"There is no trace of Turks within five miles."
"There is no trace of Turks within ten miles."
The successive reports from the scouts who went out to explore made everyone's faces become more and more happy. It was natural for the Turks to withdraw their troops and return north, but there was another possibility.
Yesterday, Su Dingfang went out of the city and defeated the enemy army. This seems to indicate that Liu Heitai's troops are not strong in combat power. If they want to defeat the Tang army, the best way is to lure the Tang army out of the city and encircle and annihilate them in one fell swoop.
The Turks' return north might be a trap... Although Tian Liu'an made up his mind not to leave the city, he also sent scouts to inquire around.
Liu Heitao besieged Guantao City, but he did not besiege it to death. He surrounded three people and left one to the south.
Just an hour ago, Liu Heitai's troops followed him back north and west, withdrawing their troops.
The general, Tian Liuan, had made up his mind not to leave the city anyway. The others were fine, but Ling Jing and Li Shan were the most suspicious.
There is a reason for the Turks to get out, a very good reason.
And why did Liu Heitai get out?
No matter from which angle you look at it, Liu Heitai has no good reason to get out... Now in Hebei Province, the only ones standing in front of the rebels are Xiangzhou and Weizhou.
Compared with attacking Xiangzhou with Weizhou behind him, it is obviously easier to attack Weizhou with the Yellow River behind him.
Fifteen miles away due north of the city wall, Liu Heitai sighed and waved his hands to repel everyone, leaving only his brother Liu Shishan.
"Did Fan Yuan and Dong Kang die in the hands of that person?"
"It's Su Dingfang..."
"Bullshit!" Liu Heita scolded with a sullen face: "Su Lie is an old member of the Xia King. He went to war with a certain person last year. He would never turn back for no reason and even take away Yugushe!"
"Although Su Lie surrendered to the Tang Dynasty, Tian Liuan dared to accept it, and still used it as his chief general to go out of the city to invite an attack?"
"The person in charge must be the doctor... No, that Li Shan is definitely not a doctor!"
Liu Shishan was dejected. After Liu Heitai led his army eastward, he blamed all the reasons on the traitor Su Dingfang... It was Liu Shishan's responsibility to raise food and grass in Beizhou.
He was just saying that it was not me who made the mistake...but Su Dingfang's rebellion and defection to the Tang Dynasty.
Especially yesterday, Su Dingfang led his cavalry to break through the formation, killing people like rivers of blood, and burning almost all the siege equipment... This is the ironclad evidence that Su Dingfang surrendered to the Tang Dynasty.
But this all came to light this morning.
Ashina Sheer wanted to return north to the grassland. Before leaving, he asked the clerk under Liu Heitai's account to write a letter... Only then did Liu Heitai know the inside story.
"Li Shan, Li Shan...where did this come from!" Liu Heitai looked at the invisible Guantao City from a distance, "Zifang's plan, Chen Ping's wisdom... In this way, this person should be the one to capture He set up a plot to recruit Su Lie...Fan Yuan and Dong Kang both died in his hands, and the fire at Beizhou..."
Liu Shishan coughed twice, "Two days before the war started in Xiabo, this man urged Li Daoxuan not to waste the war. After being rejected, he immediately left the city and went south..."
After listening to Liu Shishan's intermittent explanation, Liu Heita couldn't help but gather his clothes, not because he felt cold, but because he felt like his clothes were not covering his body and being seen through.
From three battles and three retreats, to the disappearance of the Turkic soldiers and their emergence, Liu Heitai's plan was almost revealed as if it were before his eyes.
Standing silently on the small hill, Liu Heitai waited for a long time. The main force under his command had retreated thirty miles away and had gathered at the Yongji Canal. However, the Tang army in Guantao City still could not retreat. , with no intention of pursuing him at all.
A group of cavalry came from the north. The big man led by them quickly climbed up the hill and cursed: "He is still the son of the Khan. He has no eggs and has already gone away."
Liu Heitao had an expressionless face. In the morning, he urged Yugushe to withdraw his troops and return north one after another, intending to lure the Tang army out. As long as they could entangle them, they would only need two to three thousand Turkic light cavalry to encircle and annihilate them.
Yugushe agrees... It's a pity that the Tang army is like a turtle hiding in its shell. Even if it doesn't show up, Yugushe can only return north to the grassland.
"Your Majesty, next..." This big man is Wang Xiaohu, who is currently the most valiant and proficient in fighting under Liu Heitai. He gritted his teeth and cursed: "Su Lie defected to the Tang Dynasty and killed Dong Kang and Brother Fan with his own hands. Yesterday... "
Liu Shishan on the side hesitated for a moment, "Brother, Weizhou is really hard to chew, why don't you go back to Luozhou."
Wang Xiaohu immediately retorted: "It is necessary to clear out the Tang army in Hebei before the year, otherwise it will be difficult to gain a foothold."
"Qi King Li Yuanji is leading an army of tens of thousands in Heyin, and he might go north at some point!"
"Wipe out the Tang army and set up defenses in Weizhou, Xiangzhou, and Weizhou. The king will sit in Luozhou and control Xingzhou from a distance. Next year, he will borrow troops from the Turks to threaten Dingzhou, so that he can barely support it."
Liu Shishan rolled his eyes, "Brother, remember I mentioned before that Li Yuanji seems to be at odds with Li Shimin?"
"We've been here for a month, so we may not go north..."
"And even if we want to attack, we don't have to attack Weizhou. We can just attack Xiangzhou after we return to Luozhou."
Wang Xiaohu sneered and said: "Qi Shanxing is so determined that he burned down the Xingzhou granary and also set a fire in Luozhou. If the rescue hadn't been urgent..."
"What if he retreats to Weizhou again and burns down Xiangzhou's granary before leaving?"
"Li Yuan's fellow fled, the general manager of Xiangzhou was killed, and now the Tang troops in Xiangzhou, Luozhou, and Xingzhou are all in the hands of Qi Shanxing!"
Liu Shishan was speechless. Indeed, no matter how you calculate it, attacking Weizhou is more cost-effective.
There is no shortage of troops in Xiangzhou and Weizhou. Although the generals Qi Shanxing and Cheng Mingzhen are Dou Jiande's old troops, they will never surrender... The former burned down the Xingzhou granary, and the latter's mother, wife and children died at the hands of Liu Heita. .
However, once Weizhou is captured, it can threaten Weizhou and Xiangzhou from the east at the same time, and cooperate with Luozhou's troops to attack from both sides, with a high chance of victory.
Liu Heitai, who had been silent all the time, nodded slightly and said, "The armies returned south to forge weapons."
Liu Heitai's re-attack on Guantao was carefully considered. On the one hand, in terms of strategy, Wang Xiaohu was indeed right. Breaking Weizhou was the most likely shortcut to clear out the Tang army in Hebei.
On the other hand, in terms of morale, Su Dingfang went to battle yesterday and wiped out thousands of troops. He has been recognized by many middle and lower-level generals. If he does not kill this person, it will be difficult to boost morale.
Moreover, Tian Liuan, the general manager of Weizhou, Li Daoxuan, the general manager of Hebei Province's march, and Shi Wanbao, the deputy general manager, are all in the city. As long as Guantao is defeated, will Weizhou and Xiangzhou still have the courage to continue to support them?
"Today, October 20th... I ordered people to ship grain and grass from the east of Yongji Canal. Within ten days, Guantao must be conquered!"
After a pause, Liu Heitai said lightly: "Massacre the city!"
Wang Xiaohu and Liu Shishan were both shocked. They were all from Hebei, and Xiangzi Beizhou bordered Weizhou. Massacre... this would break the rules.
"Um?"
"yes."
"yes!"
Liu Heita got on his horse and galloped down the hill, feeling mixed emotions in his heart.
The massacre of the city was a helpless move. On the one hand, it was due to morale. He wanted to force himself to attack Guantao for three consecutive days, resulting in countless casualties. In addition, Su Dingfang came out of the city to sweep across the city yesterday, and the morale of the army was already unstable.
There was not enough food and grass in Luozhou. If the Turks hadn't returned from the north, the army would have been short of food and grass... So Liu Heitai couldn't do anything to boost morale.
Massacre of the city is the most possible, the most direct, and even the only possibility.
On the other hand, Cheng Mingzhen... Liu Heitai had begun to regret having executed the other party's mother, wife and children.
There is not enough food and grass... But now in Hebei Province, there is only one most concentrated storage place for food and grass, Liyangcang in Weizhou.
That was Liu Heitai's only hope.
Liu Heita was really afraid that if he attacked Weizhou, he would see another piece of broken tiles and ruins, as well as rice and wheat burned to ashes.
Threatening to massacre the city and spread the news, even if Cheng Minzhen ordered it, the person in charge of Liyangcang would probably not dare to order the fire.
On October 20, the Turks returned to the grassland from the north. Liu Heitai led an army of 40,000 people back north and then suddenly turned around and headed south. He stationed himself on the north, south, and east sides of Guantao, forged weapons, and determined to massacre the city. .
