Elegy of Tang Dynasty

Chapter 259

In a war, for both warring parties, a small defeat will often affect the overall direction.

In the era of cold weapons, if an elite cavalry force of [-] people is wiped out by the enemy, it will obviously greatly affect the error tolerance of our own combat, and even lead to the lack of a capable reserve team at the critical moment, and helplessly watch the victory slip away before our eyes. .

In the spring of the seventh year of Tianbao, Fang Chongyong, the acting governor of Longyou, put [-] elite soldiers dressed in sheepskin and pretended to be sheep, mixed with [-] real sheep, and set up an ambush on the grassland north of Datong City in Xingxuchuan.

This deployment became the winner of the subsequent battle.

The Tibetan cavalry, who came with the purpose of plundering, suddenly failed to see through these Tang troops in sheep's clothing. They went straight to plunder the villages around Shancheng, not caring about the sheep at all.

After the Tubo army left, these three thousand "sheepskin troops" moved a large number of horse-rejecting stakes placed in Datong City to the narrow valley road under Datong City, which was the only way for the Tibetan cavalry to return.

After completing these things, the "Sheepskin Army" lurked in Datong City on standby, silenced its troops, and waited to see what would happen.

The Tibetan cavalry plundered smoothly, but when they returned, they were blocked by horse-rejecting stakes.

The leader of the Tubo army, Shang Yexi, first ordered his cavalry to dismount and carry the horse piles.

Later, five thousand fine cavalry belonging to the Lintao Army of the Tang Army chased him here. He fled in a hurry to Datong City with the remaining troops, and was finally strangled by the "Sheepskin Army" in the city and the Lintao Army outside the city.

The battle went through twists and turns. Both sides deployed almost the same amount of troops. The Tang army actually annihilated the Tibetan army's 1 cavalry with a loss ratio of less than 30:[-]. It can be called the most dazzling battle in the past ten years.

This battle shocked the government and the public. Anyone who heard about the battle couldn't believe it was true. But this is really happening!

On the second day after the war, Fang Chongyong, the acting envoy of Longyou Jiedu, sent the judge Cen Shen to Fuqi City, the old capital of Tuyuhun occupied by the Tubo people, to negotiate with Qilixu, the Tubo great talk.

Cen Shen denounced the Tubo people for not keeping their faith and starting the war lightly, tearing up the peace agreement between the two countries, and it was entirely their own fault that the troops and horses were wiped out.

He also proposed that Tibet send people to Chang'an to plead guilty to the emperor of Chang'an and pay compensation.

If not, it will be regarded as the Tibetans declaring war first, and the previous peace treaty between the two countries will be invalidated. From now on, when the two sides meet on the battlefield, they will each settle down with their destiny!

The various units of the Longyou Army are on the alert. Since they were able to annihilate [-] Tibetan elite cavalry before, they can also defeat the Tibetans in the future so that they do not dare to take a step further!

Seeing that the attitude of the Tang Dynasty was so tough, the Tubo Master Kilixu, who knew he was in the wrong, said:

There was no such thing as the Tubo army attacking the Tang army's garrison. It is certainly possible that the Tang army was attacked, but whether it was the fault of the Tubo people cannot be said casually.

Kilixu believes that there are many tribes around the Hehuang Valley, and it is not just the Tubo family. It is likely that the Turks or party members are pretending to be Tubo troops to fish in troubled waters and want to profit from it.

He himself did not order any Tibetan troops to raid Shanzhou, nor did he hear of any casualties among the Tibetan troops.

Therefore, Tubo would send envoys to Chang'an to personally explain this matter to the Emperor of Tang Dynasty. If the Longyou Army of the Tang Dynasty wanted to deliberately provoke trouble, then the Tubo Army would not be ambiguous and there would be no harm in meeting each other on the battlefield.

In short, Tubo has no intention of sabotaging the peace agreement between the two countries, and hopes that the Longyou Army of the Tang Dynasty will not frame it casually.

This time, Fang Chongyong gave the Tubo people a hard blow. Then the Tubo side had to rub the Tianling Gai while saying that they had not been beaten, and finally sent people to Chang'an to explain to Li Longji.

This battle can be said to have interrupted the "power storage tank" of the Tubo people, allowing them to advance or retreat.

Seeing that his goal had been achieved, Cen Shen felt happy and walked away pretending to be angry. After he returned to Shanzhou, he told Fang Chongyong and the envoys of the Longyou Army about what he saw and heard. Everyone was deeply impressed by Fang Chongyong's clever calculation.

Tactics serve strategy, and strategy serves politics. Fighting a war is politics, otherwise it is a pointless fight that wastes money and food.

Fang Chongyong's political purpose is very clear, which is to "end war with war."

A small-scale victory was used to dispel the Tibetan people's imminent ambitions and buy the necessary time for the internal adjustment of the Longyou Army.

This victory could prove that the Tang army was well prepared and well-defended, and that the Tibetans' adventurous actions would not yield any good results. Secondly, it cut off the Tibetans, completely disrupting their combat deployment and taking the initiative in public opinion. .

Now that this matter has been publicized, if the Tubo people start a war, it will be a sure sign that they have torn up the peace agreement and betrayed their trust.

If the Tubo people sent people to Chang'an to explain to Brother Ji, then they would have to give in first, let alone break their promise and start a war.

The division came out of nowhere, it was defeated again before, and its deployment was disrupted again. No matter how you look at it, this is not a good start. Fang Chongyong estimated that if they were not forced to have no way out, the Tubo people would definitely endure for the time being.

What's more, within Tubo, the "Shang" faction suddenly lost [-] fine cavalry, and the balance of power with the "Lun" faction changed significantly, so they had to act cautiously. Tibet also needed to adjust its internal relations and redeploy its troops.

Fang Chongyong sent Cen Shen to Fuqi City to test the truth of the Tibetan people this time, just to find out the Tubo's views on this war and to see if their words and deeds would be as he expected.

Judging from Kilixu's performance, the Tibetans have given up their attempt to launch an offensive in the spring.

However, the Tibetan people's expansion will not stop because of this "small" defeat.

I'm afraid that this autumn, the Tubo people will send troops to Longyou according to the war rhythm they have long been accustomed to. A protracted war is still inevitable!

The fight with Tubo was the fate of the Tang Dynasty, and it would never end. Although Fang Chongyong tried his best, he still could not change the general trend of history and geography.

……

On the grassland outside Shanzhou City, two teams of cavalry were lining up, preparing to sprint and fight.

The Mo Dao army and heavily armored soldiers arrayed in the distance are also full of murderous intent and will turn into ruthless meat grinding machines at any time.

On the purpose-built stand, which was several stories high, Fang Chongyong held a "thousand-mile mirror" in his hand and was observing the [-] cavalrymen selected from the Lintao Army and the Heyuan Army, as well as the cooperation of [-] infantry, carrying out tactics. drill.

Subjects such as cavalry sprinting, mounted infantry dismounting and fighting on foot, Mo Dao formation, heavy armored soldiers and cavalry fighting, etc. will all be presented one by one.

"Judge Cen has been very busy this time and has made great contributions. After returning to Beijing to report on his duties, the commander of this section will recommend you to the sage as the supervisory censor."

Fang Zhongyong put down the telescope in his hand and said with a smile.

"Wherever my subordinates dare to take credit, it's only because of the commander-in-chief's strategizing that we can catch all the Tubo thieves in one fell swoop!"

Cen Shen excitedly crossed his hands and saluted. Fang Chongyong's words may be just polite, and the court may not reward Cen Shen according to what Fang Chongyong said.

But no matter what, you can't escape military merit reports and promotions. It's just a matter of how much you add. Cen Shen now fully realizes how refreshing it is to be an official with someone above you.

As long as you have made a meritorious service, someone will report it to you immediately. It is much more comfortable than suffering alone in the officialdom.

Seeing Gai Jiayun, Wang Nan and others around him looking at him eagerly, Fang Chongyong waved his hands indifferently and said:

"The principle of Shuai's work in this section is just one word: fairness!

Whoever has made a meritorious service will be asked to take credit from the court on his behalf! Whoever made a mistake, Shuai was also unselfish in this section.

This time, the military exploits of Lintao Army and the military exploits of Tianwei Army have been reported. The military pay that was owed in the past will be paid out by the court in the near future.

Now let the drill begin! "

Fang Zhongyong moved his hands and feet with a demeanor like a big shot. Of course, now the military envoys of the Longyou Army also automatically ignore the word "agent" in front of Fang Chongyong's title.

The Qiu Ba people all have a very "simple" world view. No matter how high an official they are, how good they are at climbing the ladder, or how powerful their conspiracies are, they all look down upon them.

Whoever can lead them to defeat their enemies, and whoever can lead them to win continuously, is the real king.

As for other things, such as identity, status, appearance, etc., they are all not worth mentioning.

Fang Chongyong used a hearty victory to tell the troops in Longyou: It is hard to say whether he can lead troops, but he will definitely use troops!

"Jie Shuai, do we really not send troops to the land of Jiuqu Yellow River?

Now that you have won once, let’s win a few more times! "

Gai Jiayun asked shamelessly, with confusion written all over his face. The military exploits in the previous battle were mainly attributed to the five Lun brothers and the "Yangskin Army". The Lintao Army only drank some soup, but did not have many military exploits, and the rewards reported were not many.

The main reason is that the battles with the Tubo people in the past were too fierce, and they could not stop fighting. After a battle, each army would lose a lot of troops. Therefore, the military envoys, especially the generals who grew up in the border army, were cautious about fighting the Tibetans.

But now it seems that the Tubo people did not need to be beaten at all, and the [-] cavalry just delivered food!

This kind of fighting is almost like going out to pick up money. So what are you afraid of? The more the merrier!

After Fang Chongyong led his troops to a complete victory over Tubo this time, all the troops in Longyou started to become more active from top to bottom. Gai Jiayun was just more impulsive and said everything the others wanted to say. There are now many people who think the same as him in the Longyou Army.

Upon hearing this, Fang Chongyong looked unhappy and shouted:

"Whether or not to fight or how to fight is all the saint's will. How can the commander in this section be free to act at will?

Those who know the inside story think that this commander is eager to perform meritorious deeds and does not care about the casualties of his soldiers;

Those who don’t know the inside story would think that the commander in chief is using his own troops to rebel!

Stop saying this kind of thing and wait for the military order from the court! "

Fang Chongyong once again showed a flexible moral bottom line. When you want to fight, it is for the benefit of the brothers. When you don't want to fight, it is the court who has the final say.

Gai Jiayun flattered the horse and slapped it on the leg, and he quickly bowed and apologized.

At this time, the martial arts performance had begun, and the cavalry detachment began to perform roundabout and outflanking techniques, with smoke and dust billowing behind the team. They rushed to the formation of the Modao team, separated from both sides in an instant, and went around to the rear of the Modao team.

One dragon divided into two dragons, and finally merged into one dragon. Fully demonstrates the mobility of the cavalry. Contrary to what Fang Chongyong had expected, the Longyou Tang Army's cavalry were all lightly armored, and even the heavy infantry's armor was lighter than that of the Tubo people.

In order to adapt to the plateau climate, the Longyou Tang Army consciously reduced the weight on their bodies. When fighting against the Tibetan heavy infantry, individual defense is at a disadvantage.

If the Tibetan cavalry had re-armed and went into battle last time instead of pretending to be party members to plunder, then even if Fang Chongyong used a trick, the losses on the Tang army would not be small.

After watching this martial arts performance, Fang Chongyong had to admit that the techniques and tactics of the Tang Dynasty border army were still very good, and they looked much better than those of the Long Wu Army.

At this moment, He Changqi walked quietly to Fang Chongyong and lowered his voice and said, "Fang Jieshuai, the eunuch named Bian Lingcheng is here."

"Count the time, it's time to come."

Fang Chongyong nodded slightly and said, he knew that if he asked the court for credit, it would be impossible for Chang'an not to reply.

Fang Chongyong led the military envoys to the Yamen of Longyou Jiedu Mansion. He saw the dusty Bian Lingcheng, his hair was blown a little messy by the wind, but he had a smile on his face, as if he hadn't come here yet. How long it took, and there was no time to wash up.

Before Fang Chongyong saluted, Bian Lingcheng saluted him first and said:

"Congratulations to Fang Jieshuai, he is now the official Hexi military envoy appointed by the imperial court.

At such a young age, I have become a Jieshuai, and Fang Jieshuai can be regarded as my number one person in the Tang Dynasty. "

ha?

Fang Chongyong was stunned, thinking that he had heard wrongly.

Even if Brother Ji is outrageous and has to appoint himself as the official military governor, then it should be normal to serve as the military governor of Longyou, right?

Does this have anything to do with Hexi?

Seeing that Fang Chongyong was silent, Bian Lingcheng continued:

"The saint appointed you as the official governor of Hexi Province, and Gai Jiayun will remain unchanged as the governor of Longyou.

General Wang Zhongsi is already on his way to Shanzhou, where he will succeed Du Hope as the new military governor of Longyou.

In addition, the sage also allows you to choose your own followers to go to Hexi. You are allowed to go with the recruited Silver Spear Xiaojie Army.

These were all verified by the seal of Zhongshu Shengmen and Xiamensheng. Both the left and right ministers agreed on this matter, and it was not the arbitrariness of a saint. "

Hearing this, all the envoys from the Qianlong Right Army present were shocked.

Fang Chongyong led them to defeat the Tubo people. As a result, the acting Jiedushi was indeed promoted to a regular official, but he became the Hexi Jiedushi!

This horse riding joke is too big!

"This angel, did you make a mistake in the decree?

Fang Jieshuai has made great achievements, so it is logical that he should control the military power of Longyou and serve as the military governor of Longyou.

What does the Hexi side have to do with us? "

Gai Jiayun bravely asked Bian Lingcheng.

"How presumptuous! Who do you think you are? How dare you question a saint or the court!"

Bian Lingcheng yelled at Gai Jiayun.

Although he was extremely polite to Fang Chongyong, as if he was very humble, as long as the eunuch faced another person, his face would immediately change.

They are arrogant at first and respectful at the end, or respectful at the beginning and arrogant at the end. People like them are unambiguous in their opinions of others.

Gai Jiayun was asking for trouble, so he had no choice but to step aside and say nothing.

"Everyone, please leave now. The commander and the angel have something to say in this section."

Fang Chongyong waved his hands to everyone and said.

After all the idle people exited the lobby of the Jiedushi Yamen, Bian Lingcheng said slowly:

"The Right Prime Minister strongly recommends you as the new Hexi Jiedushi.

Wang Chui, the former Hexi Jiedushi envoy, had a serious conflict with the people of the An family in Liangzhou. The An family's party members in the court impeached Wang Chui for corruption and bending the law.

Now Wang Chui is on his way back to Beijing to report on his work. After arriving in Chang'an, he will defend himself to the sage.

The right prime minister recommended Fang Jieshuai to the saint to take over as the governor of Hexi Province, giving many convincing reasons, and no one in the central court objected.

Moreover, Longyou had just won a big victory, and the saint was very satisfied. He originally wanted to reward Fang Jieshuai, so he agreed.

Only your father stopped this, but the sage did not listen.

This matter cannot be changed. It would be better for Fang Jieshuai to take office as soon as possible. "

Bian Lingcheng said with a flattering look.

At this moment, Fang Chongyong was already numb.

Li Linfu is a biting dog but doesn't bark. This guy is so insidious!

Fang Chongyong knew very well that this high-sounding Hexi Jiedushi had a volcano underneath his butt.

Soon, he was going to sit on the crater.

(End of this chapter)