The snow finally stopped.
Although the snow on the road has not yet melted, which is very unfavorable for the movement of the army and horses, Qin Mubai does not want to wait any longer. He sent 3,000 infantry to set off one day in advance, clearing the snow and cutting down trees to pave the way. He immediately led 60,000 pro-honor troops and 40,000 Uighur cavalry to Lanzhou.
Su Dingfang and Bashmi, the commander of the South Court of the Western Turks, sent him off together and returned within ten miles. When Qin Mubai said goodbye to Su Dingfang, he said that after he led the army back this time, he would wait and see what direction the court would take. It is estimated that there will only be two extremes. One is that the Tang Dynasty was finally completely angered and raised its army to launch a decisive battle against Tubo; the other is that the imperial court changed its Western Region strategy and diplomatic policy towards Tubo, which also meant that Qin Mubai's The military and political career may have come to an end from now on. When I return to Lan, I will probably never see each other again.
Su Dingfang said that it is estimated that the former is more likely. Because the current Emperor of the Tang Dynasty is a powerful and domineering lord, it is impossible to stop the war just because he suffered losses in the attack on Western Xinjiang. On the contrary, if Lanzhou could not get any advantage from its continuous victory over Garqinling, the emperor might take advantage of the victory and achieve the purpose of seeking peace through war, conserving national power and reducing casualties.
Qin Mubai thought about it for a while, and Su Dingfang's analysis made sense. But the clouds above the temple are always treacherous and anything can happen. Qin Mubai told Su Dingfang to "be prepared with a red heart and two hands." It would be good for the imperial court not to change its strategy and national policies; if they did, the original team of Lanzhou generals might have to be replaced, because Su Dingfang had to be prepared to "protect himself and not be affected" first.
"Hey!" Su Dingfang sighed, "We, as generals, lead our brothers to fight bloody battles on the battlefield. We don't care about victory or death. In the end, we have to worry about the court settling accounts with us. The world only thinks of the majesty of generals. , who can understand the difficulties and bitterness of the general?"
"Actually, there is nothing to complain about. Not to mention being a general, even being an emperor or a minister has its own difficulties, and it is not easy. In short, take care of yourself, brother!" Qin Mubai smiled helplessly and said goodbye to Su Dingfang. , leading the troops away.
A hundred thousand troops lined up in a snake formation dozens of miles long, meandering towards Shanzhou. Shanzhou and Yumenguan are thousands of miles apart, and the entire journey is desolate and full of Gobi desert. It is the most arduous journey on the Silk Road. Now it is snowing and the road is blocked and it is extremely cold, making the march very difficult. Although there were thousands of infantry leading the way, the army's advance was very slow. The wheels of the carts loaded with grain and grass were stuck in the frozen mud, making it impossible to move faster even if they tried. But they didn't want to throw away the heavy equipment and light troops, otherwise at night, the freezing cold of the vast Gobi desert and the cold wind that cut into the bone marrow could freeze everyone to death.
Ten days have passed, and the army has only advanced more than 300 miles despite all its efforts. Qin Mubai couldn't help but feel worried.
That night, the army set up camp and prepared to spend the night. Qin Mubai returned to the barracks, ate two large cakes with hot tea boiled in snow water, and then lit an oil lamp to look at the various military orders presented by the generals and prepare for approval.
Chen Yan quietly made the bed and boiled hot water for Qin Mubai to soak his feet to relieve his fatigue.
"Okay, I'll do it myself." Qin Mubai smiled gratefully.
"You go about your business and leave your feet to me." Chen Yanwaner smiled and went to take off Qin Mubai's shoes and socks.
Qin Mubai felt warm in his heart, smiled happily and nodded, letting Chen Yan wash his feet while still concentrating on reviewing the military records.
"It seems we have to stop for a day or two." Qin Mubai said to himself, "The firewood stored in the army is almost used up. In this kind of horrible weather, if there is no firewood for heating and water at night, it will kill people. "
"It's really not easy to march and fight." Chen Yan said, "It's really hard to be a soldier. Let's talk about you. If you were in Chang'an, when would you get to eat such poor food and tea? By the way, it's time for you to take a shower again. "
"Let's make do with it!" Qin Mubai grinned, "At worst, you won't take a shower, and no one of us will dislike the other. Aren't we still short of firewood? Just save it if you can."
"Fuck you! Let me tell you the truth. I used the water to wash your feet before I scrubbed my body." Chen Yan laughed angrily and scolded, "No wonder Princess Gaoyang wants to call you 'a thief of a military academy and a stinky man'" , It turns out that being a soldier really stinks!”
"Have you been scrubbed? That's good, that's good." Qin Mubai smiled with a warm and mean smile.
Chen Yan shook her head helplessly and smiled, but there was a hint of blush on her face.
Qin Mubai saw the beauty in his eyes and felt it in his heart. The sex with Chen Yan was the most heartfelt. If she hadn't been with him these days, he would probably have died of suffocation. As a mother, she perfectly combines the shyness of a good family girl with the charm of a mature woman. The most exciting thing is to resist and welcome again. When the love is in full swing, her initiative and wildness are enough to make every man's bones weak and his legs weak.
After washing her feet, Chen Yan picked up the basin and walked away. When she turned around, she whispered "Go to bed early."
Qin Mubai felt a little dry and couldn't sit still. Hearing the sound of Chen Yan folding the bedding in the back bedroom, Qin Mubai was about to turn on the lamp and go in to rest, but he heard someone from far outside asking, "Has the young commander fallen asleep?"
"I don't know. I don't dare to disturb you so late at night. I only saw the light in the young marshal's tent was still on."
When Qin Mubai heard this, it was Xue Rengui who was here. So he opened the tent and said, "Rengui, I'm not asleep yet, come in!"
"Excuse me!" Xue Rengui excused himself and entered the tent.
"What's up?"
"There is a problem with the supply of the army." Xue Rengui said straight to the point, "There is a lack of firewood for cooking and fodder for the horses. When we just set up camp in the afternoon, I sent several teams out to search for the mountains and forests. The result was good luck. We found an oasis in the Gobi Desert, so I thought, should we stop for a day or two to replenish our supplies?”
Qin Mubai immediately laughed and said: "Rengui, I've said it before, I can't live without an arm like yours. Not only are you invincible in charging into battle, but you can also handle the smallest things without missing a beat. I just came from When the rear army received the news, they were about to order someone to rest for two days and send people to look for firewood, but you took care of things in advance. "
"Mubai deserves the award." Xue Rengui smiled and said, "Actually, these are all my duties. With an army of 100,000 people, there are so many big and small things that the young marshal cannot handle them all by himself. We do Subordinates, please share as much as you can. Actually, I have something that I can’t figure out, and I want to ask for your advice.”
"Don't take advice seriously, let's just have a casual chat!" Qin Mubai asked him to sit down, poured tea, and added a few pieces of mountain charcoal to the fire.
"Mubai, when we left that day, I heard the conversation between you and Dingfang, and I was deeply touched." Xue Rengui said, "Xue has always believed that a man with little ambition and talent only wants to gallop on the battlefield, kill generals, make meritorious deeds, and expand territory. Protect the country and the people. Xue has always believed that our Tang Dynasty is a radical and vigorous dynasty, and his Majesty is also a wise and powerful leader. Therefore, he is willing to join the army and spread his blood to the territory of the Tang Dynasty... But, Mr. Hou! After the Ji incident happened, I suddenly felt that being a general was actually quite sad. If I were Hou Junji, I would probably not be able to tolerate Gar Qin Ling and let him flee to Western Xinjiang to cause trouble. But I made such a mistake. This caused huge irreparable losses, and Hou Junji also believed that he was destined to die. The fish was dead and the net was broken. "
"It's so sad to see everything in its own way!" Qin Mubai smiled bitterly and said, "Actually, Hou Junji is hateful, cute, and even more pitiful. He is like a lone wolf walking alone in the desolate wilderness, with a passionate heart. But no one can understand him. His personality is rather eccentric, which makes him unacceptable. Otherwise, with his ability to lead troops and his great military exploits, how could he end up in the situation of Sima Liangzhou? "
"Xue is also very stupid. He doesn't know how to be an official, and he doesn't know how to be clever and tactful." Xue Rengui frowned slightly and said lightly, "Will Xue one day end up like Hou Junji?"
"Rengui, are you thinking too much? When did you become so forward-thinking?" Qin Mubai said with a smile.
"Xue, I just want to be a real general and charge into battle to protect the country and the people." Xue Rengui smiled slightly and said, "I don't save money, lust for women, buy land, or seek fame. I just want to concentrate on leading troops to fight. This is both my revenge and my joy. Following the commander-in-chief on the western expedition, until today, I finally realized what real war is and what a real soldier is - the commander-in-chief is the model for us warriors; And Hou Junji is the other extreme!”
Qin Mubai nodded lightly and said: "Actually, Hou Junji is an outstanding general. But he has too many desires and too ambitious. After gaining fame on the battlefield, he still wants to be in the court. He gained more fame and wealth. However, he did not have outstanding political vision and brains. Rather than losing to Changsun Wuji, it is better to say that he lost to his own ambition and desire. Therefore, Rengui, you. Don't be sad about the death of a rabbit. You are different from Hou Junji. He is an unruly and greedy hungry wolf, but you are a rare horse with a thousand miles. Even a hunter will only point his bow and arrow at the hungry wolf. , and would not be stupid enough to shoot the thousand-mile horse.
Xue Rengui grinned, "Mu Bai, you praise me so much!"
"It's not a compliment, it's the truth." Qin Mubai smiled slightly and said, "There is a saying that is right, character determines success or failure. In fact, a person's ability can be cultivated. No one is born as a general or a famous commander. But character But it can't be changed easily. Hou Junji's temperament determined his fate today. In fact, he was worthy of being buried with him in Dafeichuan; tens of thousands of brothers accompanied him in his final death. Crazy, kill on the plateau. I don’t know how many bloody things he will do when he goes to the plateau, but I think it must be an unprecedented catastrophe for Tubo, because no army has ever attacked the Tubo Plateau before. Hou Junji is acting against his will. Now, once he swings his butcher knife, he will never put it down unless someone cuts off his head."
"I understand..." Xue Rengui nodded gently, "Hou Junji wanted to use the last moment of his life to do something that others dare not do. His arrogance and wildness are really amazing! In other words, although his behavior may be criticized in many ways, he is actually a straightforward and simple man. He has always pursued what he wants unscrupulously. Although he is a bit extreme, I think he is A true-blooded man! Even if he is a real villain, he is better than a hypocrite!"
"Agree." Qin Mubai nodded with deep approval, "When I took the initiative to visit Hou Junji and decided to use him, many people advised me not to do this to avoid the danger of raising tigers in the future. But my thoughts are the same as yours , even if he is a real villain, he is better than a hypocrite! - Actually, I admire Hou Junji! It’s not that I haven’t thought about what he is doing now, but I can’t do it, and I don’t dare to do it. If we want to melt the nation, how can we do it without the eradication and firepower brought about by war? Can we do it by talking and talking among the literati in the temple? In the final analysis, we soldiers are still required to play the role of negative executioners. ! War means death, no matter how you die, there is no real justice in war. It means killing! If I don’t kill the enemy, the enemy will kill me. He is a real general! These naked rules of the game, and then...he let it go!"
Xue Rengui's thick eyebrows were furrowed and he was speechless.
He has gone into battle to kill the enemy more than once or twice; not to mention the casualties after the battle between the two armies, there have been many people who died directly under his hands, Xue Rengui. Facing the war and participating in the war, he may not understand the true meaning and essence of the war - Qin Mubai's words just now actually gave him some shock!
There is no distinction between good and evil in war. It is the result of artificial beautification or demonization by people with different stances; war is a life-and-death struggle, with the winner and loser, and then the survivors will write everything about the war.
And generals are actually war machines. Just like the cold knife carried by a soldier, it has no distinction between justice and evil. The so-called "sword of justice" and "butcher's knife of evil" are the attributes given to it by humans.
"Hou Junji is a true general. He understands the essence of war and carries out his mission as a general without hesitation! However, there are many people who have nothing to do with war or do not understand Outsiders of the war judged him from different moral perspectives, criticized him, and gave him shameful comments!" After a while, Xue Rengui suddenly said, "This is really unfair!"
"Just like there are no absolute good guys or bad guys in the world, there is no real fairness. Even for things that have happened in history, people will have different views and opinions on it at different times and from different moral perspectives. Today's Heroes may be tomorrow's criminals; former traitors may suddenly be overturned one day and become a certain type of hero." Qin Mubai smiled slightly and said, "So since we have chosen the path of joining the army, we will. Go on calmly. I’ll give you a word of caution: take care of what’s happened before you, and don’t worry about what you’ll say afterward.”
"Hou Junji, he is more straightforward and free-spirited than us, and he did it like this! What a man!" Xue Rengui said this sentence between his teeth.
Qin Mubai smiled and said: "Rengui, you are still a young official, and most of your contact is with the military. But even as a general, his roots are in the court, because war is an extension of politics. So. There are many things that you have to slowly understand and accept. The battle will be over one day. When the horse is released from Nanshan, it will be the time when we and the generals return to the court. By then, we will not only be generals, but also courtiers and politicians. Politics is something we have to face and cannot escape.
"Xue got up slightly cold and doesn't know how to be an official. From now on, I can only learn from you slowly." Xue Rengui smiled slightly awkwardly, stood up and said, "I'm so sorry for disturbing you for so long in the middle of the night! In recent days, there has always been a cloud in Xue's heart, and I have begun to doubt my ambitions and ideals. Tonight, a conversation with you is better than ten years of reading. Now Xue's heart is much more relaxed and bright. Xue just follows Mu Bai step by step!"
Qin Mubai laughed loudly, "Brother Xue, if you are not worried that I will sell you, just follow me!"
"Don't be afraid!" Xue Rengui also laughed, "Xue has no merits except that he has a huge appetite! Just sell it if you want, there must be someone who dares to buy it!"
"Ha ha!"
The two laughed and chatted for a while, before Xue Rengui said goodbye and left. As I walked, my steps were obviously much brisker.
Qin Mubai frowned and thought deeply, Hou Junji's incident has begun to affect the morale of the Guanxi Army. If the court's judgment and treatment of Hou Junji were too cruel and unfair, it would definitely chill some people's hearts. After all, Hou Junji had been serving the Tang Dynasty conscientiously throughout his life, except for his "unwarranted" rebellion, and he had made many contributions. But his reputation outside is extremely bad; his fate is also tragic.
Even if he dies in the future, he may not get the respect he deserves.
"Perhaps this is fate, life, and human nature. The three great gods of secularity, ethics, and ethics are really untouchable." Qin Mubai smiled bitterly to himself, shook his head, and sighed, "Hou Junji, you wrote to There are only thirteen words in my letter - 'A scholar will die for his confidant, and Hou will live up to Qin Sanlang'!"
"You have long understood why I sent you to Dafeichuan instead of Xue Wanjun or myself... Just like a house that is often visited by thieves, the owner will tie a fierce dog at the door to guard the house; the difference is, But I tied up a hungry wolf that I can’t tie up at all!”
"Maybe I will become a hero in their mouth in the future; but one day people will understand that you are the real hero!"
"It's true that one general can make thousands of bones dry up! ... Among the thousands of bones, there are not only enemies, but also our own compatriots!"
"Thousands of years of history and thousands of miles of mountains and rivers are like a chessboard. If you peel off the skin of the characters on the surface, we are actually just insignificant chess pieces! The difference is that some chess pieces have been eaten early and disappeared on the chessboard; Some chess pieces will be left at the end to mark the so-called victory or defeat... "
"Your death fulfills my life; your sins fulfill my name; your faults fulfill my merits!"
"These thirteen words are your oath and last words, and they are also the shackles and irrepayable guilt of my life! Just like the death of my father..."