Xue Rengui was silent for a moment, raised his head and looked at Fang Jun. After confirming Fang Jun's eyes, he nodded heavily.
Fang Jun also nodded lightly.
It's not that he has a vicious temperament or is ruthless, but that if Xiao Siye's behavior of collaboration with the enemy and treason cannot be severely punished, he will not be able to warn the world with his tragic end.
Collaborating with the enemy and treason, betraying the ancestors, and being a human being in vain!
Whether it is the Turks, Xue Yantuo, or even the Uighurs and Khitans in the future, why can they become more and more powerful, gradually endangering the foundation of the rule of the Han Dynasty, and bringing more and more misery and suffering to the Han people? It is precisely because there are countless
People like Xiao Siye, for their own selfish interests, surrendered to the Hu people and taught the Han people's excellent political system and military knowledge to the Hu people, causing trouble for thousands of years!
However, after knowing the fate of a small person like Xiao Siye, Fang Jun would naturally not take it to heart anymore.
He focused his attention on the map again.
This is a map of Mobei restored based on historical records. In fact, most of the information comes from historical records left over from the Han Dynasty. After all, since the Han Dynasty, Han people have rarely set foot in the vast land of Mobei.
There are only a handful of large-scale military operations, and information is extremely scarce.
There are some place names, mountains, rivers, etc. described in ink ink. Fang Jun added them one by one based on the map in his memory and the confessions of captured prisoners.
Yudujun Mountain and Langjuxu Mountain are like two outstretched arms, embracing the vast land from the north to Beihai. This area is rich in water and grass, and densely covered with rivers. It has become the main area for ethnic activities outside the Great Wall, raising countless barbarians and cattle.
Sheep and horses.
The Hu people on the grassland have risen and fallen, and every powerful nation that rises will regard this land as a blessed land given by the gods, and will conquer it as a symbol of domination of the entire Mobei.
Xiongnu, Rouran, Turks, Xueyantuo, Uighur, and even later Mongolia...
They all regard this land as the natural political center.
Conquering this place has become the supreme merit and glory of Han soldiers.
Huo Qubing, Dou Xian...
Seal the wolf to live in Xu, and restrain Shi Yanran!
…
If you want to enter the Dragon City area, there are two ways.
One starts from Baidao, passes through Nuozhen River, Zhao Xincheng, and reaches Yudujun Mountain; the other starts from Daijun, crosses Yinshan Mountain, crosses Daqi, and crosses Gonglu River to reach Langjuxu Mountain. As long as you cross Yudujun Mountain and Langjuxu Mountain
, even if you enter the hinterland of Mobei, both Xue Yantuo's Yazhang and Shan Yuting where Huihe is entrenched are within this area.
Fang Jun tapped his finger heavily on Zhao Xincheng's position.
*****
After resting all night, the next morning, the north wind gradually weakened, the heavy snow in the past few days finally stopped, the clouds in the sky dispersed, and we saw the sunshine for the first time in a long time.
The soldiers of the Youtun Guards made food to feed their horses at five o'clock. As soon as the sky dawned and the sun was halfway exposed, the entire army packed up their tents and luggage, broke camp and continued to march northward.
After crossing the Nuozhen River, you enter the Great Moraine.
Although the Gobi Desert is completely desolate, there are also many oases. Countless nomadic tribes live on these oases. As the seasons change, they chase the abundant river water, graze cattle and sheep, and thrive.
Fang Jun had no time to pay attention to these scattered tribes. The army marched all the way north towards Zhao Xincheng. However, when passing through some oases on the way, in order to supply horses, he would send a cavalry to raid and kill. Even so, there were many people on this road.
The Hu tribe has also suffered...
The Tang army did not have the slightest fondness for these Hu people. Every young man in the tribe was a warrior. They were soldiers of the Turks in the past, but now they are attached to Xue Yantuo. Whenever they go south to the Han Dynasty, they will act as the vanguard of the Turks or Xue Yantuo, burning and killing them.
There is nothing wrong with plundering.
Everyone's hands are stained with the blood of the Han people, and their evil deeds are too numerous to describe.
The old, young, women, and children who expect that the Tang army will sympathize with the Hu people might as well pray that tigers and wolves will not eat meat...
…
Zhao Xincheng.
Qibi Kele, who had fled here in embarrassment, had long lost the demeanor of the nobles of the Qibi tribe. He was unshaven and had a haggard face. Behind him, a Tang army cavalry of hundreds of people chased him day and night, with one man and three horses chasing him day and night. He was so frightened that Qibi Kele could not even open his eyes while urinating.
He looked southward, fearing that the Tang army would suddenly appear...
Even so, he was chased and killed several times by the Tang army.
The war horses of the Tang Dynasty were all nailed with horseshoes, and there was no obstacle on the ice-covered road. However, Chibikole's war horses were scrapped from time to time due to injuries to their hoofs. Several horses were replaced along the way, but there was no Tang Jun.
Run fast.
Every time he was overtaken by the Tang army, he had to abandon some of his tribesmen to resist the Tang army. As a result, he escaped from the Tang army many times, but there were fewer and fewer soldiers around him...
When we arrived at the foot of Zhao Xin City, we looked back at the hundreds of people gathered around us who had discarded their helmets and armor and were covered in scars.
A few days ago, he was stationed in Wuchuan Town, with tens of thousands of elite soldiers under his command. He was one of the most powerful people in Xue Yantuo. However, after just a few days, he fled thousands of miles like a lost dog, abandoning countless tribesmen under the swords and arrows of the Tang army...
Even if you escape with your life, how can you have the dignity to go back and see the elders of the Qibi tribe?
The defenders on the city had already discovered Qibukele and did not recognize him at first. They sent a group of soldiers to interrogate him. After questioning, they found out that the man in front of him was Qibukele who was guarding Wuchuan Town.
When they learned that Wuchuan Town had been lost and that the Tang army was coming to kill them, everyone immediately panicked and hurriedly welcomed Qibi Kele into the city and reported to Nishu, the guard of Zhao Xincheng.
In a spacious house in the city, Nishu couldn't wait for Qibi Kele to rest and eat, so he sent someone to call him.
"The Tang army has already started a full-scale war?"
Nishu frowned, quite surprised.
He is the uncle of Yi Nan Khan. He is nearly 60 years old. However, he has a strong body and strong bones. He looks to be about 40 years old. His hair is braided in small braids, his face is thick with beard, and he has a powerful demeanor.
Like a great army.
Qibi Kele had a haggard look on his face. He nodded and said, "Just like that, the Tang army suddenly came out and marched at the gate of Wuchuan Town. I was unprepared, so I was conquered by the Tang army in one fell swoop. I escaped from the Tang army's pursuit many times along the way.
, just fled here."
Nishu asked curiously: "What about Dadu Design? Commanding nearly a hundred thousand troops to enter Monan, even if something goes wrong, the whole army will not be destroyed. Why don't you report the news? Furthermore, Dadu Design is about to go on an expedition.
At that time, the Great Khan gave many warnings and orders, telling them not to engage in a direct war with the Tang army. Could it be that just because of the intimidation of Dingxiang City, the Tang Dynasty disregarded the situation in Liaodong and brazenly went to war with Xue Yantuo? This makes no sense!"
Qibi Kele had a bitter look on his face, spread out his hands, and said helplessly: "How do I know the key to it? In short, Dadu Shi has no life at all. From my point of view, I am afraid it is more bad than good."
"How is that possible? That's one hundred thousand soldiers and horses! Each of them is Xue Yantuo's elite, and there are thousands of Huihe cavalry. Even if they are defeated, it is impossible for the entire army to be wiped out. No force in the world can completely destroy it!"
Seeing Nishu stubbornly puffing his beard and glaring at him, Qibi Kele was not in the mood to argue with him. He just said calmly: "Wuchuan Town has been lost. My sin is unforgivable. I should go to the Great Khan in person to plead guilty. However, the Tang Army has already won the title."
They are chasing after you, and from what I see, their purpose is probably to attack Yu Dujun Mountain, so I ask you to immediately mobilize troops and horses to defend Zhao Xin City, and at the same time send someone to report to the Khan's tent and ask for reinforcements."
Nishu was also nervous and asked: "How many soldiers and horses does the Tang army have?"
He had led his army to fight with the Tang army many times. He knew that the Tang army's combat effectiveness was not weak. The most important thing was that the Tang people were shameless. They often relied on the strength of their numbers to overwhelm the minority. In each battle, they sent an army several times larger than the enemy's, advancing across the board and making roundabout turns.
, so that the enemy is overwhelmed with attention to one thing and the other, and will be completely defeated if the slightest flaw is exposed.
There is no way, there are so many Han people...
Qibi Kele thought for a while and said: "I don't have an accurate estimate, but judging from the size of the army, I'm afraid it will be no less than 20,000 people."
"Twenty thousand people?"
Nishu widened his eyes: "With only 20,000 people, you can lose Wuchuan Town? With only 20,000 people, you ask me to ask the Great Khan for help? Are you Qibi Kele becoming more and more useless, or do you think I am Nishu?
I am so old that I cannot lift a sword or draw a bow, so I should have gone underground to serve my ancestors of the Tiele tribe?"
Simply ridiculous!
What can 20,000 Tang troops do?
It was like Li Jing's surprise attack from thousands of miles back then. Taking advantage of Jieli Khan's negligence, he broke through the Turkic tent and destroyed the Eastern Turks.
Now that he has made preparations, what's the point if the Tang army can't launch a surprise attack?
Do you think that if you lost Wuchuan Town, I can also lose Zhao Xincheng?