"Yuanshou, the public security officer of the Liang Kingdom, led his 30,000 soldiers and horses from Liangzhou, the Youxiao Guard. When the battle report was sent, they had already passed Yong County and went straight to Chang'an. In addition, the heads of the Guanlong families gathered in Yong County. Yuwen
Shi Jigen appeared among them and encouraged Liu Keman. Li Keman had already gathered his troops and came closely behind An Yuanshou."
It was raining heavily outside the door, and the dense sound of rain still could not cover up the captain's reading of the battle report, and the words in the battle report were like thunder, making the rain increase greatly and disturbing people's hearts.
Niu Jinda put down the mutton in his hand, and the mutton he chewed in his mouth was not satisfying to eat. He said worriedly: "What should we do? First Li Huaiqin, then An Yuanshou, and Liu Keman, these three troops combined totaled 70,000 to 80,000 people.
, and there is a brave army like You Xiaowei who has been suppressing Ganliang for a long time, we are afraid that we will not be able to withstand it."
Xianyang Bridge is the only way to Chang'an. If you want to block this place, you can only form a formation and fight head-on. There is no room for change. Once the enemy attacks, it will be a tough battle, and once such a large number of enemy troops
Disrupting Zuowuwei's formation is enough to bypass the position and go to Chang'an, or detour to the rear formation and attack from behind.
The situation is extremely unfavorable.
Who would have thought that all the armies in Guanzhong that had been dormant would suddenly swarm in?
Cheng Yaojin was unmoved, tearing into the mutton with big mouthfuls. He ate it very sweetly and turned a deaf ear to Niu Jinda's worries.
Seeing that he was so calm, Niu Jinda calmed down. He stood up, picked up the kettle from the stove, poured hot water into the basin and washed his hands. After thinking for a while, he asked the captain: "Is there anything unusual over there in Chang'an? Xue Wanche, Li Jing, have you ever
Entering the city?"
The captain shook his head: "Both these two armies are standing still."
Niu Jinda sighed, returned to the table, picked up the tea cup and took a sip of tea to wash away the greasy feeling in his mouth, and said: "Your Majesty still doesn't trust us."
Obviously, if Your Majesty trusts Zuo Wuwei, at least one of Li Jing and Xue Wanche's troops has already entered Chang'an City to quell the rebellion. Since Tai Chi Palace is dangerous and in danger of falling, Yu Mei still leaves two troops outside the city, and is still afraid of someone marching in.
Arriving outside Chang'an City, they surrounded the entire city and completely cut off the emperor's chance of victory.
The previous oath of allegiance in front of Li Xiaogong was all in vain. No matter how nice it was, people simply didn’t believe it...
Cheng Yaojin finished a large piece of mutton, wiped his hands with a handkerchief, then took a sip of strong tea, and asked curiously: "Why, do you think that just by talking to us, His Majesty will put aside all the past grudges and treat us at all?"
Trust without reservation?"
Niu Jinda was choked, and said helplessly: "But even if you still have your mind, you can't be so indifferent, right? At least one of the two armies has entered the city, and it can be regarded as a show for us, so even if we swear and make vows, it's completely indifferent.
If you don’t believe it, your Majesty is not broad-minded.”
"Since we are vacillating and playing both sides, don't blame others for not trusting us. Trust is something we make, not say."
Cheng Yaojin sighed with emotion and said to the captain: "Send the order and release all the scouts. I want to know in detail all the movements of the enemy's army, where the enemy's front army has arrived, how the central army is deployed, how much food and fodder it has, and even
The types of troops, the number of troops, everything must be investigated in detail, and if there are any discrepancies, military law will be dealt with!"
"Here!"
The captain obeyed the order, turned around and left to convey the military order.
Cheng Yaojin took a sip of tea bitterly and said to Niu Jinda: "Arrange the entire army in formation. This battle is a tough one and should not be underestimated. We must not take it lightly."
Niu Jinda was puzzled: "Commander, are you planning a head-to-head fight? But haven't you always adopted a strategy of preserving your strength and not wanting your soldiers to suffer too many casualties?"
The reason why Cheng Yaojin stood idly by and watched the rebels march into the city to attack Chengtianmen where the rebels raised their troops, and then even swayed from side to side, and his position was not firm, was because of the consideration of his brothers, and he did not want to suffer too many casualties.
Preserve your strength. After all, as long as you are powerful enough, even the emperor can do nothing.
But if we were to fight to the death at Xianyang Bridge now, facing an enemy force twice as large as our own, there would inevitably be huge casualties. This is contrary to Cheng Yaojin's consistent strategy...
Cheng Yaojin put down his tea cup, signaled Niu Jinda to refill the water, and sighed: "At this stage, we have almost become the decisive force that can influence the ownership of the throne. Whoever we favor will be most likely to win."
Niu Jinda was puzzled: "Then why should we choose His Majesty over King Jin?"
Blocking the Guanzhong army from entering Chang'an is naturally helping the emperor's side, so that Xue Wanche and Li Jing can safely enter the city to quell the rebellion and determine the overall situation. But if the emperor and the king of Jin choose one of the two, supporting the king of Jin will definitely gain the greatest benefit. After all,
The King of Jin promised to grant the land of Qingqi to Cheng Yaojin and allowed him to establish a vassal state and pass it on to future generations.
The emperor's promise is just that he will be the king of Xiliang and make judgments...
After refilling the water, Cheng Yaojin held the tea cup and asked: "Then have you ever thought about it, if King Jin occupies the Tai Chi Palace and proclaims the world to be the emperor, will he be able to kill everyone in one fell swoop?"
Niu Jinda shook his head and said: "How is that possible? Your Majesty dared to remain unmoved when the rebels stormed into the Taiji Palace and besieged the Wude Palace. Obviously, there must be a way to escape from the Wude Palace in times of crisis. This is also
This should be one of the reasons why Li Jing has been reluctant to lead his troops into the city. After all, if the time comes, if the opportunity is bad, we can escort His Majesty, who has escaped from Chang'an City, to retreat to Hexi, so that he will not be completely defeated."
Cheng Yaojin took a sip of tea: "So, if Your Majesty wins, the King of Jin will definitely be defeated, and the vitality of the world's noble families will be severely damaged. Even if they don't take advantage of the victory and pursue the victory, it will be difficult to recover within thirty to fifty years. The world's situation will be stable and internal affairs will be smooth.
The external force continued, and the prosperous age continued... On the other hand, if His Majesty was defeated and fled to Hexi, the territory of the Tang Dynasty would be divided into East and West, and His Majesty, supported by Hexi and the Western Regions, would be fully capable of launching a mighty war.
In the battle for the throne, what will the Tang Dynasty be like at that time?"
What Niu Jinda is not good at is using his brain, followed by situation analysis, but he still thought about it carefully and said: "The losses caused by this mutiny will not be healed for a long time. Shandong, Hedong, Jiangnan and other places
After being severely damaged, the clans must suck blood from the land and farmers in order to regain their strength as soon as possible. The result will naturally be anger and resentment. The civil war will also wear away the elite troops of the Tang Dynasty bit by bit, and the surrounding Hu tribe will take advantage of the situation to rise...
…”
The more I think about it, the more frightened I become. If it really comes to that point, the wealth accumulated by the two generations of emperors Gaozu and Taizong will probably be lost. The empire will rapidly deteriorate, border troubles will arise, civil strife will occur frequently, and the country will be in ruins.
"Haha, you think that's all?"
Cheng Yaojin sneered and sighed: "You still missed a little, Navy..."
Niu Jinda was suddenly startled. It was easy for a general who had spent his whole life on horseback to ignore the existence of the navy. However, after Cheng Yaojin's reminder, he immediately realized the worst situation.
"Once His Majesty flees to Hexi and a separatist situation arises in which the east and west confront each other, the navy will definitely not sit still and wait for death. It might sweep across the entire south of the Yangtze River and rule across the river with the imperial court... I really thought that Fang Xuanling went to Huating Town just to enjoy the mountains.
water?"
"hiss……"
Niu Jinda took a breath of cold air.
With the advantage of naval firearms, Fang Xuanling's strategizing, and the interests of Jiangnan nobles, it is really possible to occupy half of the country...
By that time, Your Majesty will seize Hexi, the King of Jin will occupy Guanzhong, and the navy will sweep across Jiangnan, Shandong, Hedong, Mobei and other places and gradually come under the control of the imperial court. Maybe this huge empire will be torn apart in an instant!
The situation in the Northern and Southern Dynasties reappeared in China. The Tang people killed each other and attacked each other. Their vitality was gradually exhausted. The Hu people recuperated and took advantage of the situation to rise. Ten or twenty years later, they broke through the Great Wall and drank in the Central Plains. The Han people once again suffered from the tragic situation of the Five Husty chaos in China...
Niu Jinda's eyes widened and he said decisively: "As soldiers, how can we sit back and watch such tragic scenes happen again?"
"So, we can only choose His Majesty."
Cheng Yaojin said helplessly: "On the feudal side, what can the descendants do? If today we choose the King of Jin to let the Guanzhong army cross the Xianyang Bridge and enter Chang'an, and his empire collapses, the country is in turmoil, the people are in dire straits, and foreigners invade, then what will happen to us?
They are the kind of sinners who will be remembered for thousands of years and whose infamy will last for eternity, and it’s hard to write a book about them!”
He looked at Niu Jinda and said in a deep voice: "As Fang Jun often said, a person must have some sense of family and country... You can be disloyal to the current emperor, but you cannot be disloyal to the Tang Dynasty.
We must be loyal to the world! Otherwise, how can we have the face to meet Emperor Taizong a hundred years from now?"
Niu Jinda stood up suddenly and said loudly: "Commander, don't worry, Zuo Wuwei is the wing of the country. He can not only travel across mountains and rivers to expedition to Liaodong, but also support the country even if he is killed! From me on, we will fight bloody battles on Xianyang Bridge, and we will not let the rebels step on a single soldier!"
"
…
During the heavy rain, tens of thousands of soldiers of Zuowuwei lined up in formation on the south side of Xianyang Bridge, waiting for danger. The commanders and horses in the army rushed back and forth, conveying orders to the captains and soldiers to fight to the death, and at the same time preaching the importance of this battle to the empire and the people, even though
Throwing heads and blood, we must also stop the rebels here, try to save the country from decline, and avoid possible misfortune.
Zuo Wuwei and his subordinates were all soldiers. They farmed in their spare time and went to war during the war. They had a very high pursuit of the people's livelihood and the stability of the country. Maybe they didn't care who the emperor was, as long as he was the son of Emperor Taizong, he would be fine, but absolutely not
Allowing the rebels to trample from their positions would disrupt the foundations of the empire and lay the foundation for the country's downfall.
The entire army was full of fighting spirit and morale. Even the pouring rain could not extinguish the burning faith in their hearts. War horses ridden by scouts came in droves, sending back the rebels' marching route, marching speed, troop strength, etc.
Zuo Wuwei was on guard up and down, making all preparations, just waiting for the rebels to come and fight to the death!
In the evening, Liu Huaiqin, who had arrived fifty miles away from Xianyang Bridge, heard the news that Zuo Wuwei was arrayed in the north of Xianyang Bridge and was ready for battle. His heart suddenly skipped a beat... Could this old thief Cheng Yaojin have completely surrendered to the emperor?