Late Tang

The news of the fall of Weiba Mountain City had just arrived, and then another extremely bad news came from the north.

On July [-], the mountain city of Longtan Mountain, [-] miles north of Jili City, fell and was captured by the Khitan Company's Assassins. All [-] Goguryeo soldiers in the mountain city were killed.

When the news came back, all the Koguryo soldiers in Jili City were shocked by it.Now not only Weiba Mountain City fell, but Longtan Mountain City also fell. Two important mountain cities to the east and north of Jili City fell at the same time.The flames of war have already reached the gate of Jili City. They have fought against the Khitan for so long before, but they have never fought in front of their house.What's more, this time not only hit the front of the house, but even the two gates were taken.There are all kinds of rumors everywhere, and the soldiers and the people are talking about it.

"Five thousand troops from the Yelu family of the Lianshi tribe and the Diera tribe attacked Longtan mountain city at night. Although the brothers fought hard to defend the mountain city, they were finally attacked by Khitan dogs. All [-] guarding brothers died in battle." Reported this news. The long history Xiao Bing lowered his head, his face full of darkness.In the past confrontation with the company's assassination department, they basically had the upper hand.Every time they captured the gathering places of Khitan dogs, plundered a large number of cattle and came back.This time, the Khitan dogs broke through two of their most important mountain cities.

Gao Dexin frowned tightly, and after a while, he asked a question.

"The Lian Assassination Department has only 3000 tents in total, and only 3000 soldiers and horses. And the soldiers and horses from the Yelu family of the Diesi Department have only [-] people. Just now Weiba Mountain City fell, even if [-] Khitan dogs were to forcefully attack Zhao The Weiba City guarded by Kang's [-] people must have suffered heavy casualties. How could they have the ability to attack a six-mile Longtan Mountain City immediately? Besides, Weiba Mountain City is to the east of Jili City, and Longtan Mountain City is to the north of Jili City On the other hand, the two places are hundreds of miles apart. The Khitans can't fly, so how could they capture two mountain cities in succession? There must be something we haven't figured out."

When Gao Dexin said this, Gao Bing was also taken aback.He asked in surprise, "Could it be that the Khitans not only sent three thousand reinforcements, but also a whole road?"

"This possibility is not high. Since the Khitans used 5000 people to capture Longtan Mountain City, there will only be more soldiers and horses to capture Weiba Mountain City. The Khitans are currently fighting for Yingzhou in western Liaoning. It is impossible for them to have so many soldiers and horses Come here." Gao Dexin shook his head.Although Khitan has a population of more than one million, plus the other Hu tribes they conquered, as well as those Han Chinese and other slaves, it now has a population of 500 million, which is comparable to that of Bohai, the prosperous country in Haidong.

But Khitan is still just an alliance tribe. Although there is a Khan, Khitan has eight big tribes.All ethnic groups are basically autonomous at ordinary times, and Khan can't control them.For such a major event as sending troops, the Khan did not have much power, at most he only had the right to call a meeting, and in the end it had to be voted on by Yi Lijin, the leader of the eight tribes.The Lianza tribe in Liaodong is not actually a tribe, but a family that should be called the Diela tribe, the strongest tribe among the eight Khitan tribes.

The Khitan is now an alliance of eight tribes of the Yaonian clan. Under the eight major tribes, there are various families.The Lianshi tribe is actually the Lianshi family of the Dique tribe, just like the Yelu family.However, the Yelu family is a strong family in the Dieti tribe, while the Lianci family is just a small branch.

The war this time was just a war between the Lianla tribe under the Diel tribe, one of the eight Khitan tribes, even if the Yelu family sent troops to support it.But there is no reason to participate in the other seven major departments.And if the Dieci Department sent out all its troops, in addition to the Yelu family's [-] reinforcements, there was also a tens of thousands of soldiers who went deep into the Weiba Mountain City without revealing their whereabouts beforehand. This is impossible.

"Maybe it's from the Tang Dynasty in southern Liaoning." After Gao Dexin said this, he felt slightly regretful.The relatively large Tang forces near Weiba Mountain City are only Shicheng and Shirenzhucheng.The soldiers and horses of the two forces are barely over 1, but most of these soldiers are made up of numbers.Not to mention whether they can take out 1 people, even if they take all [-] people to attack Weiba City, it is absolutely impossible to take down Weiba City with lightning speed and wipe out [-] Goguryeo including Zhaokang elite soldiers.

For a long time, the opponents of Jili Prefecture have been the Khitan people who went south, not the Tang people.In the eyes of the Goguryeo people, the Khitan dog is the real enemy.As for the Tang people in southern Liaoning, if they hadn't been lying in those mountain cities, they would have been wiped out long ago.For a long time, they have kept these Tang people, in fact, they have determined that the Tang people are not threatening.Keeping these Tang people, you can also go to Caogu at the right time to extort some money and grain. In the land in southern Liaoning, except for the southernmost Duli Town, Qingni City and Beisha City, the rest are the objects of their extortion. .When it comes to the fact that the Tang people captured Weiba Mountain City, Gao Dexin himself does not believe it.

Just when Gao Dexin and the others were confused, a school captain from the towering mountain city returned to Jili City.

"You said Zhaokang and the soldiers of Weiba Mountain City are still alive?" Gao Dexin felt as if he had fallen into a dream.Originally thought that the eldest son was dead, and the family had already set up a sacrificial hall and prepared a tomb.Unexpectedly, such news came back.

"The eldest son fell into the trick of the Tang people. That Qin Zongshou became the forward of the Tang people. He used the name of donating food to sneak into the mountain city, and mixed it with the wine with the drug, so that the brothers were stunned. Then he captured it without bloodshed. Weiba mountain city. Now the eldest son and three thousand brothers are in the hands of the Tang people. The leader of the Tang people said that we should cede Weiba city and the three surrounding mountain cities to the Tang army and give them [-] horses. Then put the eldest son and brother Sanqian back, if not, if he doesn't get a satisfactory reply after three days, he will kill all the brothers and pile up their heads into a Jingguan!" The school captain stammered a little.

"Tang Jun?" Gao Dexin asked in shock.

There is a big difference between the Tang people and the Tang army. If it is only the Tang people in southern Liaoning, Gao Dexin is not afraid.But if it was really Tang Jun, things would be different.

"It's the Tang Army. The general who led the troops seems to be the champion general and general Jinwu, the Duke of Zhendong, the military envoy of the Zhendong Army, the governor of Dengzhou, the defense envoy of Dengzhou, and the capital of the Anton Protectorate. Hu! He is a young general, only in his twenties, but this time he brought [-] troops into Liao."

The captain who reported the letter was a little nervous, his voice stammered a bit, "In addition, most of the Tang forces in southern Liaoning have already joined that Anton Governor Li Jing, and I heard that even Duli Town has also joined Tang Ting. The city lord of Duli Town personally brought [-] Duli Town soldiers and horses to accompany Li Jing. I also heard that the three cities of Duli Town, Beisha City, and Qingni City have now been merged into the Liaonan Governor's Mansion. The three towns of Lizhen have become the three counties under the governor's office in southern Liaoning."

"Li Jing, is that Li Jing from Daxie Village?" Gao Dexin finally remembered who Li Jing was, but he still couldn't believe the great changes in southern Liaoning.

"It's Li Jing from Daxie Village, who was originally the town general of Shamen Town, but later killed his boss and became the soldier and horse envoy of Daxie Village."

"How many soldiers and horses did he bring into Liao?" Gao Dexin asked.

"When I entered Liao, I brought 2 soldiers and horses, but Duli Town and other ministries in southern Liao sent troops, and they wiped out and annexed dozens of forces along the way. Now there are more than [-] soldiers and horses." These information are those of the Tang Army He told him directly, and he also personally saw the strength of Tang Jun in Weiba City, and there were indeed so many people.

"The man surnamed Li is a lunatic!" Shi Gaobing, the mayor of Jili City, sighed. "He dared to open his mouth like a lion, adding five thousand war horses to four mountain cities. This requirement is too high!" It's not that Jili City cannot produce five thousand war horses, but five thousand war horses are not five thousand sheep. Lizhou is also a huge wealth.What's more, Li Jing asked for more than that, he also asked for four mountain cities including Weiba City.

These four mountain cities are the barriers to the east of Jili City, and they are even the connecting passages with Dahang City and other cities.Losing these four mountain cities, the east side of Jili City was directly exposed to Tang Jun.

Gao Dexin sighed for a long time, Li Jing's choice of time was too ruthless.

Right now when they were fighting the Khitan dog, at this time Li Jing suddenly led his army north, and his son and three thousand soldiers were in his hands again, Li Jing completely took the initiative.Gao Dexin is not a person who can't see the situation clearly. It is not only because of his noble Koguryo royal blood, but also because of his wisdom that he can go to today and become a local powerful faction in Balhae with tens of thousands of troops.

He knew very well that if he refused Li Jing's request right now, then Li Jing would most likely use Weiba City as his base to march towards Jili City.To the north, the Khitan had just captured Longtan Mountain City, and had already reached sixty miles north of Jili City.Ji Li's army would face the possibility of fighting on two fronts. On the one hand, the Khitan dogs would rush like wolves, and on the other hand, Li Jing's Tang army would watch over them.

Gao Dexin frowned tightly, and paced the room with his hands behind his back, the more he paced, the more upset he became.He couldn't think of a way to deal with Li Jing's conditions. He had no choice but to agree.

"Your Majesty, why don't you agree to that Li Jing for the time being, and calm down the troubles in the south first. In addition, exchange the Eldest Prince and three thousand soldiers. Now that the Khitan is approaching the city, the Khitan threat is even greater." Gao Bing put forward his own opinion.

Gao Dexin let out a long sigh. Judging from the present, the Khitan people are more threatening than the Tang people.But in the long run, it is obvious that the Tang people are more threatening.The Tang army has been withdrawn from Liaodong for more than a hundred years, and this time it is making a comeback, I am afraid it is easier to ask God than to give it away.

With a long sigh, Gao Dexin seemed to be more than ten years old. He sat down a little slumped, and waved at Gao Bing: "Accept the request of Tang Ren, Gao Changshi, you represent Jili City to Weiba City, and take the eldest son Welcome back. Be quick, the Khitan dog has already hit the door, and there is no way out."

(To be continued)