Man Tanghong

Chapter 660 The Outrageous Battle (VIII)

"Ren Guogong leads 2 people to stay here, and the others follow me to Gyeongju!"

After deciding to fight the Turkic people head-on, Li Yuanji gave the order decisively.

Liu Hongji made a mistake just now, so facing this order right now, he didn't dare to even stumble, and bowed decisively in agreement.

"Go down and get ready!"

Li Yuanji waved his hand, indicating that others can go down and pack their bags.

The others also knew that the situation in Gyeongju was critical and they couldn't delay, so they rushed to get up and pack their bags, but when they reached the door, Chen Shuda suddenly stopped, as if he remembered something, he turned around and cupped his hands and said: " Your Highness wants to let go of Qingzhou and let the Turkic people rule?"

Li Yuanji sighed inwardly.

It's time to come.

The reason why he summoned Chen Shuda and others here was to discuss this matter with Chen Shuda and others.

Letting go of Gyeongju is easy to say, and it's okay to let Turkic people roam freely in Gyeongju.

But once Gyeongju is released, it is tantamount to opening the door of Datang.

The Turks can not only wreak havoc in Gyeongju, but also raid Suizhou, Yanzhou, and even farther away in Chang'an.

This is very harmful to Datang.

Although he, the person in power, can make a decision, he still needs to discuss it with a prime minister like Chen Shuda and other important ministers.

Because once Suizhou, Yanzhou, or even Chang'an are endangered, it will no longer be a simple war, but will also involve many people's livelihood issues.

All these issues need to be discussed with Chen Shuda and other three prime ministers, as well as important officials in the court who can speak.

When necessary, they have to be asked to come out to help with the aftermath.

Therefore, we must discuss with them. If they are dissatisfied or refuse to agree, it will be another verbal battle enough to quarrel in the court for a long time.

Although the officials of the Tang Dynasty were far less rigid than the officials of the Ming Dynasty, they took pleasure in impeaching the emperor, gaining fame by impeaching the emperor, and admonishing each other with death, but there are still some hard bones among the officials of the Tang Dynasty. When you do something wrong, or when you do something that will endanger people's livelihood, you will point it out to your face without mercy.

Li Gang is such a person.

Li Yuanji was not afraid of arguing with people like Li Gang, but he didn't want to make trouble at this critical moment.

If there is a stalemate with the civil servants, if there is a quarrel, and the civil servants go on strike collectively, it will definitely be a more troublesome trouble for the current Tang Dynasty than the Turkic attack.

"The Turks may have taken Gyeongju by now, so I don't want to let go of Gyeongju. The Turks will be all over Gyeongju."

Li Yuanji moved Chen Shuda with emotion and reason.

Chen Shuda frowned subconsciously and said: "If Qingzhou is left alone, the Turkic people will come to Chang'an at any time. Moreover, the people in Qingzhou and Yanzhou have not moved away. If the Turkic people are allowed to roam around in these places, The people are afraid that they will suffer."

The Turkic people's southward movement has always been to plunder money, food and population as their primary purpose.

Therefore, once the Turkic people opened the door to the Tang Dynasty, they basically burned and robbed everything they went, leaving nothing behind.

Li Yuanji was surprised and said: "I didn't say I don't care, isn't this going to take you to Gyeongju? I also asked you to order the officials in Gyeongju and Yanzhou to relocate the people as soon as possible..."

Chen Shuda still frowned, after hesitating again and again, he cupped his hands and left.

Li Yuanji was a little unbelievable, he didn't expect Chen Shuda to let him go so easily.

After thinking about it for a while, I probably understood the key point.

The reason why Chen Shuda let him go so easily was because the matter had come to this point, he was doing everything he could do, and it didn't make much sense to talk about other things.

……

Due to the critical situation in Gyeongju, Li Jiancheng, Li Shimin, Chen Shuda and others packed their things quickly. After half an hour, a group of people packed their bags.

The soldiers who were going to Qingzhou also packed up their armor, took dry food for the road, and were ready to go at the gate.

It's just that the luggage team was a bit slow to pack up. Liu Hongji led the 2 people who stayed behind in Xiaoguan to help out, and it took half an hour to pack up but still failed.

According to Cai Yungong's inquiry, I may have to wait until tomorrow after packing up.

"Then don't wait, let's go ahead and let them follow as soon as possible."

Li Yuanji was dressed in armor and equipped with a horizontal knife. After giving Cai Yungong a word, he led the soldiers to Qingzhou first.

Cai Yungong and Han Liang were left to supervise the transportation of grain and grass.

The road from Xiaoguan to Qingzhou is not easy. There are thousands of ravines along the way, and the road is very difficult.

The official road out of Lingzhou is on the edge of a deep ditch. When you look down, you can see the cliff. People with fear of heights will tremble when they look down.

In addition, there has just been a heavy snowfall, and the road is very slippery. If you are not careful, you will slide down the cliff.

So there was only five miles of mountain road, and Li Yuanji and his party walked for a full day.

Li Yuanji ordered people to dig steps on the mountain road while walking down.

The permafrost is difficult to dig. After hundreds of hoes and more than 100 weapons were buried, the steps were dug, and more than a dozen people died.

These ten people all slipped and fell off the cliff while digging the steps.

Every time someone falls off the cliff and there is a "pop" sound under the cliff, everyone's heart will be tugged.

But even so, the steps were dug as usual, and the army continued on their way as usual.

Compared with the situation in Gyeongju and the lives of the people in Gyeongju and Yanzhou, this damage is nothing at all.

Li Yuanji didn't stop marching just because someone died while digging the steps.

On the contrary, he also ordered the army to speed up the journey.

When leaving the last post station in Lingzhou, the memorial of the governor of Gyeongju finally arrived.

It is said to be a memorial, but it is actually a report on the battle situation.

As expected, Jieli and Tuli went to Gyeongju, and after arriving in Gyeongju, they launched a fierce attack on the fortress of Gyeongju with an army of 15.

The governor of Gyeongju, with only more than 2 soldiers and horses, could not stop the onslaught of the 15 army, which was too worn out.

The gate of Gyeongju was opened on the first day.

The governor of Qingzhou decided to lead the remaining soldiers to fight to the end with Jieli and Tuli.

The one who came to deliver the memorial was the young daughter of the governor of Gyeongju, and an old servant who was about to grow old.

It is said that the governor of Gyeongju also has an eldest son and an 11-year-old youngest son.

When Chen Shuda asked many questions, the young daughter and old servant of the governor of Gyeongju burst into tears.

"Your Highness, you have entered the boundary of Gyeongju!"

After Li Yuanji and his party passed the boundary markers of Lingzhou and Gyeongju, Yu Wenbao rushed to report to the horse in a weather-beaten suit.

Li Yuanji sat on the horseback, wiped Zaoshuang's wet eyebrows, and ordered: "Scatter all the scouts under my hand immediately, I want to know all the battle situation in Gyeongju as soon as possible."

"Here!"

Yu Wenbao cupped his fists, and immediately went down to deliver the order.

Not long after, hundreds of horsemen in the army rushed out and disappeared into the bitterly cold field.

When night fell, Li Yuanji and his party were stationed in Hedao, Gyeongju, and did not move without authorization.

Because the specific battle situation in Gyeongju is still unclear, we cannot act rashly.

The scouts sent out brought back the battle situation in various parts of Gyeongju bit by bit.

"Your Highness, the Turkic troops have already arrived at Baijiabao, and the main troops are marching in three directions to the three counties of Maling, Baima, and Huachi. The front army has already arrived at Anding.

On the banks of the Baima River outside Anding City, they were ambushed by Hou Junji and suffered heavy losses. They are reorganizing and preparing to launch a new round of attacks on Anding. "

In the county yamen of Hedao, Li Yuanji was at the top, Li Jiancheng and Li Shimin sat on the two sides, Chen Shuda and others sat at the head, and were roasting by the fire. Yu Wenbao bowed and stood in the yamen to report.

Li Yuanji frowned and said, "How did Hou Junji appear in Anding?"

According to the original strategy, Hou Junji should set up an ambush at Yunmeng Mountain in Yunyang, and he suddenly appeared in Anding, and moved more than 400 miles to the northwest, nearly [-] miles.

This is not setting up an ambush, this is taking the initiative to come to the door to fight the Turkic people.

For the sake of military exploits, strategies and orders are ignored.

Yu Wenbao bowed his body and said nothing, how could he know why Hou Junji appeared in Anding.

If he wants to know, he is not Yu Wenbao, but Li Shimin, Li Jing, Li Shiji, Su Dingfang.

"Now is not the time to worry about this. Hou Junji can appear in Gyeongju and restrain the momentum of Turkic invasion south, which is very beneficial to us."

Li Shimin spoke suddenly, and said a word for Hou Junji.

Li Yuanji gave Li Shimin a strange look in his heart.

Li Shimin was trying to excuse Hou Junji, but Hou Junji had already been bewitched by his military exploits and Guan Neihou, and he no longer loved him.

No matter how much he excused Hou Junji, Hou Junji would no longer follow him loyally.

"Where is the governor of Gyeongju now? How many soldiers and horses are left in Gyeongju?"

This question was asked by Chen Shuda.

Only a pure civil servant like Chen Shuda would speak like this.

Yu Wenbao didn't answer in a hurry, but glanced at Li Yuanji.

Li Yuanji nodded slightly, and Yu Wenbao said in a deep voice: "The governor of Qingzhou died in battle on the day the memorial was sent out, and his two sons were also killed in the battle. They captured the Turks for three days, and all of them died in battle."

Li Yuanji took a long breath.

Although he had expected this result a long time ago, when he heard the result, he still felt a burst of heartache.

The governor of Gyeongju died in battle, and his two sons died together.

The governor of Gyeongju is unprecedented.

Such loyalty and bravery should not be unprecedented.

This made him think about Houci, but he didn't know who to give Houci to.

Although the governor of Gyeongju still left behind a young daughter, women cannot inherit the title. Even if they made an exception and made a county head, they would be gone in the next generation.

"The remaining 1 soldiers and horses in Gyeongju were all killed in three days?"

Li Jiancheng couldn't believe his ears.

That was more than 1 soldiers and horses, not more than 1 cattle and sheep. How could they all be killed in three days?

Yu Wenbao didn't know how to answer Li Jiancheng's question. Li Shimin said with emotion: "This just shows the tragedy of the Huai'an war."

(End of this chapter)