Along the Liao River, the autumn wind rustles.
Tuli Khan Ashina Duowen was riding on a horse, his face expressionless and his eyes heavy.
On the shore of the Liao River, a large group of Turkic cavalry gathered there and had begun to cross the river.
This is the upper reaches of the Liao River. It is far away from Liaodong City. The water flow is not fast and the river is relatively narrow. It is a very good place to cross the river.
There was no sign of the Goguryeo army on the other side. The Turkic cavalry scouts had already taken the lead in crossing the river and were scattered over dozens of miles.
By the way, they also need to notify the Mohe tribes affiliated with the Turks on the other side to join them.
That's right, the Turkic Eastern Khan Ashina Duowen raised an army.
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The Turkic army chose more than ten places to cross the river, scattered along hundreds of miles of riverbanks.
It was not that troublesome for the Turks to cross the Liao River. They took off their clothes, rolled them up in leather with their weapons, smeared the outside with grease, and rode on horseback. They rode on the same naked horses and swam across, and the army passed by.
Afterwards, they will go down the Liao River and gather together one after another to attack Liaodong City.
This is the difference between the Turks and the Central Plains dynasties.
When the Sui Dynasty attacked Liaodong, most of them were infantry. They could only attack Liaodong in the most direct way and the shortest way. The Goguryeo people took all precautions and blocked the army from crossing the river on the other side.
The Turks' fighting methods made it impossible for Goguryeo to defend the first line of defense on the river bank, and they probably didn't even know about the Turks' troops.
For this battle, Ashina Duowen had been preparing for nearly three years, so when he raised his troops to the east, he was very well prepared, whether it was recruiting various ministries to participate in the war or the issue of food and fodder for the army, and he was ready in a short time.
The army marched eastwards.
The goal of this battle is also very clear, which is to capture the Goguryeo people's Liaodong City. For the Turks who are not good at attacking cities, this is not an easy war to win.
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It was extremely difficult for Tuli Khan Ashina Duowen to make this decision.
There are many disadvantages to the Turks in using troops at this time.
For example, judging from the Turkic people's fighting habits, the time to mobilize troops is a bit early. The cattle, sheep, and war horses are all gaining weight. Generally speaking, the best season for the Turks to fight should be early August, late autumn and early winter.
It is now more than half a month early, and although it may not be long, for the Turks, if they cannot profit from the war and achieve their strategic goals, their losses will be very serious.
But from another perspective, it also gave the Turks a longer fighting time, allowing them ample time to surround Liaodong City and clean up (plunder) the Goguryeo villages and Wubao surrounding Liaodong City.
Under ideal conditions, it can greatly alleviate the food and grass problem of the Turkic army.
Another example is that the strategic environment is very unfavorable to the Turks. The Tang people in the south did make good promises, but Ashina Duowen and his subordinates did not quite believe in their promises.
The reason why Ashina Dawen still raised troops without hesitation was because he felt that this was the best opportunity, and if he missed it, he might not have another good opportunity.
The Tang Dynasty and the Turks are forming an alliance. During this period, the Tang army will definitely be restrained. This is evidenced by the fact that the Turks and the Tang Dynasty have been living in peace for the past two years.
There is also a truth that everyone vaguely understands. After the alliance, the two countries have good relations. During such a period, the Turkic Khan will definitely focus on internal affairs and consolidate her power. The power of the Eastern and Western Khans will be more severely punished.
restraint, and may even rely on the power of the Tang Dynasty.
In that case, it would be difficult to say what situation he, Dongfang Khan, would face.
So before the covenant was signed, he wanted to give it a try.
It can also be seen from here that he does not want the alliance meeting to be held smoothly and the alliance to be reached, and if he leads his troops to attack Liaodong, it will definitely cause a certain amount of chaos in the alliance meeting held on the Yunnei Grassland.
As for the final result, Ashina Dawen didn't care so much.
During the previous discussion, Master Zheng was right. No matter how he acted, the Khan was dissatisfied with all the eastern tribes. No matter how much respect and submission he expressed, what was the use?
When the Khan left the royal court, he left behind Jieli Khan Ashina Qura to temporarily take charge of the royal court. That little boy seems to have become the Khan's eagle dog. What is the next thing that the Khan will do?
?
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He immediately stood high on the river bank, with only one sentence in his mind: As long as Liaodong City is captured, Ashina Duowen will be a hero of the Turks, and Wang Ting? God will not let that woman be proud for too long.
At this time, he thought of his second son who was left in the royal court, and his heart twitched. Unlike his eldest son, his second son was brave and resourceful.
The reason why he was kept in the royal court in the first place was to win the trust of the Khan, and secondly because he was from the southern part of Ark, one of the four major tribes in the royal court. The reason why he was allowed to stay in the royal court was also to retain his influence over Ark.
Southern influence.
Now it seems that he was too timid at that time and did not think clearly. As one of the four major tribes of the Royal Court, where in the south of Ark could Dongfang Khan get his hands on it?
Since the founding of the Turkic state, there has never been a precedent for the Turkic tribes defending the royal court to rebel. All khans will gain the support of the royal court tribes before ascending the throne, and Ashina Yang Huan is no exception.
And he, Ashina Duowen, took advantage of the change of Khan position and defected to Turk Kedun. Only then did he gain the greatest benefit from that incident. Otherwise, how could the position of Dongfang Khan fall on his head?
superior?
Once the news that he led an army to attack Liaodong spread back, the situation of his two sons became dangerous.
His eldest son has always been stupid and will die when he dies, but the second son... It's a pity. It seems that he will have to work harder in the future to give birth to an heir.
Ashina Duowen was silently thinking about his thoughts, which were messy and didn't have much clue. In fact, he was walking on the same path as Datou Khan.
Attacking Liaodong is only the first step to split the Turks. Regardless of success or failure, he will be criticized and even attacked by the royal court.
When he was upset, he waved his hand vigorously and ordered: "If we urge them again, we will still have to go a long way. They are too slow."
In the distance, groups of Turkic cavalry plunged into the cold river water and swam hard to the other side.
Most of the Turks were landlubbers, and they moved very clumsily in the water. Occasionally, some people were separated from their horses by the current, and immediately blew bubbles in the water, and soon became one of the non-combat attrition.
If someone attacks halfway across the border at this time, the Turks will have a lot of fun...
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On the Yunnei grassland, the alliance has been going on for many days. The Tang people and the Turks are still distinct and wary of each other, but they are in the same world, and their exchanges have increased unconsciously.
Especially the military officers, during their leisure time on duty, they will inevitably have a feeling of comparison, so various competitions are also held, such as horseback riding, archery, and mutual wrestling, which have become the entertainment items of the alliance.
The negotiations for the alliance were gradually getting better. The Turks no longer clamored for the Tang Dynasty to be their vassals, but started talking about trade matters. The Tang Dynasty's ministers were more concerned about the control of the two countries' border garrison.
It is undeniable that the Turks performed poorly at the negotiation table. Once their barbarism had no use, they quickly fell at a disadvantage. Even if Ashina Mudan, Zhao Deyan and others joined in, it would be of no avail.
The elite aristocrats of the Central Plains at that time were actually at their peak, both in terms of speech and force. Compared with them, the Turkic aristocrats were more than a step behind.
Tang officials first proposed using the territory of the former Sui Dynasty as a reference to redraw the borders between the two countries.
How could this be true? The Turks reacted very strongly. They still valued their territory, especially the pastures that could be used for grazing, which they found difficult to give up.
Even if the Tang officials compensated them with trade concessions, they were unwilling to reach a compromise.
The two sides were in a stalemate again, and neither side would give in. In fact, everyone knew in their hearts that they would put forward new conditions in the next stage of negotiations.
This is obviously an ugly alliance. Since ancient times, people from the north and the south have never sat down to resolve their disputes so calmly. They will only use swords, guns and blood to achieve a short-term peace.
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"It seems we have to stay here a little longer."
On the grassland, Li Po and Ashina Yang Huan were marching with their troops. They behaved very leisurely in this alliance. The fierce discussions and arguments were left to their subordinates. They only needed the results and made a choice.
Can.
So these two people seem a bit redundant, but they are indispensable.
"It will be faster. It is not an option to continue like this. Winter is coming, and you and I have to go back. I don't want to walk on the road with heavy snow."
"Let's go to the beginning of August. What do you think, aunt? In fact, it's just that matter. I have to get something above the territory, so I can explain it when I go back.
I can give in to other matters such as trade, military strikes, etc. If my aunt agrees, we can join forces to attack our enemies. Then who else can be our opponent wherever our troops are heading?
?”
Ashina Yang Huan glanced at him and thought to himself that this guy was playing tricks again and he couldn't believe him.
"What you said is easy. Ashina's achievements in Jishi's life have all been lost to me. How should I explain to others when I return to the royal court?
Don't keep making wrong ideas. You should think about me as your aunt, right?
Besides, our territory is so vast, who is our common enemy? Goguryeo or the countries in the Western Regions? Can you think clearly before you talk to me?"
Li Po rolled his eyes and said with a smile: "That's not non-negotiable. When we trade, my aunt will give me some war horses, and I can help my aunt cut off Tong Yehu's head. Then the Turks will merge into one.
How big an achievement is that?”
Ashina Yang Huan couldn't help but laugh, "How did I hear that Tong Yehu sent an envoy to Chang'an and was received by you personally?"
This chapter has been completed!