Datang: Rebirth of Li Chengqian, the beginning of the treason interrogation

Chapter 211 Zhang Liang's Intentions Lingzhou is in Danger

"Master Cheng, the Duomi Khan of Xueyantuo invited our army to attack Lingzhou City together. Is there any trickery going on?"

Zhang Liang looked at Cheng Gongying solemnly, with a hint of doubt and worry in his tone.

After all, he was able to achieve success thanks to Cheng Gongying's advice, so now Zhang Liang obeys Cheng Gongying's words and trusts him immensely.

Whether it was military or national affairs or daily trivial matters, Zhang Liang would consult with Cheng Gongying.

Moreover, although Zhang Liang was timid and short-sighted, he was not stupid. He knew that to advance and retreat with Xueyantuo was tantamount to seeking the skin of a tiger.

Even though the two sides have temporarily formed an alliance, once the situation changes, who can guarantee that the other side will not suddenly turn against them?

Cheng Gongying narrowed his eyes slightly, stroked his beard, and said slowly and confidently:

"General, you are absolutely right. Although we have formed an alliance with Xueyantuo, we must always be vigilant against them. Duomi Khan Bazhuo is ambitious. He is not satisfied with just robbing some property. He wants to occupy land and even bring the entire Central Plains into his territory. If they really destroy the main force of the Tang army, I am afraid that we will be the next target."

At this point, Cheng Gongying paused for a moment, then continued:
"In addition, according to the news sent back by our spies inside the pass, the current Tang Emperor Li Shimin has personally led the army to the Hedong Road area. I believe it won't be long before he will lead a large number of troops to Lingzhou. If so, I'm afraid it will be another fierce battle."

However, when Zhang Liang heard the news that Li Shimin would lead the army in person, he felt his heart instantly rise to his throat, as if it would jump out of his chest in the next second.

As an old official of the Qin Palace, he had followed Li Shimin in his campaigns and experienced countless fierce battles.

Zhang Liang was well aware of Li Shimin's superb military tactics, and he also knew clearly that he was no match for him with his own abilities.

Once a battle breaks out, the soldiers under his command are likely to defect because of Li Shimin's prestige.

After all, as long as he sided with Li Shimin, he would be convicted of treason.

The soldiers who have been deceived will definitely wake up. After seeing the real leader Li Shimin, how could they not turn against him?

"Is this news true? Wasn't Li Shimin already seriously ill when we set out on the expedition? How could he still have the energy to lead the army?"

Zhang Liang's face was filled with astonishment, and he asked with a slightly trembling voice.

He dared to rebel because he saw that Li Shimin would not live long, so he had fewer scruples.

But now, knowing that Li Shimin was personally leading his army to attack him, how could he remain calm?

At this moment, Zhang Liang's heart was filled with fear and anxiety.

A person's name, the shadow of a tree.

"This news is absolutely true. Many eyewitnesses saw Li Shimin leading his army out of Chang'an City in a mighty procession."

After hearing this definite answer, Zhang Liang trembled as if struck by lightning, and then he slumped down on the chair like a deflated ball, his face turning as pale as paper. He muttered to himself:

"It's over... It's completely over now..."

"General, you have the fate of a true dragon, why do you need to worry about this?"

Cheng Gongying said that Zhang Liang's behavior was really shocking to him.

That was because he had not yet been dominated by Li Shimin, so he could stroll around so leisurely.

"But Li Shimin is also the fate of a true dragon. Can we defeat him?"

Zhang Liang asked weakly, hoping to get a way to save himself from Cheng Gongying.

He still lacked confidence in a head-on battle with Li Shimin.

"This is actually a good thing for us. Li Shimin's way of using troops is indeed unpredictable, but Xueyantuo's elite troops are not easy to deal with. After entering the pass, the terrain is flat and they cannot resist."

"When two tigers fight, one will be injured. When snipe and clam fight, the fisherman wins. Now that Li Shimin has led his army to the north, Chang'an must be under defense. Why don't we advance to the northwest at this time? Attack Xiazhou and Qingzhou, cross the Yellow River, and directly take Chang'an, the land of the dragon. Then the general can raise the flag and ascend the throne, and the people will be at peace."

Cheng Gongying stroked his graying beard and made a lot of calculations about his wishes.

"You mean, we take advantage of the battle between the Tang army and Xueyantuo to launch a surprise attack on Chang'an."

Zhang Liang's eyes lit up and he thought it was very feasible. This actually became an opportunity for him.

"That's right, what do you think, General?"

Cheng Gongying had a smile on his face, and he had a sinister plan in mind, otherwise how could a commoner climb to such a high position.

"This is a very good plan, Master. Let's follow it."

For Zhang Liang, this is undoubtedly a ray of hope after a dark cloud.

It seems that I really am the true dragon emperor, and even God is helping me.

Zhang Liang couldn't help but think proudly.

On the other side, Duomi Khan also quickly received news of Zhang Liang's rebels' attack on the northwest border.

"Mukena, what is Zhang Liang's intention? Do you want to take advantage of others? Let's fight the Tang army to the death."

Duomi Khan had a gloomy look on his face. The alliance they maintained was extremely fragile and could collapse at any time and turn into an enemy.

Both sides have their own ulterior motives and are calculating against each other.

Zhang Liang wanted to use Xueyantuo to fight against the main force of the Tang army, while Duomi Khan also wanted to use Zhang Liang to distract the attention of the Tang army.

"That's not necessarily true. The fisherman may not be Zhang Liang. He could be the Khan."

Mu Ke Na remained calm about Zhang Liang's action, as if this was how things should develop.

"Why do you say that? Now that we don't have Zhang Liang to support us, we have to attack the city alone."

Duomi Khan could not see too far into the future, but at the moment, they were short of a group of cannon fodder, and the Xueyantuo soldiers had to go into battle themselves, which was not favorable at the moment.

"Zhang Liang's intention is to take advantage of the confrontation between our army and the main force of the Tang Dynasty to cut off the enemy's support and directly capture the Tang capital Chang'an."

"It seems like a brilliant plan, but it is actually extremely stupid. Khan, what do you think will happen when the Tang Kingdom knows Zhang Liang's intentions?"

The corner of Mu Ke's mouth curved up, and he had no doubt seen through Cheng Gongying's plan.

"If this Khan knew that someone was going to attack the royal court, he would definitely mobilize the whole country to annihilate them."

Hearing this, Duomi Khan suddenly understood and burst into laughter.

Zhang Liang is courting his own death and making himself the target of public criticism.

"That's right. Chang'an is the place where the Tang people flourished. Its status is self-evident. The Tang Kingdom will definitely mobilize the whole country to annihilate it. The defense line of the northern border will inevitably be weakened. Therefore, the winner in this game is you, Khan."

Mukena’s analysis was extremely thorough.

But the outcome of the battle is still undecided, and no one can predict for sure how the hunter and the prey will change.

"In that case, let's add some fuel to the fire."

A plan also emerged in Duomi Khan's mind. "Mukena, have someone spread the word that we will split our troops into two groups. One group will pretend to tie up the main force of the Tang army, while the other will actually send out the elite troops to attack Chang'an directly from the northwest."

Zhang Liang's strategic intention was discovered, which gave Xueyantuo room to maneuver.

Each party has its own strategic goals based on this situation.

After Zhang Liang led his troops, Duomi Khan no longer had any worries and led his troops straight to the city of Lingzhou, intending to break into the city directly.

Due to the openness and tolerance of the Tang Dynasty, and before this, the Tang Dynasty and Xueyantuo were still in a honeymoon period and had in-depth exchanges and intermarriages.

Some technologies have also been spread.

These include some simple siege equipment - ladders.

Various countries traveled thousands of miles to visit the Tang Dynasty in order to absorb its many civilizations.

For the Tang Dynasty, such openness and tolerance have both advantages and disadvantages.

The benefit is that it strengthened the Tang Dynasty's influence on the surrounding areas.

The disadvantage is that other countries learned Tang civilization and used it to check and balance the Tang Dynasty.

The Xueyantuo learned some siege tactics, which were more perfect than those of the previous Eastern Turks.

"Shields out, archers provide cover!"

As Xueyantuo's military order was issued, tens of thousands of soldiers attacked Lingzhou City.

Without any probing, they launched a general attack.

This actually avoids the situation of being constantly consumed by the defenders.

"General Cui, you are familiar with Lingzhou's defense. How are we going to defeat the enemy this time?"

Looking at the approaching Xueyantuo army, Zhang Jian could not think of any good strategy to defeat the enemy for a moment, and could only look to Lingzhou Governor Cui Dunli.

Cui Dunli was born into the Cui family of Boling, a prominent family. He was in charge of military affairs in Lingzhou and was a high-ranking official.

He was also well-known for his achievements. Living on the border with Xueyantuo, he served as an envoy to Xueyantuo many times. During the reign of Emperor Gaozong of Tang, he even served as prime minister.

In the 642th year of Zhenguan (), Cui Dunli went on a diplomatic mission to Xueyantuo and, on the condition of marriage, persuaded Xueyantuo to release the detained Tang general Qibi Heli.

Therefore, he also knew the habits of Xueyantuo very well.

"The Xueyantuo are powerful, and I have no plan to defeat them. I can only defend the city and wait for Your Majesty to lead reinforcements to arrive before I can defeat them."

"The Xueyantuo are not good at attacking cities. We should be able to hold out until your majesty arrives by taking turns to defend the city."

Cui Dunli also shook his head.

He is not an expert in military strategy, and he can guard a place, but it is difficult for him to lead an army to expand the territory.

"Okay, let's make the arrangements first and see how strong Xueyantuo's attack is and whether we need to make any changes."

After the two main generals finished their discussion, the Tang army also entered a defensive state.

"Archers prepare!"

Following the order, the archers who had been on full alert drew their bowstrings and aimed their arrows not at the approaching Xueyantuo army in the distance, but towards the sky.

When a large army fires in unison, accuracy is not needed.

Adjust the distance of the bow and arrow by the angle of upward shooting.

At this moment, the atmosphere was extremely tense and everyone held their breath.

This is the atmosphere when war comes.

When the Xueyantuo army entered the range, Zhang Jian waved his hand without hesitation and ordered: "Shoot!"

In an instant, thousands of arrows were fired at once, like a black torrent surging out, covering the sky and the sun, as if it was going to swallow up the entire sky.

Such a spectacular sight made everyone who witnessed it feel terrified and secretly marvel at the powerful attack force.

However, faced with such a fierce offensive, the Xueyantuo army did not panic.

They reacted quickly and shot countless arrows towards upwards.

These arrows were densely packed, like a swarm of locusts, interweaving with the Tang army's rain of arrows to form a chaotic arrow web.

Unexpectedly, since the arrows of the Xueyantuo army were shot from bottom to top, although they could not directly hit the top of the city wall, they cleverly used the angle and force to successfully block the bow and arrow attacks of the Tang army.

The arrows from both sides collided and crossed each other in the air, making crisp sounds.

Afterwards, these arrows that had lost their power fell from the air like raindrops and landed on the ground without causing any substantial damage.

What's worse is that this situation made the Tang army's originally sharp arrows become an aid to the enemy.

A large number of arrows changed direction or lost their power due to collisions with each other, and eventually fell into the camp of the Xueyantuo army, giving the enemy thousands of precious weapons resources in vain.

how so!
Zhang Jian and Cui Dunli opened their eyes wide, their faces full of disbelief, their mouths slightly open, unable to close for a long time.

They were extremely shocked. They thought that the defenses they had taken were foolproof but were breached so easily.

You know, in siege and defense battles, bows and arrows have always been one of the most common and extremely effective methods of attack.

The soldiers defending the city can stand on the high city walls and use bows and arrows to launch long-range attacks on the invading enemies from afar, so that every step the enemy takes closer will result in heavy casualties.

However, the reality before them ruthlessly shattered their inherent cognition.

Now, such a powerful weapon as the bow and arrow was cracked so easily. Then, whether they could defend the city next instantly became a huge question mark hanging in the hearts of the two.

Moreover, judging from the current situation, the situation is not optimistic. It is very likely that the city will fall and be lost in this fierce attack by the enemy.

Zhang Jian's forehead was covered with sweat. He knew that the situation was extremely critical. He frowned, his eyes were sharp and decisive, and he gave the order without hesitation:

"Pass the order down and inform all the people in the city, whether they are men or women, old or children, everyone must immediately participate in the city defense!"

Following Zhang Jian's order, the entire Lingzhou City suddenly fell into a state of intense busyness.

People took action, hurriedly picked up various weapons they could find at home, and ran towards the city wall, ready to jointly resist the invasion of foreign enemies.

Without the long-range suppression provided by bows and arrows, the Xueyantuo army quickly approached the city of Lingzhou like a group of hungry wolves.

In the blink of an eye, long ladders were erected high and leaned tightly against the top of the city wall.

A thrilling siege battle is about to begin.

(End of this chapter)