Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
Zhu Xie Gu Zhu of the Chuyue Tribe was astonished to hear that Xu Zhen had come as an envoy. He hurried out of the Central Army Tent to welcome her. Although he was a leader, he needed religious faith to gain the loyalty of the people. The arrival of Xu Zhen had already stirred a wave of worship; if he were to harm her, the tribe would likely collapse in an instant.
It was hard for others to imagine what Xu Zhen meant to a devout believer. She represented a miraculous figure, a living deity who had returned from death, a legendary being beyond reach.
It was precisely Xu Zhen's Miracle that made people of different faiths firmly believe that what they worshipped was real. Their countless prayers would one day be answered. In this sense, Xu Zhen embodied all the hopes and dreams of the faithful.
Zhu Xie Gu Zhu could not kill Xu Zhen to intimidate the Tang Army; instead, he had to serve Xu Zhen respectfully to win the hearts of the tribal warriors.
Under Zhu Xie Gu Zhu's promotion, the fact that Xu Zhen was acting as an envoy was concealed. Externally, it was claimed that war was ruthless and soldiers were innocent, and that Xu Zhen had come solely to bless the soldiers.
Upon hearing this, the Chuyue Tribe truly celebrated as everyone hoped to receive blessings from Xu Zhen.
Zhu Xie Gu Zhu had made up his mind; he could not kill Xu Zhen but would not discuss exchanging prisoners with her either. He aimed to keep her in the tribe as much as possible to boost morale among the troops.
This strategy proved effective; seeing Xu Zhen in the camp filled the tribal warriors with an inexplicable sense of security and boundless courage. It felt as if her blessings rendered them invulnerable to any weapons!
Xu Zhen was incredibly astute and had already seen through Zhu Xie Gu Zhu's malicious intentions. The current situation of the Tang Army did not allow for any further delay, so she requested Zhu Xie Gu Zhu to bless many Sili.
Zhu Xie Gu Zhu was quite pleased with his little scheme and was overjoyed to hear that Xu Zhen wanted to bless Sili. He quickly spread the news, and indeed, the tribal army erupted in excitement once again!
Although Sili were generally more perceptive than ordinary soldiers, they too believed in deities. To receive blessings from Xu Zhen was something they desired greatly, even Shatuo Nasu, who usually claimed illness, showed up.
As soon as Shatuo Nasu appeared, many Sili looked down on him and avoided him as if he carried a plague. Even more amusingly, when Shatuo Nasu saw Xu Zhen, he trembled all over and fainted when she blessed him. Zhu Xie Gu Zhu could only smile wryly at this.
Xu Zhen waved her hand slightly and stated that Shatuo Nasu was an extremely devout believer who could not withstand the divine blessing; his soul had been shaken. She needed to stabilize his spirit; otherwise, Shatuo Nasu might suffer cognitive impairment in the future.
Although Xu Zhen spoke very seriously, many Sili couldn't help but snicker upon hearing that Shatuo Nasu's intelligence might be affected. They whispered among themselves, mocking him by saying he already seemed like a complete fool; how much more foolish could he possibly become?
Although it was a harmless joke, in front of the national master like Xu Zhen, no one dared to speak loudly. They could only leave the Main Tent with Zhu Xie Gu Zhu, while outside, guards were stationed to ensure that no one disturbed the national master during the spellcasting.
Once they left, Xu Zhen looked around and gently nudged Shatuo Nasu, smiling as she said, "Great Sujin, stop pretending."
Shatuo Nasu slowly opened his eyes, stood up, and respectfully bowed to Xu Zhen, saying, "Shatuo Nasu greets General Xu Zhen!"
He did not refer to Xu Zhen as the national master but as the general, which was quite telling. Xu Zhen had no intention of beating around the bush and directly asked, "It’s just the two of us here; Great Sujin need not be overly polite. It seems you have received my Secret Letter. What do you think?"
Xu Zhen had previously sent Tibetan Guards to secretly infiltrate the Chuyue Tribe to gather information. After learning about the conflict between Shatuo Nasu and Zhu Xie Gu Zhu, she began attempting to make contact with Shatuo Nasu.
Shatuo Nasu was part of the Pro-War Faction but hoped for stable development for his tribe. Unlike Zhu Xie Gu Zhu, who was aggressive and sought alliances with powerful forces to survive through warfare, he wanted his tribe to settle down and introduce advanced technologies from the Tang Dynasty to develop Chuyue Tribe into a prosperous oasis in the desert. He envisioned Chuyue Tribe becoming a fortress like Khotan, serving as a gateway to the Western Regions.
Shatuo Nasu had a long-term vision and was always concerned about the livelihood of the people in Chuyue Tribe. For instance, Zhu Xie Gu Zhu's recent military campaign with thirty thousand troops had drained the tribe's resources. Now, the elderly and children in the tribe could only struggle through winter without sufficient food supplies, which pained him greatly.
His cooperation with Xu Zhen in their act indicated that he had fully accepted her terms, but Xu Zhen still needed him to confirm it verbally.
The conditions proposed by Xu Zhen were highly tempting for Shatuo Nasu and were impossible to refuse. He only needed to act as an insider, helping Xu Zhen take Lao Mountain and repel Ashi Na Helu. Afterward, he would gain a title equivalent to that of Ashi Na Helu. The Tang Dynasty would establish a Yaochi Governor's Office in Chuyue Tribe and appoint him as Governor of Yaochi. The Tang could provide everything related to agriculture and crafts.
In this way, Shatuo Nasu's dream could come true; Zhu Xie Gu Zhu would no longer lead the tribe. He would take charge and guide his people toward peaceful development and a stable life!
The price he needed to pay was merely to incite his tribe during the Tang Army's attack on Lao Mountain and create a commotion within the tribal forces.
With his cunning and tactics, Shatuo Nasu could create great chaos without killing his fellow tribesmen, as he was well aware of the Chuyue Tribe's supply storage. As long as he set fire to their provisions, the Chuyue Tribe would be unable to continue fighting, and Lao Mountain would be indefensible, leading to a retreat.
This was also the most prudent strategy. As for Zhu Xie Gu Zhu and his warlike tribe, if they were unwise enough to resist the Tang Heavenly Army to the end, then their fate would be left to chance.
Thinking of this, Shatuo Nasu looked directly at Xu Zhen and solemnly nodded, saying, "Shatuo Nasu is willing to follow General Xu's command!"
"Good! Great Sujin is noble and understands righteousness. This action will surely reduce bloodshed on both sides. I, Xu, thank Great Sujin in advance. What was promised before will certainly be fulfilled; should there be any breach, neither man nor god will spare you!"
Xu Zhen raised her hand to swear an oath, and Shatuo Nasu made a similar vow. The two struck their palms together three times as a pledge before lying back down to play their roles. Xu Zhen then called in those waiting outside and helped the dazed Shatuo Nasu back.
After the blessings were completed, Xu Zhen proposed an exchange of prisoners with Zhu Xie Gu Zhu, who naturally refused. Xu Zhen feigned anger and requested to return to the Tang Dynasty the next day. Seeing that his objectives had been achieved and morale was high among the troops, Zhu Xie Gu Zhu had no choice but to release Xu Zhen.
When Luo Hongyi and Cui Yuqing saw Xu Zhen return empty-handed without any achievements, they were about to submit a formal complaint when they heard that she had already requested permission from the Chief of Military Operations to personally lead troops against Lao Mountain!
Qibi Helix and Liang Jianfang had long regarded Lao Mountain as a formidable challenge after prolonged assaults. Now entering December with freezing temperatures, any further delay would make success impossible and eventually lead to the demise of the Tang army at the hands of Ashi Na Helu.
Moreover, although Xu Zhen had made no progress against Lao Mountain, her determination to attack suggested she had found a good strategy for breaking through. Qibi Helix and Liang Jianfang met privately with Xu Zhen and immediately ordered all troops into action, commanding the Uyghur Tribe's cavalry to lead the charge while the Tang army followed behind in a full-scale assault on Lao Mountain!
Xu Zhen was known for her use of unconventional tactics; her unique thinking allowed her to achieve extraordinary results. Qibi Helix and Liang Jianfang quickly recognized that her plan was absolutely feasible and decisively ordered the total attack.
The arrival of Xu Zhen sparked much discussion among the Chuyue Tribe. Many were still reminiscing about her blessings. To boost morale among his troops, Zhu Xie Gu Zhu rewarded them all, leading to widespread joy—except for Shatuo Nasu's warriors who were absent from the festivities.
Shatuo Nasu's disgrace had already spread throughout the camp, making him a laughingstock. He felt too ashamed to attend the banquet, and naturally, there were no doubts among the other tribes about his absence; they even used it for amusement during the feast.
The entire tribal camp was filled with joy and harmony. The glow of bonfires and smoke broke through the snowstorm like fiery dragons soaring into the sky, illuminating Lao Mountain in magnificent splendor.
As night fell, the soldiers had already drunk their fill of strong liquor and were falling asleep. The snow had stopped in the evening, but the wind was fierce, howling and shrieking. Even the sentries on guard were fewer in number; some soldiers, wrapped in thick furs and leaning on their long spears, could barely keep their heads up as they dozed off. The bonfire crackled loudly, flames shooting up into the sky. Taking advantage of the warmth from the fire, the soldiers removed their leather armor, treating it as a cushion, and sprawled out with their chests and bellies exposed, sleeping haphazardly by the fire.
Seeing that the time was ripe, Shatuo Nasu ordered his troops to silently occupy the supply tents. They piled up the prepared cooking oil and dry firewood and set all the supplies ablaze!
At this moment, with flames reaching for the sky and soldiers deep in slumber, who would know that the supplies had already been set to fire? Shatuo Nasu's men approached the various camp gates to replace those drowsy soldiers. The biting cold wind made these men eager for someone to take over their watch. Seeing Shatuo Nasu's troops approaching, they couldn't help but mock them inwardly.
Little did they know that just as they had settled down to sleep, Shatuo Nasu's forces began tearing down the camp gates. Shatuo Nasu ordered a firecracker to be ignited; the bamboo tube exploded with a loud bang, shooting sparks into the sky!
This firecracker had been secretly given to Shatuo Nasu by Xu Zhen. Upon seeing the signal rise, he hurriedly commanded his men to sound the Horn and beat the drums for an advance!
In the enemy camp at Lao Mountain, Zhu Xie Gu Zhu, who had gotten up during the night, heard a faint cannon sound. He pushed aside two naked sleeping Chuyue Tribe girls and pulled back the tent curtain only to be met with a surge of panic!
Nearby, where smoking was strictly prohibited, flames were now soaring into the sky, igniting even nearby tents. How could he not be alarmed?
"Damn Shatuo Nasu!" he thought instinctively, believing that Shatuo Nasu could no longer endure humiliation and had revolted. He had always been wary of a potential betrayal from Shatuo Nasu but never expected that it would actually happen!
What he didn't anticipate was that not only had Shatuo Nasu betrayed him but also led Tang Dynasty's army right into their midst!
Comment 0 Comment Count