When Zhou Huaian traveled from Yingzhou, western Liaoning (now Qinhuangdao City, Hebei), he completed the ceremony of worshiping the sea and erecting monuments in front of envoys and representatives of various ethnic groups, leaving behind 10,000 Taiping soldiers and 25,000 troops from Tianping, Heyang and Dongdu, and selected the Andong camp army adapted and then armed. When he embarked on the return journey, he changed his route.

As the guards and entourage, there were more than 10,000 people left, plus all kinds of people following from the three towns in Hebei. From Yingzhou, which was surrounded by narrow coastal terrain, we entered Jizhou (now Jixian, Hebei). This is also a transitional zone between the Yanshan Mountains and the North China Plain, so the most common ones are pastures and stables surrounded by mountains and valleys, as well as herds of cattle, horses and animals that were rushing to the sky.

Walking northwest along the road where the terrain gradually rises, you will come to Tanzhou (Miyun County, Beijing) deep in the Yanshan Mountains. This place is an important barrier for Youzhou and is also the place where the border walls and garrisons separated the Yanbei border and the continuous garrisons. Therefore, although there was no magnificent scenery between the winding mountains of the Great Wall of the Ming Dynasty in later generations, it was also a beacon tower from time to time, with many sentry posts visible, and the mountain pass extending to the northernmost end is the key to the grassland outside the border - Gubeikou.

Then, along these beacon towers and under the guards of the sentry, the crisscrossing valleys and valleys across the mountains were heading west; after passing through the relatively narrow boundary of Guishun Prefecture (Huairou County, Hebei), the southwest part of Tanzhou, and then arrived at Guzhu City (now Changping County, Hebei), which was also distributed among the narrow river valleys; and after passing through Gujimen Pass/Juyong Pass, which was 40 miles northwest of Guzhu City, he officially entered the famous eighth pass of Taihang and the northernmost Jundu Pass;

The scenery here is becoming increasingly narrower and narrower. The mountains and valleys and deep valleys have become a little inappropriate and gloomy. As you walk, you often see the rock walls protruding one after another. But the birds seem to be everywhere, but they are covered by the blue sky, and the birds are almost invisible to circulate, making people feel a little depressed and alert.

As the boundary marker that suddenly opened up at the mountain pass more than ten miles north of Juyongguan, we arrived at another important Pingfan town in the arms of the mountains, Guizhou (now Huailai County, Hebei Province). Here, it happened to be the intersection of several border walls between Yanshan Mountain in Hebei Road and Daibei in Hedong. Therefore, several military towns and other military towns were established here to guard it.

At the same time, because the local area is relatively spacious and the crisscrossing river valleys lead directly to the outside of the Great Wall; on the other end of the Guangbian military control and border wall, the northern foot of Yanshan Mountain (now near Zhangjiakou, Hebei) is the Xixi tribe that was divided after being defeated by the Khitan. Now, under the disguised shelter and support of Lulong Town, it is a settlement where it can survive and reproduce.

Compared with the eight Khitan tribes who were half fishing, hunting, half nomadic and partially settled in the Songmo Governor's Office; the Xi tribe, which was once active in the Raole Governor's Office, half hunting, half grazing between the mountains and grasslands to make a living. Therefore, the eight Khitan tribes who occupy a large proportion of the sharp bow and horses, and the cavalry occupy a large proportion, the Xi tribes are mostly known for their relatively perseverance and warlike mountain tribes and chariot formations.

Therefore, it was not until more than 20 years ago that the Khitans found an opportunity to defeat this old enemy who had loved and killed each other for many years, and adopted most of them as vassals by supporting puppets. Only a small number of Xi's tribes, who were unwilling to surrender and be controlled by the enemy, moved west to Guizhou (outside Zhangjiakou in later generations), and regained their footholds with the support and protection of Lulong Town. They have reproduced and survived to this day, but they are still not as strong as Dongxi, who remained in the ancestral land of Beishan.

Therefore, when Zhou Huaian's team arrived in the local area, there were aristocrats, chiefs and leaders from the 19 tribes of the six Xi tribes. Under the leadership of the contemporary Xi King, who was thriving in the past, came to see and apologize, and offered many tributes such as horses and fox furs. After all, at the critical moment of the Lulong army's northern expedition, they betrayed the former benefactor, which was an indelible stain and guilt.

While Zhou Huaian accepted the tribute and apologized, as the price and condition for not being investigated before being investigated, the Xixi tribe must gather 10,000 string control men with their own bows and horses and the same number of Ding Zhuang to join the sequence of the Andong camp to listen to the results. Of course, Zhou Huaian also verbally supported his subsequent attack on the remnants of Dongxi in the Raole Governor's Office and his demand to regain the Beishan ancestral land.

If nothing unexpected happens, these Xixi tribes, who need to rely on the support of Lulong Town to gain a foothold outside the Great Wall, will be the first to be the pilot and demonstration zones in the Taiping Army's future chain plan to promote and divide river water system and block grassland pastoral areas. Therefore, it is better to try some sweet things at the moment and then slowly prepare them.

After skipping this small episode, we continued to move along the Guishui Valley that runs through Jundu Xing. After passing Huaian County in Guizhou, we arrived at the fork between the Tiancheng Army and the Qingsai Army under Xinzhou (near Zhuolu County, Hebei). It was also considered that we left the Hebei Road and entered the Daibei territory, which belongs to Hedong Road. The terrain that was originally slowly moving up here seemed to be suddenly raised a large part, and many steep slopes and winding winding mountain roads appeared.

The surrounding scenery has also changed from lush green fields and steep mountains and flowers to generally low and sparse vegetation, with large rocks and mottled cliffs and cracks on the cliffs; and the valley climate, which was originally relatively wet and warm at the turn of spring and summer, has gradually become cold winds from time to time, and the large lead-colored sky above the hills are alternately shining with the occasional sunshine.

Zhou Huaian's party was even on an unknown ridge and encountered a rather short and storm mixed with ice particles. He also felt the moody state of the alpine climate changing several days a day. He spent about a day passing through the long and narrow north-south New South and east-west New South, and arrived at the boundary of Yunzhong City (now Datong, Shanxi) in the hinterland of Daibei.

This is also the first city recorded in the history of the Mongolian Plateau. It originated from the county seat of Yunzhong County, Zhao State during the Warring States Period. The initial history of building a city can even be traced back to the Hufu and Cavalry era of King Wuling of Zhao. It was also one of the Great Wall Legion that Qin Shihuang later expelled the Huns north, and advanced bases and departure points; and later Emperor Wu of Han counterattacked the grassland and dismembered the Huns from then on;

It can be said that Yunzhongcheng, as the hub of the mountains in the north of Dai and the grassland outside the border, participated in and witnessed the countless changes and rise and fall of the grasslands in all dynasties, and left behind countless merits and demerits in historical records. However, Zhou Huaian made a special trip to stay for one day and visited the Yungang Grottoes nearby, which are still more intact than later generations;

Especially the earliest "Tanyao Five Caves" that were copied by the images of the emperors of the Northern Wei Dynasty, which was still colorful, left behind many accompanying paintings, which can be regarded as ending some regrets and grievances from later generations. Then they climbed the most famous Hanging Temple on the cliff with wooden stakes. The inscription was left with a poem "Climbing Hengshan" by Jin Yuan Haowen of later generations; it was a pity that there were no nunners in the local area, but there were several Taoist temples.

Here we gathered the Daibei Expeditionary Army led by Ge Congzhou, and inspected and comforted the local soldiers, and brought a group of local remnants such as Tuihun, Shatuo, Dadan, etc. who were forced to join as trophy and disguised hostages. They went south to Mayi City in Shuozhou (now Shuo County, Shanxi). During this period, they went to take a special look when they were passing by Huanghuadui (river valley), which originated as one of the three Shatuo surnames Zhu Xie, but the local area had already been burned into a white land and was desolate for years.

Therefore, when Zhou Huaian continued to go south and cross the gateway of Daizhou, it was also one of the world's majestic passes between the towering Juzhu Mountain and Xiawu Mountain. It was known as Yanmen Pass and Yanmen City (now Dai County, Shanxi) where geese were crying, but it stayed in the local area for two more days. And when we moved to the southwest of the world Buddhist sewerland, Wutai Mountain, which was known as Manjushri Bodhisattva's temple, went around.

During this inspection and disguised tour, Zhou Huaian fully affirmed and commended the work results of the local garrison Zhao Jingfan for the follow-up renovation of many Buddhist temples, especially the investigation of a large number of monks who were obviously inconsistent with the practice of the monks’ practice of the Daliang gold, silver, money, silk, and land and property. At the same time, in the team that set off again, there were also a group of monks and old monks with shiny and frowning faces.

Of course, the obvious statement is to invite them (forcibly) to go to the two capitals, which are also prosperous in Buddhism, to distinguish the sutras and exchange Buddhism, so that they will not be able to stand on the backward times; of course, if they cannot distinguish which new people they have passed in during the unblocked meeting of mutual exchanges between Buddhists in the two capitals, then there is no need to rush back, and directly "study" and "communicate" in the temples of the capitals.

Then, Zhou Huaian's increasingly powerful accompanying team continued to go south through Dingxiang City, Shiling, Chitang, and Baijing Passes in Xinzhou, and arrived at the northern part of the Jinzhong Great Plain, where the terrain suddenly became widened, and it was also the land of the north capital of Taiyuan Prefecture, one of the three capitals of the Tang Dynasty.

Here, as the road became wide and spacious, the speed of the brigade of people also accelerated. Therefore, it took only half a day to pass through Yangqu County and arrive at Taiyuan City on the bank of the Jinshui River. Meng Kai and others, who had received the news here, who also went upstream of the Jinshui River for more than ten miles early and led the crowd to welcome them at the Jinshui Temple.
Chapter completed!