The competition in the school grounds is still in full swing, but Li Shimin has returned to the tent. This time he led 100,000 elite troops to attack Luoyang, and he is bound to win, but the southern pressure of the Sui army made him worried again.^, text,-
Just as the Sui army had received information about his entry into Shangluo County, Li Shimin also received news that Yang Yuanqing led 20,000 troops south, which made him realize that this battle in Luoyang would be a melee.
There is also a huge sand table in Li Shimin's tent, which creates the terrain, cities, mountains and rivers of the entire Central Plains, and is made very finely.
Li Shimin walked to the tent and looked at Hanoi County north of the Yellow River. If Yang Yuanqing went south, he would most likely cross the Yellow River from Hanoi County.
"Your Highness, if the old minister is not wrong, Yang Yuanqing should be in Heyang County at this time."
Behind Li Shimin, veteran Qu Tutong said in a deep voice that this veteran who is 60 years old is still strong and has not yet grown old. He is appointed as the Minister of War. This Eastern Expedition was Li Shimin who specifically requested Li Yuan to grant him the deputy general. This time, he was the one who was appointed as the Minister of War.
The veterans took charge, which gave this Eastern Expedition a little more confidence in victory.
Li Shimin nodded, "I also think Yang Yuanqing is in Heyang, and he is not trying to support Wang Shichong. I suspect he also wants to take Luoyang, but he just happens to be together with our Luoyang battle."
Li Shimin looked back at Qu Tutong and smiled slightly, "Does the old general think my idea correct?"
"After the end of the Hebei Battle, Yang Yuanqing deployed heavy troops on the north bank of the Yellow River. This was certainly for defense, but more for going south. Now Wang Shichong usurped the throne. He just gave him the excuse to go south to attack. I think your highness's inference is not wrong.
, Yang Yuanqing really wanted to attack Luoyang, and we happened to have this intention. This battle in Luoyang actually turned into a confrontation between the Sui and Tang dynasties."
Fang Xuanling also walked in and added from the side: "If Yang Yuanqing planned to go south, then how would he deal with Li Mi's Western Wei army? Have your highness considered it?"
Li Shimin picked up the wooden pole and pointed at Liyang, "There are tens of thousands of Sui troops stationed here in Liyang. I think that once the war begins, this Sui army will go south to Dongjun and disperse the main force of the Western Wei army from the flanks to support the Sui army attacking Luoyang."
Speaking of this, Li Shimin glanced at Fang Xuanling and saw him stroking his beard and laughing without saying anything. This was obviously a reservation. Li Shimin couldn't help but be stunned, "Does sir think I'm wrong?"
"Your Highness is right, but he underestimated Yang Yuanqing too much."
Fang Xuanling smiled and took the wooden pole and pointed to the Jianghuai land, "If I was not wrong, Yang Yuanqing had already made an alliance with Du Fuwei, and Du Fuwei would restrain Li Mi from the south. In this way, even if Li Mi wanted to help us,
He would not do his best, and coupled with the restraint of the Sui army in Dongjun, Li Mi's aid would not be too great. At most, it would only send troops symbolically. Your Highness should not count too high on Li Mi."
Li Shimin was speechless. Although the court had long expected that the Sui Dynasty would send troops to interfere in the eastern expedition, he specially contacted Li Mi to form an alliance to jointly deal with the Sui army's southward journey, the alliance between Yang Yuanqing and Du Fuwei was beyond his expectations. In this case, he
The hope for the Western Wei army should not be too great.
Li Shimin forced a smile and said, "We just pretend that there is no foreign aid Li Mi, and we fight the Sui army alone... Two days later, 100,000 Tang troops set out on the eastward expedition and marched towards Hongnong County. In order to deal with this battle, the Tang Dynasty came from Xiangyang.
Allocated 300,000 stones of grain as military rations, and mobilized 150,000 civilians in Xiangyang, Nanyang and Xiyang counties for logistics transportation. At the same time, the Tang army carried a large number of siege supplies and various military supplies, and the army of 100,000
The team could not see at first sight, and it stretched for dozens of miles.
The shadow of war enveloped Luoyang, and news kept coming. The Tang army vanguard had arrived at Lu's County, and the Tang army vanguard had arrived at Changyuan County. One by one, one after another, oppressing the people of Luoyang, causing panic in Luoyang City.
The first thing to be affected is that the price of grain soared again, and the dou of rice went from three hundred coins to the thousand coins mark, followed by the price of animal power soared, a donkey asked for 100,000 coins, and the price of gold and silver soared, and the price of one tael of gold,
It has approached 500 yuan on the black market, and there is little gold and silver, so no one is willing to take out gold and silver to exchange it.
Panic snatching goods began to break out in Luoyang City, and people were rushing to buy them. As long as they could buy everything, everyone was trying hard to buy. At this time, storing copper coins was no longer meaningful, and actual materials were the foundation of survival.
The tide of escape emerged again, and tens of thousands of Luoyang people fled out of the city and rushed to Hedong and Guanzhong. In addition, officials also fled in large numbers. The day after the news of the Tang army's large-scale attack on Luoyang was announced, officials began to fail to attend court. A few days later
Nearly 40% of the middle and low-level officials in various temples in the imperial court have fled.
Although Wang Shichong ordered the release of food to the market three times in order to calm the chaos, the rice price remained high without any effect. In order not to starve to death, Wang Shichong began to order people to provide porridge on the street.
The attack of the Tang army and the large-scale panic in Luoyang made Wang Shichong, who had only been ascended to the throne for more than a month, become a fish in boiling water. He almost ignored the government and was in a state of restlessness all day long.
In the Longhua Hall, Wang Shichong, wearing a sky-summit and a red dragon robe, was closing his eyes and listening to the report on the Tang army in Hongnong County.
"After occupying Changyuan County, the Tang army vanguard advanced east along the Luoshui River. According to the information just obtained, the Tang army vanguard had entered Yiyang County, Henan County, and the county magistrate Zhang Wudao had opened the city to surrender..."
Before the guard finished reading, Wang Shichong was furious and said, "Get out! Get out of here!"
The two guards were so scared that their faces were pale and rolled out of the palace. Wang Shichong was furious, "Is the salary I gave not high enough? Or do I don't care about them, I have given three times the salary that was the Tang Dynasty,
Don’t you kill yourself, you must guard the city for at least two days and give me a face. Okay, the Tang army surrendered before it arrived, where will I put my face?"
Wang Shichong was cursing the surrendered officials. The palace maids and eunuchs around him were so scared that no one dared to show up.
At this time, Wang Renze hurriedly came from outside the palace, and the Tang army's large-scale attack on Luoyang also made him extremely worried. He was the head commander of the army and the pressure he was under was greater than that of ordinary people.
Although he was a little afraid of meeting the emperor's uncle at this time, the severe situation forced him to meet the saint.
As soon as I walked to the palace gate, I heard the roar and scolding from the emperor's uncle, which made Wang Renze hesitate for a moment. Is it a bit like going to meet the saint at this time...
Before Wang Renze could turn around, a verbal guard shouted loudly: "The King of Tang is here!"
The whereabouts were revealed, and Wang Renze could not go back. He couldn't help but stare at the guards, walked up the steps with his teeth, bowed and bowed, and said, "My minister Wang Renze met His Majesty the Emperor!"
After a moment, Wang Shichong's screams stopped, and an eunuch came out and said with a smile: "The Lord, please invite Your Highness!"
Wang Renze had no choice but to grit his teeth and walked into Wang Shichong's inner hall. At this time, Wang Shichong had calmed down and stood in front of a sand table and pondered without saying a word.
Wang Renze hurriedly walked forward and bowed, "My minister Wang Renze met His Majesty the Emperor!"
Wang Shichong nodded, "The emperor's nephew is here just right. I also want to discuss military information with you. Now I want to know if the entire Hongnong County is gone?"
Wang Renze nodded silently, "Your Majesty, not only did Hongnong County lose all the troops, the Tang army divided into two groups, one was led by Changsun Wuji and arrived at Hangu Pass, and the other was led by General Yuchi Gong as the vanguard, leading the army five.
After a thousand walks through Luoshuigu Road, he has occupied Yiyang County, Henan County, and the forefront is less than 150 miles away from Luoyang."
Speaking of this, Wang Renze carefully glanced at Wang Shichong's face. Seeing that although his face looked ugly, he was not angry. He suddenly realized that perhaps the emperor was angry about this matter just now, and he already knew the danger of the situation.
Wang Renze let down his heart a little. As long as the emperor is not angry, the following matter will be easy. He continued: "Your Majesty, I guess the Tang army vanguard will arrive in Luoyang the day after tomorrow."
Wang Shichong had calmed down from his anger, and he realized that getting angry could not solve the problem. Since the Tang army launched a large-scale attack, he could only escape by actively responding.
Wang Shichong saw that Wang Renze had something to say, so he asked, "What do you want to say?"
Wang Renze hurriedly bowed and said, "Your Majesty, I am considering whether I can concentrate all the troops. Now the army is dispersed in defense and is very easy to be defeated by the Tang army."
"What do you mean is to give up Hangu Pass?" Wang Shichong understood what he said.
Wang Renze really meant this, he hurriedly said: "Your Majesty, the Tang army's troops were divided into two groups, and the light troops walked to Hangu Pass. I think this is to disperse our troops. In fact, the Tang army advanced east from Luoshui Valley to defend Hangu Pass.
It’s meaningless anymore, it’s better to withdraw your troops and defend the city.”
Wang Shichong took a few steps behind his back. This was actually a strategic decision-making issue. Should his army take the external defense route or the Lone City defense route? After all, the Tang army only has 100,000 people and the troops are not sufficient.
After pondering for a long time, he finally nodded. Using the defense of Luoyang City, they could occupy the territory, and 70,000 troops were enough to deal with 100,000 Tang troops.
"Yes! I agree to withdraw all the troops back to Luoyang City."
Wang Renze was overjoyed and withdrew the army. One of his most worried problems was solved, and another expectation must be solved. "Your Majesty, in addition, the wealthy minister suggested asking for help from the Sui army, so that it would be more certain to defeat the Tang army.
”
Wang Shichong did not answer, but instead kept his hands behind his back and pondered for a long time. Finally, he shook his head gently and rejected Wang Renze's proposal.
Wang Renze was shocked. This was his most confident proposal. His uncle actually refused. "Your Majesty, why...?"
“Not why?”
Wang Shichong sighed deeply, his tone became extremely weak, "We are just a sheep, sandwiched between a tiger and a wolf. In the past, Yang Yuanqing helped me, but because he wanted to fight Hebei. Now that the battle of Hebei is over, he will hope.