Xingxing Gorge is not a canyon, but a pass, an oasis. It is a necessary place to enter the eastern frontier from the Hexi Corridor. It is known as the "first throat town" of the eastern gate of the Western Regions. Xingxing Gorge is a dangerous pass on the ancient silk road, with peaks and peaks on all sides, an S-shaped mountain road winds in the meantime, dangerous rock cliffs on both sides, there is a tendency of "one husband is a pass, ten thousand people are not open".

Du He's soldiers and horses anchored in the beacon built by the Tang Dynasty in Xingxing Gorge for a short rest.

The night was as cold as water, and in the early hours of the morning, the camp was brightly lit.

The wind blows a whistle and never stops swirling in the sky. The peaks on both sides of the pass are the most dangerous places, and the gray night hides an aggressive murderous aura.

Du He has no intention of sleeping, strolling around the Xingxing Gorge, the climate of the Western Regions is essentially different from the Central Plains, the sun is shining during the day, the wind and sand are all over the sky, and the heat makes people feel like fire. The evenings were exceptionally cold, as if they were winter.

Since taking over the post of pioneer general, Du He led the soldiers and horses out of Yumen Pass, spent ten days to travel 500 miles, passed the four beacons of Baidunzi, Hongliuyuan, Daquan and Malianjing, and arrived at the last beacon tower of the Tang Dynasty in the Western Regions.

To the west of Xingxing Gorge is the terrifying Mohe Yanmo, where they must cultivate their spirits in order to have enough energy to survive this westward expedition.

When I came to the barrier of the pass of Fengsui, I saw a person wrapped in a windbreaker, looking north at the barrier, and looking at it intently, but it was Liu Renliang.

Du He strode up and said, "Liu Changshi, if you don't rest well and nourish your spirit, you will suffer in the next days." ”

Liu Renliang saw that it was Du He, first made a gesture, called General Du, and then looked at the north and said: "Ming said that he was about to enter the Mohe Yan Moraine, and the Ban Chao Pingding Western Regions was also started from this Mohe Yan Moraine. ”

Du He listened to Liu Renliang's words, and also remembered the deeds of the Great Han Dingyuan Hou Banchao.

Ban Chao is a wise and brave figure of the Han Dynasty, when he was young, he took 36 people to the Western Regions in his early years, established miraculous achievements, pacified the Western Regions in 22 years, and made more than 50 countries in the Western Regions belong to the Han Dynasty, and was the first person to open up the Western Regions throughout the ages.

"Yes! Absolutely! Du He was inspired by Ban Chao's exploits, and shouted proudly: "The meaning of the existence of predecessors is not just to admire, but to transcend." Only by constantly surpassing can we continue to make progress and move towards brilliance! His cheers were filled with confidence.

Liu Renliang was also infected, and said movingly: "What the general said is a bit deviant, Renliang is the first time I have heard it, but I also think it is very reasonable. If even the ancients can't surpass it, doesn't it prove that we can't even compare with the people of 600 years ago, and the more we live, the more we go back? The general has such ambitions, and those of us who are subordinates should do our best to assist. It's just that I don't know if the general can trust him and is willing to tell the truth? Liu Renliang is also a person with great ambitions, so Du He's words aroused great ambitions in his chest, and he also wanted to use this opportunity to show his strengths. He was vaguely aware of the problem between Du He and Hou Junji, so he had the heart to understand the truth and find a way with him!

Du He also felt that this person was short, the two were long, and there was indeed a lack of a person beside him who could give him advice, he glanced at Liu Renliang, remembered his deeds in history, and his performance in joining the Flying Cavalry Army, and knew that he was a qualified strategist, so he smiled and said: "Actually, there is nothing, it doesn't hurt to say it!" He told him in detail about Hou Junji's intentions, and Du Ruhui stopped him, and finally said: "My father is the prime minister of the dynasty, and with Hou Shangshu's strength, he is far from his opponent, so he can't be moved at all." So I can only take this evil anger out on my head, tempting me to serve as the vanguard army and clearly want to see my jokes. ”

Liu Renliang understood the reason, thought for a moment and said: "Although I have a humble status, I also think that Fang Du's concerns are very reasonable. Judging from Hou Shangshu's inability to swallow this evil breath and his approach to the general. He was indeed a man of vengeance. If he is a prime minister, someone in the court will offend him, and he will inevitably be hit by him. Over time, the harm is immeasurable. It's just that...... The general knew that there was something strange here, so why did he take over the position of this vanguard...... Oh, I see, the general is planning to stay away from Hou Shangshu and take the military power into his own hands, in case he is limited to passivity everywhere. His expression first changed from confusion to enlightenment, and he had already figured out Du He's intentions in a short period of time, and he was also impressed in his heart, Du He was only twenty-eight years old, but he was able to make the most correct choice in such a short period of time, which was really amazing.

Du He saw that Liu Renliang understood his intentions in a sentence, and he also admired it in his heart, knowing that he was a rare resourceful man and genius as recorded in the history books, and nodded with a smile: "You are right, with Hou Shangshu's surname, even if he doesn't secretly play tricks in the future, it is impossible to send me to the battlefield to give me the opportunity to make meritorious contributions." If I stay in the barracks honestly, I am afraid that my sword will not have a chance to be unsheathed until the end of the war. I'm not willing to travel all the way to Gaochang and then return to Chang'an, which makes people laugh. So I want to be this vanguard, as long as I can freely control the 6,000 soldiers and horses under my command, I am not afraid of no battle, let alone no meritorious service! I still have the heart to compete with him for this work! ”

Seeing that Du He was so competitive, Liu Renliang smiled bitterly: "This is unlikely!" He is the commander, and no matter how great the general's achievements, he will share a few percent. ”

Du He's eyes flashed with a strange light, and said: "I don't think this is necessarily, as long as we don't rely on Hou Shangshu's army and do something big alone, he has the heart to grab the credit, and he can't grab it." ”

Liu Renliang's face was worried, this is in the war between countries, the role of six thousand soldiers and horses is really minimal. If you are not careful, you will even be in danger of being wiped out.

Du He knew what he was thinking, and said with a smile: "Don't worry, I, Du He, am not those fools in history who rushed to be greedy for merit!" It's just my idea, and it depends on whether there are fighters or not, and then I make a decision. I will not waste the lives of my soldiers for the sake of a momentary victory. You can rest assured of this...... I, Duhe, am definitely not such a person! His last sentence was unusually serious.

Liu Renliang also breathed a sigh of relief, he was really worried that Du He was young and vigorous, in order to compete for the length of this time, he knew that he could not do it, and regarded the soldier's surname as child's play, but now it seems that he is too worried.

Du He narrowed his eyes and said: "Liu Changshi hasn't thought of the question yet, think about it, how many people does Gaochang have, how many people are there?" ”

Liu Renliang was shocked and suddenly realized.

Du He said with a smile: "Gaochang is a country, saying that they are a country, it is too much to exalt them, don't look at them There are five big cities, three county seats, and fourteen county seats, but the total population is not as good as a medium-sized city in my Datang, with a population of only more than 100,000 people, and the number of troops is 20,000 at the top." As long as the troops are used properly, the 6,000 elites under my command may not be able to achieve victory against their 20,000. What's more, they still have to divide their forces to defend the city, and their strength will be greatly reduced, and we can completely rely on our own strength to capture a few cities to have fun. ”

Liu Renliang could not understand Du He's intentions at this moment, the purpose of the Tang army's westward expedition was indeed Gaochang, but the strong enemy was the Western Turks, who had hundreds of thousands of troops. In this land of Gaochang, the Tang Dynasty will inevitably have to fight with the Western Turks. This kind of decisive battle, which is more than 100,000 at every turn, is not enough for the thousands of men and horses in Du He's hands. So he was trying to avoid the Western Turks and plot against Gaochang.

Just as Liu Renliang thought, Du He was also thinking about Gaochang when he was marching recently, thinking about what the six thousand soldiers and horses under his command could do.

Fight with the Western Turks?

Belch...... That is looking for death, the Western Turks are the overlords of the Western Regions, with hundreds of thousands of soldiers, and they are a nation on horseback, all of them are brave and good at fighting, and of the 7,000 people they can call, 1,000 are engineers, and they have no combat power. Although the remaining 3,000 cavalry and 3,000 foot soldiers are all elite, they are after all major generals and few generals, and in the face of hundreds of thousands of Turkic commanders, it is not realistic to want to win. Unless you have 6,000 Xiang Yu.

These persimmons are all soft pinched, not to mention fighting. The hundreds of thousands of soldiers and horses of the Western Turks should be the problem that Hou Junji, the commander with an army of 100,000, has to face. Therefore, Du He's mind was on Gao Chang's body from the beginning, thinking about how to let Hou Junji gnaw on the difficult bone of the Western Turks, so that he could buy time for himself to eat Gao Chang's fat meat.

This is exactly the preliminary outline that Duhe has come up with these days.

Liu Renliang was once again amazed by Du He's idea, but after all, he was a man of resourcefulness, and quickly recovered, and followed the train of thought given by Du He, the more he thought about it, the more he felt that this method might not be impossible, and said with a smile: "I agree with the general's idea, but everything still needs to see if the fighter appears, and then according to the actual situation, I can improvise!" ”

"I also know that this matter is urgent!" Du He said: "So it's just a preliminary thought, whether it can really be done depends on whether it can catch the fighter that appears at any time when it arrives in Gaochang, or whether it is to create a fighter!" He also understood the truth, and he was not anxious, with a faint smile on his face.

Both of them understood that although their plan was decided, it was all on paper, and the real implementation still needed to be determined by the fighters that appeared at any time.

But they know more that this plan is not in vain, God is fair, will not favor any one, this opportunity will only be for those who are prepared, and luck is only for the winner. With a general strategy, you can use a variety of ways to win according to the changing situation, anytime, anywhere!

The next day, Du He gathered a large army, looked at the 7,000 strong troops in front of him who had recovered all their spirits after two days of rest, shouted, and walked out of the Star Gorge towards the life and death road of Mohe Yanmoi.

(To be continued)