A centipede insect can die but not freeze, let alone a behemoth like the Guanlongmen clan, which has been rooted in Guanzhong for hundreds of years, single-handedly stirs up the world's affairs and seizes the world's interests?
Even though he was suppressed for a while, and his clan was in disarray and his children were unworthy, his huge strength buried deep in the ground that few people could sense was absolutely not allowed to be underestimated.
Dong Mingyue blinked, but it was a bit unbelievable. After all, she controlled a group of extremely powerful secret spies, which penetrated into almost every aspect of the government and the public, but did not receive corresponding feedback.
No matter how deep the Guanlong clan's background is, its current influence in the military has dropped to its lowest point, and it is difficult to even control an army. Without military power, no matter how much wealth and connections are, it is difficult to control an army.
What can it be used for?
As the saying goes, it takes ten years for a scholar to make a living. Without an army, how can it be accomplished by just talking?
Who would have thought that Li Yuanjing would be so optimistic about the seemingly declining Guanlong clan...
Perhaps, it is because the Guanlong clan is extremely cautious in controlling internal power and allocating resources. Those who can participate in it are all core figures of each family, so it is difficult for spies to penetrate, so it is impossible to know its hidden power.
This is extremely possible, as the saying goes, "A hundred-footed insect is dead but not stiff", let alone a huge force like the Guanlong Clan that has held supreme power for more than a hundred years?
Li Yuanjing took a sip of tea and shook his head.
Although he confirmed that the Guanlong clan would do their best to support the King of Jin and that the battle for the throne would never be settled, he still had regrets in his heart.
This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. As long as Hexi is defeated and the prince is criticized by public opinion, he can operate from it, causing the prince's prestige to plummet and his power to be greatly reduced.
But he didn't expect Fang Er to use his absolutely weak force to achieve a great victory that was rare in ancient times and modern times. Not only did he get rid of the prince's predicament, but he even pushed the prince's reputation to unprecedented heights...
It’s really unpredictable.
Of course, the most depressing thing is that he failed to take Fang Jun under his command and fight for him. To this day, he still cannot figure out what he did wrong in the first place, which would make Fang Jun, who was originally obedient and very kind to him, unable to figure out what he did wrong in the first place.
Suddenly parted ways?
I can't figure it out.
After being depressed for a while, he came back to his senses and asked, "How is Duke Qiao doing?"
Dong Mingyue knelt down beside him, holding up the white porcelain teapot with her bare hands to pour tea for him, and said softly: "Earlier, Prince Consort Chai got the news about the great victory in Hexi, so he immediately went to the Duke of Qiao's Mansion to meet Duke Qiao. It only took two days.
People talk in private, with no one around them, so the content of their conversation is unknown.”
Even though her spies are all over Chang'an, they can't detect everything.
Two brothers are locked in a room and talking privately. No matter how powerful your spy is, you still can't find out...
Li Yuanjing nodded and said: "Chai Prince Consort is a smart man, and he will naturally analyze the pros and cons to Duke Qiao. These two brothers have prominent family backgrounds, but they are also narrow-minded and short-sighted. How can they endure being ridden by Fang Jun for the rest of their lives?"
If you invest in idle pieces and cannot reuse them, you will definitely make a wise decision."
The more majestic Fang Jun became, the more embarrassed Chai Zhewei became. Their different choices at the beginning led to the current situation that is worlds apart.
But how could a member of a noble family like Chai Zhewei be willing to lose his prestige and be humiliated?
Definitely not waiting to die.
If the victory in the Battle of Hexi brought him any benefits, it only made Chai Zhewei have no way to retreat and he had to plan how to regain his prestige and find another way.
As long as Chai Zhewei is unwilling to accept the status quo, he can only gradually get closer to him and be used by him.
When necessary, this will be a killer move that determines victory or defeat...
*****
Pingrang City, thousands of miles away, was shrouded in a howling autumn rain.
The buildings in the city are all bathed in the rain. The autumn wind is fierce and the mist is misty. Even the mountains and peaks in the distance are misty and blurred, making it difficult to see clearly.
Originally, as autumn and winter were getting closer, Goguryeo should be rejoicing and have high morale. After all, they had suffered countless conquests from the Central Plains dynasty in the past, and they could only rely on the weather to turn defeat into victory. The colder the weather, the greater the constraints on the Central Plains dynasty.
It snowed, and no matter how powerful the Central Plains dynasty was, they had to evacuate from the land of Liaodong.
However, now, Pingrang City is under pressure. As the Tang army reaches the Yalu River, the two fortresses of Dahang City and Bobi City are in danger. Not only the common people and merchants are panic-stricken, but even the officials in the DPRK are also worried.
Hesitant and helpless.
The Tang army advanced too fast.
Except for Anshi City, which resisted slightly and held off the Tang army for nearly two months, all other cities entrusted with important tasks were captured by the Tang army. Hundreds of thousands of troops surged across the land of Liaodong, and the Goguryeo defenders collapsed at the first touch.
block.
As long as the Tang army captures either Dahang City or Bobi City, they can obtain a ferry and then forcibly cross the Yalu River. The Yalu River is only a few hundred miles away from Pingrang City. With the combat power and advancement speed displayed by the Tang Army, only
I'm afraid it won't take more than a month to reach Pyongyang.
Pingrang City gathered hundreds of thousands of Goguryeo troops and allied forces of various ethnic groups, but most of them were just a mob, and the elites had been buried in various mountain cities in Liaodong.
Can these rabble-rousers be able to stop the Tang army and defend the city?
Almost everyone is desperate and has the most pessimistic attitude towards this. Under such circumstances, it is inevitable that some people will want to escape from Pingrang City and go south to avoid the disaster of war. As long as they leave Pingrang City, even if the Tang army is eventually defeated and Goguryeo takes over
Throughout the territory, everyone has just changed their master, and their lives remain the same. They can even surrender and continue to serve as officials.
The Tang army couldn't kill all the Goguryeo people, right?
But if you stay in Pingrang City, once the city is defeated, the end will be extremely tragic. With Yeon Gaesumun's violence and cruelty, it is inevitable that only the entire army will be defending the city. Men, women, old and young will drive to the top of the city to fight against the enemy, vowing not to surrender.
.
This will definitely cause heavy casualties to the Tang army.
The experience of the Anshi city defenders has already shown the ferocity of the Tang army. In the absence of food and supplies, they did not need too many prisoners at all. Most of the seriously injured or the old, weak, sick and disabled were massacred by the Tang army.
It can be seen from this that when the Tang army captures Pingrang City, it will inevitably go on a killing spree, and the whole city will face the Tang army's sword...
However, it is not so easy to run away.
As early as a few months ago, the imperial court issued an order that strictly prohibited the people in the city from fleeing and must stay in the city to be with the king.
Go and be with the King!
Who doesn’t know that the current King of Goguryeo has long been held hostage and controlled by the traitor Yeon Gaesomun? Everyone is not allowed to leave Pyongjang City, but he just wants everyone to be buried with him Yeongaesomun!
In the face of death, all rules and laws are just trivial.
Therefore, even though the imperial court issued repeated orders and even killed a group of common people and merchants who wanted to flee with their stolen wealth, more people still fled risking their lives.
It's just death, so why not give it a try?
The city wall surrounding Pingran City has mountains, peaks, rivers and lakes, and the terrain is extremely complex. The entire city is built at the intersection of mountains, rivers, and rivers. Therefore, the city wall does not completely wrap the entire city, which makes it more difficult for the common people and merchants.
Lots of opportunities to escape.
…
On the long street inside Qixingmen, Changsun Chong, dressed in military uniform, was riding on a horse, waving his raised hand fiercely.
More than a dozen bare-chested and thick-chested soldiers stood with their feet unsteady, raising the sharp steel knives in their hands high and slashing at the "absconding criminal" who was bound and kneeling in front of them. The light of the knife flashed, and his body
The heads were separated, the human skull fell to the ground, and a stream of hot blood spurted out. The people and merchants who were watching did not show much surprise, but their faces were pale and silent.
It's not that these people are cold-blooded and cruel, but in fact, these days, this kind of situation happens every day at the Seven Star Gate, and everyone has long been accustomed to it.
And among the soldiers, the fair-skinned and light-hearted Han man sitting steadily on the horse was the murderous knife in Yeon Gaesumun's hand.
Since he was assigned the duty of supervising absconders, this devil-like ruthless man has escorted all the captured prisoners to this place, where he has imposed capital punishment, which has served as a deterrent and warning.
The green bricks on the floor inside the Seven Star Gate have long been dyed reddish brown by blood...
Changsun Chong, who was riding a horse, glanced indifferently at the people watching, his heart calm. He was not a murderous person, but in order to win the trust of Yuan Gaisuwen, he did not hesitate to accept such a position. He could have the ability to check at any time
, searching the streets and alleys in Pingrang City, the power of city defense, which is of great benefit to him in exploring the reality of Pingrang City's defense.
As for killing people like hemp, what does it matter?
The people on the left and right were all Goguryeo people. Even if he killed a thousand or ten thousand, he would not feel any psychological burden at all.
There was just one thing that made him uneasy all the time, and that was the location of the "Wang Zhuang Army", the most elite army of Goguryeo, but until now he still had not been able to find out...