Chapter nine hundred and thirty first sick general
After the Tang army conquered Raozhou, they approached Danyang where Jiankang City was located. However, Li Siye's health began to deteriorate. This was a critical moment. The key to victory or defeat lay in the last few battles. The army was far away from Jiankang.
Recently, the resistance encountered has become increasingly fierce.
Li Siye was worried that he would not be able to sustain the day when Jiankang City was captured, and there were two people who led the southern expedition army that he could not trust at all. Tian Chengsi and Li Huaixian were both rebel generals who had surrendered by Shi Siming.
Once captured, his deadline has come. Without control over these two people, will they try to separatist forces on the spot?
Once a person loses consciousness, how much does he know about what happened after his death? How loyal are these two surrenders from Hebei Fanzhen to him, and how much ambition they have in their hearts.
He is still alive and can still shock them. If his soul returns to Jiuquan, if they conquer Jiankang and annihilate the Tang Dynasty and have the idea of separatist rule, a mature and steady veteran like Duan Xiushi may not be able to convince them.
With such worries, Li Siye rode on his horse and followed the march of the army, thinking about a solution in his heart.
However, he could not think of a good excuse for the time being, until the Yong army attacked Caishi and encountered strong resistance from the elite Tang army led by Pugu Huai'en.
The Yong Army organized artillery fire from three sides to bombard the Tang Army's camp in Quarry. They mistakenly thought that the morale of the Tang Army had been suppressed. Tian Chengsi and Li Huaixian sent cavalry and infantry to charge together. However, the Tang Army had already dug a large number of trenches in advance, causing the Yong Army's cavalry to
The action slowed down, and the light armored soldiers rushed out of the trenches to engage in a desperate battle with the Yong army.
Yong's army was caught off guard by this sudden counterattack. After a short fierce battle, they were finally defeated and retreated.
It stands to reason that it is common for an enemy to be unable to conquer a fortress. Tian Chengsi and Li Huaixian had many failures in attacking prefectures and counties in the past. When they apologized to Li Siye, the lord only offered kind words to comfort and encourage them. Victory or defeat is a common thing for military strategists, and small setbacks are nothing to worry about.
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But this time, Li Siye sat on the bed and became furious, angrily scolding the two men for their ineffective attack, and loudly said: "You two were ineffective in supervising the battle and had no will to win, so the soldiers had difficulty gathering morale and went down in one fell swoop. What crime should you deserve!"
The two of them were very surprised and felt a little aggrieved, but they still folded their hands respectfully and said: "My lord taught me that if we are willing to atone for our sins and lead our soldiers to attack Caishi again, we will definitely capture Pugu Huai'en in one go."
Unexpectedly, Li Siye waved his hand and said: "No need. Judging from your recent performance, it is no longer suitable for you to command the army. However, in view of your past merits, I will retain your positions and titles and return temporarily."
Let’s rest in Chang’an for a while.”
The staff and generals in the tent were shocked when they heard this. Although the Tang army resisted tenaciously, its power was gradually declining. It would not be long before Caishi was captured. However, it was a taboo to remove a general before the battle. It would take a long time to replace the new generals and troops.
As time goes by, at this critical moment approaching Jiankang, how could the always wise lord make such an abnormal decision?
Even veteran general Duan Xiushi stepped forward and crossed his hands to admonish: "My lord, quarrying is the last line of defense leading to Jiankang City. If the general is changed at this time, the army will have to rest and recuperate, allowing the Tang army to recover and break through Jiankang City."
The difficulty will increase exponentially."
Li Siye snorted and said: "The change of generals at this time is to make it easier to conquer Jiankang and even capture Lingnan. I have decided to go it alone. Don't try to persuade me any more!"
Tian Chengsi and Li Huaixian were so smart that they quickly figured out what was going on, but their guesses were slightly wrong with Li Siye's. After all, they were generals of Anshi, and they were usually suspected and beaten by Li Siye. Now,
The approach to Jiankang is imminent. This is a great achievement in conquering the enemy's capital and bringing peace to the world. How could it be their turn to be accomplished by outsiders?"
The two had no choice but to take off the hats on their heads and put them on the ground to apologize: "My lord, you are right to punish me. It was because we were lazy and did not try our best. We are willing to return to Chang'an to reflect."
Li Siye closed his eyes and nodded: "I'll give you two thousand pieces of silk each. Tomorrow you can lead your own personal guards on the road. The rest will return to their bases to settle down in each camp to rest and fight again. Please retreat."
Everyone lowered their heads and walked out of the big tent. Duan Xiushi sighed at the end and was about to turn around and leave, but Li Siye suddenly stopped him and said, "Brother Duan will stay here for now."
Duan Xiushi crossed his hands and asked, "I wonder if your lord has any other instructions?"
Li Siye glanced at General Ya who was standing on the left and right, and the two immediately exited the tent and put the tent down casually. They were the only two people left in the tent.
Li Siye said sadly: "Life is short and achievements are long. After all, human power cannot compete with the weather. Since crossing the Yangtze River, my health has been getting worse day by day. I really don't know if I can persist until we conquer Jiankang and pacify Jiangdong."
That day.”
He rarely showed such dejection in front of his subordinates, and Duan Xiushi didn't know how to comfort him. He just said: "Maybe my lord is just acclimatized. After pacifying Jiangnan and returning to Guanzhong, he will definitely get better."
"Forget it, I know that my body has nothing to do with water and soil. Now that Jiangnan is about to be pacified, I can't leave. But Tian Chengsi and Li Huaixian are not my direct lineage and have hidden ambitions. Naturally, they dare not give birth to anything when they are alone.
I have an idea, but once I let go, if they still control the army at that time, there may be much chaos in this Jiangdong land."
"The two of them are indeed capable generals who lead troops, but their moral integrity and loyalty are lacking. Sending them back to Chang'an to enjoy peace and happiness is considered a kindness to them. Although it is taboo to change generals before the battle, it is also a last resort."
Duan Xiu really wanted to say a lot, but when he was about to speak, he asked: "I wonder who the lord will send to replace the two leaders?"
"The current Chief of Staff of the Hexi Staff Group, Zang Xiye, is capable of fighting tough battles when faced with a war. His command of the army is not inferior to the two of them. There is also Gu's second son, Youyan Jiedushi Li Chongbao. The three of you will help each other and we will be able to defeat the enemy.
Jiankang. I wrote a letter half a month ago instructing them to come as soon as possible to hand over government affairs."
Ever since Li Siye eliminated Shi Siming's forces, he placed his second son Li Chongbao in Youzhou and prevented him from accompanying the army on any more expeditions. In addition to having a strong style of suppressing his own people in the Hebei region, he was also afraid that Li Chongbao's achievements would be too great, and he was worried about his own son a hundred years later.
Li Xu couldn't suppress him,
Unexpectedly, as his end was approaching, he had to carry out his second son who was good at fighting.
Duan Xiushi took a deep breath. Unexpectedly, the lord had been planning for a long time to deprive Tian and Li of their right to lead the army. He mustered up the courage and asked another question that he did not dare to ask but now had to ask: "My lord's order."
Zang Xile and I, together with the Second Young Master, each command an army, but it is difficult for the three of us to coordinate and coordinate. If my lord... then who will take charge of the military in the south of the Yangtze River. In my humble opinion, the Second Young Master is more than a general.
He has the ability to command the overall situation..."
"You don't have to worry about this." Li Siye's voice couldn't help but grow a little louder, and he coughed violently a few times before saying, "My son Xu, is also on his way to Jiangdong."
"Young Master...Young Master should have stayed behind in Chang'an. If he comes, what if the rear..." Duan Xiushi did not dare to ask any more questions.
Li Siye waved his hand weakly and asked him to exit the tent.