Twenty years ago, in the second year of Zhide, An Lushan was killed by his son An Qingxu, and the rebels were in civil strife. A year later, Tang Suzong regained the lost territory of Chang'an, and the Anshi Rebellion was gradually quelled. "Xiangwang Li Xuan" and "Yu Chaoen" (the father of Yu Linghui) each commanded 100,000 troops and began to pacify the remnants of the rebels in various places.

In another three years, the rebels had almost been cleared, and Li Xu, the king of Xiang, led 5,000 troops to pursue the remnants of Shi Siming, pulling out several cities along the way. Shi Siming fled northwest to his last city, Wuwei County, Liangzhou.

At dusk, the sky yellowed by the afterglow and the desert yellow sand are connected. More than 10,000 red-clothed soldiers lined up along the road, and every three zhang, a red-black battle flag with the word "Xiang" fluttered arbitrarily in the wind and sand, which was particularly conspicuous.

Li Xu's army marched all day to the border of Weiwu Prefecture, made slight repairs, campfires and cooking, and prepared to conquer this last city later by starry night. Because it was only slightly trimmed, the army did not set up a tent. Except for the vigilant three or five squads, all the soldiers sat neatly on the ground.

The first person in front of the team, wearing bright silver scale armor and a three-flower peacock feather in his helmet, showed the extraordinary nature of his identity. This person is close to forty years old, with a majestic complexion, a one-inch long mustache, and a full figure, looking a little fierce, it is Li Xu, the king of Xiang. Victorious battles were fought all the way, and the whole army was in high spirits and morale.

"Ahh He listened to the messenger's three or two soft words, took the paperwork, and with a smile on his face, he strode towards Li Yan.

"Oh, could it be that Shi Siming was caught?" Li Xuan looked at his happy appearance, his mood was a little complicated, it was good that his enemy of life and death was caught, but he couldn't capture it alive with his own hands, after all, he was a little regretful.

Mi Xin first handed the letter to Li Xun and held Li Xun's arm: "No! No! It's the princess, she gave birth! Mother and child are safe." It's a little son! This is a family letter. ”

Li Xuan stood in place, and only reacted after a moment, and suddenly a burst of hot tears burst out, crying with joy.

"It's a son, it's a son!" Li Xuan's hand trembled as he held the letter, his eyes swept over the short lines of words over and over again, and he said to himself three times in a row. For him, this news may make him happier than catching Shi Siming.

Li had three sons. The eldest son died of illness at the age of seven, the second son died on the battlefield, and the third son coincided with the Anshi Rebellion when he was young.

Li Xuan, who is in his forties, thought that he was going to end up childless, but now that he has a son, he is happy and crying: "I have been on the expedition for half a year, and I have almost forgotten that she is still pregnant with a child." It's really God's blessing, it's really the blessing of my Li family's ancestors. ”

He clutched the letter tightly in his hand, almost squeezing out the water: "The child's name has not yet been decided, and Madame wants me to call it." What do you think it's called?"

Looking at this vast yellow sand world, his mood also became broader. "Li Bing, Li Bing, what do you think of the name Li Bing?" He looked at the bright sun on the golden Gobi: "I want him to uphold the heart of justice and stand between heaven and earth! Uphold my Li family's style and bones! Uphold the great road of the world!"

"Good name, His Royal Highness King Xiang has high expectations for this little prince!"

"Li Bing! Li Bing! I have a son when I am old, this son must be extraordinary!"

The two were talking and laughing, when suddenly a person wearing a red robe, galloping on a horse, running all the way from the front, shouting "Report!"

The man dismounted and handed over the bridle, trotted all the way to Li Xu, leaned over and half-knelt, took out a secret letter of fire paint from his chest, raised it to the top of his head, and presented it with both hands:

The Liangzhou Army's 'Yundu Lieutenant' has already led his troops to break through the four lower counties of Wuwei County, and his troops have been divided into two routes, and they are marching towards Wuwei County from the northwest and southwest directions. It has been ascertained that Shi Siming has commanded 8,000 troops and fled northeast from Wuwei Chengcheng. Yun Duwei asked us to rush to the aid from the southeast to encircle and suppress Shi Siming. This is the handwritten military newspaper of Captain Yundu!"

"Okay! Okay! Okay! Today is really happy! Without further ado, let's go immediately after dinner! The starry night pursues Shi Siming. ”

Li Yu was originally overjoyed, but after thinking about it, he called out to Mi Xin, who was about to leave: "Wait." His eyebrows rose slightly, and there was a viciousness in his eyes: "Mi Xin, you lead five thousand soldiers and horses and rush to Weiwu County immediately." Be sure to occupy Wuwei County first. After you occupy Wuwei County, pass on my order so that Yundu Lieutenant is not allowed to enter the city. Wait outside the city. ”

"His Royal Highness King Xiang, are you afraid of ......?"

"That's right, now that Yun Duwei has gone to Wuwei one step ahead of me, and has already occupied four county seats, I am afraid that he will have his own army and become the second An Lushan. Wuwei is remote, and there is the Gobi as a cover, which is really suitable for supporting troops and standing on their own. Now we have only 10,000 men, and he has about 20,000 men and horses, and if he rebels, we ...... I really have to guard against it. ”

"Indeed!" Mi Xin already frowned as he spoke: "Your Highness is still thoughtful. But you led 5,000 soldiers and horses to fight Shi Siming's 8,000 soldiers and horses. In case something happens......"

Li Yu said with a smile: "It's okay, there are no more soldiers." Although he has 8,000, they are all frightened rogues. We have 5,000, but they are all elites who have won several battles in a row. He has no chance of winning! You can go with confidence, and you must take Wuwei before Yundu Lieutenant. ”

Mi Xin turned the horse's head and clasped his fists with both hands: "Get the order!"

It was getting dark.

Liangzhou, Liangzhou, is really a particularly cold place. The sun had only set for a quarter of an hour, and a layer of light frost had already formed on the dead branches and rotten trees on the side of the road, and the snow was white and crystalline.

Li Xuan sighed lightly, forming a cloud of mist: "I have been fighting against you for seven years, and I will have to make a break today!"

Boom!

Five thousand soldiers marched in the darkness of the night, sparse torches swaying in the gale.

With such a cold place and this wild wind, it was really not easy to march at this time. Ice crystals had already formed on the soldiers' eyelashes, and they were panting for breath, rubbing their hands as they ran forward, so that they were not too sad.

Li Yu naturally knew that this time and place were not suitable for night travel. But how can you let go of such an opportunity.

"Soldiers, it only takes tonight for us to capture Shi Siming alive. After that, the reward for meritorious deeds, the success of fame, the promotion and fortune, it will be in front of you!"

"Roar!" Li Xuan shouted.

"Roar!" all the soldiers also shouted, and their morale was high.

The heaviness of the footsteps is like the loess of Wuwei County.

It is said that Liangzhou is the real yellow sky and thick soil, and a gust of wind blows up, rolling up the sand and covering the sky.

Three hours, a hundred miles of marching. Li Xuan's rapid march finally found Shi Siming's hiding place at dawn.

"Report! His Royal Highness King Xiang, I have found out that the thieves are on this hill. Indeed, the number of people was as high as eight thousand. ”

Li Xuan waved his hand and motioned for the spies to step back. The place where the thieves are hiding in front of you is called "Huanghuatan", which is not because there is any river, but after crossing this hill, it is the endless Gobi Desert. Standing on the top of the mountain, it looks like a sea of gold from a distance. The desert of "Huanghuatan" is the real one, a place of death and lifelessness that has no way to retreat.

This hill is just a mound forty or fifty feet high, backed by the boundless desert. The mountains of Wuwei are no more bare, not to mention trees, not even a single grass.

Li Yu stood at the foot of the mountain and asked 2,000 soldiers to fence off the intersection of the mountain. After marching overnight, the soldiers were already exhausted, and now as long as they stubbornly defend the exit, it is not easy for these more than 8,000 people to rush down.

"Hey, traitor Shi Siming, I can't think of it. You and I meet again!" Li Yu sat on his horse, tilting his head, as if he was the one standing on a high place.

Shi Siming's soldiers were scattered on the top of the mountain, dejected, how could there be a little momentum. One person in the crowd was wearing a purple robe and holding a spear, which was particularly conspicuous, and it was the enemy general Shi Siming.

"Wow~!" he thrust his spear into the ground and sneered: "Hmph! Who should I be?

Li Yu also deliberately delayed time, waited for reinforcements, and shouted unhurriedly: "Where did the words 'defeated generals' come from! You and I fought three times, the first battle, in Luoyang, I just regretted losing to you." The second time in Chang'an, I defeated your 100,000 rebels with 50,000 soldiers and horses. Now for the third time, you are dying, and you are going to run wild. ”

Shi Siming laughed twice: "It's ridiculous! If I die, what do you have to do with me with these words?" He stretched out his hand to block his eyebrows, and looked at Li Yan's army from afar: "Hmph! You are waiting for reinforcements." I don't think you're more than 5,000 soldiers and horses, how can you stop me with 8,000 soldiers and horses? ”

Li Xuan knew that Shi Siming was tricking him, but he still muttered in his heart: "Is this about to be prepared to rush? The army has just been repaired for less than half an hour, and if you really start fighting at this time, you will suffer a lot." Damn! Why haven't Captain Yundu's reinforcements arrived yet, it stands to reason that they should have arrived at about the same time. ”

He called the spies to investigate again to see how far away the reinforcements on both flanks of Captain Yun Du.

A strong wind blew through the desert, raising thousands of yellow sands to cover the sky, but in a blink of an eye, it stopped again, and a big storm was in front of you.

Li Xuan settled down, and said to Shi Siming: "Eight thousand? What a joke, you are already at the end of the day, and you are all a rout." Just wait for me to attack the mountain, you will become like a turtle in an urn, let me fish and meat!"

"If you want to fight, you can fight, where is there so much nonsense?" Shi Siming also expected that he would not dare to attack, but he was not in a hurry to fight down the mountain.

As he spoke, the two spies had already returned to Li Yujun.

After Li Yu heard the announcement, his face changed slightly.

All this is in Shi Siming's eyes. But I heard a burst of wild laughter from the mountain: "Hahahaha!, sure enough, as I expected, if the cloud dog thief really sent reinforcements, he should have arrived half an hour ago." You've waited so long and he hasn't come yet. That is when he is already self-reliant. I'm afraid that at this time, he has already occupied Wuwei County. Hahahaha! It's ridiculous! You tried your best to catch me, but in the end you lost your wife and your soldiers!"

Shi Siming's voice became sharper: "And you! Li Xiao'er! Without reinforcements, today is your death!"

Suddenly, another gust of wind was blowing! Even more violent than before!

"Ahh

A wall of sand thirty or forty feet high struck out of the desert.

"It's a sandstorm, it's a sandstorm!" many local soldiers in Wuwei County had already recognized this thing, showing frightened expressions.

Near the Gobi, once the wind and sand hit, it will cover the sky and the sun, and the four eyes will not be able to see each other.

Shi Siming was even more happy: "Li Xiao'er, God won't help you! Come on, sons! The thief army is isolated and rushes down the mountain with me." Kill!"

Li Xuan's heart was like ashes. I'm afraid the current situation will not get worse: if Captain Yun Du has already established himself, reinforcements will naturally not come again. A sandstorm is about to start, and it will be even more difficult to hold the mountain road. In addition, I don't know what happened to the people sent by Mi Xin to Wuwei County, I hope they are fine.

Whirring twice, the Gobi behind the hill came, and the black-red "Xiang" flag, together with the peacock feather on the top of Li Yan's head, danced in the wind.

The tyrannical wind is blowing, and the sand is about to rise!

"Sons, rush with me!" Li Xuan looked at the yellow sand in the sky, his heart was horizontal, and he could only let go: "If you can behead the enemy general, you will be promoted to the third level and rewarded with one hundred taels of gold!"

In the yellow sand, a war that was originally endless, in the yellow sand, it stopped completely in less than a stick of incense.

Shi Siming's men and horses only think about survival, with this sandstorm as a cover, how can there be any reason to fight again.

There were no casualties, no prisoners. In this situation where it is difficult to see who is on the other side, all the thieves fled.

Li Xuan was not defeated, but he still lost anyway.

A day later, Mi Xin and Li Xun rendezvous. Yun Duwei has really become self-reliant, preemptively occupied Wuwei County and several surrounding counties, refused to open the city gate, but offered a thousand rogues who were captured, and asked the court to reward him as the protector of the capital.

Li Xu, the king of Xiang, led a team back to the dynasty and asked to lead a large army to attack Wuwei again, but was rejected by the imperial court on the grounds that it needed to be repaired.

Three days later, the imperial court agreed to the invitation of Yundu Lieutenant and was named the "Protector of Hexi".

This huge "Wuwei County" has been independent in taxation and internal affairs since then.