Shi Tianze got off his horse, rubbed the tired look on his face, and strode towards the sweat tent.
"Your Majesty summons me."
Qie Xue, who was guarding the tent, responded: "Marshal Shi, please go into the tent and wait. His Majesty is still at the observation deck."
Shi Tianze walked into the sweat tent and saw that some sect kings and officials were standing in the tent waiting. However, when he took a closer look, he found that Shi Gang was also there, and he couldn't help but be stunned for a moment.
After Shi Gang's previous defeat, his morale was gone. In the past few days, Shi Tianze had only ordered him to stay in the camp to recuperate, and he shouldn't have appeared here.
"What are you doing here?"
"Father, child..."
Shi Gang hesitated to speak, his expression looked a little ugly, he glanced at the several sect kings in the tent and lowered his head.
Just looking at this look, Shi Tianze already understood what was going on.
He stood still, patted the armor on his body, looked at the kings, and said, "If you, kings, have any orders, you can tell me. My son is young and doesn't understand anything."
"We heard that your son was captured by Li Xia and later released."
Shi Tianze asked, "Who did your Majesty listen to?"
"Said by Wang Yong, the son of Wang Cun, a Korean."
"Wang Cun rushed forward lightly and the whole army was defeated. Wang Yong escaped before the battle. In order to shirk the blame, he put the blame on my son." Shi Tianze responded: "This matter has already been concluded in front of Your Majesty."
As soon as Shi Gang came back, Shi Tianze found Kublai Khan's favorite general Hong Junqi. Hong Junqi was also a Korean and had a grudge against Wang Cun for killing his father. He helped Shi Gang speak up and evaded the crime of defeating the army.
Shi Tianze originally thought that this matter had already passed.
However, no.
Zong Wang Hu Ci Hu'er first looked at Shi Bang, then turned to Shi Tianze and asked: "I want to ask Marshal Shi, you have been attacking Li Xia's camp for twenty-three days, why haven't you captured it yet?"
"It will be captured soon."
"You said that a few days ago."
Shi Tianze said: "Why is your Majesty asking me alone? The commanders in charge of the attack include King Tachar, King Bala, Wanhu Hulanji, Hong Junqi and others. Why don't you ask them?"
"Because they are facing Uluru Khunai, and you, Marshal Shi, are facing the surrendered army, because your progress is too slow and you are dragging them down."
Shi Tianze was indeed very patient when he attacked Li Xia's camp. He swept away the caltrops when he encountered them, filled up the ditches when they encountered traps, and pushed back the horse-blocking walls when they encountered them.
If this battle was like encountering a mess that couldn't be cut, he was slowly sorting it out, using the method of pulling out the threads and peeling off the cocoons.
A while ago, Kublai Khan praised his patience, but today the attitude of the kings has changed.
"In the first month of the third year of the Zhongtong reign, Li Jin rebelled. I was ordered to command all the armies to suppress the rebellion, and besieged him in Jinan. By October, the rebellion was suppressed, with only 10% of the damage done. Only by recruiting Shandong soldiers and horses could we have the new force under Zhang Hongfan today.
The army has been surrounding Li Xia for more than twenty days, and the enemy is already in sight..."
"Shi Tianze, stop making excuses. What kind of big city is Jinan? Where is it here? Is there a city wall? Is there a moat? What kind of elite soldiers does Li Cong have under his command? Where is Li Xia? There are at least 50,000 people under his command.
This is the Mongolian army that just surrendered to him. You still can’t defeat such miscellaneous soldiers in twenty days?”
Shi Tianze is waiting for an answer.
Hu Lahuer had already raised his hand and pointed at him, and asked again: "Those who just surrendered cannot fight to the death for Li Xia. As long as you attack a little fiercely, they will surrender, run away, and cut off Li Xia's head and give it to us."
, but why didn’t you do it?”
"It is true that some people surrendered and escaped, but your Majesty will know as long as you go to the battlefield and see that their horses have been taken away. The herdsmen without horses are like losing their legs. They dare not escape and hide in trenches and earth walls.
In the infantry battle at the back, he only needed to thrust out his spear under the protection of the shield. Li Xia also replaced all the generals above the centurion. Although there were many soldiers who wanted to surrender, they were quickly suppressed, because every ten people
There is only one Tang army in charge, so we can’t cause big chaos..."
"There is chaos, why can't you take advantage of the opportunity to get in?!"
「
There are more than 50,000 people there." Shi Tianze said: "Your Majesty, do you know how much space 50,000 people occupy? It's eight miles in radius, and it would take more than an hour to walk from one end of the Tang military camp to the other. Even if they stand there without moving,
, it would take us five whole days to kill non-stop. But every day, my soldiers would sweep away thistles from the snow, fill in the ravines, and jump up the earth walls to fight the enemies who were waiting for work. After the war, they had to drag the wounded back.
Bury the corpse. Under such circumstances, in more than twenty days we have forced Li Xiashan to the end of his rope."
"I didn't ask you to kill them all!" Hu Cihu'er shouted, "but they should have surrendered long ago!"
"Then let them surrender and ask your Majesty to find Shu Zhenbo or Uluru Hunai and give them a promise, and I, Shi, will just go into battle and kill the enemy..."
Shi Tianze was mid-sentence when he suddenly realized something.
He turned around and looked at everyone in the tent.
Sure enough, I didn't see Brother Sui.
"Didn't King Sui Gedu persuade Uluru Khunai to surrender last night?"
Hu Lahu'er's face darkened and he didn't answer.
Shi Tianze immediately understood that when Sui Gedu met Uluru Khunai, he suddenly acted rashly and sent cavalry to surround Uluru Khunai, and now he couldn't wait to push the blame away.
He thought about it briefly, and instead of arguing with Hu La Hu'er, he softened his tone.
"Your Majesty, you can rest assured that Li Xia is almost defeated. His food and water sources have been exhausted, and he doesn't even have much dry firewood. He relies on drinking horse blood and eating raw horse meat to support himself. At any time... he promises to be
At this moment, someone has cut off his head and is preparing to send it over."
"Shi Tianze, let me ask you." Hu Lahu'er sneered and asked: "Did you fail to seize the opportunity several times? Was there several times when you could win as long as you sent your elite troops into the enemy camp?
"
"They may not win." Shi Tianze replied seriously: "The earth wall they dug is not high, but it can prevent horses from jumping over, and the ditch between the horses is too narrow. The soldiers ran all the way into the enemy camp, and the follow-up troops were very large.
It will be difficult to keep up, and the casualties will be higher..."
"Lots of casualties, but we can still win."
"You can still win now, but the win is more secure and the loss is smaller." Shi Tianze took a deep breath and tried to maintain a calm tone, "I just said that Li Xia did last a few days longer than I expected, but
His downfall is instantaneous."
"But Li Xia's flag is still standing there!" Hu La Hu'er said the same thing again.
Shi Tianze sighed: "I don't know how to explain it to your Majesty. I can only say...I have not been so tired after besieging Li Xia for more than twenty days."
Hu La Hu'er sneered, "It means you didn't fight well and had a lot of leisure time."
Hearing this, Shi Tianze closed his eyes helplessly, as if he saw his soldiers dismounting, braving arrows and running on the snow, bleeding, pushing the Tang camp's defense line inward one foot after another.
In more than twenty days, they broke through at least ten lines of defense of the Tang army and advanced one mile.
Victory is in your eyes...
Suddenly, Hu Lahu'er waved his hand and asked the kings: "If you were those Mongolian warriors who were enemies of Li Xia not long ago, would you turn around and fight for him for more than twenty years?"
"Won't!"
"It's not a city, it's just a flat camp. Is it possible for a group of surrendered troops to withstand the siege of the Great Khan's 80,000-strong army for more than 20 days?"
Shi Tianze still wanted to speak, and said: "Not only are the troops surrendering, there are more than 30,000 of them."
The kings in the tent were shaking their heads again.
"Impossible, absolutely impossible!"
Hu La Hu'er asked again: "Then do you believe the excuse Shi Tianze made?"
"Do not believe!"
"Okay." Shi Tianze gave up the explanation, "It's impossible for Li Xia to defend, but now something like this is happening. Why do you think it is, Your Majesty?"
Hu Lahu'er did not answer him, but looked at Shi Gang and asked, "Your father asked why, what do you think?"
"I...I don't know..."
"What do you mean, Your Majesty?!" Shi Tianze's face changed, and he finally became furious and shouted: "I have three nephews who died here.
Li Xia’s hands!"
Hu Lahu'er angrily scolded: "You only have one son who died in Li Xia's hands, but you have nine sons!"
At these words, Shi Tianze was stunned, took two steps back, and his eyes turned red for a moment.
He opened his mouth to talk about Shi Shu, Shi Quan, and his two brothers.
"My nephew... Shi Shu... My nephew Shi Shu, dedicated his whole life to the great Mongolia... My brother..."
Hu La Hu'er stepped forward and said, "In the words of you Han people, 'Those who are not of my race must have different minds.'"
The tent was quiet for a long time.
After a while, Shi Tianze came back to his senses from the memories of his brother. He was exhausted both physically and mentally.
"Shi understands that Shi is incompetent. Please ask the king to take command of this battle."
"Marshal Shi is angry?"
"I don't dare." Shi Tianze said, "I will ask your Majesty for an order..."
At this time, Kublai Khan walked into the sweat tent from the other side and said calmly: "What order do you want to request?"
"Your Majesty, I am old and incompetent. I have been unable to attack Li Xia for a long time. Please send your Majesty King Hu Lahu'er to take over my command."
Kublai Khan seemed stunned for a moment, then laughed loudly, walked down and patted Shi Tianze on the shoulder, saying: "If even you say you are incompetent, there will be no commander in my army who can fight. You can continue to command, and you cannot shirk it."
"
"Thank you, Your Majesty. I obey your order."
Kublai Khan suppressed his smile, raised his finger, pointed at Hu La Hu'er, and said in a displeased tone: "Since you are in a hurry, then bring your soldiers and horses as governors, Dai Ben Khan encourages the soldiers, and they must be dispatched within two days.
Bring over Li Xia’s head.”
Shi Gang was a little uneasy. He took a sneak peek and found that Hu Lahu'er had not reported his capture in front of Kublai Khan, and he was relieved.
~~~~
"Father, the child doesn't understand."
On the way back to the camp, Shi Gang rode behind Shi Tianze and couldn't help but ask: "Hu Ji Hu'er clearly dislikes my father and son. The child doesn't understand why his father endured it?"
I can't bear it, what do you want?
"Complain him before His Majesty."
"We should never be estranged from one another, and we must not arrogate first to the second." Shi Tianze said, "Who are you and me? Hanchen. They are just outsiders and servants of the Golden Family. Who is Hu Ci Hu'er? He Chiwen's grandson, His Majesty's court.
Uncle, will our lawsuit against him end well?"
"But……"
"How dare you..." Shi Tianze scolded: "Don't you have any control over him?!"
Shi Gang lowered his head and said: "My child..."
"He suddenly messed up and wants to take some credit from me, so give it to him. Don't make a big deal out of a small thing."
"The kid is just so angry. He clearly thinks that Han people like us are easy to bully." Shi Gang shook his head and muttered:
"It's easiest to just open your mouth and lecture others if you don't do shit."
"Then he is also your master. If you are capable, you should be born into the Golden Family. Don't be reincarnated as my son, Shi Tianze."
"My child knows his mistake." Shi Gang rushed forward, lowered his voice and said, "My child wants to say that Li Xia is a Han..."
"Shut up."
"Father, I heard that there are Tang troops in the southeast..."
Shi Tianze suddenly reined in his horse, turned around, and grabbed his son's neck.
Shi Gang was almost completely frightened when his father lifted him off the horse.
"Listen to me, father. Your Majesty suppressed this news and kept me from knowing it. He was just afraid that the Tang army would get the news from our soldiers. If you dare to talk too much and harm the historian, don't blame me for being cruel."
With great difficulty, Shi Gang was finally put back on the saddle, out of breath.
Shi Tianze continued to ride his horse with a cold face. Although he didn't say a word, his mind was thinking about his careful management in Kaifeng and the thrilling situation when he ordered the execution of Li Cong in Jinan...
"Don't think too much." He told himself in his mind.
Li Xia, who was drinking horse blood, eating horse meat, and might be beheaded by surrendering troops at any time, would soon be unable to hold on any longer. As long as he persisted for a little longer, he would have won a big victory. He just suffered a small grievance, and