A Good Landlord in the Tang Dynasty: Starting from the Village Chief

Chapter 627 The Great Snow Dragon Cavalry Breaks Through the Khan's Court

The twilight spread like ink.

The last ray of sunlight was swallowed by leaden clouds.

It also swallowed up Jieli's light.

His world collapsed.

The north wind whipped up snowflakes that pelted my face with their icy chill.

Badger Mouth Valley in January became the place where Jieli met his end.

Snowflakes swirled in the north wind, and Jieli Khan's fox fur cloak was already covered in icicles. He hadn't expected that he had only been Khan for two years.

He was already defeated and dead.

This former Turkic overlord, who once commanded a million troops and controlled a vast territory stretching thousands of miles east to west,

At this moment, under the aim of countless Tang soldiers' bows, crossbows, swords, and spears,
He finally knelt down.

He knelt before Li Shimin, the Prince of Qin, who was much younger than him.

His knee slammed into the snow, which was stained red with blood.

He removed the golden wolf-head helmet and placed it on the ground, then unsheathed his golden wolf-shaped sword.

Held in both hands

He lowered his proud head.
He surrendered to Li Shimin and presented him with a knife.

"The gray wolves of the grasslands bow their heads to the dragon's son of Chang'an,"

Zhi Shiyan, who had already surrendered, felt a sudden pang of emotion upon seeing this scene; an era had come to an end.

In the eleventh year of the Daye era, Shibi Khan led hundreds of thousands of cavalry in a surprise attack on Yang Guang, besieging the Sui emperor at Yanmen.

Although they failed to capture the Sui emperor at Yanmen Pass that year, that battle also caused the Turks, who had been subservient to the Central Plains for eighteen years, to cease paying tribute to the Central Plains.

Instead, they began to take advantage of the chaos of the Sui Dynasty to frequently invade with force and even appointed many Sui rebel kings as vassals.

But now, Khagan Jieli knelt down and surrendered to the Tang Dynasty.
Count the time,

In fact, it had only been seven years since the siege of Yanmen.

In seven years, the Turkic Khaganate had three Great Khans.

In the second year of the Wude era, Shibi Khan, who had reigned for ten years, died on his way to invade the Central Plains.

In the third year of the Wude era, Chuluo Khan, who had reigned for only one year, died suddenly on the way to invade the south.

Now, in the first month of the sixth year of the Wude era, Jieli Khan, who had only been on the throne for a little over two years, suffered another defeat on his southern invasion route.

The Eternal Heaven does not bless the Turks.

In just seven short years, everything has changed dramatically.

The Turkic Khaganate failed to capitalize on the opportunity presented by the chaos of the Sui Dynasty.

On the contrary, the Tang Dynasty had almost unified the world in just six years since its founding, and now it had even captured Jieli.

this moment,
Many Turkic nobles who witnessed the historic moment of Jieli kneeling and surrendering with a knife were deeply moved.

Jieli knelt down and surrendered.

Behind him,
More than a thousand remaining soldiers also knelt down one after another.
Knives and guns were thrown on the snow.

These Turkic wolves, facing the Tang soldiers, disarmed themselves and entrusted their lives to the Tang army.

Li Shimin dismounted.
He slowly approached Jieli, bent down, and helped the wolf king up.

"Khan, please rise."

It got dark.
The wind has stopped.
The snow stopped.
Torches were lit all around.

The firelight flickered.

It reflected Jieli's face, which was even uglier than a dead man's.

It's all just a matter of the victor taking all and the loser being condemned.

When Li Shimin accepted the golden wolf knife presented by Jieli,

Cheers that soared into the sky echoed through the valley.
this moment,
Every Tang Dynasty soldier who participated in this battle felt incredibly proud and their blood was boiling.

A world of ice and fire
On one side were the cheering Tang soldiers, and on the other side were the Turks who bowed their heads in sorrow.

In this battle, both sides had roughly equal numbers, with 30,000 troops each.

But the result was that the Tang Dynasty won a complete victory.

The Tang army beheaded over 3,000 and captured more than 20,000.
The several thousand Turkic rear guard troops cut off and blocked outside the valley, as well as the several thousand Tuli tribesmen captured by Jieli,
With the overall situation settled here...
They couldn't escape either.

They were quickly overtaken by Qin Shubao and Cheng Yaojin's Xuanjia cavalry. After learning that Khan Jieli had been defeated and surrendered, they had no choice but to surrender as well.

An unprecedented victory
When everything settles down
In Xuanhua Fort of Beiyan Prefecture,

Li Shimin and his civil and military officials looked at each other for a long time before finally bursting into laughter.

Before the war began, although meticulous plans had been made,
But who can be sure that they can really capture Jieli alive?

"Hahaha!"

"Xuanling, quickly announce the victory to His Majesty." Li Shimin felt as if he were in a dream.

Changsun Wuji said from the side, "You must write it carefully and highlight how remarkable our battle was."
"In this battle, we captured the Turkic Khan alive! We beheaded three thousand, took thirty thousand prisoner, captured Jieli alive, and seized the Golden Wolf Banner. We only lost eight hundred men."

Cheng Yaojin also laughed and said, "Fang Gong, you are a Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations), so you must write the proclamation in a beautiful and elegant style, using many high-class allusions."

This was certainly not a problem for Fang Xuanling. The Fang family of Licheng, Qizhou, was the same family that had migrated south from Qinghe. They were the second most powerful clan in Shandong after the Five Families. His father was not only a great calligrapher but also a famous censor. Fang Xuanling passed the imperial examination in the Sui Dynasty at a young age and was quite accomplished in writing.

Li Shimin said, "Send someone to Wu Yi and tell him this good news."

···
The cold wind in the northern frontier during the first month of the lunar calendar is like a knife.

Li Yi led 20,000 troops out of Mayi, northward along the Jinhe River, through the Shahu Pass, and headed towards the Khan's court in Dingxiang.

The weather was very cold and the roads were difficult to travel.

But no one in the entire army complained.

All they felt was the excitement and thrill of achieving great things.

Jieli went east.

Khan's court was now empty and vulnerable.

Li Yi's task of confiscating property was much easier than that of the King of Qin.

Yuchi Gong and his men had been guerrillas here for a month last time, so they were already very familiar with the area.

"Does Sikong think the King of Qin can succeed?"

"can."

During rest periods, Li Yi would seek shelter from the wind in the woods and eat dry fried rice and dried meat. The conditions were harsh, but that was the only option during the march.

The only requirement for crossing the border this time is speed.

To catch the enemy off guard.

When you're tired, stop and rest for a while; when you're hungry, eat some fried noodles and dried meat; when you're thirsty, drink some cold water.

"I hope we can defeat Jieli," Yuchi Gong said. He didn't even dare to think about capturing or killing Jieli alive. Defeating Jieli's eastward-advancing army would be good enough.

It's more than 400 li from Mayi to Dingxiang.
Marching through wind and snow is difficult.
Everyone gritted their teeth and persevered, still marching a hundred miles every day.

Three days later, only a hundred miles from the Khan's court in Dingxiang, they had already raided several Turkic winter camps.

"Minister, I request permission to lead the vanguard." Su Dingfang, the governor of Yingzhou, suggested that a light cavalry advance first to avoid alerting the enemy and causing them to flee prematurely.

Liu Heita, the governor of Beiheng Prefecture, was naturally not to be outdone and also stepped forward to request to fight.

Li Cunxiao, Yuchi Gong, and several other chief stewards also came to vie for the position.

"Stop arguing, let's draw lots and whoever draws the lot goes."

Li Yi broke off eight straw sticks, one long and seven short, held them in his hand, and had the eight stewards whip them.

"It's settled then. Those who draw the winning ticket will lead two thousand light cavalry ahead, and those who don't draw it shouldn't argue."

All eight stewards are capable.

Yuchi Gong and the other eight people stepped forward one by one to draw lots.
Finally, after comparing the draft lots they had drawn, Su Dingfang smiled and said, "Thank you all."

Li Yi patted Su Dingfang on the shoulder, "This mission is entrusted to you. You will lead two thousand light cavalry ahead. If the enemy is unprepared, you can launch a surprise attack on the Khan's court."

If their defenses are strong, then you should first circle around to the north of the camp and block their retreat, then we can attack together when I arrive with the main force.”

Su Dingfang nodded.
Judging from his appearance, Li Yi guessed that he would definitely launch a surprise attack on the Khanate after arriving, unless the Khanate had already discovered that they were prepared.

After thinking about it,
"I will give you another thousand light cavalry and let Li Cunxiao go with you."

"Thank you, Minister Xie."

Li Yi patted his arm, "Be careful. If you have the chance, go for it, but don't force it if you don't. Wait for me."

"Ah."

Li Yi summoned Li Cunxiao, a Qiang prisoner of war who was now doing very well, having been ennobled as a marquis and appointed as a prefect.

He held the rank of fourth grade official, just one step away from entering the ranks of the third grade nobles.

His background and career path have left a deep imprint of Li Yi on him. He is also very loyal to Li Yi, and Li Yi is naturally willing to promote him.

"You will lead a thousand cavalry to accompany Dingfang."

"Thank you, Alang."

"In the military, we use titles." Li Yi laughed and playfully nudged his arm.

"Yes, Sikong."

After resting,

Generals Su Dingfang and Li Cunxiao led 3,000 light cavalry to set off first.

In the wind and snow,
Three thousand Tang cavalrymen were like dragons.

They say even a starved camel is bigger than a horse.

The Turks were still very powerful.

However, this expedition was not a typical northern expedition, but a surprise attack.

While Jieli was on his eight-hundred-mile journey to raid Tuli, we should raid his hometown.

This is asymmetric warfare.
There was no explicit confrontation between the two sides.
That's just how war is.

The core of military strategy is to concentrate superior forces in a local area, which makes it easier to defeat the opponent. The saying "to win with fewer troops" or "to defeat a strong enemy with a weaker force" all refer to gaining an advantage in a local area.

There are very few instances of truly winning with fewer troops.

To gain a local advantage, one must move troops, ideally by surprise and catching the enemy off guard.

The timing and route of troop deployment are crucial.

Normally, battles between the Central Plains and the grasslands take place in autumn and winter, when nomadic tribes raid southwards, and in spring and summer, when the Central Plains dynasties launch counterattacks from the north.

This is determined by natural environment, weather, and other factors.

But when it comes to war, sometimes you have to do the opposite.

When the Yellow River freezes over and the autumn is in full swing, the horses are fat and strong, and the nomadic tribes of the grasslands love to raid southwards.

The Central Plains dynasties preferred to launch counterattacks during the spring and summer seasons when the grass was not yet fully grown and the horses were not yet fattened.

This is the standard playing style.

But sometimes taking an unconventional approach can be more effective.

at this time,

It's not a good time to send troops beyond the Great Wall.
However, the Tang army remained stationed in Mayi, also monitoring the Dingxiang Khanate, and Tuli was acting as a bait to lure Jieli.

When Jieli was lured out of his lair, he rushed to attack Tuli's camp, which was 800 li away.

A huge flaw was revealed to Li Yi.

Such a good opportunity,

It would be foolish for Li Yi not to take action.

The difficulty of military competition lies in...
Turn the roundabout into the direct, and turn trouble into benefit.

If Jieli hadn't led 30,000 troops to attack Tuli Khan's court, which was 800 li away...

It won't be easy for Li Yi to raid the stronghold of the Khanate of Dingxiang.

Previously, Li Yi dispatched five generals, each leading a thousand cavalry, to set out from the pass in five separate routes and conduct guerrilla warfare around the Khan's court for a month.

None of the five chief stewards found an opportunity to attack the Khaganate.

Historically, Li Jing's attack on the Dingxiang Khanate was not a simple surprise attack.

Instead, it was a battle that lasted for several months. Li Jing first launched a surprise attack on Eyang Ridge, south of Dingxiang, in the eleventh month of the previous year.
They launched a surprise attack with several thousand troops and occupied this strategic location, where they stationed their forces.

By controlling Eyang Ridge, they controlled the passage for the Dingxiang Khanate to move south.

In the following months,
Li Jing stationed several thousand troops at Eyang Ridge, both to guard the strategic location and to send light cavalry to raid the tribes from time to time, plundering their cattle and horses.
This caused the Turks to be alarmed several times a day.

They even sent spies to secretly turn people around Jieli against him, and his confidant Kang Sumi surrendered to Li Jing.

By the following spring,
Li Shiji then sent troops to blockade the Yinshan Baidao area.

The morale of the Dingxiang Khanate's army wavered and their formation fell into chaos.

until this time,

Li Jing hasn't even made a move yet.

Instead, they waited for the imperial envoy Tang Jian to go to the Khan's court to meet with Jieli.
Only then did Li Jing launch his most fatal attack. Taking advantage of the dense fog, when Jieli believed the Tang Dynasty intended to cease hostilities and negotiate peace,
Li Jing has arrived.

Caught off guard, Jieli suffered a crushing defeat and fled, only to be intercepted at Yinshan and suffer another crushing defeat. He finally managed to escape to the desert pass, but was captured.

Li Jing's capture of Dingxiang was a series of interconnected battles that lasted for several months.

Li Yi is completely different now; he doesn't need to go through so much trouble anymore.

Dingxiang is empty,

This is a perfect opportunity to take advantage of the situation.

Su Dingfang readily agreed to Li Yi's request.

But once you set off, you immediately forget all those things.

If there are no difficulties, we must proceed; if there are difficulties, we must also proceed.

Having finally seized this opportunity to send troops, how could he possibly let others claim the greatest credit for breaching the Khan's court?

Riding at full speed, braving wind and rain.
A hundred-mile march,

Su Dingfang pointed directly at the Khan's court.

It's cold and windy.

They didn't encounter any Turks along the way.

And so they fought their way to the vicinity of the Khan's court.

Su Dingfang rested for two hours in the valley south of the Khan's court, and then, under the cover of night, he charged toward the Khan's court.

The court was empty.

defenseless.

Thus, they were caught off guard by Su Dingfang's three thousand cavalry.

Three thousand Tang cavalrymen were like tigers among sheep.

"Report: Jieli's mother, along with her children and concubines, have been captured."

"Report: We have captured Yang Zhengdao and Empress Xiao, remnants of the previous dynasty."

"Report..."

Tents burned brightly in the cold wind, illuminating the night sky.
The Khanate of Dingxiang fell.

Standing in the howling wind, Su Dingfang wiped the blood from his face. "Send someone back to report the victory to the Minister of Works. Dingfang has fulfilled his mission, capturing the Dingxiang Khanate, taking the Jieli family, and wiping out all the remnants of the previous dynasty!"

After a pause, Su Dingfang looked at the jade seal in his eyes and said, "Tell Sikong that we have seized the Imperial Seal of the State that Empress Xiao was keeping."

(End of this chapter)