Late Tang

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The summer in the first year of Tang Guangming was extremely hot, and most places in the Yanmen Pass in the east of the river were continuously high.Especially in Yanmen, the throat of the river east, an occasional rain shower can't reduce the scorching heat at all.The entire Yanmen Town, scorched by the scorching heat, was listless and desolate.

After Yanmen Pass, in Yanmen City, the state capital of Daizhou, Li Delin, Li Kexiu's uncle and Li Kexiu's father, was sick in bed.The illness had tormented him for too long, and when he was drowsy, when he heard the dull thunder outside, he felt more and more light in his body, as if he was about to ascend into the sky with the thunder.

Li Delin and Li Guochang are blood brothers, and they were also warriors in Shatuo in their early years. They were young and brave, and fought with their father many times.It was only in a battle more than ten years ago that he was seriously injured and has been ill ever since. Many young people of the Shatuo clan don't even remember that there was such a brave elder in the clan.He hadn't got up from the sick bed for more than ten years, and when he fell ill, it was the time when the Shatuo clan was at its peak.He has been lying in bed all these years, seeing the Shatuo tribe, led by his brother and nephew, go to a fork in the road, and make mistakes.When he was sick, he had been worrying about two troublesome things. The first was that after the death of his elder brother, Sha Tuo was led by his nephew Ke Yong. Ke Yong was a brave general and marshal, but unfortunately he would never be a good patriarch.He is too sharp, just over easy to break.Under his leadership, Sha Tuo will only get lost and never return.The second is that it is not a peaceful season at this moment. The Hu people and the Qin army have already fought on the territory of the Daibei Shatuo people, but Keyong couldn't return in the river.It is said that the Hu people have gained the upper hand, but who knows the final result?

This horrific war was caused by Ke Yong disregarding the opposition of his subordinates, and sent troops to Hebei twice within a year. It can be said that it was these wars that wiped out the vitality of the Shatuo people, and all the Shatuo generals fell one after another. , Even terrible internal strife broke out among the Shatuo tribe.Throughout the ages, many tribes have survived despite defeat. For example, the Shatuo tribe once faced a more difficult situation than it is now, but they all survived.The fear is internal strife and division. Many powerful tribes and even dynasties died internally rather than externally.

When Li Delin was lying on the sickbed full of worries, the people outside Yanmen City were still busy in the fields and mountains. July was the hottest month, and it was also Meng Qiu, also known as ghost month.This is also the month with the least food in the year. Under normal circumstances, July is the month with the least wars.But this year, it is a year of constant wars.In the past year, there have been several wars, young and strong conscripts, and food tax increases several times. The people's homes have already run out of food. In order to survive, the women, children, old and weak who are left at home have to go out every day to look for wild vegetables.The wild vegetables near the villages on the outskirts of the city have already been harvested, and now everyone has to go further afield every day to pick wild vegetables that barely survive.

Suddenly, several people on tall horses galloped past, breaking the quiet atmosphere in the field.

Most of the common people didn't care, and they had seen too many troops coming and going.But a few old people showed anxiety on their faces, and a few disabled men showed some excited expressions. They clearly saw that these riders were wearing shiny breastplates and red cloaks, participating in the competition. Disabled farmers who have fought in the war know that this is the standard Qin army uniform.

Immediately afterwards, a series of changes took place in Yanmen City. First, the city gate opened late and closed early, and the inspection was strict. Then, the number of black crow soldiers stationed on the city tower doubled, and their expressions were all serious.There are rumors in the streets and alleys that the Qin army has captured Yanmen Pass and will come here soon.

In the afternoon of the next day, the soldiers stationed at Yanmen City noticed many small black spots looming on the endless plain in the distance. After a while, the outline of a cavalry gradually became clear, and the soldiers immediately reported the situation to the general guarding the city. .When the general guarding the city hurriedly boarded the tower, he was shocked by the scene in front of him.

Qing Youyou's cavalry has rushed to the city like a tide!

Soldiers are coming to the city!

One thousand people are boundless, and ten thousand people cover the sky and cover the earth!And these soldiers are all in the same attire, wolf head helmet, iron breastplate, red cloak, sharp saber, and eight-foot bayonet!

Although Yanmen City had already been prepared, it was unexpected that the Qin army besieged Yanmen City with [-] cavalry and [-] auxiliary soldiers and civilians.Although Li Delin issued an order to resist desperately, there was a huge difference in the number of people. There were only [-] defenders left in Yanmen City. How could they be the opponents of the Qin people with as many as [-] soldiers and horses?

This was a battle without any suspense. Even the Qin army just put a row of dark iron cylinders under the city, and after a loud bang, there were already people on the city who had been forced to defend. The young and strong Han people rebelled, took the initiative to lower the suspension bridge, opened the city gate, and welcomed the Qin army into the city.

The Qin army poured in, and Yanmen, the city of Daizhou, fell.They controlled and sealed up the granary, money bank, and silk storehouse, and quickly occupied and sealed up shops in various streets. Those local ruffians who took advantage of the fire to rob, and the defeated soldiers were killed immediately on the spot to eliminate discipline.

In just half a day, the Qin army had used the corpses of thousands of Shatuo people to shock all the Fanhan people in the city.

Afterwards, the Qin army began to open granaries to the people in the city, and at the same time invited generations of wealthy families in Yanmen City, and negotiated with them to set up a temporary team to manage post-war affairs on their behalf.That day, the Qin army left behind a battalion of cavalry and 800 civilian husbands, and then continued southward. That night, they broke through the Dongxing Pass in the southeast of Yanmen City, which was guarded by only [-] people.

Subsequently, Marshal Zhang Zimian of the Western Expedition divided his troops into five divisions. Wang Yanzhang, Gao Siji, Yang Shihou, and Song Wen each led their own divisions and attacked in separate ways. At that time, Zhang Zimian led tens of thousands of civilian husbands and four thousand cavalry drawn from the Fourth Army to sit in Tanglin County between the two states.The soldiers and horses of the four routes attacked separately, and the soldiers and horses quickly took Yanmen Pass, Dongxing Pass, Taixi Pass, Shiling Pass, Chitang Pass, Loufan Pass, and Yanmen City and Fanzhi City successively. , Wutai City, Nao County City, Tanglin City, Dingxiang City, Xiurong City, and Xinzhou City were taken one by one.

On July 10, Zhang Zimian recovered the two prefectures of Xindai one after another, killed more than ten Shatuo generals and schools, wiped out nearly [-] Shatuo soldiers, and took into custody nearly [-] people related to Shatuo Fanhan soldiers and their families.In this battle, Zhang Zimian uprooted the Shatuo forces in Yanmen Town, and did not let anyone go.

When the Qin army's flag was erected and fluttered on the cities of Yanmen Town, the Shatuo people in the entire Yanmen Town had been completely trampled under their feet.

Wutai Mountain in Yanmen Town is named because of its five unique tops, and because of its unique and different mountain climate, with low temperature and cool all year round, the same as outside the Great Wall, it is also called Qingliang Mountain.At the same time, Mount Wutai was also a Buddhist holy place in the Tang Dynasty. There are nearly a thousand temples and Taoist temples on the mountain, and more than ten thousand monks and nuns.

In Chengguan, there is a dojo dedicated to Manjusri Bodhisattva on Mount Wutai. The temple is small but famous.At this time, in the Daxiong Palace, Li Delin, a very senior member of the Shatuo clan, with a dazzling bald head and cassock, staggered towards a golden Arhat in front of him.This former Shatuo brave general who had been lying on the sickbed for more than ten years grabbed Luohan with all his strength and twisted him vigorously.

The statue of Arhat finally turned and made a rattling sound.

Immediately afterwards, the floor tiles under the Buddha statue suddenly sank, revealing a dark hole.

Li Delin lay on the ground weakly, panting heavily, looked around, and rolled towards the black hole vigorously.

It was about to roll into the hole, but suddenly there was a sound of breaking through the air, and a bronze statue of Arhat was thrown over by someone, and it just hit the top of the hole, blocking most of the hole, leaving the remaining space , he couldn't get in at all.

A gloomy voice came from behind: "Don't move!"

Li Delin propped his hands on the ground, knelt there, dumbfounded, and turned his head after a long time.

At the doorway behind him, only ten feet away, the tall assailant in silhouette was staring at him through the candlelight in the hall. He was broad, tall, and had a ferocious face.Beside him, there was another person standing, an old man with gray and thin hair, his eyes were slightly squinted, and he looked like a blind man.

The middle-aged man took off the crossbow machine from his back and pointed the crossbow arrow at Li Delin.

"You shouldn't run!" There was a Hebei accent in his voice, "You handed you a bald head and put on a cassock, so you think we won't recognize you? Now, tell us honestly where the things are!"

"The poor monk doesn't understand what you're talking about?" Li Delin said with a pale face, trying his best to pretend.

The blind man who has been squinting, no, the blind old man opened his eyes, staring at him sharply, "Li Delin, we know everything about you. Now, hand over the crown of Shatuo, and we can spare you die."

Li Delin was surprised, how did they find out their identity.

He smiled bitterly: "The crown of Shatuo is a sacred object of the Shatuo clan, you don't want to possess it!"

"Tonight it will belong to the King of Qin. If you want to live, just tell us where the Eastern Tibet Province is." The vicious man pointed the crossbow at Li Delin's forehead, "Do you want to die for this thing?"

Li Delin's face was gray and defeated, but his eyes were full of determination.

"Even if you die, I won't tell you. Just kill me. Shatuo people are not afraid of death. You kill me now, but in the future Ke Yong will come back to avenge me. The Shatuo crown is in Shatuo in the hands of the king!"

The blind old man sneered, "That's right, the lies are pretty impressive, but we already knew that Li Keyong didn't wear that crown."

"Since you refuse to tell, then keep your secret and die. I believe there will always be someone who knows and is willing to tell the secret. Let's do it." The old blind man turned to Song Wendong.

Song Wendong aimed the crossbow arrow at Li Delin's forehead, and the arrow would kill him instantly.

Li Delin closed his eyes, his mind was in a mess, filled with extreme fear and remorse.

There was the sound of crossbow arrows piercing the air, and then the sound of arrows piercing the flesh.

Li Delin opened his eyes suddenly, the man swept his crossbow trigger and laughed twice, "Damn, I smashed the head of a Shatuo dog with him just now, I didn't expect to smash the aiming head." He reached out to get the arrow, but after thinking about it, he sneered at Li Delin and said, "Anyway, this guy won't survive."

Li Delin looked down, and he saw the arrows on his cassock.The crossbow shot into a place a few feet below the breastbone, and there was blood all around.An arrow was shot in his stomach, and the crossbow arrow didn't hit his forehead, but hit his stomach.But as a warrior who has fought in all directions, he is very aware of this injury. If no one heals him, he can live for about half an hour.Because the arrow wound not only hurt his stomach but also hurt his intestines. Now not only is he bleeding profusely outside, but his stomach and intestines are also ruptured.

"Wait here to die slowly, and wait to die together with your secret." After the man finished speaking, he left with the old blind man.

Now, Li Delin is the only one left in the hall.He turned to stare at the door again, which was empty.But he knew that there must be a lot of Qin Jun outside, no one would come to rescue him, and he would die in a while.

Then, it was not death that frightened him now, but the secret of Shattor's crown.

He must keep the hidden place of the crown a secret, otherwise, the Shatuo tribe will lose their crown forever.

Trembling, he stood up.

He had to figure out a way.

But there was no one around him, he stared at the empty hall, his body was getting colder and colder.

About half an hour later, the old blind man returned to the hall with Song Wendong.

In the main hall, it was still very quiet, Li Delin was lying on the ground so dead that he couldn't die anymore, blood flowed all over the ground, staining his monk robe red.

Song Wendong looked towards the entrance of the cave, and the old blind man said lightly, "The crown won't be hidden there, it's just a hiding place." Song Wendong didn't believe it, so he lifted up the Buddha statue that had been thrown here before, and then jumped down, passing by. After waiting for a while, he brought up a package. Apart from a pile of gold and silver, there were only a few silver notes from the bank, which were issued by Qin Fan.

Although these things are worth a lot of money, Song Wendong is very disappointed that there is nothing he wants here.

The old blind man kept circling around Li Delin's corpse, and finally a smile appeared on his face. He walked quickly to the row of arhat statues, muttering something, then suddenly stopped in front of a Buddha statue, drew his sword Cut off with a sword, the clay statue of Buddha shattered, and then a burst of dazzling precious light burst out from inside. The extremely precious Shatuo crown inlaid with pearls and jade lay there quietly. (To be continued.)