Chapter 868 The Chosen One!
The Tang envoys sent by Li Yuan were Prince of Yong'an Li Xiaoji and Vice Minister of Civil Affairs Tang Jian, both of whom were people Li Yuan trusted very much.
As soon as they entered Suzhou, they were very surprised. Suzhou did not feel depressed at all. The streets were crowded with people and there was a bustling scene with heavy traffic.
Li Xiaoji was quite shocked and said: "This Suzhou looks even more prosperous than Chang'an. I can't believe it."
Tang Jian also said with a sigh: "Yes, the Luo family built a stronghold to protect themselves, Suzhou has no war, so it is naturally prosperous, while Yangzhou is much more depressed.
The same is true of Chengdu, which is even more prosperous than Chang'an.
In this battle for supremacy, the pattern of Yang being one, Yi being two, Luo being three, and Su being four will definitely change.
The fall of Yangzhou and Luoyang due to war was inevitable.
Luoyang is a holy city and can be rebuilt in the future. Yangzhou's recovery depends on merchants from all over the world. However, Emperor Yang of Sui built a canal directly to Yangzhou, so perhaps the recovery will be faster. "
The Tang Dynasty delegation was very large in number. As soon as they entered Suzhou, they were immediately known to the Luo family. Luo's people hurried to greet them, and the group went to Suzhou Manor.
Here, Tang Jian and Li Xiaoji met Luo Xuanjing and Luo Jingcheng. According to the information they got from the Tang Dynasty, the Jiangnan Luo family was jointly presided over by Luo Xuanjing and Luo Jingcheng, and Luo Xuanjing probably had a higher say, as the women of the Luo family have always had the tradition of presiding over the family.
Li Xiaoji did not delay and directly unfolded the imperial edict and read it out, "Zierluo's Jingcheng family is from a famous family and is well-known in Jiangzuo. For generations, they have made many meritorious achievements and are well-known throughout the world. Since the end of the Sui Dynasty, they have been revitalized and maintained their family business. Now, observing the situation, they have returned to our Tang Dynasty. I am very pleased with them.
The imperial edict: Luo Jingcheng is granted the title of Prince of Gusu, with a fief of 5,000 households, and is granted the title of Grand Pillar of the State. He is also granted the title of Grand General of the Cavalry, and the title of Right Prime Minister of the Jiangnan Circuit.
This imperial edict was much more sincere than the one given to Du Fuwei, and was considered normal by everyone. In politics, normality is a good thing, as it means it will not attract criticism.
After reading the imperial edict given to Luo Jingcheng, he did not stop. Neither Li Yuan nor Li Xiuning would forget Luo Xuanjing, the girl from the Luo family who had been with Luo Su for many years.
"Xuan Jing, the noble daughter of the Zierluo clan, was born into the Gaozong family. She is famous in Jiangzuo, has a great reputation, knows the great principles, and is a heroine who is no less than anyone else.
The imperial edict: Make Luo Xuanjing the Lady of Wu, with the same rank as a princess, and add the title of Governor of Suzhou and the Chief of the Army of Jiangnan Road. You should respect her. "
Luo Jingcheng and Luo Xuanjing looked at each other in surprise. They didn't expect that Li Yuan would let Luo Xuanjing serve as the governor of Suzhou.
The current Tang Dynasty has a prefecture-county system, and the governor, especially the governor of a prefecture like Suzhou, is basically the top local official.
This is an official of the third rank!
Although the Tang Dynasty set up Dao above the state, the current Dao is still a purely military organization.
For example, Luo Jingcheng's post as the Shangshu You Pushe of the Jiangnan Daoxingtai sounds like a civil official, but in fact, because the world was not at peace, he only had one responsibility, which was to raise food and fodder. He was a typical military officer.
There is no need to say much about Luo Xuanjing's position as the chief military commander. This is a temporary official position, just like Li Shimin's position as the commander-in-chief of the army.
The two were not stupid, and they understood immediately, "The Tang Emperor wants us to launch an offensive in the south and capture cities and territories."
The two smiled at each other. Luo Jingcheng invited the angel into the mansion and asked casually, "I wonder what official position your majesty has given Du Fuwei?"
Tang Jian smiled as he read the words, "Your Majesty has appointed Prince Xu as the Minister of the Southeast Circuit, and has conferred him the title of Grand Pillar of the State, and has given him the title of Grand Master of the Imperial Court. You really trust him."
Um?
Luo Jingcheng and Luo Xuanjing, who had just asked casually, immediately noticed something wrong. There was nothing wrong with being Kaifu Yitong Sansi and Shangzhuguo, but both the title and the position were wrong.
Prince Xu, it sounds like a prince. How can a minister be given the title of prince?
The Minister of the Southeast Circuit, this was also quite abnormal, and no less abnormal than that of the prince.
Among Li Yuan's sons, Li Shimin was previously the Minister of the Yizhou Circuit, Li Yuanba was the Minister of the Hebei Circuit, and Li Yuanji was the Minister of the Xiangzhou Circuit. This official position was also given to princes, or at least to clan relatives.
Although both were given military and political power in the same place, Li Yuan gave Luo Jingcheng the title of Right Prime Minister and Luo Xuanjing the title of Chief of the Army. At least on the surface, he divided the power, but he gave Du Fuwei complete trust.
When something is abnormal, there must be something wrong.
This old guy Li Yuan has no good intentions. Luo Xuanjing and Luo Jingcheng looked at each other secretly, and couldn't help but feel a little wary of Li Yuan.
Luo Jingcheng used his personal credibility and the Luo family's credibility to write a letter to persuade Du Fuwei to surrender. Li Yuan had no good intentions towards Du Fuwei, and this was a challenge to the Luo family's political credibility.
If Du Fuwei commits suicide, then there is nothing that can be done. But if Du Fuwei does not cause any trouble, the Luo family must protect him. Otherwise, people's morale will be lost. How will the Luo family lead the team in the future? They will not even be able to protect their own people.
However, Du Fuwei did not think there was anything wrong. This matter was also quite outrageous. Even Han Wumu did not want the throne at the beginning, but now he dared to take over the position of prince.
"Write a letter to Du Fuwei and persuade him to give up the throne. This is a way to death."
Luo Xuanjing whispered to Luo Jingcheng, and Luo Jingcheng nodded to indicate that he understood. Tang Jian and Li Xiaoji walked into Luo Mansion with smiles on their faces.
…
Collapsed earth, messy weeds, blood falling on the weeds, corpses lying in the grass, looking from afar, it is a desolate scene, this is the Central Plains today.
Li Shimin rode up on his horse. He appeared in almost every corner of Heluo. With only a few men, he laughed loudly at Wang Shichong's army on the city wall and said, "I am Li Shimin, the King of Qin. Who dares to fight?"
Facing the arrogant Li Shimin, the people from Luoyang seemed not to have heard anything. They just showed anger on their faces but did not dare to attack. They looked at those around Li Shimin with some fear.
Behind Li Shimin, lined up were Luo Xuanye, Luo Xuanling, Qin Qiong, Cheng Yaojin, and Yuchi Gong. Each one was more powerful than the other, and all of them were generals who could defeat ten thousand enemies. Especially Luo Xuanye and Qin Qiong, who took the heads of enemy generals in the midst of ten thousand horses. It was simply outrageous and inhuman.
With these six powerful generals who were capable of defeating ten thousand enemies, plus Li Shimin, a commander who was extremely good at seizing opportunities, the Zheng army, which had suffered a great loss, would never try to fight the Tang army in the field again.
Zheng's army refused to go to battle, so Li Shimin smiled and retreated to the camp. He came to Luoyang City on a whim, and he often had such sudden ideas.
Back in the military camp, Li Shimin laughed heartily and said, "Since Wang Shichong likes to fight with us, then let's fight with him. There is an endless supply of food in Jiangnan. Let's see who will starve to death first, Wang Shichong or us."
There was a burst of laughter in the military camp, but Luo Xuanye did not laugh.
Because the pressure on the Tang army was not small.
If it were last month, there were various pressures, but after the grain from Suzhou arrived, the pressure on food and fodder on the Luoyang front was suddenly reduced.
But war is not just about food and fodder pressure. During the six months of confrontation with Wang Shichong, the Tang army also suffered heavy casualties.
Wang Shichong deeply understood that after losing this battle, he would never have another chance, so he fought very tenaciously.
The Tang army had launched a general attack on Luoyang a month ago, but the Luoyang defenders were extremely strong. The Tang army suffered huge casualties but made no progress at all.
This is the case with sieges. In history, no one has ever truly conquered a fortified city. Almost all fortified cities that were conquered were due to factors other than war.
It was for this reason that Li Shimin changed his strategy and cut off Luoyang's connection with the outside world.
Wang Shichong couldn't win in a field battle, nor could he win in a race of attrition. How could he win?
The current situation in Luoyang City could not be described as hell. Luoyang City was a big city with a large population. The Tang army besieged the city for only one month, and no less than one-third of the people in the city starved to death.
Even many low-level officials could not guarantee that they would have food to eat. Even so, Wang Shichong still turned a blind eye to Li Shimin's letter of surrender. He was eagerly waiting for his savior to arrive.
In the Luoyang Palace, Wang Shichong knelt in front of the Buddha statue, muttering, "Dou Jiande, Dou Jiande, why don't you come?"
Everyone had expected the tragic situation in Luoyang, but that was how war worked.
Moreover, after the war, all the wealth in the city will be rewarded to the soldiers. This is Li Tang's military law. Although the city will not be massacred, the people in the city will lose everything except their lives.
Li Shimin looked at the map and said slowly: "Now the Central Plains basically belongs to the Tang Dynasty. Hulao Pass was not in the hands of the Tang Dynasty before, so we attacked Luoyang by force.
Now that this gateway to Guandong is in our hands, there will be no accidents. Dou Jiande will definitely pass through here to support Wang Shichong, and I will stop him."
Sitting in the tent were a group of luxurious people, including Luo Xuanye, Luo Xuanling, Fang Xuanling, Du Ruhui, Zhangsun Wuji, Qu Tutong, Yuchi Gong, Qin Qiong, Cheng Yaojin, Xu Shiji, Liu Hongji and Yin Kaishan. The luxurious configuration of Li Shimin's Qin Palace accompanied him in achieving his current achievements.
Luo Xuanye and Changsun Wuji had accompanied him throughout the entire period from the founding of the Tang Dynasty to the present. Most of them were surrendered people, but they became his trusted ministers.
Veteran General Qu Tutong always insisted on his own opinion, which was to withdraw the troops. He was a man who emphasized the word "steady" in fighting. "Wang Shichong was in the front and Dou Jiande was in the back. It was too dangerous. Once we were attacked from both sides, our army would be defeated, and it would be difficult to turn the tide after one battle.
"And King Qin, our army is no longer as motivated as it was when we first came out of the pass. The previous siege failed and we suffered heavy casualties, which was a huge blow to our morale. Now the soldiers are very tired. If we have to face such a big battle again, we will not be able to hold on."
Qu Tutong's words made so much sense that Li Shimin didn't know how to refute them, but he was unwilling to listen to Qu Tutong's opinion. He looked at Luo Xuanye, who said in a deep voice: "There is no right way to fight a war. This is just a choice. It is a choice to go ahead steadily but give up the current results.
Or to capture Wang Shichong and Dou Jiande in one fell swoop and establish the world's situation in one fell swoop, which depends on the choice now.
King Qin, what will you choose?
We all obey your orders."
What Qin Wang Li Shimin would choose was not a question. Everyone in the tent looked at Li Shimin. They all knew what Li Shimin would say, but they were still waiting. Qu Tutong's eyes were a little dim, but as long as Li Shimin gave an order, he would execute it without hesitation, even if he disagreed.
Li Shimin was silent for a moment, then looked around at everyone, and said with emotion for a long time: "If I don't have Hulao Pass, I will definitely retreat to Guanzhong, but now that I have Hulao Pass, I will fight with Dou Jiande.
I have made up my mind to fight a decisive battle with Wang Shichong and Dou Jiande in the Central Plains. Right here, I will defeat Dou Jiande and drive him back to Hebei!
Zhongyuan Luoyang, I'm determined! "
really!
This thought flashed through everyone's mind. This was how Li Shimin was. When he was holding on, he was incredibly steady, but when he was attacking and formulating strategies, he had the aura to swallow mountains and rivers.
Li Shimin looked at the map and said in a deep voice: "Hulao Pass is the key. As long as we can occupy Hulao Pass and rely on this dangerous pass, we will be able to resist the Hebei troops.
Luoyang has entered the final war, and there will not be much change here. As long as Luoyang is trapped, Wang Shichong will be defeated.
Qingyang..."
Luo Xuanye shook his head and said, "Leave this place to the King of Qi and the King of Chu. I will follow you, the King of Qin, to Hulao Pass. It's too dangerous there."
Li Shimin pondered for a moment and felt that his two younger brothers were still capable. Even Yuanji, who was incompetent, would not make any big mistakes in the war.
"Okay, we will go to Hulao Pass to stop Dou Jiande. Once we capture Luoyang, Dou Jiande will naturally have no choice but to retreat."
Li Shimin was quick and made arrangements quickly. He personally led 3,500 Black Armored Army soldiers to Hulao Pass.
Luo Xuanye and others naturally followed, and with the more than 2,000 people already at Hulao Pass, there were already 6,000 people at Hulao Pass.
These people are naturally fewer than Dou Jiande's 100,000 troops, but they are enough to defend the city. One Hulao Pass is equivalent to an army of 100,000.
After days of traveling, Li Shimin felt quite tired, but he still forced himself to stay alert and inspected this fortified city.
As soon as he moved, Luo Xuanye knew what he wanted to do. Li Shimin not only wanted to defend the city, but also wanted to use this city to do something to Dou Jiande, which was exactly what Li Shimin was thinking.
…
Dou Jiande rushed all the way from Hebei to capture cities and strongholds and stationed on the waterside outside Hulao Pass.
He immediately convened a court meeting, and when he went on the expedition, he brought all the ministers of Zhao with him, which can be said to be a very comprehensive plan.
"Li Shimin, the King of Qin of the Tang Dynasty, has led thousands of people to station at Hulao Pass, and it seems that he is going to confront my 100,000-man army.
Hahaha.
Does he think that a few thousand people can stop my army of 100,000?"
Dou Jiande laughed loudly in front of everyone, and Zhao Guozhong also burst into laughter.
Wei Zheng felt that these voices were a bit harsh and could not help but said, "King Zhao, that is Hulao Pass. Back then, Hangu Pass was known as a place where one man could block the passage of ten thousand. Hulao Pass is no less famous. Many wars took place here. This important military town is not so easy to capture."
The laughter in the tent suddenly stopped. Wei Zheng was indeed the one who ruined the atmosphere. Dou Jiande smiled indifferently and stopped telling these jokes. Instead, he said, "Since the King of Qin is here, let's start the siege tomorrow and let the Tang army see the might of our Yanzhao men."
Wei Zheng sat back in his seat, somewhat unhappy, but said nothing more. Dou Jiande was indeed a benevolent ruler, but perhaps because of his continuous success, he had become somewhat conceited, and now he could hardly listen to Wei Zheng's words.
Wei Zheng tried to speak out his advice several times, but either Dou Jiande didn't listen at all or he didn't dare to speak again because he was worried that Dou Jiande would not be able to resist and kill him.
There is no one who can really persuade Dou Jiande now.
It is easy to obey verbally, but difficult to obey in the heart. Dou Jiande clearly obeyed Wei Zheng, but when it came to practice, he still did his own thing, which made Wei Zheng very uncomfortable.
"If the Right Prime Minister were here, maybe he could still persuade him."
The Right Prime Minister mentioned by Wei Zheng was none other than Luo Xuanzhao, the son of the Luo family who defected to Dou Jiande.
Now he holds an absolutely high position in the State of Zhao. The positions of Shangshu You Pushe, Shangshu Ling and Shangshu Zuo Pushe are vacant. This time when Dou Jiande attacked, he stayed in Handan to handle government affairs and supply Dou Jiande with food and fodder.
Accompanying Dou Jiande was Luo Xuanyun, but Luo Xuanyun was young and had not yet been crowned.
Dou Jiande treated him as a junior. Although he doted on him and put him in charge of the Zhao guards, he basically listened to his opinions on military and national affairs.
The Zhao State was filled with disdain for Hulao Pass. They thought that even though it was a dangerous pass, they had an army of 100,000. Even if they surrounded it ten times as many as the enemy as recommended in the military strategy, it was already far more than the enemy's. How could anything go wrong?
But reality soon gave them a heavy slap in the face. On the first day of the attack on Hulao Pass, the Zhao army suffered a severe blow and suffered heavy casualties but failed to even touch the city wall.
This magnificent pass taught the Zhao army a severe lesson. Dou Jiande, who refused to believe in evil, attacked for another three days, but achieved nothing except leaving behind corpses.
The Zhao army's momentum of winning streak was gone.
In the big tent, Dou Jiande saw this and said loudly: "Why are you all so dejected?
Wanting to capture the fortified city in just three days, isn't that underestimating Hulao Pass too much?
Although our army suffered heavy casualties, did the Tang army also suffer no casualties?
They have so few people. If they suffer heavy casualties, they won’t even be able to fill the city walls. Keep attacking!"
Luo Xuanyun couldn't help but said, "King Zhao, let me lead the team myself. What if we can capture a city gate?"
Dou Jiande heard this and waved his hands and said with a smile: "Xuanyun.
Your elder brother Luo Xuanye, Duke of Zhou of the Tang Dynasty, is in Hulao Pass. Are you a match for him?"
Luo Xuanyun was stunned when he heard this. He was sure that he could not beat Luo Xuanye. Luo Xuanye's martial arts was also among the best in the 1,600-year history of the Luo family. Especially since Luo Xuanye was at the peak of his life, and his peak had not yet arrived.
Dou Jiande smiled and said, "If that's the case, then there's no need to take this risk. If a commander dies in battle, I'll suffer a great loss. Just keep attacking in turns and we'll be able to take it down."
Luo Xuanyun sat down, clenched his fists tightly, but didn't know what to say. He had a bad feeling, he didn't know what to do if King Zhao really lost.
He recalled the peace and harmony in Hebei, the prosperity of Hebei, and the benevolent way in which Prince Zhao treated the nobles and the common people. Now people like Xu Shiji and Li Shentong in the Li Tang Dynasty should thank Prince Zhao.
He recalled what his second brother had said, "King Zhao is a little too benevolent. People like Xu Shiji and Li Shentong should be killed. Talents that cannot be used by me should be killed.
He is not yet the Son of Heaven. Only the Son of Heaven has the power to pardon everyone. The princes should do their own thing. "
That being said, it was precisely because of Dou Jiande's kindness that his second brother and he were willing to help Dou Jiande.
If Dou Jiande wins the final victory in this competition, the Luo family can gain unimaginable benefits from it.
Now the fourth, fifth and sixth brothers who have joined the Li Tang camp can all safely join the Zhao camp.
…
In Hulao Pass, Li Shimin and others were also talking about Dou Jiande. It had been half a month since Dou Jiande attacked Hulao Pass. During this half month, Li Shimin and others had been stationed there firmly, and there had been no sign of wavering at Hulao Pass.
Every day was a torture for Luoyang. Dou Jiande became more and more anxious. If he could not break through Hulao Pass, he would have to return to Hebei in disgrace.
Li Shimin had been waiting for an opportunity.
Luo Xuanye and Luo Xuanling leaned against the city wall. Luo Xuanling suddenly said, "Fourth brother, I saw Ayun today. He was next to Dou Jiande. Second brother didn't come."
Luo Xuanye nodded and said nothing, but Li Shimin came out from the corner. He happened to hear while inspecting the city, "Qingyang Qingyu, don't worry. After you defeat Dou Jiande, your brother will be brought under your command. His life will never be in danger."
Luo Xuanye and Luo Xuanling saluted, and then looked at each other and smiled bitterly. Li Shimin had no choice but to do so. What if the emperor wanted to kill Dou Jiande?
There is only one reason why the second brother and the seventh brother did not fight to the death, and that is that they did not kill Dou Jiande. As long as Dou Jiande was killed, the two of them would fight to the death with Li Tang no matter what the reason.
If the Emperor of the Tang Dynasty was Li Shimin, then...
Li Shimin did not sense the uneasiness in the two men's hearts. "Let's go. I'll call someone to the house to discuss what to do next. It's almost time. Dou Jiande should start to get anxious."
Li Shimin was best at making others anxious, which would easily reveal their flaws. Then he could take advantage of these flaws to severely defeat Dou Jiande.
…
When Dou Jiande failed to capture the city through his fierce attack, someone gave him a suggestion, which was to stop attacking Hulao Pass and instead take a detour through Taihang Mountain and enter Hedong from the Taihang Eight Paths.
Now all the Tang army is in the Central Plains, and Hedong is empty. As long as Hedong is captured, Guanzhong will be threatened.
In other words, it is not a threat at all. Guanzhong is now extremely empty, and Dou Jiande can even replicate the process of Li Yuan's seizure of Guanzhong.
This was a very bold idea, which was derived from the story of besieging Wei to save Zhao. When Dou Jiande first heard it, he was quite excited.
Because this proposal was full of bright prospects, Dou Jiande thought about it a lot and finally rejected it.
During this process, Wei Zheng did not advise Dou Jiande, because Wei Zheng also felt that this method was not as good as he had imagined.
The Tang army was indeed in the Central Plains, and it was indeed empty, but to what extent was it empty?
The 6,000 Tang troops stationed at Hulao Pass were able to prevent the Zhao army from advancing an inch. There were also many fortified cities in Hedong, and Jinyang and other cities were all fortified cities. As long as there were a few thousand soldiers, it would be difficult to conquer them.
The reason why Liu Wuzhou and Song Jingang were able to sweep Hedong was because they encountered the waste Li Yuanji.
But who is guarding Hedong now?
The Minister of the Hedong Circuit, the Chief Military Commander of the Hedong Circuit, the Governor of Jinyang, Princess Pingyang Li Xiuning!
Everyone in the world knows the reputation of this princess. She guards Hedong. How could Hedong be so easily conquered?
If the army goes to Hedong and crosses Taihang Mountains but fails to capture Hedong, it will face the risk of food shortage. Li Shimin will definitely attack the Zhao army from behind, and in a place like Hedong, the brutality of the Battle of Changping is likely to be repeated.
Besides, they came to rescue Wang Shichong. The reason why the Tang army only had 6,000 soldiers stationed here was because Wang Shichong was tying down the Tang army in Luoyang. If Luoyang fell because of the detour through Taihang Mountains, the Tang army would be connected in the vast Central Plains, Hedong and Guanzhong.
All the troops could be detached, so Wei Zheng did not persuade Dou Jiande to accept this suggestion.
For Dou Jiande, what he thought was even simpler. He had an army of 100,000, but faced with a pass with only a few thousand people, how could he not break through?
As long as he can break through Hulao Pass, the Tang army, which is attacked from both sides, will inevitably collapse. He will be able to march straight in, not only destroy the main force of the Tang army here, but also directly obtain the Central Plains.
At that time, Hedong had no choice but to surrender, and the entire area east of the Yellow River would be the territory of Zhao State, and his great cause of unifying the world would basically be accomplished.
Everything depends on this battle, and this battle will decide the outcome.
This is the difference between a counselor and a king!
Why did Dou Jiande hide?
In the process of becoming the Son of Heaven, one cannot have any fear. Is he worse than the Qin King Li Shimin?
Or is he just born inferior to Li Yuan?
There is no such thing in this world. Li Shimin received the letter of mediation from me, but ignored it and even detained the envoy. Isn't that the same idea?
Li Shimin also wanted to defeat both himself and Wang Shichong in one battle and achieve his great cause of the Tang Dynasty.
What a coincidence!
I, Dou Jiande, think so too!
Then let me see who is the chosen one of this era!
Yuan Benchu, the Lord of Hebei, you once failed, and the State of Zhao was called a pseudo-country, but the people of Hebei will never be extinguished.
Now I am rising from Hebei and establishing the State of Zhao in accordance with the will of the people of Hebei. We will not fail this time.
I have the support of the people of Hebei. He who wins the support of the people will win the world. This is what King Su said.
Oh, King Su, please bless me!
…
The night sky was clear and the stars were shining. Li Shimin stood on the city wall, looking at the dark outside the city. His thoughts were churning in his mind. He seemed to see a shining star rising in the darkness. That man was called Dou Jiande.
Li Shimin did not feel uneasy at all, he just felt excited. This month's war made him feel that the balance of victory was tilting towards him, and he was now full of confidence.
He recalled the ancient etiquette, slowly crossed his hands, placed them on his forehead, and bowed his head.
Oh, King Su, please bestow the Mandate of Heaven upon the Tang Dynasty!
Descend upon...!
(End of this chapter)
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
