Chastity Layman

Chang'an.

It was dark and the city gates were closed tightly, but the lower province of the imperial city gates was still brightly lit today.

The general stationed in Weinan sent fifty cavalry all the way to escort the news messenger to Chang'an overnight. The Youxiao guard who guarded the south gate of Chang'an city dared not open the door, but he did not dare to hide it. He immediately reported to Yongzhou Mu and Zuowei General Qin Qiong .

The good news is reported layer by layer.

When Li Shimin heard the news, he had just fallen asleep in the Lizheng Hall, and the emperor was haggard from the days of hard work. Tonight, the eldest grandson gave the emperor a massage and moxibustion to finally let him fall asleep.

But after hearing this amazing news, Li Shimin still disregarded his elder grandson's persuasion and put on his clothes. After walking around the hall, he ordered the palace gate to be unlocked, and rushed to the provincial government hall in the middle of the night to call the prime minister and political participants for an emergency discussion. .

"It's unbelievable!"

Zuo Pushe Xiao Yu looked at the three red handprints in amazement.

Because the Turkic army was approaching the city, although the prime ministers adopted a shift system at night, the other prime ministers also stayed in the Imperial City Provincial Yamen at night, so that they could quickly gather to discuss matters in case of emergency.

Changsun Wuji's eyes were red, and he was woken up just after falling asleep, but he danced excitedly after reading the good news.

"Beheading at the level of 8,000? Then counting the 2,000 that Shubao captured and beheaded, doesn't this mean that one of Xieli's ten thousand cavalry has been wiped out?"

"Well, that's true, Wu Mei really surprised me."

"I'm a little bit fond of this guy now." The eldest grandson laughed, such an honest enemy who gave away his head is of course cute.

"What do you think Qin Huailiang poured into Wumu? Why did he not change his mind and suddenly ran to Sanyuan?"

The real reason for Wu Meichuo's sudden move to Sanyuan was to dig up Empress Mu's tomb. Li Shimin asked Qin Qiong to block the news and not let it out. This was not only to protect the dignity of the royal family, but also to protect Qin Lang. After all, Qin Lang was young, and everything started from winning the battle before him, but he took the initiative to propose to Wu Meichuo to dig the tomb of Empress Mu. Although it was just a trick to set up an ambush to annihilate him, this kind of thing cannot be brought to light On the face of it, otherwise, there will definitely be a speech officer and censor to impeach Qin Lang.

To be honest, this is the crime of treason, the second most heinous crime.

In order to protect Qin Lang, Li Shimin had already issued a gag order, even the prime ministers Changsun Wuji and Fang Xuanling didn't say anything about it, and they didn't say anything about it when Yuchi and the others were transferred to Sanyuan.

Fang Xuanling congratulated the emperor.

"With these 8,000 heads, the bargaining chips in our hands are very important. Three thousand riders beheaded 8,000 heads. We must publicize it widely, so as to boost the morale of the people and deter the barbarians."

Du Ruhui, Shangshu of the Ministry of War, asked the emperor, how many casualties were there in our army?

"The casualties were not large. More than a hundred riders died in the battle, and several hundred were injured." Li Shimin can still bear this battle loss. The key to such a beautiful record is the vitality of Wu Meibu in the last battle of Qin Qiong. Big hurt.

This time it was said that it was three thousand against eight thousand, but in fact it was the most elite Xuanjia cavalry of the Tang Dynasty who fought against a thousand Wubu soldiers, and the rest were just some auxiliary soldiers and even the family members of the army. But on the surface, it sounds really good, and the record is really beautiful.

"Your Majesty, can you send envoys to the Weibei Camp?" Feng Deyi asked.

Li Shimin shook his head, "No, we have to collapse. Now that we have just won a big victory, it is the Turkic people who are flustered. Moreover, Huailiang also said that Jieli has not arrived yet, and there is no way for Turkic Weibei camps right now. Order the chiefs, we will talk at this time, and we will not be able to talk about the result, but will let them see our real plan, so we have to collapse."

"Just sit and wait?"

Chen Shuda was a little worried. In the current situation, 200,000 to 300,000 Turkic troops flooded into the Guanzhong Plain, and countless people were displaced. Every day it continued, Datang's losses increased by one day.

Moreover, these crops on the Guanzhong Plain will also face the plight of being eaten by Turkic cattle and horses. When the Turks retreat, this year's autumn harvest in Guanzhong will also be over.

Li Shimin was also silent.

The confrontation like this now is not compared to the confrontation in the frontier. Now the enemy is in the heart, and the damage to Datang is too great, but there is no way, we must hold on, otherwise it will not end.

"Your Majesty, why don't you send a letter to Huailiang and ask him to think of a way to see if he can take advantage of their current conditions in the Turkic camp and find a way to let the Turkic people come to negotiate peace first. As long as they open the door first, then we can continue We've negotiated." Qin Qiong suggested.

Li Shimin thought about it, and it seems that this is the only way at the moment.

"You can write. It's best to persuade Sanlang to come back. It's too dangerous to sneak into the enemy's camp like this. He is my son-in-law, and he is also the governor of the governor. Even if you want to spy on the enemy, you can just send someone there. If you are exposed, it's too dangerous. gone."

Qin Lang made such a great contribution, Li Shimin was very worried about the safety of his son-in-law.

······

When Ashi Dewu returned to Jingyang Camp again, Tuli Khan was stunned.

"Where are your ten thousand horses?"

Wu didn't look back at the only surviving tribes with broken armor and dry serum around him. When they set off from the grassland, there were 10,000 horses, and now there are only a hundred or so left.

"All gone."

Wu Mei said bitterly, with a hoarse voice, "It's all gone, all dead." Wu Mei said again, "In Sanyuan, I was ambushed by Xuan Jiaqi, and eight thousand tribes were all beheaded."

Tu Li looked at Wu Mei Chuan coldly, "Why are you still alive?"

Wu didn't hear this, and lowered his head in shame.

"Why are you still alive?" Tuli asked again.

Wu Mei's face was swollen, and he finally couldn't help but reached out and pulled out the half-broken saber and put it on his neck.

Tuli just looked at him coldly and didn't stop him.

With a knife resting on his neck, Wu Mei said to Little Khan Tuli in shame, "I don't regret my death, but I still have to tell everyone in person. I made a mistake when I went south this time. It was a big mistake. We shouldn't have traveled thousands of miles , You shouldn’t go to the city of Chang’an, there is no mountain of gold and silver here, there are no countless people to grab money and food, this is a dead place!”

"I'm defeated, my 10,000 clansmen are gone, I deserve to die, but I want to tell you the news." After speaking, Wu Mei pulled hard on his arm, broke his neck with a knife, and blood gushed out.

Tuli still had a cold expression on his face, but he just took three steps back to prevent the blood from splashing on him.

And Liu Jiu, whose pseudonym is Zhu Xie Jinshan, also did not take any action under Qin Lang's suggestion, and everyone looked at Wu Mei and just committed suicide and apologized.

After Wu Meichuu fell to the ground and took his last breath, Tuli coldly looked at the guards who came back with him.

One after another, the warriors of Ashid Amibe drew their swords.

They didn't say a word, but silently held the knife in their hands.

As the personal guards of the noble heads, if they failed to fulfill their duty of protection, they deserved to die. Although Dashui committed suicide, they should also go to the funeral.

The captain of the guard, who was as tall and fierce as a wolf, cut his face three times with a knife, let the blood flow, and then put the knife across his neck.

He killed himself with a horizontal knife, committed suicide and was buried.

More than a hundred soldiers who managed to escape from the battlefield killed themselves one by one.

After a while, he lay down on the ground.

Tu Li snorted coldly, "Two wars and two defeats, the entire army was wiped out, what qualifications do you have to be a sip, what qualifications are there to continue to live? It is courageous to commit suicide and apologize."

He waved his hand and ordered Wu Mei's heads to be taken away. "Cremate them, keep the ashes, and bring them back to the grasslands to return to Changshengtian."

Finally, he looked at Qin Lang and Liu Jiu and his party who were still standing there.

"Why don't you kill yourself?"

Liu Jiudao, "I am not Wu Meichuo's bodyguard. We rescued him from Chang'an before, and this time we rescued him from the battlefield. We have done our best as friends."

"Why didn't you persuade him just now?"

"There is nothing to advise."

"Then why did you rescue him from the battlefield again?"

"That's two different things, one size fits the other."

Tu Li laughed, "That's right, I really like Brother Zhu Xie. Now that Wu Meichuu is dead, why don't you stay with me for now? After this battle is over, I will send you back to the Shatuo Division in the Western Regions ?”

"Alright!" Zhu Xie Jinshan did not refuse.

Tuli looked at the blood stains left on the ground with some disgust.

"Go and invite all the nobles to come and discuss important matters."

Under the big banner of the wolf head, in the big tent of the silver wolf, the leaders of all tribes gathered together.

Tuli introduced Liu Jiu to everyone, calling him the son of Zhu Xiemanyue, the leader of Shatuo in the Western Regions, and praised him for his bravery and loyalty.

Then he introduced the nobles to Liu Jiu.

"This is Yugushe, my half-brother, who now sits in Mobei together with Tuoshe, and leads the tribes of Mobei Tiele."

"Ashi Naji!" Yu Gushe nodded to Liu Jiu, he was very fat.

"Tuoshe, my uncle is the son of Luo Khan."

"Ashi Nasheer, hello brother Zhuxie." This Tuoshe is very young, he is the son of the former Chuluo Dahan, and he was not able to inherit the Khan because his father died when he was still young. It was inherited by his uncle Xieli.

But because he was the son of the former Great Khan, now Ashinasheer and Shibi's eldest son, Yugushe, are both enshrined as Shi, and they jointly lead the tribes in Mobei. They are considered to be one of the most powerful tribal leaders in Eastern Turks today.

Then Tuli introduced Yu Sheshe Ashina Momo. Datang sometimes called him Ao Sheshe. It was he who led the army to besiege Wucheng last time, which indirectly detonated the Xuanwu Gate Change. Ashina Momo also The son of Chuluo Khan, he is the elder brother of Tuoshe Ashinasheer, half mother and half father.

Originally, I had the opportunity to be a profuse sweater, but I never did it with my uncle Jieli. I was not convinced, and always opposed him. In the end, Jieli drove him to the area of ​​Monan Hetao. He has the closest relationship with Liang Shidu in Shuofang. , phase to rely on.

"This is my uncle Burishe!"

The last nobleman with a big nose who looked about thirty years old was Tuli's uncle, Jieli's brother, and Qimin Khan's son.

Bu Li set a smile on his face and looked at Liu Jiu, "Ashi Nali."

Bulishe, Tuli Little Khan, Yugushe, Tuoshe, and Yusheshe, the five most powerful and powerful tribal leaders of the Turks under Jieli, each guard one side.

The fathers of the five men were all khans, so these five men actually have the right to inherit the khan position according to the Turkic khan succession system.

According to the Turkic enfeoffment system, although they failed to inherit the Khan throne, they were all allocated a large number of tribal population, livestock and territory. For example, Tuli was allocated to the east, Yugushe and Tuoshe were allocated to Mobei, and Yusheshe was allocated to the north. Hetao and Buli are located in Monan.

Compared with Chu Wu, who commands thousands of riders like Wu Meichu, these sets have a higher status and stronger strength.

But it is precisely because of his high status, strength, and noble blood that he refuses to accept anyone. The khan Tuli was a junior khan, and his status was slightly higher than that of Shi, but these uncles and brothers didn't buy it at all, so they came to the vicinity of Chang'an for some time, but they didn't make any progress at all.

But today's Wu Meichu's death also made them vigilant, and the ten thousand riders were gone just like that.

"Wu Meishui's death is not a pity, but it also reminded us that the Tang people are stronger than we expected, and we all have to be careful. What do you think should be done next?" Tu Li looked at the crowd.

"Shibobi, where is Da Khan now, and how long will it take for him to come here? He proposed to attack Chang'an, but our ministries have arrived early, but he has not arrived. What's going on?" Bulishe Ashinari, the highest senior, called Tuli by his name very rudely.

"I think Duo Bi did it on purpose. He wanted us to fight Tang Guo first, and we would lose both sides. Then he can reap the benefits of the fisherman. He hides evil intentions and wants to take advantage of it." Yu Sheshe has always been dissatisfied with Jie Li, he He has always believed that his father's Khan position should be passed on to himself, and now he unceremoniously accuses Jieli of killing people with a knife.

The five chiefs spoke to each other, and they didn't show any condolences to Wu Buchu, who had just died in the battle. They didn't care at all when they lost 10,000 horses in the two battles. Anyway, they were from the Ashid tribe, and it was just right that they died Everyone can take this opportunity to carve up Wumeibu.

But when it comes to their own interests, they still care about it.

Now the focus of the debate is where Xieli is, and what does he mean?

Do you want to fight Chang'an? How should you fight?

Anyway, the last five people barely reached an agreement, that is, before Jieli's arrival, they will not cross the Wei River for the time being, and they will not approach the city of Chang'an. If they want to fight Chang'an, they will fight together when Jieli comes.

At the same time, in view of the lessons learned by Wu Meichu, they all agreed that they should gather their troops and should not disperse them at will, and they must prevent them from being defeated and wiped out by the Tang army one by one.

Liu Jiu is a guest. Although he is also a Turkic, he is from the various tribes of the Western Turks. The Western Turks were originally a branch sent by the Turks to conquer the West. Later, when they conquered the Western Regions, they spread their branches there. Khan position, the fighting dog's brains came out, and the Western Turks took the opportunity to intervene in the struggle for Khan position. In the end, they even almost unified the various ministries of the Eastern and Western Turks. After decades of fighting, the Eastern and Western Turks became sworn enemies. A branch of the Turks has already stood side by side with the Turkic headquarters.

"Brother Zhu Xie, do you have any good suggestions?" Tu Li asked, and it was only superficially polite.

Liu Jiu had already received Qin Lang's face-to-face instruction, so he seized the opportunity quickly, "It's a good strategy to gather troops and horses and use the Wei River as the boundary, and wait for the arrival of Jieli Khan, but I'm afraid that Qin's army will become more powerful after winning consecutive battles. Why don't we send people to Chang'an to meet with Emperor Tang, firstly, to delay the time, and secondly, to spy on the reality of the Tang Dynasty, as the saying goes, knowing the enemy is the only way to win a hundred battles."

"Brother Liu Jiu's words are reasonable." Tuli Khan greatly appreciated his words, "Before the arrival of the Great Khan, we temporarily made a deal with Tang Guoxu to delay the time, but why do we have to send someone to Chang'an to meet Emperor Tang? "

Even after losing two battles and losing 10,000 cavalry, Tuli didn't dare to be too arrogant. If he sent someone to inquire about the crime and angered Tang Emperor Li Shimin, he would immediately send troops to attack, that would be troublesome. up.

If you want to fight, you have to wait until Jieli comes to fight.

"How about sending someone there to congratulate Li Shimin on his ascension to the throne?" Tu Li thought for a long time to find a reason.

Buli set and others thought it was possible.

"Then who should I send?"

"We have to send someone with status to go there."