Da Tang: Father, can I resign?

Chapter 351: Lao Deng! Surprised or not?
Boom!Boom!Boom!
The sound of war drums came from the Tang army on the other side of the wall. It was like the footsteps of a giant, hitting the Ming army in the heart again and again.

The shock made their hands and feet go limp, and their internal organs resonated.

It's really strange. Just a moment ago, everyone was united and shared the same hatred of the enemy.

Even if you face an enemy that is a hundred or a thousand times more powerful than you, what is there to fear?
However, when the retreating comrades returned to the camp, they witnessed their tragic scenes with their own eyes and heard their complaints and wails.

There was a subtle change in the mentality of the Ming army.

For some reason, they felt that their legs were not as firm as before as they were standing in the battle position.

I can't see the enemy in front of me, but I can see my family who are thousands of miles away, and myself who will most likely die on the roadside in an hour.

The miserable plight of their companions inevitably aroused the fear deep in their hearts, making them involuntarily have the idea of ​​cowardice.

Will I be defeated? Will I die? What will happen to my family if I die? I don’t want to die…

Even though there was no verbal communication between the soldiers, their heavy breathing, trembling hands, and solemn expressions all conveyed the same emotion:
I'm scared.

And panic is contagious.

Even an army as powerful as the Ming Dynasty could not resist the survival instinct engraved in its genes.

Morale was badly damaged.

In the midst of a major war, this is extremely deadly.

"Don't be afraid. They have a long-distance raid and it's more difficult for them to get supplies than us! As long as we hold our ground, we can win!"

Experienced junior officers were keenly aware of the abnormalities in their own troops and tried to boost morale.

However, the equally experienced Tang army did not give them a chance to adjust their mentality.

Whoosh~A strange sound came from the air.

It was like a strong wind blowing in a cave, or like a giant gasping.

Followed by.

Boom boom!

Huge stones fell from the sky and hit the wooden wall of the Ming army camp with precision!

It was the Tang army’s catapult. They actually brought heavy siege equipment!

The wood used for the temporary camp was far inferior to the rammed earth and bricks of the fortified city, and soon gaps of varying sizes were smashed into it.

The defenders near the wall were like ants, with their heads broken and bleeding, and scattered all over the place.

"rush!"

Taking advantage of the brief chaos of the Ming army, the Tang army seized the opportunity and immediately launched a charge towards the gap in the defense line!
The outermost Ming army was stunned by the justice that fell from the sky and temporarily lost the ability to resist, and the nearby friendly forces were too late to provide support.

Everyone was stunned by this wave of catapults!

Apart from sporadic arrows, the Tang army encountered almost no decent resistance and successfully broke through the Ming army's first line of defense and broke into the interior of the base camp!
However, entering the camp was only the first step in the battle.

The Ming army's base camp was not a collective camping site where military tents were connected together and could be burned down by a single fire.

Instead, it is a preset battlefield covering an area of ​​more than ten miles, with undulating terrain and a variety of defensive fortifications inside.

It's like a fortress.

Although the conditions are a bit simple, there are all the necessary facilities.

"Don't just rush into one gap! Follow the advance deployment, disperse the attack, line up, keep low, and be careful not to be shot into a sieve by hidden arrows!"

The vanguard of the Tang army was led by veteran general Cheng Zhijie himself.

Under his command, the Tang army was busy but not chaotic.

After pouring into the Ming army camp, they did not rush around in a swarm, but quickly formed an array and advanced steadily into the depths of the Ming army camp like a bulldozer.

"Hold on! Grit your teeth and don't retreat even a single step!"

The Ming army defenders shouted desperately, gathered their troops, and took in the remnants of the soldiers who retreated from the front line, trying to resist the first wave of attack from the Tang army.

At least we must thwart the enemy's offensive momentum.

The defense of the base camp deployed by Li Jing was not to pile all the people at the outermost edge, nor was it to spread them evenly everywhere like a pancake.

Instead, they set up a series of defensive lines that supported each other, based on the high and low terrain within the camp, as well as obstacles such as trees and antler trenches.

Each unit is responsible for a defense area, and at the same time they cooperate with each other to form a focused and comprehensive defense network, which increases the depth of defense.

Reasonable strategic application, coupled with soldiers with strong tactical qualities, should be like a solid wall of steel, able to defend the main camp as solid as a rock.

The problem is that the individual soldier quality of the Ming army, which they have always been proud of, failed at this critical moment.

"Damn it, how did they rush in!"

The defeated soldiers who had just retreated from the front line were resting. When they saw the Tang army approaching like a demon, they immediately became confused and subconsciously ran to the rear, which was a safer place.

There is no way not to run. They have already taken off their armor. I can't fight them naked.

These retreating soldiers brought down the morale of the defenders.

Everyone else is running away, why aren't you running away?

The men were physically present but their minds were not there, and such a force was far from enough when facing the powerful Tang army.

"Line up, hold the steel in your hands firmly! Don't retreat a single step. His Majesty Li Ming is watching us... Haha!"

The captain, who was organizing the troops in formation, was shot in the torso by a crossbow arrow from the Tang army. He flew off his horse like a duck shot by a hunter and was nailed firmly to a tree trunk.

His internal organs flowed out from the huge wound. The man was still breathing heavily, and was still breathing out but not in.

This scene made his subordinates feel numb.

"Kill. Kill. Kill."

Opposite them, the Tang army did not rush over.

Instead, they lined up in an orderly formation, marched in neat steps, and approached their goal at a steady pace.

Like a hunter harvesting a wounded wild boar.

When two brave men meet in a narrow road, the brave one wins. The outcome of the battle is no surprise.

The Tang army easily defeated the Ming army.

The Ming army soldiers suffered a great defeat and were forced to retreat again and again.

Fortunately, their training level is still online.

Despite the low morale and the beheading of grassroots commanders, the organization did not collapse.

The sergeant spontaneously took on the captain's burden and commanded his men to fight and retreat.

"Brother, we can't hold on any longer! Let's retreat!" The soldiers began to think of retreating.

If he was still an ordinary little sergeant, this old man would definitely say, "If there are a hundred enemies fighting against me alone, what's the point of beating them?"

But now, he actually commands hundreds of soldiers, and he inexplicably has a sense of responsibility that the entire Ming Dynasty, including the capital and thirteen provinces, are on his shoulders.

He has to be responsible for his brothers, the Ming Dynasty and the people of the world!

"You can't retreat! If you don't dare to fight, then ride your horse back to the camp and report this news to Lord Li Wei!"

He roared and thrust the reins left by the captain into the hands of the nearest soldier.

After slapping his horse's butt hard and sending the temporary messenger away, he bravely faced the thousands of troops led by Cheng Zhijie.

"Brothers, comrades, hold on!"

…………

"what happened?!"

Su Dingfang and Xue Rengui, who were passionately PKing with Li Weigong's "wrong ideas" in the main tent, heard a series of heavy noises coming from outside.

The whole earth was shaking as if there was an earthquake.

Li Jing listened carefully for a while and murmured to himself:

"That sound... is it a catapult? He actually brought this thing here.

"Is this the last chance?"

Not only Su and Xue, but also Hou Junji and Li Daozon who were present were confused by the leader's riddles.

Li Jing's expression changed and he spoke very quickly:
"The Tang army may have already entered the camp. Prepare to meet the enemy!"

"So fast?!" Xue Rengui blurted out, half believing and half doubting.

It was at this time that the messenger rushed in.

"The enemy used siege vehicles to break through the camp gate and engaged our army in close combat!"

For a moment, all the generals in the tent were silent.

"Grandma's!"

Hou Junji was the first to break the silence.

"Consolidate the first line of defense! Release the central valley and hold the high ground!"

He grabbed his helmet while cursing, and headed out of the tent, intending to lead the troops himself.

As a result, before he even walked out of the door, he almost bumped into the second messenger.

"Don't you have eyes?!" Lao Hou was angry and didn't look at the soldier well.

But the soldier didn't let him off. He just ignored his leader and yelled at the top of his lungs: "The second line of defense has also been breached!"

"Why are you so silent, kid...what did you say?!"

Hou Junji’s eyes widened with anger.

Just as he was distracted, the soldier in charge of the third line of defense came back with a dusty face and reported:
"Report, the defense line is in danger..."

The faces of everyone in the tent turned ugly.

The speed of the loss was almost catching up with the speed of issuing orders.

This is a great defeat!
The carefully constructed defense system was directly penetrated by General Tian Ce!
"The defeat is like a landslide..." Li Daozon's face turned pale.

This is not just an adjective, it is something that actually happens.

To stop a defeated army is like trying to stop a collapsing forest.

An almost impossible task.

But no matter how impossible it is, someone needs to do it.

This is the meaning of the position of "leadership".

“We need to hurry up, but there’s no need to panic.”

Li Jing changed his solemn expression and became calm and peaceful again.

"Jun Ji, take Xue Rengui with you to the front line to organize defense and gather the defeated troops.

"Dao Zong, you organize the reserve team and act accordingly.

"Dingfang, you will be responsible for the security around the barracks and prepare to clear the retreat route."

Li Jing remained calm despite the collapse of the mountain. He issued clear and precise orders one after another, as if he was dealing with just an ordinary problem.

But he spoke very quickly, and his hands behind his back were shaking slightly, showing how nervous he was.

The reserve troops have been mobilized, the situation is extremely critical... The generals were startled and did not dare to delay, so they all took orders and retreated.

…………

As night fell, the battle was still raging.

The Tang army lit torches, and the huge team stretched out in an endless stream, looking like a fire dragon from afar.

"Report! Your Majesty, our army has broken through the enemy's five lines of defense and penetrated several miles into the enemy camp. The enemy's main tent is already clearly visible!"

In the center of the Tang army camp, the messenger knelt on one knee in front of Li Shimin's carriage.

"Invincible, the thieves fled at the sight of the wind..."

"Stop talking nonsense and get to the point!"

Li Shimin was tired of hearing the nonsense, so he simply opened the curtain of the carriage and started yelling angrily.

The messenger was so frightened that he began to stutter and said haltingly:
"Our army... has just broken through the fifth line of defense..."

"Got it, thank you."

Li Shimin waved his hand and sent away the soldier who was almost fainting from nervousness.

"Your Majesty is truly a divine fortune teller..."

Li Shiji, who was standing by, sighed sincerely and was not just speaking in clichés.

According to his previous strategy, it was nothing more than fighting a traditional annihilation war, picking off the enemy's vanguard troops piecemeal, and then eating up the enemy's vanguard troops and taking them into his pocket.

Under normal circumstances, this style of play is stable enough to help one build advantages step by step and accumulate small victories into big ones.

This is where the problem lies. The current situation is unusual.

The Tang army's own supplies were almost exhausted and they could not hold out for much longer. They would probably starve to death or mutiny before achieving a great victory.

It is far better to follow the strategy of the retired emperor - bet everything, turn a small victory into a big victory, and decide the outcome in one battle!

The result proved that Your Majesty was right and the gamble was a win.

The Tang army seized the fleeting opportunity, targeted the Ming army's weak spot and pursued it relentlessly, actually breaking through the enemy's tight defense and breaking through the entire front line, achieving far greater results than all previous wars combined!

Now, the enemy's main camp is right in front of us, and victory is at hand!

Kill Li Jing's troops, and while the Ming Dynasty is weak, cross the Taihang Mountains and sweep across Hebei...

The Tang Dynasty can be resurrected!

The destiny is still in the Tang Dynasty!

The Supreme Emperor is the Mandate of Heaven of the Tang Dynasty itself!

Your Majesty is right. Li Shiji's tactics are indeed remarkable.

But in terms of strategy, he is still slightly inferior to the emperor.

Li Shiji also humbly accepted the criticism.

Being able to be compared with the top strategic masters of all time is already a great compliment to him.

"What kind of divine calculation is this? It's no different from previous battles."

Li Shimin responded to his subordinates' praise lightly, which seemed to be a return to simplicity.

Overall, this battle was indeed Li Shimin's comfort zone -

First cut off the enemy's logistics, forcing them to take the initiative to attack to break the blockade, and then use the advantages of fortifications and terrain to launch a beautiful defensive counterattack and beat the enemy when they are down...

He used this trick to defeat countless powerful enemies, including Wang Shichong, Dou Jiande... Li Jing was just another defeated general.

Although the process had some twists and turns, the Tang army and the opposing side were both hungry, and both sides held on to see who could endure more.

But the result was the same. In the end, it was the Tang Dynasty that held on to the end and won the victory.

Although the battle was not over yet, Li Shimin did not open champagne at halftime.

The Ming army has deployed its reserves, and the commander-in-chief's camp is preparing to flee.

Anyone with a discerning eye could see that the Ming army was doomed and it was only a matter of time before they were completely annihilated.

"Shuozhou's treasury should still have some surplus grain, and the local people can requisition some more.

"After replenishing supplies in Shuozhou, the entire army headed eastward, passing through Puyinxing and crossing the Taihang Mountains."

Li Shimin calmly dictated the next strategic arrangements.

Puyin Pass is one of the eight passes in Taihang Mountains, leading directly to Yizhou, Hebei.

The Tang army is already looking forward to future operations to retake Hebei.

As for the battle ahead, there seems to be no suspense.

The Tang army was like autumn wind sweeping away fallen leaves, and the rebels fled in panic, entering garbage time early.

"Once we march into Hebei, the world's situation will change!"

Li Shiji was very excited and let out a strong breath of anger.

In the past year, since the attack on Xueyantuo and the loss of the emperor and the crown prince, he has been unlucky and has been bullied badly.

Li Shimin's expression was rather calm, with the corners of his mouth slightly curled.

"'That guy's' cultivation is still not good enough, after all, he is no match for me.

"If you want to take on the responsibility without the ability, you need more experience."

Li Shiji was confused:
"Your Majesty, are you talking about Li Jing?"

Li Shimin smiled mysteriously and didn't want to pay attention to him.

"Report--" At this moment, a fast horse galloped from the south.

It was a messenger who came from nowhere, he was dusty and looked very anxious.

"Is there any change ahead?" Li Shiji felt nervous.

Li Shimin frowned in confusion.

"This is the messenger from Chidao Post Station..."

Chidao...is this news from the Tang Dynasty?

Under the questioning gazes of the two Lao Lis, the messenger hastily dismounted from his horse, fell to his knees with a thud, and presented a handwritten letter written on gold-embossed silk cloth with both hands.

The silk cloth was patterned with a five-clawed golden dragon and was used exclusively by the royal family.

Li Shimin's brows furrowed deeper and deeper as he took the letter from the messenger.

This letter was written by Emperor Li Chengqian himself. The handwriting was very illegible. It is not difficult to imagine the author's panic at the time.

As Li Shimin read further, the wrinkles on his brows became deeper.

When he finished reading, his expression relaxed, he threw the letter aside, and laughed with his head tilted back:

"Hahaha!

“My vision is still too small!

"My strategy is not as good as his!"

(End of this chapter)