Late Tang

(Thanks to Wuwei for the so-called reward, thank you!)

"The king of Qin has crossed the Yellow River with [-] fine horsemen. He is currently rectifying Licheng in Qizhou. He will go west later to recover the eastern capital Luoyang for his majesty and the court!" Zhang Hong knelt in the hall of Yanying, facing the emperor and the emperor. All the prime ministers and ministers feel extremely honored.He, Zhang Hong, also had such a day, Yanying played right.

Zhang Hong's narration has undergone some artistic processing in many places. What he said is not like a battle report, but rather like those vulgar storytellers. A lot of foreshadowing and foreshadowing have been added to it. , with twists and turns, the listeners are extremely thrilling and hearty.After he finished speaking, the emperor and all the officials in the palace were still immersed in it.

After confirming that what Zhang Hong said was true, Li Xuan, Tian Lingzi, Lu Xie and others were shocked.

I knew that Li Jing was powerful, but I didn't expect Li Jing to be so powerful.

18 cavalry went south and fought alone in the four towns. As a result, 36 soldiers and horses in the four towns were defeated successively, and [-] counties in the five prefectures of Hebei were recovered. It is really shocking.

When Li Xuan heard that Li Jing had just defeated the rebels in Zhangshui, he immediately went all the way south to Henan, preparing to go west and recover Luoyang for the court, and he was even more moved.It turns out that Li Jiyu is the great loyal minister. Taizong's ancestors said it well, the strong wind knows the strong grass, and the loyal minister is tough.

Although Li Jing is always said to have ulterior motives, when it comes to Guan Jian, Li Jing can always share my worries for me and be loyal to the country.If Li Jing was unfaithful, how could he refuse to accept Li Jing's title of prince several times before.Now that Huang Chao is threatening Chang'an, Li Jing hastily sent troops south.If Li Jing really has two minds, he only needs to sit on the sidelines and watch, which is the most beneficial result for him.

With this thought in mind, the anguish of being threatened by Huang Chao these days disappeared for a while, Li Yan let out a long sigh, the national disaster showed his loyal ministers, and if Marshal Li sent troops, Huang Chao did not have to be afraid.

Tian Lingzi couldn't figure it out, if Li Jing was said to be a loyal minister, even if he was killed, Tian Lingzi would not believe it.Li Jing's past behaviors have long shown that Li Jing is an ambitious person.But Li Jing's actions this time were very strange. If Li Jing attacked Hebei, it could be regarded as a mutual attack between warlords for the purpose of grabbing territory.But when Li Jing conquered the five states, it was the time when he was in the limelight. Instead of continuing to attack the four towns in Hebei, he went to Henan in one go. This is a bit too strange.Is it possible that Li Jing really wants to deal with Huang Chao, to share the worries for the king, and to solve the difficulties for the country?

You know, although Li Jing won two battles, in fact, the four towns only suffered some injuries, not even their vitality.Cangdedi Sanzhou originally belonged to Yichang Town, Mozhou belonged to Liu Rengong, and Yingzhou belonged to Li Quanzhong.These losses are all separate, not a single blow to a town.As soon as he took down the five states, Li Jing was in a difficult position. Isn't he afraid that the four towns will counterattack again?

In fact, Li Jing led [-] cavalry to go south to Qizhou, Shandong at this time, and he also had his own plans.

Sending troops to Henan and counterattacking Luoyang is just Li Jing's slogan for leaving the army.In fact, the newly established Hebei Province is very important to Li Jing, and Li Jing's going south at this time is not not ignoring Hebei Province, but to better guarantee Hebei Province.

The key to Li Jing's victory over the five states of Moyingcang this time was his tactical success, which was unexpected, coupled with the advantage of large-scale cavalry in field battles.Li Jing was a little surprised to achieve such a big victory in the end.

After discussing the current situation in Hebei with Zhu Wenwu, Li Jing also clearly saw that although he had seized the land of the five states, in fact, Li Jing had no advantage in Hebei.No matter in terms of strength or terrain, Li Jing is actually still at a disadvantage right now.

After the four towns of Hebei suffered such a big loss, they will definitely not fall in the same place for the second time.In the next war, there will never be such a good opportunity again.The newly occupied area of ​​Hebei is long and narrow from north to south. In fact, it can be divided into two parts. Dedi Prefecture is across the river from Qi and Zi.Compared with the Weibo Chengde area which can rely on the Taihang Mountains, the topography of the two states of Dedi is still relying on the hilly area of ​​Shandong.Controlling the first-line hills of Mount Tai in Qizhou on the opposite side of the Yellow River can also easily control this section of the Yellow River, and then control the two states of Dedi.

And the three prefectures of Moyingcang can also be divided into one piece, and the center of this piece is in the river.

But right now, to defend these three states, Hejian is the center, but to defend Hejian, the three gates of Mozhou are the most important barriers.

Therefore, for the newly-occupied five prefectures, the defense centers are actually divided into two places, one of which is Dedi's management key in Qizhou on the south bank of the Yellow River.The key to Cangyingmo Sanzhou is Hejian and Sanguan.

After this battle, the next situation in Hebei may change from fierce confrontation to a period of confrontation.

The four towns in Hebei need this time to lick their wounds and re-arrange.

Li Jing also needs this relaxation time to stabilize and manage the newly occupied territory.

At this time, Li Jing transferred infantry and rural soldiers from the northeast and Shandong, and sent the cavalry south, which is the performance of shifting from the attack stage to the defense stage.

The use of defense instead of offense at this time is also the result of careful discussions between Li Jing and everyone.Li Jing needs time to get news of the newly acquired five states and keep this coastal channel between northeast and Shandong.Take control of the existing holdings of the canal.

At this time, switching from offense to defense is an extremely inevitable and correct choice, whether it is at the strategic or tactical level.

The main reason why Li Jing sent the cavalry south was to show to the four towns in Hebei that Li Jing had no plans to continue attacking the four towns, so that the four towns could feel at ease.Otherwise, if Li Jing gathered 10,000+ soldiers and horses in Hebei at once, the four towns would definitely react fiercely.If the two sides really want to fight to the death, it may really be a protracted hardship.Especially since spring and summer, the frozen rivers in Hebei began to melt, and the originally unobstructed plains would be re-divided by the rivers. Even the cavalry would have a lot of inconvenience.

What's more important is that Li Jing is not willing to fight to the death with Sizhen at this time.When two tigers fight, they will only watch the tiger fight in vain.Li Jing picked up a big deal, so he planned to swallow the fruits of victory first.

And on the other hand, the four towns in Hebei, Xinde, can hardly support 10,000+ troops.At this time, Li Jing sent [-] cavalry to the south, and the nearby Shandong province could supply military supplies.There is another one, putting the cavalry in Qizhou, in fact, Gao Wujianling guarded the two states of Dedi.

Of course, this is not all. Li Jing went south at this time with three purposes.One is to use this to show to the four towns in Hebei that they don't want to go to war in the future.Secondly, the infantry guarded Sanguan and Hejian to stabilize Cangyingmo, and the cavalry retreated to Licheng to guard Dedi.The third reason is that Li Jing wanted to take advantage of the current defeat of the Tianping Army and the Taining Army and the emptiness of the town, to take advantage of the favorable geographical situation in the hilly area of ​​Shandong that defends Shandong.In this way, the Shandong Province is completely stabilized.

War is the continuation of politics!

Li Jing's every war has a clear purpose, cooperates with the grand strategic layout, and never fights randomly.Now that he doesn't have the strength to swallow the four towns in Hebei, or if he pays a price, he can also take Youzhou Town or Yiwu Town, but for Li Jing, the price is not worth it.If you spend too much to capture Youzhou or Yiwu, Li Jing may not be able to defend it, even if you can, it may bring about a series of vicious circles, which is not in line with Li Jing's strategic plan.

Compared with the strength of the four towns in Hebei, which is a thorny fruit, the current Tianping Town and Taining Town are ripe fruits that are within reach.

At this time, the four towns in Hebei were almost cut off from the north to the south by the Northeast Army, and the Yiwu Army and the Youzhou Army were in the north.The Chengde army and Wei Bo army in the south joined together again. The four towns lost Moying, which made the passage in the middle fall. Although Ding and Zhen can also be connected, it is far inferior to the Moying passage.

Fortunately, Li Jing led the main force of the cavalry to cross the Yellow River south. Although the same number of infantry entered Hebei, at least the four towns were relieved that Li Jing did not intend to take advantage of the victory and continue to attack the four towns.Having suffered two major defeats in a row, Sizhen really didn't dare to continue fighting with Li Jing.

However, although the main force of Li Jing's cavalry went south, the four towns did not dare to find a place at this time.It's all because after the river thaws now, Li Jing not only has [-] soldiers and horses stationed in Hebei, but Li Jing's navy also enters Hebei's canals, Zhanghe River, and Hutuo River from the sea to cruise.In addition, the Northeast Army guarded Sanguan and Hejian tightly, and the heavy troops gathered, the four towns did not dare to send troops to attack the city rashly.

For a while, the Hebei battlefield was as expected by Li Jing and others. As soon as Li Jing went south, the Hebei province of Daxingtai and the four Hebei towns of the rebel army were calm for a while, and the chickens and dogs met each other, but the well water did not violate the river water.

However, under this calm, it is the two sides who are recruiting and preparing their own troops.Everyone knows that the calm is only temporary, and when both sides are fully prepared, there will inevitably be a bigger war.

The monarchs and ministers in Chang'an City didn't know Li Jing's thoughts, but they were very excited about Li Jing's great victory and his plan to counterattack Luoyang.

"Immediately hand over the detailed history of the Hebei Great Victory to the Royal News for publication, and announce it to the world." Li Xuan clenched his fists excitedly and raised his voice.

"I decree that all the Northeast officers and men in the Hebei Great Victory will be promoted to the first rank!"

"Decree to the world, Li Jing of Jin Dynasty, King Qin's title, [-] households in the city of food."

"Confer the title of Marshal of the Kwantung Army and Horses, and command the soldiers and horses of the towns east of Tongguan to fight rebellion and suppress rebellion and bandits!"

After the ministers retreated, Li Xuan couldn't calm down his excitement for a long time, so he went to the imperial garden to ride a horse and shoot arrows. He shot more than ten arrows in a row before he calmed down.

When he returned to the hall, he saw Tian Lingzi standing there waiting.

"Your Majesty, Zhang Chengfan is selecting officers and men of the Shence Army, and will lead the army to Tongguan soon."

Li Xuan nodded, "Give more rewards to the expedition soldiers!"

"Your Majesty, the old minister thinks that Chang'an is not safe, so it's better for Your Majesty to go to Sichuan for luck?"

Li Yan frowned, "Father, don't talk about this matter. Now that Li Jing has just won a victory in Hebei, he is about to counterattack and regain the Eastern Capital. The Huangchao grass bandit is nothing more than morning dew. Once Li Jing's troops arrive, they will definitely lose."

Tian Lingzi couldn't help but said: "Huangchao's 60 soldiers and horses have already approached Tongguan, but Li Jing is still far away in Qizhou. Even if Li Jing is loyal, it may be difficult to save the near fire for a while. Besides, the safety of your majesty and the court is also important." It cannot be entirely sent to Li Jing alone."

"Father, what's the best strategy?" Tian Lingzi asked.

"In the current situation, the grass bandits are the confidant's troubles, but the Hebei rebels. After this defeat, it is nothing to worry about. However, there is Li Jing in the northeast and Li Keyong in the east of the river. These two Li have to let people Worry. Li Jing and Li Keyong are like wolves and tigers, so be careful."

Li Xuan frowned, but said nothing.Li Ke used the second rebellion against the Tang Dynasty, which really made Li Yan very angry, but in the end, not only could he not ask him for his crime, but he had to follow the ideas of the ministers in the court to designate the seven states as Yanmen Town, and give them to Li Ke. .

The same is true of Li Jing, if Li Jing is really loyal to Datang, if he sends troops early, how can there be such a situation now.

"Your Majesty, since Li Jing was conferred the title of King of Qin, why not simply decree to pardon the crimes committed by the four Hebei towns, and bestow the titles on the four towns as county kings, and also give Li Keyong the title of county king. Li Keyong will inevitably surrender to the emperor again, and the imperial court can also transfer the towns of Hedong to the south to deal with Huang Chao. On the other hand, it can also let the four towns of Hebei contain Li Jing and Li Keyong. No one can control it, and it will not work after all. "

Hebei and Northeast, Hebei is a place that the imperial court has been difficult to control for more than a hundred years. As for the Northeast, it is completely the territory that Li Jing has conquered alone, and it is even more difficult for the imperial court to control.But now, in the land of Daibei, Li Keyong once again rebelled against Tang and took another half.

But compared to Huang Chao's threat, these are not the most urgent.But what Tian Lingzi said is not wrong. Li Jing and Li Keyong are too difficult to control. Now that the four towns in Hebei have been defeated, it is better to follow the example of Emperor Dezong Xianzong and pardon the four towns and let them restrain Li Ke for the royal family. Use and Li Jing.At the same time, consoling and granting Li Keyong the title can also draw out the soldiers and horses from Hedong to go south to deal with Huang Chao.

The imperial court is too weak, and right now it can only use feudal towns against feudal towns and let them check and balance each other. .

Although he was extremely dissatisfied, Li Xuan finally agreed to Tian Lingzi's proposal.

The next day, the imperial decree was transmitted from the palace, and the emperor issued an edict that the imperial court pardoned the crimes of the four towns in Hebei, and conferred the title of Lulong Jieshuai Liu Yue as the king of Beiping County, and the title of Yiwu Jieshuai Li Quanzhong as the Zhongshan County King. Conferred the title of commander-in-chief of Chengde Festival Jingchong King of Zhao Jun, and granted the title of Commander-in-Chief of Wei Bo Jie Han Jian as King of Wei Jun.

Li Keyong, the festival commander of Yanmen town, was also granted the title of king of Yanmen county.

Hebuler, the Tatar chieftain of Yinshan Mountain, was granted the title of King of Dingxiang County, and he was given the surname Li.

King Xihan was granted the title of King of Rao Le County, and he was given the surname Li.

In addition, Tuoba Sigong, the envoy of Xiayin Festival, was granted the title of Duke of Xia and given the surname Li.

Feng Tiande Jiedu envoy He Lianduo was the Duke of Baoguo, and he was given the surname Li.

Mi Haiwan, chief of Sage, the governor of Yunzhou, was granted the title of Duke of Yun, and he was given the surname Li.

Shi Jingcun, the governor of Anqing, the governor of Shuozhou, was granted the title of Duke of Shuo, and he was given the surname Li.

Qi Bizhang, the chief of Fengqi Bibu, was the Duke of Xiangguo, and he was given the surname Li.

The day before, a one-word king of Qin was conferred, and the next day, seven county kings, five county princes, and seven national surnames were conferred.

As soon as this imperial decree was issued, all eyes were turned sideways, and the whole world was in an uproar! (To be continued.)