Chapter 950 Loss and Gain Eastern Xinjiang Chiyan City This small town with a history of six hundred years has now changed beyond recognition. This small town that was once praised by countless poets as the most suitable place to live in seclusion and nourish oneself has no trace of its past. Some are just devastated. The city gate, which was not heavy in the first place, was smashed into pieces, the city wall was full of holes, and the broken city bricks were piled up on the ground, like a wild grave. Archduke Hullens¡¯ leather boots stepped on the gravel and rubble as he walked into the city gate. The sound under his feet was like a layer of bones being crushed. He didn't care about the sound, but what he cared about was that the gravel on his feet made him feel uncomfortable. He is an old man and seems to be becoming more and more picky about life. There were many corpses at the city gate, and he chose to avoid them. "Send someone to collect the corpses and find a place to bury them. Remember to erect a monument according to Han customs." He ordered, and then saw several soldiers chatting with their feet on the corpses of Han soldiers in the city in the distance, which seemed particularly special. excited. He frowned, pointed over there and said, "Arrest those people. No one will be whipped thirty times and sent back to the country." One of his generals was stunned for a moment, obviously feeling that such a punishment was a bit too severe. In the Opuru Empire, the honor of soldiers is inviolable. For a long time, the empire officials have been guiding the people to respect a soldier. Even an ordinary soldier has many privileges in the empire. The empire officials spent nearly ten years making all the people understand one thing, that is, there is nothing more glorious than an adult man joining the army. Because of this, soldiers who are repatriated face not only the ridicule and cold looks of others, but also a hurdle that they will never pass. "They are just too proud." The general advised: "No one thought that such a small city could hold on for so long. We lost no less than five hundred soldiers outside this small city. Because of this , so the soldiers may be a little angry." "This is not a reason." Hullens shook his head: "How many places have the proud soldiers of the empire conquered since the empire went out to fight? If the victory only makes people get carried away. Failure will come unexpectedly. Have you all forgotten the teachings of Emperor Leman? Binge, tell me, what did Emperor Leman say about his attitude towards the enemy's corpse? "The general named Binge immediately stood up. Said: "Your Majesty once said that those who step on the enemy's corpse do not deprive the deceased of their dignity, but lose their own identity. The corpses of the deceased in battle and the victors also have the purest honor and cannot be violated. If If someone abuses the corpse of the war dead, whether it is the enemy's or one's own, then such a soldier is not worthy of wearing the uniform of the empire." After he finished speaking, he glanced at Hullens and knew that he had no words to continue to persuade. "Although I have said it many times, it is obvious that you still don't understand." Hullens glanced at the broken city walls, the collapsed houses, the corpses on the ground and the Han people gathered together in the distance. ¡°It¡¯s never the land that¡¯s conquered.¡± ¡°The Han people are really a strange nation.¡± Hullens stood respectfully, with his head slightly lowered. As a Duke with outstanding military exploits, there seems to be only one person in the Opuru Empire who can make him put aside his pride and be so humble. The Opuru Empire was not built by this man, but it was definitely this man who made the empire great. When Hullens spoke to Emperor Lyman, he tried his best to make his voice clearer. He knew that Emperor Leman liked to use young generals, especially young generals with determination. Hullens knew that this was because the battlefield required more directness and bloodiness, more sharpness and courage. Therefore, he always pays attention to details. He didn¡¯t want his voice to sound hoarse or old when talking to Emperor Lyman. He tried his best to keep his voice as penetrating as a young man. Penetrating power does not mean loud sound. Of course, many young people don¡¯t understand this. When it comes to details, Hullens cares a bit about it. There is always a large basin of water in his study room. He maintains this habit whether he is in battle or at home. Not just in the study room, but everywhere he lives. When Emperor Lyman summoned him, no matter how urgent he was, he would take a bath immediately and as quickly as possible. His wife once didn't understand why he was like this. Hullens told his wife helplessly: "Whether you believe it or not, the older you get, the more there is a smell on your body. I call it the smell of decay. If you let Your Majesty smelled the smell on me that only old people have, and he believedI always remind him that I am old. " After people reach old age, their demand for meat is actually very small. They prefer lighter food. But Hullens will not be like this. Although he also begins to hate eating meat, he forces himself to eat some at every meal. Because he firmly believes that meat can keep people strong. Sometimes even he wonders, what is he afraid of being abandoned? With his achievements, he will reward him even if he no longer uses it. The destination of glory. When one day his youngest son Geo finally became a general and led troops to capture an enemy city, he heard his youngest son cheering: "This is a great era! "Yes, this is a great era. The rise of an empire must experience all kinds of grandeur. He finally understood that what he was afraid of was not going home to retire, but that he was far away from this era, leaving only flowers and plants in his life. He wanted to associate his name with this big era, and when people mentioned the great Emperor Lyman, he wanted to play small cards without paying too much attention to winning or losing. I will forget what another man named Hullens did. ¡°What¡¯s so strange? " Emperor Lyman, who was sitting on a huanghuali chair and enjoying breakfast, asked casually. The seemingly ordinary four-legged square table in front of him was made of the same precious wood as the chairs he made. Unlike some of his subordinates who regarded the Han people as The wealthy do not understand the luxurious details of life. Emperor Lyman regards this as a culture that must be paid attention to. He can now use chopsticks proficiently, and his research on antiques in recent months has made him more familiar with the history of this country. "There are less than two thousand defenders in this small city, and most of them are improvised civilian warriors. They didn't even have enough bows, arrows, armor, or reinforcements. When Mu Guangling had to retreat, the small town was destined to be abandoned, and the people in the city were destined to become orphans However, none of them chose to surrender. Hullens said. Emperor Lyman put down his chopsticks and seemed dissatisfied with the food on the plate. "Do you know what this dish is called?" " Emperor Lyman asked, pointing to the dish closest to him. "Fish-flavored shredded pork," Hullens replied. "Well, it's a bit too sweet I heard that the most authentic fish-flavored shredded pork has the light sweetness of lychee. , instead of this strong sucrose sweetness. Emperor Lyman waved his hand to signal his servants to take the dishes away: "This is a dish made by the chef brought by my Sui army. It looks no different from what the Han chefs made, but it still tastes different." Is it because Han Chinese cuisine is strange? Noit's my chef who isn't good enough. Emperor Lyman said slowly: "When conquering a place, we only see the tenacious resistance of the enemy soldiers. We should be in awe of such an enemy." But don¡¯t forget that no one surrenders sometimes not necessarily because the enemy is proud or determined, but because we ourselves have not done well enough. " "I understand. Hullens lowered his head, and the corners of his eyebrows trembled involuntarily. Emperor Lyman took a bite of the hot dish that had just been delivered, and nodded slightly: "The Han people have many things worth learning from us, but apart from me, for Any one of you should take your time learning this. I said at the beginning that in order to conquer a place, you must first understand it. I did not want you to learn to enjoy the most luxurious living habits of this place. " "I'm a little worried now, Hullens, do you know what I'm worried about? Hullens quickly shook his head: "I don't know." " "Look at these things. " Emperor Lyman pointed to the table: "It is said that the cost of building such a table is almost the same as making a table of the same size made of sterling silver. My men were surprised when they found out about this and thought it would be great if they had such a table. Because in comparison, a table made of sterling silver looks so vulgar. For example, this tea, when my subordinates knew that a pot of top-notch tea might cost a wealthy family several years of living expenses, they were also surprised, and then they felt that they should taste such tea. " "For example, jade, a seemingly small piece of value can equip a team of thousands of people or even more. I heard that the most famous jade in this country can even be exchanged for a city. When my subordinates know that such jade exists, they will think that I should hang this thing on their belts. " "For example, in terms of food, I have never seen a nation that pays such sincere attention to the way food is made. They will strive for excellence."??The dishes are made to the best to satisfy the pleasure on the tongue. My men are used to eating monotonous barbecue and potatoes. When they start to taste such delicacies, their tongues will become more and more greedy. They feel that the winner should enjoy everything food, clothes, furniture, houses, antique. Emperor Lyman said slowly: "But Hullens, do you know?" These things are our enemies, even more terrifying than facing the enemy directly on the battlefield. If this continues, it may not be long before our generals will be stripped of their roughness by exquisite enjoyment. Some people say that personality does not change. This is wrong. Life is enough to change a person's personality. Keeping a tiger for a few years will not turn it into a cat, but it will lose its former power. " "I understand. "Hullens didn't quite understand, but he didn't dare to say that he didn't understand. "I will pay attention to this matter later. " Emperor Lyman said: "Now, let's talk about the reasons why no Han people are willing to surrender. " Emperor Lyman stood up and looked at the sky in the distance: "I once said that I would expand the empire halfway to the edge of the land, and I have done it. Success brings greed. What I want now is not just a piece of land, but everythingand you are the warriors who are here to fulfill this wish for me. Hullens, do you know what a true warrior is? " Without waiting for Hullens to answer, Emperor Lyman said slowly: "A warrior is not just someone who dares to fight, but also has wisdom. We need to reduce enemies to reduce resistance, but the only way to reduce enemies is by killing. Simple killing will make the enemy more and more united. You did a good job before the war started. Why have you forgotten it now? Because you think there is no need to spend money, because it seems that we have already set foot on this continent" "I know I was wrong. Hullons lowered his head and said, "I will send someone to do it after I go back." " "We plundered countless treasures. Emperor Lyman smiled: "Use these treasures to turn enemies into friends, using their own things. Isn't this a good business?" What have we lost by waiting to get our treasures back when they are no longer needed? " He smiled brightly: "Nothing is lost, only gain. "