Li Xia looked at the prisoner in front of him and said.
"Kublai Khan has an imperial minister and a living official beside him, named 'Heli Huosun'. You told me about his information before, do you still remember it?"
It turned out that he was asking Lin Zi, not the prisoner opposite.
He also speaks Chinese.
"Heli Huosun is a Mongolian. He was born in Kublai Khan's Qixue Army. He is proficient in Sinology and good at painting. He painted several portraits of Kublai Khan. Including the one in your hand, it was made by Heli Huosun.
"
Lin Zi was stunned for a moment, then lowered his head and looked at the portrait in his hand.
Li Xia said: "This man is very similar to the portrait, but in spirit, not in form."
Lin Zi reacted, looked carefully, and said: "Your Majesty is right. Kublai Khan had a wide and round face, narrow eyes, and high cheekbones. Wide and round faces are a common feature of many Mongolians, but this man's eyes
I squinted on purpose."
"Li Qing is a good poet, but he is not an ordinary military commander."
"Are Marshal Li satisfied?"
After saying that, Li Zengbo himself laughed first.
"Your Majesty, please be at ease." Li Zengbo said slowly: "Unlike Wu Lv Zhai, I can exhaust myself in a battle. Lv Zhai is a scholar, and I am a military general."
More than 100,000 people were waiting, but it was just so simple.
"Your Majesty, please rest assured that I am not Wu Luzhai." Li Zengbo emphasized again.
~~
At the foot of Yingpan Mountain.
"He is well-educated, but he is dull. Your Majesty may allow him to hold some civil posts, but do not entrust him with important responsibilities. The veteran is afraid that he will make a big mistake and suffer disaster."
The only thing he was not able to experience personally was what aging felt like. Because he didn't experience it personally, as a young and strong man, he always felt that the old man could stand taller.
…
"Look at his hands again."
With a reply in Chinese, Heli Huosun, who was captured dressed as Kublai Khan, laughed.
Beside the bonfire, Li Zengbo was lying there half-reclined, with his eyes closed, but not asleep. It was obvious that he still had a smile on his face.
"We need soldiers and horses to return to Guanzhong, and if Kublai Khan is killed tomorrow, Henan and Hebei will be recovered. We will leave another partial division in Hetao and attack in two directions this time."
But I heard a slight voice behind me murmuring: "Wu Luzhai did not live to be seventy years old."
"Snapped!"
"You think you are very smart? But I thank you for everything you have done to hasten the demise of the Meng Yuan."
"Is there not more?"
"so what?"
Desuamu became increasingly angry, worried that he had beaten An Tong to death, so he turned to Heli Huosun and whipped An Tong hard again.
This Uyghur was also straightforward. He pointed at Heli Huosun and An Tong, and asked Li Xia: "Your Majesty, can I beat them?"
"Your Majesty is wise."
"Hahahaha, you losers still want to catch my Great Khan. The Great Khan is blessed by immortality. You idiots are so stupid, hahaha..."
Being a little stronger than his old friend may be his last bit of stubbornness.
Li Xia nodded.
That night, the army was registering their military exploits, and there were cheers everywhere, celebrating the great victory in the Battle of Helan Mountain and the capture of Kublai Khan.
He stood up to salute, but Li Xia motioned for him to go out first.
He had been so excited because his mind was occupied with catching Kublai Khan that he could not turn around. Only then did he finally regain the observation skills that a spy leader should have.
What the Tang soldiers wanted to see was that after more than thirty years of hard struggle, they finally had a chance to vent their anger; what the Mongolian prisoners wanted to see was that their authority was shattered and they could reorganize their lives.
"Li Qing asked you to ask?"
~~
Only somewhere in the desert, there are still people who are not reconciled.
"Heli Huosun has been following Kublai Khan closely and has drawn portraits. He is the person who has observed Kublai Khan most carefully, so he can achieve a similar look. He saw that Kublai Khan was being closely pursued, so he changed his clothes to attract the pursuers.
.”
He spoke so many words, although the speed of his speech was slow, the order was very clear, as if he wanted to prove that he was in good health and much stronger than Wu Qian.
In the camp, Song He rushed to Li Xia and asked in a low voice: "Your Majesty, the general is worried that if Kublai Khan returns alive in the future, will the soldiers be disappointed?"
Every time he finished speaking, he would ask the next question.
He has many tricks to keep An Tong from laughing.
After he picked up Kublai Khan's robe, he followed Yang Ben and chased him. Finally he saw a group of timid men protecting a man wearing a sweaty unlined garment, so he tried his best to catch up and capture him alive.
These people who were loyal to Kublai Khan successfully escorted their Khan away.
"Li Qing, please don't be too restless. I'm going to act rashly, and I still need to plan after Li Qing recovers from his injuries. This battle has been won, and I intend for you to set off back to Chang'an tomorrow to recuperate, okay?"
Heli and Huosun could no longer laugh.
There are many people who are just watching the excitement, looking forward to it, and being nervous together.
"Your Majesty, do you want to return to Chang'an first? Or attack Hetao next?"
An Tong grinned, his mouth full of blood, and the more he smiled, the more proud he became.
He raised his hand to stop the guard who was about to salute, and stood there looking into the tent.
Li Zengbo murmured: "It's great. I just hope that tonight won't pass. I won't be able to finish reciting Zhan Guo..."
If you don't know him well and just listen to the second half of the conversation, you might think that he is full of personal agendas.
An Tong is still laughing.
The next moment, thinking of the long journey to Chang'an, his smile became unconfident again.
Li Xia walked towards the tent and heard someone talking outside.
Li Zengbo seemed to be asleep.
"Reconcile the results with Mr. Lu over there."
Li Xia nodded and said, "Li Qing, let's watch the beheading together."
In their hearts, the era of Meng Yuan's invincibility in the world has completely come to an end.
"Your Majesty, the chieftain has been killed." A general reported outside the tent.
Many of the prisoners may not have wanted to deceive the Tang army, but they really thought Heli Huosun was the Great Khan.
As for his injuries, Li Xia hoped that Li Zengbo could recover slowly. He thought that after the war was over, he would naturally be able to recover from his injuries. He also believed that when the world was unified, Li Zengbo would be in a better mood and be able to take care of his old age better.
"Li Qing just lie down."
finally.
"Ha ha ha ha."
"Satisfied." Li Zengbo smiled every time and said, "Very satisfied."
In short, before Desuamu could confirm the identity of the prisoner, the commotion had already become too big, and now it even made him lose face in front of Li Xia.
Li Xia looked at the prisoner in front of him and said, "You understand Chinese, so there's no need to pretend, someone will expose you soon."
Lin Zi got off his horse and walked towards An Tong.
"Okay, okay, Your Majesty has a plan, I can rest assured."
Li Xia once again said something to Heli Huosun in Mongolian.
"But I am seventy years old... Seventy years are rare in life. What's more, I am so lucky to have such a great victory in my old age. When I was dismissed from my post, I thought this would be the end of my life."
At one time, he talked about how much supplies and gold and silver were seized from where. At another time, he talked about which troops of the Yuan army were captured.
When Li Zengbo was asked to guard the third pass, he knew that the old man was already suffering from injuries and illnesses. What he thought at the time was that entrusting him with such important military affairs was a sign of trust and the fulfillment of their common ambition.
"It's traces of paint." Lin Zi said: "This person is Heli Huosun?!"
He pointed around with his chin and said: "Although I am not talented, I still attracted the pursuers for the Great Khan."
Lu Xiufu was sorting out the results registered during the day, and said a few words from time to time.
Late at night.
Li Xia was stunned for a moment and turned his head.
An Tong was still laughing.
Li Xia felt more at ease now. After thinking about it, he turned around and walked to the table, picking up a pen and planning to write a first poem.
As soon as they were brought to the edge of the desert, they heard An Tong crying loudly and shouting "Great Khan". As soon as he took the lead, all the prisoners started shouting.
"I know, what does Li Qing want me to reward him for?"
Li Xia said: "I still have a few good poems. Let's write them down when we return to Chang'an."
Most people can't actually see anything, but they still stand on tiptoe in anticipation.
"Your Majesty, Li Piao, the son of a dog, is now an official in Chang'an."
Li Xia thought of meeting Uncle Li Zeng in the daytime and was stunned for a moment.
Even Yang Ben's flag is moving from north to south.
Li Xia had a straight face and said, "You and I have to do more than that. Don't lose your temper."
After all, those who could see Kublai Khan up close were among the few in Dayuan.
However, countless people's concepts and even beliefs collapsed at this moment.
Both young men seemed to have seen some kind of sign.
"No, Marshal... His injury has been getting worse, and he has been holding on with just one breath. The general does not dare to bother him with this matter anymore. I would like to ask Your Majesty, is it better to hide it from him?
"
Desuamu also reacted. He was frightened and angry, and fiercely gouged out Heli Huosun, An Tong and others.
~~
Li Xia returned to the camp at nightfall.
There was a "bang" sound from the cannon, and a human head was hung high.
Desuamu then walked towards An Tong, raised the handle of the knife and slapped An Tong in the face.
He has been desperately pursuing success all his life, but he didn't realize that he had neglected the people around him.
Although Li Zengbo's spirit seemed to be good, his old body gave out too many bad signals.
"The old minister's ancestral home is in Qinyang, Henan. When His Majesty recovers the Central Plains, can you give me that piece of land..."
"Thank you, Your Majesty." Li Zengbo smiled and said, "When we arrive in Chang'an, I will be waiting for your Majesty's new words."
"It's not impossible. But the Nine White Papers are real, the Great Khan's robes are real, and all the accessories are real, and the timid Xue Jun's crying is even more real. Let's just treat it as Kublai Khan's execution. Let's see who is more disappointed.
.”
"Where is Li Qing?"
For a long time after that, Li Zengbo talked about almost all these little things.
Heli Huosun got a slap in the face. Although he was not as arrogant as An Tong, he still had the same proud look in his eyes.
"Your Majesty, your Majesty, please stop ordering Hu Legen to write some crooked poems to send the old officials away."
Li Xia just stood there watching and listening, suddenly feeling guilty.
Lu Xiufu turned his head and suddenly saw Li Xia walking in.
Li Xia gave two more instructions.
Heli Huosun, An Tong was stunned and couldn't stop laughing.
Li Zengbo's eyes lit up and he had expectations again, and he even tried to stand up.
Countless soldiers and prisoners lined up in formation, stretching their necks and looking up.
As Heli Huosun said, more and more soldiers and horses have been withdrawn from the north.
Sometimes Lu Xiufu was resting and didn't speak for a long time. Li Zengbo would get tired of waiting and would mutter a sentence.
This blow knocked out half of An Tong's teeth.
Just as he was about to speak, he suddenly heard a "dong" sound and drums sounded outside.
After chatting all night, it was already daylight.
"Also, there is more. There are so many results that the students won't be able to finish them when they are tired."
Not even the head belonged to Kublai Khan.
"It can't compare to your majesty's poems... Your majesty has no intention of doing this. Otherwise, I really want to discuss poems with your majesty, but I never get around to it."
"good."
In fact, it was because in the past, what he and Li Xia had always talked about were wars and wars. Only after today's victory did he have the time and thought to talk about these things.
"Ha ha ha ha……"
Soon, the generals of the Tang army shouted: "Take the captive chief back, and kill his head and light a lamp tomorrow morning! To comfort the world..."
"I agree, but Li Qing still needs to contribute more to regaining the Central Plains."
The curtain was slightly opened before Lu Xiufu left. Li Zengbo had already murmured: "Your Majesty is here? Sir..."
Zhang Yizheng was walking with difficulty carrying a ragged man on his back.
"You are the most loyal warrior." The man being carried said in Mongolian.
His beard was shaved very short, and the green stubble all over his face looked very funny. His heavy body pressed on Zhang Yi's back, as if he was going to crush Zhang Yi at any time.
"As witnessed by the Immortal Heaven, this Khan will never forget your loyalty..."