The war on Li Chengqian's side was just the tip of the iceberg of Datang's counterattack momentum.
At this moment, Li Ke had also led his old Shu army to Henan Road.
And it has been stationed less than fifty miles away from Qizhou.
Many generals in the Shu army did not understand why he did this.
After all, the main force of the Japanese army was in Laizhou, and Qizhou was not close to Laizhou, so it seemed a bit irrelevant.
What's more, Li Chengqian has also sent Generals Gao Zhixing and Xue Li to help Qizhou. If they come again, it seems a bit redundant.
Zhang Xiao, who came with him, couldn't help but ask: "Your Highness."
"In the final analysis, Qizhou is just a small town, and its geographical location is not that important."
"Compared with blocking the Japanese army from attacking Qizhou, shouldn't we go to Laizhou as soon as possible?"
After Yuchi Jingde saved Zhang Xiao, he sent this kid to Li Ji to learn more about the art of war.
And if you want to ask, why did Yuchi Jingde choose Li Ji?
First, it’s because Li Ji is easy to talk to.
The second and deeper meaning is that he studied under Li Ji, which is equivalent to coming from the same school as Li Chengqian.
No matter what happens by then, it will be impossible for him to be Li Chengqian's enemy again.
But this time Li Shimin reorganized the old Shu army, and he was naturally brought along.
Hearing his words, Zhuge Ying, who had been following Li Ke, shook his head and chuckled.
He said: "General Zhang, you are really short-sighted."
Hearing this, Zhang Xiao was also puzzled.
He said: "Military advisor, what do you mean by this?"
"What do you mean I'm short-sighted? Is there another mystery in Qizhou City?"
"if not?"
Although Li Ke didn't look back, he still looked at the map.
But he also slowly said: "Do you think , is my royal brother a fool?"
"If Qizhou is really a useless place, why did he send Generals Gao Zhixing and Xue Li to rescue Qizhou?"
As he spoke, Li Ke drew a circle with his finger at Qizhou's location.
"Although Qizhou is not a big city, and the land is not that fertile, there is nothing to regret even if it is temporarily lost."
"But don't forget."
"Behind Qizhou, there is the Yellow River..."
Li Ke squinted his eyes and said: "If we let the Japanese army gain access to the Yellow River, it would be like giving them a big gift for free..."
As I said before, Li Ke is the most like Li Shimin among Li Shimin's sons.
He not only inherited Li Shimin's literary style, but also inherited Li Shimin's military strategy.
At this moment, he could also see the movements of the Japanese army.
Zhuge Ying on the side also slowly explained: "Everyone should know that the water transport industry in the Tang Dynasty has developed greatly in recent years."
"In fact, many rivers that were once congested have now been widened and can be said to be connected in all directions."
"If the Japanese army occupied the Yellow River first, they could take this opportunity to invade the Central Plains by water."
"Of course, what's more important is that once the Japanese army occupied the Yellow River, they would have strategic depth."
"Once the war in Henan Road is unfavorable, they can take advantage of the waterway to retreat to Hebei Road and enter the boundaries of Youzhou."
Zhuge Ying looked at the crowd and said: "We have just conquered the Northeast not long ago. If we let them enter the Northeast, it would be like letting a tiger into the flock of sheep and bringing danger to ourselves."
After hearing these words, Zhang Xiao finally reacted.
He also raised his hands and said: "The military advisor and His Highness have a long-term vision..."
"You kid."
Li Ke shook his head and chuckled: "Didn't I say that you have become Li Ji's disciple now?
Why haven’t you learned anything like this?”
Hearing this, Zhang Xiao scratched his head in embarrassment.
Then, he asked Li Ke directly: "What are you going to do now, His Highness? Do you want me to take someone to kill him first?"
"No need."
Li Ke shook his head and said: "Besides, even if we go, we may not be the opponents of these Japanese troops."
Although the Shu army has been given the opportunity to reorganize, everyone can see that the current Shu army is completely different from the original one.
Back then, the Shu army was monolithic, and as long as Li Ke gave the order, it could even do things like rebel.
But now the Shu army has undergone a complete blood change.
Although the leaders are still the same, the lower-level generals have long been replaced.
And this is the main reason why Li Shimin is willing to reactivate this army.
After all, considering Li Ke's criminal record, no one can guarantee that he will be able to accomplish anything if he is given another army.
What if there is another rebellion?
Only by replacing all the people in this army with our own can we rest assured.
But this also means another problem.
After replacing these people, the current Shu army is no longer as brave as it used to be, let alone the army that could compete with the Liangzhou army.
Therefore, Li Ke could not guarantee that he would win this battle.
At that moment, he thought for a while and then said: "Zhuge Ying."
Upon hearing the call, Zhuge Ying stepped in and answered: "My subordinate is here."
"Go and contact Xue Li."
"Tell them that in three days I will lead a team to intercept the main force of the Japanese army."
Li Ke narrowed his eyes and said, "When the time comes, let him act according to the opportunity."
"My subordinate understands."
Zhuge Ying nodded, then paused.
He couldn't help but speak again: "Then Gao Zhixing, would you like to contact me too? one time?"
"He doesn't need it over there."
"I can see that the emperor asked him to defend the city."
"Since we are the defenders of the city, it is natural for us to stay put."
Li Ke rubbed his chin and said: "Besides, the Japanese army only has 30,000 to 40,000 troops, and we are enough..."
Hearing this, everyone agreed.
…
Xue Li's side.
He was also surprised when he heard the news about Li Ke.
The deputy general next to him couldn't help but said: "General Xue, should we accept this matter?"
He also has concerns.
After all, Li Ke has a criminal record.
And Xue Li himself is a direct descendant of Li Chengqian.
What if this guy still has evil intentions and secretly dug a hole for himself?
Aren't these our own soldiers all going to be the victims of the royal family's fight?
But after hearing this, Xue Li shook his head.
He said: "It is His Highness's wish to reinstate the King of Shu, and I also think that the King of Shu is not ignorant of the general situation."
"At the moment, he should also sincerely want to contribute to the country."
"so……"
Xue Li looked at the deputy general and said: "Go down and ask Tan Ma to keep an eye on the movements of the Shu army."
"If they really launch a fierce attack on the Japanese army's main formation, our army will be waiting for the opportunity and be ready to rush into the formation to cooperate."
As the saying goes, there is no need to employ people without suspicion. Since Li Chengqian trusts him, as one of Li Chengqian's subordinates, he has no reason to doubt.
Besides, what is being fought right now is a national war.
He also did not believe that Li Ke would really do something that would harm the interests of the country.
Although the deputy general was still a little unsure, he did not go against Xue Li's intention and went straight to deliver the order.
And this war started quietly under such circumstances...