Control your ancestors and create an immortal family starting from the Eastern Han Dynasty

Chapter 134 Surprise Attack on Qin Prefecture, I am Gu Ziyuan of the Gu Clan! (Two chapters combined, please vote)

This surprise attack was extremely difficult.

Even though Gu Quan was personally leading the army, he still had to make thorough preparations.

—The troops they lead are not only required to be elite, but most importantly, they must be determined.

This is completely different from the previous two times.

Whether it's Gu Xiao or Gu Chen.

The troops led by the two men were all trained by the Gu family themselves, and their obedience far surpassed that of others.

This time, however, it's completely different.

He had to be fully prepared and could not afford the slightest mistake.

April of the second year of the Wude era.

Li Shimin officially launched an attack on Gao Zhi.

Its power and influence were overwhelming, and it was as if it wanted to pacify the entire Longxi region in one battle.

Especially considering that Gu Yan and several other members of the Gu family were also among them.

This also indirectly boosted the morale of the Tang army!

too long!
It's been too long!
The endless legends surrounding the Gu family and their years of seclusion have fueled an irrepressible anticipation among many.

Even though Li Shimin had just raised his army and the two sides had not yet fought a major battle.

However, its momentum has already attracted the attention of people all over the world.

Everyone wanted to see just how capable the Gu family members were.

The importance of this battle is self-evident, whether for Li Yuan and Li Shimin or for the Gu family.

If we can achieve a resounding victory.

The prestige of the Gu and Li families will once again reach its peak!

Li Shimin was naturally well aware of this, and his expression was equally serious.

This battle was not just about attracting attention.

He's going to war!

In any case, we must convince Xue San that all of the Tang army's main forces are here, so that he will relax his vigilance over the rear.

Gu Yi was also silently watching all of this, and even he felt a sense of tension.

In the original history.

Li Shimin's campaign in Longxi was not easy.

Although historical records indicate that Li Shimin fell ill at the beginning of the war, this did indeed affect his fighting ability.

But it is undeniable that Xue Ju and his son were also extraordinary.

Li Shimin finally conquered Longxi after Xue Ju died of illness on the battlefield.

Although the Li family has changed since then.

But as for the specific outcome, we'll just have to wait and see.

At the same time, Xue Ju immediately set up his formation at Gaozhi, preparing to fight Li Shimin.

His strength is not bad at all.

The Longxi region was inherently easy to defend and difficult to attack, and its troops were in no way inferior to the Tang army.

Although Xue Ju had some reservations about the Gu family.

But it's still impossible to get him to surrender so readily.

He mobilized almost all of his elite troops. Of course, even with the Gu family members present, Xue Ju did not forget his rear, wanting to prevent anyone from imitating Gu Xiao and Gu Chen by launching a surprise attack on the rear.

This battle is destined to be earth-shattering.

June;

Li Shimin led an army of 50,000 to Gaozhi, where they formed ranks with their backs to the Jing River, their left flank relying on the mountain terrain, and their right flank deployed heavy cavalry.

He himself personally led the central army.

Together with Gu Yan and others, they formed the most elite core group.

But in the open.

He deliberately exposed a weakness in the central army, hoping that Xue Ju would lead his troops to attack.

In fact, the key to a major battle in this era is whether or not the forces can maintain their momentum and effectively command their troops.

A major battle involving hundreds of thousands of people.

If one side makes a mistake, the internal chaos can destroy everything.

Why is Han Xin called the God of War?
It was precisely because of his extraordinary command skills that he was able to keep the army in place and prevent it from falling into chaos when facing the charge of a fierce general like Xiang Yu.

The so-called seizing of the opportunity is also for this purpose: to strike at the enemy's formation.

In fact, Li Shimin's move was an extremely risky one.

Any unexpected event could occur.

If the central army collapses, the formations of the left and right armies will be affected, which could very likely lead to the complete collapse of the entire army.

Regardless of the casualties of the army, Xue Ju might even have the opportunity to take advantage of the situation and directly advance into Guanzhong.

No one else would dare to take such a big gamble.

But he was Li Shimin.

He firmly believed in his own invincibility, and he also believed in Gu Quan. He believed that as long as all the elites could be drawn out, Gu Quan would definitely succeed.

At that time-

The overall situation is under control!

In fact, if Xue Ju had been even slightly less capable, he might not have noticed the flaws Li Shimin had revealed.

Because Li Shimin was destined not to make all of this too obvious.

Unfortunately, Xue Ju was equally capable, so how could he not see the flaw in this?
Gao Zhi.

On a high slope near the Tang army camp, Xue Ju looked down at the Tang army and couldn't help but shake his head slightly.
"It seems that the second son of the Li family is still too young after all."

He muttered to himself, then smiled dismissively: "Everyone says that the second son of the Li family was able to persuade the Gu family to come out, so he must be a man of destiny."

"Now it seems that it is nothing special."

As soon as he finished speaking, his expression suddenly became serious: "As the saying goes, opportunity knocks but once."

"Preach my will."

"The three armies are ready; I am about to launch a surprise attack on the Tang army camp!"

He will absolutely not give up this opportunity!
This is a golden opportunity delivered to his doorstep. If he can win this battle, he can seize the chance to advance into Guanzhong and contend for the world.

And most importantly—

The boost to his prestige from defeating the Gu family members would be unimaginable.

There's a saying that's very true, and it applies to any era.

The greater the risk, the more you can gamble on!
That's exactly how it is now!

The soldiers immediately obeyed the order, and Xue Ju also turned around, mounted his horse, and quickly headed towards the military camp.

That very night, Xue Ju personally led his troops in a direct attack on the Tang army's main camp.

The moonlight was as clear as if it had been washed.

It seemed as if even the heavens were watching this battle, gradually illuminating the night with the pure white moonlight, while a gentle breeze constantly blew by, making people feel refreshed and relaxed.

But it was in the dead of night.

The sudden sound of a rushing attack completely shattered the silence.

"Enemy attack!!!"

"Enemy attack!!!"

"."

With shouts echoing, the entire Tang army camp immediately came to life.

"They've come, just as I expected!"

Inside the main tent, Li Shimin hadn't even removed his armor, as if he had been waiting for Xue Ju to attack. He immediately looked at Gu Yan beside him and said, "Order the three armies to prepare immediately."

"Order the left and right armies to advance rapidly, seize the enemy camp, and join forces to attack Xue Ju from both sides!"

Shouts of battle rang out continuously.

Xue Ju had only just led his troops in when he realized something was wrong.

The Tang army seemed to have been prepared for this for some time.

"No! I fell into a trap!"

Xue Ju's expression changed instantly, and he instinctively wanted to retreat.

But in an instant, he stopped himself from having that thought.

Even if the Tang army was prepared, what could they do?

Isn't this just a premature decisive battle with the Tang army?
He had given his all in this battle, and as the saying goes, "Retreat leads to chaos, and chaos leads to defeat." If he had been in this situation, he would have simply ordered the army to retreat.

If the Tang army were to pursue them, the casualties would certainly be considerable.

We will definitely be at a disadvantage in this battle.

But if the fight continues, it's uncertain who will win or lose!
Xue Ju was not a coward; the fact that he was able to stand out from the crowd of anti-Sui rebels speaks volumes about his talent and courage.

Why would he be afraid?

A great battle broke out instantly.

The Tang army's central force consisted of elite troops, and their confidence was further boosted, especially now that they were well-prepared.

Towering flames erupted everywhere.

It formed a stark contrast with the pure white moonlight in the sky.

The shouts of battle and the sounds of clashing weapons, mixed with the hoofbeats of warhorses and the cries of soldiers, resounded throughout the land.

Li Shimin would naturally not back down.

After issuing a series of orders, he charged out, leading Gu Yan and the others in a fierce attack.

Gu Yan and the others wanted to persuade Li Shimin.

After all, Li Shimin was the commander-in-chief of the three armies. If any problems arose at this time, the Tang army would inevitably face defeat.

But Li Shimin refused!
"My life's ambition is to follow in the footsteps of Marquis Zhaolie; how can I push all the dangers onto my brothers?"

"If I back down today—"

"What will we do when we face even greater dangers in the future?"

A simple sentence, yet it fully expressed his attitude.

Even Gu Yan and others had to admire Li Shimin; that was his greatest personal charisma.

Under this circumstance.

The entire battlefield has become a meat grinder.

This is a direct confrontation, and either side that retreats will quickly find itself at a disadvantage.

Xue Ju was not directly defeated.

To avoid revealing a weakness, Li Shimin couldn't leave too many troops in the central army, which allowed Xue Ju to quickly stabilize the situation and even gain a subtle advantage.

But what can be done about it?

Time is not on their side.

Xue Ju's only chance is to take advantage of this time to completely subdue Li Shimin.

Otherwise, once the Tang army's left and right wings arrive, their formation will be completely torn apart, and they will be trapped in the Tang army's encirclement.

That's why Xue Ju also worked incredibly hard.

It wasn't just his son who was exceptionally skilled in martial arts.

He was also a brave man.

However, to think that they could break through the Tang army's elite forces so easily would be to underestimate Li Shimin and Gu Yan.

How could Li Shimin not have considered these things?
He's using himself as bait again, trying to solidify his advantage in this battle. How could he let things get out of control?
Li Shimin did not need to take this opportunity to defeat Xue Ju directly.

All he needs to do is stall for time.

Waiting for the main armies on both sides to arrive is enough!

earn!!!
earn!!!
earn!!!
The sounds of clashing weapons filled the air, and Gu Yan had already begun fighting Xue Rengao without anyone noticing.

Xue Rengao is indeed extraordinary, a match for ten thousand men.

Even though Gu Yan was at a disadvantage when facing him, he still managed to block Xue Rengao, which can be considered as breaking the sharpest sword in Xue Ju's army.

The battle intensified.

As time went by, Xue Ju couldn't help but feel the urge to back down.

Now that things have come to this, would he be foolish enough to only think about launching a fierce attack?

Courage is courage, and situation is situation.

If the Tang army's left and right wings were to attack, it would definitely bring him a fatal crisis.

As long as we delay, there will always be a chance!

"retreat!"

Without the slightest hesitation, after thinking everything through, Xue Ju immediately made a decision and began issuing orders.

The offensive of the entire Western Qin army gradually came to a halt at this moment.

The situation changed rapidly—

In such a head-on charge, retreating would inevitably affect the overall situation.

But this was a choice Xue Ju had no other option but to make.

He cannot afford to lose sight of the bigger picture for the sake of a small gain. Even if it leaves many people behind, he must still leave!
But would Li Shimin give him that opportunity?
Seeing that Xue Ju had retreated, Li Shimin immediately made a decision and began a direct attack!

He wouldn't place all his hopes on Gu Quan.

This move will also help Gu Quan.

He didn't believe that under the Gu family's prestige, the Western Qin army, which had just suffered a major defeat, would have much morale or much fighting spirit.

He would never let such an opportunity slip by!

The situation has completely changed.

Although Xue Ju had retreated very cautiously, the entire Western Qin army was inevitably thrown into chaos after the Tang army's left and right wings attacked.

Although they eventually withdrew.

However, it still resulted in nearly 30,000 casualties.

Before the formal offensive had even begun, the Tang army had already seized the initiative and gained a certain advantage!

The key is--

This was not unexpected by Li Shimin.

After suffering a major defeat, the Western Qin army was unable to control its low morale.

The prestige of the "Gu family" was like a mountain, pressing down on all of them.

Not to mention that they have now suffered a crushing defeat.

Even Xue Ju was unable to revive morale. Faced with Li Shimin's attack, some people still suggested mobilizing all the elite troops to meet the enemy.

This wasn't because they were stupid, but simply because they were forced by the circumstances. The Gu family had been living in seclusion for far too long.

Who would have thought that Gu Yan, who can now fight Xue Rengao for several rounds on the battlefield, is not the most outstanding member of the Gu family?

Although Xue Ju did not agree directly, he was persuaded and analyzed by his generals and soldiers.

In the end, he had no choice but to order the mobilization of troops to confront Li Shimin.

Meanwhile, Gu Quan had already set off.

Unlike Li Shimin's main force, Gu Quan's surprise attack force had many issues to consider.

Not only do we need to prevent information from leaking, but we also need to guard against spies and scouts from Western Qin.

To be on the safe side—

Even though he only had 5,000 troops with him, Gu Quan still dispersed them, planned their routes, and finally gathered them west of the Wei River.

This journey will require traveling by night and hiding during the day.

Although there was no direct danger, intense psychological pressure still lingered in everyone's hearts.

But compared to the hardships that followed, it was still far less daunting.

Gu Quan set himself only seven days, which was the most suitable time to prevent the soldiers from becoming so mentally exhausted that they were on the verge of collapse.

In seven days, they traveled 300 li in a fast-paced manner.

We entered the Guanhe Canyon via the Longshan Trail, which is currently the only road available.

Having learned from the lessons of Gu Xiao and Gu Chen, the only way to launch a surprise attack on Longxi now is to take those truly dangerous routes in order to completely avoid the enemy's scouts.

Rockfall from cliff
This road is far more treacherous than that of Gu Xiao and Gu Chen in the past.

This road is a full forty li high.

The risks involved are evident.

But Gu Quan always led the way, using his actions to stabilize the morale of the soldiers.

Beyond this mountain path lies a dense forest.

Even someone like Gu Quan, who has studied geomancy since childhood, can easily get lost in the dense forest that stretches for dozens of miles.

But since we've chosen the surprise attack, we have to face all of this.

Gu Quan couldn't change anything either.

But after experiencing it all firsthand, he still couldn't help but marvel at how difficult it was.

He truly brought his talents to their fullest potential.

Only then did he lead his soldiers out of the dense forest and reach Qinzhou, but the casualties were nearly a thousand.

Gu Quan did not choose to attack directly.

Instead, he sent people infiltrate to gather information, which also allowed the soldiers to rest.

Several days later...

News of the Battle of Gaozhi at the front gradually began to arrive.

Gu Quan watched with his own eyes as the soldiers left Qinzhou City, but he did not rush to attack. Instead, he waited quietly.

—Fighter jets have appeared!
Although Xue Ju did not transfer all his troops to the front line, the opportunity for Gu Quan had arrived.

As long as we occupy Qin Prefecture.

Then the battle at the front will definitely be chaotic, and Xue Ju will not be able to let Qin City be lost. He will definitely lead his army back to defend it.

If he can hold Qincheng, he can then attack Li Shimin from both sides.

Recreate the battle between Gu Xiao and Emperor Guangwu Liu Xiu from years ago!

History is always strikingly similar.

Neither Li Shimin nor Gu Quan had deliberately discussed this matter, yet at this moment, even though they were thousands of miles apart, they still made the same tacit judgment.

Even Gu Yi was somewhat surprised, never expecting to witness this scene again.

Although the positions are not exactly the same.

But how is this moment different from the scene of the past?
Perhaps the only difference is that Xue Ju was somewhat prepared for this, but the circumstances forced him to make various decisions.

Everything was predetermined.

Just as the three armies finished their rest, Gu Quan launched an attack on the entire Qin City without any hesitation.

Although only four thousand men remained!
But it was enough for a city that was completely undefended and had few defenders!

Moreover, after overcoming countless hardships, the pent-up frustration in their hearts will make these soldiers far more powerful than before.

The key is--

Don't forget that the leader this time is surnamed Gu!
The legend of the Gu family; the allure of fame and fortune;
How could the soldiers not fight to the death?
In just one day, the entire Qin City fell into Gu Quan's hands.

Gu Quan did not order his soldiers to pursue the fleeing remnants, but instead immediately ordered the city's defenses to be reinforced in preparation for the upcoming battle.

He trusted Li Shimin, believing he would make the right judgment and would never let this opportunity pass.
The news kept spreading.

The fall of Qin City was a fatal blow to the entire Western Qin state.

Gao Zhi.

"Qincheng has been lost?"

Upon hearing this news, Xue Ju's expression completely changed. He almost instantly stood up from his chair and demanded, "What happened?"

The expressions of everyone present completely changed after this incident.

How could they not know the key to Qincheng?

Most importantly, they were already at a disadvantage on the main battlefield, so how could they not be alarmed upon receiving this news?

"Your Majesty, we do not know which army attacked Qin City while our troops were unprepared."

The soldier, his face covered in grime, cried out about what had happened that day, though he said he didn't know who the attackers were.

But everyone couldn't help but think of the same thing at the same time.

—A member of the Gu family!
"Impossible! How could this be!" Xue Ju frowned deeply, still unwilling to believe it: "Shouldn't the Gu family members all be on the battlefield? Where did this force come from?"

"What about the spies I left behind in Longshan?"

Are they all blind?

"Could it be that the Gu family's descendants can actually fly?"

The questions echoed throughout the hall.

Seeing Xue Ju's fury, everyone present lowered their heads.

But what good will complaining do?
Xue Ju understood perfectly well that he had to resolve the problem at hand no matter what, and almost instantly he looked at his son: "Gao'er."

Before Xue Ju could finish speaking...

Without hesitation, Xue Rengao knelt down and said in a strong voice, "I am willing to lead the army back to Qin City. No matter who the enemy is, I will cut off their heads to reassure the army."

Upon hearing this, Xue Ju's expression finally softened somewhat.

He was quite at ease with his son.

Xue Ju will not lead a large army back to reinforce.

Although he was not a well-versed historian, who did not know the various legends about Marquis Zhongwu, Gu Xiao?

If he were to lead his army back at this moment, wouldn't he become just like Kui Xiao back then?
As long as we can stop Li Shimin.

Then Qin City, having become an isolated city, is no longer reliable.

As for whether the person inside was actually a member of the Gu family, Xue Ju no longer cared.

Even if it were true, so what?

Whoever it is, he must kill this person!
The matter was settled on the same day, and the movements of the Western Qin army naturally did not escape the eyes of the Tang army.

But after learning that Xue Rengao had gone back.

Li Shimin and Gu Yan and others almost instantly concluded that Gu Quan had succeeded!

At this time, inside the Tang army camp.

The flickering candlelight cast the shadows of everyone inside the tent onto the leather curtain.

Li Shimin's gaze swept over the generals in the tent like a hawk's, his expression solemn. He said in a deep voice, "Once Ziyuan succeeds, our army must seize the opportunity and quickly break through Xue Ju's defenses! Success or failure hinges on this!"

Upon hearing this, the generals and soldiers inside the tent all nodded solemnly.

However, they all knew in their hearts that the Longxi defense line was impregnable and that breaking through it in one fell swoop would be no easy task.

Even Emperor Guangwu Liu Xiu's conquest of Longxi was only successful when the morale of Wei Xiao's army was low and the city was in disarray. Such examples are enough to illustrate the difficulty of the battle.

Seeing the worried looks on everyone's faces, Gu Yan stepped forward and said with a firm gaze, "Generals, there is no need to worry. My brother always plans carefully before he acts. He will surely be able to replicate the great feat of our ancestors!"

Li Shimin nodded slightly, his eyes full of trust and expectation: "Indeed! Ziyuan is resourceful and wise, I have complete confidence in him!"

These concise and powerful words acted like a shot of adrenaline, dispelling the heavy atmosphere in the tent and easing the concerns of the soldiers.

Seeing the resolute expressions on Li Shimin and Gu Yan's faces, a surge of pride welled up in the hearts of the soldiers.

They took a deep breath, clasped their hands in salute, and shouted in unison, "Please give the order, Your Highness! We are willing to be the vanguard, even at the cost of our lives!"

—The great war has begun again!
Li Shimin clearly wanted to use his power to suppress Xue Ju.

While attacking, they also spread the news that Qin City had fallen.

This move was indeed a killer move.

The morale of the Western Qin army was already somewhat disordered, so how could it not be affected under these circumstances?

However, due to the terrain, the Tang army's offensive speed was also very slow.

At the same time, Xue Rengao also returned to Qincheng.

Looking at the defenders on the city wall, his eyes were filled with uncontrollable rage. He pointed his long spear at the city wall and roared, "Who are you? How dare you seize my city?"

"I am Gu Ziyuan of the Gu family!"

On the city wall, Gu Quan responded without hesitation, shouting out his own reply.

These few words, though brief, resonated like a powerful bell, instantly weighing heavily on the hearts of the Western Qin army.

They truly are descendants of the Gu family!
History has repeated itself!
Surprisingly, a third member of the Gu family managed to launch a surprise attack on Longxi.

The pressure this could bring to people in such an era of prophecy and superstition is unimaginable!

Xue Rengao's expression changed slightly, but he quickly recovered and roared angrily again, "So this is a member of the Gu family? Do you dare to come out of the city and fight me?"

Gu Quan's expression remained unchanged, and he didn't even bother to respond.

"Could it be that the esteemed members of the Gu family only dare to engage in petty theft and are afraid to confront me head-on?"

Xue Rengao clearly wanted to provoke Gu Quan, as he had the impression that scions of most prominent families cared a great deal about such things.

But Gu Quan remained completely unconcerned.

How could he possibly fall for that?

He only needs to defend the city for now, so why add unnecessary risks?

The Gu family's reputation was established through final victory.

Acting out of reckless courage is not heroic!

Without uttering a single word, Gu Quan took the bow and arrow from a soldier beside him, nocked it, and shot it at Xue Rengao.

There was a "whoosh" sound.

The sound of something cutting through the air exploded instantly.

Xue Rengao reacted extremely quickly, and immediately dodged to the side.

But he was also completely enraged by this arrow.

Without any further words, he immediately brandished his weapon and led his soldiers to begin the siege.

—A great battle broke out instantly.

Xue Rengao certainly possessed unparalleled courage, but he was not strong enough to go against the tide of events.

The Gu family's reputation and the prophecy had already thrown his army into disarray, making it impossible for them to exert much combat power.

How could they possibly kill their way into the city?

And even if we manage to break into the city, so what?

Gu Quan is no mere figurehead!
He had already made thorough preparations and would persevere no matter what.

Three days;

Five days;

Ten days;

The 15th;
As the days went by, the area around Qin City became a mountain of corpses and a sea of ​​blood.

Xue Rengao has already transferred troops to Xue Ju twice more.

Even so, he never completely conquered Qincheng.

They did manage to breach the city gates twice.

But each time, Gu Quan led his troops to break through.

As time went on, the morale of the entire Western Qin army, whether in Qin City or at the front lines, finally collapsed under sustained high pressure.

deserter;

lower the pawn;

Once this situation began to emerge, Xue Ju's fate was sealed.

In fact, neither Xue Ju nor Kui Xiao back then were incompetent.

But none of this can be changed by the situation itself.

If Xue Rengao could quickly retake Qin City, that would be fine; a great victory would definitely boost the morale of the entire army.

But now both fronts are facing setbacks.

The rumors about the "Li family" and the "Gu family" were so widespread that even Xue Ju couldn't stop them.

What other options are there?
But Xue Ju was still unwilling to give up and mobilized his army to fight a decisive battle with Li Shimin.

But it's impossible to defy fate!

August;

Li Shimin first defeated Xue Ju at Qianshuiyuan, resulting in the loss of nearly 20,000 troops and countless supplies and soldiers for the Western Qin army.

Then news of Xue Rengao's death in Qincheng also arrived.

Li Shimin seized the opportunity.

With Gu Quan and his companion attacking from both sides, they completely wiped out the Western Qin army in one battle.

And Xue Ju, the once arrogant emperor.

He too finally fell on the battlefield.
------

"In the second year of the Wude era, Prince Shimin of Qin attacked Xue Ju at Gaozhi."

General Gu Quan of the Yunhui Army received a secret order and led 5,000 elite cavalrymen in a stealthy advance. They crossed the treacherous Longshan Mountains, forded the Tongguan River, passed Fangmatan, and traveled more than 300 li day and night, arriving directly at Qincheng.

Initially, Qin King Shimin fought a major battle with Xue Ju at Gaozhi, luring the enemy deep into his territory and inflicting a great defeat on Xue Ju, causing Xue Ju to mobilize all the troops of Longxi for the battle.

Quan's military tactics were swift and unexpected; he launched a night raid, breached the gates, and seized the city.

Upon hearing this, Ju was greatly alarmed and hastily ordered a return to reinforce, causing chaos in the army's morale. Taking advantage of the situation, the King of Qin pursued and decisively defeated their forces at Qianshuiyuan.

Quan Fu held Qin City for three months, cutting off the enemy's retreat route, which ultimately caused the Western Qin army to lose its footing and collapse in one battle.

The commentary states: "Quan's military tactics resembled those of his ancestor, Marquis Zhongwu Xiao, who excelled at surprise attacks and coordinated with Prince Qin, Shimin. His military strategy was truly innate. After this campaign, Longyou was pacified, and the Tang dynasty's foundation was further solidified."

—From the Biography of Gu Quan in the Book of Tang

(End of this chapter)