at the same time.
To the west of Chang'an City, more than twenty miles away.
There is a small dilapidated village here, where an army is resting.
Seen from a high place, it is an army that looks like an iron bastard.
And their designation is the name that once terrified the enemy, Xuanwu Camp! !
Any city where Xuanwu Camp is located is difficult to break! It can't even be broken! !
This was the evaluation of Xuanwu Camp by many enemy princes in that war-torn era.
And the leader of Xuanwu Camp, General Xuanwu, is even known as the Iron Wall of the Tang Empire!
Regarding the empire, there may be some controversy about which general is stronger in attack, but when it comes to defense, General Xuanwu under the King of Chu is ranked second, and no general dares to be ranked first!
It is the well-deserved shield of the empire!
And yesterday.
General Xuanwu and his Xuanwu Battalion were originally stationed not far to the west of Chang'an City, but they started marching yesterday afternoon to Youzhou, which is farther away from Chang'an City.
Such a change is because General Xuanwu received instructions from His Royal Highness the King of Chu in Chang'an City. Li Shimin is very likely to take action against them, so leave quickly!
Stationed near Chang'an City, there are two beast generals of the King of Chu, one is General Zhuque, stationed south of Chang'an City, near Chuhe Village.
As for General Xuanwu, he was temporarily stationed west of Chang'an City.
The distance between the two sides is not far, but getting the order from King Chu is different.
The order given by the King of Chu to General Zhuque was to protect the thousands of people in Chuhe Village, while the order given to General Xuanwu was to retreat.
The armies of both sides are obviously not far apart, so why not let General Xuanwu also join the escort? This is because all the soldiers of General Xuanwu are heavy infantry, which is a powerful weapon for city defense and infantry warfare. Their full-body armor equipment is second only to Modao Guards in the King of Chu's army.
Everything is good, but just not good at all.
Too bulky! !
To protect the villagers of Chuhe Village from leaving, it was a race against time with General Tiance, the God of War, to have General Xuanwu's 3,000 Xuanwu Guards also join the escort. I was afraid that the escort mission would not be fulfilled, and instead they would be killed by Li Shimin's Xuanjia Cavalry.
After all, Li Shimin's territory is near Chang'an City, and Jiangdong is their base camp. There is no city here for General Xuanwu to defend.
There were many factors, so King Chu's order to General Xuanwu was to let him protect as many of his soldiers as possible. As for Chuhe Village, he didn't need to worry about it.
now.
A house in a run-down village.
Several Xuanwu commanders discussed the next arrangements with General Xuanwu, and there were more than a dozen Xuanwu guards standing nearby.
"General, why don't you retreat to the south and go to the remote Liangzhou instead?"
"There are many woods and mountains in the south, and our hometown in Jiangdong is also there."
"But the direction of Youzhou is different. As long as you cross this mountain, the terrain will be as flat as walking on the ground. Let alone Li Shimin's black armor cavalry, I am afraid that any of Li Shimin's cavalry or even the crossbow army can have an impact on us. A huge threat.”
There is a Xuanwu Guard commander who doesn’t understand.
Before they evacuated, they encountered a fork in the road, one leading to the south and the other leading to the west. Everyone thought that the general would choose the south, but they did not expect that the general would choose the west.
Very surprised!
They were marching at that time, and they were also worried that Admiral Tiance was chasing him, so they did not express doubts and inquire.
And now that the army is resting, it is the best time to ask.
The commander of the Xuanwu Camp, including the other commanders, did not mean to point fingers. They knew that the general had his own ideas. The reason why they asked was because they did not understand and could not understand the general's intentions. When the war broke out, they would not be able to cooperate with the general. Consistent.
The commander of the Xuanwu Battalion looked straight ahead. The place where his eyes pointed was the main seat in the lobby.
There was a tall man with a purple cloak and steady eyes sitting there. That was the man they were following, General Xuanwu, who they were proud of and famous all over the world.
now.
When General Xuanwu heard this, he quietly said: "This plan is the idea of the chief among the six seats."
chief!
Upon hearing this name, many commanders immediately felt relieved.
They are all too aware of the chief's terror!
Now.
Jian'an, an important city in Jiangdong, was the base camp of their King Chu tribe. This city was originally stationed with heavy troops and they were supposed to attack it, but a strategy told by the chief allowed them to capture it effortlessly within three months, and the officers and soldiers and Jian'an The people warmly welcomed them.
"The chief said that General Tiance has many strong generals, but to hunt down my King of Chu tonight, General Tiance only dares to use Li Tang, possibly Li Jing."
"If it's Li Jing, given Li Jing's ability, if we go to the south, it will be easy for him to lead his troops to catch up. If we fight him by leaning on the mountains or relying on the woods, he will not be afraid, and he will probably adopt the dragging strategy."
"The area near Chang'an is not the territory of our King of Chu. He, Li Jing, can have support from nearby Chang'an, but we have a food shortage problem, so if we adopt the procrastination strategy, we will definitely lose!"
"So we can only do the opposite and go to Youzhou, which they all think is impossible to go to. After a few months, the storm will pass, and then we will find an opportunity to return to Jiangdong."
General Xuanwu explained the reason for choosing Youzhou in the west this time.
Suddenly, all the commanders of Xuanwu Camp suddenly realized.
General Xuanwu smiled and said: "Okay, I see you understand, let's all go down and have a rest. We have been traveling for a day, so after half an hour's rest, we will continue our journey."
"Remember, even if you are resting, you are not allowed to take off your Xuanwu armor! You must be alert at all times."
A commander of the Xuanwu Battalion smiled and said: "General, look at what you said, can we people still be recruits? Haha, we all know..."
Before the leader of the Xuanwu Camp finished speaking, a Xuanwu Guard hurried over.
"Report! The enemy is attacking! It's the Tang Army!!"
The slightly frightened voice instantly changed the faces of the commanders of the Xuanwu Camp who were talking and laughing.
"What! Tang Jun? How did they know we were here!"
"Damn it, it can't be Li Jing, right?"
"It was too fast. They caught up too fast. Even Li Jing couldn't do it. Something must have gone wrong and the news leaked out!"
"Meet the enemy first! Meet the enemy first!!"
"General, it's a good thing we haven't crossed that mountain yet. Even if our Xuanwu battalion faces the Xuanjia cavalry here, we are still capable of fighting. General, please lead me to meet the enemy as soon as possible!"
"……."
After being briefly surprised, many commanders of the Xuanwu Battalion came to their senses instantly and had the same idea, which was to face the enemy first.
They are all soldiers under His Royal Highness the King of Chu and have experienced hundreds of battles. They will not be disrupted by a sudden enemy attack.
General Xuanwu's expression remained unchanged, and he waved his hand and said: "You go and mobilize our Xuanwu Guards first, and I will come soon!"
"yes!"
Many Xuanwu guards left quickly.
The Xuanwu guards who were originally in the room also left one by one.
General Xuanwu quickly packed the necessary things on the table. After finishing packing, he was about to go out. However, at this moment, his stomach was pierced by the Xuanwu sword.
"scold!"
General Xuanwu couldn't believe it. He took several steps forward due to inertia, and then turned around with all his strength.
In front of him was a Xuanwu guard standing there blankly with trembling hands, trembling lips, and frightened eyes.
"General...General, I...I don't want to!"
The Xuanwu guard hugged his head and almost collapsed, with panic in his eyes and tears streaming down his face.
"They, Changsun Wuji and the others, arrested my wife and daughter. I...my wife is pregnant again and is planning to give birth to a child soon!"
"General, I...I, I, I didn't want to, but, but they threatened me, I...I really didn't mean it."
Xuanwuwei was in tears and almost mentally collapsed.
At this time, General Xuanwu, who was fatally wounded, walked towards him while holding on for breath.
The Xuanwu guard just stared at him approaching. He didn't want to, he really didn't want to! But with his wife in their hands, there was nothing he could do!
Is General Xuanwu going to kill himself?
Xuanwuwei doesn't know clearly and doesn't want to know.
He killed the general who was so kind to him, and now he collapsed. Even if General Xuanwu killed him, he didn't care!
after all.
He had told those people the direction of Xuanwu Camp's march, and those people's troops also came. He also killed General Xuanwu, and according to the agreement, he would let his wife and children go.
As for himself, he is a sinner!
The sinner of Xuanwu Camp!
Damn it! Damn it! ! !
Xuanwuwei, who was mentally broken down and in tears, just quietly watched his beloved General Xuanwu approaching.
When the distance between the two was only one meter, Xuanwuwei, who was crying, closed his eyes, stretched his neck, and just waited quietly for General Xuanwu's trial.
You deserve to die!
Damn it! ! ! !
Worse than anyone else!
However, the judgment he expected did not come, but instead his head felt a little heavy.
When he opened his eyes, he found General Xuanwu with a gentle face in front of him. There was blood at the corner of his mouth, and he was stroking his head helplessly.
"Ah Tian, Xiaolei...Xiaolei is going to give birth again, so fast."
General Xuanwu gasped and spoke. It was already very difficult for him to speak at this time.
Xiaolei…….
Hearing this name, the Xuanwu Guard burst into tears.
Xiaolei is his wife’s name! !
He was just an insignificant soldier under the command of one of the commanders of the Xuanwu Battalion, and General Xuanwu also remembered it! Remember him! Also remember his wife’s name! I remember it so clearly! !
In an instant, memories of the past came back to me like reflections.
His marriage to his wife Xiaolei was arranged by General Xuanwu. When his wife gave birth to her first child, more than a dozen comrades held a full-moon banquet for his child in Chuhe Village. General Xuanwu also came and gave the child a gift. He also gave the full moon the most money for wine for stringing the wooden plaques he carved with his own hands.
General Xuanwu was always like this, loving them unreservedly and helping the Xuanwu Guards in need get what he wanted. He was always so gentle. Even if they made mistakes, he would only find ways to solve them instead of asking for guilt.
He always loves his soldiers like his own children, always like this, always like this! !
Thinking of this, the Xuanwu Guard, whose hands were stained with blood, became even more nervous.
You, you are a beast! What a beast! ! !
He is going crazy and completely broken.
At this time, General Xuanwu touched his right cheek with his right hand, and the Xuanwu guard slowly came back to his senses.
"General...General, let me help you stop the bleeding!"
He burst into tears, trying to help General Xuanwu stop the pain as much as possible.
But General Xuanwu shook his head. He knew that he was about to die soon, and said with gentle eyes: "No, A Tian, this time I am... I and the brothers of Xuanwu Camp will help you to find out. We won't be here next time, but You must keep an eye on Xiaolei and don't let your loved one get lost again... again."
"Also, later... Remember to chop off my head later. With my head here, even the vicious Changsun Wuji will... He will also let Xiaolei go for the sake of his head. They are one horse.”
"Atian, you... you have to remember that the four lives of your family were exchanged for me and the brothers from Xuanwu Camp. Remember... take my share, King Chu's share, and those who died today. For the sake of the brothers in the Xuanwu Camp here, survive... survive."
As if everything had been explained, the last obsession that supported General Xuanwu was completed, and he fell down.
In fact, he still had one thing he didn't explain.
In his luggage, there was a small wooden hairpin, which he made by himself. It was ugly, but he didn't think so. He thought it looked good.
Every time a Xuanwu Camp soldier gave birth to a child, he would give something as a gift.
Everything is different. This time it is this small wooden hairpin given to A Tian’s child.
But he can no longer send it out.
This night.
The mighty General Xuanwu of the Tang Dynasty, known as the shield of the empire, died.
Before he died, he had no complaints. This was his fate on the battlefield. He had been prepared to die since he entered the battlefield.
After several years of fighting with His Highness the King of Chu, he had witnessed many miracles in His Highness, and he was already very satisfied.
And tonight,
He knew that he was certain to die. Before he died, he was still a little scared, fearing that his soldiers would lose their minds and die. He hoped that his words could make this fool who was helpless and made mistakes cherish his hard-won victory. life.
Perhaps, at this moment, he is rejoicing. There is no war in the Tang Dynasty, so his defense of the city is useless. Life is no more precious than that of his men. It is a good thing that he can save the whole family of some idiot with his own insignificant death. .
As for him, he has no real family for a long time. The King of Chu and his soldiers are his new family.
Family members, on the other hand, will never really blame another family member for making a mistake.
This is General Xuanwu's view of his family.
Let’s take a closer look at his magnificent yet short life.
He prevented all enemy attacks and was a well-deserved shield of the empire.
But this time he couldn't prevent it. The only time he couldn't prevent it was the end of his life.
What cannot be guarded against is the human heart.
…………
In this dilapidated village, no one came to look for General Xuanwu for so long. It was not that they were stupid, but the enemy's offensive was too fast. The killings had already begun before the Xuanwu battalion commanders returned to their teams.
The Xuanwu Guards were leaderless, and the enemy had been ambushing them for a long time.
Their defeat became inevitable.
Half an hour later.
The sound of killing gradually stopped.
It’s because they are dead, they are all dead.
Xuanwu Camp was recruiting 3,000 Xuanwu Guards, and all of them died except for the one person who accompanied General Xuanwu.
The order the Tang army received was to annihilate, and the Xuanwu Guards' faith in General Xuanwu and His Highness would not let them choose to surrender.
Xuanwu Camp, all died in battle!
"Da da da……."
In the sea of blood on the mountain of corpses, the Tang army commander kept riding towards General Xuanwu's location.
He is, Li Junxian!
Li Junxian, who was originally the commander of Li Shimin's bodyguard! !
Li Junxian had never been a general for a day before, but tonight he was able to lead an army.
In dealing with the King of Chu, Li Shimin had no one to use and could only use Li Junxian.
really.
There were no generals in the Tang Dynasty, and Jun Xian was the vanguard.
Next to Li Junxian was Changsun Wuji, who was also riding a horse but was spotless.
He provided the intelligence today. Even so, a civil servant came over because he wanted to see the end of the Imperial Shield.
While the two were riding away, someone came out of the room where General Xuanwu was originally.
I saw the man wearing Xuanwu armor, with disheveled hair and dull eyes. He kept walking out as if he was drunk, and whispered something that only he could hear.
The words he read were, "I am guilty."
Repeat this sentence over and over again.
And in his hand, there was a human head.
That!
Astonishingly, he was General Xuanwu, who had served as the shield of the empire and had never been breached by the enemy in his entire campaign!
When he saw that familiar head, Changsun Wuji's eyes were as bright as day.
