The Yunling Mountains stretch for hundreds of miles, and the 19 peaks of Cangshan stretch from north to south, with an altitude of more than 1,000 zhang. Entering the peaks of Cangshan Mountain, the valley is deep, the peaks are stacked, the forest is lush and dark, and the world outside has become two worlds.

Although the army came all the way south and passed through many mountains, rivers, mountains and valleys, compared with the terrain they entered at this moment, it was still insignificant, and it was not the same.

The deep valley between the peaks is not completely without paths, after all, once upon a time, the Tang Dynasty soldiers and horses also controlled many areas of the original Six Zhao Territory. For example, the city of Nongdong, which is eighty miles away, and the territory where the two planners are located three hundred miles southeast of the city of Lane Dong were originally built Anding City. However, with the destruction of Anding City built in the territory of the various clans of the Tang Dynasty by the joint destruction of the Fu Clan, and the killing of Zhu Lingqian, the governor of the Tang Dynasty, the tentacles of the Tang Dynasty reaching out to the hinterland of Nanzhao were cut off.

The simple march and the roads for transporting supplies, which had been built with great effort, were also deliberately destroyed by the Nanzhao barbarians. For the people of Nanzhao, the existence of these roads is a threat rather than a convenience. The Nanzhao barbarians don't need this kind of convenience, and the soldiers and horses of the Tang Dynasty do.

As a result, the road winding between the mountains and forests is blocked in a variety of ways, either by hundreds of huge trees blocking the way, or by deliberately pushing down boulders from dangerous cliffs to block the middle of the road. Or they have placed hidden traps and stingers on these roads, and in short, all the means that can block the smooth flow of these roads can be used by the soldiers and horses of Nanzhao.

However, this is not the main reason why this path is difficult. Trees and boulders can be moved, traps and stingers can be found and removed, but there are some things that cannot be changed by man. For example, the harassment and attacks of the barbarian soldiers everywhere in the mountains and forests, such as the climate of the plateau mountain range, which is changing, etc., almost from the beginning of entering the peaks of the Cangshan Mountains, these have become the main reasons that plague the Jiannan army.

The army set out in the early morning and marched until noon, but it was only a distance of more than ten miles. The soldiers and horses of the vanguard army Song Jiangong have been attacked more than ten times by small groups of brute soldiers from the mountains and forests and on the dangerous cliffs, killing and wounding nearly 100 people, but they have not even seen a shadow of the other party. During this period, the army stayed more than ten times, just to wait for the removal of the obstacles of the huge trees and rocks on the road. Often, as soon as they move forward, they are forced to stop. The army's stay in the valley gave the barbarians an excellent opportunity to attack.

In the afternoon, the sunny weather suddenly changed, with icy raindrops falling from the low-hanging clouds, and soon after that, hail the size of pigeon's eggs began to fall. The air suddenly turned cold, causing tens of thousands of soldiers to experience a sudden transition from warm to bitterly cold. The morale that had been high before the departure was wiped out in just half a day. Everyone was silent, and everyone's faces were covered with a bleak cloud of gloom.

Wang Yuan also finally realized the reason why the founding of the Tang Dynasty has not been able to conquer this unruly land so far, such a treacherous place, only the aborigines who have lived here for generations can adapt and use it, and others are afraid that it will be difficult to control this land for a while. Before, Wang Yuan thought in his heart that if he could take the main cities of Nanzhao, Nanzhao might be conquered. And now Wang Yuan realizes that it is impossible, even if he takes Taihe City, the Nanzhao barbarians can still survive in the high mountains, and occupying the city is not the same as conquest, but will bring endless harassment and attacks.

After an afternoon of careful consideration, Wang Yuan made changes to the goal he wanted to achieve in this expedition to Nanzhao. Wang Yuan gave up the idea of conquering Nanzhao with a hundredfold ambition, and retreated to the second, what he needed was the submission of Nanzhao to the Tang Dynasty again. The owners of this land are still the southern barbarian tribes, and the best strategy is to use razing to govern the land.

This does not mean that Wang Yuan will be pessimistic about this march, on the contrary, to make Ge Luofeng understand that those unrealistic ideas of going against the Tang Dynasty and annexing the southwestern state capital of the Tang Dynasty must be abandoned, and there is only one way for him to understand, and that is to give him a hard blow. The harder the fight, the more alarming it will be for Ge Luofeng.

……

The weather is fickle, and in the evening, the rain and hail stop, the clouds open and the fog disperses, and the red sunset hangs on the top of the distant mountains. The army also walked out of the foot of Yunlong Peak, the first peak of Cangshan Mountain, at this time. From a distance, Canglang Peak, the second peak of Cangshan Mountain, is in front of you, and the snow-covered summit is surrounded by clouds and mist that turn into colors in the setting sun, which is a beautiful scene.

The terrain also changed abruptly, and the two mountains suddenly opened up, and a mountain flat area with a radius of five or six miles appeared. The endless grass on the flat domain is full of green and yellow grass, which is as deep as the waist and abdomen. The wind blew through the grass, and the waves swelled and made a loud sound.

In the center of the meadow, a large area of moored grass was open, the ground was dry and level, and there was a clear stream several feet long that flowed beside it. This is an excellent place to camp, and the soldiers of the Jiannan Army, who have been trekking through the dark canyon for a day, can finally see the empty day, the dry and solid ground, and their mood is immediately much better.

Liu Jun led thousands of cavalry to quickly search the corners and corners of the entire Pingchou land, and came back to report that there were several villages in the corners of Pingchou, but they were empty. Where this stream passes, there are many cultivated fields on both sides. This shows that this place was once inhabited and cultivated by barbarians. There are many such places between the peaks of Cangshan Mountain, where the land is fertile and the water flow is abundant, which is suitable for farming. And the barbarians of the mountains and forests are not willing to be in the company of poisonous insects and poisonous miasma, such a place is the place they are most willing to live.

This dry flat land is suitable for camping, and Wang Yuan and everyone decided to camp on the spot after discussing with everyone. So the whole army began to move, and soon thousands of tents, large and small, were erected on the ground. Piles of bonfires were lit, and the soldiers gathered around the fire to bake their soaked clothes, cook their meals, and make a happy noise.

Wang Yuan's mood was also much better, seeing that the surrounding scenery was very beautiful, the surrounding peaks under the sunset, the lush forests on the hillside, and the scene of long grass surging on the meadow was very attractive, so he let Qingyun'er and Ziyun'er be busy with the matter of covering and cooking, and he took Gongsun Lan to walk on the meadow.

While enjoying the beautiful scenery, Wang Yuan discussed the question he had been thinking about in the afternoon with Gongsun Lan. After hearing this, Gongsun Lan smiled and said: "You have finally figured it out, I warned you before the expedition, but I was afraid that it would affect your decision, so I only said a faint sentence without mentioning it deeply." I'm glad you think about it all calmly. Many people are so attached to an impossible goal that they end up with total failure. Falling back is not necessarily a bad choice. ”

Wang Yuan smiled and said, "What my cousin said is true, but this time I still have to teach Ge Luofeng a hard lesson." If this person is not tamed, when I enter the Jiannan Road in the future, he will become a great trouble for my heart. Jiannan Road is not a good place, Nanzhao is in the south, and Tubo is in the west, I can't offend them all. If I want to be my enemy, I would prefer it to be the Tibetan people rather than Ge Luofeng. ”

Gongsun Lan smiled and said, "You make your own decisions, I don't want to bother with these things." When I meet you, it's no longer what I want to run around with you, and I sometimes wonder, what the hell am I doing? This is not the life I want. ”

Wang Yuan took Gongsun Lan's hand and said apologetically: "Cousin, it was I who caused you to lose your peace." But isn't the reason why we are like this to find a more peaceful life? Who in this world will give us peace except for ourselves? I believe that one day we will get the peaceful life we want. ”

Gongsun Lan looked at Wang Yuan silently and said, "Do you really think so?" But I felt that there was no peace again. ”

Wang Yuan was about to speak, Gongsun Lan shook his head and said: "Don't talk about this, let's sit quietly for a while, listen to the wind in the woods, and see the beautiful scenery of the sunset, I just said casually, I never regret what I have done, you don't have to worry about me." ”

Wang Yuan nodded slightly, and the two walked to a stone next to the stream and sat down side by side, Wang Yuan gently hugged Gongsun Lan's slender waist, and Gongsun Lan also pillowed his head on Wang Yuan's shoulder. The two of them sat snuggling up and listened to the rustle of the grass as the wind blew around them, and their mood was quiet.

Suddenly, Gongsun Lan sat up straight and frowned and said, "There is something a little strange, Erlang doesn't know if he noticed." ”

Wang Yuan was startled and asked in surprise, "What's weird?" ”

Gongsun Lan said: "Do you think this meadow is a little strange? Ever since I entered the meadow, I have not heard a single croaking of insects and frogs. Although March has not yet arrived, but the climate here is different from the mainland, I have seen butterflies flying in the forest today, grasshoppers jumping, and I have heard frogs in many puddles, why is there no frog chirping here? ”

Wang Yuan also realized this, just now at this moment, he really only heard the sound of the wind and the rustle of grass blades, and there was not a single croaking of frogs and insects. I didn't pay attention to it just now, but now when Gongsun Lan mentions it, I suddenly feel a little weird.

"And, don't you think, there's a special smell in the air? It was faint, but I could smell it from the moment I stepped into the flat ground where I had set up camp. It smells of blood, and it smells a little bit of shame. Gongsun Lan frowned.

Wang Yuan sniffed his nose vigorously and said, "I didn't smell it." Maybe my cousin has high martial arts skills and sharper senses. ”

Gongsun Lan said: "I don't know, maybe I'm too sensitive, but for some reason, I always feel uncomfortable when I step into the meadow." ”

Wang Yuan smiled, didn't know how to answer, only stroked her fragrant shoulder and said: "Cousin is too nervous, Ge Luofeng doesn't dare to do anything to my army, he dares to do it, there is more chance in the valley on the way, why do you want to do it in this flat land?" ”

Gongsun Lan frowned and said, "I hope I'm sensitive." ”