Three Kingdoms: Peak Summons

Chapter 1825 The Third Battle of Luoyang (Part 2)

Chapter 1823: The Third Battle of Luoyang (Part 2)

 Cities are different from levels. Levels cannot be bypassed, but cities can be bypassed. However, the army can be bypassed, but logistics cannot.

It is precisely because of this that in ancient wars, it was rare to cross the previous city and directly attack the next city. After all, the risk involved was too great.

Li Kui and Changsun Wuji also opposed it for the same reason.

Luoyang is not a small city. If there are few people who go there, it will be impossible to capture it. If there are too many people who go there, and the logistics are not guaranteed, once the food is exhausted, the whole army will be annihilated.

 The most important thing in fighting a war is logistics.

 Instability in logistics is a taboo for military strategists.

 Such a simple truth, it is impossible for Li Shimin, as a famous general in the world, not to understand it.

But even though he knew the risks involved, Li Shimin was still prepared to take the risk, otherwise he would not be willing to do so.

This time the Tang army dispatched a total of 150,000 troops, and now has nearly 15,000 casualties, including 64 generals who died in the battle. Even Li Yuanba lost an arm, but they only captured one Nannan without a seat. Township and county, and a Hangu Pass that had been burned.

 The gains and losses are not proportional at all!

In addition, Li Shimin knew that this was his last chance. If he couldn't capture Sizhou this time, it would be even more impossible in the future.

The Qin army that has obtained the land in Hebei will inevitably increase in strength significantly, and the initiative in the war will completely belong to the Qin army.

From now on, whether he goes south to attack the Central Plains or west to attack Guanxi, it all depends on Qin Hao's thoughts, while the weak Li Tang has only passive defense.

Li Shimin didn't want to see this scene, so no matter what, he had to try it even if he knew it couldn't be done.

This is not just for venting, but also for self-help.

Li Shimin made up his mind and would never retreat like this. Since Yewang and Yiyang could not be captured in the short term, he would surround these two cities and then divide his troops to bypass the two cities and attack Luoyang directly.

Nowadays, most of the people in Luoyang City are new soldiers, while veterans and famous generals who can fight are on the front line.

Li Shimin felt that such a Luoyang city could be captured even if the troops were divided, and then he would turn around to attack Yewang and Yiyang.

Li Shimin dared to ignore logistics and divide his troops to capture Luoyang. In addition to the fact that there were mostly new soldiers in Luoyang City, the main reason was because there were internal troops in the city, and there were quite a few internal troops.

With Qin Hao proclaiming himself king and granting official titles to Cao Cao, Zhao Kuangyin and others, the contradiction between Qin and Han has become difficult to reconcile.

This time the five armies of the Southern Han Dynasty attacked Qin. Although Ma Teng and Han Sui on the Liangzhou route responded to the banner of the Southern Han Dynasty, it was actually the Luoyang court that operated from it.

When the Southern Han Dynasty attacked the Qin army, they were also attacking the Luoyang court. However, the ministers of the DPRK and the central government united with foreign enemies to target their own families. This shows how fierce the contradiction between Qin and Han was.

There were a large number of Han officials in the Luoyang court, and they hoped that Li Shimin could seize Luoyang and become the governor of Sizhou, and become the spokesperson of the Han Dynasty to fight against Qin Hao.

 So, even if he goes deep alone, Li Shimin is not fighting alone.

After hearing Li Shimin’s explanation, Li Kui and Changsun Wuji thought for a long time, but still opposed dividing their forces to attack Luoyang for two reasons:

 First, they feel that Li Shimin is a little irrational now.

 Secondly, Jia Xu is in Luoyang, and those Han officials are destined to be unable to defeat Jia Xu.

Li Shimin has made up his mind and is determined, no matter how Li Kui and Changsun Wuji object, it is useless.

 In the end, Li Shimin gave Zhao She 10,000 more troops, ordered Zhao She to lead 30,000 troops to surround Yiyang City, and ordered Li Keyong to lead 40,000 troops to surround Yewang City. Li Shimin left an army of 70,000 to contain the Qin army in Yewang and Yiyang. He personally led an army of 65,000, bypassed Yewang and Yiyang, and attacked Luoyang as quickly as possible.

Generals Gongsun Yan and Tan Daoji saw that the Tang army did not continue to attack the city, but instead divided their troops to besiege the city. Although they had doubts in their hearts, they did not ask Li Shimin to divide their troops to capture Luoyang. Instead, they thought that this was the case. It was Li Shimin's strategy to lure them out of the city.

 Bypassing the two cities of Yewang and Yiyang, without logistical support, it would be too risky to divide the troops to capture Luoyang.

 Li Shimin is a famous general as famous as Qin Hao. Gongsun Yan and Tan Daoji obviously did not think that he would do such an irrational thing.

Although neither Gongsun Yan nor Li Shimin believed that Li Shimin dared to divide his troops to capture Luoyang, the situation on Ye Wang and Yiyang's side still had to be reported in time.

Jia Xu, who was far away in Luoyang, felt both self-blame and joy when he received the news that Hangu Pass had fallen and Li Cunxiao's whereabouts were unknown.

I blame myself for not discovering Li Tang's conspiracy earlier. Fortunately, because of my caution, the situation has not completely deteriorated and is still within my control.

 As for whether Li Cunxiao had died in the battle?

Jia Xu felt that it was more likely that Li Cunxiao was still alive. After all, if he was really dead, Li Tang would definitely take out his body in demonstration to undermine the Qin army's fighting spirit.

Since Li Tang couldn't produce the real body, it proves that Li Cunxiao is still alive, but his whereabouts are temporarily unknown.

After reading the latest military report, Jia Xu closed his eyes and pondered for a moment, then ordered: "From now on, Luoyang will implement a curfew. After this hour, no matter whether it is the common people or the princes, they are prohibited from going out."

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“Send more spies to the west to prevent small groups of Tang troops from breaking away from the front line and attacking counties.”

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Not long after Jia Xu’s order was issued, news came that a large number of Tang troops had been discovered in the territory.

 Sixty-five thousand troops are marching. No matter how hard we try to hide such a big goal, it is impossible to hide it from the eyes of Qin army spies.

 If this cannot be discovered, Jinyiwei should be disbanded.

The amount of food and grass for the 65,000-strong army was not a small amount. Li Shimin's army traveled lightly and simply, and the food and grass they brought with them could not be used at all, so they could only replenish it on the spot in each village, town or county.

Under Qin Hao's vigorous governance, Sizhou's vitality has recovered. Even after the people paid the grain tax, every family still had surplus grain. This was one of the reasons why Li Shimin dared to go deep alone.

Of course, it is impossible to supply a large army solely by relying on the people's food rations.

 So, Li Shimin decided to attack Ping County at the junction of Hongnong County and Henan Yin, in order to temporarily alleviate the food and grass crisis.

The total number of county soldiers in Ping County is only 300. How can they stop the 50,000-strong Tang army that looks like wolves and tigers?

Li Shimin originally wanted to persuade the magistrate of Ping County to surrender. In his opinion, as long as the magistrate of Ping County was not a fool, he would never be able to fight with 300 county soldiers against an army of 70,000. However, he did not expect that the magistrate of Ping County was actually a descendant of the Qin family.

Li Shimin decisively ordered a forcible attack on the city, but before he had time to attack the city, the county magistrate had already escaped with dozens of cavalry, and before leaving, he burned the county grain depot.

Thank you again to HAC for the 20,000 starting coins rewarded by Boring Kankan. Everyone who posted the message has also read it. I will come back tonight to announce the results of whether Li Yuanba’s broken arm can be reconnected or not.

 (End of this chapter)