Elegy of Tang Dynasty

Chapter 150 The “Forgotten” Army
"Fang Shijun, the frontier troops in Luo City suffered heavy casualties due to the previous battle to defend the city. Even if we want to send troops, I am afraid that we can only mobilize 2000 people at most.

I wonder how many people can be mobilized in this small town?If we want to conquer Shazhou, we can't do it without cavalry, let alone less soldiers and horses. "

Guo Ziyi frowned slightly and said, although he didn't say it too directly, it was obvious that he was not willing to lead troops to Guazhou.

In fact, everyone understood what Fang Chongyong meant. Shazhou sent troops to fight from west to east, and Ganzhou Wang Zhongsi led troops to fight from east to west. They attacked from both sides, making it impossible for the Tubo people to look at each other.

It is very possible to defeat the enemy in one fell swoop!
However, Fang Chongyong's proposal looks beautiful, but it ignores an issue that is easily ignored on the battlefield.

Victory and battle losses are two interrelated but not entirely consistent topics.

When a great victory is achieved, some soldiers or even generals in the army may not survive.

When a big defeat occurs, a soldier or even a general in the army may not die.

The victory of the Tang Dynasty in the war with Tubo and whether the generals present can return to Shazhou safely are two completely different issues!

No one wants to become a stepping stone for other people's military success. He sacrifices himself to attract the attention of the Tubo people. In the end, he dies and becomes a "friendly army".

If Wang Zhongsi, who was the governor of Hexi Province, personally ordered this, then the local border generals in Shazhou would naturally have to obey, otherwise it would be a rebellion.But now, this issue was raised by Fang Chongyong, the governor of Shazhou, and everyone was hesitant.

From whose standpoint did Fang Chongyong raise this issue?
Is it a local wealthy man in Shazhou, a border garrison like the Doulu Army, or his future father-in-law Wang Zhongsi?

In the previous battle, whether it was a small town or Luocheng, the defenders had military exploits, which were enough for them to enjoy a good life.Now that the military merits have been obtained, why bother to attack again?If it fails, not only will all the previous efforts be wasted, but even Shazhou, which has turned a corner, will be in danger.

As long as you are a human being, you have your own thoughts and will seriously consider your personal interests.It's not sweet to force the situation, so he just used military orders to mobilize these generals and let them lead the troops to attack.The final result will definitely not be very good!
"Everyone, Shazhou cannot exist on its own and relies entirely on material supplies from the Central Plains. Now that the Tubo people have cut off trade routes, they have also cut off Shazhou's livelihood.

In the future, Hu merchants from the Western Regions will not come to Shazhou, and supplies from Guanzhong will not be able to reach Shazhou. We may not even be able to get through this year.It is better to take advantage of the new defeat of the Tibetan army, when our own supplies are not in short supply, and the morale of the soldiers and generals is high, to take the initiative to attack Shazhou and survive in death.

If we miss this opportunity and the imperial troops cannot recapture Guazhou and Suzhou, what will we do in winter? "

Fang Chongyong persuaded him earnestly.

He remembered that there seemed to be no such battle in the history books of previous lives, just as it was recorded that Yang Yuhuan later became Yang Guifei, and now Yang Yuhuan has passed away.

Everything is different from the impression in his memory, which makes Fang Chongyong often tremble and walk on thin ice.

Who dares to say that Wang Zhongsi will definitely be able to lift the siege of Guazhou and Suzhou in a short period of time?The terrain on this side of the Hexi Corridor is similar to a person's throat.Only a small number of soldiers and horses are needed to block key roads.

The advantage of the Tubo people is that they can attack the Hexi Corridor anytime and anywhere from the southern plateau down the river.However, the Tang army was unable to climb the mountain and fight back. The initiative on this battlefield was one-way.

The Tibetans will definitely withdraw from the Hexi Corridor. The only question is: when and how.

"Although what the Commander-in-Chief said does make sense, even if we are willing, our subordinates are not willing to fight anymore."

One of the ten generals of the Doulu Army couldn't help but interject.

This man spoke the truth.

Convincing yourself to die, or even convincing your whole family to die together, was often not a difficult task in the feudal era when human life was at stake.

However, it is not that easy to persuade his subordinates to die together.Especially when there is no life or death threat.How do those people at the bottom know the truths that Fang Chongyong said?

"What you said makes sense. Let's think about it when you go back. If you have any ideas, discuss them with me privately and then let them go."

Fang Chongyong waved his sleeves helplessly. Although his expression remained calm, the depression in his heart was indescribable.

After all the generals left, Guo Ziyi stayed alone and went to the study room in the backyard of the government office with Fang Chongyong, where the two discussed secrets.

After sitting down, Guo Ziyi said worriedly:
"The three armies are exhausted and need to be repaired. Now is not a good time to send troops. But Shazhou is sitting on nothing, so I suggested asking the Anxi Governor for reinforcements. As long as there are [-] more troops, it will be easy to counterattack the Tibetans.

There are too many people to say just now, but I actually think that the emperor's strategy is quite feasible. The Tibetan army is confronting the main force of the Hexi frontier army. At least there are tens of thousands of elites who cannot move a single point. Now Guazhou must be empty.

There is only one thing that worries me, and that is that the Tibetan army besieging Luocheng is extremely brave.The general is very good at using troops. We mobilized almost all the forces of Luocheng, and we are still in a state of embarrassment.

If this army returns to Guazhou and joins the main force of the Tibetan army, I'm afraid..."

Guo Ziyi did not continue speaking, but the meaning he wanted to express was already clear.The leader of the Tubo army besieging Luocheng is a master, but he may not be easy to deal with.And with such a supporting force, the Tubo army in Guazhou would probably be difficult to deal with.

Guo Ziyi has been in the army for more than 20 years and knows very well what "a thousand troops are easy to get, but a general is hard to find."The same army, commanded by different generals, may have vastly different combat effectiveness.

"Who is this person? Lun Qinling has been dead for decades."

Fang Chongyong asked with a puzzled look on his face.

Regarding the three words "Qinling", during the Wu and Zhou Dynasties, they were three words that could not be mentioned in the Tang army.Countless famous generals of the Tang army have become the background of this Tubo general. Even Xue Rengui died in Dafeichuan.

From the establishment of Tubo to its destruction, this man was the well-deserved number one.

However, this famous Tubo general, who was so fierce that the Tang army was frightened at the time, still could not escape the fate of political struggle. He was falsely accused of treason and died at the hands of Tubo Zampu.Its political tactics are no different from those of the Central Plains Dynasty.

This move directly set back Tubo's military expansion strategy by 30 years. It was even worse than the self-destruction of the Great Wall when Emperor Wen of Liu Song Dynasty, Liu Yilong, killed Tan Daoji. It directly contributed to Ji Ge who later ascended the throne and proclaimed himself emperor. "Big gift".

Otherwise, Tubo is a "relative" of the Tang Dynasty. In order to fight the Tang Dynasty, he had to cut off one of his arms to give the Tang Dynasty time to recover.

Things that the soldiers of the Tang army could not dream of doing were easily accomplished by the Tubo people.Famous generals with great achievements often end up like this, no different in ancient and modern times.

Later, the Lun Qinling family defected to the Tang Dynasty and guarded the border for the Tang Dynasty.This incident perfectly illustrates that the interests of the monarch are not the same as the interests of the country, and sometimes even contradict each other.

It was this major event that gave Brother Ji the confidence to use force against Tibet.The reason why Brother Ji always felt that he was "ordained by heaven" was because in the ten years before and after he ascended the throne, various external conditions began to favor Datang.

Fang Chongyong, who has extensive research on the Tubo people, naturally cannot fail to know who Lun Qinling is.

"What are you talking about Qin Ling? I don't know the name of the general, but unexpectedly, I discovered something that made me very curious.

This was captured from the Tibetan army. There were more than one. I brought one piece today to open the envoy's eyes. "Guo Ziyi smiled slightly and took out a flag from his arms. It was not large.

Fang Chongyong's pupils suddenly shrank. This thing in front of him was not common among the Tubo army!

He carefully took the flag, put it in his hand and examined it, then sighed softly, finally understanding why the Tibetan army besieging Luocheng had given up on the so-called "friendly forces".

This flag is embroidered with symbols common in Bon religion.However, it was really different from the Bon "swastika" he had seen in his previous life, and the pattern was more concise. It was a square-like pattern made of solid red, blue, yellow and other colors.

The Bon "swastika" he saw in Tibet in his previous life was "borrowed" from Bon after the integration of Buddhism and Buddhism. It can be regarded as a compromise reached in competition, or the gradual development of "detailed aesthetics". Unite.

The appearance of the Bon religion flag in the Tubo army shows that the Tibetan army general is a die-hard believer who firmly supports Bon religion.The Tubo army besieging the small town clearly supported the cause of Tibetan Buddhism.

Therefore, it is very understandable that the other side refuses to save them.The struggle between Buddhism and Bon Religion in Tubo has become intense and has affected the battlefield.

"If the envoy attacks, the chance of victory may be greater than expected. The Tubo army is not united, and there are factions within it. Sectarian disputes may be just one of them.

Now the problem is just to convince the lieutenants and soldiers to support it. After solving this problem, I think I can try this battle. "

Guo Ziyi analyzed it and put forward very pertinent opinions.

"I understand. In fact, it's not about having more soldiers but more about being good. I thought five thousand cavalry would be enough. There are too many soldiers and horses, but the baggage cannot keep up. We can successfully attack Guazhou and cut off the Tibetan people's food routes.

As long as the Tibetans retreat, the front line will inevitably loosen.We can fight quickly and retreat quickly. We can just go back to Shazhou and hold on. In fact, we don't need to fight the Tubo people head-on. "

Fang Chongyong said with a sigh.

Seeing Guo Ziyi's hesitation, he then added:
"That is to say, when the enemy advances, we retreat, when the enemy is stationed, we harass, when the enemy is tired, we attack, and when the enemy retreats, we pursue. Just attract the Tibetan troops to the western front line of Guazhou and prevent them from reinforcing Suzhou."

"The envoy's plan is very good, so I should think it over carefully. Wang Jieshuai is a fellow countryman of so and so, so when he wants to attack, he is bound to do it.

With military affairs in hand, I returned to Luocheng first to strengthen the city's defenses. "

Guo Ziyi nodded slightly and said goodbye.He felt that Fang Chongyong's strategy still had some basis, and it was not a blind attack.However, fighting is not a matter of one person. It is not an easy task for so many people to work together.

Let's see what this Fang Shijun can do.

As the leader of the "guest army", some words were not suitable for him to say.

……

For three days in a row, Fang Chongyong was thinking hard about how to unite people's hearts. He thought of several crooked tricks.

Routine [-]: Cast a batch of fake money, the front and back are the same, and then throw these fake money in front of the army for divination. In the end, they will all have the same side.In this way, ordinary soldiers in the army will think that they are invincible with magical powers.

Of course, the shortcomings are also obvious. Once this routine is exposed (almost certain), the blow to morale and the destruction of Fang Chongyong's prestige will be devastating.Moreover, most of the generals in the army are well-informed people, so it is difficult to hide this little trick from them.

Routine [-]: Find a cloudy day to gather together and practice the exercises, and then "if there are clouds, go up to the army and the white rabbit dances, you will win."If you see the clouds in the sky turning into the shape of a rabbit, you will be invincible. This is a "legend" among the Tang army, and it has a certain degree of credibility.

The disadvantages are the same as casting fake money.Although the ancients were superstitious, they were not fools. Similar routines can only play a supporting role. Words such as the blessing of ghosts and gods can be used to boost morale, but it is childish to use them as an argument for sending troops.

Routine [-]: Cash in the previous rewards in advance. This can boost morale, but it may also have the opposite effect. The soldiers will not go out to fight after receiving the previous rewards.

"Ahhhhhhhhhh! It's so annoying!"

Fang Chongyong, with red eyes, was scratching his hair and walking around in the government office's study room, like a furious beast, anxious but unable to do anything.

Anaye leaned on the door of the study room, folded her arms, looked at the manic Fang Chongyong, sighed helplessly and asked: "Since you were nicknamed Qilinzi, everything seems to have been going wrong. I wonder if you are not moral. Coordination, that’s why these unlucky things happen?”

"You..."

Fang Chongyong was just about to curse, but then he remembered that Anaye had taken good care of him since they met, and there was really no need to yell at her.

So he waved his hands helplessly and said:
“When people feel at peace, they usually only care about the moment of peace in front of them, but they never realize that the stormy waves behind them are unavoidable.

You are also a medical practitioner, don’t you know that minor illnesses cannot be cured into serious ones?
As long as the Tibetans have not left, there will be no real peace in Shazhou. "

He shook his head and sighed, feeling depressed in his heart. He wished he could put a rope around the necks of the Doulu Army soldiers and drag them out to fight!

The truth is often in the hands of a few people. Most people don't see far ahead and only care about immediate interests. This is also limited by their own knowledge and is understandable.However, these people are the majority of the group, and they also have their own will. It is impossible for others to say what they want!
Want to convince an army that doesn't want to go out to take risks for the "overall overall situation".This is worthwhile, necessary, but embarrassing.

"You should eat well now. Thinking about these things is of no use at all. Don't you often say that Datang is not yours? Brother Ji is not anxious, so why are you anxious?"

Anaye's words hit Fang Chongyong mercilessly.

Yes, I am not a gay brother when I ride a horse. Why should I be anxious?
Fang Chongyong slumped down in front of the desk, and said to Anaye, "Come here, give me a good squeeze on your shoulders!"

After a while, just as Fang Chongyong was enjoying Anaye's professional massage and was so comfortable that he almost hummed, a loud cheer suddenly came from outside the study!Although the sound is distant, it is continuous!
"Your Majesty! Your Majesty! Good news!

Reinforcements are coming!Reinforcements are coming! "

Zhang Guangsheng trotted all the way, rushed into the study, and shouted to Fang Chongyong, he didn't care about his superiority or inferiority!

"Reinforcement?"

Fang Chongyong was stunned for a moment, then stood up suddenly.Now that the Hexi Corridor is blocked by the Tubo people, what kind of reinforcements are there!Even the big local businessmen are unwilling to go to war!
"That's right, they are reinforcements! Moreover, they pursued the Tibetan army for hundreds of miles and lost nothing!"

The expression on Zhang Guangsheng's face was like a man who almost died of thirst in the desert and suddenly drank sweet mountain spring water!
"Go, take me to see!"

Fang Chongyong also regained his energy instantly and followed Zhang Guangsheng into striding out of the study.

What Fang Chongyong couldn't see was that Anaye stared at him with deep and dim eyes, which finally turned into a long sigh.

(End of this chapter)