Hangu Seki! Since ancient times, it has been called the first level in the world.

Of course, it was Lao Tzu who really made it famous......

Eh, the Lao Tzu mentioned here is not Lao Tzu!

In the past, Lao Tzu sent a letter to Guguan in the west, and the purple gas came to the east for three thousand miles, and Lao Tzu should guard the city, leaving a masterpiece "Tao Te Ching" after leaving a book through the ages, there is no trace! Later, some people said that he went all the way to India, practiced the way of heaven and earth, combined the teachings in Buddhist scriptures, and became a Buddha himself.

(Excerpt from Journey to the West: Lao Jun...... He rolled up his sleeves, took a circle off his left arm, and said, "This weapon is made of steel...... A 'golden steel cutter', also known as 'golden steel set'. When he passed the letter and turned Hu into a Buddha, he was very much indebted. ”）

Of course, some people say that Lao Tzu looks down on the world, travels everywhere, and lives in seclusion outside the mountains.

However, things are always too far away, and the truth is no longer traceable, so Xiao Han often thinks that Lao Tzu is likely to have been robbed by robbers......

Although thinking like this will be strangled to death by Xiao Lizi, who posthumously recognizes Lao Tzu as an ancestor, in fact, this is the most likely thing!

When the group arrived here, the road ahead began to be difficult. After passing the Hangu Pass, it has basically been out of the Tang Dynasty's sphere of influence, and if you go further, no one knows what you will encounter!

Although the dozen or so people accompanying him are all good at martial arts, their personal martial arts are really not enough to see in front of thousands of troops. Therefore, the group decisively abandoned the main road and took the small road instead, passing through the village.

In the past, more than a dozen horses galloping like this would definitely attract countless onlookers, but now, passing through so many villages, Xiao Han saw less than the number of living people in his hands.

The houses in many villages are obviously still very new, but when Xiao Han and the others got off the horse and were about to beg for water, they found that there was nothing inside.

After hearing this, Xiao Han suddenly remembered that it was recorded in the history books: Sui had a population of 8.9 million households, and by the beginning of the Tang Dynasty, there were less than 2 million households left.

Maybe the numbers are cold, Xiao Han just sighed when he saw this: Oh, there are so many people missing. But now that I have seen villages turn into ghost towns, a chill rises from the bottom of my heart!

The viciousness of war is almost indescribable!

The scene along the way shocked Xiao Han, touching the purse sent by Xue Pan on his chest, Xiao Han no longer shouted pain, and followed Li Shimin to hurry!

Now, he just wants to get to a crowded place as soon as possible.

On the afternoon of the third day, the tired group finally arrived in Xiazhou, where the eldest grandson Shunde and the army were stationed.

drove the horse to the city, and naturally there were guards who stepped forward to reveal their identity. The captain on the battlement cautiously loosened a basket and hung the token representing his identity at the head of the city, and before he could check it carefully, he was snatched away by the eldest grandson Shunde who came in a hurry.

"Open the gates! Welcome to His Majesty King Qin! The eldest grandson Shunde was wearing an old armor, lying on the head of the city and looking down, and immediately shouted excitedly.

The heavy city gate was opened, and the sand and dust in the hole of the city gate seemed to have found a catharsis point! Swirling out, Xiao Han and Li Shimin, who were standing in front of the city gate, were defenseless, and they made a disgraced face at that time.

Several people hurriedly turned their heads and spit out the mud and sand in their mouths, but they were pitiful for the face that had just been combed temporarily, which was completely ruined.

"Hahaha......" The eldest grandson Shunde laughed and ran out of the city gate hole, followed by many officers and soldiers, and when he saw a few people so embarrassed, he quickly stopped laughing, and first bowed his hand and said: "Young general Shunde, I have seen King Qin, Xiao Hou!" It's really hard for the two of you to travel thousands of miles for us, hurry up and go into the city to rest! ”

Li Shimin and Xiao Han also rearranged their appearances at this time, and bowed their hands in return: "The general's words are serious!" The general fought for the Tang Dynasty, and I dare not say that it is hard! ”

This is a very formal answer, the eldest grandson Shunde and Xiao Han and Li Shimin can't go out of line, and the other people's identities are not enough, so they can only follow aside.

After saying this, the eldest grandson Shunde affectionately pulled Li Shimin and Xiao Han towards the city, as for their horses, someone had already taken over on their behalf.

Xiazhou City is huge! I don't know how much bigger than the county town of Sanyuan, the blue-gray city wall is mottled and abnormal, and even the city gate is covered with traces of slashing and axe, and there is even a large black place, so that people can see how tragic the battle it has experienced.

Xiao Han looked around at the city, and the eldest grandson Shunde was busy explaining the situation here to Li Shimin in detail.

"King Qin, you have come just in time! They had besieged the city the other day. However, the city of Xiazhou was easy to defend and difficult to attack, and they besieged it for some days, seeing that it was of little use, they could only retreat. ”

"Oh?" Li Shimin stopped and asked the eldest grandson Shunde: "Why did they withdraw their troops so easily?" Is it because the casualties are too large? ”

The eldest grandson Shunde shook his head: "That's not it, they didn't know how to besiege at first, they only besieged it." Later, only a few small sieges were organized, but they did not have much combat effectiveness, and they were easily broken up by us. ”

"Easy?" Li Shimin was even more puzzled, "Could it be that their combat effectiveness is so low?" It's impossible, if that's the case, how can they occupy Luoyang? ”

The eldest grandson Shunde smiled, pointed to the east, and said to Li Shimin: "It's not correct to say that they are wrong!" Wang Shichong has General Long Xiang under his command, and several other generals, who are powerful! In real terms, there is no one on our side who can compete with it! But I never expected that this Wang Shi was suspicious by nature, and he was always suspicious of these generals. Whenever it comes to attacking, I will always arrange people around me to coerce those fierce generals, so these days, I can't understand what they are fighting! ”

"And this?" Li Shimin laughed, then he put his mind at ease and continued to walk forward, he saw that Xiao Han had already walked in the head early.

Xiao Han didn't notice that Li Shimin and the eldest grandson Shunde were standing behind him, and he was still walking along the city avenue with his legs bent. In the past two days, I have been riding a horse, and I feel so happy even walking!

It's just that after the happiness, he suddenly found that on the side of the road, there were many soldiers sitting loosely on the side, basking in the sun, looking weak.

"This is also Tang Bing? What's wrong with them?! Xiao Lizi, who followed behind, also discovered this, just glanced at it, and was angry and went up! Under him, even the auxiliaries would not dare to be so lazy! If someone brings soldiers like this, then this commander can only tie his head to the flagpole and flutter in the wind!

The eldest grandson Shunde saw Li Shimin's gloomy face, but he could only smile bitterly: "King Qin, what you see is a person suffering from a strange disease..."

"Sick?" Li Shimin raised his legs and walked towards a person leaning against the wall, stretched out his hand and fiddled a few times, but the person did not resist, as Xiao Lizi's hand swayed from side to side, as if he had no strength at all.

The eldest grandson Shunde explained to him on the side: "As King Qin has seen, the people who suffer from this strange disease are no different from ordinary people, but all the strength of the body is gone, I searched for doctors, but those quacks can't find anything!" But the people here fell ill one after another, and I had to write to the Holy One and ask him to decide. ”

"And this disease?" Li Shimin was skeptical, he thought it was these people pretending to be at first, but when he heard the eldest grandson Shunde say this, he didn't like it, so he had to set his eyes on Xiao Han, hoping that Xiao Han, who could always create miracles, could give an answer.

Xiao Han actually saw the difference between these people early on, his body was thin, his eyes were dull, and he was soft and weak, as if he had smoked a big cigarette! But this is just a metaphor, the big smoke will have to wait until the Qing Dynasty to come over to poison the people, so why are they like this at this moment?