Shortly after dawn, a sentinel flying cavalry came to report that the Tibetan army had left the royal city and was heading towards the Tang army's camp!
Qin Mubai stayed up all night and just took a shower, and immediately ordered the entire army to prepare for war.
The arrival of the Tubo people was a bit strange. Either they should have attacked at night last night; or they should have gone back to take a breather and rest for a few days before attacking again. It was neither, Qin Mubai felt very strange.
The Guanxi Army beat the drums and went into battle. Xue Rengui, the vanguard, took the lead, and Fang Tian's halberd flashed with cold light.
Qin Mubai still stood on the cloud platform, resting his hands on the edge and looking far away.
Today's Tubo military formation is very strange. The people at the forefront seemed not to be the elite group of dead soldiers from the previous two battles, but a group of relatively scattered people, and their movements were slow and unorganized, or they did not look like a regular army at all.
Xue Rengui, who was in the battle formation, also felt strange. Looking at the formation, there were quite a lot of soldiers and horses from Tibet, about 100,000 people. However, their formation was sparse and there was no formation, and it didn't look like they were here to fight.
"There is something strange, all officers and men should be alert!" Xue Rengui ordered.
The Tubo troops came to a stop within a stone's throw of the Tang army's formation. After a while, a single rider stepped out of the vast army and slowly walked towards Xue Rengui.
Xue Rengui held Fang Tian's painted halberd tightly and stared at the man with his thick eyebrows slightly furrowed.
He was not wearing armor and was not dressed in military uniform, but his clothes were gorgeous and majestic, and he had a vague aura of calm and power, and he also exuded an overbearing nobility.
The rider stood about ten steps away from Xue Rengui, cupped his hands and said, "Is this General Xue Rengui across from you?"
"It's Xue! Please tell me your name when you come!"
"I am Tubo Zanpu, Qizong Nongzan."
…
After a moment of burning incense, Qin Mubai rode a horse to the front of the formation.
Qizong Nongzan was riding on his horse, still using Han courtesy and said, "Young Commander Qin, it's been a long time."
Qin Mubai smiled slightly, raised his hands and returned the salute, saying: "Zan Pu is indeed a man of heaven and extraordinary appearance. But you and I don't have to greet each other in front of the two armies. What is the purpose of Zan Pu's coming here?"
"Just for one thing." Qi Zong Nongzan said with a smile, "I hope Qin Ling doesn't die."
Qin Mubai couldn't help but smile, "Why should I agree to you? Gar Qinling is a war criminal and his crime must not be punished."
Qizong Nongzan got off his horse and stood on the ground, still holding his hands to Qin Mubai, "There are more than three thousand people behind me. All the royal family, nobles, tribal leaders and generals of Tubo are all here. As long as you Promise that Rao Qinling will not die, and we are willing to become your prisoners and be at your mercy."
"You mean, you want you guys to return to Garqinling?" Qin Mubai smiled coldly, "I'm sorry, although you are Zanpu, but in my opinion, there are more than 3,000 of you. Added together, it is indeed not enough to equal the weight of the Garqin Mausoleum.”
Abandoned Zong Nongzan seemed to have expected Qin Mubai's answer. He was not surprised or hasty, pointed behind him and said: "If we add the surrender of 100,000 Kunlun cavalry, and the surrender of 400 Tubo cavalry, Where is the surrender of all the soldiers and civilians?”
Qin Mubai's face changed slightly, "What did you say?"
Before he finished speaking, all the knights in the army formation of more than 100,000 people at the rear dismounted and knelt beside their horses.
"None of them are armed. If you don't believe me, you can send someone to check. As long as you are willing, they will be your subordinates and soldiers of the Tang Dynasty from now on!" Qizong Nongzan said, "We have given up. As long as the Tang Dynasty spares the life of Garqin Ling, I, Zongzong Nongzan, am willing to lead the Tibetan army and people to surrender!"
There was an uproar!
It turns out that Abandoned Zong Nongzan did not lead his army to fight, but came to surrender!
At this time, all of the 100,000 Kunlun cavalry suddenly knelt on their knees and raised their hands above their heads, and then bowed down to the ground, as if worshiping gods.
The shouts were in Fan dialect, and there were so many people talking and shouting that Qin Mubai couldn't understand what they were saying. It's just that this wave of sound is really amazing, almost like a tsunami. Moreover, this voice revealed infinite sorrow and heartache, like countless resentful spirits crying.
The corners of Qin Mubai's eyes twitched, and he felt a bit shocked in his heart.
Qizong Nongzan took two steps forward, looked up at Qin Mubai who was riding on the horse, and said: "They are begging you to forgive their marshal and brother, the Garqin Tomb. This is what we Tubo people use when we participate in sacrifices." The greatest etiquette is only used when begging for forgiveness and blessing from the gods.”
Qin Mubai took a deep breath, his expression remained calm. He looked down at Qi Zong and praised him, and said, "What if I don't agree?"
"Luoxucheng will resist to the end until the last drop of blood is shed!" Qizong Nongzan said calmly, but every word was sonorous.
Qin Mubai's eyebrows sank, "Are you threatening me?"
"No." Qizong Nongzan said calmly, "The competition between the Tang Dynasty and Tubo has long been judged. It would be a sin for one more person to die. Since the Tang Dynasty conquered Tubo, the Tubo people are also The subjects under the rule of His Majesty the Emperor of the Tang Dynasty. Do you, Marshal Qin, want to kill your own people? - Qin Ling is guilty of repeatedly attacking the Central Plains, but he thought that he was the master at that time. Everything is just out of loyalty to Tubo and Zanpu. Please forgive him. If you want to punish him, I, Zanpu, am the real culprit. I am willing to become your prisoner and follow you to Chang'an, under the care of His Majesty the Emperor of the Tang Dynasty. "
Qin Mubai fell silent for a moment.
One hundred thousand Kunlun cavalry were still kneeling and shouting repeatedly. The waves of sound were mixed with thousands of people crying and countless tears, which was heartbreaking. The Tang Army officers and soldiers present were all shocked.
Xue Rengui sighed and said: "Unexpectedly, the Garqin Mausoleum is so popular and respected on the plateau. Although the Kunlun Iron Cavalry opposite is our enemy, from a man's standpoint, they can be considered affectionate. Righteous. I have no doubt that the officers and men of the Guanxi Army will treat Marshal Qin like this... "
The situation in front of him was somewhat beyond Qin Mubai's expectation.
Xue Rengui took a few steps forward and whispered in Qin Mubai's ear, "Young Marshal, would you like to seek His Highness the King of Wu's opinion on this matter?"
Qin Mubai nodded and said, "Your Excellency Zanpu, please wait a moment, I'll be back soon!"
"Young Marshal, go away. I'm here to wait for your reply." Qizong Nongzan was very calm and watched Qin Mubai turn his horse and leave.
Back at the camp, Qin Mubai went straight to Li Ke's tent. After walking near Luoche City, Li Ke became acclimatized and the altitude sickness became more severe. His face was swollen and he was dizzy. He was groggy all day and almost only had half his life left. Qin Mubai said that he would send him back to Lanzhou to recuperate, but Li Ke refused to go and insisted on "living" here. Qin Mubai had nothing to do with him.
Now it seems that Li Ke's "persistence" has paid off, and the moment he has been waiting for has arrived.
"Your Highness." Qin Mubai woke him up and said in his ear, "Qizong Nongzan led the army and people to surrender."
Li Ke, who was half-conscious, suddenly became energetic and said, "What a good thing! Surrender!"
"But he has conditions."
"What conditions?"
"Raogar Qinling is immortal."
"How is this possible?" Li Ke was also in a dilemma, "The Garqin Mausoleum caused great harm, and the Tang Dynasty hated him with all its teeth. My father had long wanted to kill him quickly, and he visited Liangchuan and Helong many times. He committed countless crimes and massacred the city in Taozhou! He must die for reasons of love and law!"
Qin Mubai gave a bitter smile, "But if we don't agree, Luoxucheng will be stubborn to the end, and would rather be broken than destroyed. I can see that Abandoning Zong and Nongzan can really say it and do it. He is a ruthless person. Role."
"How can a hero like Gar Qinling be loyal to him if he is not a ruthless person?" Li Ke closed his eyes again worriedly. After thinking for a long time, he suddenly opened his eyes and said, "We still have to untie the bell. Bell tieer. Maybe we can’t think of any solution here, but there is someone who can do it?”
"You mean, Garqin Ling?"
"Haha! Mu Bai, why can you always connect with me? Could it be that you are in love with me?"
"...It's a good thing you're still unconscious!"
Later, Qin Mubai found Gar Qinling and told him what happened before the battle.
After hearing this, a look of pain appeared on Gal Qinling's face, which could not be chopped with a knife. He closed his eyes and looked up to the sky and sighed, "Zanpu, why are you doing this?"
"Would you like to go see him in front of the formation?" Qin Mubai asked tentatively.
Gal Qinling was silent for a moment and suddenly said, "Qin Mubai, promise me something."
"you say."
"I, Garqin Ling, have killed countless people and committed countless crimes in my life. Now, winning or losing is determined, and I don't want anyone to die because of me. So I want you to promise me that after Tubo surrenders, you will kill as few people as possible."
"If Zanpu and the marshal lead the crowd to surrender together, it is true that many people will die less." Qin Mubai said, "I can promise you that I will not execute anyone casually. But if the two armies are fighting in front of the formation or If someone rebels, there is no guarantee.”
"If Gar Qin Ling said that Tibet surrendered, then it means it really surrendered." Gar Qin Ling smiled slightly, but there was a hint of bitterness in the smile. He said, "Take me to the front of the battle to see Zan Pu."
"Okay." Qin Mubai stared at him and said, "Gar Qinling, at this time, I am really jealous of you."
"what for?"
Qin Mubai smiled slightly and said: "There is a saying that was supposed to be said to women, but now it is appropriate to use it on you. There are two kinds of men in this world that are worth cherishing, and one is a man who sheds tears and does not bleed for you. The other is the man who sheds tears but sheds tears for you. Now, in front of the two armies, there are no less than a hundred thousand men praying for you. You are so happy!"
Gal Qinling suddenly stiffened and his expression froze. He looked up to the sky and sighed several times before striding out of the tent.
After a while, Qin Mubai and Gar Qinling each rode a horse and walked out of the Tang army camp.
The scars from the fierce battle still remained on Gal Qinling's body, but he had changed into a pair of clean clothes and armor, and his expression and demeanor remained as before.
His figure had just appeared in front of the formation, and hundreds of thousands of Kunlun cavalry shouted loudly like a tsunami - "Marshal, Marshal!"
For a moment, the Tang army was shocked, thinking that the Tibetans would use this to launch an attack, so they were at war with each other.
"Don't worry, none of them have weapons." Qi Zong Nongzan repeated this sentence, then turned to look at Gar Qin Ling, "Qin Ling, are you okay?"
Gal Qinling turned over, fell off his horse, ran forward, knelt down in front of Qizong Nongzan, and suddenly burst into tears - "Zanpu, I failed you!"
"Qin Ling has not failed me, and I have not failed Qin Ling." Qizong Nongzan sighed and helped Gar Qin Ling up, held his hand and stared at him, and said, "The winner is the king and the defeat is the bandit. The winner is determined by himself. There are only a few days. Now that everything is settled, you and I might as well face it calmly. Qin Ling, I have decided to surrender the whole country. If we continue to fight, it will only kill more people. What blessings do the people of the plateau bring? Now, if one less person can die, then one less person will die!"
Gal Qinling's eyes were slightly closed with tears rolling down his face, and he nodded slowly.
"Qin Mubai!" Qi Zong Nongzan suddenly shouted loudly, "I thank you for being so kind and righteous in pardoning my brother!"
Qin Mubai couldn't help being startled, and said hurriedly: "I didn't say that I would pardon and return the Garqin Mausoleum! I just brought him to the front of the battle to meet you!"
"Don't worry, I won't put you in trouble." Qizong Nongzan said, "I keep my word. Now I will follow you into your military camp and become your prisoner with my brother Qinling as your companion. You take us Take him to Chang'an and hand him over to Li Shimin!"
"Slow down!" Suddenly, Gar Qinling shouted loudly. Everyone couldn't help but look at him.
Gal Qinling took a deep breath, stroked his chest, bent down and bowed respectfully to Qizong Nongzan, and then bowed to Qin Mubai, and said: "I have something to say to the Tubo subjects and soldiers. speak."
Qin Mubai nodded, "Please."
Gal Qinling walked a few steps towards the Kunlun cavalry army formation, stood upright, and raised his hands suddenly upward - "Get up!"
One hundred thousand soldiers stood up from the ground uniformly, as if facing an iron wall against a formidable enemy.
"Brothers, I, Garqin Ling, will be able to work with you all in this life, and I will have no regrets in this life!"
"From now on, you are no longer the Kunlun cavalry, and you are no longer the subjects of Tubo. I order you to follow Zanpu and submit to the Tang Dynasty. From now on, you must take care of yourself and no longer hate the Han people as before. From now on, you will You must regard yourself as a citizen of the Tang Dynasty and a member of the Han people!”
One hundred thousand people stood quietly, all looking at the Garqin Mausoleum. In a large military formation, not many people could hear what Gal Qinling was saying, but the scene was very quiet. Many sergeants in the front row were crying silently.
"This is the last military order I give you!"
One hundred thousand people, still silent.
"Who dares to disobey?!" Gar Qinling shouted suddenly.
"Yes!!" Many soldiers in the front row loudly agreed, slapping their chests and crying.
The sergeants at the back agreed one after another.
"You all must live well. From now on, there will be no more years of conquests, no more bloodshed and sacrifice, no more separation of flesh and blood, and separation of life and death." Garqin Ling looked at the vast and boundless army formation. He said loudly, "Brothers! In the next life, Galqin Ling will ride with you to hunt together, play Zhamuni together, and chase fat cattle, sheep and our beloved girls on the grassland!!"
"Marshal!—" The three armies cried bitterly, and one hundred thousand people fell to their knees!
Gal Qin Ling raised his hands high and looked up to the sky and screamed, "Ga'er Qin Ling was born as a plateau person and died as a plateau ghost! I will never leave my plateau!"
Suddenly, his movements froze.
Qizong Nongzan screamed, "Qin Ling!!!"
As the king of a country, he hurriedly ran to Galqinling and grabbed his shoulders tightly. He saw... Galqinling's lips were black, and a few streams of black and smelly blood flowed from the corners of his mouth!
Gar Qin Ling has taken poison!
"Zibazlan'erli flower poison!!" Qi Zong Nongzan was shocked and shouted heartbreakingly, "Antidote! Quick, antidote!! - I have an antidote! - My antidote What?…My antidote was given to Princess Wencheng!”
"It's useless, Zamp. This is not an ordinary Zibazlan'erli flower poison. It is unique in the world and there is no antidote at all." Gal Qinling said intermittently with a smile on his face and bleeding from the corner of his mouth, "This is I... specially prepared it for myself!"
Qin Mubai, who was riding on the horse, sighed, got off the horse, and walked towards the Garqin Mausoleum.
Qizong Nongzan could no longer hold up Galqin Ling, and Galqin Ling's body fell down. Qizong Nongzan hugged him tightly, put his head on his lap, and cried bitterly, "Qinling, my brother! - I am willing to use everything I have to save your life, why are you doing this? "
"Zanpu, brother..." Black blood spurted out from Gar Qinling's mouth, and he stretched out his hand with difficulty, and Qi Zong Nongzan held his hand tightly.
"Qinling was incompetent and failed to fulfill the promise I made to you, which also led to the demise of the dynasty and the disaster of the nation. If Qinling doesn't die, he can't apologize to the world!" Gar Qinling said, "Qinling has been bleeding all his life. I have spent time in killings and fighting. I have caused too many killings. Now, if Qinling's death can bring more people's survival, Qinling... will die without regrets! "
"Brother!..." Qizong Nongzan cried loudly and burst into tears.
One hundred thousand Kunlun cavalry all knelt down and cried bitterly, like a filial son bidding farewell to his old father, heartbroken and sincere.
Qin Mubai walked to them.
Gar Qinling turned his head with difficulty, looked at Qin Mubai, and said: "Qin Mubai, you and I fought this battle. Although Gar Qinling lost, he was not convinced. If there is an afterlife, , I will still be your old enemy.”
Qin Mubai frowned slightly and said in a strange way, "Have you never thought that we can be friends?"
"No, I don't want to be your friend, I want to be your enemy." Gar Qinling coughed several times, blood spurted out, and his voice became intermittent, "If I become your friend, I, Gar Qinling, will Where can I find an equal enemy and opponent like you? Isn’t that kind of life extremely lonely?”
"..." Qin Mubai was speechless.
"Qin Mubai, you promised me... you will not kill anyone from Tibet! After my death, I, Garqin Ling, will turn into a ghost on the plateau and keep an eye on you all the time! If you violate your oath, I will definitely not I’ll let you go!”
Qin Mubai didn't speak, sighed softly, and nodded.
"Zanpu, Qin Mubai, I am willing to ask you to cremate my body and scatter my ashes in the places where I have ridden. Luoxe Royal City, Medog's grassland, Bowo's hometown, Golmud Military Camp, Dafeichuan and Kunlun Mountains…”
"I promise you." Qin Mubai and Qi Zong praised him in unison.
"If there is an afterlife, I, Gar Qinling, will still be born on the plateau and die on the plateau. I pray for the blessings of gods and Buddhas, so that Qinling and the plateau will never leave each other in life after life!..."
…
Three days later, a large pyre was once again placed in the main square of Futu Gate in Luoxue City, where Hou Junji had been burned at the stake. The difference is that the previous time it was an execution, this time it was a grand funeral.
The Tubo Kingdom that surrendered to the Tang Dynasty, led by Zanpu Qizong Nongzan, led various tribal leaders, civil and military officials, as well as people from the royal family and the Gar family to pay homage. Qin Mubai and the generals of the Guanxi Army, as well as Wu King Li Ke, were also present.
The life of the hero of the plateau, Garqin Ling, ended amidst the raging fire and the crying of Sanskrit chants.
"According to the will of Garqin Mausoleum, his ashes will be scattered all over the plateau." Qin Mubai said to the Tang army generals beside him, "The generation of heroes who once confused the world and ordered all the people to commit suicide has come to an end. In the past, I could not even dream about it. I cut him into pieces with my own hands. But in the end, I couldn’t hate him anymore. Why?”
Everyone was silent, no one answered him.
"Maybe there will never be an answer to this question." Qin Mubai smiled slightly and said to himself, "Unless I meet him again in the next life and fight with him again..."