On the afternoon of the third day, Qimin Khan led 40,000 elite troops on horseback on the grassland. He saw that a large tribe in front of him had been completely destroyed. All humans and animals were killed, and some wooden tents were used to fix the tents. The pile is still emitting wisps of smoke. Some of the burnt corpses on the ground were still in fighting postures; some of the corpses were holding knife handles with the blades half pulled out, and then died on the ground.
Qimin Khan could see that they had gone through a fierce battle during their lifetimes. As long as the invading enemy came too suddenly and killed too fiercely, the Turkic tribe was eventually slaughtered.
The Turkic soldiers who followed Qimin Khan looked at the tragic situation of these tribesmen and felt angry, as well as a deep sense of helplessness and powerlessness.
When they invaded the south, the Sui Dynasty ministers often said that Turkic soldiers came and went like the wind, and they could not be found or caught. If there were few soldiers who went, they would give the Turks their heads; if there were too many soldiers, the Turks would use the mobility of the cavalry. Escaped without a trace. The truth is correct, but in the Sui Dynasty, the border people had cities and forts to take refuge, as well as city walls and horse-blocking walls to defend them.
However, once the Sui soldiers walked out of the city and used this one-hit-and-run method to deal with them, they had no hiding place to avoid the disaster and had no choice but to be slaughtered. What made them even more troublesome was that the soldiers of the Sui army were very disciplined and looked down upon their little valuable wealth. They took nothing away except local supplies, so that they could continue to go into battle lightly and easily. Kill the next tribe.
The tribe in front of them was the seventeenth they had encountered. The small tribes they left behind were even worse. After the Sui soldiers killed the people, they then killed the animals, and then burned the animal carcasses. , leaving only human corpses for them to dispose of. Due to the large population of this large tribe, the Sui army spent more time, and they obviously knew the news that the army was coming, so they left in a hurry. This allowed some animal carcasses that had not been spread by the fire to become the army. of military rations.
Qimin Khan rode his horse and walked through the tribe that had turned into a scorched earth. There were tragic corpses everywhere, and the anger in his eyes became more and more intense.
He had tried his best to deal with it, and even in order to put an end to Yang Ji's killing trip, he asked an envoy to go to Daxing City with heavy gifts to meet Yang Guang and explain to Yang Guang that he, Qimin, was the most loyal slave of the Sui Dynasty. Therefore, the intention to march into the Great Lakes region was not to become an enemy of the Sui Dynasty, but to prepare to help Yang Ji defeat Murongbei. The eventual war that broke out was a huge misunderstanding. On the other hand, he sent people to meet the Sui army generals in various eastern border states. While giving explanations, he also hoped that they would obey the Sui emperor's orders and not let the misunderstanding expand further.
However, damn Yang Ji, not only had no idea of stopping the army, but took advantage of the surrounding young men to assist Ashina and Lifushe in defending the city, and sent partial troops to attack these tribes with no strength. It was really abominable and hateful.
Qimin Khan was now very suspicious. The reason why Yang Ji didn't hang up Ashina Qilifu and beat him, but never swallowed him whole, was to let him transfer the young and strong men from all the ministries, and then send out partial troops to easily He uprooted the tribes that were empty of troops; and he himself led the main army to deal with the army assembled by Ashina Qilifushe. But when the battle reached this stage, Ashina Lifushu had to mobilize his troops and generals, and he had to fight according to Yang Ji's routine, otherwise he would be dead.
"Great Khan!" A centurion rode up and shouted loudly: "Our scouts found several surviving herdsmen. According to them, this Sui army has about 20,000 people."
"Great Khan, it seems that the Wei King of the Sui Dynasty has been dazzled by the successive victories. He dared to divide his troops on the prairie. I think he is simply impatient." A man with a glowing forehead and double arms said The general with earrings said loudly: "We can annihilate this partial army first, and then concentrate all our efforts on dealing with Yang Ji."
"That's right!" Another general's eyes flashed with anger and murderous intent, and he echoed loudly: "As long as the Sui army in the east does not interfere, we can defeat Yang Ji with our current strength, not to mention his current military strength. There are multiple routes, we will completely defeat them one by one.”
"The Great Khan's talents and strategies are much better than those of Bujia Laogou, Nipu Chuluo Khan, and Shekui Khan. As long as you carry up the banner of resistance to the Sui Dynasty, the Eastern and Western Turks who have been bullied by the Sui Dynasty will definitely respect the Great Khan as the common master of the world. .”
The tragic scenes and depression they saw along the way finally aroused the common hatred among the Turkic generals. They all shouted and vowed to annihilate Yang Ji in one fell swoop.
When Qimin Khan heard these last words, the longing in his eyes disappeared. He thought for a while and finally shook his head: "That's what I said, but Yang Ji is not just a person, the Sui Dynasty There is not just one Liangzhou, behind him is Yang Guang, the vast and fertile Sui Dynasty. If he loses, Yang Guang will definitely send his army north. How can we deal with it then?"
With just one Yangji and one Liangzhou, the Eastern Turks are so struggling. If Qimin Khan turns this local conflict into a full-scale war between the two countries, their Eastern Turks will have no chance of winning and will undoubtedly die.
A general shouted angrily with red eyes: "We Turks and the Sui Dynasty have an sworn hatred. If we don't fight, will we just become the Sui Dynasty's dogs?"
"I don't want this either, so I asked Zilifu to advance westward. However, the Sui Dynasty is too powerful and cannot be defeated by us. We have to admit that we are not as strong as others. If we do it knowingly that we cannot do it, more warriors will die. More innocent people will die. In the end, we Turks will disappear on the grassland like the Xiongnu, Wuhuan, and Rouran." The majestic anger that Qimin Khan suddenly burst out shocked the generals. Qimin Khan, who was getting older and older, was like a hungry wild wolf, forcing the generals to dare not look at him. He glanced at the generals and softened his tone slightly: "Although the Sui Dynasty was strong, But the grassland is not suitable for their survival. They look down on the grassland and have little ambition for the grassland. As long as we surrender and surrender, they will not take the initiative to attack. But other tribes are different."
He hit the horse whip with a heavy wave of his hand, pointed to the distant east and said: "Over the years, the Northern and Southern Shiwei took advantage of our war with the Sui Dynasty and our civil strife to expand to the west every year. Goguryeo in the distance is not a good bird, they don't If we dare to be enemies with the Sui Dynasty, we will fully support Xi, Lin, and Khitan to go north to compete with our Turks for fertile pastures. If we continue to be enemies with the Sui Dynasty, the eastern grasslands will definitely become other people's land. Therefore, our first enemy is Eastern ministries, not the Sui Dynasty.”
Having said this, Qimin Khan felt a deep sense of regret in his heart. If he had not been blindly arrogant, East Turkestan would not have fallen to this point.
He should not have fought with Yang Ji to the Great Lakes area in the first place. Instead, he should have marched eastward and surrendered the Wei, Xi, Xi, and Khitan tribes in the north and south, one by one, and then rested for a few years before fighting with the Sui Dynasty. It is not too late to fight in North Korea.
But now that it was over, it was too late for him to say anything.
The generals were silent for a long time, and one of them bravely asked: "Khan, what should we do?"
"What should I do? What else can I do?" Qimin Khan stared at the general and spoke word by word: "Now I just hope to make peace with the Sui Dynasty as soon as possible, no matter how high the price is. As long as we make peace with the Sui Dynasty, After the Sui Dynasty has made peace, we can turn around and march eastward, driving back and subduing all the eastern tribes one by one. If we lose money here, we will recover it from them one by one."
He can pick out the soft persimmons and pinch them.
Of course, the main reason is his wrong decision-making, which has filled the East Turks with voices of dissatisfaction. Some Tiele tribes have begun to violate the rules, so he must use victory after victory to correct his authority and reputation, and at the same time We also want everyone to see the hope of getting rich.
"The Great Khan is wise!" When all the generals heard this, they all smiled happily, as long as there was a chance to make a fortune.
"Haha!" Seeing this scene, Qimin Khan finally let go. He was not afraid of fighting, but was afraid of betrayal and separation.
During the period when the Turkic Khanate was at its most powerful, its territory stretched from the West Sea (Caspian Sea) in the west, the sea in the east, the desert in the south, and the North Sea in the north. Its territory was as vast as that of the Sui Dynasty in its heyday. However, in just three years, it Within a short period of time, Yang Jian, who only owned the land of the Northern Dynasty, was killed to pieces and distraught. Among them, in addition to the Sui army's ability to conquer and fight, it was also because the various Turkic tribes were uneven and full of contradictions; although the previous conflicts and contradictions were temporarily suppressed by the iron-fist policy. However, with the failure of the military operation against the Sui Dynasty, the superiors and subordinates became disunion. This situation also created the basis for the division and alienation of the Sui Dynasty.
Qimin Khan was the biggest beneficiary of the divisions and dissensions in the Sui Dynasty. He understood that the harm of internal discord was greater than that of external enemies. Therefore, after he won the throne, he has been committed to establishing rules and regulations and trying to control his country. The tribal system with numerous tribes and rampant forces has led to a highly centralized country. However, the result was that because of his constant fighting, there was no progress. Now it was even more difficult. After this battle was over, he had no choice but to stop the pace of internal rectification.
He is old, and he doesn't know whether he will have the chance to see the Eastern Turks turn into a centralized state similar to the Sui Dynasty in his lifetime.
A general asked: "Great Khan, this is the last tribe close to Madam Fan's city. The tribes in the north and south have also been taken away by the Sui army, and we do not carry military rations. If we continue to advance westward, we may run out of rations." The danger is great, what should we do now? Should we continue marching or withdraw?"
Qimin Khan looked ahead, thought for a long time, and finally made a decision: "Continue westward and go to Mrs. Fan City to find Qili Fushe. I guess it is good. He has moved the surrounding herdsmen into the city. There are We need military rations.”
"Great sweat!" At this time, several scouts covered in blood rushed towards them. This was one of the many scouts that Qimin Khan used to inquire about Madam Fan's city. They were all met by the Sui army scouts in front. They were attacked and killed, but they were undoubtedly lucky to survive here.
When everyone saw that these soldiers were all wounded and bleeding, their hearts skipped a beat, and a not-so-good feeling immediately came over them.
"How is the situation in Mrs. Fan's City?" Qimin Khan tried to calm down the panic in his heart, but his trembling voice still betrayed his heart.
"Great Khan, the Sui army launched a night battle three nights ago and has captured Madam Fan's City." The scout looked at Qimin Khan carefully and continued: "The second prince and Prince Simo's more than 50,000 troops also It’s gone.”
Qimin Khan was sitting on the horse, his face was ashen, and his whole body could not help but tremble slightly. The faces of the generals around him were also full of shock, and some even showed fear on their faces.
Madame Fan's city was destroyed and tens of thousands of troops were lost. This also meant that all the supplies of the herdsmen who took refuge in the city fell into the hands of the Sui army. As a result, Qimin Khan's idea of using the supplies in the city to supply the army came to nothing.
"Great Khan!" A general said angrily: "The second prince has simply ruined my great future in Turks. He is simply a waste..."
Qimin Khan interrupted the general with a wave of his hand and asked the scout: "The walls of Madam Fan City are tall and strong, and there are tens of thousands of defenders and hundreds of thousands of herdsmen inside the city. How could the Sui army on horseback fight so easily? Are there other reasons for this?"
Facing the cold gaze of Qimin Khan, the scout trembled and said: "According to the deserters, the second prince believed Zong Luohu's lies and asked him to guard the city gate. Unexpectedly, this man had already betrayed our Turks, so he That night, he took the opportunity to open the city gate and let the Sui army enter the city. So Madam Fan's city was lost."
"Push" Qimin Khan's face turned red. After all the scouts said, his son was still incompetent, but this was the result he least wanted to hear. He spat out a mouthful of blood and fell heavily from his horse.
"Great sweat!" Seeing Qimin Khan vomiting blood and falling from his horse, all the generals immediately dismounted and stepped forward to watch.
If Mrs. Fan's city is lost, it will be lost, but if something happens to Qimin Khan at this critical moment, the entire East Turkestan will be finished.
"No problem!" Qimin Khan struggled to stand up. He looked at the generals who were very worried about him, and then asked the scout: "Where are Qilifushe and Simo? Are they dead?"
Although Qimin Khan deeply hated his son's incompetence, he was still his son no matter how incompetent he was. Besides, he had already lost one son and he really didn't want two more to die now. After asking, he stared at the scout closely, for fear of hearing some bad news from his mouth.
"After the city fell, the two princes escaped from Nancheng. Unexpectedly, the Sui army also had a heavy ambush there, so the princes and the others were killed and defeated. Now it is unknown where they fled. However, according to deserters, the two princes Not killed, not caught."
Qimin Khan felt a little relieved when he heard that his son was fine, but he snorted coldly and cursed: "You are two trash, you have disgraced me, why don't you just die."
"Great Khan, what should we do now?" asked a general.
"Of course we will continue to advance westward!" Qimin Khan glanced at the generals and saw the frightened and uneasy expressions on their faces, knowing that everyone was retreating.
Seeing that everyone was so afraid, he felt extremely bitter in his heart, and said helplessly: "I am not here to fight, but to strive not to fight anymore. It is already getting late today. Let's stay here for the night. We will leave early tomorrow morning. Ashi Let Philosophy stay and everyone else arranges defense."
"Yes!" The generals saluted and left, going to arrange for the soldiers to rest.
Qimin Khan looked at everyone's backs and remained silent. His younger brother Ashina comforted him philosophically: "Great Khan, don't worry too much. We can still afford to lose the tens of thousands of troops in Madam Fan's city. As long as the Great Khan is fine, the sky will not fall. And as you said before : Our losses here can be recovered from the various ministries in the east."
"Hey! I'm just talking, do you take it seriously?" Qimin Khan smiled bitterly and said slowly: "If I hadn't said that, these chiefs who couldn't see the benefits would have their own ideas. , so I have to give them hope."
"But in fact, we are fully capable of defeating them." Ashina philosophically looked at the Khan with some confusion and asked, "Why not fight?"
"You still don't understand!" Qimin Khan glanced at him, shook his head and said: "We can certainly fight and defeat us, but the Sui Dynasty is deeply wary of us, and Yang Guang will not allow us to become stronger again. They will not allow us to conquer the various tribes in the East. Moreover, all the tribes in the East are dominated by the Sui Dynasty. If they ask for help from the Sui Dynasty when we attack them, the Sui army will still attack us."
"That's it." Ashina's philosophy suddenly dawned on him.
"In the Sui Dynasty, they were not monolithic, and there were always anti-war voices. Of course, what they opposed was not the war, but as long as the person who made the meritorious service was not them, they would oppose it. This principle is just like the opposition to Yang Shuang back then. , Yang Su, and Yinshou are the same." Qimin Khan said: "These people are just like our chiefs. They only have their own interests in their eyes. They don't care whether the people of the Sui Dynasty are dead or alive. As long as we give them appropriate treatment. If the Sui Dynasty steps down and gives these people some property, they will use their strength in the court to force Yang Ji to retreat. This will give us enough time to recuperate."
Ashina nodded philosophically and said with great admiration: "The Great Khan is still wise."
"It's not that I'm wise, but the Sui Dynasty was very fierce in internal fighting. It was them who taught me." Qimin Khan smiled: "The Sui Dynasty is at its peak, and we Turks alone cannot defeat it. You go back immediately , sent the Khitan as my envoy, and said that I wanted them to prepare to attack Yingzhou. As long as they attracted the attention of the Sui Dynasty, I would recognize the grassland they occupied. If not, I would gather all my strength to conquer them. .”
Ashina Philosophy understood what the Great Khan meant, and he said with a smile: "If the Khitans really attack Yingzhou, they will be able to draw away the anger of the Sui army, and we will be free."
"That's right!" Qimin Khan nodded and said fiercely: "There are eight Khitan tribes, and the eight tribes are of equal strength, so every chief wants to be a Khitan chief. If the current chief does not cooperate with us, Then you can find other chiefs. I believe these chiefs would be happy to be our friends."
"yes!"
