Chapter 394 Pick up the lamp and drink wine and go to Huangquan together

The scorching sun is steaming in the sky, and the flame mountain is like the Monkey King kicked down from the heavenly court, emitting layers of heat waves that are almost visible to the naked eye.

Gaochang Wangcheng is surrounded by the Flame Mountain, just like a steamer.

Qin Shubao sat in the capital's mansion with a golden knife, with his left hand holding the seal and his right hand, and he was constantly busy with the approval.

As a weather-beaten peak martial artist like him, his heart is as calm as the ice, and even if the knife and axe turn back, his face does not change. At this moment, although he is sweating and wet inside and outside, his expression is still as quiet as usual.

It has been more than half a month since I entered the Dadu Protectorate, and everything is normal. The subjects of Gaochang did not show too much hostility and abnormality from the king Qu Zhisheng. The initial worries and haze gradually faded away, and the work of the Metropolitan Government was gradually on the right track.

As usual, most of the guardians of Qin Shubao were like this. After the morning discussion, he was approved to take care of military, government and civil affairs. In the afternoon, he went out of the city to the Tang army battalion to inspect the military parade. At night, he stayed in the guard of the capital of Gaochang Wangcheng.

The two literary officials who served the ink left and right were sweating all over without exception. But even if the sweat on his face flows down, there is no flaw in consideration. The old coach Qin Shubao has always been serious and vigorous in Congo, but whenever he does business, he is fully committed to it. The officials who followed him had to be meticulous.

But today, the left and right literati found that Qin Shubao, a handsome man who has always been free and easy, moves half a beat slower than before, as if he was more than enough. Moreover, when criticizing the discount, the pen rested several times, and his face did not have the ruddy luster of the past.

"Is the general tired? Sick?" Ask left and right.

"It doesn't matter. Maybe it's a little unconvinced." Qin Shubao drank a cup of tea and said, "After finishing these folds as soon as possible, go out of the city to send food to Xue Rengui in the afternoon. It's too hard for our soldiers to be stationed outside the city. In the past two days, I will find a way to get some medicine soup to relieve the summer heat and send it away quickly.

"Yes, general." Left and right answered and sighed in their hearts. This expedition with Qin Shubao to Gaochang can be said to have suffered a lot. Needless to say, the previous thousands of miles of attacks have been fought for more than ten times in a row. In the end, he successfully conquered Gaochang and still had to stay outside the city and suffer a lot. It is certain that people and horses are sick in the heat of the world, and even the food and herbs are not prepared.

It is not so much to be impeached in the garrison town to show the unparalleled benevolence and domineering of the Tang Dynasty, it is better to say... These soldiers are simply exiled!

As soon as half of the incense passed, the pen in Qin Shubao's hand suddenly trembled and almost fell on the paper.

"Marshal, what's wrong with you?" Surprising left and right. They saw that Qin Shubao's face was extremely pale, like a seriously ill person showed blue and gray, and his body was also shaking slightly, and the cold sweat on his forehead was like beans.

"No...it's okay! Maybe he ate something unclean and had a bad stomach. Qin Shubao held the pen pole and said, "Complete these folds quickly. I'll take a moment. You can send the folds to Yu Zhisheng as soon as possible and let him send them to execute them."

"Yes! ...Marshal, why don't you let the humble position deliver food in the afternoon? There is no need for the marshal to experience such small things in person. The marshal is in poor health and needs to have a good rest. Later, I will go to invite a military doctor.

Qin Shubao frowned tightly, unconsciously reached out to cover his stomach, and nodded gently, "Okay, you must personally hand over the grain and herbs to Rengui and sign for the reward. There is no need for military doctors. There is no need for mediocre people to disturb themselves.

Forty miles away from the northern foot of Flame Mountain, there is a rare green forest and grassland green state, with a radius of more than 40 miles. It is a well-known green state tribe. Merchants on the silk road often stay here. Over time, there has been a little more prosperity here. However, recently, due to the war, merchants have cut off their troops and become a deadland.

Last night, it was windy and dark at night, and the oasis quietly poured in large areas of people and horses and settled down. They neither buried the pot to make rice nor hunted the field. They whispered horseshoes wrapped in cloth, and behaved like a ghost.

The few remaining private houses and inns in the oasis were forcibly occupied by them. Whenever you meet a stranger, you will be silenced if you don't care about them.

Many innocent travelers had their bloody machetes and a shocking wolf-headed flag in their pupils before they died.

Wolf, the totem of the Turks!

In the Han Dynasty Inn in the center of the oasis, Hu Binghuan waited for the machete. The tables, chairs and other things in the center of the lobby were swept away and replaced by a thick layer of sheepskin carpet. Several people were sitting around it, drinking thick white milk wine.

One of them sits at the core, and the others are arranged in turn. The head of the freshly roasted whole sheep faces his direction. It can be seen that this person is the head of everyone.

This man's tiger-backed bear's waist is as open as a lion. The eagle hook has a big nose and blue eyes, and his cheekbones are more prominent than ordinary barbarians. When he opened his mouth to drink, a big mouth of blood appeared.

Seeing this person reminds people of an animal - a bear!

"General Ni Shu, I just received a letter from Gao Chang's secret, saying that everything is ready, and our army can leave in the evening and enter the city at night!" The first person on the left said.

"Niku" is the name of the Western Turkic tribe, also the surname, and the surname of the Wang clan. The bear-like man is the highest military commander of the northern court of the Western Turks at present. He has swept the desert and is invincible. He almost made the first general of the Beiting with his own efforts.

The mud ripened and glanced at the man, with a typical cold look like a carnivore. Although he was close to his confidant, the man who spoke just now couldn't help but feel cold.

"I have no interest and trust in Ji Zhisheng." The mud sip spoke, but his voice was not as rough as imagined. Instead, it was very calm, but his voice was full of vigor, "Who sent the secret letter?"

"We are our own people. Previously, Hanting was sent to Tutun, Bi Le, Gaochang."

"That's almost the same. It seems that the time is ripe. The mud sip drank up a cup of milk wine cow and sighed, "It's a pity that Uncle Qin's unrivaled tiger will die in such a despicable trick!" It's a pity that you can't compete with him in a fair and just battlefield in this life!"

"General, since the Great Khan personally sent the general to come, it can be seen that this battle is very important." The servant said, "There is no saying that Han people don't get tired of cheating. Uncle Qin is invincible and has Pu Changhai and Xue Wanche as a backup. If we want to fight head-on, our army will have to be killed and injured even if we win. If this battle kills Qin Shubao and defeats the Tang army, and from then on, only my Beiting is left in the Western Regions. Who dares not to accept it? In the end, this account will only be counted on the heads of Qu Zhisheng and Gaochang people, which has nothing to do with me. This is really a net profit-making business!"

"You can only hearsay and talk about others. How can you be so insighted?" Ni Shu siped coldly and snorted, "Dahan listened to the instigation of the Tubo boy's Jiaer Qinling that he decided to be the enemy of Tang. I don't have any crush on the boy, the Chalqinling. In more than ten consecutive battles that lured Qin Shubao to go far away from Lanzhou and deep into the Western Regions, he punished the old, weak and disabled soldiers to only make a stinge, which made us and Gaochang's soldiers and horses send countless losses to death. In the end, he had to use us to deal with Qin Shubao, but he sat on the wall and waited for the benefits of the fisherman. No matter whether he is successful or not in this battle, he has no loss at all. That is the real net profit and no loss!"

"But... this is indeed good for us!" The servant said timidly, "After Tang Ting took Gaochang, he was stationed and impeached, subdued people's hearts to recruit troops and horses, and set up the Metropolitan Protectorate. Enwei and Shi wanted to subdue the countries of the Western Regions one by one. His ambition is not small! When they gradually take root here, sooner or later they will unite with Nanting to attack me. At that time, everything will be really late!"

"Humph..." Mud sip was annoyed and helpless, and said, "I don't know such a truth? ...If not, how could I lead the army in person? One mountain does not allow two tigers, and there will be no two overlords in the Western Regions. Seeing that we were about to take the Southern Court to dominate the Western Regions, Tang Ting stretched out his hand. Although I am quite disdainful of such treacherous people as Garqinling, I also know that it is extremely difficult to win if I don't use this. It's a pity that Qin Shubao, the hero for a lifetime, is admired by our generation! ......”

After noon, a large number of grain convoys were escorted to the Tang army camp in Flame Mountain. Xue Rengui went out to welcome them in person and took a detailed inventory of them one by one. After that, Xue Rengui asked the escort officer why the general did not come to the military parade in person today.

The extraction officer replied truthfully, saying that the general was in poor health, so he could not come in person.

Xue Rengui frowned and said, "You and I both know the commander-in-chief's temperament. Even if the sky collapses and the earth are attacked, he is still vigorous and does not change his line. I saw that he was still intact yesterday. Why is he so sick that he can't travel today? Is there anything strange in it?

The escort officer was stunned and said, "The marshal only said that the diet is not clean, the water and the soil are not satisfied, and it's a little noisy. In addition, it's no different!"

"Is that true?" Xue Rengui stared at him.

"It's true...that's it! The general also ordered that the general should distribute these summer soups as soon as possible to relieve the suffering of the soldiers.

"..." Xue Rengui pondered for a moment and nodded and said, "Please repay the general. The general will execute the military order immediately. After that, tomorrow morning, Gaochang Kaicheng will visit the general in person and immediately return to the military affairs!"

"Yes, the humble position will definitely be brought. General Xue, the humble position will leave!"

"Wait!" Xue Rengui suddenly shouted and shocked the escort officer.

"I am still a little worried. At this moment, I will go to the city to visit the general." Xue Rengui said.

"That's good... good. I'm afraid that the general will blame the general for leaving his post without permission!" The escort officer reminded him carefully, "It's not too late for the general to visit him tomorrow."

Xue Rengui frowned and meditated for a moment, so he had to nod: "Well, at present, I will implement the military order. Go ahead and say hello to the general for me.

"Yes."

Late at night, the moon is like a mirror, and the wind roars.

There was silence all around, and two fierce roars suddenly came from the backyard of the capital of Gaochang Wangcheng!

"Ah! - Ah!!"

"Mshal, what's wrong!"

Several people crashed into the door and rushed in and found Qin Shubao rolling down from the bed, with a pool of blood on the ground. Qin Shubao twitched all over, and black blood kept spitting out in his mouth.

"Handsome!!!"

A moment later, a medical officer came in a hurry and couldn't see this situation. He was immediately scared and said, "This...this! The general is obviously poisoned!"

"What?" People around him exclaimed.

"What's going on? What's going on? What's wrong with Enshuai?" A thunderous roar came from outside the door, and then broke into a giant man like a shiny iron tower, and Yuwen Hongtai, who was wearing only a pair of trousers.

"Hong Tai, don't make any noise!" He Li came forward to block him and said in a low voice, "The marshal is highly poisoned!"

"What?" Yuwen Hongtai was stunned. He stared straight at Qin Shubao with a pair of copper bell-like eyes and shook his head blankly, "This is impossible. How can this be possible! En Shuai eats at the same table with me every day. Why is he poisoned, but I'm waiting for nothing?

The medical officer whispered timidly, "Maybe the thief poisoned the marshal's bowl or tea alone - this is obviously the poison of arsenic, and the poison is incurable!"

"Ah! - Ah!" Yuwen Hongtai screamed like a tiger roaring twice. He desperately opened the people around him and rushed to the bed and knelt down. Suddenly, he cried like a child, "Enshuai, you can't do anything!" If you have something to do, how can I tell the third brother!"

"Hong Tai, don't make noise, let alone cry. What is the style of a great general? Qin Shubao, who was half lying on the bed with a gray face, still had a cold and solemn expression like a knife. He said in a low voice, "What's the power, Yuwen Hongtai, it is said that I will order, the people of the protection house, etc., all gather to complete the equipment battle!"

"Wow--" Yuwen Hongtai cried loudly, dragged Qin Shubao to pull him up from **, and shouted, "Enshuai, get up quickly and let me carry you on your back!" Let's leave Gaochang and go to the barracks, lead the army back to Lanzhou, and go back to Lanzhou to meet the third brother!"

"No nonsense!" Qin Shubao shouted loudly, and then coughed violently and spit blood foam.

He Liqiang suppressed grief and anger, and called several deputy generals to come forward and forcibly pull Yuwen Hongtai away. He hugged his fist and shouted loudly - "The last general leads the order!"

"Hong Tai, come and take my weapon armor and put it on me!"

After the time of half incense, he shouted to kill Zhentian outside the capital's house and was surrounded by water. Countless torches made the night sky red. In the shouting of the horse, I heard someone shouting in unison - "Qin Qiong surrendered, and the whole body can be left!"

In the courtyard, all the 500 soldiers who had entered the city with Qin Shubao arrived. People wear armor and saddle horses, and the torches are shining with knives.

Silence.

Qin Shubao pushed away the left and right to help, and moved out of the room step by step. When he stood in front of the steps, Yuwen Hongtai handed over his tiger-headed golden gun. Qin Shubao took the gun and made a heavy meal on the ground, smashing the bricks and shooting everywhere.

A pawn came forward to report that the Metropolitan Protectorate had been surrounded by at least 3,000 soldiers and horses. It was the main headquarters of the Western Turks and the elite wolf rider.

"I know, get out of here." Qin Shubao answered faintly and said, "Those who are willing to surrender should take off their military robes and leave quietly. I will not be blamed. But from now on, don't say that you are from Tang Dynasty.

"I'd rather die than surrender, and I swear to follow the marshal!" Five hundred people responded almost with one voice.

Qin Shubao nodded slightly, and then asked Yuwen Hongtai, "Hong Tai, why do you have blood on your body? But did you go out of the house to fight without keeping our military order?

Yuwen Hongtai gritted his teeth with a ferocious face and said hatefully, "I have slaughtered all the servants and cooks in the capital's mansion!" I don't know which dog | mother's beast poisoned En Shuai, but anyway, it's one of them. Damn it!"

"The real murderer has already fled, and you have killed innocent people indiscriminately." Qin Shubao did not scold, but rarely said in a warm voice, "In the future, with Sanlang, you have to restrain your temper and not be abusive. Bring him a message for me and ask him to remember..."

"I'm not leaving!" Yuwen Hongtai suddenly shouted, "I will die with Enshuai!" En Shuai is the third brother's father, and he is also my Yuwen Hongtai's father! My own father is going to die. How can I leave? I won't be a beast!"

Five hundred soldiers, with their faces and eyes, looked at Qin Shubao and Yuwen Hongtai.

Qin Shubao stared at Yuwen Hongtai for a moment. There seemed to be crystal twinkling in his old eyes. The gray beard trembled a few times and groaned almost feebly, "This is the military order."

Yuwen Hongtai wanted to shout and argue again. He Li hurried forward to stop him and said, "We follow the general to live to this day. Who is afraid of death?" Hong Tai, don't be impulsive. It must make sense to listen to the commander-in-chief's arrangement.

The shouts outside the hospital are getting louder and louder, and it is clearer - "Qin Qiong's surrender, you can avoid death!" "Qin Qiong's surrender, you can avoid death!" ......

"Dear you hear that they actually asked me, Qin Qiong, to surrender, hahaha!" Qin Shubao suddenly laughed and counted several times. He put the tiger-headed golden gun in his hand on the blue brick and stone slab. He shouted, "Yuwen Hongtai obeyed the order. I will wait for 500 people to protect you to get out of the city. At this moment, it is easier to die than to survive. You must break through the siege and find Xue Rengui, so that he can't enter the city to save me, let alone attack the city for revenge. Immediately lead the army to retreat to Puchanghai and order Xue Wanche to retreat to the Yumen Pass, no mistake!"

"What!" Yuwen Hongtai roared in shock, "Isn't it sending me out to move the rescuers, or letting me run for my life? - I won't go even if I die!"

"Hong Tai...my son!" Qin Shubao whispered, and Yuwen Hongtai burst into tears again and nodded repeatedly and said, "I'm there! My son is there!"

"You are my general and Sanlang are as close as brothers, just like my son." Qin Shubao whispered, "We can all die in a generous battle, but you have to escape. There are only three because - first, you are the most brave and the most likely to break out of the siege. You have to pass on my order to Xue Rengui. This is a big physical thing, far greater than the life and death of Qin Qiong. Second, I want you to bring words to Sanlang, so that he must remember his father's words: there is no selfless hatred on the battlefield, and we must put national affairs first; the Qin family has been loyal for generations. He is generous to his father all his life, so that he should not humiliate the heroic spirit of his ancestors..."

Five hundred people, in tears, half kneeled and held their fists to salute, but they were speechless.

"Third, tell my family that Qin Qiong misses them day and night... Sanlang's newly married father was too late to be present, and he thought it was a pity. Therefore, I only prepare a small gift for my future grandchildren, which is a carved eagle flute with the wing bone of the desert eagle I shot with my own hands..."

After saying that, Qin Shubao took out a cloth bag from his arms and handed it to Yuwen Hongtai and said, "When Sanlang's child is born, if it is a man, let Sanlang name him Qin Ying; if it is a daughter, it will be called Di'er!"

Yuwen Hongtai knelt on his knees and raised a pair of big hands, took the eagle flute and carefully put it in his arms. Then he lay on the ground and cried and smashed the ground desperately with his fists.

"Wine!" Qin Shubao shouted loudly!

Still shouting outside the courtyard, "Qin Qiong surrenders, you can leave the whole body!"

Five hundred people, each holding a bowl of wine, standing still.

"Eighteen days ago, I led 502 soldiers to enter the royal city; tonight, I have a lot of 570 Tang men. How happy it is to pick up the lamp and get drunk here!" Qin Shubao held the bowl in his hands and shouted, "My brothers and sons of Qin Qiong! Drink this bowl and go to Huangquan together. Life is the same as Qiu and death is the same cave. How generous!"

"Swear to follow the marshal to the death! Life is the same as Qiu and death is the same hole. How generous!"

"Do it!"

Three bowls of wine per person, Kangguo Sanle pulp. I don't know how much this kind of wine everyone present has drunk, but only tonight I drank it with courage and grandeur!

"Ren the horse!"

Yuwen Hongtai and Qiqi He Li wanted to come forward to help. Qin Shubao pushed them away, turned over the horse's back, pulled up the tiger's head golden gun embedded in the stone slab, and shouted, "General order - all the soldiers, vow to escort Yuwen Hongtai out of the siege out of the city!"

"No!"

Yuwen Hongtai was fully covered with a pair of hanging, and he turned over his horse with phoenix wings and gold pans in his hand. He took turns to wipe the sweat and tears on his face, and roared, "Enshuai, brothers! If I don't die, I will come here today next year, bring the best Sanle pulp and the heads of enemies to pay tribute to you!"

"Open the door of the house and rush out with me!"

"Gah...Gaga!"

The door of the tall and heavy Duhu Mansion slowly opened. Outside the door, the cavalry stood around the torches, with knives and guns.

He sipped his horse under the wolf's flag, squinted at the open door, and his face was tense.

With a ride, he slowly walked out of the door of the house. The robe and the gray beard flew together, and the tiger's head and long gun stood proudly.

"Tang Dynasty, there are only gullable soldiers, no bent slaves... Qin Qiong is here, who dares to fight to the death?!!"