Traveling through the early Tang Dynasty starts with hanging

Chapter 671
Outside Dai County, west of Xia City, on a high altar, Zhang Shigui recited sacrificial rites in a voice that was sometimes passionate and sometimes deep, when suddenly thick dark clouds drifted over, covering the glare of the sun.

Under the altar, hundreds of people stood neatly, Li Shan at the front stood there reluctantly and firmly with a mournful face, behind him stood Su Dingfang, Xue Wanche, Xue Wanjun, He Liu, Wen Bang, Er Zhu Yichen, and generals Kan Leng .

Farther away, more than a thousand people were watching, all with solemn expressions.

Half a quarter of an hour later, Zhang Shigui finished reciting the sacrificial oration, and stood silently on one side. Li Shan shook off the hands supported by Wang Junhao and Zhang Zhongjian, and slowly walked up to the altar.

Without saying anything, Li Shan took the joss stick Zhang Shigui handed over, and made a long bow, unable to get up for a long time.

Vivid faces flashed in my mind, and familiar voices seemed to be recalled in my ears, and these will become permanent memories.

The sacrificial ceremony for the fallen soldiers in Guji Town was completed as early as on the way back to the army. Wei Zheng wrote the sacrificial text at that time. This memorial ceremony was for the hundreds of personal guards that Li Shan brought with him at the last moment, quite a few of them were descendants of the Daixian clan.

The bones have already been buried, and Li Shan's injuries are still unhealed, so it is difficult to worship one by one, so they worship together here.

This will not be the first time, because Li Shan's personal guards come from various sources, not just his disciples.

Last year, Li Shan went to serve as acting county magistrate, bringing more than a hundred personal guards, including dozens of people sent by Princess Pingyang, and later added Li Sanlang, He Lou Xingshu and other local children.

After Li Gaoqian was defeated, Li Shan rushed to Yanmen, took Wang Junhao and Kan Leng as generals, resisted the Turks, and welcomed the defeated soldiers into the customs. During the First World War, many of his personal guards suffered casualties. Select children to make up for it.

Before and after the Yanmen victory this year, Princess Pingyang once again sent [-] guards to help. Before the battle in Guji Town, Zhu Wei selected [-] young men from Sun Moon Lake to go north.

A total of more than 130 people accompanied Li Shan to Guji Town. In the end, including the wounded, only [-] people survived.

In Guji Town, there were a total of 960 seven people, who stood firm for eight days, and 310 people were lightly or severely injured. In the end, there were 820 seven remnants who followed Li Shan out of the city to fight to the death, of which 310 nine were killed.

In the entire Guji Town, only 820 people survived, and nearly half of them were disabled, because the so-called lightly wounded were unable to walk or hold a knife.

Too bad, too bad.

Li Shan's eyes were red, and he tried not to cry out. He only thought in his heart, this is the death of a thousand bones, this is the death of a thousand bones.

Li Shan on the altar did not move for a long time, and there was no sound below. The wind blew up at some point, making Li Shan's clothes rattle.

A group of people came quietly. Su Dingfang and Zhu Wei looked sideways. Behind Zhou Zhoulang was the dignified Cui Xin, and behind them were Fang Yizhi, Zhang Wenguan, and Li Zhaode, who were slightly reserved.

Cui Xin only nodded slightly to Zhu Wei, and glanced around, saw several familiar faces, but almost all of them were hurt, and found that many familiar faces were missing...

The luckiest ones were Qi Laosan and Zhou Zhoulang who managed the brick factory and iron mine. None of them went to Guji Town. Among the other old people in the personal guards, among the people Cui Xin was familiar with, only Wang Junhao and Zhu Wei had minor or minor injuries. , but in the end it was all right.

The rest... Zhu Shiliu, who was in charge of the guards, died in battle. Fan Laosan, who escorted Li Shan from Xiabo to the south, died in battle. Fan Shiyi, an elite scout in the army of his brother, was shot through the cheek by an arrow. Although he did not die, But there was a huge scar on his face.

The left arm of Zhu Ba, who was the first to follow Li Shan, was cut off. Zhu Shitou, who had been saved by Li Shan, fell off his horse while charging and was trampled to death by the horse.

Du Xiao, who made great contributions to the Mayi Xue night raid last year, had his left hand broken at the wrist. Zhao Da, who was the first to be formally assigned by Zhu Wei to guard Li Shan, suffered two fractures in his left leg. eccentric.

Brothers Tan Wu and Tan Six, who followed Qi Lao San, died in battle on the top of the city. Uncle Zhu, who followed Zhu Wei in the previous dynasty and was recruited as a Xiaoguo and later entered Dongshan Temple, was shot in the face by an arrow and died when he was charging.

Li Shan on the altar turned around slowly, with a miserable face. Cui Xin looked carefully, and found that the future son-in-law was extremely haggard, thin and faltering.

But at the same time, Cui Xin also keenly noticed another change in Li Shan.

The previous Li Shan was like a gentle precious jade. Although there were moments when he showed his edge, even if he forcibly appeased Yuan Junzhang, he was calm and at ease, even if his words were like a knife, he was gentle.

But now Li Shan's description is haggard, but he is like a sharp sword out of its sheath, with a cold light, and his glance is as real as it is, making one's hair stand on end.

Gradually, gradually, thousands of people gathered around the altar. Even though the clouds were thick, the sky was dark, and the wind was strong, they refused to leave.

Zhou Zhoulang explained to Cui Xin, Fang Yizhi and others in a low voice: "After returning from outside the Great Wall, Mr. Lang has been recuperating in Xia City, and it is difficult for outsiders to see each other."

"Over the past few years, the Turks have repeatedly broken through the east of the river and plundered the common people, among which Daizhou and Xinzhou are the most." He Loushanzhu, who was leaning on crutches, sighed: "Tens of thousands of people have returned to their homeland because of King Handan. , why not come to thank you?"

Cui Xin looked around, and the people fell to the ground wave after wave like grass in the wind, thanking the King of Handan who brought them back to their homeland, and thanking the soldiers who died in battle outside the Great Wall to protect the people in the territory.

Although Fang Yizhi, Zhang Wenguan, and Li Zhaode were descendants of aristocratic families with extraordinary knowledge, and even the latter two were officials up to Zaifu in history, they couldn't help but be overwhelmed by them.

The wind was getting stronger and stronger, Li Shan walked down the altar slowly, Li Kai hurried up to support his friend, and whispered: "Cui Sheren has arrived."

Li Shan turned his head to look at Cui Xin, but said in his mouth: "Brother Demou, after returning to Beijing, I still have a share in Xiashi, right?"

"That's natural." Li Kai was a little surprised why he mentioned this matter at this time. He knew very well that his friend seemed to love money, but he was not the kind of person who cared about money.

"In Guji Town, the soldiers who died in the battle have their own compensation from the court, but the guard died because of the younger brother..." Li Shan's words were a little choked up, "Xia City is rewarded every month, and brother Demou is invited to disperse the wounded. One copy, two copies for the dead."

Li Kai said solemnly: "You should do your best."

Cui Xin took a few steps forward, supported Li Shan who was about to salute, and was speechless for a while.

Obviously, the court praised his famous general for this battle, but the future son-in-law did not feel well, and even felt sad for it, just look at his haggard appearance and the shallow arrow mark on his face.

That night, despite Cui Xin's obstruction and Fang Yizhi's and Zhang Wenguan's persuasion, Li Shan got drunk and burst into tears.

(End of this chapter)