Heroes grow old and honest men grow old.
Thinking back to when Cheng Yaojin was charging into battle and wallowing among the dead, how could he ever feel the slightest bit negative? However, during the past six months of the Eastern Expedition, I couldn't help but sigh every time I saw the casualties of my soldiers, and even often hid in no one's place and wept.
As he gets older, the fiery nature of his character gradually fades away, and instead becomes more heroic and short-tempered and affectionate for his children.
Just thinking about the fact that these strong children were buried in this desolate and cold Liaodong, that their gray-haired parents died without care, and that their long-awaited wives and children had no one to care for and raise them, Cheng Yaojin felt as if there was a huge stone standing in his heart and he couldn't breathe. gas.
Alas, I am getting older...
Listening to Cheng Yaojin's sorrow for the spring and autumn, and his compassion for heaven and earth, Xue Wanche, who was very stubborn, disagreed very much. He raised his eyebrows and said: "As military generals, we should naturally long for the empire to run rampant across the world and conquer those who are not subject to it. In this way, We can demonstrate our ability and gather power. If one day the swords and guns are stored in the warehouse, the horses are released in Nanshan, and the civil servants are all covering the sky with one hand, how can we have a place? I'm afraid we have to live with our tail between our legs. Let me tell you, this The war must continue without stopping. There is a poem written by Fang Er that says, "Who will write history in the past ten thousand years, and look for a feudal prince three thousand miles away"... Above the battle formation is where we can be free. land."
Although the current celebrities are all capable of fighting on horseback and governing the people, and have outstanding talents in both civil and military fields, Xue Wanche and Cheng Yaojin are not among them.
Cheng Yaojin is better off. After all, his seniority and qualifications are there. Even if he has no more soldiers in his hands, he will still run rampant in the court. No matter whether it is His Majesty Li Er or the new emperor who takes the throne, he will respect him. No one dares to follow him. Not happy to find.
But Xue Wanche is different. In terms of his status, he is a "surrendered general". He once threatened to massacre the Prince of Qin's palace to avenge Li Jiancheng. If he no longer has military power by his side, he can only have fun in Chang'an City all day long and make the slightest mistake. , must be impeached by the group of censors and officials.
Your Majesty may still be somewhat "inviting to buy people's hearts" and is quite tolerant of yourself. How can the new monarch care about that?
The days haven’t passed yet...
Therefore, unlike Cheng Yaojin's thoughts, Xue Wanche wished that this battle would last forever.
"hehe……"
Cheng Yaojin smiled, stroked his beard, and said with emotion: "Back then, when I was charging into battle with nothing but the heroes of the world, why didn't I think the same thing as you? It's just that now that I'm older, I can't help but be kind. He has a soft face and a lot of feelings, but he is no longer as enterprising and unscrupulous as before."
When he was young, he rushed into battle to gain fame and wealth, and regarded the world's heroes as nothing. Cheng Yaojin was also a well-known figure. However, now that he has more and more life experiences, he understands that hardness is easy to break and water drops can penetrate stones. Life cannot be blindly hard. Having kind thoughts, gentleness and charity is the way of heaven.
The two of them may be considered to be of the same generation, but due to completely different life experiences, their thoughts are completely different and they cannot talk together at all.
Outside, His Majesty Li Er's messenger rushed in, finally breaking the awkwardness between the two.
"Order, after Cheng Yaojin and Xue Wanche's troops clear out the Dacheng Mountain City, they will immediately go south to attack Anhe Palace. Tomorrow morning, I will go to the battlefield in person, hold down the battle for them, and break through the Seven Star Gate in one fell swoop!"
"Old minister (last general) obeys the order!"
The two of them performed military salutes together. After standing up, Cheng Yaojin took two steps forward, raised his hands high to receive the military order, unfolded it and read it carefully to confirm that it was correct.
The ordering soldier cupped his fists and said, "I will retire at last!"
Cheng Yaojin said: "Please!"
When the ordering soldiers retreated, Xue Wanche made a fist with his left hand and punched the palm of his right hand hard, and said excitedly: "This military order came just in time, otherwise if we continue to stand still, we may not be able to sleep tonight!"
Cheng Yaojin stroked his beard and smiled, patted Xue Wanche on the shoulder, and said generously: "Since General Xue is eager to fight, I won't take the credit from you. Although Dacheng Mountain City was captured, there were not a few defeated troops, and it will take some time to clear it up." , the important task of storming Anhe Palace and Qixing Gate will be left to the general to lead the army, and I will hold the battle for you."
Xue Wanche couldn't help being overjoyed. He clasped his fists and said, "Mr. Lu is a righteous man. We will keep this favor in our hearts and we will definitely repay him generously in the future."
In the eyes of the generals of the Tang Army, the Eastern Expedition was a battle for credit. Whoever could gain more credit in this battle would be the winner.
Cheng Yaojin has seniority and great achievements. To him, these military achievements are better than nothing. As long as he completes the established strategy steadily, his great achievements will not be lost. Xue Wanche is different. He is one of the two vanguards of the army. After all, he needs to have a few hard achievements.
Now that Cheng Yaojin is seeking stability and is willing to give up his top spot, how can Xue Wanche not be happy?
It's really fun to hang out with such a big guy...
Cheng Yaojin waved his hand and said in a deep voice: "There is no need to say thank you. We are ordered by His Majesty to be the main attacker of the army. We will be both prosperous and devastated. You take the lead, and I will also take the credit. But please also ask Xue The general remembered that it is a good thing to be brave and adept at fighting and to move forward bravely, but you must not be dazzled by victory and think that the Goguryeo army is nothing more than that. You must always be cautious, otherwise something will go wrong and no one can afford it... Although Anhak Palace It occupies a small area, but the terrain behind it is crisscrossed by ravines and crisscrosses, and the terrain is complicated. It is unlikely that there will be extra troops hiding in it, and they will suddenly attack when we are not paying attention. Therefore, after capturing Anhe Palace, we must clean up the inside and outside, and cut off all possible dangers. You can attack the Seven Star Gate only if there are future troubles, so don't be anxious and reckless."
Although the Eastern Expedition has not yet ended, in his opinion, the overall situation has been decided in advance. His Majesty Li Er's order for a general offensive of the entire army is actually suspected of being too hasty. He could have attacked steadily and worked step by step. After clearing the outer defenses of Pingrang City, there would be no Pingcheng left. How can Rangcheng resist hundreds of thousands of elite Tang troops?
Moreover, since Goguryeo was able to defeat the former Sui Dynasty's Eastern Expedition army several times, it shows that its combat power and resilience are extremely strong. Even though it currently has the advantage, it cannot be underestimated. Everyone knows that arrogant soldiers will be defeated.
But Xue Wanche is vulgar and reckless, which is a truth that he knows personally, but he may not know it, and even if he knows it, he may not care. Therefore, he has to carefully point out that Xue Wanche should attack steadily and step by step. He must not attack for the first time to capture Pingrang City. And greedy for merit and rash advancement.
In a battle that must be won, if Xue Wanche's carelessness resulted in the loss of troops, Cheng Yaojin felt that he could not bear it. After all, Xue Wanche was his subordinate now...
Xue Wanche was full of confidence and said disapprovingly: "Leading troops to fight is our strength, don't worry, Duke Lu. You just need to sit here and wait for the news of our victory. When we capture Anhe Palace and smash the Seven Star Gate, please Let’s set foot in Pingrang City together!”
Cheng Yaojin knew his character and understood that talking more would be useless. He nodded and said, "Just remember to be cautious and go ahead."
"Here!"
Xue Wanche promised confidently, then strode out, summoned his generals, and made a fire all night to make food. After the meal, he assembled the troops, inspected the ordnance, took a short rest, and about three o'clock, marched towards Anhe Palace in a mighty manner.
…
Marching and fighting were indeed Xue Wanche's forte.
It was learned from the Chinese Army's account that the current garrison at Anhe Palace was an army that had just changed defenses and was not yet stable. Therefore, Xue Wanche adhered to the creed of "soldiers are more valuable and speed is faster" and decided to launch a fierce attack overnight.
The army gathered in the middle of the night, and braved the wind and snow in a tight formation to storm Anhe Palace all night long.
Compared with the mountainous city of Dacheng, which has a steep terrain and numerous garrisoned troops, Anhak Palace not only has a weak foothold for the army that has just changed defenses, but also has a relatively gentle terrain. After all, it was the palace of the King of Goguryeo. Although the city had high walls and thick walls, it was not an important pass with steep terrain. The Tang army suddenly launched a fierce attack under the cover of heavy snow. The defenders in the city were caught off guard and were attacked by the Tang army in just an hour.
"Boom boom boom"
The Tang army that attacked the city dug holes under the city wall and buried gunpowder before detonating it. The mountains shook with roars and black smoke shot straight into the sky, sweeping up snowflakes. Sections of towering city walls collapsed one after another, and a crack appeared in the originally impregnable defense line. a gap.
The Tang army braved the snowflakes and locust-like arrows, launched a fearless charge, rushed into the city in one fell swoop, and broke through the strongest city wall defense line.
In the barracks of Anhe Palace, Yuan Nanjian listened to the rumbling gunpowder explosions outside and the reports of the soldiers. He sighed and said to Gao Yanwu: "The Tang army is really lucky. If it weren't for the gunpowder to attack the city, With the emergence of sharp weapons, how can we sweep across Liaodong and reach Pingrang City? The city wall defense line has been breached, and Anhe Palace can no longer be defended. Let's act according to the plan."
