Da Tang: Father, can I resign?

Chapter 137 I'm in a hurry, you two can come together

The sudden sound of music during a bloody battle was a strange thing in itself.

What was even more bizarre was that although the drum music was seriously out of tune, Xue Rengui was still able to make out a few things:
"King Qin breaks the formation?"

Which blind landlord is holding a banquet next to the battlefield?
A war is not a competition. The field will be cleared before the fight begins, so it is normal for some unlucky civilians to be involved in the battlefield. Sometimes there are even fearless people watching.

Xue Rengui also thought so, so he did not waste his time on things outside the battlefield, and commanded his troops calmly and compactly.

In war, it's not like a general just rushes forward with a sword.

That was a fight between neighborhood hooligans.

The actual marching and deployment is a drudgery that requires a great deal of brainpower, integrating various factors such as unreliable intelligence, delayed command, unfavorable terrain, and subordinates who cannot understand what they are saying.

What the enemy and we are actually competing for is who makes fewer mistakes.

"Formation, second-level horizontal formation!"

Xue Rengui commanded with confidence, with drums and horns thundering and colorful flags flying.

The Yingzhou army immediately adapted to the situation and formed two rows facing north with their guns pointing outward.

The archers were ready to attack under the cover of the spearmen.

Although the Yingzhou Army was only a second-rate unit in the Tang Army, and although it was ambushed in the wild and suffered a great disadvantage.

But they still maintained high morale and were able to quickly form a battle formation before engaging the enemy.

This was also thanks to Xue Rengui's foresight and preparation in advance.

However, this is not enough.

Xue Rengui looked at the Goguryeo army approaching in an orderly manner with a very solemn expression.

There are too many enemies!

He even suspected that half of Goguryeo's army had been mobilized.

Moreover, the terrain is also unfavorable, with the north being high and the south being low.

What's worse, the Yingzhou army's formation was too thin and had no depth, so it could be easily broken through by an enemy charge.

But a two-row horizontal formation was the limit of what Xue Rengui could do.

When the army was marching in a long snake shape, it was attacked shamelessly, so this simple formation was the fastest.

A more complex defensive formation could not be set up in a short period of time simply by waving flags, shouting at the top of his lungs, and frantically sending messengers.

Damn it, in this wilderness, the grass is almost as tall as a person, and there are also tall mountains and trees blocking the way, which seriously hinders the implementation of his orders.

Xue Rengui couldn't even be sure whether his men had seen the flag that indicated the change of formation...

"That's all!"

Even though they were at a disadvantage in terms of both natural resources and manpower, the Tang army had no intention of retreating.

Even if I have to die, I have to replace a few barbarians first!

The situation on the battlefield became more and more suffocating. All the soldiers held their spears tightly, quietly waiting for the arrival of the enemy.

The Goguryeo army was also very organized. They formed several vertical arrays and steadily approached the Tang army.

The enemy's intention is obvious - to cut off the Tang army!
"Our formation was restrained and we lost before the battle even started..." Xue Rengui's expression was more serious than ever before.

A fierce battle is about to break out!
But as they marched, the Goguryeo army's pace became disordered.

Because the "Qin Emperor's Battle Music" next door was getting louder and louder, it seriously interfered with the sound of their own marching drums.

It was as if that blind band was approaching the battlefield...

"who is it?!"

Even Xue Rengui, who was concentrating on his studies, couldn't help himself and subconsciously looked towards the west where the sound came from.

All I could see was the deep, dense forests in Pingzhou.

Without warning, a third army suddenly appeared.

They were arranged in tight formation, all wearing standard Tang army armor.

But for some reason, these soldiers were unwilling to wear helmets. All of them had ferocious faces and stared at the enemies in front of them like wolves and tigers. They all had red turbans on their heads, and looked excited as fire.

Xue Rengui’s first reaction was: Oh my god, the Qin army crawled out of the ground!
The second reaction was even more horrifying: Oh my god, the Red Turban Army!!!
If they can form such a strict formation, calling them "bandits" would be deceiving ourselves.

In the middle of winter, Xue Rengui was sweating profusely.

What should I do if the person who comes has bad intentions?
There are rumors that it was His Highness Li Ming who controlled the Red Turban Army and colluded with Goguryeo to rebel.

But His Majesty has also ordered that we should not attack the Red Turban Army...

"General, should we take the initiative to attack, or..." the deputy general asked him.

Xue Rengui assessed the situation and said:
"The Red Turban Army is marching in the direction of the Goguryeo army. We should hold our troops for now and see if they are friends or enemies."

Well, Xiao Xue decided to be a loyal minister and firmly implement His Majesty's strategic policies.

It’s definitely not because you can’t beat two people at once.

The Goguryeo army also apparently noticed this group of red-turbaned men who suddenly rushed out, and seemed to be surprised, not knowing whether to attack or defend.

Xue Rengui breathed a sigh of relief.

"It seems that Your Highness and the Goguryeo people are not allies. The rumors are wrong."

After relaxing, he couldn't help laughing again:
"Even when marching and fighting, he never forgot to enjoy music. Alas, that dandy..."

What do you regard the battlefield where the soldiers fought bloody battles?

If his own troops dared to act in such a teasing manner...

Xue Rengui, who considered himself a self-made man, was complaining in his heart about the number one second generation in the world. He listened to the increasingly fast beats of the music, and watched the Red Turban Army marching to the rapid beats of the drums, and they defeated the opposite side with a single charge.

Xue Rengui: ???

what happened?
Before he could react, the red ocean completely submerged Goguryeo.

Everywhere you look, it's all bright red!
The Red Turban Army followed the drumbeats and marched at a steady pace, neither fast nor slow, dividing and surrounding the remaining Goguryeo soldiers, and eating them up one by one.

"Surrender your weapons and we won't kill you. Please move aside. We don't have time to capture you~"

The Red Turban Army repeatedly shouted these extremely crazy words.

The last bit of morale of the Goguryeo people was completely destroyed, leaving behind a field of corpses and wounded. Some surrendered, some fled.

"Can a war be fought like this?"

Xue Rengui was stunned.

Goguryeo was at least an enemy country, and it fought back and forth with the Sui Dynasty.

If you beat a child like this, will Emperor Yang of Sui save his dignity?

"General, General?" The deputy general's worried look interrupted his shock:
"General, please give the order!"

Xue Rengui immediately came to his senses and said loudly:
"withdraw!"

Although the Red Turban Army and Goguryeo were not allies, they were not necessarily friendly to the Tang army.

What if they want to fight ten?!

To be on the safe side, please leave first!
However, just as his army had just reorganized from two rows into a column and was preparing to escape to the east.

The Red Turban Army's military band also changed its song.

As if flowing like water, the Red Turban Army, which had just experienced a great battle, changed its formation smoothly. The cavalry marched quickly to the east to cut off the retreat route of the Yingzhou Army, while the rest of the army pressed forward step by step from the northwest to the southeast.

It is surrounded on three sides and has the sea on one side.

Xue Rengui was made into a dumpling.

"General, shall we... fight it out?" The deputy general drew his sword, a look of despair on his face.

Xue Rengui took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and said slowly:
"The Red Turban Army has not yet launched an attack on our army. According to your majesty's order, do not move."

"But General..."

"I can't persuade you!"

The marching drums and music continued to play, and the Red Turban Army squeezed the Yingzhou Army into a very small space, almost face to face.

The soldiers of the Yingzhou Army were all sweating profusely, and their hands holding the spears were slipping.

At this moment, the drums and music stopped abruptly.

A chestnut warhorse jumped out from the Red Turban Army, with a tiger general wearing a pheasant crown and his big copper bell eyes wide open angrily.

It was Xue Wanche.

He was ordered to garrison near the border of Yingzhou to meet Changsun Yan who had replied to the letter.

During this garrison, they received reports from former Yelu tribe members who were now villagers living in the mountains, saying that they had recently seen suspicious people acting suspiciously in the mountains.

He had made preparations for an ambush in advance, and today he was finally caught red-handed.

It’s just a little strange that among the two groups of “Murong servants” today, some are wearing Tang army armor, while others are wearing Goguryeo armor.

He was too lazy to care and shouted at the group of "house servants" wearing Tang armor, his voice like thunder:

"Are you going to fight or not? You don't want to fight, you don't want to surrender, are you a young lady who is having her period? How unpleasant!"

He started to scold the Tang army so harshly that they all turned red in the face.

Damn it, we have destroyed the Turks and beaten the Tuyuhun, and each of them is as fierce as a tiger or a wolf.

How could I be humiliated by a group of bandits today!
But these passionate men were now very calm. They did not shout or rush forward after being provoked.

Because the Red Scarf Army's formation was like a solid wall of steel, and the pressure was so strong that it was suffocating...

Xue Rengui bravely rode forward and confronted the rough leader of the Red Scarf Army:
"I advise this hero not to be so arrogant. My Tang Dynasty..."

"Bah! You dog of Murong Xianbei, you dare to call yourself the Great Tang?!" Xue Wanche cursed:

"The villagers have long reported to our army that there have been some suspicious spies hanging around the village recently. So they are your scouts!"

Shit, those border folks who seemed to be living a peaceful life and not fighting with the world, were actually all underground party members... Xue Rengui secretly felt bitter, but was stunned by the other party's words:
"Eh? Murong Xianbei?"

Looking at the other party's confused expression, Xue Wanche was also confused.

"Murong Yan, your master!"

"Murong Yan? Murong... Oh, the local rich man in Pingzhou?!" Xue Rengui recalled for a long time before reacting, and immediately said righteously:

"There is no two suns in the sky. Your Majesty is the only master in my heart! Who the hell cares about Murong Yan!"

You Pingzhou? “You” Pingzhou?
Xue Wanche's mouth twitched slightly.

Oh no, could this be the reinforcements from Yingzhou that I’ve been thinking about?
I guess I hit the wrong person...

"I will go through this together with General Xue!" The deputy general also rode forward anxiously:

"General Xue!"

Xue Wanche and Xue Rengui, the two generals Xue, turned their heads and yelled at him at the same time:
"go away!"

Then, the two Xues finally found the highlight.

"what?"

"Uh?"

Xue Rengui looked carefully at the rough man in front of him, who was wearing a red turban and a egret hat, and who looked very much like one of his future new colleagues. Suddenly, he had a bold idea and shouted:
"Xue Wanche!"

"What...hiss!"

Xue Wanche realized that he had been tricked and quickly covered his face.

But it was too late.

"Are you really General Xue Wanche? You haven't come to Yingzhou to perform your duties for a long time. So you went up the mountain to become a bandit?!"

Xue Rengui asked a series of soul-searching questions, which made Xue Wanche's previous momentum disappear without a trace.

"I...I have my own reasons..."

…………

"Hahaha! That rough guy Lao Xue is like this. Luckily they didn't fight."

Li Ming stood on tiptoe and patted Xue Rengui's butt in a friendly manner.

Xue Rengui looked curiously at the surrounding farmlands, busy construction sites, and energetic villagers.

After confirming that he was one of them, Xue Rengui was taken to Wuli Township, the new seat of Pingzhou's government.

What he saw along the way overturned his three views and opened his eyes.

This is a farm scene where families have enough food and clothing.

And that suffocatingly terrifying Red Turban Army.

It turns out that His Highness Li Ming started out as a bandit and built it up brick by brick!

And all this happened in just a few short months!
He suddenly felt somewhat ashamed.

His self-righteous "starting from scratch" was nothing more than climbing up step by step along the existing military merit system and taking advantage of the powerful east wind of the Tang army.

Like His Highness Li Ming, he directly created a system outside the Tang Dynasty system, and it ran so effectively. This is the real starting from scratch!

I actually thought that His Highness was a dandy boy who only relied on his father's protection...

I'm so stupid, really...

"Come to think of it, didn't I ask Changsun Yan to send a letter telling you not to come for support?" Li Ming's question interrupted Xue Rengui's thoughts.

Xue Rengui looked at him strangely: "Your Majesty ordered the Yingzhou army to support Pingzhou. Are you planning to deal with the Goguryeo invasion alone?"

Li Ming was startled:
"Goguryeo? Where is the Goguryeo?"

Xue Rengui was also startled:
"The 'strangely dressed Murong servants' that General Xue Wanche wiped out that day were Goguryeo!"

"Really?"

"Really? Haven't you noticed? They've already infiltrated Pingzhou wearing Tang armor!"

"No... I feel like they are no different from Murong Yan's servants. They all collapse at the first blow. I thought Murong Yan hired a bunch of cannon fodder from somewhere again."

"...You captured so many Buyeo people, didn't you find it strange?"

"I also captured quite a few Turks, Khitans, Shiweis, and Mohes... Hiss, now that you mention it, it seems that there are indeed a few more Buyeo captives recently..."

"..."

"..."

Xue Rengui didn't know what to say.

His Highness Li Ming is too stupid to even grasp this information.

Or maybe His Highness Li Ming is too strong. He can trample on a country's regular army as easily as trampling on the servants and civilians...

"It doesn't matter, let's fight Goguryeo." Li Ming shrugged.

In his original plan, the first step was to launch a northern expedition against Goguryeo and open up the promised land in the northeast for China.

It is just right now that Goguryeo and Murong Yan have joined forces.

They both do the same thing.

"I'm afraid it's not that simple." Xue Rengui said quietly:

"Have you communicated with the court about the situation in Pingzhou?"

Li Ming scratched his head:
"I just sent Chang Sunyan to Liucheng, Yingzhou, and asked Governor Zhang Jian to explain the situation for me and dispel any suspicion the court might have against us."

Xue Rengui looked at him deeply:
"I'm afraid the court is more than just suspicious."

Li Ming: "What do you mean?"

Xue Rengui: "The court believes that Your Highness and Minister Hou have completely rebelled, setting fire to the prefecture, killing officials, opening the city gates to let Goguryeo in, providing war horses and armor to the enemy country, and allowing them to plunder the two counties of Lulong and Linyu, as well as..."

Li Ming: ???
…………

A few days later, Chang'an.

Great court meeting.

This was the first time that Li Shimin, who had been ill for a long time, convened a grand court meeting in the new year. He was in a very good mood:

"The Yingzhou Governor's Office sent a letter saying that Prince Ming did not rebel, but that the local noble family Murong Yan was the one who rebelled.

"Murong Yan has been robbing the provincial government for many years, murdering the governor, controlling the local military and political affairs, and bringing in outsiders to massacre the people. It was also him.

"What do you think, my dear ministers?"

Almost immediately, Cen Wenben reported:

"Your Majesty, this fallacy is not credible! This can only mean that Zhang Jian of Yingzhou was deceived by the rebels, or has joined forces with the rebels to betray the court!"

As for whether the little succubus Li Ming has the ability to seduce Zhang Jian, the ministers have no need to doubt it at all.

Li Shimin's smile gradually faded.

Liu Li continued without stopping:

"What Zhang Jian said was all one-sided statements from Chang Sun Yan. Chang Sun Yan was a child, and he had a close relationship with Prince Ming.

"It's full of loopholes. How can Your Majesty trust it?"

Zhang Jian was cunning enough to be careful here. He only recounted the story and never added his own understanding to avoid getting himself into trouble.

Unexpectedly, these beasts in human form in the court were so greedy that they were caught in a flaw and did not distance themselves from the matter.

Veins immediately bulged on Changsun Wuji's temples:

"Chang Sunyan's story is one-sided, but isn't Zhang Liang's intelligence also one-sided?"

This remark was immediately seized upon by the Qingliu people, who began to criticize it.

After all, Zhang Liang was the Minister of Works, he had a central position and a neutral stance. More importantly, Zhang Liang was an adult.

In terms of credibility, he is much more credible than Chang Sun Yan, who wore the same open-crotch pants as Li Ming.

It's embarrassing that Lord Changsun is so protective of his own people.

And because of this flaw of Changsun Wuji, all the ministers sided with Cen and Liu and expressed doubts about the letter from Yingzhou.

These suspicions are reasonable.

First of all, Li Ming waited until recently to write a letter to report to the central government, and his motives are very mysterious.

Secondly, the Liaodong Jiedushi also governed Yingzhou and was Zhang Jian’s theoretical superior, so Zhang Jian’s position may have been distorted.

Secondly, Murong Yan is just a local tycoon with some money and some soldiers. Can he really control everything in Pingzhou?
Finally, Li Ming did not promote Goryeo throughout the article. Does this seem like an attempt to cover up something that is even more obvious?

Listening to the questioning voices of his ministers, Li Shimin's complexion gradually became worse and his head began to ache again.

"Your Majesty, please stop losing the big picture for the sake of the small and go back and forth on the Pingzhou issue!" Cen Wenben stepped forward and said in a loud voice:
"Minister Wei's blood cannot be shed in vain!"

When Wei Zheng was mentioned, Li Shimin couldn't help but twitch the corners of his mouth.

The ministers' attitude was straightforward:
Wei Zheng has already been sacrificed for the Pingzhou issue.

The price is so high, if this matter is still muddled through in such an unclear way, and the blame is casually passed on to a commoner...

How did the ministers accept it?

How can the world be convinced?

Li Shimin glared at the bewildered Changsun Wuji with a sullen look on his face, and said weakly:

"I... just think that we should consider the opinions of all parties comprehensively, and I am not blindly overturning the case of Pingzhou.

"My decision has not changed. Li Shiji has already led his army north. My dear ministers, there is no need to urge him any further."

(End of this chapter)