The sudden series of actions carried out by the Zhenjiang Army put tremendous pressure on the White Tiger Army. For a moment, Cheng Nan and his men were trapped in a situation where they were helpless and unable to move: to counterattack, they had neither the strength nor confidence; to stand firm would mean allowing the Xinjiang Army outside the city to move freely and approach the imperial capital.
After much hesitation, Cheng Nan finally accepted the advice of the legion's deputy general to hold Luoyi for the time being and not to act rashly.
The White Tiger Army suddenly became honest, which was naturally what Li Jiangyao expected. Now that all the strategic places have fallen into our own hands, if Cheng Nan takes the initiative to challenge the city at this time, it is indeed the same as seeking death, and he can only get Xiong Yunjie, Jigrizi and the others in vain.
From Li Jiangyao's point of view, he is not afraid of falling out with the imperial court, but the situation in the Western Continent is changing and the situation is unpredictable. The precious combat power of the Zhenjiang Army should not be wasted here if possible, in order to prepare for the need for subsequent wars.
Now that the ignorant General Cheng Nan has been frightened, there is no need to start the war lightly.
Therefore, Li Jiangyao sent an envoy to send a letter to Luoyi, stating that he had no hostile intentions and was just taking the road to the west. If the White Tiger Army can take into account the interests of the country and the nation and put the interests of the Holy Tang Dynasty and the people first, then everyone can be harmonious and not interfere with each other; but if Cheng Nan insists on going his own way and must block the Xinjiang Army's actions to defend Western Xinjiang , then he will not show any mercy and will definitely wipe out the White Tiger Army from Shengtang's army sequence!
First, they took control of the situation with lightning speed, then explained the truth clearly, and finally included a warning with a strong deterrent effect. The Zhenjiang Army can definitely be regarded as reasonable and benevolent. Therefore, they did not care what kind of reply Cheng Nan would give and immediately began to take the next step.
While the Fifth, Sixth, and Eighth Armies continued to carry out large-scale exercises, the White Robe Army escorted a large amount of military rations collected from Xingluo warehouse, bypassed the Eastern Capital City, and went straight to Tongguan under the protection of the Ninth Army.
After all the food, grass and baggage passed through the pass smoothly, the 20,000 cavalrymen of the First Army took charge of the rear. The three main infantry forces of Jushi, Nulang and Hanxiao set off in full gear and headed west along the Chi Road to join Du Jian's Fiery Army.
In five days, all members of the Zhenjiang Army arrived at Tongguan, less than three hundred miles away from the imperial capital.
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"Cheng Nan, you idiot. He missed the important event of this palace!" Cheng Wen raised her eyebrows and said angrily: "With the 120,000 White Tiger Army in hand, he didn't stab a single shot or release an arrow. Just let Li Jiang do that. Yao passed Tongguan easily! He is simply stupider than a pig!"
Cheng Dong stood under the imperial steps, looking a little solemn. Like his sister Cheng Wen, he was surprised and disappointed by Cheng Nan's performance. At the same time, he also became more fearful of the methods of the Suppression Army.
Now, hundreds of thousands of troops have gathered in Tongguan, almost within easy reach of the imperial capital, with the unobstructed Weinan Plain in the middle. The cavalry gallops at full speed and can reach the city in two days.
It can be said that the situation at hand has become very critical.
Seeing that he remained silent, Cheng Wen snorted depressedly. After calming down a little, she asked: "Mr. Zhen Guo, what are your countermeasures?"
Cheng Dong suddenly came back to his senses and looked a little confused: "Well, the countermeasures mentioned by the empress refer to..."
"What else can you refer to?!" Cheng Wen said angrily: "Of course, how to stop Li Jiangyao and prevent him from easily escaping back to Western Xinjiang."
Stop Li Jiangyao?
Cheng Dong couldn't help but smile bitterly in his heart: If he doesn't come to cause trouble for us, I will burn incense and pray to Buddha to thank God for his blessing. Are you still trying to stop him?
Why stop him? You are so full that you have nothing to do. Are you actively looking for a beating?
Cheng Dong considered his words and responded: "Mother, in my opinion, if Li Jiangyao is not obviously hostile, it is better... to let them go. It will be more beneficial to us if everyone does not offend the river."
Cheng Wen looked at her eldest brother coldly and said in a deep voice: "Did you tell Cheng Nan the same thing before, so that's why he gave the Zhenjiang Army a pass?"
"That's not true." Cheng Dong said calmly: "The letter I wrote to my third brother was very clear. Either the entire White Tiger Army will stick to Tongguan, or they will form a long snake formation from Tongguan to Luoyi. No matter where One method is a military means to prevent the Zhenjiang Army from continuing to advance westward. Unfortunately, before my letter was delivered, Li Jiangyao took action first, and the third brother lacked battlefield experience, so he was seized by the opponent in the blink of an eye. The key..."
Cheng Wen glared at him: "If that's the case, then why are you letting Li Jiangyao pass now? Is it possible that you are afraid?"
A hint of displeasure flashed in Cheng Dong's eyes, but his tone remained calm: "It's not accurate to say that you are afraid, it should be worried. The situation here in the imperial capital is different from that in Cheng Nan. With Tongguan Fortress blocking it, once an outbreak breaks out between the two sides In the conflict, we have an absolute advantage and can completely stop the Zhenjiang Army. However, Tongguan has now fallen into the hands of Li Jiangyao, and the 60,000 White Tiger Army has been forced to retreat westward and retreat to Huazhou. We are on the plains and cannot stop the opponent at all. .”
"Don't forget, you still have 200,000 imperial troops!"
"Your Majesty, if you have something to say that won't please me," Cheng Dong said angrily, "Don't talk about 200,000, even if there are 400,000 forbidden troops, it won't help!"
Seeing that his sister looked unhappy, he quickly and patiently explained: "Our Forbidden Army was newly formed when we were reorganizing our troops in Luoyi. Its main forces came from the Central Plains Army, Hebei Army, Southern Army, Troops such as the Liaodong Governor's Mansion and the Yinshan Governor's Mansion have complex personnel composition and uneven combat capabilities, especially the proportion of cavalry and heavy armored equipment is very low. In addition to their famous names and generous treatment, they are no different from the White Tiger Legion in other aspects. Not big. Such a legion poses no threat at all in the eyes of Li Jiangyao's battle-hardened soldiers."
Cheng Wen frowned when she heard this, and said in a deep voice: "You mean, if the Forbidden Army starts a war with the Zhenjiang Army near the capital, the chances of winning are slim?"
Cheng Dong shook his head helplessly: "It's not that there is little chance of winning, it's that there is no chance of winning. Even if the third brother's White Tiger Army is added in, the result is still the same. In addition, I wonder if the empress has considered this issue? At the moment, the Qinglong Army and The Suzaku Army is still clearing out the remnants of the rebels in the south. If we fight with Li Jiangyao here and both sides suffer, or even die together, then how will we deal with it when Murong Xuema Hongjie comes back?"
This key question suddenly hit Cheng Wen's heart, making her hesitate.
According to her original idea, she hoped to weaken the strength of Murong Xue, Ma Hongjie and others as soon as possible before Li Jiangyao defeated Li Zheng, and then mobilized all available forces to stop the Zhenjiang Army east of Tongguan and encircle them. Annihilate it.
Unexpectedly, the rebels were defeated too quickly, and Li Jiangyao didn't care about the wealth in the south of the Yangtze River that was at his fingertips. He left immediately and began to organize troops to march northward in the blink of an eye, completely disrupting her plan to regain military power.
Now, the third brother Cheng Nan's cowardly behavior has further worsened the situation, causing the imperial capital not only to fail to make adequate preparations, but also to seriously threaten its own safety.
What the elder brother said makes sense. Failure to deal with the Qinglong Army and the Suzaku Army in advance will indeed leave great hidden dangers. Once too many troops are lost on Li Jiangyao, the two families will definitely take the opportunity to cause chaos, and the situation will become even more critical. .
Cheng Wen thought for a long time and raised her eyes to look at Cheng Dong: "Do you know why I have been obsessed with the Suppressing Army going west?"
Cheng Dong was stunned: "Isn't it to avenge father and second brother?"
"It's not just this reason." Cheng Wen sighed quietly and said: "I am indeed an amateur in fighting wars. I will never deny this. However, in terms of politics, I also consider myself no better than you. These men are bad. Once Li Jiangyao and the Zhenjiang Army successfully return to the Ghost Desert of Western Xinjiang, not only will the revenge of his father and second brother fail, but the imperial capital will never have peace from now on. We will always live under the huge influence of the Zhenjiang Army. In the shadows.”
Hearing this, Cheng Dong couldn't help but feel a move in his heart, and immediately realized: "Your Majesty is right. Zijin Pass and Shengyuguan are firmly under the control of the Xinjiang Army, which means that the two prefectures of Yongliang and Liang are also under their surveillance and control. There is no danger in the corridor, and Li Jiangyao's troops can point directly at the imperial capital at any time. Back then, even the extremely powerful Turks were killed in this way."
"That's why I am so anxious," Cheng Wen said distressedly: "The Western Territory is vast and rich in resources, and its territory is no less than the sum of the southeastern states. It can completely become a self-contained system and self-sufficient. Once Li Jiangyao is allowed to go back and gain a foothold, He can easily threaten Guanzhong and come whenever he wants. As for us, we have almost no other choice but to gather heavy troops to defend day and night, and to be in panic."
Only then did Cheng Dong finally understand his sister's true thoughts. As she said, the elite army in the northwest is indeed a strong barrier to protect the center of Shengtang when it comes to the outside world, and when it comes to the inside, it can also turn into a sharp sword that pierces the heart at any time.
However, even if he knew it was true, he could only do nothing if he lacked strength.
The current Li Jiangyao and the Zhenjiang Army are definitely not something he can stop.
The brother and sister each had their own thoughts, and no one spoke for a while. After waiting for a long time, Cheng Wen suddenly said: "By the way, you said before that you had secretly contacted Lao Jianhua. What does he think of the current situation?"
Cheng Dong was slightly startled when he heard this, and then replied: "I have been busy with the Forbidden Army recently. I haven't had formal contact with him yet, so I don't know what he thinks. What the empress wants is to see if he has any good ideas?"
"You might as well ask." Cheng Wen had a serious flash of coldness: "Lao Jianhua is a master of conspiracy and conspiracy, and he has been helping the Turks fight against the Xinjiang Army. I think he will have different ideas. I think he will have a different idea. Gong still said that if we can prevent Li Jiangyao from going back alive, we must do everything possible to keep him!"
