"Since General Qixin He Li has already gone to look for water, then the remaining half of the water …" Xue Wanjun said expectantly. Now that the entire army was thirsty, the remaining half of the water was extremely precious.
Hou Junji looked at the remaining half of the water and the expectant gazes of the generals. He waved his hand and said, "The rest of the water will be divided equally among the garrisons!"
The generals were pleasantly surprised. Although this half of the water wasn't much, and it was even less for the entire army, it was the most precious resource. It could replenish the soldiers' strength.
"We can't split the water!" Suddenly, an objection interrupted the generals' joy. They turned around and saw that the one who objected was Mo Jiazi, who had offered up half of the water.
Xue Wanjun looked at Merton with displeasure. "What is Mo Jiu trying to do? Are you going back on your word and not willing to give up the water?"
As everyone knew, the reason why there was half a cart of water was because the Firearms Surveillance Bureau needed it to prevent fire. Now that there was less and less water left, the Mo Family's son was definitely unwilling to part with it and wanted to leave some water for the Firearms Surveillance Bureau.
Meton shook his head and said, "General Xue misunderstood. If I didn't want to give up the water, I would have already secretly taken the water from the Firearms Surveillance Bureau's water cart."
Many of the generals nodded. Mo Jiazi really didn't have any selfish motives. They also saw that the water dragon cart was full of water and had no use for it. If Mo Jiazi had secretly given the water to the Firearms Surveillance Bureau at night, they probably wouldn't have noticed.
"Then what is Mo Jiu's intention for not letting us split the water?" Hou Junji asked. Meton had offered up a whole cart of water and had also found a way to find water. Hou Junji's attitude towards him had softened.
Meton cupped his hands and said, "In ancient times, there were countless people who encountered water shortages. Other than an old horse that knows the way, have you all heard of the saying, 'Looking at plum blossoms to quench thirst'?"
"Looking at plum blossoms to quench thirst!"
The generals frowned and shook their heads.
Only then did Meton remember that the idiom "looking at plum blossoms to quench one's thirst" came from the Song Dynasty. There was no such saying now, so he put it into the Secret Works of Mozi without hesitation and said loudly,
"'The Secret Works of Mozi' recorded such a story. According to legend, Cao Cao, the Emperor of Wei, once again encountered the problem of water shortage during his march. The soldiers were extremely thirsty and could not move at all. Seeing that the army was about to fall into a desperate situation, Cao Cao pointed his horsewhip at the soldiers and said, 'There is a large plum forest ahead, sweet and thirsty.' The soldiers immediately started drooling, and their thirst was greatly reduced. The entire army sped up and finally found a water source. "
"To quench one's thirst by looking at plums! Cao Cao is indeed an ambitious and ruthless person with extraordinary means. "Hou Junji praised.
The other generals nodded in agreement.
"However, although the saying 'looking at plum blossoms to quench thirst' is miraculous, the entire army knows that this is the vast Gobi Desert. Not to mention plum blossoms, there is not even a grassland. I'm afraid this method will not work!" Hou Junji said disappointedly.
Merton said, "We only need to learn from the methods of our predecessors. How can we repeat the same trick? Wouldn't that be making a fool of ourselves? Now that General Heli of Qixin has gone to the far north to get water and will return in a few days, this is more encouraging than the illusory plum forest. If General Heli of Qixin is the distant plum forest, and this half cart of water beside us is the nearby plum blossoms to quench thirst, we only need to drive this water cart through the army. When the soldiers hear the sound of the cart, their morale will be greatly boosted."
"This is indeed a good method. With such a small amount of water, even if we divide it among the soldiers, we won't even get half a mouthful. It won't help at all." Niu Jinda agreed.
Meton continued, "Moreover, this water is a life-saving water. Now that the first soldier has fallen, there will definitely be a second and a third. However, with this half cart of water, every fallen soldier will receive water replenishment and treatment. This will let the soldiers know that even if they lack water, their lives will not be in danger. They will definitely be able to march with all their might and leave this Gobi Desert as soon as possible."
After Meton finished speaking, the eyes of the generals immediately lit up. Because of the thirst, the morale of the entire army was at an all-time low. If the soldiers knew that Qixin He Li was about to return with water, and if they really could not hold on, there was still a water cart to replenish their water. They would not die of thirst. With hope in front and a water cart to save their lives, the morale of the entire army would definitely be greatly boosted.
"In that case, there is a way. Let's do as Mo Jiu says!" Hou Junji nodded.
"The way I see it, it is fairer for General Hou to personally take care of this water cart." Xin Yaoer suddenly interjected.
The other generals all fell silent. They all knew Xin Yaoer's plan. Once Hou Junji took control of the water cart, he would definitely be able to win the hearts of the entire army with his contributions in saving the soldiers' lives.
However, Hou Junji shook his head in surprise and said, "Everyone knows that this water cart belongs to the Firearms Surveillance Bureau. It is better to let Mo Jiu take care of it. This way, the soldiers won't be suspicious."
This was a critical period for the entire army. The most important thing was to stabilize the morale of the soldiers, not to buy their hearts. Hou Junji naturally understood this very well.
"That's right! This water cart was given to us by Mo Jiu. We naturally believe in Mo Jiu's character. He will definitely use this water cart when it is needed, "Niu Jinda agreed.
The other generals all nodded. Putting aside Hou Junji's identity as the commanding general, Mo Jiazi was indeed the best choice to take care of this water cart.
"Then let's arrange it this way. After everyone returns to the army, immediately announce to the soldiers that General Qixin Heli will be back soon with water. Mo Jiu will take the water cart and walk in front of the army. Let the soldiers know that there is plenty of water in the water cart. If a soldier faints, immediately fetch water to treat him," Hou Junji ordered.
"Yes, sir!" The generals all acknowledged the order.
"What if a warhorse falls to the ground due to lack of water?" Meton asked hesitantly.
Hou Junji immediately gritted his teeth and said, "Then we'll spike the horse and drink its blood!"
The generals all fell silent. As an army, warhorses were the most important tool. If it wasn't for the last moment, no one would be willing to spike the horse and drink its blood.
Hou Junji waved his hand and the generals all left. Soon, the army was filled with cheers. Clearly, the generals had spread the news that Qixin Heli had gone to fetch water. The entire army's morale was greatly shaken and they all increased their speed.
At the same time, a water cart proudly passed by the army, splashing water everywhere. This bit of water was naturally inadequate for an army of 100,000 soldiers, but to the ordinary soldiers, they only knew that with this water, they would no longer have to worry about their lives.
In an instant, the entire army's morale was stabilized and their speed increased greatly. Although there were many soldiers along the way who fainted due to lack of water, the water cart would always arrive at the first instance. Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, it would take out a small amount of water for the soldiers who had fainted due to thirst. Very quickly, the soldiers who had been replenished with water once again returned to the army, full of energy and vigor.
These rescued soldiers were spread by word of mouth. Everyone knew that the water cart was filled with sweet and delicious water. Even though the army was extremely hungry and thirsty, there wasn't a trace of chaos in the army. They continued to march in an orderly manner.
The first day passed smoothly. On the second day, even more soldiers fainted. However, the water cart once again contributed greatly, saving the soldiers time and time again.
Finally, it was the third day. The entire army was extremely exhausted, but all the soldiers couldn't help but feel hopeful when they saw the water cart splashing past them.
However, they didn't realize that the water cart from the Firearms Surveillance Bureau was moving faster and faster. The splashing water was merely caused by the bumps of the cart.
Hou Junji stared anxiously to the north. All the generals knew that the water cart from the Firearms Surveillance Bureau wouldn't be able to last much longer. Although the spike horses were drinking blood to alleviate the situation, the army had already lost over a hundred warhorses in just half a day. If Qixin Heli still couldn't find water, the army would truly be in dire straits.
As time passed, more and more warhorses fell to the ground. Moreover, the sound of water from the Firearms Surveillance Bureau's water cart gradually disappeared. The army was about to fall into dire straits.
Suddenly, Hou Junji felt a slight tremor. He raised his binoculars and looked to the north. He saw a yellow dragon rushing towards the army from the desolate Gobi Desert.
"Enemy attack! Meet the enemy!" The generals obviously also noticed the situation. The extremely high military discipline of the Tang Army was vividly displayed. They unsheathed their swords and drew their bows.
Although the generals desperately hoped that it was General Qixin Heli who went to fetch water, the necessary defenses were still completed even though they were extremely weak.
Gradually, the yellow dragon got closer and closer. When they clearly saw that it was Qixin Heli, the generals breathed a sigh of relief.
"Yes, General Qixin Heli!" Hou Junji waved his hand. Only then did the army slowly lower their defenses.
Everyone looked to the north with anticipation. This time, the army's ability to walk out of the Gobi Desert unscathed depended on whether General Qixin Heli could bring back water.
Soon, a thousand soldiers and three thousand warhorses galloped to the front of the army. The leader, Qixin Heli, dismounted from his horse. He held a full water bag with both hands and knelt down on one knee before Hou Junji.
"I was fortunate enough to not disappoint you. I brought back the water."
"Good!" Hou Junji took the water bag and felt the long-lost coldness in his hand. Immediately, he waved his hand and said, "Everyone, there is always a way out. My army has water."
"We have water!" Immediately, the entire army cheered.
The generals stepped forward and unloaded the full water bags from the backs of the three thousand warhorses and distributed them to the army. A group of soldiers quickly replenished the water for the men and horses. After slightly relieving their hunger and thirst, they stuffed the water bags as if they were precious treasures. Only those who had experienced the pain of water shortage in the Gobi Desert understood the preciousness of water. There was still a long way to go. Just the water in the water bags alone needed to be used sparingly.
"Set off at full speed. We must pass through the Gobi Desert at the fastest speed!" Hou Junji waved his hand and said. With the water supply, the Tang Army immediately became lively.
This time, he set off in advance. Although the process was tortuous, the result was satisfactory. He successfully passed through the most difficult part of the Gobi Desert. With the water, he could quickly pass through the Gobi Desert and reach Gao Chang.
Gao Chang never thought that he would set off so early. This time, he wanted to catch Gao Chang off guard and win the battle.
"Gao Chang is mine. Even the Western Turks won't be able to stop it. I'll say it." Hou Junji said in his heart.
First, set a small goal. For example, one second. Remember: Book Guest Residence
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