When Qin Shouye heard this, his face changed as if he was a little moved, and he paused and said, "What do the other brothers think?" ”

Wang Cheng saw that his face changed, and he probably didn't want to hold on to the city that had not yet been built, so he was immediately furious, and was about to speak, but two hundred households rushed before him and proposed to flee south with the Mongols. "Lord Qianhu, the city can't hold it at all, so withdraw the troops." "Yes, my lord, withdraw the troops."

Wang Cheng and the others were very excited, and immediately shouted at the person who proposed to withdraw the troops: "My soldiers of the Ming Dynasty, how can there be a reason to flee without a fight!" "Naturally, the people who proposed the withdrawal of troops also had something to say.

Qin Shouye didn't interfere with their roar, but just seemed to bow his head and ponder. Everyone roared for a while and got tired, and Zhang Sheng, the deputy Qianhu, turned his head and said to Qin Shoushan: "Qin Qianhu, whether to stay in the city or retreat south with the Mongols, please decide as soon as possible." Otherwise, when the soldiers of Samarkand surrounded the Iron Gate Pass, it would be too late to withdraw. ”

"I think it's better to withdraw with the Mongols. Remaining in the city will be the result of the total destruction of the army. He couldn't help but say in the end.

Qin Shoushan stood up, glanced at the dozen or so people in front of him, and asked, "I watched just now, and the brothers have all said their thoughts?" Among them, Zhang Sheng and the six of you proposed to retreat south, and Wang Cheng and the six of you should hold on. The number of people wants to be. ”

"It is precisely because of this that Qin Qianhu needs to make a decision personally." Zhang Sheng said again.

"I've made up my mind." Qin Shoushan said this, paused, looked at Zhang Sheng's hopeful face, smiled, and shouted loudly: "Li Yuan come in!" ”

His entourage Li Yuan walked in with more than a dozen other people, stood in the middle of the room, bowed down and said, "Please command." ”

Qin Shoushan stretched out his hand and pointed at Zhang Sheng: "Tie up a few of them!" ”

"Yes." Li Yuan listened to Qin Shoushan's instructions, although he felt surprised in his heart, but he was not satisfied at all, and as soon as he turned around, he put the rope on Zhang Sheng's body, pulled it closer and tied it; Several other members of his entourage followed suit and tied up the other five.

Zhang Sheng thought that Qin Shoushan, who had already been persuaded, was tempted, and he was very easy-going on weekdays, but he didn't expect that he would be tied up, and he was stunned for a moment, and suddenly understood his decision, and shouted: "Qin Qianhu, what we said is to protect the soldiers and people in the city, do you have to burn the jade in order to fulfill your loyalty?" Until this time, he still did not give up his thoughts, although he understood that Qin Shoushan could not persuade him, but there were also two people who supported the defense of the Iron Gate Pass and wanted to separate them.

"Huh!" Qin Shoushan chuckled: "At this time, do you still want to separate?" In that case, I was going to spare your life, but now," he turned to Li Yuan and said, "Push Zhang Sheng out and behead him!" ”

"Qin Shoushan, you!" Zhang Sheng was about to speak, but before he finished speaking, he was pushed out by Li Yuan, and immediately scolded: "I'm waiting for you to be cut off by the people of Samarkand!" ”

But the scolding did not last long, and after a few soft sounds, the scolding had stopped. Li Yuan walked in with someone carrying his head, bowed down and asked, "My lord, what should I do with the corpse?" ”

"Finally, if it's a colleague, you don't have to insult the corpse, let's bury it in the ground. As for the others, they were put in prison. Qin Shoushan commanded. Li Yuan agreed, and stepped back with his head raised.

"Qin Qianhu, this, even if you want to hold the city, you don't have to kill them." Wang Cheng was frightened by this situation just now, and only then did he react and whispered.

Qin Shoushan glanced at him sideways, didn't answer, just said: "A few of you go back to your hundred households, call all the soldiers out, and gather in the school field, I have something to say to them." He also instructed several of his followers: "The head of the hundred households who have been beheaded will order the trial hundred households to act as the representative of the hundred households." and also called all the soldiers of his own hundred households out to gather in the school field. ”

Naturally, the retinue will not disobey orders; Several hundred households were frightened by his neat disposal just now, and also bowed down to agree.

After Qin Shoushan waited for them all to withdraw, he took out a hand towel to wipe his sweat, drank another cup of tea, and muttered softly: "I am not only for the name of my loyalty, but also for everyone!" After saying this, he immediately walked out of the house and went to the school grounds.

He waited in the school field for a while, and gradually a soldier rushed over under the leadership of Baihu, and slowly filled the school field.

Qin Shoushan glanced around and saw that all the hundred households had already come, and there were hundreds of people watching the excitement outside, coughed, and walked onto the high platform.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I just got the news that a force of about 10,000 people from Samarkand is heading south and coming towards the Iron Gate. This thousand households have decided not to flee or retreat, and to defend the iron gate to close the city! ”

Some of the soldiers below already knew the news, but most of them didn't know it yet, and there was a commotion. Of course, they knew that there were only a thousand households in the city at this time, and the city was only hastily built, not strong, and the city was likely to be breached.

Qin Shoushan turned a deaf ear to the commotion below, and continued: "Tiemen Pass City is the throat point from the northern part of the Western Regions to the south, and it is the most important city in southern Xinjiang controlled by Your Majesty and His Royal Highness. Therefore it is necessary to hold on to this city. ”

"Besides, since Emperor Taizu became emperor of the Ming Dynasty, although there have been occasional defeats, there has never been a thing of running away without a fight, are you willing to become the first soldier of the guard to flee without a fight in the history books of the Ming Dynasty?"

Hearing these words, the hearts of several hundred households and trial hundred households that were originally slightly restless calmed down. They are the military generals of the imperial court, and if they abandon the city and flee, their future will be ruined, so they can't run away for the sake of their future.

But ordinary soldiers were still restless. They are not officials, and Zhu Shangbing will never cut them all down because he escaped. It's not that it endangers the entire current war situation.

"Soldiers, you and I are the same, are military households, generations of soldiers in the Ming Dynasty, if you have a history of abandoning the city and fleeing, even if you survive in the end, you will be recorded, and from then on you will be pointed at by others, not only yourself, your wives and children will also be pointed at, and become an outlier in the army."

Hearing this, all the soldiers fell silent. They are not recruited mercenaries, they are the military households of the Ming Dynasty, and they have to be soldiers for generations, and it is not terrible to be pointed at themselves, but the future of their children and grandchildren is gone, it is very terrible.

Seeing that they were shocked, Qin Shoushan paused, and said: "Don't hide it from you, the reason why I, Qin Shoushan, want to stick to the Iron Gate Pass is also selfish, but this selfishness is not for myself, but for my children and grandchildren, and also for your children and grandchildren. ”

"If you can defend the iron gate under such a scarce situation, it will naturally be a great achievement, not only me, but also all the soldiers, there will be a reward, and the court will never be stingy with cherished things."

"If the city is captured, our whole army will be wiped out, but also for Your Majesty, for His Royal Highness to die loyally, the imperial court the year before last to the soldiers who died in the battle of Annam, you also know, we die of defending the iron gate and passing the city, the court will definitely not treat us lightly, a medal for children and grandchildren to avoid capital crimes will have, there must be other pensions, children and grandchildren can also get preferential treatment from the court, do not worry about food and clothing."

"So I decided that the whole army would stay in the city, stick to the Iron Gate Pass and never retreat!"

The soldiers below were silent for a while, and a few people shouted: "Grandma's, for the sake of her son's future and for the sake of the family not to be ashamed, this life is lost here!" ”

"When there was a famine in my hometown, my father and my eldest brother starved to death, and it was the court that recruited soldiers before I survived, and later married a wife and had children, and this life was sold to the court!" Someone else said.

Everyone immediately expressed their stance that they would defend the iron gate and close the city. Qin Shoushan's expression softened a little, and after everyone quieted down, he said, "I, Qin Shoushan, will also stay in the city and defend the city with everyone, and I will never run away privately for my life." Wang Cheng, a few of you, pick out dozens of soldiers to gather all the horses in the city together, including my good horse! ”

After Wang Cheng and the others agreed, Qin Shoushan gave a few more commands, and finally said: "For Your Majesty, for Your Highness, and for our family, we will defend the iron gate and close the city!" Never let a single soldier of Samarkand enter the city! ”

"Stand down, soldiers, and prepare for the defense of the city. If anyone wants to write a letter to their family, write it quickly, and I will send someone to Igo Castle before the city is besieged. ”

"Disband!"

……

……

Under the scorching sun, north of the Iron Gate Pass at this time, billowing smoke and dust were wafting in the air, almost covering the sky. An army of more than 10,000 men was heading south along the gorge, and the sound of neat footsteps shook the ground.

At the front of this army, more than a dozen men were galloping on horseback, one of them with a towering nose, brown hair and blue eyes, and asked the other person beside him, "The front is the Iron Gate Gate, right?" ”

Although most of the people in this group had a high nose, the person next to him had the appearance of an Oriental. At this time, he was wearing a Turkic robe and riding on a horse, and when he heard the question of the person next to him, he immediately replied: "If you go back to your lordship, this is the Iron Gate Gate." ”

"It's already here." The man smiled, turned his head and commanded, "Hakan, Bil, you two will lead your troops from the left and right sides of the city to the south, and surround the whole city, and tonight, we will rest in the city." ”