The Sun and the Lion

The temporary camp was blazing with flames, and there were screams and shouts of death everywhere, as well as the chatter and laughter of the Qizilbashi, but these had nothing to do with Alvand.

The winter sun hangs slanting in the sky. Unknowingly, it has climbed from the top of the mountain on the east side to high in the sky, set on the west side, and spreads warm sunlight on the ground. The golden thread shone on the riders on the road, on his robes and furs, but Alvand, who was riding on horseback, did not feel any warmth from it.

In the past month, he had experienced more than in his entire life - he had been forced to abandon his troops at least twice, in less than a month.

"Did you get rid of the pursuers behind you?" Alvand touched the sweat on his forehead whether it was due to heat or fright, and shouted to the surrounding guards.

Because the escape was too chaotic, all the troops who escaped were not organized at all. Many officers and flag bearers were missing, and the soldiers just followed Alvand. This resulted in him being unable to understand the current situation, and could only hug tightly with the only remaining guards around him, and then run away with the defeated soldiers.

No one could answer his question, and the route was blocked by broken soldiers who were just running away. Faced with this scene, Alvand could only sigh, then raised his whip and continued on his way.

In fact, Gaolaberi did not send pursuers again, because he knew that Alvand could not run away, and even if he ran away, he would have no choice - no one can cross the hostile land without supplies. Thousands of kilometers.

Suddenly, the cavalrymen who ran to the front suddenly burst into cheers - although they had no strength, because the incident happened suddenly, and almost everyone did not bring water or dry food with them when they ran - but soon, the cheers It is replaced by other sounds.

"Your Majesty, we are arriving." The soldier who went to check the situation came back and replied to Alvand, and then he told the general situation ahead.

"The forward cavalry met the sentries arranged by the camp and were intercepted. However, the defeated soldiers tried to rush over and clashed with the sentries. Your Majesty, we should just wait and see what happens. The front is already in chaos..."

The defeated soldiers were quickly dispersed by the sentries.

Seeing that the way forward was cleared, Alvand led his soldiers forward.

Passing through the scattered crowd, the image of the sentinel not far away became clearly visible from far to near, from blur to blur. The sentry at the front held a shield in one hand and a scimitar in the other, scanning the defeated soldiers in front of him with a vigilant look. The one at the side and behind is holding a bow, with arrows already attached.

Seeing Alvand and his group approaching, the arrows were pointed at the soldiers, their fingers were clasped on the strings, and someone was already pulling the bow.

"Warriors, my brave and fearless warriors." Alvand shouted, "I am your monarch and the object of your allegiance. Please put down your weapons. God has not taught us to use swords against our brothers."

Perhaps even he didn't notice that his tone changed from unquestionable at the beginning to impatient, even with a hint of pleading.

The sentries looked suspicious. The person shouting in front of them looked miserable. The armor on his body did not look luxurious. It was stained with blood and dust and was badly damaged. There was also dirt on his face, which added points to his already low score. On the whole, Alwand is quite tall, but also very thin, just like the sugar cane being processed in the Egyptian sugar cane workshops.

The sentries were all low-level soldiers and had no impression of the king's appearance. The people they had the most contact with were the nobles of the tribe.

"You stay here, don't move." Soon, Alvand was ordered to stay where he was, and several cavalrymen came up to surround him. The soldiers looked nervous, with their hands on the handles of their swords, ready to unsheath them at any time to protect their master.

"Please cooperate." Seeing that Alvand had several loyal guards, the leading sentry warned them not to resist with force, but also thought that he was a noble or something, so he decided to leave this mess to his superiors.

But Alvand's mind turned for a moment, and he already regretted revealing his identity. He has experienced a major defeat, his prestige has been greatly damaged, and his rule is already on the verge of collapse - the rebellion in Tehran, whose defense is entirely the responsibility of vassals, is the best example - if he is defeated again, and news spreads that he has lost almost all his troops. When it reached the ears of the vassals, he dared to believe that these military leaders would tear him to pieces.

If he hides his identity and pretends to be just an ordinary officer, then the big guys in the camp will not embarrass him. He could take this opportunity to replenish himself with dry food, water and feed in the camp, and then sneak back to Fars to gather the last bit of strength he had left in Shiraz.

It is much more difficult for a king to escape than for an ordinary soldier.

But now that the matter has come to this, we can only bite the bullet.

Soon, reinforcements arrived, and the disarmed Alvand and his soldiers were sent to the big tent, while the ordinary soldiers were guarded, waiting for their fate. Find Shuyuan www.zhaoshuyuan.com

It was as if mercury had been poured into his legs. After dismounting, Alvand could be said to have dragged his legs into the tent. He saw familiar faces again, but he did not have the conditions to maintain the majesty and dignity of the king. It had to be said that it was really a pity.

"Your Majesty?" Among the crowd, an old nobleman with gray hair on his temples but a dark beard recognized him and asked tentatively.

Alvand nodded awkwardly in response, with a forced smile on his face: "Everyone, my loyal vassals, I am deeply gratified to see you."

The atmosphere was a bit strange, and the nobles present remained silent.

"Your Majesty, how is the war situation in Tehran...?" After a while, an emir remembered Alvand's reason for dividing his troops for the eastern expedition.

"It's not bad. I defeated the enemy's offensive in Miya and basically eliminated the main force of the enemy. The remnants should not be able to form any climate. However, our army's losses were also huge, so I let the main force stay in Miya. Rest for a week before marching to Tehran, and I will come back with the troops with the most serious losses and report the victory to you by the way."

After saying this again, he breathed a sigh of relief in his heart.

"You don't need to doubt my ability and strength. Next, our combat focus will shift back to Tabriz, so that everyone can have glory." With a guilty conscience, he emphasized what he "owned" again.

"Your Majesty, your will is our mission." The officers expressed their loyalty one after another.

But in fact, through the reports of the sentries, everyone present knew that Alvand actually suffered a defeat. Alvand's quick wit can make him lie, but he can't connect everyone in a short time and let them act according to Alvand's wishes in a drama that is of little benefit to them.