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News of the great victory at Zhangshui and the lifting of the siege of Liyang reached Chang'an, invigorating the court and the public. Li Yuan issued an edict praising Li Shimin, further enhancing his prestige. However, Li Shimin himself had no time to celebrate. He knew that defeating Dou Jiande only temporarily relieved the pressure on the eastern front; the key to the overall situation still lay in Luoyang, the city that had been besieged for nearly two years yet remained steadfast.

After this defeat, Dou Jiande was unable to launch a large-scale southward offensive in the short term, and Wang Shichong was trapped in an isolated city, his fate sealed. Now was the perfect opportunity to completely resolve the Luoyang issue and bring the heartland of the Central Plains under his control!
Li Shimin did not immediately march east. He knew that continuous fighting had exhausted his soldiers, and that completely capturing Luoyang would require more troops, more provisions, and more thorough preparations. While ordering his troops to rest and recuperate in places like Liyang and Henan, treating the wounded and replenishing their losses, he also submitted a memorial to Chang'an, detailing the decisive significance of completely defeating Wang Shichong and capturing Luoyang for the Li Tang dynasty's struggle for the throne, and requesting the court's full support.

Li Shimin requested the imperial court to open the treasury and allocate special funds to recruit brave and strong men on a large scale in Guanzhong, Hedong, and Bashu regions, especially those skilled in archery and familiar with mountain warfare. At the same time, he increased the purchase of high-quality warhorses from the Turks and Tuyuhun through official channels and private merchants to expand the cavalry, especially the Xuanjia elite cavalry.

He ordered the granaries in Bingzhou (Taiyuan), Puzhou (Yongji), and other areas east of the Yellow River, as well as the newly recovered Liyang granary, to fully transport grain to the front lines in Luoyang. Large forward supply bases were established in Xin'an, Mianchi, and other places west of Luoyang.

The imperial workshops in Chang'an and artisans from various regions were mobilized to work day and night to produce heavy siege equipment such as ladders, siege towers, catapults, and battering rams. In particular, they designed and manufactured extra-large siege towers and special tools for digging tunnels, taking into account the tall and sturdy nature of Luoyang's city walls.

Taking advantage of Wang Shichong's brutal rule and the unbearable suffering of the people and soldiers in Luoyang, they dispatched a large number of spies to infiltrate the city, spread news that the Tang army was treating surrendered soldiers well and opening granaries to relieve the people, and secretly contacted former Sui officials who still had loyalty to the Tang Dynasty and generals who were dissatisfied with Wang Shichong, in order to instigate internal cooperation.

He sent envoys to Dou Jiande, ostensibly to ease tensions and reiterate that there was no irreconcilable enmity between the Tang and Xia dynasties (although everyone knew it was a pretense). The aim was to stabilize Hebei and avoid being stabbed in the back by Dou Jiande at the most crucial moment in the attack on Luoyang. At the same time, he continued to bribe Turkic nobles with money and goods to delay or reduce any possible Turkic intervention in the war in the Central Plains.

Li Shimin's memorial received the support of Li Yuan and other important court officials (including Crown Prince Jiancheng). The entire Li Tang regime was like a massive war machine, fully mobilized for the "Decisive Battle of Luoyang." Money, provisions, soldiers, and weapons began to flow eastward in an unstoppable stream.

Li Shimin himself was stationed along the Liyang-Hanoi line, training newly arrived troops, integrating armies from different systems, and practicing siege tactics, like the most patient hunter waiting for his prey to reveal its most fatal flaw.

Everyone knows that when the next storm arrives, its ferocity will far surpass that of the past. Luoyang, this ancient imperial capital, is about to face its final battle, one that will determine its fate.

………………

During the period of rest and preparation, the Tang army camp was like a huge furnace, with soldiers, provisions, and weapons converging from Guanzhong and Hedong.

In the spring of 622 AD, everything was ready.

Li Shimin held a swearing-in ceremony at the Liyang camp, assuming the titles of Prince of Qin, General of the Heavenly Strategy, and Grand General of the Twelve Guards, thus taking full command of the campaign against Wang Shichong. The main force of the Tang army, along with newly recruited soldiers and troops from various routes who had surrendered, numbered 300,000, but in reality, more than 150,000 were combat soldiers, with countless auxiliary troops and civilians. They marched eastward from Hulao Pass, heading straight for the western suburbs of Luoyang.

By this time, Luoyang was no longer the magnificent "divine capital" it had been during the reign of Emperor Yang of Sui. The brutal siege of the past two years (previously a tug-of-war between Li Shimin and Wang Shichong, which was temporarily eased by Dou Jiande's intervention, but the core siege remained unbroken) had brought this once mighty city to its death.

Outside the city, the once bustling markets and gardens were reduced to scorched earth, crisscrossed by ravines and fortified with imposing walls. Remnants of the long siege walls built by the Tang army remained, along with additional obstacles added by the Zheng army for defense. Although the city walls were still high and thick, their surfaces were marked with smoke, fire, and the marks of hurled stones; many crenellations were damaged and required temporary repairs with wood and stone. The defenders were listless, their faces pale and emaciated; prolonged hunger, fear, and despair had eroded most of their fighting spirit.

Wang Shichong, like a cornered beast, fought desperately. He amassed his remaining nearly 100,000 troops (including a large number of conscripted laborers) on the city walls, assigning his sons, nephews, and trusted confidants to guard the gates. Food supplies within the city were already critically low; rice was as expensive as gold. The people even began dismantling their houses to boil glue and scraping tree bark for food; starving corpses were frequently discovered. Wang Shichong's rule grew increasingly tyrannical and suspicious. Under the pretext of "establishing relations with the Tang Dynasty," he launched a massive purge of suspected disloyal generals and officials, even targeting wealthy households, confiscating their property to fund his army. This created widespread fear and resentment. Luoyang had become a desperate, isolated island ruled by fear and hunger.

Li Shimin did not rush to launch a general offensive. He adopted the strategies of his advisors Fang Xuanling and Du Ruhui, and adopted a more systematic and ruthless "lockdown" tactic.

The Tang army first consolidated and extended the encirclement. They constructed a continuous network of fortifications, palisades, and trenches around Luoyang, from the Forbidden Garden to the west, the Luo River to the east, Mangshan Mountain to the north, and Yique Pass to the south, completely severing Luoyang from any land connection with the outside world. On the waterways, the Tang navy controlled the Luo River and Gu River, with patrol boats patrolling day and night to intercept any small boats attempting to smuggle supplies into the city.

Each day, the Tang army did not launch large-scale sieges, but instead used various units to take turns harassing and wearing down the city. Hundreds of catapults were set up in safe areas at a certain distance from the city walls, hurling stones and fireballs into the city day and night. These stones might not immediately collapse the city walls, but their immense psychological impact and the damage they caused to the buildings inside the city continuously exacerbated the panic. The Tang army's crossbowmen also used earthen mounds and high watchtowers to engage in firefights with the defenders on the city walls, accurately sniping any Zheng army officers and siege engine operators who dared to show their faces.

Meanwhile, Li Shimin took the art of "winning hearts and minds" to its extreme. He ordered the creation of countless silk and wooden plaques inscribed with phrases such as "The Tang army will not kill those who surrender," "Open the granaries and distribute grain," and "Only Wang Shichong will be executed; the rest will be spared," which were then shot into the city with arrows. Captured Zheng soldiers, after brief education, were selected to cooperate and released back into the city, allowing them to personally recount the Tang army's abundant provisions and the medical treatment and food received by the surrendered soldiers. Furthermore, Tang spies, already infiltrated within the city, spread rumors, exaggerating the Tang army's strength and claiming that Zheng troops outside the city had secretly surrendered, further undermining the morale of the defenders.

Wang Shichong attempted to break out of the siege, repeatedly organizing elite troops to launch surprise attacks at the junctions of the Tang army's encirclement or at night. However, Li Shimin was well-prepared, with each camp forming a defensive perimeter and heavily patrolled. The Zheng army's breakout attempts often met with formidable defenses, suffering heavy casualties. On one occasion, Wang Shichong ordered his nephew Wang Wan to lead a suicide squad to attempt to establish contact with the Mangshan Mountains north of the city. They were ambushed by the Tang general Qiu Xinggong, Wang Wan was killed in battle, and his entire force was wiped out. The failed breakout attempts extinguished the last glimmer of hope within the city.

After more than a month of siege and attrition, the Luoyang defenders were extremely exhausted, supplies were running out, and morale was at rock bottom. Li Shimin judged that the time for a general offensive had come. However, he did not choose to launch an attack on all sides, but instead concentrated his overwhelming force and the best equipment on one point—the Anxi Gate area (called Anxi Gate in the Tang Dynasty and Huian Gate in the Sui Dynasty) in the northwest corner of Luoyang. The city walls here were relatively old, and the terrain outside the city was slightly higher, which was conducive to the Tang army's deployment and arrangement of heavy equipment.

On the eve of the final assault, the Tang army secretly moved dozens of newly built "nest carts" and "siege towers" to the front lines. These behemoths, with massive timber frames covered in raw cowhide, stood several meters tall, even exceeding the height of the Luoyang city walls. They contained internal ladders capable of accommodating dozens of armored soldiers. Simultaneously, "tunnel warfare" against the city walls was being carried out covertly. Engineers dug tunnels from several directions, attempting to reach the foundations of the walls to plant gunpowder (although gunpowder had already been developed, its power was limited, mainly used for arson or creating loud noises to demoralize the troops) or for explosives. At dawn, the final assault began.

Hundreds of catapults unleashed an unprecedented concentrated barrage, raining down stones on Anxi Gate and the walls on either side, obscuring the sun and causing the ground to shake. Immediately afterward, tens of thousands of Tang archers, under the cover of shields, advanced and unleashed a dense rain of arrows upon the city walls, pinning the defenders down so much that they could barely raise their heads.

Pulled by oxen and horses and propelled by soldiers, the siege towers and siege engines slowly approached the city walls like moving hills. The Zheng army on the city walls desperately launched rockets and hurled stones, attempting to burn these behemoths, but the raw cowhides covered in wet mud were difficult to ignite, and the stones hitting the sloping roofs had limited effect. At the same time, Tang engineers detonated several tunnels near the city walls. Several loud explosions, while failing to collapse the main wall, caused localized weakening of the wall and widespread panic among the defenders.

The crucial breakthrough occurred on a section of the city wall east of Anxi Gate. This area had been heavily bombarded with stones, causing massive cracks to appear in the already aging wall. The fierce Tang general, Yuchi Jingde, personally led his heavily armored "jumping soldiers," braving a hail of arrows, using several ladders to prop up the cracks. With swords in their mouths and shields in their hands, they fearlessly scaled the walls! The Zheng army's defending general attempted a counterattack but was killed by the Tang army's accurate crossbow bolts. Yuchi Jingde was the first to leap onto the wall, wielding his steel whip like a demon, instantly clearing a section and creating an opening for the subsequent assault troops!
"The city walls have fallen! The Tang army has stormed the city!"

Panic spread rapidly. Upon receiving the report, Wang Shichong was filled with shock and rage, and personally led his most elite "Left and Right Yangwu Armies" to the breach to counterattack. A fierce hand-to-hand battle ensued on the narrow city walls, ramparts, and gate towers. The clash of swords, roars, and screams echoed through the air; corpses piled up in layers, and blood gushed from the cracks in the city wall. Reinforcements from the Tang army poured in via ladders and sections of the already captured wall. Although Wang Shichong fought desperately, his soldiers were exhausted, hungry, and demoralized, and gradually the Tang forces succumbed.

Just as the fierce battle raged on the city walls, Tang troops that had been lying in ambush south and east of the city launched a fierce feint attack, tying down a large number of Zheng troops. Meanwhile, Li Shimin personally led the main force of the Xuanjia elite cavalry, waiting near the city gate.

The collapse of the city walls began with the sudden betrayal of one of Wang Shichong's trusted generals. Seeing that all was lost, this general abruptly switched sides in the chaos of battle, leading his troops in a counterattack against Wang Shichong's main force, shouting, "Surrender to Tang and you'll be spared!" This was like the last straw that broke the camel's back; the already crumbling Zheng army's defenses crumbled instantly. The defeat was swift and devastating; soldiers discarded their weapons, cried out, and scattered in all directions, some kneeling to surrender.

Under the desperate protection of his personal guards, Wang Shichong fought his way out of the encirclement and retreated to the imperial city (Ziwei City). However, the imperial city was not a safe haven either. Upon learning that the outer city had fallen, many palace guards and eunuchs became restless. Wang Shichong attempted to rally his remaining troops and make a last-ditch effort to defend the palace, but few responded.

Li Shimin gave him no chance to regroup. The Tang army quickly cleared the streets of resistance and surrounded the imperial city. Li Shimin sent messengers to the palace, giving Wang Shichong one last chance to surrender.

Before the Xuanren Gate of the palace, Wang Shichong, clad in his tattered Mingguang armor, disheveled and appearing mad, stood with only a few hundred of his most loyal personal guards and some members of the royal family by his side. He knew it was all over. Breakout was hopeless; resistance would only bring more bloodshed and a possible massacre of the city.

"It is God's will that I am killed, not the fault of war!"

Wang Shichong roared to the sky, but he was ultimately a powerful and ruthless man. At the last moment, his remaining rationality told him that continuing to resist would only lead to the complete extinction of the Wang clan and plunge Luoyang into a final bloodbath.

He ordered the palace gates to be opened, removed his armor, dressed in plain clothes, and led Prince Wang Xuanying of Zheng and the main civil and military officials, holding the Imperial Seal of the State (a replica) and the maps and seals of Zheng, to walk out of Xuanren Gate and surrender to Li Shimin, who was standing outside the gate on horseback.

Luoyang, the formidable city that had been besieged for nearly two years and claimed countless lives, finally changed hands. The Tang army entered the city, quickly took over the defenses, extinguished the remaining fires, settled the surrendered soldiers, and, as Li Shimin had promised, opened the granaries to distribute grain and provide relief to the starving people.

...............

That evening, the setting sun, like blood, stained the glazed tiles of Luoyang Palace with a poignant red.

The hustle and bustle of the city gradually subsided, with only the orderly footsteps of the Tang army patrols, the shouts of those carrying spoils of war, and the sporadic sounds of treating the wounded.

Inside the Ziwei City, the main hall of the Zheng Kingdom, which originally belonged to Wang Shichong—the Qianyang Hall (called Qianyang Hall in the Sui Dynasty, but Wang Shichong continued to use it)—was brightly lit. Replacing the former rulers and ministers of the Zheng Kingdom were the core civil and military officials of the Li Tang Dynasty who had just entered the city.

Li Shimin did not sit on Wang Shichong's original throne, as that would have seemed too hasty and presumptuous. He simply set up a seat below the steps, flanked by his trusted advisors such as Fang Xuanling, Du Ruhui, and Changsun Wuji, as well as key generals including Yuchi Jingde, Qin Qiong, Hou Junji, and Qiu Xinggong. Everyone was still in armor, travel-worn, but their eyes were bright.

"Luoyang has fallen, and Wang Shichong has surrendered. This is due to His Majesty's great fortune and the soldiers' valiant efforts."

Li Shimin's voice echoed in the empty hall:
"However, conquering cities and seizing territory is easy, but securing peace and stability is difficult. Tonight, I have invited you all here to discuss two matters: first, how to deal with Wang Shichong and his remnants; second, now that Luoyang has been captured, where should we place our next move, especially considering the fierce tiger to the south..." (End of Chapter)