The most beautiful moment in the desert scenery is sunset.

Wang Wei once wrote a poem, in which the sentence "The solitary smoke in the desert is straight, the sun sets over the long river" can be said to describe the scenery of the desert in one sentence.

Sitting on the sand dunes, watching the sunset slowly setting in the desert, Gu Qing felt extremely peaceful in his heart.

From the time the sun turns into a golden setting sun to slowly sinking below the horizon, a period of time that seems long but is actually short, makes people unable to help but think of life experiences.

Every regretful or painful or happy life experience seems to be covered with a layer of precious color under the golden halo of the setting sun, and every period is indispensable.

Recently, a soul-touching question always pops up in Gu Qing's mind.

If God gave him another chance to choose, and asked him to decide whether to stay in the Tang Dynasty or return to modern times a thousand years later, how would he choose?

This question frightened him.

Back to modern times, we have air conditioning, TVs and computers, and we can enjoy the convenience and comfort that all high technologies bring to life.

He is still the business elite who leads the team to make waves in a certain field, and then he will slowly forget his life in Datang. As the years go by, he may also forget Zhang Huaiyu and Zhang Huaijin, and let history go back to its original state.

trajectory, and their lives will return to their original trajectory, as if he had never appeared.

However, can he really let go of the memories left here and the experiences he has had?

The Tang Dynasty, this ancient and backward place in his eyes, was much warmer than in his previous life, and there were countless people and things that made him breathless. Unknowingly, he had become one with this world, and he could no longer

Can't let go.

Just like the hypocritical saying in literary novels, "We can't go back."

The setting sun had slowly sunk below the horizon. Gu Qing sighed in despair, got up and walked towards the camp.

Han Jie followed him and helped him carry a deck chair. As he walked, he said: "Master Hou, what's so good about this round sun? Why not light a fire and roast a lamb and eat it. If you can

It would be even more refreshing if there is a jar of wine..."

Gu Qing smiled without looking back: "You understand life better than me. I don't know why I have to look at that round sun. After watching it, I realized that it is not as interesting as drinking and eating meat."

Han Jie smiled and said: "The Marquis has figured it out. I will give you a barbecue. I also know that a few bastards secretly hid a few bottles of wine when they went to war. I will get it for you so that you can enjoy drinking it."

Barbeque day.”

Gu Qing said slowly: "The 'bastard thing' you mentioned also includes me... There is no need to get wine, I have it in my handsome tent."

Han Jie sneered and was about to ask his guards to bring in the grill when he noticed that some dense black spots suddenly appeared on the sand dunes far away from the camp. There were more and more black spots, numbering about thousands of people.

Gu Qing also saw those black spots, paused, and said: "The guards just came to report that the defeated defenders of Khotan are coming soon. Those people are probably them, right?"

Han Jie nodded, and then ordered his guards to ride forward and ask.

Gu Qing glanced at it again and said: "After the Khotan garrison arrives, let them assemble outside the camp. Also, give an order to all the soldiers on the left guard not to call them 'defeated army'. Thousands of garrison troops will attack the enemy."

Thirty thousand, it is reasonable to retreat, they are the leader, if the soldiers of the left guard dare to ridicule and ridicule, they must be severely punished."

Han Jie took the order.

Half an hour later, the Khotan garrison lined up outside the camp. The team was silent and silently looked at Gu Qing, who stood proudly in front.

Gu Qing was also looking at them quietly.

Everyone in this team seemed to have the word "failure" engraved on their faces. Everyone's clothes and armor were disheveled, and some had empty hands. When they retreated, they were so panicked that they even lost their weapons. There was an indescribable feeling in the silence of the team. If "morale" could be expressed numerically, then the morale value of this team would have become a negative number.

The only advantage is probably that there are relatively few casualties, most of them minor injuries. This is also reasonable. When the battle is defeated, it is difficult for the seriously injured people to escape. Most of them have died in Yutian City, and the remaining ones have suffered minor injuries. The injuries did not affect their escape, but it was already very difficult to regroup.

Slowly looking around, Gu Qing asked loudly: "Is the team's organization still intact? Is there a general at the head?"

A general with scattered scales and armor came out, clasped his fists and said: "The last general, Shen Tian, ​​is the commander of the Khotanese garrison Guoyi. He has ten regiments under his jurisdiction. He is currently the highest-ranking general in the Khotanese army and the chief general of the Khotanese garrison. The deputy governor of Anxi, Wang Chengxue, fought hard against the Tibetan traitors while defending the city, and died when the city was breached. The remaining generals fled in different directions when they were defeated, and their whereabouts are currently unknown."

Gu Qing nodded and looked at Shen Tian with narrowed eyes.

Shen Tian was about thirty years old. He looked quite stable and tall. He was holding a horizontal knife in his hand. The curled blade was stained with blood. Apparently after a fierce and desperate fight, the scabbard was also missing. The armor on his body was missing several parts, and he looked very embarrassed.

The strange thing is that Shen Tian's eyes are still very clear. There is no trace of depression or too much frustration on his face. There is a fire brewing in his calm eyes that will burst out at any time.

He had just experienced a defeat, but the general's blood had not yet cooled.

Gu Qing smiled and said: "I am the Deputy Envoy of Anxi Jiedu and the Marquis of Qingcheng County, Gu Qing. I am honored to meet General Shen."

Shen Tian bowed in return: "The last general has heard of Lord Gu, and the defeated general will apologize to Lord Marquis."

Gu Qing shook his head: "Don't call yourself a 'defeated general'. Don't worry about temporary gains and losses. The Khotan defenders are only eight thousand, and the enemy is thirty thousand. They are attacking at night. A small defeat is understandable, let alone you." We also brought back most of the defenders, which is already very rare."

"General Shen, on behalf of the parents of these living athletes, I thank you. It was you who brought them out of hell. Thousands of parents in Guanzhong have been spared the pain of losing their children. You are a hero."

Shen Tian, ​​who was scarred by the defeat, collected the defeated troops calmly and calmly along the way, and planned a route to join the main force of the Anxi army. After experiencing so many painful and tragic things, he could not be moved. At this moment, he was moved by Gu Qing's words and almost shed tears. .

With red eyes and trying to calm down, Shen Tian said: "The general has lost the town of Khotan, but the general is not convinced. After our Khotan army rests and supplies, the general will eventually let the Tubo thieves know about our Great Tang Anxi Iron Army." It’s not a waste of fame!”

As he spoke, Shen Tian suddenly stood up straight, turned around and faced the five thousand defeated soldiers, with a ferocious face and roared: "From today on, let me eat well, sleep well, and recover well! We will take back the city of Khotan with our own hands!" "

There was a bang, as if a pile of long-dried firewood was ignited, and the team exploded instantly. Gu Qing could clearly feel that an exciting morale was slowly condensing and taking shape, from dejection to excitement, almost in the blink of an eye. Kung Fu, the spirit of the entire team was completely different.

"Take back the city of Khotan with your own hands!"

"Sleep on the skin of Tibetan traitors! Eat the flesh of Tibetan traitors!"

"Revenge! Revenge for Paoze who died in battle!"

Gu Qing's heart was filled with excitement, and a satisfied smile appeared on his lips.

This defeated army can be used!

"General Shen, from today on, your Khotan garrison will be placed under my Zuowei camp, under my personal control. From now on, you and I will be brothers of Paoze. The Zuowei officers and soldiers have set up barracks for you. You Since our organization is in chaos, we need to rebuild it entirely and reorganize these soldiers into regiments, camps, and brigades. I will leave this matter to you. Just give me a list of names when the time comes."

Shen Tian clasped his fists and accepted the order.

Gu Qing added: "Now you go back to the barracks to settle down. Hot food will be delivered to you soon. You eat well and drink well. Recuperate well. There will be a war soon. I hope your performance will not disappoint me."

Shen Tian said solemnly: "General, I swear that I will never retreat. If we retreat, we will not be able to see our elders in Guanzhong, and our parents and relatives at home will be ashamed of us!"

Five thousand soldiers raised their right hands and shouted: "Never retreat again! Never retreat again!"

Next, five thousand soldiers filed into the camp in an orderly manner. In the open space inside the camp, countless left guard soldiers lined up quietly to watch them. Both sides stood still and stared at each other.

After a long time, Chang Zhong, headed by the Zuowei soldiers, suddenly saluted the five thousand defeated troops with clasped fists, and the Zuowei soldiers behind him also silently saluted them.

Shen Tian returned the salute sternly, the five thousand soldiers bowed and clasped their fists, and the two unfamiliar armies stared at each other.

When their eyes meet, they are already robes.

…………

Back at the commander's tent, Han Jie was still tutting.

"Master Marquis, I always thought that this defeated army could no longer be used. I didn't expect that their morale was so high. Look at their energy, they are as vigorous as newborn tiger calves. It was really a wise idea of ​​the Marquis to take this defeated army. , I will finally bow down to you."

Gu Qing also smiled, his face full of relief.

"What they... need most is a victory, and I will give them victory."

At night, the rapid sound of horse hoofbeats came from the gate of the camp. Not long after, Han Jie woke up Gu Qing from his deep sleep.

"Master Marquis, Wang Gui and the others are back, and they have a major military report!"

An oil lamp was lit in the commander's tent, and Wang Gui stood in front of Gu Qing with his waist bent, describing in detail the military situation he had learned about in Qiuci Town.

The more Gu Qing listened, the more serious his face became. Without saying a word, he took the map and leaned over it to look for the city and route.

"Tubo merchants buy and sell grain and grass to the Tibetan army stationed in Tuyuhun? Tuyuhun..." Gu Qing muttered to himself, moving his finger slowly on the map.

Then Gu Qing frowned and whispered: "Tuyuhun... The junction with Datang is the two major military governorates of Hexi and Longyou. Could it be that the main force of the Tubo thieves will make a big move? Their real intention is these two major military governors." The envoy's garrison, the 30,000 Tibetan troops faced by the Anxi and Beiting Jiedu envoys, were just to contain our troops and prevent us from reinforcing Hexi and Longyou, so they entered the desert and led us around by the nose. Don’t dare to move…”

Wang Gui on the side said softly: "Master Hou, the female innkeeper seems to have said the same thing. She said that what Tibet really wants to attack is the border area in the direction of Tuyuhun..."
Chapter completed!