On the fourth day of the first month of June, Gao Xiu 15,000 soldiers and horses captured Gaolu, and Chang'an was close at hand, and within two days, the surrounding counties were all lost, and the north gate of Chang'an was completely open to the cadres, and Chang'an City was panicked.

The leather leopard, who originally planned to fight to the death with Xue Andu, was frightened after getting the news, lest his retreat be outflanked by Gao Xiu's army, and he just received the emperor's order to lead the army to withdraw to Chang'an, he did not hesitate, and quickly retreated to Chang'an with more than 15,000 people, but did not retreat to Chang'an, but stationed in Xinfeng City, wanting to form a horn with Chang'an and support each other.

Xue Andu and Zhang Xing, who were in Zheng County, got the news and quickly marched westward and stationed in Xiaqi.

On the fifth day of the sixth month, Zhao Junsheng led a large army to cross Weishui south and arrived outside the west gate of Chang'an, and there was a panic in the city.

Zhao Junsheng ordered to set up camp ten miles outside the West City Gate, and convened the ministers and generals of the army to discuss the matter, and also sent people to inform Gao Xiu, who was in Gaolu, and Zhang Xing and Xue An, who were kneeling, to come to participate.

On the sixth day of the first month of June, Zhao Junsheng held a military meeting.

"Now the leopard leads 15,000 people to garrison Xinfeng, Xinfeng is the east gate of Chang'an, if we besiege Chang'an, the leopard will definitely lead the army to help; If we besiege Xinfeng, the Wei army in Chang'an City should also send troops, and we will not be able to attack Xinfeng with peace of mind. Let's talk about it, how to fight this battle? Zhao Junsheng swept his eyes and asked the ministers and generals.

The ministers and generals whispered to each other.

At this time, Lu Xuanbo stood up and reported: "King, I just received a news that Buliu Guli and Xi Huan and others have ordered all the Xianbei Qingzhuang and other young people of all ethnic groups in Chang'an City to be recruited, and they will issue armor and bows and crossbows to these young people, and let them say it together, the number of people is more than 10,000 people!" In addition, according to the careful investigation of the black-clothed guards, the food, armor, bows, crossbows, arrows, and other military supplies in the city were enough for them to use for two years! ”

The ministers and generals looked at each other for a while.

There were originally more than 10,000 regular soldiers of the Wei army in Chang'an City, and now more than 10,000 young and strong people of all ethnic groups have been recruited, adding up to more than 20,000 people.

Zhao Junsheng's thoughts shifted to Saiwai and asked, "How is the situation on Chang Kun's side?" ”

Shen Hui stood up and said: "Great King, after General Chang arrived at the northern defense line with 30,000 horses, relying on the two towns of Huaishuo and Woye, he fought with the Rouran people on the grassland north of the Hetao. After receiving the edict of the king, Sima Chuzhi of Wuchuan and General Gao Xu of Dongyi began to send troops to cooperate, and the army of Rouran Wuti retreated to the north of Yinshan and lost its trace, and our spies are tracking! ”

This is the advantage of the nomads, the northern defense line of the Central Plains Dynasty is too long, and because of the vast grassland desert, the barbarians on the desert north can attack the Central Plains Dynasty everywhere, and quickly disappear into the desert and grassland, so that the Central Plains Dynasty is invincible.

Zhao Junsheng thought for a moment and said: "Proposed edict, with Sima Chuzhi as the general manager of the march, the capital governor of the northern military, and fully preside over the war with Rouran!" Gao Xu, the King of Dong, Chang Kun and the large and small forts and garrisons on the defense line of the Great Wall in the north were all under his control! ”

An edict was quickly drafted, and after being reviewed and transcribed by Dongfang Chen, Shen Hui and others, Zhao Junsheng personally stamped the seal and sent it out on a fast horse.

Zhao Junsheng looked at the ministers and generals again and said, "Let's concentrate on solving the Wei State now, and when we have our hands freed, let's go to find trouble with the Rouran people!" Now let's talk about how to fight this Chang'an City! ”

Li Ji stood up and said: "I heard that the former king had a friendship with the leopard, and the minister is willing to go to see the leopard and persuade him to submit to my great work!" ”

Li Ji has been engaged in the affairs related to the envoy since he followed Zhao Junsheng, he has been on the mission many times, each time he has succeeded, and he has never failed, and the ministers saw him stand up and ask for the envoy to make the leopard, and they all whispered.

"Can it work? I've heard that the leopard guy isn't very easy to deal with! ”

"The leopard is a good asset, I believe it should be fine, right?"

"But I heard that the leather leopard is Emperor Taiwu's playmate, and he treats Tuoba Huang as his own, and now Tuoba Huang is the emperor, and he still doesn't do his best to maintain Tuoba Huang's throne? How can you be persuaded to submit to our court? ”

"I'm worried about whether Li Ji will return or not, as the so-called often walks by the river, how can there be no wet shoes?"

"Wouldn't it, go and see the leopard and be in danger of killing his head?"

For a while, the big tent was filled with whispered discussions, and it was very noisy.

"Ahem!" Zhao Junsheng coughed twice, and the ministers and generals stopped talking.

Zhao Junsheng asked Li Ji: "How sure are you?" ”

Li Ji arched his hand: "The minister has not seen the leather leopard, but has heard of some of his people, to be honest, the minister is not sure, he can only act at the opportunity after seeing the leather leopard!" ”

Zhao Junsheng thought for a moment and said to Li Ji: "That's it, Lone writes a letter to the leather leopard, you bring it to him, with this letter, you shouldn't have too many problems in terms of security." In addition, Lone will give you more finances, the leopard likes money, this is a well-known thing, although there is nothing new for us to send him money, but it is not strange to be a gift, and it can also increase your chances of winning! ”

Li Ji arched his hand: "Thank you to the king, the minister will definitely live up to his mission!" ”

Zhao Junsheng said to Gao Xiu, Xue Andu and Zhang Xing: "The three generals go back to the camp first, don't be attacked by the Wei army, if there is any military affairs to discuss, Lone will send someone to notify you to come and participate!" ”

The three of them stood up and bowed and clenched their fists: "The ministers are leaving!" ”

In the afternoon of the same day, Li Ji was ordered by Zhao Junsheng to send an envoy to Pi Leopard, because there was a gap between Chang'an City, so he could only follow Gao Xiu, Zhang Xing, Xue Andu and others to Gaolu first, and then to Xinfeng.

After arriving in Gaolu, Li Ji rested overnight in Gao Xiu's camp, and the next day he went to Xinfeng with his escort and accompanying chariots and horses.

Xinfeng City.

The leopard walked into an almost abandoned warehouse with some of his generals, the floor covered with dust and a musty smell in the air.

"Ahem, ahem!" Someone smelled the musty smell and coughed incessantly.

The leopard walked up to a pile of worn-out ordnance, drew a rusty sword and looked at it, there was a gap in the sword, and then he took another spear, the tip of which was blunt.

"Come, take these weapons out and sharpen them, and these armors, find someone to sew and mend them, find a blacksmith to beat them again, and then distribute them to the soldiers," the leopard commanded.

"Yes!" One by one, the generals stepped forward to carry bundles of almost discarded armor.

A junior general came forward to report: "General, the cadres have sent an envoy!" ”

The leather leopard waved his hand: "No, cut it directly!" By the way, if the cadres continue to send envoys over in the future, they don't need to report it, they will be cut directly! ”

was about to agree, hesitated for a moment and said: "The other party said that he brought a letter written by King Zhao Junsheng to present to the general!" ”

The leopard was stunned, he remembered Zhao Junsheng, he hadn't seen Zhao Junsheng for more than ten years, and his impression of Zhao Junsheng was still stuck in the time when Zhao Junsheng and Baba Daosheng came to Chang'an to lobby him to be loyal to Tuoba Jian.

After all, there is some friendship, and Zhao Junsheng's handwritten letter is not a handful of things, he can't help but see the messenger, so he said: "Ben will go to see the messenger!" By the way, what is the messenger called? ”

"I heard it's called Li Ji!"

The leather leopard was stunned: "Oh? It turned out to be him? I didn't expect that the face of this general is so big, this Li Ji is Zhao Junsheng's cronies, and every important envoy is personally sent by him."

Soon, when the leopard returned to the county office, he saw a middle-aged scribe kneeling in the hall, a few attendants outside the door, and a few large boxes at his feet.

Li Ji saw a general walking in with a sword, Li Ji got up and shook it to the ground: "Li Ji, the envoy of the Qianguo, has seen General Pi!" ”

The leopard looked at Li Ji as he walked, and waited until he knelt down behind the desk before asking, "You are Li Ji?" ”

"Yes!"

"Why did you come to see Ben General?"

Li Jidao: "On the order of my king, the general sent a letter written by my king to the general, as well as a gift from my king to the general!" ”

The leopard doesn't talk nonsense: "Where is the letter?" Where's the gift? ”

"Come on, bring in the gift that the king gave to General Pi!"

Several attendants walked in with several large boxes and lowered them side by side, and then retreated in turn.

Li Ji stepped forward and opened the boxes one by one, three boxes of gold cakes, one box of jewelry and jade, and the leopard couldn't take his eyes off it for a long time.

Li Ji waited for a while, observed the look of the leopard, and saw that he was a little obsessed, so he immediately took out the letter and presented it with both hands and said, "This is a letter written by my king to the general!" ”

A soldier next to him stepped forward to take the letter and handed it to the leopard.

The leather leopard took the letter and opened it and read it, he quickly read it, Zhao Junsheng first talked to him in the letter, and then turned to the topic, bluntly said that the Wei State has now come to an end, although Chang'an and his skin leopard do not want to admit it, but this is already an irreversible overall situation, even the Rouran people and the Southern Dynasties can not save the Wei State. If Chang'an and the leopard tried to defend the city and delay time, it would be a big mistake, even if the Southern Dynasty captured all of Henan, even if he was killed by the Rouran people into the pass, he Zhao Junsheng would first destroy the Wei State and then deal with the Rouran people and the Southern Dynasty, and anyone would want to let the Wei State survive for a long time!

In the end, Zhao Junsheng hoped that the leopard could recognize the current situation and make the right choice, and that the door of his country would be open for the leopard at any time, and said that if the leopard still insisted on his own opinion, he would understand it and would not blame, but the two armies were fighting, and his side would never be polite.

The leopard was silent for a long time after reading the letter, and he saw Zhao Junsheng's determination from the words of the letter, Zhao Junsheng would not scruple about the invasion of Rouran and the Southern Dynasties, even if he lost a large area of land, he would destroy the Wei State first, what did this mean? It means that there is no hope for Wei anymore.