Northern Dynasties

Chapter 1385: Unhindered Prosperity
Ever since they learned at the beginning of the year that the Tang Dynasty had defeated the Western Turks and dominated the Western Regions, the remnants of the Northern Qi in Liaodong have been in a tense state of preparation for war. However, time quickly passed from the beginning of the year to the second half of the year, and there was still no sign of a large-scale attack by the Tang army. This made the remnants of the Northern Qi feel extremely complicated. In addition to their nervousness and anxiety, they also felt a little relieved and a little anxious, and of course more of a sense of exhaustion.

After all, even some energetic people can't stand being tense for a long time, and ordinary people can't help but complain. In addition to the mental pressure, there are also various busy things to do during the preparation process, which makes ordinary soldiers breathless.

The remnants of the Northern Qi Dynasty now had no vast territory for recuperation and defense. They were trapped in a corner of the northern foothills of Yanshan Mountain, with neither much depth nor any natural resources to draw on. The only thing they could rely on was the offensive and defensive alliances they had with the Khitan, Kumo Xi and other Donghu tribes. In addition, they had recently reached a marriage agreement with Goguryeo in Liaodong, which made these areas possible for the remnants of the Northern Qi Dynasty to move to when necessary.

However, for Hulugu and others who still dreamed of returning to Hebei, the closer they were to Hebei, the better. Moreover, only by blocking the Tang army south of Yanshan Mountain could they demonstrate their own strength and value, and let the Donghu tribes rely on them more to fight against the Tang army.

If they retreat to the rear due to an unfavorable battle, their value to the Donghu tribes would undoubtedly be greatly reduced. It is even possible that these Hu tribes would choose to betray them out of fear of the power of the Tang Dynasty.

Therefore, the Xingyuan on the northern foot of Yanshan Mountain became a place they could not easily abandon. Once they lost it, not only would the remaining forces suffer heavy losses again, but they would also fall into a great crisis of national destruction and extinction.

Therefore, in the past six months, in addition to urging his troops to train diligently, Hulugu spent most of his energy on building a defense line in the foothills of Yanshan Mountain. However, due to the limited manpower and material resources available, it was difficult to deploy a large-scale defense line. Basically, only garrisons were built in some mountain gaps in the north of Lulong Pass for key defense.

Even so, the manpower and material resources invested were already a bit too much for them to bear. It was only with the help of Hulugu's intimidation and deception of the Kumo Xi and other tribes for assistance that they were able to barely set up the defense line.

In fact, in Huluguang's opinion, he did not think that this kind of simple defense could turn the situation around, but instead thought that taking the initiative to attack could create opportunities. However, when he proposed this idea, he was immediately opposed by everyone.

"The current situation is that the enemy is strong and we are weak. If the enemy does not attack us, we can still have a chance to breathe for a while. It is not wise to challenge the strong with the weak and invite the enemy to fight!"

Feng Xiaoyan led his clansmen across the sea to surrender when Bohai County fell. Of course, he also hoped to return to his hometown, but when he heard Hulugu's idea of ​​taking the initiative to attack, he hurriedly spoke up to object.

After hearing this, Hulugu frowned and said, "We are enemies for generations! Even if I don't provoke them, they will definitely come to attack us. Liaodong is now narrow and the people are tired, and there is a shortage of supplies. It is difficult to withstand a long-term war. The power of the Tang Kingdom is several times greater than in previous years. Once they attack, it will not be a quick return. The battle will be a long-term confrontation. By then, our situation will be even more difficult. It is better to take advantage of the enemy's army before it arrives, enter their territory first and plunder, and then fight and retreat, gradually wearing down the enemy's spirit."

The mere defense line on the north side of Lulong Pass had already exhausted all the manpower and material resources they could mobilize, and this thin defense line alone was obviously not enough to firmly keep the enemy out. Once the Tang army's divisions and brigades were besieged here, there would be even less room for maneuvering, so it would be better to place the initial battlefield in the prefectures and counties that had been ruled by the Tang Dynasty for a long time.

But not everyone is as courageous as Hulugu, or it can be said that Hulugu's idea itself is a little out of touch with reality. Even his brother Huluxian disagrees: "Brother, you want to seize the initiative and meet the enemy outside. Although this is the best strategy, our troops are no longer the elite troops of Jinyang in previous years. Most of them are cowardly, and there are also refugees from Hebei.

Hebei has a flat and wide terrain, which is conducive to the army's deployment and retreat. If the troops see that the enemy is very strong, they may lose their will to resist. At that time, fighting and retreating may end up in a state of collapse. Moreover, the Tang garrisons in Youzhou and Yingzhou are not mediocre. If we fail to win the battle, it will first dampen our edge, and the subsequent battles will be even more disadvantageous!"

Hulu Xian did not want his brother to take risks and go deep into enemy territory. Compared with Hulugu, who had always focused on military affairs, the affairs he needed to manage were more extensive, so he knew in his heart that the real situation of the remnants of the Northern Qi was actually worse than it seemed.

Take those who fled from Hebei for example. They were either driven here by the war or captured by the Qi army. Once they returned to Hebei and saw that the prefectures and counties were well governed and the people were living a peaceful life, they probably lost their fighting spirit before the battle even started. They regretted their original choice and hated the Qi army that had been holding them hostage.

Qi Lord Gao Ji had been keeping silent, but when he saw that the people seemed to be against Hulugguang, he immediately became restless and could not help but speak up: "Yes, the country is in danger now, and it is only because of the concerted efforts of the Prince of Xianyang and other pillars that it has barely been able to survive. Although the prince is loyal and brave, and is not afraid of death, now that all the ministers have objections, the prince of Xianyang should still consider carefully. If the prince leaves lightly and is kidnapped by the bandits, who will he rely on to succeed the country in the future?"

Hearing that no one supported his proposal, Hulugu had to give up the idea and continue to concentrate on repairing the Yanshan defense line.

However, the long-term intense preparations for war also made the soldiers exhausted, and it was inevitable that some negligence and slackness would occur. Hulugu had always been very strict in managing the army, and now it was a critical moment of life and death, so he would severely punish such cases, which inevitably made the people complain.

On this day, Gao Baoning, the general in charge of the imperial guards, violated military law again and was taken to the military camp by Hulugu to be punished. Gao Baoning was a distant relative of the Qi family and had served in Liaoxi for a long time. Qi Lord Gao Ji also relied on him very much. After hearing the news, he rushed to the military camp to plead for Gao Baoning.

"Your Majesty is a person of a thousand gold coins, and you should know how to act and how to stop. Why are you running around for those who disrupt the law?"

Hearing Gao Ji's intention, Hulugu felt somewhat unhappy and immediately spoke in a deep voice.

Gao Ji felt a little embarrassed after hearing this, so he bowed slightly and said, "Since I traveled east, my relatives have been separated, which makes me feel very sad. The commander is my distant relative, and he has served me well. I hope that the King of Xianyang will be more lenient with the law and give me a lighter sentence."

"This fellow has violated our military law more than once, which is truly despicable. But now that Your Majesty has said so, I will punish him with thirty strokes of the cane. If he commits the same offense again, I will not let him off lightly!"

Hearing Gao Ji say this, Hulugu felt a little sad. He hesitated for a moment before speaking again.

Gao Ji thanked him repeatedly after hearing this, and when he left, he took Gao Baoning back to the villa after he had been punished. Although he had been given a lighter sentence, Gao Baoning's back was covered with wounds after thirty strokes of the cane, and it was difficult for him to walk. He lay in the carriage and said indignantly: "The King of Xianyang is too tyrannical. I don't hate being punished, but I am ashamed that Your Majesty came in person and he still refused to be lenient."

"Prince Xianyang is an important minister of the country. Without his protection, I would not be able to stay here in peace!"

Gao Ji always responded in this way to those who talked about Hulugu's right and wrong in front of him, and this time was no exception.

Gao Baoning became even more angry after hearing this, and snorted, "Although the Prince of Xianyang is a loyal minister, are the rest of them all treacherous? Although he is loyal and brave, it is difficult to save the country from a critical situation with his willful behavior. The current situation is already critical, the troops are few and the power is weak, and he still uses power to intimidate the people..."

"Stop talking. Prince Xianyang's loyalty to the country is as strong as iron and stone. I have no doubt about it!"

Seeing that Gao Baoning was still talking, Gao Ji frowned and scolded him again.

Apart from the disharmony within the remnants of the Northern Qi, the war machine started to run again after the Hebei side of the Tang Dynasty received the conscription order from the court. Last year, the emperor went on a western tour, and he mainly summoned soldiers from Shannan, Guanlong and other places. Although there were also soldiers from Hebei, the number was not large.

Nowadays, there are nearly a hundred military offices of all sizes in Hebei, and there are tens of thousands of soldiers on the register. Most of them were recruited after the pacification of Hebei, and missed the opportunity to share the great military merits of conquering Northern Qi. Therefore, many soldiers only enjoy the basic equal distribution of land, and there are not many additional meritorious rewards.

Last year, the number of conscripts distributed to Hebei was limited, and many soldiers were still afraid and hesitant to go to the Western Regions, so the atmosphere of conscription was relatively calm. But this year, when combat missions were issued, many military offices in Hebei were suddenly in an uproar. The offices were filled with soldiers requesting to go to the battlefield, all hoping to exchange their military merits for greater rewards.

"I am a brave warrior guarding the border of Qihua. I am familiar with the situation in Liaodong and have killed several Kumo Xi. If the Lord of the Palace does not appoint me, it will be unfair!"

In order to obtain a quota to send troops, the soldiers shouted out their own advantages and used words to pressure the lord of the mansion who was responsible for recruiting soldiers. As a result, the Hebei provinces originally planned to recruit 30,000 soldiers, but the number of soldiers collected from various places reached 70,000.

When Li Mu, who was appointed as the commander-in-chief of this expedition, arrived in Yecheng, he was stunned when he saw the preparations submitted by Li Licheng, the governor of Xiangzhou. He shook his head and said, "There are too many overstaffing. This is absolutely not allowed! The conscription orders for the prefectures in Henan have been issued, and they need to bring food to the north. The court does not have the extra funds to use these surplus soldiers!"

"The soldiers are greedy for merit and are vying for the first place. The military offices are troubled by this. If this report is not made, the morale of the army will be uneasy. Since you have been sent to handle this matter, you should handle it properly!"

Li Licheng had been troubled by this matter for some time. Now, finally, Li Mu arrived and he handed the matter over to him. Of course, he was unwilling to take it back. He hurriedly said goodbye to Li Mu and returned to the general manager's mansion to avoid seeing him.

As a military general, Li Mu naturally hoped to fight a powerful battle and deploy as many troops and resources as possible. Seeing that there was still some time before the expedition, he took the opportunity to report the situation to the court.

It is natural that so many troops are not needed just to attack the remnants of the Northern Qi in Liaodong, but if the goal is bigger, it is reasonable to mobilize so many troops. The soldiers in Hebei are eager to apply for the call. If the court does not agree, then it will be necessary to send envoys to comfort and appease the military offices.

When this situation was reported to Chang'an, Li Tai read the memorial and found that the soldiers were eager to fight and had good morale. He also realized that the construction of the Hebei government soldiers was lagging behind. Although the size of the military government and the number of soldiers had increased, the allocation of related resources was still not comprehensive enough. In addition to farming and weaving, the biggest source of income for the government soldiers was naturally military merit rewards, which was why they were so enthusiastic.

There are many reasons for this situation, and one of the most important reasons is that a large amount of local resources in Hebei are still in the hands of aristocratic families.

Although powerful families such as the Zhaojun Li family and the Bohai Feng family suffered severe blows after the conquest of Northern Qi, these were only exceptions after all. The Qinghe Cui family, the Boling Cui family, the Fanyang Lu family and other clans, because of their close relationship with the Li Tang clan, were able to join the ruling sequence of the Xin Dynasty relatively smoothly. Their local capital power was also retained and even continued to expand.

In order to maintain the stability of the country and recuperate, Li Tai did not carry out in-depth reforms on this kind of situation. This time, sending the crown prince to preside over the withdrawal of counties and states also meant to suppress the powerful and aristocratic families.

The current state of Hebei's military morale has been revealed. It can be said that the objective conditions for a deeper reform have been formed. If there is no positive response, it will undoubtedly make people lazy and depressed. However, when there is a foreign war, Li Tai rarely chooses to make internal adjustments at the same time. At present, the emotions of the soldiers in Hebei are obviously difficult to calm down by simple comfort. After all, they have real strong and urgent needs.

After weighing the pros and cons, Li Tai decided to focus on the outside first and then the inside. He also gave up the idea of ​​staying in Guanzhong to spend the winter, and went to Luoyang to take charge. Then he sent his son Li Jin, who had set out earlier, to Yecheng to supervise the military and political affairs. At the same time, the scale of the army in Hebei was expanded, and the Changping warehouses in various states were temporarily used to support military supplies, so as to launch a larger-scale war in Liaodong. This time, it was not only to wipe out the remnant forces of Northern Qi, but also to push the Tang army to the Liaoshui line in one fell swoop before making plans.

As the emperor arrived in Luoyang, the Tang Dynasty's war machine began to move at full speed. Originally, the plan was to mobilize 50,000 divisions to attack the remnant Qi, but now the mobilization force has more than doubled, with more than 100,000 troops gathering in Youzhou, and then they will go through the Lulong Fortress and the Liaoxi Corridor to besiege the remnants of the Northern Qi at the northern foot of Yanshan Mountain.

At this time, the remnants of the Northern Qi had been preparing for war for more than half a year, and finally received the news that the Tang army had sent troops, which was another form of fulfillment. However, when they learned that the Tang army claimed to have 300,000 troops and was heading to Liaodong in several directions, the remnants of the Northern Qi were dumbfounded again. Even Hulugu was surprised: "There are only a few tens of thousands of poor troops here, and the Tang lord is attacking us with the whole country. It seems that he is determined to destroy us. We will not be able to sleep well unless we die."

No matter how many Tang troops came to attack, the only option for the remnants of Northern Qi was to fight to the death. During this period of time, Hulugu had been preparing for war, so the soldiers were determined to fight and were not frightened by the enemy's powerful force.

Although the Tang Dynasty had a strong momentum, the final date of dispatch was later than originally planned due to the increased scale of conscription.

On the contrary, the Turkic Khan Shetu, who led his troops across the southern desert and attacked Liaoxi directly after receiving the order, arrived at the Liaoxi battlefield first and quickly established something. Seeing the arrival of the Turkic army, the Khitan, who were already weak in fighting spirit and disorganized, knelt down and surrendered to the Turks, and turned around to become the vanguard of the Turkic army.

As the Turks turned against them, the north of Yanshan Garden was completely exposed to the Turkish army. At the same time, the army that passed through Liaoxi immediately attacked Yanshan Garden after arriving at Huanglong in Yingzhou. However, this area was not the focus of the Northern Qi remnants' defense, and the mountains and rivers were the only obstacle.

This was not because Hulugu had made a major mistake in preparing for war. The key was that he was short of power and could not do what he wanted. Hulugu originally planned to cooperate with Goguryeo to set up the northern defense line of Huanglong and maintain smooth access to Liaodong, but Goguryeo was hesitant. Seeing that the Tang army had not launched an attack, they repeatedly delayed the cooperation. Even Hulugu Wudu, who was sent to Pyongyang to welcome the bride, has remained there and has not moved back.

Now that the Tang Dynasty's political orders have been suddenly issued and the army has arrived, it is too late to make remedial arrangements, both in terms of time and manpower. As the Yanshan defense line, which Hulugu had carefully managed, was besieged from all sides, it suddenly became an isolated army deep in the enemy's territory.

6◇9◇Book◇Bar

However, Hulugu was not panicked because he knew that the Turks were scattered and weak in combat effectiveness, and the divisions that came from Liaoxi were roundabout and could not be the main force of the Tang army. The main force of the Tang army that could really pose a fatal threat would definitely come out from the Lulong Pass.

So he continued to stay on the Yanshan defense line, and at the same time ordered his younger brother Huluxian to lead a part of the elite army to the north to repel the Khitan and Turkic divisions, while the rest of the troops stayed in Xingyuan, relying on the defenses built in Xingyuan in recent years to resist the offensive from Yingzhou.

Hulugu was still in command, but the Yanshan Garden in the back was already in chaos. Not everyone wanted Hulugu to be so calm. Hundreds of thousands of Tang troops were attacking fiercely, and the surrounding areas were directly exposed to the enemy's front. It was really hard to stay calm. Especially when Huluxian led a group of troops to the north to fight against the Turkic and Khitan divisions, the garrison troops in the garden were even fewer, which made people more panicked.

"Your Majesty, the Tang army is attacking in large numbers, but the Hulu brothers are each leading their own troops to linger outside, not caring about Your Majesty's safety at all. How should we respond to the enemy? Your Majesty should also figure it out for yourself!"

Gao Baoning, who had been at odds with Hulugu for a long time, became panicked when he saw that he had even fewer troops under his command, so he quickly asked to see Gao Ji and give him advice.

Although Gao Ji was also quite panicked, he still managed to remain calm and said, "General, please don't say that. The King of Xianyang is loyal..."

"Even if the King of Xianyang is loyal to the country, he may not be loyal to the monarch. Since the Supreme came here, he has been left alone in the imperial garden. He has no right to ask about any internal or external affairs. All are controlled by the King of Xianyang and his brothers. The reason why they brought the Supreme here from Jinyang is nothing more than to command the others with a divine bloodline. It makes no difference to them whether this bloodline is supreme or not..."

An eunuch next to him couldn't help but speak up, but before he could finish, Gao Ji stamped his feet and roared, "Shut up, eunuch! How can you interfere in the affairs of the country? I don't trust the pillars of the Xianyang Kingdom, who are loyal and righteous. How can I rely on you?"

The eunuch lowered his head hastily after being reprimanded, but soon spoke again: "As for the so-called family and country, how many things does Your Majesty manage? This is the Kingdom of Mingyue, not Your Majesty's country! Although we are not as talented as the King of Xianyang, now that the enemy is approaching, we will still protect Your Majesty. Where are the brothers Hulug now?"

"This is the Kingdom of the Bright Moon..."

After Gao Ji heard this, his expression froze, and the negative emotions accumulated in his heart in the past suddenly surged up. He was stunned for a long time before looking at the eunuch and said in a deep voice: "You, a eunuch, are quite knowledgeable. What's your name?"

"My name is Qi Shao. I have been in the imperial palace since I was a god. Now the country is in poverty and it is difficult to fight against the enemy, but if we want to continue the inheritance of the country, we can't stay in a city or a place. Although the Emperor of Tang is now invincible, his ancestors also faced the dangerous situation of losing the country and fleeing far away. To save the country, it does not depend on the land but on the people. The Supreme was born a noble and a god. Wherever you are, the country will be there. Even if you go to the vast ocean and live on an isolated island, you will not lose the title of island master, which is better than being trapped here and waiting to die!"

Seeing that Gao Ji had been persuaded by him, the eunuch hurriedly spoke again.

"Qi Shao... what a good name, what a good name! Yes, I am the country. Where I am, the country is there. Mingyue tied me here just to control me and control the people. I should not fall into his evil scheme!"

Faced with the fierce attack of the Tang army, Gao Ji was naturally extremely terrified, but his reason had always told him that Hulugu was a loyal minister of the country, and things would get better as long as he trusted him. But now, after being persuaded by the eunuch Qi Shao, his mood suddenly changed drastically, and he did not intend to stay here any longer and wait for death.

So he immediately ordered his general Gao Baoning to gather a group of elite soldiers and pack up a lot of property. Taking advantage of the fact that Hulugu and his brothers were all outside to meet the enemy, he left the garden and fled to the east.

Although the Turkic and Khitan coalition forces were powerful, their combat effectiveness was really not high. In addition, they did not expect that the Qi army would dare to take the initiative to attack, so their front troops were ambushed by Huluxian at the northern foot of Yanshan Mountain. After losing thousands of troops, they retreated in a hurry and dared not attack further.

After temporarily repelling the enemies from the north, Huluxian hurried back to Yanshan Garden. However, when he arrived at the garden, the place was already in chaos, and Qi Lord Gao Ji had already abandoned them, the last remnants of Northern Qi, and no one knew where they had fled to.

Faced with this situation, Huluxian was completely hopeless for a moment. After a long while, he sighed and said, "If Heaven has abandoned us, who can revive us? The demise of the Qi family is entirely their own fault!"

At the same time, the news that the King of Qi had abandoned his people and fled also spread to the Yanshan defense line. Hulugu was speechless for a long time after learning about this, but finally he pulled himself together and said, "No matter what, we must fight! The Tang Kingdom will never show mercy and let us live just because we, the remnants of a fallen nation, are abandoned by our king and father!"

As expected by Hulugu, the main force of the Tang army came northwards through Lulong Pass, and the defense line arranged by Hulugu was right on the route of the Tang army, trapping the Tang army firmly in Yanshan. Until this moment, although this famous general of Northern Qi was in a desperate situation, he still maintained a keen insight into the war.

But that was all. No matter how virtuous and talented Hulugu was, he could not save the declining Northern Qi Dynasty by himself. The defense line he arranged certainly caused a lot of trouble for the Tang army, but no matter how strong the defense line was, it still needed people to guard it.

The Tang army today is better armed and has stronger morale than when it conquered Northern Qi. While Hulugu was still leading his troops to fight hard in the mountain beacon fort, the various Tang army divisions had already crossed mountains and ridges, climbed high places and jumped down, swarming in fearlessly. The high morale greatly reduced the effectiveness of the defense line.

As the defense lines were broken one after another, the defense line that Hulugu had carefully arranged did not last as long as he expected. Although he was still talented, he seemed to be separated from the Tang army by an era, and his past experience was no longer effective. Moreover, even if this defense line held, the Qi lord in the rear had already fled, and the meaning of their persistence no longer existed.

"That's enough!"

Seeing that the defense lines were breached and more and more Tang soldiers were charging forward, Hulugu drew his sword and said to those around him, "I was born into a family of generals. I was willful in my youth, a strong man in my middle age, and a loyal hero in my old age. I have no regrets in this life! The Tang emperor was heroic and unified the world. I, the remnant of the previous dynasty, should leave quickly to prevent the prosperity of the world. You, the followers, have followed the mediocre people by mistake and are in this desperate situation. I am powerless to save you. Just save your lives!"

After saying this, he drew his sword back to his neck and cut his throat on the spot. The rest of the group of followers, seeing Hulugu cutting his throat to death, were all grief-stricken and panicked. Some of them crossed the defense line and surrendered to the Tang army, while others quietly gathered around Hulugu's body, using their bodies to protect his body from being destroyed by the enemy.

The death of Hulugu did not stop the Tang army's pace of conquest. This time, annihilating the remnants of the Northern Qi was just a small goal in the expedition. The goal of the Tang army this time was to completely recover Liaoxi and advance to Liaodong.

After the Yanshan defense line was breached and Hulugu's body was collected, the Tang army continued to advance, and all the routes joined together to encircle and suppress Huluxian who was about to lead his troops to Kumoxi in the north. After that, the Tang army split into two routes. One route, led by Li He, the governor of Youzhou, attacked Kumoxi and other Donghu tribes who had colluded with the remnants of Northern Qi, while the other route, led by Li Mu, the main general, continued to attack eastward.

Gao Ji, the King of Qi who abandoned his people and fled, did not have the luck like Li Bao, the ancestor of the Longxi Li family, who traveled far away to restore his country and maintain its prosperity. When he and his entourage fled to the vicinity of the Liao River, they happened to meet the troops of Yang Kun, the governor of Guangzhou, who had crossed the sea from Guangzhou. They were directly captured and killed on the banks of the Liao River.

Goguryeo obviously did not expect the Tang army to advance so quickly. They were waiting to see the Tang army and the remnants of Northern Qi fighting in the west, but in the blink of an eye, the Tang army had already advanced to the vicinity of their country. Although its capital Pyongyang was still far away from the Liao River, as its territory on the peninsula was occupied and divided by Silla and Baekje, the territory of Liaodong became more and more important to the country.

Fearing a fierce attack from the Tang army, Go Tang, the king of Goguryeo, did not hesitate and immediately sent envoys to the Tang army camp on the banks of the Liaoshui River to surrender. Accompanying the envoys were Hulugwudu, the son of Hulugguang who had been detained in Pyongyang, and Hulugguang's new wife, who had not yet married him. However, the envoys were not living people, but their heads.

Seeing this, the Tang army could not help but sigh at the speed and cruelty of the Goguryeo king, but Goguryeo's quick surrender also gave them no reason to continue to march east of the Liao River. Moreover, as winter approached, Liaodong became bitterly cold, making it inconvenient to deploy troops on a large scale.

So after consulting the court, the court temporarily accepted Goguryeo's surrender and appointed Yuwenshan as the governor of Pingzhou to garrison Liaoshui, while the rest of the divisions evacuated and returned home in batches.