As night fell, Zhu Xiejinman in the room was really a little upset. He was pacing back and forth in the room with his hands behind his hands. He had just received a report from his entourage that there were rumors that the Geluolu people appeared in the city. The Geluolu people appeared at this sensitive time.
It's really heart-wrenching. I don't know whether these Ge Luolu are businessmen or someone else.
The negotiations between him and the Ganzhou Army were relatively smooth, and there were no major differences. That is, the issue of how much cattle and sheep should be compensated could be resolved during the negotiations. However, the appearance of the Geluolu people seemed to make the prospects of the negotiations uncertain again.
.
At this time, a follower reported at the door, "Ye Hu, Shi Donglai's eldest son needs to see you in an emergency!"
Shi Donglai was a well-known big businessman even in Shatuo. Usually, Shi Donglai's third son was based in Shatuo and rarely interacted with his eldest son. However, Zhu Xiejinman also met Shi Huan, so he nodded.
, "Invite him in!"
I wonder what Shi Donglai’s son is doing here?
After a while, Shi Huan was brought into the room by his entourage. He put his hand on his chest, bowed and saluted: "God Ahura Maz bless you!"
Zhu Xie Jinman also bowed back, "Original Changshengtian bless you!"
"General Zhu Xie, I came here for something very important. My father asked me to tell the general."
"Your father is also in Zhangye?"
"Currently in Zhangye, but he is going to the capital early tomorrow morning. He asked me to tell the general that Envoy Ge Luolu is here."
Zhu Xiejin waited for a while before saying, "I've heard something too. It turns out it's really the Geluolu envoys. What are they doing here?"
"We don't know the details. Just an hour ago, Guo Song personally escorted the Ge Luolu envoy to Xiedan County. It is estimated that they will talk in Xiedan County."
"Didn't your father make any guesses at all?"
Shi Huan sighed and said: "We Sogdians are most afraid of war, especially the outbreak of war in the Hexi Corridor. My father is worried that the Geluolu people and the Tang army will attack Shatuo from front to back, causing instability in the Hexi Corridor. My father hopes that Shatuo can understand the problem."
It’s serious, so be prepared in advance.”
Zhu Xiejinman walked a few steps with his hands behind his hands and asked again: "Does your father think Guo Song will reach an alliance with Ge Luolu?"
"It's hard to say. As far as we know, the Tang Dynasty has always been hostile to the Geluolu people because of the Talas Battle. But if the conditions offered by Geluolu are generous enough and it is really necessary to form an alliance with Geluolu, the Tang Dynasty may
I will consider it, but one thing is for sure. This should only be an initial contact between the two parties. Even if there is cooperation, there will be long-term negotiations. If Shatuo can appropriately ease the hostility of the Tang Dynasty, the Tang Dynasty will not easily consider cooperation with Ge Luolu, at least Ge Luolu.
Luo Lu will have to give up more interests, and they will also consider the gains and losses of the alliance, these are my father's exact words."
Zhu Xie Jinman nodded, "Your father saw it very accurately. I will use the flying eagle to send the message to the Khan early tomorrow morning."
The next morning, the two sides continued negotiations at the Dudu Mansion. Pan Liao conveyed to Zhu Xie Jinman the restoration of the Emperor of the Tang Dynasty and did not agree to the eastward withdrawal of Tingzhou soldiers and civilians. Pan Liao immediately came up with a new plan. After the exchange of prisoners of war and personnel, Pan Liao
, Shatuo supplied another 300,000 sheep to the Tang army, but these sheep had to be delivered to Tingzhou.
If it hadn't been for the Geluolu incident last night, Zhu Xiejinman would have jumped up and revolted, but this time he showed his understanding very tolerantly, and at the same time, he would report it to the Khan immediately, and the Khan would make the decision.
The two sides agreed to postpone the negotiation time for another three days.
Guo Song was indeed not in Zhangye, but he did not go to Xiedan County either. Instead, he set out overnight and arrived at Dadou Bagukou.
Just the night before yesterday, another small-scale conflict broke out between the Tang Army and the Tubo Army. The Tubo Army still sent 500 soldiers to attack Tuniu Fort, but it still ended in a disastrous defeat. The Tang Army thought it was unnecessary, but the Tubo Army seemed normal.
Because they had just changed their commander, everything had to be done all over again.
At present, Tubo's national power is weakening, and Tubo Zanpu is very anxious. There are two completely different opinions within Tubo. One is the war-supporting faction, represented by the hard-line war faction of Tibet, Prime Minister Shang Xijie, who advocates plundering Tang people as slaves.
, plundering the wealth of the Tang people.
The other faction is the truce alliance faction, represented by the second prime minister Shang Jiezan. He advocates that Tibet should cultivate and accumulate strength, and also advocates using strategies to safeguard Tibet's interests in Hehuang and Anxi.
Previously, the Tibetan envoys went to Chang'an and offered to help the Tang army restore the Hexi Corridor in exchange for the three Anxi towns. This was Shang Jiezan's strategy, but Guo Song saw through it and the plan failed.
The Prime Minister Shang Xijie thus gained the upper hand. He proposed to take advantage of the Tang army's battle with Shatuo to seize Ganzhou through a big battle. If it failed, he would seize Shazhou. His plan was approved by Tubo Zanpu.
Shang Xijie ordered the general Lunli Tuo to come to fight for the valley and replace the chief general Lunqiluo appointed by the deputy prime minister Shang Jiezan. In fact, this was also a power struggle between the two prime ministers in Tubo. Now the hard-line Prime Minister Shang Shang
Xijie had the upper hand.
The hard-liners dominated the army, and the Tibetan army's battle plan for the battle against valleys was also changed.
Accompanied by the generals, Guo Song immediately looked at the valley from a high place, and faintly saw an artificial pass built with stones in the distance.
"That's the Tubo army's outpost, about two miles away from us!"
Yao Jin pointed to the pass in the distance and introduced it to Guo Song: "After passing the sentry pass and walking a few miles, there is a very wide valley and grassland, more than ten miles wide, with rivers and forests. The Tubo army is stationed on the grassland.
.”
"Are they Tubo people or Tuyuhun people?" Guo Song asked.
"Both. The first batch of enemy troops who attacked Tuniu Fort were mainly Tuyuhun people, but the second batch of enemy troops who attacked Tuniu Fort were mainly Tubo people. Their shields are stronger and their casualties are smaller."
"Do you think there will be a third sneak attack by the Tibetan army?" Guo Song asked thoughtfully.
"I feel that there will be no more sneak attacks, but there will still be real battles. Otherwise, there would be no need for Tibet to increase its troops to 10,000 in Dadou Bago."
Guo Song nodded. Yao Jin's last sentence made sense. If he didn't fight a fierce battle, how could the Tibetan military commander go back and explain?
"How will they fight next?"
Yao Jin thought for a while and said: "The Tubo army must defeat us and seize Tuniu City, otherwise their logistics will not be able to support the front army. I thought they would rush out of the valley mouth and directly attack our camp. The camp is on the flat ground.
It is much easier than attacking Tuniu Fort."
"Then what suggestions do you have?"
Guo Song continued to ask, Yao Jin had been here for nearly a month and was more familiar with the situation than himself.
"Bizhi suggested placing heavy crossbow soldiers in the castle and using heavy armored infantry to block the entrance of the valley. Heavy crossbows have a long range and can target the enemy in the valley. Once the enemy is defeated, our cavalry can chase them in. I estimate,
This battle will cost the enemy at least 30% of its soldiers."
Guo Song weighed it in his mind and concluded that this plan was not bad, stable and effective. It seemed to be the best plan at present. If the Tibetan army was allowed to attack, the situation would be a bit out of control. They did not know how many Tibetan reinforcements would follow.
Guo Song nodded happily and said: "That's how we deploy it!"
The Tibetan army lives on the plateau all year round. They have been affected by strong ultraviolet sunlight since childhood, and their eyesight is not very good. Fighting at night is extremely disadvantageous for them.
Most of them choose to fight in the early morning, which is the time of day when the light is softest and their vision is best.
‘Woo’
As soon as it dawned, a low horn sounded in the valley. The heavy armored infantry of the Tang Army who had been staying nearby in the valley for the night got up one after another and cooperated with the soldiers to help them put on their armor. Two thousand crossbowmen took the lead in forming an array, with 500 people in a row, and the soldiers were in front and behind.
They were staggered into four rows, blocking the mouth of the canyon in a long way.
The exit of Dadou Bagou is about seven or eight hundred steps wide, but on one side is a sloping low hill, and on the low hill is the Tuniu Castle. In fact, the flat passage that the cavalry can walk is only about 400 steps.
Not long after, a thousand Modao soldiers all put on heavy armor and lined up behind the crossbow army with Modao in hand. The sound of horns in the valley came one after another, getting closer and closer.
A huge black army finally appeared deep in the valley two miles away. Guo Song also stood on the top of the castle, looking down from a high position. Beside him, two thousand heavy crossbow soldiers stood densely on the city wall.
A thousand heavy yellow crossbows were mounted on the city wall.
The Tubo army was getting closer and closer, and stopped a mile away. General Lunli Tuo looked coldly at the Tang army at the entrance of the valley. He knew that the Tang army had ambushed heavy troops at the entrance of the valley. If they wanted to rush out of the mountain pass, they would first have to fight.
Inevitable fierce fighting.
Lunli Tuo swung his war sword and said sternly: "Attack!"
Two thousand Tubo cavalry suddenly launched into action, like a black whirlwind and as powerful as thunder, sweeping towards the mouth of the valley.