Qin Zaiming nodded, he knew the importance of this battle.
He led a group of elite soldiers and quietly approached the city gate, waiting for Yu Chigong's arrival.
At this moment, Yuchi Gong led his team to the city gate. They quickly pried open the city gate and rushed into the city.
What General Yuchi didn't expect was that the defenders in the city had already been prepared, as if waiting for their arrival. General Yuchi's soldiers were in chaos for a while.
Only then did Yuchi Gong realize that he had fallen into a trap. No wonder Yuchi Gong could lead his troops to approach the city so smoothly under Li Ke's powerful artillery fire.
It turned out that Li Ke had already prepared an ambush. Yuchi Gong couldn't help but sigh in his heart, "This guy is quite thoughtful and his arrangements are really thorough!"
Li Ke's preparation for the battle aroused Yuchi Gong's interest. Yuchi Gong has been on the battlefield for many years and can be regarded by him. He also admires few opponents in Hubei. Li Ke is now considered one.
On the city wall, Li Ke looked at General Yuchi who was shocked by Qin Zaiming's soldiers in the city, with a playful smile on his face.
He turned to the soldiers on the wall and ordered: "Hit me hard and let them see how powerful you are."
As expected, Yuchi Gong was well-informed. He quickly adjusted his mentality, deployed the small troops he brought in, took the opportunity to command the soldiers to launch a counterattack, and gained an advantage.
Li Ke stood on the city wall, watching the situation on the battlefield, and secretly praised Yu Chigong's decisiveness and bravery.
The battle lasted for a long time and both sides suffered heavy losses. However, at this moment, Li Ke ordered the city gate to be closed.
General Wei Chigong and those soldiers who had no time to evacuate were imprisoned in Licheng.
Obviously, Yuchi Gong was exhausted after a long battle. After closing the city gate, Qin Zaiming quickly detained the soldiers from Chang'an City.
He dismounted from his horse and said respectfully to Yuchi Gong with his hands clasped in his fists: "General Yuchi, I have offended you a lot just now. Your Majesty will be waiting for you at the palace later."
As soon as Yuchi Gong saw Qin Zaiming's formation, he knew Li Ke's little plan. It seemed that he wanted to impeach himself and join Li Ke's camp.
Yuchi Gong sneered secretly in his heart. He knew that he was going to lose to Li Ke this time.
But he did not panic. Instead, he calmly said to Qin Zaiming: "General Qin, what are you doing? I, Wei Chigong, am a loyal minister of the Tang Dynasty. How can I betray Your Majesty?"
Qin Zaiming smiled slightly and said: "General Yuchi, you have misunderstood. Your Majesty just wants to talk to you and understand what happened in this battle. Don't worry, Your Majesty will not treat you badly."
Yuchi Gong understood in his heart that Li Ke wanted to take the opportunity to weaken Li Shimin's power. He decided to stabilize his position first and see what Li Ke wanted to do.
So, he said to Qin Zaiming: "Okay, I'll go see your majesty. But I hope your majesty can treat this matter fairly."
Qin Zaiming nodded and said, "Don't worry, General Yuchi, your majesty will definitely deal with it fairly." After saying that, he took Yuchi Gong away from the battlefield and headed to the palace.
In the palace, Li Ke has been waiting for a long time. He looked at Yu Chigong, with a cunning light flashing in his eyes.
He knew that this opportunity was once in a lifetime, and as long as he could pull Yuchi Gong into his camp, his power would be greatly enhanced.
Yuchi Gong walked into the palace and saluted Li Ke respectfully: "The last general, Yuchi Gong, has met your Majesty."
Li Ke smiled slightly and said: "Thank you for your hard work, General Yuchi. Although the losses in this battle were heavy, I believe that you are all soldiers who fought bravely. Come and give me a seat."
A guard brought a chair and Yu Chigong sat down. He was secretly wary, knowing that Li Ke would definitely propose some conditions that he would find difficult to refuse.
Sure enough, Li Ke looked at Yuchi Gong and said slowly: "General Yuchi, I have always known that you performed outstandingly on the battlefield and were a pillar of the Tang Dynasty."!
"I intend for you to join my camp and lead the Tang Dynasty to a more prosperous and prosperous situation together. Are you willing?"
Yuchi Gong was shocked. He didn't expect Li Ke to be so direct.
He hesitated for a moment and replied: "Your Majesty is so kind to me, I am very grateful. But I have always been loyal to His Majesty and I dare not have any second thoughts."
A trace of disappointment flashed in Li Ke's eyes, but he quickly regained his composure. He said calmly: "Is General Yuchi willing to let that witch manipulate him?"
""It was probably Wu's idea that Li Chengqian led his troops this time. He killed two birds with one stone. No matter whether he wins or loses in this battle, the prince may not be able to make any contribution."
"To be honest with General Yuchi, Quan Wanji has been arranged to block the prince's retreat route. A hundred thousand troops will be left in Licheng with him."
Yuchi Gong looked at Li Ke hesitantly and asked with some worry: "Your Majesty, are you not going to care about brotherhood at all?"
"General Yuchi, I only ordered him to be captured alive out of consideration for brotherhood. Otherwise, if he returns defeated, Wu Meiniang will definitely instigate Li Shimin to depose the prince or even kill him!"
When Yuchi Gong heard what Li Ke said, he didn't think it made sense. He broke out in a cold sweat and was speechless for a moment.
Outside the city.
When Li Chengqian saw Yu Chigong being locked into the city gate by Li Ke, he was instantly confused. He and his soldiers saw that their leader had been captured alive by the enemy.
All of a sudden, their morale was completely gone. No matter how Liu Shili ordered him, he had no intention of fighting.
When Li Chengqian saw that the defeat was certain and his struggle was in vain, he simply ordered a retreat and hurriedly turned the chariot.
Running toward Chang'an City, Li Ke's soldiers behind him pretended to pursue him for a while, then allowed Li Chengqian to escape.
The mighty army of 100,000 came, but now less than 20,000 were left after their armor was removed. Liu Shili looked at the disgraced prince and was very worried about what his father would do to him after he returned to Chang'an City.
As night falls, the moonlight shines on the empty riverside, reflecting a dead silence.
The wounded soldiers fell to the ground, exhausted. They had no strength to resist.
After four or five close encounters, they were all captured by Quan Wanji's soldiers.
Prince Li Chengqian, the current prince, has now become a defeated general.
His body was weak and his face was pale, but his eyes shone with determination.
He knew that he could not be captured like this, otherwise the consequences would be disastrous.
Quan Wanji, once a loyal minister, now betrayed the emperor and became a Machiavellian strategist.
He looked at Li Chengqian, a complex emotion flashing in his eyes. After all, he was once a veteran of the emperor's side, but now he has become an angry lackey, which filled his heart with guilt and helplessness.
"His Royal Highness the Crown Prince has been working hard for the past few days. I will prepare wine, food and a sedan chair to welcome you. I sympathize with His Majesty's visit to the palace in Licheng and share the feelings of brotherhood with His Majesty." Quan Wanji said respectfully.
