The vanished army of 40,000
During the Tianbao period of the Tang Dynasty, the world was peaceful and the four seas surrendered. In this year, in order to expand his territory, Tang Xuanzong decided to send a large army to conquer the barbarians in the west. The army consisted of 40,000 people, all of whom were carefully selected elite soldiers, and the leader was led by the descendant of the famous general Li Jing, Li Tianzong.
On the day of the expedition, the flags outside Chang'an City covered the sun, the gongs and drums were noisy, and the 40,000 troops were ready to go, and the momentum was like a rainbow. Li Tianzong was wearing armor and holding a long sword, and he said to the soldiers: "This time to the Western Regions, we will open up territory for the Tang Dynasty and raise the prestige of the mainland! I hope you will fight side by side with me and create brilliance together!"
The soldiers shouted in unison: "For the Tang Dynasty, the battle is invincible!"
With the sound of the trumpet, the army embarked on the journey in a mighty way. However, no one expected that this army of 40,000 people would mysteriously disappear soon after, and there was no news again.
When the news of the disappearance of the army reached Chang'an, the government and the opposition were shocked. Tang Xuanzong urgently ordered the surrounding garrisons and government offices to search, but several months passed, and there were still no clues. 40,000 elite soldiers, as if the world had evaporated.
In an alley in Chang'an City, there was a down-and-out scholar named Du Ruofei. He was disheartened by repeated failures in the imperial examinations, and spent his days in the tavern to drink to kill his sorrows. On this day, he heard the news of the disappearance of the 40,000-strong army in the tavern, and his heart was moved, and he decided to investigate the matter. He thought that if he could unravel the mystery, he might be able to make a name for himself.
Du Ruofei began to run around, collecting clues about the army. He traveled to the border town, where the army had finally disappeared, and inquired about the situation with the local residents and vendors. Some people say that on the night when the army left, the sky was suddenly covered with dark clouds, lightning and thunder, as if a ghost had descended. Others said they had heard the strange sound of trumpets and war drums in the distance, but that they quickly disappeared.
Du Ruofei frowned, these clues seemed to point to a mysterious and unknowable force. He decided to follow the route of the Great Army and look all the way to the west.
During the long journey, Du Ruofei encountered various hardships. Once, he was nearly robbed and killed by a group of bandits, but was rescued by a passing ranger. The ranger's name is Yan Wushuang, and he is also a martial arts master. After hearing Du Ruofei's purpose, he decided to go along and uncover the mystery together.
The two traveled together, and after many hardships, they finally came to the border area where the army disappeared. This is a vast grassland, surrounded by mountains, and the terrain is dangerous. They found a strange place where there was an ancient temple with a hideous face enshrined in the temple.
Local herders told them that the temple was dedicated to the protector of the grasslands, who was said to be responsive but also devoured people's souls. Du Ruofei and Yan Wushuang glanced at each other, and a sense of foreboding surged in their hearts.
As night fell, the two decided to camp near the temple to rest. In the dead of night, a sudden gust of wind blew, and a strange sound came from inside the temple. They decided to sneak into the temple to find out.
The temple was pitch black, with only a few dim oil lamps flickering. They cautiously walked through the corridor to the statue. The eyes of the idol seemed to shimmer with an eerie light, as if watching them.
Suddenly, there was a noise behind the idol. They nervously approached and discovered a small hidden door. Pushing open the door, they were surprised to find a long underground passage.
Torches lit on both sides of the passage, illuminating the road ahead. They walked along the passageway, and in a few moments they came to a large underground space. It turned out to be a huge underground palace with a high platform in the middle of the palace and a huge stone tablet placed on the high platform.
The stele is engraved with some ancient words and patterns that seem to tell a mysterious story. When they looked closely, they were surprised to find that it was actually a record of the vanished army.
It turned out that the army encountered bad weather on the way and lost its way. When they came to this grassland, they were already sleepy. At this time, the mysterious forces in the temple tempted them and led them to this underground palace.
Controlled by mysterious forces, the soldiers walked up to the high platform one by one and turned into patterns on stone tablets. Their souls were imprisoned in stone tablets and sacrificed to mystical powers.
Du Ruofei and Yan Wushuang were horrified to find that this stone tablet was slowly absorbing the vitality of the soldiers. They must break this curse as soon as possible, or these soldiers will never be able to rest in peace.
The two began to study the words and patterns on the stele in an attempt to find a way to crack it. After some hard work, they finally found a key clue: the base of the stele was engraved with a small line of words - "Blood is sacrificed to be liberated".
They speculated that this may have meant that the blood of a living person was needed as a sacrifice to lift the curse. However, they do not want to sacrifice innocent lives. At this time, Yan Wushuang suddenly thought of a way: "We can use my martial arts to force out the blood in our bodies as a sacrifice." ”
Du Ruofei said worriedly: "Doing this will hurt you a lot, are you sure you want to do this?"
Yan Wushuang nodded firmly: "In order to save these trapped souls, I am willing to sacrifice." ”
After speaking, he mobilized his internal force, forced out a mouthful of blood, and sprinkled it on the stone tablet. Suddenly, the stele began to tremble, emitting a dazzling light. When the light cleared, they were surprised to find that the patterns on the stone tablets had gradually disappeared, and were replaced by vivid faces, none other than the vanished soldiers.
The soldiers bowed to them and disappeared into the air in puffs of smoke. They knew that the souls of these soldiers had been liberated.
When the two of them walked out of the underground palace, it was already dawn. They looked at the rising sun, and their hearts were full of emotion and joy. Despite the hardships, they finally unravel the mystery and bring hope and relief to those trapped souls.
After returning to Chang'an, they reported this experience to Tang Xuanzong. Tang Xuanzong was shocked and moved when he heard this, and he immediately ordered the construction of an ancestral hall for those soldiers who died to worship incense, and posthumously crowned them as martyrs. At the same time, he also rewarded and rewarded Du Ruofei and Yan Wushuang.
However, both of them politely declined Tang Xuanzong's reward. They stated that everything they did was for the sake of those trapped souls and the righteousness in their hearts, and they did not need anything in return. After hearing this, Tang Xuanzong greatly appreciated their high style and chivalrous spirit, and personally inscribed a plaque of "The Great One of Chivalry" for them to encourage.
Since then, "the great man of chivalry" has become the most widely circulated sentence in Chang'an City. The story of Du Ruofei and Yan Wushuang has also been widely praised by later generations and has become a folk story that has been passed down through the ages.
And that mysterious temple and underground palace have also disappeared into the long river of history with the passage of time, leaving only a legend about the vanished army of 40,000 and two heroes. When night falls, people can still hear the distant sound of trumpets and war drums, as if telling the thrilling history......
Although the matter has been resolved, Du Ruofei and Yan Wushuang have not stopped exploring. They realize that while the mystery of the disappearance of the 40,000-strong army has been revealed, the mystery of where that mysterious force came from remains an unsolved mystery. The two decided to continue their investigation, hoping to find the source of this power.
Once again, they embark on a journey westward, this time with a clearer goal – to find the source of their mysterious powers. Along the way, they constantly asked the local residents and nomads if anyone knew about the legends about the temple and mystical powers.
Finally, in a remote village, they get an important clue. The elders of the village tell them that in the depths of the steppe, there is a forgotten ancient city, where ancient secrets and great power are said to be hidden. The old man also mentioned that there seems to be some kind of mysterious connection between the ancient city and the temple.
Du Ruofei and Yan Wushuang looked at each other and smiled, they knew that this time they might have really found the source of the mysterious power. They asked the old man in detail about the route to the ancient city, and then they couldn't wait to embark on a new adventure.
After several days of trekking, they finally came to the depths of the steppe. There, the ruins of an ancient city come into view. Although the ancient city is dilapidated, you can still feel its former glory.
The two cautiously walked through the ruins to the heart of the ancient city. There, they found a huge altar. The altar is intricately carved with patterns and texts, apparently similar to the stone tablets in the temple.
Du Ruofei and Yan Wushuang carefully studied the words and patterns on the altar, trying to find clues. Suddenly, a stone slab in the center of the altar caught their attention. This stone slab is engraved with an ancient line: "The power of heaven and earth gathers here, guarding the grassland and protecting the people." ”
They speculate that this may be the source of the mysterious power. This force originally existed to protect the grassland and its people, but for some reason, it was used by the stone tablets in the temple and imprisoned the souls of 40,000 troops.
To test their suspicions, the two began a detailed investigation around the altar. After some hard work, they finally discovered a secret room hidden beneath the altar. The chamber was filled with mysterious fluctuations of power, and it was clearly the place they were looking for.
However, when they try to enter the secret room, they find that an invisible force is blocking them. This force is powerful and dark, as if it wants to devour everything.
Du Ruofei and Yan Wushuang glanced at each other, and a sense of foreboding surged in their hearts. They know that if they want to solve this mystery, they must face this dark force.
The two of them mobilized their internal forces and joined forces to challenge the dark forces. After a fierce battle, they finally broke the shackles of the dark forces and entered the secret room.
In the chamber, they found a huge source of energy. This energy source exudes powerful light and power fluctuations, and is clearly the source of mystical power. They speculated that this energy source might have been formed by some mysterious treasure left behind by ancient ancestors. In order to test their guesses and solve the problem once and for all, the two begin to try to communicate with the energy source and find a solution.
After much hard work and exploration, the two finally found a way to do it: to seal the dark power through specific spells and rituals, to release the souls of the soldiers trapped in it, and to restore peace and tranquility to the grasslands.
With the joint efforts of everyone, the sealing ceremony was successfully completed, the dark power was successfully sealed in a mysterious magic weapon, and the trapped souls were freed and returned to their families, and peace and tranquility on the grassland were restored.
When the sun sprinkled on the grassland again, Du Ruofei and Yan Wushuang looked at the blue sky, white clouds and the vast grassland, their hearts were full of joy and satisfaction, they knew that although this adventure was full of hardships and dangers, they also gained countless friendships and growth, and more importantly, they brought peace and hope to this land.
The two looked at each other and smiled, holding each other's hands tightly, they knew that the future was still a long way, but they also firmly believed that as long as there is love and justice in their hearts, no matter what difficulties and challenges they encounter, they can work together to create a better future!
The two returned to Chang'an City and reported to Tang Xuanzong. Tang Xuanzong heard about the whole thing and greatly appreciated the bravery and wisdom of the two. He immediately ordered Du Ruofei and Yan Wushuang to be rewarded and invited them to stay in the palace to serve.
However, the two politely declined Tang Xuanzong's kindness. They said that they preferred the freedom and adventure of the rivers and lakes, and did not want to be bound by the rules of the court. After hearing this, Tang Xuanzong didn't force it, but just said with emotion: "You are really heroes and heroes in the world, and I admire them so much." ”
Du Ruofei and Yan Wushuang left the palace and continued their journey to the rivers and lakes. Their stories have been widely circulated on the rivers and lakes and have become people's after-dinner conversations. And the legend about the disappearing army of 40,000 has also become an eternal legend in the history of the Tang Dynasty.