?
Uyghur Khaganate.
They would take the Uyghur route.
They would pass through Uyghur-occupied territory—relations had eased now, and they could barely be considered allies. But no one knew when the other side might turn hostile again, or when they might detain the envoys once more...
It was a journey of two thousand li.
They had to cross the Heavenly Mountain, then the Altai Mountains, and then Mount Altai. They had to traverse the Turpan Basin and cross vast grasslands.
Long stretches of the route were desert, high mountain gorges, grasslands, and the Gobi. Every step was a struggle against the limits of nature and the human body.
It was an extremely difficult road, one that could only be completed at the cost of lives.
But difficult or not, they had to go! Shen Le touched the military dispatch tucked against his chest, then looked at the towering bundles strapped to the camels' backs and made up his mind.
Of the envoys sent by Khotan, only he had made it here. Many of the soldiers' letters home had been burned, but he had managed to seize back half of them.
No matter what, he had to carry these precious letters out and take them to Chang'an!
In Kucha, he traded his camel for a warhorse and joined the convoy. The contingents from Khotan, Kucha, Yanqi, and Kashgar had all assembled. They received their documents and banners, bid farewell to the Grand Protector, and set out upon the boundless journey:
They would first travel east from Kucha to Luntai, then continue east to Yanqi. Shen Le had traveled this stretch before. Back then, he had headed west in an off-road vehicle and arrived within a few hours, seeing only magnificent mountains and rivers stirring the heart;
Now, swaying along on Mongolian