This journey to the East became Yang Qian's lifelong pursuit. From Gaochang to Chang'an, they had to cross the vast rocky seaways, the desolate and barren deserts where not a single blade of grass grew, the uninhabited grasslands, climb over to towering snow-capped mountains, and pass through numerous checkpoints and several important towns where the Northern Rong people are stationed.
The group set off from Gaochang, and many of them faced the brink of death. Some died of thirst, some of hunger, some of exhaustion, some of illness, and many more died tragically under the blades of the Northern barbarian cavalry.
They did not turn back, still continuing eastward.
In the end, this group that longed for reinforcements from Chang'an disappeared in the boundless desert.
Many years later, a Central Plains merchant caravan trading with the Northern barbarians passed through Shazhou and found a set of dry bones in the desert. The merchants, filled with compassion, intended to bury the bones and, by chance, discovered a non-decomposed package alongside the bones. Upon opening it, they found a long letter of ten thousand words written on the cloth.
It was a cry and plea from the people of the occupied land to the Central Plains, each word filled with passion and anguish.
The withered bones in the quicksand are Yang Qian. After going through countless hardships, he still failed to reach Chang'an safely and died alone in the desert.
Before his death, he left his name and last words on the letter, hoping that the destined person who saw this letter would deliver it to Chang'an on his behalf.
His young life had long passed, but his bones still maintained the posture of crawling eastward.
I will never look back until I reach Chang'an.
Except for Yang Qian, no one else left their names. Dozens of young people were buried in the quicksand with no bones left.
They fulfilled their vows with their lives.
The merchants were deeply moved, and they entrusted someone to deliver the letter back to Chang'an.
Finally, this blood-written letter reached the hands of the supreme ruler, and Yang Qian's wish was fulfilled after his death.
At that time, Zheng Jing had already become a prime minister. He ordered the publication of the "Thousand Words Book" to be spread throughout the whole country, causing a sensation.
Yang Qian's name quickly spread through the streets and alleys of Chang'an. The ministers in the court expressed their opinions, and the common people also discussed it. The whole country was in a furious and indignant mood, requesting the emperor to send troops to regain his homeland.
Unfortunately, it was already too late.
The Northern Rong were growing stronger, and the Central Plains dynasty was full of contradictions, surround with internal and external troubles, fundamentally unable to launch a distant expedition.
The ministers eagerly submitted memorials, seemingly discussing the matter of sending troops, but in reality they are using Yang Qian's situation to attack and slander each other, to eliminate dissidents.
Zheng Jing had no choice but to advised the young emperor to posthumously honor Yang Qian and the others as righteous individuals, and issued an inspiring decree. The matter of sending troops to reclaim the territory north of the Hexi region ended just like that.
A few years later, the Northern Rong advanced eastward and Wei Dynasty was destroyed. The country and families perished, and corpses lay everywhere.
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Thousand Miles of Bright Moonlight
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