Li Bi said slowly: "Perhaps Ma Chongying is integrating the army. As I told His Highness before I humbled myself, there are also many conflicts within Tubo. There is a conflict of interest between the Tubo nobles and the Tubo Zanpu, which will inevitably be reflected in the army. It is very likely that Ma Chongying
We are using our hands to eradicate some dissidents."
Li Ye nodded, "This idea is correct, but when it comes to eradicating dissidents, it usually only targets generals and rarely targets soldiers, and the number is slightly smaller. I am considering whether we are testing our defense line.
Preparing for his winter attack?”
Li Mi shook his head and said: "Every time I was killed by the water ghost, I didn't even have the chance to go ashore. Once was enough. Four times in a row, but nothing was tested. The Tubo army is not that stupid. It can't be
Test."
"What do Liu Shijun think?" Li Ye turned around and asked Liu Yan.
Liu Yan was standing in front of the sand table and looking at something. The sand table was the Longyou sand table left by Ge Shuhan. It was lifelike, very detailed and practical.
Liu Yan was silent for a moment and said: "I feel that Ma Chongying is diverting His Highness's attention!"
This idea came out of the blue, and Li Ye quickly asked: "What are you diverting your attention from?"
Liu Yan pointed at Guangwu County in the north of Lanzhou with a wooden pole: "Don't you find it strange, Your Highness? How can there be two thousand Tibetan garrison in a small Guangwu County?"
Li Ye pondered for a moment and said: "I have always believed that Guangwu County is the southern gate of Hexi and an important place for caravans to supply supplies. Without Guangwu County, many caravans may not be able to get out."
Liu Yan smiled slightly and said: "The two points His Highness said are correct, but there is actually a third point that Your Highness has not seen."
Next to him, Li Mi blurted out, "Guangwu County is an important node connecting Shuofang and Hexi."
Liu Yan nodded, "Commander Li is absolutely right. Guangwu County is a key node for Shuofang to go to Hexi."
Liu Yan pointed at Shuofang with a wooden pole and said: "There are two roads from Shuofang to Hehuang. One road goes south to Huining County, then to Jincheng County, and then along the Tang-Bo Ancient Road to Hehuang. This is the main line. Now the main line is blocked by us.
If it’s broken, there’s still another secondary line left.”
Liu Yan pointed to the Wulan County Road above Huining: "Come out of Lingzhou to Wulan County, and then go south along the Hongchi Mountains. There is a mountain pass here. Entering from this mountain pass is Guangwu County, and then go north along Lishui.
Enter the Hexi Corridor, then pass through Dadouba Valley and enter Hehuang. It is a slightly longer detour, but you can still reach Hehuang."
Li Ye smiled and said: "I have walked through the mountain pass you mentioned. Back then, Black Spear and I annihilated a group of Qiang horse bandits there. The mountain range where the mountain pass is located is called Wushaoling. It was originally called Hongchiling. I
have no idea."
"Your Highness, you understand! The grain produced in Shuofang is transported to Shanzhou. The Tang-Tibet ancient road is impassable, so we can only go through the Hexi Corridor. However, the most important Guangwu County is occupied by us, and their spring wheat will be mature in September.
, how do they transport the food out?”
"Isn't it just right to use large leather rafts to transport food from the Yellow River?"
Liu Yan laughed and said, "Your Highness, from Jincheng County to Lingwu County, the Yellow River has to pass through hundreds of miles of no-man's land and canyons. There are cliffs on both sides. It is impossible to stretch. From Lanzhou, you can go down the river.
, but even if you can row a boat against the current, how can you pass through Jincheng County? Will His Highness watch millions of stones of grain pass by and remain indifferent?"
Li Ye shook his head, "I will definitely intercept it, and I will never let go of a grain of wheat!"
"So! They can only take the secondary route, which must first go to Ulan County, and then take Guangwu County to the Hexi Corridor."
Li Mi nodded, "Your Highness, Liu Shijun is right. Ma Chongying's attack on Taozhou is most likely to distract us and attack in the east. His real target is Guangwu County!"
Li Ye walked a few steps with his hands behind his back: "Why doesn't he take action yet?"
"Because if we start too early, we will discover his intentions!"
Liu Yan explained: "The wheat will only mature in about ten days. He must wait until the wheat is harvested and transport the grain to Ulan County. At this time, he will suddenly attack Guangwu County, catching the defenders off guard and capture Guangzhou."
In Wu County, grain was crossing the border quickly, and before we got the report, their crossing operation was completed, but we knew nothing about it."
Li Ye laughed and said, "In that case, why don't we just follow the plan?"
Li Mi clapped his hands and laughed, "It's good to know how to use a plan. Let's discuss how to do it."
From Lanzhou to the north, you enter the Lishui River Valley. There are towering mountains on both sides. The valley is spacious and flat. The widest part is tens of miles and the narrowest part is several miles. It is a natural passage. However, the climate in the valley is dry and cold, and the temperature is high all year round.
It is very low, and is almost all deserted Gobi desert. Only the Guangwu County area is dotted with large grasslands.
To the north of Guangwu County is the famous Hongchi Ridge, which is now Wushaoling. There are two Hongchi Ridges, one running north-south, which just seals the Hexi Corridor, and the other running east-west, parallel to Lishui.
Mountain is like the word "factory" written backwards.
Going north from Guangwu County, there is a valley, which is of course called Heifeng Gorge. It is about ten miles long and goes right through Hongchiling.
To the north of Hongchiling is hundreds of miles of uninhabited area. This area belongs to Huizhou, with an arid climate and complex terrain. There are both Gobi deserts and loess ravines. There are two counties, Huining County and Wuzhou, to the east and west.
Lan County happens to be on the official road from Shuofang to Longyou and Hexi.
That morning, scout general Zhang Dian led a hundred scouts to appear on a mountain ridge near Wulan County.
Zhang Diandang divided his scouts into three. One group went to the north of Guangwu County to monitor the enemy near the exit of the Hexi Corridor. One group stayed behind to monitor Ulan County. The other group was led by Zhang Dian himself and headed from Ulan County to Shuofang.
Inspection on the road.
At this time, the wheat harvest on the Qiantao Plain in Shuofang began. Millions of dan of wheat were produced every year, which not only fed the Shuofang Army, but also the Longyou Army and the Hexi Army. It was a famous wheat-producing area for the army, and it was also coveted by Tubo.
The agricultural area that has lasted for centuries has finally fallen into the hands of the Tibetans.
However, the nearly 50,000 troops in Longyou were basically Tubo Han people, an army of slaves. Except for their appearance, which was similar to that of the Han people, their entire language and living habits had been Tubo-ized, and they were loyal to their masters.
They occupied the Shuofang area at the beginning of the year and planted a season of wheat. Of course, the wheat had to be transported back to Tubo and handed over to their owners. This was an agreement reached between the Tubo nobles and the Tubo court. They sent troops to help the court capture Helong, and their interests were in Longyou.
population, sheep in the Hexi Corridor and grain in the Shuofang area.
It is now autumn and the harvest season has entered. It is time for Tubo Zampu to fulfill his promise. The cattle and sheep have been prepared and temporarily herded in Liangzhou, ready to be sent back to Tubo together with the grain.
Just when the Tang army scouts began to monitor the Wulan County area, Li Ye led an elite army of 50,000 people who had quietly left Jincheng County and headed north. Li Ye knew that there must be Tibetan spies in Jincheng County, so he sent out troops at night and directly used the troops stationed on the Yellow River.
Army on the North Shore.
The army marched day and night, carrying supplies of 10,000 camels. Three days later, the army arrived thirty miles south of Guangwu County. It was already green, with large grasslands and forests scattered around.
It was getting dark at this time, so Li Ye ordered the army to rest in a forest and sent people to find out the news.
About an hour later, the soldiers who inquired about the news came back and brought back several scouts.
The leading scout knelt down on one knee and reported, "Scout Colonel Cheng Jingye is here to see His Highness!"
Li Ye nodded and asked: "Is there any important information?"
"Reporting to Your Highness, we found that there are a large number of Tibetan soldiers guarding and lurking in Wucheng, thousands of them. It is estimated that there are also Tibetan troops in Herong City to the north."
There are two Hongchi Ridges, running north-south in the north, which just block the exit of the Hexi Corridor. Today there is the Wushaoling Tunnel, but before that, you have to go over the mountains and ridges to reach the Hexi Corridor.
But nature always leaves some room. In the snow-capped Hongchi Ridge, there is a slightly gentle mountain road that can be used by war horses and camels. It was this mountain road that Huo Qubing took during his Western Expedition, and the Hexi Corridor was included in the territory of the Han Dynasty.
In order to control the border and facilitate caravans, the Tang Dynasty built a military city in the north and south of this mountain road. The south was called Wucheng and the north was called Herong City. There were troops here to verify customs clearance documents. In history, Monk Tang went to the West to obtain Buddhist scriptures.
He tried to sneak past Hongchiling, but was caught by the defenders and sent back. Finally, he got the guarantee of Longyou officials and passed Hongchiling.
At present, both cities are in the hands of the Tubo army, which is also the first hard nut that Li Ye will have to gnaw on when he next attacks Hexi.
Li Ye hoped to take advantage of this opportunity to directly capture Hongchiling and open the door to the Hexi Corridor.
Li Ye asked again: "How many troops do you estimate?"
"Reporting to your highness, we estimate that there are about 10,000 people."
Ten thousand people happened to be the Tibetan army in Liangzhou. Li Ye suddenly had a bold idea, whether he could use this opportunity to capture Liangzhou together.
