Chapter 36 Er Feng fights at Hulao Pass again. Can the three kings form a group in the underground?
Li Shimin was not a god, and he had no idea what was happening in Luoyang City at that time.
He had already returned to the barracks and was writing a letter to his beloved wife.
Honey, you're pregnant. Remember to wear more clothes when it's cold. If someone asks you to go out or go to the palace, just refuse if you can. When I return, I'll bring you two chefs from overseas. Just tell them what you want to eat.
I'm almost done with the war here, but I still miss you so much. Why haven't you written to me yet? I'm so worried about you. I miss you so much every time I think of you!
[Uh huh, this is too much to bear, too much to bear to bear! We're at war, and Erfeng still has time to write cheesy love words?]
One second, Er Feng was wearing armor and looking serious, and the next, he was throwing dog food all over my face! Seriously, what did we single guys do to offend anyone? Wooooooo!
[If it was Li Shimin, then it would be normal.]
He had just ascended the throne when the Turks invaded. Erfeng, swamped with military duties, still managed to find time to establish a queen and hold a ceremony. He really, really loved her!
[What kind of love-brained person is this? The key point is that his love-brained person didn't affect his fighting skills?
No, it should be said that the war didn't affect his love brain? 】
As soon as Li Shimin sent the letter out, Cheng Qianli, Gao Shi, Pugu Huai'en and others came over and wanted to ask Li Shimin what to do next.
The nine military governors had previously operated independently, each unwilling to submit to the others, especially Yu Chaoen. However, with His Royal Highness the Prince of Yan now present, they were completely convinced and involuntarily came to regard him as their de facto leader.
At this time, Li Shimin was still holding the wet brush and thinking.
Gao Shi thought that the Prince of Yan was still thinking about the war situation, so everyone understood his intentions and waited silently by the side without disturbing him.
After a while, Li Shimin suddenly said:
"Should I send Shen Yue back and let her protect my wife's pregnancy?"
Everyone: ………???
[Hahaha, everyone thought Er Feng was holding back a big move, but actually she was holding back a big dose of dog food!]
"...Your Highness, Prince of Yan, do you think we should finish this battle first?"
Gao Shi is simply hard to describe. However, having been treated like a dog by Er Feng before, the others were relatively okay.
But Pugu Huai'en and Li Siye next to them were fed dog food for the first time, and they were caught off guard and looked confused.
However, Li Shimin felt that fighting did not affect his longing for his wife:
"You don't know, my wife is pregnant now, she is pregnant, she is pregnant!"
So, what's the big deal? What wife hasn't been pregnant?
The generals here all have wives and children. They don’t understand why King Yan said it three times in a row, so they can only say perfunctorily, “Oh, yes, yes, King Yan, what you said is important to your wife.”
Shen Yue was soon called over in the middle of the night. She was still dazed and sleepy. After hearing what Li Shimin said:...
Wu Yuzi, that’s it?
Boss, is this why you called me to work overtime in the middle of the night?
Shen Yue was angry and wanted to fight but then she thought she couldn't win, so she left in anger.
After going out, Shen Yue came back halfway and said:
"Our medical skills are indeed much more advanced than here, but obstetrics and gynecology is not my strong point. You'd better hire a few more people who are good at it."
[Ahhh, isn't there another job opening? The ancient times needed us modern obstetricians and gynecologists!]
[To be honest, the childbirth conditions for women in ancient times were really terrible. Even without modern caesarean sections, at least the childbirth environment could be improved.
Improve the survival rate of pregnant women during childbirth! 】
[Don't worry, Erfeng. Your wife is probably just pregnant and still a long way from giving birth. It's not too late to talk about it after you finish fighting and return.]
Li Shimin sighed quickly:
"You don't understand. This is called missing you for three years."
The audience in the sky and all the generals: ...?
Okay, okay, you’re the only one who’s been in love, and you and your wife are loving, right?
All of them are just passing dogs, they deserve to be kicked while walking on the road, right?
After thinking about his wife, Li Shimin started to talk about business when everyone was almost unable to bear it.
Everyone was halfway through the discussion when someone suddenly came to report that a rebel general, Tian Chengsi, was surrendering to the Tang army with a force of several thousand men and was outside the city at the moment, wanting to meet Prince of Yan, Li Shimin, in person.
"Could this be a fraud?"
"Your Highness, Prince of Yan, I can lead my men to set up an ambush in the military camp!"
When Li Shimin heard that Tian Chengsi not only brought his elite foreign otakus, but also brought Geshu Han and other Tang prisoners of war, he waved his hand and ordered the city gates to be opened and the people to come in to see him.
[Outside otaku, a large group of otaku can form an elite force, so can I, a veteran otaku, do the same? ]
[This is uncultured. The outer house corresponds to the inner house, which refers to the mobile and flexible troops stationed outside the city, and "male" refers to the soldiers.
It is said that Tian Chengsi's otakus were a very important force in the middle and late Tang Dynasty. The otakus belonged to him personally and were also the prototype of the private soldiers of the Jiedushi in the middle and late Tang Dynasty.
Tian Chengsi relied on this private army, and although he defected to the Tang Dynasty, he was able to maintain his own power and started the path of separatist regimes in the middle and late Tang Dynasty.
This was another difficult problem after the war. However, Li Shimin first met with Tian Chengsi, and only then learned from him that An Qingxu was so crazy that he wanted to kill all prisoners of war including Geshu Han and their families.
It was also because of this that the other generals were unhappy. Everyone knew that An Qingxu wanted to block their retreat.
Therefore, after much consideration, Tian Chengsi decided that instead of drowning together with a sinking ship, it would be better to choose another wise leader, surrender to him voluntarily, and gain merit, so that he could continue to serve as a governor and rule a region in the future.
Li Shimin could read this man's ambition from his eyes.
However, at this time, he was able to ensure the safe return of Geshu Han and others, which was a great achievement and he deserved a reward.
Li Shimin praised him, appointed him as a general, and ordered him to lead troops to attack Luoyang. If he made military achievements, he would be rewarded later.
As soon as Tian Chengsi arrived, he was immediately appointed by Li Shimin. He asked curiously:
"Your Highness, Prince of Yan, aren't you afraid that I'm feigning surrender?"
"So what if you really pretend to surrender?
It's just that I have to put in a little more effort and send out troops to wipe you and the others out!"
Hearing this, Tian Chengsi looked at the young King of Yan again, who was calm and composed, and sighed in his heart before taking the order and leaving.
[Ha, he's still worried about feigning surrender. Back then, Yuchi Gong, Qin Shubao, and the others, weren't they all generals from other factions? In the end, weren't they completely devoted to us, Er Feng?]
[I remember that Xu Maogong Xu Shiji, who was known as the twin pillars of the Tang Dynasty together with Li Jing, was also born in Wagangzhai and later served loyally under Erfeng.
When he died, he was buried in Zhaoling Mausoleum. Before he died, he said that he wanted to wear court clothes and continue to serve the late emperor after his death. I was afraid that Erfeng would not recognize him if he changed into other clothes. Wow!
Once the rebel general comes to my side, Er Feng, he will fall deeply in love with me and remain loyal to me until death! 】
[So to be honest, Li Shimin is some kind of Tang Dynasty succubus!
I'm clearly a strong alpha, but my whole body is emitting the omega's succubus pheromones?】
[No, no, I think Li Shimin is an enigma]
Li Shimin: ...What on earth are you modern people talking about? Why do you seem to be completely incomprehensible?
Li Shimin suspected that he was being scolded by this group of descendants but he couldn't understand it, so he just let it go for the time being.
He quickly went to meet the Tang officials who were captured in Luoyang and told them not to worry.
Those who are injured will rest and recuperate here, and those who are not injured will be sent back to Chang'an City.
Geshu Han, who had been locked up in a small dark room for more than half a year, now returned to the Tang army with tears streaming down his face.
At this time, he knelt in front of Li Shimin to apologize and cried bitterly.
When he was imprisoned in a dark prison in Luoyang as a prisoner of war and mocked by the rebels, he recalled countless times the days when he had won numerous battles on the frontier and was full of victories and ambition.
The Big Dipper is high in the sky, and Geshu carries a sword at night.
How high-spirited Geshu Han was back then, how carefree and unrestrained he was on the battlefield, and how invincible he was! Foreigners were afraid of him and wrote songs about him, so Li Bai and Wang Changling wrote poems and composed music for him.
However, today, he handed Tongguan and the capital Chang'an to the enemy in one fell swoop, causing the collapse of the Tang Dynasty's last line of defense!
He is the sinner of the entire Tang Dynasty!
He could also imagine how history books would evaluate him in the future - not only would he be old and confused, but he would also lose his integrity in his later years.
How can I put it? Geshu Han certainly didn't have the courage of Zhang Xun and the others. He surrendered to the enemy after his defeat. He certainly lost his integrity in his later years, but who doesn't want to live?
[Geshu Han stayed in Tongguan for less than half a year. Firstly, he had a conflict with Yang Guozhong, and secondly, he was old and had suffered a stroke.
He did this out of selfish motives, but it was ultimately Emperor Xuanzong's fault for his poor leadership!
Li Shimin listened to the old general lying there trembling and crying, and finally helped him up, patted his shoulder and comforted him:
"Old General, there's no need to blame yourself so much. The defeat at Tongguan wasn't your fault, it was the fault of the court!
General Geshu once made great contributions to the Tang Dynasty's frontier, and no one dared to criticize him even today."
When Geshu Han heard Li Shimin's tolerant words, he was speechless for a moment and burst into tears for a long time.
He was not sent back to Chang'an with everyone else, but instead requested to stay in the army. Although he was too old to fight in the battlefield, he wanted to personally see Luoyang return to the Tang Dynasty.
All the Tang prisoners of war who had been taken to Luoyang by the enemy were brought out, and the rebel generals led thousands of elite troops back to the Tang Dynasty. For a time, the morale of the Tang soldiers was greatly boosted.
The rebels' morale was low and they were afraid of fighting because of the internal strife that lasted all night.
Li Shimin learned from Tian Chengsi that the food and grass in the city were indeed insufficient, so he ordered the soldiers to gather around Luoyang City to barbecue and drink every day, and also ordered the musicians to play songs expressing homesickness in Yanbei and "The Qin King's Battle Music".
[Good fellow, this is surrounded by Chu Ge, no, this is surrounded by Yan Ge! ]
Never underestimate the power of "The Qin Emperor's Battle Music." Everyone in the Tang Dynasty has heard of the glorious story of Qin Emperor Li Shimin's undefeated victories!
When the Tang Dynasty was about to fall, this song, "Qin Wang Po Zhen Yue," was enough to make the Tang generals who had already decided to surrender weep, and the Tang Dynasty finally survived for another thirty years!
[But speaking of which, Erfeng, your voice is too soft, and how far can the aroma spread if you don’t sprinkle cumin and chili powder on the barbecue?
Let’s have some hotpot and sing some songs to have some fun! 】
A modern DJ set for "The Qin King's Breakthrough"! Are there any male bands willing to perform?
Modern people are really bad at fighting, but they are quite good at this kind of entertainment.
Li Shimin was a little suspicious, fearing that these people would perform the strange dance they had in Suiyang City. He asked the modern people to promise him in the sky that they would never perform strange performances in front of his 200,000 soldiers.
"Let's make it clear first, be normal! Many military governors, generals, and court officials are watching here, not in Suiyang City."
[Don't worry, this time we'll still use your Tang Dynasty dance music. At most, we'll add some strong rhythmic elements that suit modern tastes, and it will only sound better!]
In this case, Li Shimin recruited a group of temporary nightclub workers, who could earn 500 yuan a day by working three hours a day, so everyone actively participated and signed up!
Soon a group of lucky people were selected. Among the more than 30 people, 20 were professional singers and dancers, and 10 were there to join in the fun and eat hotpot.
So, under the watchful eyes of all the rebels and Tang troops inside and outside Luoyang City, a group of strange "foreigners" set up a delicious dish called hot pot on the campfire.
The indescribable strange fragrance spread for ten miles and made everyone drool.
Oh my god, what on earth are they eating? It looks bright red, pungent and fragrant, and it feels like it has a lot of Western pepper and cumin in it!
Every Tang Dynasty person couldn't stand it anymore and kept wiping their saliva, let alone the rebels on the opposite side who only had to eat single pancakes every day?
In this spicy hot pot atmosphere with its aroma spreading ten miles away, a temporary Tang Dynasty stage was built outside Luoyang City. The lighting effects and external music were turned on, and the "Qin Wang Pozhen Music" with a modern rhythm started playing.
A group of young boy band members began to twist and turn under the lights, dancing modern street dance.
Li Shimin: ………?
Li Shimin really couldn't accept the way modern men twisted and posed.
If I have to comment, it would be that even this old ancestor’s eyes were irritated!
But I have to say, this modern version of "The Qin King's Battle Music" sounds really nice, and it makes people want to draw their swords and fight.
[This feeling is called burning, very burning! Our boy band brothers dance so beautifully, Erfeng, why do you have that look in your eyes?]
The generation gap was too big. Not only Li Shimin couldn't accept it, but even Tian Chengsi, who had just surrendered, opened his mouth wide and asked Cheng Qianli beside him with a puzzled look:
"General, I'm late. Is this the new popular song and dance in Chang'an, our Tang Dynasty?"
I, a country boy, really don't know how to appreciate things!"
Cheng Qianli, Gao Shi and others: ... Not to mention you, we can't appreciate such a weird thing either!
Fortunately, the enemy could not see the dancing, but they could hear the "Qin Wang Po Zhen Music" playing all around, as well as the tunes of their longing for their hometown.
Everyone who heard it was moved to tears and it was heartbreaking.
In this atmosphere, An Qingxu knew that he could no longer sit and wait for death, so he immediately ordered Gao Shang and others to lead an army of 100,000 out of the city and cross the Yellow River across Sishui City to fight Li Shimin.
[I just realized, isn't this the Hulao Pass in Sishui City? It's just that it's been changed to Wulao Pass to avoid the name of Li Hu, the ancestor of the Li family!]
Due to the erosion and diversion of the Yellow River, Hulao Pass during this period was no longer as strategically located as it had been when Erfeng fought the battle.
Even so, Hulao Pass still had a geographical advantage. Li Shimin was very familiar with the terrain around Hulao Pass and Luoyang, so he still decided to fight there.
He immediately called on all the military governors to cooperate in sending troops.
Now the army's morale is high, unlike the past when he had only a few thousand people and was attacked from all sides.
The time, the place and the people are all in his hands today.
In today's battle, the Tang army surrounded the enemy from the front and back, captured three enemy generals, and killed nearly 10,000 enemies. The enemy finally retreated hurriedly back to Luoyang City, and the Tang army won very easily.
[I told you, no one can defeat Erfeng on his home turf!]
[Hahaha, An Qingxu, what were you thinking about, wanting to defeat Li Shimin at Hulao Pass?
When you get down there, why not have a good chat with Wang Shichong and Dou Jiande? The three of you can even set up a Hulaoguan Landlord game!
At this time, Gao Shang and the other three were brought before Li Shimin. When Li Shimin saw them, he said:
"I'm fighting An Qingxu, why are you three Jiedushi from Yanbei joining in the fun?"
None of the three had expected that they would be defeated so quickly by Li Shimin. They were defeated from the very beginning and had no room for resistance.
Why is this young King of Yan, who is only in his early twenties, so familiar with the terrain of Hulao Pass?
The ease and calmness with which he fought was as if he had won countless battles here!
Finally, Gao Shang smiled bitterly and said:
"If we come here on our own, His Royal Highness the Prince of Yan won't have to go all the way to Fanyang to arrest us."
[Isn’t history repeating itself?]
Back then, Er Feng captured two kings in one battle at Hulao Pass, and then asked Dou Jiande: "I was fighting Wang Shichong, why did you come all the way here to join in the fun?"
Dou Jiande then said, "If I don't come here myself, I'm afraid it will be troublesome to go far to get it."
[Ahahahaha, this is hilarious! This is Hulao Pass, what are you three thinking?! Who knows Hulao Pass better than Li Shimin?]
This battle demonstrated the sharpness of the Tang army and completely destroyed the rebels' will to fight.
Tian Chengsi was amazed by how easily Li Shimin fought the battle at Hulao Pass and how confident and at ease he felt.
No matter how much ambition and arrogance one has, they will all turn into fear and admiration in the face of absolute strength and talent.
Seeing that the time was ripe, Li Shimin did not wait any longer.
That night, he ordered dozens of soldiers to dress up as rebels. Because they learned the password to enter Luoyang City from the prisoners of war, they easily disguised themselves as rebel scouts and returned to the city. They were lowered to the top of Luoyang City in a hanging basket, killed dozens of guards guarding the city, and opened the city gate from inside.
Li Shimin rode a fast horse and led the Shuofang Army into Luoyang City at lightning speed. When the rebels in Luoyang saw that the Tang army's flags had been planted on the top of the city wall, they threw down their weapons and surrendered, no longer having any intention of resisting.
When An Qingxu wanted to move, Li Shimin quickly surrounded his mansion from front to back.
He personally drew his bow and shot an arrow, nailing An Qingxu's robe to the ground with one arrow. He then moved forward on both sides and quickly captured An Qingxu and others alive.
At this time, An Qingxu was followed by several beautiful concubines. When they saw An Qingxu being caught, they immediately knelt on the ground and cried loudly, crying their hearts out.
It turned out that they were all daughters of noble families, and were captured by the An Lushan rebels after their defeat.
After that, she fell into the hands of the enemy and became An Lushan's concubine who was played with at will. After An Lushan's death, she became An Qingxu's concubine in his backyard.
The hellish six months have finally ended, but as noble ladies from aristocratic families, they have lost their chastity, so it is easy to imagine that the days that follow will be difficult.
Li Shimin helped several people up and said:
"I will avenge you. Live well in the future and never take your life lightly.
If you have any difficulties, you can come to my Yanwang Mansion."
The women bowed their heads in tears to express their gratitude. Li Shimin ordered people to take good care of them, and then ordered the army to clear out the rebels inside and outside Luoyang City and clean up the mess.
[Alas, the people and women suffered the most during the war. Especially after the fall of Chang'an, how many beautiful girls from aristocratic families and official families were raped.]
[Although the Tang Dynasty was more open-minded than the Song and Ming Dynasties and did not care so much about chastity, these nobles who adhered to Confucian ethics were the epitome of feudalism!
When these families marry off their daughters, they emphasize the three obediences and four virtues, as well as chastity and virtue!
Therefore, most of these women who lost their innocence in history did not have a good life later on, which was equivalent to social death.
Their families would even blame them for not committing suicide to preserve the family's reputation. As a result, some of them committed suicide.
It's just a matter of whether it was real suicide or forced murder, haha.]
[What the hell, why don't those old men just die! They care so much about chastity, why don't they just commit suicide first after they lose the battle! Pah!]
Ultimately, it’s not that men are incompetent! 】
[Then, when Er Feng ascends the throne, we can let the young ladies from Mixue Ice City lead them to start their own business and open a milk tea shop. It's better than being discriminated against and forced to stay in the family!]
Seeing this, Li Shimin felt a little sad. This was the fault of the court, the fault of Li Longji and Li Heng. He would never let these poor women bear the consequences.
The world was in such a state at that time, Li Shimin wanted to ask these girls from later generations if they had any good ideas to help these women. But at this moment, the people in the city heard the news and came out of their homes.
Seeing His Royal Highness the Prince of Yan taking Luoyang City back to the Tang Dynasty, they were all very excited and welcomed the Tang army outside with gongs and drums.
In fact, the people of Luoyang had not had an easy time in recent years under Li Longji's rule. But fortunately, they had not experienced war or been robbed by the rebels, so the people missed the old days even more.
When the people saw the young and heroic Prince of Yan leading his army into the city to retake Luoyang, they were all overjoyed, tears in their eyes, and ran around to tell each other.
"That's great, son. No one will rob us anymore, right?"
"Yes! There will be no more wars, so of course no one will steal our food!
Dad and I won’t have to be dragged to the battlefield in the future!"
"That's great, that's great, woooooooo"
The grateful eyes of these people were reflected in the eyes of Li Shimin who was riding along on horseback at this time.
However, the reactions of these people at this time made him feel even more sad.
In the Tang Dynasty without him, the people of Luoyang waited for the Tang army, but instead of waiting for the good days after the war, they were robbed again and again.
[First, the Uighur army robbed twice, and then the Tang army followed suit and robbed its own people.]
The people of Luoyang were truly unlucky! The worst thing was the first time they were robbed by the Uighurs for three days. The gentry finally had no choice but to pool their money and property and send the Uighurs away in a friendly manner.
The second time the Uighurs came to rob, they were extremely brutal. The people were so frightened that they fled to the White Horse Temple, where the Uighurs set fire to it, killing tens of thousands of people.
[The Uighurs set fire to two pavilions, causing tens of thousands of casualties, and the fire continued for several weeks.
The Shuofang army and the armies of Guo Yingyi, Yu Chaoen and others were unable to stop the violence and, together with the Huihe, plundered the streets and markets and the prefectures of Ru and Zheng. Houses were completely destroyed and people had to make clothes out of paper. Some people even had clothes made of paper. (1)
When His Majesty the Heavenly Khan Taizong saw this, he gripped the reins tightly in his hands, and the anger in his heart turned into a ball of rage, burning him so that he could no longer sit still.
The matter of the Uighurs must be resolved in Luoyang!
At this time, the Uighur prince sent an envoy to ask him whether the Tang Dynasty should fulfill its promise and allow the Uighur army to enter the city and plunder for three days after dawn.
Li Shimin was extremely angry at this time. He said coldly with a tense face:
"No rush. We just won a great victory today, and the Uighur army has also made many contributions. I want to set up a banquet with singing and dancing outside the city, and Eunuch Yu and I will entertain the Uighur army. Are you going?"
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