My years as a soldier

It was evening when Hu Jiuzhang saw Wang Zheng.Xiaowei Wang had just returned to his tent from the regiment, and as soon as he entered the door, he saw Gan Ruoshan and Hu Jiuzhang.

Gan Ruoshan was rubbing the medicine on Hu Jiuzhang's body, and the strong smell of herbs rushed into Wang Zheng's nostrils.Before he had time to reprimand the two trespassing subordinates, he raised his hand and waved it in front of his nose several times before he gradually got used to the smell in the tent.

"Who let the two of you in? It's getting more and more unruly!"

Wang Zheng scolded, Gan Ruoshan quickly put down the ointment in his hand, and half-kneeled in front of Wang Zheng.Although Hu Jiuzhang couldn't kneel down, the two of them made a bowing posture in unison, with their heads buried very low.

"Reporting to Lieutenant Wang, it's because my subordinates came here abruptly because they learned of a major change in the army." Hu Jiuzhang said in a deep voice. He lowered his head and couldn't see the expression on Wang Zheng's face, but the team just returned Wang Zheng was obviously very tired.He didn't take what Hu Jiuzhang said was a big deal.

"Hmph, big change? What big change? Where did you get the news from?"

Wang Zheng's tone was slightly teasing.And when Hu Jiuzhang saw that Wang Zheng didn't intend to reprimand him, he couldn't help feeling much more at ease.What he wanted to say to Wang Zheng had already been typed out in his mind several times. Now that Wang Zheng was back, he didn't dare to slack off in the slightest. He raised his head and only put on a serious expression. In the gesture of saluting hands.

"Lieutenant Wang, what this subordinate is going to say next is of great importance. This matter... concerns the royal family. I also ask Captain Wang to help my subordinates."

Wang Zheng's reaction was far calmer than Hu Jiuzhang expected.He was not as surprised as Gan Ruoshan, but frowned in confusion, thought for a while, pulled up another cushion, and sat cross-legged in front of the two of them.

"Hey... you are a mess, what kind of royal family? Tomorrow we will all leave the customs, even if there is a big mess in Chang'an City, we can't control it."

"It's not in Chang'an City, it's Tongguan, right here! Lieutenant Wang, you should also know that your subordinates are in Tongguan, and there is a loyal lord there, right?" Hu Jiuzhang hurriedly explained.

"Oh? Continue." Wang Zheng couldn't help narrowing his eyes.Obviously, he knew.

"Here. The lord I am loyal to is named Li Muyun. He is the grandson of the Holy Majesty, the eldest son of His Royal Highness Su Wang in Chang'an, and also the son of Su Wang. The reason why this subordinate defected to Tongguan this time is also in response to the Patriarch's wishes."

"Hehe...you say the master and the patriarch on the left, don't always be subordinates. Wang Zheng is a soft-spoken person, and he dare not compete with the royal family." Wang Zheng shook his hand, and then turned his attention to Hu Jiuzhang, who was cut off on the legs.

"Hu Jiuzhang, since you've covered this point, don't be tense and say something. I saw that you were injured like this, and you came here specially. What you asked for must not be a trivial matter, right?"

Wang Zheng's tone was calm.

Hu Jiuzhang looked at him fixedly, and the expectation in his eyes became stronger.Then he recounted to Wang Zheng everything from Zhao Xiaoyang's visit during the day until Lu Sheng's secret lynching.Of course, as for the fact that Gan Ruoshan was acting as Lu Sheng's servant and went to the tent to arrest him, I will omit it, and only focus on the most important facts. At the end, I don't forget to add a sentence.

"There is absolutely no falsehood in all of these. Both Zhao Xiaoyang and Gan Lvshuai can testify."

Hu Jiuzhang spoke convincingly, but Wang Zheng curled his lips, looking indifferent.

"So? What are you trying to say by telling me this?"

"Since you asked, then Jiuzhang will speak directly." Hu Jiuzhang's eyes were burning.

"After Zhao Xiaoyang brought the news of sending troops, Mr. Li must have gone out in a hurry to find Lu Sheng to inquire about the news. You also know that my master and Lu Sheng have some friendship. And as far as I know, Lu Sheng has always loved My master, so when he left, I was not worried. But after Zhao Xiaoyang left, not long after, Lu Sheng sent someone to arrest me. Picked one of my nails."

As Hu Jiuzhang said, he brought his index finger that had stopped bleeding to Wang Zheng, and after he had seen it, he withdrew his hand and looked at Gan Ruoshan.

"If Lushuai Gan hadn't come to stop it in time, I'm afraid what I lost would not be as simple as this one fingernail."

After Hu Jiuzhang finished speaking, the doubts in Wang Zheng's eyes became deeper and deeper.

"Lu Sheng tortured you... What did you ask you?"

"I just asked some questions about my past with my lord, and I answered truthfully. After all, it's not a shameful thing. These Commanders Gan can also testify. He was not far from Lu Sheng's camp where he was tortured. What's even more strange is that the tent where Lu Sheng tortured me was closely adjacent to the tent where he himself lived. At that time, my son Li was in Lu Sheng's tent. This was told to me by Marshal Gan .”

After Hu Jiuzhang finished speaking, Gan Ruoshan coughed lightly, and continued.

"Yes, Mr. Li was in General Lu Sheng's camp at that time, and there were soldiers from the Lu family at the door. After I rescued Lao Hu, he asked me to send a message to Mr. Li. I went, but the relatives at the door The soldiers stopped me and refused to let me in, let alone Mr. Li come out, we guess..."

"We guess that Mr. Li was imprisoned privately by General Lu Sheng."

Hu Jiuzhang frankly stated his final conjecture.After he finished speaking, Wang Zheng's expression changed, but there was still deep doubt in that expression.

"Hu Jiuzhang, according to what you said, since Mr. Li is the grandson of the emperor and the heir of King Su, where does Lu Sheng have the guts to imprison the royal clan?"

"Lieutenant Wang's question is correct, so I speculate that Mr. Li was not imprisoned by Lu Sheng, but by General Lu Kuang." Hu Jiuzhang said, gradually lowering his voice.Wang Zheng's face suddenly turned cold, and he was actually a little angry.

"Hu Jiuzhang, be careful. Whose soldier are you now, don't you know?"

It is true that the three people present were actually soldiers under Lu Kuang's command.Now that they gathered together to speculate on their immediate superiors, they might have violated military regulations.

"Of course I know." Hu Jiuzhang's tone became more and more determined, "So I said, this is just my speculation. But if my speculation is true, Captain Wang... then something big will happen in the army."

Hu Jiuzhang's voice became deeper and deeper, and Wang Zheng's subsequent anger gradually subsided.

Wang Zheng didn't answer, and Hu Jiuzhang didn't speak either.For a moment, the three people in the tent fell into silence, Hu Jiuzhang and Gan Ruoshan sat and knelt, waiting for Wang Zheng's reply, while Wang Zheng frowned and fell into deep thought.The only sound left in the tent was the breathing of the three big men one after another, and the slight sound of the candle wick bursting occasionally on the candlestick.

"Hu Jiuzhang, apart from the so-called conjecture, can you guarantee that what you said is true?"

"I promise!"

Wang Zheng looked at him thoughtfully for a while, then turned his gaze to Gan Ruoshan.

"Can you guarantee it too?"

But Gan Ruoshan nodded firmly.Wang Zheng couldn't help but let out a sigh.

"You two, have you heard of a rumor that has been circulating among high-level military officials in recent days?"

"...Never."

Hu Jiuzhang and Gan Ruoshan looked at each other, shaking their heads.

"It is rumored that the eight generals of the Longyou faction are dissatisfied with the Holy Majesty's order to send troops, and seem to be planning something behind the scenes."

Wang Zheng lowered his voice, Hu Jiuzhang couldn't help being stunned.

"General Lu Kuang is the direct descendant of the Longyou faction!"

"Yes, and based on what you said earlier, if that Mr. Li is really the heir of King Su, then... General Lu may really be able to..."

Wang Zheng didn't finish his sentence, but his deeper and deeper eyes already explained everything.

At this moment, the minds of the three of them were running rapidly.If everything is true, then the current situation is no longer something that the three junior officers can intervene in.But Hu Jiuzhang didn't give up, even if he risked his life, he would save Li Muyun.

"Lieutenant Wang, the only thing I'm looking for this time is that you can help me rescue the lord. As long as Mr. Li is safe, if there is a chance in the future, Mr. Li will definitely repay you!"

Hu Jiuzhang became more and more excited.Now the word has been spoken.Asking for help, the only thing he can give is the illusory power behind Li Muyun's identity.Hu Jiuzhang was not a scheming person, he said something, only to see whether Wang Zheng should or should not.

"Hu Jiuzhang, what do you mean?"

Wang Zheng's reaction was beyond their expectations.

"Could it be possible that...you want me to choose between the royal family and the general?"

"This……"

Wang Zheng's words flashed repeatedly in Hu Jiuzhang's mind, and he suddenly realized that Wang Zheng in front of him was actually thinking far more profoundly than he and Gan Ruoshan.Helping Li Muyun means betraying the Longyou faction and serving the royal family.But in the current situation, no matter how you look at it, it is not worthwhile to betray Lu Kuang.Wang Zheng said this suddenly, could it be that he...

Hu Jiuzhang's heartbeat has already accelerated.Cold sweat kept overflowing from his head, flowing down his cheeks to the tip of his chin, and dripping onto the fabric of his lower body.

"Lieutenant Wang, since you said it, do you choose Datang or General Lu?"

Hu Jiuzhang replaced the royal family in Wang Zheng's words with Datang.In a trance, the scene outside the ruined temple on the outskirts of Chang'an city that night flashed across his mind.What Chen Fan asked him that night seemed to be lingering in his ears.

"Hmph... Hu Jiuzhang, don't lie to me. The surname Li doesn't represent Datang. If all the members of his Li family can find ideas for Datang, we still have to fight in Tongguan now? Could it be a day for Anlushan to commit rebellion? What happened in two days? Hebei fell, Henan fell, hungry people were everywhere, and corpses were floating thousands of miles. It’s been almost a year, but how did the emperor in Chang’an city order us? He told us to abandon the natural danger of Tongguan and go out to meet the enemy! If you - how do you choose!"

Wang Zheng's sudden questioning made Hu Jiuzhang speechless.

He also knew that the actions of the imperial court had already broken the hearts of the soldiers in the army, but in order to save Li Muyun, what else could he say?He knew that he was not a person with sophisticated personalities, and he had never done anything like this to negotiate and confront others.But he has already tried his best, how to convince Wang Zheng now, he doesn't know.

"Jiu Zhang... I am a soldier, and I only know how to obey the general's orders. But I don't know what happened above. I can't help any princes, but I can help you. If you have nowhere to go, go to Let's stay overnight in the wounded battalion of my regiment. Tomorrow the army will leave the customs. It will be a battle anyway, and none of us can escape. If you really want to save your lord, wait until after the battle. If We are all still alive, and I will fulfill my promise to help you."

When Wang Zheng said this, Hu Jiuzhang had nothing to say.He clenched his teeth, lowered his head, and accepted it.

"Thank you Captain Wang..."

Hu Jiuzhang's voice was low.Gan Ruoshan patted him on the shoulder without saying anything, then helped him apply the last few drops of medicine, re-bandaged him, and put on his coat.

"Let's go, Hu. Don't think about it."

It was already late at night when Gan Ruoshan carried him to the wounded barracks.The medical officer in the camp specially ordered a handful of fried rice for him from the quartermaster, and told him to eat it while it was hot, but Hu Jiuzhang sat on the mattress with the handful of fried rice, and for a long time he couldn't arouse his appetite.

He has never been so helpless as he is now.

In the dead of night, facing the uninhabited corner of the tent, tears fell silently from the corners of Hu Jiuzhang's eyes.He was sobbing silently, and he didn't know whether he was crying for his own insignificance or fragility, or the current experience.

But no matter what, time continued to move forward, and the moonlight shone with silver light, pouring in from the cracks in the simple camp.The angle of the moonlight is like a small fan, sweeping from left to right, implying that the little time left now has quietly passed.