A child cried, and his mother immediately blocked his mouth with her nipple. In the dead silence, only the gurgling of the river not far away and the clatter of cows and horses' hooves could be heard. In the sky, the eagle spreads its wings, towering above all living things, looking down at the people, dogs, horses and cattle below.
Horse hooves kicked the gravel and the stones rolled down the slope. Gongren (Qinling's eldest son) saw a commotion in the crowd. Many people turned their heads and looked behind to confirm whether they were the forwards of the Tang army. The shepherd dogs roared in unison, and even Dogs can feel the panic of their owners. Father, where are you now? Haven’t you conquered the Western Regions yet? But have you forgotten that this is the fundamental place of our Gar family? You led the men to fight for an oasis town thousands of miles away, but left the women, children and pasture livestock to the Tang people for robbery. How could a man as smart as you, father, do such a stupid and ridiculous thing?
"It doesn't matter, my father's army has rushed back to Fuqi City and will soon cut off the Tang army's return route!" Gongren shouted loudly. The commotion in the crowd quickly calmed down, but this could not soothe his own fear. He walked through the crowd, trying his best to pretend to be calm, but there was an emptiness in his heart: there are more than 10,000 people here, more than 100,000 livestock of all kinds, but there are no more than 1,000 young people who can take up arms to fight. , no one knows what to do if the Tang people catch up? Maybe death is the only way out.
After a day of traveling, the Tubo people found a shallow rocky beach at the foot of an unknown mountain and camped on the spot. Although it was already May, it still started to snow. Yukihito sat by the fire and saw snowflakes falling over the bonfire and melting rapidly. Although he was wearing a rich fox fur cloak, sheepskin jacket and iron armor, he was still shivering from the cold. Maybe he was not cold, but afraid.
"A few Tuyuhun people in the rear team escaped with their horses!" An officer looked gloomy: "I suspect that they fled to the Tang people. Do you want to send someone to chase them back? If you ask them to tell them what's going on here, Tang people, that would be terrible!"
"Don't waste time!" Gongren sighed: "How many people have escaped already? Can they all be chased back? Besides, the Tang people are not blind. They can guess everything just by looking at the traces on the ground. !”
The officer snorted coldly. Just as Gongren said, it is impossible to cover up the footprints left by the actions of more than 100,000 livestock and more than 10,000 old and weak prisoners. As for the Tuyuhun people who ran away, since the Tang army passed through the Huanghe River Valley, there were so many Tuyuhun people who ran to join the Tang army. If they had to chase them all, they wouldn't have to do anything.
"You should seize the time and rest for a while!" Gongren patted the officer's shoulder and stood up: "I'm going to inspect the camp to see the situation!"
Yukihito walked through the camp to the edge, where there was a steep slope that led to a stream that ran down the hillside, the water reflecting the light of the campfire like stars in the night sky. Gongren walked to the stream, broke the thin ice on the water's edge, picked up a handful of stream water and drank it. The cold was biting, and he suddenly woke up.
When he returned to the camp, the scouts from the rear of the Tibetan people returned: they were all cavalry, wearing leather armor, with unkempt hair and sheepskin coats, like wild beasts. The leader was a fat man with dark skin, hanging from his waist. Armed with a long-handled melon-leaf hammer, he bowed to Gongren and said, "The forwards of the Tang people have arrived at Douco Lake!"
"So fast?" Gong Ren was surprised: "How could the Tang people be so fast? Didn't they divide their troops and go to Fuqi City?"
"I heard that after the Tang army arrived at Qinghai Lake, many Tuyuhun people defected to them. From the mouths of these bastards, the Tang people knew everything!" The scout leader replied angrily: "As for Fuqi City? I didn't listen. The news that the Tang people have divided their forces may seem to the generals of the Tang people that the most important thing right now is to find us first!"
Gongren sighed in annoyance. After Qinling took control of Qinghai, he placed his base in Fuqi City. This former Tuyuhun royal city is located on the west side of Qinghai Lake and is the hub of the eastern section of the Hehuang Valley Road. From here, along the northern edge of the Qaidam Basin and through the Dangjin Mountain Pass, you can enter the Western Regions. He originally thought that after the Tang people entered Qinghai, they would attack there first, but he did not expect that the Tang army would rush directly towards him. Did the Tang army really intend to pass through Huashi Gorge and then directly attack Luosuo? This is too crazy, right?
"Lang Jun!" the scout leader lowered his voice: "With the Tang Dynasty's marching speed, they will catch up with us at noon the day after tomorrow at the latest. It's impossible to fight like this. You have to make plans in advance!"
Yukihito didn't speak. He turned around and looked towards the camp. There were bonfires everywhere, dotted next to the bullock carts and carts. The Tubo people hastily set up countless tents with sheep felt, and some people built nests on big rocks or slept under cars. Jon saw several women polishing daggers by the fire; two other young men who looked to be only thirteen or fourteen years old stabbed each other with wooden spears and chased each other around the bonfire, shouting and shouting. He didn't know if they were playing or practicing. Martial arts; a dozen women sit in a circle and make shields out of rattan and cowhide.
Of course, not everyone in the camp is preparing for the upcoming battle. Two girls are dancing by the fire, next to a toddler, and the cattle and sheep are drinking water by the stream. Raise your head and make a sound.
"I can't leave them behind, otherwise they will die!" Yugihito whispered.
"Whether you stay or not, they will only die!" the scout whispered: "No one can defeat the Tang people's elite soldiers with these women and children. There are no walls, no pickets, and no trenches. If the Tang people's cavalry If you kill me now, it will immediately fall apart!"
"Then at least try your best to fight!" Gong Ren said: "I am the son of Qin Ling. If I run away without fighting, it will only bring shame to my family!"
The scout lowered his head. Since the matter involves the honor of the family, there is nothing to say. One's life and death are small matters, but the honor of the family is a big matter. The reputation of the Gar family must not be humiliated.
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In place, one day later.
"How far is it?" Ashina Daozhen asked.
The Turkic scout carefully observed the horse dung on the ground. He used a branch to push away the dry and hard surface of the dung, exposing the soft inside. He used the branch to test the softness and hardness, and then replied in a very positive tone: "Report to the Khan, the Tubo people Passed by here about a day ago!”
"One day ago?" Ashina Daozhen walked to a high place and looked into the distance. The stream was rushing down the valley. The sky was filled with snowflakes and mist. The Tubo people were hidden behind them, only one day away from them. , when he thought of this, he couldn't help but feel a little inexplicable.
"Come out, come out, or I'll shoot!"
A few stern scoldings attracted Ashina Daozhen's attention. He waved his hand and asked his attendants to find out what happened. It turned out that several Tuyuhun herdsmen were hiding in the crevices of the rocks and were discovered by the accompanying hounds. The cracks in the rocks barked. The accompanying Turkic soldiers discovered it immediately and drove out the Tuyuhun people.
"Bring them here, I want to ask them personally!" Ashina Daozhen said. In this rugged terrain, the roles of hunter and prey may be reversed at any time. Knowing more may save lives.
"Why are you hiding in the crevices of the rocks?"
"I heard that the Tang people have caught up with them. The team is full of women and children. They can't run fast at all. The only way to die is if they stay!"
"Oh, how many people, how many men, and how many livestock are there?"
"I don't know how many people and livestock there are, there are too many to count!" The Tuyuhun herdsman shook his head: "But there are very few men and women. Most of them are women, children and the elderly. There are only ten men and women who can take up arms. none!"
"Not even one among the ten people?" Ashina Daozhen laughed: "That's great. By the way, do you know who the leader of the Tubo people is?"
"It's Mr. Gong Renlang, the eldest son of the leader of Qinling!" replied the Tuyuhun herdsman.
"Oh? If you saw him, would you be able to recognize him?" Ashina Daozhen's eyes flashed sharply.
"Yes!" The Tuyuhun herdsman licked his lips: "He rode from the front to the back and then from the back to the front along the way, lest anyone fall behind! We all recognize him!"
"Great, bring three good horses!" Ashina said loudly: "You all come with me. As long as you can catch Qin Ling's eldest son, everyone will be rewarded with ten good horses!"
A thousand Turkic cavalry were immediately selected, and the Tuyuhun herdsmen received good horses and new cloaks. It was sewn from newly tanned sheepskin. According to the Turks' custom, the plush side was worn inside, which was enough to block the wind. Snow ensures a good warm sleep at night. Ashina Daozhen jumped on his horse and said loudly: "The Tubo people are only one day's journey away from us. There are countless cattle, sheep, horses, women and children in the procession, but there are no soldiers to protect them. This is a gift given to us by God. !”
The Turks on horseback cheered. Some even pulled out their steel knives and waved them above their heads. Sharp whistles echoed in the mountains. For these servants of the Tang Army, loot was their only reward. After the hard work of the long journey, the harvest is right in front of them. How can they not be overjoyed?
"The leader of the Tubo people is Gongren, the eldest son of Qinling. Anyone who captures him can come to me to receive a reward of five hundred bolts of silk!" Ashina Daozhen raised his voice: "The brave wolves on the grassland, The prey is right in front of you, don’t let them escape!”
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As we walked through Huashi Gorge, the wind gradually became lighter. Gongren patted his cloak and swept the snow off it. In front of him was the Xingxiu Sea. The terrain there was complicated. He could let the livestock and people disperse and hide in the countless wetlands and harbor branches, and then After some time, many reeds have grown up. Maybe some people will fall into the hands of the Tang people, but most people can escape. The Tang people don't have time to hide and seek with themselves here. Thinking of this, Yugihito felt that his shoulders relaxed a lot.
The sound of the horn interrupted Yumi's thoughts. The sound was very weak and sounded like a low whimper. He frowned and turned to look at the canyon he had just passed.
As time went by, the horn sound became louder, the ranks of the Tibetan people became commotion, and several teenagers hurried past carrying spears. Some horses neighed, some snorted, babies cried uneasily, and even the men became uneasy.
"The Tang people are catching up!" an officer whispered.
"No!" A veteran with scars on his face shook his head: "It's a vicious dog domesticated by Turks and Tang people!"
"Turks?" Gongren frowned.
"Not bad!" The veteran nodded. He took out the horn bow from his bow bag and began to string it. "Since the Turkic Khan was defeated by the Tang people forty years ago, the emperor of the Tang Dynasty married his daughter to The Turks were the Khans of the Turks, and the Turks were reduced to the dogs of the Tang people. Their noble warriors guarded the emperor of the Tang Dynasty. Whenever the Tang people went to war, the Turks would ride with the army, just like hunting dogs following their masters!"
"Run away!" The officer just now said to Gong Ren: "We can't win. The Turks are all cavalry. If we are late, it will be too late!"
"There's no need to worry! The Turks are different from the Tang army. They fight for trophies." The veteran had already wound up his armor. He smiled while arranging his armor: "There are too many things to plunder here, the Turks It’s too late to grab the loot, so how can you bother chasing people?”
Abandoning these people I'm supposed to protect and just running for my own life? Yugihito's mouth was filled with a bitter taste. He saw a chaos in the queue. A dozen young men climbing on barebacked horses waved their spears and tried their best to rush towards the direction where the horn sound came. There were even some behind them. They followed a few strong women carrying horned bows, but this only made the road crowded and chaotic.
"You bastards, where do you want to go?" Yugihito groaned in despair, and he roared loudly at the group of teenagers: "Go back to your family, don't you have eyes? The ranks have been disrupted by you! "
"We are going to fight the Tang people and protect our tribe!" the teenagers shouted.
"We're not all dead yet, so it's not your turn to beardless little guys!" Yumuhito scolded: "Go back to your mothers now and protect them and the children!" At this point, He turned to the officer: "Gather all the men, pick up weapons and gather at the mouth of the gorge. As for you!" He turned to the veteran with scars on his face: "Go tell the tribes to disperse immediately and go to the Xingxiu Sea. The shoals and wetlands are dangerous places that are difficult for the Tang people to reach. Soon my father will lead the army back!"
"Just leave this matter to a doll!" The veteran smiled nonchalantly: "Lang Jun, there should be a space next to you for me, right?"
"Okay!" Yugihito felt his throat was a little choked, and he forced himself to laugh: "My horse is fast, you must not fall behind when the time comes!"
Someone in the discussion forum asked me if I was a full-time writer. No, writing articles is a hobby for Weber, so updates are often irregular, sorry for that!
I regularly ask for subscriptions, rewards, and monthly passes. I’m under a lot of pressure lately to achieve results! If the results are not good, there will be no recommendation, and if there is no recommendation, the results will be even worse, a vicious circle.
(End of chapter)
