Elegy of Tang Dynasty

Chapter 406: Not riding in a convertible

Yellow with white? Is there white in the yellow? Yellow with white? Yellow covered with white? Yellow mixed with white?

Riding on the camel, Fang Chongyong searched for words in his mind to describe the wonderful scenery in the desert at this moment.

Thin snowflakes fell on the yellow sand, and the clouds in the distance were like layers of mist, making the sky and earth a thin line.

They add a touch of romance to the lifeless desert, making it seem like you've entered a fantasy world.

Snowing! It actually snowed in the desert! And it’s raining all over the place!
If he hadn't seen it with his own eyes, Fang Chongyong would never have believed that this "desert of death" could actually snow!

"Jie Shuai, in such an arid desert, there is not even a Poplar euphratica tree, but now it is snowing lightly, which is indeed very rare.

This weather made our march much more brisk. Jishuai, this is a good sign! "

Che Guangqian rode a camel forward and said to Fang Zhongyong with excitement on his face.

"Indeed."

Fang Chongyong nodded and responded noncommittally.

He knew in his heart that the situation was not as optimistic as Che Guangqian said.

There is a window period of about two months, and then this desert will turn into a desert again. This was probably the last battle of the Anxi Expeditionary Force, and also the most dangerous battle.

Quick victory is a must!
"Do you have any ideas?"

Fang Chongyong asked further. He knew that Che Guangqian would definitely not just get close to him.

"Jie Shuai, the general thinks that because soldiers are so fast, we shouldn't rest now. We should take advantage of the snow and high morale to march all the way to Mulu City.

Today is different from the past. Our supplies are cut off and we cannot conquer Mulu City. Even if we can find water sources locally and cannot enter the city, supply is still a problem.

The big eater can drag it, but we can't. "

Che Guangqian suggested calmly.

His suggestion is actually quite interesting. Because soldiers are valuable and quick, and maintaining status are often completely opposite.

If you want to create a fighter jet in a roundabout way, you have to rush on your way without stopping.

On the contrary, if you want your troops to be in better condition when engaging the enemy, you must conserve your physical strength when marching.

How to grasp the degree between "efficiency" and "status" is very important.

"Where is Feng Canjun?"

Fang Chongyong shouted!
"What are your orders, Commander-in-Chief?"

Feng Changqing rode a camel forward and asked.

"Pass my military order to rest where you are for half an hour. After half an hour, we will set off and head towards Mulu City without stopping.

Even if you are sleeping on the camel, you are not allowed to stop! "

Fang Chongyong said loudly.

"Order!"

Feng Changqing took the order and left. He would look for the chief officers of each department in the team and convey the general's orders in place.

Fang Chongyong smiled at Che Guangqian again and said:
“You came up with the idea, give me a chance to sell your favor.

Now you go and inform the officers and soldiers in each department that after destroying Mulu City, take one-third of all the free money that can be easily taken away to reward them, and it can also be used to provide additional compensation for the disabled and fallen soldiers.

These floating wealth will not be reported to Bian Lingcheng, nor will they be recorded in the credit book. "

Hearing this, Che Guangqian was stunned. He never expected that Fang Chongyong, who had always been relatively restrained in giving rewards, would be so generous this time!

"Jie Shuai, wouldn't this be good?

There are only 6,000 of us, and there are still many brothers who stayed in Shiguo and did not go out with the army.

We split the money, what would those brothers think? "

Che Guangqian asked with some confusion.

It is true that we will bring elites on this expedition, but it is also based on the principle of voluntary registration.

Ever since the defeat of Huo Xunguo's food army, some soldiers in the Anxi Expeditionary Army have been reluctant to participate in the expedition.

They think that their contribution is actually enough. Wouldn't it be better to be more conservative and save your life and go back to your place of origin to be free and unrestrained?
Fang Chongyong obeyed his advice and did not forcefully order the recruitment of soldiers. He only asked the 3,000 Silver Spear Xiaojie Army to serve as the base, and also recruited 3,000 warriors from the Anxi Expeditionary Army to form a 6,000-strong assault team.

They didn't even ride horses this time, they all rode camels. A soldier rides a camel and leads a camel to carry the baggage. One man has two camels.

"This section is all about letting people who have not participated in the war see how much they have lost!
As the saying goes, wealth is gained in danger, and the men who went out to fight were fighting for their lives with their heads in their hands. We fought bloody battles and were given a reward by fishing with them in the Stone Country. Can the military spirit be convinced?
If you don't give any preferential treatment to the soldiers who are fighting for their lives, this section will make you feel uneasy. "

Fang Chongyong sighed and said nothing.

"With the order, the general will go and pass the message right now!"

Che Guangqian was overjoyed, Fang Chongyong was right, and he was sincerely convinced.

Everyone likes money, especially trophies obtained through military exploits based on skill. It is not only a guarantee of life, but also a supreme honor that affirms oneself.

The team immediately stopped to rest, and many soldiers began to eat dry food, drink water, and stretch their legs and feet.

Suddenly, a cry of "Long live the commander-in-chief" came from the team!
"Long live Jieshuai!"

"Long live Jieshuai!"

"Long live Jieshuai!"

The shouts in the army were loud, and many soldiers picked up the big drums of the military band and started beating!
"There are dozens of shouts in this section. Whoever is still crying out in mourning will be beaten with ten army sticks!"

Fang Chongyong ordered Feng Changqing on the side with a dark face.

"Jie Shuai, the joy of the soldiers is beyond words, and their love for Jieshuai comes from the bottom of their hearts.

The supervisors are not here, so there is no harm in making such noise. "

Feng Changqing chuckled.

Mulu City is the lair of the cannibal, and there are indispensable good things in it! What could be more satisfying than being able to share a portion of it privately without it being counted as a battle merit?

Not to mention the soldiers, Feng Changqing himself felt very happy!

"Save all your strength to kill the enemy. We haven't even conquered Mulu City yet. What's there to be happy about! Why don't you go and deliver the order!"

Fang Chongyong cursed angrily. Tamad, popping the champagne at halftime is just a joke!

The shouts were suppressed, but morale increased at a speed visible to the naked eye. He Changqi specially ran from the front of the team and asked Fang Chongyong: "Commander Jie, is this true? Can you really take the loot privately?"

"In this section, the commander did not say that you can take it privately, but that after you hand it in, it will be distributed uniformly and no records will be kept."

Fang Chongyong patiently corrected He Changqi's nonsense.

His order was completely different from taking private trophies.

Taking trophies privately is the worst habit on the battlefield, bar none!

If taking private trophies is in line with military law, then who will fight to the death in future wars?
Everyone will choose to touch the trophies, which is both safe and satisfying!

How can such an army fight?

“Hehe, it’s almost the same, pretty much the same.

Commander, you are so interesting to your brothers! "He Changqi gave Fang Chongyong a thumbs up and said.

"Don't be weak in this battle."

Fang Chongyong warned He Changqi with a tigerish face.

"Don't worry, Commander Jie, we will be the first to conquer the city in the end."

He Changqi patted his chest and said as a guarantee.

"Go ahead, lead the people to open the way."

Fang Chongyong said in a deep voice and raised his hand impatiently.

Seeing how serious he was, He Changqi also put away the smile on his face, clasped his fists in salute, and rode his camel forward.

In this surprise attack, the Tang army completely gave up on horses, which had extremely poor endurance in the desert, and chose camels, which were stable and had good endurance. The advantage is that the supply problem is solved. Camels can carry loads well and are resistant to hunger and thirst. There is no need to worry about them starving for food in the desert.

But the disadvantages of this choice are also obvious.

Neither the Silver Spear Xiaojie Army nor other units in the Anxi Expeditionary Army are good at fighting on camels. Therefore, the Tang army and the cannibals met on a narrow road and fought hand-to-hand, and they may not have any advantage in terms of equipment.

After all, in the Western Region, horses are the largest and most important equipment!
This is a difficult choice of "the lesser of two evils".

The more Fang Chongyong thought about it, the more he felt that Che Guangqian's judgment was right.

The secret to this battle is to be quick! Because of this dead end road in the desert, there are still many merchants walking on it, especially in winter. The large cannibalism in Mulu City can easily be judged from the fact that the merchants are cut off (because for the sake of confidentiality, the nearby Anxi has been blocked by the Tang army) to judge that the Tang army will have major military operations in the near future.

So speed has become one of the secrets to victory, or even the only one. When the big eater opened his eyes, he found that the Tang army had arrived at Mulu City. This was the best state!
Thinking of this, Fang Chongyong ordered Feng Changqing: "Give me the military order to set off. Leave now!"

"Order!"

Feng Changqing didn't say anything, nor did he ask Fang Chongyong why he only let the soldiers rest for a moment before leaving immediately.

As the military order was issued, the Tang army that attacked Mulu City began to move. Fang Chongyong was riding on the camel, as if there were two villains quarreling in his mind.

One of them was saying: "This battle is redundant. Go back to Chang'an as soon as possible to deal with the troubled times. If we lose this battle, we will all spit out those who won before. Why bother?"

Another person said: "This war can at least bring about ten years of peace. We have come here, are we going back with regrets?"

Two villains are fighting with each other, and no one will give in to the other!
"Ugh!"

Fang Chongyong sighed and shook his head to dispel the distracting thoughts in his mind.

What can we do if we capture Mulu City?
That is not a place that Tang Dynasty can defend. This trip is just a leisurely trip like a glorious ancestor.

At the end of this battle, the Silver Spear Xiaojie Army will still be transferred back to Chang'an, the Anxi Expeditionary Force will be disbanded, the command will be transferred, and then Fang Jieshuai's Western Region era will end.

Within Datang, there were still countless conflicts and troubles. Fang Chongyong knew that he could not avoid these troubles, and he had to face them no matter what.

Damn it, why are you working so hard?

Fang Chongyong suddenly found that he seemed to have embarked on this dead end road without realizing it, which was completely opposite to his original idea of ​​surviving until the end of his life!

"Commander Jie, according to the information that the general has inquired about, the area around Mulu City has long been built with irrigated fields crisscrossed by rivers, rich in grapes and wheat.

In such a place, it is impossible to have deep ditches and barriers. As long as the walls are not strong and the fields are clear, there will definitely be no shortage of food. Jieshuai expected the enemy to be lenient before the battle, but the battle situation was probably not that bad. "

Che Guangqian saw Fang Chongyong's ugly face and thought he was worried about the situation of the war, so he rode a camel over to explain.

"It's not about Mulu City."

Fang Chongyong waved his hands gently, not wanting to explain what he was worried about.

The only thing he worries about is Chang'an, the only "sage" who has no feelings and likes to act like a monster.

……

In the main hall of Huaqing Palace, Brother Ji looked expressionless as he looked at a middle-aged man leading a team of twelve boys to "exorcise evil spirits". He didn't know what to say for a moment.

These thirteen people all wore ferocious masks and weird costumes. No two were exactly the same in terms of masks or costumes.

It can even be said that the postures are different and the difference is huge!

The adults are called "Fang Xiang", while the twelve children are called "Twelve Divine Beasts".

This ceremony originated from the Shang Dynasty. In the original ceremony, Fang Xiang was not a person's name, but an official position specialized in exorcising ghosts, and was the leader of the twelve sacred beasts.

Later, after the ceremony developed from official to folk, the "Twelve Beasts Eating Ghost Song" was added in the late Han Dynasty, which is the prototype of the ceremony to be carried out now.

The twelve divine beasts here are all mythical creatures that are both good and evil, and their reputations are mixed.

The whole ceremony is divided into three parts: advocating, dancing and exorcism.

Advocating is a form of performance that seems to be singing but not singing, and speaking but not speaking. Fang Xiang sang first, and then the twelve boys sang "The Song of Twelve Beasts Eating Ghosts".

Next is the dance, called "Fang Xiang and the Twelve Beasts Dance", which expresses Fang Xiang's suppression of the evil side of the twelve beasts.

Finally, there is the exorcism of ghosts. In the sound of people's cries and drums, they go to every place where evil spirits are to be exorcised to exorcise evil spirits.

During the whole process, Fang Xiangshi and the "Twelve Divine Beasts" wore masks. These masks look ferocious, even more like ghosts than "ghosts", which means "fighting fire with fire".

For some reason, Brother Ji felt a strong sense of discomfort towards the group of people in front of him.

"Chang'an is so big, can't we find anyone else?"

Brother Ji frowned slightly and asked Gao Lishi with some dissatisfaction. He was obviously extremely dissatisfied with the presentation of this "ghost exorcism team".

"Sage, it's not good for you to be a slave..."

Gao Lishi felt aggrieved and didn't know what to say, so he had to bow and apologize. Time is tight, the task is heavy, and confidentiality is required, so it would be great to find it!
Looking at the gray hair on Gao Lishi's head, Brother Ji also felt helpless for a moment.

He sighed softly, waved his hands and said, "That's it, just these people. What preparations are needed to exorcise ghosts?"

"I've asked before, and it's not necessary. I just need the saint to follow the exorcism team later.

You can start now. "

Gao Lishi said cautiously, for fear of offending Brother Ji.

"Then let's get started."

Brother Ji nodded slightly. He also wanted peace of mind. In fact, he didn't expect these "side theories" to have any effect.

Following Gao Lishi's order, Fang Xiangshi and the "Twelve Divine Beasts", like ghosts, began to shake their heads and mutter words that outsiders could not understand.

Then the "Twelve Divine Beasts" surrounded Fang Xiangshi in the middle, singing and dancing at the same time.

Those weird movements, coupled with the ferocious mask on his face, looked evil.

Just when Brother Ji was looking a little dazed, Fang Xiangshi suddenly threw out a "lancet" from his sleeve!
The sword was as powerful as a shooting star, heading straight for Brother Ji's face!

Fortunately, Brother Ji had practiced polo when he was young. His skills were quite good and his body's reflexes were not bad either.

In the flash of lightning, he turned his head slightly, narrowly dodging the flying knife.

Cui Qianyou, who was in charge of the guard in the hall, saw this and shouted to the Shence sergeant in charge of the guard in the hall: "Hurry up and escort!"

While shouting, he rushed to Brother Ji, drew out his horizontal knife and deflected the flying knife fired by Fang Xiangshi!

At this moment, the opponent's true intentions were fully revealed. The twelve boys all swiftly pulled out Tang swords from their boots. Without even taking off their masks, they rushed towards Brother Ji with great momentum!

Gao Lishi's heart skipped a beat, and he was immediately frightened to the point of confusion.

(End of this chapter)