At dusk, Yang Ji, Yang Shanhui and others came to the prisoner camp specially designed to detain generals.
"I've seen King Wei!" Pu Guchong looked at Yang Ji who was striding towards him. He was sweating profusely in an instant, and even his voice trembled when he spoke.
"You actually know me? Who are you?" After Yang Ji's bloodbath in the Great Lakes area, because Bujia Khan's hundreds of thousands of troops were still suppressing Liangzhou, he led his troops after laying stones on the banks of Har Lake to record their merits. After leaving, naturally I have no intention to remember those "little people".
As soon as Yang Ji said this, Yang Shanhui, Li Daliang, Yu Chigong and others couldn't help laughing.
The face of the servant-bone worshiper instantly turned the color of pig liver, and he was speechless.
When Yang Ji laid stones on the shores of Lake Har to record his merits, he dyed the stone tablets and the field red with the blood of tens of thousands of captives and children. Today, that fertile grassland has become a ghost land that everyone fears; Several tall Beijing temples, in particular, prove Yang Ji's achievements and the misery of the Turks in the Great Lakes area.
Pu Guchong was not only "lucky" to witness the killing feast, but he was also forced by Yang Ji to eat a large pile of raw beef with bloody flesh next to the sea of corpses. From then on, he ate no meat for more than a month. Pugu Chong would rather eat grass than eat a bite of meat; and Yang Ji, through that killing, became a lingering shadow in the hearts of Pugu Chong and others. When he first saw this devil, he was so frightened that he almost knelt down.
However, when he opened his mouth, he discovered that Yang Ji, who had hurt them so deeply and whom they could not forget, didn't even remember who he was.
This kind of blow is not ordinary.
However, Pugu Chong didn't dare to care about anything or even complain, because he was now Yang Ji's prisoner, and the life and death of the tribe was decided by Yang Ji. If he annoyed Yang Ji, he himself And the tribal warriors must have become the capital for Yang Ji to praise his achievements. He saluted respectfully and said: "I am Pu Gu Chong, the chief of the Pu Gu tribe. I have the honor to see the heroic appearance of the king."
Yang Ji saw that he was very afraid of him, so he comforted him and said, "We, the Sui Dynasty, have always done the same thing as the Heavenly Kingdom in treating the captives. We have always been benevolent and treated the captives well. For the captives, we have always used our virtue to make them ashamed and sincerely convinced. No. Kill because we know killing will only bring more resistance. So just relax."
After hearing this, Yang Shanhui, Li Daliang, Yu Chigong and others became very excited.
Especially Li Daliang, he has been Yang Ji's follower since he was a child, and he has been involved in everything Yang Ji has done. At this time, listening to Yang Ji's bold words and shameless advocacy of "benevolence-based", he doesn't care. He turned his head away shyly, not looking at this shameless person.
Yang Ji ignored Pu Guchong and instead took Yang Shanhui, Li Daliang, and Yuchi Gong to inspect the prisoner camp.
Before the war, Murong Bei, Pugu Chong, and Tong Luo Mo had a total army of 50,000 or 60,000 people. After a night of melee, only about 20,000 soldiers and deserters were killed or deserted, but those captured by the Sui army were There are more than 30,000 people.
These prisoners were not only incompetent generals, but also the fighting strength, fighting spirit, and military discipline of these soldiers were far inferior to those of the Qiang soldiers who had just formed an army, and they were incomparable to the elites of the Sui Dynasty.
Yuchi Gong looked at the densely packed captives and couldn't help but said to Yang Ji: "Master, there are too many of these captives. If you add the tens of thousands of captives in the Xianbei Prairie, it will be even more. Not to mention the countless amounts of food and grass consumed every day. There is even more danger of riots. If it is normal, we can slowly gather them and escort them to Liangzhou, but we still have to go south to fight. Otherwise they may rebel behind their backs, so I suggest we kill them once and for all. "
He made a killing gesture and continued: "Although it is said that killing prisoners is ominous, killing prisoners is a very effective method for internal stability. What's more, the Hu people are afraid of power and are ungrateful, even if we kill the prisoners They won't say anything, and they won't dare to say anything."
Yang Ji shook his head. Yu Chigong's idea was indeed simple and trouble-free, but this time it was different from the last time! Last time, they killed the Turks who were oppressing various tribes in the Great Lakes region, so the people of each tribe were grateful to the Sui Dynasty and regarded the Sui army as the 'savior'.
Especially the herdsmen in the central and southern Great Lakes region, after hearing the news that the targets of the Sui army's conquest were the lackeys of the Turks, not only put down their weapons, but also brought cattle, sheep and dried meat to reward the army. It can be seen that ordinary herders have a very good impression of the Sui Dynasty. If we go on a killing spree now, this goodwill will be gone, which will not be conducive to later rule and education.
He explained: "After these two battles, they have feared the Sui Dynasty like a tiger. The invincible majesty of the Great Sui Dynasty has been rooted in the hearts of all the ministries in the Great Lakes region, so there is no need to kill prisoners to establish prestige. The most important thing is , the Great Lakes region is the strategic depth of Liangzhou, and its stability is closely related to our Western Region strategy and the southern expedition to Tuyuhun. Therefore, we not only established the Moxi Governor's Office, which is also in charge of the military; next, we will use the Great Sui Dynasty Restrict them by laws and educate them with Sinology, so that they can be close to the Sui Dynasty and have their hearts attached to the Sui Dynasty. When the time is right, they will be fully integrated into the territory of the Sui Dynasty."
Yuchi Gong also felt that this was the case. Now even chiefs like Pu Guchong were scared to death, not to mention the situation of ordinary herdsmen and ordinary soldiers. However, he frowned and said: "It's just that there are too many prisoners. I’m still a little worried.”
"I'll find a way!" Yang Ji nodded. His decision was based on long-term considerations. The purpose was to let the Great Lakes area have the name of independence, but in fact it was the territory of the Sui Dynasty; but Yuchi Gong had his reasons for worrying. After all, The huge number of prisoners is like a volcano full of variables to them now; if they lead their troops south without proper arrangements, these prisoners may indeed launch a riot during a stalemate in the war.
"Here!" Yu Chigong didn't say much.
Under the leadership of Yang Ji, everyone returned to the camp where ordinary prisoners were detained. These soldiers sat together in groups of three or five. Although their hands were tied with ropes, there were too many people here. If they helped each other, , it is easy to untie the rope. As for the shackles, of course the Sui army did not bring them.
Yang Ji said: "Go and bring Pu Guchong and Che Leliao up."
"Go and bring them up." Li Daliang waved his hand, and several soldiers left quickly, and soon the two leaders were escorted over.
Yang Ji glanced at the tall, burly, rebellious Che Leliao and lost interest in this reckless man. He directly said to Pu Guchong: "Pu Guchong, you Pu Gu, Tongluo and other tribes were originally just Some half-dead small tribes, living a life worse than pigs and dogs; you became the size you were later because I defeated the Turks and picked up the trophies I 'stored' in the Great Lakes area. But instead of being grateful, you are fighting with Murong. You are colluding, once again loyal to the Turks who are exploiting you, and once again becoming the enemy of the Sui Dynasty. Do those herdsmen who have finally lived a good life know and agree? Who gave you the courage to do this? "
Che Leliao also knew some Chinese. After hearing Yang Ji's words, he was immediately confused. Didn't he say that Murong Bei was from the Sui Dynasty? Why isn't it happening now?
Can anyone tell me what's going on?
Pu Guchong looked at Yang Ji's face full of evil spirits and listened to the sharp words. He felt his chest suffocate. He stumbled a little and explained: "Please forgive me, Your Majesty. We have tried to persuade that thief Murong Bei, but nothing happened." He insists on having his own way, and there is nothing we can do about it."
"What a 'we can't do anything'!" Yang Ji looked at the prisoners who had the courage to come over, and said in the Turkic dialect that he had learned in the past few years and was common in the grasslands: "You are because of the Sui Dynasty and because of me. Yang Ji can get rid of the ferocious Turks and live a good life, but now you have turned against me, the Sui Dynasty, and your crime deserves death. It is only reasonable that I should cut off your heads to build the capital."
After a large number of generals were taken away, these prisoners were like a flock of sheep without their leader. Coupled with the fact that they were surrounded by the elite Sui troops who were eyeing them, they were always confused, uneasy and confused. At this time, they heard this man The murderous general claimed to be the well-known demon Yang Ji, and wanted to chop off their heads. His face turned pale and trembling with fear. Under the threat of death, some people began to kneel down and kowtow to Yang Ji. Pray for forgiveness:
"Your Majesty, spare your life!"
"There's nothing we can do!"
"We are also forced to have no choice!"
"We don't know why the chief wants to be the enemy of Sui."
"Yes! All the mistakes are the fault of the chiefs and generals. If the king wants to kill them, just kill them."
"Yes, yes, if the king wants to kill them, kill them!"
"..."
When Pu Guchong heard the voices of the prisoners gradually becoming unified, his face turned pale with fear and he was sweating profusely; when Che Leliao heard this, he was so angry that he was dumbfounded.
When Yang Ji saw more and more prisoners kowtow and beg for mercy, he said loudly: "I also know that all the mistakes made are all the fault of your chiefs and your generals! I have nothing to do with you at all; I don't want to kill you either." Innocent people. And I’ll give you one last chance.”
The prisoners were relieved, as long as there was a chance of survival.
"Next, I will take you to deal with the ferocious Turks. You will choose the generals below the centurion from the army. Choose whoever you think can lead you well and has the ability." Yang Ji said loudly: "I will give you one day to recommend these new generals, and they will receive the salary of the Sui Dynasty and become officers of the Sui Dynasty. The whole family, young and old, will live a good life as people of the Sui Dynasty."
"Thank you, Your Majesty!" cheers came from the crowd of prisoners.
The hierarchical concept of the grassland is more deeply rooted in the people and more serious than the Sui Dynasty. The chiefs are equivalent to slave owners. In order to maintain their rule, they not only cruelly exploit slaves, but even the harvests of ordinary herdsmen are reduced. into their hands; as for the generals in the army, almost all of them are brothers and nephews of the chiefs, and ordinary herdsmen have no chance of getting ahead. As long as one generation is an ordinary herdsman, then all generations will be ordinary herdsmen.
Yang Ji, the devil, not only did not kill them, but also let them select generals from among their own poor groups. Although the positions of centurions and generals below are not high, for these ordinary soldiers, at least they are A hope, at least a hope.
The performance of the prisoners made Yang Ji very satisfied. He knew that he had enough power in the Great Lakes area, and he should show it to his advantage next. When the noisy voices gradually came to light, he said: "As long as the next step is to In the battle, if you have made great achievements, I will promote you to the rank of commander of thousands, commander of ten thousand, general, and general in accordance with the military regulations of the Sui Dynasty. I will give you exquisite porcelain, strong armor and iron pots, and clothes to keep out the cold. Good wine. Let you live a better life than your chief."
As soon as Yang Ji said this, the scene suddenly exploded again.
The status of generals and generals in the Sui Dynasty was very high. As for how high they were, no one knew, but they knew that when Murong Bei professed his surrender to the Sui Dynasty, he was just a general.
Maybe they can't become generals, but as long as they perform meritorious service, they can at least have food and housing like the Sui people, and they no longer have to live a life of treating a broken iron pot and a broken knife as family heirlooms; No longer have to worry about parents and children freezing to death and starving to death in the cold winter...
Although Pu Guchong expected that he would lose a lot, his heart was alive when he heard that Yang Ji wanted these prisoners to fight.
He felt that Yang Ji would definitely let him restrain and lead the prisoners. But he never imagined that he was nothing in Yang Ji's eyes; not only did he kick him away, but he also bribed all the prisoners in front of him. Turning him into a pauper with nothing, a useless waste.
What made him even more annoyed and frightened was that these damn prisoners were so afraid of Yang Ji and believed in Yang Ji so much that they sold him out in the blink of an eye and began to regard themselves as Sui people and soldiers of the Sui army.
"Go back to the big tent!" Yang Ji did not continue to talk nonsense and led everyone back to the Chinese army's big tent.
Returning to the commander's tent, Yang Shanhui smiled and said: "Congratulations, Your Majesty, not only has the future trouble been solved, but also an additional army has been added. If Commander Cui also uses this method to solve the problem of recruiting prisoners, the Great Lakes area will belong to our Sui Dynasty."
Yuchi Gong frowned and said: "Chang Shi is saying that these prisoners have become our army? They will not rebel again?"
"Of course!" Yang Shanhui said with a smile: "The captured generals are close associates of the chiefs. Once these people take the lead in making trouble, we have no other choice but to use military force to suppress it. The king first imprisoned the generals in another place. The ordinary soldiers have become nothing more than a pile of scattered sand, and there is nothing to fear. At this moment, the king uses his position as an officer to lure them with great benefits."
Seeing Yu Chigong's disapproving look, Yang Shanhui continued to explain: "The generals appointed by the chiefs are all their cronies. These kind of people are mixed, and they are not very popular in the army. But what soldiers admire the most are those who have courage. , capable people, so the officers selected by the soldiers must be people who are prestigious, capable, popular, but have a bad background and are not reused."
"These recommended people probably don't have much attachment to the chief. On the contrary, the king gave them the opportunity, and they will naturally turn to the king. As long as these new generals stabilize, other soldiers will naturally follow them."
Only then did Yuchi Gong understand Yang Ji's real intention. He thought for a while, frowned and said, "It's just that these prisoners betrayed too simply."
Yang Shanhui understood what Yuchi Gong meant and knew that he was worried that these people would defect in battle, so he patiently explained: "In fact, if General Yuchi thinks carefully, he will find that the behavior of the prisoners is not accidental: first of all, the prairie people respect and worship the strong. Those who are proud of following the strong; and the king and the Sui Dynasty are undoubtedly the strongest men, so they feel that surrender is not a shame, but an honor; secondly, their chiefs and generals also become our The prisoners of the army were all unable to protect themselves, which made them surrender without worries. It was precisely because of these two factors that, under the inducement, they surrendered in a way that was both reasonable and reasonable, simple and refreshing. .”
Li Daliang said from the side: "I think it is better to kill the chiefs and generals."
"Actually, I think so too." Yang Shanhui smiled and looked at Yang Ji: "But I don't know what your Majesty's plans are?"
"Master Cui has just arrived, and he still needs the help of these chiefs. He can't kill him yet. As for the generals appointed by the chiefs, kill them all." Yang Ji looked at Yuchi Gong, with a cold light flashing in his eyes: "Jingde, go kill the chiefs." They were screened out one by one, and then all their generals were thrown into the lake."
"Here." Yuchi responded respectfully and walked out of the tent with murderous intent.
"Your Majesty is wise!" Yang Shanhui looked at Yang Ji with deep appreciation and admiration. Compared with his own and Li Daliang's opinions, Yang Ji's decision was undoubtedly wiser.
Although the chiefs that the Sui Dynasty still needed for the time being had the potential to develop into Murong Bei, once they lost these cronies and minions, they would not be able to accomplish great things, even if they had great abilities.
What's more, they were still prisoners at this time. It didn't matter how Yang Ji killed him, it was reasonable, and it could even make the ordinary soldiers and herdsmen who were being exploited become more loyal.
Sincerity can be said to achieve multiple things with one stone.
As for those chiefs who have become empty shells, no matter how much they hate them, what can they say? Dare to do what?
"Chang Shi, it will be a long night and many dreams. You should immediately write a letter to Master Cui in my name, asking him to dare to do this, and explain the benefits of doing so." Yang Ji ordered.
"Here!"
. . . . . .
As Yang Ji had expected, the 60,000-strong East Turkic Army arrived on the west bank of the Guqishui River at dusk that day. Seeing that it was getting late, they chose a place to camp. The 20,000 to 30,000 herdsmen who accompanied the army also seized the time and sent the hundreds of thousands of head that served as military rations. The cattle and sheep were gathered one by one.
In the middle of the camp they had designated, a three-foot-high white wolf-head flag was quickly erected. Using this as a reference, the soldiers set up tents around it. Under the flag, there was a huge tent cart pulled by twenty horses.
Behind the shaft seat where the coachman sat was a platform more than ten feet deep; and behind the platform was a royal tent woven with silver thread and wool. At this time, there was a young Turk standing on the platform. He was wearing a hooded hat, bright silver armor made in the Sui Dynasty, and holding a gorgeously decorated waist knife. Judging from his "Chinese and foreign" clothes, he looked a little bit nondescript.
But among these 60,000 soldiers and 20,000 to 30,000 herdsmen, no one would think that he was neither fish nor fowl, because this young man was not only Mohe Doshe (military commander) of the Western Turks, but also Ashina Qili, the second prince of their Eastern Turks. Ephesus. Since the Eastern Turks have neither the theory of the Eastern Palace Prince nor the rule of establishing a direct heir, Ashina Qilifash also has the qualifications and hope to inherit the throne of Khan.
For such a big man who is inferior to one person and more than ten thousand people, even if he is naked, others will only think that he is bold, uninhibited, unrestrained and unrestrained, instead of saying that there is anything wrong with him; now that he is still wearing clothes, who dares to say that he is neither fish nor fowl?
Ashnatlifushe looked at the soldiers who were working enthusiastically, his eyes were blazing.
In recent years, his father Qimin Khan has been getting older day by day, but Qimin Khan is still fighting on the front line, still has not relinquished military power, still has not said which son is qualified to inherit his throne, and still has many questions about several people. The son treats everyone equally.
It is also Qimin Khan's "equal treatment" that not only fueled Ashina Qilifushe's ambition, but also led to his growing power; this in turn led to the further growth of his ambition, and he had a "Turkic" feeling in his heart. The feeling that the second generation of Khan belongs to me alone."
Just when Ashina Qilifu imagined the beautiful place, the 'Military Advisor' Shi Shuhu Xi strode onto the car. He saluted Ashina Qilifushe: "Shi Shuhu Xi, a humble official, has seen two people." prince."
"Sir, are you here?" Ashina Chilifushe disliked this Sogdian very much, so he was trying to get along with Buka Lao'er and his father Khan at first. After Buka Lao'er died, he tried his best to help him. Father Khan made plans; but now, he was taking advantage of both himself and his eldest brother.
But after all, Shishu Huxi was his father Khan's confidant. Not only was he very useful in seizing the throne, but a war was about to break out, and he would also rely on his talents. Therefore, Ashina Qilifushu suppressed the disgust in his heart and said pleasantly. Asked: "Sir, do you think Murong Bei can beat Yang Ji?"
"Can't beat him." Shishu Hu Xi felt quite speechless. If Murong Bei could beat him, why would they risk an all-out war between the two countries and come here to help?
In fact, Shishu Huxi had already pledged allegiance to Ashina Doji, and the two of them jointly promoted this battle. In name, it was to seize the Great Lakes area for the East Turks, but in fact it was to weaken Ashina Qilifushe, and even Kill Ashina Qilifushe.
If this battle was won, Qimin Khan simply could not bear the anger of the Sui Dynasty. He would definitely blame Ashina Qilifushe for acting without permission and in private, and then blame Ashina Qi Lifushe for his actions. Lephesheth was taken to the city of Daxing. If he loses this battle, Yang Ji has no reason not to plead guilty or to hold him accountable. Therefore, in the end, Ashina Qilifushe will be the unlucky one.
As for Ashinaqli Fushe, once it falls into the hands of the Sui Dynasty, even if he does not die, he will never think of returning to the Eastern Turks again in this life.
Of course, that was not what they said when they persuaded Qimin Khan to send troops, but they used the Great Lakes region as bait. It is said that if they win, the Sui Dynasty will definitely re-evaluate the strength of the Eastern Turks and recognize the strength of the Eastern Turks instead of raising troops to fight. At that time, it will just pay tribute with a large amount of wealth and bribe a group of important Sui officials. , the Great Lakes area is theirs.
If they lose, they will have fulfilled their responsibilities as a vassal state and helped the overlord to teach Murong Bei a lesson. The conflict with Yang Ji was all a misunderstanding. Yang Ji massacred the weak tribes, sought military glory, and then bribed a group of Sui people. Minister, Yang Guang, who took advantage of the situation, will let it go.
After Qimin Khan annihilated Ashina Huaid and unified the Eastern Turks, his ambition and confidence increased sharply. He was already coveting the wealthy Great Lakes area, so under the persuasion and encouragement of Shi Shu Hu Xi and his eldest son, he let The second son boldly marched towards the Great Lakes region.
Naturally, Ashina Chilifushe didn't know about his brother's plan with Shi Shu Hu Xi. He does not lack an army or wealth now. What he lacks is convincing prestige, military exploits that his father Khan appreciates, and opportunities to fight big battles and make great achievements. As long as he tramples Yang Ji to death this time, the people in East Turkestan will feel that he is more capable and more suitable to be the next generation of Great Khan, and the father Khan can safely hand over the power of East Turkic to him.
As for the calculation or not, he was too lazy to think about it or care about it. Even if he knew it, I'm afraid he wouldn't care much now because he needed this opportunity so much.
At this time, Ashina Qilifushu heard Shi Shuhu Xi firmly saying that Murong Bei couldn't be beaten, and he frowned and asked, "Why are you so sure, sir, that he can't be beaten?"
"Second Prince!" Shi Shu Hu Xi said slowly: "Murong Bei was originally just the chief of a small tribe with pitifully little power. He took advantage of the Sui Dynasty and became the master of the Great Lakes Region. Others in the Great Lakes Region The tribe was afraid of the Sui Dynasty, so they had to obey him. Despite this, everyone was still dissatisfied. But now he was an enemy of the Sui Dynasty, which everyone feared, so naturally everyone would not listen to his orders. If he loses Without the support of various ministries, how can he be Yang Ji's opponent with his little capital? So the question now is not whether he can win, but how long he can persist."
Although he and Ashina Duji plotted against Ashina Qilifushe, they knew that the military soul, backbone, and backbone of the Turks had long been destroyed and interrupted by the Sui Dynasty; The Turks showed their swords to their former masters for the first time, and it was also a battle to reshape the soul of the army.
If they win, they will be able to break the myth that the Sui army is invincible. In addition to gaining the Great Lakes area, they can also get back their lost souls, making the soldiers feel that the powerful Sui Dynasty is nothing more than that, and thus have a relationship with the Sui Dynasty. The confidence and courage to fight. If they lose again, the ambition and integrity of the Turks will fall to the bottom.
It was precisely because they realized that the impact of this battle was far-reaching and significant that they sincerely hoped that Ashina Qilifushe would win this battle. Therefore, Shishu Huxi not only did not set any obstacles for Ashina Qilifushe, Instead, she dutifully helped him analyze it in detail.
"That's it." Ashina Lifushu nodded, and promised Shi Shuhu Xi with a smile: "Sir, as long as you help me defeat Yang Ji, I will satisfy whatever you want in the future."
"Thank you for your favor, Prince. I will do my best to help the Prince win this battle." Shi Shuhu Xi smiled and saluted.
Ashinalifushe asked: "Next, sir, how do you think we should fight? What should we pay attention to?"
"One word, that is 'quick'!" Shi Shu Hu Xi said: "First of all, judging from the current battle situation, Yang Ji's army is not as large as ours, and it is a lone army deep into the enemy's territory. If we annihilate Murong before he If he quickly pushed to the middle of the Great Lakes region before he was humbled, he would be attacked from both sides, and the food supply would make it impossible for him to sustain himself. Once his morale declined, other ministries would naturally make small moves for him when they saw that there were advantages to fight, making him defenseless and surrounded by enemies everywhere. "
"Secondly, from within the Sui Dynasty, the Sui Dynasty seemed to be in full swing and full of arrogance, but Yang Ji had just ascended to the throne, and his power to rule and control the world was far inferior to that of Yang Jian, otherwise Yang Liang would not have turned against him. Moreover, As far as I know, Yang Guang had a quarrel with a powerful military group because of his liquidation of Yang Liang's party members, moving the capital, and building a canal. At the same time, he offended a powerful cultural group because of the promotion of books. Now everyone is waiting He laughs at his jokes and wishes he would make mistakes."
"As for Yang Ji, he is the sharp sword that Yang Guang uses to deal with military groups and cultural groups. Not long ago, he also brought down Yang Guang's meritorious ministers Yu Wenshu, Yu Shiji and others, so he also has enemies all over the world."
"If Yang Ji is trapped by us in the middle of the Great Lakes region, his enemies will definitely not be willing to save him; even if Yang Guang sends troops forcibly, Yang Ji's enemies will delay for various reasons. When Bujia Khan attacked Liangzhou, those Don’t people just hide military information?”
"That's right!" Ashina Qilifushu also knew this. He pondered for a long time and then asked: "Where is the Liangzhou Army? What can I say about this?"
"The Liangzhou army confronted and fought with Tuyuhun in the south, but they were all restrained by the Tuyuhun soldiers, so there is nothing to fear." Shishu Hu Xi said this and said with a smile: "So Yang Ji is too self-righteous. With the power of one state, Starting a war between the north and the south at the same time is purely self-destructive. If he died in the Great Lakes area, the blow to Liangzhou would undoubtedly be fatal. At this time, wouldn't Tyuhun Khan Murong Fuyun take the opportunity to recapture Shanshanhe? Qie Mo? Aren’t you going to attack Ganzhou and Liangzhou?”
"For the Sui Dynasty, what was important was Ganzhou and Liangzhou bordering Guanzhong, not the Great Lakes region far away. With Tuyuhun attracting Yang Guang's wrath from the front, what should we fear?"
Ashina Qilifushe suddenly realized: "I understand what you mean, sir. First, send an elite force northward, not only to rescue Murong Bei, but also to contain Yang Ji, and at the same time, cut off Yang Ji's supplies?"
Shi Shuhu Xi stroked his beard and nodded: "That's right. Although dividing the troops is risky, I think it's worth a try."
Ashinatlifushe smiled and said: "Wars are inherently risky. Splitting the troops is not a big deal. As long as the front and rear armies are not too far apart, it will be fine."
Early the next morning, Ashina Lifushu marched towards the Xiongnu River in the northwest. At the same time, he appointed Zhishihao, a general who was good at fighting and a chief of the Zhishi Department, as the vanguard, and ordered him to lead 30,000 elite troops to the Zabhan River. Heading towards the midstream and later Altai areas.
The place occupied by Ashina Tilifushe was also the junction of the central and southern parts of the Great Lakes Region. To the west was the Gobi Altai Mountains running in a "northwest-southeast" direction, and to the east was the Yudujin Mountains. Sandwiched between the two mountains is a relatively narrow plain. On both sides of the plain are the Gobi Desert, which is not conducive to cavalry galloping. As long as you pass through this small plain, which is narrow from east to west and long from north to south, the front will suddenly become clear. The Zabul River flows here from the north, and then flows eastward in a mighty way, thus becoming the boundary river and "moat" between the central and southern parts.
What Ashina Chilifushe didn't know was that Li Jing's goal was actually this small plain. As long as the Sui army took the lead in seizing this key junction, they could use the two mountain ranges and the "moat" to take Ashina Chilifushe to advantage. Fushe's army stayed outside the central part, and at the same time bought time for Yang Ji to collect the prisoners.
