The open space of the Tibetan army camp was filled with corpses of the war dead.
Sang Chiruo looked at the tragic situation in front of him, his face was ashen and he said nothing.
The generals and nobles in the Tubo army had fear in their eyes. Someone whispered: "The Tang army used sorcery and this battle cannot be fought."
Upon hearing this, Sang Chiruo walked to a corpse and motioned to his slave soldiers to untie the deceased's armor.
Looking at the tiny bullet holes on the dead body, Sang Chiruo made an incision motion with his hand.
The slave soldier took a knife, cut open the wound of the deceased, took out a grain of iron sand as thick as a little finger from the flesh and blood, and presented it to Sang Chiruo.
The latter looked at the iron sand stained with blood in his palm and frowned.
After a while, Sang Chiruo asked someone to bring a survivor of the battle.
The surviving Tibetan soldier's eyes were a little blurry, as if he still hadn't gotten rid of the nightmare.
Sang Chiruo asked: "You rushed into the pass and confronted the Tang army. What happened next?"
The surviving Tubo soldier spent a lot of effort and said intermittently: "There are many things with white smoke that were pushed to the front of the formation by the Tang army..."
Sang Chiruo: "What does it look like?"
Survivor: "I didn't see it clearly at the time. I only remembered that the thing was black and had white smoke coming out of its tail. Then there were loud noises. I suddenly felt a heat all over my body and the pain made me unable to stand. My whole body
Then he fell to the ground."
At this time, Yin Tu, the general of Shankui Army, led his men to dig out more iron sand from the corpse and presented it to Sang Chiruo.
Sang Chiruo grabbed a handful of iron sand, thought for a long time, and shouted to the Tibetan generals and nobles: "So what if the Tang army knows sorcery? The Tibetan army has superior skills that can destroy all evil spirits."
When the Tubo generals and nobles heard this, they started talking about it.
Sang Chiruo said in a deep voice: "If Zuzan knew that the Tibetan soldiers were afraid of demons and retreated without a fight, I don't need to tell you what kind of punishment they would be punished after they returned, right?"
The Tibetan generals and nobles shuddered when they heard this, and no one dared to talk about retreating.
Then, Sang Chiruo found lamas who were traveling with the army, opened a Dharma altar, chanted sutras and practices, and asked the monks to bestow blessings and protection on each soldier to boost their morale.
After struggling for a long time, when the sun set, the Tibetan army's morale finally stabilized.
Sang Chiruo returned to his camp and summoned Yin Tu, the general of the Shankai Army.
After Yin Tu entered the tent, Sang Chiruo said, "Let your warriors start preparations."
Yin Tu said happily: "Thousands of households agreed to our going to war?"
Sang Chiruo: "If we want to defeat the group of Tang troops on the mountain, Shan Wei's army is indispensable."
Yin Tu: “What do thousands of households want us to do?”
Sang Chiruo: "There is a cliff on the back mountain of the Tang Army's Rongbao. All Shankui troops are good rock climbers. You can lead your troops while the Tang Army is fighting at the pass and climb up the cliff to sneak attack on their rear formation."
Yin Tu nodded and said, "Okay, I'll go back to the camp to order the troops."
At the same time, in the Rongbao on the mountain peak.
Chang Huiwu sat next to the female wall, under the firelight, carefully handling the knots and blood stains on his beard, and said to Duan Xiushi next to him: "The Tiger Crouching Cannon is a good thing. If the men under my command, every team
If I can lead the ten gates, I can lead the Yumen army to fight against Luoxue City."
Duan Xiushi said with a smile: "Every time a shot is fired, a lot of gunpowder is consumed, and it is extremely difficult to make. The blast furnaces used to refine iron use special stones. Even if there are skilled craftsmen in charge, every time
The yield rate of the gun barrels produced by the furnace is less than 30%."
Chang Huiwu: "It takes so much trouble? No wonder I offer it like a treasure."
Duan Xiushi looked at the firelight in the Tubo camp in the distance and sighed: "If the Tang army had such powerful weapons as tiger squatting cannons when Hebei was in chaos, how could the great mountains and rivers be reduced to this?"
Chang Huiwu sneered and said: "No matter how good the weapon is, it all depends on who is using it. In the early years of the Tang Dynasty, there were hundreds of thousands of troops. In the years around Tianbao's fourteenth year, they were all completely defeated. Let me tell you.
, even if we give them the Crouching Tiger Cannon, we will still end up defeated in the end."
Duan Xiushi sighed after hearing this.
Chang Huiwu glanced at Duan Xiushi and said loudly: "Chang has always spoken clearly, and he can't rub the sand out of his eyes. He looks down on those who are like flies and dogs, and because of this, he is often disliked by the superiors... When you got the relocation order, you came to Shazhou.
When Dunhuang became the governor, Chang was dissatisfied."
Duan Xiushi was stunned and looked at Chang Huiwu.
Chang Huiwu: "Back then, under the command of Marshal Zhou, General Guo and I led our troops to fight the Tibetan Mang Suzhen to the death. After the war, General Guo went to Shuofang due to his meritorious service and became the military governor. I thought about myself again.
No matter how hard it is, he can still be in charge of the military affairs of Shazhou. Unexpectedly, Chang waited and waited, but instead of waiting for his own relocation order, he waited for the governor Duan."
Duan Xiushi felt a little embarrassed when he heard this.
Before coming to Shazhou, Duan Xiushi was a partial general in the Anxi army, whether it was the Battle of Talos or the Battle of Dabolu. In terms of merit and reputation, he was indeed not outstanding.
Chang Huiwu continued: "Someone told me that Duan Jishi came from the Anxi Army and was a direct descendant of Marshal Zhou. Those who are near the water and towers will naturally be reused. When Chang heard this, he believed it to be true, but he really couldn't swallow it, so he went there
In the days when Governor Duan first came here, he caused many stumbling blocks and made mistakes in everything...These are indeed my faults, and Chang apologizes to Governor Duan here."
Duan Xiushi waved her hands quickly and said it was nothing.
Chang Huiwu: "Having been with Governor Duan for a long time, Huiwu has seen one thing clearly. Whether it's in military operations or civil affairs, I'm not as good as you. But come to think of it, Marshal Zhou knows people well and makes good use of them, and he's fair and impartial, so how could he do that?
How about placing a mediocre person in Dunhuang?"
Duan Xiushi: "There are so many talented people in the Anxi army, Xiushi is nothing."
Chang Huiwu laughed and said: "Prince Duan, don't be humble. If you are not a talented person, then how should I, Chang Huiwu, behave?"
This chapter is not over yet, please click on the next page to continue reading! Duan Xiushi paused for a moment, looked at Chang Huiwu, and laughed unconsciously.
Chang Huiwu turned his head and looked into the distance and said softly: "On weekdays, when I was stationed at Yumen, I could always hear merchants coming and going, saying that the Anxi army was strong. When the battle with the Tubo people was over, Chang would find an excuse and take his family with him.
Anxi, take a look and see what the rumored Anxi Army looks like."
Duan Xiushi patted Chang Huiwu's arm and said with a smile: "Xiushi is the host and is looking for a wine shop. Then you and I will get drunk and then we'll rest."
Chang Huiwu laughed and said, "Okay, I won't go home until I'm drunk!"
At noon on the second day, the Tibetan army came back.
However, compared to last time, the Tibetan soldiers not only marched more cautiously, but there were actually many lamas chanting sutras and waving flags in the queue.
The Tang army was almost out of arrows, but there was still a lot of gunpowder and iron sand left.
Therefore, in this battle with the Tubo people, Duan Xiushi's strategy was to fight close to the enemy, use the shotgun shells of the Crouching Tiger Cannon to kill and disrupt the enemy's formation, and then use the cavalry to charge down from the top of the mountain to completely defeat the Tubo people.
offensive.
On the other side, Sang Chiruo, who was at the foot of the mountain, looked at the Rongbao on the mountain and whispered softly to himself: "The so-called magic is just a new weapon of the Tang Army... The Tang Army only took out this kind of bottom-of-the-box weapon until now.
Weapons means that the number of such weapons will not be too many. The only way now is to use human lives in exchange for victory."
When the Tubo army approached the Tang army's position, the latter unexpectedly discovered that the former changed from their usual reckless style and actually imitated the Tang army, placing their shields at the front and using large shields to defend against frontal attacks.
In response to this situation, the Tang army had already had countermeasures.
The Modao team behind the soldiers of the Tang Army took out the hooks they had prepared and threw them forward.
Once the hook rope was attached to the large shield of the Tibetan army, several soldiers of the Tang Dynasty pulled a rope and exerted force together to completely overturn the large shield that was not fixed on the ground.
Relying on this method, the Tubo army's shield wall could not last long, and gaps soon appeared.
At this time, the Tang army launched its Crouching Tiger Cannon, aiming at the Tibetan army and firing at close range.
After the roar of artillery, the Tubo army suffered heavy casualties again.
The Tibetan army encountered artillery fire, once again chaos arose in the formation, and began to flee backwards.
After having their first experience, the supervisory team of the Tubo army rushed directly to the front and began to kill those soldiers who dared to retreat.
At this time, the lamas in the army also sounded their ritual instruments, beat gongs and drums, recited scriptures loudly, and persuaded the soldiers to yearn for the land of bliss.
Under the dual influence of the supervising team and the lama, the morale of the Tibetan soldiers gradually increased, and they gradually gained a foothold. Taking advantage of the gap between the Tang army's loading of ammunition, they launched a life-threatening attack.
Chang Huiwu, who was in charge of commanding the front line, shouted loudly while waving the Yanyue Sword to kill the enemy: "The artillery team should be more agile, load the ammunition as soon as possible, and fire directly without waiting for orders!"
The Tiger Crouching Cannon fired again one after another, and batch after batch of Tibetan soldiers were knocked down on the battlefield. Their corpses were spread layer after layer, and the number of casualties was rising rapidly.
At this stall, Duan Xiushi, who was stationed in Rongbao, suddenly received news from the watchtower.
It is said that on the cliff behind Rongbao, a Tibetan army climbed up, and the number was getting larger and larger.
When Duan Xiushi heard this, he was shocked and quickly led his troops to the cliff behind.
When he arrived, he found a group of tall barbarians wearing leather armor and covered in mud standing on top of the cliff.
The leader of the barbarians was over two meters tall and looked like a liger. When he saw Duan Xiushi, he didn't say anything and just raised his weapon and rushed over.
Duan Xiushi took a deep breath and shouted to the Tang troops around him: "Line up!"
The Tang army formed a team of fifty, forming a six-flower formation and surrounded the barbarians.
When the two sides engaged in battle, the Tang soldiers stabbed the barbarians with their spears and found that the latter's leather armor was covered with a thick layer of caked dry mud and animal fat, forming a strange "outer armor".
If a sharp weapon is stabbed, it will easily slide to the side and it will be difficult to cause damage. Only heavy weapons such as swords and flails can cause certain damage.
These barbarians did not know how to form a formation or attack together, but they were flexible in their movements and as strong as an ox, posing a considerable threat to the Tang army who had run out of arrows.
Seeing more and more barbarians climbing up the cliff, Duan Xiu knew that the situation was critical and could only order the Tang army: "Retreat! Retreat to the Rong Fort!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Duan Xiushi suddenly felt a chill on his face.
A trace of rain dripped down his helmet and onto the ground.
After Duan Xiushi found out, he was suddenly shocked and shouted in his heart, "This is terrible."
Within a few breaths, the drizzle suddenly turned into a heavy rain.
The entire sky turned pure white, and the rain poured down like a waterfall. It was the heavy rain that Shazhou had not seen in decades.
Duan Xiushi was in a state of confusion in the heavy rain, but he didn't notice that the barbarian leader had already been staring at him.
I saw the barbarian leader, using the cover of heavy rain, and several of his men, bypassing the Tang army's front formation and coming to the flank. Then the wind blew under his feet and he crashed into the Tang army's formation. Then he jumped into the air and waved the giant weapon in his hand.
The stick hit Duan Xiushi directly on the chest.
Duan Xiushi screamed miserably and was knocked away by the blow. Blood overflowed from his mouth and nose, and he suddenly lost consciousness.
On the other side, the Tang army fighting at the pass was soaked by the heavy rain and could no longer fire.
Suddenly, the situation on the battlefield suddenly reversed. The Tang army faced dozens of times more enemies and began to gradually lose strength.
Chang Huiwu saw this, his hands and feet became cold, he looked up to the sky and shouted: "Is God going to kill me?!"
At this point, the Tang army gave up the pass and the rear, and all retreated into the Rong Fort.
In the Rongbao camp, Chang Huiwu met Duan Xiushi, who was as energetic as a gossamer.
The latter barely regained consciousness under the rescue of doctors.
After Duan Xiushi woke up, he only said one sentence, and that was: "Destroy all the tiger squat cannon and gunpowder...must not fall into the enemy's hands..."
After saying this, Duan Xiushi fell into coma again.
Chang Huiwu glanced at the seriously injured Duan Xiushi, stood up, and then looked at the Tang Army soldiers beside him.
The Doulu Army, the Yumen Army, and eight thousand Tang soldiers fought against a hundred thousand Tibetan troops for many days, but now only more than three thousand people survived, and all of them were injured.
Chang Huiwu let out a long breath and said to his subordinates: "Gather the remaining war horses together, organize some good soldiers in the army, and ask them to lead the Shang governor. Before the enemy encircles us, evacuate this place as soon as possible and go to Dunhuang."
After a pause, Chang Huiwu said again: "If they can arrive in Dunhuang safely, remember to send a message to my family... Let my two sons have the opportunity to visit Anxi, which can be regarded as fulfilling one of my wishes.
."
Seeing Duan Xiushi being carried onto the horse, and being escorted by the cavalry, he rushed into the heavy rain. Chang Huiwu looked back, raised the Yanyue Sword, climbed to the high platform and shouted: "We are all soldiers of the Tang Dynasty. If we live to death,
It is a great shame and humiliation for an old man to see his children acting evil while lying in bed; to die in the wilderness and wrap his body in horse leather and bury his ears is one of the greatest blessings in life!"
The soldiers of the Tang Dynasty in the Rongbao heard this and shouted: "I am willing to die with the military envoy today!"
The general Yan Yue's sword from Changhui slammed down on the ground. Hearing the Tibetan people's shouts of killing outside the city, he laughed and said: "Okay! The sons of the Tang army listen to the order! Meet the enemy!"
…
In the Battle of Shanque Peak, the eight thousand soldiers of the Tang Army, except for the more than a hundred cavalry who guarded Duan Xiushi, withdrew from the Rong Fort. The rest of the soldiers, under the command of Chang Huiwu, the envoy of the Yumen Army, defended the Rong Fort and faced the 100,000 Tibetan army without retreating.
Chang Huiwu led the remaining troops and fought bloody battles for one day and one night. By the end of the battle, only nineteen Tang soldiers remained.
After retreating into the Rongbao arsenal, Chang Huiwu ignored the high-ranking officials promised by the Tibetan army and set fire to the gunpowder magazine with the last nineteen Tang soldiers who survived.
An earth-shaking roar resounded throughout the sky.
A few wisps of pure and heroic loyal souls drifted into the distance.