Insufficient balance
I'm so unlucky, I was assigned to this cargo plane to transport this thing back to the country ahead of time, and then I coincidentally encountered this storm. With a stomach full of grievances, I touched the parachute on my body. The other members of the archaeological team should be enjoying themselves in a luxurious hotel at some scenic spot, but I had to hold onto our biggest gain this time - the remains of an ancient bronze astronomical instrument from Central Asia - and endure the turbulence in this damned weather, while also tormenting my poor stomach that had already vomited everything. If only I had known that the team leader was being cheap and had found this old cargo plane that looked like it couldn't be used anymore, I would have refused to get on board even if it meant giving up the advance year-end bonus. No wonder the two pilots looked suspicious, like Osama bin Laden's relatives or something. The takeoff was like an old hen squatting in its nest, with all sorts of noises coming from the plane's parts and making me suspect that it would fall apart at any moment and return to the ground. And now, I've flown into a rare thunderstorm cloud. Is it really true what that annoying fortune teller said, that this year is not good for me? The shaking got worse and worse, interrupting my thoughts, and suddenly the plane shook violently and slammed me against the cabin wall. Outside the window, a huge lightning bolt quickly gathered around the plane, and before I could react, countless lightning bolts struck the plane body. A brilliant light engulfed everything...
Like countless mysterious disappearances, there was no more trace of this plane in the world.
When I came to, I was already in the high altitude with strong winds, and when I regained consciousness, the small hills of cotton fields were faintly visible below my feet. I almost fainted, but as I got closer, I managed to open the parachute in a daze. The huge airflow impact pushed me up again, and the clear sky was spotless, not looking like it had just gone through a storm. I vaguely felt that something special had happened, but couldn't grasp it.
But I didn't know that the area we flew over was constantly shouting and worshiping. Suddenly, a burning plane came out of nowhere, swooped down, crashed into a small mountain, and exploded with flames and rain, countless fragments. Then I found out that the parachute was also on fire. Fortunately, at this time, it was only tens of meters away from the ground, spinning and falling directly into the small mountain in the dense forest, after a loud crash, finally landed safely, checked back one life, but except for an aviation dragon jacket, all clothes were torn to shreds, now this appearance is not much different from the Beijing ape man in the prehistoric museum.
At that time, the local county annals recorded: In the 13th year of the Tianbao era of the Tang Dynasty, there was a war, and a heavenly being flew in the air with wings spread like snow. It was struck by a falling star and fell to the ground, disappearing without a trace. After it fell behind the mountain, a red light shot up into the sky. At that time, a major battle was underway, and many soldiers were killed or injured. The rebels' commander took this as an ill omen and ordered his troops to stop pursuing the Tang army, allowing many Tang soldiers to escape with their lives.
When I found myself in the Tang Dynasty, I was wearing the uniform of a Thousand Bull (a military officer at the level of a hundred men) and together with a large group of frightened Tang soldiers who were like a flock of ducks, fleeing for their lives as they were being pursued by enemy cavalry. It was only then that he truly experienced what it meant to "lose one's footing and become a thousand-year-old regret".
I walked out of the mountain forest and saw soldiers lying all over the ground, the thick and fresh smell of blood almost made me faint. Before I could recover from the shock of the ancient battlefield, the broken flag under my feet gave me another blow - a large traditional Chinese character "Tang". So I ran back to ancient times, at least bring something with me, solar computer, metallurgy chemical manual, or even a military knife to make some money, and I was confused for a while.
My hands and feet were still numb, I didn't have time to worry about the ominous atmosphere. I picked up a piece of clothing that looked good in quality and was probably the best robe. That unlucky guy had his head chopped off with one swift knife cut, fortunately, there wasn't any blood splatter on the robe. I hastily put it on, but before I could walk far, I became the target of a household's pursuit and slaughter.
If it weren't for the nylon jacket blocking them, I would have been turned into a porcupine by those arrows flying towards my butt. I had considered surrendering, but the problem was that the pursuers with red eyes seemed to have no intention of taking prisoners. When they saw me raise my hands and stop, they instead drew their bows and accelerated their charge. What's worse, I discovered that something was off about my body, it felt numb and tingly, like the aftershocks of an electric shock were still coursing through me, even affecting my movements. Then, the guy who charged over looked like he had been possessed by a demon, fell off his horse, got caught in the stirrup and was dragged away for a long distance.
I had heard reports in the media when I was a kid about people who were struck by lightning and developed strange phenomena such as electromagnetic powers, but I never thought it would happen to me. Not only do I get anxious and somehow knives and swords appear in my hand, but I can also vaguely sense what people around me are thinking. With a sword in hand, of course, more pursuers came after me, shouting "monster". It was all so confusing, but at several critical moments, I managed to dodge their attacks by suddenly sensing the danger lurking nearby and escaping just in time. Then I discovered another thing - the cavalrymen in this era don't have horseshoes.
It's not easy to get information from the mouths of some Shaanxi-accented soldiers who escaped together, only to find out that the current year is Tianbao 13th year. My heart screams for help, how did I end up in this unlucky era, right at the beginning of the Anshi Rebellion? It seems like even the emperor has lost the capital and is on the run.
However, they still had to escape, the enemy army was pursuing closely with a strong killing intent. Along with these scattered soldiers, they fled and escaped again, only to find themselves at a dead end in front of a mountain valley, where hundreds of defeated soldiers had already gathered. Apparently, they too were left with no way out.
It was easy to have a pause, and I couldn't help but take a few deep breaths, ignoring the strange looks from around me. Just as I was about to tear off this damn outfit, someone came running up behind me, shouting loudly "Not good, the enemy soldiers are coming again!" The killing cry rose again, and most of the angry eyes were fixed on him. It seemed that even the sound of gnashing teeth could be heard. No way, I thought to myself, could it be that the pursuing soldiers followed this outfit? My eyes darted around, and I saw that some people had already started looking for a place to hide, while others were smearing blood and mud on their faces in preparation for playing dead.
Suddenly, I had an epiphany and turned around to grab a dirty flag that had been trampled by countless feet. I charged forward, waving my arms and shouting "Brothers, follow me! They don't have many people!" The scene was silent for a moment, then suddenly erupted into a cacophony of shouts as the soldiers surged forward. I wiped away cold sweat, and indeed it worked - these ancient soldiers were really foolish, and in their desperation, some idiots actually followed me into battle. With someone leading the charge, others naturally followed, and soon a large group was formed. As I let the crazed soldiers rush past me, they slowed down as they approached the chaotic melee of clashing steel and shouting men. I prepared to retreat at the first sign of trouble, but found that our escape route was blocked by a swarm of enemy troops. To my surprise, however, there were actually very few enemy soldiers, and soon they were overwhelmed by the Tang army's counterattack. As I tried to slip away unnoticed, I found myself surrounded by a group of menacing-looking men. "Team leader, what should we do next?"
Sweep the battlefield, gather everything that can be used, and then distribute it according to the self-reported military rank. Even a few war horses were loaded with some lightly wounded under my suggestion. Then I led this group of people, relying on the human sea tactics, and gathered a few small groups of pursuers again. Relying on camouflage and fake death, we luckily avoided some large troops. As a result, I was pushed by the soldiers as the real leader, and wherever I went, there were many people following me, and I couldn't shake them off (because now my title is the highest, in ancient times, the spiritual and commanding role of generals was much more important than modern times).
As the saying goes, "the more people, the greater the power", on the way, there were constantly people coming to join in, gathering about a thousand people, including those carrying stretchers and supporting wounded soldiers. I had thought of taking advantage of the situation to slip away, but it became increasingly impossible. Those who met me earlier, especially treated me as one of their own, not leaving my side for an inch. Coincidentally, I couldn't find any officials with higher ranks than mine (it's said that most high-ranking officers had died, and their heads could bring in more bounty). Some followers who were not qualified to seize power were easily suppressed by those who were at a disadvantage but still followed me.
Helpless, for the sake of my own safety, I had to think of a way to use my knowledge as a modern person to reorganize this scattered army, assign weapons and armor, and set up a rescue team to transport the wounded. At least we can avoid being defeated too quickly by the enemy, and I can also escape in time. Everyone's morale is still good, but they are all very hungry. I have a new plan - if we encounter government officials in the future, this force should be able to exchange for a pretty good identity.
It wasn't until much later that I asked why they had chosen to follow me back then, and the answer I got left me speechless. "Because, boss, you were so wise and powerful, it was too obvious even among a bunch of defeated and disheartened soldiers. When everyone else was feeling hopeless and despairing, you seemed completely unflappable, almost relaxed." I was left stunned, unable to respond for a moment - at the time, I hadn't even figured out what was going on myself!
The scattered soldiers who had fled in all directions brought back bad news, with rebel troops appearing in every direction. Those heading north reached the Wei River only to find that the rebel cavalry had burned down the ferry crossing. Those fleeing south ran into a large contingent of An's army, and not one of those going east returned. This further solidified everyone's determination to follow me (Historical records: All sides had enemy tracks, but Mr. Gong avoided them, and the crowd respected him).
And I decided to go west because in history emperors also ran west.
They didn't want to, but they wandered westward without a purpose for half a day. Except for their stomachs getting hungrier and hungrier, they didn't encounter even half an enemy soldier. However, when they were searching for food in Jin City County, they unexpectedly ran into the rear guard of the Feathered Forest Army that was escorting Emperor Xuanzong as he fled westward. Naturally, with a single imperial edict, they were conscripted to protect the emperor. Even if they wanted to hide, they couldn't. I was made a Right Guard Commander of the Huazhou Newping Zhongfu from the sixth rank down (this was reported by a subordinate on my behalf; in fact, I didn't even know where Newping was). However, the officer who received us didn't care and only said, "Oh, are you one of Geshu Han's old subordinates?" I repeatedly acknowledged it, taking advantage of the mistake. From then on, I could claim to be one of Geshu Han's old subordinates. This famous general had a poem praising him: "The North Dipper Seven Stars shine bright, Geshu wears his sword at night. Tonight he spies on the barbarian horses and doesn't dare cross the Linyao border." He was a great tree, a good man.
Then the empty head was promoted to the third rank, and he was granted the title of Left Wing Army Lieutenant General, leading the original troops with some additional soldiers to form a total of 3,000 people, temporarily serving as the rear guard. Another deputy general named Wei Tiao was sent over, this new Wei Tiao guy is about my age, doesn't know my bottom line, but he listens and cooperates very well, so I simply pushed all the troublesome things like preparing food and equipment to Wei Tiao, after all, he's the deputy general!
At this point, I changed my mind again. From the mouths of soldiers who came from other places, I found out that the eastern part of Guannei, including Jingzhao Prefecture's Xinfeng and Weinan, the southern part of Qishan Prefecture's Yong County, and the northern part of Huazhou Prefecture's Zheng County, had either fallen or had rebel troops active in them. In short, they were all gone, and it was impossible to go there. I thought no wonder everyone was running in this direction. Now, the only option is to follow the emperor's large army westward to Hanzhong. Moreover, I currently have no money and no food, so I couldn't go anywhere else anyway. It's better to wait until we reach Sichuan, use this title to make some money, and then think about what to do next. If I can stay in the so-called Heavenly Kingdom of Shu as a leisurely official, it wouldn't be bad even if the war doesn't end. Using my craftsmanship to open a rare and delicious restaurant would guarantee a rich income, and I could also take the opportunity to explore ancient Sichuan.
Unfortunately, my good dream didn't last long. At this time, I learned from the mouths of the fleeing common people that the rebel general Cui Qianyou had occupied Chang'an and was pursuing again. The vanguard had already passed Jincheng and Ganluo. As for the rear guard, it was quickly put to use, leaving behind a broken rearguard to warn and intercept the pursuing troops.
I couldn't help but curse the person who gave this order in my heart, while being involuntarily pushed by the troops onto the only thin horse. It was inevitable that we would have to engage with the pursuing enemy, and the enemy was not as easy to deal with as the troops who were chasing after fleeing soldiers to collect rewards. They sent their elite cavalry to pursue us. Fortunately, in the past few days, our soldiers had already recovered from the chaos of defeat through several battles, and I used some modern common sense that those ancient soldiers were familiar with, successfully defeating several small groups of pursuers and gradually restoring some morale and confidence.
They ambushed and captured several scouts, using special methods to quickly extract information from the captives that a large cavalry unit was about to arrive, causing quite a stir in the newly formed army. I couldn't help but secretly lament, unable to escape at this time, fearing that if this group dispersed, I would likely die even faster.
So, I plucked up my courage and brought out that old trick of mine to rally the troops with a mix of intimidation and self-encouragement: "Don't be afraid, we outnumber them, ants can nibble an elephant to death!" "On the plains, even if you run, you'll die faster", the soldiers couldn't help but believe it.
To save my life, I had to think of a way out. Fortunately, I hadn't read too few books in my daily life, and when I was anxious, I came up with some emergency measures to set up defenses against the enemy. However, as for myself, I didn't have any martial arts skills to lead the troops into battle, nor did I have any military bravery. I don't know how these guys were willing to believe in me. (In fact, it wasn't until later that I learned that during the Tang Dynasty, there was no clear distinction between military generals and civil officials, and many positions in the army near the capital were bestowed by the emperor as rewards to civil officials and nobles' sons, including Du Fu, who had held a military position. It's not surprising that they didn't know much about military strategy or martial arts.)
I ordered people to find and throw away the abandoned imperial carriages, canopies, and other things, scattered them along the way, and also got some women's skirts, clothes, and decorations, tore them apart, and randomly hung and threw them into the forests along the way. Then, a large number of withered branches and leaves were piled up around, and the whole army used branches and grass to cover themselves and ambush, waiting for the enemy to come like a hunter waiting by a rabbit hole.
This ambush was just a few hours' work, the weather was scorching hot, and the soldiers had been sweating profusely for some time. He didn't have much confidence in his heart either. They waited until the sky gradually darkened, and finally someone came chasing after them. The dust rolled and stretched far away, with at least two or three thousand cavalry.
The enemy general He Yanbo is not a rough and unrefined person. In the past, when fighting against the Khitan, he was still the defeated commander-in-chief An Da Wang who fled in defeat. Fortunately, this branch of guards fought to the death amidst tens of thousands of Khitan iron cavalry, and in the end, only he and several brothers were left to protect the blood-covered Commander Cui and return. After many years of fighting on the border, they finally achieved their current status, and their experience is not small. "This time, the king's army has risen, and everything is going smoothly. The future prospects and family fortunes of these generals are also very promising. As long as..."
It was originally possible to discover some clues and take precautions if one was slightly careful. Because the newly formed army was hastily assembled, there were inevitably some oversights. Unfortunately, it seemed that heaven was helping him, as he arrived at dusk when it was difficult to discern things, and in recent days the Tang army had been fleeing in disarray, so they didn't encounter any decent opponents and became complacent. Previously, after entering the pass, they thought there would still be a fierce battle, but unexpectedly that famous Han emperor abandoned the capital and his subjects and fled faster than a rabbit. When entering Chang'an, they were slower than other troops by one step, and before they could seize anything, they heard that Commander Cui had accepted the surrender of the Longshou governor's words to seal the treasury, close the city gates, and issue military orders saying that everything should be left for Prince An to inspect.
Seeing others' wealth and women returning with satisfaction, the brothers who didn't get anything were filled with resentment, and it was only after great difficulty that they asked Commander Cui for this mission to pursue and capture the Han Emperor. It's too simple to find the emperor's trail so easily, and just as they were hesitating, their subordinates came to report discovering women's clothing. Only then did they recall that the emperor supposedly brought many women with him when he escaped, all of whom were beauties rarely seen in everyday life. Their hearts couldn't help but burn with desire, for although the Hu family's women were bold, compared to the Han Emperor's women who were delicate and gentle, it was a taste they had been craving for a long time.
He thus dispelled his last bit of concern, and at this time the soldiers below knew that there were women who had all come out, and they disregarded military orders, shouting as they chased after them. It was clear that even if they tried to stop them, it would be impossible, and adding to this was the temptation of capturing the emperor. He thus made a decision that he would regret forever, loudly shouting "No one is allowed to move beside the emperor, the king wants to keep him, whoever finds him gets to keep him". The people around him burst into crazy laughter as they drove their horses forward, throwing aside the common sense of military households, and rushed in.
As they advanced deeper, they only saw scattered carriages and horses, with birds flying about, but not a single person in sight. Knowing something was amiss, he gave the order to retreat, pulling his men back as flames spread and smoke filled the air, with shouts of "Kill!" shaking the heavens. It was July, and the autumn sun was scorching hot, with several days of intense heat leaving everything dry and brittle. Leaves and branches were piled up everywhere, and in an instant, thick smoke and flames engulfed the forest. The rebel soldiers were brave, but they were downwind, and soon found themselves disoriented and confused, turning to flee as their horses became spooked and uncooperative. In the chaos of the forest, even the best riders couldn't maneuver, and the two sides clashed in a tangled mess. Outside the forest, ambushes sprang up from all directions, with soldiers wearing wet cloths over their mouths, wielding blades and shields, and attacking in groups of ten. They surrounded and killed anyone they saw, resulting in a lopsided battle. In the chaos, it was impossible to tell friend from foe, or how many people were involved, or where it was safe. The smoke made it easy for horses to become frightened, and often they would throw their riders off before the Tang soldiers could even attack, trampling them to death in the process. More rebels died this way than at the hands of the Tang soldiers. He Yuanbing was no incompetent fool, and he quickly regrouped his men, fighting back as he organized a retreat. But things had descended into chaos too quickly, with his subordinates scattering to fight individually, and orders unable to be transmitted far or wide. With great difficulty, he managed to gather a small group of loyal soldiers around him, but the situation was unclear, with shouts of "Kill!" coming from all directions. They could only advance cautiously, trying to escape through the gaps in the flames, heading upwind as they fled in disarray. Unfortunately, when they finally emerged, exhausted and covered in smoke, they found themselves surrounded by a large group of Tang soldiers, who were hiding behind shields and shooting arrows into the air, refusing to engage in close combat. The arrows rained down on them, whittling down their numbers until only He Yuanbing's personal guards remained, fighting desperately as they used their horses as shields. They managed to break through one corner of the encirclement, but found themselves facing even more Tang soldiers with spears, who attacked in a frenzy, leaving no escape.
Many spoils of war were obtained from the battlefield, including flags, armor and weapons. When they hastily retreated from Chang'an, their equipment was incomplete, and along the way, they lost many helmets and armors. It's a good opportunity to replenish them now. Especially the war horses that fled in shock, excluding those that died of injuries, there are still over a thousand horses available for use. Even if you can't ride them, they can be used as pack horses.
This is my first time formally commanding an army in battle, I don't have the talent to lead by example, nor have I ever experienced a battlefield, all that's left is some common sense that's slightly more advanced than the ancients, fortunately there are still some capable subordinates below me who can carry it out, and surprisingly we even won a victory.
According to the new deputy general who came back after the battle, our side had hundreds of deaths and injuries, while over 2,500 enemy cavalrymen were almost completely annihilated. As I surveyed the aftermath of the battle amidst the lingering smoke and the awed gazes of my soldiers, I couldn't help but feel a surge of pride and confidence, as if I was dreaming, and exclaimed that being a soldier still had prospects.
In just a short while, thousands of lives were lost, but I don't know whether to say that the command was clever or that I was lucky. With the newly arrived 3,000 troops, we counterattacked the enemy cavalry, which had a similar number of soldiers. If they hadn't been greedy for merit and rashly advanced into the forest, it would have been hard to say who would have ended up killing whom.
Just as I was feeling triumphant, a gust of cold wind blew by, bringing with it the stench of blood and the smell of char. It also brought the intermittent cries of agony, and suddenly I noticed the corpses scattered all over the ground, with the wounded moaning everywhere. The soldiers who were cleaning up the battlefield simply gave them another stab, their faces expressionless, as if it was a matter of course. I couldn't help but shiver at this direct experience of the cruelty of war - so many lives lost at my own hands! It felt strange; earlier, when I was resisting the enemy with the fleeing soldiers, killing was for survival, but now, intentionally killing so many people... I couldn't help but feel a twinge of guilt and regret that ancient people's lives were truly too cheap.
However, I soon discovered that the medical conditions in ancient times were also terrible. The messy bandages, dirty medicines, and arbitrary treatments made me want to take matters into my own hands.
It's a helpless situation for me to say that I'm half a team doctor in this archaeological team. Although I got the recommendation letter from my father's old friend, the team didn't have any formal member positions left, so I had to fill in as a team doctor, although I suspect they valued my cooking skills more.
For this reason, I had to accept a six-month crash medical training course, mainly on the content of field emergency treatment, including a section on battlefield rescue, because some of the countries we are going to have some unstable places, such as roaming tribal armed forces and bandit risks, which can be used on these wounded people with ease, and I don't know how much progress has been made (mainly cold weapon warfare is knife, arrow injury, bone injury and so on).
In the army, there were only two medical officers, who were said to be attached to the imperial physician and specialized in internal medicine. Seeing that they were really busy, I found more than a hundred soldiers who were said to be relatively quick-witted and personally taught them hand-in-hand how to use sheep gut sutures and curved needles, tore cloth strips into bandages, disinfected with boiling water, made splints, removed sharp objects, used things that could be seen on the ground to stop bleeding and treat wounds, and other emergency rescue techniques on the battlefield.
Fortunately, I was able to see the experimental products being demonstrated, and seeing me as the main person taking care of my family, doing some painful and bloody things that ordinary people would dislike, although it was a painful experience, but also felt deeply moved, happy and couldn't find the direction.
After spending half a day's effort, with the help of transmission and guidance, some people finally knew at least some emergency bandaging and treatment methods and basic disinfection methods and precautions. If nothing unexpected happens, many people can avoid future disabilities (the most deaths from cold diseases are surgical infections, while ancient times lacked antibiotics and could only rely on their own immune system).
To be honest, seeing them use grass ash to stop bleeding is the most primitive method, it's really crazy. This thing is indeed effective for coagulation, but the risk of tetanus infection is also high.
Currently busy with aftermath arrangements.
The soldiers who came to report that they had unexpectedly intercepted a grain team, and after interrogating the captives, it was found that several rebel troops who had entered the pass had sent pursuing troops to capture Tang Xuanzong's party. He Guangyuan rushed too hastily in order to gain merit, and did not bring many provisions. Cui Gan, who was worried about the lack of grain and fodder in Chang'an, specially ordered the mobilization of thousands of cattle and horses loaded with several thousand stones of grain, and hurriedly transported them to provide relief. The Tang army had previously been defeated too quickly, so the rebel troops transporting the grain did not anticipate that He Guangyuan would be completely annihilated, and only sent a hundred cavalrymen to deal with the scattered civilians and bandits along the way. As a result, it was advantageous for us. It is laughable that because some of our soldiers lacked clothing and armor, they did not care about the warmth and bloodstains on the bodies of the dead, and stripped them off to wear on themselves. The rebel troops transporting the grain saw this, but not only did they not suspect anything, they even enthusiastically delivered the grain to our doorsteps.
At that time, I didn't know that from the moment I set foot on this land, the wheel of fate of the Tang Dynasty had already begun to deviate from the track of history and head towards an unpredictable future. It wasn't until many years later that I found out it was because the first rebel general to enter Chang'an, Cui Yuanding, saw a fireball falling in the west and took it as a bad omen. He hastily had someone cast a divination, and that son of a bitch fortune teller said there would be great benefits in the west just to make some money. As a result, Cui Yuanding didn't even bother to secure his footing before deciding to send fast cavalry to pursue the imperial carriage. Later, other rebel troops who arrived on the scene refused to fall behind and competed with each other for merit, naturally following suit. Little did they know that this would cause me to be exhausted from fending off pursuing soldiers.
There is a way: Western grand inauspicious, chaotic world meets military disaster
