"Are you saying you didn't know about the Tang Dynasty envoys?"
After listening to the other party's words, Su Dingfang frowned and said that the other party came up and asked what they were doing.
"We are the border guards of Gaochang. We spotted you yesterday, but out of respect for the Great Tang Dynasty, we did not intercept you. However, you are now approaching our border. Please stop for now. If, as you say, the envoys of the two countries have already reached an agreement, then our envoys should arrive soon. However, before they arrive, please do not continue to advance towards our border."
A general of Gaochang said righteously, and his men were also on guard, as if the Tang army was an invader. Of course, this was normal. In the past two years, the Tang army had not been idle, and had almost sorted out all the thorns around. However, the relationship between Gaochang and the Tang was still good. Gifts were given when they were due, and what was sent were not some junk, but very valuable things. The Tang caravans also passed through Gaochang to go to farther places.
"I can't make the decision on this matter. I need to go back and discuss it with our envoy. We will temporarily stop during this period, but we both need to maintain good communication."
Su Dingfang thought for a while and said that the supplies prepared by the team were almost gone, and could only last for three to five days at most. If the other party's reception personnel did not arrive within these three to five days, then we would most likely run out of food.
"Please rest assured, General. I will leave a few soldiers here to wait. We will both stay where we are for the time being."
The general of Gaochang Kingdom quickly agreed, and Su Dingfang also figured this out in his heart. The other party just wanted to stabilize us and prevent us from entering the territory of Gaochang Kingdom.
Su Dingfang also left a few people behind, and then went to the front of Lord Zhao's carriage to report what had just happened.
"It seems our suspicions are true. They don't want us to pass yet, and they're just trying to delay us for a while. We don't know the situation here. How long does it take to get from the border to their royal city?"
The other party's request is very normal. We cannot attack them now. If we attack them now, it would be equivalent to provoking a war between the two countries. But we can't just wait here foolishly. We have to calculate the time it takes them to go back and forth. If it's past this time point, it means they want to play to the end.
"When I came here, I asked some merchants passing through here, and they said it would take at most seven days. However, we have already made an agreement with their court, and their envoys should have left the capital long ago. It has already been a day since our agreed date."
Su Dingfang calculated the days and concluded that even if their envoys wanted to delay, they could only delay for a few days at most.
"Let's give them some face and ask them to report to the Gaochang Kingdom's capital immediately. I have a reply letter from their king, Wang Cheng. You can show it to their border general. Give them seven days."
Lord Zhao thought for a moment and said, "We have done our utmost to be kind and righteous. However, Su Dingfang is somewhat dissatisfied. Has anyone dared to keep the Tang army waiting for so many years?" However, Lord Zhao is the one in charge here. Su Dingfang thought about it and realized that there was no other way except this. He could only do this for now.
The handover between the two sides was relatively smooth. The border guard of Gaochang Kingdom was General Molun. After seeing the reply from Gaochang Kingdom, he immediately sent someone to report to Wang Cheng and promised that there would be a reply within six days. However, Su Dingfang did not dare to draw a conclusion as to whether they were serious or just acting. After returning to our military camp, Su Dingfang ordered his men to set up camp.
Setting up camp in such a Gobi Desert is actually a very dangerous thing. In addition to the enemy's sneak attack, there are also wolf packs in the Gobi Desert. Of course, we thousands of people are not afraid of wolves, but if the enemy launches a sneak attack, we really have no defense.
Lord Zhao told Su Dingfang about his concerns, but Su Dingfang burst into laughter and took Lord Zhao to see our crossbow on the spot.
"Master Zhao, please look! We've brought out a total of 32 crossbow cannons this time, stationed around the barracks. If they really want to launch a surprise attack, I guarantee they'll be beaten to a pulp without even recognizing their parents. Furthermore, we have a lot of explosive grenades, and each soldier carries several. Even if they rush in, how can anyone stop them with these hundreds of explosive grenades?"
Su Dingfang happily introduced his troops, and Lord Zhao beside him was also very impressed. It was indeed as Su Dingfang said, under such a defensive posture, if the enemy could still rush in, it would really be like a heavenly army.
"I admire General Su's abilities, but for the sake of safety, we should establish contact with the troops roaming the grasslands and send out scouts nearby. Also, contact our Tang merchants. If we encounter any coming from Gaochang, have them come to the barracks and report on the situation there."
Although Lord Zhao was a civil servant, what he said hit the nail on the head. Su Dingfang naturally had no reason to stop him, so he quickly gave orders and asked people to wait by the official road. If there really were any merchants coming, he would be able to understand the situation through them.
Of course, whether what these people said is true or false depends on our judgment. Although some of them are businessmen from the Tang Dynasty, businessmen pursue profits. If someone offers a high enough price, it will be enough to make these people lie to the Tang Dynasty army. In this place on the border, the only thing you can trust is your own eyes.
Some multinational businessmen are in one country today and in another country tomorrow. They only care about money and have very little sense of belonging to their country. This is also one aspect that Su Dingfang and Lord Zhao reached a consensus on.
That night, one-third of the soldiers were on duty, and there were indeed wolf howls all around. However, our soldiers were all trained. They had encountered wolf packs when fighting against Xueyantuo, but with the crossbows in their hands, they could not gain any advantage even with hundreds of large wolves, let alone the small wolf packs around them.
I didn't encounter any enemies that night, but I did kill dozens of wild wolves, which was quite a harvest...