This is not to say that these soldiers are cowards. If the same group of soldiers know that the front army is still intact, that they are not fighting alone, and that their resistance is meaningful, they will be able to fight to the death and resist the siege of the enemy several times that of their own. . This is human nature, which can cause fear, despair, cowardice, and retreat; but if there is hope of life, it can also explode with a hundred times more strength and be so brave that even he himself cannot believe it.
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Dafeiling Tang military camp.
Wang Zhaotang opened his eyes.
There was a howl in the darkness, faint and distant, but unmistakable—it was the howl of wolves. Their voices rose and fell like a melancholy and lonely song, making him unable to sleep. It was not that Wang Zhaotang had never heard howling wolves, but the howling at this time gave him a particularly ominous premonition, as if some disaster was about to happen. Finally, he decided to go on a tour of the camp. Wang Zhaotang climbed up from the grass bunk, put on his cloak, and walked out of the tent.
As we got closer and closer to the barrier, the surrounding area became empty. Like all ancient peoples who were proficient in war, the Tang army's camps also had certain rules - an open space was reserved between the fortress and the camping area, so as to avoid being hit by various projectiles launched by foreign enemies when being besieged. Plenty of room to maneuver soldiers. As Wang Zhaotang walked through the open space, he heard the sharp sound of the night wind blowing through the cracks in the stone walls, like a ghost's whistle. He felt a little chilly and couldn't help but tighten his cloak.
"Who's the password?" Someone shouted in the night.
"Feng Yi Fufeng!" Wang Zhaotang responded loudly: "It's me, Wang Zhaotang!"
"Wang Sima?" The sentry's voice was a little strange, and he was obviously infected with the cold: "What are you -"
"I can't sleep at night, so I came out to patrol the camp!" Wang Zhaotang came closer. The sentry tried his best to wrap his cloak tightly and pull up his hood to fight the cold wind. Wang Zhaotang couldn't see his face and felt that he was motionless. Bucket: "How's it going? Can you still stand it?"
"I can endure it!" the sentry puffed up his chest: "Goguryeo, Liaodong, and Tiele have all been defeated, and we have survived no matter how difficult it is. But -" His voice suddenly dropped: "Maybe it's because of his age. , I really feel different this time. After walking a few steps, I feel out of breath and feel weak, unable to move my legs. Hey, after this battle, I will probably be buried when I go back!"
At this time, Wang Zhaotang could already clearly see the spots of white under the sentry's hood, as well as the ravaged face. He patted the other person's shoulder: "It's not just you, I also feel out of breath and guilty. It's a problem of the place, not the people." As long as you return to Longyou, you will be fine!"
"Then, why are those Tubo people okay?"
"The soil and water support the people. They have grown up here since they were young and have long been used to it. Even if you ask them to go to Chang'an or Luoyang, they can't stand it!" Wang Zhaotang said with a smile.
"If that's the case, how can we fight Luosuo?" As soon as the words came out, the sentry realized that he had said the wrong thing, and quickly apologized to Wang Zhaotang. Wang Zhaotang held his arm, stopped him from kneeling, and patted him Shoulder: "This is not something you and I should worry about. Stand guard and collect revenue well. This is what you and I should do!"
To comfort the sentry, a burning torch was inserted into the stone crevice of the barrier. When the wind blew, it flew with it, emitting white and orange light. Wang Zhaotang ducked through the passage between the walls and took it off easily. He walked slowly, letting the torch illuminate the path under his feet. Sound and light died behind. In the dark night, uneven ground, and dangerous prairie dog holes, just a moment of negligence can break your knees...or even your neck. What the hell am I doing up so late at night? he asked himself, observing the path.
The woods are in the valley below, like warriors equipped with hard skins and leaves, silently lining up, waiting for the order to attack the Tang army's camp. Their bodies were pitch black...Only when the firelight swept across the branches, Wang Zhaotang caught a glimpse of green shadows. Faintly, he heard the sound of gurgling water among the rocks. It seemed that the spring was not far from here. The location of the reservoir might be a little too close to the barrier. Once besieged, the soldiers fetching water might be attacked. Arrows shot from outside threatened to build an arrow shelter next to the barrier near the reservoir tomorrow, Wang Zhaotang thought while listening to the sound of water and walking along the barrier.
After walking about two-thirds of the way through the fortress, Wang Zhaotang was thinking about whether to go back to his tent and continue sleeping. A sound of quarrel attracted his attention. He picked up the torch and walked towards the place where the sound came from. Finally he saw that he was approaching the west gate of the fortress. In the place where the sentry was talking to several people outside the camp.
"What's going on? Who is it?" Wang Zhaotang asked loudly.
"Wang Sima, it's you!" The sentry turned around in surprise. With the help of the firelight, he recognized Wang Zhaotang: "These guys outside said that General Manager Guo was defeated and they escaped!" At the end of the sentence, he seemed to be saying Seeking affirmation - Wang Sima? These guys are deserters, right? With so many soldiers in charge, how could Mr. Guo be defeated so easily?
how could I know? I'm stuck here just like you and don't know anything!
Wang Zhaotang groaned in despair, but on the surface he just nodded majestically and made a gesture to let them in. Seeing this, the sentry suddenly became confident and shouted outside the barrier: "Cowards, come in and wait for the whip!"
Wang Zhaotang looked at the three people in front of him. They were all thin and gaunt, about the same height as him. Their hands and feet were tied tightly behind their backs, waiting to be released. Their clothes were ragged, with rips left by thorns everywhere. It was with great difficulty that they were able to identify that the clothes were originally the short round-neck robes worn by soldiers of the Tang Army inside their armor. There were frostbites and scars everywhere on their faces, hands and feet, and they exuded a disgusting smell. odor.
"Wang Sima, do you want to take these guys aside and wash them off first?" the sentry covered his nose and asked: "The animals carrying luggage smell better than them!"
"You think we stink?" A tied up guy sneered: "Then you'd better get used to it first, otherwise when the Tibetans come over in a few days, you will die quickly when you escape!"
"Fart!" the sentry was furious when he heard this: "I came here to conquer the Tibetan dogs under the order of the emperor, but it's not like you who were scared out of your wits and became like this!"
"Yes, we were scared out of our wits by the Tubo people!" Another tied man sneered: "But after all, we fought with the Tubo people, shed blood, and lost our nerves. , unlike you who are hiding in the camp, comfortably, and have never even seen the faces of the Tibetan people, but are laughing at us poor people who have fought desperately!"
"That's enough, shut up!" Wang Zhaotang shouted, interrupting the quarrel: "Untie these guys, eat something, wash and change into clean clothes, and then send them to my tent!" Then! He walked towards his tent without looking back.
Back in the tent, Wang Zhaotang poured himself a glass of wine and drank it in one gulp. Only then did he notice that his right hand holding the cup was shaking violently. Yes, those guys didn't lie. Guo Daifeng was defeated. Or worse, the former army led by General Xue is already finished at this time. He is the only large-scale imperial armed force within a thousand miles. The Tubo people are encircling here, and there are only a few thousand in the camp. A sick and weak soldier with nothing else.
Why is this happening? For a moment, Wang Zhaotang almost hated why he asked to stay in Dafeiling in the first place. If he had followed Guo Daifeng on the expedition, he would have died in some grass or valley by now. At least he would not have to face all this. As a warrior, it is not difficult to stand up and die. What is difficult is to survive and bring more people to survive.
Wang Zhaotang picked up the jug with trembling hands, filled the cup he had just finished, and poured it into his mouth. The burning and irritation in his throat made him feel better. He looked at the jug with nostalgia. He looked like I drank a few more drinks until I fell asleep. Unfortunately, I was not so lucky. Wang Zhaotang couldn't help but shake his head and sigh.
When the men were sent into the tent, they already looked a bit human. Wang Zhaotang asked them a few questions. When he was able to confirm that they were indeed soldiers of the Tang Army and not agents sent by the Tubo people, he asked in a deep voice : "Tell me, how did the Tubo people defeat you!"
No one spoke at first, but after a while, a man with a scar on his face said coldly: "It's not so much the Tubo people who defeated us, it's better to say that Manager Guo defeated us!"
"Manager Guo? You mean Guo Daifeng?"
"Who else besides him?" Another man snorted coldly: "Except for the camp, go west, the higher you go, the narrower the road. There are stone mountains on both sides, and you can't see the top of the mountain at a glance. There is a lot of luggage, that Guo Daifeng also urged him hard. Within a few days, the queue stretched for more than 20 miles. When a school captain tried to persuade him, he got angry and demanded marching rules. He said that the brothers who were lagging behind were deliberately delaying and causing delay. A military plane! The conscience of heaven and earth, this place is dizzy without doing anything, how can it be so fast? Not everyone has a horse like him - "
"Okay, stop talking!" Wang Zhaotang interrupted the other party's complaint. He had already guessed the general situation: "Then when did the Tubo people attack you, and what was the situation like at that time?"
"That happened five days ago!" said the scar-faced man: "I remember it started to rain in the afternoon that day, and then it turned into hail. The weather here was so horrible. Guo Daifeng had to order everyone to The army stopped to rest, and we were already very tired, so we all lay down to rest——"
"Wait a minute, you didn't build a fort? Did you dig a trench? Place pickets?" Wang Zhaotang asked.
"No!" The fire shone on the man's face, with a sarcastic expression: "There are rocks everywhere, how can we dig trenches? Even if there is room to dig, we don't have the strength. We will be exhausted just by marching!"
"Okay!" Wang Zhaotang shook his head: "Then what? What happened next?"
"Then?" The man laughed: "In the evening, we heard that the camp in front was attacked by the Tubo people, but no one took it seriously. Since leaving Dafeiling, the attacks by the Tubo people have not stopped. There were only a few people each time, so no one took it seriously! A few of us lay under the donkey cart, and at least there was a dry place there. Because I was so tired, I fell asleep without waiting for dinner, and what happened next What's going on? You should know better, right?" He asked another person next to him.
"Well, the captain of our battalion was ordered to lead five hundred men to deal with the attackers. He went out and never came back. I think he must have fallen into a trap!" The man shrugged: "The Tubo people regarded our battalion as a breach, so they used this method to weaken our battalion first, and then attack!”
"You mean the Tibetans attacked you at night?" Wang Zhaotang asked.
"Yes, it's a night attack!" The respondent's face was full of boredom: "The forward was led by a captain wearing a lion-like helmet. He chopped down our sentries and cleared the surrounding obstacles to facilitate the attack of the large group behind. Waiting for us When we woke up, the opposing cavalry had already rushed into the camp with swords and torches. I was sleeping under the donkey cart, heard the fighting, and saw the tent on fire. Fortunately, we survived our sleep and got up from the ground, otherwise we would have been burned by the wheels. It was crushed into two pieces.”
"You don't have a commander?" Wang Zhaotang asked: "Even if the captain leads the troops out, what about Sima? Where about Yu Hou? Isn't there anyone who can step forward?"
"It's useless!" The respondent smiled bitterly and shook his head: "It was such a mess and all kinds of sounds filled my ears. Even if someone stood up, I couldn't hear anything. Really, you don't understand the situation at that time. Really, you don't understand the situation at that time. I don’t understand!”
"What about Manager Guo? He didn't do anything?" Wang Zhaotang asked with the last glimmer of hope.
"Guo Daifeng?" The scar-faced man laughed: "Maybe he did something? But I really heard nothing and saw nothing! At that time, there was only one thought in our minds, that Just how to save your own life!”
"Shut up!" Wang Zhaotang's patience finally reached its limit: "Have you forgotten who you are? Are you soldiers of Longyou Town in the Tang Dynasty? You should be thinking about how to defeat the Tubo people, not how to save your lives!"
The scar-faced man was not intimidated. He laughed: "Wang Sima, you don't understand the situation at that time! Really, we didn't even know where the Tubo people were at that time, how could we fight them? There were people everywhere. You can’t tell whether it’s the Tubo people or our own people. People are coming like a tide. You will either be trampled to death or drift with the crowd. Do you think we ran away because we were afraid of death? What a joke!”
Wang Zhaotang opened his mouth but said nothing. Beads of sweat oozed from his forehead and slid down his cheeks. He knew he must look funny, but he really didn't know what to say now.
Another man looked at Wang Zhaotang with pity and whispered: "Wang Sima, no matter how you deal with us in the end, we are very grateful for letting us eat well and change into new clothes. I will give you a word, the defeat will be like a mountain." , everything is over, take the remaining brothers and run away! Save every extra one, by the time the Tibetans come around, it will be too late!"
Thank you book friend Long Zhan Yuye, please live well,
(End of chapter)
