Some things on the battlefield are really interesting. Sometimes the person who saves your life is not your comrades but your enemies. No, just when Li Zhen was worried that after Jin Jin Yeda saw through his side's true and false, the whole army would be pressed on him.
Smoke and dust rose in the direction of the sun, and a cavalry army was rushing towards the Pugu camp. Qi Jinyada had to give up his plan to attack. When he figured out that it was his younger brother Qi Jindagu who was coming.
By the time the troops arrived, all the Tang troops had already withdrawn into Shenwu City. Apart from scolding the Tang people for their cunning, Qi Jinyada could only look at the city and sigh.
Li Zhen, who was angry or not, didn't bother to pay attention at all. There were still a lot of things waiting for him to worry about. Without him, entering Shenwu was just a step in the entire strategic plan. If Hou Guozhong and others
They successfully captured the killing tiger's mouth, but the coach Xue Yantuo's Dadu Shi was going to risk his life to capture Li Zhen. Li Zhen was not sure whether he could withstand the siege of the powerful enemy. No, just now
Entering Shenwu City, Li Zhen didn't even have time to take a breath, so she ordered Qin and Wang, the two deputy vanguards, to hurry up to deploy garrison and related defense matters. Shenwu County Magistrate Liu Chen and Shenwu City Guard Ying Yanglang General Qiao Shengtai were sent to Shenwu City.
Accompanying him to the city wall to inspect the defense situation, Li Zhen only walked around for a while, but the more he looked at it, the more frightened he became.
Shenwu County is a large county outside the customs, but it is not much larger than Kaiyang, with more than 4,000 households. There are more than 2,000 households in Shenwu City, where the county seat is, with more than 15,000 people, and the garrison is also
Not too many, only about 1,800 people on the left and right. Even if we include the young men in the city who help defend, they are only over 4,000. Although the grassland tribes are not good at attacking cities, the archers of the grassland tribes are not vegetarians.
, more than 20,000 people attacked for twenty days, but they failed to capture Shenwu. Instead, they suffered more than 4,000 losses, while the Tang Dynasty defenders only suffered less than 800 losses. These results are too amazing. Li
Zhen thought that he would not be able to defend the city by himself. However, although the morale of the city defenders was very high, most of their armors did not fit well and were badly damaged. The weapons in their hands were
It is even more diverse, and even farmers use rakes for hoeing. Furthermore, there are too few local young men to assist in the defense of the city. At a rough calculation, it is less than a thousand people. As for those young men.
The pitiful dozens of wooden pieces are clearly beams, pillars and the like. The flower carvings and paint on them are still there. Rolling stones? They are all bricks. If Li Zhen doesn't come, Pugu tribe will attack the city again.
, this city must be destroyed!
Thinking of the fierce battle he was about to face, Li Zhen couldn't help but smile bitterly. After being silent for a while, he casually asked: "Magistrate Liu and General Qiao, you two stick to the isolated city and serve the country with loyalty. I admire you very much, but I admire you so much."
The king has a question: It is difficult to defend the city, so why are there so few young men and women to assist in the defense? Is it possible that the elders in the city don’t know if there will be any intact eggs when the nest is overturned?"
Li Zhen originally asked this question just to find out whether a group of young men could be mobilized to help defend the city. In fact, she had no other intention. However, she did not expect that the expressions of Liu and Qiao changed suddenly. They looked at each other and suddenly they all fell to their knees.
Kowtowing endlessly, Li Zhen was confused. She couldn't figure out what play the two people in front of her were singing, so she hurriedly said: "Why are you two doing this? Please get up quickly."
Liu Chen hurriedly said: "Your Majesty, please forgive me. This matter is all the opinion of the lower official and has nothing to do with General Qiao. If the barbarians retreat, the lower official will definitely go to court to plead guilty..."
Before Liu Chen finished speaking, Qiao Shengtai hurriedly said: "No, Your Highness, this matter has nothing to do with County Magistrate Liu. It is the general who made his own decision. Once he is responsible for the crime, he will bear the blame. Please don't blame Liu County."
On the county magistrate."
Huh? What kind of plane are you doing? I didn't say anything. Why did everyone admit their crimes? What a monster! Li Zhen glanced at the two local officials who were kowtowing in confusion, and said after a while: "
It’s better for you two to get up first, and it’s not too late to talk slowly if you have anything to say.”
Yes, Li Zhen said it very politely, but Liu and Qiao didn't dare to get up. They took turns to explain, and occasionally competed to take the blame. After messing around for a while, Li Zhen finally understood.
What's going on - I dare say that the Tang troops defending the city have the same virtues as Li Zhen's half-baked cavalry, and most of them are parallel imports.
Shuozhou's army belongs to the frontier army in the Tang army. It is neither the Sixteenth Guards nor the general soldiers of the Zhechong Prefecture. Its source of soldiers is not the government soldiers who are half peasants and half soldiers, but recruited soldiers with military pay. However, for the purpose of
To prevent the border generals from becoming too powerful, there are clear provisions in the Tang Dynasty system. The number of border troops is not only limited, but also cannot be recruited privately. Even if there is a gap in the number of troops, the number must be reported to the Ministry of War before the number can be filled. Only those who have been registered with the Ministry of War can
Only soldiers can get military pay. No matter what the circumstances, border generals cannot recruit soldiers privately, otherwise it will be regarded as treason.
Liu and Qiao guarded the city for more than 20 days. More than half of the original frontier troops in the city had already suffered casualties. Even the young men in the city who assisted in the defense suffered heavy casualties. However, one was to confuse the Pugu army outside the city, and the other was to
Encourage the young and strong people to assist in defense - the border people are tough, but there is little cultivated land and many pastures on the border. Most of the border people are half-cultivating and half-grazing, and their livelihood is difficult. If you can join the border army, you can get a lot of military pay, which is considered a good job.
After the camp was settled (the pay of the border army was much higher than that of the guards), Liu and Qiao discussed and recruited a large number of young men into the border army. The clothes and armor used came from the remains of the dead soldiers.
Armor, although this is a temporary measure, it actually violates the laws of the Tang Dynasty. The charge of "rebellion" has always been hanging on the two of them. The two of them were already worried. When Li Zhen asked Qing
Zhuang Zhuang mistakenly thought that Li Zhen had seen through the mystery, so he kowtowed to apologize.
Damn, I've been making trouble for a long time. It's just such a nonsense, and I've worried for nothing. After Li Zhen figured out what was going on, she couldn't help but dumbfounded. Li Zhen was very clear about the shortcomings of the Tang Dynasty's military system.
In Li Zhen's view, there are too many unreasonable things. The problem is that Li Zhen has no power at the moment and cannot change the status quo at all. However, helping Liu and Qiao can still make it happen.
It was easy to do it. Then I thought that these two people could hold on to the isolated city for more than 20 days under the pressure of a strong enemy. They were somewhat capable. I couldn't help but want to win over. I rolled my eyes a few times and said with a smile: "
What are you two talking about? I don't understand why I don't understand. Those soldiers are all here under my order. Even if there is something wrong, I will go to the police and explain it to my father. What does it have to do with you two? Haha.
, let’s not talk about this anymore, I’m afraid there will be a fierce battle tomorrow, so you two adults should go back to the Yamen with me to discuss the strategy of defending the city.”
Liu and Qiao were not fools. They were obedient and knew each other well. When they saw that Li Zhen had taken all the blame on themselves, they felt grateful, but they no longer talked about the matter in depth. They just kowtowed heavily.
, he followed Li Zhen back to the Yamen to hold a military meeting without mentioning it.
On October 20, the 15th year of Zhenguan, in the camp of the Tang Army in Xinzhou, Li Jizheng, the commander-in-chief of the Western Expeditionary Army and the general manager of the Shuozhou Road march, stood alone in front of a sand table and meditated. Since he received the guard of Yanmen Pass early this morning, the right guard
After the urgent battle report sent by General Li Daliang, Li Ji had been standing in front of the sand table for more than an hour, but he never issued any orders. Although his face was very calm, there was a faint glimmer of anxiety in his eyes.
.
"Report, Marshal, Deputy Marshal Li has arrived." While Li Ji was deep in thought, the guard at the door hurried into the tent and bowed to report.
Li Ji raised his head and said calmly: "Please."
Li Xiyu, courtesy name Maoshi, was the second son of Li Jingyou, the governor of Taizhou in the Sui Dynasty. He was originally a soldier in Guangzhou Prefecture in the Sui Dynasty, and later joined the Tang Dynasty. Because of his service to the Tang Dynasty, he was granted the title of Duke of Ankang County. He was then the military commander of Liangzhou Road.
Yiwei Suwen, the deputy commander of the Western Expedition, led 40,000 soldiers from Liangzhou as the right route army. He arrived in Xinzhou one day earlier than the capital guard led by Li Ji and set up camp ten miles away from the main camp of the middle route army.
at.
"Brother Maogong, why are you summoned so urgently?" Li Xiyu asked directly without any courtesy as soon as he walked into the tent.
Li Ji smiled bitterly, without speaking, and simply handed over a military report in his hand. Li Xiyu only glanced at it, and was immediately shocked and said: "This... His Highness the King of Yue's plan is too good.
"Danger, if anything happens, how should we explain it to the Holy Lord? Brother Mao Gong, without further delay, we will attack immediately, hoping to win in time."
Li Ji always put safety first in his military use. He seldom sent out troops to win a big victory, but he never suffered a big defeat. This time, he originally just wanted to take advantage of it slowly, but the army failed, but he didn't expect that Li Zhen's vanguard force would cause such a huge attack.
The news of the incident had long ago made him feel miserable. He had naturally considered Li Xiyu's worries. However, the army had just arrived in Xinzhou and was still about three days away from Shuozhou. In his opinion, the main force that had captured Xue Yantuo was of course
The problem is not big, but if you want to solve Li Zhen's danger, it is too late even to put on wings. If something happens to Li Zhen, even if Xue Yantuo's main force is wiped out, Li Shimin may not be able to explain it. At this time, when he heard that Li Xiyu was anxious,
He really didn't know what to say other than a wry smile. He shook his head and said: "The King of Yue put himself in danger this time to annihilate Xue Yantuo's troops. If my army attacks blindly, it will fail."
His Highness's thoughts are not disclosed, but there is a possibility that Junior Xue Yantuo will bite him back. It is certain that I will use His Highness the King of Yue as a bait to lure our army into taking the bait. His Highness the King of Yue has also stated this in his letter.
, our army has to guard against it."
Although Li Xiyu had also fought in battles, they were only in small battles. Naturally, he could not compare with Li Ji in terms of combat experience and ability. When he heard what Li Ji said, he suddenly felt that it made sense, but he couldn't worry about Li Zhen's.
An Wei pondered for a while and said: "This is possible, but I am worried that if I act according to His Highness the King of Yue's plan, once Da Da sets up Xiaoerjue and fall into the trap, I am afraid that he will attack Shenwu desperately and threaten to capture His Highness the King of Yue in exchange for withdrawing his troops.
According to the corresponding conditions, if something happens to His Highness the King of Yue, what should we do?"
What should we do? Things have reached the point where they are now. In addition to following Li Zhen's plan, Li Ji really doesn't know what to do. What if he rushes to save Li Zhen and falls into the plot of Xue Yantuo's tribe, resulting in his death?
He was even more unable to explain to the emperor that he had humiliated the country. Li Ji was really angry at Li Zhen's behavior of killing first and then reporting, commanding subordinates to his superiors. However, Li Ji was still very impressed with Li Zhen's courage and calculating ability.
Appreciatively, after thinking silently, Li Ji gritted his teeth and said, "Brother Maoshi, you and I will divide our troops into two groups, so we should act according to His Highness the King of Yue's plan."
"Yeah, it works." Li Xiyu thought for a while, nodded and said, "It's just about the safety of His Highness the King of Yue..."
"That's all, I hope His Highness Jiren will have his own destiny. Without further delay, you and I will lead our troops separately." A trace of perseverance flashed in Li Ji's eyes, and he made his final determination in a calm voice. Li Xi
Yu sighed, said nothing more, gave Li Ji a military salute, turned around, and strode out of the tent.
Li Ji silently watched Li Xiyu's leaving figure, raised his head, sighed, and loudly ordered: "Come here, beat the drum and gather the generals!"
While the Tang army was busy mobilizing troops and generals, Prince Xue Yantuo was stationed in the former governor's office of Shuozhou, and a military meeting was also being held.
, Sijie, Bashmi and other six tribal leaders gathered at the Governor's Mansion to discuss the military plan for the next move.
Dadu is the eldest son of Xue Yantuo Khan Yi Nan. He is twenty-five years old. He is tall and strong, has strong martial arts and is very resourceful. He is known as the "Eagle of the Prairie". He has always been favored by Yi Nan and has been the leader of the army all year round.
The soldiers fought everywhere, and they were rigorous and unsmiling. However, they were generous and magnanimous, and won the respect of the commanders of various ministries.
"Commanders, you have all read the letter asking for help from the Pugu tribe. Now Kaiyang has been attacked, and the Tang army has occupied the killing tiger's mouth. Another Tang army has also entered Shenwu City under the banner of Yue Wang Li Zhen. Everyone, what are you saying?
We have already discussed what we think of the current situation." After the commanders from all ministries had arrived, Da Duzhao looked around at the commanders sitting on their subordinates' horses and spoke calmly.
The grassland tribes arranged their speeches based on their strength. Among the various coalition forces, except for the Xue Yantuo tribe, only the Uighurs were the strongest. As soon as Dadushi finished speaking, the Uighur commander Tumidu stood up and said: "Dadu
Governor, Qu Lishi, this damn dog thief did not report to the Commander-in-Chief and withdrew his troops without permission. He should be killed! The loss of Killing Tiger Pass was all the fault of Qu Li lost the old dog. If he hadn't let him go, how could the Tang army sneak across Efeokou to attack our army?
The way out."
The Tongluo tribe has always been feuding with the Bayegu tribe, and is also at odds with the Pugu tribe. At this time, when the most powerful Uighur commander-in-chief said that he wanted to punish the Bayegu tribe, Duolange, the commander-in-chief of the Tongluo tribe, naturally wanted to take action.
He agreed with both hands, and then jumped out and said: "Great Governor, Brother Tumido is right, we must not spare this old dog Qu Lishi lightly, even the bewildered Qi Jinyada should be held accountable!"
The Basimi Tribe and the Pugu Tribe were family friends, and they had many marriages. At this time, when they saw Dolange, the commander-in-chief of the Tongluo Tribe, adding insult to injury, Ashina Dahe, the commander-in-chief of the Bashimi Tribe, immediately objected: "Mr. Dolange
Brother, what you said is quite right. If brother Qijin Yeda hadn't come to report the news, I'm afraid we wouldn't have known that Tang's army had arrived. Even if Qu Li was guilty, what would have happened to brother Qijin Yeda?"
"Shit! If he hadn't lost the battle, Shenwu would have captured it long ago, and we would have returned to the grassland long ago. How could we have been cut off by the Tang army? If he was not guilty, who else could be guilty!" Dolange
He has a hot temper. When he heard Ashina Dahe contradicting him, he immediately jumped up and pointed at Ashina Dahe's nose and cursed him. Not to be outdone, Ashina Dahe also jumped up and did not reply.
, as soon as he stroked his sleeves, he planned to rush forward and give Dolange a good punch. He was so surprised that all the commanders nearby rushed forward to break up the fight, and the whole hall suddenly became chaotic.
"That's enough. We're going to fight the Tang army. How long has it been? And you're still making trouble all by yourself!" Dadu, who had been listening silently, looked at the commanders of the ministries who were making such a ridiculous fuss, and slapped him fiercely.
table, shouted angrily.
Xue Yantuo was powerful, Da Du She was always ruthless, and all the commanders were extremely wary of him. When they saw Da Du She was angry, they naturally did not dare to do it again, and everyone sat back to where they were, but in this way, they all became mute.
, no longer spoke. Dadu Shi glanced at the commanders, and said calmly: "It is up to Father Khan to decide what kind of crime should be caused by Qu Li's loss. There is no need for us to discuss it. Now that the Tang army has arrived, all we have to do is
Please discuss how our army should respond, I don’t want to hear the rest."
"Grand Governor, the Tang army is powerful and our army is invincible. It is better to withdraw from the Great Wall first and avoid the sharp attack temporarily. Although the Tiger's Pass was captured by the Tang army, our army is not unable to cope with it. We can get out of the Great Wall just as we walked through Yungang.
Otherwise, it is not impossible to seize the tiger's mouth if the whole army is pressed. I hope the governor will make up his mind soon." Tumidu, the commander-in-chief of Uighur, has always been on good terms with the Tang Dynasty. This dispatch of troops was originally forced by Xue Yantuo. Naturally,
Because he did not want to have a head-on conflict with the Tang army, he took the lead in proposing a withdrawal of troops.
"Yes, Brother Tumido is right. It would be better for the Governor to make a decision as soon as possible."
"Yes, that's how it should be."
"That's right!"
... All the ministries are extremely afraid of the Tang Dynasty army, and have little confidence that they can defeat the Tang Dynasty army. Besides, after conquering Shuozhou this time, each ministry has made a lot of wealth, and they are not in the mood to fight for their lives against the Tang Dynasty army.
Naturally, they wanted to evacuate as soon as possible, and all the ministries agreed on this point.
"We have to withdraw our troops, but even if we were to withdraw at this time, I'm afraid it wouldn't be that easy. Since the Tang army has already arrived, how can we let our army withdraw easily?" Da Dushu interrupted the words of the commanders with a wave of his hand.
, sneered and said: "The Tang army's surprise attack to kill the tiger's mouth was just to steal my retreat and force my army to confront them head-on. So why not? Are we all prairie men made of mud, huh?"
"Grand Governor, that's not what you said. All of our prairie men are upright and good men. We can fight with swords and fire. Isn't it just war? What's so scary? It's just that our army has been sending troops for a long time, and the soldiers in all departments are homesick.
, it seems better to exit the Great Wall first and then decide where to go." Tumidu, the commander-in-chief of Uighur, said with a red face.
Although Tumido's words were impassioned and high-sounding, he still felt guilty inside. After all, he still advocated retreating. After hearing this, Dadu Shi's face sank, his eyes widened, and he said coldly: "Better?"
Hehe, if our army retreats directly, regardless of whether we can retreat or not, even if we can retreat, how many people will be able to retreat under the attack from the front and rear by the Tang army. You have all seen the cunning of the Tang people.
There is no need for this governor to remind you."
Over the years, the Tang army has been invincible in all battles, and has been invincible in every battle. The generals of the Tang Dynasty are very skilled in using their troops. All the commanders present are well aware of it. When Dadu She said this, they felt as if they were beaten by frost.
He slumped like an eggplant and sat there silently. He looked at everyone with a confused look, which made Dadu Design furious. But he couldn't act on the spot. He sneered a few times and said, "What? You're scared now."
, Hey, the Tang army is in the dark now, and our army is in the light. If our army acts rashly, there will be no other result besides dying in vain. However, our army is not without a chance of victory. If we act properly, a big victory may not be possible, but
It's not difficult to return to the grassland safely." After Dadu said this, he stopped and glanced at the commanders, with a mysterious smile on his face.
Dadu Shi was able to serve as the Grand Governor of the coalition army because he was the eldest son of Xue Yantuo Khan, but more importantly because of his outstanding military exploits on the grassland. The commanders of all ministries knew this well, and when they saw the big
Dushe looked determined, and his confidence suddenly rose again. They looked at each other, stood up and said: "We are willing to obey the arrangements of the Grand Governor, and I would like to ask the Grand Governor to make it clear."
"Okay!" Dadu Shi suddenly stood up, slapped the table and said, "Bring me a map!" The soldiers standing outside the room hurriedly brought a map up and spread it out on the big table.
"Everyone, please see, this is Shenwu. Now the King of Yue, Li Zhen, is in the city. Hey, there is an old saying on our grassland, if you don't want to let your children catch the wolf, this Li Zhen is a bait, used to bait our army. If
If our army is not careful, it will be the result of being trapped. However, the Tang people are cunning, and this time they are too cunning. This time our army will not only eat this bait, but also use this bait to trap the Tang army.
Commanders, are you interested in singing a big show with me?" Da Dushe pointed at the city of sacred objects on the map and said with a smile.
Seeing Da Du Design knowing that there are tigers in the mountain, he still went to the Tiger Mountain. Although the leaders of the ministries did not dare to say anything, the expressions on their faces clearly showed disbelief. However, they were forced by Da Du Design's power, but they did not dare to say anything.
People dared to speak out to object. Da Duzhu knew everyone's thoughts very well, but he did not point to the map and said: "Look, everyone, there are four roads leading to Shenwu, and each road has many interesting things."
However, if the Tang army wants to rescue Shenwu, there are actually only two ways to go. In this way, our army can take advantage of the situation and set up ambush in these two places, which can severely damage the Tang army, and then use Li Zhen as the
I will seize the opportunity and retreat slowly. In this way, although the Tang army is strong, what can they do to me?"
"The Governor is wise! We are willing to listen to the Commander-in-Chief's orders!" All the tribe leaders saw that Da Du Shi's words were very reasonable. They were overjoyed and everyone praised them. For a while, the whole room was filled with the flattery of the tribal leaders.