The scorching sun was in the sky and the sky and the earth were steaming. The fire mountain, which was barren of any vegetation, was really like the alchemy furnace kicked down by Sun Wukong from heaven, emitting layers of heat waves that were almost visible to the naked eye.
The Imperial City of Gaochang is surrounded by the Flame Mountains, just like a steamer.
Qin Shubao's big horse golden sword was sitting in the Duhu Mansion, holding a seal in his left hand and waving a brush in his right hand, busy all the time approving and folding books.
For a peak warrior like him who has experienced many hardships, his heart is as pure as ice and the sky is falling, and his face does not change even if he turns around with his sword and axe. Although he was sweating profusely and wet both inside and outside, his expression remained as calm as ever.
It has been more than half a month since I entered the Protectorate, and everything is normal. None of the local subjects of Gaochang State, including King Qu Zhisheng and below, showed too much hostility or abnormality. The initial worries and haze gradually faded away, and the various tasks of the Protectorate were gradually on track.
Normally, Qin Shubao, the Protector-General, would deal with military and civil affairs after the morning meeting, leave the city in the afternoon to inspect the military parade at the Tang Army camp, and stay at the Protector-General's Mansion in Gaochang Royal City at night.
The two clerks who were waiting on Mo were all covered in sweat. But even if beads of sweat flowed down his face, he couldn't care less. The old coach Qin Shubao has always been serious and resolute in Congo, and whenever he does business, he is focused on it and devotes himself to it. The officers and generals who followed him had to be meticulous.
But today, the civil servants found that the always free and capable Qin Shubao was moving half a beat slower than before, as if he had more than enough energy but not enough energy. Moreover, I stopped writing several times to rest while approving the book, and my complexion lost its former rosy luster.
"Is the commander tired? Is he sick?" Zuo Zuo asked.
"It's okay, maybe I'm a little acclimatized." Qin Shubao drank a cup of tea and said, "Finish these books as soon as possible, and go out of the city to deliver food to Xue Rengui in the afternoon. It's been too hard for our soldiers stationed outside the city for the past two days. I'll try to get some medicinal soup to relieve the heat and send it over quickly."
"Yes, Marshal." The left and right people responded, sighing in their hearts. This group of people who followed Qin Shubao on the expedition to Gaochang suffered a lot. Needless to say, they had to fight for more than ten battles in a row over a thousand miles. In the end, they succeeded in conquering Gaochang, but they still had to endure hardships outside the city. It is certain that people and horses will get sick due to the hot weather. Even food and herbs are not available.
Rather than saying that the garrison and impeachment demonstrated the unparalleled benevolence and tyranny of the Tang Dynasty, it is better to say...these soldiers were simply exiled!
Just after half a stick of incense had passed, the pen in Qin Shubao's hand suddenly shook and he almost missed it and fell to the paper.
"Commander, what's wrong with you?" Zuo Zuo exclaimed. They saw that Qin Shubao's face was extremely pale, as if he were seriously ill, his body was trembling slightly, and beads of cold sweat were dripping from his forehead.
"It doesn't matter! Maybe I ate something unclean and had a stomachache." Qin Shubao forced himself to hold on to the pen and said, "Hurry up and finish approving these folded books. I'm a little confused for a moment. Please send the folded books as soon as possible." Give it to Qu Zhisheng and let him execute it on his behalf."
"Yes!... Marshal, why don't you let me go to deliver food in the afternoon? There is no need for me to do such a small thing myself. Marshal is in ill health and needs to have a good rest. Later, meizhi will go and invite a military doctor." "
Qin Shubao frowned, unconsciously stretched out his hand to cover his stomach, and nodded gently, "That's fine, you must personally hand over the grain and herbs to Ren Gui and sign the return. Military doctors are not required. For minor illnesses, There is no need for anyone to start a war."
Forty miles away from the northern foot of the Flame Mountain, there is a rare oasis of green forests and pastures, with an area of more than forty miles. It is a famous oasis tribe, and merchants traveling on the Silk Road often stay here. As time passed, the place became more prosperous and vibrant. However, due to the recent war, merchants and merchants have been cut off and the area has gradually become a dead zone again.
It was windy and dark last night, and a large number of people silently poured into the oasis and settled down. They neither buried pots to make rice nor hunted in hunting grounds. They whispered about horseshoes and wrapped cloths, and behaved mysteriously like ghosts.
The few remaining houses and inns in the oasis were forcibly occupied by them. Whenever he meets a stranger, he will say nothing regardless of the reason.
Many innocent travelers had their bloody scimitars and a shocking wolf-headed flag remaining in their dying eyes.
Wolf, the totem of the Turks!
In the Han Chinese Inn in the center of the oasis, Hu soldiers surrounded Han Liang, a scimitar. The tables, chairs and other items in the center of the lobby were swept away and replaced by a thick sheepskin felt blanket. Several people were sitting around it, drinking strong white goat's milk wine.
One of them sits at the core, and several others are arranged in a fan-shaped arrangement. The freshly roasted whole sheep's head was facing his direction, which showed that this person was the leader of the crowd.
This man has a tiger-like back, a bear waist, and a beard that stretches out like a lion. He has a big aquiline nose, blue eyes, and cheekbones that are more prominent than those of ordinary barbarians. When he opened his mouth to drink, a bloody mouth appeared.
Seeing this person makes people think of an animal - a bear!
"General Nishu, we just received a secret message from Gaochang Kingdom, saying that everything is ready and our army can set off in the evening and enter the city at night!" said the man on the left.
"Nishu" is the name of the Western Turkic tribe, and it is also a surname, and it is a famous surname. The bear-like man is currently the highest military commander in Beiting of the Western Turks. He once swept across the desert without victory, and was the number one general who almost single-handedly conquered Beiting.
Ni Shuchui glanced at the man, his eyes as cold as those of a carnivore. Even though he was one of his closest confidants, the person who just spoke couldn't help but feel a chill running down his body.
"I have no interest or trust in Qu Zhisheng." Ni Shuchui spoke, but his voice was not as rough as expected. Instead, it was very calm, but his voice was rich and powerful, "Who sent the secret letter?"
"It's one of our own who was sent by the Khan to Tutun and Bile in Gaochang."
"That's more like it. It seems that the time is ripe." Ni Lao sipped a glass of milk wine and sighed, "It's a pity that Qin Shubao, the world's most powerful tiger general, has to die for such a despicable little trick! He can't do it in this life. It would be a pity to compete with him in a fair and just battlefield!"
"General, since the Great Khan personally sent a general this time, it can be seen that this battle is very important." The attendant said, "There is a saying among the Han people that soldiers never tire of deceit. Qin Shubao is brave and invincible and has Puchanghai and Xue Wanche as his back-up. If we want to go head-on Even if our army wins the duel, we will have to suffer countless casualties. If we kill Qin Shubao and defeat the Tang army, then we will be the only leader in the Western Region. Who dares to disobey? I have nothing to do with the people of Gaochang. This is really a profitable business!"
"You can only hear what others say, how can you have real knowledge and insights?" Nishu Chui snorted coldly, "The Great Khan decided to become an enemy of the Tang Dynasty only after listening to the instigation of the Tubo boy Gar Qinling. I don't have the slightest fondness for this guy Gal Qinling. During the more than ten battles that led Qin Shubao to go to Lanzhou and go deep into the Western Regions, he condemned the old, weak and remnant soldiers to only engage in feigned battles, causing us and Gaochang's soldiers to die and suffer countless losses in the end. , he wants to use us to deal with Qin Shubao, but he just sits back and waits to reap the benefits. No matter whether this battle is successful or not, he will not lose anything, it is a real profit-free deal! "
"But... this is indeed beneficial to us!" the attendant said timidly, "After the Tang Dynasty captured Gaochang, it stationed troops to suppress the impeachment, conquered people's hearts, recruited troops and established the Protectorate, and used kindness and power to subdue all the countries in the Western Regions one by one. , Their ambitions are not small! When they gradually take root here, they will join forces with Nanting to attack me. By then, it will be too late!"
"Hmph..." Ni Shuchui snorted in anger and helplessness, and said, "I don't know this truth?... If not, how could I personally lead the troops? There is no room for two tigers in one mountain, and there can't be two in the Western Region. Overlord. Seeing that we were about to take over the South Court and dominate the Western Region, Tang Ting reached out to us. Although I disdain the treacherous people like Gar Qinling, I also know that it will be extremely difficult to win without this strategy. . It’s a pity that Qin Shubao, who was once a hero and admired by our generation!
After noon, a large number of grain and fodder convoys were escorted to the Tang Army camp in Flame Mountain. Xue Rengui went out to greet them in person, carefully counting them one by one and putting them into the warehouse. After finishing, Xue Rengui asked the escorting officer why the commander-in-chief did not come to the military parade in person today.
The officer reported truthfully, saying that the marshal was in ill health and therefore could not come in person.
Xue Rengui frowned and said: "You and I both know the commander's temper. Even if the sky is falling and the earth is falling, he will not change his ways. I saw him yesterday and he was still intact. Why is he sick today?" It’s too heavy to travel, is there something fishy about it?”
The escorting officer was stunned for a moment and said: "The commander-in-chief only said that he had a stomachache due to the unclean diet and acclimatization, but other than that he is otherwise fine!"
"Really?" Xue Rengui stared at him.
"Indeed... that's true! The commander also ordered the general to distribute these heat-relieving decoctions as soon as possible to relieve the suffering of the soldiers."
"..." Xue Rengui pondered for a moment, nodded and said, "Please report back to the commander-in-chief and tell him that the general will carry out the military orders immediately. After that, he will go to Kaicheng, Gaochang, to visit the commander-in-chief in person tomorrow morning, and he will return to military affairs immediately!"
"Yes, I will take my humble post with you. General Xue, I will leave my humble post with you!"
"Wait a minute!" Xue Rengui suddenly shouted, startling the escorting officer.
"I am still a little worried, so I will follow you into the city to visit the commander-in-chief." Xue Rengui said.
"That's fine... I'm afraid that the commander-in-chief will blame the general for leaving his post without permission for personal reasons!" the escort officer carefully reminded, "I will repay my humble duty first, and the general will visit again tomorrow, and it won't be too late here." "
Xue Rengui frowned and pondered for a moment, then nodded: "That's fine, the most important thing is to carry out military orders at the moment. You can go ahead and give my regards to the commander-in-chief."
"yes."
Late at night, the moon is like a bright mirror and the wind whistles loudly.
There was silence all around, but two tragic roars suddenly came from the backyard of the Protectorate of Gaochang Royal City!
"Ah!—Ah!!"
"Commander, what's wrong!"
Several people broke down the door and rushed in. They found Qin Shubao tumbling off the bed and there was a pool of blood on the ground. Qin Shubao's whole body twitched and huddled up, and black blood kept spitting out from his mouth.
"Handsome!!!"
After a while, a medical officer came in a hurry. Seeing this before he could diagnose his pulse, he was immediately frightened and whispered: "This...this! The commander is obviously poisoned!"
"What?!" People around him exclaimed.
"What's going on, what's going on, what's going on with Enshuai?" A roar like thunder came from outside the door, and then a giant man with a shiny body like an iron tower broke in, Yu Wen Hongtai, who was naked and wearing only a pair of underpants.
"Hong Tai, stop making noise!" Qibi Heli stepped forward to block him and said in a deep voice, "The commander has been poisoned!"
"What?!" Yuwen Hongtai was stunned. He stared at Qin Shubao with a pair of round copper bell-like eyes, and shook his head blankly, "This is impossible, how is this possible! Enshuai and I sit at the same table every day How could he be poisoned while we were eating together and nothing happened?"
The medical officer whispered timidly: "Perhaps the thief poisoned the Marshal's bowl or tea alone - this is obviously arsenic poison, and the poison has penetrated into the bones and is hopeless!"
"Ah! - ah!" Yuwen Hongtai screamed twice like a tiger roaring. He desperately pushed aside the people around him and rushed to the bed and knelt down. He suddenly cried like a child, "Enshuai, you can't Something's wrong! If something happens to you, how can I explain it to my third brother?"
"Hong Tai, don't make any noise, let alone cry. How can you behave like a great general?" Qin Shubao, who was half lying on the bed and his face turned gray, still had his eyes like a knife and his expression was cold and solemn. He raised his voice and said in a deep voice, "Contract Bi Heli and Yuwen Hongtai, please pass on my orders to all the people in the Protectorate to assemble their equipment and prepare for battle!"
"Woo--" Yuwen Hongtai burst into tears and dragged Qin Shubao to pull him up from his bed, shouting, "Commander, get up quickly and let me carry you! Let's leave Gaochang to the military camp and lead the army back to Lanzhou. , go back to Lanzhou to see your third brother!”
"Don't mess around!" Qin Shubao shouted, then coughed violently and vomited blood.
Qibi Heli suppressed his grief and anger and called several lieutenants to come forward and force Yuwen Hongtai away. He clasped his fists seriously and said loudly - "The last general takes orders!"
"Hong Tai, come here with my weapons and armor, put them on and mount my horse!"
After half a stick of incense, the Great Protectorate shouted to kill Zhentian and was surrounded by people. Countless torches lit up the night sky red. Amidst the shouting and neighing of people, I could hear someone shouting in unison - "Qin Qiong surrenders, but the whole body can be left behind!"
In the courtyard, all the five hundred soldiers who had originally entered the city with Qin Shubao arrived. People are wearing armor and riding saddles, and there are many torches and shining swords.
There was silence.
Qin Shubao pushed away the help from the left and right and moved out of the room step by step. When he stood in front of the steps, Yuwen Hongtai handed over his tiger-headed golden gun. Qin Shubao took the gun and gave it a heavy slap on the ground, shattering the bricks and tiles with the tiger's power.
A soldier came forward to report that the Protector's Palace was surrounded by at least 3,000 soldiers and horses. They were the elite wolf cavalry of the King's Division, the main force of the Western Turks.
"I understand, retreat." Qin Shubao responded lightly and said, "If you are willing to surrender, just take off your military robe and leave quietly. I will not blame you. But from now on, don't say that you are from the Tang Dynasty."
"I would rather die than surrender and follow the Generalissimo to the death!" Five hundred people responded almost in unison.
Qin Shubao nodded slightly, and then asked Yuwen Hongtai: "Hongtai, why is there blood on your body? Did you go out to fight without obeying our military orders?"
Yuwen Hongtai was gnashing his teeth with a ferocious look on his face, and said bitterly: "I slaughtered all the servants and cooks in the Protector's Mansion! I don't know which dog|motherly beast poisoned Enshuai, but it was one of them anyway. One of them, all deserve to die!”
"The real murderer has long since escaped, and you killed innocent people indiscriminately." Qin Shubao did not scold him, but instead spoke in a gentle voice like a gentle elder in a rare manner, "Following Saburo from now on, you must restrain your temper and not make mistakes indiscriminately. Give him a message for me, please remember it..."
"I won't leave!" Yuwen Hongtai suddenly shouted, "I will die with Enshuai! Enshuai is the biological father of the third brother, and he is also the biological father of Yuwen Hongtai! My biological father is going to die. , How can I leave? I’m no longer a beast!”
The five hundred soldiers, all with tense faces and solemn eyes, looked at Qin Shubao and Yuwen Hongtai.
Qin Shubao stared at Yuwen Hongtai for a moment, his old eyes seemed to sparkle with crystals, his gray beard trembled a few times, and he groaned almost feebly, "This is a military order."
Yuwen Hongtai started to argue loudly again, but Qibi Heli hurriedly stepped forward to stop him and said, "We have followed the commander-in-chief until today, who is afraid of death? Hong Tai, don't be impulsive and just listen to the commander-in-chief's arrangements. It must make sense.”
The shouts outside the hospital are getting louder and clearer - "Qin Qiong can save his life by surrendering!", "Qin Qiong can save his life by surrendering!"...
"Did you hear that, they actually asked me, Qin Qiong, to surrender, hahaha!" Qin Shubao suddenly laughed several times, slammed the tiger-head-chiselled gold gun in his hand onto the blue bricks and stone slabs, and said loudly, "Yu Wen Hongtai obeys the order , I will wait for five hundred people to protect you from the outside of the city. At this moment, it is easier to die than to survive. You must break out and find Xue Rengui, telling him not to enter the city to save me, let alone attack the city for revenge, and lead the army to withdraw immediately. Arrive at Puchanghai and order Xue Wanche to retreat to Yumen Pass, there must be no mistake!"
"What!" Yu Wen Hongtai shouted in shock, "Instead of sending me out to bring in reinforcements, are you asking me to run for my life? - I won't go even if I die!"
"Hongtai... my son!" Qin Shubao called out in a low voice. Yuwen Hongtai burst into tears again and nodded repeatedly: "My son is here! My son is here!"
"You are my general and you are as close to Sanlang as a brother, so you are my son." Qin Shubao said softly, "We can all die generously in battle, but you must escape. Only because there are three - one of us, Among them all, you are the most courageous and have the greatest possibility of breaking out. You must pass my order to Xue Rengui. This matter is of great importance, far greater than my Qin Qiong's life and death. Secondly, I want you to bring a message to Sanlang. Order He must remember his father's words: there is no selfless hatred in the battlefield, and national affairs must be the priority; the Qin family has been loyal and generous throughout his life as a father, so he should not insult the heroic spirit of his ancestors... "
Five hundred people, with tears streaming down their cheeks, knelt on the ground and held their fists in a military salute, but they were speechless.
"Third, tell my family that Qin Qiong misses them day and night... It was a pity that Sanlang's father could not be present at his wedding. So I only prepared a small gift for my future grandson, which is the desert eagle that I shot with my own hands. Wing bones, a carved eagle flute..."
After that, Qin Shubao took out a cloth bag from his arms and handed it to Yuwen Hongtai, saying: "When Sanlang's child is born, if it's a boy, let Sanlang name him Qin Ying; if it's a daughter, let's call him Di'er! "
Yuwen Hongtai knelt on his knees and raised his big hands, took the eagle flute and carefully put it into his arms. Then he lay on the ground and cried bitterly, hitting the ground with his fists desperately.
"Wine!" Qin Shubao shouted loudly!
People outside the hospital were still shouting, "Qin Qiong surrenders, but the whole body can be left behind!"
Five hundred people, each holding a bowl of wine, stood quietly.
"Eighteen days ago, I led you and other 502 soldiers to the royal city; tonight, I, 503 men of the Tang Dynasty, all of them, are here to light up the lamp and get drunk before resting. How happy it is!" Qin Shubao held it in both hands! Bowl, he said loudly, "My brothers and sons of Qin Qiong! Drink this bowl and go to hell together. We will live and die with the same skin. How generous!"
"I swear to follow the Generalissimo to the death! We will live and die with the same Qiu, how generous!"
"Dry!"
Each person has three bowls of wine and three bowls of wine from Kang. Everyone here usually drank a lot of this kind of wine, but it was only tonight that they drank it to the point of exhaustion and vitality!
"Mount!"
Yuwen Hongtai and Qibi Heli came forward to help, but Qin Shubao pushed them away, got on his horse, pulled out the tiger head chisel gold gun embedded in the stone slab, and shouted: "General, all soldiers, swear to death Escort Yuwen Hongtai to break out of the city!"
"promise!"
Yuwen Hongtai was fully clothed, carrying a phoenix-winged gold-plated drum, and got on his horse. He turned up his robe and wiped the sweat, tears and wine on his face, and shouted: "My lord, brothers! If I don't die, I will be here today next year." Come, bring the best Sanlejiang and the heads of your enemies to pay homage to you!"
"Open the door of the mansion, follow me... and rush out!"
"Gah...gah!"
The tall and heavy door of the Protector's Mansion slowly opened. Outside the door, cavalry stood around with torches, swords and spears like a forest.
Ni Shuchui stood under the wolf-head general's flag, squinting at the open door, his face tense.
As soon as he rode, he slowly walked out of the palace gate, his shirt and gray beard flying, and his tiger-headed spear standing proudly.
"In the Tang Dynasty, there were only beheaded soldiers and no kneeling slaves... Qin Qiong is here, who dares to step forward and fight to the death?!!"