Life and Death in Tibet: The Dream of Chenye Chen

Chapter 3 Lazuo Adventure
Qamdo, also known as Chamuduo, is located in the center from Dajianlu to Lhasa.Historically, it was an important military area between Han and Tibet, with six to seven hundred households in the market town.There are many large and small lamasery.There are also a lot of Han people living here, and there are also garrison troops and food management offices in the local area.The brigade of our army has arrived here, and the whole army is exhausted.At this time, General Zhao Erfeng was still stationed in Gengqing.The investigation found that the Dalai Lama had secretly ordered Khenpo Dengzhu of Sera Monastery to lead tens of thousands of Tibetan soldiers to march to Enda in an attempt to prevent Sichuan soldiers from entering Tibet.The general immediately invited Zhong Ying to ride a horse from Ganzi to meet him at his residence alone.Zhong Ying didn't dare to go, so General Zhao ordered all the officers and soldiers of all the troops entering Tibet to gather in Qamdo temporarily, and make arrangements after careful reconnaissance and analysis of the whereabouts of the Tibetan army.At this time, since the Zhongying Department had arrived in Qamdo, it called on the entire army to select four young officers at the general-school level to serve as detectives to investigate.But within a few days after this order was issued, no one in the army was willing to stand up and respond.So when General Zhao learned about this, he commented that most of the officers and soldiers who were sent to aid Tibet were student soldiers, who would not be able to achieve great things, and could not understand military matters.After I heard about it, I felt very ashamed, so I stood up and asked the army to let me be one of the scouts needed to go deep into the hinterland of Tibet.Officer Lin Xiumei also encouraged me, and for my future needs, I applied to the military for the necessary post pass, horse card and accompanying food.In this way, when all arrangements were settled, I set out lightly and set out on the road.I was traveling with another general named Zhang Yingming. Zhang Yingming was 49 years old that year, and it would be his fiftieth birthday a year later.His ancestral home is Sichuan, and he has lived in Tibet for many years.Not only in business, but also very familiar with the living habits and regional conditions of Tibetans.So after waiting for a few days, we set off from Qamdo as soon as we pulled out.However, the squad moved slowly on the road.On this day, I set off from Qamdo, crossed the Tibet Bridge, and walked three miles further. I saw countless crows flying up and down in the sky. For some reason, Yingming's horse was frightened in the Grand Canyon. The master almost fell off his horse, and I have since dismounted and walked, keeping the horse in my hand while driving away the flocks of crows.When I first came to Tibet, I heard local people tell stories about riding horses.It suddenly occurred to me that I almost fell off the horse, but fortunately Zhang Yingming reined in the moment the horse was startled.I originally thought that there were a lot of crows in Tibet, but I didn't expect the number to be so large. It was far beyond my expectation. Maybe this area has the most crows except for the inland areas.

Thirty miles further on, I arrived at a place called Eruo Bridge, where there was actually a border post.The squad leader of the outpost, surnamed Deng, is from Sichuan. He had trained in the military academy in the mainland, but he had never graduated. He was very surprised at our visit and received us very warmly.Since it was dusk when we arrived, we were allowed to stay for dinner.I was also looking for someone who could talk to understand the situation ahead, so I agreed to stay overnight at his post.After the meal, Squad Leader Deng also asked a lot about local affairs in Sichuan.Everyone chatted happily.From him, we also learned that 20 Tibetan soldiers were originally stationed at a place called Enda in front, and that their vanguard had already arrived at Linduoba, patrolling day and night in Lazuotang, [-] miles away from the outpost. .If our army wants to venture forward again, we must be very careful and observe carefully along the way. Naturally, I am very grateful to him for his kindness.But with the mission in hand, it is impossible for me to return halfway without fully understanding the situation ahead.In the early hours of the next day, we ventured forward as originally planned.There are hardly any residents to be seen along the way, and there are no traces of people.Riding forward, I walked thirty miles without knowing it.All of a sudden, we arrived at the Lazuo pond mentioned by Squad Leader Deng, which is near the foot of Lazuo Mountain.I saw a pond house in that place, with four officers and soldiers guarding the pond.They were packing their luggage in panic.They were all surprised when they saw our two soldiers on horseback, and said that it was the cavalry from the Tibetan army who came here almost every night.Once they see it, things will go bad, and we need to retreat to the rear with them.I saw their flustered behavior and thought it was a little funny.Zhang Yingming, who was traveling with him, said beside him that it would be the best policy to retreat at this time.So I turned around and yelled angrily: "It's hard to get to Lazuo, at least you and I have to climb Lazuo Mountain and have a look around?!" After that, I took the lead and rode the mountain road.The mountain is at least ten miles high.The path up the mountain is twists and turns, coupled with the snow and ice, it is very difficult for people and horses to walk on the mountain road.The horse walked up the hillside for a while, then kicked its hooves and stopped.I got off the horse and led it for a walk. It also fell and rested again and again. I couldn’t bear to toss for a long time. When I got to the top of the mountain, I saw a white mist on the mountain. I didn’t know if it was smoke or snow.When I stopped at the top of the mountain, I saw howling in the air, snowflakes flying, and the cold wind piercing people's muscles and bones, like a knife cutting.Both the man and the horse could not stand still in the strong wind on the top of the mountain. The air in my mouth was blown shut by the wind. I almost passed out on the spot. Fortunately, I still had a little sober mind. After a while, I felt a little calmed down Some.Reluctantly pulling up the army horse lying on the ground, he went forward to help Zhang Yingming who was also lying on the ground.He looked at me weakly with contemptuous eyes, and said: "You don't listen to me, and you just ask for trouble like this-now you have suffered enough!" I faced him, speechless for a while, and then murmured Said: "It's nothing. Now that we have arrived, we always have to come to see it on the top of the mountain." So the two mustered up their courage to go down the mountain again.Zhang Yingming looked crooked even more.The horses along the way almost fell into the cliffs and deep valleys for a while, and stopped for a while, no matter how much you pulled the reins, they would not move.Moreover, they are often kicked by the horse's front hoof and hind legs to the knees and feet.After finally walking eight or nine miles down the mountain road, the terrain in the mountains gradually became flat.But it was already dusk, and the sky was getting darker. Fortunately, there was still the reflection of the snow on the mountain road, so I could barely see the faint shadow of the path.For a while, our horses walked slowly along a stream for two or three miles, and finally returned to Lazuo, where we had been during the day.Indistinctly, there are more than [-] households in the front of the house, scattered on both sides of the stream.The people on the shore actually closed their doors and windows tightly and made no sound.We had no choice but to get off our horses and find a place, hold the horses in prison, and walk over to knock on doors.I knocked on dozens of houses, but none of them had a living person who agreed.Finally, I knocked on a house with a building, and finally an old man came out.We asked him about the surrounding situation, and he said: "The Tibetan soldiers are only a dozen miles away from this village, and the cavalry patrols have to go to the village every night. All the people in the village were scared and fled to the mountains. A person like me Bad old man, I can't run even if I want to, that's why I was bumped into by you..." Under the moonlight, Zhang Yingming immediately looked nervous.Turning to ask me what to do, I pointed to a family at the foot of the mountain on the opposite bank, that empty house should be able to stay overnight, so the two of them led the horse across the stream to prepare for the night.When I went upstairs and opened the door of that family, I saw that the height of the building was only about the same as mine.I turned around and led the horse downstairs, and went upstairs to choose a wider room to lay my body flat and prepare to sleep.He turned back and lit a candle, and ate some sesame seed cakes that he brought with him.Ying Ming, who was traveling with me, advised me to blow out the candle flame quickly to avoid exposure. After a little thought, I moved the candle to the corner of the room, covered the light with a piece of wood, and opened the window to look at the moon.I saw the bright moonlight on the top of the snow mountain, shining on the crystal clear ice and snow all over the world, making people watching the snow scene in the middle of the night feel desolate and cold.So I want to go to the top of the mountain to have a look after I sleep for a while. Maybe I can go to a high place to see the situation ahead and the exact location of the Tibetan soldiers. If this is the case, it is not in vain to come here. Take a walk in Yeling.Just as I was thinking this way, I suddenly heard a strange bell ringing in the wilderness. Except for the arrival of Tibetan cavalry, there could be no other circumstances. Qiu was outside, hiding behind a big rock at the foot of the mountain.

After a while, I saw dozens of Tibetan cavalry marching calmly and slowly into the row of houses on the opposite bank, knocking on the door with a horse whip from house to house, and asking in a series of unintelligible Tibetan if there are any traitors from other places.If there is, confess it immediately, and don't hide it!A dozen or so Tibetan soldiers rode horses, and they rode towards Lazuo Mountain in a slant without crossing the creek to the foot of the mountain where I was hiding.About an hour later, these Tibetan soldiers turned back again, knocked on doors and searched as before, and then left.I originally thought that I would not be in danger of being exposed after tossing so twice that night, so I breathed a sigh of relief and went into the house to rest.Zhang Yingming followed closely behind me, also sneaked into the house, frowned and said bitterly: "It's dangerous! I almost won't survive!" I joked with him: "No way, no way, I will definitely bring him back after dawn. You go forward, to the real front line, let you feast your eyes!" Before the words finished, suddenly bells rang from all directions of the house, and he hurriedly blew out the candles and looked out the window, only to see Tibetan cavalry, which were all over the mountains and plains, divided into two parts. The road was speeding towards us outflanking us.Those ferocious Tibetan soldiers galloped to a place about a hundred paces away from the river bank, dismounted and drew their sabers, and leaped forward in an orderly manner.It was too late for either of us to run away or find a place to hide.All I could hear was the sound of a large group of soldiers shouting and horses neighing abruptly in the flat ground, shaking the valley.I hurried out of the house.Seeing a hut next to it, he rushed in and groped in the dark.I remember touching the bricks and stones in the rest of the frightening tension.This room is like a kitchen, but not like it.There was a small hole under the wall. I lay down on the ground, got into the hole and peeped out of the house. I saw crowds of Tibetan soldiers swarming up, all holding big knives, each of which was four or five feet long. , the shadow of the blade reflects the moonlight and snow, which is very cold.Soldiers surrounded my hut, I jumped up and slammed the door shut.Pushing a nearby stone to support the wooden door, and then looking out, there is only a dozen steps between the Tibetan soldiers and me.After thinking about it, I closed the door tightly. Am I telling them that I am hiding in the house?Might as well leave the gate open for safety.So he quietly pushed the door open, and the Tibetan soldiers outside the door had already rushed downstairs.I also thought that if I hid in the corner of the dark room, once the Tibetan soldiers flew over with their knives, I would definitely die. It would be better to get out of this room and drive away the gangsters loudly, or I would be spared instead.Having made up my mind, I stood upright and walked out the door of the house. At this time, a group of Tibetan soldiers who came to search had already climbed upstairs.I stood downstairs and shouted at them.Those soldiers who climbed upstairs immediately turned around and ran over, each of them raised their knives and slashed at me fiercely, if it weren't for the small room in that place, and the broadswords used by the Tibetan soldiers were too long.Obstructed by the eaves, I have already been torn to pieces in an instant.In such a ferocious situation, I was covered all over and missed a single blow.Immediately after that, more and more soldiers gathered, the swords seemed useless, but the back and buttocks were still cut by several knives at the same time, and the surrounding soldiers punched me with fists and feet, and the sound of yelling to kill and capture was everywhere , In the end, a soldier slammed my right forehead with the handle of a knife, and I felt stares in my eyes, and I fell to the ground immediately, unconscious.I vaguely felt that someone dragged my feet, dragged me to the stairs, and threw me down. The moment I landed, I also passed out due to severe pain.

When I was unconscious, those Tibetan soldiers tied me on horseback and escorted me to their camp.There was a bump in the road, and I quickly woke up. Taking advantage of the bright moonlight that night, I saw that I had become a prisoner of a foreigner, and I felt a burst of sadness.After walking for about ten miles, we started to cross a bridge over a deep valley.The bridge is about ten feet long and one foot wide.The deck of the bridge was laid with neat wooden planks. More than 100 Tibetan cavalrymen swarmed past. The sound of horseshoes was chaotic and noisy. I was awakened again and gradually recovered my body consciousness on horseback.My head, waist, and back of my hands were all seriously injured. I felt so numb that I didn't feel any pain at all.Hundreds of Tibetan soldiers were stationed there.Seeing the officers and soldiers escorting us back to the camp in high spirits, everyone applauded and cheered.Going forward along a river, I saw that both sides of the river were closely guarded by Tibetan soldiers.The method of alert is to beat gongs on the left bank of the river, and echo drums on the right bank.In this way, there is an endless stream of knocking left and right answering.As prisoners, we were taken in the ranks of soldiers and walked more than ten miles to a place called Linduoba. It was already midnight.

The Tibetan soldiers who escorted me took me up to a staircase where there were many men and women.They all boiled tea and drank around the stove.They tied me to a pole in the middle of the room.So that I can sit down slowly against the uprights.At this time, I began to feel unbearable pain from the wounds on my head and waist.Immediately afterwards, my fellow traveler Zhang Yingming was also escorted into the house by several other Tibetan soldiers. Seeing his distraught appearance, he no longer had the slightest human form.After a while, a man who looked like the leader of a Tibetan army came, leaned over to me with a horsewhip in his hand, and began to question me. I replied that he came to such a remote front on the orders of General Zhao and Minister Zhao.There was a look of extreme suspicion in the leader's eyes.They beat the wound on my body with a horsewhip, and the pain made me almost unconscious several times.After a while, another person who looked like a high-ranking Tibetan official came in outside. When questioning me, he was kind and sometimes even smiled.I still answered him with what I just said, and he said: "Since it was ordered by Minister Zhao, where are the documents you brought?" I said, "All the documents are in the saddle luggage I am riding on." After hearing my answer, he turned around and went downstairs. After a long time, he came back upstairs and asked me: "There is no document you mentioned in the saddle luggage. Are you lying to us?" I was not afraid, because I know that Tibetans have always been afraid of General Zhao.So he replied in a serious voice: "All the luggage documents were taken away by your people. Since you want to doubt whether I have brought the documents, then please go to Qamdo by yourself and ask General Zhao himself face to face!" A Tibetan military officer said: "Minister Zhao has already arrived in Qamdo?" I followed my plan and continued to deceive: "That's right, Minister Zhao led eight battalions of border guards and arrived in Qamdo a day before me. Don't you know? ?”

After hearing this, the Tibetan military officer pondered for a long time, and then asked, "What is the purpose of Minister Zhao sending you two here?"

I answered calmly: "After I meet your Khenpo Tendup, I will naturally understand, so you don't need to ask any more questions."

The officer approached, inspected the wounds on my body in detail, whispered to another leader next to me, and asked me what I was doing in the court now, and how much was my rank?I lied that I was a third-rank official, and the Tibetan officer didn't ask any further questions, and asked the other leader to go downstairs with him.After a while, two soldiers came up and untied us, who knew that as soon as the rope was loosened for a while, the pain in both hands immediately hurt, and we passed out on the ground, unable to move.The soldier had to bend down and carry us downstairs to a cleaner room that looked like an officer's quarters.The escorted soldiers burned buttered tea for us.At this time, I remembered how long I hadn't eaten, and suddenly felt dry mouth and burnt lips. I was not used to drinking this butter tea at all, but at this time, drinking it was so sweet.After drinking it, my mind was refreshed, and I leaned against the nearby wall and fell asleep soundly.Suddenly, I heard chickens barking and birds chirping outside, and I woke up suddenly. I looked up and looked out the window. It was already the dawn of the next day.After a while, I heard the noise of people and horses outside the house. The officer who had interrogated me last night immediately pushed the door open and announced loudly: "Khenpo has an order to meet you at Enda, please go." When I heard this news, I immediately lifted my spirits, knowing that my life was saved by fooling around.Immediately, several soldiers escorted us out to mount our horses.On the horse, we walked very slowly because the wound in the waist was open, bleeding profusely and excruciatingly painful.Every time along the road, I had to cross a stream, a ravine, or ride a horse up a high slope, bumping back and forth, the pain in the wound became more unbearable.That morning, the wind was cold and bitter.Wherever we rode our horses, it can be said that it was chilling to the bone and felt desolate.Occasionally in my mind, I miss my wife and nephew who are far away in Chengdu. I don’t know when I will be able to go back!I can't help but feel sad.However, when I turned around and thought about it, I thought that if a man serves the country, he will die if he dies. Why do wives and children worry about it?Unconsciously, the strength in my body has increased a bit.

Drowsy, he walked for twenty miles on his horse, and when he arrived at Enda, it was already ten o'clock at the end of the morning. In front of him was Ye Menglin, the messenger from Enda, standing on the side of the road with a very solemn look. He greeted us with great courtesy, and soon led us to the Khenpo Camp.Khenpo himself must have received the news in advance, and greeted him outside the camp early with a very humble and cautious expression.We were invited to sit in the camp tent and called for refreshments.In the initial conversation, he also confessed many times that he himself had never received any notice from General Zhao, so he did not know that the Han people sent us two as envoys, which led to the regrettable misunderstanding yesterday, and the Many thanks for our visit.I just went along with the flow and thanked me politely.Then he said sternly: "Minister Zhao also never forgets the friendship between the Tibetan people and the Qing court for more than 200 years. Not long ago, the British army invaded Tibet and plotted wrongdoing. Since the esteemed leader asked Beijing to send troops to help, the disaster caused by the British is about to subside. , How did you mobilize so many originally weak troops and instead use them to block the Qing Empire's aid to Tibet? Can your soldiers really fight? Even if they fire, what about the weapons of your troops? Do you want to compete with the well-trained Sichuan army? Minister Zhao is worried that the two armies are approaching day by day, and if something goes wrong, they will really fight each other, and they will die together, so he specially sent us to the front to announce that we are Fang’s attitude. As long as you learn about this situation, withdraw your troops immediately and return to the original place, we will definitely consider asking the court for you to restore the honorable title of the great lama. Now our new army has already left the North Road After pulling out of Lali, the Sichuan frontier guards were concentrated in Qamdo, so we decided not to move forward for the time being, because we were concerned about the ignorance of the Tibetans, and couldn’t bear to add war to you for no reason..." I recounted in detail how we were prisoners in Lazuo Passed back and forth.Khenpo was apprehensive in expressing his thanks, fidgeting, and hurriedly asked someone to bring pasta and fruit cakes to entertain us, and told me very courteously: "I was only an official in the temple, and our wise Tibetan king supervised this matter." It is extremely strict, so I have no choice but to send me to lead the troops out of Tibet. Now, the troops are stationed in Enda and no longer move forward, and they also have the meaning of peacefully watching and waiting for news from Minister Zhao. How dare you act rashly at such a critical juncture?" Yan Yan After that, he personally submitted a written document to General Zhao, asking me to return to Changdu immediately to present the document to the general in person, and to withdraw all the Tibetan soldiers within the agreed time limit of three days after the document was sent.On my side, I kept citing the severe pain from the wound on my body as an excuse, and said that the horse I was riding was not good enough to bear such a heavy load. Khenpo repeatedly persuaded me, hoping that I could take care of the overall situation, overcome the pain, and come back sooner. On the way, I immediately sent a special Tibetan doctor to cast spells and medicine, and went to the army to pick out the best horses, Tibetan Buddhas, Tibetan incense, twist beads, milk cakes, etc., and gave them to us. When we agreed to set off, Four more Tibetan soldiers were sent to take us across Lazuotang along the way.Such treatment should be beyond words.So we bid farewell to Khenpo formally and solemnly, and got up and started on the road. At this time, it was already one o'clock in the afternoon. Khenpo and others sent us all the way down the mountain before returning.

On the way home, the mountains were covered with ice and snow, and the road was borne by the cold wind, but for some reason, the wounds on my body gradually stopped hurting. Could this be the result of the spells recited by the lamas, or the magical effect of Tibetan medicine?Along the way, I felt like returning home, thinking that I was finally out of danger and would soon be able to return to my companions, and I immediately forgot about the pain right now.When passing through Lazuo, the barren villages and wild households there, from a distance, are still closed and no one is there.When we crossed the Lazuo Mountain Road, the mountain was high and steep, and the icy road was slippery. We would have rolled down the mountain long ago if the four Tibetan soldiers hadn't tried their best to support us.With the help of Tibetan soldiers, the horses became more obedient. After a while, everyone reached the top of the mountain, unlike the last time when they climbed by themselves.Going down the mountain, to Lazuotang, the pond (battalion) house is empty.Going back from here, the road is flat and safe. Zhang Yingming and I looked at each other and let out a long sigh. Here, we asked the four Tibetan soldiers who escorted us all the way back to the Tibetan camp. We sat down, took a short rest, and ate I ordered some milk cakes presented by Khenpo.

With freedom, the food they ate added a lot of strength to the two of them.Therefore, on the next journey, we started to gallop, and suddenly felt that all the bitter and cold scenery on the plateau was refreshing.When we arrived at Erluo Bridge, the sun had already set in the west, and the group of Sichuan troops stationed here had already set out on the road without a trace.Ying Ming tried his best to persuade me to agree to spend the night in this empty outpost and leave tomorrow morning, but I disagreed and insisted on returning to the rear barracks with all my strength.At this moment, it was already night, the icy wind was blowing, and the weather was getting colder and colder.Fortunately, there was a bright moon on top of the snow-covered mountain, and the moonlight shone as brightly as day. Marching under the light of such a moonlight would prevent them from suffering in the dark.When we arrived in Qamdo, it was twelve o'clock in the middle of the night, and seeing the sentries on our troops along the way, it was like meeting long-lost family members, and there was a kind of joy on each other's faces.

When I walked into the battalion headquarters, all my companions were asleep, except for officer Lin Xiumei, who was still leaning on the case and studying ink, reading under the oil lamp.I walked over gently, pretending to be a ghost, and said with a smile: "Mr. Zhuge is back." Because I usually joke with my friends, I often call myself "Mr. Zhuge".It happened that there was a guard outside the door. When he saw me, he immediately came in to report. At this moment, Xiumei's eyes widened, and after staring at me in surprise, he came back to his senses.The so-called return from hell, the two hugged tightly, feeling mixed feelings for a while.The loud greeting voice also woke up the officers and soldiers in the same room. They all put on their clothes and got up, looked out in surprise, and asked me how I escaped.I asked the servants next to me to bring something to eat first, and talked while eating, and kept laughing until the fourth watch, before I lay down to rest.

Ever since we were taken captive, there has been a rumor among the officers and soldiers that the two of us have been brutally killed. There are eyebrows and eyes, and it is even said that our dismembered corpses have been thrown into the forest by the enemy.I regained my freedom that night. Not long after I returned to the camp headquarters, when I sat down to chat and laugh with my companions, I often felt that there was something squirming behind the cushion.After the conversation, I lay down to rest, only to see my own cushion bed, full of all kinds of clothes, and I don't know what happened.It wasn't until the next day that my personal orderly Li Yuanchao told me secretly: "Since the front said you were slaughtered, your previous suitcases were all broken by people in the camp and divided up. When you come back now , They thought it was wrong, and secretly returned the things they took away one by one, and put them behind your cushions, for fear that you would punish them.” When I heard about it, I just laughed it off.

The wounds on my body, up and down, slowly began to heal after about a week.Only the internal injuries I suffered at that time could not be healed, and sometimes my stomach and intestines would experience bursts of severe pain.Seeing my distressed expression, my friend gave me a bottle of Leijiansan and told me to take it immediately.Not long after taking the medicine, I had diarrhea twice.Pay attention, I saw a lot of blood clots leaking out, almost the same day, I felt a lot more comfortable, and soon the internal injury healed.However, I am still very surprised, because the medicine Lei Jian San was originally used for first aid in summer heatstroke, and it has no power to heal internal injuries at all. Why did it come to me, and my healing this time has such a miraculous effect?It is really puzzling.

(End of this chapter)