I am engaged in construction in Datang

The drums are beating in the desert, the soldiers are crying for the sun to set. The lonely grave is covered with sand, who has trouble resting in his dream?

The lonely city at the border still stands at the junction of the two countries.

Because of the people who live there, it looks shabby, weathered, yet majestic and magnificent.

There are 1022 white-haired veterans living there. On weekdays, they send a team to the territory to collect supplies every ten days.

Yellow sand filled the air and the red flag was half-rolled up.

A melody that sometimes went up and down and sometimes made no sense floated over the city, attracting countless shouts and curses.

"Old Ya, what the hell are you playing? You're poisoning my ears!"

"I've forgotten my own tune after listening to the tune you played, you scoundrel!"

Cursing sounds came from all directions. Lao Ya dug his ear with his little finger, then took it out and blew it: "I'll blow it if I want to. When someone comes next time, ask me to exchange secret signals with him!"

"Come on, if I ask you to go, do you still dare to go there?"

"You look down on me!" Lao Ya was angry and continued to pick up the flute and put it to his mouth.

This group of people had little entertainment on weekdays, so they all started learning to play the flute from the old general.

Not everyone has that talent. People like Lao Ya are among those who have the ability to hear the devil's sound.

As everyone was chatting away, a group of soldiers and horses came from a distance. They were very large and there seemed to be quite a lot of people on board.

"Stop shouting!" The leader on the city wall frowned and looked confusedly at a group of soldiers and horses coming from the territory.

"Old Ya, you have good eyesight, go and take a look! Is someone coming? It looks like they have a big presence!"

Hearing this, Lao Ya looked into the distance.

He had good eyesight and could see more clearly, and blurted out: "Wow!"

"Ouch!"

"Ouch!"

"call……"

"Stop yelling at me!" The leader kicked Lao Ya angrily, "How many people and how many horses?"

"Hehe!" Lao Ya scratched his head and was about to continue making fun of him, but the look from the team leader scared him back.

"There are about five hundred men and about a thousand horses."

Lao Ya muttered to himself: "What are you doing..."

There aren't enough people to fight a war. What can five hundred people do?

But what's the point of sending so many people here if there's no war?

"Tsk!" The team leader pondered. They were far away from the capital, and it was not an important place. The speed of getting news was always much slower than other places.

"What is this for?"

Lao Ya was optimistic and laughed loudly: "Could this group of people be exiled?"

"How can they still wear coats?"

The leader was speechless. How could this group of elite soldiers and generals be exiled?

He had to report to the general immediately.

In the distance, You Qianniu led a group of people and horses galloping over, and in a short while they arrived at the city gate.

"Is the city guard general Zhao An available?"

After shouting three times, the city gate slowly opened.

The white-haired old man came with a helmet in his left arm and a group of generals behind him.

"I am Zhao An, may I ask who the general is?"

The Right Thousand Bull raised the fish token that represented his status and dismounted, saying, "I am the current emperor's personal guard, Right Thousand Bull Li Xinghuai, and I have come here to deliver the emperor's decree."

"General Zhao An, please take me into the city. This imperial edict was written by His Majesty for the generals in the city. Please have the thousands of soldiers guarding the city receive the order together!"

Zhao An was speechless.

They still have to defend the border, so how can they have time to listen to them read the imperial edict!

"General Zhao, rest assured that the old brothers' positions will be filled by others. There is no need to worry about the thieves coming to attack."

You Qianniu continued, "Five hundred elite soldiers are enough. The Western Region is nothing to worry about."

"That's fine." Zhao An had no choice but to agree.

Soon, more than a thousand people were crowded in the center of the city. A quick look showed that everything was desolate.

Zhao An stood at the front, and behind him were Lao Ya and other close associates.

The veterans saw You Qianniu take a large wooden box from the carriage behind him, and then took out a huge scroll from it...

The other party set up a long row of folding tables, and it took several people working together to spread it out.

"All the generals, please listen to my orders..."

"I will obey your orders!"

Thousands of people shouted at the same time, making the voice deafening.

"The lonely city has no fallen heroic souls, the city is full of white-haired soldiers. Born with the blood of the Han people, even after death, we will be buried in the tomb of the Tang Dynasty!"

"Your Majesty, I heard that more than 4,000 veteran soldiers in the Yiwu border have guarded the border city alone for forty years, enduring loneliness and cold weather. They are role models for all ages. I will now reward and confer titles on all of them."

"Is the city guard general Zhao An available?"

"I'm here!" Zhao An took two steps forward, bowed slightly and clasped his fists.

"General Zhao An is loyal and brave... I hereby reward him..."

"Your Majesty, thank you for your grace." Zhao An clasped his fists and bowed again, then retreated with a calm face.

"Is Deputy General Zhou De available?"

You Qianniu continued to read the next name.

Seeing no one answer, he repeated, "Is Deputy General Zhou De available?"

After a while, You Qianniu raised his head and said, "Deputy General..."

"he died."

Someone in the crowd shouted, and the surroundings suddenly became quiet.

You Qianniu paused for a moment, and according to Li Shimin's instructions, he took out a brush and circled Zhou De's name.

He continued to look at the next one: "Ling'an County, Xiangzhou, Henan Province, Houlin Village, Jiangdahe."

"Henan Daoxiang..."

"Dead too!"

You Qianniu picked up the pen and circled Jiang Dahe's name.

"The next one is Shangcheng County, Xingzhou, Hedong Road, Shangliu Village, Shang..."

"General, Shang Xiaoqi is dead."

You Qianniu couldn't continue painting. He looked up at Zhao An, feeling a little helpless.

Zhao An just looked at him silently, his cloudy eyes filled with complicated emotions: "General, do you need me to draw it for you?"

"There are 4693 people on your scroll, and now we only have 1022 left."

You Qianniu turned his back, wiped his eyes to cover up, turned around again and said: "No need, you called me here, this is my duty."

"Next, the Jiannan Road, Jizhou, Anping County, Qingshan Village, Mo Dayou."

You Qianniu's voice trembled as he called out again: "Jiannan..."

"Hey! Here, here!" Lao Ya waved his hands excitedly, almost unable to react just now.

He has even forgotten where he is from, and who has ever called him Mo Dayou?

Everyone saw that his front teeth grew rapidly, so they called him Big Tooth when he was young and Old Tooth when he was old.

You Qianniu let out a long sigh, then glared at Lao Ya fiercely.

It turns out that Mo Dayou is you, old guy!

A few hours later.

You Qianniu put down his pen and ink. Those whose names were circled needed to find their families and then give subsidies, and the rest would be subsidized directly to individuals.

Most importantly, everyone can go home.

"You mean, this city is going to be demolished?" Zhao An looked confused. He looked around and didn't know where to put his hands and feet.

"It's not demolishing, it's rebuilding!" You Qianniu emphasized again.

It would be so unpleasant to say that it was demolished. After Gaochang was taken, there would be no need to defend the city. "We will rebuild a new city. If you are willing, you can come back to be the general defending the city. If you want to go home, the court will make arrangements for you."

"what……"

Zhao An's face looked even more confused. Where was his home?

This group of people have been guarding this dynasty from the previous dynasty to the present day, so where can they find a home?