Datang: Just been appointed as the crown prince, the counterattack system is here

Chapter 342 Li Chengqian: It's my turn to step in! [Bonus Chapter for Monthly Tickets]

While Li Chengqian was stationed in Liangzhou City, strategizing and planning,

Pei Xuan, the commander of the Musketeers, and Zhang Ping, the governor of Jiangling who had accompanied Li Chengqian on the expedition, quietly arrived at the Anbei Protectorate where Li Ji's troops were stationed.

Although the Anbei Protectorate was not yet fully constructed, its garrison had long been deployed around the area to guard this unique protectorate of the Tang Dynasty.

"Commander Pei, Governor Zhang, it's been a long time!"

As the temporary Protector-General of Anbei Protectorate, Zhao Deyan was quite dutiful, especially when he partnered with Changsun Chong, where he brought his talents to the fullest.

He was adept at handling all kinds of social interactions, and even Changsun Chong learned a lot of real skills from him.

"Oh, Protector Zhao, why have you come to greet us personally?" Pei Xuan asked with a smile.

Zhao Deyan replied with a smile, "Commander Pei, you're too kind. We're both ministers of the Crown Prince, so how can we be strangers? Don't you agree?"

"Uh,"

Pei Xuan's lips twitched, then he chuckled and said, "Who says otherwise? I came here to see General Li Ji. Is he at the Protectorate General's office?"

"Yes, yes, I'll take you to see him right away!"

"Uh, no need for that. It's His Highness the Crown Prince's order, a military secret. Just tell us where he is, and we'll go there ourselves!"

"this."

Zhao Deyan was momentarily embarrassed, but showed no displeasure. He immediately instructed Changsun Chong beside him, "Chong, take Commander Pei and the others over there!"

Xiao Chong?

Pei Xuan and Zhang Ping exchanged a glance, thinking to themselves, "You're something else. The eldest son of the Duke of Zhao, the Emperor's nephew, is being bossed around like this?"
"Two generals!"

Before Pei Xuan and the other two could react, Changsun Chong walked forward nonchalantly, bowed to them, and said, "This way, please!"

Ok!

One was willing to hit, and the other was willing to be hit; what could they possibly say?

Pei Xuan and Zhang Ping exchanged a glance, then followed Changsun Chong to Li Ji's military tent with strange expressions.

At this moment, Li Ji was discussing the situation on the grasslands with Zhang Gongjin, Zhishi Sili, and others.

Upon hearing a report from outside that someone from the Eastern Palace had arrived, they immediately ordered Pei Xuan and Zhang Ping to be invited in.

"General Li Ji, how have you been?"

Zhang Ping, accompanied by Pei Xuan, walked into Li Ji's military tent with a smile and introduced him to Li Ji, saying, "This is my old partner from Jiangling, the former governor of Jiangling, and now the commander of the Eastern Palace Musketeers, Pei Xuan!"

"This humble general pays his respects to General Li!" Pei Xuan said with a smile and gave a salute.

Li Ji quickly returned the greeting: "Commander Pei, you are too kind. I have long heard that there is a musketeer guard in the Eastern Palace. Even General Li Jing has mentioned it several times. Now that I have the honor of meeting you, the commander of the musketeer guard, I am sure to be amazed by what I see later!"

"Hehe, General Li Ji is joking. Firearms are nothing special!"

Pei Xuan chuckled and then looked at a dark-skinned, stout general next to Li Ji, saying, "This must be Zhang Gongjin, Commander Zhang, right?"

"Commander Pei, greetings!" Zhang Gongjin greeted Pei Xuan with a smile.

On the other side, Zhi Shi Si Li couldn't wait to step forward and hug Pei Xuan, saying, "Commander Pei! We meet again!"

"Long time no see, Zhi Shi Si Li!"

Seeing how familiar the two were, Li Ji and Zhang Gongjin exchanged a glance without making a sound, secretly thinking that they had indeed made the right bet last time.

This Zhishi Sili is indeed a man of Crown Prince Li Chengqian.

But then Pei Xuan chuckled and patted Zhi Shi Si Li on the shoulder, saying, "The Crown Prince is here too, but not here. He sent me to assist you in completing a plan!"

"Oh?"

Upon hearing this, Zhishi Sili immediately became interested: "Is it for dealing with Xueyantuo?"

"Yes!"

Pei Xuan readily admitted it and told them Li Chengqian's plan without missing a single word, leaving them stunned and their jaws nearly dropping to the floor.

But Li Ji seemed to be the first to react, saying, "Your Highness, isn't this too risky? What if something goes wrong? How will we explain this to His Majesty?!"

“Yes! How can we let His Highness the Crown Prince put himself in danger?!” Zhang Gongjin echoed with a worried expression.

But Pei Xuan said calmly, "When the Crown Prince and the Emperor Emeritus went to Shuofang, it was even more dangerous than this. You all know what happened!"

"Moreover, the Xueyantuo have already divided their forces and fallen into the trap, which is a great opportunity for us. How can we let it slip by?"

"But."

"This is His Highness the Crown Prince's decree!"

Seeing that Li Jing and Zhang Gongjin were about to say something more, Pei Xuan directly took out Li Chengqian's Crown Prince Jade Talisman and loudly proclaimed, "Li Ji, the Grand Commander of the Hedong Military Circuit, listen to my command! I order you all to obey Pei Xuan's orders! In other words, Pei Xuan represents me with full authority!"

"This"

Li Ji and Zhang Gongjin exchanged a glance, then Li Ji looked at Zhishi Sili, sighed helplessly, and cupped his hands, saying, "Your subject, Li Ji, will obey His Highness the Crown Prince's orders!"

Meanwhile, inside Ganzhou City.

"Governor Qiu, the Xueyantuo army is heading this way!"

A soldier rushed into the Ganzhou Governor's Mansion in a great hurry.

"I know, what's the panic!" Qiu Yu glared at the soldier who rushed in, then said to the surrounding generals, "Immediately muster the troops and prepare for battle!"

"This"

The generals were stunned for a moment, and couldn't help but hesitate.

But then a military commander said blankly, "The enemy has brought an army of 100,000. How can our troops from just this one province possibly be a match for them?"

"Does that mean we won't fight if we're not the opponent? Do you mean they won't attack us if we're not the opponent? Have you forgotten that His Highness the Crown Prince is still in Liangzhou City?"

Qiu Yu gave him a cold look and asked him three questions in a row, leaving the commander speechless.

Yes!

In either case, they cannot escape this war.

Therefore, even if it meant death, they were determined to fight the Xueyantuo.

However, at that moment, another soldier reported: "Governor Qiu, Liangzhou Assistant General Sun Rui and Li Xu are leading troops to support us!"

"Is this true?!"

Qiu Yu's face lit up with joy, and he quickly pressed for an answer.

But the soldier who reported this said with great certainty, "It's absolutely true! I heard it was His Highness the Crown Prince's order!"

"Okay, okay! Okay!"

Qiu Yu clapped his hands excitedly, and then immediately ordered his generals again: "Immediately notify the entire army that they must fight bravely against the enemy, fight to the death with the Xueyantuo army, and hold out until reinforcements arrive!"

"Yes!"

The generals responded in unison, their spirits noticeably improved compared to before.

Although both may lead to death, there are many kinds of death.

Too many meaningless deaths exist; sacrificing oneself for one's country is undoubtedly the noblest way to die.

Moreover, he died even after His Highness the Crown Prince sent troops to reinforce him.

If he were alive, he would surely bring honor to his ancestors; if he were dead, he would certainly be posthumously honored, and thus bring honor to his ancestors as well.

Therefore, both Qiu Yu, the governor of Ganzhou, and his subordinates instantly became as if they had been injected with chicken blood, ready to die for their cause.

Their state of mind was reflected in the defense of Ganzhou, leaving the Xueyantuo army led by Yishi Dadu bewildered and terrified.

But then Yi Shida asked, full of doubt, "What's going on? Aren't we attacking Ganzhou? Why does it feel like we're attacking Liangzhou?"

His original purpose in attacking Ganzhou was very clear: to weaken the support from Liangzhou.

This way, after taking control of Ganzhou, he could successfully surround Liangzhou and capture Li Chengqian alive.

However, he never expected that Ganzhou City, with a force of less than 20,000, would be so difficult to conquer.

The moment he finished speaking, a Han Chinese general to his left thoughtfully interjected, "Your Highness, I have a feeling there's a trap here, perhaps to lure the enemy deep into our territory!"

"Oh?"

Yi Shi raised an eyebrow and turned to look at the Han Chinese general, saying, "Li Jian, say whatever you want to say!"

"Your Highness, in my opinion, Ganzhou City is probably bait, a trap deliberately set by that Crown Prince of the Tang Dynasty!"

"What trap! Do you think a mere 20,000 men can withstand our 100,000-strong army?"

Before Yi Shida could respond to Li Jian's words, a Xueyantuo general to Yi Shida's right spoke up disdainfully: "Have you forgotten? Attacking Ganzhou City was the Crown Prince's last-minute idea. Is the Crown Prince of Tang some kind of god, able to foresee the future? Otherwise, why would he have set a trap for us in advance?"

"this."

Li Jian was so taken aback that he didn't know how to respond for a moment.

After glancing at him, Yi Shi Dadu agreed and said, "It is indeed impossible for the Crown Prince of the Great Tang to have set a trap for us in advance, but there is an old saying in the Central Plains: one should always be wary of others. In my opinion, we should send out another force to test the waters of Ganzhou first. If there is no trap, then we can launch a full-scale attack!"

"Your Highness, let me go and test them!"

Upon hearing this, the Xueyantuo general on the right immediately asked Yi Shida for permission to take command.

"Alright, then let General Batur go and reinforce General Mota!"

Yi lost his composure and acted decisively.

Soon, the Xueyantuo general named Batur took the lead and led his troops out of the battle.

Meanwhile, Qiu Yu's Ganzhou army was engaged in a fierce battle with the Xueyantuo general named Mota. "Governor Qiu! It seems the Xueyantuo have reinforced their troops again. What should we do?" A blood-covered soldier rushed to Qiu Yu's side as he fought the enemy and asked anxiously.

"Puch!"

Qiu Yu cut down a Xueyantuo soldier, wiped the blood from his face, and said coldly, "Even if the main force of Xueyantuo arrives before reinforcements come, we cannot retreat!"

"Pass down the order: kill them all!"

"Kill one to break even, kill two and you'll make a profit! Kill them all!"

"Kill!"

Upon hearing Qiu Yu's almost roaring voice, the surrounding Ganzhou soldiers charged like madmen towards the Xueyantuo soldiers who had already been slaughtered and were trembling with fear.

"They've gone mad! These Tang soldiers have gone mad!"

Even knowing that reinforcements had arrived on his side, the Xueyantuo general named Mota was still shocked by the ferocity of the Ganzhou army.

Because the Ganzhou army led by Qiu Yu performed exceptionally bravely.

Knowing they were outnumbered, they launched a desperate charge to avoid revealing their weakness to the enemy, giving it their all.

This reckless fighting style did indeed mislead Yi Shida, causing him to make the wrong judgment and not dare to launch a general offensive immediately, thus giving Qiu Yu's army time to survive.

The two sides fought fiercely at Wulizhai outside Ganzhou City for a whole day. It wasn't until dusk that Yi Shi Dadu realized he had been tricked.

He was furious that the other party kept turning around and talking about the same few people, and that he had been fooled by them for so long, but it was almost evening now.

To prevent any unforeseen circumstances, he ordered Li Jian to lead his troops to surround Qiu Yu's military advisors. Only after launching a general offensive the next day did he manage to dismember Qiu Yu and the other Ganzhou soldiers.

However, things are always changing.

The next morning, a thick fog rolled in outside Ganzhou City, reducing visibility to less than ten meters.

This delighted Qiu Yu and the other soldiers of Ganzhou.

Taking advantage of this opportunity, adhering to the principle that a wise man doesn't suffer immediate losses, they secretly slipped into Ganzhou City.

Ironically, when the fog cleared, they suddenly discovered that Su Dingfang, the black-armored guard in charge of the tracking mission, had overtaken the Xueyantuo army and reached their side.

"Damn it! These damned Tang soldiers! Where did they come from?!"

Yi was furious. Not only had he failed to achieve his goal, but he had also allowed the Tang army to grow stronger with each battle.

But then Li Jian, standing to the side, warned again, "Your Highness, in my opinion, the situation doesn't seem very optimistic! We Han people have always valued the right timing and terrain in warfare, and now neither of those is on our side. I'm afraid..."

"Your Highness! Don't listen to him. I think we should stop beating around the bush with the Tang army and prepare to attack the city!" Batur angrily interrupted Li Jian.

Mota, standing nearby, angrily chimed in, "That's right! The Tang people are always treacherous and cunning. Who knows what they're plotting? We might as well just attack the city!"

"But."

Li Jian opened his mouth, but hesitated to speak.

Although he always played the role of strategist by Eoshiinan's side, and Eoshiinan trusted him very much.

But this eldest prince didn't seem to trust him much.

Therefore, he was repeatedly ostracized by those around Yi Shida.

Yi Shida frowned and glanced at him, then at Batur and Mota, and pondered, "In terms of troop strength, we have a sufficient advantage, and there's really no need to beat around the bush with the Tang army. But the Tang army does have the advantage of timing and terrain, which we must consider."

At this point, he carefully examined the map, squinted, and said, "But without Ganzhou City as a base, they lose their geographical advantage. As for the timing, as the saying goes, fortune changes, and I don't believe this fog can last forever!"

"Hahaha! That's right. When Ganzhou City and the fog are gone, the timing and location will be on our side. Plus, with the support of the people, they won't be able to escape!"

Upon hearing this, Batur burst into loud laughter, then glanced at Li Jian with a cold smile. The meaning was clear: he was the Crown Prince's confidant, and Li Jian was nothing more than a Han dog.

But Yi Shi immediately and decisively said, "Good! Immediately issue the order to prepare to attack the city!"

"Yes!"

Batur and Mota exchanged a glance, then immediately accepted the order and left the military tent.

Li Jian, standing to the side, sighed helplessly and prepared to follow them out of the military tent.

However, to his surprise, the Xueyantuo were not ready, and the Tang army inside the city was even more impatient than they were, and actually launched an attack.

"Report——"

A Xueyantuo soldier rushed in and exclaimed, "Your Highness, the Tang army has launched an attack on us!"

"What!?"

Upon hearing this, Yi Shida was greatly surprised and immediately looked at Li Jian in a panic.

But Li Jian asked with some surprise, "How many Tang soldiers attacked us?"

"There are about six thousand men, but they are all cavalry, and they are all wearing black armor. They look even more valiant than the Tang soldiers we saw before!"

"Black armor?"

Upon hearing this, Li Jian's heart skipped a beat, and he muttered to himself, "Could it be the Black Armor Guards of the Crown Prince of the Tang Dynasty?"

"Black Armor Guard?"

Yi Shida asked Li Jian with a puzzled look, "Li Yehu, do you know about these Black Armor Guards?"

"They not only knew of it, they were practically household names!"

Li Jian replied with a wry smile, "I wonder if the eldest prince has ever heard of Jieli Khan?"

"How could I not have heard of this!"

Yi Shida said irritably, "He was the last Great Khan of the Eastern Turks!"

"Do you know how he failed?"

"this."

Yi Shi hesitated for a moment, then suddenly seemed to remember something and asked in surprise, "Could it be that the defeat of Khan Jieli is related to the Black Armor Guards?"

"Although there is no direct connection, there is a great deal of connection. They defeated the elite cavalry of Khagan Jieli in Shuofang, and it was a few thousand against tens of thousands!"

"hiss--"

Upon hearing this, Yi Shida gasped in shock, then hastily ordered, "Quickly! Batur and Mota are here! Prepare for battle!"

Although Li Jian's reminder startled Yi Shida, he still didn't believe that the Tang Dynasty had such a strong army.

If the Tang Dynasty had such a strong army, how could his father, Khan Yishiyinan, possibly oppose the Tang Dynasty?
Isn't this clearly seeking death?
With his father's intelligence and wisdom, he couldn't believe that his father would be so foolish!
Therefore, he did not use his full strength when he first clashed with the Black Armor Guards.

However, he soon discovered that the Tang army's confidence within the city was not without reason.

This black-armored guard is ridiculously strong.

With the cooperation of the Black Armor Guards, Qiu Yu launched a pincer attack on the Xueyantuo army.

Unfortunately, this eldest prince of Xueyantuo was not a military idiot.

He was not intimidated by this momentum. In a very short time, he made an accurate judgment: even with the Black Armor Guards, the enemy's forces were still insufficient.

Because his 100,000-strong army was not concentrated in one place, even if the Black Armor Guards were strong, they could not defeat them one by one.

Therefore, after calming down, he decisively issued an order to divide the army into two main parts, one to meet the enemy and the other to provide support.

Both sides maintained a proper distance to prevent the enemy forces from rejoining.

His moves did indeed have a remarkable effect, causing Qiu Yu, who had been so easily fooled, to be surrounded and divided after rushing forward.

"hateful!"

Qiu Yu cracked his whip in annoyance.

On the opposite side, Su Dingfang also promptly halted the encirclement strategy, frowning as he surveyed the Xueyantuo army's deployment, thinking to himself, "This Yi Shi Dachu is indeed not simple!"

After saying that, he immediately turned to the guard beside him and said, "Go and report the situation here to the Crown Prince!"

"Yes!"

One of the guards immediately spurred his horse and rode away.

Soon, the news reached Li Chengqian.

Without saying a word, Li Chengqian said, "Immediately assemble the army and go into battle!"

"Um?

Li Daliang looked at him with a puzzled expression, but didn't say anything.

But he clearly sensed that something was wrong.

Li Chengqian seemed to have guessed his question and answered directly: "Before I came to Liangzhou, I had already ordered Pei Xuan to assist Li Ji, Zhang Gongjin, and Zhishi Sili in attacking Yishi Yinan!"

"what?"

Upon hearing this, Li Daliang was stunned and speechless.

He now finally understood why Li Chengqian had come to Liangzhou.

It turns out he used him as bait to lure Xueyantuo into sending troops to capture him, and then turned around and raided their stronghold.

Good guy!
That's far more ruthless than His Majesty!

Wasn't he afraid of being captured by the Xueyantuo army? And he even provoked the Tuyuhun forces—what audacity!
"But Your Highness, with our small force, can we really defeat Yishi Dadu's 100,000-strong army? And what about the Tuyuhun?"

"Whether you can eat it or not, we'll talk about it after we've had the attack!"

Li Chengqian stood up without giving a chance to argue, then walked straight to his meteorite iron spear, picked it up, and said with a chilling expression, "Now it's my turn! Issue my order! All troops, attack!"

(End of this chapter)