Chapter 4 National Tragedy (Part 7) Ever since Tang Gong Li Yuan was promoted to Shaoqing Weiwei and was responsible for taking charge of the grain, grass and ordnance of the three towns, he had not interfered with the operations of the grain protection army for a long time. This time he suddenly blew the horn in the army, and all the soldiers Surprised, after a while, generals above the rank of captain gathered together and stood under the tent, waiting for Duke Tang's orders.
"A letter came from the Eastern Expedition Army. The day before yesterday, they signed a city alliance with Goguryeo. Gao Yuanxiong declared himself a vassal. He is willing to cede all the land north of the Sa River to the Sui Dynasty. He will never regret it!" Tang Gong Li Yuan announced an exciting good news to everyone in a loud voice.
The generals of the grain protection army had close contacts with Li Xu, Liu Hongji and others, and were too heavily influenced by each other. They were not optimistic about the prospects of this eastern expedition. When the news of victory suddenly came, everyone was worried. The big stone fell to the ground immediately, and they high-fived each other and cheered loudly.
Tang Gong Li Yuan did not show any joy on his face. He pressed his arm gently to suppress the noise made by everyone and continued: "Xu Guogong Yu Wenshu also sent a letter from the horse, saying that the food shortage in the army is huge. Please ask the grain protection army to quickly transport 100,000 shi of grain to the west bank of Mazhai River to support us!"
After the words fell, everyone was stunned. Xu Guogong Yu Wenshu and Tang Gong Li Yuan had always been at odds with each other. Everyone knew this. If the army had already secured the victory, he would never give half of the credit to Tang Gong at this juncture. In an instant, the expressions on everyone's faces changed from joy to confusion. A few thoughtful people, such as Changsun Shunde, Chen Yanshou, Ma Yuangui, etc., had worries in their eyes.
"I'm afraid the army rations have run out!" Chen Yanshou was the first to stand up and analyzed worriedly. Although as the chief staff member of the Li Mansion, he knew the news about Yu Wenshu's request for help, he did not arrive at the Emperor earlier than others. The messenger of the army's victory only arrived at His Majesty the Emperor this morning. Yu Wenshu's letter asking for food followed the horse tail of the messenger reporting victory.
"Now we are sending food to Mazhaishui, and we have to guard against bandits' attacks along the way. It will take seven days to arrive!" Qian Jiulong, the chief guard of the Tang Dynasty, added in a low voice. He thought that he was not as good as Changsun Shunde and others in discussing marching and fighting. There is no one here who has higher experience than him.
"It would be great if it can be delivered, but the most fearful thing is that the Goguryeo people will not keep their word!" Ma Yuangui's words sent everyone into the eighteenth level of hell. Under Liaodong City, everyone has fully experienced the cunning and untrustworthiness of the Goguryeo people. , if they pretend to sue for peace and wait for Yu Wenshu and others to withdraw, they will chase after them and intercept and kill them everywhere along the way. The 300,000 Sui troops without food and grass will be in danger.
"Yu Wenshu, this old man, didn't tell us earlier that he was done with the meal!" Qian Jiulong's eyes immediately turned red. He had served in the army and knew the hardships of being a soldier. If he was really defeated, the generals would be After being captured, they can surrender to the enemy or be taken as prisoners by their opponents in exchange for ransom, and all that will be left of the soldiers will be a headless body.
Goguryeo gathered an overwhelming army and only had more than 200,000 soldiers. No general dared to take the risk of taking in more prisoners than his own troops. From Qin General Bai to Chu Overlord Xiang Yu, there was only one way to deal with the surrendered soldiers whose numbers far exceeded our own army. Among them, The reason may not be entirely due to their cruel nature, but to a greater extent because there is no safer solution.
Moreover, the Goguryeo people have not been civilized for a long time, and their temperament is inherently more barbaric than that of the Central Plains people.
The military tent became quiet instantly. All the soldiers looked at each other in confusion. Their faces were paler than frozen snow. I don’t know how long it had been. Liu Hongji sighed and was the first to stand up and said: "If the facts are as expected by Mr. Chen, , I'm afraid that the army has already collapsed before we can transport the food. But no matter what, we can't just sit back and watch the army perish and ignore it. Why don't we gather 2,000 war horses and transport 10,000 shi of food in light packs to rescue the emergency? Then, Duke Tang will report to His Majesty, We must mobilize the strong people to distribute food gradually, and strive to save more people back!"
"I'm afraid the Holy One refuses to believe that the army will be defeated!" Chen Yanshou grimaced and smiled miserably.
If they were not familiar with Yuwenshu's character, Li Yuan's staff would not dare to speculate that the army would be in danger. At this moment, the emperor was immersed in the good news of the success of the expedition against Liao. At this juncture, someone told him that Yuwenshu might be defeated and return.
It would be strange if he thought he was deliberately disturbing people's elegance.
Tang Gong Li Yuan was not favored by His Majesty the Emperor, and he was not on good terms with Yu Wenshu. He went to remind the army that they were in danger. Even if he was not punished, no one would believe it. Thinking of this, the expressions on everyone's faces became even more painful.
No matter how hard you rack your brains, you can't come up with a good strategy that will not only make His Majesty the Emperor believe in Duke Tang's loyalty, but also deliver food and grass to Yu Wenshu in time.
"Just follow Hong Ji's suggestion!" After a moment, Tang Gong Li Yuan let out a long breath, and said resolutely as if he was risking his life and wealth.
"Yes!" Liu Hongji agreed loudly, turned around and was about to go out before moving, but was stopped by Li Yuan again.
"Wait a minute, you go back to the warehouse to get the food first. After I have collected the war horses, I will send them directly to your camp to supply the front lines on a small scale. It is my responsibility. There is no need to ask the emperor for the food team to set off tonight, non-stop.
"Li Yuan took a few steps forward, approached Liu Hongji, and whispered:
"General, I obey your orders!" Liu Hongji knew that the matter was of great importance, so he raised his hands and gave a military salute to Li Yuan, and replied sternly.
"Zhongjian's cavalry regiment is the fastest in action. Take them all with you and go forward to inquire about the army." Li Yuan stepped forward and patted Liu Hongji's shoulder gently, his tone sounding extremely heavy, "Jian Jiancheng and Jiulong are also
I will go with you, Jiulong can fight well, and listen to his advice in everything. You juniors have never fought in many battles, but there is nothing we can do now. We cannot let an army of 300,000 starve to death on the way to withdraw!
Go and save everyone you can, but if you can’t save others, you must come back safely!"
"Yes, I will obey the order!" Li Jiancheng and Qian Jiulong agreed at the same time. Without waiting for Sun Shunde and others to object, they grabbed the military order from the table.
"Tang Gong, the crown prince..." Changsun Shunde opened his mouth and wanted to advise Li Yuan not to send his son to take risks. Looking at the other party's face, he suppressed the remaining half of his words.
Li Yuan's hand left Liu Hongji's shoulder and he tried his best to stand up straight. For a moment, the expression on his face changed from tragic to solemn, as if he was sending thousands of troops off to war.
"Liu Hong, listen to the order!" Li Yuan stood firm and shouted loudly
"The end is here!" Liu Hongji raised his hands and stood upright.
"Go back to the warehouse immediately to adjust the grain. As soon as the war horses arrive, we will set off immediately!" Li Yuan handed the general order to Liu Hongji's hand, and then grabbed another general order: "Li Xu listens to the order!"
"The humble post is here!" Li Xu took half a step forward and stood solemnly.
"You lead the troops and horses of your headquarters and scout the way for Liu Hongji. If there is any news about the army, send a quick horse to report back immediately!"
"I obey my command!" Li Xu agreed loudly, with a bit of nervousness in his voice. He heard every word clearly about everyone's discussion just now, but at the moment, other than trying his best to save people, he couldn't think of any risks.
"Zhou Wenyuan!" Tang Gong picked up the third general command
"The humble post is here!" Zhou Wenyuan mustered up the courage to step forward, feeling a little scared and a little excited.
….
Only 500 soldiers and horses of the grain protection army were left to guard the granary. The rest were sent out by Li Yuan. Some followed Liu Hongji to transport grain, and some were on guard in both directions of the new city and the inner city where the Goguryeo people were shrinking nearby, lest they
The Goguryeo people in those two cities heard about the turmoil and planned to provide food for the army. When all the generals and commanders were gone, Li Yuan waved his hand and called his two confidants to his side.
"Shunde, Yan Shou, you two will lead all the guards of our Li family and keep an eye on the pontoon bridge on the river these days. As long as it is completed and they don't come back, no one can destroy the bridge no matter who orders it!" Li Yuan ordered in a deep voice!
If the military situation is as Chen Yanshou deduced, within five days, the remaining 700,000 troops besieging Liaodong will definitely be shaken in military morale. His Majesty the Emperor has never lost a battle since he led the army at the age of sixteen. He cannot guarantee it. After hearing the news of the failure of the Liaodong expedition,
Your Majesty, can you be as brave as he usually is?
"Tang Gong should communicate with the courtiers and find a way to make your majesty prepare for the worst!" After receiving the general's order, Chen Yanshou reminded him in a low voice. Yu Wenshu, Liu Shilong and others took a detour of 300,000 troops to surprise Pyongyang. Although the number was only 10% of the Eastern Expedition
One-third of the army, but more than 70% of them are government soldiers. For many years, the Sui army has been invincible in the world, relying on these well-trained elite soldiers. If they are all lost, the emperor needs to consider things.
Not just a Liaodong
"Nayan Suwei is seriously ill, and Duan Wenzhen, Minister of the Ministry of War, is critically ill!" When no one else was around, Li Yuan's back was loaded again. It rained continuously all night. Since the Liao expedition, Wansai could listen to a few words of advice.
The powerful ministers are sick and dying. Now the people left in the court are either people without foresight or people who are in favor of others. For an unlucky guy like Li Yuan who is not wanted by the emperor, everyone has no way to hide. Who is willing to communicate with him about the situation of the war?
the opinion of!
"Pei Ju, the minister of Huangmen, has been favored recently!" Sun Shunde, the eldest son, reminded Tang Gong in a low voice when he saw that Tang Gong was worried about advising the emperor.
Hearing this, Li Yuan felt bitterness rising in his throat. Pei Ju, the minister of Huangmen, was born in the Pei family in Hedong. He had made great contributions to the late emperor's acceptance of Zen and his current ascension to the throne. This man knew that the emperor had lofty aspirations, so he conquered the Turks and conquered the Turks.
The Khitans proposed one after another to conquer Gaochang and open up new territories. Under his advice, the Sui Emperor raised troops to attack unfaithful countries almost every year for ten years after taking the throne, squandering the country's power to the limit. This eastward expedition to Goryeo was also
Pei Ju has always advocated asking him to remind His Majesty the Emperor of the risk of defeat. Isn't it tantamount to seeking skin from a tiger?
"Pei Ju was treacherous and clever, and he was an out-and-out villain. But villains are often better at judging the situation than gentlemen. He liked famous horses and pearls, and Duke Tang liked him. He knew the situation and his behavior.
He may not be willing to be a loyal minister in Liaodong. Besides, this person will also be a helper in the court in the future!" Chen Yanshou thought for a while and agreed with Changsun Shunde's suggestion (Note 1) "That's the only way it can be!" Li Yuan sighed.
He took a breath and said that no matter how reluctant he was, he had to pay a visit to Mr. Pei today, even if it was not for the 300,000 Eastern Expedition troops, but also for his own son and the future of the Li family...
Eight hundred food protection soldiers quickly gathered together. Their joints started to feel itchy after being idle. When they heard that they were going to the front line to deliver food, their excitement far outweighed their fear.
In order to avoid confusion in the morale of the army, Liu Hongji strictly ordered his generals not to reveal any unfavorable speculations about the military situation. "That is just a speculation, it may not be true. If the delivery of food and grass is delayed due to rumors, you know how the military court will deal with it!"
Several friends of mine, he loudly warned
"Yes! General, don't worry!" All the generals involved in transporting food agreed in unison. Liu Hongji has always been popular. At the critical moment, everyone is willing to work with him to tide over the difficulties.
The war horses that Li Yuan collected using his authority arrived later. Along with the war horses were Li Jiancheng and Qian Jiulong. Fan Xing, the bodyguard of the Li family, also followed Jiancheng with 20 soldiers. This was Tang Gong. The prince is performing military duties alone for the first time, and they must protect his safety to the death.
Li Waner and Li Shimin also rushed over before the army set off. They and their brother Jiancheng had been inseparable since childhood, so they came here specially to see his brother off. They both wore military uniforms and looked handsome and thin-haired. As soon as they entered the military camp, Li Shimin rushed to get ready to go. In front of the soldiers, he held the rein in one hand and the spear in the other, as if he was the coach of this expedition. Li Waner rarely showed a bit of tenderness like a little daughter, walked to Li Jiancheng, and whispered: "Brother, on the way. Be careful and pay more attention to hidden places such as woods and valleys on both sides along the way. The Goguryeo people are unwilling to surrender, so there must be some stubborn people waiting for an opportunity!"
"Don't worry, we are riding two horses, and there are mostly plains between here and Mazhai River!" Li Jiancheng nodded, smiling and comforting, saying it was the first time he was leading an army alone, and he had no idea, but as an army If you are brave, you have to put on some grand appearance no matter what.
"It's good that my brother has his own ideas!" Wan'er gave her brother a smile, rode her horse, approached Liu Hongji, and warned: "Brother Liu, you should be more careful. I know that you are highly skilled in martial arts, but leading troops in war... "
"Okay, I promise to send your brother and the brothers back safely!" Liu Hongji interrupted Li Waner carelessly. He was very happy that he could do something for the Li family. As for the dangers along the way, he had been wandering around for many years. In other words, it was just an appetizer. No matter how ferocious the Goguryeo people were, could they be more ferocious than the horse thieves and Turks on the border?
Li Waner flattened her mouth and protested against Liu Hongji's self-proclaimed hero. She turned her head and saw Li Xu, and the smile on her face slowly dimmed.
"Brother Zhongjian!" Li Waner shouted in a low voice. She wanted to say the same words of advice as she did to Liu Hongji, but suddenly realized that she had no suitable words to express what she meant.
Li Xu was only a few months older than her, and she truly treated him as an older brother as she treated Liu Hongji. Wan'er was a little reluctant, but other than treating him as an older brother, the girl's family couldn't find any other way. After much thought about expressing his concern, he finally lowered his voice and muttered like a gnat, "Be careful and come back safely!"
"I know, you and Shimin should be more careful!" Li Xu's answer was even more irrelevant than Li Waner's warning. The two looked at each other, smiled, and gently turned the horse's head away.
Five hundred men and two thousand horses, carrying 10,000 stones of life-saving food and grass, quickly rushed to the east. Compared with the 700,000 troops under Liaodong City, these people and horses were very small. Except for a few pairs of reluctant eyes, almost no one paid attention to their whereabouts.
"I originally wanted to say..." Li Waner stood on a high slope, looking at her brother and everyone walking away, thinking silently.
"You promised to protect me! You promised!" She broke off a willow branch, and it was like a thunderbolt, causing dust to fly on the ground.
Note 1: Pei Ju, a famous official in the Sui and Tang Dynasties, the main proposer of the three eastern expeditions to Goryeo, once served as a high-ranking official in the Northern Zhou Dynasty, Sui Dynasty, Yu Wenhua and his subordinates and the Tang Dynasty. He became a model for future generations with his elegance, incorruptibility and honesty.
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