Xue Hu and Wu Ren swallowed hard.
He could hear the unconcealed fear in the anxious tone of the captain next to him. How could the military fight with such morale? However, as long as he orders to abandon the pass and surrender, he may bear the responsibility of affecting the overall situation of "military remonstrance", which is a serious crime that is not much better than death.
"Wooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
Following the sound of the trumpet, the Guanxia bow and crossbow array stepped forward dozens of steps, bent their bows and set arrows, waiting for the final order to be given, and then thousands of arrows were fired.
Xue Hu and Wu Ren were sweating profusely. It was difficult to make a decision after weighing the pros and cons. Suddenly, he heard the sound of footsteps behind him. He looked back and saw a soldier flying up from the gate. He came closer, gasped a few times, and handed over a piece of official document. He said quickly: "The Duke of Zhao has an order not to stop Zuo Wuwei and allow him to enter the pass. We will immediately surrender our defense and then withdraw to Chang'an to wait for orders."
Xue Hu and Wu Ren did not dare to be careless, and hurriedly unfolded the official document, reading ten lines at a time. When he saw that the last signature was stamped with Changsun Wuji's personal seal and signature, he let out a long breath, put the official document away and put it in his arms. The order was given: "Open the door and let the Zuo Wuwei enter the pass. You gather the troops and withdraw into the pass."
"Here!"
The captains on the left and right all breathed a sigh of relief and rushed to various departments to convey orders.
"Soldier remonstrance" is a struggle for power between the DPRK and the Central Government. Although it is related to one's own interests, it is just a fight between fellow soldiers. It is difficult for the soldiers at the bottom to risk their lives and fight with all their strength. This is different from guarding the border and protecting the family. There are fundamental differences between countries.
Facing a powerful army like Zuo Wuwei, with hundreds of thousands of Eastern Expedition troops behind him, why start a war if there is no chance of winning?
…
Zuo Wuwei had a good battle array, with crossbowmen and crossbowmen readying arrows, and siege equipment pushed to the bottom of the city. He was waiting for thousands of arrows to be fired to suppress the defenders, and then attacked the city in one go, but the order to start the battle was not given. , Tongguan has been closed and opened wide. The closed garrison faded away like a tide, becoming an empty city in the blink of an eye...
Xue Hu and Wu Ren personally led two soldiers out of the closed door on foot, took off their armor and sabers, and came to the Zuowu Guard Formation.
"The last general, Tongguan, is guarding Xue Hu Wu Ren, asking to see Duke Lu!"
The sound was heard far away, and Zuo Wu's guards stepped forward to control several people, while reporting to Cheng Yaojin.
Not long after, Cheng Yaojin rode up. When he got close, he reined in his horse and stopped. He looked down at Xue Hu and Wu Ren and asked, "Why did you surrender without fighting?"
Xue Hu Wu Ren knelt down on one knee and performed military salutes, then stood up and said: "Gong Lu is an honorable minister of the country. He is loyal to the country and a role model for us. Now the Guanlong families are joining forces to bring order to the chaos and depose him in compliance with your majesty's wishes." In the East Palace, another prince is appointed. He is doing it for the country and the people, and is not hiding selfish motives or fighting for power. Therefore, how can he openly fight with the Lu State? After receiving the order from Zhao Guogong, he immediately withdrew to Chang'an and handed over the defense of Tongguan to Lu Guogong. Please ask Lu Guogong for this. Just send someone to take over the defense.”
"hehe!"
Cheng Yaojin sneered, how could he still boast about "serving the country and the people" and "complying with His Majesty's wishes" when he commits crimes and causes trouble for the government?
It is truly shameless at the extreme level. No wonder His Majesty, although he conquers the world with the power of his clan, he in turn wants to suppress the clan with all his strength. These aristocratic family members have no concept of "country" in their eyes. They are only focused on pursuing the interests of the family, even if wars are in trouble, the people are in dire straits, and even wars are everywhere and the empire is in decline.
The silverfish of the country is also...
However, he naturally did not need to argue with a mere general guarding the pass. He nodded slightly and said to the deputy general beside him: "Lead the army into the pass and take over the defense!"
"Here!"
Seeing the deputy general leading hundreds of soldiers pouring into Tongguan, Cheng Yaojin said to Xue Hu Wu Ren: "I won't embarrass you, please return to Chang'an as soon as possible."
"Here! I will retire at the end."
While Xue Hu and Wu Ren were relieved, they were secretly happy in their hearts. Since Cheng Yaojin took over the defense of Tongguan and released the Tongguan defenders without being harsh at all, it can be seen that his stance must be in favor of Guanlong, otherwise there would be no need to let the Tongguan defenders go. Retreat safely?
Of course, this does not confirm the position expressed by Cheng Yaojin and Li Ji behind him. The most important thing is to see whether Cheng Yaojin opens the city gate after taking over the defense of Tongguan and allows the world's elites to rush to support Guanlong's troops to enter Guanzhong...
…
Zuo Wuwei entered Tongguan, counted the defensive equipment in the warehouse, repaired damaged facilities, tidied up the barracks, and quickly took over the defense in an orderly manner.
In the distance, the clan troops accompanying Zuo Wuwei watched from afar, feeling uneasy.
Cheng Yaojin was Li Ji's pioneer and represented Li Ji's will and stance. Zuo Wuwei broke through the slow march of the Eastern Expedition army, suddenly accelerated and captured Hangu Pass and Tongguan in one fell swoop, tightly grabbing the throat of Guanzhong. Zuo Wuwei's next actions will greatly demonstrate Li performance attitude.
Is it to isolate the interior of the pass, or to allow the powerful troops to enter the center of the pass to aid Guanlong...
Soon after, the answer was revealed to countless anxious eyes.
Zuo Wuwei stationed in Tongguan and took over the defense. He did not continue to march towards Chang'an. Instead, he rested the barracks on the spot, set up camp, cleared Tongguan from top to bottom, and took complete control of it. Then he reopened the door and allowed it to be closed. The assembled army of noble families passed and headed for Chang'an.
"call!"
All the noble armies let out a long breath, and then their hearts filled with ecstasy.
It can be seen that Li Ji's position is still leaning towards Guanlong, otherwise he will definitely not let the clan troops enter Guanzhong. Otherwise, will he wait until the future to assist the East Palace to massacre all the clan troops? This is absolutely impossible, because if that is the case, even if the East Palace finally wins this victory, it will not be able to bear the responsibility of the clans gathering in uprisings and wars all over the world.
Since the Eastern Expeditionary Army is on the side of Guanlong, it naturally means that this "military remonstrance" is destined to succeed. At this moment, all the nobles from all over the country who are trying their best to support Guanlong will "reward according to their merits" later, and get far better than The benefits paid.
What a gluttonous feast...
As a result, the private armies of various clans reorganized their troops and marched happily through Tongguan. Along the Forbidden Valley, a dangerous and deep valley running from north to south, they climbed over several checkpoints and trampled on the bushes and vines that were still dense and woven even in the harsh winter. The path bypasses a dangerous and solitary mountain at the foot of the Qinling Mountains, and follows a gentle narrow road formed by alluvial erosion on the south bank of the Yellow River, heading towards Chang'an.
Cheng Yaojin stood on the city gate and looked at the swarming armies entering the gate, his face gloomy.
Until now, he still didn't understand Li Ji's intention of letting the clan troops enter Guanzhong. Based on his understanding of Li Ji, all signs indicated that he would probably not side with Guanlong. Guan, I will personally kill and defeat them in the future. When the time comes, all the wealth accumulated by these clans for more than a hundred years will be lost in Guanzhong, and they will definitely be furious and take revenge.
Once these clans and clans rise up one after another and gather together under Guan Long's instigation, it will inevitably lead to wars everywhere and the empire will be shaken.
The foundation of the empire will collapse as a result. Even if it can finally turn the tide and prevent the country from overthrowing, the foundation will definitely be shaken and the national power will decline...
It's extremely unwise.
Rubbing his swollen head, Cheng Yaojin calmed down and ordered to his generals: "Garrison the city gate day and night. People from outside the gate can enter the gate at will without blocking them. However, not a single soldier or soldier in the gate is allowed to leave the gate, not even a dog. ! Everyone keeps their eyes wide open and is on guard day and night. If someone comes out of the gate, don’t blame me for not caring about my love and engaging in military law!"
"Here!"
The generals and commanders of Zuo Wuwei responded to the order one after another, but their hearts were filled with shock and uncertainty.
Ordinarily, after taking over the defense of Tongguan, allowing clan troops to enter the city was tantamount to demonstrating Li Jizhi's stance, so at this moment, Cheng Yaojin's order "No one is allowed to leave Tongguan" means that Zuo Wuwei has strangled this person tightly. Located in Guanzhong and throat.
No one allowed in, no one allowed out, this is clearly the rhythm of "please enter the urn"...
Therefore, even if the army's lieutenant generals and soldiers did not receive orders from the top, there was tension inside. Everyone was working hard to do their best in their tasks without daring to relax even a little bit.
…
The Eastern Expedition army wasted several months, traveling slowly and slowly, which aroused the hearts of all people in the world. Finally, after passing Luoyang, it suddenly accelerated its progress, occupied Hangu and Tongguan in one fell swoop, and advanced towards Guanzhong. The news spread to Chang'an City, the East Palace and the Guanzhong Pass. Both Long and Long sides were shocked and somewhat caught off guard.
The long-standing stalemate is bound to undergo earth-shaking changes as hundreds of thousands of Eastern Expedition troops enter the country...
