Chen Mu, the capital of the Western Regions, was the supreme commander of the Han Dynasty stationed in the Western Regions, commanding 1,500 troops and stationed in the Yanqi Kingdom in the northern part of the basin. Compared with Geng Gong and Guan Chong, he not only has great power, but also has a large number of troops, and is also well-equipped. Other material supplies, because of their important status, will be satisfied first.

From any point of view, to confront the Xiongnu, the conditions of the capital protectorate are better. Who would have thought that it only took half a month for King Zuolu to take off the plaque of the Duhu Mansion from the front of the gate, smash it, throw it into the fire, and burn it to the point that only a handful of ashes remained. Du Hu Chen Mu and his 1,500 soldiers, plus the families of more than 100 officers who accompanied the army, the end was also very tragic, all of them died under the sword of the Xiongnu, and even the children who were not yet full moon were spared. King Zuolu Li vented his disappointment in Shule City and Liuzhong City on the slaughter of the capital protectorate.

The tragedy happened so quickly and so badly, it can't be said that Chen Mu and his soldiers were not brave enough. Although the incident happened suddenly, Chen Mu took the lead and personally hacked more than 20 Huns to death. Every soldier fought to the point of being scarred and had only his last breath left.

If you want to talk about the root cause, the main reason is that Chen Mu is not fully prepared, and Yanqi does not have a solid city. The low earthen walls around the garrison allowed the Huns' war horses to fly over, and in the case of a surprise attack, Chen Mu's troops could hold out for fifteen days, which was already a miracle. In order to ensure the final victory, King Zuoluli also united the armies of the Qiuci Kingdom and the Yanqi Kingdom. These two countries have always maintained close relations with the Xiongnu.

Ban Chao envoys to the Western Regions persuaded most of the small countries to submit to the Han Dynasty, but only the Qiuci Kingdom and the Yanqi Kingdom have refused to agree. Or he agreed in person, but behind his back, he played tricks against the Han Dynasty, and continued to make things difficult and hunt down the merchants of the Han Dynasty. Ban Chao had united with other small countries to conquer Qiuzi by force, but he still failed to fully achieve his goal. With dissent, betrayal can happen at any time.

As soon as the army of King Zuolu Li arrived, these countries immediately turned against the Han Dynasty and became the right-hand men who attacked and killed the capital protectorate. The attack from several sides also made it difficult for Chen Mu to parry. After destroying the army of Duhufu and Chen Mu, the Xiongnu's troubles were eliminated. King Zuo Luli thought that the great work was basically completed, and he could proudly announce to the world that the Western Regions had returned to the hands of the Northern Xiongnu.

As for the two Han armies of Guan Pet and Geng Gong, at this time, in the eyes of King Zuo Luli, they are the last two dishes in a big feast, which can satisfy his appetite and enjoy himself. Since you can eat it in your stomach in the morning and evening, there is no need to worry.

In August of the eighteenth year of Yongping, the spy of the king of Zuo Lu Li in the Han realm sent back the news that Emperor Liu Zhuang of the Han Ming Dynasty died in July, the king of Zuo Lu Li was overjoyed, and the king of Zuo Lu Li also put on a banquet for this matter, and celebrated it well. From Wang Mang to Emperor Guangwu, they did not dare to use force on such a large scale, but when they came to him, they boldly launched a war against the Xiongnu in the Western Regions. Do you think his death could not please the Huns?

They believed that this was the punishment of the god of heaven and earth to Emperor Ming of Han. The great wizard Shen Zhi said that this was the result of a spell he had cast, and begged the king of Zuolu to give him a reward. King Zuolu Li rewarded him with a piece of silver and a woman, and asked him to continue to play the role of curses, and to make more curses on the Han army in Shule City, so that the gods would not help them anymore.

In the past few months, the small Shule City has not been able to take it, and King Zuo Luli thinks that the main reason is that the Heavenly God Elder helps Geng Gong at a critical time. King Zuo Luli also knew that such an important news would definitely not reach Shule City now, and he wanted to tell him personally, so that the defenders in the city would despair and lose the will to fight. He wasn't wrong, Geng Gong really didn't know now, he was still looking forward to Fan Qiang moving back to save the troops, and looking forward to the emperor quickly issuing an edict to send troops.

So, King Zuolu Li left 10,000 troops in Yanqi, and let one of his capable generals lead him to play with Guan Pet in Liuzhong City, and he took his remaining 20,000 troops, once again through the ancient road of Cheshi, and returned to Shule City, he decided to personally deal with Shule City and the general Geng Gong who defended the city.

The Han Empire's response measures this time are indeed strange compared to the past, and the response is too slow. If Liu Zhuang can go to the court to govern the government, it is very likely that when the early spring incident in the Western Regions has just shown signs of a counterattack by the Northern Xiongnu, the imperial court will make arrangements, and it is a big deal to let Dou Gu's army kill the horse gun, then there will be no Geng Gong's Tuntian troops who have suffered heavy losses in the past few months and have been defending Shule City. Taking a step back, Liu Zhuang did not die, cured his illness, sat in the Jinluan Palace, and accepted the recitals of the ministers, so the report of the Taishou of Liangzhou and the recital of Geng Bing, the commander of the horses, would attract his attention.

You must know that the Emperor Ming of the Han Dynasty launched two large-scale wars against the Xiongnu before and after, and won the victory, this is his greatest political achievement, this emperor can not easily throw away the fruits of his victory, he will definitely send troops immediately, and if he doesn't do well, he will personally summon Fan Qiang to ask about the war in the Western Regions. Then at most, in October, when the autumn wind is getting cooler, the Han Dynasty army will sweep the north and south of the Tianshan Mountains. Liu Zhuang happened to die at this time, and there was no one who could make a decision on this matter. 100,000 is urgent, and it has become indefinite.

Fan Qiang, who returned to Dunhuang, heard the bad news of Liu Zhuang's death and almost fainted, not because he was too sad, but because he was too anxious. There is no way not to worry, the situation in Shule City, only he knows, if the army arrives late, God knows what will happen. Geng Gong put all his hopes on him, but he didn't make any progress here.

Fan Qiang ran to Jiuquan again to beg Geng Bing to send troops to rescue the Western Regions, but the captain refused at that time. Geng Bing said helplessly, he has no way at all now, there is no problem in mobilizing a small number of troops out of the fortress at ordinary times, now is the state funeral period, a very sensitive time, anyone without the emperor's will to move the army without permission is equivalent to rebellion. Geng Bing is also true, now is the time for the change of power, the court lieutenant is very strict with the control of the border army, especially the generals stationed in various places are the key objects of the imperial court's prevention, no one dares to touch this mildew at this time, once there is a problem or the new emperor's misunderstanding, it is a big crime of the nine clans!

Now that the whole country is busy holding a state funeral for the emperor, it is impossible for anyone to take care of this. No matter how soon it is, it will have to wait for the crown prince Liu Wei to officially succeed to the throne, and there may be a result. Fan Qiang asked how long the state funeral would take, and Geng Bing said that it would take at least two months, and the state funeral would not be sent so soon. The implication is that even if the new emperor succeeds to the throne, it is impossible to come up with a charter so quickly for the sake of stabilizing the country.

Hearing this reply, Fan Qiang suddenly burst into tears, sighed and said, "Oh my God, how can it take so long?" I'm going to Beijing to see the new emperor......"

At the same time, the people in Shule City did not know about this, so the king of Zuo Lu Li sent someone to shout to the city of Shule, and the messenger of the king of Zuo Lu Li shouted under the city: "The Han army in the city has heard clearly, your emperor has died a month ago, and the Han Dynasty has been in chaos." How could your emperor die at such a young age? It is because he started the war and sent you to run so far and everywhere to kill people and set fires, and offended the gods. It was the anger of the gods that made him lose his life, even your emperor is like this, what are you people still doing here! It's a waste of death, so it's better to surrender quickly! Our king Zuoluli said, as long as you surrender, hand over Shule City, promise not to kill you, give you back the silver, let you go home, and go to reunite with your relatives. ”

The envoy of the Huns was afraid that the people in Shule City would not believe him, so he also shot into the city with an arrow a notice from the Han court on the provisions of the emperor's funeral, and after getting this notice, the soldiers immediately handed it over to Geng Gong. Geng Gong first heard the shouts of the Huns, but he didn't take it seriously, thinking that it was their psychological tactics that used this way to break the fighting spirit of the soldiers.

After seeing that notice, Geng Gong had to believe that Emperor Han Ming was really dead. Thinking about this, Geng Gong also understood why they couldn't wait for the imperial army to come to the rescue. You must know that the imperial court has a special intelligence agency, and Emperor Liu Zhuang should always keep abreast of the changes in the Western Regions. At that time, the emperor must have been seriously ill and dying in bed, how could he still take care of the affairs of the Western Regions at this time? Why did Emperor Ming of the Han Dynasty leave at this time? Emperor Ming of the Han Dynasty has been politically harmonious and prosperous over the years, and the people of the whole country have supported and loved him, and his death is indeed a sad thing for every Han Dynasty person. It's just that for Geng Gong and his soldiers, in addition to sadness, there is a heavier blow.

King Zuo Lu Li felt that his luck during this period was really good. He knew what this blow was, so he sent someone to spread the news of Emperor Ming's death into Shule City. This guy knows a little about the affairs of the Han court, and knows how much the death of an emperor has on a country. Once a son of heaven and a courtier, once he becomes an emperor and dominates the world. The death of an emperor means that a new emperor is about to appear, and such moments are often a turning point in history. Even if everything is smooth and there is not much political turmoil, it will take about three months for the old and the new to alternate.

For others, three months is not a long time, but for Shule City, for Geng Gong and his soldiers, three months is a terrible number. Because they are facing an enemy a hundred times their size, and there is not much food left. So these three months, for this country, are just the alternation of the throne; For them, it's a matter of life and death.

There is another factor that cannot be determined, which also makes Geng Gong dare not reveal it, because he knows that even if they survive three months and the new emperor is in place, it is not certain whether he is willing to send troops to the Western Regions. In general, new incumbents are reluctant to continue their work. They wanted to implement their own statecraft in order to establish new authority and merit.

Geng Gong's brows furrowed, in the past few months, an important reason why the soldiers under his command have been able to hold on is because of hope. It is believed that it will not be long before the army will come to the rescue. Now, rescue seems impossible, and even if it is possible, it is not known which day it will be. Once this is understood, it is a question of whether there will be faith and whether the will will will be shaken.

They are all old and old, and they all understand what they are fighting for, strength is one aspect, and more important is the morale of the army. The spirit of the army cannot be chaotic, and the spirit of the army cannot be dispersed. Once it is chaotic and scattered, it will be over, and it will be a complete failure. Sure enough, in the open space in the city, a large group of soldiers were excitedly discussing something. Outside the city, you can still faintly hear the shouts of the Huns, saying that the emperor of the Han Dynasty is dead, and if you want to surrender if you don't want to die.

At this time, when they saw Geng Gong coming over, everyone didn't speak, they all looked at him.

Geng Gong said: "Brothers, I know what everyone is thinking at this moment. Yes, we all have parents, wives and children, and we all don't want to die, we all want to live. But since we joined the army and left our hometown and came to the Western Regions, in fact, everyone is ready to die. Without this preparation, it will not work, and if you want to fight, you may die. In the past two years, we have experienced too many deaths, and how many of the brothers who came out together have died. In the past six months alone, more than 500 of our more than 800 people have taken the first step, and we are fortunate to be alive. As long as you live, there is hope, and you may return to your hometown and relatives. But there is a premise here, there is a condition, that is, the task must be completed first. “

Speaking of this, Geng Gong paused and asked everyone to digest the previous information. Only then did he continue: "So, what is our task? To put it in Dali, it is to reclaim the land, that is, to guard the frontier for the country. Specifically, it is to let Shule City not be lost, and let the banner of the Han army always fly in the Western Regions. Someone said that the emperor is gone, and no one cares about us anymore. But have you ever thought about it, my Han Dynasty is still there, the country is still there, and the new emperor will take office soon. Nothing will change, the Han Empire is still so big and strong, and the Western Regions will still be in our hands. “

Seeing that all the soldiers were lost in thought, Geng Gong said frankly: "Yes, I don't deny that the situation is critical now, and at this stage, we are indeed in big trouble. The imperial court is busy changing the old and the new, and it can't take care of us for a while. The Huns are pressed so hard, and if they go on like this, the possibility of death is greater than that of life, does this mean that there are better choices? Okay, you can go out and kneel down to the Huns and beg for mercy, and you may not die. But how does this work? To be looked down upon, to be humiliated, to be teased like dogs, to be slaves to them, not to be free, to be cows and horses. Would such a life be better than death? “

"The brother said just now: Okay, I don't surrender, I plan to secretly escape in the middle of the night like a thief, it's not impossible, on the other side of the cliff, put a long rope down, you can escape. It's just that the Huns are not stupid, they have already set up ambushes, and nine times out of ten they will be taken prisoner or killed directly. It is also death, which is different from the death of the brothers in front of me. You died when you fled, and you weren't even a martyr. Take a step back, you are lucky, you escaped, fled back to Liangzhou, fled back to Luoyang, fled home. What do you say when you see your loved ones? fought for the country, not to mention meritorious service, and became a deserter. “

"Deserters are punished by military law for defection. The government will arrest you, your family will also be affected by you, and your relatives will feel that you are sorry for your ancestors and have lost the face of your ancestors. Neighbors, as well as friends, will also think that you are unfaithful and do not look like a man. At that time, even though you were still alive, what was the point of living? People will die sooner or later, but the way of death is different. The way of death is different, and after death, the treatment will be different. The geese have left a voice, and the people have left a name. What is the name, is it like dung, like soot, like withered grass, when the wind blows, it will be gone, or is it engraved on the bluestone, passed down from generation to generation and cannot be forgotten? That's all I want to say, let's think about it. ”

Everyone present listened attentively, and at the same time, they were also thinking in their hearts, it was the first time they had heard Geng Gong say so many things after they had been out to fight with Geng Gong for so long.

Geng Gong pondered his words for a moment, and then spoke: "Brothers! It is said that when you become a soldier, you have no choice, and it is your duty to obey orders. Knowing that there is a knife mountain in front of you, you have to climb up; Knowing that there is a sea of fire below, you have to jump down. Any grievances, complaints, and arguments that shake the morale of the military will be dealt with severely. I can whip you with a whip and even cut off your head with a knife. But we have fought together for so long, and we are all good brothers. Therefore, I don't want to do this, you have followed me, and have been guarding the city of Shule for so many days. Everyone can be said to have worked hard and made great achievements, and they are all worthy of the imperial court and the honor of being a soldier. So, I now assure you that if you want to surrender, I will not punish you; If you want to leave, I will not stop you, and I wish you good luck. But at this time, I also want to tell you that I have made up my mind, I will not get the order of the imperial court to retreat for a day, I will not retreat half a step for a day, and as long as I am alive, I will always be with the military flag and coexist with the city until the last drop of blood of my life is drained. ”

After saying that, Geng Gong turned around and was about to leave, when all the soldiers stood up and saluted him. They raised a voice: "General, we are with you, coexisting with the city of Shule!" ”

The sound was like thunder, echoing through the city of Shule. Geng Gong turned around slowly, his eyes full of tears. His gaze slowly swept over the soldiers' faces. He drew the matching sword from his waist, the tip pointing upwards and pointing at the vast sky. Geng Gong swore an oath: "The heavens will testify to our unbridled loyalty to the imperial court, and we will let the heroic words of our predecessors be passed on from generation to generation." Those who commit me as a strong man will be punished even if they are far away! ”

The soldiers shouted: "Whoever commits my strong man, even if he is far away, will be punished!" ”

The oath of the warriors echoed in the city of Shule, and the sound of the wave once again crossed the high city walls and rushed in all directions, instantly engulfing the hoarse shouts of the Huns. The shouts of the Han army were so loud that even the king of Zuo Lu Li, who was sitting in the military tent in the distance, heard it. After hearing the oath shouted by the Han army clearly, King Zuo Luli threw the wine glass to the ground.

He yelled at Xu Bu beside him, "Geng Gong, is this crazy? There are really people in the world who don't shed tears when they see the coffin! At this time, he still refuses to accept a little softness, and with this little person, he still wants to fight with this king. Did he really think of himself as a god of war? ”

"Da Danyu, let me take someone to attack it!" Xu Bu knelt on one knee, hugged his fists and said: "As far as I know during this time, there are now more than 300 people in Shule City, excluding the wounded, as well as those who cook and feed the horses, and there are more than 200 people who can really fight. As long as we intensify our attack, it won't take more than a few times for them to exhaust all their forces. Please give it an order! The subordinates will definitely be able to take it down! ”

King Zuo Luli thought for a while, shook his head and said, "Xu Bu, you are a warrior, but you don't use your brain to think about problems. To tell the truth, in this situation, with our numerical superiority, we will definitely be able to take it down if we insist on attacking it at any cost. But is it necessary? Think about it, we have destroyed the Western Regions Protectorate of the Han Dynasty, and killed the Protector surnamed Chen, and the Western Regions will no longer belong to the Han Dynasty. Isn't it worth sacrificing hundreds of our men and horses after the victory? Besides, I've found out that these people are not afraid of death, and they may be hoping that we will attack so that they can sacrifice themselves for their country and become great heroes! Say, "Can we accomplish what the enemy does?" ”

Su Bu scratched his head and asked, "What does Da Shan Yu mean?" ”

"Humph! We consume them. King Zuo Luli gritted his teeth and said hatefully, "They want to die happily, but they don't give them a chance, they want to be heroes, so let them not be heroes." We have to torture them slowly, make them worse than dead, break them mentally and willfully, and bring them to their knees. I don't believe it, these Han people are not people, but gods, they have no seven emotions and six desires, and they don't eat the fireworks of the world. Especially the one named Geng Gong, I want to see if he is strong or I am strong. Not only will I not kill him, but I will invite him into my military tent, give him good wine to drink, make him one of my hunting dogs, serve me, and make him the king of Jiankun like Li Ling. ”

"Big order is wise!" Subu said admiringly.

"I think they've had almost enough food after so long. When the water is cut off, they can dig wells. Without food, they can't dig out of the ground, so let hunger take care of them and see what they do. Zuo Lu Li Wang said with a cruel smile.

Xu Bu patted his chest and promised: "Da Danyu, don't worry!" I will keep it tightly sealed and not let a grain of grain enter the city. ”

King Zuo Luli added: "By the way, there will be more ambush points, if they are hungry, they will run out to find food." As long as they run out to find food, they will kill one and kill the other, so that they will not dare to run out. They were forced to either surrender or starve to death. ”

After saying that, the two of them laughed.

At this moment, King Zuo Luli thought that he had won the battle, and Geng Gong also made up his mind to live and die with Shule City. Neither of the two sides of the confrontation expected that Li Tong led 600 iron horsemen, went through hardships and hardships to climb over the Tianshan Mountains, and had already approached Shule City.

His troops were now hiding in a valley in the Tien Shan Mountains thirty miles away, waiting for the moment when the fighters appeared. Because the gap between the forces of the enemy and us was too large, Li Tong did not act recklessly, because he knew that under the current situation, only by winning by surprise could he turn the tide of the war in the Western Regions. At present, the best way is to capture the thief and capture the king first, knock out the command center of the Huns, and plunge the Huns into chaos. And the king of the left deer is his prey.

Along the way, in order to conceal their whereabouts, Li Tong led the troops not to take the post road and the trade road, they carefully avoided the Hun sentry horse, escaped into the Tianshan Mountains, bypassed the enemy's blockade, and looked for the road to Shule City, more than 2,000 miles of mountain roads, they walked for more than 40 days, and lost a lot of men and horses, and finally approached Shule City. Li Tong showed great patience, he knew in his heart that there was a huge disparity in the strength of the enemy and us, and he knew that there was only one chance. All he has to do now is wait patiently. Waiting for a night with high wind and dark moon, a fatal blow to the 20,000 Huns outside Shule City!

(To be continued)