Tibet

Tian Chengsi was awakened from his dream. When he heard that Xindu City had been taken by his nephew and Li Na had been beheaded, he was stunned. He had only agreed casually during the day, but he didn't expect it to be successful.

In addition to being shocked, Tian Chengsi was overjoyed and hurriedly put on his armor and went to Xindu City.

All 14,000 cavalrymen in the city surrendered, which made Tian Chengsi so happy that he couldn't stop smiling. He got an elite cavalry for nothing.

After entering the city, Tian Chengsi ordered to stop the massacre and looting of the people. Although Li Na was targeting him, Wudu County was not his territory, but Li Baochen's territory. The wanton massacre of Li Baochen's subjects might anger Li Baochen.

Tian Chengsi immediately appeased Li Zaixi and promised to pay him 100,000 taels of silver. He also appointed him as a general and made him the deputy general of his nephew Tian Yue.

The problem facing Tian Chengsi now was whether to attack the Tang army or retreat to Cangzhou. He was unable to make a decision for a while, so he sent a spy to Beizhou to get information.

In Weizhou, an army of 10,000 people was marching rapidly towards Mingzhou in the northwest direction. They were basically infantry, but they brought 3,000 strong mules, each of which carried two large boxes.

This army was the 10,000 troops led by Tian Wei. He had learned that a Tang army of more than 50,000 people was coming from Bozhou, which immediately made him panic. At this critical moment, Tian Wei received an urgent order from his father, ordering him to immediately withdraw to Jizhou via Mingzhou and Xingzhou.

This order came too timely. Tian Wei immediately packed up the gold, silver and silk in the warehouse, led 10,000 troops to withdraw overnight, and hurried along the northwest official road with 3,000 strong mules.

It was not far from Yuancheng to Mingzhou, only about 150 miles. A 10,000-man army could enter Mingzhou in three days, and the road was flat, a vast plain with no end in sight.

This is the famous North China Plain. Except for houses and trees, there is no shelter on the plain.

If it is sunny, you can even see thirty or forty miles away at a glance.

However, the Hebei Plain has entered spring these days. The sky often rains finely and densely, and the air is warm and humid.

At noon the next day, 10,000 troops were resting by the river next to the woods. Tian Wei sat on a big rock, holding a pancake with mutton sauce in his hand, eating and drinking water.

At this moment, the scout on a big tree suddenly shouted, "There is an enemy in the west!"

Tian Wei was shocked and didn't care about eating. He asked in a hurry: "What enemy? How far away?"

The personal soldier ran to ask, and came back a moment later to report, "It's cavalry, about 10,000 people, 20 miles away, it seems to have discovered us, and is running towards us!"

There were 10,000 cavalry. Tian Wei was anxious and ordered: "The whole army speeds up!"

He jumped on the horse and rushed away. The soldiers didn't care about taking things and urged the mules to run wildly.

The army they encountered was Lei Wanchun's 40,000 troops coming from Xiangzhou. Lei Wanchun, who was originally fighting against the Hezuo Army, found that Xiangzhou was empty and the Hezuo Army was missing. He immediately sent troops to occupy Xiangzhou, and then got Weizhou with only 10,000 people led by Tian Wei.

Lei Wanchun could not sit still. He left 10,000 people to guard Xiangzhou, and he immediately led 40,000 troops to Weizhou.

Just an hour ago, Lei Wanchun received a report from a scout that a Wei Bo army of about 10,000 people was found 30 miles ahead, marching to the northwest.

Lei Wanchun immediately realized that this was Tian Wei's 10,000 troops, and Lei Wanchun decisively ordered to surround and intercept this army.

Tian Wei ran wildly along the official road for a mile, and ran more than ten miles. Suddenly, a dark army appeared in front of him.

He was so scared that he reined in his horse and trembled all over. There was also an army in front of him, what should he do?

The lieutenant of the personal soldiers said decisively: "My lord, change your clothes!"

This sentence reminded Tian Wei, and he quickly took off the golden helmet on his head.

The guards hurriedly changed his clothes into a soldier's clothes, painted his face black, and drew thick eyebrows. The weak scholar suddenly became a rough soldier, and then changed to an ordinary horse.

Thousands of soldiers came from behind, and they also saw the Tang army several miles ahead, and they stopped.

"Everyone, run for your lives!"

Tian Wei shouted, rushed down the ridge of the field, and ran to the endless wheat fields in the west.

His 10,000 soldiers also jumped off the wheat fields like a flood, and ran to the east and west to escape. The 3,000 strong mules were not needed, and were thrown on the official road. The soldiers threw away their helmets and armor, weapons and the burdens that hindered their escape.

But it was useless. 40,000 Tang troops surrounded them from all directions.

"Woo--"

The horns sounded continuously, and the Tang army attacked, killing from all directions, and killed them directly if they did not surrender.

The soldiers of the Wei Bo army were scared to death and knelt down to surrender.

Tian Wei was a civilian official, and he had no intention of fighting his way out of the encirclement. He only wanted to escape. Seeing that he could not escape, he turned over and dismounted, turning into an ordinary soldier, with only a few personal soldiers following him.

After running for less than a mile, a group of hundreds of Tang cavalrymen rushed over and blocked the escapee's way. The leading captain shouted: "Those who surrender will be spared, and those who resist will be killed without mercy!"

More than 300 Wei Bo's soldiers knelt down and surrendered, and Tian Wei was mixed in with them, kneeling on the ground and lowering his head. He was of medium build and not strong enough. His appearance had completely changed. Except for a few personal soldiers who followed him, no one else recognized him.

Ten thousand people did not escape, nor did they resist. All of them became prisoners of the Tang army. At this time, Lei Wanchun had learned that this army was exactly Tian Wei's ten thousand people, and Tian Wei was among them.

But the Tang soldiers only found his warhorse, but not the person.

"Damn it!"

Lei Wanchun cursed fiercely. Needless to say, Tian Wei must be among the surrendered soldiers. There are 10,000 people! How can he find him?

Deputy General Zhang Yun urged his horse forward and said, "General, we have seized 3,000 mules and 6,000 large boxes, all of which are gold, silver, silk and other valuables."

Zhang Yun is no longer the scout leader. He was named County Duke, General Yunhui, and served as the General Commander. This time he went to war as Lei Wanchun's deputy general.

Lei Wanchun looked at the surrendered soldiers and said, "Tian Wei is hiding among the surrendered soldiers. General Zhang is a scout. Is there any way to find him!"

Zhang Yun smiled slightly and said, "This is easy. Leave it to me!"

Tian Wei is about 1.7 meters tall, with a long face and a thin physique, so the tall and strong soldiers were picked out first and put aside, so that only 5,000 people were left.

Among the 5,000 people, the strong soldiers were picked out again, leaving 3,000 people.

Zhang Yun continued to check the 3,000 people, picking out the round-faced and square-faced ones, and finally there were less than 1,000 soldiers with long faces, medium build, and thin bodies.

These 1,000 people lined up, each with their hands raised, and walked past Zhang Yun. Those with thin white palms and no calluses were pulled out.

Suddenly, only 30 people were left.

Zhang Yun smiled and said, "Who is Tian Wei? Stand up yourself! We won't kill you."

At this time, a thin man stood up and sighed, "I am Tian Wei!"

Zhang Yun walked forward, but pulled out another young man next to him, sneering: "If I'm not wrong, you are Tian Wei!"

The man's legs softened, and he sat down on the ground with a "thump!"

Zhang Yun caught it very accurately. The man was Tian Wei, and the one who took the initiative to stand up and admit it just now was his personal soldier.