Although Dai Chao swore an oath, he did not hold Tongguan after all.

The serious political problems brought about by Zhu Youyu's killing of Zhu Wen were fully reflected in the defensive battle of Tongguan. And Dai Chao only relied on the thousands of navy he brought, and in Tongguan, where the army gathered, he could not play an effective role in suppressing and intimidating at all, and he would have no will to fight, and the army would have no will to fight. On the third day after Zhu Youlu and Xu Fu arrived under Tongguan, the entire city defense of Tongguan collapsed.

The entire Tongguan and its surrounding defense system totaled 50,000 troops, only one-third of which retreated in the direction of Chang'an with Daichao, and the other two-thirds surrendered directly to Zhu Youzhen. So that Zhu Youzhen's 20,000 horses at the time of departure exceeded more than 50,000 people at once after entering Tongguan.

In fact, the time spent by Zhu Youzhen and Xu Fu Group on the march far exceeded the time they took Tongguan.

But the surge of military horses also brought huge pressure on Zhu Youzhen's logistics, and the most correct thing Dai Chao did when he left was to burn the mountains of grain and grass in Tongguan.

He couldn't take it away, but he couldn't give it to Zhu Youzhen, so that it could become a boost for Zhu Youzhen's large-scale attack on Chang'an.

This vicious approach did work, and Zhu Youzhen had to temporarily stop his progress on top of taking Tongguan, and urgently transfer grain and grass from the rear.

However, from the general direction, once Tongguan is lost, the entire Chang'an will be completely exposed to the front of the army, with the current morale of the Chang'an army, if you want to resist the morale of Zhu Youzhen, which is like a rainbow, it is almost equal to the Arabian Night.

The fall of Chang'an, in the eyes of many people, is just a matter of time.

Compared with Zhu Youzhen's momentum, Tianping Cao Xuan's life is extremely sad. After being attacked by Tian Ping and Liu Chenglin, Cao Xuan first abandoned Tai'an, then gave up Dongping, and retreated all the way to Yunzhou, where he fought fiercely with Tian Ping's Zuo Jin Wuwei, and after several days of hard work, he finally waited for the news that Zhu Youzhen had conquered Tongguan, and Cao Xuan immediately gave up Yunzhou and retreated again.

With this retreat, he completely withdrew from the jurisdiction of Tianping, fled directly into the area controlled by Xuanwujie Town, and gained a foothold in Bianzhou.

Cao Xuan ran very fast, if he ran a little slower, he would be blocked by Liu Chenglin in Yunzhou, thus completing the encirclement of him. This veteran of a hundred battles, in this war, perfectly embodies his command art, although the successive defeats, the loss of the division and the loss of land, but on the whole, he retreated to Bianzhou, still preserved the main force of the Tianping Army.

At this point, Tianpingjie Town completely fell into the hands of the Tang army, and the Liang army also rebuilt a complete defense line in Bianzhou, Xuzhou, Heyang and other places.

After taking the balance, Zuo Jinwu Wei Tianping troops entered Heyang, Liu Chenglin's troops approached Bianzhou, and Liang Han, the deputy general of the right Weiwei Guard under the jurisdiction of Shi Zhuang stationed in Weizhou, had already proposed that his troops and horses were approaching Kuoshan Pass in Xiazhou.

The Tang army was aggressive, while the Liang army was fully on the defensive. But as the weather got colder, the large-scale military came to a standstill.

The Tang army was reluctant to attack because it wanted to wait for the battle of Chang'an to break out, and no matter which of the two brothers won, the Liang army would inevitably lose its strength. At this time, the Liang army was really unable to launch a counterattack against the Tang army.

There was silence for a while, but elsewhere the fighting intensified.

Under the command of Liu Ruyan, the Tang army of Yangzhou quickly burst into flames, rushed like thunder, went to Changzhou in three days, and surrounded Suzhou, an important town in western Zhejiang, ten days later, which made Qian Hongzong, who had no preparations for war at all, shocked and angry, and urgently mobilized troops and horses on the one hand, and sent a distress letter to Du Xian in eastern Zhejiang and Rong Hong, the observer of Fujian.

Under the emergency mobilization of Qian Hongzong, the big families in Hangzhou this time rarely worked together, they were in the past, in order to ensure that their interests were fully guaranteed, they collectively fell to Xiang Xun, if the Tang army fought over, where would there be good fruits to eat?

Therefore, in a short period of time, Qian Hongzong gathered 20,000 reinforcements, including 3,000 standing troops from the Western Zhejiang Observation Envoy, 5,000 private soldiers from major clans, and more than 10,000 government soldiers requisitioned from the ground.

20,000 reinforcements, under the leadership of Chen Qingzhi, the governor of Hangzhou, rushed to Suzhou.

Qian Hongzong didn't feel that he had no chance of winning this battle. The reason why Changzhou fell so quickly and why Suzhou was besieged was only because of the sudden attack of the Tang army and the unpreparedness of their own side. If you fight gong-to-gong and drum-to-drum, you are afraid of more than 10,000 Tang troops!

The Tang army may be very strong, but they came to fight western Zhejiang this time, and there are only more than 10,000 people in total, as long as they have carried the three axes of the other party in the early stage and entered the stage of stalemate, then the local people in western Zhejiang will inevitably be able to burst out with greater strength, and Du Xian in eastern Zhejiang, and Ronghong in Fujian will not sit idly by and watch the defeat of western Zhejiang, which is also unacceptable for them.

Therefore, Tie Hongzong is full of confidence.

After dispatching Chen Qingzhi, he continued to recruit government soldiers on a large scale, taking precautions for the time and preparing to launch a counterattack at the right time.

The Tang Army basically had no backup, that's for sure.

Their enemies are not only their own, in Huainan, Wuning, the Liang army is still eyeing it, once they suffer defeat in western Zhejiang, the Liang army will inevitably take advantage of the robbery, and when the time comes, it is not uncommon to uproot the Tang people in Yangzhou.

Hangzhou has entered the military mobilization, and Suzhou at this moment is a different scene.

Under the bright light, Liu Ruyan is carefully admiring a pair of Suzhou embroidery, which is a pair of large Suzhou embroidery about half a zhang long and half a zhang wide, exquisite, and beside him, it is Xu Yingting, the former governor of Suzhou.

Suzhou had long been taken by the Tang army, and under the thunderous offensive of the Tang army, Suzhou did not survive three days. Xu Yingting surrendered. After completely blocking the news that Suzhou had fallen into the hands of the Tang army, Xu Yingting asked Hangzhou for help three times a day.

"This pair of Su embroidery, in our Wuyi, is at least worth a thousand gold!" Gently stroking this Su embroidery, Liu Ruyan said to Xu Yingting with a smile.

"Since the general likes it, this Su embroidery, the lower official will dedicate it to the general." Xu Yingting said flatteringly: "This embroidery was completed by the embroiderers in the Xiaguan's family, and it took a whole year to embroider!" ”

Hearing this, Liu Ruyan stretched out her hand to cover up the Su embroidery, shook her head and said: "If you like it, it doesn't mean that you have to take it away, it's yours, it's yours." Don't worry, Xu Zhizhou, you are a meritorious man, I will not rob you of your things. ”

"It's just a pair of Su embroidery, it's really not a tribute." Xu Yingting said again and again.

"You have contributed to the city, allowing my Tang soldiers to reduce unnecessary casualties, and this credit is real." Liu Ruyan said: "Are you a local? ”

"Yes, General, Xia Guan is a native of Suzhou."

"I heard that you have more than 100,000 acres of land and several silk reeling workshops and embroidery workshops in Suzhou?" Liu Ruyan then asked.

In the winter, beads of sweat on Xu Yingting's face suddenly appeared, and he lowered his head and said: "Yes, the lower officials are willing to sacrifice all these, as long as they can keep the lower officials' family safe." ”

"Although Datang strongly prohibits land annexation, it is not a forcible robbery, especially for a meritorious person like you, and it will not let your family be ruined." Liu Ruyan said with a smile: "Of course, your 100,000 acres of land must be recovered, but how to recover it is also particular, like that Changzhou Zhizhou, who doesn't know each other, wants to block the heavenly army, and finally ends up with a head on the ground, his family property will naturally be confiscated, and his clansmen will also be sent to Hetao, the Western Regions and other places, where are the people being sent!" ”

The beads of sweat on Xu Yingting's forehead became denser.

"But you don't have those worries. Xu Xiang, you know more about some specific things, you talk to Xu Zhizhou! Liu Ruyan looked at Xu Xiang beside her with a smile and said.

"A meritorious man like Xu Zhizhou, a person of insight, we have always been excellent." Xu Xiang bared his teeth and smiled: "Xu Zhizhou, your 100,000 mu of land can leave 1,000 mu of ration fields, and the rest, let's negotiate a price when the time comes, and we will buy it back." As for your silk reeling workshop and embroidery workshop, it is still yours, and it will not move a single bit. ”

Xu Yingting looked at Xu Xiang with some surprise.

"If you can actively cooperate with me in the future, the price will be negotiable." Xu Xiang leaned over, lowered his voice and said, "Anyway, I won't pay the money at that time, right?" It must be found in those who do not know each other. ”

In front of Liu Ruyan, saying such taboo words, the corners of Xu Yingting's mouth twitched a few times.

"Xu Xiang, aren't you afraid that I will tell the prince what you just said?" Liu Ruyan said with a smile.

Xu Xiang laughed: "Li Xiang won't blame me, as long as I don't take money out of Li Xiang's pocket, Li Xiang doesn't care what I do, Li Xiang has always only looked at the results." ”

Liu Ruyan smiled, Xu Xiang This guy is ruthless, and he took it out from him, but he was afraid that Xu Yingting would have to make up for him ten times before he could stop. However, after the war, there will inevitably be a period of chaos between the two provinces, and it is impossible not to use some means.

Li Mi hurriedly ran in from outside, looked at Liu Ruyan and said: "Madam, the scout has come to report, the reinforcements from Hangzhou are coming, led by Chen Qingzhi, and 20,000 horses are coming to Suzhou." ”

Liu Ruyan let out a long laugh, "Xu Zhizhou, when I destroy this reinforcement, you will really add a sum to your credit." ”

Xu Yingting smiled more ugly than crying.

Liu Ruyan didn't care about this, left as soon as he left, and took Li Mi away.

Inside the house, Xu Xiang grabbed Xu Yingting's hand and said: "Come on, Brother Xu, let's discuss a lot of specific things, you are a local, tell me about the local situation in detail, now I have a black eye!" ”