Early Tang Dynasty: forge ahead

Chapter 465: Go with the flow and take advantage of the situation

Wang Xiaojie felt somewhat unwilling to hear the order to retreat, but he did not dare to say anything to Su Dingfang. He just took the order and went down obediently. After he was far away, he whipped the horse hard twice, and the warhorse felt pain and ran away.

Wang Xiaojie had followed Su Dingfang for a long time. He was loyal and honest, and extremely brave in battle. He was highly valued by Su Dingfang, who kept him by his side to command.

In every battle, Wang Xiaojie served in the front line and won many merits.

In this attack, Wang Xiaojie's performance was mediocre.

Facing the blockhouse fortress of Lun Qinling, Wang Xiaojie only knew how to attack blindly, while Cheng Wuting and Heichi Changzhi were trying to find a way to take advantage of the situation and their performance was far better than Wang Xiaojie.

Especially Heichi Changzhi's performance in the first battle. He boldly abandoned his horse, crossed the water and went around the rear, directly taking the lead and forcing Lun Qinling to retreat to Naluyi. He became famous in one battle.

Wang Xiaojie couldn't help but feel sour...

Su Dingfang did not pay attention to Wang Xiaojie, but called Heichi Changzhi and Cheng Wuting to his side and told them the details of the battle.

Since learning that Tubo was planning to exhaust this old man to death, Su Dingfang also realized that he was somewhat powerless.

After these battles with Tubo, Su Dingfang has become the person who understands Tubo's potential best, except for Chen Qingsi.

Shanzhou needs to make proper arrangements. At least when I fall, there must be someone to hold up the situation.

The five generals that Su Dingfang used most were Wang Xiaojie, Tuoba Jun, Xi Junmai, Heichi Changzhi, and Cheng Wuting. The first two were his old subordinates, veterans who had followed him to fight in the Western Regions. Xi Junmai was the governor stationed in Tuyuhun, and he had shown extraordinary bravery in several decisive battles with Tubo.

Heichi Changzhi and Cheng Wuting are latecomers, but they are old acquaintances. Both of them have the style of famous generals, and they can work together like an arm.

Among the five generals, Wang Xiaojie and Tuoba Jun are both loyal and brave. The former is enthusiastic while the latter is indifferent. They act as vanguard generals and are always successful, but they lack the skills to lead the three armies.

Xi Junmai is invincible and brave, with the style of Zhai Changsun and Cheng Yaojin in the past. He is good at responding to emergencies, but his overall view is a little lacking. Facing a famous general like Lun Qinling, he is inevitably powerless.

On the contrary, the newly transferred Heichi Changzhi and Cheng Wuting are both potential famous generals.

Heichi Changzhi is brave, resourceful, bold and has many rough but detailed ideas, which even Su Dingfang himself is impressed by.

Cheng Wuting is as brave and resourceful as Heichi Changzhi, but he is different in details. Cheng Wuting has a strong sense of the overall situation, is more stable, and acts more thoughtfully.

The two men happened to be one strange and the other righteous, but there was no doubt that both of them were rare generals.

Compared with the shortcomings of Wang Xiaojie, Tuoba Jun and Xi Junmai, Cheng Wuting and Heichi Changzhi are the best choices.

But Su Dingfang has not yet decided who to choose. Both of them have their own strengths, and in this stalemate with Tubo, they have each demonstrated their due strength.

These two younger generations were so outstanding that Su Dingfang experienced a taste of painful joy.

The purpose of discussing the battle situation with them this time is also to further understand their control over the overall situation so that we can make the most appropriate arrangements in the future.

On this battlefield, Su Dingfang asked about the trivial matters on the battlefield.

"Do you know why Lun Qinling chose to withdraw his troops at this time?"

Heichi Changzhi said, "They have been holding out for five months. Judging from the remains of their blockhouses, their food can only last for three months at most. To be honest with you, I have sent people to monitor the situation in Wuhai in the past few days. As soon as there is any news, I will ask the general manager to ensure that they don't even think about transporting a single grain of food to the front line."

"Lun Qinling must also know that we won't let them get food easily. If we continue to stay there, there will be a risk of running out of food. It just so happens that there is heavy snow in Wuhai, and the weather is even worse. The Tibetans live on the plateau all year round and are more afraid of heat than cold. If we forcefully pursue them, I'm afraid we will fall into their trap."

The news that Tubo had delivered grain before the war had already reached their ears.

They didn't know how much food Tibet had, let alone how long it could last.

But as they conquered two Tibetan watchtowers, they learned the approximate structure of the towers and judged the amount of food by the volume inside the towers.

Su Dingfang nodded with satisfaction: A truly famous general can analyze the enemy's situation from the smallest details and thus gain insight into the opponent's intentions.

It is truly remarkable that Heichi Changzhi was able to notice this and also thought of the heavy snow on the plateau, linking Lun Qinling's withdrawal with it.

Su Dingfang looked at Cheng Wuting.

Cheng Wuting said, "In addition to food, there is also firewood. There is no shortage of wood on this plateau, but in order to build Naluyi, the original residents cut down all the surrounding trees. When they built this watchtower, they were in a hurry and used local materials. I found that when the Tibetan army withdrew from the watchtower, they did not even take the broken stones that could be used for defense, but took the wooden planks and pillars of little value. If they go down, winter will soon come. Even if they are cold-resistant, they will freeze to death when the wind and snow come without charcoal fire and cotton clothes."

"Of course, this could also be a trick by the other party, deliberately making us think so. The climate on the plateau this year is a bit abnormal, and the heavy snow came a full month and a half earlier than in previous years. I think that Lun Qinling, as a famous general who has lived on this plateau for many years, has no reason not to know this. He deliberately tricked us into thinking so, and tricked us into dividing our forces to cut off his retreat."

"I am also waiting. I will wait for the warm clothes to be delivered to me from the rear. I will make plans when the heavy snow comes."

"I don't want the other party to retreat so directly, leaving no room for maneuver."

Su Dingfang was very satisfied with the answers of Cheng Wuting and Heichi Changzhi, and his confrontation with Lun Qinling was a kind of game.

A psychological game.

Tubo has its advantages and disadvantages, and the Tang Dynasty also has its advantages and disadvantages. Whoever loses patience first and magnifies his or her disadvantages first will be the loser.

Of course, anyone who is timid and hesitant is also courting death.

The balance between advance and retreat is the most critical.

Su Dingfang was also waiting for an opportunity, but Lun Qinling sensed the danger and escaped early.

Looking at the two equally outstanding people, Su Dingfang decided on the candidate to be cultivated: Cheng Wuting.

The reason is simple. Cheng Wuting is a Chinese and his father is Cheng Mingzhen, so he has a good family background.

Su Dingfang did not reject foreign generals, but some situations were inevitable. If the foreign generals wanted to win the support of the people, they had to make more efforts.

Heichi Changzhi's ability is not inferior to Cheng Wuting's, but the cost of promoting him is twice that of Cheng Wuting. This is a very realistic thing.

Inevitable.

"Cough cough!"

Su Dingfang suddenly coughed.

"General Manager!"

Cheng Wuting and Heichi Changzhi's faces changed slightly at the same time, and they walked forward with concern.

Su Dingfang waved his hand slightly and said, "It's okay. I'm old and I caught a cold. It's not a big deal."

Zhonglong Posthouse.

On the ancient Tang-Tibet Road, Nalu Post Station belonged to Tuyuhun, and Zhonglong Post Station belonged to Tubo, and the border between the two countries was right between the two post stations.

After Zhonglongyi is Wuhai, the frontline city of Tubo.

"Brother!"

Zanpo came riding fast from behind.

"The Tang army did not pursue!" Zanpo looked regretful.

Lun Qinling said: "When Su Dingfang attacks, it is like thunder and lightning, making people unable to resist. When he does not move, he is like Mount Tai, without any flaws. It is a misfortune for Tubo to encounter such an enemy in this life, but it is a great fortune for you and me."

Zanpo was still young and immature, and her behavior was frivolous, but at this moment she said solemnly, "This is what the art of war says: swift as the wind, slow as the forest, invasive as fire, still as a mountain, unpredictable as the shadow, and powerful as thunder!"

Lun Qinling said: "That's right, brother has learned a lot just by watching him deal with the formation. I always thought I had learned a lot and could match him, but in the end I was defeated again and again."

Zan Po said, "Brother, you didn't lose this time. You retreated decisively. Didn't Su Dingfang dare to pursue you? It's already remarkable that you can tie with Su Dingfang."

Lun Qinling smiled bitterly. It turned out that he was so proud of the fact that he had a "draw" with Su Dingfang?
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Chang'an Military Department.

Chen Qingsi looked at the battle report. Compared with the previous two times, this time the fight was not good.

The game between them is still very exciting.

But it is obvious that Lun Qinling completely changed his fighting style. He no longer sought to win. The two duels seemed to make him realize that Su Dingfang was invincible, so he suppressed his desire to attack and relied on the advantage of geographical location to make up for his own shortcomings.

This kind of pure consumption is the most troublesome, and can make up for the gap in the abilities of generals to the greatest extent.

This time, Chen Qingsi did not pass the battle report in his hand to Li Zhi through the Council Hall, but went to Li Zhi in person with the battle report.

Upon learning that Li Zhi was receiving treatment, Chen Qingsi planned to wait outside the hall.

However, the eunuch led Chen Qingsi to a side hall to rest and also prepared tea for him.

Chen Qingsi enjoyed his leisure time, sipping tea while waiting until he was summoned.

Chen Qingsi came out of the side hall and happened to meet an extremely young man.

The man had an extremely handsome face and was wearing a Taoist robe. He had an extraordinary demeanor and gave people a stunning feeling.

If Helan Minzhi was a handsome man whose beauty made women ashamed, then the young Taoist in front of him was an unbelievably handsome man, with impeccable facial features and posture, without a single flaw to be found.

The young Taoist priest met Chen Qingsi's gaze and nodded in greeting with a smile.

Chen Qingsi also nodded slightly.

Li Zhi laughed happily: "My dear, please take a seat directly. There are no outsiders here, so there is no need to perform formalities."

Emperor Li Zhi seemed to be in a particularly good mood. His voice was unusually loud and he even had a sense of being full of energy.

Chen Qingsi was slightly surprised, but he still bowed and sat down at the table.

"I don't know what good news Your Majesty has encountered. You are so happy. I want me to be happy too."

Li Zhi was in a really good mood, and his style was slightly different from before. He said, "The Queen introduced me to a miracle doctor, the one you met earlier. Don't look at his young age, his skills are not inferior to Sun Simiao. He can actually relieve the stubborn disease that even Sun Simiao was troubled by with acupuncture. It's really amazing..."

What bothers Li Zhi most now is his illness. He finds that he still has a lot of things to do.

We need to defeat the Arabs and Tubo, and we need to build a navy to dominate the South China Sea...

Now that someone could actually alleviate the rheumatism that controlled him, Li Zhi naturally felt very happy.

Regardless of whether it was true or not, at this critical moment, all Chen Qingsi could do was to be happy together.

"Congratulations, Your Majesty. Your Majesty's good health will be a blessing to the world and all the people."

Li Zhi was also very happy and said, "Thank you for your kind words. Okay, let's talk about business first..."

Chen Qingsi looked at Li Zhi's smile, which he could hardly suppress, and handed over the battle report he had summarized.

Li Zhi looked at it carefully, but his expression gradually became stiff.

The news of the war on the front line had already reached the capital, and most people believed that Tubo's retreat was indeed a great victory.

Li Zhi also thought so. After all, the other party escaped back in disgrace again.

However, Chen Qingsi revealed the bloody truth through the unquestionable battle report.

The Tang army did win this battle, but it was far from as easy as the rumors had said.

Fighting a war is never an easy thing. The relationship between victory and defeat is not based on game values. If the attribute points are high, you will definitely win.

Even a famous general like Su Dingfang could stumble if he was careless.

"We didn't win this battle easily!"

Li Zhi said in a deep voice.

Chen Qingsi said: "From the perspective of the battle situation, we have a small victory, but in the long run, we can even say that we are slightly inferior."

Li Zhi frowned, feeling a little depressed again: "What do you mean!"

Chen Qingsi said: "I suspect that the purpose of Tubo's repeated invasions is not only to covet Qinghai Lake, but also to wear out Su Xinggong. They sent troops at critical moments to force Su Xinggong to go north again and again. They are using the tactic of tiring the enemy to target Su Xinggong."

Li Zhi's expression was solemn, his fists were clenched tightly under his sleeves, and his knuckles were a little white.

Li Zhi had different feelings towards Su Dingfang.

Li Zhi was never Li Shimin's first choice, and his training was limited. In the limited time, Li Zhi learned political intrigue from his father, but knew nothing about military affairs.

Therefore, when he ascended the throne as the new emperor, faced with the distrust of the surrounding ethnic minorities, he had no idea how to mobilize the troops.

He could only randomly select soldiers and generals. Fortunately, the veteran generals left by Li Shimin were very capable, and the generals he selected by chance could be put to good use. Until a mistake was made with Cheng Yaojin...

The famous Duke Lu was fooled by his own people on the battlefield, which led to the rise of the Western Turks.

Fortunately, Cheng Yaojin's subordinate Su Dingfang was like a god descending from heaven, and broke the formation with five hundred men.

Then Li Zhi had a life-saving straw. He used Su Dingfang as a sword to win the battle and sent Su Dingfang whenever he was in doubt.

As a result, Su Dingfang achieved the following feats in just a few years: destroying the Western Turks, pacifying the Pamirs, subjugating Baekje, attacking Goryeo, defeating Tubo, and destroying three kingdoms in total and capturing their leaders alive.

Li Zhi relied heavily on Su Dingfang in military affairs...

Hearing that the Tibetans had come up with such a vicious plan, he couldn't help but feel panicked.

"Your Majesty..." Chen Qingsi saw that Li Zhi's expression was a little strange, and hurriedly said: "Your Majesty, there is no need to panic. I think since Tubo has this intention, why don't we go with the flow and take advantage of it?"

Li Zhi's eyes lit up, and he said hurriedly, "My dear, don't keep me in suspense, tell me now!"

Chen Qingsi immediately explained his thoughts in detail!
"This way, this way...that way, that way!"

(End of this chapter)