Just when Li Qinzai was mobilizing the border troops, another military report came from the front. The Tubo army engaged Tuyuhun for the second time and defeated the Tuyuhun army in front of the formation. The Tubo army once again advanced more than 100 miles eastward.
Tuyuhun was defeated like a mountain and had basically lost its resistance. Tuyuhun Nuohebo Khan and his wife fled overnight into the territory of the Tang Dynasty with their confidants, royal officials and dignitaries.
Once he decided to give up, Nuohebo Khan really didn't care about anything. Anyway, he could be crowned king after entering the Tang Dynasty and continue to enjoy his glory and wealth. As for the life and death of Tuyuhun's army and the loss of his country, for him
It was a foreign matter and had nothing to do with him.
Nuobo Khan didn't care about anything, but Li Qinzai couldn't.
Tuyuhun must be included in the territory of the Tang Dynasty. As an envoy of the emperor, how could the territory of the Tang Dynasty allow others to interfere?
Zheng Rentai rushed to Liangzhou City overnight. He didn't have time to take off his robes and helmet, so he strode into the Governor's Mansion.
Li Qinzai was rarely lazy and was cooking wine in the side hall and waiting.
Seeing Zheng Rentai come in, the green plum wine in the cauldron was warming. Li Qinzai scooped up a spoonful, filled it for Zheng Rentai, and held it to him with a smile.
"Grandpa Zheng comes here at starry night. It's a crime for the younger generation. The wine is warm, please drink it to Grandpa Zheng to warm yourself up."
Zheng Rentai snorted and sat cross-legged in front of Li Qinzai. He drank up the wine and wiped the hops from his beard. Zheng Rentai said dissatisfiedly: "For the most part, your grandfather has never ordered me like this.
Boy, Tuyuhun is already in a raging war, but you are taking it easy."
Li Qinzai sighed: "This junior feels miserable..."
Zheng Rentai poured a glass of wine by himself, poured the steaming wine into his mouth, and sighed happily.
"I have heard about what you did in Liangzhou. The envoys of the two countries were so harassed that you were able to force Khan Nuohebo to give up his throne. Haha, your ability is not small, and your achievements are even greater.
It's not a small thing, it saved Datang a lot of trouble. Boy, just for this merit alone, I will wait for His Majesty's reward when I return to Chang'an."
Li Qinzai smiled and said: "The credit is all thanks to Grandpa Zheng. Without your soldiers and horses from the six states to back me up, how could I dare to stroke the beards of the two countries' tigers? Grandpa Zheng should also take the credit."
Zheng Rentai sneered and said: "I am over sixty years old, but I have never benefited from others in terms of meritorious service. If I want to take the credit, I will go to the battlefield to get it myself. It is not the turn of a young boy to share his wealth and charity."
Li Qinzai said hurriedly: "The kid made a mistake, so he took the credit and took all the credit."
"After receiving your letter, I have mobilized 23,000 troops and horses from six states. Three thousand troops are stationed in each state to stay behind. Only 5,000 can go out to help Tuyuhun..." Zheng Rentai said with a solemn expression.
Li Qinzai also frowned.
Five thousand soldiers and horses, not equipped with three-eyed muskets, went out to fight against the Tibetan army of 80,000. This force was really not enough.
"Grandpa Zheng, if we only guard the border of the Tang Dynasty and do not enter Tuyuhun, will the Tang Dynasty be passive after the Tibetans completely occupy Tuyuhun?" Li Qinzai asked.
Zheng Rentai nodded: "It's very passive. If the Tubo is allowed to occupy Tuyuhun, it will not be easy for the Tang Dynasty king to enter Tuyuhun. First of all, Nuohebo Khan has fled, and the people and the army of Tuyuhun have lost their morale. Even if the Tang Dynasty enters Tuyuhun,
Not only do we have to face the Tibetan army, we also have to face the constraints of the separatist forces of the Tuyuhun tribes."
"Secondly, in terms of military affairs, if Tubo completely occupied Tuyuhun and relied on favorable terrain such as Jishi Mountain, Dafeichuan, and Qilian Mountains on the eastern front, and could obtain sufficient logistical supplies throughout Tuyuhun, whether it was to extend the front or fight alone,
Even if the Tang Dynasty doesn't have an advantage, there will be a lot of casualties."
"Furthermore, morally speaking, the reason why Tubo invaded Tuyuhun was due to the grudges between the two countries. Now that Nuohebo Khan has escaped, Tang Dynasty lacks a reason to enter Tuyuhun. If it is under the banner of restoring the country to Nuohebo Khan, it will be difficult to do so afterwards.
Shanwei, you can’t really return Tuyuhun to Nuohebo, right?”
"Therefore, the Tang Dynasty still needs a sufficient reason to enter Tuyuhun in a grand manner and fight against Tubo."
Li Qinzai sighed. He really wanted to raise the corners of his mouth like those pretentious protagonists and say "Things are getting more and more interesting." Finally, he made a light move and it was solved with a whoosh.
But the reality is that things are getting more and more complicated.
What's the fun in the Three Kingdoms War? There are just endless reasons, details, and games of victory and defeat.
The king's division led by Su Dingfang was equipped with 10,000 three-eyed blunderbuss. Zheng Rentai and Li Qinzai both knew about it, but they didn't mention it a word.
In terms of grand strategy, what the general considers is "power", which is the strategy and direction. No matter how advanced the weapons are, their role is to accelerate the victory of the war, but they cannot completely determine the direction of the war.
Zheng Rentai drank another glass of wine and sighed: "Tuyuhun must not be completely lost before Su Dingfang's army arrives, otherwise it will be too late."
Li Qinzai also drank a glass of wine, with an unpredictable light flashing in his eyes.
…………
The Tubo army is still attacking Tuyuhun.
As Zheng Rentai expected, after Nuohebo Khan and his wife fled to the territory of the Tang Dynasty, the Tuyuhun army became more and more defeated. In just two days, the Tubo army had advanced to the border of the Tang Dynasty, cutting the Tuyuhun army into the north and the south.
piece.
Then on the third day, three tribes in Tuyuhun announced their separation from the Tuyuhun Khanate and went their own way, still resisting the Tibetan army.
On the fourth day, there were signs of activity by small groups of Tibetan troops outside the two cities of Songzhou and Minzhou in the Tang Dynasty. They plundered the people in the villages outside the cities and took more than a thousand people captive.
The situation became more and more serious. The Tubo army not only attacked Tuyuhun, but also targeted the Tang Dynasty and continued to test the borders of the Tang Dynasty.
After receiving the military report from the governors of Songzhou and Minzhou, Li Qinzai immediately sent a stern letter to Lu Dongzan in the name of the envoy of the Emperor of the Tang Dynasty, strictly admonishing the Tibetan army not to cross the border and provoke a war between the two countries.
end.
Two days later, Li Qinzai received a reply from the Tibetan army.
The reply was written by Lu Dongzan himself. There were only a few words in it, but it was full of murderous intent.
"The lost deer leaped over the Sichuan desert, invited the Tang Dynasty envoys to Tuyuhun, and hunted in Domi. There are no heroes at that time, and the clumsy man chases him alone. Isn't it lonely?"
The meaning is very clear. Prince Tang, do you dare to come to Tuyuhun? Let’s talk.
Li Qinzai read Lu Dongzan's autographed letter several times, then put the letter away, showing a look of struggle.
Liu Asi, Lao Wei and Sun Congdong stared at Li Qinzai's expression, their eyelids twitching.
"Fifth Young Master, you must not fall into the old man's tricks!" Liu Asi advised.
Old Wei also nodded: "Fifth Young Master, Lu Dongzan has revealed his murderous intention against you. If you enter Tuguhun, you will be fooled by Lu Dongzan. The enemy is surrounded by thousands of troops and it will be difficult to escape."
Li Qinzai said leisurely: "Of course I don't want to go. I killed two groups of Tibetan envoys and caused so much hatred. Should I go to die in the Tibetan army again?"