"Second Senior Brother, are your injuries completely healed? Your cultivation has also improved greatly. It's great——"
When Li Chenxiang saw Xue Dingshan again, it was already more than half a year later, and the Tang and Tu coalition forces had advanced more than three thousand miles westward.
According to the information reported by "Lijingmen", this place is already at the southern foot of Tanggula Mountain, less than two thousand miles away from Luoxue City.
Unfortunately, the terrain here is very strange, and the Tubo people got the news early and have deployed heavy troops on the Tanggula Mountain line, intending to fight to the death with the Tanggula Allied Forces.
It is said to be the Tang-Tuyu coalition, but in fact the Tuyuhun army that can reach here is less than 3,000 people, and most of them exist as guards, with few opportunities to fight on the battlefield.
Xue Dingshan and Fan Lihua, who came from Fuqi City, not only brought many condolences to the army, but also brought 500 elites newly trained by the "Alai Imperial Master".
Of course, time and resources are limited. Even if they are elite, they are only slightly stronger than the normal Tuyuhun soldiers, and they are still not comparable to the four powerful forces formed before.
Even so, Yang Fang was extremely happy.
In the battle of "White Tiger Formation", the "Long Biao Army" under his command suffered almost all casualties. In the end, only eleven people, including Yang Fang, survived.
With the arrival of these five hundred elites, Yang Fang was asked to make a selection first. In order to balance the combat power, his "Long Biao Army" took the lead in expanding to three hundred people.
As for the remaining 200 people, they naturally became Fan Lihua's personal guards. In name, she was still the commander of Tuyuhun. All the Tuyuhun soldiers on the front line would naturally be reclassified to Fan Lihua's command.
Of course, with Li Chenxiang as the commander-in-chief of the three armies, and Pei Xingjian in charge of the central army, Xue Dingshan became a general, taking orders under the prince's tent.
"Your Highness, Dingshan, along the way, have you seen many soldiers of the Tang Dynasty who are still not used to the 'qi epidemic' here?"
"Master once said back then that this kind of 'qi epidemic' can't be seen or touched. When serious, it can often kill people, so we shouldn't take it lightly!"
After suffering more than half a year of torture, Xue Dingshan, after recovering from his injuries, became more stable, whether it was because his level had improved or because he had a wife. He even became much calmer when talking and doing things.
Along the way, we were not just rushing, but we also observed the topography of various places along the way. Of course, we also saw many Tang soldiers who had to recuperate on the spot due to the "Qi epidemic".
"Haha, after all, the second senior brother is already married. Speaking of which, he really looks like the second senior brother. My younger brother, Li Chenxiang, has met his senior sister--"
Li Chenxiang and Xue Dingshan are not too old or too young. After all, they can be regarded as brothers who grew up together. Li Chenxiang is a few years younger and he is a prince, so Xue Dingshan naturally gives way to him in everything.
However, when they met again, Fan Lihua had become Xue Dingshan's daughter-in-law. This matter was also slightly mentioned in Fuqicheng's private message.
Seeing the somewhat unnatural two people in front of him, Li Chenxiang turned around from Shuai An and bowed respectfully to Fan Lihua.
"Your Highness, you can't do it! Your Highness is the Crown Prince of the Tang Dynasty, and Lihua is just a commoner in Xiliang. How dare you pay homage to the Crown Prince?——"
Fan Lihua hurriedly stepped aside, not daring to accept Li Chenxiang's bow.
"Sister-in-law, this is your fault. My father once said that things in the officialdom will not work among us senior brothers. Even if we meet him, senior brothers, senior sisters, and junior sisters like me are just It’s just a teacher’s greeting.”
Li Chenxiang was not being pretentious when he said this. Such rules were established when Li Zhi was the King of Jin.
Only Xue Dingshan was a bit "pedantic" and always called Li Chenxiang "His Royal Highness".
"Lihua, His Highness the Crown Prince is right. This is indeed the rule established by Master. You will also receive this gift from him..."
Even Xue Dingshan blushed with embarrassment, but he couldn't back down at this time and came over to explain.
"Haha, Dingshan, you can do it, just keep quiet
Xiangdi has found such a powerful daughter-in-law for the old Xue family. This dinner is a must--"
In the big tent, except for Di Renjie and the four military leaders, they were all generals from the Tang Dynasty.
Whether it is Qin Huaiyu, Luo Tong or Bai Zhi, they all watched Xue Dingshan grow up. In their eyes, Xue Dingshan was an absolute nephew. They were happy for him when they saw that he had found such a good wife.
"Haha, of course, Prince Chenxiang, there is no fighting between the two sides now. Fan Shuai and General Xue have brought a lot of condolences, so I just rewarded the three armies, which can be considered as a fun for Xue and Fan."
Seeing that the atmosphere had reached this point, as the only scholar in the big tent, it was Di Renjie, the military advisor of the three armies, who spoke.
Once he makes the decision, others will have no problem.
So, at a place called "Bomi" next to Tanggula Mountain, Prince Li Chenxiang publicly announced the condolence edict from Fuqi City and announced the marriage of Xue Dingshan and Fan Lihua.
Li Chenxiang is not only the commander-in-chief of the armed forces, but also the crown prince of the Tang Dynasty. For him to announce this matter makes it look like a family member of the Tang-Tu alliance.
Of course, the two sides have been fighting side by side for so long and have long been like a family. Apart from having independent numbers, even the weapons and training are now the same.
...
The camp of the Tang-Tu coalition was bustling for three days.
Of course, the due vigilance will not be relaxed at all. After all, nearly 50,000 Tibetan troops are gathered at the line of Tanggula Mountain, two hundred miles away.
And this 50,000-strong army seems to be the last strength of Tibet. If this force is wiped out, then they can climb over the Tanggula Mountains and reach Luosucheng.
On this day, which was the fourth day after Xue Dingshan and Fan Lihua returned to the camp, everyone was discussing matters in the Chinese army's tent when a man hurried in.
"Report to the Commander-in-Chief, there is urgent military information coming from the front——"
The one who came was a captain from the "Li Jing Sect". He also had a "Celestial Immortal" level of cultivation, but he was a green wolf.
Today's "Li Jing Sect", especially the "Li Jing Sect" that is deployed in armies everywhere, is no longer limited to people of the Tang Dynasty, or even to the human race.
As long as you have reached the level of cultivation or have a skill, you will have the opportunity to enter the "Li Jing Sect", but the premise is that you must be loyal to the Tang Dynasty.
Since two years ago, there have been more than 3,000 people working in "Li Jingmen", and Li Zhi specially ordered all of them to practice "Ti Jue".
On the one hand, it can greatly improve the strength of the personnel in "Li Jing Sect" on a large scale and better serve Datang;
Secondly, the longer you practice "Ti Jue", the more you can not only provide Li Zhi with a steady stream of "Chaos Qi", but also enhance your loyalty to Li Zhi, the emperor.
Killing two birds with one stone, why not?
"Send it up——"
Hearing the voice, Li Chenxiang glanced at the door of the main tent and saw the wolf who sent the message. He was naturally someone he knew well.
Cang Lang did not step forward, but just stood at the door of the camp and handed the secret report in his hand to Luo Tong, who took it out. Luo Tong turned around and presented it to Li Chenxiang with both hands.
Li Chenxiang received the secret report, which was a special talisman made by the "Li Jing Sect". Li Chenxiang poured his magic power into it, and the information inside was instantly revealed.
"Mr. Di, you and Pei Shuai should also take a look -"
Li Chenxiang read it hurriedly and handed it to Di Renjie who was sitting on the side. After Di Renjie read it, he passed it to Pei Xingjian who was sitting on the other side.
"Everyone, this is a secret report from the Lijing Gate ahead. The 50,000 Tibetan troops lying across the Tanggula Mountains suddenly withdrew overnight."
"The Lijing Sect has repeatedly verified this matter and it is indeed true. Moreover, they have occupied the original location of Tubo's camp. I wonder what you think of this matter?"
After all three big men in the army had read it, the secret report returned to Li Chenxiang's hands again. He glanced left and right before announcing it in public.
"What, how could this happen? The Tubo people have all withdrawn
gone? ——"
"Could this be a fraud? Once the Tanggula Mountain defense line is lost, the Tibetan army will no longer have any natural danger to defend. Are their big arguments out of their minds? -"
"From the general's perspective, there must be fraud in this, so we must guard against it——"
"Haha, Prince...that commander, God wants us to succeed in the Tang Dynasty, so we should send troops to go there quickly——"
...
Good guy, as soon as Li Chenxiang finished speaking, the Chinese army tent became lively. You and I talked, each telling his own views on this matter.
Li Chenxiang sat there quietly, even looking at the generals in the tent with a smile, without saying a word.
More than two years have passed since Li Chenxiang entered the military camp after receiving the order from the Daming Palace in Chang'an.
Especially in the past six months, with Di Renjie, a wise man of the world, by his side, Li Chenxiang has really grown a lot. His current calm demeanor alone is not comparable to that of an ordinary young man of thirteen or fourteen years old.
"Fan Shuai, what do you think?——"
Fan Lihua re-entered the military camp, but it was no longer the same as before. However, she still wore the seal of command of the Tuyuhun Army, and she should sit in a chair in the Chinese military tent.
Unfortunately, Xue Dingshan was standing aside, and she was too embarrassed to sit still, so she simply followed Xue Dingshan and stood among the generals.
"Come back to the Commander-in-Chief, let me tell you, if the military information reported by Lijingmen is true, there must be a big problem in Luoxue City. Otherwise, there is no reason for the 50,000 Tibetan troops to withdraw on their own."
"The Commander-in-Chief can order Lijing Gate to continue heading west to detect the Tibetan army's eastward direction. At the same time, we should also follow up step by step, even..."
Speaking of this, Fan Lihua paused and seemed to hesitate.
"Haha, this is a matter discussed in the Central Military Commission. You can speak freely. Fan Shuai does not need to have any worries."
Hearing Fan Lihua say two points in a row, both of which were very consistent with what Li Chenxiang was thinking, she stopped again. Li Chenxiang thought she had some concerns, so he took the initiative to encourage her.
"Commander, what the general is saying is, if possible, should our army send people to sneak into Luoche City? It's just that this matter is too dangerous, so..."
Fan Lihua has clearly understood the current situation of the two armies in the three or four days since she returned to the military camp. After all, she has been the commander-in-chief of the armed forces and has a natural sensitivity to some things.
Luoxue City is the most sacred and mysterious place in Tubo.
Since Songtsen Gampo succeeded to the throne of Zampu, through a series of campaigns, various parts of Tubo have been pacified one after another. Even the biggest rival in the west, "Yangtong", has completely surrendered to Songtsen Gampo.
Luoche City became the permanent residence of Songtsen Gampo.
Lu Dongzan, the first wise man in Tubo, was appointed as a major lecturer. He learned from the Tang Dynasty, developed agricultural and animal husbandry production, and promoted irrigation.
He ordered people to formulate texts and promulgate the "Great Decree" for the governance of Tibet to deal with the relationship between the Zanpu royal family and aristocratic families, small states and all social strata.
The establishment of administrative and military systems, the establishment of official ranks, the promulgation of laws and regulations, and the unification of weights, measures, and taxation systems promoted the all-round development of Tibetan politics, economy, and culture.
The far-sighted Songtsen Gampo sent aristocratic children to Chang'an many times to study Chinese poetry and calligraphy, and asked scribes from the Central Plains to take charge of their writings.
In the fifteenth year of Zhenguan, Songtsen Gampo went to Bohai to marry Princess Wencheng, the daughter of the Tang Dynasty clan. He himself was named the Prince Consort and the Prince of Xihai County by the Tang Dynasty.
This was a man of great talent and strategy. Both Li Shimin and Li Zhi respected him highly. Li Chenxiang had heard and seen him so much that he was naturally deeply impressed.
However, after arriving in Tubo, he really felt the excellence of Luoxu City, and even said that he felt the terror of Luoxu City.
It's not that he didn't send people to Luosu City, it's just that no one who entered Luosu City has survived until now.
Even the elite members of the "Li Jing Sect" lost more than thirty people, which made Li Chenxiang feel heartbroken for a long time.
"Agarwood Tai
Son, what Fan Shuai said is not unreasonable. Even if Luoxue City is a dragon's pond and a tiger's den, we should send people there again, but the people we send should be cautious, and we should be careful and not too many. "
Fan Lihua had been away from the military camp for more than half a year, and many of the inside stories were unclear, but Di Renjie knew them all.
However, the situation has changed drastically now. I originally thought that there would be a confrontation for a while, but the other party suddenly retreated, which made the Tang Tu coalition's plan come to nothing.
"What Mr. Di said is true. At this time and at that time, these cities must be visited. How about sending people there?"
Li Chenxiang is not a pedantic person, and he actually approves of Fan Lihua and Di Renjie's suggestions.
He had originally intended to go there in person. After all, he also had the cultivation of the middle stage of "Taiyi Xuanxian" and had an innate treasure like the "Mountain and River Sheji Map" at his side. If he wanted to choose someone to go to Luoshu City, Li Chenxiang would still He is truly a rare person.
However, given his status as the commander-in-chief of the armed forces and the crown prince of the Tang Dynasty, if he proposed it in public, I'm afraid everyone would object.
"Commander, Commander Di, since it was Lihua who made the suggestion, why not let Lihua go? It may take as long as three days or as little as two days. Lihua will definitely be able to find out what is going on in the city."
Seeing Li Chenxiang and Di Renjie's expressions of embarrassment, Fan Lihua couldn't help but understand that there must be something fishy.
It's just that the situation is urgent now. Unless you are willing to wait idlely, the trip to Luoshu City must be done.
"Your Highness, I am willing to accompany Lihua on this trip. With the strength of the two of us, even if we encounter any danger, I think we can escape unscathed——"
At this time, Xue Dingshan also stood up and asked for orders loudly.
Xue Dingshan is in the middle stage of "Taiyi Xuanxian", and Fan Lihua is in the late stage of "Taiyi Golden Immortal". These two people are among the best in the realm of cultivation among the entire Tang Tu coalition.
If we go back more than half a year, during the Tang-Tu Allied Forces at that time, these two people were even the ones who carried the cauldron in the army. Now, they seem to be good candidates to join forces to go to Luoche City to spy on the military situation.
"Well, since the second senior brother and senior sister-in-law are willing to take this trip, Chen Xiang naturally supports it with both hands."
"However, there must be experts in these cities. Even the master who met Yang Fan is still a troublesome person. It is best for the senior brother and senior sister-in-law to transform into the image of the Tubo people."
The "seventy-two" transformations that Li Zhi obtained from Sun Wukong in those days were naturally passed on to his children and apprentices, including Li Chenxiang and Xue Dingshan, who also achieved some success.
"Don't worry, Your Highness, the two of us are aware of this, so we have to say goodbye——"
Xue Dingshan and Fan Lihua both clasped their fists, nodded to everyone in the tent, then turned and left.
...
Luoche City, in an ordinary residence.
It was already dark, and there was no light in the room, but there was a low and a high voice talking.
"Master, do you know whose idea it was to evacuate all the 50,000 troops from the front line?"
It turned out that there were two people sitting in the room, one was the Tubo military general Yang Fan, and the other was naturally his mysterious master.
It seemed that the two people had been chatting for a long time. Yang Fan was a little anxious, but his mysterious master kept talking about him.
"Fan'er, you should change your eager temper, otherwise you will definitely suffer big losses in the future."
Although the light in the room is very weak, it does not affect the normal vision of these two people. What's more, one of them has an ugly face, and the other is covered in a black scarf. What's so good about them?
The "White Tiger Formation" was broken, and Yang Fan was seriously injured. If it weren't for his mysterious master, Yang Fan would have died long ago.
It was his master who used a large amount of heavenly materials and earthly treasures to allow Yang Fan to recover his cultivation in a short period of time, regroup and fight on the battlefield again.
"Today's Tang Dynasty is much more powerful than it was two years ago. In the entire southern continent, there are not many countries like Tubo that retain fighting power."
"I originally thought that I could use Songtsen Gampo's power to contain the Tang Dynasty, and even destroy the combined forces of the Tang Dynasty and Tuyuhun.
What a pity...ahem..."
The mysterious demon with a black scarf on his face couldn't help but cough twice?
"Master, when were you injured?——"
After coughing twice, Yang Fan stood up immediately. This situation was much more serious than the withdrawal of the 50,000 Tibetan army.
Who is his master? It is not easy to find an opponent among the peak "Daluo Jinxian" in the entire three realms.
Yang Fan even vaguely felt that his master might still have reservations.
The master is a mysterious existence, with such a level of cultivation and identity.
Anyway, Yang Fan has been a disciple for more than 20 years, but he has never seen his master's true face in Lushan.
At first, his master was dressed like a monk and had a very ordinary appearance. But after changing his appearance a few times, Yang Fan understood that all the "faces" he saw were fake.
Later, after several years of separation, when he saw his master again, his master had suddenly changed from an enlightened monk to a demon?
That was when the demons first began to wreak havoc on the three realms. Because of the demons, Yang Fan's family left Xiliang and came to Tubo.
However, whether he is a monk or a demon, the master is the master, and at least he always cares for Yang Fan.
Spells, supernatural powers, weapons...
As long as Yang Fan needs it, his master will never be stingy.
In Yang Fan's heart, this mysterious master is more important than his father. As long as he is good to himself, why should he care who the master is his enemy?
"Fan'er, don't ask any more questions about this matter. I was careless and underestimated Songtsen Gampo. However, I think that Zampu from Tubo would be much more uncomfortable than my teacher at this time. "
This masked demon didn't let Yang Fan ask any more questions, but by saying this himself, he was clearly telling Yang Fan that his injuries were caused by Songtsen Gampo?
"Since Songtsen Gampo can't be used by me, it doesn't matter whose hands this Tibet eventually falls into."
"However, the Yang Tong in the west has resurrected, but somehow communicated with Lu Dongzan's great talk. It seems that the Tang people will take advantage in the end."
The masked demons were a little unwilling, but they just thought about the strength of Songtsen Gampo, especially the palm that hurt him in the end...
The power of that palm obviously shouldn't be what a "great witch" should have, right?
"Master, what should I do now?"
Yang Fan could not fully understand what the master said, but it did not hinder his trust in the master.
"Let's just wait and see what happens. These things in the city are not simple, and behind the fellow sheep, there seems to be support from the demon clan?"
"My master is injured, isn't he? He apparently had a conflict with Songtsen Gampo. I guess he won't let anyone come looking for me easily now, so I'd like to take this opportunity to take a closer look."
"Fan'er, please return to the army quickly and join forces with your father to win over as many soldiers in the army as possible. Although these people have limited combat power, they can still stand and support us at critical times."
...
The night in Luoche City was very dark and cold, and even the moon did not appear. Instead, there was an amorous north wind blowing "clatter" on the roof of the somewhat dilapidated yurt.
Most of the people in the city have already fallen asleep. On such a dark night, how many people are luxurious enough to light up lamps and light candles?
The darkened houses showed no sign of the hustle and bustle during the day. The originally quiet streets now had more night watchmen for some reason.
When did Luoxe City have night watchmen?
If you distinguish carefully, you will find that these night watchmen are actually the most powerful "Light Army" in Tibet.
This branch was founded by Songtsen Gampo with the help of Niang and Wei. It had a small number of people, only about 8,000, and its combat strength was said to be one to ten.
The most special thing about this powerful team is that everyone is accompanied by a big dog, which should be accurately called "Cang Yang Dog".
The night watch team on the street now has dozens of "blue yelps", each of which is as tall as half a man. When you get close, you can hear a low roar.
If it were Li Zhi here, he would definitely be able to recognize the "Cang Yang Dog". Isn't this the "Tibetan Mastiff" of later generations?
"Zanpu, have you really decided? Your ancestors have been here for generations. As of now, you are the thirty-third generation of Zanpu. Do you just give up?"
This is a cave, not far from the Potala Palace, just above the Red Mountain.
In the cave, two people were sitting cross-legged. One was Songtsen Gampo, the current Zampo of Tibet, and the other was a young woman.
The person who spoke was exactly that woman. She gently fiddled with a butter lamp, and even her words were spoken softly, which made people feel very comfortable.
"Princess, you are originally from the Tang Dynasty. Although you have recovered the memory of your previous life, you should not wait to die here with me."
"The army of the Tang Dynasty has already reached Tanggula Mountain, and the person leading the army is the current Crown Prince of the Tang Dynasty. Since he has such courage, he must be a strange man."
"The Tang Dynasty has been prosperous for three generations. Even if Tubo does not fall into the hands of rebellious ministers and traitors, it will definitely be overthrown by the Tang Dynasty. Princess, you... you should go back to the Tang Dynasty——"
Apart from Princess Wencheng, who was married to Tibet, who else could be so opposite to Songtsen Gampo and be called the Princess of the Tang Dynasty?
Songtsan Gampo had many women in his life, so many that even he himself could not even count them. He even married several princesses from various countries, big and small.
However, only Princess Wencheng from the Tang Dynasty has been wearing the costumes of the Tang Dynasty for so many years, and has always been called "princess" by Songtsen Gampo.
"Zanpu, although Wencheng is the princess of the Tang Dynasty, she is also Zanpu's wife. Now that the country is in crisis, how can Wencheng leave you?"
"If the moment comes when the country is destroyed and the family is destroyed, Wencheng is willing to work with Zanpu to unlock the secrets that have been passed down orally from generation to generation."
The dim butter lamp swayed, seeming to match Princess Wencheng's perseverance. It flickered several times in succession, but it was still bright.
"Haha, a secret? Even I am not sure whether that thing is true, so why bother, princess?"
Princess Wencheng turned sideways, and the light of the butter lamp shone right on her face.
Based on her age, she might be in her fifties? He looks like he is only eighteen or nineteen years old.
The strangest thing is not that her age and appearance don't match up, but the aura on her body. Princess Wencheng, who came from the Tang Dynasty royal family, is also a witch?
