Three days later, the Hui scouts found out that the Tang army brigade had come from the east and was about to arrive at Yinshan, Jiegan Garth wanted to take advantage of the Tang army is a tired division from afar, he immediately ordered 10,000 cavalry to attack the Tang camp at night, but the Tang army camp was well defended, and the 10,000 cavalry returned in vain after losing more than 3,000 people.

The Tang battalion is stationed at the foot of Yinshan, and the general is Xin Lang, the son of Xin Yunjing, Zhang Huan's old friend is also more than 30 years old, he is a scholar, and there is a trace of elegance on his resolute face, he has always been rational and rigorous in doing things, and because of this, Zhang Huan specially pointed out that he led the reinforcements to come, and handed him the task of intercepting the Hui people to the north.

But at this moment, the general, who had always been known for his sanity and seriousness, could not help but burst into tears, and in front of him lay a blood-stained booklet, which was full of the last words of the defenders of Zhang Sancheng.

The father does not have to be sad, the son sacrificed his life for the country, and died without regrets.

Sanniang, after I die, the governor will give you and your son a pension, if the money runs out, you can also sell the land piece by piece, and when the last piece is sold, I think my son should also be an adult.

Xin Lang couldn't read it anymore, he closed the booklet, turned around and wiped away his tears, and waited for his mood to calm down a little before he said to the last surviving officer: "What's your name?" Where are the people? "The subordinate is the first team of the third battalion and the fifth regiment of the scout, called Guan Ying, a native of Shuangliu County, Shu County."

At the last moment when the reinforcements arrived, there were less than twenty Tang troops who had not been killed in the entire castle, and most of them were seriously wounded, and Guan Ying also had three arrow wounds on his body, but fortunately there were no vital injuries.

Xin Lang stood up and said solemnly: "You are all heroes of my Tang Dynasty, I want to take credit for you, what else do you want." Can be proposed. ”

Hearing the word request, Guan Ying slowly knelt down on one knee, and he choked up and said: "My subordinates are already ashamed that they failed to die in battle with their brothers, how dare they make any requests?" If the general has mercy on the brothers who died in battle, can he send their bones back to his hometown? Let them be blind under the Nine Springs. ”

"Don't worry. The Governor has built a mourning hall in Yiwu, where the ashes of all the fallen soldiers are stored, and they will be sent back to their hometowns after the war, as for the bereavement. Before I came, Longyou had already started to do it. ”

Speaking of this, Xin Lang stepped forward to help him up and said, "Don't be arrogant." This is my favorite quality. From now on, I appoint you as the Lieutenant of Scout Guoyi, so that you can recuperate from your injuries! ”

"General Xie." Guan Ying gave a military salute and turned to go down.

After he left, Xin Lang slowly walked to the sand table, carefully studied the terrain around Yanqi and Qiuzi, and before leaving, the governor specially sent someone to tell him. Hold back the jaygangas. The longer the better, but the governor didn't tell him. Why?

From the news he got, now Yanqi and Qiuzi are almost empty cities, Tubo has evacuated to Bachang City, and Jiegan Garth is facing himself on the front line of Yinshan, and the people and horses on the three sides dare not act rashly, is there a fourth army here?

Both Yanqi and Qiuzi were located north of the Tulun Moraine (i.e., the Taklamakan Desert), where large grasslands and oases benefited from a large river that ran from east to west, the Chihe River (today's Tarim River), which extended into the eastern desert and gradually became smaller, and was renamed the Peacock River, which finally emptied into the Puchang Sea (present-day Lop Nur).

Just as the Hui army and the Tang army were in a state of confrontation north of Yanqi, while the Tubo army was changing cities and preparing to take advantage of the fishermen, a force of 20,000 Tang cavalry was marching westward along the Chihe River, with the simple but clear goal of capturing Qiuci and Yanqi.

This army is Wang Siyu's department, they received the three thousand Tang troops and their families who were alone in Anxi in the end of the city a month ago, and sent them back to Dunhuang, Wang Siyu, who was not willing to be lonely, immediately turned around and marched westward again, crossing the Puchang Sea, at this time, Wang Siyu had received the news that Zhang Huan had broken the Qarlu people in Beiting, and he immediately realized that the next target of the governor must be Jiegangas.

This day is the 15th day of the seventh month, the army is galloping non-stop in the starry night, in the distance is the vast desert and wilderness, a dusk full moon hangs in the sky, emitting a strange luster, the river beside them has widened, the water flow is abundant, they have entered the range of Yanqi Town.

Wang Siyu grabbed the reins and stared at the end of the earth under the night sky, from here their goals began to diverge, to the north was to go to Yanqi, and then to the west was to go to Qiuzi, he had to make a decision.

He had already received the latest news that Xin Lang's main force had dragged Jiegan Garth to the foot of the Silver Mountain, while the Tubo people of Qiuci had evacuated to Bachang City, three hundred miles away, which meant that Qiuci was now an empty city.

Whether to assist Xin Lang in defeating Jiegangas, or to go west to occupy Qiuzi, Wang Siyu must make a decision.

"General, my subordinates suggest dividing up the troops, taking Qiuzi one way and Yanqi on the other." It was the deputy general Wang Ming who made the suggestion, and he saw that Wang Siyu was still a little hesitant, so he said excitedly: "To deal with the Hui people, there are not many soldiers, the key is to establish a momentum, as long as we suddenly appear behind them, the Hui army will be in turmoil, and the subordinates are willing to lead 3,000 troops to the north to take Yanqi." ”

Wang Siyu nodded, the key to the Hui people is not actually in the battle situation in the south, but in the contest between the governor of the north court and the loyal Khan of the Hui Hui, the victory or defeat of the battle will directly determine the success or failure of the Hui Hui's southern expedition, on the contrary, if he occupies Qiuzi, he will take the lead in the next war with Tubo, and even change the situation of the entire Anxi.

Thinking of this, Wang Siyu resolutely made up his mind, and he ordered the adjutant general: "As you said, the advance and return lies in the situation rather than the battle, you can lead the 3,000 army north to Yanqi and cooperate with General Xin to fight, while I will lead the army to capture Qiuzi." ”

20,000 Tang troops immediately divided into two routes, deputy general Wang Ming led 3,000 cavalry to the north, and Wang Siyu led 15,000 cavalry, 30,000 horses, to the west, to the direction of Qiuci, two days later, Wang Siyu's army finally arrived at one of the most important cities in Anxi - Qiuci.

The sun has set in the west, the heat on the desert has dissipated, the setting sun sprinkles a dazzling golden yellow on the head of the city of Qiuzi in the distance, on the grassland, you can see tents that have just been erected everywhere, the herdsmen are driving herds of cattle and sheep back to the circle, this is the fugitive Qiuzi people are beginning to return to their hometowns, many women are washing clothes by the river, and groups of children are playing in the river.

The locals did not fear or flee from the Tang army in the brigade, and yesterday, Wang Siyu's 1,000 vanguard had already told everyone that the Tang Dynasty would resume its governance of Anxi.

The army has approached Qiuzi City, where settled earthen houses have begun to appear, and more and more dense, countless people ran out to welcome the arrival of the Tang army, when a group of mighty Tang troops walked past them, many people cheered enthusiastically, and even shed tears of excitement in their eyes, although their attire is no different from the locals, but they can raise their arms and shout in the dialects of all parts of the Central Plains: Long live the Tang Dynasty!

"General Wang, they are the descendants of the Long March athletes." The speaker was a veteran in his fifties, named Lu Yang, he was also the general of the Tang Army who stayed in the Western Regions, and served as the envoy of Shule Town.

He looked at these cheering people and said with emotion: "During the reign of the Tubo people, they were discriminated against, bearing the heaviest taxes, and living in great hardship, so most of them lived in this simple mud hut, and they should be the happiest when the Tang army arrived." ”

Wang Siyu nodded silently, he knows this history, in the twenty-fifth year of the Kaiyuan Dynasty, Emperor Xuanzong selected and sent strong people from all over the country, called the Long March athletes, together with their families to go to the Western Regions to garrison the border, and organized them into military households, generations in Anxi Tuntian Frontier, decades of life, they have their own homes, their own land, and even intermarriage with the locals, and gradually in Anxi has lived and worked in peace and contentment, but they have never forgotten their homeland, and have always maintained the customs and traditions of the Han people, after the occupation of Anxi by TibetTheir special identity makes them one of the most oppressed peoples.

Now that the Tang Army has come again after a long time of several decades, how can it not make them rejoice.

"Lu Yang, General Lu!" Suddenly, someone in the welcoming crowd shouted loudly, Lu Yang was stunned, he followed the shout, and saw a bald old monk squeezed out of the crowd, waving to him.

Lu Yang recognized him, he hurriedly jumped off the horse and saluted the monk, "Why is the master in Qiuzi?" ”

"I just came from Shule and am about to return to Chang'an."

Wang Siyu next to him heard that his accent seemed to be from Chang'an, and he was from Shule, he couldn't help but move in his heart, so he also dismounted and stepped forward with a smile: "General Lu, who is this master?" ”

Lu Yang hurriedly pulled the monk over and introduced: "This master turned out to be my Tang Dynasty official, commonly known as Che Fengchao, forty years ago when he went to the country of Jiandra, he became a monk there, practiced with Master Sanzang, and his Dharma name was Dharma Dadu. ”

Wang Siyu suddenly realized, and hurriedly clasped his palms to salute, "It turned out to be the senior master, and the younger generation was rude." ”

"Don't dare! Can't! Bodhidharma hurriedly returned the salute, "The general led the righteous division to recover my homeland of the Tang Dynasty, and the poor monks deeply admired it." ”

Wang Siyu saluted again and said sincerely: "I just heard that the master has just come from Shule, can you tell me about the situation of the Tubo people?" ”

Bodhidharma said with a slight smile: "I am actually from Tocharo, I can not only tell the general about the situation in Tibet, but also about the situation of the big cannibal, I believe the general will be more interested." ”