My years as a soldier

Chen Fan was dragged by Yan Zhaozhong and stumbled down the slope. Facing the two panicked officers, the eighteen soldiers behind him also became nervous.

"in the end……"

Just as one of the soldiers was about to speak, Chen Fan made a silent gesture towards them.

"Let's talk later—"

He ordered in a deep voice, and it was not until the group of people retreated to a low rocky ground under Shaji Ridge that Chen Fan crouched down and motioned for everyone to gather around him.

"Just now, Captain Yan and I have confirmed that the Uighur Army of Thousands is stationed on the other side of the mountain, at most ten miles away from here." Only soldiers who are used to seeing death have a chilling look.

During this short run, countless outcomes flashed through Chen Fan's mind, but facing the Uyghur barracks on the other side of the hill, the only ending he could think of was the fortress with corpses strewn across the field.The city walls were stained red with blood, and those people he was familiar with or unfamiliar would eventually turn into corpses, and together with the Wolf Fang Fort stationed by the second regiment, they would turn into dust under the iron hooves of the barbarians.They are doomed to be victims, as if that is their destiny.

It is true that the south of Shaji Ridge is the northernmost point that the Han Navy can reach, and the dozens of regiments under the Han Navy are all independently scattered in different defense areas on the border, and they rotate every three months.Even if the Fifth and Eighth Regiments, which are closest to the Second Regiment, send people for help as quickly as possible, when they arrive, the Second Regiment may have to suffer extremely serious losses.This is still without knowing whether the Uighur Army will have reinforcements.

Faced with such a huge disparity in military strength... In fact, with Chen Fan's personality, the first thought that flashed through his mind was to run away.

Run away, just don't face it at all.It's just that as the only brigade commander in this team and the future lieutenant of the second regiment, he really can't just say what he really thinks.

"...If you don't believe me, you can go back and see for yourself, but I guess, their main force is assembled here secretly, and they will inevitably send scouts around the camp to patrol day and night to prevent leaks. It is very likely that they will be noticed."

After Chen Fan finished speaking, the expressions of the dozen or so people present became solemn.Some of them were afraid, there were a few middle-aged veterans who were much older than Chen Fan, but they just clenched the handle of the knife around their waists, lowering their eyes in deep thought.

"Chen Lushuai, you said it was a thousand people... so how many thousand people are there? We have to see clearly, right?"

"This...of course."

There was a hint of hesitation in Chen Fan's voice.He expected that someone would say that, but he really didn't want to confirm the specific number anymore, because whether it was three thousand or five thousand, or more, for the second regiment with only 200 people, it was a big problem. the same.

The veteran seemed to have seen Chen Fan's hesitation, and a trace of dissatisfaction quickly flashed in his eyes.

"Chen Lvshuai, I am willing to take the two of them to the mountain to investigate together. It will take half a day to find out the truth and come back."

"long time……"

Chen Fan murmured.He stared at the veteran's sharp bloodshot eyes, his brows were tightly furrowed, and a little sweat couldn't stop oozing from his forehead.

"……it is good."

After hesitating for a long time, Chen Fan finally nodded in agreement.It is true that the specific number of people is meaningless to the second regiment, but it is meaningful to the Han Navy, and even the entire Beiting.It's just that Chen Fan thought about his own life and death, and didn't want to take risks.Facing the old soldier's gaze, even though he was ashamed, Chen Fan was still unwilling to erase his selfishness.He was used to sacrifices, but it didn't mean he could accept all the sacrifices. Chen Fan lowered his eyes to avoid the sharp eyes of the veterans.

"Two more people, pay attention to concealment. When we come out this time, I don't want to lose anyone."

He insisted, but this is the only point that he can't back down.

"Hmph...Don't worry, Lushuai Chen."

The veteran snorted softly, then turned his head and called two old comrades in arms to return to the mountain together.

Chen Fan's face turned red and then pale at the soft snort, he clenched his fists, bowed his head and remained silent for a long time before he seemed to be discouraged and said something in a low voice.

"Everyone pay attention to concealment, let's disperse in a few places and wait for them to come back... Come here to meet up in half a day."

As if fleeing, Chen Fan got up and ran towards the seabuckthorn clump to the south, Yan Zhaozhong hurriedly followed him.

"Old Chen, what do you think?"

"What else can I think? I don't want to be left here as an abandoned child."

Facing his old friend, his statement was a lot more straightforward.Although this kind of talk sounds selfish, people are selfish, and Chen Fan is not ashamed to admit it.

"But have you ever thought that even if we go back now, you won't have the final say on the dispatch of the second regiment. Do you think that if the Uighurs attack Langya Fort, Captain Wang would dare to withdraw his troops without authorization? Before the battle It is a serious crime for the general to abandon the city and flee without permission! Then there is waiting for reinforcements, or reporting to the peak and requesting a callback, but these variables are even more variable. Chen Fan, we have encountered a tough battle this time. You can't escape, you know that, right?"

"Whether to escape or not... It's not up to you to decide."

Chen Fan's face was gloomy, he had never been like this for a moment, grateful that he was born into the Chen family, which had been a generation of ministers.Because if it weren't for this, he probably would never have imagined that a soldier would be so focused on escaping on the eve of the great battle between Rong and Di suppressing the border.

What a shameful thought, but Chen Fan knew that it was much better to live than to sacrifice in obscurity here.

"Lieutenant Wang, I am confident that I can convince you. As for Langya Fort... it is lost now, and it will be a big deal to send troops to take it back later. Han Haijun is not incapable of this. There is no need to stay here to fight hard."

"Your words...if your dead comrades listen to your words, how chilling they will be..." Even Yan Zhaozhong's eyes flashed a trace of subtle disgust, "Han Haijun Therefore, it is precisely because of our group of people that we have been able to deter northern Xinjiang, and we have remained here for decades. This land is stained with the blood of the Tang army! So many lives... just rely on you to lose it and take it back, Can it be covered at will?"

Yan Zhaozhong's expression was agitated, tears even flashed in his eyes.Yes, even if one is used to seeing death, it is still impossible to forget the comrades who died.He stared blankly at Chen Fan's eyes, trying to convey his emotions to the other party, but in the end, Chen Fan's expression didn't change.He was still frowning, with a firm but haughty expression as usual.

"But death is death, Zhaozhong."

Chen Fan's voice was calm and calm.

"When a person dies, there is nothing left. I don't want to die, and I don't want you to die either."

He was definitely talking.

"I will bring back the truthful information here, and then persuade Captain Wang to withdraw our troops. As for the people above... if they agree, they agree. If they disagree, our withdrawal speed should be faster than the order from above. "

"Are you serious?"

Yan Zhaozhong's eyes were still filled with surprise and panic.

"You, you... If your words are spread, anyone who listens to them will lose their heads!"

"But do you want to die?" Chen Fan asked lightly.

"..."

Yan Zhaozhong was stunned.He lowered his eyes, only looking at the sand under his feet, and did not answer for a long time.

In the wilderness, the sound of the wind blew past my ears, and the yellow-gray sand carried dead leaves wandering with the wind.Yan Zhaozhong frowned tightly, clenched his fists as if fighting against something, but in the end he was discouraged, raised his head and faced Chen Fan tragically.

"Who would want to die...I don't want to. But can you really persuade Captain Wang to withdraw? In my opinion, no matter which step is involved, it is extremely difficult to do, and even if we do it, things will be taken care of by the higher-ups later." I know, you and I can't escape death..."

Yan Zhaozhong looked miserable, but when Chen Fan heard what he said, he smiled comfortably.

"You don't have to worry about the rest, I won't let you die after all. This time, none of the members of our second regiment will die!"

He said firmly, biting every word firmly.

After Chen Fan's bold words were released, Yan Zhaozhong's miserable expression obviously faded a lot compared to before, but after that, it was Chen Fan's turn to feel depressed.It took so much effort to convince Yan Zhaozhong alone, but when the team gathers together, it will take so much effort to convince the veterans in the team to support him.

In the Gobi wasteland, half a day passed in a blink of an eye. When it was dusk and the sunset gradually disappeared into the sky with its orange-red light, a 20-member Tang Bing team gathered on the small schist land less than a mile away from the Shaji Ridge.

The faces of the three veterans who went to investigate the information were much heavier than before, but they did not show any trace of panic, as if they did not know what fear was. What troubled them was how to be more efficient. It is only about fighting the Uyghur army.

"Chen Lushuai, you can see everything clearly." The leading veteran said cautiously.

"They set up a total of more than [-] military tents in the north. Including the accompanying vehicles and horses, it is inferred that the number of troops stationed is around [-]. But this should be the sum of all the Uighur tribes in this area. I don't believe they still have the ability Unite more clans."

"Yes, and if we make preparations in advance to stick to it, it shouldn't be a problem to drag him for a few days in Langya Fort!"

The veteran on the side added that there was a sense of excitement in the words.

Chen Fan looked at them with a serious expression on his face.

"But even if we can make preparations a few days in advance...with just 200 people against the Uighur's [-]-step cavalry, how much do we have to lose?"

Chen Fan asked in a deep voice.He originally thought that his question would cause the veterans present to think deeply, but he didn't know that the leading veteran questioned himself without thinking.

"Losses are inevitable. Why, is Lushuai Chen cowardly?"

"Uh……"

Chen Fan was directly questioned in front of more than a dozen people, and his face was really embarrassed, but he was not in a hurry to deny it, but faced the veteran's face directly, and under the afterglow of the setting sun, he narrowed his eyes and stared at the bloodshot pair of eyes on the other side. stern eyes.

"This question is not only for you, Brother Shi, but also for all the brothers present. If you can choose, would you like to go back and continue to defend Langya Fort, or retreat temporarily and wait for the legions to gather before going out to fight together?"

"What nonsense are you talking about!"

The veteran surnamed Shi frowned, and was the first to retort.

"We are soldiers! Obedience to orders is our bounden duty. Now we are thinking about retreating. How can we fight when the battle starts tomorrow?"

"But if you really want to fight, you can fight no matter what kind of situation you face?" Chen Fan said in a deep voice, his eyes flashed coldly, and his tone became tougher.

"I'm just asking if, if you could choose for yourself, which one would you choose?"

Chen Fan asked again, and the soldiers present looked at each other in blank dismay, but some of them had already begun to waver.

"If you can choose...of course it would be better to fight with the whole army."

Someone in the crowd whispered, and soon someone spoke one after another.

"Yeah... Anyway, we have to fight. It's better to fight someone who is sure than someone who is not sure?"

"But we have no choice..."

A sigh spread among the soldiers.Chen Fan glanced over the faces of the soldiers beside him one by one, and his expression became more determined.

"In fact, everyone wants to fight again with the whole army, am I right?"

After Chen Fan finished speaking, several young soldiers in the team nodded in response, and at first a few people responded, and the people behind no longer hesitated, and simply echoed.

"That's right, Lushuai Chen, but these are all things that the generals and captains think about, so it's our turn to think about them."

"I'm just saying if," Chen Fan's eyes were sly, scanning everyone's faces one by one.

"If I give you a chance to choose, go back and fight for the withdrawal of the second regiment, will you help me?"

He finally asked the question, and while uttering the words, Chen Fan looked determined, but he seemed to be holding three or four rabbits in his heart, fluttering about without knowing what to do.

And sure enough, as Chen Fan expected, what greeted him was silence, a long silence.

Maybe no one really wants to accompany him, a noble young master, to act recklessly on such a big event that might lose his head...

Chen Fan thought to himself, feeling bitter in his heart.

Maybe he really shouldn't join the army... The dream of lying drunk on the battlefield when he was a teenager was just a dream.A selfish person like him is not suitable for war at all...

Yan Zhaozhong was right. The four words "Tiejun of the Tang Dynasty" are really not worthy of everyone. These four words are not meaningless, but Chen Fan still can't understand the weight of these four words... …

Chen Fan lowered his eyes, already not planning to say anything more.

But just when he was about to give up "struggling", there was a firm response from the crowd.

"I am willing."

That voice was all too familiar to Chen Fan.It was Yan Zhaozhong.The small businessman from the northeast is good at calculating the gains and losses, but he is also friendly and gentle.

"Chen Lushuai, I don't want to die so early, I will join, count me in!"