It was still dusk, and the setting sun was slanting, casting its last rays on everyone in the valley.
The people who took the initiative to sit in a circle listened attentively and unconsciously moved closer to Li Shan.
Li Shan, who forcibly suppressed the excitement deep in his heart, lowered his voice, "In today's battle, more than ten cavalry escaped. The rebels must be alert and will investigate tomorrow. Therefore, if they want to attack, it can only be tonight."
"It's winter now and the mountains are cold. Even if the rebels can't find them, I'm afraid they won't be able to carry the knife in one day."
"It's naturally difficult to fight against an enemy five times stronger, but what if it's a night attack?"
Before Ling Bo frowned and asked, Li Shan continued: "The rebel camp is located on the north side of Qinghe River. There are many grains in the camp for transportation. What if they attack at night and set fire to it?"
"Judging from the prisoners' confessions, Liu Shishan divided his troops into two thousand and marched eastward to raise food and grass."
"In fact, Liu Heitai had two uprisings last year and this year. Last year, King Xia led his army to go south. At the beginning of the year, King Qin led a heavy army to conquer Shandong. In the past two years, there have been continuous wars in Hebei and Shandong. The fields in various continents have become desolate, and there are many grains in Hebei Province. Shaanxi Province has always been responsible for making up for the shortcomings.”
"And Liu Heitai is nothing more than a dog raised by the Turks... Food and grass must be supplied to the Turks soldiers first, and then it is Liu Heitai's turn."
"So, food and grass are Liu Heitai's top priority. As long as he can break into the camp and light a fire..."
Li Shan's voice gradually became lower. Ling Bo nodded and said: "As long as the fire breaks out, the rebels will inevitably be in chaos. There is indeed an opportunity to take advantage of it."
Zhou Zhao added: "And the rebels will definitely not pursue them, they will only put out the fire first."
Li Shan stared at Su Dingfang seemingly calmly. Whether this plan was possible to be implemented... still needed to be judged by this famous general whose name was left in the annals of history.
Su Dingfang thought for a moment and said softly: "If we can use prisoners to lure the camp gate open, we should give it a try."
Li Shan breathed a long sigh of relief, "Liu Hujun, how many more troops can you send?"
"About two hundred." Liu Jun said hesitantly: "But the man and the horse are exhausted..."
Ling Bo interrupted and said, "Da Lang, have someone bring out all the dry food and bedding, have someone light a fire to keep them warm, and let them rest first."
Soon, after eating and drinking, more than two hundred Tang soldiers lay down on bedding directly on the ground and fell asleep. There was a fire at regular intervals to keep warm.
After checking the wounded soldier's injuries, Li Shan sat silently beside a fire on the outermost side. He stretched his hands forward and felt a slight burning sensation on his index finger.
A figure slowly walked over and sat down next to Li Shan, "With this plan, if the King of Huaiyang listens to his advice, he may not be completely defeated."
"Everyone has his own destiny...it's just a matter of survival." Li Shan turned his head and glanced at Uncle Ling, "Last year, Uncle Ling offered advice, didn't King Xia also abandon it?"
Ling Bo sighed slightly, "With such high righteousness, I think it will be difficult to escape."
"Is Uncle Ling going to abandon me?" Li Shan seemed to be smiling but not smiling. "It's natural to see that for a person like Uncle Ling... If everyone follows a certain person back to Chang'an, they may not be able to escape."
People like Ling Jing have sharp eyes and deep thoughts. They have already seen some clues. The young man next to him has a good relationship with the King of Huaiyang and is not under the command of the King of Qin. However, he is protected by the generals of the Danyang House of the Li family in Longxi. He came with the King of Qi again.
What makes him most suspicious is that Li Shan has not yet explained his origin.
Judging from his words and deeds and listening to his analysis of the current situation, such a young talent is considered to be top-notch among aristocratic families. However, he did not explain his origins and did not mention his father and ancestors. In this era... there are too many secrets in this approach. .
Li Shanshi's few words also showed that he obviously had ulterior motives in recruiting Su Dingfang and those Dou Jiande's old men.
Ling Jing knew Su Dingfang's temperament very well, and he would definitely follow Li Shan after being so kind to him, but what about himself?
And what about the families of those colleagues?
After the defeat at Hulao Pass last year, the lofty ambitions he once had have long since faded into the wind. Ling Jing didn't care about himself, but he had to consider the families of his colleagues...even his two sons, three grandsons, and granddaughters were among them.
Ling Bo said calmly: "I am not a member of a poor family, King Xia has passed away, and I don't get along with Liu Heitai. Is there still room for him to be useful?"
Li Shan put away his smile and said, "Uncle Ling's quick mind is beyond the reach of ordinary people. If Uncle Ling wants to leave, I won't stop him."
There was a silence in response to Li Shan.
After a while, Li Shan asked softly: "From Ling Bo's perspective, can King Qin help you?"
There was another moment of silence.
After waiting for a while, Li Shancai said softly: "There are many hardships along the way south. Although we belong to two parties, we have the love of robe and glory. Let Ling Bo choose him."
Uncle Ling gritted his teeth and asked in a low voice: "The King of Qin wants to seize the legitimate son, but his father will not allow the King of Qin to attack Hebei again."
Obviously, Ling Jing saw through Li Shan's thoughts, which was actually not difficult to guess.
"Since the founding of the Li Tang Dynasty, we have attacked everywhere with few defeats. Only in Hebei...Donggong, King Qi and even the saints have treated him harshly, but King Qin wanted to be gentle." Li Shan quickly replied: "Listen to Brother Su, Ling My uncle is also from Hebei, so why don't you want to offer advice to your hometown?"
"Provide advice?" Ling Bo sneered: "Provide advice to the King of Qin? Whose advice?"
"So what if it's just someone?" Li Shan turned to stare at the fire, threw two pieces of wood into it, and said in a low voice: "But do good deeds and don't ask about the future..."
The wood thrown into the fire was licked by the flames, making a slight crackling sound. Li Shan listened intently, and Ling Bo on the side stared at the fire thoughtfully, as if he was also listening intently.
Not far from the fire, Zhou Zhao rubbed his sleepy eyes, "Isn't twenty acres of fertile land enough?"
"Okay, let's add another twenty guan to each person."
The seven or eight prisoners sitting or lying on the ground looked at each other. Some seemed to be moving, and some had fierce eyes, but in the end no one spoke.
Guo Pu impatiently drew out his knife and said, "You don't need so many people to trick the camp gate into opening. Just leave two or three behind and kill the rest."
Zhou Zhao squatted down regretfully, "Isn't it good to be alive?"
"Twenty acres of fertile land in Guanzhong is enough to live on, and twenty dollars is enough to marry a wife."
Guo Pu sneered and said: "Liu Heita's troops swept through Hebei last year, and this year they brought in Turks. How can they see twenty guan of money?!"
Zhou Zhao shook his head and said: "Not necessarily, not necessarily... you don't know yet. Although Liu Heitai defeated King Huaiyang, King Qi led 30,000 elite troops to Weizhou, and Shaanxi Province also deployed tens of thousands of troops to the south bank of the Yellow River."
"How does King Han Dong's current situation compare with last year?"
"If nothing else works, the saint can only order King Qin to attack Hebei again."
After a few words, the two prisoners' lips were slightly parted.
After all, just last year, the once-prominent Xia Kingdom was destroyed by Li Shimin's three thousand cavalry. Liu Heitai, who swept Hebei, defeated almost all the Tang army commanders. Even Li Shiji only escaped with his life, but in the end he was defeated by Li Shimin without any suspense. Defeated in the Battle of Luoshui.
For these prisoners, King Qin Li Shimin was the source of fear in their hearts.
At this time, Su Dingfang, who had gone out to investigate in person, had returned.
"Captain Su?!"
"Su Lie!?"
"It's Su Dingfang!"
A low noise came, causing Li Shan to turn his head and look over.
Su Dingfang went out in the afternoon, wearing Mingguang armor, an iron hat, and even a mask covering his face. Only then did the prisoner realize that it was Su Dingfang.
Su Dingfang was not an outstanding figure in the Xia army at that time. He was just a captain, but he was outstanding in martial arts and was good at horseback riding. Many people in the middle and lower ranks knew him.
A thin prisoner asked cautiously: "Lieutenant Su, did you join the Tang army?"
Su Dingfang was speechless for a moment. He really didn't vote for the Tang Army... Then how to explain his previous rescue of the Tang Army?
A quiet voice suddenly sounded.
"Brother Su has never been sorry to King Xia, but Liu Heitai has been sorry to Brother Su." Li Shan chuckled and said, "Brother Su, do you have any old acquaintances?"
Su Dingfang nodded slightly, his eyes falling on the prisoner who just spoke.
Li Shan raised his head and looked at the bright moon in the sky, walked slowly over, knelt down and said gently: "What kind of person is Su Dingfang? If someone hadn't rescued his mother, he wouldn't have followed me south."
Uncle Ling followed him at some point and stood beside Su Dingfang, silently watching Li Shan describe the situation that day.
When everyone was wondering, Li Shan turned around and said with a smile: "Brother Su, from your perspective, how do you think my medical skills are?"
Su Dingfang immediately replied: "It's rare in the world."
Zhou Zhao smiled and said, "Didn't the famous doctor in Zaocheng want to become your teacher that day?"
"No one can learn without a teacher." Li Shan smiled and said: "I learned from the King of Medicine."
Seeing the bewildered expressions of these prisoners, Li Shan could only explain: "My master's surname is Sun, which is taboo."
"Sun Simiao?" Ling Bo blurted out, "No wonder he has such medical skills!"
The name Sun Simiao... may not be considered highly by wealthy aristocratic families, but it is quite famous among the people, especially in the north.
Uh, but the nickname King of Medicine... was given by future generations.
"Teacher is like a divine farmer. He knows all kinds of herbs and uses medicine to save people. I studied medicine with him. He also uses medicine to save people, but he also uses medicine to kill people." Li Shan took out a few pills.
Zhou Zhao was confused after hearing this... Didn't you study medicine in Lingnan?
Sun Simiao had been practicing medicine and cultivating Taoism in Hebei, Hedong, and Guanzhong. When did he go to Lingnan?
Ling Bo looked down at the ground expressionlessly... Just now he saw Li Shan digging a piece of mud and slowly rolling it into a ball.
"Untie it." Li Shan ordered without turning around.
After Zhu Ba untied the thin prisoner, Li Shan touched his waist and pressed it, "Does it hurt?"
"It hurts, it hurts, it hurts!"
"Press it yourself, yes, here."
"pain……"
Li Shan nodded with satisfaction, "Within ten days, if there is no antidote, he will bleed to death from his seven orifices."
In future generations, this rhetoric will not be deceived by ghosts. Even in this era, most people with a little knowledge will not believe it.
But the prisoner was so frightened that he was shaking like chaff and suddenly rushed towards Su Dingfang, "Lieutenant Su, there is no camp gate, there is no camp gate at all!"
"say clearly."
"This trip to the east is just to transport grain and grass. It is on the Qinghe River. It will be shipped to Luozhou in the next few days." The prisoner shouted loudly: "The large group of troops is stationed outside Liting City. There is no camp gate. , to the south of the camp is the granary."
"Has Xingzhou fallen?" Zhou Zhao was shocked.
A tall prisoner over there rushed to the front and shouted: "I heard that all Xingzhou soldiers and horses have withdrawn!"
Next, the prisoners took the "poison" one by one and vomited it all out.
Su Dingfang listened calmly and asked a few questions from time to time. Li Shan put his hands in his sleeves and turned to tell Zhu Ba to pick a docile horse.
"Riding at night... with your riding skills... it's best not to cause trouble."
Li Shan glanced at Ling Bo and said, "I am planning a night attack. Although I am unable to lead the army into battle myself, it is beyond my power to huddle in the valley and wait."
Zhu Ba brought a white horse over there. Li Shan cursed a few times with a dark face and asked you to change horses because the white horse attracted too much attention at night.
Ling Bo said quietly: "Since we are not going into battle in person, we are just strengthening the morale of the crowd, so it is appropriate for the white horse to show its presence."
Li Shan was also speechless. This old man was really not a good guy. He would not suffer any loss... He was the kind of person who would get rid of anyone who criticized him.
Su Dingfang over there had already finished asking, and said in a loud voice: "It's almost time. The man's title is his, the horse's mouth is reined, and we will set off immediately."
With an order, Tang's soldiers who had been sleeping for more than four hours were awakened. After a group of people shouted and neighed, about three hundred cavalry detoured out of the valley and quietly walked to the east side.
In the thick darkness, Li Shan led the horse and walked at the front of the team. Surprisingly, he was more suitable for the night than most of the soldiers of the Tang Dynasty.
This is not surprising. The so-called blindness is due to the lack of vitamin A in the human body, which can be greatly relieved by eating animal offal. Li Shan often ate pig feces in Zhujiagou just for today... It is not because he likes to eat pig liver.
Qinghe is on the left. Li Shan estimated in his mind that it was about three or four o'clock in the morning. He had been riding or walking for nearly an hour and should be there soon.
Su Dingfang, who was on the side, was holding a tall brown-black horse. He turned his head and glanced at Li Shan's white horse, "We're almost there... I'll leave five people for you later to stay away."
"Um."
Li Shan raised his head and saw a dark shadow moving quickly in front of him. It was Guo Pu who came forward to explore the way and returned.
"It is true that there is no camp gate, and there is almost no defense." Guo Pu's voice was full of excitement. "I took a closer look. There are no hidden sentries outside the camp, and the soldiers patrolling at night are all dozing off."
There was heavy breathing behind him. Li Shan turned around and saw Liu Jun with a ferocious expression. He frowned and said softly: "Brother Liu?"
Liu Jun managed to control his emotions and said, "I know the importance of this, so I will obey Brother Su's instructions."
Li Shan was familiar with Liu Jun as early as when he was a doctor. He had participated in the Battle of Luoyang and the Battle of Hulao Pass with Li Shimin. He also accompanied Li Shimin in the expedition to Hebei at the beginning of the year, and then stayed to assist Li Daoxuan.
After many years of fighting, Liu Jun had never seen such a bizarre defeat as the first battle in Xiabo, and it was even more difficult to accept the possible death of Li Daoxuan.
Today is the time to wash away the shame on your body.
Li Shan led Zhu Ba to the right and took a closer look on a small hill. Su Dingfang led the army and continued to move forward until he could faintly see the military camp. He got on his horse and raised his horse's pole high above his head. Three hundred cavalry were behind him. Holding a torch in hand.
There was not much noise at first, but after a while, Li Shancai heard the sound of horse hooves, which gradually became louder than inaudible, and finally broke the silence of the night like a heavy drum.
