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

Chapter 362 Li Chengqian: Should we not infuriate Li Er?! [Seeking monthly votes]

"Your Highness! The reinforcements from the Tianzhu King's tribe have arrived!"

Murong Shun ran excitedly to Li Chengqian and reported to him, not knowing why he was so excited about Li Chengqian hitting his own people.

But in any case, Murong Shun has now completely submitted to the Tang Dynasty.

Besides maintaining the demeanor of a Tuyuhun Khan in front of his own subjects, he acted like a lackey dressed in the uniform of a collaborator in front of Li Chengqian.

Li Chengqian smiled faintly, neither excited nor distant, and calmly asked, "Is everything ready on your end?"

"We've been prepared for a long time, just waiting for your order, and then we'll cooperate with the Tang army to take them down!"

"Well then, let's begin!"

Li Chengqian nodded and said something, then ordered Xue Rengui beside him: "Rengui, you will lead the charge this time. Don't kill them all, just make sure they surrender!"

"it is good!"

Xue Rengui immediately accepted the order.

Then, Li Chengqian asked Pei Xingjian, "Pei Xingjian, how is the situation at Yugushe? Have they infiltrated the vicinity of the Tianzhu King's tribe?"

"Your Highness, news came half an hour ago that they have arrived at their designated position and are just waiting for the appointed time to launch an attack on the Tianzhu King's tribe!" Pei Xingjian replied hastily.

Li Chengqian suddenly seemed to remember something and asked, "How is Li Daliang doing?"

"this."

Pei Xingjian hesitated for a moment, then replied, "According to news from Ganzhou, Commander Li has already left Ganzhou and should have joined up with Commander Qiu and the others!"

"So, the advance on the northern front is on track?"

"should be!"

Upon hearing this, Li Chengqian turned to look at Murong Shun, then walked to the map without hesitation and pointed at it, saying, "Although our advance on the southern front is relatively slow, according to our current plan, it hasn't actually delayed us much."

"Come and see!"

Upon hearing this, all the generals, including Murong Shun, walked toward the map.

But Li Chengqian continued, "The northern route will be to fight along the southern shore of Qinghai Lake, sweeping away the main force of Tuyuhun entrenched in the Dafeichuan area. The southern route will be to strike directly into the rear of Tuyuhun, attacking the various Tuyuhun tribes at the source of the Yellow River. Finally, we will join forces with Su Dingfang at Dafeichuan to complete the pincer attack and encirclement."

"Now that we have captured Fu'e City and have Murong Shun's allegiance, we can say that we have achieved twice the result with half the effort."

"Once we stabilize Fu'e City and the surrounding tribes, we will basically only have the main force of the Tuyuhun in the north left."

"If Su Dingfang and his men had dealt with the main force of the Tuyuhun in the north ahead of time, wouldn't we have been spared the hardship of joining forces with them?" Xue Rengui said abruptly.

"Hahaha!"

The generals burst into laughter, thinking to themselves, "What kind of good thing is this? Do you really think that Tuyuhun Khan Fuyun is a pushover? It's not that easy to solve."

However, upon hearing Xue Rengui's words, Murong Shun said thoughtfully, "Even if we cannot eliminate the main force on my father's side, as long as we can separate my father from Dayan Mangjiebo, the overall situation of Tuyuhun will be settled."

"Because I know Dayan Mangjiebo too well. He's arrogant and conceited. Without my father, Khan, he'll never amount to anything!"

"hehe."

Li Chengqian smiled noncommittally and said, "We are fighting a real war, not a war simulation. Everything should be based on the actual situation. Let's not analyze these uncertain things too much!"

After saying this, he looked around at his generals and solemnly said, "Immediately issue my order to capture the Tianzhu King's tribe and all the surrounding tribes!"

"Yes!"

The generals immediately accepted the order and quickly threw themselves into the battle.

Meanwhile, in the desert region, the main base of the Tuyuhun people.

Tuyuhun Khan Fuyun's condition was already quite serious, and the imperial decree from Murong Shun further angered him, leaving him barely breathing.

Seeing him in this state, Tuyuhun prince Dayan Mangjiebo, who should have immediately organized his army to meet the enemy, was also in a panic and did not know how to deal with it.

"Cough cough,"

Fu Yun, barely breathing and pale-faced, coughed twice before struggling to open his eyes. His vision blurred as he scanned the Tuyuhun officials surrounding him, as well as Dayan Mangjiebo, and said, "That rebellious son, Murong Shun, usurped power and betrayed us; he is a disgrace to the Murong family. Cough cough..."

As he spoke, he coughed violently twice more, expelling the blood clot stuck in his throat.

"Father Khan!"

When Dayan Mangjiebo saw the blood clot, he was startled and immediately knelt down beside Fuyun.

But Fu Yun ignored him, only taking a few heavy breaths before panting, "Now that the enemy is approaching, I, the Khan, will not waste any more of your time. I have two things to say."

"First, I, the Khan, voluntarily abdicate. From now on, Dayan Mangjiebo will succeed me as Khan of Tuyuhun, as he is the legitimate successor. If the opportunity arises, we must punish that false Khan Murong Shun and revitalize our kingdom..."

Before he could finish speaking, another violent coughing fit erupted, this time lasting for a long time, almost causing Fu Yun to faint.

Fortunately, Fu Yun managed to calm himself down with his strong willpower and it took him a long time to recover.

But he continued, "Secondly, the Tang army's momentum is already established, and our army cannot fight them head-on. We should withdraw as soon as possible. There are enemy troops in both the north and south, but the west is the only favorable direction."

“The Khan’s intention is for us to retreat westward, but further west lies either the Western Regions or Tibet. Our relationship with Tibet is probably…” Prime Minister Midu couldn’t help but interject.

Fu Yun glanced at him with difficulty, wanting to say something, but then didn't know what to say. After a moment, he changed the subject and said, "The Tibetan king is a very talented young man. He cleaned up the mess and conflicts left by the previous king in a short time, which is enough to show that he is a great ruler."

"Unfortunately, he encountered the Crown Prince of the Tang Dynasty; the two could not possibly coexist. As for our Tuyuhun and Tubo, they are mutually dependent, like lips and teeth."

Upon hearing this, the civil and military officials of Tuyuhun looked at each other in bewilderment.

Although Fuyun did not explicitly answer Prime Minister Midu's question, his meaning was clear: if the situation was unavoidable, they could rely on the strength of Tibet and band together for mutual support.

Of course, given the numerous conflicts between Tuyuhun and Tibet, it was impossible for the old Khan of Tuyuhun to voluntarily seek refuge with Songtsen Gampo. He could only rely on the new Khan, Dayan Mangjiebo, to lose face.

But another Tuyuhun general said, “Great Khan, I don’t think we need to be so pessimistic. Although the Tang army is powerful, it will not be easy for them to completely conquer Tuyuhun. Moreover, the Tang army is also fighting in Goguryeo and Xueyantuo. I don’t believe they can hold out for a year or two. As long as we drag this out long enough, the Tang army will eventually be worn down by us!”

“That’s right! I still believe in Father Khan’s strategy of wearing down the Tang army!” Dayan Mangjiebo echoed.

"hehe."

Fu Yun gave a forced, noncommittal smile, then looked at Prime Minister Midu and asked, "Midu, do you think the Heavenly Pillar King would betray me?"

"this."

Upon hearing this, Midu hesitated, unsure how to respond.

Although he is still the prime minister of Tuyuhun, everyone knows that he supports Murong Shun, and that Murong Shun's actions in Chang'an were all at his behest.

However, the result was beyond his expectations. The Tang Dynasty produced an unparalleled crown prince who not only ruined his plans but also caused Fu Yun to humiliate him, thus enabling the crown prince faction, such as Murong Xiaojun, Tuoba Mi, and Murong Xiaojun, to rise to power.

Now that Murong Shun has usurped the throne with the support of the Tang Dynasty, he should logically join Murong Shun's cause.

However, Fu Yun's question, seemingly asking whether Tianzhu Wang would betray him, was actually asking whether he would betray him.

Seeing that Midu hesitated to speak, Fuyun's eyes narrowed slightly: "You should know that what I despise most are those who betray me."

"Your Majesty is overthinking it! In my opinion, the Heavenly Pillar King has always been loyal to Your Majesty, and I simply do not believe that he would betray Your Majesty. Therefore, I suspect that this is a scheme by the false Khan Murong!"

Before Fu Yun could finish speaking, Mi Du quickly spoke up for him.

Upon hearing this, the remaining Tuyuhun officials exchanged bewildered glances once more.

Even Dayan Mangjiebo looked at Midu with some surprise, thinking to himself that he would actually call Murong Shun a false Khan.

But Fu Yun smiled faintly: "I think so too. Murong Shun could not possibly gain the support of the Heavenly Pillar King and his tribe. He is the one."

"cough cough"

Before he could finish speaking, an even more violent coughing fit rang out.

Immediately afterwards, Fu Yun coughed up a mouthful of blood with a loud "whoosh," his eyes wide open, and his legs kicked out.

The great Khan of Tuyuhun passed away.

"Father Khan—!"

"Great Khan—!"

"Kill!" Just as the civil and military officials of Tuyuhun and Dayan Mangjiebo were filled with grief, the Liangzhou army led by Li Daliang, the Black Armor Guards led by Su Dingfang, and the Ganzhou army led by Qiu Yu were attacking the desert area from three directions.

Although they encountered fierce resistance from the Tuyuhun royal army during this period, their arrival was so sudden that the Tuyuhun royal army was completely unprepared, catching them off guard.

Therefore, at this moment, after several rounds of fierce attacks, the Tuyuhun royal army is almost unable to hold on.

"Commander Su! They're just one breath away from death, what should we do?!"

Qiu Yu, covered in blood, rode up to Su Dingfang and, panting, asked him a question.

Su Dingfang frowned and surveyed the battlefield, saying, "The fighting strength of these royal army soldiers is far superior to that of the Tuyuhun army we encountered before. Moreover, judging from the situation, they seem to have no reinforcements. It seems that the Tuyuhun main camp is just ahead!"

"What do you mean?"

"Don't rush, let me think!"

Su Dingfang pondered for a moment, then gritted his teeth and said, "I have some secret weapons here that the Crown Prince provided to our Black Armor Guards. They are for use when we break through enemy lines. I want to use them here to take down the Tuyuhun headquarters in one fell swoop!"

"What are we waiting for? Take it out now!"

Upon hearing this, Qiu Yu urged excitedly, "What do you mean by 'help'? As long as we're strong enough, they're the ones who should be calling for help!"

"Hehe, that's true!"

Su Dingfang smiled, and then immediately said to the messenger behind him, "Bring out all our crossbows!"

"Crossbow?"

The messenger was slightly taken aback and stood frozen in place.

The so-called crossbow was actually a new type of weapon derived from a larger bow and arrow.

Although it looks a bit strange, it is incredibly powerful and is very suitable for cavalry to equip for conquering cities and seizing territory.

Yes, you heard right, cavalry can also conquer cities and seize territory.

With these ballistae, which are similar to mortars, city walls can be blown up and city gates destroyed; their destructive power is astonishing.

"What are you all standing there for? Didn't you hear my orders?"

Seeing the messenger standing there dumbfounded, not knowing what to do, Su Dingfang frowned deeply.

But the messenger hurriedly said, "No, Commander Su, are we going to use the crossbows now? Isn't it time for a decisive battle yet?"

"Who says this isn't the time for a decisive battle? As long as we capture the Tuyuhun's main camp, we'll win! Go now!"

Su Dingfang rebuked him without room for argument.

The messenger paused for a moment, then ran off to deliver the order without saying a word.

About fifteen minutes later, the Tuyuhun royal army, which had been putting up a stubborn resistance, suddenly felt something fly overhead and instinctively looked up.

A large crossbow bolt landed not far from them, but it missed both their men and their horses, which was very strange.

But then a soldier from the Tuyuhun royal court said with a hint of amusement, "The Tang army is probably finished too; they can't even shoot arrows accurately anymore!"

"Yeah! To shoot such a big arrow, it's not like we're attacking a city. They're really stupid, thinking we have a city here!"

"Hahaha! Look, the crossbow bolt is on fire!"

"Boom!"

Before the laughter of the Tuyuhun royal army soldier could even subside, a thunderous explosion resounded, unleashing a rapid shockwave that sent everything in its path reeling.

"What the hell is this?"

A general from the Tuyuhun royal court scrambled to his feet, clutching his woolen hat as he stared in astonishment at the source of the explosion.

However, no one could answer his question; instead, more than thirty crossbow bolts followed.

Immediately afterwards, these crossbow bolts exploded continuously among the Tuyuhun royal army, startling all of them.

"Here we go again! Here we go again!"

"Run! Run!"

As shouts rang out, the Tuyuhun royal army, which had been putting up a stubborn resistance, collapsed in an instant.

Meanwhile, Tang generals such as Li Daliang and Qiu Yu stared in astonishment at everything before them.

Although they had all heard of the Tang Dynasty's firearms, they never imagined that a mere few hundred crossbows could change the course of a battle involving tens of thousands of troops.

This is incredible.

So this is how war can be fought?

Times have truly changed!

"Come on—!"

Seeing that the Tuyuhun royal army was being bombarded by crossbows and was in complete disarray and suffering a series of defeats, Su Dingfang decisively issued a general order.

Because he knew that although firearms were powerful, they could only catch the enemy off guard. Once the enemy regained their footing, they were basically useless.

As a result, under the charge of Su Dingfang's Black Armor Guards, Tang generals such as Li Daliang and Qiu Yu also launched their final assault, causing the Tuyuhun royal army to lose their armor and flee in all directions.

As for the Tuyuhun headquarters, shortly after Fuyun's death, Dayan Mangjiebo, as the new Tuyuhun Khan, issued his first order to retreat westward.

Meanwhile, on the other side, in the city of Fue.

The strategy of besieging a point and attacking reinforcements, which Li Chengqian and Murong Shun jointly employed, was also successfully completed.

The reinforcements from the Tianzhu King tribe, as well as the reinforcements from several tribes surrounding Fu'e City, were all defeated by them.

Finally, even the strongholds of these tribes were attacked by the Wolf Fang Guards led by Yu Gushe.

"hehe."

Li Chengqian and Murong Shun exchanged a smile, and then Murong Shun said with a happy expression, "In this way, most of the southern territory will belong to me. Your Highness the Crown Prince is truly wise!"

"Not at all, not at all. If it weren't for your assistance, Khan, I wouldn't have been able to conquer your territory so easily!" Li Chengqian said with feigned modesty.

Murong Shun's lips twitched, then he chuckled and said, "Yes, yes, this is all the result of our cooperation!"

After saying this, she suddenly seemed to remember something and said with a hint of melancholy, "It's just a pity that there's still no movement from my father's side."

“If you hadn’t brought this up, I would have almost forgotten. What exactly is your father’s illness?” Li Chengqian asked, as if he had just remembered something.

Murong Shun glanced at him and shook his head, saying, "I don't know what kind of illness it is. He just had a lot of chickenpox all over his body. Later, our shaman used some method to control the chickenpox, but his health has been deteriorating ever since."

"chicken pox?"

Li Chengqian frowned, wondering if it was smallpox. But wasn't smallpox an infectious disease? He hadn't heard of a smallpox outbreak in Tuyuhun!
Moreover, even smallpox was difficult to treat in this era, wasn't it?
So-called witch doctors were nothing but barefoot doctors; they had no ability to cure smallpox!
But then he couldn't help but ask, "What methods did your witch doctor use to control the chickenpox?"

"I know even less about that. It was Dayan Mangjiebo who went to the sacred mountain to find him. You know about my conflict with Dayan Mangjiebo; he wouldn't let me see my father, but I heard that he drank some kind of divine water from a cup."

"What kind of magical water is in that cup?"

Li Chengqian became more and more confused as he listened.

But just as he was about to press for an answer, a report came from outside the door: "Your Highness, good news has arrived from the northern front! Commander Su and his men have successfully breached the Tuyuhun headquarters, captured many prisoners, and discovered the body of Tuyuhun Khan Fuyun."

"What!?"

Upon hearing this report, Li Chengqian and Murong Shun both stood up in shock.

But then Murong Shun asked in surprise and disbelief, "What did you say?! They discovered the body of the Tuyuhun Khan?!"

"Yes! According to those Tuyuhun prisoners, after hearing that the Tang army had decisively defeated their vanguard and was already surrounding them, and then hearing the news of your ascension to the throne, Fuyun suddenly vomited blood and died not long after."

"This"

Upon hearing this, Murong Shun was stunned into silence.

Li Chengqian, standing to the side, looked at him with a complicated expression, thinking to himself, "You're really something, even your father was driven to his death by this."

However, if it were Li Er, he probably wouldn't be so easily angered to death.
(End of this chapter)