The lord of the kingdom, Gayan, ordered his people to kill 2,000 sheep at once to welcome the Tang army from afar, and they sat in the open air, using the pebbles on the river beach as a dining table, and every dozen people gathered around a fire.

Although the welcome dinner was very simple, it contained a lot of sincere enthusiasm. The girl wore a long black braid on the back of her head, wore a red and black kudzu skirt, and placed the dismembered raw sheep on the pebble beach.

Gao Xianzhi ordered all the soldiers to do it themselves, marinated the raw mutton in front of them, and took turns to grill it on the fire, and for a while the green smoke turned into fat was filled, and the smell of mutton and meat wafted on the shore of the lake.

Li Siye had just sharpened the wooden stick with a short knife and skewered the sheep spine in front of him, but he was snatched by the hand stretched out from behind him and roasted on the fire instead of himself.

He turned his head to look, but it was Gayan's youngest daughter, Aranda, who should have been married after all these years. But look at the liveliness in her eyes, not like the eyes of a married woman.

Gayan's youngest son, Ruosso, sat cross-legged beside his father, draped in heavy armor and a peaked helmet. He is now the brigade leader of the Shule Army under Li Siye, and although he has been separated from his family for five or six years, the meeting between father and son has not rained down tears as imagined, calling for heaven and earth, but there is an embarrassment of seeing each other, and the two have not said a few words at all.

However, Gao Xianzhi said with a smile on the side: "It turns out that Ruo Luo is the son of a general, he has served in our army for many years, has experienced dozens of battles, large and small, and has made outstanding achievements, and is quite loved by the soldiers. ”

Jia Yancong hurriedly hugged his chest and saluted: "Thank you General Gao for taking care of him." ”

"You're welcome."

Gao Xian Zhiguo is the ancestor of the awkward conversation, he doesn't know Ruo Luo at all, and he doesn't know until today that he is the son of Gayancong, in order to enliven and improve the relationship with friendly forces, it can be regarded as the essence of politician's diplomacy.

Jiayan patted his chest and said: "Since Tubo has controlled Xiao Bolu for several years, Su Lossi has sent people and relatives to marry my family Aranda several times, but I have not agreed. He took refuge in Tibet, turned his back on the Tang Dynasty, and was despised by my Jiayan, how could I get close to such a person. ”

Gao Xianzhi coughed slightly in embarrassment, but did not refute. In fact, Su is not to blame for the defeat, Xiao Bolu is a small country and a widow, and it is difficult to hold a stand in the cracks of a big country. What's more, Xiaobolu's territory is full of Tibetan garrisons, and most of the nobles in the country are close to Tibet, and even he himself has become a puppet.

"Although I know that the hidden department is sparsely populated, there are also 4,000 people under the account, and Jiayan is willing to lead 3,000 troops to help the Tang army expel Tubo and conquer Xiaobolu."

Gao Xianzhi hugged his chest and thanked him: "This is very good, with the help of the general, our army will inevitably be like a tiger with wings and a complete victory." ”

Li Siye heard the conversation between Jiayancong and Gao Xianzhi, and turned around and asked Aranda, "You are not married yet." ”

Aranda stretched her arms shyly and wrenched her hands into each other, pursing her lips and nodding.

"Aranda, how old are you?"

"Twenty-three."

Li Siye nodded silently, this age is not young, if it is placed in the Central Plains, it is estimated that two children will be born.

Kang Huaishun, who was sitting opposite, looked at Li Siye in surprise and envy, this guy is really thick-skinned, and his relationship with women is really good, he dared to ask about the marriage of other girls within a day of meeting.

As the night darkens, the sky turns from dark blue to pitch black, the stars are still shining, and the Milky Way runs through the sky from south to north. Gao Xianzhi ordered the Tang army to rest in place according to the formation. When there is no rain, camping in the open air is a pleasure for the eyes. Everyone has their heads resting on their quivers, and their bodies are covered with sheep felt, and they are counting the stars on their backs to the sky to sleep.

Li Siye and Gayan sat in front of the unburned pyre, talking in a low voice.

"General, you're fifty this year."

"Fifty, I can't remember, Aranda helps me remember."

Li Siye hesitated for a moment, and persuaded in a low voice: "This expedition is difficult and dangerous, and it is extremely dangerous, so don't lead the troops yourself." ”

The old chief spat out a curling white breath in his mouth, looked up at the sky and said: "In the twelfth year of the old calendar, my father entered the court to pay tribute, and the sage awarded the general Jin Wuwei. In the twentieth year of the old calendar, the sage intended to allow me to inherit my father's position as a general, and until now, I have known that I have received the emperor's favor for two generations, and if we help the army to succeed in the expedition this time, my eldest son Cha Shugan will not only inherit my position as a general, but maybe there will be a greater reward, and our family will be equal to three generations of the emperor's favor. ”

Li Siye narrowed the corners of his eyes and felt speechless, thinking to himself, what is the use of this Jinwu General to you? Isn't it just a book, a symbol, a seal, and the rest are empty bubbles. If you are not a general, you are the lord of the hidden country, isn't this general the pie that the emperor painted for you, and has a false name?

However, he could not say this, lest he be accused of slandering the imperial court and detrimental to national unity.

He asked again: "Your son is in the prime of life and in good health, why don't you let him lead the army in your place?" ”

"How can it be, if my son dies on the expedition, I will have only one son and one daughter left. I have already planned the path of my children, the younger son will follow you to win military merits, the eldest son will inherit the lord of the country, and will be rewarded by the sage general, and the daughter will find a reliable ...... of people married. ”

Li Siye shook his head, turned around and found a corner to sleep. People's father's love is like a mountain, what else can he say.

Jia Yan laughed from Hehe, he wanted to invite Li Siye to enter the tent to rest together, but after thinking about it, forget it.

……

At noon on the second day, Gayan put on his armor, carried a longbow behind him, and hung a horizontal sword at his waist, and lined up the selected 3,000 warriors by the lake, ready to follow the Tang army.

The old man pulled out the horizontal knife at his waist and held it in the air, and the beard on his chin trembled, like a generous and righteous Engels.

"Warriors of the Hidden Country, please follow in my footsteps, follow in the footsteps of the Tang Army, expel Tibet, and crusade against Xiaobo ......"

Before he finished his words, the youngest son, Ruo Shuluo, ran out of the Tang army column and knelt down in front of his father.

"What are you doing here?"

Ruoluo raised his thumb and crossed his hands and said: "Father, you are old, you can't personally work over the mountains and cross the glacier, son ......"

He looked back at the pebble fortress and felt tent camp under the mountain, and he couldn't find his brother.

"Don't look at it, in the early hours of this morning, I have sent him to take people to Shannan to graze."

"Father! Since your brother is not here, your son is willing to lead the army for you! ”

"Nonsense! Nonsense! You are the Tang Army, I am the Hidden Army! We don't belong to each other, how can you lead the troops for me! ”

"Father!"

"Father, you just obey Lost!"

The daughter Aranda also knelt in front of her father, crying and persuading each other, but unfortunately the old man was hard-natured and insisted on refusing to back down.

Gao Xianzhi turned back from the banner of Xu, held the horsewhip in his hand and said: "The Tang Army and the Zhiyin Army are one, if Lost Luo is your own son, it should be okay for him to lead the troops for you." ”

Bian Lingcheng, the overseer, followed Gao Xianzhi with a whisk in his hand, and also coughed and said: "That's it, how old is the old general, why not fulfill the filial piety of his son." ”

Jia Yan took off the hood and hugged it to his chest, shook the gray braids on both sides of his head, and said to Gao Xianzhi and Bian Lingcheng: "Although Jia Yan knows the destiny of heaven, he can still shoot two stone bows. ”

If Gao Xianzhi wanted to say more, it was to hit the old lord's self-motivation, so he had to solemnly give a junior salute to Jiayan from his forked hand: "In this case, the general will lead the hidden army to follow my Chinese army." ”

The Tang army advanced upstream along the Telmanchuan River, and the women, children, old and weak people of the Zhiyin Department stood by the river to see each other, and the daughter Aranda raised the back of her hand to wipe her tears, watching her father staggering onto the horseback with his armor, and followed the Tang Army's banner with the courage to know, and gradually disappeared in the middle of the valley between the peaks.

Li Siye glanced back at it from afar, and ordered Yan Xiaosi to call Ruo Lost Luo to him, and ordered in front of Gao Xianzhi and the others: "If Lost Luo, lead a brigade of soldiers under your command to break away from the Shule Army's jumping camp, join your father's military formation, and serve as his escort." ”

Ruo Luo was full of joy, and said with his crossed hands: "Oh! ”

After the loss of Luo rode away, Bian Lingcheng waved the dust next to him and said with a smile: "Deputy Envoy Li is really admired by our family, treat his subordinates like a spring breeze, presumably from now on, this Ruoluo brigade leader can be willing to fight from you to death." ”

Li Siye pursed his lips, why is this eunuch's mouth so tricky, asking his son to protect his father is to conform to human feelings, how can it become a utilitarianism of Chiguoguo in your mouth.