Chapter 81

Just as Tuyuhun was becoming a vassal state of the Great Qin, Qin Mu and his party had long since traveled light, galloping rapidly toward the far north.

Except for the ten thousand White Horse Followers, the rest of the main army remained in Tuyuhun to reorganize and rest.

A few more days passed.

The group finally arrived at their ultimate destination.

The Hexi Corridor!

Looking out from here, it was nothing but Gobi desert.

A vast, boundless expanse.

"Mother, is this the legendary Hexi Corridor?"

Gazing at the endless desert before her, a trace of surprise flashed in Princess Changle's eyes.

In her imagination, this beautiful Hexi Corridor should have been filled with birdsong and fragrant flowers.

"This..."

"Mother doesn't know either."

Empress Zhangsun Zhangsun Wugou shook her head awkwardly.

She had never been here before either.

After all, the Hexi Corridor was thousands of miles away from Changancheng.

Apart from a few merchants, almost no one from the Great Tang had ever come here.

"That's right, this is the Hexi Corridor."

Through the system map, Qin Mu had long since determined the location.

At this moment, they were already standing on what was known as the Silk Road.

It was just that they still had some distance to go before reaching the check-in point.

"It is truly magnificent!"

"Who could have imagined that such a vast Gobi desert could become an important transportation artery?" Witnessing this scene, Fang Fang Xuanling could not help but feel deeply moved.

This Silk Road was simply a miracle!

Li Er did not speak, only silently watching the desert before him.

Is this the Silk Road?

Such an important transportation artery, and I can only watch helplessly as it falls into Qin Mu's hands.

This is hateful to the extreme!

"Minister Fang, there is no need to be moved so early. Before long, a road will appear here. A road connecting the Western Regions with the Great Qin."

Qin Mu gazed into the distance and said meaningfully.

"Your Majesty, please do not joke. This is a desert; how could a road possibly be built here?"

Li Er smiled and shook his head.

This was simply impossible!

"Old Li, it seems you have stayed in Changancheng until you've become dull; you have no idea how big this world really is."

"As the saying goes, if you want to be rich, build roads first. Whether it is Tubo, Tuyuhun, or this Hexi Corridor, I have already made all the plans."

"At this very moment, people from the Great Qin Academy are rushing toward Tuyuhun with craftsmen."

"Within one year, a comprehensive transportation network can be established between Tuyuhun and the Great Qin."

"Within two years, this transportation network will extend to this Hexi Corridor."

"By that time, what you see before you will not just be a desert, but hundreds of garrison fortresses."

"Whether it is the Turks, the various countries of the Western Regions, or your Great Tang, none of you will ever be able to covet this Silk Road again!"

Crack!

As soon as Qin Mu finished speaking, Li Er's expression changed abruptly.

A bit of a toothache!

This kid is truly ruthless!

He doesn't leave anyone a single chance!

If it were truly as he said, and a transportation network could be created within two years, and even hundreds of garrison fortresses built, then this Hexi Corridor would possess defenses as solid as copper and iron.

Trying to take it back from Qin Mu's hands would be a hundred or a thousand times harder than it is right now.

The expressions of Fang Fang Xuanling and Empress Zhangsun Zhangsun Wugou also turned somewhat unsightly.

It had not even been a year since Qin Mu unified Tubo.

One year.

He established a dynasty, impersonated an envoy, tricked the Great Tang into marrying off a princess, kidnapped the Great Tang Empress, fought consecutive wars against the two superpowers of Great Tang and the Turks, conquered Tuyuhun, and controlled the Hexi Corridor.

Every single one of these events—which one would not shake the world?

Which one would not change the fate of dozens of countries and even tens of millions of people?

The word "miracle" was no longer enough to describe this youth.

This was simply a divine feat!

From ancient times to the present, who else could achieve such a level?

But the stronger Qin Mu and the Great Qin became, the more dangerous it meant for the Great Tang.

He was Wu Li Ke a beast poised to strike, staring covetously at the Great Tang and the Turks.

Especially the Great Tang, which was the most dangerous!

After all, Qin Mu and the Great Tang had an irreconcilable hatred.

Sigh!

The world from now on would no longer be peaceful.

"Let's go, the destination is almost here."

Qin Mu did not pay attention to the group lost in thought and led the army to set off once again.

After several long hours.

A lonely fortress suddenly appeared before their eyes.

Staring at all the countries!

"Mother, look! What is that?"

The quick-witted Princess Changle saw the fortress at a glance and pointed it out excitedly to Empress Zhangsun Zhangsun Wugou.

Qin Mu and the others also saw the fortress.

Li Er and Fang Fang Xuanling looked at Qin Mu but did not speak.

Could this be his final destination?

"Ding! Congratulations to the host for being about to arrive at the check-in location, please continue forward!"

.......Asking for flowers...0

As the system's voice sounded, Qin Mu was certain.

The fortress before them was his check-in location.

"Your Majesty, look, this fortress has been in disrepair for a long time; it looks Wu Li Ke crumbling walls, there shouldn't be anyone inside."

Fang Fang Xuanling gazed at the fortress and muttered.

"Perhaps."

Qin Mu nodded silently.

He always felt that this fortress was not as simple as it looked.

"Clatter, clatter, clatter!"

Just then, a sudden sound of horse hooves rang out.

Dust was flying in the direction north of the fortress.

"Is it Turkic cavalry!?"

Li Li Xueyan said in surprise.

Everyone looked toward that direction one after another.

They saw dense crowds of Turkic cavalry, holding bows and arrows, charging toward the fortress with fierce momentum.

"What is going on?"

Li Er was a bit bewildered.

Could these people have learned of our whereabouts in advance?

"Your Majesty, what should we do?"

Fang Fang Xuanling looked at Qin Mu nervously.

In this vast desert, they only had ten thousand White Horse Followers with them.

It was truly dangerous!

Moreover.

Qin Mu claimed in name to control the Hexi Corridor, but in reality, he had not yet produced any concrete implementation plan, nor did he have any garrison troops.

In other words.

This Silk Road was actually still within the control of the Turks.

Danger lurked everywhere!

"Soldiers come, block them; water comes, earth covers it."

Qin Mu's expression remained calm and composed, his gaze sharp as he looked at the Turkic cavalry not far away.

Why worry about so much?

Just fight and be done with it!

"Woo! Woo! Woo!"

Suddenly!

A sound of horns blaring suddenly echoed through the heavens and earth.

It came from inside the fortress.

Everyone looked toward the fortress.

They saw on the fortress tower.

A group of soldiers wearing armor were holding spears, standing motionless facing the north.

"Look! There seem to be people inside the fortress!"

"The armor they are wearing looks so familiar."

"No! They seem to be... Great Sui soldiers?"

The experienced Fang Fang Xuanling saw the origin of the people in the fortress at a glance.

"Great Sui!?"

"Impossible! The Sui Dynasty perished long ago! How could there be Sui troops here?"

Hearing this, Li Er was suddenly horrified and hurriedly stretched his neck to look over there.

Could it be that they had seen a ghost?