The army set out for battle, with banners covering the sun. Under the welcome of the people of Chang'an, the soldiers mounted their horses with halberds in hand and left the city in robes.

The mighty army of more than 30,000 people has no head or tail. The forwards have marched for more than ten miles, but the rear army has just left the city. Under the fluttering banners, the soldiers with heads held high and high-spirited, especially under the gaze of the people of Chang'an, they worked hard

Puff your chest to make yourself look more masculine.

For the soldiers of the Anxi Army, it was a rare experience to be sent off by the whole city.

In the past, they only saw the military uniforms and the enemies arrogant and arrogant on the opposite side. There were not many spontaneous farewell scenes from the people.

Walking in the procession out of the city, strange people suddenly stuffed them with a handful of dried fruits, an egg, or half a piece of steaming biscuit. The old man patted the soldiers' cold armor and loudly told them that they must fight.

A victory in the battle would increase the prestige of the Tang Dynasty, and let the news of victory cheer up the people who had endured the suffering of war for a long time.

The team set off in a leisurely manner, and an indescribable atmosphere spread among the team.

The soldiers suddenly felt that this expedition was different from the past. They couldn't tell what was different. There was only one feeling in their hearts. It seemed that going to the battlefield to kill the enemy and behead the enemy to collect the reward was not the most important thing this time. The most important thing was

The important thing is not to let down these strangers who are so kind to each other.

The common people were eating pots and pans, but what they were waiting for was the news of the defeat of the Anxi Army. They were high-spirited when they went out, but they were greeted by a dejected and defeated army. Thinking about such a scene, the soldiers would feel unbearable, maybe for the first time in their lives.

The most shameful scene.

An hour later, all the army left the city. The team marched in silence. Only the rumble of horse hooves could be heard, like bursts of dull thunder. Dust was flying on the road outside the city. The people who sent the soldiers out of the city saw the army gradually disappearing in the yellow dust.

When he was no longer seen, everyone returned to the city.

In the expedition team, every Anxi Army soldier pursed his lips tightly. They had not recovered from the atmosphere of farewell just now, and there was a strange agitation in everyone's heart.

In the Chinese cavalry formation, a young sergeant finally couldn't help but took out a biscuit and looked at it carefully. After studying it for a long time, he finally couldn't bear to eat it, and silently stuffed it back into his arms.

A sergeant next to him smiled: "Eat whatever you want. We are all cavalry. Eating does not affect riding."

The young sergeant shook his head and said: "Master Gu ordered us to eat military rations during the break. I want to keep this piece of cake."

"How long can I keep it? I'll keep it in my arms for two days. It absorbs sweat and is stained with dust. It tastes rancid. Can I still eat it? Don't waste it."

The young sergeant still shook his head: "This was a gift from a commoner when I first left the city. It was stuffed into my arms without any explanation. I didn't even have time to say thank you, and they left."

Another sergeant also took out a hard-boiled egg from his arms, flashed it to him as if to show off, and then stuffed it into his arms: "This is also a gift from the people."

The young sergeant glanced at him: "Why don't you eat?"

"Haha, I want to keep it too. The military rations are enough, and we won't be hungry. This egg is rare. I have never confiscated anything from the common people when I went on an expedition before."

The young sergeant stared at the marching team in front of him in a daze. For a long time, he whispered softly: "I always feel that this piece of cake in my arms is more valuable than the reward received after killing the enemy. I don't know why..."

Another sergeant also fell into deep thought and said: "We fought in Luoyang, fought in Yingshui, attacked Tongguan, closed Guanzhong, and fought thousands of miles from north to south. It lasted nearly three years. Before today, I just wanted to kill a few more enemies and capture more territory.

After the rebellion was put down, I would return to my hometown to buy land and become a wealthy small landowner. Apart from these, I really didn’t think about anything else..."

"But when I went out of the city today, I saw people coming in groups to give us food. They were not rich and gave us their own food. There was also a strange old man who patted my breastplate hard and told me loudly that I must listen to the general.

"My order is to kill more enemies and not to disgrace Mr. Gu," the sergeant raised the corners of his mouth slightly, with a smile in his eyes.

"The old man looked very much like his father when he sent me off before I joined the army. My father also patted my chest and told me to do this and that. He sent me away for more than 20 miles before turning around..." The sergeant took a deep breath.

Turn your head.

Feeling the remaining warmth of the Hu Pancake in his arms, the young sergeant suddenly said: "This time I am going on an expedition with Mr. Gu. I feel that killing the enemy and receiving the reward is not that important..."

Another sergeant also nodded and said: "That's right, we shouldn't kill enemies just to get rewards. People should have different ways of living."

"Isn't it necessary to kill the enemy no matter how you live?"

"It's different. It's the same killing of the enemy, but the purpose is different." In the sergeant's arms, the hard-boiled egg also had a touch of body temperature. The sergeant subconsciously touched his chest and murmured: "I always feel that the common people

They gave me their most precious thing, and it would be too unconscionable for me to fight just for the reward."

"If it were just for the reward, when we are outnumbered and outnumbered, I might choose to run away..." The young sergeant hesitated for a moment, and then said: "But if I carry this piece of cake given to me by the people in my arms, I am outnumbered and outnumbered."

When I was widowed, I might choose to die with my enemies. I don’t know why, but a piece of cake can make me fight for my life. Am I stupid? Haha.”

Another sergeant also laughed: "Me too, pretty stupid, haha."

There was a sudden excitement in his chest, and the young sergeant laughed a few times, suddenly raised his neck, and roared loudly: "Follow me, and create a peaceful and prosperous dynasty!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the general rushed up and whipped him hard on the back. The sergeant who was beaten was not afraid and laughed happily.

The surrounding sergeants seemed to be infected, and they laughed one after another, and then shouted in unison: "Follow the Lord, and create a peaceful and prosperous dynasty!"

At first, only a dozen or so people roared in unison, then spread more and more, and spread wider and wider. Finally, tens of thousands of people shouted in unison, and the green mountains and green waters, dense forests and streams, the same voice echoed across the world for a long time.

In the central army, Gu Qing, who was riding a horse, also heard the soldiers shouting in unison. He couldn't help but was stunned, and then started laughing.

"The peaceful and prosperous dynasty..." Gu Qing muttered to himself.

A petite woman dressed as a bodyguard came over on horseback. It was Zhang Huaiyu who was accompanying Gu Qing on an expedition in disguise. This was Zhang Huaiyu's first expedition with Gu Qing. Gu Qing was unwilling to agree, but Zhang Huaiyu insisted on doing it.

Gu Qing couldn't stop him and had no choice but to let it go.

Zhang Huaiyu looked at Gu Qing with eyes full of smiles and a hint of admiration on his expression.

"It's unbelievable that a tiger and wolf warrior can be so loyal to you. How did you do it?" Zhang Huaiyu was extremely curious. In her eyes, Gu Qing was just a weak young man who could only take a beating in terms of force.

How could such a weak young man train an army into obedience?

Gu Qing smiled and said: "Be honest, share the pain, be fair in dealing with things, and have a military spirit."

The words are concise and concise, but hit the nail on the head.

Looking at this mighty Anxi army with high morale, Zhang Huaiyu's usually cold face also showed a hint of excitement.

"Gu Qing, with such a powerful army in your hand, you have the capital to fight for the world, and the capital is very strong. As long as the soldiers remain loyal to you, you will always be invincible."

Gu Qing was silent for a moment and said: "It can only be said that you can be invincible on the battlefield, but not necessarily in the court, among the people, and in the territory of the Tang Dynasty."

Zhang Huaiyu asked curiously: "Why? Is there anything that a sword cannot conquer?"

"That's what I thought at first. Later, when I entered the court and met many kings and ministers, I gradually understood that there are some things that cannot be conquered by swords, such as the human heart."

Gu Qing sighed and said: "Duan Wuji and some of the generals around him have hinted, intentionally or unintentionally, that they want me to cut through the mess quickly and directly replace the emperor. With my current strength, it only takes a military order to overthrow the emperor, and the soldiers will capture it."

Palace Wei, bring the emperor to me with his five-flower bundle tied up..."

Zhang Huaiyu blinked and said: "So, actually things are not that simple, right?"

"Yes, it is easy to kill the emperor and replace him, but how can the world's hearts be conquered with swords?"

Gu Qing rubbed his face irritably and said: "In the whole world, there are so many farmers, landlords, merchants, and local officials who are loyal to Li Tang. There are clans in the countryside and loyal ministers in the court. They are still thinking about it.

With the afterglow of the prosperous Kaiyuan era, if the world suddenly changes to a new owner, how can these people who are loyal to the Tang Dynasty be willing to do so?"

"It would be easy to kill all these people, and send troops to conquer anyone who disobeys. But have you ever imagined how many people would have to be killed to consolidate the new regime I founded? The killings were too great, some of them

People who were loyal to me will start to become dissatisfied with me."

"At that time, all it takes is for someone to raise a voice among the people, and rebels against me rise up in various places, and the whole world will really be in chaos. To be honest, I don't want to see such a situation, and with my ability, I can't

control."

"Even if I hold an invincible army and lose the support of the people, I will eventually be doomed to failure."

Zhang Huaiyu nodded thoughtfully: "So, this is the reason why you have been reluctant to start an incident?"

"Yes, now I can change the rules of the game, but I can't overthrow all the rules of the game. This is how I position myself. In the final analysis, my wings are still not strong enough."

"How do you make wings strong?"

Gu Qing looked at the gray sky in the distance and whispered: "When the courtiers, landlords, clans, and people are completely disappointed with the current regime, maybe... I will rise to the occasion."

After Gu Qing finished speaking, he suddenly burst into laughter, and Zhang Huaiyu looked at him in confusion.

"It's strange that the shady thoughts deep in my heart, no matter how evil or dark, seem to be able to be spoken openly in front of you without any psychological burden or moral shackles."

Zhang Huaiyu also laughed: "So, in your eyes, I am a bad person? Why do you speak to me so openly about your shady thoughts?"

Gu Qing thought for a while and said seriously: "It's not that bad, you are probably similar to a toilet, used to hold excrement."

Not far behind the two of them, Han Jie followed them on horseback. Seeing that Zhang Huaiyu was on horseback like crazy, he was able to kick Gu Qing with flying legs, causing Gu Qing to scream.

Han Jie tightened his grip on the hilt of the sword at his waist, and then let go, murmuring sympathetically: "If my mother-in-law dared to do this to me, I would have torn her into pieces. My father-in-law is really a man of great perseverance.

, I can endure what ordinary people cannot endure, but I’m afraid I won’t be able to be a big shot in this life.”

…………

Before setting off for the expedition, the scouts had been sent out and galloped thousands of miles straight to Shuofang.

After the army marched for five days, the scouts turned around and reported the military situation to Gu Qing.

The Uighur tribe in the northern grassland took the same road as the Luo tribe and the Qibi tribe. Prince Yehu, the son of the Uighur Gele Khan, led 50,000 elite troops. The forward 10,000 cavalry were still three days away from the Yinshan Mountains on the border of the Tang Dynasty.

The so-called "Yehu" is not a personal name, but an official name of the Turkic Khanate. Later, after the Turks were destroyed by the Tang Dynasty, the northern nomadic tribes continued to use the official name of the Turks. "Yehu" was usually named by the khanate and tribes.

The leader's son is in charge.

The leader of the Uighur army was actually Prince Yehu, the legal heir of Gel Khan. This shows that the Uighur Khanate also attached great importance to borrowing troops from the Tang Dynasty, and it was actually the prince who was sent.

After Gu Qing heard the news, his face became even more gloomy, and he became even more disgusted with Li Heng.

"It's such a disgrace to the country to lose power!" Gu Qing cursed through gritted teeth.

Why did they send troops all the way here? The master kindly invited them to plunder his people, livestock and property. It was strange enough for the emperor to think so. In comparison, Li Longji in his later years was much wiser than him, although in times of crisis he
To be continued...