People in the early Tang Dynasty: I compete with Wu Zhao for the throne

Chapter 1651: The mission is to die, no more obstacles

The night was deep, and after a day and night of fighting, the Xishi Pass finally calmed down temporarily.

Li Xuan walked up to the city wall again. The wall was covered with blood and it was a bit sticky to walk on.

The soldiers guarding the city wall in front of him were quickly replaced by another group.

This was already the fiftieth batch of soldiers he had replaced today.

In fact, his soldiers had to be replaced almost every quarter of an hour.

After all, Li Xuan had too few loyal soldiers. Facing Cheng Wuting's desperate attack, he had to ensure that the consumption of his men was limited to a certain extent.

Quarter of an hour. Quarter of an hour is when people's attention is most concentrated. Once quarter of an hour has passed, people's attention begins to decline and the probability of injury will also increase greatly.

Of course, casualties are always inevitable.

However, with Li Xuan's means, it was enough to ensure that Cheng Wuting's casualties would be more than five times his.

When attacking a city, the attacking side will suffer greater casualties. If the defending side is fully prepared, the casualties on the defending side will be at least three times as much.

Not to mention that Li Xuan's means of defending the city are top-notch in the world.

Although Cheng Wuting's soldiers participated in the Battle of Yangzhou, they had little exposure to truly brutal fighting.

In one day and one night, at least a thousand of Li Xuan's men were killed or wounded, but the casualties of Cheng Wuting's men were over six or seven thousand.

Moreover, Li Xuan's men were able to receive treatment quickly, but for Cheng Wuting's men, if they were injured, it would be the same as death.

……

Li Xuan put one hand on the parapet and looked outside the city.

With more than 30% casualties, even with Cheng Wuting's prestige, I'm afraid he might not be able to suppress the situation.

Perhaps the person hiding behind can no longer bear it.

"King Peng!" Under the waning moon, Cheng Wuting calmly walked to a distance of an arrow with a dozen personal guards, then raised his head to look at Li Xuan on the city wall.

The city wall opposite was as deep as a black abyss, and was covered with the blood of the siege victims.

If Li Xuan insisted on defending the city, then even if Cheng Wuting had endless support from the rear, it would take several months or even longer to launch an attack.

Cheng Wuting's eyes swept outside the city gate. On the hillsides on both sides, there was an arrow tower extending outward every hundred meters. There was a military camp in the rear with more than a dozen catapults and dozens of crossbows, and people were constantly carrying supplies to the front.

What's more, there are thousands of cavalrymen in the military camp, and whenever the situation comes to an end, they will rush down to kill.

Now, except for one team of Cheng Wuting's men who took a detour from a farther and steeper mountain road and accurately attacked Li Xuan's military supplies, all other siege methods had failed.

Li Xuan seldom gives others opportunities. Even Cheng Wuting now does not have much confidence in that group of people.

For some reason, after a day and night of reckless siege, Cheng Wuting always felt an inexplicable uneasiness.

So, when the soldiers retreated, he stepped forward.

As for his personal safety, he was not worried. The gate of Xishi Pass had been completely sealed long ago. Cheng Wuting's men could not get in, and Li Xuan's men could not get out.

Looking at the exhausted Cheng Wuting, Li Xuan placed her hand on the parapet and nodded calmly: "Brother Cheng."

Cheng Wuting looked up at Li Xuan and said in a heavy tone, "Yangzhou has already been breached. Prince Peng may still be able to calm it down, but Chang'an City has already been in turmoil. Your Majesty is not afraid that his retreat will be cut off."

"No." Li Xuan gave the answer directly. He looked at Cheng Wuting and said calmly, "Chang'an should have received the news that I have reached Xishi Pass. It is only a stone's throw away from Luoyang. Now, they may be more patient with me. At least before I am defeated at the gate of Luoyang, they will fully support me."

Cheng Wuting wanted to say something, but in the end he couldn't.

There is nothing wrong with what Li Xuan said, and it is indeed the case.

The officials and noble families in Chang'an City were indeed terrified by the fall of Yangzhou, but at the same time, when Li Xuan reached Xishi Pass, the end of the ancient Xiaohan Road, and the dangerous pass of Xiaohan was completely conquered and only one step away from Luoyang, the fear in those people's hearts would immediately dissipate a lot.

You may even turn around and be filled with immense hope.

It is only one step away from Luoyang, so does that mean it is only one step away from capturing Luoyang?

Once Luoyang was captured, they would accept either the Prince of Ping'en or the Prince of Linzi as the emperor.

Because at that time, no one in the world could question their legitimacy.

In this way, many methods can be used.

It can even split power and seize it from Li Xuan.

Of course, that’s another set of rules of the game.

After a long time, Cheng Wuting spoke again: "Perhaps everything the prince thought was right, but there is one thing the prince has overlooked, that is, as long as the prince dies, the whole Chang'an will immediately turn upside down."

Li Xuan smiled, nodded calmly, and said: "Brother Cheng, let's make a bet. You will die before me. If you can survive, I will give you a chance to serve the court instead of living in fear day and night under the false emperor."

Cheng Wuting immediately clenched his teeth. What kind of gamble was this? If he survived, he would have a chance to surrender to Li Xuan. If he didn't survive, he would be dead.

"Then I will just wait for that day." Cheng Wuting turned his horse around and headed back to the military camp with a cold face.

Not long after they walked, Cheng Wuting's face became serious, and Li Xuan seemed to be certain that he would die.

Why, why?
A hint of doubt suddenly arose in Cheng Wuting's heart.

It is true that he was defeated, but the situation at Lou Shide's place was not much better. Why did he die?

Cheng Wuting suddenly stopped his horse and looked to the side and said in a low voice: "Mobilize a thousand cavalrymen to go to Lou Shide immediately to investigate the situation. If there is any problem, report it immediately."

"Yes!" His personal soldiers immediately went in another direction.

……

On the wall of Xishi Pass, Li Xuan calmly watched Cheng Wuting walk towards the camp and shook his head with emotion.

Cheng Wuting was good at everything except his lack of understanding of the overall situation and people's hearts. Empress Wu used him not to resist Li Xuan's attack, but to defeat Li Xuan and recapture Chang'an.

But once Shanzhou was captured, Li Xuan fought his way to the Xishi Pass, and the natural barrier of Qiaohan was almost gone.

Cheng Wuting still hasn't figured out how Li Xuan managed to kill him.

From Empress Wu's perspective, it was clear that it was unrealistic to rely on Cheng Wuting to defeat Li Xuan.

If there is no one who can replace Cheng Wuting at this time, then Empress Wu will naturally insist on using Cheng Wuting, but if there is someone who can replace Cheng Wuting, then Empress Wu will definitely not use him again.

Especially now in Luoyang, there are too many people who can't tolerate Cheng Wuting.

Especially Wu Sansi.

Cheng Wuting was very uneasy about having an army of 100,000 in his hands.

Although he could only directly command more than 20,000 troops, under his mobilization, the 100,000-strong army had to obey his orders.

In particular, Cheng Wuting and Pei Yan were too close, so close that Empress Wu couldn't sleep well at night.

When it became clear that Cheng Wuting was unable to defeat Li Xuan, his value to Empress Wu greatly decreased.

Seeing this clearly, Wu Sansi chose to take action without hesitation.

He was too greedy for these 100,000-strong army.

Even if it was only indirect control, it would allow him to reach the peak of power in Luoyang.

Not to mention old antiques like Dou Lu Qinwang and Dou Xuande, even people like Guo Daiju and Fan Lubing, who were pillars of Empress Wu's support, would hardly be taken seriously by him.

When Wu Sansi looked up, there were only two people who could stand above his head. In the future, he would even move these two people away.

There was a sudden commotion in the distant camp.

Li Xuan smiled gently.

The person standing in his way and who could cause him the greatest casualties is gone.

……

In the central army tent, Cheng Wuting was pinned to the ground, with two Qianniu swords placed on his neck from behind.

The sharp blade even cut Cheng Wuting's skin, and blood flowed along the blade.

Cheng Wuting struggled to raise his head and looked at the man sitting in the main seat in the center of the army.

As soon as he returned to the central military tent, he saw someone sitting in his original position. Before he could react, two powerful Qianniu Guards behind him suddenly attacked and subdued him.

Cheng Wuting was about to fight back, but out of the corner of his eye he saw a dozen generals on both sides of the tent.

From the generals, lieutenant generals, to lieutenant generals, all those who could be were here, and all bowed their heads.

In an instant, Cheng Wuting gave up all resistance and was pressed to the ground.

But even so, his hands were still tightly grasped by a cowhide rope.

Cheng Wuting raised his head and looked at the man sitting in the main seat of the central army. His face was still unfamiliar, but a little familiar.

Gritting his teeth, Cheng Wuting asked forcefully, "Who are you?"

"General Pei Shaoye of the Left Guard has been ordered to take over all military power in Gyeonggi Province." Pei Shaoye sat in the main seat of the central army, looking at Cheng Wuting kneeling on the ground, and said coldly: "The Queen Mother has ordered that Cheng Wuting has colluded with the rebels and plotted to commit crimes. He is urgently dismissed from all important military and political positions and taken back to Luoyang for trial. If there is any obstruction, he can be executed first and reported later."

Pei Shaoye paused at this point. He looked at Cheng Wuting and shook his head, saying, "But I'm afraid the Queen Mother didn't expect that you would dare to conceal military intelligence and report lies..."

"I'm going to die, right?" Cheng Wu leaned his head against the ground, but his voice clearly interrupted Pei Shaoye.

Pei Shaoye stood up from behind the desk, walked to Cheng Wuting's side, and said softly, "Sorry."

"Please tell the Queen Mother a message." Cheng Wuting pressed his face against the cold ground. The sadness in his heart disappeared in an instant. He said softly, "King Peng asked if it was Cheng who was in Qianyang Palace that day, would Cheng be like Zhang Qianxu? Cheng did not answer him, but in fact, no matter who was in that position, he had no choice. However, despite this, Cheng was still loyal to the Tang Dynasty and the late emperor. It was just Emperor Zhongzong, and no one wanted him to die."

"Okay!" Pei Shaoye nodded, and the next moment, the long sword at his waist was unsheathed and instantly pierced into Cheng Wuting's back, and in the blink of an eye it had penetrated into his chest.

With a "puff" sound, a mouthful of blood spurted out.

Cheng Wuting finally fell to the ground powerlessly, and the light in his eyes gradually disappeared.

But at the last moment, a familiar figure flashed in his eyes.

Pei Yan, the person who always appreciated and promoted him.

At the last moment of his life, Cheng Wuting already understood that if Empress Wu took action against him, she would naturally not keep Pei Yan any longer.

What's more, Pei Yan may have died.

No matter what, Cheng Wuting has done his best for Pei Yan.

He betrayed Pei Xingjian and defected to Pei Yan, but was finally killed by Pei Shaoye.

All his life, Cheng Wuting was a tool used by the Pei family to fight and kill each other.

……

Pei Shaoye turned around and walked towards the main seat, saying, "Just leave the person there, don't move."

The two Qianniu Guards bowed solemnly, then stepped back and stood.

Inside the big tent, everyone lowered their heads solemnly.

Pei Shaoye killed Cheng Wuting and used his corpse to intimidate everyone. He is definitely not someone who is easy to mess with.

Pei Shaoye sat down calmly, then said, "Let's talk about King Peng."

(End of this chapter)