Battan Duluhai sat down and said, "When I get to Xiazhou, I will exchange the fur for some rice. Majuzi has always wanted to eat fried rice."
The terrain in Western Xia is complex and the natural features vary greatly, including plateau mountains and river valley plains.
Among them, the Gobi Desert in the plateau area accounts for more than two-thirds of the total area.
Xiazhou is located at the junction of the Ordos Plateau and the Loess Plateau, and is separated from Dazhou by Hengshan Mountain.
The Loess Plateau at this time was not as severely eroded as it was in the past.
Now Hengshan is a rugged hilly terrain cut by many small rivers. The river valleys and small plains in the area are suitable for farming and grazing, and are rich in water and grass.
Mei Tang and others went downstream, and the scenery on both sides of the river was extremely beautiful.
Mei Tang promised: "When we get to Xiazhou, I will buy a gift for Ma Juzi."
Battanduluhai accepted it with a smile: "The colt will definitely be very happy."
When you are away from home, missing your hometown is a topic that you cannot avoid.
Everyone was talking about Yunzhou and thinking about what gifts to bring for their families, and they felt warm in their hearts.
Battan Duluhai listened to everything about Yunzhou with a smile on his face, and couldn't help but think of the foal at home. He admired Duke Yun very much and had always wanted to visit Yunzhou.
When Meitang and the others return to Yunzhou, I will ask them if I can bring the foal to Yunzhou as well.
……
"What?! All dead?!" Han Yang Foxi stood up suddenly, his eyes bloodshot.
Among the dead was his younger brother.
"Who did this?! I want them dead!"
Han Yangfuxi jumped up like an angry lion, his hair a little messy with anger.
He clenched his fists, his knuckles turned white, he gritted his teeth, his cheeks bulged as if they were about to explode, and his roar was like thunder.
Since entering the territory of Western Xia, they have not suffered such a big loss for a long time!
Another Tartar was filled with indignation: "No one survived, all were killed in one blow. We went to inquire and found that it must be a group of outsiders passing by, who saw us threshing and rushed over."
This taste...
Why do you look so much like someone from Yunzhou?!
"From Yunzhou?"
"I don't know."
Han Yang Foxi sneered: "The people of Yunzhou are even better. Xixia is their burial place! Come on, chase them. Don't leave any of them alive, including the herdsmen!"
……
Xingqing Mansion.
According to the plan, the city of Xingqing Prefecture is rectangular, with a circumference of about 18 miles, a moat ten feet wide, and six city gates: two in the north and south, one in the east and west, and two city gates in the southwest and northwest.
But the project is so huge that less than one-fifth of the building has been completed so far.
Su Yunyan and Ma Nantian strolled in the city together, accompanied by forty Iron Harriers.
It's called protection, but it's actually surveillance.
"The northern city wall is almost completed." Su Yunyan raised her head and looked at the towering city wall.
Although they are all made of rammed earth, they are really too tall.
Su Yunyan guessed that horses should be able to run on the city wall.
If all four walls were built, Xingqing Prefecture would become an extremely difficult city to attack.
Su Yunyan seemed to be thinking about something. She took out ten copper coins and bought a bunch of wild vegetables from a roadside vendor.
Ma Nantian laughed and took the wild vegetables from her hand: "Do you want to change your taste?"
Su Yunyan had a bitter face, looking pitiful and cute: "I eat mutton every day, and I feel like I'm turning into a sheep. There's a big blister on the tip of my tongue."
Ma Nantian felt distressed and asked, "How about letting the doctor take a look?"
"Well, when I have time, I will go look for Wei Mu Shuang Yang."
Wei Mu Shuangyang was Li Deming's wife and Li Yuanhao's biological mother.
Li Jiqian, the ruler of Western Xia, was old. Although there were concubines in the harem, they were all young and unable to take on responsibilities.
Therefore, entertaining Su Yunyan became Wei Mu Shuangyang's responsibility.
Xingqing Prefecture imitated Kyoto and adopted the lifang system, with streets in a grid pattern and more than 20 neighborhoods including Chongyifang.
The palace is located in the northwest, and the overall layout is in the shape of a "human", which is based on feng shui considerations.
After Su Yunyan and Ma Nantian came out of the palace, they went to Chongyifang first.
This was the first workshop to be completed, and many people moved in.
"It's almost full." Su Yunyan sighed.
Li Yuanhao was really courageous. He said he would move 100,000 people into Xingqing Prefecture. However, in just a few days, Chongyifang was filled up.
Ma Nantian had eyes and ears on all sides, and he could still distract himself to answer Su Yunyan: "It was his suggestion to move the capital to Xingqing Prefecture. Naturally, he wanted to get it done sooner so that he could have more say."
Su Yunyan let out a light sigh.
The two of them wandered around aimlessly. Actually, there was no point in doing so. Xingqing Prefecture could never catch up with Yunzhou.
They were just out for some fresh air.
Xingqing Prefecture is divided into two cities, east and west. The west city has the palace city and the inner city, and the east city is the outer city. The palace and the central government offices were built in the palace city and the inner city, but none of them were completed.
Everywhere there were ragged slaves, skinny and with dull eyes, pulling bricks to build the palace.
Su Yunyan had never been to Dongcheng, and Li Jiqian did not allow them to go.
Wei Mu Shuangyang said that Buddhist temples, royal palaces, and shops were built in the East City. A fortress was built outside the South Gate of the East City and the West Gate of the West City, with streets and workshops for merchants and travelers to live.
The west gate and east gate of the east and west cities are thoroughfares, facilitating the travel between the palace staff and the east city residential areas.
Wei Mu Shuangyang looked very proud when he talked about this.
"Tsk." Su Yunyan lowered her eyes with a cold expression.
She should be proud of it, after all, it is the political achievement of her eldest son.