That's true, but that's not necessarily the case.

Human beings are not purely rational creatures, many times they do things mainly by emotional factors, especially the black and white steppe people, sometimes they are stubborn and terrible, sometimes they are extremely open-minded. In many cases, it depends on whether what is about to be done is in line with the three views they have formed.

When Zhang Chang'an was exploring the front line as a scout, the army led by Shangguan Chengcheng was slowing down a hundred miles away. Because they are all cavalry, a hundred miles is really not far, and the extreme speed of the elite cavalry is three hundred miles in one day and one night. And in the grassland, this distance can be stretched even further.

So this hundred miles distance, at some point, is the distance of a marching day.

As the chief general of more than 30,000 elite cavalry, the problems that Shangguan Allure has to consider are naturally different from Zhang Changan, and the biggest difference is the size of the object of concern.

"The offensive of the Khitan army against our Tang Dynasty is now concentrated in three areas, namely Juyong Pass in Yanzhou, Beikou in Danzhou, and Yuguan in Pingzhou. According to the latest news, Yelu Abaoji is outside Yuguan. Compared with the previous two, Yuguan is actually the easiest to break, but in the summer, after the water rises in Chongqing, Yuguan, which is built according to the geographical advantage, its moat becomes more insurmountable, so it is now the most fortified.

"If Yelu Abaoji wants to break through the border pass, he can only choose Juyong Pass and Beikou. However, as far as the current situation is concerned, whether Yelu Abaoji takes the initiative to attack or not is actually between the two. In the final analysis, in the case of the failure to win the Hexi and Shudi wars, the general trend of the battlefield was favorable to the Khitan.

"If this battle drags on, although the Khitan army also has food supply problems, compared to the Tang Dynasty, which is facing the enemy on three sides, Yelu Abaoji has nothing unacceptable. Therefore, Yelu Abaoji is likely to adopt a stubborn strategy now, relying on the support of the Uighurs and Nanzhao, and use this war to drag down the Tang Dynasty. If we are to win this war, we must break the deadlock.

"What is in front of us right now is the Khitan army on the Yanzhou side. The main general of the army is still the general of the heart of the abdomen, Yelu Xiannechi, and the army under his command is about 600,000. Its main force was divided into two parts, one part to attack Juyong Pass, and the other part to besiege Huairong City.

"Unlike our army, they did not set up a separate grain and baggage warehouse, so Huairong and Juyong Pass are where their cattle and sheep and baggage warehouses are located, and it is not easy for us to defeat them by cutting off their grain routes. ”

It was none other than Chu Zheng who said this.

He is now a recorder of Shangguan Allure to join the army, although his position is not high, but he has the power to counsel the military aircraft. This disciple of the White Deer Cave is now in the right place to show what he has learned in his life, so he is very high-spirited.

Shangguan Chengcheng couldn't deny Chu Zheng's words, and said expressionlessly: "According to the news reported by Zhang Changan, there should not be much grain in the Khitan army, otherwise there would be no brigade of soldiers and horses to go out to raise food."

"The war has been fought so far, it should have exceeded Yelu Abaoji's expectations in advance, and the lack of food and straw is a reflection of this. As long as we defeat their food teams, we can still play a role in supporting the frontline battlefield. ”

Chu Zheng thought about it and agreed with Shangguan Allure's judgment.

He turned to think and said: "The grassland people are actually very barbaric in their conquests, and the grain and straw in the headquarters of Yelu Abaoji are actually not too short, and the territory controlled by the eight Khitan departments is enough to mobilize enough cattle and sheep."

"But the two million troops are out on the march, and many of them are not his direct troops, and these armies have to start raising food now to ensure that they have enough food. From this point of view, in the past few months, the border soldiers fought bloodily to block the Khitan army from the Great Wall, and the results and effects were obvious. ”

Shangguan Chengcheng groaned for a while, and said with sharp eyes: "Our army has more than 30,000 horsemen, and if we want to break the stalemate of the battle, this is the opportunity." Send an order to Zhang Chang'an, be sure to find out the assembly place of the Khitan army, only in this way can we hit them with one blow and hurt them!"

"Yes!"

After Zhang Changan received the military order from Shangguan Allure, he summoned the capital of more than 500 of his subordinates to discuss with the Buchen Dao people how to find out the meeting point of the Khitan Grain Raising Brigade.

This is not a simple question.

It's not easy to see where people are now.

Starting from Yunzhou, the army basically followed the direction of the Great Wall, and advanced all the way to the northeast on the grassland, and the area where it is now located, Huai'an County, the closest county to Yanzhou, is also close to two hundred li. In this vast grassland, finding the assembly point of the Khitan army to raise food is not something that can be done by monks.

"Since the Khitan food team appeared here, and it was the size of a thousand-person team, it is conceivable that their assembly point is not too far from here. Within a radius of two hundred miles, there must be their camp. Buchen, you set off now, go to contact the Quanzhen Guan and the Wukong Liberation Gate on the grassland, mobilize their power, and be sure to find out where the other party is. Remember, you must conceal your whereabouts and not let the Khitan monks detect them, otherwise you will be alarmed. ”

Zhang Changan said solemnly to Buchen.

Buchen nodded, "Commander, rest assured, although Quanzhenguan hasn't walked on the grassland for too long, if you talk about the strength of the eyeliner, it can definitely be driven, and you can start here." ”

After Buchen left, Zhang Changan was still not completely reassured, as a leading general, he could use other forces to investigate the military situation, but the initiative must be in his own hands. He summoned the Qi cultivators in the team and wanted to send them out, and after putting on makeup and disguise, he went to investigate and track the Khitan Grain Raising Brigade.

"It is not possible to do without a steppe shepherd as a guide, and once we encounter a Khitan monk, a shepherd must come forward to speak. Although we can also speak some grassland languages, because of the short time we have been in school, we are not very proficient in speaking them now, and it is easy to show our feet. At that time, his own life will not be guaranteed, and once the Khitan army is on alert, the main army led by General Shangguan will not be able to successfully raid. ”

Dutou Xu Jiu expressed his considerations, he was also a student of Chang'an Cultivation Academy, and he was a sharp soldier in the army before, so he did not lack understanding of military affairs.

Zhang Changan pondered for a moment, "There are still six living people in this tribe, and there are four people who can follow us now, but no dust can convince them to serve us, how can you and I open our mouths to them?"

The question was raised, and everyone fell silent.

Xu Jiu suddenly said: "I heard from the surviving shepherds that the girl you saved is actually the granddaughter of the tribal chief, if you can convince her, and then let her come forward to persuade those shepherds, maybe this matter will not be difficult." ”

Zhang Changan was stunned, but he didn't expect Gesang to be the granddaughter of the chief. She was heartbroken in the past two days, the two actually didn't communicate much, and on weekdays, when he was eating, he would call each other, after all, he used the iron pot in someone's tent.

But when he slept, he was not in someone's tent, after all, there were many tents here.

When I saw Gesang again, it was already late at night, and it took Zhang Changan a long time to discuss things with everyone. Gesang sat on the grass with his hands on his knees, facing the bright and distant sky, singing a song that he could only half understand, and his voice was very good, like a yellow bird.

Although Zhang Changan has never seen Huang Li, everyone describes a person with a crisp voice and when he hears it, he will follow the crowd, but this clear and beautiful voice is so sad no matter how sad he listens to it now.

Because Gesang was in tears.

Singing with tears, his voice is not choked, which Zhang Changan has never seen.

About the women on the grassland, and the Central Plains women are indeed a little different, Gesang did not show any posture of comfort when crying like the Central Plains women, even if she is alone in the face of the night, she has the courage to live alone, and does not need the comfort of amorous talents.

Zhang Changan disturbed his head, and the nature of the Tang man who took pity on the jade made him want to comfort the other party, but the roughness of the border man made him not know how to comfort the other party.

In the end, he could only sit down beside the other party and listen to her sing quietly.

Although he doesn't know much about the content of the lyrics, he feels that the important thing about the sound of the song is never the content, but the artistic conception and atmosphere created. Mountains and rivers looking for soulmates seem to be the truth. At least Zhang Changan understood at this time, Gesang was telling her dead parents and relatives about her lovesickness and loneliness.

I don't know how long it took, Gesang's singing stopped, probably because he was tired of singing, and he was tired of crying, so he rested his chin on his knees to rest.

Zhang Changan opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but he couldn't find the right words, and he stopped talking several times, but in the end, it was Gesang who took the lead in speaking: "Can you help me take revenge?"

It's a very simple sentence.

A very simple request.

It reflects Gesang's current mood and state of mind.

When she said this, she raised her head and looked at Zhang Changan, her eyes were burning, and she couldn't see the slightest weakness and cowardice, but her expression was resolute, and her bright eyes were full of hope.

Zhang Changan thought that he could not refuse such a request, after all, it was consistent with his mission, so he said solemnly: "As long as you are willing to help me, I can avenge you." ”

Gesang's answer was straightforward: "How can I help you?"

After saying this, she was already eager to try.

Zhang Changan opened his mouth and was speechless again.

A group has only been wiped out for two days, and a woman who has lost her relatives for only two days should be at a loss at this time, but the Gesang in front of him made Zhang Changan realize that the vitality of the shepherd on the grassland is far stronger than he imagined.

What Zhang Changan didn't know was that Gesang had already been told countless times by the old chief that it was impossible for a strong shepherd to survive one cold winter after another. The girl who grew up in that habitable place in the Central Plains would not know how difficult life on the grassland was.

The people of the Central Plains always laugh at the grassland people as barbarians, in fact, they are right, the grassland people are indeed very barbaric. But if they weren't savage, they wouldn't have survived at all.

In this wild area, they are accustomed to the company of cattle and sheep, and wild wolves, so that even a thirteen-year-old girl can quickly pick herself up after the loss of all her relatives, and see the situation before her, and know who to ask for revenge.

Zhang Changan got the help he wanted.

Under Gesang's persuasion, the surviving people in the tribe agreed to be driven by the alien army of the Tang Dynasty.

When Gesang persuaded them, Zhang Changan followed behind, and he found that Gesang's words were not very powerful, and his thoughts were not very strict, and it was really not worth mentioning in terms of agitation, and he was confident that he could say words that made people's blood boil a hundred times.

But it was such a simple and simple language, which came out of Gesang's mouth, and the shepherds easily agreed and agreed, and their attitude was very firm. It was also from this time that Zhang Changan realized that in this vast grassland, in fact, no matter how much the Tang people were arguing, it would not be useful to ordinary herdsmen, and the only useful thing was the identity of the speaker.

Gesang is a steppe person, a member of their clan, so when she speaks, she can easily gain the trust of her companions.

Gesang helped Zhang Changan solve the big trouble, the only requirement was to kill all those who invaded the tribe, and the additional requirement was to go to the battlefield with Zhang Changan.

"The battlefield is dangerous, and it's not a place for you women to set foot in, if you're not a monk. ”

Zhang Changan said to Gesang very seriously, "You can be our guide, but if the battle starts, you can only stay away." ”

Gesang had tears in his eyes, but he bit his lip and replied, "I won't hinder you from fighting, I'm on the edge of the battlefield, you don't have to worry about me." I only hope that you don't drive me away, so that I can avenge my people with my own hands!"

Zhang Changan couldn't refuse such a request.

In his eyes, the prairie woman is also a country girl, although he does not discriminate against the other party, but he also can't pay attention to it. Since Gesang must twist the knife and cut people by herself, without becoming a burden to the army, it is okay for her to cut and kill a few wounded soldiers to vent her anger.

With the help of Gesang and her people, Zhang Chang'an's scout team dispersed.

In the team of more than 500 people under his command, there are dozens of students from the Chang'an Cultivation Academy, and the lowest of them are also expected to enter the Qi Refining Period before entering the Academy, and most of them have broken through the Qi Refining Period after studying in the Academy for more than half a year.

Now, it's time for them to use their self-cultivation to serve the country.

Zhang Changan personally led Gesang or rather, was led by Gesang and sneaked into the wilderness.

Ordinary soldiers were not qualified to participate in such an operation, and in Zhang Changan's five-person team, Gesang was the only one who was not a Qi cultivator.

They escaped into the vast grassland, relying on Gesang's familiarity with the environment, coupled with Zhang Changan's judgment of the enemy's movements, and the simple map given by Buchen, it was easy to keep up with a Khitan cavalry raising food.

This cavalry numbered more than seven hundred people.

This shows that they had already plagued enough shepherds before that they could send nearly 300 men to escort cattle and sheep, and now this cavalry was levelling a tribe of more than 200 people, and after paying a very small price, they took away their cattle and sheep brutally.

When the time came, the cavalry did not continue to raise food, but the whole team escorted the cattle and sheep and began to walk back. Zhang Chang'an knew the direction of this place, and they must be going southwest when they went back, so that they could get close to Yanzhou. Therefore, he can easily judge the other party's intentions.

Gesang, who was also lying on the grassy slope, was now flushed, gritting her teeth, just looking at her wolf-like gaze, Zhang Changan knew that she must have remembered the scene of her tribe being wiped out. Seeing that the other party had already started his return journey, Zhang Changan pulled Gesang out of the grassy slope.

The longer they get along, the more Zhang Changan feels that Gesang is different from ordinary women. To be precise, it is different from the Central Plains woman. She is obviously only thirteen years old, but she is unexpectedly sensible and mature, no matter what she sees along the way, how resentful she is, as long as Zhang Changan gives the order, she will never hesitate or be impulsive, and absolutely cooperate with Zhang Changan's actions.

Just like now.

She obviously had distorted facial features, but Zhang Changan said to go, and she quietly followed.

Such a Gesang made Zhang Changan feel pity, and the other party was so pitiful.

He himself is not a gentleman who does not know the world, nor is he an ordinary person who has not seen the world, of course, he knows that the earlier a person matures, it means that she has endured too much pain at an age when she should not have endured pain.

Gesang is obviously such a girl.

Even if she is the granddaughter of a tribal chief.

Zhang Changan has now seen very clearly, the chief of a tribe of more than 100 people really has no power in the grassland, compared with the Central Plains, the grassland is much more disorderly, and the reality that a big fist is the last word is also much higher, how can a girl who grows up in such an environment be squeamish?

Gesang always made Zhang Changan's eyes shine, but he didn't have too much energy to pay attention to the other party, his own mission and the situation he was in, so he had to tense his nerves all the time.

Covertly following this team escorting cattle and sheep, Zhang Changan and others walked all the way in the direction of Longmen County, and with the change of the sun and the moon, the Khitan cavalry encountered on the road continued to increase. At such a time, Zhang Changan had to admire Gesang.

This girl can always tell Zhang Changan in advance according to the topography of the mountains and rivers, which routes to avoid, which places must not be set foot in, and which places are suitable for the army to move. Because of the existence of Gesang, Zhang Changan and others were not touched by Khitan rangers along the way.

Zhang Changan was surprised to find that Gesang was really smart.

Along the way, for the sake of his own thoughtful actions, he instilled a lot of military knowledge in Gesang, including the time, location and other essentials that scouts need to consider on the march, and Gesang can always learn and use it, if it weren't for this, they would have been discovered by the Khitan rangers and monks.

To tell the truth, Zhang Changan doesn't think Gesang is very smart, when he also talks to the other party about some national events, poems and songs, and the face of war, the other party is like listening to a book from heaven, and he forgets it, but she can always draw inferences from this grassland, just like instinct.

Relying on Gesang, Zhang Changan finally discovered the place where the Khitan army that raised grain gathered.

It was a river valley with large tents of the Khitan army and an ocean of cattle and sheep.