Chapter 862: How was the first commander of the Tang Dynasty trained?

In June of the first year of the Tang Dynasty, the diehard Sui loyalists who were stationed in Hedong finally surrendered and were assigned to Li Shimin's army.

From Taiyuan to Chang'an, all government orders were under the jurisdiction of Li Tang. Liu Wenjing and others led troops out of Tongguan and took over Hongnong and other places.

The local gentry in Hongnong County did not resist Li Yuan as fiercely as they did Yang Xuangan, so Li Tang successfully gained Xin'an, Hongnong and other places, and drove a nail into the east of Tongguan.

In August of the first year of King Tang's reign, a shocking event occurred.

Shu surrendered!

This was like a pie in the sky, hitting Li Tang's head directly. The entire Tang court was ecstatic.

Since the Sui Dynasty, in order to prevent separatist regimes in the south of the Yangtze River, Jianye on the south bank of the Yangtze River has been suppressed. Yang Guang built Jiangdu, namely Yangzhou, in the north of the Yangtze River, which was a complete suppression of Jianye economically. He even did not set up a prefecture or county in Jianye, but only a county.

During the Sui Dynasty, Yangzhou and Jiangdu were the richest cities in the world. So-called Yangzhou is the first, Yizhou is the second, Luoyang is the third, and Suzhou is the fourth. They were the four major centers of money and grain taxation in the world.

Suzhou is listed after Luoyang because it is located in the Taihu Plain and the Luo family is the one who cultivates the land and pays taxes to the court in a stable manner. This is also the reason why the Sui court did not interfere with the Luo family.

Since the Qin State controlled water, Yizhou has been known as the Land of Abundance. It is connected with Guanzhong and is simply the back garden of Guanzhong. Without Yizhou, Guanzhong would have no way to go east. Its importance can be imagined.

The biggest reason why Li Yuan did not proclaim himself emperor but only king was that the Li Tang was not strong enough. Guanzhong was only a corner of the country. Although Taiyuan was strategically located, the basin was small and the food and grass were insufficient. Shuzhong was not in his hands. Among all the heroes in the world, the strength of the Tang court was only ranked fourth at most!

After Dou Jiande from Hebei, Wang Shichong from Henan and Li Mi from Shandong.

But now it is different. With Shuzhong, the Tang court's already powerful and elite army now has strong logistics, and its strength has almost doubled.

Even though Li Yuan did not say it explicitly, anyone with a discerning eye could see that Li Yuan wanted to become emperor.

Li Yuan deeply understood a truth: times have changed, and it is time to act like a grandson. A tree that stands out in the forest will be destroyed by the wind. However, one should not act like a grandson too much, otherwise people in the world will really treat you as a grandson.

The reason why Li Yuan was able to enter Guanzhong so smoothly was certainly not because he had any domineering aura, but because the Li Tang's power inside and outside was strong, coupled with its reputation, it swept across Hedong and Guanzhong.

For Li Yuan, everything is ready now. Wang Shichong and Li Mi are fighting fiercely in the Eastern Capital, and no one is superior or inferior. They will definitely not advance westward into Guanzhong. In this case, he will take advantage of the east wind of Shuzhong's submission to publicize the rise of Li Tang and his destiny to the world.

When Luo Su saw this scene, he just smiled and sighed, "Thousands of years of unification have borne fruit at this moment, and the heroes have been able to accomplish a great cause unprecedented in history."

Luo Su had been to the far west and deeply understood that cultural unification was one of the greatest achievements of the Chinese nation.

If it weren't for the great cultural unification, it would have been impossible to take over Shu, a place that was easy to defend but difficult to attack, without hundreds of years.

The empires in the far west had emperors whose civil and military strategies were not inferior to those of the other empires, but the achievements they could create were not as great as those of the other empires.

It is because they do not have the support of tens of millions of people of the same ethnicity and culture.

The people are the ones who guide the tide of history. No matter how powerful the kings, princes, generals or ministers are, nothing great can be accomplished without the people.

Rule based purely on force cannot last long.

If force really worked, the grasslands would not have repeatedly opposed the Central Plains.

For Li Tang today, becoming emperor would be beneficial both in pacifying Guanxi and intimidating Shandong.

At the end of the first year of King Tang, Li Yuan had completed his preparations and officially ascended the throne as emperor in the new Chang'an Palace, naming the country Tang and the reign title Wude.

Li Jiancheng became the crown prince, Li Xiuning became Princess Pingyang, Li Shimin became the King of Qin, Li Xuanba became the King of Qi, and Li Yuanji became the King of Chu.

Li Jiancheng established the Prince's Guard House and appointed Li Shimin as the head of the Secretariat, the second-rank Shangshu Ling.

Pei Ji was appointed as the Shangshu You Pushe and Zhizhengshi of the second rank, becoming the de facto prime minister.

Liu Wenjing was the head of the Menxia Province, a third-rank minister, and Li Xiuning was a third-rank Neishi Ling, a high-ranking official in the Neishi Province. The heads of the three provinces were all prime ministers.

Li Xiuning's promotion aroused opposition from both the government and the public, but Li Yuan was extremely resolute on this matter. Li Jiancheng, Li Shimin and others also stood clearly on Li Xiuning's side.

"My daughter is a man of great talent. Half of the Tang family's foundation was built by Princess Pingyang. All your wealth and honors are due to the princess. You don't know how to repay her kindness, but instead you speak evil words. What is your intention?"

This kind of rebuke was quite serious and made people feel Li Yuan's will.

Rumors spread in Chang'an City because the emperor used this incident to gain the support of the Luo family.

The reason was that the men in the Luo family lacked talent, so they wanted to let the women of the Luo family enter officialdom. Once this rumor appeared, it spread everywhere.

Countless people believed it to be true. Everyone knew that the Luo family had entered the Central Plains. After all, they had killed Yang Guang and created the current situation in the world.

The son and daughter of the Luo family preached in Jiangnan, and now their teachings are gradually spreading throughout the world. This is different from the Luo family's previous style.

As Li Yuan's status rose, Li Tang's ministers naturally followed suit and were successively granted the title of Duke. Luo Xuanye was even directly granted the title of Duke of Zhou, which was a surprise to everyone.

Li Yuan originally wanted to directly confer the title of Duke of Luo, but after thinking about it, he realized that if he really conferred the title of Duke of Luo, Luo Xuanye would most likely not accept it.

The two titles Zhao and Luo are different for Luo. One was bestowed by the Emperor of Zhou, and the other was bestowed by the Emperor of Han. He is only an emperor now and has not yet become the Son of Heaven.

To put it bluntly, he was not qualified to bestow these two titles. It just so happened that the Luo family was from the Zhou clan, so they gave the name of Zhou to Luo Xuanye.

When Luo Xuanye received this imperial edict, he was deeply moved.

week!

Haven't heard it for many years.

The collapse of the Qin and Han dynasty system of marquisates brought the duke back into the world's attention, and the emergence of the title of Duke of the State allowed Luo Xuanye to have the honor he has today.

Li Xiuning knew that he was excited, so she stroked his back. Luo Xuanye said softly, "When father unifies the world and becomes the emperor, the position of Duke of Zhou will be truly honorable."

His eyes looked towards the west of Chang'an. If the Tang Dynasty wanted to become the emperor, there were still countless big battles to fight, the first of which was Guanxi.

At night, Luo Xuanye thought a lot and began to write a letter.

He was writing to his brothers, inviting them to come to the Tang Dynasty, "Our ancestors said that we should be bound to the new dynasty, so this probably counts now."

The letter was sealed with beeswax and floated down the river with the wind.

…

June of the first year of Wude in the Tang Dynasty.

The Western Qin Emperor Xue Ju was approaching Chang'an. He led the main force to the Jing River, and the vanguard had even approached Qizhou, not far from Chang'an. Facing the aggressive Xue Ju, the newly born Li Tang had to resist the enemy, otherwise everything would be just a joke.

Li Yuan and Li Jiancheng are already the emperor and the crown prince, and cannot go to war easily. With Li Yuan's character, he can only trust his own people. The only people he can trust are Li Shimin, Li Xiuning and Luo Xuanye. Li Shimin and Luo Xuanye are one, while Li Xiuning has to take care of the children, serve as the Minister of Internal Affairs, and guard the palace.

Li Yuanji stayed in his hometown of Taiyuan.

Moreover, Li Shimin had defeated Xue Ju's son before, causing Xue Ju to escape. Xue Ju was afraid of Li Shimin, so Li Yuan ordered Li Shimin to fight.

In July of the first year of Wude, Li Yuan issued an order, "Li Shimin, the Prince of Qin, was appointed as the marching marshal, and Luo Xuanye, the Duke of Zhou, Liu Wenjing, Qu Tutong and ten others were appointed as the marching generals, under the control of the Prince of Qin."

This was the first major battle after the founding of the Tang Dynasty, and Xue Ju was the first powerful opponent encountered by Li Shimin, the extremely young commander.

Li Shimin led an army of 50,000 up the Jing River to confront Xue Ju's army.

Xue Ju's army was strong. Although he did not occupy Xiliang, he was close to Xiliang and could buy horses from Xiliang, so he had a strong army at hand. In terms of elite level alone, it was not inferior to the Tang army.

As soon as Li Shimin arrived at the battlefield, he said to his generals: "Our army is close to the Jing River and very close to Chang'an. We can transport food and grass by water, which is much better than Xue Ju. On the other hand, Xue Ju led a large army and it was very difficult to get food and grass.

Although the soldiers are numerous and sharp, wars are fought with food and grass. No matter how strong the elite soldiers of Longxi are, they will be defeated if they run out of food.

Pass on my order that all the generals should hold their camps firmly and not go out to fight, so as to wear down Xue Ju's fighting spirit first."

Although Li Shimin liked to charge into battle and was quite adventurous in battle, that was all tactical.

He has a side that understands the military situation, but in terms of strategy, he is a typical military strategist who emphasizes stability. His favorite tactic is to use food and fodder.

Be prepared for the coming battle and put yourself in an invincible position.

The managers received the order but looked somewhat indifferent.

After everyone left, Luo Xuanye frowned slightly and said, "King Qin, these stewards seem to be somewhat reluctant to obey your orders. This is not a good thing."

Li Shimin was also somewhat worried about this. “They are all the original followers of the Jinyang uprising, they are my father’s old ministers, and my uncles. Although they obey my orders now, many of them do not take a young man like me seriously.

Qingyang, I need you to help me keep an eye on things from now on. If anyone disobeys military orders, you must arrest him and bring him to me."

It was indeed not easy for Li Shimin to be the marching marshal. Liu Wenjing and others were all Li Yuan's men. It was Liu Wenjing and others who led the army to defeat Qu Tutong and others.

Li Shimin's position in the Jinyang uprising was naturally more important than Li Jiancheng and Li Yuanji, but he mainly served as a mouthpiece for Li Yuan, Liu Wenjing and others.

Li Shimin's contribution to the Li Tang group was not great enough. Strictly speaking, he was at the same level as Li Jiancheng, and worse than Princess Pingyang Li Xiuning.

Luo Xuanye nodded seriously and said, "Don't worry, King Qin. I will keep a close eye on them."

Luo Xuanye didn't have any positioning for himself, he just wanted to be loyal to the emperor and eat his salary.

Luo Su had taught him that as a son of the Luo family, he should never have any lofty thoughts unless it was a matter of right and wrong like Yang Guang's.

That kind of person is only good at idle talk and harms the country, and can never accomplish anything great.

The sacred represents the absence of power.

After Luo Su's reincarnation, he analyzed why the Luo family had fallen to its current state.

The most powerful era of the Luo family was the Zhou Dynasty.

At that time, the Luo family kept the Chinese people in their hearts, but the survival of the Zhou Dynasty was as important as the Chinese people. The Luo family members of that era knew clearly what they wanted to do.

So he allied with Jin and Qi and suppressed Chu and Qin without hesitation.

After entering the Han Dynasty, only the vague concept of the Xia Dynasty remained in Luo's mind. Especially after the demise of the Xiongnu, it can be said that Luo fell into confusion for a while.

It can be said that we are trapped in Zhaocheng!

Luo Su injected new beliefs into the Luo family, aiming to expand Zhu Xia, maintain the dynasty, and revitalize the family at the same time.

There is no need to say much about expanding the Xia state. That is what Luo Su is going to do, and that is what he is going to do after unification.

Luo Xuanye’s goal now is to maintain the dynasty. He chose the Tang Dynasty, so he must work hard for it. Finally, he wants to revitalize his family and make it extremely glorious. To do so, he needs to have a good relationship with the rulers of the dynasty and obtain higher titles and official positions, which can increase the family’s foundation.

From the letter from the ancestor the day before, Luo Xuanye already knew that after his wife was given an official position, the family would gain more wealth than after killing Yang Guang.

This is not because this matter is more important than killing Yang Guang, but because the relationship between the Luo family, or himself and Li Tang, has been tied together. Although this bond is still shallow, it is enough to double the growth of the foundation.

If the Luo family and Li Tang had nothing to do with each other, the increase in luck points for Li Xiuning, who set a precedent for women to participate in politics, would definitely not exceed five thousand.

From these two things, Luo Su was certain that his choice to bind himself to the dynasty was absolutely the right one.

The Luo family's foundation will increase rapidly until it becomes like Bang Zhou, with a large fixed income every year.

Therefore, when Luo Xuanye does things, he only needs to stick to the final moral bottom line, and he can do anything above that.

The emperor is the most noble person in the world.

This is what Luo Su often taught them. The emperor had been thoroughly trampled upon, and that emperor should not be trampled upon again.

As for why the emperor is the most honorable person?

Because the King Su is the Heaven!

Luo Xuanye treats the emperor with respect, which means he is treating the Su Wang Emperor with respect. This is a very simple truth.

…

God will give a man a great responsibility and will temper him with hardships. After the two armies had been in a stalemate for only a few days, Li Shimin actually fell ill. The two armies were in a stalemate and the commander fell ill, it was a bolt from the blue.

Luo Xuanye naturally brought a doctor with him, but it can only be said that his life is not a problem. It will be difficult for him to recover in a short period of time.

After falling ill, Li Shimin felt something was not right, and reiterated his order to all the generals not to go to war. After everyone left, he endured the pain and said to Luo Xuanye: "Qingyang, I leave this to you."

Luo Xuanye knew that the task Li Shimin gave him was not to stop Xue Ju, but to calm down the generals of the marching armies.

Luo Xuanye pondered for a moment and asked, "King Qin, these old ministers may not necessarily obey me.

If something unexpected happens, what can I do? "

What Luo Xuanye asked was not what he could do, but to what extent he could do it.

Li Shimin was silent for a moment, lying on the sickbed, closing his eyes and saying: "They are all old ministers and elders. We can't kill them, otherwise we won't be able to explain to our father."

Luo Xuanye nodded to indicate that he understood. He turned and walked out. Li Shimin said hoarsely: "Qingyang, do you think Liu Wenjing and Yin Kaishan will not obey my orders?"

Luo Xuanye stopped, turned around and looked at Li Shimin seriously and said: “If the commander of this battle is the prince, and he is sick and gives orders, but I find a good opportunity, I will not obey.

When a general is away from the court, he may not obey the orders of the king, let alone when he is not the king.

Maybe I am judging others by my own standards. "

After Luo Xuanye left, Li Shimin fell into a deep sleep again with an uneasy look on his face.

Luo Xuanye left the tent and immediately became extremely cautious. He meant every word he said in the tent. When Liu Wenjing and Yin Kaishan started their army in Jinyang, they followed Li Yuan, and later Liu Wenjing worked under Li Jiancheng.

These two people are the most senior heroes among the ten major military commanders today. Liu Wenjing has two documents of exemption from death, and Yin Kaishan also has a document of exemption from death. This is a symbol of their status.

Luo Xuanye strode into the tent. When he walked outside, he could already hear the quarrel inside the tent. His face immediately looked unhappy. He rubbed his face and walked into the tent. As soon as he walked in, the tent suddenly became quiet.

"Duke Zhou, how is the health of His Royal Highness the King of Qin?"

Luo Xuanye said with a cold face: "King Qin has already rested. The doctor said he needs to rest well. Don't worry too much."

As he spoke, he sat in the tent leaning on his sword and said, "I'm sure you all know the King of Qin's order. The camps of the various armies are connected to each other. They are fighting with Xue Ju here. If our army eats one ounce of food, they will eat three ounces. They are definitely not our opponent.

When the King of Qin recovers, we will strike back. "

Luo Xuanye's words were recognized by several people.

These people were naturally Li Shimin's men. The others did not speak. Normal people would not so brazenly violate Li Shimin's orders. That was really unnecessary.

Luo Xuanye frowned and watched everyone disperse and return to the camp where he was stationed.

As soon as they walked out, Yin Kaishan and Liu Wenjing laughed, "Duke Zhou follows the orders of the King of Qin. The credit for defeating Xue Ju should belong to us two."

"For hundreds of years, it has been a common practice for members of the royal family to lead the army in name only, while important ministers and generals actually commanded. When the Crown Prince and I jointly commanded the army, I was in charge of all military affairs.

It is normal for the King of Qin to want to show off, but in terms of military affairs, he is still too young. Even though he has won a few battles, he has no experience in a big war like this.”

Luo Xuanye naturally had not heard of this conversation. He thought for a moment and looked at the armor, lance, and arrows hanging on the wooden rack. Four spirit soldiers were guarding outside his tent. His warhorse was resting outside the tent at night. He took off his boots and slept directly in his clothes.

The camp of the 50,000-strong army stretched for a long distance. Luo Xuanye's camp was located in the southern part of the city. At dawn, there was suddenly a huge noise, and Luo Xuanye was awakened from his sleep.

"Enemy attack?"

"wrong!"

Luo Xuanye reacted immediately. The spiritual soldier did not react, which meant that he was not attacked. So what was going on?

He put on his boots and hurried out of the barracks, then saw his deputy general rushing over. He said in panic, "General, the marching commander Liu Wenjing and Yin Kaishan are leading the army to line up in the shallow water in front of the city, and they are going to fight Xi Qin to the death!"

Luo Xuanye's face instantly darkened when he heard this. Liu Wenjing and Yin Kaishan had indeed disobeyed orders.

Liu Wenjing and Yin Kaishan would not necessarily be defeated, or they could really defeat Xue Ju, just like Xiang Yu defeated the elite army of the Qin Dynasty head-on. There are too many examples in this world of the weak defeating the strong and the few defeating the many, so it is understandable that they made such a choice.

But Luo Xuanye knew that this action showed that he did not take Qin Wang Li Shimin seriously.

When this action was taken, Li Shimin would definitely end up in trouble.

If Liu Wenjing and Yin Kaishan won, Li Shimin's previous military orders would be a joke, his military prestige would decline, and it would be even more difficult to control military power.

If Liu Wenjing and Yin Kaishan were defeated, Li Shimin would not be able to escape either. The leadership responsibility would be enough for Li Shimin to suffer the consequences. He was the marching marshal, and as long as the army was defeated, he would definitely be responsible.

"Put on my armor! Prepare my horse!"

Luo Xuanye's mind raced and he immediately knew that he couldn't just sit there and watch.

According to the King of Qin's temper, he would rather the Tang army win and his own prestige be damaged than see the Tang army suffer losses.

Xue Ju of Western Qin was very powerful. He had more than 10,000 cavalry in Longxi alone, while there were less than 4,000 cavalry in the Tang army.

When fighting in Guanzhong and Hedong, the Tang army had the upper hand in cavalry. Now this cavalry disadvantage made the Tang army very passive.

Xue Ju was born into the Xue family of Hedong. He lived in Liangzhou and Longyou for many years. He was skilled in archery and horse riding, and the Longxi cavalry was almost one of the strongest cavalry in the world.

The spirit soldiers quickly put armor on Luo Xuanye. With the development of armor, especially the armor for generals, it is no longer possible for one person to wear it. After putting on layer after layer of armor, Luo Xuanye put on the helmet on his head. The spirit soldiers helped him onto the horse. He waved the lance in his hand and shouted at the middle and lower-level officers in the army: "Pass on my order, the infantry will stay in the camp, and the cavalry will follow me to attack."

Luo Xuanye and Zhangsun Wuji were the two people Li Shimin trusted the most, one civil and one military. Although the Tang army did not have many cavalry, Luo Xuanye had a thousand men under his command.

After he led a thousand cavalrymen out of the camp, he immediately headed towards Qianshuiyuan, which was backed by the Jing River.

Wars are always on the verge of breaking out. After Yin Kaishan and Liu Wenjing went to battle, other generals of the Tang army also went to battle in confusion.

Luo Xuanye did not enter the battlefield directly. The role of the cavalry was to go around the back or side and then charge into the enemy formation. If the timing was right, they could defeat the enemy in one battle.

It can only be said that great minds think alike, and Xue Ju thought so too.

As soon as Liu Wenjing and Yin Kaishan started fighting, he relied on the advantage of more cavalry to entangle the Tang army in the front, and then led the cavalry to go around behind the Tang army.

This scene happened to be seen by Luo Xuanye who was standing on a high place overlooking the battlefield. The dust all over the sky could only be the result of cavalry galloping past!

Luo Xuanye felt his eyes were bloodshot. He had fought with Xue Ju before. Although Xue Ju was not as brave as him, he could definitely be called a brave man. What would be the result if such a man led thousands of cavalrymen to go around behind?

He couldn't even think about it!

"Two stupid pigs!

It was so easy to be bypassed and attacked from the rear!"

All Luo Xuanye can do now is to reduce the losses of the Tang army as much as possible. The moment Xue Ju gets behind the Tang army, this battle is doomed to fail.

When Luo Xuanye led the cavalry to rush over, they were facing the Tang army that had already begun to collapse!

Xue Ju scattered the Tang army with just one charge, and any marching commander who stepped forward was instantly submerged in the tide.

The fleeing soldiers were like the Yellow River rushing down with a large amount of mud and sand, with the momentum to destroy everything. Luo Xuanye was going against the army, and the cavalry around him were also suffering.

His armor was covered with arrows, and some of the arrows had penetrated into the gaps in his armor, but he never stopped wielding his lance. Even though the mount under him had been injured and fell down due to blood loss, he still fought tenaciously on foot.

He certainly was not trying to stop the surging fleeing soldiers alone. He just wanted to temporarily cut off the tide and rescue the marching generals and as many Tang troops as possible.

After seeing Xue Ju rushing towards him from afar, Luo Xuanye retreated without hesitation, and the other stewards also fled.

Li Shimin woke up from his illness and saw Luo Xuanye was covered with arrows. He immediately knew that the situation was not good. Luo Xuanye pulled out all the arrows and said directly: "King Qin, Liu Wenjing and Yin Kaishan went to battle without authorization, and our army was defeated, with 20% to 30% killed or wounded.

Most of the troops under Liu Wenjing and Yin Kaishan had been killed, and most of the soldiers under the command of the rest of the general's army retreated.

Are we going to withdraw now?"

Luo Xuanye told Li Shimin how Liu Wenjing and Yin Kaishan were defeated by Xue Ju from behind.

Just by listening to Luo Xuanye's description of the situation, Li Shimin could feel how brutal the war was, and how hard Luo Xuanye tried to reverse the defeat.

He waved his hand, and Luo Xuanye stepped forward and leaned in front of Li Shimin.

There was no trace of defeat in Li Shimin's eyes. He held Luo Xuanye's hand somewhat weakly and whispered, "Qingyang, how many people can we still use in our army?"

Luo Xuanye said based on his feeling: "Of the 50,000 troops coming out of Chang'an, Liu Wenjing and Yin Kaishan's troops have 10,000. Our army can be used, about 30,000 to 40,000."

More than 30,000, but less than 40,000.

Li Shimin fell into deep thought after hearing this, and then he said firmly: "We can't retreat so easily. Xue Ju has a large number of cavalry. If we retreat after a great defeat, the losses will shake the foundation of the country.

Qingyang, what is the formation of our army? "

He looked at Luo Xuanye with hope, hoping to hear good news again. Luo Xuanye did not disappoint him, "The soldiers in my camp are very stable. Give me some time, and I can regroup the army.

But King Qin, we have lost a lot of food and fodder, and our morale is very low. Every day from now on will be a torture for us, and the future will be unpredictable."

Li Shimin let out a long sigh, and he tightly grasped Luo Xuanye's arm, "Qingyang, in a few days at most, I will be able to recover.

You hold on, hold on for the Tang Dynasty, hold on for me.

I don't want to return to Chang'an with a defeat. Since there is still a chance to fight again, I don't want to give up.

Food and grass are crucial, but how to use them is equally important. I will win the final victory."

If it weren't for Luo Xuanye, the Tang army would have been defeated, and Li Shimin would have chosen to leave here directly, return to Chang'an, and wait for an opportunity.

But now that he still has the strength to fight, Li Shimin doesn't want to give up, "Qingyang.

I fell ill on the eve of the battle, my subordinates did not listen to my advice, and my enemies were very powerful.

This is a tribulation given to me by God, and I cannot escape it.

If I can overcome this, what can ever bring me down?

I firmly believe that there is no problem with my tactics and I firmly believe that I can achieve the final victory.

Now all you have to do is be patient.

Endure physical pain, endure the consumption of food and fodder, endure the casualties of soldiers, and endure possible failure.

If we don't endure these, victory will never have anything to do with us.

Qingyang.

Do you understand? "

Luo Xuanye's face was covered in blood, and he nodded solemnly, "King Qin, I understand. I will guard the camp and will never let Xue Ju attack."

As they were talking, several people hurried in. Liu Wenjing and Yin Kaishan were among them. As soon as they entered the tent, they knelt on the ground and pleaded guilty.

Li Shimin just glanced at the two of them and said slowly: "You are all my father's subjects. How to punish you is my father's decision after returning to Chang'an.

I am unwilling to withdraw my troops and want to fight Xue Ju again here. If you two are willing to obey my orders, I am willing to give you another army. If you two still have your own ideas, then you can return to Chang'an."

Liu Wenjing and Yin Kaishan looked at each other and said in unison: "We are willing to obey the orders of the King of Qin!"

Li Shimin relaxed a little, and said in a low voice: "I will recover soon. All the generals stay in the camp and follow the command of Duke Zhou. We will kill Xue Ju in this shallow water!"

Hearing that Li Shimin had temporarily entrusted Luo Xuanye with military and political affairs, no one was dissatisfied anymore, especially Liu Hongji and other military commanders. It was Luo Xuanye who led his men to intercept the Qin army just now, otherwise they would have been captured.

Everyone said in unison: "We will obey the order of King Qin!"

After experiencing a tragic defeat, the Tang army was finally able to unite. After all the generals returned to their camps, Li Shimin smiled and said, "Qingyang, are you curious about why it was so easy for Liu Wenjing and Yin Kaishan to redeem themselves from their crimes?

These two are both old officials. Even if they return to Chang'an, they will at most be dismissed and become commoners, and they will surely be reinstated soon. There is no point in me punishing them here.

The army has just suffered a devastating defeat, but the soldiers do not know why they were defeated. In this case, do not handle it lightly, so as not to cause turmoil in the army.

At any time, unity is the most important thing. Our Tang army should have been defeated because of the lack of unity, but now we will win because of the unity of the people. "

Luo Xuanye seemed to understand and said: "I don't understand this, but it sounds reasonable. Liu Wenjing and Yin Kaishan are still people who have dignity."

Li Shimin smiled and said, “Yes, they are all respectable people, so I use this method.

Qingyang, I'll leave it to you until I recover."

…

Xue Ju was very proud of himself after defeating the Tang army at Qianshuiyuan. After this battle, he thought he had tested the strength of the Tang army. This aggressive force was nothing special and was not fundamentally different from other forces he had defeated before.

Relying on the momentum of his recent victory over the Tang army, he continued to attack and killed many Tang soldiers who had no time to retreat. However, after Luo Xuanye led his troops to the scene, he did not move forward.

He knew Luo Xuanye. The holy mark on his forehead revealed his identity: Li Yuan's son-in-law, Luo Xuanye, Duke of Zhou of the Tang Dynasty. He was the only direct descendant of the Luo family who was now serving in officialdom and had extremely high martial arts skills.

But this is a large army battle!

Xue Ju launched a fierce attack on the Tang army camp, but Luo Xuanye remained unmoved and stayed firmly guarding the camp without going into battle.

Although the morale of the Tang army is low now, their strength is still there, and there is no problem in defending the camp.

Xue Ju led a large army to attack fiercely, but there was no progress and he could only retreat in disappointment.

The Tang army harassed Xue Ju from time to time but did not attack, as a way of telling him that they were not leaving and were just waiting here.

Xue Ju sent troops several times, but the Tang army was completely unmoved and had no intention of fighting at all.

Those were very difficult days. Xue Ju was full of confidence at the beginning, as he had intercepted a lot of food and fodder of the Tang army. He believed that he would be the winner.

But as time went by, Xue Ju began to get irritable and a little unconfident. He didn't understand why the Tang army was so energy-consuming. Could it be that the Tang army had delivered new food and fodder?

But actually, no!

Li Shimin has recovered his health, and the Tang army is running out of food and fodder. Now they have only one meal a day. Li Shimin is waiting and enduring. He believes that a warrior with a hot temper like Xue Ju cannot bear it.

…

Li Shimin's bet was right, but perhaps not entirely right.

God always favors those who are stronger. Li Shimin suffered great losses due to illness, but he survived.

Now it's Xue Ju's turn.

He actually fell ill!

In this era, it is normal for military generals to fall ill, but falling ill on the battlefield can only be said to be fate.

And it was obvious that Xue Ju's luck was not as good as Li Shimin's. He fell ill and showed no signs of improvement.

On a moonlit night with few stars, Xue Ju died!

Li Shimin was a little stunned. He was still preparing to compete with Xue Ju, but he didn't expect that fate would give him such a gift.

Is this the reward God gave him?

Li Shimin didn't know, but he knew that his chance had come.

Let the soldiers have enough food, and have a decisive battle with Xue Rengao who was hastily enthroned, and he will take back everything he has lost.

Representing the Tang Dynasty!

On behalf of those soldiers who died in Asamizuhara!

…

On the south bank of the Jing River, countless corpses were lying there, and murderous aura was rising into the sky. Countless Tang troops moved forward, and Li Shimin personally charged forward.

They had suffered a great defeat before and their comrades had died there. Now that they had won, the soldiers were full of fighting spirit, with dark faces and loud roars.

Boom boom boom.

The sound of the Tang army's war drums resounded, weighing heavily on everyone's heart.

Almost all the Tang army soldiers were looking at that figure, King Qin Li Shimin!

Holding a bow and arrow, he led the charge and rushed to the front of everyone. The Tang army was able to recover its morale and gain cohesion so quickly, which had a lot to do with Li Shimin who always charged into battle.

This is something he was born with. He can unite people with his sincerity and bravery, benevolence and wisdom. In the battlefield, he is like a banner.

The Tang army roared and marched forward in unison. As they swung their swords, blood and flesh flew everywhere, and the Western Qin army continued to die.

Luo Xuanye stayed beside Li Shimin, and the lance in his hand thrust out and retracted like lightning.

He felt the rhythm of the warhorse under him and the wind that kept blowing from the battlefield. The wind brought the Jing River, and a moist smell mixed with blood entered his lungs.

The fear and anger on a person's face before death.

The excitement on the faces of the Tang army soldiers!

"kill!"

The hundreds of elite cavalry of the Tang army cut through the Western Qin army and pierced the entire army. Behind the army, Li Shimin raised the flag of the Tang army and turned around to advance. When the Western Qin army saw this, they were frightened and instantly lost their will to fight and fled in all directions.

When the Western Qin generals saw that the situation was not good, they immediately wanted to retreat. Li Shimin immediately ordered, "Chase!"

The pursuit lasted for several hours, killing many soldiers of the Western Qin army and making them fall to the ground. The Tang army was also exhausted. All the generals of the army came to persuade Li Shimin, "King of Qin, the soldiers are very tired and can't chase anymore. There is a city ahead. We only have 3,000 light cavalry and no siege equipment."

Li Shimin said: "We have endured for two months, and now there is no food in the Western Qin army, and there is no food in the city.

It was impossible for the soldiers of the Western Qin Army to escape into the city. They were all from Longxi, and under the pursuit of our army, they all fled back to their hometowns.

The city is empty now. As long as we march at the gates, the people in the city may surrender. We must not stop at this time.

Keep going forward and tell the soldiers that after entering the city, their children will belong to the Tang Dynasty, and all the gold, silver, cloth and silk will be given to the soldiers as rewards!"

Li Shimin generously distributed all the property in the city, and the exhausted Tang soldiers suddenly felt a surge of strength in their bodies.

Li Shimin led 3,000 light cavalry to the city of Jingzhou. His arms were already very heavy, but he still raised his bow and shot down the enemies one by one. Luo Xuanye was wearing armor and charging left and right in the enemy camp alone, like a god of war.

Xue Ju's son Xue Rengao still wanted to resist, but the soldiers defending the city saw that the Western Qin was doomed and had always been at odds with Xue Rengao, so they immediately opened the city and surrendered.

Seeing this scene, Li Shimin laughed out loud, his laughter full of satisfaction.

This war lasted for three months, but in the end, I was the last one to have the last laugh. It was a war of many twists and turns, but I paid a huge price.

During those difficult two months, Li Shimin also had doubts about himself, but in the end he persevered, and he firmly believed that Xue Ju would be the first person to run out of food reserves.

In the end, his persistence paid off, and he also gained an extra benefit: Xue Ju actually died, which gave him a great opportunity.

If we had withdrawn our troops immediately at the beginning, how could we have achieved the victory today?

If we had failed to defend the camp in the first place, how could we have allowed the enemy to fall into chaos?

If we don't dare to pursue after victory and don't attack swiftly, how can we achieve such great results?

In this battle, Li Shimin understood what patience meant, what it meant that opportunities were only reserved for the brave, and what the military principles of being as still as a mountain and as swift as fire meant.

The sun shone down, illuminating Li Shimin and the divine horse Baitiwu under his crotch. The blood on his body seemed like a medal. Luo Xuanye led a dozen cavalrymen and walked beside Li Shimin, always paying attention to his surroundings.

As long as he is on the battlefield, he will never let his guard down for a moment.

————

Xuan Ye was on good terms with Emperor Wen. Since the Jinyang Daye Campaign, he had accompanied the Emperor and fought bravely in every battle. The Emperor once said with deep emotion, "I have fought in hundreds of battles, and Qing Yang has always been by my side, working day and night. Even if the enemy's front reaches Hubei, I can still sleep peacefully.

When I was in the army, whenever I ordered Qingyang to capture a general, Qingyang would jump on his horse and charge into the army, take the general's head and return.

Jingde, Shubao, and Zhijie, my trusted and beloved generals, are not as good as Qingyang. "

All the generals agreed, and none of them were indignant. This showed how much favor Xuan Ye had shown to them. - "The Book of Tang: The Biography of Xuan Ye, Prince of Zhou"

Ten thousand words, please vote for me, it’s the end of the month.

(End of this chapter)