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Dunhuang City, December 30, night.

At this time, Dunhuang Mansion has entered the coldest time of the year, saying that dripping water into ice, breathing into ice is to say in a relaxed way, the cold and biting north wind mixed with snow particles can directly cut out a bloody mouth on the human face.

At this time, no matter how strong and frost-resistant a person wears cotton clothes, as long as he stands outside the house for a quarter of an hour, he will immediately be frozen, and if he does not return to the house in time, he is afraid that his life will not be guaranteed.

In such a season in previous years, even the border troops of Dunhuang City were too lazy to come out to patrol at night, and no one could launch an attack in such a cold winter night, I am afraid that before the enemy climbed the city wall, he was frozen into an iceman and died on the ladder.

However, this year's war in Dunhuang City was too urgent, and no one dared to risk the lives of the people in the city, so the officers of each battalion had to arrange for soldiers to go up to the city wall and implement the night patrol system.

The people who patrol the guard at night are given high-standard treatment, stipulating that the guard will be changed for half an hour, and you can drink two taels of soju before the patrol, and there will be ginger soup and chicken thighs after going down to the city, so everyone still doesn't want to patrol the sentry, especially the midnight sentry can only be decided by drawing lots.

There is a corner tower every 20 zhang on the city wall, stationed a man and horse, responsible for the night patrol of the 20 zhang city wall, the border army is in a group of two when patrolling, and half an hour can generally go 30 back and forth on the 20 zhang city wall, and then you can change the defense.

The corner tower is very narrow, there is a stove fire in the middle, there is a copper pot on the stove, a fat chicken is stewed in it, with the curling white smoke steaming, there is a smell of chicken soup in the house, and there are seven or eight big men sitting in the place next to the stove that is not close to the door, and they are sleeping soundly with their clothes crooked.

Today, Lao Li Tou and Wang Xiaoer were more lucky, and they won the patrol task when they won the child, seeing that the time was approaching, they silently took out the wine gourd in their arms, poured two taels of soju, and immediately felt a hot current from the esophagus to the stomach, like a flame burning, they couldn't help but shake twice, and felt that their bodies were immediately much warmer.

The two of them stuffed some cotton and cloth strips into their boots to keep their feet warm.

He also tied the cotton trouser leg with a rope, and tied a wide belt around the waist of the cotton coat, and all the places that could be poured into the wind needed to be treated, otherwise it would not be able to last on the city wall for half an hour.

Lao Li Tou and Wang Xiaoer almost tragically took out the dogskin hat from their side and buttoned it on their heads, tied the dirty cotton cloak tightly around their necks, and then turned the collar of the cotton coat up from the rope of the cloak, which could make the neck warmer.

The cuffs of the cotton clothes were not tied with ropes, and the thin cloth gloves of the border troops could not withstand the cold at all, so when patrolling, they could only stuff their hands wearing cloth gloves into the sleeves to keep warm.

They don't have waist knives, Wang Xiaoer is in charge of guarding, and he takes a hook from the weapon rack on the side.

If you find a rope or ladder on the city wall, you can use the iron hook on the side to cut the rope or push down the ladder at the head of the city, which is a very practical combat weapon.

Lao Li Tou took a gong and a wooden stick, he was responsible for early warning, once the enemy was discovered, the gong was loudly struck, and there were ten patrolmen in every twenty zhang of the corner tower who could organize resistance at the first time, and the border troops in the urn city under the city wall heard the gong and immediately rushed to support, which constituted the city defense system at night.

After Lao Li Tou and Wang Xiaoer were dressed neatly, they stood by the door and waited for a while, the door of the corner tower was suddenly opened, and two border soldiers with blue and white faces rushed in, their mouths kept sucking, and their whole bodies trembled.

A bone-chilling air mixed with snow particles and ice slag poured in from outside the door, and the other border soldiers who were sleeping soundly in the room immediately woke up, hurriedly wrapped their cloaks tightly, and scolded them directly.

Lao Li Tou and Wang Xiaoer didn't dare to hesitate, they were afraid that they would not have the courage to go out to patrol the sentry if they delayed any longer, so the two of them hurriedly walked out of the corner tower.

It was colder outside than expected, and as soon as he went out, he felt that his face was numb, and Lao Li Tou hurriedly pulled up the face towel around his neck, covering his face, only revealing his eyes, so that his mouth and nose could be less weathered.

Wang Xiaoer didn't have a face towel, and the blue-yellow snot in his two nostrils flowed down in an instant, and he had to tighten his neck and lower his head, so that the wind and frost could not blow on his face.

Lao Li Tou said in a low voice: "Bastard boy, walk quickly, otherwise you will be frozen immediately." ”

After saying that, he moved his steps vigorously and walked forward, he first went to check whether the butter candles in the two air death lanterns hanging on the city wall within twenty zhang were still enough to burn.

It was cloudy tonight, there was no moonlight and no starlight, and if the lantern went out again, it would immediately become out of sight, and if someone attacked the city wall at this time, it would be really impossible to prevent it.

The Tang people love to eat rice and grain, and they have less meat intake, so many people have night blindness, while Sergeant Mengyuan mainly eats meat all year round, and basically has very good night vision vision.

A few days ago, when the night was not so cold, Sergeant Meng Yuan had launched several sneak attacks at night, but fortunately, they were discovered by the border army in time and quickly repelled them, not allowing the Mongolian army to succeed.

The butter candle in the lantern was enough to light until dawn, Lao Li Tou and Wang Xiaoer picked up their hands and quickened their pace, walked two or three times in a row in the defense area on the city wall, and said hello to the sentries on both sides of the night patrol, and then felt a little warmer on their bodies.

Wang Xiaoer snorted and said, "Uncle Li, do you still have any extra face towels, give me one too, you see that my snot is frozen out." ”

Old Li Tou said: "Xiao Er, your Uncle Li and I made this face towel specially for me by Aunt Li, do you think it is so appropriate to buy one casually? ”

Wang Xiaoer finally couldn't bear it anymore and wiped off the two snots with his sleeves, but in a breath or two, the two blue and yellow snots were frozen on the sleeves, but Wang Xiaoer didn't care, and continued: "But uncle, I don't have a daughter-in-law, my mother's eyes are not good, no one does it for me." ”

Lao Li Tou smiled and said: "Come on, Xiao Er, when we finish this battle with the barbarian, let the old sister-in-law talk about family affairs for you, and when you marry your daughter-in-law, someone will naturally love you." ”

Wang Xiaoer smiled and said: "Uncle, I have wanted to marry a daughter-in-law for a long time, but my mother said that I am still young, and how can I marry a daughter-in-law if the family has no money." ”

Lao Li Tou said: "It's not small, today is New Year's Day and New Year's Day, you should be seventeen years old, your uncle and I have your eldest sister at this age." You don't have to worry about money, after this battle, as long as we are still alive, there will definitely be a lot of reward, and I will tell your mother about it when the time comes. ”

Wang Xiaoer split his mouth and smirked, his nose flowed down again, he felt that the weather was not so cold, and hurriedly asked: "Uncle, isn't it very interesting to marry a daughter-in-law?" I see that Brother Da Niu is so sticky to his wife, he often went out with us to play before he got married, and he never saw him go out to wander after he got married, and he guarded his wife all day long, like a treasure. ”

"Haha, Xiao Er, your kid has grown up, have you eavesdropped on Da Niu doing things at night?"

"Uncle, can you tell my mother, I happened to go to Brother Da Niu at night, and I overheard it, not eavesdropping. ”

"Hahaha, don't quibble, your uncle and I also eavesdropped on the root of the wall when we were young, it's very interesting. ”

"Really, uncle, you think so too? I ......."

“......”

Lao Li Tou and Wang Xiaoer talked along the way, but they didn't feel so cold, they persisted for half an hour, walked thirty-two back and forth, people were frozen, and they felt that the time was almost up, and the two hurriedly ran to the corner tower.

Pushing open the door of the corner tower, Lao Li Tou and Wang Xiaoer only felt that it was dark in the house, and the brothers in the house did not sleep, they all stood up, and at the same time, there were a few more people in the room, and the two of them couldn't help but tremble.

After all, Lao Li Tou is older, and he must have seen clearly that there were many people in the house, including the garrison adults and Huang Qianzong of the infantry battalion, and there were two other relatives.

Old man Li immediately knelt down on one knee, and at the same time pulled Wang Xiaoer, who was in a daze on the side, Wang Xiaoer hurriedly knelt down to ask the general for peace, but was quickly helped up by General Fan.

General Fan was dressed in leather armor and neatly draped, but he added a black fox fur to his body, he looked at this horse warmly, and said in his rich and beautiful baritone: "Well, you people and horses have arrived, it is really hard tonight, and it is so cold and still sticking to the sentry post, which really touches the general." ”

Shi Chang hurriedly said: "General, it is the duty of the border army to protect the family and defend the country, and it is not hard. However, the weather is so cold, and it is Chinese New Year's Eve, and you personally went up to the city wall to visit your brothers, which really touched the brothers. ”

Speaking of this, Shi Chang's voice was a little choked, and the other border troops were even more moved.

General Fan stretched out his hand and patted Shi Chang on the shoulder and said: "For you, I am a general, and for the country, I am also a border army! Although our positions are different, the mission of protecting the family and defending the country is the same, you can brave the wind and snow to be on duty in the ice and snow, I just came to see you, what is there to be grateful for!"

Shi Chang's eyes were sharp, and he grabbed General Fan's hand full of frostbite and cracked water, and said with red eyes: "General, how can your hands be frostbitten like this?"

General Fan patted Shi Chang's hand, gently withdrew his hand, and did not say anything.

Huang Qian, who was on the side, choked up and said: "The general has been sticking to the city wall these days to personally direct the battle, he needs to use charcoal to constantly draw on the city defense map, calculate the movement of the enemy, adjust the deployment of our army, and can't wear gloves at all, so his hands are frostbitten like this." ”

The tears of the Shibian army immediately flowed, and they knelt on the ground together, and said in unison: "The general's body is important, Dunhuang City cannot do without the general, and please take care of the general's body." ”

General Fan helped everyone up one by one and said: "I am just some frostbite, compared to the more than 10,000 brothers who sacrificed their lives for the country, how can I be qualified to cherish my body." If we fail to defend Dunhuang City, more than 700,000 soldiers and civilians in the city and tens of millions of compatriots behind us will be slaughtered.

Today Ben will come here, there is no military arrangement, just thinking that today is Chinese New Year's Eve, I want my brothers to eat some dumplings, and it is also a New Year. ”

After General Fan finished speaking, the two relatives opened a tightly wrapped food box at their feet, took out two large bowls of dumplings, and handed them to Shi Chang.

Shi Chang touched the bowl and was still warm, even more moved, and said with tears in his eyes: "Thank you general, brothers will defend the city to the death and repay the general's great virtue!"

General Fan patted these border army men and said: "There are not many dumplings, only a few per person, and when the barbarian army is repulsed, Ben will make up for the New Year for you, you eat first, we have to go to the next corner tower." ”

Shi Chang sent General Fan off, but grabbed one of his relatives and said, "Brother, does General Fan want to go through all the corner towers?"

The entourage said with a distressed look on his face: "At least the west of the city and the north of the city, yes, in the first half of the night, the general went to the west of the city, and the corner towers came one after another, which was eighteen miles away! In the second half of the night, he arrived in the north of the city, and he had to walk twenty-two miles, I was really worried that his body would not be able to hold out, since the barbarian army began to attack, he did not sleep for more than two hours a day, even the iron-beaten man could not hold it!"

Shi Chang saw General Fan off in tears, and everyone heard from afar that General Fan had arrived at the next corner tower.

Shi Chang turned around and handed the dumplings in his hand to his brothers and said: "Come, everyone eats! After eating the dumplings, cheer up Lao Tzu, there are such good city lords and garrisons, as well as hundreds of thousands of people in the city, all waiting for us to protect them! Only when you are full can you have the strength to kill the enemy! For my Tang Dynasty, I will not retreat!"

"For my Datang, fight to the death and never retreat!" Everyone grabbed the dumplings with their bare hands and stuffed them into their mouths with their bare hands, they felt that they had never eaten such delicious dumplings in their lives.

The youngest, Wang Xiaoer, is also the thinnest one, and he eats the most dumplings, because his brothers let him eat them, hoping that he can grow stronger.

Wang Xiaoer's mouth was stuffed with dumplings, he sat on the ground, crying bitterly while eating, at this moment he was proud of being a border soldier!

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