Bright Spring

It seldom rains here, and it is no exception in the past few days. The sun is very strong during the day, but at night, blankets and quilts have to be covered.

Asari turned her head to look at the surrounding scene, only to see the yellow sand everywhere, the undulating rocks of the Gobi in the distance, and there was no human habitation in the surroundings.Between the heaven and the earth, it seems that there is only this team of them, and there is no other living thing.

The Mongolian prime minister at the side took a look at her and said, "In a few days, we will arrive in Guazhou. There are oasis grasslands, sweet streams of melons and fruits, and delicious roast sheep."

Asari nodded slightly.But the people around heard it, and the originally dead atmosphere suddenly became active, and everyone began to talk about Guazhou's products and Xiaoniang.

Tuohuochi said in Mongolian again: "After leaving Guazhou, which is rich in products, until Jiayuguan, there are gradually more oases along the way. Entering Jiayuguan is the Hexi Corridor, where crops, cattle and sheep are everywhere. That area has been around since the Han Dynasty. , was firmly occupied by the Han Chinese most of the time.”

Asari heard the melancholy in Tuo Huo Chi's words.

Tuo Huo Chi is the prime minister, well-informed.Ashali didn't understand very well. Her mouth was under the black veil and she asked, "Why didn't the prairie people come to occupy that good pasture?"

"Weather." Tuohuochi pointed at it.

Ashali didn't think much about it, and subconsciously looked up at the place he pointed. There was nothing in the sky, and the blue sky was very clean.

Tuohuochi didn't speak any more, and everyone continued on their way.

As Tuohuochi said, the team arrived in the Guazhou area within a few days.The long-lost expanse of green came into view. The locals not only grazed on the flat pastures, but also reclaimed many fields.Through Han officials, the people were well-supplied and headed east.

Once you reach Jiayuguan, you will no longer worry about water and supplies.Ashali and others were a little worried, but they were only local Han Chinese.

She was in a strange mood.Living on the grasslands before, she was not afraid of the Han people at all, and even despised them a bit most of the time, because most of the Han people she met were very thin slaves.But after entering the land of the Han people, Asari was overwhelmed with inexplicable fear, after all, she was on someone else's land.

Although Tuhuochi comforted her several times, telling her that the Tatars had reached a peace agreement with the Han people, the Han people who were traveling with them would help them; but Asari was still very worried. In addition to the panic of strangers, she was also worried about Ben Yali. The son who lost sweat was here, and the matter was learned by the Han people.After all, the news seems to have been leaked. If King Su (King Zhongshun) of Hami Kingdom knows about it, more people may know about it.

The large fields and pastures along the road gradually disappeared, and they soon entered a place full of deserts.The wind is also very strong, and it seems that it has never stopped every day.Even the Han Chinese who traveled with them covered their heads and faces with cloth scarves, otherwise people would have sand in their mouths.

The desert here looks flat, but actually has ups and downs. When Ashali squinted her eyes and looked ahead, she couldn't see far.They have been walking towards higher ground for the past two days.

The wind was very loud, and the whistling sound from a distance seemed to shroud the surroundings.

At this moment, Asari vaguely saw a black figure appearing on the desert in front of her. She hurriedly took a closer look and felt that there seemed to be a man on horseback standing there. "Prime Minister..." Asari called out.When she turned her head to look for Tuo Huo Chi, she saw Tuo Huo Chi watching from the camel's back.

After a while, several other figures also appeared.Immediately there were shouts from around, and the accompanying Han people were yelling in Chinese.There are some Han slaves on the prairie, and Ashali has been in contact with the Han people recently, so she can understand some words. A general is saying: "There may be an enemy situation, let the teams prepare for battle! The horsemen stepped forward to check."

There are more and more figures in front, all of whom are riding horses.

Many people in the procession began to panic, people stopped the camels, and some people's camels ran in all directions.

The three riders spread out and rushed forward, two with bows and arrows, and one with a cherry gun.The large group of people had already stopped, and Asari also stayed on the back of the camel, watching the sporadic riders in the wind and sand.

After a long time, there was a faint sound of strings, and a knight of the Ming army fell off his horse.

In the brigade here, someone immediately hissed and shouted: "Form a circle!"

The soldiers of the Ming army quickly jumped off the camels, formed an infantry formation, and surrounded the camels, civil servants and Tatars in the formation.

And the two remaining cavalry in the distance, after rescuing the man who was hit by the arrow, turned around and rode back here.The enemy cavalry in the distance ahead rushed over on horseback.

After the cavalry came back, they said in Chinese: "Mongols, Mongolian cavalry!"

The Tatars around Asari listened, and someone said in Mongolian: "It is impossible for the Tatar tribe to appear here, and King Su's men and horses are not our enemies. Those enemies are the Wacha people."

Another voice said: "How did the Wacha people know our whereabouts? They are so far away, how did they get here?"

No one answered the question, and there was an uproar all around.

Chapter 926 No Miracle

The soldiers of the Ming army lined up two rows of infantry on the periphery, with spears, shields and spears in full formation.Tatars, Hami Mongols, civil servants, and camels were all crowded in the middle, and people watched the enemy army in the wind and sand in horror.

The archers in the formation are ready, standing behind and waiting.The small number of Hami Mongols also carried weapons, and they took off their bows and arrows to defend against the enemy.

Behind the infantry there were some musketeers who were busy reloading, and some people passed the tinder and lit the matchlocks one after another.There was no enemy at all along the way, and the firecrackers were usually empty, probably because the primer was easily blown away by the wind.The sergeants moved quickly, but in desperation, some of their fingers were visibly trembling.

A group of Wacha cavalry rushed over, and the generals of the Ming army shouted, ordering everyone to hold the line and not retreat.

However, when the Wacha people rushed to more than a hundred steps, they stopped one after another.Many horsemen moved to the flanks, but not close.

Someone in the Ming army saw this and asked, "What do the Wacha people want to do? If they don't attack at this time, isn't it a waste of opportunity?"

The Tatar was stunned, and said in Chinese, "There is no water here, so I can't hold it."

Facing the threat of the Wacha cavalry at first, people were all very nervous and only cared about the immediate danger.At this time, after being reminded by others, many people realized the problem.Surrounded by yellow sand, where is the water?The most terrible thing is that everyone walked uphill for two days. This desert has a higher terrain and it is even more difficult to find water.

As expected, the Wacha soldiers didn't plan to attack at all, they just watched from a distance.

The Han Chinese and Mongols in the formation dug together to find water, and the people kept digging the sand pit deeper.There is little hope, but everyone is still looking forward to a miracle.The two sides were in a stalemate until the evening of that day, but the Ming army still hadn't dug up a drop of water.

Food and water were still stored, but panic began to permeate the crowd that day.

Asari turned her head to look at a Han man she didn't know, trying hard to understand his words.The man said, "We walked on this sandy land for two days, and the road was all uphill. The road was very long, no matter whether it was going forward or backward. If we slowly moved the army out of the desert, we might have died of thirst and exhaustion. If you change formation and mobilize, you will be scattered by the cavalry."

The Han man who spoke was wearing armor, a shining heart-guard, and a blue shoulder scarf. He seemed to be a general.

Another voice said, "The Oathorn will wait until we are thirsty and tired before launching the fatal blow."

"Qingshoulder Scarf" said, "In the north of this place, except for a small oasis along the Ruoshui River, it is all desert and barren rocks. The place where the Wacha people are active is eight feet away, at least a thousand miles away. It is impossible for the Wacha people to Our hundreds of households from the Ming army went on an expedition, and they came for the Tatars."

The more Ashali heard, the more something was wrong. She vaguely felt that these Han soldiers would abandon the Tatars and find a way to break out and escape.The Wacha people should really come for the remnants of the Tatars. As long as they capture the Tatars, most of them will not pursue the Han people.

She turned her head and took a look at Tuo Huo Chi, but she couldn't see Tuo Huo Chi's attitude.

The surrounding discussion stopped, and the light gradually dimmed after the sun went down.

At this time, a general wearing a cloak came over, and his voice said, "We have received a military order to escort the Tatars to Beiping. If you flee in battle, I will not kill you, and the military law will not tolerate it."

"green

Shoulder scarf," said, "Brothers don't want to die for the Tartars. "

The general said, "Soldiers die for others. We are not serving the Tatars, but serving the Holy One and the court."

Asari couldn't understand what the general said.

The civilian officer accompanying the army suddenly said, "As far as I know, this matter is the order of the sage. The rosters of all of you must be in the guards. Running away is a criminal, and death in battle is not in vain. Think about your family and descendants. "

All the nearby Han people fell silent, and the dispute ended.

There was nothing to do overnight, the Wacha army did not take advantage of the night to attack, and the Ming army also maintained the army formation, taking turns to be on duty.After dawn the next day, Asari found that the Han soldiers showed no signs of fleeing.

The general issued a military order requiring everyone to hand over the water bags and distribute them every day.Then he ordered the soldiers to maintain a circular formation, and the whole army moved slowly westward.People stopped after walking for a while and continued to dig holes to find water.

The Wacha brigade located in the northeast, as well as the rangers moving around, followed like watching a play, and still had no intention of attacking.

This situation lasted for four or five days. The water everyone carried was exhausted, and no water was found in the ground. People were going to kill the camels.Moreover, the Han warriors were exhausted one by one, and their thirst and fatigue made them look weak.