Three Kingdoms

The fifth year of the first lunar month falls on the fourth year of Taixing in the Han Dynasty.

Lu Bu stood high on the hillside, looking at Chigu City in the distance. This was the last city of the Kushan people and the first city that these guys originally invaded the Western Regions.

Originally, the Kushan people thought they could hold on to the city of Ju'andu, but they did not actually expect that Lu Bu had gunpowder. In the huge roar of a raid, the gate of Ju'andu was blown open, and the so-called holding on became a joke.

All the countries in the Western Regions suddenly turned towards the Han people. Even Qiuci, who was originally following the Kushan people, quickly expressed his submission...

The Kushan people had no choice but to retreat here again.

Chigu City is named after the city was built in a red valley. There are city walls at the front and rear, and huge red mountains on both sides. The entire city is built up from a long valley enclosed. In the north of Chigu City, there is a lake called Issyk-Kul Lake, which probably means "God Pearl".

After the lessons learned from Ju'andu City, the Kushan people sealed the city gates with strips of stone and sand. Although they cut off their own way out of the city, they also avoided the risk of having the city gates blown open again.

Most of the Kushan people retreated into Chigu City. This is an important pass in the northwest of the Western Regions and was originally a barrier to defend the Western Regions. However, it had already declined as early as the middle of the Western Han Dynasty. By the Eastern Han Dynasty, no one paid attention to it. , the ministers in the court could not see it at all.

After leaving Chigu City, heading north is Wusun. You can even jump directly to Lake Balkhash. Of course, the deserts in this era were not as big as those in later generations, and many places only showed slight signs of desertification. It would take until after the Little Glacier in the late Han Dynasty that the vegetation in these places could not survive and most of them died, so that these areas would become part of the desert. .

Lu Bu led his troops and set up camp about five miles away from the mountain pass of Chigucheng.

Lu Bu looked up at the bright red sun in the sky, thinking a lot.

Lu Bu felt that now he seemed to have returned to the happiest time of the year, but it seemed different. Lu Bu used to think that happiness was not important, only official position was important, but after gaining official position, he realized that he seemed to have lost happiness.

"The Hussars are rebuilding Jiuyuan?" Lu Bu asked slowly.

Jiang Ji nodded and said: "General Zhao has rebuilt the county in Changshan. Jiuyuan is said to be the transit place from Yinshan to Changshan, so the restoration has been started again..."

"Well..." Lu Bu nodded, then smiled slightly and said, "When so-and-so gets old, you must go back and take a look." 』

Before Jiang Ji could respond, the smile in Lu Bu's eyes gradually turned cold. He looked at Chigu City in the distance and said, "Are you ready?" 』

Jiang Ji looked back and saw that the military academy not far away had erected red and blue corner flags to represent the completion of preparations. He quickly reported: "To the Protector, everything is ready!" 』

Lu Bu nodded, then glanced at the people from the Western Regions who were watching the battle cautiously from a distance, "Zhong Yi, go and keep an eye on those guys... wait until Chigu City is captured..."

Jiang Ji hesitated for a moment and scratched the back of his head.

"how? ” Lu Bu noticed Jiang Ji’s little move.

"The Great Protector..." Jiang Ji took a look at the stone cannon emplacement erected in the distance, and then said, "Although... we have never used these things... If they are effective..."

Lu Bu smiled and said, "I trust Hussar." ’ Of course, what’s more important is that no one expected that the Han people would mobilize their troops on the fifth day of the first lunar month, so no one expected it, so naturally it was the best time.

Jiang Ji suddenly broke out in sweat on his forehead.

Lu Bu patted Jiang Ji and said, "Go!" 』

"only! ” Jiang Jiu quickly turned around and left.

Lu Bu turned around and looked at the stone cannon position in the distance. These trebuchets, and even the people who operated the trebuchets, were transported all the way from Guanzhong. It is said that twenty units were originally transported, but now there are only fourteen. The remaining six units have been dismantled into parts and become a part of the other fourteen units.

What's more important is the new kerosene...

The original kerosene was very viscous, and being very viscous meant that it was not light in weight, which meant that transportation was inconvenient. But now, lighter kerosene can mean that more can be delivered. Throw farther.

"Let's get started..."

Lu Bu ordered.

……（*`ェ′*）……

"Let's get started..."

As the first tone of the chime fell, the grand banquet at Xu County Palace officially began.

In order to show prosperity and repair the conflict between Cao Cao and Liu Xie, Xun Yu invested a lot in this royal banquet. The grand banquet will last from morning to dusk.

At this time, in the chamber, the ministers were sitting in separate tables according to their shifts, and fine wine and several types of dishes were already placed on their respective dining tables.

For such an occasion, etiquette is the main thing, and the dishes are prepared in advance. There is no need to talk about hot or cold aromas, just bright and eye-catching colors. After all, after a lengthy etiquette, when they are served, even if they are It had just been cooked, so naturally there was not much heat left, not to mention that in such an occasion, no one was eager to eat it.

During the banquet, etiquette and music are naturally the focus. At the same time, chatting with each other is not prohibited. As long as the sound is not too loud, it is generally within the allowed range.

Today, Liu Xie was wearing a crown crown and twelve chapters of clothing. He was sitting upright on the royal bed, looking full of energy and majesty.

Each vocal music gradually joined in, and gradually entered the main melody of the movement, which became more and more exciting. Liu Xie turned his eyes and looked at Liu Ye, who had talked about "rituals and music" with him in the hall a few days ago, and found that Liu Ye seemed to be looking at him too.

Liu Xie thought about it for a long time in the past few days, and finally understood some of the meaning of what Liu Ye said, but now that he has understood it, how to get rid of these shortcomings has become a new problem. Liu Xie really wanted to find another opportunity to talk to Liu Ye, but obviously, now was not the best occasion.

Liu Xie turned his head slightly, and suddenly found Cao Hong staring at him with bright eyes at the table. He couldn't help but be startled, and quickly pretended to be nonchalant and turned his eyes away in other directions.

Xun Yu, who was sitting at the table, seemed not to be looking at anything, but also seemed to be seeing everything. He squinted slightly, as if he was listening to the lyrics of the ritual music, and seemed to be thinking about something else.

Gradually, the song came to an end, the singing faded, and the voices became noisy. In the main hall, you can hear many ministers chanting or praising the solemn and elegant words of this lyrics.

Some people even say that it is a new year, a new atmosphere, and good music for China, symbolizing that the Han Dynasty will move towards a new and bright future under the leadership of Emperor Liu Xie...

Liu Xie smiled, but he asked himself over and over again in his heart, could he really walk a new path as a man?

At the end of the song, Liu Xie raised his glass and invited the officials to drink together.

The ministers responded one after another.

……（｀′）Ψ……

"This is a new beginning..."

Fei Qian touched Xiao Feizhen's head and spoke slowly and vaguely in a low voice.

Xiao Feizhen lowered her head and was concentrating on working on a Luban lock.

There are some things that Fei Qian cannot say easily. I am afraid that in this world, only in front of Xiao Feizhen can he occasionally mutter to himself.

"The most terrifying thing in this world is not tigers, not swords and guns, but people... Tigers can only hurt people, but people will treat people like pigs and raise them..."

"I have seen a movie before, in which AI uses people as batteries... But think about it actually, what if those AIs represent not machines, but a class? Will ordinary people living in it find that they are actually a battery? 』

"As long as the signal sent to the brain nerves is happy, then even drilling a hole in the back is acceptable, isn't it? 』

"When a class grows and matures, they will naturally think about how they grew up, how they gained weight, etc., and they will inevitably think that if one day, a new group of guys appear..."

"Then what to do?" Is happiness the result... Just give these people happiness, tell them to enjoy themselves in time, and spend ahead of time, and then after these people are saddled with debts for ten, twenty, or thirty years, these people can only be honest. Stay where you are and make a good battery..."

"Don't think about it. Don't think about anything. You don't need to think at all. Just do what you say. Anyway, happiness is given... As long as you are happy, that's fine, right?" 』

"Short-term paralysis, although there is emptiness behind each paralysis, but as long as the paralysis continues, all you can touch is happiness, numbness, and naturally it will be fine... There will be a lot of people saying that life is so bitter. , how can you not find happiness..."

"So in the end, the scriptures were changed, and the laws were also changed... The nobles claimed that they represented the broad masses of the people, but who did they actually represent?" 』

"Because everyone knows how they got up, so they will cut off the path they originally took... leaving only the words "happiness" and "luck"..."

"Thoughtful articles will be abandoned and covered up, in-depth documentaries will be cut in half and cancelled. No one will study history and will not be interested in the past. Just live in the present and the rest will be Entertainment, funny, anyway, it only requires batteries, not a new CPU..."

"I don't know how long I can go in reverse and how far I can go, but I want to leave some behind. It's like a new beginning. There is always a new direction..."

"People from China should stand taller..."

Xiao Feizhen was concentrating on the puzzle and didn't even listen to what her father was mumbling. Then with a click, she put the last piece of wood together, twisted and locked it, and lifted it up with a laugh: "Daddy!" look! 』

Fei Qian smiled, "Not bad, not bad... By the way, why don't I see you studying?" 』

Xiao Feizhen shook her head and said: "If you don't study, reading is not fun..."

Fei Qian was stunned for a moment, then narrowed his eyes slightly...

……/（^o^）/……

In front of Chigu City, horn horns and war drums of different lengths were sounded one after another, battle flags of various colors moved staggered, the neighing of war horses and the shouts of soldiers were heard everywhere. The tense atmosphere of the impending war suffocated the entire mountain.

On Lu Bu's flank, there was a group of people, all from various countries in the Western Region, including Weixu people, Shache people, Nuoqiang people, and some people from small countries such as Loulan and Jingjue. They stood aside in awe and watched. The formation formed by the Han army.

Amsi, a native of Shache, looked up at the sky, then squinted at the white sun. The strong sunlight burned Amsi's eyes like thousands of sharp arrows, causing him to close his eyes suddenly. In the darkness, he saw a little orange light swaying violently in front of his eyes, like the cold light on the Han swords and guns. Amsi felt dizzy, and unconsciously held the horse's reins tightly with both hands to prevent himself from making a fool of himself.

The Han people are too strong...

this is too scary. Amsi even has a feeling that the only people in this world who can defeat the Han people are the Han people themselves.

Why did I follow the Kushan people in the first place?

Naturally for land and wealth.

What's the point of following the Kushans if you can't acquire land and wealth?

So, now that the Han people are coming and the Kushan people can't handle it, what's wrong with them turning to the Han people?

Amsi became very angry when he thought that some stubborn tribesmen in his family would criticize and accuse him. Times have changed...

The Kushan people are indeed strong. They have been strong in the Western Regions for decades, nearly a hundred years, but what can they do? The Kushan people were beaten back again and again by the Han people, and now they have to huddle in Chigu City, which is said to never fall. Although the Han people can easily set up formations and prepare outside, they have no ability to fight back, and they don't even have the courage to go out of the city to fight. ?

Are such Kushan people worth following? The muscles on Amsi's face twitched slightly.

Since the defeat at Haitou, the Han people have swept across the entire Western Region like a broken bamboo. From a certain point of view, it is true that the land in the Western Region has slacked off and there is not much defense. But from another point of view, the Han people were unexpected. The power outside is also shocking.

Amsi thought of Ang Gu, the leader of the Kushan people, and then looked at the Han general in the distance, er, the Great Protector. Amsi repeated the word softly, trying to make the word correct and pronunciation standard. That old guy in Anggu is no longer good. He is old and useless.

The Han Protector is very strong, so strong that every time Amsi sees him, he has to work hard to control himself so as not to tremble all over.

Anggu has always said that the Han people are not good at this and useless at that, but Amsi now feels that these are all lies. In fact, it should be that the Han people took the initiative to withdraw from the Western Regions, cultivated and recuperated for decades, and then came back to fight again!

A nation that can swallow its anger and quietly save up for a great battle decades later is very scary...

Amsi even looked at the guy from the Yun tribe standing in front of the Han Protector with envy, thinking about what he had to do to gain the trust of the Han Protector and gain the same status as Yun Er in the capital. Protect the position in front of you.

"Dong dong..."

War drums suddenly sounded violently, interrupting Amsi's thoughts. Then Amsi was surprised to find that in the strange array of Han people, the long wooden poles tilted up, and then black dots popped out... …

...)Д(...

The heart of Ang Gu, a Kushan native, beat violently. He took a long breath, looked up at the blue sky, and slowly closed his eyes. The supreme Buddha, the merciful Bodhisattva who saves people. , bless me, bless the Kushan people, bless everyone in Chigu City, can resist the Han attack.

The war drums of the Han people roared like rolling thunder, exploding in the sky above Chigu City and roaring in the hearts of all Kushan people. Anggu looked at the slowly moving Han soldiers and horses in the distance. His eyes hurt from the cold light from the Han soldiers' formation. He couldn't help but look away. He saw the faces of his soldiers standing on the city wall with different expressions. He felt in his heart. There was a sudden sinking. Almost all the Kushan people had a look of panic on their faces, their eyes were full of fear, and their hands holding weapons were trembling slightly.

"Stand up straight and hold your chest out... The Han people have nothing to fear..." Anggu raised his hands and shouted loudly, "This place is extremely strong and covered by mountains. The Han people can't kill or get in..."

Although Anggu tried his best to encourage, his voice was weak and could not be heard on the battlefield where the drums were loud. The surrounding Kushan soldiers looked blankly at the Han cavalry in the distance, their desperate eyes as helpless and horrified as if they saw the god of death coming.

Anggu had seen this look in the eyes of many people from the Western Regions, but he never expected to see it in the eyes of his own people today...

Anggu was anxious, "Han people, don't be afraid of Han people!" The Han people have nothing to fear... We are the great Kushans, we are protected by Buddha and protected by Bodhisattvas..."

"General!" what is that? ! 』

Anggu was shouting, but he heard the guard on the side roaring in panic, and his voice cracked, like a male duck being pinched by the throat.

Angu turned his head suddenly, and in a daze he saw that it was like the sun in the sky suddenly split into a dozen clones, with a frightening light orange color, and then rushed towards him at an extremely fast speed!

"Bang!" 』

"Fire!" Ahhhh..."

More than a dozen "little suns" fell on Chigu City. Some hit under the city wall, while others crossed the city wall and fell farther away. Only one happened to land on the city wall!

Anggu only felt that all the scenery in front of him seemed to be shaken, and then an extremely huge flame suddenly rose up, swallowing everything!

The heat wave was coming, and Anggu could even hear his beard and hair being scorched and making a sizzling sound...

"Supreme Lord Buddha, merciful Bodhisattva who rescues people..." Anggu's eyes widened, and his whole body could not help but tremble and twitch, "Lord Buddha, Bodhisattva, you, you, have abandoned me. , have you abandoned us Kushan people..."

Everything around him seemed to be trembling and shaking, and then Anggu saw a dozen more small suns setting in the sky. One of them seemed to be smiling at him, shining with the light of Buddha...

"..."

Outside Chigu City, Amsi was trembling as he looked at Chigu City that was suddenly engulfed in flames. He involuntarily slipped off his horse, then trembled, knelt on the ground and huddled up, putting his head deep into the ground. Buried deep in the sand. "Sun God...Han people...Sun God..."

And around Amsi, there were other Westerners, all kneeling on the ground, curled up and trembling, like grass that had been torn by the storm...