Chapter 950: Loss and Gain

Eastern Xinjiang

Red Flame City

This 600-year-old city is now unrecognizable, and once praised by countless poets as the most suitable place for seclusion and recuperation, this small city still has a little bit of its former charm, and some are only full of devastation. The gates, which were not heavy, were shattered, and the walls were full of pits, and the broken bricks were piled up on the ground, like a wild tomb.

Grand Duke Thurence's leather boots stepped on the rubble and walked into the city gate, and the sound of his feet sounding like he had broken a layer of bones. He didn't care about the sound, he cared about the rubble on the soles of his feet. He was an old man who seemed to be getting more and more critical about life.

There were quite a few corpses at the gates, and he chose to avoid them.

"Send someone to collect the body and find a place to bury it, remember to erect a monument according to the customs of the Han people."

He gave an order, and then saw several soldiers in the city in the distance chatting with the corpses of Han soldiers on their feet, and he was particularly excited. He frowned, pointed over and said, "Arrest those people, no one will give them thirty lashes and send them home." ”

One of his subordinate generals was stunned for a moment, obviously feeling that such a punishment was a bit too severe. In the Opru Empire, the honor of the military is inviolable. For a long time, the official of the empire has been guiding the people to respect a soldier, even if it is just an ordinary soldier, and there are many privileges in the empire. It took nearly a decade for the official empire to make all the people understand one thing, that is, there is nothing more honorable than an adult man joining the army.

Because of this, the soldiers who are repatriated to their home countries face not only the ridicule and cold eyes of others, but also the hurdle that they will never pass in their own hearts.

"They...... It's just too proud. ”

The general advised: "No one would have thought that such a small city would hold on for so long, and we would lose no less than five hundred soldiers outside this small city, and because of this, the soldiers may be a little annoyed in their hearts. ”

"That's not a reason."

Thurence shook his head: "How many places have the proud soldiers of the Empire conquered since the Empire's foreign troops were deployed?" If victory is carried away, defeat will follow. Have you all forgotten the teachings of Lyman the Great? Binger, tell me, what did Lyman the Great say about his attitude towards the corpses of his enemies? ”

The general named Bing immediately stood up straight and said: "Your Majesty once said that it is not the dignity of the dead who deprives him of his dignity by stepping on the corpse of his enemy, but of losing his identity. The bodies of the dead and the victors are equally honoured in the purest form and inviolable. If someone mistreated the corpses of the war dead, whether they were enemy or their own, then such a soldier was not worthy of the uniform of the Empire. ”

After he finished speaking, he glanced at Thurence and knew that he had no more words to continue persuading.

"I've said it many times, but apparently you still don't understand."

Thurence glanced at the broken walls, the crumbling houses, the corpses on the ground, and the Han people gathered together in the distance.

"The ...... of the Conquest It was never land. ”

……

……

"The Han people are really a very strange people."

Thurence stood respectfully, his head slightly bowed. As a duke with great achievements, there seems to be only one person in the Opru Empire who can make him so humble and proud. The Opru Empire was not built by this man, but it was definitely this man who made the empire great.

When Thurence was talking to Lyman the Great, he tried his best to make his voice clearer. He knew that Lyman the Great liked to use young generals, especially young generals with determination. Thurence knew that this was because there was a need for more directness and bloodiness on the battlefield, and more sharpness and courage were needed. That's why he's always so detailed.

He didn't want to let himself have a hoarse and old voice when he spoke to Lyman the Great, and he tried his best to make his voice as penetrating as a young man.

Penetration does not equal loudness, and of course, many young people do not understand this.

When it comes to the details, Thurence cares a little strangely.

There was always a large basin of water in his study, and he maintained this habit both during the campaign and at home. Not just the study, but everywhere he lives. When Lyman the Great summoned him, no matter how eager, he would immediately take a shower and use it as fast as he could.

His wife once did not understand why he was like this, and Thurence told his wife with some helplessness: "Whether you believe it or not, the older you get, the more you smell of decay." If Your Majesty can smell the smell of an old man in me, it will be tantamount to reminding him that I am old. ”

When people reach old age, their need for meat is actually very small, and they prefer lighter foods. But this is not the case with Thurence, although he also begins to hate meat, but he forces himself to eat some of it at every meal. Because he firmly believes that meat can keep people physically strong.

Sometimes even he wonders what he's afraid of.

Afraid of being deprecated?

With his merits, even if Lyman the Great no longer uses him, he will be rewarded with a beautiful home. When one day his youngest son, Jao, finally became a general and led his troops to defeat an enemy city, he heard his youngest son raise his arms and shout: "This is a great time!" ”

Yes, it was a great time.

The rise of an empire is bound to experience all kinds of magnificence.

He finally understood that what he was afraid of was not going home to retire, but that he was far away from this era, and that there were only flowers and plants left in his life and a group of equally old people curled up in chairs to play small cards that he didn't need to care too much about winning or losing. He wanted to associate his name with this great era, and when people mentioned the great Lyman the Great, they would not forget what another man named Thurence had done.

"What's strange?"

Lyman, who was sitting on a chair enjoying breakfast, asked casually, the seemingly ordinary four-legged square table in front of him was made of wood as precious as the chair he had made. Unlike some of his subordinates, who did not understand the luxury of the details of the life of the wealthy Han Chinese, Lyman the Great saw this as a culture that had to be taken seriously.

He is now proficient in using chopsticks, and the study of antiques in recent months has given him a better understanding of the country's history.

"There were less than 2,000 defenders in this small city, and more than half of them were improvised cobbled together by the people. They didn't even have enough bows and arrows and armor, and they didn't have reinforcements. When Mu Guangling had to retreat, the small city was destined to be abandoned, and the people in the city were also destined to become orphans...... However, none of them chose to surrender. ”

Thurence said.

Lyman the Great put down his chopsticks and seemed not very satisfied with the food on his plate.

"Do you know what this dish is called?"

Lyman the Great asked, pointing to the dish closest to him.

"Fish-flavored shredded pork"

Thurence replied.

"Well, that's too sweet...... I've heard that the most authentic fish-flavored shredded pork has the faint sweetness of lychee, not the strong sweetness of cane sugar. ”

Lyman the Great waved his hand and motioned for his subordinates to take down the dishes: "This is a dish made by the chef I brought with the Sui army, and the appearance is no different from that made by the Han chef, but it still tastes different." Is it strange that the dishes of the Han Chinese are strange? No...... It's my chef who doesn't do it well enough. ”

Lyman the Great said slowly: "When we conquer a place, we only see the stubborn resistance of the enemy soldiers, and we should be in awe of such an enemy. But let's not forget that the surrender of no one is sometimes not necessarily because of how proud and determined the enemy is, but because we ourselves are not good enough. ”

"I understand."

Thurence hung his head, the corners of his eyebrows trembling involuntarily.

Emperor Lyman took a bite of the hot dish he had just delivered, and nodded slightly: "The Han people have a lot to learn from us, but except for me, for any of you to learn these things slowly. I said that in order to conquer a place, you must first understand a place, not so that you can learn to enjoy the most luxurious habits of this place. ”

"I'm vaguely worried now, Thurence, do you know what I'm worried about?"

Xiurens hurriedly shook his head: "The minister doesn't know. ”

"Look at these things."

Lyman the Great pointed to the table: "It is said that the cost of such a table is not much different from that of a table of the same size made of sterling silver. My subordinates were amazed when they found out about this, and they thought it would be great if they had a table like this. Because the table made of sterling silver looks so vulgar in comparison. For example, when my subordinates were surprised to know that a pot of top-notch tea could cost a wealthy family several years of living expenses, they thought they should try it. ”

"For example, jade, a seemingly small piece of value can equip a team of thousands or more. I've heard that the most famous jade in the country can even change a city. When my subordinates knew that such a jade existed, they would think that I should hang this thing on their belts. ”

"For example, I have never seen a people who pay such attention to the way food is prepared, and they will strive to make the best dishes to satisfy the pleasure of the tongue. My men are accustomed to monotonous barbecues and potatoes, and when they start tasting them, they let their tongues become more and more greedy, thinking that the victors should enjoy it...... Food, brocade, furniture, houses, antiques. ”

Lyman the Great said slowly, "But Shurens, do you know? These things are our enemies, even more terrible than the enemies we face on the battlefield. If this continues, it may not be long before our generals will be robbed of their roughness by exquisite enjoyment. Some people say that character does not change, this is wrong, life is enough to change a person's character, to raise a tiger for a few years, although it cannot turn it into a cat, but it will make it lose its former power. ”

"I understand."

Thurens didn't quite understand, but he didn't dare to say that he didn't understand.

"I'll pay attention to this later."

Lyman the Great said: "Now, let's talk about the reasons why no Han Chinese are willing to surrender. ”

……

……

Lyman the Great stood up and looked at the sky in the distance: "I once said that I would expand the empire halfway to the edge of the land, and I have done this. Success comes greed, and what I want now is not just a piece of land, but all ...... And you are the warriors who have come to fulfill this wish for me. Thurence, do you know what a true warrior is? ”

Without waiting for Thurence to answer, Lyman the Great said slowly: "Warriors, not only dare to fight hard, but also have wisdom. We need to reduce the resistance by reducing the enemy, but the way to reduce the enemy is not just to kill. Mere killing notification will bring the enemy closer and more together, you did a good job before the war, why forget now? Because you don't think there's any need to spend money anymore, because it looks like we've set foot on this continent......"

"The minister knows it's wrong."

Thurence bowed his head and said, "After the minister returns, he will send someone to do it." ”

"We have plundered countless treasures."

Lyman the Great smiled: "Isn't it a good business to use these treasures to turn enemies into friends, using their own things?" When we get our treasures back when we don't need them anymore, what do we lose? ”

He smiled brightly: "Nothing is lost, only gained." ”