Manna Hall.
Li Jiancheng and Pei Shiju have similar expressions. They both have dead faces, success or failure... The ending is about to end. Not only do the two people have similar expressions, but they also have similar emotions.
However, Pei Shiju didn't care whether Li Jiancheng succeeded or failed, but was considering whether Li Shimin and Li Shan could make a comeback, whether Chai Shao could fulfill his promise, or whether he could persuade Li Huairen.
But Li Jiancheng was thinking about whether he could control the court situation if he succeeded... More than an hour ago in Shujing Hall, Li Yuan made an unceremonious comment, the Tang Dynasty was destroyed by your hands, which made Li Jiancheng feel angry. And humiliating.
As for the outcome after failure... Li Jiancheng no longer thinks about it.
However, Li Jiancheng also thought of Li Shan. If he had thought about winning over and surrendering before taking action, now he hated him deeply.
In fact, what Li Jiancheng did was similar to Li Shimin in history. He took action first, placed Li Yuan and Prime Minister under house arrest, and summoned his opponents into the palace to ambush them.
Li Shimin needs to kill one more Li Yuanji, and Li Jiancheng needs to kill one more Li Huairen.
But Li Shimin succeeded, but Li Jiancheng failed... Li Shan's escape sharply reduced the chance of success in Donggong's rebellion, and also made Li Jiancheng restless with a ray of light on his back.
Recalling that Pei Shiju once mentioned that it was probably Li Shanjian's words that caused Li Shimin to join the army, Li Jiancheng felt even more resentful.
"It's already dusk, will the Duke of Guo be surprised?"
"Probably not." Pei Shiju responded slowly.
Li Jiancheng glanced at the old minister. By now he had naturally understood that Pei Shiju's attachment to him was probably just to deal with Li Huairen. Otherwise, with an insider like Su Zhi, why would he wait until his second brother joined the army before taking action?
If the second brother is still in Chang'an, his first target will definitely be the second brother. Only if the second brother is not around, he will make his father and Li Huairen his first targets.
The setting sun on the mountain was setting little by little, and Li Shan was still struggling to move forward outside the city. He deliberately avoided the Yanxing Gate and Tonghua Gate on the east side of the city, and did not even follow the Longshou Canal. He made a circle in order to avoid possible people from the East Palace, but this also directly caused Fan Feng to run back and forth to the east of the city twice without finding anyone.
Li Shan didn't know if Li Shimin had arrived in Chang'an, he didn't know if Fan Feng and Zhou Xin could succeed, he didn't know what happened to Sun Moon Lake, let alone... On this day, the crisis not only appeared in Chang'an City, but also came to other places.
Thousands of miles away, in the Mingsha Camp in Lingzhou, in the brightly lit Chinese army tent, Zhang Zhongjian's face was ashen. Tang Jian, the commander beside him, looked shocked and pale. He suddenly stepped forward and grabbed Liu Rengui's arm, "You Possibly true?!”
His voice was filled with disbelief and hoarseness. Liu Rengui, who still had five or six feather arrows stuck in his Mingguang armor, nodded in pain, "We captured several prisoners and were interrogated by Jihu leader Liu Baoyan who was accompanying them. They are indeed Tiele cavalry."
Tang Jian staggered back two steps and sat down, "How is it possible...how is it possible?!"
The Tiele tribes did not have no conflicts with Tang Qiu. On the contrary, they often had frictions, especially in Liangzhou and the area north of Liangzhou. But now that Tang Dynasty is at war with the Turks, how can Tiele, who has long been determined to be independent, Will he suddenly go south at this time?
The most important thing is that the Tang Dynasty has been at war with the Turks for a long time, and it is now almost mid-October. At most, there will be heavy snow in the north for a month. It is obviously unreasonable for Tiele to join the war at this time.
The Chinese military tent was lonely and silent, and everyone present, Guo Xiaoke, Hou Junji, Hou Hongtao, Duan Zhixuan, and Shi Danai, could not suppress the panic in their hearts.
The day before yesterday, the Tang army could no longer prevent the Turks from crossing the Yellow River. Dubu Khan left 40,000 cavalry to check the Mingsha Camp, and he led the remaining 30,000 cavalry to cross the Yellow River from three places.
That night, Zhang Shigui, the governor of Yuanzhou, sent a messenger to deliver a report on the battle in Hedong.
The Daizhou army suffered a disastrous defeat and retreated to Bingzhou. Shuozhou was divided. Li Daoxuan, king of Huaiyang, and Li Daozong, king of Rencheng, could only defend the city. Tuli Khan planned to lead his troops to continue southward and attack the southeastern part of Henan Province.
Guo Xiaoke, Hou Junji, and Duan Zhixuan were all generals of the Tiance Mansion. Long Shi Tang Jian also served as the Sima of the Tiance Mansion. They all judged that His Majesty would probably re-appoint Li Huairen, the heir of Wei, or the King of Qin.
But no matter who leads the army, they will inevitably draw troops from the pass.
It is precisely for this reason that Zhang Zhongjian, who originally only wanted to stick to Mingsha, had other plans... Although Li Shentong, the king of Huai'an who was stationed in Lanzhou, had tens of thousands of troops, it was difficult to resist the Turks' onslaught, not to mention the people behind Lanzhou. There is also the Tianjie Army of Yanjun Wang Luo Yi, the general manager of Hezhou who is attached to the East Palace. It will be fine if they don't cause trouble.
If Dubu Khan is allowed to smash the Longyou Road to pieces, or even invade Longzhou and attack the Guannei Road, the Guannei Road, which lacks the strength of the troops... can Longzhou stop it?
What if Dubu Khan goes all the way to Jingzhao and reaches the gates of Chang'an...
Therefore, Zhang Zhongjian decided not to stick to his guns. If he could create some trouble for Dubu Khan, he should at least let him know that Mingsha Camp has dispatched partial troops and can kick your ass at any time.
Zhang Zhongjian sent a messenger to Yuanzhou in advance to inform Zhang Shigui of the changes in the war situation. At the same time, he sent Liu Rengui and a hundred cavalry to cross the Yellow River as a scout to detect the Turks' movements.
But unexpectedly, Liu Rengui, who set out yesterday morning, was almost completely wiped out. He only took three or four Tang soldiers with him and fled back to the Yellow River in embarrassment. Fortunately, he was rescued by the navy and returned to Mingsha.
The news brought back by Liu Rengui was that the Hu cavalry from north to south were overwhelming, like dark clouds, and Liangzhou had fallen. Liu Rengui took the risk to capture the prisoners alive. In the end, it was confirmed that the Tiele tribes were moving south in a large scale, and the leader was Yi Nan, the leader of Xue Yantuo.
How can such news not make the generals panic? If one mistake is not made, the country is in danger of overthrowing.
Almost at the same time, in Liangzhou, at the foot of Guzang Nan Mountain, among the tens of thousands of troops, Dubu Khan took hold of Yi Nan, the leader of Xue Yantuo, whose face was not very good-looking, and solemnly promised, "After this battle, Xu Tiele founded the country."
After saying this, Dubu Khan pulled out the golden knife from his waist and pierced his arm. The blood fell into the wine glass held by the guard. Yi Nan smiled bitterly and pulled out the dagger to follow suit.
The two raised their glasses and drank it all at the same time. There was silence all around. The Turks' eyes were filled with enthusiasm. After gnawing at the Mingsha camp for so many days, with the help of the Tiele tribes, they would be able to defeat the Tang army!
The people of the Xueyantuo tribe were filled with excitement. What they longed for was to establish their own kingdom. They had tried before, but they were met with killing and destruction. This time, Dubu Khan made a strong oath.
Nowadays, the Western Turks are in civil strife, and the Eastern Turks have actually split into two. In other words, although Dubu Khan is forced to do so, he will not break his promise... Otherwise, Dubu Khan will face the embarrassment of being attacked from both sides. shape.
This was the best time for Xue Yantuo to establish his country.
These barbarian men knew this very well, and Dubu Khan knew it even more, which is why he joined Xue Yantuo's army with only a few dozen guards.
"The tribes on the grassland have been fighting against each other for thousands of years." Dubu Khan said loudly: "But the unification of China, the founding of the Tang Dynasty, and frequent killings, Ashina's children built more than one temple!"
"This time when we go south, we will take care of our property, men and women, and food and grass, but we must cut off the head of Li Huairen, the heir to the throne of Wei!"
Yi Nan smiled bitterly in his heart. The appearance of the young man he saw outside Guji Town a few years ago flashed through his mind. He did not expect that after he led his army to leave, Jieli Khan would be defeated so miserably at the hands of the opponent.
Yi Nan also heard about last year's battle in Jingzhou. The two Khans joined forces again, but still suffered a disastrous defeat. It's no wonder that Dubu Khan and Tuli Khan would rather split than kill this person.
"Khan is really good at it." Yi Nan took a deep breath. In fact, he didn't want to participate in this battle. He just wanted to sit back and watch the war between the Tang Dynasty and the Turks, and help the Turks defeat the Tang army. It would not be of any benefit to Xue Yantuo. Ah The Shina tribe once again occupied the grassland, making it even more difficult for the Xue Yantuo tribe to establish a country.
On the contrary, if the Tang army defeats the Turks with help, it is likely that the country can be established quickly, but Yi Nan does not want to do this... Wouldn't such a powerful Central Plains empire extend its hand into the grassland?
Therefore, Yi Nan wanted to sit on a mountain and watch the tiger fight. He even hid far away in Yudujun Mountain, waiting for both the Tang Dynasty and the Turks to suffer losses.
Therefore, when Cui Mingqian, the Huangmen servant of the Tang Dynasty, and Qiao Shiwang, the prince-in-law's commander-in-chief, came with books and drums, hoping to confer Yi Nan the title of Zhenzhu Bijia Khan and allow the Xue Yantuo tribe to establish a khanate, Yi Nan hesitated. indefinite.
In fact, before Cui Mingqian and Qiao Shiwang came all the way, the envoys sent by Dubu Khan had already arrived at Yudujun Mountain and persuaded Yi Nan day and night to raise troops and go south.
Just when Yi Nan was about to drag it out, the second batch of envoys sent by Dubu Khan arrived. The one who came was the chief of the East Turkic Zhihu tribe, Zhihu Sili.
After Zhi lost his mind and arrived at Yu Dujun Mountain, before going to see Yi Nan, he suddenly raised his sword and killed the Tang envoys Cui Mingqian, Qiao Shiwang and dozens of followers.
Within a few years, the Tang Dynasty first surrendered to Tuyuhun and then defeated the Turks. The three Khans before and after them all returned with disastrous defeats. It can be said that the Tang Dynasty is already at the peak of its military power. How can it tolerate the envoys it sent to die in Mobei? ?
Not to mention that the ones who died were a Huangmen minister and a prince-in-law, one was the backbone of the Boling Cui family, and the other was Li Yuan's son-in-law.
What's more, even though there were several wars between the Tang Dynasty and the Turks in the past few years, both sides had prisoners, but neither of them killed them. And now that the two envoys are dead, can the Emperor of Tang tolerate it?
Although Yi Nan was furious, he had nothing to do. After weighing the balance, he had to lead 40,000 elite troops to go south day and night. After arriving at Liangzhou, it only took half a day to capture Liangzhou, and with the 30,000 cavalrymen of Dubu Khan who crossed the river Join forces.
At this moment, Dubu Khan was standing on the hill, looking far to the south, his sight seemed to have traveled thousands of miles... Li Huairen, Li Huairen, I will kill you this time.
When tens of thousands of troops arrived outside Chang'an City, if you don't believe that the Tang Emperor still refused to chop off your head!
But who is behind the person who submitted the letter?
Dubu Khan's eyes flickered uncertainly. The Tang Dynasty had already unified China, destroyed the Liang Kingdom, and captured the capital of Liang. Is there anyone still trying to subvert the Tang Dynasty and restore the Sui Kingdom?
However, this person was able to submit a letter at a critical moment, and also pointed out the story of Ban Ding killing the Huns envoys at night and forcing the Western Regions to surrender to the Han. He obviously had evil intentions.
Back in the army, Dubu Khan asked his guards to bring him in. He was a middle-aged man with a dignified appearance. He walked, sat and lay elegantly. He was obviously not an ordinary person.
Hearing Dub Khan's question again, the middle-aged man bowed deeply and said, "My master has no other intention. He has only one request, and it is a request that the Great Khan will never refuse."
"explain."
The middle-aged man said respectfully: "Please the Great Khan cut off the head of Li Huairen, the successor king of Tang and Wei Dynasties."
Dubu Khan's eyes widened, Li Huairen, Li Huairen, do you have so many enemies?
In order to kill you, I did not hesitate to make peace with Tuli Khan and promised Yi Nan to establish his own khanate. However, in order to kill you, someone did not hesitate to lead a wolf into the house, even if the city of Chang'an was breached!
I thought I was the person who hated you the most in the world, but now it seems that the master behind this guy is!
Great changes occurred not only in Lingzhou and Liangzhou, but also in other places, such as Lanzhou. The king of Huai'an, Li Shentong, was already shattered. Not only because of the overwhelming force, tens of thousands of enemies had already captured Liangzhou. The army also suffered from other changes.
After the scouts reported back, Li Shentong immediately gathered his troops and sent envoys south to Hezhou to ask for help... The Tianjie Army under the command of Luo Yi, King of Yan County, had a good reputation against the Hu people.
Unexpectedly, the Tianjie Army that was supposed to be stationed in Hezhou had disappeared... This made Li Shentong extremely panicked. He was not only afraid of Luo Yi's possible movements, but also afraid of his own situation.
As a clan general who has suffered repeated defeats... no, repeated defeats and been captured twice, Li Shentong himself has little confidence. The King of Huai'an is considering whether to follow the example of his nephew Li Yuan, Prince of Lujiang County. Sneak back to Chang'an.
Tsk tsk, Li Shentong didn’t know that not long ago, Li Yuan, who was the governor of Youzhou, abandoned the city again and fled. By this time, they had already fled to the Yellow River and were about to cross the river to Shaanxi Province.
Although there are 30,000 Tang troops in Lanzhou, there is a huge chaos at the top and bottom. Coach Li Shentong wants to run away. It is a trivial matter if the military morale is unstable, but there is another place that is more chaotic than Lanzhou.
Located at the junction of Guannai Road and Longyou Road, thousands of cavalry are galloping rapidly to the southeast. Their weapons are shining, their horses are good, and their soldiers are majestic. They are obviously an elite cavalry force.
Twenty miles ahead, under the reflection of the setting sun, Dazhenguan seemed to be bathed in a fiery setting sun, but in fact, it was not what it seemed.
Dazhen Pass has been opened wide, and the fire is burning. The most important pass from Longyou Road to Guannai Road has been lost. The famous general Luo Yi, who is good at fighting and cunning, completed a perfect sneak attack and easily captured Dazhen Pass.
Although he knew that Li Mengchang, the general manager of Longzhou, would not ignore it, Luo Yi ignored it. Instead, he left part of his troops and personally led more than 3,000 elite cavalry to quickly go south. As long as he passed Qizhou, he could enter Jingzhao. .
What is needed now is speed.
Luo Yi knew that he had no other choice but to hope that the prince would succeed.
In Jingyuan County at this moment, Li Mengchang, the general manager of Longzhou, had just received a messenger from Zhang Shigui, the governor of Yuanzhou. It was Li Kai, the magistrate of Baiquan County of Yuanzhou. He learned that the Turks had crossed the Yellow River and were about to attack Liangzhou and Liangzhou. In Lanzhou, once Huai'an King Li Shentong is unable to resist, Longzhou will take on the important task of blocking the Turks.
On this day, great changes and chaos occurred simultaneously in Lingzhou and Longzhou on Guannai Road, as well as Liangzhou, Lanzhou, and Hezhou on Longyou Road, but the most important change occurred in Jingzhao Chang'an.
At the moment when the sun set, Li Shimin finally drove his horse into Chang'an City.
