I am a soldier in the border army

Chapter 490: Juelong Ridge Juelong! Times make heroes

A long time ago, Han Shao felt that the world he was in now and the world he came from were like two branches growing out of the same tree trunk.

That is why two similar leaves are often produced.

Bloom similar flowers and bear similar fruits.

Han Shao had actually paid brief attention to Cao Wu, the man in front of him, since he appeared beside Gongye Jin.

There's no way, we have the same background and origin.

However, the corresponding Prime Minister Cao and Emperor Wu of Wei were too dazzling.

It was understandable that Han Shao dropped his gaze.

However, he did not expect that after all this effort, Patriarch Tushan failed to bring back the real owner Gongye Jin, but actually brought back Cao Wu.

'What is this? A pleasant surprise?'

Han Shao smiled in his heart and looked up at Patriarch Tushan.

When he looked at him, Patriarch Tushan immediately thought that he was dissatisfied with him.

After all, he was a Taiyi in the ninth realm, but he mobilized a large army, but in the end he only brought back an unknown young man in the Yuanshen realm. It was hard not to make people feel that he was just doing his job and was just fooling around.

So he quickly sent a message to explain.

"Your Majesty! This man is quite talented and is definitely not an ordinary person. If you train him a little in the future, he may be of great use!"

As he spoke, he told him everything that had happened along the way.

The course of the war was generally described in great detail in the secret reports sent back by the Six Gates, so there is no need to repeat them.

Han Shao only heard what was not revealed in the secret report.

For example, in the Battle of Jishui, how many Nine-Realm Taiyi were involved, and what was the final outcome.

For example...the life or death of Gongye Jin.

There is no need to talk about the former. Even though the Six Gates have developed well now, the secret confrontation in the upper three realms is still beyond their capabilities.

As for Gongye Jin's final outcome.

The secret report only said that after the imperial army was defeated at the Ji River, the commander Gongye Jin led the remaining troops to break through the encirclement and his whereabouts are temporarily unknown.

Now that Patriarch Tushan was telling the story in person, Han Shao could completely fill in the entire story of the Battle of Jishui.

June 17th, the day before Han Shao’s wedding.

A hundred thousand armored cavalry troops under Gongye Jin approached the Ji River but were stopped by Huang Tianlishi.

On that day, Huang Tiandao's army from Ji, Yu and Yan states used magical powers to hide their identities and suddenly appeared in front of and behind the 100,000 imperial troops who were crossing the river.

The encirclement of the Ji River was completely completed.

Then the two sides fought to the death.

What made Han Shao most emotional were the 100,000 imperial guards.

By now, many people, including him, had seen that the Divine Capital Guards were strong on the outside but weak on the inside.

But in this battle, the 100,000 imperial guards of Shen Ce and Tian Ce slapped all of them in the face.

The Imperial Guards can fight!
Dare to fight!
Even when faced with such a desperate situation, they still risked their lives and continued to fight forward, even until their bones and blood were drained out and the piles of corpses blocked both sides of the Ji River, they did not ask for surrender.

This alone is enough to justify Han Shao's comment about the 'bloodiness of the Imperial Guards'.

It's a pity that all this courage and valor were ultimately powerless to reverse the situation.

Being able to hold out for three days in the endless waves of ochre and yellow coming from the front and behind is already the limit.

June 19th, one day after Han Shao’s wedding.

The 100,000 armored soldiers who were constantly consumed had lost more than half.

Seeing that the situation was hopeless, the only thing the imperial guards could do was to cry out in tears and beg General Gongye Jin to lead the troops to break out and leave some seeds for their Shen Ce and Tian Ce imperial guards.

In fact, they did.

After a series of desperate efforts, they finally rushed out from the deadly area of ​​the Ji River.

But as a price, by this point the 100,000 imperial guards had been almost wiped out, with only a remnant of several thousand people remaining, marching quickly back west.

However, unlike the previous journey eastward from Luoyang with great momentum and unstoppable force, the journey back west was full of panic.

There is pursuit from behind and blockade from the front.

It's another journey of walking and dying.

In just two days, only two thousand armored cavalrymen who had escaped death were left out of the thousands of remaining troops.

When Han Shao heard this, he became silent for a moment.

A huge army of one hundred thousand armored cavalrymen came out of the divine capital.

The fluttering flags cover the sky and the sun.

When they returned, there were only two thousand cavalrymen left.

Just thinking about that scene is enough to make people sigh.

Oh, no, this is just where we are.
In just two days, even if they traveled light and desperately, how could they possibly cross several counties in Yan and Yu states and return to the Eastern Capital of Sili?
Han Shao didn't want to hear any more details, so he just asked directly.

"How many of the last two thousand survived?"

During this process, it can be said that Tushan Laozu, who followed all the way and witnessed it with his own eyes, knew it very well.

"Less than five hundred."

five hundred?

Han Shao was not surprised by this number.

However, Han Shao could tell something from the change in Tushan Patriarch's expression when he said this.

"Could it be that there are twists and turns in this process?"

Sure enough, after he said this, Patriarch Tushan nodded slightly, and then suddenly answered a question that was not asked.

"Have you ever heard of Juelong Ridge, Your Majesty?"

Juelong Ridge?
The name doesn't sound like a good place.

Han Shao didn't pretend to be profound or know something when he didn't. He just shook his head.

"Tell me."

……

In fact, it was not just Han Shao who had never heard of Juelong Ridge. Most of the 2,000 imperial guards who fled west in panic had also never heard of it.

After two consecutive days of fleeing for their lives, during which they faced continuous pursuit and fierce fighting, many soldiers were exhausted and almost died of exhaustion.

Perhaps the only thing that can keep them going at this moment is the thought of returning home.

Dai Ma follows the wind, and the fox dies on the hill where he lives.

People are like this. The more disasters they encounter, the more they miss their hometown.

"We are getting closer. Yingchuan is ahead. Once we pass Yingchuan, we will be in Hanoi. We will be safe then."

The few remaining imperial guards were also in a state of disarray, but they were still trying to boost morale.

Just as he had just said, Yingchuan was ahead.

As long as they can get through this level, they can survive!
Return to the capital alive and be with their families!

However, when faced with the words of the imperial guards generals, perhaps because they were too tired, or perhaps because they were afraid of letting out all the anger in their hearts as soon as they opened their mouths, no one in the defeated army agreed.

As they galloped in silence, one of the horses suddenly stumbled, and fell to the ground along with its rider.

"enemy--"

One general's face changed, he opened his mouth and drank half of it, then stopped immediately.

Then I was secretly angry with myself for being too nervous.

It wasn't an enemy attack, he was just running too fast for too long and was exhausted to death.

Looking at the warhorse that was foaming at the mouth and twitching on the ground, the general felt a little ashamed, and then smiled bitterly.

This is a fine breed that can run a thousand miles a day. Who would have thought that such a fine horse would one day suffer the fate of running itself to death?
Just like these people, when they left the Divine City at the beginning of the year, how majestic and invincible they were?
Who could have thought that just half a year later, they would be like this?
"A defeated general—"

"How can I have the face to see His Majesty again, see the elders of the capital again, and see the families of those comrades who died in the battle again?"

The general smiled bitterly, but tears were streaming down his cold face under the visor without him noticing.

At this moment he suddenly felt a little regretful.

He should have died on the banks of the Ji River a few days ago.

Because that makes it easier.

While he was daydreaming, the warhorse he was riding had already brought him to the side of the fallen horses.

"General, he's dead." The soldier who hurriedly checked the situation sighed.

It's not about the war horse, but the person on the horse.

No wonder.

The war horses and the cavalry are like one.

If the cavalryman on the horse was still alive, how could he not notice the situation of his companion and let it run to death?
The general sighed and couldn't bear to watch.

"Find a secluded place to bury him, and move quickly."

It's just digging a hole. For a warrior, it's a piece of cake and can be completed in a blink of an eye without wasting much time.

As he spoke, he added another sentence.

"Remember to mark it, don't wait until later to look for it, or you won't be able to find it."

In the future?

Tomorrow or the day after tomorrow? Or one or two years?
He was somewhat self-deceiving in saying this.

Read the error-free version at 69shuba! 6=9+shu_ba is the first to publish this novel.

But the soldier who heard this nodded seriously and clasped his fists in response to the order.

After all, no one wants to end up with their bodies abandoned in the wilderness. My comrades certainly don't want to do that, and if I were to be the next... I would definitely not want to do that either.

At this moment, an emotionless voice suddenly spoke.

"Stop and rest for a while."

It was the great general Gongye Jin.

Since the disastrous defeat at the Jishui River, the general has not spoken for a long time since he retreated westward.

When they suddenly heard Gongye Jin's voice at this moment, the remaining imperial guards were startled.

Looking at the surrounding environment, it seemed relatively safe and there was water, so he responded directly and gave the order.

"The general has ordered! All troops to rest on the spot!"

It's okay to take a break.

If they keep running, the men and horses will be exhausted and die before they even meet the enemy.

It would be better to conserve your energy and make good preparations for the last battle before returning to the west.

In this way, the two thousand remaining soldiers walked sparsely in front of a relatively wide river to rest.

But compared with the previous battle, after the battle of Jishui, many soldiers actually had an instinctive fear of such rivers.

Looking at the slowly flowing river, they seemed to see the river surface clogged with floating corpses, and the bright red blood color that had not dissipated for a long time...

One soldier scooped up a pool of river water with trembling hands, but he spat it out the moment it entered his mouth, and then burst into tears.

Because he suddenly remembered that this river flowing eastward was of the same origin and source as the Ji River, and perhaps there was the blood of his father and brother flowing upstream in it.

Cross the river! Cross the river!
They made it through! They tried their best!
One hundred thousand lives!

All of it was poured into the Ji River, but it still couldn't be filled!

"General! We really tried our best!"

Hearing this roar, Gongye Jin, who was standing by the unknown river and looking at the eastward flowing river, looked back and nodded.

"You heroes, you really did your best."

At this point, no one can deny the bravery and heroism of the 100,000 Shen Ce and Tian Ce.

Neither can Gongye Jin.

Although he had given up hope of bringing them back since the day he left Beijing.

But it was also because of their hard work that Gongye Jin had the patience to personally lead them back to the west.

otherwise……

'What would happen otherwise?'

"I will die fighting on the banks of the Ji River?"

These days, Gongye Jin has been reviewing and thinking about the process of the Battle of Jishui and the causes and consequences of the disastrous defeat, and he has forgotten to think about other things.

For example, if those Shen Ce and Tian Ce generals had not begged me to bring their men home, what would I do?
"He will probably die there..."

Besides his own pride that made him unable to accept such a tragic defeat, he was also unable to go back and face Emperor Taikang.

In the cold wind of the first month of the year, the emperor left the capital in his chariot and was personally seen off.

Such a great favor is worth Gongye Jin's life.

But at this moment, when Gongye Jin had truly escaped from the dead end, he suddenly found that he did not want to die anymore.

Perhaps it is just as the old saying goes, the hardest thing in life is to die!
Or maybe he really felt that dying that simply was meaningless.

He wants to live!
Live to wash away today's shame in one fell swoop!

He also firmly believed that if he had the chance again, he would never make the same mistake again!

He will win!
A thought flashed through his mind, and Gongye Jin looked at the river flowing eastward in front of him, and his eyes gradually regained their spirit.

"A man's ambition should be like a river flowing eastward to the sea! How can he be so depressed and seek death because of a temporary setback?"

As for whether he would be punished by Emperor Taikang for losing the 100,000 imperial guards given to him by Emperor Taikang in this battle.

Gongye Jin actually didn't have too many worries.

Gongye Jin was gambling with the lives of 100,000 imperial guards.

Wasn't Emperor Taikang also gambling with Gongye Jin?
Since we are all sitting at the gambling table, we should accept the consequences of our actions.

Of course, the most important thing is that he is certain that Emperor Taikang has no one else available except him!
Thinking of this, Gongye Jin's fighting spirit became brighter and brighter, and his mood gradually improved.

Putting aside the two thousand defeated soldiers around him, he even had the mood to look at the scenery around him.

The long and beautiful river flows eastward.

The originally flat terrain suddenly became undulating somewhere within sight.

Gongye Jin, who had already taken off his military uniform and was now dressed in a plain white Confucian robe, stood with his hands behind his back, looking quite like a famous scholar.

"Do you think that mountain looks like a dragon's head?"

Faced with Gongye Jin's sudden words, several remaining imperial guards generals around him were stunned and looked in the direction he pointed.

I have to say, they do look somewhat similar.

But the dragon head seemed to be... broken.

Just when he didn't know how to respond, Cao Wu, who had been following Gongye Jin closely, suddenly spoke.

"General, I have heard of that mountain range before. People here call it Juelong Ridge."

Juelong Ridge!
Gongye Jin's expression froze slightly, and then his heart skipped a beat almost subconsciously, and he actually felt a little ominous.

"Is there any origin of the name of this mountain range, Juelong?"

Cao Wu loved traveling around the world and had visited many places before becoming an official in Luoyang.

Wherever I go, I will ask the locals if I see any unique sights.

This place is not far from Sili, so naturally he has been there.

Juelong, Juelong, this place is naturally inseparable from the dragon clan.

It is said that when the dragon clan was at its peak in the early years, the dragon clan controlled everything from rivers, lakes, and seas to tributaries, wells, and fields.

The Ji River is one of the four rivers and eight streams, and is the largest river in the world.

However, the Dragon God who was in charge of the Jishui River somehow angered the Emperor of Mankind, and in the end not only was he beheaded, but the Jishui River also suffered severe damage.

From then on, it gradually declined and no longer had the vastness that one of the Four Great Rivers should have.

In response to Cao Wu's story, Gongye Jin felt more and more uneasy, and he immediately asked.

"Do you know who the emperor is?"

Cao Wu had not expected that Gongye Jin would take this rural legend so seriously. After thinking about it, he said.

"There are many legends, but many people say it was... our dynasty's founder."

Taizu?

This is impossible!

How come I don't know about this dynasty? How come I haven't heard about it?
But the next moment, he was stunned.

Suddenly I remembered that before our dynasty’s Taizu ascended the throne, he seemed to have slain a white dragon!
Gongye Jin looked towards Juelong Ridge suddenly, his expression suddenly changing.

"It's a disaster—"

……

(End of this chapter)