In the imperial study room, Li Yuan stood in front of the map and remained silent for a long time. Just as Du Ruhui got the news about Taiyuan, Li Yuan also got the eight-hundred-mile expedited report sent by Li Xiaogong from Zhangye. Hexi's troops could no longer capture Dunhuang.
County and Yiwu County. In the cold winter, the Sui army made full preparations in Dunhuang. The walls were fortified and the fields were cleared. The morale of the Tang army was low and they were unable to capture Dunhuang City in winter. In order to avoid the Tang army being completely annihilated in Dunhuang City, he decided to withdraw and return to Liangzhou.
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In his letter, Li Xiaogong explained in detail why he wanted to evacuate Dunhuang County. He told Li Yuan in his heart that the Tang army could no longer afford another defeat against the Sui army. A disturbing night attack by the Sui army almost caused the Tang army's morale to collapse.
The Sui army was so frightened that the soldiers would rather brave the severe cold and hide outside their tents barefoot than go back to the tents to get armor and boots. Li Xiaogong frankly pointed out that his withdrawal was for the future of the Tang Dynasty and to prevent the Tang Dynasty from losing control of the army in the north.
It collapsed under the pressure of the Sui Dynasty. Since it was no longer able to recapture Dunhuang County, the best choice was to preserve its strength and not fight the Sui army.
Although Li Xiaogong's words in the letter were harshly frank, Li Yuan knew that what he said was true. The Tang Dynasty could no longer afford to be defeated by the Sui army again, otherwise he would not have sued Yang Yuanqing for peace. It was just Dunhuang County's strategy.
The position was too important, and to give it up like this made Li Yuan feel as if a heavy stone was weighing on his heart.
"Father, are you looking for your son?" Prince Jiancheng's voice came from the door.
Li Yuan looked back at him, nodded and asked him again, "Where is your magical uncle, is he here?"
"Brother Emperor, I'm here!" Li Shentong followed Li Jiancheng and walked in. Li Yuan ordered someone to announce that the two of them were here to discuss important matters.
"You two sit down first!"
Li Yuan also walked back to his couch and sat down. He did not mention Li Xiaogong for the time being, but first asked Li Shentong, "How was the negotiation going today?"
Li Shentong shook his head, "Everyone sat in silence for an hour today and then ended it hastily. The differences in Dunhuang County were too great to reach a compromise."
"What about the others?"
"There is no problem with anything else. We have reached a consensus with Luo Yi from Youzhou and Liang Shidu from Xiping County. Both parties also agreed to rebuild the pontoon bridge in Pujin. We also promised not to seek Hongnong County. In return, the other party also agreed
We promised to reduce the military strength of the six counties of Guanbei to a minimum, with each county garrisoning no more than a thousand troops. Our Guannai counties also correspond to garrisoning. There are also trade routes between the two sides and the Silk Road, as well as the normal migration of officials' families. These are all
A compromise was reached. On the issue of the ownership of Dunhuang County, both parties refused to make concessions, making it impossible to finally reach a settlement agreement."
Li Yuan nodded. In fact, he was well aware of the progress of the negotiations. At this time, he asked again, but also brought up the topic. Seeing that Li Jiancheng was hesitant to speak, he asked: "What does the emperor want to say?" Li Jiancheng quickly leaned forward and said: "Father, Emperor,
The child wants to propose, or reach a compromise with the Sui Dynasty, to divide Dunhuang County and Yiwu County into two. The Sui Dynasty wants Dunhuang County. And we take Yiwu County, and both parties recognize each other. Can my father accept this plan?"
Li Yuan smiled bitterly and said: "Without Dunhuang County, what's the point of getting Yiwu County? I am alone in the Western Regions. Even officials have to go through Dunhuang County to report on their duties. If there is no Dunhuang County, I don't want Yiwu County."
.”
"My father, my son, I want to find a level that is acceptable to both parties. The negotiation has been delayed for half a month, and I think it can't be delayed any longer."
"No need to look for any stairs!"
Li Yuan shook his head decisively, "I came to you two to tell you clearly that I have decided to abandon Dunhuang County and Yiwu County and recognize them as the territory of the Sui Dynasty."
Li Jiancheng and Li Shentong looked at each other with surprise in their eyes. It was the Holy Sage himself who had been insisting and refused to give in. Why did he suddenly change his mind? Li Jiancheng pondered and asked: "Father, are you Xiaogong's side?"
Any bad news?"
Li Yuan nodded slowly and handed Li Xiaogong's letter to him, "Fortunately, we didn't lose any troops, so it's not a disadvantage. It's just that we arrived a step too late. The Sui army had already occupied Dunhuang and Yiwu counties."
Li Jiancheng read the letter and handed it to his uncle Li Shentong. Li Jiancheng finally understood why his father agreed in the end. Although his father refused to admit defeat, in fact Li Xiaogong was defeated without a fight and Dunhuang County could no longer be taken back.
, especially the fear of Sui in Tang Jun's heart, I am afraid that this is the fundamental reason why his father was forced to make the final concession.
After Li Shentong read the letter, he frowned slightly, "But just agreeing to the Sui Dynasty like this would be too much of a concession, and it would also be a loss of face. Maybe we can gain some rights from other places, such as keeping Luo Yihe
What do you think, Your Majesty, about Wen Yanbo's life?"
"That's okay. You go and talk to them, but one thing needs to be made clear to them. I'm not giving them courtesy because Dunhuang County is the land of the Sui Dynasty. Dunhuang County is the territory of the Liang Kingdom and was occupied by the Sui Dynasty first. This
This point is very important, otherwise it will be troublesome in the future that Chang'an was also the land of the Sui Dynasty, and the agreement reached cannot include the clause that Dunhuang County originally belonged to the Sui Dynasty."
"I understand and must avoid this rule. I believe they can understand it too!"
"Okay! That's it."
Li Yuan stood up and said: "I hope to reach a settlement agreement tomorrow. I need to concentrate our forces to deal with Liang Shidu and cannot delay it any longer."
After a pause, Li Yuan said to Li Jiancheng again: "The prince will sign and seal the agreement on my behalf. After all, Yang Yuanqing is only the king of Chu, and he is not equal to me."
"My son, I obey!"
.........
The reconciliation negotiations between the Sui and Tang Dynasties, which had been delayed for half a month, finally reached an agreement with the Tang Dynasty's final concession. The two sides promised to abandon hostility, recognize each other's territories, and ensure that their armies would not enter each other's territory without the other's permission for at least one year.
In addition, the two parties agreed on more than 20 other constraints. The agreement was made in duplicate and signed by Prince Li Jiancheng and King Yang Yuanqing of Chu as the highest confirmers. Ten days later, Yang Yuanqing stamped and signed the settlement agreement.
Since then, the Sui and Tang dynasties formally made peace, and they each adjusted their military deployment. The Tang Dynasty transferred the 100,000 troops deployed in the eastern part of Guanzhong to defend the Northern Sui Dynasty to Longxi, and the 50,000 troops from Honghua County and Shangjun also withdrew to Guanzhong.
The Sui Dynasty deployed the 30,000 troops stationed in Hedong County to Jingxing, Taiyuan County. At the same time, it reduced the 25,000 troops in Lingwu County and the six counties of Guanbei to 5,000 garrisons. The remaining 20,000 troops were transferred back to Taiyuan and deployed.
Arriving near Feihuxing in Yanmen County, the Sui Dynasty began preparations for the Hebei Campaign.
........
On the tenth day of November, the day after the Sui and Tang Dynasties reached a settlement agreement, a carriage slowly drove into Taiyuan City from the south gate. There were more than a dozen followers on both sides of the carriage, all wearing tight-fitting black clothes and carrying horizontal knives on their waists.
Horseback riding followed the carriage. In the war years, this situation was more common. Generally, young warriors would accompany wealthy families when traveling. Hengdao was a contraband in the old Sui Dynasty and was strictly prohibited for ordinary people to carry. But now this ban has long been broken.
Throughout the Central Plains, not to mention horizontal knives, even military crossbows can appear in ordinary people's homes at will.
The soldiers guarding the city gate did not question them too much. They only asked where they came from and let them into the city. When the carriage entered the city, a lively and prosperous atmosphere rushed towards them. The curtains of the carriage were opened, and a middle-aged man looked around.
Looking around, I saw people coming and going on the street. New Year is just over a month away, so the street is particularly lively.
"Qu Sanlang, this place is much more lively than our Jiangling City." The middle-aged man smiled and spoke with a southern accent.
Perhaps it was because the middle-aged man had a good temper that all the followers could talk to him. A young follower laughed and said: "Li Shaoqing is a bit more focused on one thing than the other! I don't think Jiangling City is any worse than here, it's just that we walked two miles on the road.
Ten days, no, it’s almost the New Year, I guess Jiangling City will be just as lively at this time.”
If they were talking by the city gate and were heard by the guards guarding the gate, they would definitely connect the clues such as their southern accents, Shaoqing, and Jiangling City, and they could immediately deduce that they were officials of the Liang Dynasty in the south.
Indeed, this Li Shilang is the young minister of Honglu Temple in the Liang Dynasty, named Li Jing. If Yang Yuanqing saw him, he would be shocked, because this Li Shaoqing is Yang Yuanqing's direct uncle, whose original name was Li Dalang, because he disliked this name.
He was rustic and changed his name to Jing after he became an official. Now he is called Li Jing.
In order to win over Yang Yuanqing, Yang Yuanqing specially named his uncle the county captain of Jingshan County, Anlu County. In the ninth year of his great career, Li Jing discovered that Xiao Mian was going to rebel. Most of the officials in Anlu County had joined the Nanhua Society. He was frightened and gave up his official position.
He fled to Beijing and joined Yang Yuanqing with his family. However, after living there for less than two months, he missed his hometown again and wanted to return south. Pei Minqiu couldn't stop him, so he gave him a large sum of money and asked him to return to his hometown to become a
Rich man.
Li Jing has two sons, the eldest son Li Gui and the second son Li Fu. Li Gui joined the Nanhua Society when he was studying in Nanjun and is currently the governor of Jiangxia County in the Liang Dynasty. Li Jing, because he is Yang Yuanqing's uncle, Xiao Mian personally
He came to visit, invited him to come to Jiangling as an official, and named him Shaoqing of Honglu Temple.
This time he was ordered to go to the Northern Sui Dynasty, and Xiao Mian was full of expectations. On the one hand, he hoped that the Northern Sui Dynasty would recognize the legitimacy of the Liang Dynasty, and on the other hand, he also hoped that the Sui and Liang Dynasties could form an alliance.
Li Jing was a little nervous. He didn't know if Yang Yuanqing would blame him for running back to the south last time and if he became a Liang Chen, which would make Yang Yuanqing angry. He was really uneasy.
The carriage slowly came to a stop in front of Yang Yuanqing's palace. He took a look at the plaque on the door, "Prince Chu's Palace". Li Jing couldn't help but sigh in his heart. He remembered what he had done when Yang Yuanqing was three years old when he took him to Yang's palace.
The scene, the plaque on the Duke's Palace of Yue at that time frightened him, but now that the child has grown up, he has become the King of Chu, and it is said that he will become the emperor in the future. I wonder how happy and happy his mother will be if she knows.
pride.
Li Jing wiped away the old tears flowing from the corners of his eyes and ordered his attendants, "Go to the concierge and report that a relative of His Royal Highness King Chu has come from the south."