Chapter 781: The life and death order is as strong as a mountain and as deep as an abyss!
The wind rises from the west, but no one knows where it comes from.
The wind is falling so fast that no one knows how fast it blows.
In Wushuang City, people from the Western Regions, each speaking their own language, wearing different clothes, holding different blades, with different faces and beliefs, came like a tide and surrounded the temple.
The temple was built with the core principle of "The King of Su is the most important in the world. His prestige cannot be enhanced without magnificence, and it will not be surpassed by future generations". It covers a vast area, has a grand layout, and is a mixture of wood and stone. It is far superior to all the temples and Taoist temples in the Western Regions.
The high priest Luo Gu and other high-ranking officials of the temple stood in the temple and looked at the surging crowd. Luo Gu held the staff in his hand. The commander of the temple army, the lieutenant, and the temple priests all stood solemnly behind him. He asked softly, "How many people have entered Wushuang City? How many rulers of the Western Regions have come? How many troops have they brought?"
The commander of the temple army held the hilt of his sword with one hand and said, "Your High Priest, the oracle was issued not long ago, and the five kings who have come to Wushuang City are the ones closest to it. They have brought thousands of cavalry, including 302 armored cavalrymen, and the rest are farmers and herdsmen.
However, according to this situation, the rulers of the various countries have responded enthusiastically to the call of the temple. It should be possible to gather most of the rulers of the entire Western Regions to fight against the grassland. The ruler of Loulan requests to see you."
Luo Gu opened his arms. His wife had put a solemn white robe embroidered with gold patterns on him. The white and gold colors alone always brought warmth to people. His sonorous voice sounded like the collision of gold and stone. "It's not enough for him alone. Comfort him and wait for more kings to come."
The back hall of the temple, with its carved beams and painted pillars, is not an extremely traditional Central Plains architecture, but a fusion of the two. Light shines through the glazed windows and falls on Luo Gu's feet. Luo Gu is not kneeling, but sitting on a stool with a wooden bar wrapped in black cloth. This posture allows him to rest the staff on the ground just right.
The moment the heavy door was pushed open, endless light shone in completely. This temple, which looked like a giant beast, opened its arms to all the kings. The maids in the temple walked in one by one, and the highest praises to King Su resounded throughout the hall. Since Luo Kong's death, the temple had never had such a grand ceremony.
The foreign ministers in the temple all showed solemn expressions. For most of them, this was their first time to meet the high priest of the temple, the messenger of the King of Su who was said to stand at the head of all the temples.
The kings all walked in with their heads down. Occasionally, a few of them looked up and saw a man as heavy as a mountain sitting at the top of the hall. Behind him was a magnificent carved pattern. It was a picture of the vast rivers and mountains of the Western Regions, with towering mountains and winding rivers all floating in it. Luo Gu sat below it, like a sword made of the toughest steel, piercing people's eyes and causing pain, as if a lion was sitting on it.
Those kings lowered their heads hurriedly and sat in their seats under the guidance of the maids. Suddenly there were several noises outside the hall, which startled everyone in the hall. Who dared to make trouble in the Temple of King Su? After just a few breaths, it became quiet outside the hall, and then a very tall figure stepped into the hall, blocking the light coming in from outside. Everyone in the hall looked over and found that it was a woman.
Her long black hair flowed down smoothly. She stood in the light, shining brightly. Her skin was as white as cream, just like the legendary imperial concubine who was deeply loved by the Han Emperor. Her face had a flamboyant beauty and was filled with the flavor of a child of the grassland.
She looked like both the women in the paintings of ladies from the Central Plains and the exotic women depicted in the murals of the Western Regions. She was extremely tall, which was rare among men, with an extremely thin waist. Her slender white hands were always pressing on the hilt of the sword, as if she was ready to draw the sword and go into battle at any time.
How should we describe her? She should have been a gentle official woman in Chang'an and Luoyang, but she was immersed in the snow of the Western Regions and on the top of the Tianshan Mountains, with the most beautiful flowers blooming. Every step she took seemed to be on the light, and her slender and powerful legs stepped out a sonorous rhythm that made people unwilling to look away.
"Your High Priest, I am Zhao Yingluo from the Kingdom of Tianjin, and I present my king's greetings to you."
Everyone in the hall's eyes narrowed. The princess of Tianjin Country came from the hometown of the Ferghana horses. Thousands of miles of fertile land had created a strong country. The woman in front of them looked to be only in her twenties, but she was already famous among the countries in the Western Regions.
When she was twelve years old, her beauty spread far and wide, and countless nobles wanted to propose marriage to her. After she personally led her army to attack and kill the Western Xia envoys who came to propose marriage, no one dared to propose marriage to her anymore.
When her foolish father made her young brother king, she forcibly took the scepter symbolizing regent from her dying father. Instead of killing her brother, she took his hand and succeeded to the throne in the palace.
She held the scepter and commanded the army of Tianjin Kingdom to conquer the dying Xixia Kingdom and once again unified the land of the former Dayuan Kingdom. She was nineteen years old that year, and then she came here and stood in the Temple of Suwang.
After the collapse of Zhongxia Kingdom, the now unified Tianjin Kingdom is the undisputed number one power in the Western Regions.
Luo Gu raised his staff slightly to show respect. He admired the woman in front of him and asked loudly, "Princess of Tianjin Kingdom, welcome to your arrival. You have obeyed the call of the Su King. Please allow me to ask how many of the Su King's people you have brought with you."
Zhao Yingluo knelt at the top of the side closest to Luo Gu, her gorgeous skirt falling down, and said calmly: "The royal guards, 1,500 armored cavalry, each with five horses for each man, and a number of auxiliary soldiers."
The moment Zhao Yingluo finished speaking, Luo Gu clenched the divine staff, and the other kings in the hall were in an uproar. There were 1,500 armored cavalry brought to the temple alone. This strength was simply terrifying.
There are many countries in the Western Regions that do not even have 1,500 cavalry, let alone the expensive armored cavalry. But when thinking of the fertile land of Tianjin Kingdom, it seems justified.
Luo Gu stood up on the throne. Dozens of people in the hall bowed slightly and touched their chests, listening to the holy words. Luo Gu's extremely cold voice resounded through the hall like the clash of swords, "Organize our army, raise our swords and spears, and fight against the wolves of the grassland."
The first troops to arrive in the Western Regions were Tuoba He, the Chanyu of the Tuoba tribe, and Murong Xi, the Chanyu of the Murong tribe. Looking from the top of the city wall, Luo Gu saw grassland cavalry like clouds, coming from afar with dust rising. Teams of them, in neat array, rushed past Wushuang City and then gathered together. A rather strong soldier rode his horse past, arrived in front of the city and shot an arrow with a letter at the top of the city gate.
Luo Gu reached out to take the letter, which turned out to be written by Xianbei Chanyu Yan Hui himself, with a rather flamboyant handwriting, "High Priest of the Suwang Temple, the royal court is vast, and the victory and power are boundless. The Western Regions cannot stop it. This Chanyu writes to you because I don't want to cause bloodshed between the two places, and I don't want to cause damage to Daxia. I want the temple to recognize that I am the Chanyu's favor, and to make the high priest of the temple submit to the Chanyu Golden Tent. If you agree, this Chanyu will still respect the temple when he conquers the Western Regions, so that the people of the Western Regions will worship and believe in it, and the power of the Suwang will still be demonstrated. If you don't agree, there will be only bloody slaughter under the sword and gun, you should think twice."
The letter of declaration of war contained threats, inducements, and everything in between. Luo Gu had a cold expression on his face as he tore the letter into pieces and let them fly to the wind. No need to say more, if you have the courage, come and fight. Tuoba He and Murong Xi looked at the pieces of paper that were falling like snowflakes, and they grinned at each other.
Murong Xi touched the gorgeous and sharp short blade in his arms and said coldly, "What a disgusting arrogance! A small country like this is so arrogant. Is it the so-called invincible temple army or the mob in the Western Regions with inconsistent orders that gives him the courage?"
The two did not attack the city, but set up camp thirty miles outside Wushuang City and set up double sentries. This was Yan Hui's request to prevent the temple army from attacking the camp. Although Yan Hui had never seen the temple army, he was extremely cautious about them.
On the grassland, no one can disobey Yan Hui's orders.
The grassland army surrounded Wushuang, and there was an uproar in the city. The enemy had arrived as expected, and was in a hurry. The troops were stationed outside, but they were seen whizzing past the green grassland, with the sharp blades cold as the horses' hooves rose and fell. The grassland army invaded Wushuang's old territory. Their power and number were far beyond expectations. How many people could not be panic-stricken, especially some timid ones who had already thought of retreating. How many people could risk their lives for their beliefs?
Zhao Yingluo, the daughter of Tianjin, was still as sharp as a sword. She glanced at the kings and drew the sword from her waist and said proudly: “This sword has killed no less than a thousand people. I was still young, and the royal family of Xixia regarded me as a possession and wanted to inherit my throne. My master’s great power was all destroyed by this.
King Tianjin and you, you do not respect my orders, you disdain to obey them, you speak evil words and stir up trouble, you are arrogant to me, you rely on your own dignity and you have blood relatives, I will kill them all in the palace, and expose their bodies everywhere, and then I will end the great cause of Tianjin.
All affairs of the world are in the hands of Heaven. In the face of wind, snow, cold and frost, wrap yourself in clothes and resist. When swords, spears, swords and halberds are attacked, raise your shields to meet them. When the barbarians invade, you should attack them with swords. Those who flee will die, and those who are cowardly will die. The Su Wang is above, and the temple must not be defiled. I hereby warn you all."
After Zhao Yingluo finished speaking, her murderous intent and sharp words made the kings in the audience tremble. Luo Gu looked at Zhao Yingluo, who stood out among the crowd, with full admiration. If Zhao Yingluo had been born a dozen years earlier and came to Wushuang City, she would be the empress of the Western Regions now. However, with Zhao Yingluo's personality, she might not accept the coronation of the temple. She had a firm belief in King Su and might not be willing to obey the temple.
Looking at the kings in the hall, Luo Gu felt gloomy in his heart. This time of summoning all the countries might be the most successful one. He must strike a heavy blow to the Xianbei this time to boost the confidence of all the countries. Otherwise, summoning all the countries later would not be so easy. Thinking of this, Luo Gu stood up and said proudly: "Your Majesty, we will leave the city tomorrow and line up to meet the enemy."
The sun was shining brightly, and the cold wind from the wilderness blew across the mountains and rivers of Yili, passing through the army armed with weapons and armor, and was filled with the smell of grasslands and cattle and sheep. Tens of thousands of cavalry from various countries in the Western Regions were lined up separately, and the leaders of various countries held their military flags. The temple army gathered under the high-flying phoenix flag, and on the left was the army of the Tianjin Kingdom.
As for how many troops the Xianbei Xia Kingdom had, the number that appeared before them was twice that of the Western Regions. Such a huge army was surprisingly well-organized, with teams of ten thousand, one thousand, and one hundred men, all clearly divided into different levels.
The Xianbei army slowly dispersed from the middle, and hundreds of elite guards in full armor rode forward. Then the tallest flag among the Hu people was raised. The Xianbei Chanyu finally appeared, the creator of this war, and everyone on the battlefield became nervous.
Yan Hui looked back at the Temple Army in the Western Regions coalition, his face full of caution. He once again sent the military commander to announce the military order to all the soldiers and officers of the Xianbei Army, "Anyone who returns to rest and crosses the line will be executed.
Anyone who disobeys military orders and advances recklessly will be executed.
Anyone who steals the spoils will be beheaded.
Those who fail to maintain military discipline will be executed.
Anyone who retreats and cannot be restrained shall be beheaded.
Anyone who attacks the enemy without causing disorder in their formation shall be killed.
Anyone who fails to make a detour in battle and thus causes harm to the army shall be executed.
Kill those who surrender and behead them.
Anyone who breaks into a city and massacres people without reason will be beheaded.
If you encounter any fleeing members of the Temple Army, kill the entire group and exterminate all three clans."
From Liaodong to the grassland, Yan Hui's tactics were simple, that is, large-scale maneuvers and detours. With the help of extremely strong mobility and physical strength, he made the enemy suffer terribly in endless harassment, and then relied on strong organizational ability, strict military law and discipline, as well as excellent bow and crossbow technology to completely defeat the enemy.
So far, this tactic has never failed. What he hates most is a head-on confrontation that turns the battlefield into a meat grinder.
Under his iron fist, the Xianbei army had extremely strict military discipline. Five years ago, he led his troops to conquer a grassland tribe. His soldiers looted the herdsmen's cattle and sheep, and he immediately killed them.
This is certainly not because he loves his people like his own children, but because he does not want to massacre them without reason. He will only massacre cities and tribes that resist fiercely after they are broken.
The slaughter after the city was captured was not without restraint. The first one to arrive had the right to dispose of the person. If the first one to arrive wanted to take the person as a slave, the later one had to give him up. This was to comply with the military law that prohibited the looting of spoils, and the machinery for its execution was in place so far.
Under this set of military laws, the Xianbei army is a pure war killing machine. Yan Hui is a ruthless ruler who sharply enforces all rules that will make him more powerful. He is a hero chosen by heaven.
After the military orders were passed down layer by layer, he narrowed his eyes slightly and looked at the Temple Army. Now was the time to test the quality of this legendary army that had guarded the Western Regions for three hundred years.
Tuoba He and Murong Xi could no longer wait. Following the military orders, they each led more than 10,000 cavalrymen to gallop wildly from both sides. In the towering and heavy Xianbei army, the attack of more than 20,000 people was like two black lines spread out.
During this attack, the Xianbei armored cavalry did not move. Almost all of them were archers who rushed past. It was obvious that they were not charging into the formation but harassing by shooting arrows. After a round of shooting, they rode back to rest and wait for the next wave of attack. A line was drawn in front of the Xianbei army, and the returning soldiers could not cross this line. Without military orders, anyone who crossed the line would be killed.
An expert can tell the outcome with just one move. The Xianbei army was only harassing the front, but Luo Gu's face became serious. Among the more than 20,000 soldiers, not a single one crossed the safe range of close combat during the attack. The entire attack process can only be described as smooth as flowing water and with military discipline as strong as a mountain. It was extremely terrifying!
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The Xianbei military command has thirteen beheadings, whose power is like a mountain and whose terror is like an abyss. When people hear of it, they are horrified and use it like a demon. - "Northern History: Biographies of the Xianbei"
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(End of this chapter)
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