Late Tang

The old general let out a long sigh, his tone full of complicated emotions.The Shatuo people began to sacrifice their lives to the Tang Dynasty when they were still in Shaqi, and later they sacrificed their lives to the Tubo people for a period of time.When they returned to Datang, Shatuo's men would fight all their lives, which seemed to be doomed.

It is precisely because of this that the men in Shatuo hardly have to do other things since they were young. They only practice novels to practice riding, shooting, spears, spears, swords and swords.The Han people in the Tang Dynasty were 22-year-old Cheng Ding, and they generally had to be Cheng Ding to recruit soldiers.But a Shatuo boy is officially considered a warrior as long as he turns 14 years old.Many people even joined the army at the age of twelve or thirteen. For example, Li Keyong, who stayed behind, had a reputation for bravery in Daibei when he was young.When he was 14 years old, he officially went south with Li Zhenwu and Tang Jun to suppress the Pang Xun Rebellion.Back then, he was captured by Feng Yunzhong.The 14-year-old Han Chinese cannot compare with them.

"Do you have a woman yet?" the old soldier asked.

Li Siyuan shook his head shyly.

The old soldier smiled, "14 years old, you are a warrior in our Shatuo tribe. What's more, you are now the adopted son of the family, so you don't have to worry about your future. If your father dies early, you will be more responsible Marrying a wife and having children spreads out. The Shatuo men’s responsibility is to fight wars, and to have sons. How about it, do you like it?”

Li Siyuan shook his head, he originally stayed in Shenwuchuan, where many Shatuo people lived.But he only stayed in a small village, and there were few girls of his age, and because his father didn't let him read any Han books, he had the same vision as the Han people. Women don't like it.What he admired more was the fair lady in the poem book.

"You have never felt the taste of a boy and a woman. You still don't understand anything. What's so good about Han women? They are all soft and weak, like sick children. The wind on our plug can blow them away. Blow away. If you are looking for a woman, you have to look for those who are thick and thick, with big breasts and big butts. They must be strong, so that they can work and have children. Especially remember that big breasts will give birth in the future. If the baby has milk, the child can be raised. If the butt is big, the child can be raised.”

Li Siyuan suddenly looked up and saw a servant woman behind a carriage in front, who looked about 30 years old.The long one is really strong, with a kind of strong back, big arms and round waist.Those arms were almost as thick as her legs, and that waist was really thicker than a bucket.Especially that woman's buttocks are simply a pile of meat. He thought to himself, if he married such a woman, if she quarreled and sat on her buttocks, she would be able to suffocate people to death.

"Madam Liu is not what you said!" Li Siyuan suddenly thought of Li Keyong's wife, Liu Shi, who is now his foster mother.Before he went to Zhigu Pass, he came to Lingqiu City to see Mrs. Liu once.Mrs. Liu does not look as good as what the veteran said, but looks like a gentle lady, with a good face, Ana's figure, slender legs, and a graceful figure.She didn't look big at all, as if she was his sister.

She had a pretty smile, and when they met for the first time, she faced his shallow face and smiled without showing her teeth.Especially her eyes, as black as lacquer, when looking at him, it seemed as if her eyes could speak.At that time, he blushed all of a sudden.

How could she have married Li Ya'er, the young man suddenly felt a little annoyed, thinking that he is not used to calling Li Keyong his adoptive father yet.In his opinion, although Li Keyong has a reputation for bravery, but he is blind in one eye and has a fierce face, he is really not good enough for Mrs. Liu.

It's really a flower stuck in cow dung.

He suddenly remembered the general he had met from a distance during the thrilling raid at Zhigu Pass.It is said that that person was Li Jing, the military envoy of Zhendong Army, whom even the emperor had praised.In terms of age, I heard that he is two years older than Li Keyong, but judging by his appearance, Li Keyong seems to be ten years older than Li Jing.When Li Jing gallops freely on the horse, he is really majestic.

Liu Shi and Li Jing are a good match, an inexplicable thought flashed through his mind.

Then, he suddenly thought of the four young generals who almost left him behind.Those four were no less elegant than Li Jing, and it was the four of them who led a group of soldiers and horses to search for a path to Zhigu Pass, then suddenly entered the pass city, and finally caused the pass city to fall.

Although he almost died at the hands of those four people several times, when he thinks about it now, he is still amazed by the unstoppable demeanor of those four people.He was even a little envious of them, if only he had such a demeanor.

What the old soldier was talking about, Li Siyuan didn't listen to a word, until he woke up, he heard the old soldier ask him: "So, you are among the dozens of horses that entered the city in the evening?"

Li Siyuan nodded.

"Which one attacked Straight Valley Pass, Zhang Gongsu, Li Maoxun, Li Keju, or Li Jing?"

"It's Li Jing's Zhendong Army, with more than 2 soldiers and horses. However, the Gao family general in Guizhou has already joined Li Jing."

The old soldier was surprised for a while, but he didn't expect it to be the most unlikely result. He shook his head and said, "It's not bad. Although the Zhigu Pass is dangerous, there are only 1000 troops, and the opponent's [-] soldiers are attacking the pass."

Li Siyuan felt his face was on fire, and quickly explained: "Although Li Jing has 1000 troops, they only used [-] to break through the Zhigu Pass."

"Ah..." The old army's eyes widened, as if he couldn't believe it.After a long time, he asked again: "Do you think the city guard of Weizhou can live?"

"I can't keep it!"

"why?"

"Because that's what Mrs. Liu said." The young man said firmly.He seemed to be unconditionally convinced by Mrs. Liu's words. "I feel that Li Zhenwu and the empress were too careless this time, and the court's reaction was too intense. Mrs. Liu said that the empress was too impulsive, and we will suffer a big loss this time. Especially the two troops of East and West, Li Jing and Yu Jing, this pair of master and apprentice is very powerful, and Mrs. Liu is very afraid of them. She said that if they didn't come to beg for it, maybe they could fight a dozen, but they came from both sides, so we have no hope."

Although Mrs. Liu is a one-price girl, everyone in the Shatuo army seems to respect her, not just because she is the wife of the young patriarch.It's the kind of natural kindness and virtuousness that this woman showed, and now some people in the army even started to call her female Han Xin.Li Ya'er is like a fierce horse, no one can subdue him, but in front of her, she can always moisten him with the spring breeze and light rain.

"Isn't Mrs. Liu going with you?" Old Jun asked.

"Mrs. Liu is in the city, she will be the last to go." Li Siyuan had finally summoned up the courage to stay and protect her, but she smiled and arranged for him to be responsible for escorting the convoy back to Xincheng, the stronghold of the Shatuo clan in Shuozhou.

The autumn rain was misty, and Liu Yunniang stood on the top of the city in a daze, silently gazing into the distance, like a husband-watching stone.

On such a rainy night, she couldn't see anything, and she didn't want to see him come back.Coming back at such a time, there is only one possibility, and that is that the husband has lost the battle.

But if she didn't come back, she was worried that she might be injured on the battlefield and couldn't come back, or even died in battle?

She is the only one on the city wall who has a team of maids. These maids are some orphans carefully selected by her. They are all very strong. With a little training, they become her sword guards.They are all from Shatuo, and even women can ride horses since they were young.

Apart from them, there was no one else in the city.As early as when Li Siyuan escaped from Zhigu Pass and brought back the news that Zhendong Army Li Jing led an army of [-] to kill and broke through Zhigu Pass, she had already decided to evacuate Lingqiu City immediately.

There were originally 3000 soldiers in Lingqiu City, but most of these soldiers were old, weak and newly recruited. Even if there was a city wall, they would never be Li Jing's opponent.He had heard of the name Li Jing, and he had heard many things about him from merchants on the plug.Dengzhou commodities in Ziqing have long been the most popular commodities for merchants from all over the world.Countless businessmen flocked to Dengzhou, and then sold Dengzhou's goods to various places, and also brought various rumors about Dengzhou Li Jing and Zhendong Army to various places.

The rumored Li Jing was young but promising. He was born in a peasant family, but he had already become a prince of a town in a short period of time.Although he doesn't have the name of being a commander in chief, he already has the reality of Fang Zhen.The Zhendong Army formed by him is brave and good at fighting, with great martial arts skills.The Shamen Town and Dengzhou he managed single-handedly have become the rare stable and prosperous places in the Tang Dynasty.I heard that the place does not close its doors at night, the roads are not picked up, and even supper is not allowed. The night market lasts until dawn every night, from all over the world, even foreign merchants from far away overseas come to buy their products in an endless stream.

This is such a person, but there is another side.It was rumored that he had assassinated Governor Shi when he was still the leader of the team, and had already killed his superior soldiers and horse envoys when he was the town general.He entered Liaodong, and there were originally dozens of forces in southern Liaodong, but they were all brought out by his means and integrated into one under his command.

He was in Dengzhou, and even sent troops to help Song Wei drive away the tooth general Wang Jingwu. He was in southern Liaoning, but he helped Li Maoxun drive away Zhang Gongsu, the commander of Lu Long.

Right now, this legendary man has brought his army to Daibei.

Liu is a weak woman, and she has no luck in her heart.

Although her husband Li Keyong is fierce, he is too young.Although the father-in-law Li Guochang is brave, he has no perspective on the overall situation.Just like the rebellion this time, if it is handled better, it is not impossible for the Li family not to seek great harmony.But it was because they were not smooth enough in dealing with things that finally led to the encirclement and suppression of the Seven Towns.It even attracted vicious tigers like Li Jing.

It didn't take long for Liu Yunniang to marry Li Ke, even only half a year.But she was no longer familiar with Li Keyong, and could no longer understand what she knew.In fact, Li Keyong married her halfway through the door.The Li family is the most powerful family in Daibei, and the Liu family, although their ancestors were also a noble family in Daibei, a family of military generals, when they came to her, they had already declined.Li Ke saw her by accident, and after finding out her identity, he almost used robbery to marry her into the Li family.

Although she has lived in the borderlands for many years and lived with all kinds of barbarians, she is still a Han woman after all.In my heart, I have the concept of marrying a chicken and following the chicken, and marrying a dog as the dog.Although at the beginning, Li Keyong was completely different from what she expected when she was a girl in Huaichun. He was rude, with a sturdy appearance, and he looked a little ugly because he lost one eye.Moreover, she is lustful and bloodthirsty, and has no sentimentality, which is too far from her expectations.

But after getting married, she still forgot those thoughts in her heart and became his wife exclusively.

Liu Yunniang's biggest wish after marriage is to help her husband and teach her children, and she hopes that she can help her husband change some of his children's habits.It's just that she didn't expect that when she insisted on going to Yunzhou with him at the beginning, there would still be horrible things like murdering officials ordered by the court and eating human flesh in the cockfighting platform of Yunzhou in the end.

The maid holding the umbrella advised in a low voice: "Ma'am, the rain is getting heavier and heavier, and there is a lot of wind and rain in the city. Let's go back."

The rain was getting heavier, and the girl tried to persuade her in a low voice.

At this time, Jing Niang, the leader of the female sword guards, came up to the city wearing a black cloak and carrying a long sword. "Madam, it's getting late, it's time to go. If you don't go, the enemy soldiers are probably coming."

As he was talking, he suddenly heard a noisy sound from a distance below the city. In the turbulent wind and rain, there was a muffled sound of horseshoes.Followed by dozens of flames flickering.

Liu Yunniang's heart tightened.

Dozens of cavalry arrived in no time, and the arrival of this cavalry caused confusion among the people who were leaving the city one after another.At first, I thought it was the enemy soldiers who killed me, and I screamed again and again in fright.When they got closer, they finally realized that all the people who came were from the Shatuo tribe in black clothes and armor.The leading knight seemed familiar.It seemed that he was one of the knights who entered the city in the evening.

Jingniang was the first to recognize them and reported to Liu Yunniang in a low voice, "It's Madam's adoptive son Li Siyuan, why is he back?"

Li Siyuan rode his horse back to Lingqiu City, turned over and jumped off the horse, quickly climbed up to the top of the city, knelt down to Liu Yunniang and said, "Ma'am, the situation is not good, the vanguard of Li Jing's Zhendong Army has been killed. Right now, they are intercepting everywhere." Kill our team, I estimate that the follow-up troops will arrive soon. Madam, it is not suitable to stay here for a long time, Siyuan will escort Madam back to Shuozhou immediately!"

Li Siyuan was originally the outpost guard of this evacuated team, who knew that on the way, he encountered a ranger from the Zhendong Army.Due to the heavy rain and the dark sky, no one noticed the other party beforehand, and only realized when they got close that the two sides had an encounter, with hundreds of cavalry on Li Siyuan's side and nearly a hundred on the other side.There was a melee between the two sides, but the Rangers of the Zhendong Army did not love to fight. They broke out while fighting, and finally left more than ten corpses to break through and head north.He guessed that the other party must have gone to report the movements of the army.Maybe, it won't be long before there will be a large group of cavalry chasing and killing them.

Liu Yunniang didn't expect the other party to come so quickly, "But what about the family members of these common people?"

"I don't care about these things now. Madam's safety is the most important thing. Those who have horses can go immediately, and those who don't have horses, let everyone disperse and escape into the mountains first. I will escort Madam to leave." Li Siyuan said anxiously.

Liu Yunniang pondered for a moment, then nodded, and finally brought a hundred female sword guards and dozens of horses under Li Siyuan's men, and transferred more than three hundred horses, and made up five hundred horses together, and did not bring any extra things. Ride the horse to the south, and finally disappear into the rainy night.

(To be continued)