I am a soldier in the border army

Chapter 626 A life-and-death struggle! Another... Xiangji Temple!

The water battle that broke out on Tongtian River was far more tragic than anyone had imagined.

This is not to say that the fighting between the treasure ships of both sides was fierce.

It was because one side in this battle had achieved a certain level of dominance over the other side.

Just like monks, in front of monks of higher levels, every time a monk of lower levels swings his sword and fights for his life, it seems like the struggle of an ant, which is absurd and ridiculous, but also carries an indescribable sadness.

Especially when Huang Tiandao's Seventh Realm True Immortal attacked in anger, he was still unable to do anything about the opponent's treasure ship's protective formation.

It can be said that after this battle, the reputation of the Zhen Liao Army reached a new level.

The Mohist mechanical techniques, which had long been in decline, will also become famous throughout the world because of this!

……

"It's OK, you played well."

When countless wreckages of the Huangtian treasure ship floated on the Tongtian River, and the blood and corpses created a cruel scene of Shura purgatory on the water, Han Shao only said a faint praise.

"It has lived up to my expectations."

Although Han Shao appeared calm enough, the old soldier who knew Han Shao well could still see some joy from his subtle expression.

Zhong Xinggu was especially happy. He caught a glimpse of relief from Han Shao's brows and was in a very good mood.

When the lord is worried, his ministers will be humiliated; when the lord is humiliated, the ministers will die.

He saw the repressed emotions that had been accumulating in Han Shao over the past few days and felt anxious. He suffered no less torture than his lord Han Shao.

Now it's better.

Seeing Zhong Xinggu baring his white teeth and laughing so happily, Han Shao was a little surprised.

"Why are you so happy?"

Zhonghangu grinned and replied.

"If your Majesty is happy, I am happy too."

Han Shao was stunned at first, then smiled.

"Old Gu, you are becoming more and more adept at flattering people."

But even though it's just flattery, it's really pleasant to hear.

Especially when the flattery is truly sincere, it can make people feel relaxed and happy, and even... lose themselves.

Han Shao warned himself in his heart and calmed down.

The initial victory in the north did give him some peace of mind.

But this is just the beginning. It is foreseeable that Zhao Mu and Jiang Hu will still face enormous pressure and make countless sacrifices.

Thinking of this, Han Shao's heart was once again shrouded in a faint haze.

"An army cannot be run with kindness. Wars will always result in death..."

Han Shao sighed and comforted himself, no longer thinking about the fierce battle that was about to break out in the north.

Instead, his eyes were fixed on the ochre-yellow ocean in the distance that was getting closer and closer.

What he wanted now was to defeat the Huangtian coalition forces of Yan and Yu states in the shortest possible time and at the lowest cost, and then quickly march northward.

The final battle determines the victory!

……

The yellow sky is vast and covers the earth.

In a sense, Huang Tian Dao’s substitution of Huang Tian for Cang Tian is not just a simple slogan, but a real act of changing the world.

As the towering banners with the word "Huang Tian" written on them were held by the Huang Tian warriors, they accompanied the army slowly forward.

Viewed from afar, the sky changed color and the earth was also ochre yellow.

If you look closely, you can see that amidst the desolate and barren land there is a surge of unyielding vitality.

Contradiction?
Perhaps the birth and rise of this Tao is the result of the world's sentient beings' will being suppressed to the limit and then violently counterattacking!

They are born humble and look like ants. They suffer pain and abuse throughout their lives. How can there be any color in their lives?
Today they are raising their swords and want to overthrow this damn corrupt world. Are they wrong?

No! They are not wrong!

Han Shao always felt that they were right!
It can even be said that if he had not opened his eyes in that bloody and cruel battlefield, if he had not been wearing the black armor of Zhen Liao, if he had not met Gongsun Xinyi, the lady who seemed cold and aloof but was actually foolish and infatuated...

Instead, he struggles to survive as an ordinary citizen in this suffocating world.

Today he might not even be standing here.

Instead, one should stand in the vast ochre-yellow ocean opposite, or even stand at the forefront of all the ochre-yellow figures holding the yellow sky banner, and then raise his arms and shout loudly.

"Aristocratic family! Princes, generals, and ministers! Do you have any guts?!"

What a pity, it’s just like the old saying goes, fate plays tricks on us.

He ended up standing on the opposite side.

And he stood in the center of the opposite side.

"What a dark humor..."

Han Shao, with his face covered by a black mask, gave a half-sigh, half-helpless smile, and when he raised his head, his eyes were already indifferent.

"Feng Shen, go ahead and have your men charge in first to see how strong they are."

At this point in the situation, it is meaningless to say too much.

Because of different positions, we are destined to draw swords and fight to the death!
……

Back then, when Commander Qu of Qingzhou led the Qingzhou Huangtian Army northward, he mobilized an army of 500,000.

The Huangtian army advancing eastward today, combined with the strength of Yan and Yu states, will only double this number.

This huge number of at least millions cannot be deployed on a single battlefield.

After all, these armies composed of Huang Tian's disciples and believers are living people, not the walking corpses that were destroyed by Han Shao's palm.

This also gave the Zhen Liao Army an opportunity.

After all, even though the Shenji Camp had already made its mark and demonstrated the power of the Zhen Liao Infantry, the Zhen Liao Army ultimately originated from the border areas, and the cavalry was still their foundation.

Relying on the tall Liaodong horses under them, they move back and forth like the wind and are as swift and brave as tigers and wolves. This is their true nature.

So for several days in a row, before the two sides had any real contact, those wolf-like and tiger-like Zhen Liao cavalry galloped across the field, causing heavy casualties to Huang Tian's army, and many Fangqu suffered heavy losses.

However, in the process, Huang Tianjun's almost crazy and fearless attitude also caused certain losses to the Zhenliao Iron Cavalry, and even psychological trauma.

Look, even Feng Can, a jerk who crawled out of a pile of dead bodies, couldn't help cursing after witnessing several battles.

"Mads! These guys are simply... insane!"

After following Han Shao, this oddity, for so many years, it is not uncommon for him to occasionally come up with a new word or two.

What really amazed Feng Can was...

Only at this moment did he suddenly realize that long before Huang Tiandao started the rebellion, his monarch had shown unprecedented solemnity and concern, which even exceeded the imminent danger of Shi Bi at that time.

Regarding this, he really didn't know what to say except to express his admiration for his lord's almost godlike foresight.

However, no matter how terrifying the fighting spirit shown by the enemy was, it only made the Zhenliao Army a little shocked and uncomfortable.

It is a bit of an exaggeration to say that it has shaken the morale of the army.

Instead, it aroused the ferocity of these tigers and wolves that had waded through the mountains of corpses and seas of blood.

The bravery displayed by the weak lamb as it bared its teeth, roared, and charged forward was truly terrifying.

But compared with the real wolves that have fought their way out of the ice and snow on the grassland, they are still far inferior in terms of the sharpness of their claws and fangs.

After gradually adapting to this style of fighting, those tiger-like and wolf-like cavalry fought more and more fiercely and aggressively.

The attacks were so brutal and ruthless that sometimes even Han Shao couldn't help but frown secretly.

But in the end he said nothing, and he even appeared in person from time to time to give rewards and promoted those who had made contributions on the spot.

This is a battlefield of life and death, not a stage to show mercy.

Even if it is necessary, it will be after the outcome of this battle is decided.

Now, no!
……

Throughout the end of October and early November, the 200,000-strong Zhen Liao army and the one million-strong Huang Tian army from Yan and Yu states attacked and tested each other on the vast battlefield at the junction of Qing and Yan states.

It seems that the scale of each operation is not large, and the number of people mobilized is no more than tens of thousands at most, and the number of people on the Zhen Liao Army side is even smaller.

But the intensity was extremely tragic.

Many times, the two sides are just testing each other, but the fight turns into a fight to the death. They have to decide life or death, victory or defeat!

Until one side is completely wiped out.

Not to mention that in this situation, the great masters of both sides did not come forward to lend a helping hand.

In fact, as the war continued to break out and advance, the spiritual vitality of the entire battlefield had long been disturbed by both sides. The terrifying evil spirit and death energy that soared into the sky made it difficult for the great masters of the upper three realms to spread their divine thoughts, for fear that their souls would be polluted and they would fall into madness. In the end, they ended up going crazy and killing everyone in their own formation.

"It seems... Gongye Jin's defeat at the Jishui River was not unfair."

Ten years ago, Gongye Jin, formerly a General of the Central Secretariat, was given the title of General Suppressing Bandits, commanding a hundred thousand armored cavalry troops under the order of the Emperor to suppress the traitor Huang Tian who was wreaking havoc in the eight states.

The initial momentum was unstoppable and unrivaled.

But in the end they were defeated miserably on the banks of the Ji River, and the two imperial armies, Shen Ce and Tian Ce, were completely wiped out and eliminated.

At that time, many soldiers in the army, including those in the Zhen Liao Army, laughed at Gongye Jin for this.

But it was not until today, when I personally fought with him, that I finally understood.

It’s not that Gongye Jin is too useless, but it’s because Huang Tiandao’s strength is indeed not weak.

Hearing Li Jing's sigh, all the generals of the Zhen Liao army echoed him silently.

There was no way. After these days of battles, both large and small, although their side had achieved remarkable results, the losses also made them bleed in their hearts.

These guys were all brought from Youzhou!
Now that they are buried in a foreign land, how can they not be heartbroken.

When they return to their homeland tomorrow, the parents and wives of these boys will ask them for their sons, husbands and fathers. How will they face them?

"Your Majesty... maybe we should really expand our army..."

In fact, after taking Bingzhou and Zhuozhou, Han Shao vaguely expressed his intention to recruit new troops in various places.

But after a brief test, they were pushed back without a trace by the Zhen Liao army.

Han Shao understood what they were thinking.

Apart from those gains and losses that cannot be expressed in words.

It is also because of the two words [Zhen Liao].

Simply put, once a large number of new soldiers are recruited from outside Youzhou, will the Zhenliao Army still be the Zhenliao Army?

From an emotional point of view, it is unacceptable for those who have always regarded the word "Zhen Liao" as the glory of their life.

At that time, Han Shao did not force it, and even let it go for the time being.

But at this moment, they took the initiative to bring it up.

To put it bluntly, too many men had died and they couldn't bear it anymore.

After all, there are not only descendants of ordinary military families, but also their nephews, nieces, and grandchildren!

If they continue like this, and the entire Zhen Liao army bleeds dry, what’s the point of them still stubbornly clinging to the name of “Zhen Liao”?

As for the change in these people's attitude, even though Han Shao was in a bad mood these days, he still couldn't help but smile.

'Does this count as 'not crying until you see the coffin'? '

His smile immediately relaxed the atmosphere in the entire military tent.

Facing those pairs of half-smiley eyes, the general who proposed "expanding the army" blushed and was quite embarrassed.

Because when the rumor of military expansion first appeared, this guy was the one who jumped the most.

"I...I am not planning for the great cause of the Lord, am I not?"

Listening to this guy's forced self-defense, many people in the military tent couldn't help but burst into laughter.

At the moment when the atmosphere became cheerful, a military general sighed.

"That's right! It's not like we lost the battle!"

"On the contrary! He's been doing well in every battle lately, why are you so gloomy?"

This is true.

Although the men suffered heavy losses during this period, their Zhen Liao Army still had the absolute upper hand both in general and in detail.

Not only is the casualty ratio far lower than Huang Tiandao's, but the battle line is also constantly advancing forward.

Well, to be honest, the source of this recent dull and depressing atmosphere is none other than their good king!

As the saying goes, like generals, like soldiers.

Their monarch has always been the kind of person who only wants to take advantage and doesn't want to suffer any loss. Over time, they were naturally infected.

Think about it, when the great general Gongsun Du was in power, every time he fought against the Wuhuan tribe, there were countless casualties.
How come they have become so precious nowadays?

It’s all because of their Lord’s pampering!
Of course, even if they realized this, no one dared to speak the truth.

In addition to awe, who wouldn't like a superior who treats them as human beings and their lives as their own?
After some laughter and lively atmosphere, the tense minds of the generals relaxed a little and finally did not forget the important business.

Including a group of veteran marching staff, they all gathered around the huge map and gave suggestions from time to time.

Three cobblers are better than one Zhuge Liang!

It is always better to work together to find and fill in the gaps than to act alone.

Gradually, they suddenly discovered that Han Shao, who had been silent all this time, was silently staring at a seemingly insignificant place on the map.

Xiangji Temple?
The name of the temple is quite ordinary and it cannot be considered a famous ancient temple.

But as they watched, one of the veterans suddenly exclaimed.

“What a great place!”

This sudden surprise frightened many generals.

They were about to yell at him, but as their gazes shifted and they began to take in the overall situation, they finally began to see the clues.

After a moment, several exclamations were heard one after another.

“It’s really a wonderful place!”

After this explanation and reminder, the remaining generals who were originally a little confused soon showed signs of enlightenment.

Then, looking at Han Shao who had been staring at this place, he couldn't help but sigh with respect and admiration.

"Your Majesty is indeed worthy of being Your Majesty! Yingmo is a gift from heaven!"

"Yes! Yes! It's ridiculous that we are all chattering and speculating, but we can't compare to the Lord's insight at a glance."

As he spoke, someone kept his eyes on the map, and as his gaze became more and more heated, he even asserted.

"This place may seem insignificant, but it is actually like the weakest part of a spirit snake!"

"As long as we occupy this place, even if Huang Tiandao sends another million troops, we will still be able to completely defeat him!"

Although these exclamations inevitably contain some flattery, they do not contain any flattery that ignores the facts.

But Han Shao didn't smile much when he heard these words.

After a moment, he, who had been silent all this time, finally spoke.

"Don't you think this place is a little... ominous?"

Ominous?

Hearing Han Shao's words, all the generals were stunned and confused.

He turned his head and stared at the ordinary Buddhist temple on the map for a long time, but couldn't figure out where the ominous place was.

Han Shao sighed in his heart about this, and his sense of fate became stronger and stronger.

"Xiangji Temple..."

A synonym for a mountain of corpses and a sea of ​​blood!
A key node that destroyed the prosperous Tang Dynasty.

Now that it appears in front of me again, what does it mean to me?
Han Shao was a little confused for a moment.

But after a long silence, he finally made a decision.

"Let's march forward."

Now, destiny is in my hands!

when--

No taboos!

……

(End of this chapter)