The scorching sun is like scorching fire, and the quicksand is like fire.
Looking at the vast desert, a mountain range is surrounded by a sea of sand, like a lonely boat on the sea. It is precisely because of the mountains that the quicksand moving eastward is blocked, and the desert to the east of the mountains appears slightly less desolate.
Occasionally, there are a few withered and yellow shrubs lingering in the hot air waves on the sand.
The army marching north was marching in this hot and suffocating sea of sand. In order to keep their whereabouts secret, they did not dare to get too close to the edge of the desert. If they were discovered by the Liao people, their plan to sneak attack on Beijing would be ruined.
The retreat speed of the official road must be very fast, and soon a big net will be woven, waiting for Su Jin's army to fly into the net.
This is already the third day. We have traveled less than 200 miles in three days. The people and horses are very sleepy and the water is consumed very quickly. Not only the people need to drink water, but also the cattle and horses need to drink water. The water truck accompanying the army is already empty.
Half, and according to predictions, there is still at least seven or eight days to go.
Su Jin had to issue a water ban. All the water bags of the soldiers were handed over, and the animals were given water three times a day. However, the soldiers could only drink water once, and only a small cup. Everyone understood that without water, privacy could not be guaranteed.
When you reach your destination, you can of course break away from the desert and travel, but that would be the same as asking for death.[
Su Jin sat on the horse in a daze, putting a sweat towel on his helmet to block some shade. He felt a little anxious in his heart. As the army moved forward mechanically, no one on the left and right spoke, only the dull trampling of the horses on the hot sand.
The sound is the same as the squeaking sound of wheels rubbing against hubs.
Suddenly, there was a noise from behind. Someone was shouting and yelling. Su Jin frowned. Wang Chao quickly turned his horse's head to see what was going on. Su Jin also followed him and walked towards the noise.
, the scene in front of me was quite weird. A group of soldiers lay on the ground and sucked with their heads and faces on the ground. The ground was wet, as if water had flowed into the sand and penetrated.
There was an overturned barrel next to it, with a big hole in it and stained with gravel. A general was beating a soldier with a whip. The soldier was rolling on the ground, wailing incessantly.
"What's the matter?" Wang Chao shouted.
When the general saw that it was Wang Dynasty, he hurriedly put down his whip and stepped forward to salute, cursing: "Report to General Wang, this guy secretly drank water from the water cart. After being discovered, he knocked over the barrel and spilled all the water in the bucket.
.”
Chao Chao said: "I drank some water before the water distribution time and knocked over the bucket. This is a blatant disobedience to the commander's order. Isn't it a leopard's courage?"
The soldier on the ground shouted: "I'm thirsty and can't urinate. I don't dare to eat dry food. If I eat it, it will get stuck in my throat..."
Wang Chao took a step forward, picked up the whip on the ground and whipped it without thinking: "You are a coward. Everyone is an iron man. Do you know the consequences of disobeying the commander's military order? Water is so precious, and you knocked over the barrel.
I'll beat you to death, you coward." After saying that, he put more force on his hands and struck the whip down aimlessly, sending the soldier rolling all over the ground.
Su Jin left the crowd and said: "General Wang, stop."
When Wang Chao saw Su Jin arriving, he put down his whip and spat, then stepped forward and said: "Commander, this guy..."
Su Jin waved his hand and said, "I heard it all." After that, he walked slowly to the soldier, squatted down and reached out to brush away the grit stuck to the blood on his face, and asked, "What's your name?"
The soldier was trembling and did not dare to look at Su Jin. He trembled and said, "Wu Xiaoba, the villain."
Su Jindao: "I have been a soldier for several years."
Wu Xiaoba said: "It's been three years."
Su Jin said: "The accent sounds like someone from Weizhou."
Wu Xiaoba nodded and said: "You are from Weizhou, and you become a soldier only because you admire the reputation of the Northwest Army and the general."
Su Jin was silent for a while, then turned to the general in charge of the water tanker and said, "Bring water."
The general said in astonishment: "Commander..."
"Bring water." Su Jin shouted.[
The general quickly poured a large bowl of water and brought it over. Su Jin handed it to the soldier and said, "Drink."
Wu Xiaoba was doubtful and didn't dare to accept it. Su Jin put the bowl into his hand. Wu Xiaoba looked at the rippling water and couldn't resist the temptation. He drank it down and sighed with satisfaction.
.
Su Jin said: "Do you still want to drink?"
Wu Xiaoba said: "Even if you give a villain a bucket, he can drink it."
Su Jin smiled and said, "Bring a bucket."
Wu Xiaoba said in astonishment: "Commander, I was just joking, how dare you drink a bucket?"
Su Jin yelled: "Are you kidding me? Do you take the words of the military as a joke? My water ban is for the sake of the army. Not only you, but I, Su Jin, can only drink a small glass of water a day. You disobeyed."
He drank secretly despite military orders and overturned a bucket. This bucket of water can guarantee drinking for at least ten people. Emotionally, I sympathize with you and I understand you. In the vast desert, thirst is unbearable. It is human to want to drink water.
It's normal; but this is in the army, and it is the Northwest Army, a brave army trained by Su Jin. You are from Weizhou. You have heard of the deeds of the Xia people in the battle to attack Weizhou, and how they defended the city.
We have only 40,000 troops and 120,000 enemy troops. The city is surrounded on all sides and enemy troops are everywhere. Has anyone in the Weizhou army ever retreated? Has anyone in the Weizhou army ever disobeyed an order? You have brought great shame to the elders of Weizhou."
The soldier hid his face and said nothing, ashamed.
Su Jindao: "Military orders are like mountains. If you are thirsty, I can give you water. You can drink as much as you want. But if you disobey my military orders, you must accept punishment."
Wu Xiaoba exclaimed: "Commander, please spare your life. The villain will not dare to do it anymore. Let the villain take the blame and perform meritorious service to kill more Liao people..."
Su Jin waved his hand and said: "The task of killing the enemy will be done by others. Don't worry, your family will give you generous support. I'll treat it as if you died on the battlefield."
Wu Xiaoba shouted proudly: "Commander, spare your life, Commander..."
Su Jin waved his hand, and Wang Chao picked up the soldier's arm and scolded him: "You are like a man who dares to take action, so what's the use of begging for mercy."
Wu Xiaoba cried and struggled, and was dragged all the way to the back of the sand dune by Wang Chao. He only heard a loud cry, and everything was silent. Wang Chao came out from behind the sand dune and inserted the bloody waist knife into its sheath.
"Bury him, set up a monument for him, and put a bowl of water in front of the grave." Su Jin ordered in a hoarse voice, turned on his horse, and galloped away.
The surrounding soldiers were silent and no one made a sound. After a while, someone whispered: "The commander-in-chief seems to be crying."
"Yes, I saw it too."
"Commander, you can't bear it. By the way, this is the first time I've seen a commander use military law to kill someone."
"Brother, the commander-in-chief has nothing to do. Otherwise, how can we arrive at Huaizhou smoothly? The military order is like a mountain. Anyone who resists the military order will suffer the same fate."
"..."
…
After seven hellish days, the desert came to an end, and only the continuous tail of Tanshan Mountain was left on the left. On the distant horizon, a touch of green appeared in front of us like a fairyland. The voices of the scouts who scouted the road in front changed when they came back to report.
Tune, the excitement is beyond words.[
"Commander, there is grassland in front of us. Twenty miles ahead is a large lake. Let's get out. Fifty miles ahead is the boundary of Huaizhou."
Su Jin suppressed his excitement and shouted in a deep voice: "Tell the brothers the news and rush to the river to camp before dark."
The news spread quickly in the camp, and the soldiers who were no longer human were crying with joy. In the past seven days, they had been through hell. On the fifth day, they almost ran out of water, leaving only a little water.
All were given to the animals, and thousands of brothers fell down along the way. Everyone was so thirsty that they had to drink their own urine and the animal's urine. Everyone's lips were chapped, their faces were covered with dust, and their eyes were red.
But in their eyes, Su Jin always sat upright on his horse, like an iron Buddha. Although he didn't take an extra sip of water like everyone else, he didn't even say a word of resentment.
In this way, everyone gritted their teeth and persisted, and finally the pain was over.
Entering the grassland, the speed of the army obviously accelerated. As the soldiers walked, they pulled the grass leaves on the ground and stuffed them into their mouths. They chewed like animals, and their mouths were full of green grass juice, but they looked at each other and laughed.
, but there was no frown on the face due to the bitter taste, and it was filled with the joy of coming from hell to heaven.
A beautiful jade-like green lake appeared in front of them, and the soldiers jumped into the lake with cheers, drinking the lake water like cattle and horses, enjoying the clear water of the lake and washing away the nightmare-like pain and fatigue of the past few days.
Su Jin, like everyone else, dismounted from his horse and jumped into the lake, enjoying this heavenly moment. At this moment, life became so simple, and no disputes about fame, wealth and power were as real as this clear water.
Soaking in the clear lake water and looking up at the bright stars in the sky, Su Jin couldn't help but think of his wife and children at home.
The war is coming, but Su Jin is thinking about ending it all quickly, returning home, and being reunited with his wife and children. This is what he desires most in his heart.