After the Battle of Xiangyang, the Tang army had the last fortress left, and Xiangyang City was not captured. Xiangyang was the largest city in the Jingxiang area. The walls were tall and strong, and the moat was three meters wide, making it easy to defend but difficult to attack.
In addition, Yang Gongren had a good defense. He not only arranged the defense of 30,000 troops reasonably, but also sent all 300,000 pieces of silk cloth in the warehouse to the soldiers, soothing the morale of the army and boosting morale.
More importantly, he did not expel the people to participate in defense, so that the people in the city were at peace, sufficient food supply, and stable food prices, which was conducive to long-term defensive wars.
Yang Gongren knew very well that there were 80,000 Sui troops outside the city, including 20,000 cavalry. If he went out of the city to fight, his 30,000 troops would not be the opponent of the Sui army.[
But if it is to defend the city, it will be not so easy for the 80,000 Sui troops to break through the strong Xiangyang City. The key is that the Sui army cannot cooperate inside and outside. Yang Gongren obviously learned the lessons of Jiangling City, and all the Xiangyang generals were led by the generals.
He didn't need to do anything, and all the big Xiangyang residents were not allowed to go out easily, which effectively prevented the destruction of some surrenders.
But Yang Gongren also knew very well that the Tang army would not come to help him again. If he persisted like this, he would eventually have a day when the troops were exhausted. It would actually have no strategic value to defend Xiangyang. In addition to proving a little integrity, give the court some
Comfort, Xiangyang will not surrender.
Yang Gongren's heart seemed to be covered with a thick layer of haze, which made him unable to see a bright future, and he could only keep a one-day basis.
The head of the Sui army outside the city was Xu Shiji, the general manager of Henan Road, and Du Fuwei served as deputy general. They had been besieging Xiangyang for more than 20 days. They only attacked the city twice at the beginning, losing thousands of people, and then they did not.
No siege.
On the one hand, they also understood that 80,000 troops could not capture Xiangyang City. On the other hand, with the end of the Jingxiang Battle, Xiangyang City had lost its strategic significance. It was no longer so urgent to capture Xiangyang City, and there was no need to lose any more.
Soldiers, just need to be sieged, and Xiangyang City will sooner or later be destroyed.
That morning, in the Sui Army camp, Xu Shiji was sitting in the commander's tent reading, which seemed leisurely, but in fact he was also anxious and uneasy. Since the end of the Central Plains, he has stayed in the Central Plains.
The Sui Tu battle was not his share. The battle of Luo Shixin in Qingzhou was easily eliminated. He did not catch up with the destruction of Li Mi. He had not fought the battle of Jingxiang so far, and it was not his turn to fight Bashu. Seeing that the final decisive battle in Guanzhong was about to begin,
But he was besieging an isolated city.
If he does not perform again, then his qualifications on the military merit list will appear too weak. How much benefit can he get in terms of merit rewards in the future?
Now he is Xu Shiji, who is just a county duke. When he heard that if Wang Junkuo conquered Bashu, he would be named Duke of Shu. This made him envious and urgent. He needed opportunities and needed Yang Yuanqing to give him the opportunity to make meritorious contributions and seek the qualifications for rewards.
Although he was anxious, Xu Shiji could do anything. If he attacked at any cost, he would lose his troops and generals, he might not get the credit, which would cause Yang Yuanqing to be furious. He knew very well that Yang Yuanqing regarded soldiers more important than anything at this time, unless it was a Sui Chu battle or
The strategic goal of the Sui and Tang Dynasties would not have been easily paid.
At this time, a soldier reported at the door: "Report to the General Manager, Prime Minister Yang is here."
"Who?" Xu Shiji didn't react at once.
"It's Xiao Yang's prime minister."
There were two prime ministers in the court, two prime ministers in Yang, among which the little prime minister Yang was Yang Shidao. Xu Shiji was immediately overjoyed. He knew that Yang Shidao's arrival must be related to Yang Gongren in the city.
"Please come in quickly!"
Soon, Master Yang smiled and walked into the coach's tent, "Mr. Xu is so leisurely!"
Xu Shiji smiled bitterly and hurriedly stepped forward to salute, "If you don't fight in the siege, everything will make Yang Xiangguo laugh at."
"It's a good thing not to fight the city! We can save a soldier and give me a little more tax on the Sui Dynasty."
The two of them took a seat with the guest and the host. Yang Shidao took out a letter and handed it to him, "This is your letter to you, please take a look!"[
Xu Shiji was immediately excited, opened the letter and hurriedly read it. In the letter, Yang Yuanqing gave him a big opportunity. He couldn't help but be overjoyed and said quickly: "I will arrange for the Prime Minister to enter the city... In the four cities of Xiangyang City, Sui
The army only surrounded the South City and the East City, and there were no troops outside the West City and the North City. However, although there were no troops siege, like Chai Shao's defeated army, he also fled back to the city, and had to flee westward and return to Chang'an.
Half an hour later, Yang Shidao appeared under the Xicheng Gate, and he shouted to the top of the city: "I am Yang Shangshu's family, so I'm here to escape to him."
A soldier had already rushed to report to Yang Gongren. After a moment, Yang Gongren appeared on the top of the city. He recognized the person under the city. It was his brother Yang Shidao. He immediately guessed the purpose of Yang Shidao. He felt very complicated in his heart. After a while,
Nodded and said, "Let him into the city!"
The suspension bridge rumbled down, and a crack was opened in the city gate. Master Yang urged the horse to enter Xiangyang City. As soon as he left the gate, he saw his brother coming towards him. He immediately turned over and got off the horse and walked forward quickly. The two brothers hugged each other, although they were one.
However, the two sides have the same intentions. Although they are hostile to the two dynasties, they do not block the blood and family ties between brothers.
"Come with me!"
Yang Gongren took his brother back to his residence. Yang Gongren temporarily lived in the back house of Xingtai Mansion. He was single and only lived in a small house of three acres, which was enough. Only two old people took care of his daily life.
"Did you come directly from Taiyuan?" Yang Gongren poured a cup of tea for his brother and asked with concern.
Yang Shidao took the teacup and nodded, "I went to Luoyang first, and then came over."
"Luoyang?"
"His Royal Highness of Chu is in Luoyang, I will go to see him first."
Yang Gongren was silent, and for a moment he asked slowly: "You are urging me to surrender, right!"
"When my elder brother was in Xingyang, I went to find you. Tell me, I went to Taiyuan, you went to Chang'an, and each left a way for each other. Do you still remember it?"
"I remember." Yang Gongren said lightly.
Yang Shidao sighed, "I won't talk about the current situation, my brother should also know that the Tang Dynasty is out of the blue, and everyone is looking for a way out. Even the Dugu and Dou clans of Guanlong nobles have secretly looked for Yang Yuanqing, and now Jingxiang
The battle has ended, and Xiangyang has become an isolated city. What's the point of staying there if the elder brother keeps it?"
Yang Gongren was silent for a while and sighed: "Of course I understand these things. But Li Yuan refused to use me at the beginning, but he suspected that I would surrender to the Sui Dynasty. I had already held my breath in my heart. If I surrender now, wouldn't it mean that his guess was correct?
But I was injustice, and I couldn't swallow this tone."
"Brother, this is just one breath. Is it cost-effective to lose my future in order to bet on this breath? Yang Yuanqing asked me to tell my elder brother that as long as the elder brother is willing to surrender, he will actually grant my elder brother the Minister of Revenue and Duke Xiangguo,
Moreover, the fifth sister is now the concubine of the King of Chu, and will be the imperial concubine in the future. Our family will become a royal relative. Brother, you can’t ruin your once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for a little face!"
Yang Gongren lowered his head. After a long time, he smiled bitterly: "Even if I surrender to the Sui Dynasty for my sake, what should you do if your sister-in-law and nieces? They are all in Chang'an, which will kill them. I can't do this.
”
"Brother, this problem is easy to solve. There is a Sui Army Intelligence Hall in Chang'an, which can easily transfer them out. And it can also help the Dugu family or Dou family to protect them. I can guarantee their safety."
Yang Gongren walked forward with his hands behind his back and stared outside the yard for a long time. He finally sighed: "I have lost the righteousness of 400,000 people in Xiangyang City for my own face."
He turned around and said, "You go back and tell Xu Shiji that I can hand over Xiangyang City to him, but I want to go back to Chang'an, and the soldiers who are willing to go back to Chang'an also hope that he will not intercept him. I have this condition."
Mr. Yang didn't expect it would be the result. After a while, he asked helplessly: "Does your brother really want to go back?"
Yang Gongren nodded, "I can't let myself fall into injustice. I have to go back. No matter how Li Yuan deals with me, at least I have a conscience."[
Master Yang knew that his elder brother was an extremely stubborn person. He had decided that he could not persuade him no matter what. He had to stand up and bow, but he could not say goodbye and leave.
Shortly after Yang Shidao left, Gao Shilian hurried over. He also heard that Yang Shidao was coming, which made him full of hope.
"Shangshu Yang, I heard that the teacher is here, are you still there?" Gao Shilian entered the house and did not see the teacher Yang, and he was shocked.
Yang Gongren shook his head, "He has left, Gao Changshi, there is something I want to tell you. I have decided to abandon the city. Xiangyang City has become an isolated city, separated from the Tang Dynasty, so we have no need to guard it anymore."
Gao Shilian said silently that since Master Yang had come, he knew that it must be the result, which could be said to be within his expectations.
"Has Shangshu Yang decided to surrender?"
"I will not surrender, but I will abandon the city. I will still go back to Chang'an. Among these soldiers, there are Jingxiang people, and the relevant people. I will not force those who are willing to surrender. Those who are willing to return to Chang'an with me will take them away. Gao Changshi himself
Make a decision!”
"Actually, I have wanted to say that the overall situation in Jingxiang has been decided. It is really meaningless to defend Xiangyang City except to prove a little integrity."
Gao Shilian sighed, "Since Yang Shangshu made the decision, let us act separately! Those who are willing to surrender, open the southern city gate with me and surrender out of the city, and those who are willing to return to Chang'an, go to the northern gate with Yang Shangshu."
Gao Shilian's statement was a bit beyond Yang Gongren's expectations. It turned out that Gao Shilian was already surrendering, but this is understandable. Not everyone is like himself and wants to gamble.
Yang Gongren nodded calmly, "That's what it's decided!"
Two hours later, the city gate of Xiangyang was wide open. Gao Lilian led more than 20,000 Jingxiang and Bashu Tang troops out of the south gate and surrendered to the Sui army led by Xu Shiji, while Yang Gongren led eight thousand Guanzhong Tang troops out of the north gate and went out of the north gate.
Retreat in Hanzhong in the northwest and return to Chang'an.
Xu Shiji did not stop him and led a large army to Xiangyang. Two days later, Xu Shiji led 40,000 elite Sui army to march towards Hanzhong.
This is the task assigned to him by Yang Yuanqing. Once Yang Shidao persuaded Yang Gongren to give up Xiangyang, Du Fuwei would defend Xiangyang. He Xu Shiji led 40,000 Central Plains Sui army to attack Hanzhong, cut off the last connection between Guanzhong and Bashu, and thus complete the Guanzhong
Strategic siege.
Forty thousand Sui troops marched towards Hanzhong along the Han River Valley. At this time, the Tang Dynasty did not have much force in Hanzhong, only the 10,000 troops led by Luo Yi and the thousands of defeated soldiers brought back by Chai Shao before.
There are a total of 15,000 troops... to be continued.rs!!!