During the Zhenguan period, the famous general Li Tao of the Tang Dynasty once in the south of Yinshan, the Xue Yantuo tribe in the north of the desert and the Tongluo, Fugu, Hui, Jin and other tribes of nearly 200,000 combined army.

The place where the battle took place was in Nozhenshui.

Now, almost half a century later, a fierce battle broke out again on this ancient battlefield where the corpses of countless soldiers were buried.

Compared with the battle of the great world half a century ago, the number of soldiers and horses involved in this battle today is not large. But at the moment, this is a cavalry encounter with attack against attack, there is no conspiracy, no confrontation, and even too much tactical arrangement, only a life-and-death struggle in which the sword sees the blood and does not give an inch. Therefore, its tragedy is not inferior to the battle between Li Tao and Xue Yantuo back then.

Until he killed the first enemy with his own hands, Xue Chuyu still didn't know the specific number of enemy troops, or 20,000, or 30,000, or more. I don't know who he is, this seems to be a taboo for generals. But the enemy came too quickly, and the scouts had done their best, and Xue Chuyu couldn't blame them.

Now, no matter how many enemies there are, all Xue Chuyu can do is to fight to the death and drag the enemy down.

After the battle, Xue Chuyu knew that the enemy was stronger than he imagined, at least much stronger than the cavalry of the servant and Tongluo. He knew in his heart that this was the real strength of the Turkic Khanate, and it was the main combat force they put into the Hebei battlefield. The previous coalition of small tribes such as Tongluo and Servant Bones was tantamount to a rabble compared to the group of enemies in front of them.

So he had a clear realization in his heart-

I don't want to defeat it, but I want to fight until the last moment, and try my best to buy time for Young Marshal Xue to send the main force north to defend against the enemy!

- In any case, Datang's northern defense line can't be in his own hands and lose again!

When Niu Ben rushed over with the Tuan cavalry, he only saw a big battlefield in full swing in front of him. He rushed in with a mace, like a stupid man who had lost his mind and gone mad, and jumped naked into the turbid flood.

At this moment, his mind was blank, and he didn't have time to think about anything.

Not long after the fierce battle of Nuozhenshui broke out, Li Duozuo's men and horses had just crossed the Yellow River from the new bridge near Toyosu and were regrouping. The scout sent by Xue Chuyu to return the letter also arrived here, so he told Li Duozuo the news.

Seeing that the battle situation was urgent, Li Duozuo immediately reorganized his men and horses and prepared to lead his troops to help. But the scout who reported the news said to him: "General Li, the villain had persuaded General Niu Ben to let him retreat to Fengzhou, but he didn't listen. In fact, this is what General Yuguan meant. Now, the villain also conveyed this intention to General Li. How to decide, please also ask General Li to do his own thing. ”

A small scout, not small and not very friendly. But Li Duozuo didn't care, and just asked, "Listen to your tone, is General Yuguan preparing to burn the jade?" ”

The scout was noncommittal, but said: "There are too many enemies, about ten times as many as the Jumping Army." And all the people who came were the elite Tuo Qiang of Yuan Zhen's relatives. ”

"Turkic Tukar cavalry? …… Indeed, I have heard of it! Li Duozuo took a deep breath, and secretly said in his heart: It is more advantageous to preserve the strength and retreat to Fengzhou City, and it is more advantageous to defend the city, Xue Chuyu is right. In a head-to-head confrontation like this, not to mention ten times more than one, it is difficult for our army to win even one-on-one. But if we retreat, the north and south of Yinshan will fall into the control of the Turks, and Xue Shaoshuai's plan to move south against Tongluo and the servants will come to naught...... Xue Chuyu wanted to fight to the death in order to drag the enemy as much as possible and gain time.

"Yuguan is not afraid of death, how can Duozuo be a person who steals life!"

Li Duozuo turned over and got on his horse, and said to the scout: "You go and report to the young marshal quickly." I'll give you two good horses to give you some strength. ”

The scout gritted his teeth and said no more, and bowed with his fists, "Thank you, General Li!" ”

"General Order-The whole army will assault and gallop to the aid of Nuo Zhenshui!!"

Two days later.

Xue Shao was on the rugged Gobi Desert near Fengzhou when he received this news scout sent by Xue Chuyu. One of the two horses was tired and the other broke his hooves and wrists, and the scout didn't eat or drink all the way, and when he was carried in front of Xue Shao, he was already half dead.

"Nozhen water! …… General Jade Crown! …… Yuan Zhen Tuo ......! ”

With these words, the scout fainted.

The most dangerous thing to be expected still happened. Xue Shao's heartstrings, which had been tense, were almost broken, and he immediately ordered the whole army to abandon their baggage and rush to Nuozhenshui at full speed with only a few days of dry food. Ordered Duan Feng to lead the rear army and the people to take over all the grain, grass and baggage, and delayed the arrival.

After receiving the order, Duan Feng hurriedly came to see Xue Shao, saying that the young marshal, as the commander of the three armies and the pillar of Helong, should not go to the battlefield lightly to risk his life. He asked to replace Xue Shao and lead the army to go to Nuozhenshui to help in the battle.

Xue Shao refused him without hesitation and said, "I threw the three elite troops of the Jumping Army, the Tuan Cavalry and the Yulin Flying Cavalry into Nuozhenshui; I also threw the three good brothers Xue Chuyu, Niu Ben and Li Duozuo over - you say, what reason do I have not to go in person? ”

"Young marshal, don't be rash." Duan Feng made a final effort and persuaded, "The responsibility you shoulder is far greater than the victory or defeat of Nuo Zhenshui's battle. ”

Xue Shao smiled, "Maybe I'm not as calm and wise as you think, and I'm not as great and important as you think." ”

Duan Feng was stunned and speechless.

Xue Shao pulled out the Taiyi Imperial Sword and said with a smile: "This is given to me by my uncle, my father-in-law, and the first emperor of the Tang Dynasty. It's beautiful, it's sharp, isn't it? ”

Duan Feng didn't know what Xue Shao meant, so he nodded blankly.

"It's also very clean." Xue Shaogui put the knife into the sheath, and his face sank, "A knife that doesn't drink blood is an ornament after all." A general who does not kill the enemy is a shame to live. ”

Duan Feng suddenly understood, and said hurriedly: "Young Marshal, you can just sit in command, and charging into battle is the business of our generals!" ”

"I'm also a general." Xue Shao smiled slightly, turned over and got on the horse.

"You are the commander of the Tang Dynasty, the secretary of the military department, and the ambassador of Helong, and the commander of the three armies!" Duan Feng stopped Xue Shao from letting his horse go.

"If I cared about the titles and identities you mentioned, I wouldn't be here today." Xue Shao let out a long breath, even he didn't know if it was a sigh or a relaxed long breath, and said, "Duan Feng, tell you the truth." No matter how many layers of skin I wear on my body and how many halos I have on my head, I am just a general in my bones. ”

Duan Feng was stunned.

"I'm serious." Xue Shao smiled self-deprecatingly and said, "I shouldn't be a Lantian son, a Tang horse, and I shouldn't be an ambassador to Shangshu Helong." I'm just a martial artist, killing people and seeing blood and revenge, that's all! ”

With a blank and shocked expression, Duan Feng silently moved to the side.

Xue Shao smiled, rode away from him and ran to the front of the army that was urgently assembling, and drew his sword out of its sheath-

"My robes, brothers!"

"Today, Xue Shao will fight side by side with you!"

"Life is also a comrade!"

"Death is the same grave!"

……

Luoyang Imperial City, set immortal hall.

Wu Zetian was walking briskly towards Princess Taiping's residence.

Princess Taiping saw Wu Zetian's expression when she entered the door, and roughly guessed some of her origin in her heart.

Princess Taiping still has some understanding of her unfathomable mother. Wu Zetian had almost never laughed once in so many days, and even her most confidant attendant easily did not dare to walk within three feet of her, otherwise she would feel cold and difficult to breathe.

But today, her face is full of spring breeze and her steps are light, and everyone seems to be twenty years younger, as if she has returned to the wonderful years when she just became the queen.

Wu Zetian had already walked in front of Princess Taiping, bent down and squatted in front of Princess Taiping like a loving mother of an ordinary family, stroked her bulging lower abdomen, and said softly: "Taiping, is the child still well-behaved today, has he ever kicked your stomach?" ”

"I just kicked it." Princess Taiping replied with a smile, with a hint of timidity in her suppleness, or rather a birth.

In the face of Wu Zetian, Princess Taiping will no longer be as unrestrained and obedient as before, and the relationship between mother and daughter seems to have been separated by a veil. Wu Zetian seems to be used to this, after all, the daughter who marries out is the water that is spilled, and now her heart will be more towards her husband's family towards Xue Shao, which is a reasonable thing - why wasn't this the case back then?

"A woman should be happiest when she is pregnant with a child." Wu Zetian took out a folded book, with a hidden smile on his face, "Guess, what is this written?" ”

Princess Taiping's eyes lit up slightly, "Xue Lang won?" ”

"Unbelievable, isn't it?" Wu Zetian stood up, looked up at the window and let out a long breath, "It's only two hundred horsemen, and it broke 100,000 captives; In the middle of October, thousands of miles of territory in Helong Prefecture were recovered! - Xue Lang, Xue Lang, he is really a genius from heaven and a pillar of the country! ”

Princess Taiping just smiled indifferently.

"What, aren't you happy?" Wu Zetian shook it in front of Princess Taiping's eyes, his expression a little surprised.

Xue Lang won a big victory, and of course Erchen was happy. And it's a great pleasure. Princess Taiping smiled, "But the imperial doctor advised, and the retainers were also very sad and happy, so they had to control it." ”

"Oh......" Wu Zetian responded, and his happiness seemed to have gone by more than half.

After a while, Wu Zetian sat down beside Princess Taiping, held her right hand in the palm of his hand and gently stroked it, and said softly: "Taiping, I know what you are thinking. I know better that you have a gap and wariness of being a mother. Now listen, I don't care if you believe it or not—"

Speaking of this, Wu Zetian deliberately paused.

Princess Taiping's expression remained unchanged, but she couldn't help jumping up in her heart, and asked, "What does Mother want to say?" ”

"You have always been my daughter. It is the person I love and care about the most in this world. Wu Zetian said that, and stood up. The expression on her face has returned to the appearance of her reigning in the world when she went to court.

She began to walk out, and as she walked, she turned her back to Princess Taiping and said, "Perhaps, it's the only one." The last one. ”