In the following days, Li Yuanji still forced Li Keyong to attack Tumenguan, but the daily attacks made no progress except leaving a body of lost virginity.
Li Yuanji's frenzied attack at all costs finally made Wo Kuotai unable to stand it anymore. Most of the Turkic troops under Wo Kuotai's command were cavalry who were better at field battles than sieges, so attacking Tumen had nothing to do with him and he didn't bother to pay attention to the Tang army. internal affairs.
However, as the casualties of the Tang army continued to increase and Li Yuanji did not care at all, Wo Kuotai felt that he could no longer remain silent. If the elite of the Tang army were really defeated by Li Yuanji during the siege, then the Turkic troops under his command alone would be defeated. Faced with Yue Fei and Yang Gao's interceptions, even if Temujin's main force appeared behind Yang Gao, the possibility of his entire army being annihilated was extremely high.
With Wokuotai as an ally speaking out, Li Keyong, Xin Yunjing and other generals of the Tang army also agreed. Only then could Li Yuanji's manic murderous heart be suppressed.
But before the Tutu coalition forces could take a breath, bad news came. Zhu Yuanzhang was defeated and surrendered. Yue Fei's army of more than 200,000 troops had already moved towards Jingxing at an extremely fast speed. Liu Yanqing also fled back with more than a thousand defeated soldiers, bringing the news that Huo Qubing's troops were rapidly heading south.
If the messenger from the direction of Taiyuan had not crossed the mountain path to the Tangtu Allied Forces camp at this time and brought the news that Temujin and Li Youliang's reinforcements were urgently arriving, I am afraid that Li Yuanji, a prince who had been pampered since childhood, would have collapsed.
Similarly, Yang Gao also received the report from Yue Fei and Huo Qubing as well as the military information that Temujin and Li Youliang were desperately heading towards Jingxing. Yang Gao immediately made countermeasures.
The old pass to the west of Jingxing is also easy to defend and difficult to attack, and Xue Rengui is in charge. The Turkic army under Temujin is not good at attacking. There is no possibility of them breaking through Jingxing in a short time. The top priority is still to annihilate Li Yuanji and Li Yuanji who have become the thorn in the urn. Wokuotai Department.
"The combined armies of Li Yuanji and Wo Kuotai still have about 200,000 people. Although our army is sure of completely annihilating them, the casualties will be too great. I think it is best to defeat all the rebel forces." Scatter and annihilate.”
In the temporary imperial tent at Jingxing, Yang Gao asked a group of civil servants and advisers under his command: "If you have any ideas, please feel free to speak out."
Several counselors were thinking together with Yang Gao. Chen Ping, the counselor accompanying the army, suddenly had an idea and immediately stepped out and said: "Your Majesty, I think that the Turks have done a lot of evil in Hebei by burning, killing, looting, and they will never requisition food on the spot. Even if the Tang army fights No matter how much food, grass and baggage were stored before, it is impossible to carry much with the army. According to my estimation, the rebel army must not have much food and grass left at the moment. If we let them know the place where General Yue Fei is stationing food at this time."
"They will definitely divide their forces to rob!"
Yang Gao nodded in approval: "Chen Aiqing is really smart and quick, and he already thought of a clever plan to defeat the enemy in just a moment. Yue Pengju and Zhu Yuanzhang took over many surrendered troops in one battle, so it is reasonable for the news in the army to leak."
. . . . . . . . . .
After receiving Yang Gao's eagle letter, Yue Fei took it for granted and immediately arranged for someone to forge a letter from Zhu Yuanzhang's old ministry and inform Li Yuanji, claiming that the Sui army was at Chiyan Ridge, sixty miles away from Jingxing.
"God is really helping me!"
Li Yuanji was overjoyed after receiving the letter. He had indeed been worrying about food these past few days.
Pei Ji on the side couldn't help but frown when he saw this, and said in a deep voice: "Your Highness, is there any fraud in this?"
"Although Zhu Yuanzhang surrendered, the soldiers under his command fought with the Sui army for a long time. It is not surprising that some of them have enmity with the Sui army, and their hearts are drawn to the Tang Dynasty and our Turks."
Wokuotai also finished reading the letter and said in a deep voice: "What's more important is that our army is short of food and grass. If we continue to delay, we can only choose to fight to the death with the Sui army before the food is exhausted. The terrain of Jingxing is dangerous, and my father Khan was in a hurry. I'm afraid it will be difficult to break through, and our army will most likely fall into a situation of total annihilation by then."
Wo Kuotai's words were not unreasonable, but he had forgotten that the commander-in-chief of the Sui army on the opposite side was Yue Fei. With Yue Fei's ability, it was impossible for Yue Fei to retain a general with double-minded intentions. Secondly, it was impossible for the newly surrendered people to spy on him. to such an important military aircraft.
At present, Temujin's reinforcements are still on the way. Once the Tangtu Allied Forces run out of food, they can only choose to fight to the death with the Sui Army. Yang Gao is afraid that the Tangtu Allied Forces' desperate struggle will cause heavy casualties to himself, but Li Yuanji and Ogedei are not willing to take ten of their troops. Tens of thousands of elite soldiers are killed together.
Both sides wanted to severely damage the other party while preserving their own vitality as much as possible, so Wo Kuotai also sided with Li Yuanji this time: "Our army does not have much food and grass with the army, and it is unrealistic to collect food on the spot. The only feasible way is Just to steal food from the Sui army!"
After a period of discussion, the two sides finally decided that Wokuotai's sworn brother Maodun would be the chief general, and Li Yuanji's confidant Zhu Si would be the deputy general. They would also be followed by the heroic generals Cao Yanping and Yan Shude, commanding 30,000 Turks and 20,000 Tang troops, totaling 50,000 troops. Ma Xing rushed to Chiyan Ridge at night.
The Turkic army led by Mao Dun walked in the lead, followed by 5,000 Tang army elite cavalry led by Cao Yanping and Yan Shude. Their task was to seize the granary at lightning speed to prevent the Sui army from burning food when the situation was bad, while the 10,000 Tang army led by Zhu Si Five thousand Tang Army infantry followed behind. Their main task was to carry grain and grass.
Although Wo Kuotai was a little wary of Mao Dun, his sworn brother, now that it was time to employ people, Wo Kuotai also believed that Mo Dun, his sworn brother, could see the situation clearly and do his best to help him get out of the predicament.
In order to prevent Yue Fei from sending troops to intercept the grain and fodder after receiving the report, Wokuotai personally led 50,000 elite cavalry to prepare for the attack and ambush around the Sui army's camp, guerrilla attacks and delayed the Sui army.
Mao Dun took tens of thousands of elite cavalry and left the coalition camp at night. After running wildly all night, the towering granaries of the Sui army in the distance appeared within the sight of Mao Dun and others.
"Brothers, the descendants of the gray wolf and the white deer, the eagles on the grassland, kill them! Steal all the food and grass of the Sui barbarians!"
Mao Dun waved his sword in his hand and rushed out at the head of his horse. Thirty thousand Turkic cavalrymen raised their sabers high and swayed, and followed Mao Dun towards the Sui army's food camp. Tens of thousands of horses galloped away like a tidal wave.
"Follow the Turks and rush forward to grab food!"
One of Cao Yanping and Yan Shude brandished a pair of spears, and the other held a broadsword high. Five thousand Tang army cavalrymen showed their long sabers and followed the Turks with a roar and killed them.
"Enemy attack, enemy attack!"
The Sui army patrol guarding the grain camp immediately discovered the incoming Tangtu coalition forces. The alarm bell rang loudly in the camp, and the Sui soldiers guarding the camp hurriedly prepared for battle.
