After a debate in the court, it was finally decided that Li Jing should send one of the Six Commands of the East Palace to the south across the Huangqu, and then through Fengqiyuan and Hongguyuan to approach Shenheyuan, blocking the rebels' northward route to Chang'an, and at the same time dispatching troops from all over Guanzhong.
The garrison moved to Chang'an to encircle and suppress the rebels.
However, this debate made Li Chengqian more and more aware of the advantages of the "Military Aircraft Department". Every military matter was reported to the "Military Aircraft Department". The emperor commanded the military aircraft minister to consider the pros and cons and handle it with full authority. It was extremely efficient, rather than leaving it to the court.
In the hall, the civil and military ministers were allowed to argue endlessly and criticize each other...
Li Jing returned to the big tent outside Chunming Gate, immediately gathered his generals, and sent his deputy Liu Yanjing with 10,000 infantry to go south to Shenheyuan to stop the rebels.
Before leaving, Li Jing told the young general: "When you are leading an army for the first time, you should be calm and cautious. You do not seek to defeat the rebels with overwhelming force, but only seek to reduce losses by fighting steadily. If the situation is unfavorable, you should focus on preserving your strength and not rush forward rashly."
Liu Yanjing was the second son of Liu Dewei, the former Shangshu of the Ministry of Justice. He was well-educated and was good at officialdom. At this moment, he heard the elegant meaning of the string song and immediately issued a military order: "This trip is for the honor of the last general. I will never do it for personal honor and disgrace."
Putting Paoze in danger is not because we are afraid of death, but because we want to die well."
Li Jing nodded happily and allowed the newly defeated Liu Yanjing to lead his troops to the expedition. Then he symbolically sent people to deliver a message to the Xue, Liu, and Zheng coalition forces, asking them to speed up to catch up with the rebels and pursue them one after another...
Then all the troops led by Donggong Liu who were dispersed on the Bashui defense line were transferred back, and they surrounded Chang'an city with tight defenses inside and outside, striving to be impregnable and flawless.
We are already prepared that Liu Yanjing will be unable to stop the rebels and that the rebels will take advantage of the situation and rush to Chang'an City...
*****
On the Shaoling Plain, rain fell on the corpses everywhere. The hot blood was cooled by the rain, and it meandered down the hillocks toward the lower ground.
The two armies took out the hillocks on the edge of the soil and started a desperate fight. One side held on here and took advantage of the terrain to fight to the death. The other side was eager for success and wanted to completely crush the enemy and move forward, because after the hillocks, the terrain suddenly dropped.
Fanchuan, so more than 10,000 people could only surround the mound and besiege it on three sides. However, the tide-like offensive encountered a strong sniper attack on the mound, like waves hitting the rocks. Although the momentum was shocking and earth-shattering, it was still difficult to shake the slightest bit.
In wars in the era of cold weapons, there are many factors that determine the outcome of the war, including equipment, supplies, time, location, people, quality of soldiers, and ability of the commander... But the most important of them is definitely the morale of the army.
When it is impossible to create a generational gap in equipment, an army that has always fought for justice in its heart, has a clear strategic purpose, and can regard death as home or even be determined to die, the powerful combat power it unleashes is enough to make up for the gap in military strength to a certain extent.
.
Five thousand people stood firm, knowing full well that they could not stop the incoming rebels, just to give Chang'an more time to prepare and deploy troops. No one flinched from the battle, and the array was well-organized and the enemies who rushed forward waved their soldiers.
Blade, when one falls, the people behind him immediately fill in. Even if the casualties are heavy and blood flows in rivers, the morale never drops.
Liang Jianfang was fighting on the front line. The horse in his hand had been replaced by a Mo knife. He was holding the handle of the knife with both hands and slashing hard. His square face was glaring with murderous intent. His armor and stomach were splashed with donated blood and flesh, and he looked like a real man.
He was like a murderous god, with corpses lying everywhere in front of him and blood flowing into rivers. The soldiers around him protected his wings, and from time to time he blocked the hidden arrows shot by Lengzi.
Such a brave performance naturally greatly improved the morale of the soldiers under his command. The whole army fought bravely against the enemy and was not afraid of death. The position was as solid as a rock and was difficult to shake. It blocked the enemy ten times their own size under the hillock, and it was difficult to move an inch.
further.
In contrast, the morale of the guards on the right was sluggish, and their offensive power dropped sharply.
Although the armies of the Sixteenth Guards belong to different groups, they are all in the same military system of the Tang Dynasty and have a lot of contact with each other. Not long ago, they even went on an expedition together to attack Liaodong. Who would have expected that within a few days they would turn against each other and kill each other hand-to-hand.
The corpses of the murdered Paoze piled up in mountains. The cruelty of the battlefield inevitably made everyone have a question in their hearts: What are we doing to kill each other like this?
Soldiers of the Tang Dynasty were not afraid of death, because even if they died on the battlefield, they would still receive corresponding pensions, meritorious service, be able to benefit their wives and children, and be exempted from taxes. The court and the countryside would take good care of their wives and children.
But now that the soldiers who died in this war are not fighting in foreign countries, will they receive the same pensions as in the past after they die in battle?
No one is unafraid of death. The reason why the soldiers on the right guard on the hillock looked down upon death under the leadership of Liang Jianfang was because they had loyalty in their hearts. They were fighting for the emperor, for the empire, and for the country and the country not to fall into the hands of the traitors.
, the sense of honor of the soldiers of the Tang Dynasty was definitely the pinnacle of all dynasties.
The guards on the right under the mound are completely different. Although it is claimed that His Highness the King of Jin has the edict of Emperor Taizong in his hand, and that the prince usurped the throne and persecuted his brothers... But in the final analysis, the emperor sitting in Taiji Palace now is the former prince.
That is where the righteousness lies.
Even if the illiterate soldiers understand the crime of killing the emperor, it will be fine if they succeed, but what if they fail?
Everyone is just a top soldier. Even if they desperately support the King of Jin and ascend to the throne, the generals and lieutenants will naturally get promoted and make a fortune. What can they, the soldiers, get?
The benefits were not proportional to the risks, so naturally the determination to fight to the death was greatly reduced. After attacking for an hour, as the rain became heavier, the offensive gradually slowed down. No matter how Su Jia scolded and cursed or even sent out a team to supervise the battle, he could not reverse the situation.
.
The two armies were trapped in this hillock on the edge of Shaolingyuan...
…
Five miles away from Duqu, the right guard army was temporarily repairing here, waiting for the front army to annihilate the enemies blocking the road before setting off again. However, the battle that was originally thought to be resolved in half an hour, still had no results after an hour.
In the rear, the King of Jin sent people to ask over and over again why he hesitated to move forward, and asked the right guard to clear the road quickly so as not to delay the fighter plane. This made Yuchi Gong furious and cursed under the makeshift awning.
"What on earth is Su Jia doing? There are only 5,000 enemy soldiers who are trapped in a deadlock. They can be defeated with a single charge, but it takes so long. It is extremely incompetent!"
"Go and ask Su Jia if he can chew down the enemy? If not, tell him to come back and I will take action myself!"
However, no matter how angry he was, he kept sending people to urge Sujia to do whatever it took, but the news of annihilating the enemy never came. Instead, the former army suffered heavy casualties and its morale was low...
Yuchi Gong could not care about saving the face of his deputy general Su Jia. The military situation was so fierce that he could not delay the opportunity to fight. Otherwise, if something went wrong, it would be all over. He immediately broke camp and set off, leading the Chinese army to advance in a mighty manner.
After rushing to the mound, I wanted to scold Su Jia a few words, but while riding on horseback and looking at the tragic conditions on the mound under the dark sky, I finally swallowed the words that came to my lips.
It has been many years since I have seen such a tragic battlefield. The two sides were fighting madly around a small hillock. The slopes were densely covered with corpses. The soldiers of the right guard stepped on the corpses of Pao Ze when they advanced to attack. Donating blood from the hillock.
It flows down from above and mixes with rainwater to form small streams...
Seeing Yu Chigong's arrival, Su Jia quickly rode his horse to the front. He dismounted and knelt on one knee in the muddy water. He said shamefully: "The general is incompetent and failed to complete the military order, causing the army to delay. Please punish me, commander-in-chief!"
Yuchi Gong's face was gloomy: "At this time when we are employing people, I will allow you to give up your merits when we attack Chang'an. I will order your front army to retreat and temporarily repair on the side until I, the commander-in-chief, defeat the enemy!"
"Here!"
Su Jia was extremely reluctant, as this was regarded as an extremely insulting thing in the army, but his delay in annihilating Liang Jianfang caused a serious delay in the progress of the army. Now facing Cheng Yaojin, he had no confidence at all and did not dare to say anything.
…
Immediately he led the exhausted front troops who suffered heavy casualties to retreat from their positions, repaired on the spot in front of the woods on the other side, and treated the wounded.
On the hillock, Liang Jianfang, who was fighting hard with blood-red eyes, suddenly relaxed in front of him. He slashed his sword into the air and almost staggered. Looking closely, he saw the enemy troops who had been fighting in melee for more than an hour like a tide coming from the hillock three times.
They retreated, and behind them, another army in a serious array was slowly approaching, ready to go.
Suddenly getting out of the tense battle, a burst of exhaustion and emptiness hit him uncontrollably. Liang Jianfang's majestic body swayed, and there was some blur in front of his eyes. He managed to stand still by punching the ground with a knife, and turned his head to look around. Suddenly, he felt a sense of sadness.
flooded my mind.
Almost half of the 3,000 men who had followed him for many years were killed or wounded, and visually there were only more than 1,000 people standing, and almost all of them were injured. Many of them needed the support of Pao Ze to barely stand. But even so, they held their chests high.
He raised his head and looked directly at the rebels slowly advancing under the hillock. There was no trace of fear on their faces, which were covered in scars and flesh.
Liang Jianfang let tears fall from the corners of his eyes and roared: "We have fought hard to this point and have fulfilled our duties as kings and ministers. If anyone is unwilling to continue the fight, please leave immediately. I will never complain a word. From now on,
Yin and Yang are separated, and humans and ghosts take different paths. I can only think of my deep friendship with you. In this life, I am proud of you!"
Three thousand soldiers withstood ten times the enemy for two hours. In any case, they were given an account by the emperor. Now even if some people leave in fear of the battle, they cannot be treated as deserters.
However, what responded to him was a moment of silence. Rain fell heavily under the dark night, and a tragic fighting spirit filled the air unbridled on the mound.
I don't know who it was, but suddenly shouted: "Fight to the death!"
Then, countless people responded: "Fight to the death! Fight to the death! Fight to the death!"
If they could escape, they should have fled the moment they stepped onto the hillock. Since the battle has been going on until now, the dead man next to him, Pao Ze, has blocked countless knives for him. How could he escape in the face of the battle?
There is nothing but death to fear.
Liang Jianfang burst into tears. He held the Mo Dao tightly and raised it high, shouting with splitting eyes: "Fight to the death!"
The guards on the right who were slowly gathering up under the mound were startled by the earth-shattering shouts that suddenly erupted from the mound, but their steps never stopped for a moment. The three sides of the mound were surrounded by a dense tidal wave.