Chapter 923 Do Not Attack a Magnificent Formation
Under Shang Ruyi's worried instructions and reluctant gaze, Yuwen Ye got up and followed Eunuch Yu out of Qianqiu Palace. A gust of cold wind blew in his face, making his thoughts clearer.
As he walked forward, he asked, "Who reported the news?"
Holding a whisk in one hand, Eunuch Yu walked forward without looking to the side, and said softly, "How could His Highness Prince Qin not know? News from the Ministry of War is naturally reported by the Minister of War."
"The Crown Prince is here too?"
"His Highness the Crown Prince is concerned about the affairs of the country, so naturally he pays attention to everything."
Yuwen Ye nodded: "Thank you for your trouble, Eunuch."
He didn't ask anything more, and Eunuch Yu remained quiet. The two walked silently to the Xuanzheng Hall. The hall doors were open, and as they approached, they saw Yuwen Qian and Dong Yue standing in the center of the hall. Lü Qianfeng, who had just met him, stood on one side of the hall with his head down and hands hanging at his sides, probably having not yet had a chance to speak.
Of course, even without him speaking, the atmosphere in the entire hall was already oppressive enough.
After Yuwen Ye entered, he immediately knelt down and kowtowed to Yuwen Yuan: "Your subject greets Your Majesty."
Yuwen Yuan's eyes were dark, and his face showed barely concealed anger. His brows were almost furrowed together, but when he looked at Yuwen Ye, he took a deep breath and tried to soften his tone as he said, "Do you know why I summoned you here?"
Yuwen Ye turned his head to look at Dong Yue, and then said, "Minister Dong is here. Could it be that there is a battle report from the front?"
Yuwen Yuan said, "You've got a good eye for people at a time like this."
These words made Yuwen Ye's heart sink even more, but he did not continue the conversation. Instead, he said, "I wonder if Third Brother has achieved a great victory in this campaign."
Yuwen Yuan's eyes darkened further, while Dong Yue stepped forward and said in a deep voice, "Your Highness, the Prince of Qi's attack on Luoyang was unsuccessful. Nearly half of his 50,000 troops were lost, and now he can only retreat to Cijian to barely hold on. It can hardly be called a great victory."
Upon hearing this, Yuwen Ye immediately frowned: "How could this be?"
Yuwen Yuan said, "Whom are you asking? Minister Dong, or me?"
Yuwen Ye immediately said, "Your subject simply doesn't understand. I just heard a few days ago that my third brother successfully captured Cijian Town. This place is less than a hundred li from Luoyang City and is an important town on the Jian River. Occupying this place would have given us a good chance of conquering Luoyang, so why did it still happen—"
Yuwen Yuan said coldly, "Yes, but what you should ask is what his men did."
Yuwen Ye understood everything at this moment, but when he raised his head, his expression was still blank. Yuwen Qian stepped forward and said softly, "Second brother doesn't know yet, but Shen Tu Tai, the deputy commander of this expedition, and Shen Wuzheng, the secretary, did not join forces with the Prince of Qi as originally planned. Instead, they held their ground at Cijian when the Prince of Qi attacked Luoyang, which led to the Prince of Qi's eventual defeat."
Yuwen Ye took a deep breath and was about to speak when he heard Yuwen Yuan say coldly, "You know how to judge people."
"..."
“Previously, you strongly recommended Shen Tu Tai, but I doubted him and appointed him as the deputy commander of the army for this expedition. However, he actually went against the Prince of Qi on the battlefield, which led to the Prince of Qi's defeat and almost being captured.”
Yuwen Qian said, "Father, my second brother recommended Shen Tu Tai for a reason. After all, Shen Tu Tai was once famous and a skilled warrior."
Upon hearing the word "once," Yuwen Yuan's eyes immediately sharpened: "That's right, I almost forgot. He once became an outlaw and rebelled against the court with Xiao Yuansui's gang in Wanggang Village for several years."
"..."
"Did he do all these things without telling you at all?"
Upon hearing this, Yuwen Ye immediately heard someone in the hall gasp.
He lowered his head, looking at Lü Qianfeng standing behind him. He was the only one in the entire hall who had nothing to do with this matter, but because he had arrived by chance, he was forced to listen. At this moment, he buried his head even deeper, not only remaining calm but also softening his breathing, as if afraid that someone would notice him.
Yuwen Ye withdrew his gaze and said in a deep voice, "No."
"..."
"However, I would like to ask, was my third brother only defeated by the garrison of Luoyang? There was news that the garrison of Luoyang was less than 30,000. Since my third brother led 50,000 troops into battle, how could he have suffered such a crushing defeat?"
Upon hearing this, Yuwen Yuan's expression darkened further. However, he understood that his son was well-versed in military strategy and his ability to deploy troops surpassed that of all the generals in the court. These minor details and causes could not be hidden from him. Therefore, he said, "He was blocked by the reinforcements from Dagu Pass and Yique Pass, and was defeated by the combined forces of the Luoyang garrison."
"I see."
Yuwen Ye nodded, thought for a moment, and then said, "The art of war says, 'Do not attack a well-ordered formation without first taking its banner.'"
"..."
"Judging from the garrison formation of the eight passes of Luoyang, this is a grand formation designed to lure the enemy into a trap. Under such circumstances—I suspect that the reason Shen Tu Tai and his men are holding out at Cijian is to preserve their strength. After all, the eastern capital is a fortified city and cannot be conquered in a short time."
"..."
"If we cannot conquer it, it is necessary to stay and defend Cijian. There will still be a place to retreat to, so as to protect the army for a resurgence."
His words were extremely tactful, and the pause he made in the middle resonated deeply with Yuwen Yuan.
Although he would no longer lead troops into battle after ascending the throne, the glorious years on the battlefield and the accumulated experience in commanding troops would not easily fade away or be forgotten. Yuwen Yuan understood this situation as well. No matter what Shen Tu Tai and Shen Wu Zheng did, Yuwen Cheng's direct attack on Luoyang this time was an act of underestimating the enemy and being reckless. Even if he were lucky enough to break through the city and take Luoyang, with so many passes around and tens of thousands of garrison troops returning to defend immediately, he could not hold out for more than a few days.
but--
Military matters are one thing, but if someone has selfish motives or is secretly colluding with the enemy, that's another matter entirely.
Shen Tu Tai's background and the defeat at Cijian have deeply agitated Yuwen Yuan's increasingly sensitive heart since the Tangquan Palace incident. Especially now that Jiang Xing and Liang Youying have abducted Pei Xingyuan and escaped the Dasheng Dynasty, his suspicions about the people of Wanggang Village have deepened even further.
Thinking of this, Yuwen Yuan sneered: "So, not only should I not punish Shen Tu Tai and Shen Wu Zheng, but I should also reward them handsomely?"
Yuwen Ye immediately lowered his head and said, "Your subject dares not."
Yuwen Yuan said coldly, "You'd better really not dare."
"..."
"Then I'll ask you this as well: how do you plan to deal with these two people?"
Yuwen Ye raised his head and solemnly said, "Your Majesty, I believe that no matter what, you should not punish Shen Tu Tai and Shen Wu Zheng."
Yuwen Yuan's expression darkened slightly: "Why?"
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