Chapter 45 How to deal with prisoners of war
The first year of Longshuo (661 AD), the first day of the sixth month of the summer, at one hour of You.
On the green grassland, the Tang army and Tiele and the eagle caught chickens. Wu Kang led the cavalry and made horse whip with Qianniu swords. He surrounded the periphery of the defeated soldiers, carried out the sheep driving tactics, and drove the flock to the west. To the north is Hang Aishan, to the east is Weng Jin River, and to the south are sheep dogs, so the flock can only go west.
If anyone is unhooked and intends to flee south, then what is greeted is a horse spear and a long sword. The defeated soldiers ran for eight miles, their potential was burned, and their physical strength was completely overdrawn. They were exhausted and began to crowd and trample, and their speed slowed down significantly.
The outside Tang army cavalry wielded horses and spears and swords, the team leader and the deputy leader, the knights shouted in unison: The general has an order, surrender and avoid death, resist to the end, and have a way to die. I advise you to put down your weapons, hold your head in your hands, and squat on the ground...
The program was very effective. The defeated soldiers followed the words, squatting on the ground like harvesting wheat. Until the team stopped, Wu Kang tied the horses and pulled the reins and turned the horse's head. The black heads, they could not see the edge, squatted on the ground, like a well-behaved sheep.
The great achievements have been completed. I took off the sheepskin wine bag and raised my head to drink the wine. I was in a very happy mood. The 30,000 guards of Lushan Road defeated the 150,000 iron robbery and enjoyed the battle. If it were in the north and south Song dynasties, it would definitely be blown out of the sky. It was not worth mentioning in the Tang Dynasty.
Li Jing attacked Jie Li in the north and captured He Lu in the west, which was much more brilliant than this. Wu Kang was excited that he arranged troops for the first time and commanded thousands of troops, and the ending was perfect. The feeling of strategizing and the pleasure of dispatching troops was so exciting that he had a climax.
As the battle came to an end, Xue Rengui sent military orders, and the infantry disbanded the army and helped to collect the prisoners. Lao Xue sent people to supervise, gather the weapons of the defeated soldiers, stripped off the armor on their bodies, and divided the advantages and disadvantages into categories. Hemp ropes and rags were tied, and the guards led the donkey brother and took them all to the camp.
After completing the disarming work, he began to collect property and classified it again. Unfortunately, Tiele surrendered troops, all of which were bitter. Not to mention gold, silver, treasures, and copper coins were not many. The guards put them in baskets and carried them back to the military camp, smiling.
As for how to allocate, Wu Kang is too lazy to ask about it, so there will be a dedicated person to deal with it. According to the conquest, good armor and weapons will be given priority to equip the guards. All captured war horses will be allocated to the army, and they will be distributed layer by layer in units of fire.
When the scraping was over, Wu Kang issued an order and escorted the prisoners of war back to the camp. The guards in the outer row took swords and spears, and the guards in the inner row carried whips. Who dared not obey the orders and the cowhide whips were scattered. In this era, there was no Geneva Convention, and they would not be abide by it.
The prisoners of war also had consciousness, lined up with their heads in line, obediently obeying the command. A prisoner sprained his ankle and was dragged out by the guards. He curled up and hugged his head, muttering in his mouth. Within half a minute, his neck was covered with whip marks, and begging for mercy became weaker and weaker, but his companions ignored it.
Wu Kang couldn't bear it, so he signaled the guard to stop and checked. The beaten prisoner was weak and thin, with a waxy face and childishness, probably less than eighteen. He couldn't help but sigh and ordered the chief minister next to him: "Don't beat them, don't starve them, you are responsible here."
He left quickly, met Xue Rengui, and exchanged greetings with each other. He immediately started working and dealt with the aftermath. He collected the corpses and corpses, joined the army to count, transferred prisoners to work as coolies, and dug holes on the spot to bury them.
The corpse of the Tieler people was first recycled, then scraped the property, and finally peeled off the robes to extract all the value. The dead bodies were naked and piled up into hills. After rough statistics, they were covered with wood and poured tinder oil, and finally set fire to burn.
The two brothers arranged for it, and they returned to the military camp. After discussion, they decided to temporarily detain the prisoners, notify the rear troops, and wait for Zheng Rentai to come and make other plans. Both brothers were very tired and too lazy to talk nonsense, so they went back to the camp to rest.
The next day, around Shenshi, after inspecting the injured barracks, the statistics were found, which was shocking. More than 9,000 enemies were killed, nearly 130,000 prisoners were captured, and only 10,000 escaped, which was a huge success. Two thousand of them were killed in battle, more than 3,000 injured, and most of them were slightly injured.
After excitement, they felt sad and heartache. When two hundred Wuying guards and the Uighur cavalry were beaten, twenty-six people were killed. Eighteen people were slightly injured, twelve people were seriously injured, and five were amputated. They followed them from Wuzhou to the capital, fought on the battlefield, and lived and died. They said they were not uncomfortable, and they deceived themselves.
I felt so upset that I hid in the barracks and drank so much that I was drunk. I was confused for two days, and on the afternoon of the fourth day of June, I finally adjusted my mood. As I said, I often walk by the river, so I can't get used to it. At the same time, I made up my mind and forbid them to charge if I had no choice.
At around You hour, Lao Xue sent someone to inform that the main force would come over at two minutes tomorrow and be ready to welcome him. Wu Kang sneered, Lao Shou lost to Zheng Rentai, and his serious illness was finally cured. You didn't die of illness, God would not open his eyes.
I was inexplicably irritated and always had an ominous premonition. I felt that something was going to happen tomorrow. I thought about it for a long time, but I couldn't understand why, and I felt like I had a headache. I had no appetite to eat, so I got up and left the tent, and walked in the military camp.
When I passed by a small tent, I heard the singing inside, and it seemed unbearable: the flower soldiers and moon formations attacked secretly, and the city was connected all the way. When the snow disappeared, there was still white, and the red flowers fell without red. The heart was alone in the morning spring, but the joy of the whole world was in full bloom. I knew that it was a general who was more convenient, but it was five o'clock.
This lewd lyrics and erotic song is quite poetic and picturesque, and it is also very connotative. When I lifted the curtain into the barracks, my lewd smile came to an abrupt end. The guards stood up one after another to greet the general. Wu Kang looked kind and waved his hand and smiled, "Brothers, don't be nervous, I'll visit you. Who sang the song just now is very suitable for my taste, let's listen to it again."
The arms looked at each other, and the fire was full of flattering smiles: "If the general likes it, then another song. The fairy is beautiful and beautiful, and the heart is drunk with green and lush green. After the deep love, the peach blossoms meet, the willow leaves frown in Xishi. The springs in the cave are in a small area, and the butterflies in the flowers are in love with a spring. It is clear that you and I can't tell the difference, and God gives you the same world as others."
After savoring the meaning of the song, I couldn't help but laugh and slapped. The atmosphere began to be harmonious, and the guards were no longer reserved, and they all smiled. Wu Kang's mood improved. Seeing the iron horse bowl in the middle, he suddenly had an appetite and turned his head to instruct Zhao Sheng: "Go to the camp to get food. I have no objection to be with him here tonight, right?"
The guards quickly shook their heads, and all of them secretly felt good. The rumors were indeed true. The general was approachable and had no stance. Huo Chang laughed and ordered the guards: "General Wu will bring out good things when visiting him, and let's treat him well."
In the grasslands of Outer Mongolia, the temperature difference between day and night is large, and it can chat happily around the iron horse bowl. The so-called iron horse bowl looks like a spittoon. It must bring equipment when the troops go to war. It is quite large in size and can hold a lot of food for cooking and heating.
Wu Kang had a good impression of the military soldiers. Similar to the farmers in later generations, their lives were very difficult. During the busy farming period, they were also busy with farming. In later generations, farmers would go to the city to work; farmers in the Tang Dynasty would practice martial arts hard and be ready to fight for the country at any time.
After receiving the order to go out, he began to arm himself and prepare various tools. First of all, he ate, each person brought his own dry food, at least nine dou of wheat rice, and two dou of rice. From the Armory of Zhechong Mansion, he obtained his own weapons: longbows and arrow bags, thirty feather arrows, horizontal knives and whetstones, felt hats and felts, untied cones and vines.
The twig is a leather protective gear that extends from the waist to the feet, avoiding injuries when shooting arrows. The unbuttoned cone can pry the box and unbutton the rope knot, which is a very practical tool. The Zhechong Mansion Armory distributes various armors according to actual conditions.
Depending on the types of troops, horse spears or modao, modao sticks and powerful crossbows, and various defensive shields were allocated. Therefore, the guards of the Tang Dynasty had a lot of individual soldiers and various weapons and armor, and were armed to the teeth. In addition to individual soldiers, there were also fire team equipment, which was quite a lot.
Ten people distributed six pack horses or six donkeys to carry materials for one arms. One cast iron horse bowl is used to eat and keep warm; one Ubud curtain is used to build tents; a cloth manger is used to feed the pack horse donkey.
A shovel for digging trenches, a pickaxe for digging soil, a chisel for digging troughs, and a mortar for pounding rice. You also need to bring a basket. After winning the battle, you can use it to hold spoils. Axes, pliers and saws, each one is used to make equipment, cut through the thorns and open the way. Two sickles and two armor walls are used to place armor.
The team's equipment includes: a fire drill for making fire, a set of horse rope for chest, and three sets of head and foot mix. Various equipment are hung all over the body, comparable to special forces. Unlike in movies and TV dramas, soldiers are clean, wearing bright armor, holding knives or spears in their hands.
The guard prepared the wheat rice and respectfully handed it over. Wu Kang stood up to thank him. The so-called wheat rice is a snack from Shaanxi and is well-known in later generations. Mix flour with wild vegetables, sprinkle with some salt, and steam it in a pot, which is a steamed bun.
After eating the spinach wheat rice, Huo Chang handed it another one. Wu Kang was dumbfounded and turned out to be elm seeds. He quickly took over and thanked him, and then swallowed him voraciously. After half of the steamed bun, he tasted the familiar taste. When he remembered the sad past, tears flashed in his eyes.
All the guards were confused. The most common wheat rice, the dignified general and the queen's subordinate brother, why did they cry? After a moment of confusion, they said carefully: "The elm seed rice is not tasty, eat mine, Guanzhong wild vegetable wheat rice."
Wu Kang waved his hand, swallowed the elm seed buns, and wiped the corners of his eyes and recalled: "When my family was poor, my grandfather picked a lot of elm seeds and steamed a large pot of elm seeds. I like to eat them very much. I ate three steamed buns at each meal. Since my grandfather passed away, I have never eaten them again. When I remembered the sad things, my brothers laughed."
Everyone was silent for a few moments, and they said they didn't dare. Huo Chang comforted her warmly. There was a soldier beside him, plucking his courage and said, "My wife makes elm seed wheat rice, which is the best in the village. If the general likes it, how many cages will I give you every year when there are elm seeds?"
Wu Kang smiled and refused. He had already changed everything and people, and he could no longer eat the elm seed buns of food. He brought a bun of food from the palace, the kudzu noodles from Wuzhou, the honey from Huainan, two kilograms of mobei cooked mutton, and two bags of sorghum wine.
The things were distributed to them, and Wu Kang pretended to behave: "The palace secret pastries are enjoyed by the saint prince. Before the war, the queen gave me two bags of fine wine, authentic red sorghum, which ordinary people can't drink. Now I'll give them to you, but be careful, getting drunk violates military rules."
The guards' eyes shone brightly, patted their chests to promise that they were also eating voraciously, and almost biting their tongues off. Honey is a luxury, they are just soldiers and can hardly be eaten. Wu Kang doesn't like sweets, and after eating elm seed buns, he relies on the iron horse bowl to keep warm.
His eyes glanced at the barracks, nodded and praised them secretly, and the equipment was arranged neatly. After eating and drinking, he chatted for a long time, and told all kinds of dirty jokes, and the host and the host all had fun. As the Xichang approached, Wu Kang leaned over and lowered his head and took off five amulets.
One person who is raving, two daughters-in-law, two Mei Niang's. He took out Mei Niang's and handed it to Fat Huochang: "Two days before the war, the queen asked me for talismans, one Buddhist, one Taoist. I like Taoist talismans. You can take it with you and bless you to go home safely."
The guard's face was full of envy, his fire was as dull as a wooden chicken, his lips kept squirming, and his head was shaking into a rattle. Wu Kang pushed it over, but he could not refuse: "Listen to your two songs and eat your elm seed buns, it feels extremely warm. Just take it, this is what the queen asks for, and it can be used as a family heirloom."
Huo Changhu's eyes were filled with tears, and he couldn't say a word. Suddenly, he ran to the floor, opened the dry food package, and brought four wheat rice, all of which were stuffed with elm seeds. Wu Kang took one casually, patted his shoulder, said goodbye to the guards, turned around and left the tent.
The gongs of the Xi camp sounded three times, and the military camp fell silent in an instant, and the guards began to sleep. Wu Kang was eating steamed buns, passing by countless braziers, came to the exclusive camp tent, turned around and ordered Zhao Sheng: "I won't be vigilant tonight, go back to sleep, Chen Shi wake me up."
After eating elm seed buns, rinse your mouth with sorghum wine, and sleep in bed. Unfortunately, I couldn't sleep. I tossed and turned, and my ominous premonition was even more serious. At the third update, I fell asleep in a daze and was soon awakened again. I dreamed that three thousand prisoners of war were killed after the rebellion of Chen Shuozhen in the fourth year of Yonghui.
I wiped away the cold sweat from my forehead, got up and sat on the floor, and my eyebrows were clumps. The killing of prisoners of war caused psychological shadows and tortured him for three years. After cutting the holy robe in Wuzhou, my heart knot was completely opened and I never dreamed again. I suddenly fell into a dream at this time, are there any signs?
I was completely insomnia tonight. I was in a state of seven, so I got up and took care of my appearance. I tied it into a bun, covered my ponytail scarf, and wrapped it in a black cloth. The raised part of my head was inserted into a white-headed feather, indicating that it was unique. I wore a purple robe and hung a horizontal knife, and found Xue Rengui, and welcomed Zheng Rentai to the scene.
At about three o'clock in the morning, the troops from the rear arrived. Zheng Rentai got off his horse and returned the favor without being hot or cold. His expression was slightly cold, his eyelids drooped, his corner was pulled down, and his nostrils shrank. Typical jealousy, jealous of the results of this battle, and his mind was narrow-minded.
On the other hand, Sun Renshi and Liu Shenli were so happy that they could not hide their emotions and were excited from the bottom of their hearts. Everyone greeted each other for a while, and they praised each other again and again, all sincerely. Zheng Rentai hummed lightly, covered his mouth and coughed dryly, "We are all in the Central Army tent, discussing future wars."
The five men arrived at the central army tent and each sat down, Rentai glanced at everyone and said coldly: "Our army flag was victorious, and the start was perfect. Rengui fought well. We must continue to work hard. The tribes of the Tieler Jiu surname must be defeated one by one to suppress the rebellion to be completed."
Everyone remained silent, and Rentai continued to speak: "If you want to continue pursuing, you must deal with prisoners of war. What should you do, you will express your opinions on how to deal with it. Rengui will say it first, you have the most say, let's refer to it together."
The big tent was still silent, Rengui was thinking hard, and Wu Kang sat upright. According to the past practice, it was either taken to his own use or escorted to Beijing. It was unrealistic to escort to Beijing, and the war had to continue. The troops were too short to be short of force. How could the troops be reduced?
It is not realistic to converge. After all, the ethnic groups are different. Tiel tribes are united and both sides are not at ease. In the past, when Lao Su was able to converge the enemy troops in the west to Helu, because the Turkic tribes were hostile to each other. But even so, most Turkic tribes surrendered Mishe and Bu Zhen, after all, they were all Turkic people.
Both are not realistic, and it is indeed a headache. It is probably the last time that the trouble will be released. Half a quarter of an hour passed, Xue Rengui raised his head, his expression a little firm: "Actually, I have had a headache all day long. I thought a lot last night, and the safest way is to kill them all."
Wu Kang suddenly looked up and stared at Xue Rengui with disbelief. After a moment, he asked tentatively: "Did you not wake up and talk nonsense early in the morning. That's 130,000, not 130,000, how can you kill them all?"
The tent was dead, and Zheng Rentai snorted coldly: "It's a military meeting now, General Wu pays attention to his words. I believe you also know that we cannot restrain this group of Tielle surrendered soldiers, we cannot escort them to Beijing, and we cannot be released without reason."
Xue Rengui turned his head and did not take Wu Kang's sight. He continued to analyze: "Without Tieler generals, they cannot be collected; our army does not have much ration, so they cannot be placed; we must also pursue the victory, and we cannot be escorted to Beijing, let alone carry them."
Liu Shenli continued: "It's even more impossible to release it. That's to let the tiger go back to the mountain. They returned to the tribe, put on armor and knives again, and blocked our army again. All efforts in this battle will be in vain. I agree with all the killings. You also understand that you must defeat Tielle to complete the task."
Wu Kang shook his head decisively: "That is 130,000 people, not 130,000 sheep. If all of them are killed, it is too horrible. The court explicitly prohibits the killing of prisoners on the battlefield. Are you not afraid of the heads falling to the ground?"
Everyone was silent. Wu Kang slowly stood up, bowed to them separately, and persuaded them with great painstaking advice: "In the Battle of Changping, Bai Qi buried 400,000 and eventually committed suicide at home. In the past, Xiang Yu defeated Qin, killed 200,000 Qin soldiers, and finally committed suicide by slaughtering prisoners of war on a large scale. There will be no good end to killing prisoners of war. I beg you to think twice."
Zheng Rentai raised his head and said sarcastically: "Don't be alarmist. All acts of killing and surrendering are forced by the situation. Looking at the current situation, we have no choice but to suppress the rebellion. We cannot refuse to blame. If the court blames the blame, our commander will bear it and you don't need to worry about it."
Wu Kang shook his head again and stared at Zheng Rentai: "If you kill surrender, you will harm Tianhe, and you will definitely bring disaster. Don't be afraid of all the jokes. In the past, Muzhou rebelled, I killed 3,000 prisoners of war. My conscience was condemned, and I was plagued by nightmares all day long, and I tortured for three years. So I firmly oppose this surrender."
With a slap in the table, Rentae suddenly stood up and scolded him for his fierce expressions: "The marching commander Shi Wu Bing, don't want to be fooled by others. I am the chief general, and you have no choice but to oppose it. I am now deciding that at 3 noon tomorrow, you will be fully responsible for killing all prisoners of war."
Go to your uncle, Wu Kang immediately ran away and kicked over the couch: "Master Zheng Rentai, don't bully people too much, don't think I'm afraid of you. Do you understand, what consequences will be if you kill prisoners of war? It's not that I'm exaggerating, its bad influence can kill our heads and everyone's heads..."
Chapter completed!