Yang Chong only stayed in Jinyang for five days, staying in Yujuluo, Wei Zheng, and Yang Hao to guard Taiyuan, and led more than 10,000 people from Song Jingang, Yuwen Chengdu, and Su Dingfang to return to Hedong. Yang Hao is the imperial historian and the envoy of the state camp, responsible for supervising and tuntian matters; Liu Yun was asked to go by Yujuluo and served as the guard of Jinyang City; Ying Yi was transferred north to Jingle County as Yang Hao's deputy and served as the captain of Tuntian in Bingzhou.

The north wind is howling, the thick clouds are stacked, on the way to the Bird Mouse Valley, more than 10,000 horsemen lined up in a long line, the banner is waving, the morale is high, less than a month, it defeated Li Shimin, the most famous general of Li Tang, and drove the Tang army out of the state, and the Hexi army is the heroic division that is proud of the world. The generals were also very relaxed, riding on horses, discussing the situation in the world and the women in Jinyang City, and the drunken Wang Ji suddenly asked, "Is Guogong worried about Xu Shiji?" ”

Wang Ji is really a serpent-like strategist, with an extraordinary vision, Yang Chong said: "Taiyuan is lost, the area controlled by Xu Shiji is currently the largest enclave of the Tang Army, if Xu Shiji really surrenders, Li Shimin can gain a firm foothold in Youzhou, and he can fight Dou Jiande and others in the north and south with Xu Shiji, and take the land of Hebei." Even if Li Shimin is expelled by Luo Yi and Gao Kaidao, he can go to Liyang to regain his strength and compete with Dou Jiande and Wang Shichong for the Central Plains; I can't help it in Taiyuan, otherwise I'll be ready to turn back as soon as I enter the city. ”

Everyone laughed, and Du Zhenglun said apologetically: "It's me who is late and delays the major event of the Guogong." ”

Du Zhenglun, a native of Huanshui, Xiangzhou, was one of the fifteen talents in the Renshou period, when Du Zhenglun and his brother Du Zhengxuan and Du Zhengzang were admitted to the Xiucai together, which was passed down as a good story. This time, Wei Zheng recommended Du Zhenglun to Yang Chong, saying that his talent is incomparably ancient and modern, Yang Chong values Du Zhenglun's experience, he has stayed in Wagang, and Xu Shiji, Zhang Shanxiang and others are friends, and can take over Wei Zheng's later work; Yang Chong waved his hand and said: "If there is no such thing, recruiting Xu Shiji also depends on fate." ”

Du Zhenglun was proficient in Buddhism, and as soon as he heard about fate, he came to ask Yang Chong for advice: "Isn't it better to convince Xu Shiji as soon as possible?" ”

Yang Chong glanced at the team in front of him and said slowly: "Xu Shiji's ability is impeccable, but he has a fatal weakness and is unwilling to gamble, so he rejected me back then, Zhai Rang obeyed Li Mi's orders after his death, and he is still unwilling to cross Li Mi and contact Li Yuan directly." What do you think, what would Li Yuan do in such a situation? ”

"Kill Li Mi." Wang Ji said without hesitation, Song Jingang and others agreed that as long as Li Mi lived, Xu Shiji would not be a real Tang Dynasty, but a chess piece under Li Mibu. Yang Chong nodded, stared at Wang Ji and asked, "How will Li Yuan kill Li Mi?" ”

Wang Ji thought for a while and said: "The best way is to kill Li Mi outside Chang'an." It would be better if Li Mi could be charged with a crime, but if it really doesn't work, take the head of the general who killed Li Mi to calm the anger of the public? ”

Song Jingang and the others only felt a chill, these strategists just couldn't be provoked, and when they closed their mouths, it was a ghost idea that wanted people's lives. This kind of thing is to make the people at the bottom take the blame, Yang Chong said appreciatively: "Wang Changshi is really wise, so I feel that the best chance is when Li Micai dies; In order to create this situation, I have sent an order to Changping County, and ordered General Qu Tutong to lead the 4th Battalion of Wagang and the troops of Henan Province to attack Wang Deren, the governor of Ye County of the Tang Army. ”

Du Zhenglun said: "Guogong means to make Xu Shiji feel that the Hexi Army has begun to advance eastward, and he has to make a final decision. In this way, there must be news of Li Mi in Chang'an. ”

Yang Chong nodded and said, "Li Mi is asking to go to Liyang in person to persuade Xu Shiji to surrender, it depends on whether Li Yuan agrees." When you meet Xu Shiji, you mainly have to look at the problem from the perspective of the Tang army's victory, Li Shimin arrived in Youzhou, Xu Shiji is most likely to become Li Shimin's subordinate, but Li Yuan's crown prince is Li Jiancheng, after Li Shimin controls half of the country, will he voluntarily give up military power? It can be said that Xu Shiji was destined to be in a dilemma from the beginning of his defection to the Tang Army. ”

Du Zhenglun, Li Mi and Xu Shiji got along well in Wagang, and said with emotion: "Li Mi is self-defeating, Xu Shiji was born at the wrong time, but Jia Yanfu is resourceful, will he not remind Li Mi?" ”

"Reminder?" The corners of Ling Jing's mouth showed a hint of ridicule and said, "Only when Li Mi is dead, Jia Yanfu and them will be reused." ”

Ling Jing's words are full of mystery and cruelty, but life is sometimes more severe than imagined; Chang'an has not recovered from the blow of losing Taiyuan, and has been hit again and again, under the planning of Li Mi, Dou Rail dispatched 40,000 troops to carry out a surprise attack on the Hexi Army of Fufeng, but did not expect Liu Deyu, the general of the Right Military Guard, and Yuan Hongshan, the commander of the Right Military Guard, to mutiny, Dou Rail was defeated, fled back to Xianyang, and the Tang army lost 6,000 people, and 20,000 were surrounded and surrendered.

The initiator of the plan, Li Mi, originally went to Liyang to prepare to persuade Xu Shiji, learned that Fufeng was defeated, Li Yuan ordered him to return to Chang'an, Li Mi and Wang Bodang were so frightened that they fled with more than 6,000 people in their headquarters, passed through Taolin County, plundered livestock and entered Bear's Ear Mountain in the south, went to Xiangcheng to join the old general Zhang Shanxiang, and passed through Nanxing Gongxian in Luhun County, and was shot by Sheng Yanshi, the defender of Xiongzhou, who had been ambushed in advance.

Li Mi's death made the world puzzled, after Li Mi surrendered to Tang, he gave advice to Li Tang, and made outstanding achievements, if he could recruit Xu Shiji and others this time, it would mean that Li Tang could gain a foothold in Shandong and Hebei, and put pressure on Wang Shichong in Luoyang, and might even capture Luoyang. Li Yuan's movements were obviously a little bigger, but outsiders couldn't guess the meaning, and maybe Li Mi really had other plans.

The treacherous four generals Gao Jifu, Li Yude, Liu Dewei, and Jia Yanfu all led their troops to leave and return to Chang'an on Li Mi's way to Bear's Ears Mountain. The most direct consequence was that there was no explicit order from Chang'an, no one to reinforce Xiangcheng, Zhang Shanxiang ran out of food, and the city fell, and he was escorted to Luoyang to be beheaded.

To the north of Luoyang, the Hexi Army Henan Province Jiedu made Qu Tutong take Liu Heimin as the marching Sima, Meng Rang and Hao Xiaode were responsible for contacting various places, leading more than 20,000 people from Henan Province and Wagang Coalition Army to enter Henan, and Wang Deren, the head of Ye County of the Tang Army, was defeated in seven battles and lost all the territory west of Yecheng, and there is currently a county of Yecheng left.

Yang Chong once again sent Du Zhenglun as a consolation envoy to Henan, sent a letter to Xu Shiji, and prescribed the conditions for Xiangzhou Jiedu envoy, General Youwuhou, Cao Guogong, and the surname Yang. Yang Chong remembered that in history, Xu Shiji was given the surname Li, and Li Yuan of Chang'an opened the head of Liyang, the general of Youwuhou, and the Duke of Laiguo, so he did not dare to lower his bargaining chips, and promised Xu Shiji to give the Xu family a mine and an iron factory.

(End of chapter)