The territory of Anxi Protectorate is thousands of miles, its core is the four towns of Anxi, Qiuzi, Shule, Khotan, Yanqi, the Tang Dynasty's army of more than 24,000 people in Anxi is mainly distributed in these four towns, of which about 10,000 people are Gao Xianzhi's soldiers, that is, he is directly under the guard, this is the elite of the Anxi army, stationed in the four towns of Anxi, and the rest of the army is distributed in the form of guarding, towns and guards in various large and small oases and passes.

Shule is today's Kashgar, is the nearest military town from Xiao Bojin, Tianbao six years Gao Xianzhi crusade against Xiao Bojin is to Shule as a logistics base, there are 3,000 garrisons here, Shule soldiers and horses are called Xi Yuanqing, the official is the commander of the general, is the vanguard of Tianbao's six years to attack Xiao Bojin.

On this day, a group of cavalry came from afar in the long yellow sand thirty miles away from Shule, about 1,000 people, and there was a carriage in the middle, and at the back of the team, hundreds of grain and grass carts followed, each carriage was full of grain and grass or military weapons, they were Li Qing from Qiuzi, and in the carriage sat the prison army Bian Lingcheng.

In Gao Xianzhi's temporary high-level meeting of the Anxi Army, Li Qing finally agreed to Gao Xianzhi's deployment, to Shule to prepare for the war, Gao Xianzhi's purpose he was very clear, but the strategy of attacking the Shushi country was also approved by Li Qing, after saving the envoys of Tocharo, he learned the importance of the strategic position of the Shushi country, it is the throat of Xiao Bojin, the grain transported from the Yueshi countries to Xiao Bojin, the personnel exchange must pass through the Shushi country, if it returns to Tubo, it will also cut off the grain route of Xiao Bojin.

What was even more worrying was that Xiao Bojin's Tang army was only 1,000 men, and although the Tubo army could not cross the Suoyi River, the army of the Shushi State would move to the east to attack. It will also deal a fatal blow to the Tang army of Xiao Bojindi.

In the face of the overall situation, Li Qing temporarily gave up the dispute with Gao Xianzhi and accepted the appointment to go to Shule to prepare for the war, Shule is located on the edge of Taklamagan, where there is no official road, the cavalry travels through the vast desert, the wind blows strongly, and the flying sand loses the eyes of the soldiers.

"Governor, Lord Overseer, please come over."

The voice of the messenger was intermittent in the wind, and the shouting was extremely difficult. Li Qing reined in his military horse and waited for Bian Lingcheng's carriage to step forward. In a moment, the carriage approached. The curtain was drawn, revealing a dark, thin face.

"It looks like a storm is coming, I remember there is a spring nearby, and there is a willow forest, so let's avoid it."

At this time, it was early summer, and it was the time when the wind was big and the sand was crazy, Li Qing raised his eyes and looked at the sky. I saw that the black clouds in the eastern sky were like ink, but in the middle were two huge bright yellow clouds, rolling up and down, like a sand demon descending, and the momentum was terrifying.

Looking back at the army, everyone's eyes were full of trepidation. The formation was still neat, and no one left the team, so Li Qing shouted to the guides: "Turn around and go to Hu Liulin for refuge for the time being!" ”

The team immediately turned around and galloped westward. After traveling about three miles, there is indeed a willow forest in front, the area is not large, only about thirty or forty acres, and the air near it has become moist, obviously, there is a pool of spring water in the middle of the willow forest.

At this time, the wind was getting stronger and stronger, Li Qing looked back, and the bright yellow cloud was rapidly pressing towards this side, and now Li Qing saw clearly, it was actually a sandstorm like a mountain, covering the sky and obscuring the sun and the moon.

"Governor, quick! Fast forward into the woods. ”

Duan Xiushi was about to enter the woods, but when he saw Li Qing behind, he and Li Fei Shouyu together, one left and one right, dragged Li Qing into the woods, as soon as he entered the woods, the sky immediately became dark, there was nothing in front of him, it was dark, and there was a strange howl in his ears, and the war horses were frightened, and raised their front hooves. , screaming, Li Qing only felt that the whole person's body seemed to be about to fly to the sky, he hugged the horse's neck to death, in the face of the sandstorm that seized the power of heaven and earth, the power of people seemed so small.

Gradually, the whistling sound in his ears disappeared, the sky became brighter, the war horses quieted down, the sandstorm finally passed, Li Qing opened his eyes, the whole willow forest seemed to be unkempt, crooked, twisted into a ball, the ground was a thick layer of sand, everyone's body was yellow, as if they had just climbed out of the sand pit, everyone was looking for their own team, counting the number of people.

After a while, a sergeant came and reported: "Report to the governor, a few horses have died, two brothers have been wounded, and a dozen grain carts have been destroyed, and nothing else is in trouble." ”

"Pack up your things, and the wounded brother will be well settled."

Li Qing waved his hand back and beckoned everyone: "Everyone should take a break by the waterhole, and you are not allowed to pollute the water source." ”

There is no need to be instructed, the soldiers consciously keep the water source clean, only fill the water bags they carry with them, but no one washes their faces and hands, the water in the desert is extremely precious, and no one will destroy or waste it at will.

"Squire, sit here!" Bian Lingcheng sat under a willow tree and patted the vacant seat next to him to greet Li Qingdao.

Li Qing walked over and sat down, looked at Bian Lingcheng's black and thin face and said with a smile: "General Bian is admirable, the father-in-law of other places is singing and dancing in the palace, enjoying brocade clothes and jade food, while General Bian has traveled a long distance and shared weal and woe with the soldiers, the emperor really knows people!" ”

'General, so that Bian Lingcheng felt very comfortable in his heart, he is a eunuch, the mutilation of the flesh makes him more inferior than ordinary people, more eager to be recognized and respected, both for the prison army, in Anxi, almost everyone respects him, but he is not happy in his heart, this respect is only because he is a prison army, and the respect is only for his power; And Li Qing is different from others, they are old acquaintances, when he was pressed in the palace and couldn't raise his head, Li Qing helped him, and now he is not too flattering to him because of his development, but the plain general Bian makes him feel more sincere and warm than Lord Bian and the border supervisor.

He raised his head, his eyes flashing with a faint joy, "I've been used to it in Anxi for the past few years, but the squire also came to Anxi, which makes me feel like I've met my hometown and old acquaintance." ”

"Me too!"

Li Qing leaned against the big tree, stared at the soldiers queuing up to fetch water by the waterhole, and said with emotion: "In the third year of Tianbao, I returned from Nanzhao and saw General Bian for the first time. But now that I think about it, it seems like it happened just yesterday. ”

"It's called time like an arrow."

Bian Lingcheng patted Li Qing's shoulder, sighed and said, "You came to Anxi to look flat, but you are actually demoted, do you know?" It stands to reason that you should be the envoy of Hexi Jiedu, I really don't know what the emperor thinks, the place in Anxi seems to be the largest, but in fact, the status in all the Jiedu mansions is very low, only a little higher than Beiting, and he also has a deputy position. I've really wronged you. ”

Li Qing smiled slightly, shook his head and said, "I don't think so. Sometimes taking a step back is the sea and the sky, although he is a household servant in the capital. But it is very unsteady, there are countless people staring at you, blushing at you, you have to be very careful, and you will be transferred and demoted anytime and anywhere, Zhang Qiu Xiangguo has become Xiangguo, but he was dismissed overnight, which is called precarious. When you come to the border, it's different, no one will pay attention to you, because it's a demotion, and the enemies of the past will gradually forget you, you can reorganize your thinking, and you can calmly plan your next step. The thinking is clear, the steps are adjusted, how can there be no chance to go back to the court. General Bian, do you make sense of this? ”

Bian Lingcheng secretly praised that he could turn disadvantages into advantages, with his knowledge, this person's future is limitless, and although the emperor demoted him to Anxi, he attached great importance to him, and ordered himself to pay attention to his every move, especially to pay attention to his relationship with Gao Xianzhi, and to report it at any time, it can be seen that he came to Anxi for a deep meaning, it is rare that he has an old relationship with himself, and he has to grasp it.

"The squire is broad-minded, Bian admires it very much, I really want to help you, I don't know if the squire needs my help, just ask."

After speaking, Bian Lingcheng looked at Li Qing expectantly, he wanted to sell his personal favor, and only hoped that he would really open his mouth to himself.

Bian Lingcheng's meaning Li Qing understands, in fact, Bian Lingcheng also came to Shule with him, although the prison army does not interfere with the deployment of the army in principle, but he can influence the decision-making of the main general, this is the purpose of Li Qing to bring him here, hoping to change Gao Xianzhi's decision-making through him.

Li Qing pondered for a moment, and Fang smiled faintly, "Speaking of which, I really have something to ask General Bian, but I don't want General Bian to be embarrassed, it's really hard to talk." ”

Bian Lingcheng smiled and said, "Just say it directly!" If I can't, I don't think the squire will mention it. ”

Li Qing sighed, broke a withered branch in his hand into three sections, and pretended to be frustrated: "Before I left, the emperor had come to me and told me that I was going to be promoted to the secretary of the Ministry of Industry, but I was still lacking in qualifications and could not explain to the hundred officials, so he let me go outside to practice for a few years, and now for me, meritorious service is more important than anything else, so I want to ask General Bian and the marshal to talk about it, and give me the credit for this attack on the Shushi country!" ”

"Squire means he wants to lead the troops himself?" Bian Lingcheng was slightly surprised.

In history, the attack on the Shushi Kingdom was a battle in which Gao Xianzhi's prestige reached its peak, compared with the battle of Xiao Bojin in the sixth year of Tianbao, this battle was far from the difficulty and risk, the Tubo army was blocked by Xiao Bojin, and the Abba army was attacking Jerusalem, and there was no time to look east, in fact, this is the Tang Empire sent troops to teach a disobedient child, so there is no need for Gao Xianzhi to go out in person in this battle, it is enough to send a general, but he still went to fight in person, and his purpose is to get military merit in front of Li Longji, This is his usual style.

It is different for Li Qing, if he can get this battle and fight beautifully, he will greatly establish his prestige in the Anxi army, just like his current prestige in the Doulu army, but Li Qing does not know about the insider transaction between Bian Lingcheng and Gao Xianzhi, so in his words, he repeatedly wants to create an illusion for Bian Lingcheng, that is, he came to Anxi just to plate gold, and then go back to ascend to Shangshu.

This illusion also has to be given to Gao Xianzhi, only in this way will his defense against himself be minimized.

"Back then, I also led the Doulu army to fight a few battles with the Tubo people, and I was confident that I could still lead the troops, so I was afraid that the tall and handsome would be too worried, so I asked General Bian for help."

Since Li Qing has clearly characterized this matter as asking himself for help, then this favor is naturally to help, Bian Lingcheng nodded with a smile, and agreed to it, "When I go back to Qiuzi in a few days, I will talk to Gao Xianzhi for you, I think he should give me a face." ”

At this time, the team has been assembled, just waiting for Li Qing's order to be pulled, Li Qing supported his hands, stood up from the ground, and said to his own soldiers: "Pass my order, set off immediately, you must rush to Shule before dark!" ”

'Woo~~! , a low horn sounded, and a group of cavalry embarked on the journey again, heading towards the town of Shule.