Elegy of Tang Dynasty

Chapter 771 What to do? Only Kill
At the end of July, the Tubo Ruben (Chinese translation: "wing chief", holding diverse powers, similar to the military district commander who manages part of the civil affairs) Nanang Chitojie, on the orders of Dazalugong, led more than 10,000 elite Tubo troops, set out from Lianyunbao, and marched south to attack Bingzhou!
Che Guangqian, the vanguard commander of the Bianzhou Army, had already set up three lines of defense in advance. Each line of defense was composed of deep trenches and barriers, combined with chevaux de frise and wooden fences, deployed on both sides of the Jing River, and ambushes were set up on the corresponding hillsides to support the defenders.

Nanang Chitojie concentrated the heavy infantry that was usually responsible for breaking the enemy's formation in every battle and put them in the front to clear the way. These heavy infantry had strong armor and were not afraid of arrows. They were skilled in tactics and were very difficult to deal with.

The Tibetan army was unstoppable and the Bianzhou army was unable to resist. Within three days, the Tibetan army broke through two of the Bianzhou army's defense lines.

However, just as those heavy infantrymen, as strong as iron cans, attacked the third line of defense, the ambush troops of the Bianzhou army, who had been lying in ambush in the mountains and forests for many days, suddenly set fire to the mountains!
For a moment, the hillsides and mountain roads on both sides of the valley where the Tubo army was located instantly turned into an endless sea of ​​fire! At the same time, the death squad specially organized by the Bianzhou army took the opportunity to fight back and clear the way with fierce kerosene.

They didn't care, just one word: burn!

The rest of the Tibetan army was fine, but the armored warriors who were suffocated by the heavy armor were miserable. Not only did they run slowly, but metal also conducted heat quickly. They fell wherever the fire hit, and they could never get up again.

Among these people, many of them had their armor tightly stuck to their flesh. Later, when the Bianzhou army sent people to clean up the battlefield, the roasted human flesh was stuck to the armor and could not be separated.

The scene of corpses everywhere looked horrific.

Tubo is located on a plateau with no tall and dense forests, so they had no idea about setting fire to the mountains. Last time, Nanang Chitojie was tricked by Marshal Baochen's fire attack, and now he was tricked by Che Guangqian's fire attack again. It can be said that they fell into the same river in a short period of time.

It can be considered that I gained some experience from being cheated.

The elite troops of his headquarters suffered heavy losses. Although they still had the strength to fight, Nanang Chitojie did not dare to be careless and had to lead his troops back to Lianyun Fort.

Seeing that the first battle was unfavorable, Dazha Lugong did not blame him, but only ordered him to pacify his troops, rest in Lianyun Fort, and would not let him fight in the near future.

After this battle, Dazhaglugong realized that Fang Qing had figured out all the routes the Tubo army had taken in the past, and he knew them all!
The advantages and disadvantages of the Tibetan army's ability to use heavy infantry to break through the enemy's formations have also been thoroughly studied. These slow-moving heavy infantry are most afraid of being pulled back on the front line and lured to a predetermined battlefield to fight.

Just a big fire can take them all away in one go, and the heavy armor becomes a burden.

Fighting in this narrow terrain with a river valley between two mountains was very disadvantageous to the Tibetan army. Only by luring the Tang army to an open area with shallow water sources, where there was no condition for fire attack, could the Tibetan heavy infantry show its advantage.

However, Fang Qing certainly knew what Dazalu Gong knew, that expecting the opponent to be a fool was a very stupid idea in itself.

At nightfall, Dazalugong inspected Nanang Chitojie's camp and saw many wounded soldiers curled up in the corner, as if dead, not talking or moving. Many of them had large areas of burn marks on their bodies, and now they opened their clothes to reveal the hideous wounds.

Accompanied by pus-filled sores and a foul odor.

Dazalugong found Nanang Chitojie, and the two took a walk in the camp and chatted about military affairs.

"It was such an obvious bait to lure the enemy deeper into your territory, why did you fall for it?"

Dazalugong asked in a somewhat reproachful tone. Nanang Chitojie was his political ally and was very important. If not, this man would have been beaten with a military stick after the defeat, even if he was not beheaded.

"Da Lun, the Tang army defenders put up a fierce resistance, it doesn't look like they are trying to lure the enemy. Our army also suffered heavy casualties, but we were protected by armor, so not many people died."

Nanang Chitojie complained with a look of grievance.

Before the Tang army fought back, he didn't think the other side was acting at all, the battle was very intense. He was also sure that when the Tubo army broke through the first and second lines of defense, the Tang army suffered heavy casualties.

If this is an act, then it only means that the enemy commander is a ruthless character.

"Fang Qing had ambushed troops on both sides of the valley early in the morning, but they were waiting for you to lead your troops to move further east, and then they set fire to the mountain. It happened that the southeast wind was strong in summer, and when the southeast wind blew that day, the fire spread along the wind and turned into a sea of ​​fire. Those of your troops who were slow to run were roasted to death."

Dazalugong sighed and said as if he was there at the time.

Nanang Chitojie was shocked, because the battle situation was exactly the same as what Dazha Lugong had just said! And there were many things he had not reported.

He couldn't say that he was impulsive at the time and thought victory was at hand, so he ordered the entire army to attack the Tang army's third line of defense without conducting a careful investigation, right?
"Our heavy armor can't be used in this battle, right?"

Daza Lu Gong suddenly asked.

This question hit the nail on the head. Nanang Chitojie nodded quickly and said, "Yes, yes, it's like someone has tied up your hands and feet. You can't use your strength!"

"Humph, Fang Qing is cunning and not an ordinary person."

Daza Lu Gong snorted coldly, feeling extremely unhappy! But he was also full of fighting spirit!

The Tang army avoided fighting with the Tibetans in the open and preferred to block them in layers. Nanang Chitojie's performance was not good enough and there were obvious mistakes on the battlefield, so that the elite heavy infantry suffered heavy losses!
However, even if he did not make mistakes and advanced slowly, his own losses would probably be smaller. The Tang army's cowardly fighting style determined that the two armies would not engage in a decisive battle in the short term!

But what if I could see it?

This is an open conspiracy. Even if Dazha Lugong knew about it, there was no way to break the situation and he could only endure it.

Once one side can no longer hold on, the speed of its collapse will not be so gentle, but will be like a landslide or tsunami. After a battle that determines the outcome is over, the losing side will be completely finished.

When that time comes, it will be time to act, but now you have to keep steady and not waste time!
Just when Dazha Lugong was feeling irritated, a personal attendant came over and whispered to him, "Dalun, Li Chenghong wants to see you."

"What is he doing here, this piece of rubbish?"

Dazalu Gong shouted in dissatisfaction, but still asked his personal soldiers to bring the other party in.

Li Chenghong was really useless. Dazhalu Gong asked him to organize the local Han people and train a "puppet army" so that in future battles, the puppet army could serve as the vanguard to explore the way.

Unexpectedly, Li Chenghong worked hard for a few days but couldn't recruit many people! Most of the local people fled to Chang'an, and there were no people to lead the Tubo! Not to mention being a puppet soldier.

Seeing that nothing could be done, Dazhalu Gong had no choice but to ignore the order and never mentioned it again.

After a while, in the simple signing room of Lianyun Fort, Dazha Lu Gong met Li Chenghong, the puppet emperor. The old man seemed to be in a very good mood today, and he looked very happy.

"Is there something that the Emperor of the Tang Dynasty wants to see you for late at night?

I am busy with military affairs. If you are free, I will not accompany you."

Daza Lugong sighed while sitting on the stool, folding his arms and looking annoyed.

"Da Lun, there is something I'm afraid you will regret if you miss it."

Li Chenghong said this calmly, looking a little proud.

"The Emperor of the Tang Dynasty, please speak! Take your time! There is no rush!"

Daza Lugong sat up straight immediately! He became alert!
In his opinion, although Li Chenghong is a loser, the news brought by Li Chenghong may not be nonsense and is still worth listening to.

"Da Lun, the Tibetan soldiers were defeated west of Fengxiang Prefecture. Do you know what happened?"

Li Chenghong asked slowly.

A trace of anger flashed across Daza Lugong's eyes, but he suppressed his unhappiness and asked in a deep voice, "I'd like to hear the details!"

"That's Li Baochen commanding the troops. He is an expert in battle formations and has won the hearts of the soldiers.

It's a pity... He has been forced to retire by Fang Qing, and the troops of Fengxiang Prefecture are currently being handed over. They are not on the same side as Fang Qing's Bianzhou Army! Not to mention any cooperation!

Upon hearing that Dalun's attack on Bingzhou was unsuccessful, Fang Qing was quite alert and responded calmly. The Tibetan heavenly soldiers were unable to defeat the enemy for a while.

Dalun He Mingming repaired the plank road to secretly pass through Chencang, let the old and weak guard Lianyun Fort, and retreated to Fengxiang Prefecture with the main force, quickly defeated Li Baochen's troops, and after taking Fengxiang Prefecture, used it as a base to directly attack Chang'an from the west. "

After Li Chenghong finished speaking while shaking his head, he saw Dazha Lugong suddenly stand up with a look of shock on his face!
Yes, why should we fight the Tang army in Bingzhou! Fang Qing is indeed difficult to deal with, but can we not deal with the Fengxiang Prefecture troops without Li Baochen?

This word woke Dazalugong up and down in the small signing room. The more he thought about it, the more he felt that this move was very likely to succeed.

But there is a prerequisite: the Bingzhou side must intensify the siege to attract the attention of the Bianzhou army and leave Fang Qing no time to take care of other things.

It can be predicted that Li Baochen's troops are now replacing Fang Qing's troops, and their defense is at its weakest.

In addition, the main force of the Tibetan army was stationed in Lianyun Fort, and they wanted to go south to Chang'an from Bingzhou! The Tang army must be careless about Fengxiang Prefecture!

With all these advantages added up, the chances of winning become even greater.

"I still have military duties to attend to. Your Majesty, please do as you please. I will not accompany you any longer.

By the way, tomorrow is the day you ascend the throne, please prepare, I will issue a rebellious manifesto in your name to attack Fang Qing."

Daza Lugong said with a smile.

"Why don't you keep your promise? Didn't you agree to issue the manifesto after taking Chang'an?"

Li Chenghong's defense was instantly broken, and he turned pale with fright!

He left quietly, and his family is still in Chang'an! If the Tibetans want to issue a manifesto to fight against the rebellion, it is not impossible.

But that would have to wait until the Tibetan army conquered Chang'an! How could we issue a manifesto to fight against rebellion tomorrow?

Li Chenghong now relies on his little Karami to not attract any attention, so Fang Qing doesn't know about his defection to the Tibetans.

If we issue a manifesto, wouldn’t everyone in the world know about it?

Previously, when Li Chenghong was reluctant to organize the puppet army, he did not disclose his identity, which was one of the main reasons why he could not recruit soldiers.

I didn't expect that the Tibetans were so dishonest! They went back on their word just a few days after they promised!
Li Chenghong cursed Dazha Lugong from head to toe in his heart, but it couldn't change anything.

Because Li Chenghong was just a banner prepared in advance by Dazhalu Gong in order to smoothly rule Guanzhong, and it had not even been erected yet.

How could he possibly consider Li Chenghong?

Do people consider the idea of ​​a flag? A flag is not even as good as a dog's leg. Do we need to care about the idea of ​​such a "dead object"?
It is hard to say what happened to others, but Dazalu Gong has always been ruthless. He also killed a large number of Tibetan nobles in the country. Who is this puppet Li Chenghong?

"You are the Emperor of the Tang Dynasty. If your name is not right, your words will not flow. Of course you have to state your name.

We are here to help you regain your lost territory. If you don't reveal your name, how can we fight for you?

People who don’t know would think we are bandits!”

Dazha Lugong said with a half-smile, a hint of sarcasm flashed across his face, and then he strode away, not caring at all about Li Chenghong who had fainted on the ground.

……

Che Guangqian defeated the Tubo army in the valleys on both sides of the Jing River north of Bingzhou, especially severely damaging the heavy infantry composed of Tubo nobles. For a time, the Tubo army was like a castrated wild boar, and became much more honest.

Even the cavalry did not dare to go more than ten miles away from Lianyun Fort.

However, even so, Fang Chongyong still ordered the relocation of all the people from Bingzhou, regardless of whether they were old, weak, women or children, and sent a grain transport team to help pick up the people.

These actions were seen by the local people in Chang'an. Suddenly, fewer wealthy families fled to Bianzhou, and many people began to believe that the Bianzhou army could defend Guanzhong and drive out the Tibetans.

However, just when Fang Chongyong could breathe a sigh of relief, news came from the north of Bingzhou that the Tibetans in Lianyun Fort supported Li Chenghong, a member of the Li clan, to ascend the throne and become emperor, and threatened to capture Chang'an and help the Tang Dynasty "restore its country."

This move to muddy the waters was used very skillfully.

When the Tibetans broke into Chang'an, that was called an invasion, but supporting a member of the Li clan to ascend the throne and become emperor was tantamount to helping the Tang Dynasty "suppress bandits."

After all, Li Qi didn't dare to say that he was not Fang Qing's puppet!

This move was more powerful than a hundred thousand soldiers and instantly put Fang Chongyong and his Bianzhou troops in a politically disadvantageous position!

It was evening when Fang Zhongyong heard the news. He immediately called a meeting of his staff to discuss countermeasures. It must be said that Dazha Lugong's move really hit Fang Zhongyong's weakness.

Because the so-called "orthodoxy" of the Bianzhou court was not inherited, but fought for.

If you can fight, others can fight too. The Tibetans helped the Li family restore the Tang Dynasty. This statement was enough to confuse many people who did not know the inside story.

"Tell me, what should we do?"

Fang Zhongyong looked around at everyone and asked, but his eyes finally fell on Yuan Zai.

Obviously hoping that he would speak first.

Yuan Zai did not disappoint Fang Zhongyong. He stepped forward, saluted Fang Zhongyong with his hands crossed and said:
"There is no other way but to kill him. If we don't kill him, we won't be able to serve as a warning to others.

Kill relatives related to Li Chenghong.

All male members of the Li clan within three generations will be killed.

Those who cannot escape suspicion of knowing the truth will be killed.

The emperor should not hesitate. The first person to do this will have no descendants. There are at least a thousand royal family members in Chang'an. If everyone follows Li Chenghong's example, there will be more trouble. "

Hearing these words, everyone present took a deep breath.

You really dare to say that!

"Your Majesty, why bother killing the males within three mourning periods?"

Yan Zhenqing, who was invited by Fang Chongyong to contact the Tianlong people in Guanzhong, stood up against Yuan Zai.

"The Tang Dynasty only needs one emperor. When it comes to the great cause of fighting against Tubo, everything else is insignificant.

The emperor cannot bear to fight against his own family, so Fang will be the villain.

Fang Chongyong sighed and nodded to Yan Zhenqing, obviously agreeing with Yuan Zai's opinion.

After hearing what Fang Zhongyong said, everyone present understood and stopped trying to persuade him.

Only Yan Zhenqing grabbed his sleeve and pleaded in a pleading tone: "Your Majesty, you were deeply indebted to the country and that's why you have achieved what you have today. Li Chenghong is certainly guilty, but the others..."

Fang Zhongyong shook off Yan Zhenqing's pull and refused with a cold face: "The one who owed me a favor was the late emperor, not Li Chenghong's father! And certainly not Li Chenghong!"

(End of this chapter)