On Longyou Road in the northwest, Dalai Valley, at the junction of Weizhou (now Weiyuan County, Shaanxi) and Lanzhou (now Lanzhou City, Gansu). A long army of dusty and ragged armor was also slowly advancing along the yellowed Tao River bank in a depressed atmosphere with a certain low morale.

In the rustling brigade, people fell down from time to time, and were lifted up by their companions. Therefore, in addition to large chaotic footprints, there were also discarded armor, soldiers and other items left behind.

But some people were too tired to stand up. So they could only barely move to the side of the road, and the small group of people sat together and looked at their companions who had crossed in front of them and continued to go away.

Although the departing companions swear that the team that followed would take them in the future; but how far can they continue to walk with their feet when they are hungry and tired when they are hungry?

You should know that in the endless pursuit and encounters of those ridge thieves, they had the last meal of peace and prosperity, but after plundering Jiequanting several days ago. Then the animals and horses they carried began to frequently "death" and "fall and injured", and even openly killed mounts to satisfy their hunger.

So, those soldiers who had no mounts to carry and share the burden began to fall behind and fall behind, get lost, and even go away while collecting firewood, collecting water, and hunting along the way, and then go and never return it;

At first, there were fellow villagers and clans who were traveling with each other to search, but they could only find some blood and suspected fragments of robes nearby. So later, even the skill of finding people was saved; because even the team that went out to find people did not come back.

At least, let them, who were weak and unable to walk, stay together every distance; as prisoners of follow-up pursuits; it is better than dying in the mountains and wildernesses in unknown ways; at least based on past experiences of the battle, those ridges did not have the habit of killing prisoners for no reason.

After I don’t know how long it took to go and the sun began to deflect, a small commotion suddenly broke out in front of this long-term marching force. However, a scout moved out, holding a string of prey that had just been found and shouted loudly:

"It has been confirmed that this is the Bird and Mouse Tongxue Mountain Note 1; walking seven or eight miles ahead is Wujie Shu and Didao City (now the high-ranking official castle in Gansu..."

(Birds and rats are the same cave mountain first appeared in "Shan Hai Jing". It still exists in reality. It is named because of the ecological characteristics of rats and rabbits living in the same cave to avoid natural enemies.)

After hearing this news, most of the soldiers in the front team finally became a little excited and excited. Because this also represents the prosperous city that can be obtained after entering Lanzhou, and the strong city that can be used to stop the pursuers from resting.

In the Battle of Wujie that year, General Zuo Yulin, a famous general and Xue Ne (the second son of Xue Rengui), relying on the local stronghold as support, worked together to defeat the Tubo army inside and outside, and killed tens of thousands of people, and obtained all the sheep and horses they had plundered, and the Tao River did not flow.

Later, when Geshuhan was preparing for the border, he repeatedly broke the Tubo army that came to snatch rice and wheat, leaving behind the popular "Geshu Song": The Big Dipper is high, Geshu Ye has a knife.

To this day, I have been peeking at the horses and dare not pass through Lintao (Tubo general killed him and built two trenches).

Just as many Guiyi soldiers who had heard the news one after another couldn't help but speed up their pace.

On one of the seats carried by two horses. As the leader of the remnants of the Western Army/Guiyi Army formed by several different backgrounds and belongings, the governor of Langzhou Li Mingzhen also said to Li Mingda, the clan's brother, who was riding his horse, who was standing next to him:

"I dreamed of Qilianxue and Yuehu in Dashazeli last night... and the family temple cave on Qianfo Cliff,"

"Blessed by Buddha! This must be a good sign, which means that we will be able to return to the land of melon sand all over our body..."

Li Mingda, who was frowning and unable to show his eyebrows, rarely said with lenient smile:

"But with this auspicious saying, if you get out of danger, you and I will definitely open a few more caves on the east cliff, thinking that offering Buddhist affairs is also to comfort the children of all families who are suffering from death!"

Li Mingzhen, who spoke, looked pale and described her weakness.

"Brother, please feel at ease. We will definitely bring these children home in a hurry and then build a particularly grand cave. The best craftsman to make statues will definitely be more grand and outstanding than those built by those Tubo caves."

Li Mingda couldn't help but feel excited and said:

"good..."

Li Mingzhen smiled after hearing these words, but suddenly felt a little chest tight and panting so much that he could not say more...

It can make the decisive battle of Langzhou, which once decided whether Hexi was liberation or not, fight and fight to the front without hesitation without hesitation. The Tubo people's heavy armored iron cavalry were bleeding all over their bodies without feeling tired and painful;

During the Battle of Shenwu and Helan, he scattered himself on the horse's back for several days without sleep, and he was exhausted and fought with several mounts of the Uighurs, Tuihun and other vassal cavalry. Until Li Mingzhen, the "Tiger Cavalry" who raided the central army's tent, became the culprit who looked weak now, but was just a lead shot from a gun.

As the saying goes, the basic truth of "a general is bound to die on the battlefield". He has suffered more injuries but still insisted on fighting fiercely. But this time, in the continuous battle between him personally taking charge of cutting off the rear and repelling the thieves, a lead that accidentally broke the edge of the armor and embedded in his thighs has tortured him torture him in pain after the war.

Because there were no suitable tools, those methods specifically used to deal with arrow wounds only dug out half of the broken and deformed lead from his thorough thigh texture; however, the festering and fever caused by the hot weather and rapid march made him he not even able to ride on his horse.

Just as Li Mingzhen's face became more and more bleak, Li Mingda continued to say:

"After now, there are only the children of our two families. The eldest brother is recommended by the big guy and in times of crisis. Isn't he the leader who will be expected to be the future?"

"Silang...what does this mean?"

Li Mingzhen, who had been gasping for several breaths and was unable to cough up in the end, said intermittently with a subtle expression:

"Since the Soxun Party and Xingtai are all here to live up to their own situation, who can preside over and bear the huge situation of Guiyi Army, who else can he give up besides his elder brother?"

Li Mingda Yi said:

"Be careful, you and I have sworn blood on the altar in front of Qianfo Cliff to protect the descendants of the Taiwei and the family for generations."

Li Mingzhen said anxiously when he heard this:

"That's true. If it weren't for the support of the soldiers led by the eldest brother, how could the 'Dings' who was still in Liangzhou be able to handle himself?"

Li Mingda continued to explain quietly:

"What's more, the so-called oath theory has been broken many times since the death of Duke Shen of Huai. Can't I do what he is a mere Suo family can do?"

"Brother comes out to preside over the situation, which is the only way to preserve his Zhang family; otherwise, now all the strong and strong families in Longyou are out, but they are not allowed to fall below 2 or 3. Can he, the master who is supported by the intervention of the court, be able to protect himself?"

"Don't say anything more. Let's talk about this matter when you meet the 'Ding Shuai' in Liangzhou...

Li Mingzhen waved hissing with a burnout face, saying:

"It's better to think carefully about it, brother."

Seeing that Li Mingzhen's voice was relaxed, he did not persist. When he returned to the sequence of his own personnel, Li Mingda said solemnly to the many generals who came to him:

"Now my elder brother is in bad health and may cause changes in the army at any time. We must also make preparations in advance."

As one of the only two powerful factions among the remnants of the Western Army, of course, he did not support Li Mingzhen in the power structure of the Guiyi Army for no reason, but also had some considerations and interests to weigh.

Because, given Li Mingzhen's current physical condition, even if he was elected as the leader of the Guiyi Army and held great power, he still has the time and energy to continue to look at the matter, which is an uncertain unknown.

Therefore, the authority to actually drive naturally fell on him, the young and powerful Li family leader. Of course, this kind of calculation and consideration cannot be put into words, but can only be reflected in practical actions that are prepared for the future.

What's more, in his expectations, the Li family could do much more than this. Now that the Western Army has defeated the Pass, the vast Helong land is almost every family wearing mourning and every household crying. I don't know how many people have lost their pillars.

But the same is true for both the three surnames, the strengths of various tribes such as Wenmo, or the Tubo, Supi, Dangxiang, Tuihun, Long family and other subordinate vassal tribes, or traditional oasis countries such as Khotan, Yanqi, and Shanshan...

Even the Zhang family, Suo family, Yang family, Yin family, Zhai family, Guo family, etc. of the Han surname, and the local powerful factions that accompanied the rise of the Guiyi army caused quite painful losses, and they had to fall into a period of weakness for a long or short period of time.

In contrast, although the Li family suffered heavy losses, they brought back an established army. If they could work together to annex the Yang family, Guo family, and Long family members in the remnants of this remnant, then the huge Hexi and Longyou area might be the best stage for the Li family to rise.

At that time, he can use his joint efforts to fight against the remnants of Tubo from the Qing Tang land, and legitimately integrate most of the forces inside and outside the Guiyi army; even in the end of the Tang Dynasty, he can recreate and reproduce the achievements of Li Gui, the King of Xiliang at the end of the Sui Dynasty.
Chapter completed!