Qin Official

When Yang Xi and others escorted the secret weapon to the theater, they found that the camp here had expanded several times compared to half a month ago.

There was still a moment of riding away from Hongmen when the group saw the smoke column from Yingzao filling the sky with pale mist, almost covering the sky.

Then, various sounds floated over the farms, fields and fields, hazy, like the call of the distant sea. As they got closer and closer, he could distinguish the chorus of shouts of obedience, the gold and iron fighting of the soldiers' training and the cavalry patrol. The horse neighs and hoofs.

In order to make the long pole to carry the flag, an entire forest near the river in Weinan was cut down. Under the bright afternoon sun, the tips of countless spears shone with dark golden light, and nearly a thousand tents were scattered all over the fields like leather mushrooms emerging from the ground.

This is a grand scene of a hundred thousand troops gathering, not to mention a hundred thousand civilians coming and going to transport grain, take care of livestock, and serve them.

It seems that almost one-fifth of the men in Guanzhong have responded to Heifu's call. Their camps are distributed throughout Hongmen according to the area of ​​establishment, with their own flags. The black dragon flag of Regent Xia Gong is flying high. Above the flag, it is located at the commanding heights of the camp.

"The true army is majestic and majestic. Use this to attract the enemy, and you will be invincible in battle!"

Yang Xi is full of confidence in this war.

After escorting Gongsun Yu and others into the camp and setting up the giant ballistae, Yang Xi completed his mission and returned to his subordinate Cavalry Captain Li Bi.

Due to strict military discipline, not only were military prostitutes barred from entering, but gambling and drinking parties were also strictly controlled.

During the days waiting for departure, the daytime was fine. Yang Xi and the others wanted to organize the soldiers to continue training, but once night fell, they had nothing to do. In the days without Baixi's condolences, they could only sit around the bonfire, chatting and telling stories. The long night.

When Yang Xi returned to the camp from patrolling the camp, he found several Sima sitting around the camp fire. Today's narrator is an old Sima who is nearly fifty years old. He has gray hair, a bronze face full of ravines, and a beard. Messy and too lazy to take care of.

But despite his sloppy appearance, this man is very skilled in warfare. He is a highly respected Sima and the captain's right-hand man.

Everyone calls him the "Drinker" because the old military officer loves to drink. He probably has some money at home, and he doesn't give it to others, so he still speaks eloquently about it:

“It is sinful to drink in a group, but not guilty to drink alone!”

Since he didn't cross the line, the military judge didn't care much about him. Instead, some military officials secretly brought wine to the bartender in exchange for the stories he would never finish telling.

Now, the old soldier took a sip of light wine and talked about the past.

"I joined the army at about the same age as this young man."

The old military officer pointed at Yang Xi who had just returned: "Actually, I have just returned to Fu Ji. I am not yet 21 years old. I can be a watchman, but I am still too young to go to war. But all my neighbors and playmates have gone, so I can't do it." Not to be outdone. At that time, age was not recorded in the household registration, only height was measured, so I joined the army because of my height."

"It was the eleventh year of the First Emperor. Wang Jian, Huanjue, and Yang Duanhe attacked Ye and captured nine cities. When I arrived at the front line, I happened to catch up with General Wang Laojie, who attacked Ye and Yang, and they all merged into one army to attack the eighteenth city. But the sun could not be defeated, so the old general asked Dou Shi and others to return, and selected two people to join the army, and used the elite soldiers to win the war. Because I was young and inferior, I missed the battle. As a result, after the first battle, two out of ten elite soldiers died. , but Yan Yu was also defeated."

"In the next few years, I followed General Huanjue. Most young people today don't know him, but back then, he was more respected by the late emperor than General Wang!"

"In the thirteenth year, I came out of seclusion for the second time, followed Huanjie to attack Zhao Pingyang, killed Zhao general Hu Zhe, and beheaded 100,000 people. I also earned two heads."

"In that battle, I followed my fellow villagers, donated my armor and clothing to fight against the enemy, and felt the pleasure of grabbing a human head with my left hand and a prisoner with my right hand. Unfortunately, my fellow countryman was unlucky and was shot naked by an arrow. He was shot in the lower body, but he refused to cut it, and the wound soon festered and died..."

Hearing this, Yang Xi couldn't help but said: "It's such a pity for a warrior."

"What a pity?" Jiu Gong sneered, looked around, and said loudly: "He deserves to die!"

Everyone was surprised: "How can you say that..."

"It is really foolish to show off the bravery of a man without using the armor. He will not leave any useful body. He will kill more enemies in the future, but die in ignorance. Isn't that what he deserves? Don't follow suit!"

Jiu Gong shook his head: "Of course, at that time, I was also stupid. I thought that joining the army to fight was for the glory of the soldiers and for the expansion of the Qin Dynasty. This is what my father taught me, and my great-grandfather and great-grandfather taught me the same thing. His, my family’s ancestors have been farming and fighting for generations.”

"But in the fourteenth year, Huan Jue lost the battle. Well, this incident is not recorded in the history books, and the defeat is not recorded. But the battle was really not unfair, because the opponent was Li Mu..."

It was no longer a smooth battle. It was the first time that the veteran soldier felt the cruelty of the battlefield. He saw his comrades being chopped down by the Zhao people one by one, and he had to face the charging Zhao cavalry.

And General Huan, who had always been brave and fearless, also let them down.

"After the war, Huan Jue fled out of fear of crime."

The old soldier spat: "The honor of being a soldier that he preached to us every day has been left behind and completely forgotten!"

"Fortunately, we survived by chance, and the late emperor did not investigate further, and was assigned to the command of General Wang."

Next, the story of the old soldier is familiar to everyone, and basically accompanied Wang Jian's conquests east and west.

In the fifteenth year, he came out of seclusion for the third time and followed Wang Jian to Ye to capture Lang Meng.

In the eighteenth year, a large army was launched to attack Zhao. He left the pass for the fourth time and entered Taiyuan with Wang Jian from Shangjun to Jingxing. In the 19th year, Handan was captured and Zhao was destroyed.

But before he could recover and go home to rest, twenty years later, with Jing Ke's assassination of Qin and another large-scale conscription to conquer Yan, the old army officers came out for the fifth time. This war lasted for two years.

The old soldier raised his head and sighed:

"When I was angry and miserable in the bitter cold land of the north, I also did things that were not allowed by military law. I robbed other people's things, stole chickens and dogs, killed cattle and sheep, and put property in my sleeves. The war has been too long. I can't do nothing. bring home."

Yang Xi pursed her lips, wanting to condemn, but remained silent.

He remembered that among the trophies his father brought back, there were also some items belonging to the people of Guandong...

Probably since that war, the old soldiers felt tired.

Year after year of campaigning, although I also earned some titles and lands, my injuries were only half healed when I received new ones. My shoes gradually disintegrated during the endless march, even though they could be replaced with new ones immediately. But the soles of my feet have become thick and hard with calluses.

At that time, he had completely shed his childishness and became a veteran, a villain in the eyes of the Yan people.

His voice became deeper as he described the crimes he had committed: "I even participated in the robbery of a Yan woman, raped her in front of her husband, killed her, and buried the couple in the ground. Anyway, The situation was chaotic and no one knew anything about it. The military judge also turned a blind eye to these things."

"What's the difference between this and what the bandits from the Six Nations did in Xihe?" Yang Xi couldn't help it and began to question the old military officials.

"Yeah, what's the difference."

The old military officer smiled and said: "When you go to the Six Kingdoms in the future, you can pat your chest and guarantee that you can control yourself and the soldiers under your command? After a year and a half in the army, you still don't get hard when you see a woman. Those who are eager to try are either eunuchs or saints!"

"As for doing evil, if you have a sword in your hand and you are in a land outside the law, you will be defeated more easily than in Qin. It is as simple as eating and drinking!"

He ignored Yang Xi and continued: "From then on, I no longer fought for any bullshit honor. I just performed my duties and wanted to get the first merit and promote myself higher, because the higher the title, the higher the rank. The harder it is to die..."

But what happened next told him that even if he became a captain, he would still die if he was unlucky.

At the end of the 22nd year, with Li Xinyi and Wang Jian as generals, the old army officer came out for the sixth time and experienced another great defeat. The seventh captain died. He was only a 500-year-old master at that time, but he successfully withdrew with his soldiers. .

In the twenty-third year, the King of Qin summoned Wang Jian again, raised him up, and sent generals to attack Jing. The old military officers were also forcibly recruited into the army, and they were released from the customs for the seventh time.

Everyone knows the result. Although the battle lasted for another two years, it was not until Wang Jian secured the land south of the Jingjiang River and surrendered to Yuejun that he was able to leave Kuaiji and return to Guanzhong.

"That was the last time I came out of seclusion, and it was also the most difficult battle. This time, I managed the people below me well and didn't insult a Chu girl, but I couldn't control the people above me."

The old soldier pointed at the head.

He was tired, and the only thing that kept him from collapsing was some rumors in the army.

"It is said that the First Emperor said that after Chu is destroyed and the world is unified, there will be no need to fight anymore and we can enjoy peace forever!"

"I believe this." He shook his head and said:

"But the First Emperor lied to me." The old soldier stopped drinking, with a look of pain on his face.

"Later, as I grew older, I became a country coward again, so I really didn't have to leave seclusion."

"But my nephew was unavoidable. In the twenty-ninth year, my eldest son died in Saibei, following Wang Li."

"In the thirty-third year, my nephew died in Haidong and followed Fusu."

"In the thirty-fourth year, my second son died in Lingnan, following Tu Sui."

"In the thirty-sixth year, another nephew went to the West with Li Xin, but there has been no news yet."

The words of the old military officer already had a trace of sadness and anger: "I have been out of the border seven times, fought for the Qin Dynasty for twenty-eight years, and I have countless scars on my body. In the end, I got this result?"

"I also thought, could it be the result of my evil deeds in Yandi? But I do know a few honest fellow villagers. They have never committed any infringement, but they have also cut off their descendants. Why?"

"I finally understood that before fighting for the country, I should fight for myself first."

"So last year, when Hu Hai recruited troops, I served as Sima and led the young people from my hometown to the front line."

"I told them that they don't have to obey the military law, but the most important thing is to save their lives. But in the Lantian collapse, watching this young man take the lead in crossing the river, I didn't hesitate at all. I asked my soldiers to throw down their weapons, chase after him, and surrendered to the regent. !”

From the moment he led his troops to surrender, everything over the past twenty years collapsed.

Damn your honor!

Damn your duties!

He's had enough.

"Then why do you still come to fight this battle?" Yang Xi was confused and asked.

"Can I come?" the old soldier sneered:

"Now, there are only two boys left in my family: me and my youngest son."

"The regent is recruiting troops. If I don't come, my son will come."

"I am old, fifty years old, only one year younger than the First Emperor of Qin. I don't want to give away people with gray hair and send people with black hair. I don't want my family to lose its incense."

"If you want to die, let me die!"

"This will be my eighth time out."

There was a trace of ridicule on the corner of his mouth: "There is no difference from the past seven times. The old soldiers and officials are watching with cold eyes. The new recruits are eager to try, but they don't know whether they will lose their lives in Kanto."

"None of the people who enlisted with me back then are gone."

He looked around and realized that all his friends and relatives were gone, and he was surrounded by strangers and young people, a group of immature grass.

"Do you know how they died?"

"The belly was pierced and the intestines flowed out and he died; he was shot through the body by a crossbow arrow and died of excessive blood loss; he was frozen to death in the land of Yanbei, accidentally fell off his horse and was dragged to death, and was trampled to death by his colleagues who were marching forward in the rear. In the low-heat land of Jiangdong, he contracted an illness and died of diarrhea. He even died suddenly while he was sleeping. He suddenly fell down by the roadside while marching and died..."

Yang Xi couldn't bear it anymore and interrupted the old soldier's pessimistic words:

"This battle is different from the past."

"The regent said that this is the battle to reunite the world and unite the world as one!"

"More than ten years ago, the First Emperor also said the same thing. What's the result?" The old soldier laughed, then looked solemn:

"I only know that this is a war. To us, every war is the same!"

Going out again and again, recruiting again and again, tired body, confused heart, when will all this end?

A deep silence enveloped the bonfire and stretched out, leaving only breathing, until the military judge who had been standing behind him for a long time spoke.

"enough!"

"Jiu Gong, come with me. As a Sima, you don't want to praise the enemy or fear the public anymore!"

The old military officer staggered to his feet. No one knew how he would be punished for his words. He just turned around and burped wine as he followed the military judge away and said with a smile:

"I was just drunk, I was just talking nonsense."

Immediately he continued walking and sang a song:

"How can I say that without clothes, I am in the same boat as my son..."

"The king raised his army, repaired my spear and halberd, and worked with me together with me, and worked with me..."

The song that was supposed to be exciting, but now sung by this old soldier, seemed to have endless sadness.

Or maybe it was because all his original comrades had been killed in the battle, leaving only one person.

When there is only one lone goose left in the flock, it cries in mourning!

…

Fortunately, Jiu Gong was not punished too severely. He was just taught a lesson by Jun Zheng and was put in solitary confinement according to the new military law. Lieutenant Li Bidu was also helpless. When he arrived in Guandong, this veteran soldier who had been out of the pass seven times Officials are still of great use.

But for the observers, it was a difficult night. Yang Xi suffered from insomnia, turning over and over again, recalling other people's stories.

He had felt similar emotions during the Battle of Lantian. At that time, he didn't care about honor, title, responsibility, or ideals.

At that time, he just hoped to finish the war early and go home early. As for who wins and who loses, who is orthodox and who is rebellious, it doesn’t matter!

Almost all of the 100,000 people here are like this.

As far as the people of Guanzhong are concerned, they have gone through so much, including deception, lies, civil war, shaking of three views, surrender and reorganization, and you want them to be simple soldiers who don't think about anything anymore? Continue to be a gray animal, mindlessly moving forward to fill in the ravines?

Young people may be fooled again after being brainwashed, but veterans?

How can it be!

When soldiers who only need to obey orders start to think and wonder, is this a good thing or a bad thing?

Yang Xi thought about it all night, and did not fall asleep until midnight. The next morning, he was awakened by the gathering morning bells and drums.

"Three sergeants, gather out of camp!"

"Before leaving seclusion, Mr. Xia has one last thing to say to the second and third sons!"