The Dadu River is often surrounded by cliffs, and every time you encounter it, you can't march in the river valley, so you can only go over the mountains and detour, avoid the cliffs and then go down to the river again.

The journey of nearly 200 miles can only be traveled more than 10 miles a day.

The soldiers in front of them cut through thorns and thorns and opened the road with difficulty, and the "thorns and thorns" mentioned here are really cutting the thorns on the road, not a metaphor. When Xue Bai saw that their skin was cut open, revealing the bones inside, and the wounds were bleeding pus and festering, he couldn't help but feel that the little trouble that most people encountered in their lives was really not suitable for this idiom.

Thorns bring cripple and death, and no one has time to weep.

On that day, in order to get around a large cliff, the scouts searched for a long time, hoping to find a way up the mountain, but finally found only a steep slope, and the people had to climb the vines to go uphill, and it was even more difficult for the horses to catch up.

Gradually it was Xue Bai's turn, he stepped forward, held a vine branch with the thickness of his forearm, and was about to start climbing, when someone suddenly shouted: "Xue Lang, slow down, I'll help you!" ”

But Wang Tianyun, who was sitting on the side bandaging his wounds, saw him and hurriedly grabbed it. Since the march, Xue Bai has rarely been able to meet Wang Tianyun a few times, because the other party is a pioneer and has been opening the way in front.

"General Wang is injured?"

"Minor injuries, out of the way." Wang Tianyun looked fierce, but at this time, he tried to show a smiling face to show his respect for Xue Bai.

In his eyes, a young champion, who does not enjoy the glory and wealth of Chang'an, runs to the battlefield of Jiannan, not only strategizing, but also waiting for a good life of merit, but sharing weal and woe with the soldiers, such a person is certainly worthy of respect.

However, in the eyes of those intriguing magnates in Chang'an, such a person must have great intentions.

"Xue Lang, your shoes are broken, can you change them?" Wang Tianyun shouted: "Shi Da, bring a pair of shoes, mine is short, take Ruan Chengzong's." ”

The shoes on Xue Bai's feet had been worn out two days ago, because he often needed to wade in water, he walked wet, and when he walked dry, the soles of his shoes were about to fall off. But he has actually changed a pair, and the other soldiers have not yet changed.

"No need." Xue Bai said: "My shoes can still be used, if you give me the soldier's, what will he wear?" ”

"Ruan Chengzong is dead, damn, he was only bitten by a snake, and he died before it was dark."

Wang Tianyun seemed to be saying something ordinary, and there was no reverence for life in his tone.

Xue Bai is not a soft-hearted person, but he has seen too many life and death partings recently, so he was silent and took the shoes.

"This broken road to the south is really not as easy to walk as the road we attacked Xiao Bolu, and you can't ride a horse for several sections." Wang Tianyun pointed to his pair of looped legs, not thinking it was ugly, but feeling proud, and said: "My legs have to be horse-riding, not good at climbing mountains." ”

Although he said so, in fact, Wang Tianyun climbed the mountain very fast, and he was flying on the dangerous road.

Xue Bai changed his shoes and stepped on them, feeling quite thick. He thought to himself that this might have been sewn by Ruan Chengzong's aunt or wife.

Climb all the way up the steep hillside, the terrain is getting higher and higher, and gradually, the view of the Dadu River is already like a river. Further on, there were several places where there were no roads, and the soldiers had cut down trees to make temporary roads. The branches were simply cut off, and the bark was not peeled, so naturally I couldn't expect to be very stable, and I walked up and down.

That is, when Xue Bai and other officials passed, Wang Tianyun shouted and asked the soldiers to hold on to the trunk.

His feet stepped on the round trunk of the tree, and below the trunk was an abyss.

Xue Bai walked this way, his heart palpitated, and when he reached the woods in front of him, he leaned on the trunk of the tree to rest for a while.

Wang Tianyun stepped forward and asked a few words with concern, but he was obviously not good at caring about people, and it was nothing more than "Is Xue Lang tired?" And so on.

"General Wang has something to ask for?"

"Not really." Wang Tianyun scratched his head and muttered in a low voice, "That, clairvoyant mirror." Can Xue Bai ...... in the future? Can I exchange my military exploits with Xue Lang? The heads of the rebels of Nanzhao below Ge Luofeng, Xue Lang can ask for a few. ”

The clairvoyant mirror was given to Wang Zhongsi by Xue Bai, and he also brought one with him, which he usually used to observe the battlefield and learn Wang Zhongsi's command. At this time, Xue Bai thought about it and thought that Wang Tianyun was a person who could be friended, so he said, "Then exchange the heads of two important rebel generals, right?" ”

"Really?!" Wang Tianyun was overjoyed, rubbed his hands excitedly, and said: "I have been coveting it for a long time, Xue Lang will wait, wait for me to break through Taihe City, give you credit, and ensure that you move three times." ”

"It's a deal."

After saying this, Xue Bai heard a whistle sound, turned his head to look, Wang Zhongsi was standing on a high place, holding a clairvoyant mirror and looking around, and from time to time ordered people to play the order flag, he should be personally commanding a small group of scouts.

Xue Bai then climbed up a little further, took the clairvoyant mirror from Diao Bing's hand, and looked at it.

After the Dadu River rushed out of this canyon, the front gradually opened up, and the water trend slowed slightly. On the east bank, the soldiers were building a bamboo raft, cutting a large bamboo, tying it tightly, and making tanning bags according to the method Xue Bai said.

The leather sac is to peel off the sheepskin completely, tie the limbs and anus and other air leaks, and use it as a floating object after blowing the air.

The soldiers tied a few leather bags to the bamboo raft to increase buoyancy, but although the river looked very slow, they were afraid that they would be washed away if they put down the bamboo raft directly.

Then one of the soldiers tied a leather bag to his body and led a rope into the water first. He should have a good water nature, but he was washed more than a dozen steps downstream shortly after entering the water, and the soldiers on the shore hurriedly tightened the rope, and he gradually adjusted and swam to the opposite shore......

Taking advantage of this time, Wang Zhongsi turned his head to look at Xue Bai and said, "The Tubo people have already discovered us, so I deliberately let Luo Chai go and let the Tubo people know that we are going to cross the river at the bend of the Dadu River." ”

"But we rushed to the ferry ahead of time?"

"Thirty people crossed the river first." Wang Zhongji said, "If the Tibetans want to stop us, they must collect troops and ships in the corresponding places before we cross the river, and these thirty people can go to inquire about the situation and even rob the ships." ”

Xue Bai asked, "Is only thirty people enough?" ”

"No baggage, no more, no more traces can be hidden."

From this incident, it can be seen that Wang Zhongsi is very assertive, although Xue Bai suggested crossing the river in the area of Shimian County, but Wang Zhongsi did not intend to fully comply, and sent a team of scouts to the opposite bank in advance to investigate, looking for better opportunities at any time.

Xue Bai did not feel despised because of this, but learned that as a general, he should be assertive while listening to opinions, maintain flexible tactics, and not be rigid.

As he spoke, the soldier who had crossed the river had swam past the center of the river, and at the same time, he had been swept a long distance downstream.

Suddenly, the river around him was dyed red and quickly washed away.

Xue Bai hurriedly moved the clairtelescope to observe, but did not see anyone on the other side of the bank releasing arrows. But it was the soldier who stepped on the reef in the river, and was cut by a stone, and he struggled in the water a few times, but could no longer swim forward, and floated like a dead fish in the river to be washed by the water, relying on ropes and leather bags, so that he was not washed away or sunk.

"Pull him back." Wang Zhongji gave the order.

The flag waved, but before the men on the shore could pull back the soldiers who had crossed the river, he rested for a while, and then swam up again, waving his arms to fight the stormy waves. Constantly being washed downstream, swimming hard forward.

Finally, he landed on the shore, walked back a little way, wrapped the rope around his body, leaned against the tree, and began to treat the wound.

The people on the shore pushed the bamboo raft into the water, and Wang Tianyun was the first to board the bamboo raft, pulling the rope with the soldiers and pulling the bamboo raft to the other side.

The Tang army was divided into three times, each time ten people crossed the river, and after that, Wang Tianyun led the thirty warriors to disappear into the woods on the west bank.

~~

The Dadu River rushes down, enters the realm of Shimian County, and turns to flow eastward.

In the upper reaches, the Dadu River has the east bank and the west bank; When you get here, it's the south bank and the north bank. During the Shu Han Dynasty, Zhuge Liang pacified Meng Shu and set up Hanjia County on the north bank, and Qiongdu County of Yuewang County on the south bank. Further south, there is also the city of Meng Huo.

Tang Shi marched nearly 200 miles along the river valley and finally arrived here.

Li Sheng led people to capture a nettan hunter in the mountains and forests, and Wang Zhongsi asked the military interpreter to ask a few words, and learned that the best place to cross the river here is called "Zidadi", and the useful meaning of this name is not how to ask the netter.

This time the situation was different, there was little room for flexibility, Wang Zhongsi didn't play tricks anymore, and after questioning, he killed the hunter with a knife.

After that, he ordered the soldiers to rest and recuperate while waiting for news from Wang Tianyun.

That night, Xue Bai was lying in the field with only a layer of felt blanket, listening to the sound of the water flowing in the Dadu River, and suddenly regretted that he didn't hand over the clairvoyant mirror directly to Wang Tianyun.

It's a pity that Wang Tianyun didn't say that he wanted to cross the river in advance, he was still laughing one moment, and the next moment he got on the bamboo raft silently.

"Cuckoo, cuckoo."

Suddenly, birds chirped on the other side of the river, and crows responded on this side.

Xue Bai turned over, looked at the sparkling river under the moonlight, and felt the unrest of the Dadu River......

~~

"The yak department is just behind, and there are more than a thousand people."

"That's the only one?"

Wang Tianyun was a little surprised, with the information he knew, the Yak Department could mobilize at least 3,000 troops, how could it be so small?

"It's strange that they didn't get ahead of them, they marched all the way, they probed all the way."

"Did Luo Chai tell the Yak Department the information that we were going to cross the river in Zidadi?" Wang Tianyun pondered, "It's a man who keeps his promises." ”

He sent someone to send the information back to Wang Zhonghe.

The current situation is that the network department on the other side of the Dadu River has not yet discovered that the Tang army is approaching, and there are boats on both sides of the river near Zidadi. And the yak department is still on the way, and it may support the network department at any time.

The counter-plot was useless, what Wang Zhongsi had to do was very simple, and directly seized the boats on both sides of the strait, including asking Wang Tianyun to row back to the north bank the boats that could be grabbed on the south bank, and the main force quickly crossed the river.

It is necessary to gain a foothold on the South Bank before the Ministry of Networks reacts. Before the yaks arrive, defeat the net. Finally, I guarantee that no one will escape the Jinsha River report.

After making a plan, Wang Zhongsi summoned Li Sheng and Qu Huan, ordered them to seize the boats, ordered Guan Chongsi to cross the river first, cooperated with Wang Tianyun to line up on the opposite bank, and ordered Tian Shengong and Tian Shenyu to lead the follow-up troops to cross the river.

The distribution was properly dispatched, and with a few birdsongs, the military order was handed to Wang Tianyun's office.

After a short night's rest, the Tang army began the battle to cross the river.

……

Wang Tianyun received the military order, leaving the two of them to reconnoiter in the mountains and forests in the north, and keep an eye on the movements of the yak department at any time.

He personally led the rest of his men to seize the ships on the south shore.

Zidadi is the easiest place to cross the Dadu River, so there are some netizens living in it, thinking that the Tubo merchant travelers ferry, and sometimes kill people and sell goods.

Wang Tianyun led the people closer and closer, and finally a netizen found their traces and shouted loudly.

"Whoosh."

Wang Tianyun shot the opponent down with an arrow, and the soldiers under his command no longer hid their tracks, but shouted and rushed forward to deter the other party.

Compared to the battle of Xiao Bolu, the scene in front of him is really nothing. The small victory of stealing the river, the network department was unprepared, and it should be easier than expected.

Unfortunately, inevitably, some netizens blew a trumpet made of horns.

"Whew-"

The sound traveled far away, apparently alarming the Netbu.

"Move fast! Paddle the boat over to pick it up! ”

Wang Tianyun strode forward, knocked down a Tibetan tax collector, and took the naan that he hadn't had time to eat from the other party's hand, and took a hard bite.

He crossed the river without any baggage, and although he caught some small birds and finches in the past two days, he did not dare to make a fire and roast them. At this time, he was very hungry, no different from a robber.

There was a trumpet sound in the mountain castle to the south, and the troops of the Netbu's army had already poured in this direction.

Fortunately, the first batch of Tang troops to cross the river today has arrived.

Guan Chongsi grew tall, and he had been uncomfortable since he entered the western Sichuan Plateau, and he jumped off the boat at this time, and shouted without knowing the direction: "Array!" ”

Before he could finish speaking, he vomited from seasickness.

"Array!" Guan Chongsi didn't wipe his mouth, stood up, and shouted.

The array of the Tang soldiers on the south bank was thin, but they all opened their bows and arrows, and when the troops rushing from the network began to charge this side, the first round of arrows had already rained over, suppressing the enemy's morale.

~~

The battle of Zidadi had just begun, and in the upper reaches of the Dadu River, two Tang soldiers who were standing on a high place and watching had already seen the soldiers and horses of the yak department that was rushing to the north.

"I'm going to report to the general, the yak department has arrived!" The Tang sergeant named Shi Da commanded.

"Okay."

Shi Da stayed, bowed down, and listened to the enemies of the yak department running under his feet one by one, silently counting the number of people.

After that, he waited for a long time, and only after making sure that all the people of the yak tribe had crossed the border did he stand up.

Suddenly, a nimble figure in the mountains and forests caught his attention.

At first, he thought it was a monkey, but after staring at it for a while, he realized who the other party was.

It turned out to be the guide that the marshal let go.

Because Shi Da is Wang Tianyun's personal soldier, he has always been in front, so he recognizes the other party and knows his name as Luo Chai.

"Whoosh."

A crossbow arrow was shot in front of Luo Chai.

Luo Chai was startled, and quickly stopped, turning his head to look at the woods on the side.

"I know you can speak Chinese." Someone in the woods asked, "Answer me, did you tell the Yak Ministry that we were going to cross the river at Zidadi?" ”

Luo Chai heard that it was Tang Jun, and he was not afraid of rejecting it, so he hurriedly said: "I have news and want to trade with your general!" ”

"I took off my clothes, raised my hands, and walked over."

Luo did as he was told, walked quickly into the woods, and immediately hit him on the back and fell to the ground.

Shi Da stepped forward and grabbed him, tied his hand, and escorted him all the way to the Dadu River.

"I really have important news!" Luo Chai thought that the other party was going to sink him into the river, and hurriedly shouted.

"Really?"

"Really, I have to see your general."

Shi Da then untied the rope from Luo Chase's hand, tied a leather bag to him, and shouted, "Swim over with the rope!" ”

~~

Xue Bai hadn't crossed the river yet, and was watching the battle with a clairvoyant mirror on the north bank of Zidadi.

The network department did not get the news in advance, there was some confusion, and it was not able to organize an effective defense at the first time, so the Tang army gradually crossed the river with nearly 600 people.

The situation is improving.

But there is a problem, there are more than 10 boats, and the current of the Dadu River is too fast, the river is more than 300 steps wide, the water is deep and the waves are rapid, and there are countless whirlpools in the river. Every time you cross the river, you have to lead the boat several miles upstream, and while paddling, you are swept downstream by the river before you can cross diagonally to the designated place.

According to this calculation, nearly 4,000 Tang soldiers and soldiers all crossed to the opposite side, and I am afraid that it will take four days.

Just as he was calculating, there was another trumpet on the south bank, and the yak department had arrived.

Xue Bai didn't think that these loose tribes in Tubo could have a resolute fighting spirit, but what surprised him was that after the Yak Department arrived at the battlefield, they fought quite methodically, looking at the posture, they actually wanted to line up and establish a good defense line with the network department, and force the landing space of the Tang Army.

Why?

Do you have more troops in Tibet? Is it enough to complete the half-crossing attack?

Xue Bai didn't quite understand, after all, he was still new to the battlefield, and he wanted to ask Wang Zhongsi, but Wang Zhongsi was busy commanding at this time and had no time to pay attention to the trivial matters beside him.

There were people coming and going near Jiangtai, and suddenly someone said to Gao Shi: "Secretary Gao, the scout got a guide ......"

"More on the guide later."

Gao Shi obviously noticed that something was wrong with the yak department, and was carefully observing the reaction of the battlefield.

Xue Bai looked around and said, "What's the news?" I'll take care of it. ”

"There's Lao Xuelang."

Xue Bai walked a little way behind, and saw Shi Da chasing after Luo.

"Tell me if you have any news."

"I want to see your lord." Luo chased and said, "I can only say ...... when I see him."

"Do you have the conditions?" Xue Bai said straightforwardly: "I can be the master and promise you, talk to me." ”

He had a convincing temperament, Luo Chai couldn't help but be a little shaken, and asked, "Can you really be the master?" ”

When Shi Da heard this, he couldn't help but shout: "Xue Lang can still lie to you?!" In our army, in addition to the section commander, it is Xue Lang who speaks the most effectively. ”

Xue Bai didn't know that he had such authority now, and smiled slightly bitterly.

"That's good." Luo chased and said, "My wife and children, let the ministers of Tibet take them away, can you help me save them?" ”

"It's hard, there's no reason for us to help you." Xue Bai said.

Luo Chai couldn't help but be very anxious, and hurriedly said: "Zhujie Gongbu sent my family to the Tubo soldiers and horses who went south, and they are also going to Nanzhao. ”

"Then the matter has to be discussed." Xue Bai's tone was flat, sounding like he had known about this matter a long time ago, and he was not very interested in Luo Chai's news, but fortunately, he was still willing to listen to it, and said, "You tell me from the beginning, so that I can believe you." ”

"Okay, I went back to the yak department and found that Zhujie Gongbu had collected all the remaining men in the tribe. Feeling that something was wrong, I secretly returned home and found that Deji Medo was missing, and I asked my best friend, only to find out that he had been taken away by the Tibetan minister. I followed Zhujie Gongpo's men and horses, and he went south along the Dadu River, hoping to catch up with the army of the Tibetan ministers. ”

Although these words were simple, Luo Chai was so anxious that he repeated them in a rambling manner, and finally finished speaking.

Xue Bai asked, "Is the leader of the yak tribe following the Tubo army?" ”

"Yes."

"What else do you know about that Tibetan army?"

"Can you save my family?"

Xue Bai said: "I can promise you." ”

Luo Chai had no choice but to believe him, and said: "There is a very noble woman in the team, maybe she is going to leave Deji Medo." There were 8,000 of them, all of whom were recruited along the way, and they were going to Nanzhao to support. ”

"Where have they gone?"

"I don't know, but they left two days earlier than Zhujie Gongpo."

~~

The fighting on the other side of the river seems to have become a little more scorching.

Xue Bai did not rush to explain the situation to Wang Zhonghe, but drew a simple schematic diagram with the pen and paper he carried with him, marking the troops and horses of the enemy and us.

Later, nearly 100 miles on the south bank of the Dadu River, he wrote the words "Meng Huocheng", and "Tubo troops were nearly 10,000 people".

Walking on the stage, Xue Bai handed the drawings to Wang Zhongsi and took a look.

Between these actions, the expressions of the two did not change at all, and they did not cause a little panic to the people around them.

"Yan Wu."

Wang Zhonghei summoned Yan Wu and instructed: "You are temporarily in command." ”

Yan Wu was obviously extremely flattered, and he wanted to be humble when he opened his mouth.

But what is rare is that at an important juncture, he dared to take on the heavy responsibility and responded resolutely and coldly.

"Whoa!"

Wang Zhongsi handed the handsome flag in his hand, and walked to the side with Xue Bai unhurriedly.

"Reliable information?"

"I'm 70% sure it's true."

"It's not hard to beat them." Wang Zhongsi said, "The difficulty is that we can't afford to delay. Don't delay the march, so that the news goes out of Lushui to Nanzhao first. ”

Xue Bai asked, "According to General Wang's wishes?" ”

Wang Zhongsi thought about it and made a risky decision.

"Divide the troops and cross the river."

~~

Tents were erected on the great meadow.

Lun Ruozan arranged for the soldiers to camp, and although he felt very tired, he still went to the outside of Nalan Zhen's tent to ask a few words.

"The princess has worked hard all the way, and she will be able to reach Meng Huo City in a day or two, and then there will be barley wine ......."

"Who told you I was going to drink?" Nalan Zhen's cold voice came from inside the tent.

"The princess loved to drink it when she was a child."

"I don't like it now." Nalan Zhen said, "If you spend all these thoughts on business, you may be expected to be the prime minister now." ”

Lun Ruozan said: "If the princess wants me to be the prime minister, I ......"

"Prime Minister Yixiang Yele must have arrived in Nanzhao." Nalan Zhen interrupted him again.

"That's because the Aba grassland is easier to walk." Lun Ruozan said, "In order to get the news of Chang'an, I went around to the east ......."

As he spoke, a soldier came to report that the Tong clan and the generals of the yak tribe had quarreled.

Lun Ruozan didn't want to care about these trivial matters, and said: "According to military law, both sides will fast for one day." ”

Nalan Zhen asked, "What is the quarrel?" ”

"The villain doesn't know yet, it's the leader who asked the villain to ask the general to deal with it."

"Go and ask why."

After a while, the soldier sent a report and said, "Zhujie Gongpo has sent a messenger, saying that there is a large force of Tang troops near the Dadu River, and General Tong does not believe it, so he quarrels here. ”

Lun Ruozan pondered: "Does the Tang army want to attack Qianjiao City again?" ”

He didn't think that in the case of Nanzhao's rebellion against the Tang Dynasty, the Tang army would leave Nanzhao alone and attack Tubo. This is definitely not the decision that the emperor of the Tang Dynasty who likes all countries to come to the dynasty will make.

Today, it was in front of Princess Nalanzhen that he showed that he paid attention to this matter.

This is actually his deliberate decentralization, so that Nalan Zhen can interfere in the military situation and facilitate more getting along with her...... As he knew, the princess had always had a lot of ambitions.

For this reason, he summoned a messenger sent by Zhujie Gongpo, and after listening carefully to his report, he shook his head in his heart, thinking that Zhujie Gongpot wanted to avenge his son, so he recruited tribal men to encircle and suppress a Tang caravan.

"This leader of the yak tribe only thinks about his personal vendettas, don't pay attention to him."

"How bold is he? How did you come up with this statement? Nalan Zhen was a little curious, and muttered: "If a Tang army comes down along the Dadu River Valley, where are they going?" ”

Lun Ruozan smiled and said, "Do they want to attack Meng Huocheng? ”

"If so...... Further afield? ”

"Further?"

Lun Ruozan was stunned for a moment, caught Nalan Zhen's meaning, pondered carefully, and finally shook his head, and said, "No, this plan is too risky, Tang Jun doesn't need to do this." ”

Nalan Zhen frowned, not sure.

Although she had an idea, she actually believed that it was Zhujie Gongbu who faked the military information in order to avenge her personal revenge.

But what if?

"It's true or not, it's less than a hundred miles away, and you'll know if you go over and see it......"

(End of chapter)