Others follow advice and imitate celebrities, but you start by pretending to be a god?

In fact, Wang Wu was unaware that his feelings were not unique. His comrades were also deeply captivated by the film.

When they saw the "Wang family brother" in the movie, they almost couldn't help but put themselves in his shoes.

It felt as if I were that young man, filled with longing and concern amidst the chaos of war.

Among these Tang Dynasty prisoners of war, who didn't have a "farm girl" in their heart?

In the film's plot, there is a nameless "farm girl".

But it was precisely this seemingly insignificant setting that accurately touched the softest spot in the hearts of many Tang Dynasty prisoners of war.

Which of these Tang Dynasty prisoners of war didn't have a simple and innocent farm girl from their own village or the next? They might be working in the fields or washing clothes by the stream. Their familiar figures and warm smiles were already deeply imprinted in the hearts of the prisoners of war.

The "farm girl" in the film is like a key that unlocks the memories of their hometown and loved ones deep within the hearts of the prisoners of war.

As a result, the film instantly immersed many Tang Dynasty prisoners of war in the story, making them feel as if they were the protagonists themselves, experiencing various events related to the farm girl.

That night, the Tang Dynasty prisoners of war returned to their simple cells. In the darkness, countless men tossed and turned, unable to sleep. Perhaps the charming face of the farm girl floated into their minds, or perhaps they recalled the moments they had spent with her. Their hearts were filled with longing, their thoughts swirling, and they could not find peace for a long time.

And so, without them even realizing it, the prisoners of war's mindset began to subtly change.

Time flies, and day after day passes. In the Battle of Tiger Ridge, the Tang army suffered a crushing defeat, and countless Tang soldiers became prisoners of war.

The number was so great that it was impossible to count. When the news spread, the entire Tang Dynasty was in an uproar!
After all, these are 100,000 soldiers! Each of these 100,000 soldiers is the pillar of their family, a son to his parents, a husband to his wife, and a father to his children.

Their fate touched the hearts of countless families. The news, like a boulder thrown into a calm lake, stirred up a huge wave in the Tang Dynasty, plunging the entire country into turmoil.

Amid this tense situation, the Datong Society openly took action. They printed a large number of "battle reports" and distributed them everywhere.

In these battle reports, the Datong Society meticulously compiled a "prisoner of war list," which detailed the number of prisoners of war and other relevant information.

Moreover, the thick stack of prisoner-of-war lists was specially delivered to Chang'an and presented to the imperial palace.

This news spread like wildfire throughout the land. People then learned that a considerable number of the 100,000-strong army had not died in battle, but had been captured and were waiting for the Tang Dynasty to "ransom" them.

In an instant, immense pressure, like an invisible mountain, weighed down on the shoulders of the Tang Dynasty.

In the majestic imperial palace of Chang'an, the atmosphere in the court was heavy. Emperor Li Shimin of Tang held the thick "List of Prisoners of War," his brow furrowed, his eyes revealing deep worry.

Below, all the civil and military officials were silent and trembling, not daring to breathe.

Clearly, everyone present, both civil and military, was caught off guard by the Datong Society's actions. They had never seen anything like it before, and they were completely unaware that it was a strategy known as "information warfare."

"My dear ministers, what are your thoughts on this matter?" Emperor Taizong of Tang, Li Shimin, broke the silence, his voice deep and powerful.

"The Datong Society has sent word that they are demanding that our Great Tang Dynasty fund the ransom of these prisoners of war. Moreover, we must also bear all the expenses of these prisoners of war while they are in the Datong army." After briefly explaining the ins and outs of the matter, the Tang Emperor once again asked for the opinions of the assembled civil and military officials.

"My dear ministers, what do you think we should do?" Li Shimin looked at everyone, hoping to get a satisfactory answer.

Li Shimin had personally asked the question, and although no one had been named yet, the civil and military officials dared not remain silent any longer and began to express their opinions.

A military officer strode out of the ranks, clasped his hands in salute, and loudly proclaimed, "Your Majesty, these prisoners of war must be ransomed! Otherwise, the people's resentment will be difficult to quell, and the army will inevitably be in turmoil. The consequences will be unimaginable!"

Emperor Taizong of Tang nodded slightly, secretly contemplating the truth in his mind. He realized the general's words made perfect sense. If ignored, the Tang Dynasty would inevitably face a predicament of internal and external troubles.

However, some civil officials stepped forward and raised different opinions: "Your Majesty, if we redeem our Tang soldiers according to the demands of the Great Harmony Society, I'm afraid our country will suffer a great loss! The country has just suffered a defeat and the treasury is empty. Where will we get so much money to redeem people?"

Another civil official quickly added, "Moreover, we've heard that the Great Harmony Society spreads extremely rapidly and uses bizarre methods, almost like magic. How do we know if any of the redeemed soldiers have been recruited by the Great Harmony Society as spies? If we rashly redeem them all, we might leave some trouble behind, and then it will be too late to regret it!"

"What do you mean? Are you going to abandon the soldiers of our Great Tang?" A military officer couldn't stand it any longer and immediately raised an objection, his tone tinged with anger.

Thus, the differences of opinion between civil and military officials grew larger and larger, and the debates became more and more intense, almost escalating into a heated argument in the imperial court.

Emperor Taizong of Tang was in a real bind. Both the civil and military officials had valid points, and he couldn't reprimand the military officials for disregarding the safety of the country, nor could he accuse the civil officials of disregarding the lives of the soldiers. Choosing between the two was truly a difficult decision.

"Alas, if only there were a compromise," Li Shimin sighed inwardly.

"No, if only there were a perfect solution to this problem!" he prayed silently in his heart.

Just then, Li Shimin, sitting in the imperial court, suddenly had a flash of inspiration and thought of Buddhism. Buddhism was powerful and possessed great supernatural abilities; perhaps it could solve this problem.

After the court assembly, Li Shimin returned to his palace. He carefully placed the Guanyin statue on the table, then clasped his hands together and chanted the name of Guanyin Bodhisattva with a devout and focused expression.

Soon, a burst of divine light shone, and the figure of Guanyin Bodhisattva slowly emerged. Her compassionate face and gentle light inspired awe in all who beheld her.

Li Shimin immediately explained his predicament and earnestly requested, "Great Bodhisattva Guanyin, with the power of Buddhism, is it possible to rescue all those prisoners of war without costing our Great Tang Dynasty anything? The Great Tang Dynasty is currently weak and cannot withstand such a calamity!"

After hearing Li Shimin's words, Guanyin Bodhisattva smiled slightly and responded directly: "Your Majesty, please wait for news. The Buddhist sect will make arrangements for this matter."

With Guanyin Bodhisattva's response, Li Shimin felt greatly reassured, as if he had taken a calming pill. He waited quietly, hoping for a miracle to happen.

On the third day, someone rushed in to report: "Your Majesty, many soldiers have suddenly appeared outside Chang'an City. They are the soldiers of our Great Tang who were captured in the Battle of Tiger Ridge!" Upon hearing this, Emperor Li Shimin of Tang was overjoyed and excitedly said: "Good! Guanyin Bodhisattva did not deceive me! Men, build a temple for Guanyin Bodhisattva. I want to properly thank the Bodhisattva for her kindness!"

Li Shimin's actions were all to express his gratitude to Guanyin Bodhisattva for saving his life. At the same time, he also made sure to arrange for people to settle down the prisoners of war who had been inexplicably rescued.

Wang Wu felt as if he had seen a dazzling Buddha's light in a daze. Immediately afterward, he felt the world shift and his surroundings change instantly.

"Where...is this?" Wang Wu was completely bewildered, having no idea what had happened.

He looked around and found that the other prisoners of war around him had similar expressions, all of them looking bewildered and unaware of where they were.

It wasn't until a group of people came out of Chang'an and took over their territory that they learned what had happened.

“We’re actually back?” one of the prisoners of war said in disbelief.

"Was it Guanyin Bodhisattva who manifested her power and moved us from the Datong army to outside Chang'an?" another prisoner of war excitedly guessed.

This was the explanation given to them by their new superior. It turned out that it was Guanyin Bodhisattva who had intervened, allowing them to return to their homeland.

only……

Wang Wu looked at his other comrades and found that none of them were particularly happy; on the contrary, they seemed reluctant to leave. Reluctant to leave life in the prisoner-of-war camp!

"We're back..." Wang Wu felt a mix of emotions. If he was still looking forward to returning on the first day he was captured, his thoughts gradually changed from the second day onwards.

In the prisoner-of-war camp, he made many like-minded friends. They studied and worked together, and although life was tough, it was full of warmth and hope. Now, all of that is over, and he has returned to this familiar yet strange world.

Now that they're back, Wang Wu is even more reluctant to part with them. However, the reality has already happened, and he can't change it; he can only obediently follow orders.

As a result, the new superior issued an order that was difficult for all of them to accept: all the prisoners of war had to hand over everything they had taken from the Datong army! This included the prisoners' notebooks and "Datong Dictionary"!
"The Buddhist sect is truly shameless!" one prisoner of war couldn't help but complain.

"That's right! Guanyin, a Bodhisattva, personally intervened and moved those prisoners of war outside Chang'an! That's so unruly!" another prisoner of war said indignantly.

"This is outrageous! This is way too overpowered!" another prisoner of war complained.

It turns out that many of these Tang Dynasty prisoners of war were modern time travelers who carried "mini reincarnation marks." These reincarnation marks could communicate with each other, acting as a kind of "megaphone."

After Guanyin rescued all the Tang Dynasty prisoners of war, these modern time travelers used their "mini reincarnation marks" to tease each other.

Undoubtedly, for them, the Buddhist sect's "lack of martial ethics" behavior made them feel extremely uncomfortable.

but……

While it may create a barrier, it's not necessarily a completely bad thing.

"The seeds of Great Harmony have already been planted in the hearts of those Tang Dynasty prisoners of war. We can wait for them to take root and sprout." In the end, it was Fang Han who made the final decision, putting an end to the matter.

From the very beginning, the Datong Society had made thorough preparations. From the very first day the Tang Dynasty prisoners of war entered the POW camp, they were influenced by the Datong Society.

The purpose of literacy education was to enable prisoners of war to have more discernment, to distinguish right from wrong, and to learn more knowledge and principles.

Subsequent films and similar works clearly demonstrate "cultural export" and cultural influence. Through these cultural products, prisoners of war were exposed to different ideas and concepts, thereby subtly changing their perceptions.

Now, although those prisoners of war have all been rescued, their mental state has been affected to varying degrees. It's just that the degree of the impact differs, leading to different outcomes.

Wang Wu was furious that his "Datong Dictionary" and exercise books had been confiscated. He also realized that his right to "learn to read" had been taken away!

Although they were angry, they were helpless. In this feudal society, power was in the hands of a few, and they had no room to resist.

“My ‘Datong Dictionary’…” Wang Wu was filled with reluctance. He clenched his fists tightly, and tears welled up in his eyes.

Without the dictionary, Wang Wu seemed to have reverted to his original illiteracy; he still couldn't read a single character. But everything that had happened before remained in Wang Wu's heart, unforgettable.

Those days in the prisoner-of-war camp, the time spent studying and fighting alongside his comrades, and the new ideas and concepts he encountered were all deeply etched into his heart like a brand.

Two days passed in a daze. Wang Wu felt like a walking corpse, passively experiencing everything. He was like an insignificant speck of dust, completely losing his autonomy in this complex world, without even the slightest right to make his own decisions.

In those war-torn years, fate always seemed to love to play tricks on people.

The new commander, for reasons unknown, made a decision—to temporarily release these "prisoners of war" to go back and rest. This seemed like a favor, perhaps a form of compensation for their defeat and capture.

Wang Wu, a man who had endured many hardships on the battlefield, also received this opportunity. He was allowed to return home and enjoy a rare period of peace.

In fact, there are deeper reasons behind this. Recently, the Tang Dynasty has been facing many difficulties, and the people are full of discontent and resentment towards the current situation.

Meanwhile, in the imperial court, the high-ranking officials and nobles were filled with distrust towards these prisoners of war. It was the combination of these factors that brought about this opportunity for the prisoners of war to return home.

For these seasoned prisoners of war, this might not be a bad thing.

At least, Wang Wu now had the possibility of returning home. He silently packed his bags, suppressing his disappointment and bitterness, and resolutely embarked on his journey home, his destination the Wang Family Village that haunted his dreams. (End of Chapter)