Chapter 104 Section VI

Colonel Ge Lan knew that although the Crusaders' occupation of Naining Temple meant stepping into the ground of Gyantse, only when they saw Gyantse Castle could they truly reach Gyantse Dzong.Now he saw that in the middle of the plain, Zongshan was like an irregular pyramid, and of course it was the largest pyramid in the universe.The upper part of the pyramid is the castle famous for its ancient grandeur.Solid gray walls, trimmed with red trim, took up the entire top of the hill.The buildings are scattered and piled up, intertwined with each other, supporting the domineering Gao Jun.At the top is the watchtower, and you can feel the eyes of hatred and the muzzle of the gun shining in the lookout hole.

Colonel Galan stood upright on his horse and stared at it for a long time, as if counting the stones on which the castle was built.He came to a conclusion in his heart: this is a nation that believes in the sky, and they must think that the closer they are to the sky, the closer they are to God, which is the same as us.But it is important for Tibetans to understand that God can only occupy the sky, and their Buddha can only be below, in hell.A developed nation will never regard the god of hell as the supreme worship.Yes, when God comes, the Buddha should roll from a high place to a low place.Perhaps in ancient wars, the tall and strong Zongshan Castle gave its master a military defense victory, but today, when they face our British Crusaders, the facts will teach them: the sky can be replaced Yes, if you still insist on believing in the sky, you should believe in God.Otherwise, the higher the place you occupy, the more unlucky you will be.The existence of the castle shows that it is not the first time that we have imposed a war on Tibet, but it is the first time that we have fully occupied - we must not only occupy the ground, but also occupy the sky; not only must the Tibetans obey us, but also their Buddha obeys God.At this moment, Colonel Galan's only thought is to occupy Zongshan Castle.

Colonel Galan's eyes moved down from the castle in the clouds, and found some houses at the foot of Zongshan Mountain, most of which were two-story stone buildings.If these buildings were used as fortifications by the Tibetans, it would be very difficult for infantry alone to rush through them.He sneered: Cannons, God gave us cannons, it seems to be for attacking Tibet.In Tibet, no matter what kind of resistance you encounter, you can eventually win with cannons.On both sides of Zongshan Mountain, there are endless plains, with many trees, highland barley, and some villages near and far.The mountain looks a little far away, but the sparse herds of cattle and sheep on the slopes at the foot of the mountain can still be seen clearly.But he saw no one, not a single figure.

This is not right, people?The villages are so silent. Lama Gasa, who was standing next to the colonel on horseback, knew what he was thinking, and immediately said, "They all ran away. They all ran away when they heard that we were coming. You see, in the village, the chimneys don't emit smoke." Colonel Galan asked: "Where can they go?" Gasa said: "To the west of Gyantse is Shigatse, and to the east is Langkazi. Both are good places to go." Colonel Ge Lan said: "It's good to run away, the village is ours." Immediately ordered Colonel Kaqi to lead the Sinba people to sweep the village closest to them.

Kaqi went immediately, and before he got there, he fired at the doors and windows of the cottage, bluffing. Gasa went on to say: "In Gyantse, there are two places that will definitely not be empty. One is Zijin Temple, which is the fortress leading to Shigatse; the other is Baiju Temple, which is the hub leading to Lhasa." Colonel Ge Lan said: "There is another place where there must be people, and that is Zongshan Castle." Gasa said disapprovingly: "Although Zongshan Castle is condescending, we don't live in Gyantse permanently, so there is no need to occupy it. Besides, Zongshan is steep and the paths are narrow. Once occupied, once attacked, we cannot escape quickly."

Colonel Ge Lan said: "It seems that you are a Tibetan who likes to run away." He picked up the binoculars from his chest, looked at Zongshan Castle for a long time, and said loudly, "Sure enough, there are people with guns on their backs. " Gasa didn't mind the other party's sarcasm, and continued to speak: "If the colonel must occupy Zongshan Castle, then you should listen to me. In ancient times, there were wars between Tibetans here. In order to take Zongshan Castle , the attacking party first occupied Poal Manor, Mount Gangzhu and Jiangluolingka.” He pointed to Colonel Galan, “The place with dense trees over there is Jiangluolingka, the aristocratic garden in Gyantse. It faces the castle obliquely. On the side of the castle, the mountain that looks like a bison is Gangzhu Mountain. The Poal Manor is the dazzling tall house in the middle of the village, just in front of the castle."

Colonel Ge Lan said: "You haven't finished talking yet, did the attacking side win Zongshan Castle?" Gasa said: "Of course, he eventually became the real ruler of Gyantse." Colonel Ge Lan said: "It's a pity for this ancient man. He just took a fancy to Gyantse. Doesn't he think that if defending the castle is the purpose of the war, doesn't Lhasa have a more glorious castle?" Gasa said, "Colonel, you are talking about the Potala Palace. The Potala Palace belongs only to the Dalai Lama. If a person does not understand this, he cannot establish his rule anywhere in Tibet."

Colonel Galan evidently disdained to argue the question.He looked at the clear and cloudless weather in the afternoon, and called Lieutenant Rong He to him: "Lieutenant, tell me what you think." Lieutenant Rong He said: "I know Gyantse is a plain, but I didn't expect it to be such an open plain. Tibet is a mountainous place, how can it become so flat here? There are roads everywhere, and you can walk everywhere. I mean Tibetans. .And there is only one road for us, and that is the road to Lhasa. Pastor Darth escaped, and without his map, we can only follow the route drawn by the Tibetans.”

Colonel Galan said, "You're smart, Lieutenant, and that's what I'm going to talk to you about. Reverend Darth is gone, and we have Reverend Mahon. Maybe Reverend Mahon can replace Reverend Darth?" Lieutenant Rong He said: "I don't doubt the ability of Pastor Mahon, but Colonel, can you convince him?" Colonel Galan said: "The back of our heads can never convince our eyes, because they always look in the opposite direction to the world. I represent the eyes of God, seeing the necessity of war; Reverend Mahon represents the back of God's head, Seeing the peace after the war. I am going to let him leave us and go to Lhasa along the route he chose. And your task is to follow him, but don't get close to him. If necessary, you will appear suddenly like the previous few times In front of us, behind the Tibetans."

Lieutenant Rong He said: "Understood, what Pastor Darth intends to do, Pastor Mahon can do it unintentionally." Colonel Galan said, "Go ahead, and don't let Reverend Mahon know your intentions." Pastor Ma Weng faithfully guarded the Lama Lama's position overnight on Zachangxia North Road, and then went to Naining Temple and Gyantse Dzong together with the Crusaders.It's not that he is willing to go with the army that can guarantee his safety, but that there is only one road, even the "Picture of Good and Bad, Good and Evil" says the same.But it was different now. The terrain in front of him and the map in his hand were telling him that the most suitable path for a priest was to walk away from the Crusaders and walk alone.Before leaving he wanted to say goodbye to Colonel Galan, but he was in the middle of the long line and couldn't see where Colonel Galan was.Besides, saying goodbye will definitely attract obstacles, so why ask for trouble?He left the queue on horseback, knowing that other people would come to stop him, so he didn't care.After all, they are believers of God, and they cannot forcibly restrict the actions of a high-ranking priest.

Lieutenant Rong He watched their backs disappearing quickly, and led his people to follow slowly. Colonel Galan had to admit that Lama Gasa's advice was correct. To attack Zongshan Castle, he must first occupy Poal Manor, Mount Gangzhu, and Jiangluolingka.He divided his troops and ordered them to quickly occupy these three places.Then he said to the several officers who surrounded him: "We must win the first battle and occupy Zongshan Castle, because God let us plant a cross in God's residence. The castle is a symbol of Gyantse, just like Jerusalem is a symbol of Christ." You can't be negligent, either go up and occupy it, or die on the mountainside. Within two hours, I must stand in front of the castle gate and trample the entire Gyantse under my feet." The attack is about to begin.Colonel Ge Lan first ordered the artillery to set up ten ten-pound cannons and ten mountain field artillery, and then sent a small group of troops to tentatively search for the houses at the foot of Zongshan Mountain.The feedback information made him happy: no one, they all ran away, only the housekeeping dog and the poultry and livestock that could not be taken away.It appears that the Tibetans did not have much of a force spread out from the citadel, or that they did not want their homeland to be targeted for shelling due to resistance. The search party killed several dogs that barked at them, climbed to the roof of the two-story stone building, and from there aimed their machine guns at the castle. Colonel Galan ordered the artillery to fire a few shots at the castle as a deterrent, and then led a forward force composed of British, Sinba, and Gurkhas to rush upwards. Before the charging Crusaders came into range, the Tibetans began to fight back. It seemed that they couldn't wait, and each arquebus quickly let out its first angry cry.Then there is peace.Colonel Galan estimated that they had loaded the gunpowder and was lighting the match, so he ordered the troops to stop and take cover.But they didn't wait for the second shot. Looking carefully at the top of the castle, it seemed that the figure who was poking around just now had disappeared. Colonel Galan shouted: "Go." The charge was swift, and the occupation was smooth.No one was killed, and Colonel Kaqi's Sinba planted a cross on the top of the castle.Colonel Galan thought happily that there were not many defenders of Zongshan Castle, and they all fled from the narrow road behind the mountain early when they saw that they could not defeat them.There is also a possibility that it was voluntarily abandoned in order to save the castle from shelling.He walked around in the castle, looking at the guns, ammunition and food that were too late to take away because of his hasty escape, and ordered his subordinates: "Check, what is there?" Colonel Kaqi reported that after inspection, the Tibetans abandoned more than 400 guns, more than 2,000 pounds of gunpowder, more than 100 kilometers of ignition rope, 600,000 pounds of flour, and nearly 100 tons of highland barley , wheat and peas, thirty thousand pounds of dried beef and mutton. Colonel Galan said: "I'm right, God let us plant a cross in God's dwelling place. This is a gift from God." In the evening, Colonel Galan climbed up to the watchtower on the top of the castle, admiring the bright sunset glow in the sky and the richness of Gyantse wilderness. He felt very good and his appetite was great.He chewed on the freshly cooked dry beef left by the Tibetans, and asked the Gasa Lama who had been with him all the time: "Did it go a little unexpectedly smoothly?" Gasa said, "Yes, God." Colonel Galan asked in surprise, "What did you call me?" Gasa flattered and said: "I call you God, can't you? You are not the colonel, but God to Tibet." Colonel Galan said arrogantly: "I know you call me that because of the Sama Temple. Don't worry, I will help you just like you helped me. Tell me, what should we do next?" Gasa said, "Colonel, no, God, I've already said it." Colonel Galan didn't correct him either, and let the other party bark indiscriminately.He threw a bone through the observation hole of the arrow tower and said: "Occupy Zijin Temple, it is the fortress leading to Shigatse; occupy Baiju Temple, it is the hub leading to Lhasa?" Gasa said: "And you have to be fast, preferably now, at this moment, or at night." Colonel Galan observed the terrain on the plain and said, "Isn't it possible tomorrow morning?" Then he asked urgently, "Why are you in such a hurry?" Gasa said: "The sky in Gyantse is changing. It is different from when we first came here. Look at the Huoshao cloud in the sky, which has changed so many shapes in the blink of an eye. It is a convulsion, and it is Tibet that is angry. I am a Tibet loyal to you. People don't want to guess whose fate the ominous sky portends." Colonel Galan said: "When you think this way, did the Buddha tell you, or did God tell you?" Gasa said: "Buddha and God." Colonel Galan said, "I didn't tell you anything." Gasa shook his head, and said stubbornly: "You told me, I didn't get it wrong." Colonel Gelan said: "It seems that you have guessed what I am going to do. Very smart lama. Are all Tibetan lamas as smart as you? Please tell me again, where is your Sama Monastery?" Gasa said: "In the past, not far from the Zijin Temple, in the embrace of the lion-like Sama Mountain, there was the incomparable Sama Temple. In the whole of Tibet, it is the place with the most pilgrims except the Jokhang Temple in Lhasa. Because The Jokhang Temple enshrines the twelve-year-old statue of the Buddha, and the Sama Temple enshrines the Buddha's skull." Colonel Ge Lan said: "So you asked me to occupy Zijin Temple immediately and open the way to Mount Sama?" Gasa Lama didn't say a word, which is regarded as his approval. Colonel Galan asked again: "Buddha's skull? It's precious, priceless, isn't it?" Gasa said: "Yes, there will be no bigger Buddha's relic in the world. It is beyond description. In the minds of us believers, it is the same as the Buddha himself." Colonel Gelan asked again: "Such a sacred place of faith must have many lamas living there?" Gasa said: "When I was the abbot, there were nearly 1,000 people. After the Sama Temple belonged to Danwang Temple as a debt repayment, it became the world of Danwang Lamas. There should be at least 500 lamas." Colonel Galan stepped down from the watchtower and ordered a Gurkha lieutenant: "Let's go immediately and occupy Zijin Temple." Lieutenant Gurkha asked blankly: "Where is Zijin Temple?" Colonel Galan called Lieutenant Guoguo: "Take your people and go with the lieutenant. You know the importance of Zijin Temple better than I do, and you must occupy it." Looking at the sky, he added, "It doesn't matter if it's dark or white. " Lama Gasa wanted to go with them, but Colonel Galan stopped him: "You should stay with me at this time. Don't worry, when we occupy Zijin Temple, I will accompany you to visit your Sama Temple." Colonel Galan left Colonel Kaqi and his Sinba people to guard the castle, and he and Lama Gasa walked down the Zongshan Mountain, leading the rest of the Crusaders and outflanking the Baiju Temple not far away. With Zongshan Castle at your fingertips, it is not surprising that there was no resistance at Baiju Temple.Seeming to have a premonition, Colonel Galan didn't even pull out his pistol.What caught him off guard was the overly peaceful atmosphere.More than two hundred monks filed out from the temple gate, as if they had trained in advance, they quickly and orderly divided into two rows and stood on the side of the road.They hold khatas in their hands one by one, and bend down to welcome the distinguished guests.An old monk in a yellow cloak also carried Hada towards Colonel Galan, with a smile on his face that made everything unreal.The colonel felt strange, and a trace of uneasiness passed through his heart. The old monk said: "I am the fourth Zhuomi Khenpo of Baiju Temple. I ask your army to respect the beliefs of our Tibetans and don't come into the temple." Hearing what he said, the act of offering khatas and making smiling faces seemed reasonable and not like a fraud.Colonel Galan accepted Hada, but he did not accept the request. He greeted the troops and said, "Go in and search for me." The Crusaders searched all the halls of Baiju Temple, but did not find a gun or an armed lama.Colonel Galan was silent in thought: Did the Tibetans give up their resistance?After taking power, the Dalai Lama was unable to organize a real war and had to open the door?Where is the lama who has been against me all the time?He looked at the colorful murals in the main hall of the temple, the Buddha statues ranging from good to bad, and the gleaming secret butter lamps, and listened to the sound of sutras and drums coming slowly, only then did he realize that Baiju Temple is like a gourd, with many treasures inside. The belly is big and big, but the neck that goes in and out is very small. It was surprisingly calm, as if they were not here to occupy, but rather to offer incense. Colonel Ge Lan suddenly shuddered, thinking that even if he had already occupied Baiju Temple, he could not garrison troops here.He walked out quickly. After leaving Baiju Temple, it was already dark.Colonel Ge Lan ordered more than 300 elite cross soldiers to guard outside Baiju Temple, and took some of them to Jiangluolingka where the artillery was stationed. Now, the British cross soldiers who came to the Gyantse Plain are divided into six groups, one group occupied Zongshan Castle, one group went to Zijin Temple, one group guarded outside Baiju Temple, one group occupied Po'ale Manor, and one group occupied After leaving Mt. Gangzhu, a wave is entrenched in Jiangluo Linka.As a noble garden, Jiangluo Linka has good buildings, convenient living facilities and dense trees, and it is right in the middle of the six garrison places, so it has become the headquarters of the Crusaders.Colonel Gelan is worthy of being an outstanding British soldier. Such a situation, like the layout of Go, basically controls the entire Gyangze Plain, and he firmly holds the offensive initiative in his hands.But he can't attack immediately and must rest here for at least a week.His troops were very tired from the long journey and repeated battles. Colonel Galan was resting when he suddenly heard a gunshot from afar, piercing the silent night sky of Gyantse.He hurried out to check and found out that it was coming from Zijin Temple.The gunfire became more and more intense.The Tibetans gave up almost all the positions that should not be given up, but did not give up the Zijin Temple. It seems that this fortress leading to Shigatse is more important than any other place in the eyes of the other party.As he thought about it, the anxiety in his heart became stronger.It's so peaceful here, unnaturally peaceful. Intensive gunfire continued, and it was obvious that the battle was intense.But Colonel Galan did not intend to send any reinforcements.In his view, war is to gain the autonomy of belief with the advantage of guns. Occupation without fighting will make him feel that the mountains and rivers in his hands have become light clouds and mist, thus losing his sense of firmness and firmness.Besides, Lieutenant Gurkha and Lieutenant Guoguo have enough troops. If they can't even take down a Zijin Temple, can they be expected to expand their victories and enter Lhasa?He went back to the room and told himself: Go to sleep, when you wake up tomorrow morning, there will be God's auspicious clouds over Zijin Temple.