Although there are not many soldiers under Luo Yi's command, there are many cavalry.
Luo Yi is now stationed at the border of Yuanzhou and Longzhou, with more than 3,000 cavalry under his command. This is one of the reasons why Li Shan has been worried before.
Once something changes, Li Shan may not be able to rush outside Chang'an City faster than Luo Yi. If Li Shimin has already taken control of the overall situation, it will be okay. If the prince succeeds or is in a stalemate, then Luo Yi is likely to be the prince to break the balance. Backhand.
Li Shan had a secret discussion with Li Shimin, Fang Xuanling, and Du Ruhui that night. He insisted that instead of leaving Luo Yi out, it would be better to let Luo Yi return to the court and take him into account. On the contrary, the situation would be clearer and easier to deal with. .
"Then..." Luo Yi thought for a long time before speaking: "Why don't we hand over all Liupanshan to Guo Xiaoke... Well, let's get rid of them all and lead an army to garrison around Huating."
Er Zhuhuan felt like he had a mirror in his mind. The central and southern parts of Longzhou were plains, and the cavalry galloped quickly. There was no need to climb mountains and ridges to go south to Qizhou. Going further south was Jingzhao.
"I also ask the prince to write a handwritten letter asking His Highness the Crown Prince to make a decision." Er Zhuhuan whispered: "In the Liangyi Palace, the King of Handan once mentioned the old incident in Furong Garden and advised the Crown Prince to be patient for the sake of the country."
Luo Yi's face turned pale and green. Back then, his younger brother and only son was beaten to a pulp by Li Shan in Qujiang Pool. He was completely humiliated. How could he write it off with just a simple sentence of "tolerance for the sake of the country"?
"Huangkou kid..." Luo Yi gritted his teeth, "It's just a fluke. How can your Majesty entrust Israel with military and state affairs!"
Er Zhuhuan remained calm and said, "What happened that day, if it wasn't the King of Handan... then it could only be the King of Qin."
This sentence left Luo Yi speechless. Li Shimin became the commander-in-chief, which meant that the situation in the East Palace was over.
But Luo Yi still didn't give up, "If Jingzhou can't stop the Turks..."
"Yesterday's battle report in Jingzhou showed that the King of Handan arrived at the battlefield for the first time and broke the formation with heavy cavalry the next day. Although the Turks did not collapse, they suffered nearly 10,000 casualties." Er Zhuhuan coughed twice, "It is said that Zhao Guogong's troops once reached within a hundred steps of the Khan Banner. .”
Luo Yi's face froze, and the emotion deep in his heart was the same as that of Pei Shiju back then... The two Khans went south hand in hand, why are they so useless!
"The King of Handan was crowned at the beginning of the year. It was the year when he was weak, but he moved forward hard, leaping on his horse and whipping his whip. No tribe in the grassland was fearless." Er Zhuhuan sincerely praised his nephew... similar to what he could praise his direct nephew. There are not many occasions.
"I've heard for a long time that Li Huairen has many friends..." Luo Yi snorted, "Wei Xuancheng and Wei Ting are good friends with Li Huairen. Unexpectedly, Jiazhi also has friends with him?"
Er Zhuhuan was startled, shook his head and smiled bitterly: "How can I communicate with the King of Handan with my humble body? It's just that... I know at a glance that this battle is of great importance."
Luo Yi was silent now. How could he not know that if Li Shan was defeated in Jingzhou, the prince would no longer be able to stop King Qin from returning to the battlefield, which also meant that the prince's position in the East Palace was on the verge of collapse.
Sighing, Luo Yi waved to his personal guards, "Call Guo Xiaoke!"
In the past few days, Guo Xiaoke, who had received advice from Li Shan, had been a little worried, but he did not expect that Luo Yi would give up almost the entire Liupanshan defense line as soon as he returned to Huating today.
On that day, Guo Xiaoke immediately led troops to take over the defense line, and together with Long Governor Shi Yangze, led 6,000 soldiers northward. The southwest defense line of Yuanzhou relied on Liupan Mountain. The road was winding and narrow, and there were many dangers. It was Guanzhong's natural barrier against barbarian invasion.
"Hey, there is no more powerful pass in the world than this." Guo Xiaoke checked the terrain and asked the veterans carefully. He couldn't help but sneer at Li Shenfu, Ren Gui and Pei Longqian. "They actually allowed Liang Shidu and Tujue to break through the pass twice."
Yang Ze said calmly: "The Prince of Yan County withdrew from Lingzhou to the south and stayed in Shannan..."
Guo Xiaoke sneered and said: "Not to mention anything else, just Xiaoguan, two thousand elite soldiers are enough to defend it... It is said that the defenders fled without fighting?"
Liupan Mountain runs from northwest to southeast, almost running through the entire Yuanzhou. It is a natural barrier for the Guanzhong Plain. The Tang Army's defense line and the Seven Passes of Yuanzhou are all based on Liupan Mountain.
Although Xiaoguan is also located in Yuanzhou, and even in the northern section of Liupan Mountain, it is not among the seven passes in Yuanzhou. Its status is more important than other passes in Yuanzhou.
It has been recorded in "Historical Records... Chronology" that Hangu in the east, Xiaowu in the south, Sanguan in the west and Xiaoguan in the north.
The Xiaoguan collar leads to all directions and the throat of Guanzhong is a battleground for military strategists. It is the northern gate of the entire Yuanzhou, and can even be said to be the northern gate of the entire Guanzhong.
It was really unbelievable for Guo Xiaoke that such a fortress fell twice within a few months. He was from Luoyang. He and Li Shiji went north to join the Tang Dynasty and stayed in Chang'an for half a year before going south. He had never seen such a dangerous pass.
In other words, if Luo Yi, after withdrawing from Lingzhou, did not go all the way south, but insisted on Xiaoguan... You must know that Xiaoguan is not just a fortress, but is actually connected to the Qin Great Wall, forming a complete three-dimensional With the defense system in place, the Turks and Liang divisions will probably stop at Lingzhou, and at most go to Huizhou to fight against the autumn wind.
However, Luo Yi chose to flee all the way south and gave up Xiaoguan. The Shimenguan and Muxiaguan among the seven passes in Yuanzhou were successively lost. Luo Yi retreated to the southwest side of Liupan Mountain before relying on Mujingguan and Longshanguan. , six set points, and winning points to organize the defense line.
The current situation is that both the Turks and Liang divisions have controlled Xiaoguan and are sweeping all sides unscrupulously. They are tentatively attacking the Tang army's defense line, intending to invade Jingzhou and Longzhou. However, the Tang army has more than enough defense and insufficient counterattack, making it difficult to move northward. As long as it cannot By seizing Xiaoguan, the Turks and Liang divisions can advance and retreat freely.
The most tragic thing may be that if the Liang divisions all defend Xiaoguan, the Turks can enter and exit Yuanzhou at will just like they did in Hedong. They can even attack Longyou next year, seize Liangzhou, and make Liangzhou, Lingzhou, and Huizhou Together, they shook the Tang Dynasty's foundation in Guanzhong and Longyou.
Thinking of this, Guo Xiaoke felt a little numb, wondering whether the King of Handan could solve such a dilemma?
"I heard that a few months ago, the King of Handan defeated the Liang army in Huating?" Guo Xiaoke asked casually. After he arrived at Huating, he met several assistant officers one after another. Among them, Chang Shi Yang was the actual commander-in-chief of the local army in Longzhou, but With three points of respect to Guo Xiaoke, the two barely hit it off.
"Yes, Liang Jun stole the city and Huating fell." Yang Ze stroked his beard and said with a smile: "It happened that the King of Handan led his guards to the north. His courage was unparalleled. He passed through the city through the north gate, set up an ambush and defeated the enemy, and then gathered the remaining soldiers. The Liang army was defeated and Huating was recaptured before dusk that day, and everyone in the county bowed to them."
Guo Xiaoke clicked his tongue twice, "So young, so courageous... he certainly has the appearance of a famous general."
"That day when we were still in Qiyuan, His Highness said..." Yang Ze hesitated before continuing: "Hearing about the civil strife among the Turks in Wuyuan County, Your Highness was worried. He said that Ashina She'er had a heroic attitude, but it turned out to be true. in this way."
Guo Xiaoke curled his lips and said, "I heard that the King of Handan built a fortress on the banks of the Cangtou River last year. Why didn't he kill Dubu Khan's head with a knife? Otherwise..."
"Cough cough, cough cough." Yang Ze coughed hard and reminded in a low voice: "It was His Majesty who decided to send Ashina She'er back to the grassland."
"Uh..." Guo Xiaoke scratched his chin in embarrassment, and out of the corner of his eye he caught a glimpse of a personal guard walking towards him.
"Um?"
"A personal letter from the Prince of Handan County." The guard took out a letter and handed it over.
Guo Xiaoke was refreshed. He opened the letter and looked at it for a few times. Suddenly he frowned and handed it to Yang Ze.
After just a few glances, Yang Ze's expression changed and he lost his voice: "Send troops?"
(End of chapter)
