Tibet

Chapter 1241 One in a Million
Tian Chengsi was awakened from his dream. When he heard the news that Xindu City had been captured by his nephew and Li Na had been beheaded, he was stunned. He had only agreed casually during the day, but he did not expect that it would really succeed.

In addition to being shocked, Tian Chengsi was overjoyed and quickly put on his armor and went to Xindu City.

The surrender of all 14,000 cavalrymen in the city made Tian Chengsi so happy that he couldn't stop smiling. He had gained an elite cavalry for free.

After Tian Chengsi entered the city, he ordered to stop the massacre and looting of the people. Although Li Na was targeting him, Wudu County was not his territory, but Li Baochen's territory. Wantonly massacring Li Baochen's subjects would probably anger Li Baochen.

Tian Chengsi immediately appeased Li Zaixi, promised to pay him 100,000 taels of silver, and appointed him as the general, making him the deputy general of his nephew Tian Yue.

The problem Tian Chengsi now faced was whether to attack the Tang army or retreat to Cangzhou. He was unable to make a decision for the time being, so he sent a spy to Beizhou to gather information.

In Weizhou, an army of 10,000 people was marching rapidly towards Mingzhou in the northwest direction. They were basically infantry, but they brought 3,000 strong mules, each of which carried two large boxes.

This army was none other than the 10,000 troops led by Tian Wei. He had learned that a Tang army of more than 50,000 men was coming from Bozhou, which immediately made him panic. At this critical moment, Tian Wei received an urgent order from his father, ordering him to immediately retreat to Jizhou via Mingzhou and Xingzhou.

This order came at just the right time. Tian Wei immediately packed up the gold, silver and silk in the warehouse, led 10,000 troops to withdraw overnight, and quickly set off along the Northwest Official Road with 3,000 strong mules.

It is actually not far from Yuancheng to Mingzhou, only about 150 miles. An army of 10,000 can enter Mingzhou in three days, and the road is flat, a vast plain that stretches as far as the eye can see.

This is the famous North China Plain. Apart from houses and trees, there is no other obstruction on the plain.

If the weather is clear, you can even see thirty or forty miles away at a glance.

However, spring has arrived in the Hebei Plain in the past few days, with fine and dense rain often falling from the sky and the air warm and humid.

At noon the next day, ten thousand troops were resting by a small river next to the woods. Tian Wei sat on a big rock, holding a pancake wrapped with mutton sauce in his hand, eating and drinking water.

At this moment, a scout on a big tree suddenly shouted, "Enemy in the west!"

Tian Wei was so shocked that he didn't even bother to eat. He asked in a panic, "What enemy situation? How far away is it?"

The personal soldier ran to inquire, and came back a moment later to report, "It's the cavalry, about 10,000 people, 20 miles away, it seems that they have discovered us, and are running towards us!"

There were actually 10,000 cavalrymen. Tian Wei was immediately anxious and shouted, "All troops, speed up the march!"

He jumped on his horse and urged it to run away. The soldiers didn't even bother to get their things and urged their mules to follow him at full speed.

The army they encountered was none other than Lei Wanchun's 40,000 troops who came from Xiangzhou. Lei Wanchun, who had originally been fighting against the Hezuo Army, discovered that Xiangzhou was empty and the Hezuo Army was nowhere to be found. He immediately sent troops to occupy Xiangzhou, and then captured Weizhou, where only 10,000 people were led by Tian Wei.

Lei Wanchun could no longer sit still, so he left 10,000 men to guard Xiangzhou, and immediately led 40,000 troops to attack Weizhou.

Just an hour ago, Lei Wanchun received a report from a scout that a Wei Bo army of about 10,000 people was spotted thirty miles ahead, marching towards the northwest.

Lei Wanchun immediately realized that this was Tian Wei's 10,000 troops. Lei Wanchun decisively ordered to surround and intercept this army.

Tian Wei ran wildly along the official road for one mile. After running for more than ten miles, a black army suddenly appeared in front of him.

He was so frightened that he reined in his horse and trembled all over. There were troops in front of him, so what should he do?
The captain of the personal guard said decisively: "My lord, change your clothes!"

This sentence reminded Tian Wei, and he quickly took off the golden helmet on his head.

The bodyguards hurriedly changed his clothes into a soldier's clothes, painted his face black, and made his eyebrows thick. The weak scholar was suddenly transformed into a rough soldier, and then he was given an ordinary horse.

Thousands of soldiers also came running from behind. They also saw the Tang army several miles ahead and stopped.

"Everyone, run for your lives!" Tian Wei shouted, and rushed down the ridge of the field on his horse, galloping towards the endless wheat fields in the west.

His ten thousand soldiers jumped off the wheat fields like a flood that broke through the dam, and ran wildly to the east and west to escape. They even abandoned their three thousand strong mules and threw them on the official road. The soldiers threw away their helmets and armor, and dropped their weapons and burdens that hindered their escape.

But it was of no use, as 40,000 Tang troops surrounded them from all directions.

"Woo——"

The trumpets sounded continuously, and the Tang army attacked, coming from all directions and killing those who did not surrender.

The soldiers of the Wei Bo Army were so frightened that they knelt down and surrendered.

Tian Wei was a civilian official and had no intention of breaking out of the encirclement. He only wanted to escape. Seeing that he could not escape, he dismounted from his horse and turned into an ordinary soldier with only a few personal soldiers following him.

After running for less than a mile, a group of several hundred Tang cavalrymen came running and blocked the escapees' path. The leading captain shouted, "Those who surrender will be spared, and those who resist will be killed without mercy!"

More than 300 soldiers of Doctor Wei knelt down and surrendered. Tian Wei was also mixed in with them, kneeling on the ground with his head lowered. He was of medium build and not very strong. His appearance had completely changed. Except for a few personal soldiers who followed him, no one else recognized him.

None of the ten thousand men escaped nor resisted, and all became prisoners of the Tang army. At this time, Lei Wanchun had already learned that this army was exactly Tian Wei's ten thousand men, and Tian Wei was among them.

But the Tang soldiers only found his horse, but not the person.

"damn it!"

Lei Wanchun cursed fiercely. Needless to say, Tian Wei must be among the surrendered soldiers. There are 10,000 of them! How can he find him?
Deputy General Zhang Yun rode forward and said, "General, we have seized three thousand mules and six thousand large boxes, all of which are gold, silver, silk and other valuables."

Zhang Yun is no longer the scout leader. He has been conferred the title of County Duke, General Yunhui, and appointed as the Commander-in-Chief. This time he goes into battle as Lei Wanchun's deputy general.

Lei Wanchun looked at the surrendered soldiers and said, "Tian Wei is hiding among them. General Zhang was a scout. Is there any way to find him?"

Zhang Yun smiled and said, "This is easy. Leave it to me!"

Tian Wei was about 1.7 meters tall, had a long face and a thin physique, so the tall and strong soldiers were picked out first and pushed aside, leaving only 5,000 people.

Among the five thousand people, the strong soldiers were picked out, leaving three thousand people.

Zhang Yun continued to check among the three thousand people, picking out those with round faces and square faces. In the end, there were only less than a thousand soldiers with long faces, medium build, and thin bodies.

The thousand people lined up, each with their hands raised, and walked past Zhang Yun. Those with slender, white palms without calluses were pulled out.

Suddenly there were only thirty people left.

Zhang Yun smiled and said, "Who is Tian Wei? Come out! We won't kill you."

At this time, a thin man stood up and sighed, "I am Tian Wei!"

Zhang Yun walked forward and pulled out another young man next to him, sneering: "If I'm not mistaken, you are Tian Wei!"

The man's legs went limp, and he fell to the ground with a thump.

Zhang Yun's guess was correct. The man was none other than Tian Wei, and the one who had just stepped forward and confessed was his personal soldier.

(End of this chapter)