I am a soldier in the border army

Chapter 599: Enter the customs! Enter the customs!
Growth requires sacrifice.

Growth on the battlefield is even more bloody and cruel.

Han Shao, who had a complete view of the battle below, witnessed with his own eyes an old soldier sacrificing himself in exchange for the growth of another young soldier.

To him, this was just adding another name to the Heavenly Book.

However, this situation is somewhat similar to a certain incident in the past.

The only difference is that Jiang Hu, who rode back on his horse and helped him at the risk of his life, survived, while the old soldier was a little unlucky.

As a thought flashed through his mind, a shadow of a spirit slowly emerged from the heavenly book.

The old soldier who suddenly came back to life obviously didn't react, but Han Shao didn't have too much time to wait for him to sort out his thoughts, and said indifferently.

"Do you have any last wishes?"

The grand and vast voice made the old soldier's mind clear in an instant. After seeing Han Shao's face clearly, he was immediately excited.

After calming down a little, he hurriedly said.

"Your Majesty... Your Majesty has been very kind to us soldiers. We had no worries about food and clothing during our lifetime, and we were honored after our death. Therefore... Therefore, we have no regrets, nor do we have any last wishes."

The military pay for the soldiers who guarded Liao was quite generous, and one person joining the army could support a whole family.

If one unfortunately died in battle, not only would he receive a generous pension, but he could also give his son a favor, and the son could study in an academy or join the army as a member of the Yulin Guard.

In addition, I can also have my name engraved on the memorial tablet and enjoy incense offerings.

With this premise, we now have the brave soldiers of Jiujiu Town in Liao who value honor more than life and death!
Han Shao felt deeply moved by the sincerity of his words, and could not help but feel a sense of gratitude towards the simplicity and contentment of these warriors. For a moment, he did not know what to say.

After a brief thought, he said.

"Well, I'll give you a chance to choose."

"First, I will preserve your soul in this life and serve in the underworld. I will use the incense and offerings from the human world to prolong your life in the underworld."

"Secondly, I will sever your past ties and reincarnate you into another life. I will ensure that you will be rich and noble for the rest of your life. If you have the chance, you may even become a noble and enlightened person."

Of these two options, the latter seems clearly more attractive.

After all, the old soldier's cultivation was limited during his lifetime, and the light of his spiritual nature after death is not dazzling. Even if he is on duty in the underworld, he is just an ordinary soldier or clerk.

But if he cut off his past ties and chose reincarnation, with Han Shao giving him a back door, his next life would definitely not be bad.

But after hearing what Han Shao said, the old soldier said without thinking.

"I don't want wealth and honor! I want to continue to wear armor and wield a sword for my lord—"

The tone was firm and seemed glorious.

Seeing his choice, Han Shao sighed slightly and responded.

"Alright."

In Han Shao's opinion, these two choices are actually similar.

The latter may certainly achieve greater success, but the former may not be worse either.

Just like the setting in the next door [Journey to the West], 'I practiced hard for thousands of years, but in the end I was just one of the 100,000 heavenly soldiers who wiped out the monkey.'

If Han Shao truly achieves enlightenment in the future, some things will fall into place naturally.

"In that case, go ahead."

The encounter below just now had added a lot of names to the Heavenly Book. The reason why Han Shao only met this old soldier was simply because he felt sympathy for him for the past.

Apart from that, there are not too many emotional fluctuations and thoughts.

After waving his hand and sending him to the underworld, Han Shao didn't care any more.

Even the unfinished war below was not given much attention.

Instead, he looked towards Bingzhou in the west.

Everything is still blurry as if the fog of war has been lifted.

In fact, Jiujing Taiyi said that a single thought could cover tens of thousands of miles.

But in fact, if one's cultivation reaches the eighth realm, one can disrupt the mysteries of an area, and make things real and fake, true and false. Unless one concentrates the Dharma Eye and stares at one place, one cannot see clearly at all.

Therefore, even during the heyday of the Great Yong Dynasty, which was known to dominate the world, it still needed institutions such as the Lanting Pavilion and the Imperial Observatory to act as ears and eyes to monitor the world.

"Has Yuan Feng sent out a signal for help? What's going on in Bingzhou?"

In response to Han Shao's question, Zhong Xinggu quickly answered.

"Your Majesty, from what I have seen from the Sky Eye and the secret reports from the spy, the old villain Yuan Feng should have sent out a signal as soon as our army was approaching the city. However, at the moment, Bingzhou seems to be still hesitating."

Han Shao frowned, then smiled.

"It seems that I moved too quickly and too suddenly, and scared them a little."

There's nothing we can do about alerting the enemy.

He had worked so hard to build Youbei up to its current situation, so he naturally couldn't wait until they wreaked havoc before taking action. That would be a real loss.

"In that case, there's no need to wait any longer."

"If they don't move, force them to move!"

Having said that, Han Shao turned his gaze and fell on Zhong Xinggu.

"By the way, is there anything wrong with the generous gift I prepared for the old thief?"

There is nothing in this world that is foolproof. Even the most meticulously planned things can be ruined by a small accident.

So Han Shao thought about it and confirmed it with Zhong Xinggu again.

When Zhonghang Gu heard this, he chuckled.

"Don't worry, Your Majesty. I have personally checked it before. There is no problem."

But after saying this, he still couldn't help but feel a little curious.

"How did you know, Your Majesty, that the old villain Yuan Feng would choose to build a fortress here?"

When it comes to the exquisiteness of move making, the hidden clues and hidden dangers that are hidden thousands of miles away, there are quite a few powerful people in this world who have such magical powers.

But most of them are based on deductions from the situation and fate, and their focus is only on the overall situation.

But Zhong Xinggu really couldn't understand Han Shao's arrangement back then.

After all, the predecessor of Juyongguan was just an inconspicuous small town in Youzhou.

Facing Zhong Xinggu's doubts, Han Shao smiled faintly.

"Because this place is dangerous, if I were him, Yuan Feng would also build a fortress here."

"Besides that, I also want him to build a fortress here!"

How can you ensure victory over your opponent?
That is to let your opponent make moves according to your own ideas.

It’s a pity that after this incident, Daocheng’s hidden chess piece is definitely useless.

But it doesn't matter. When using spies, as long as they can maximize their value, it's not a loss.

What's more, there are not many fortune tellers left in the world now, and those who can achieve the same level of Taoism as Daocheng are even rarer. It is really a waste of his talent to keep him with Yuan Feng all the time.

It's time to take it back and use it.

"Go ahead, let Li Jing prepare and lead the troops to break through the pass."

Han Shao narrowed his eyes slightly, and in his words he seemed to treat the Juyong Pass in front of him, which had cost Yuan Feng countless resources and efforts to build, as just a mud hut that could be turned into rubble in an instant.

He was so arrogant that if Yuan Feng heard it, he would definitely mock him and say he was crazy.

But upon hearing what he said, Zhong Xinggu grinned.

"Here."

I hope that old thief Yuan Feng likes this gift!

……

The Younan cavalry that raided the city came with great force, and it was obvious that they would not stop until they destroyed those mountain-shaking cannons.

We also have to admit that the saying "When a man has been away for three days, he should be looked at with new eyes" is a true saying no matter which world it is placed in.

Today, these Younan Iron Cavalry, which were once like chickens and dogs in front of the Zhen Liao Army, have been reborn after ten years.

Not only has his cultivation level risen by more than one level, but his equipment and armor are also all of excellent quality.

This is the foundation of the Yuan family's successive generations of nobles!

Judging from this, perhaps it was precisely because of this that Emperor Taikang was so timid to the point of being almost unbearable.

The Yuan family of Runan alone has such a foundation and strength, let alone all the noble families in the world?
They are so powerful!
This is no longer something that can be described as being too big to be removed, but it truly has the power to overthrow the Yong Ji clan!
No wonder they always regarded Shi Bi and his Karasuma tribe as a joke.

This is not arrogance, but absolute confidence in one's own strength!
In contrast, the Zhen Liao Army was forged through nearly a hundred years of fighting with the Wuhuan tribe in the mountains of corpses and seas of blood.

It is powerful, indeed.

But if there was no Han Shao, if there was no Han Shao to help them cheat, they might not be able to beat them.

There is no way, Youzhou has been cold and barren since ancient times, and there is a shortage of food. Just like ordinary players relying on hard work to earn gold and level up, how can they compete with the local tycoon krypton gold players?
But fortunately, this is just an if.

Today's Younan Iron Cavalry is no longer the scattered soldiers of the past.

The Zhen Liao Army was also not the same bitter enemy that had fought to the death with the Wuhuan tribe.

With the continuous development of grassland resources in recent years, and with Han Shao's help, the only two shortcomings of the Zhen Liao Army were completely made up - weapons and equipment and cultivation level.

No one has a deeper understanding of the power of the Zhen Liao Army than the Younan Iron Cavalry who fought in this battle.

Every round of confrontation between the two sides was a sudden and fierce conflict.

The constantly flying broken arms and limbs and the mutilated bodies that fell off the horses are all clear evidence.

“When we meet on a narrow road, the brave one wins!”

"Zhen Liao Army! Attack!"

When another round of attack was about to break out, the Younan cavalrymen wearing helmets with fiery red long tassels finally showed fear in their eyes under their silver visors.

It's not that they weren't brave, nor that they didn't fight hard.

It's not because they, who have endured ten years of lavish investment, are weaker than these Youbei barbarians in cultivation.

But even so, they still fell into a disadvantage after just a few rounds of confrontation.

It was obvious that the number of people on both sides was close, and there was almost no big difference in their weapons and equipment, but they still couldn't win.

So when faced with the surging black-armored cavalry, they collapsed just like they did ten years ago.

Even though they knew that if the cavalry fled in battle they would become prey to the enemy, some people still chose to turn around before the battle driven by their survival instinct.

But when the original small-scale rout led to the collapse of the entire cavalry formation, everything was irreversible.

The throwing away of weapons and armor and the complete defeat of the army were embodied at this moment.

And those black-armored cavalrymen followed behind them leisurely, devouring and slaughtering them bit by bit.

This is war.

It’s a fight to the death, and the winner takes all.

However, what surprised the Younan Iron Cavalry who had already fallen into despair was that the Youzhou barbarians suddenly slowed down their killing, and the sound of their voices spread throughout the battlefield.

"Younan and Youbei both belong to Youzhou! You and I are both from Youzhou! My master once said, 'We are of the same roots, why are we so eager to fight each other?'"

"The thief Yuan is now rebelling against the emperor and is not a native of Youzhou. Why are you helping him to commit atrocities and be his accomplices?"

"Why not... surrender!"

As soon as these words were spoken, many of the fleeing Younan cavalrymen first looked confused, then struggled.

Finally, someone let out a long sigh.

"It's not that we don't want to surrender, but our families are all in the city. If we surrender, our entire family will die! So it's not that we don't want to, but that we can't!"

Upon hearing this, the eyes of the Younan Iron Cavalry, who had just felt a little hopeful, suddenly dimmed.

Yes, if they surrendered, they could indeed save their lives, but what about their families?

The offerings from the noble families were not that tasty.

Yuan Feng and the Yuan family behind him have spent such a huge price on them over the years, how could they not be on guard and restrained?
But at this moment, a sneer came from the black-armored cavalry behind him.

"This is easy! As long as you are willing to follow my army to break through this barrier today, not only will you survive, but your family members will also survive!"

Break through?

Upon hearing this, the fleeing Younan cavalry were stunned at first, and then smiled bitterly.

No one knows better than them how solid the Juyongguan City is!

Even though the Zhen Liao Army had a mountain-shaking cannon that could shake the city, it would take a long time for them to break it open.

If they surrender now, their family members will still be killed without a burial place.

The Zhenliao black armor who was chasing behind them seemed to see through their thoughts and laughed.

"Don't even mention a mere fortress. Even if there is a mountain in front of us, our Zhen Liao army will flatten it if they say so today!"

"If you don't believe me, why don't you turn your horses around and follow us into the city gate to take a look?"

As he spoke, the voice seemed to be joking.

"Anyway, if you continue to escape, you will die."

"Why not take a gamble, maybe you can still survive?"

The voice behind me was full of temptation, but it was true.

Anyway, continuing to escape will mean death, so why not take a gamble?
The Younan Iron Cavalry, who had already fallen into a desperate situation, struggled for a while in their eyes, and finally gritted their teeth.

Bet!

If you can escape to the city gate, even if you die, you can be closer to your family and relatives in the city!
Otherwise, you’d better die in this wild place and have your body trampled by wild beasts and dogs!
With a thought, the Younan cavalry, which had been fleeing in all directions, finally had a direction.

They all fled towards Juyong City Gate.

……

The mountain-shaking cannon in the distance stopped firing at some point.

Under the pressure of their superior's sword, some soldiers bravely leaned out from the collapsed walls of the city and looked into the distance.

"Did the plan succeed? Did they really destroy the enemy's artillery array?"

In fact, most people did not hold out much hope when they sent the two thousand cavalrymen to raid the artillery formation of the Zhen Liao army.

After all, even if you think with your butt, you should realize that the sharpest spear must be preceded by the strongest shield.

How could it be so easy to destroy it?

It was simply that if the situation continued, the morale of the soldiers in the city would be crushed even before the city gates were breached, so they had no choice but to throw out some sacrifices and cause some trouble for the other side in order to buy themselves a little breathing space and time.

But I didn’t expect that... it would be so smooth?
Not only were the people in the city surprised by this, but Yuan Feng was also quite stunned.

"This...is it done?"

Just as I was wondering, I saw a cloud of dust rising from the sound of horses' hooves in the distance.

Someone with sharp eyes exclaimed immediately.

"Our people are back!"

In the dust and smoke, the Younan cavalry, who had looked so majestic when they left the city, were now undoubtedly in a state of disgrace.

But at this moment, no one cared about their embarrassment.

"Great! Without those mountain-shaking cannons, those Youbei barbarians will have no choice but to sacrifice their lives to fill the city!"

"Let's see how many lives he, Youbei, can afford to waste!"

In their view, without the support of the huge cannons, the Zhen Liao army would be like a tiger without claws and fangs facing Juyongguan.

No matter how fierce or violent they are, what can we do to them?
But just as they were laughing heartily, a new problem soon emerged before them.

That is whether to open the city gate and welcome the heroes who saved Juyongguan into the city.

So the argument began.

The reason for opening the city is that they don't want to discourage people and ruin their morale.

Those who refused to open the city gates were afraid that the pursuing Zhenliao cavalry would take advantage of the situation and attack into the city.

While they were arguing, the defeated Younan troops were about to arrive at the city.

Looking at the towering city gate that remained motionless, even though they were mentally prepared, they couldn't help but feel despair and resentment in their eyes.

Fuck!
I was fighting for my life outside, and you just stood there and watched me die without helping!

How can I not hate it!

At this moment, the Zhen Liao black armored soldiers who were following behind them suddenly reined in their horses.

This unexpected move not only stunned the fleeing Younan army in front, but also stunned Yuan Feng and others who were witnessing this scene on the wall.

But their expression did not last long, and was replaced by endless fear.

boom--

With a huge explosion, the earth shook and the sky collapsed.

And just in the midst of the smoke and dust that covered the sky, a loud laugh suddenly came.

"Boys!"

"Enter the customs! Enter the customs!"

……

I added more than 400 words, which is considered as two coins

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(End of this chapter)