In the next siege battle, the Tang army was not easy to fight, the solidity of Luoyang City became the biggest resistance, plus the Zheng army had a large number of heavy defensive weapons - trebuchets, Zheng Jun's trebuchets could throw fifty catties of flying stones, and the throwing distance could reach two hundred steps; In addition, the Zheng army also had a kind of giant repeater, which filled the bow as big as a wheel, and the arrows were like a big axe, which could fire eight arrows in a row at a time, which caused great difficulties for the Tang army's siege.

Half a month later, Luoyang City still could not be captured, but the Tang army was exhausted. At this time, Yuan Ji received a letter from Ziyi from Chang'an, in which she discussed with Zheng Guanyin that in order to better deal with Shimin in the future, it was best not to let him win this battle, lest he make too many meritorious contributions and it would be difficult to start, and let Yuan Ji see if there was any way to be the deputy marshal. Yuan Ji rolled his eyes, thinking that this was the time when the whole army was tired, if he took the opportunity to act...... So Yuanji advertised in the army that Luoyang City is so difficult to fight, and everyone has been out for half a year, how tired, it's time to go home to see his wife and children, why not withdraw the army first and go back to Chang'an to rest and recuperate, and then it's not too late to fight!

Originally, the Tang army suffered heavy casualties under the city of Luoyang, how could it withstand such propaganda, who didn't want to go home to see their relatives? As a result, anti-war sentiment began to spread among the army, and even some generals were moved by it, and Liu Hongji, Qu Tutong and others asked Shimin to withdraw their troops.

With the shrewdness of the people, how could they not know that it was Yuanji's ghost? But he had to admit that this time Yuan Ji really captured the psychological state of the Tang army, otherwise it would not have had such a great effect. Shimin said to the generals: "We are going to attack Luoyang on a large scale, and we are determined to win." Now most of the states and counties to which Wang Shichong belonged have surrendered to my Datang, and Wang Shichong is left with only a lonely city in Luoyang, and there is no grain and grass inside, and there are no rescuers outside. As long as we insist, Luoyang City will be broken! If we withdraw now, won't it be a failure? ”

Yuan Ji crooked his mouth and said: "Second brother, you also said that Luoyang is a lonely city anyway, so it's not too late for everyone to take a break and fight!" ”

Shimin snorted: "Let's take a rest, Wang Shichong will have a chance to buffer, and the states and counties that have just surrendered are still unstable, and they are likely to return to Wang Shichong as soon as we withdraw the army." Coming back then is no different than starting over. Haven't these months been in vain? ”

Yuan Ji still didn't stop and asked, "Second brother, are you a little alarmist?" ”

"Yuanji!" Shimin shouted, "Don't think I don't know what you've done? If you're afraid, go back to Chang'an alone! The people drew their swords. said sharply to the generals: "Luoyang is not broken, the division will not be returned, and those who dare to speak about the class teacher - behead!" ”

The boss had already said so, and everyone did not dare to say anything more. Only Motoyoshi is still unwilling. Hmph, Li Shimin. If you say you don't withdraw, you won't withdraw? Yuan Ji secretly wrote a letter to Li Yuan, saying that the Tang army suffered countless casualties in the first battle of Luoyang, and there was not much grain and grass, so it was impossible to defeat Luoyang now. The second brother insisted on not withdrawing the army, and Erchen was worried that there would be not much left of the Tang army if it went on like this, and so on. Yunyun.

A few days later, Li Yuan's secret edict reached Shimin, meaning to ask him to withdraw his troops.

Shimin sent Li Shiyun back to Chang'an to see Li Yuan with his watch. Li Yuan saw what the people said: "Although Wang Shichong's original territory was not small, he separated the officials, and now most of them have been returned to the Tang Dynasty. Wang Shichong now only has a lonely city left in Luoyang, and he is exhausted and cannot last long. If the class teacher is today, the thief will be revived, and it will be more connected, and it will be difficult to figure it out later! ”

Li Yuan was silent for a long time, and asked Li Shixian: "In the first battle of Luoyang, how many casualties did the Tang army have?" ”

Li Shiyun said: "Back to His Majesty, it is less than one-tenth. ”

Li Yuan said in his heart, how can Yuan Ji say that there is not much left? Then he asked, "How much grain and grass is left?" ”

Li Shiyun replied: "It can still support the whole army for more than two months." ”

Li Yuan scolded himself in his heart, why is he so confused, can he believe the words of Yuanji's kid? He usually acts recklessly, even if he is like this in front of the battle, he actually panicked to report the military situation!

Li Yuan canceled the order to withdraw the troops, and asked Li Shichang to escort some grain and grass over. Then he wrote a letter and scolded Motoyoshi Yitong.

With Li Yuan's support and sufficient food and grass, Shimin began to change his tactics against Luoyang, no longer forcibly attacking the city, but digging deep trenches and building high camps, cutting off Luoyang from the outside world.

Luoyang City began to run out of grain, the price of rice soared, and the people had no food and could only eat grass roots and bark, and Wang Shichong was as anxious as ants on a hot pot. At this moment, a piece of good news fell from the sky, which made Wang Shichong excited again - Dou Jiande finally came to save him!

Earlier, Dou Jiande sent an envoy to try to persuade Shimin to withdraw from the army, but Shimin naturally ignored him. And this is just a delaying tactic used by Dou Jiande, in order to wait for Shimin and Wang Shichong to lose both, so that he can reap the benefits of the fisherman. Now the time has come, Wang Shichong was basically disabled by Li Shimin, and the Tang army was tired of veterans at this time, so Dou Jiande led an army of 100,000 in March of the fourth year of Wude to save Wang Shichong. The situation in Luoyang has changed from a two-way confrontation to a three-way scuffle.

When the news reached the Tang Army, Shimin immediately convened an emergency military meeting. Dou Jiande led the army southward and was menacing, while the Tang army had been fighting for more than half a year, and the vast majority of generals thought that they could not compete with it. The reason is very simple, Wang Shichong stuck to Luoyang City, Dou Jiande brought the elite to rescue, if the Tang army did not withdraw, it would be the enemy on the back of the abdomen, which was a taboo for soldiers. This time there are more people than last time who advocated the withdrawal of troops, because it has nothing to do with it.

He said: "Second Highness, since we marched into Luoyang, although we have been victorious and forced Wang Shichong to retreat to a lonely city in Luoyang, our army is exhausted, and everyone wants to return. And Dou Jiande's culture and reputation for killing Yu have been greatly enhanced, and he has recently annexed Meng Haigong, and he is unstoppable by victory, how can I resist the army of victory with my tired army? ”

Yuan Ji hurriedly took it and said to Shimin: "Exactly, this king has long said that the class teacher will return to Chang'an, second brother, you don't want to listen, now that the shape is like this, we still have to withdraw our troops back to Chang'an first." ”

Cheng Biting Jin said: "His grandmother's, what did Dou Jiande come to follow?" Can this Wang Shichong's already cooked duck fly again? ”

Li Jing said: "It is not necessary to withdraw to Chang'an according to the general. It is better for our army to surrender to Xin'an and wait for the opportunity. Wang Shichong and Dou Jiande are just using each other now, in the same bed and in different dreams, after a long time, they will inevitably be suspicious of each other, at that time, our army is taking the opportunity to cover up and kill, and it will definitely win a big victory. ”

Everyone, you say a word, I say a word, and there are many people who agree with Li Jing's view.

Shimin pondered for a long time and asked Li Shixian: "The general was originally from the old Wagang department, and he knows more about Henan, do you think if Dou Jiande comes to Luoyang, where can he be intercepted?" ”

Li Shichang replied: "Tiger Prison Pass, this place is located in the east of Luoyang, after this pass, you will be a flat river, there is no danger to defend." ”

Shimin glanced back at the Tiger Prison Pass on the map, which is exactly what he meant - the Tiger Prison Pass is the natural danger and barrier in the east of Luoyang, because King Mu of the Western Zhou Dynasty had hunted here and captured a fierce tiger and got its name, this is a "one man is the pass, ten thousand people are not open" of the male pass, since ancient times it is the place where soldiers must fight. If you want to curb Dou Jiande's male soldiers, you have to do it here.

Shimin smiled: "This is it!" Wang Shichong is at the end of his rope, and he is about to surrender in a blink of an eye, Dou Jiande is not self-sufficient, and he has come all the way to send them to death, this is the will of God to let them perish together, how can there be a reason not to eat the fat meat sent to the door? Therefore, we have to strike preemptively, according to the danger of the tiger prison, so that Dou Jiande cannot go west, and defeat him here! ”

Yuan Ji snorted: "Second brother, your abacus is inevitably too satisfying, right?" Are you Wang Shichong and Dou Jiande both pigs? ”

A group of generals led by Qu Tutong also repeatedly begged the people of the world to change their minds, they believed that the Tang army had reached the limit in terms of morale and physical fitness, and Dou Jiande's Xia army was recuperating and waiting for work, and it was really not the best strategy to fight with Zheng and Xia on the two fronts, and if it failed, the consequences would be unimaginable!

I have to admit that Qu Tutong and others' worries are not unreasonable, Shimin's idea is too risky, but how can Shimin be willing to give up the achievements he has made on the battlefield in Luoyang, the battle situation is indeed unfavorable to the Tang Army at this time, but if he does not know the difficulties, he will not be Li Shimin.

Shimin said: "If our army does not advance quickly, let Dou Jiande enter the Tiger Prison Pass, Zheng and Xia will be united, and it will be strong, what chance will we have at that time?" It is bound to be difficult for Datang to dominate the world. I have made up my mind, and there is no need to say it again. ”

All the generals knelt down and begged bitterly, and at this time, Jingde suddenly said: "Second Highness, why don't you ask Zixuan to count a hexagram and see what is better?" ”

Shimin thought to himself, okay, he believed that the records in the history books were the same as his choice, but Zixuan's ability to "pinch and calculate" could make the generals believe that this choice was correct, so he said: "Go and invite Zixuan." ”

Zixuan came to the big tent, listened to the opinions of both sides, and said slowly: "A few days ago, I had a hexagram, and Datang will soon dominate the world, and now Dou Jiande has come from afar, it is a gift to the door, how can I not accept it?" The Second Highness uses soldiers like a god, and all the generals know it, how can you not believe the Second Highness at this time? ”

Yuan Ji snorted: "Sister-in-law, where is your hexagram accurate?" The second brother's idea is too risky, so everyone will oppose it, don't harm my Datang soldiers because of a personal relationship! ”

Zixuan glanced at Yuan Ji with disdain, "Fourth Highness, rest assured, Zixuan's hexagram has never been missed." What's more, with the ability of the Second Highness, there is no need to take a large group of people to the Tiger Prison Pass, only 3,500 people are needed. And as the deputy marshal, His Royal Highness naturally wants to sit in Luoyang, and he will not let you lose your precious life! ”

Yuan Ji was angry and frightened, and jumped up, "What did you say?" Three thousand five hundred people, do you know how many people Dou Jiande brought here? ”

"You know, isn't it 100,000? Three thousand five hundred people were enough. Zixuan spread his hands easily.

(Author's note: Tiger Prison Pass, the Tang people called Wu Prison Pass because they avoided the taboo of Li Hu, the grandfather of Tang Gaozu Li Yuan, and here it is all written in Tiger Prison Pass for ease of understanding.) (To be continued) R580