On February 25, Zhao Ziliang led a large army to protect Princess Hera's return to the Tang Dynasty, for the sake of safety, the route of the march was strictly confidential, and there were strict regulations on how far the march was every day, and sent guides and detectives to go out for 30 miles to investigate the situation along the way. Pen % fun % Pavilion www.biquge.info

Walking along the river on the march is the happiest thing, not only is it always easy to get water to drink, but it is also cool, but once you get away from the river and into the desert, it doesn't feel so good.

Under the scorching sun, a gust of hot wind blows, and the moisture on the skin quickly evaporates, making the dryness very uncomfortable.

An army advanced slowly in the desert, and Zhao Ziliang, who was at the forefront on horseback, held the reins in both hands, licked his chapped lips, and turned his head from time to time to observe the sand dunes and the surrounding terrain along the way.

Fortunately, Zhao Ziliang's wrench space stored enough water and food, otherwise after marching in the desert for half a month, the army of more than 3,000 people would not be able to get out of the desert without strictly controlling the amount of water and food, and if it was replaced by other armies, they would die of hunger and thirst in the middle of the road.

In the evening of that day, after the army camped in a towering sand dune, Zhao Ziliang was arranging the camp, and a big food woman with a scarf and a face came over and saluted: "Your Excellency General, our princess invites you to come over!" ”

When Zhao Ziliang heard this, he instructed Bai Xiaode and the others: "You come to arrange the camp and defense, don't slack off!" ”

Bai Xiaode and the others arched their hands and said: "No! ”

Zhao Ziliang followed the woman to Princess Hera's tent, and Princess Hera sat on a soft bed covered with animal skins, and when she saw Zhao Ziliang come in, she got up and sat down.

"The last general has seen Her Royal Highness the Crown Princess, I don't know what His Highness has called the last future to order?"

Princess Hera asked, "I want to ask the general, how long will it take to reach Chang'an?" ”

Zhao Ziliang said with a smile: "Your Highness, it will take more than a month from here to my Datang territory, and it will take more than two months from Anxi to Chang'an, and there are almost four months to get to Chang'an, and it is now late February, and when His Highness's car arrives in Chang'an, it is already the beginning of July, which is the time when the weather is hot, and the temperature here is about the same as now."

"What, why do you have to walk for so long? It's only been a month, and I can't stand it anymore, but it's still more than four months, isn't it not that I won't be allowed to live? Princess Hera began to complain.

Before that, Princess Hera was quite quiet, and Zhao Ziliang also guessed that Princess Hera might feel bored on the way, after all, she was on the road for a long time, there was no entertainment, and she had to endure the scorching sun every day, and ordinary people couldn't stand it, this is still these strictly trained sergeants, if they were other people, I was afraid that it would be difficult to say whether they could survive in this desert area for a month.

Zhao Ziliang felt that it was necessary to appease Princess Hera's emotions, she was the highest-ranking person in this team, and if she didn't do it, this matter would be in trouble.

Zhao Ziliang thought for a while and said: "Your Highness, if Your Highness feels that the speed of the march is too fast and affects His Highness's health, the last general can order the speed of the army's advance to slow down, but not too slowly, because the food and water we carry are not particularly sufficient, once the food and water are exhausted and we have not yet walked out of the desert, then we will be in danger of our lives, not at the hands of the enemy, but under the power of nature, which will be a little sad." According to the guide, there is a river two hundred miles ahead, and as long as we reach the river, we can rest for a day or two! ”

When Princess Hera heard that there was a river, her eyes suddenly lit up, because she had not taken a bath for more than half a month, and she had been marching in the desert for a short time, and there was not enough water for her to bathe, according to the current marching speed, it would take three days to complete the two hundred miles, which meant that she still had three days to bathe, which made her a little happy.

But the thought of bathing made her feel uncomfortable all over now, and the sweat stains on her body had made her citrus stinky all over her body.

Zhao Ziliang saw that her brows were furrowed, thinking that she was uncomfortable, and immediately asked, "Your Highness, what's wrong with you?" ”

Princess Hera looked up and said, "General, I haven't bathed for more than half a month, my body stinks, I have never gone without bathing for more than two days before, do you know how I feel?" ”

"Uh, yes!" Zhao Ziliang hurriedly said, thought for a while, and said: "That's it, Your Highness, if you really feel uncomfortable, you can find a way to let Lord Liu free up some water for you to bathe once, but you can't bathe again until you reach the next water source, you are also a person who has lived in the desert, you should know the importance of water sources in the desert for humans and livestock."

Princess Hera hurriedly said, "Okay, isn't it only three days to reach the river?" As long as I bathe once today, I won't come to you for this kind of thing until three days later."

Zhao Ziliang arched his hand and said: "Since this is the case, then the general will go and tell Lord Liu and ask him to send someone to bring you two buckets of water."

"Hmm!"

Zhao Ziliang returned to the big tent and sent someone to find Liu Wei, who came over after receiving the notice and asked, "General, are you looking for me?" ”

Zhao Ziliang nodded and said: "Today I only learned that since we left the Fala River, His Highness has not bathed for more than half a month, and it doesn't matter if we rough men don't take a bath for a year, but women are different, women are easy to get sick if they don't wash clean, so I want you to find a way to get two buckets of water and send them to Your Highness!" ”

Liu Wei was puzzled when he heard this: "General, aren't you embarrassing me?" Everyone's water and drinking water are quantitative, and two buckets of water is not a small amount, which can save many people's lives! ”

Zhao Ziliang hurriedly said: "I know, I know!" In this desert, water is of the essence! However, His Highness's status is not ordinary, and other women don't need to wash, but we can't let His Highness get sick because he can't bathe, can we? ”

Liu Wei still shook his head and spread his hands: "There is really no way for the lower officials, now the food and water distributed to the soldiers every day are the lowest amounts, if you reduce some more, I am afraid that some people will not be able to hold on, this is a matter of human life, you are the commander of the army, you don't want to have a non-combat attrition!" ”

Zhao Ziliang frowned, thought for a while, and said, "In this way, reduce the water allocated to me and my personal guards by half, and send the extra part to His Highness in a bucket!" ”

Liu Wei was shocked and immediately said, "This can't work, this can't work!" The general is the commander of the army, and if you fall ill due to lack of water, the whole army will have no backbone, which is going to be a problem! ”

Zhao Ziliang waved his hand and said, "I know, I can hold on with a little less drinking!" That's it! Come! ”

A soldier walked in at the door of the tent, "What does the general command?" ”

Zhao Ziliang said: "Gather all the pro-soldiers and subordinates!" ”

"No!"

Zhao Ziliang said to Liu Wei again: "Lord Liu, you will come back later!" ”

"No!"

After dinner, Liu Wei took two soldiers to the door of Princess Hera's camp where she was resting, and handed the water to Princess Hera's maid, and Princess Hera took a hot bath very comfortably, although the water was not too much, and the washing was not enough fun, but her body was finally not itchy, which made her happy for a while.

"Princess, I heard a news, there is a rumor from the Tang army that the water used by the princess to bathe was given to the princess by General Zhao who drank half of the water from himself and his subordinates!"

When Princess Hera heard the news from the maid, she couldn't sit still, got up and asked, "What you said is true?" ”

"It shouldn't be fake! If you count it, he and his hundred pro-soldiers don't have water to drink for a day! ”

This news made Princess Hera feel quite uncomfortable, she is a big eater, although she is a princess, but she also grew up in the desert, of course, she knows how important water is to people walking in the desert, Zhao Ziliang is willing to bathe her with the water of himself and his own soldiers, you must know that she and he have just known each other, although the two sides have a subordinate relationship, but she has no right to order him, this matter makes her feel a little strange.

After another three days of marching, the army finally reached the river, and if it crossed the river for another four or five days, it would penetrate deep into the heart of Tochar, where there would be many towns and cities to be replenished.

Arriving at the river that night, Zhao Ziliang and his soldiers had not drunk water for a day, but at this time he didn't even have time to drink water, so he immediately led people to survey the terrain, find a place to camp, and immediately settle the soldiers after finding a suitable camp.

Until midnight, Zhao Ziliang was busy, tired and thirsty, the soldiers immediately sent him food and water, after eating and drinking, the county slept well, but somehow, on the contrary, he couldn't sleep, after inspecting the camp, he took two soldiers to walk slowly by the river, greedily breathing the clammy and cold breath by the river.

After walking for a while, he found that there were several white shadows swaying in front of him, Zhao Ziliang's eyes froze, and he immediately pulled out his waist knife and ran over and shouted: "Who is there?" ”

The white shadows were obviously frightened, and an unfamiliar Chinese voice came: "Don't come here, general, it's our princess who is bathing!" ”

Zhao Ziliang was embarrassed for a while, and immediately stopped and turned around to put the waist knife back into the scabbard, but he couldn't help but slander in his heart: "This girl, when can't you take a bath, you have to take a bath by the river in the middle of the night, and you are scared to death Uncle Ben, and I thought that someone secretly came over from the other side of the river to sneak attack!" ”

After waiting for a while, the voice of Princess Hera came from behind him: "Is it General Zhao?" Hasn't the general left yet? ”

Zhao Ziliang didn't understand, and after listening to the translator's words, he turned around and saluted: "It's the last general!" Your Highness again, the last general did not dare to leave at will. Your Highness is too reckless, this late night outing, and it is by the river, it is dangerous! If the princess wishes to bathe, she can wait until after dawn to-morrow to get some water from the river to the tent."

Princess Hera smiled: "I think it will be more refreshing to wash in the river, and it is inconvenient to have no bathing pool or bathtub after the camp." (To be continued.) )