Datang: Rebirth of Li Chengqian, the beginning of the treason interrogation

Chapter 222: This may be the last battle I command
This is a huge drawback of the tribal union. Each tribe fights on its own and no one wants to lose too much strength in the battle.

Since ancient times, most of the time, the Great Wall and Yinshan Mountains have been the dividing line. To the south is the agricultural civilization of the Central Plains, and to the north is the nomadic civilization of the grassland area.

There were many tribes in the north, and powerful tribes rose from time to time, completing the unification of the grassland.

It is just like the founding of dynasties in the Central Plains.

The Xiongnu, Turks, Xueyantuo and Mongols are more like the Qin, Han, Ming and Qing dynasties that correspond to the era of great unification in the Central Plains.

It is the name of a tribe and also the symbol of a dynasty.

Xueyantuo is not just a single Xueyantuo, but represents the entire nomadic people in the north.

However, its administrative characteristics were different from those of the Central Plains dynasties, as the leaders of each tribe still governed their own tribes.

This is why, in war, no one wants to sacrifice themselves to preserve the interests of other tribes.

Because the competition among tribes in the grassland is extremely fierce, and there is a possibility of destruction from time to time, everyone wants to preserve their strength.

Maybe we can even use the help of the Tang Dynasty to destroy the vitality of other tribes.

After returning to the grassland and reshuffle the cards, it is possible that his tribe will be able to conquer the north and replace the Xueyantuo.

The leaders of each major tribe have their own thoughts.

At this time, Xueyantuo was mainly composed of many tribes such as Dingling, Gaoche, Turkic, Tiele, Xueyantuo, and Uighur.

"Retreat! Xueyantuo has reached a point where there is no way to retreat. These leaders are short-sighted and only know how to fight among themselves."

"We won't retreat. The number of Tang troops attacking this time must be small. Organize a personal guard to resist. If anyone resists, kill them without mercy."

Duomi Khan was about to follow his previous decision.

As the lord of the Khanate, he would definitely send his own people to the front immediately in such a critical moment.

"Back off!"

The guards stepped forward with guns, trying to force back the crowded crowd.

However, the people in the front had no idea about the military orders from the rear and they crowded forward, making it difficult for the Royal Guards to move forward even a single step.

On the periphery, there were also tribal leaders who led their troops to leave.

At this time, Su Dingfang had already led his troops in, charging all the way, trying to cut most of the Xueyantuo army in half.

Fighting, crowding, and fleeing took place across a field stretching for dozens of miles.

The front army fought, the middle army was crowded, and the rear army fled.

The situation became extremely difficult to control.

"The Xueyantuo army's formation is in disarray. Yuchi Jingde, let's add fuel to the fire."

In the distance, Li Shimin stood proudly on a high hill, overlooking the entire battlefield.

The beholder is clear.

Charging into battle is the job of a general, while planning the battle situation is what a commander should do.

"Send out another 1,000 soldiers, bring flags and gongs and drums, and march from the two wings of Xueyantuo. When they reach the designated location, wave the flags and shout to boost morale and disrupt the enemy's morale."

"Also, send a message to Cheng Zhijie and Zhishishili to intercept and kill the fleeing Xueyantuo tribes, and if they can surrender, then surrender."

"Quickly order Zhang Jian to send elite troops to assist us and hunt us down."

Military orders came out from Li Shimin's mouth one after another.

In an instant, the entire battle situation became clear.

It has never been easy to win an attack with a smaller force.

However, it is extremely difficult to achieve an annihilation effect.

In war, defeat often occurs when only one-tenth of the enemy is killed.

In fact, it is often difficult to pursue and kill the fleeing soldiers.

This is still a normal battle. In a surprise attack like this, fewer people will die.

As long as there is time, we can regroup and make a comeback.

Now Li Shimin wants to encircle and annihilate this Xueyantuo army.

Annihilation does not mean that all these people must be massacred, they can also be captured.

You know, tens of thousands of young and middle-aged people are almost the entire population and combat power of a country.

Su Dingfang's target at this time was no longer the central army camp, but the rear camp.

He cleverly avoided important defensive areas and advanced through weak points, so his march was very fast and there was almost no sign of delay.

Before the dark night fell, the Tang flag was planted on the other side.

Just as Li Shimin had expected, when many tribes did not know the strength of the Tang army, they thought that the Tang army was attacking from the front and back.

The tribal leaders, each with their own thoughts, quickly left the battle circle under the cover of night.

The Tang army was not numerous to begin with, and there was no possibility of pursuit, so they all retreated smoothly.

"Khan, the leader of the Huihe tribe, Yaoluogu Tumidu, has already evacuated together with the leaders of the Pugu and Tongluo tribes, and has taken away a large number of war horses."

Duomi Khan, who was preparing for battle and about to attack the Tang army, almost fell off his horse when he heard this.

"Damn Uighurs!"

Duomi Khan was so angry that his own people cut off his source of power.

"In the words of the people of the Central Plains, Yaoluogetumidu has the look of a wolf and a rebellious character. He should be killed as soon as possible."

The generous one is located on the side of the fire path.

In the current composition of the Xueyantuo Khanate, the Uighurs rank among the top three, and their leader also has the idea of ​​replacing it.

Now is an opportunity for him.

Historically, after the Xueyantuo were destroyed, the Uighurs became the leader of the north.

After the An-Shi Rebellion, the Uighurs officially appeared on the stage of history.

The Tang Dynasty at that time needed to pay tribute to it.

But in order to save face, the Tang Dynasty called it a trade exchange.

In fact, the Tang Dynasty had to pay 400,000 taels of silver to the Uighurs in order to prevent them from sending troops to invade the south.

In return, the Uighurs would give the Tang Dynasty thousands of inferior and old horses, which was considered to be a great honor for the former overlord.

"I will not let him off this time!"

Duomi Khan raised his sword and continued to move forward.

Because many tribes fled one after another, the camp seemed much emptier.

"kill!"

Suddenly, deafening shouts of killing were heard outside the camp.

The tight sound of gongs and drums also rises and falls continuously.

The dotted torches are like the stars in the night sky, too numerous to count.

"This is the main force of the Tang army!"

Dadu was shocked and thought of the worst possibility, which was that the Tang army had formed a siege and surrounded them.

Duomi Khan was shocked and angry, but also felt deeply helpless.

The tide is gone.

"Khan, break out, otherwise you won't be able to get out of the Tang army's encirclement. As long as you have the green mountains, you will never worry about lack of firewood."

Dadushe stood in front of him and held the horse's head with one hand.

The rest of the cavalry also stopped and looked at Duomi Khan.

They are personal guards, but not death warriors.

When they know it is a dead end, they will definitely not charge forward.

"It seems that God is not helping me to achieve my great cause!" In grief and anger, Duomi Khan roared to the sky and blamed everyone.

When heading south, I was full of confidence.

After several blows, Duomi Khan had become discouraged.

Now, he only had the idea of ​​escaping back to Mobei. The elusiveness of the Tang army and the disloyalty of his subordinates made him realize how difficult it would be to invade the south.

Shrouded in the inky black night, shouts and screams could be heard all around, as if countless evil spirits were roaring and screaming.

These sounds intertwined together, making the Xueyantuo soldiers among them terrified. They fled northward in panic like frightened birds.

"Your Majesty, the night wind is getting colder and colder. You should hurry into the tent and rest. The battle situation is clear. The Xueyantuo army has been broken into pieces by our forces. We only need to gradually encircle and annihilate them."

Yuchi Jingde said with concern on his face, and carefully put a thick golden cloak on Li Shimin's shoulders.

The faint night breeze blew quietly, caressing the cloak gently, causing the cloak to instantly appear in layers of wrinkles, like ripples on the surface of a lake.

Li Shimin just stood there quietly, his eyes fixed on the specks of sparks in the Xueyantuo camp.

However, in the next moment, Li Shimin suddenly fell forward like a wooden stake that had lost its foundation.

"His Majesty!"

Yuchi Jingde was horrified when he saw this, but fortunately he reacted quickly and was agile. He stretched out his hands in time at the critical moment and caught Li Shimin who was about to fall to the ground.

"Don't make it public, don't let it disrupt the morale of the army!"

Li Shimin's breath had become extremely weak at this time, like a candle in the wind, which could be extinguished at any time.

Before this, he had been struggling to hold on with his strong willpower.

Now, the hidden danger of Xueyantuo that worried him the most has been solved. The tense string in his heart suddenly relaxed, and his body could no longer bear the heavy burden on his body.

"Okay, Your Majesty, don't worry. I will help you into the tent and have a good rest!"

Although Yuchi Jingde looked calm and composed on the surface, his hands, which were holding Li Shimin tightly, could not stop shaking.

Because he knew very well that Li Shimin's illness this time was already very serious and it was unlikely that he would get better.

"I can still hold on!"

Li Shimin once again forced himself to stand up and sent Yuchi Jingde away. At this time, he could not show any sign of weakness.

Li Shimin walked forward slowly and finally stepped into the carriage.

"That damned Yuan Tiangang actually dared to deceive Your Majesty. When I return, I will kill him immediately."

Yuchi Jingde said this angrily, his eyes wide open, and no one suspected that he was joking.

Half a year has passed and it's not even halfway through yet. If this isn't deceiving the king, what is it?

"Aren't I still alive?"

Li Shimin said angrily.

"It's because I, the old minister, got confused because of my anxiety!"

Yuchi Jingde clapped his hands and smiled foolishly.

"Your Majesty, do you have any instructions?"

Yuchi Jingde asked, seeing some of Li Shimin's concerns.

"But the former crown prince Li Chengqian?"

As a close bodyguard, Yuchi Jingde could more or less guess that the facts were not as they saw now.

There were many people in the court who could guess the inside story.

However, because Li Chengqian had been deposed as crown prince, no one pursued him.

At the same time, words about the former crown prince Li Chengqian seemed to have become a taboo.

It is rarely mentioned by people.

"External troubles are easy to deal with, but internal troubles are hard to deal with?"

Li Shimin couldn't help but sigh.

"Your Majesty, are you afraid that the former Crown Prince Li Chengqian will raise an army to seize power?"

Yuchi Jingde looked at Li Shimin and asked very seriously.

Li Shimin shook his head, the corners of his mouth twitching slightly.

"Cheng Qian's plan is too big. Even I dare not think about it. The internal troubles I am talking about are not just this, but the internal troubles that have existed since ancient times."

"I don't want you to stop him, but if Cheng Qian can succeed in the future, you still need to lend him a helping hand."

"If that is not possible, you should assist Zhinu wholeheartedly and protect the foundation we have worked so hard to build."

Li Shimin also left enough means for his future affairs.

Yuchi Jingde's face was full of surprise. What kind of operation was this?

How could Li Shimin, who was always wise and brave, prepare two successors?

He also told the regent ministers to support whoever they liked.

Do you think the country isn’t in chaos enough?

"Your Majesty, although I don't know what the former crown prince is planning, I have already deposed Li Chengqian in front of all the civil and military officials in the court, and even the people of the world. It is reasonable and logical that he can no longer have the right to inherit the throne."

Yuchi Jingde still dared to speak frankly in private, and he was not blindly loyal.

"Cheng Qian, you no longer have the right of succession, but you forgot that before me, there were also people who had the right of succession. The one with the most powerful army and horses can be called the king. This has never changed since ancient times."

"Among the younger generation, who can surpass Cheng Qian in military strategy?"

"He destroyed three kingdoms with his own strength. His power is so great. No, now it may be four kingdoms."

When talking about Li Chengqian, Li Shimin was full of satisfaction and his praise was beyond words.

Only in front of Yuchi Jingde did he dare to reveal his true emotions.

Maybe time is running out and he doesn't need to pretend to be so tired anymore.

"Your Majesty, I understand your intention. If Li Chengqian raises his army to attack, I will follow suit. However, if you do so, it will be hard for the Crown Prince now."

Yuchi Jingde nodded.

"No, you still don't understand. If Cheng Qian just wanted my position, why would he go to such great lengths?"

"I have already said it before, Cheng Qian's ambition is even greater than mine. He wants a world that will last forever. Unfortunately, I will not be able to see it."

Li Shimin shook his head.

Li Chengqian was originally the first in line to the throne, so there was no such thing as usurpation of the throne.

If the time permits, he is really willing to join forces with Li Chengqian to attack both inside and outside, to create a great era and leave a name for himself through the ages.

His contribution to the Tang Dynasty can be described as groundbreaking.

It is no exaggeration to say that the Tang Dynasty was preserved by him alone.

He initiated the Zhenguan Reign, which is famous throughout the world and can be said to have achieved both civil and military success.

But the only thing that makes him regretful now is that he did not leave behind any actions that could have an impact on the ages.

"I am an old minister who is ignorant and does not know what the eternal world is, nor do I know the ambitions of the former Crown Prince Li Chengqian. The current Tang Dynasty is the best."

"If we take up arms again, the people will be plunged into dire straits."

Yuchi Jingde said in a worried voice, as if he was trying his best to persuade.

"Some blood must be shed. When all the blood is shed, it will be a good day for the people."

Li Shimin said this with longing, and was completely immersed in the world that Li Chengqian had created for him.

That was an era without the influence of aristocratic families, and the emperor could do whatever he wanted.

Talented people can also succeed.

The country is peaceful internally and foreign enemies dare not invade lightly.

(End of this chapter)