When the eldest grandson Wuji and Zheng Rentai led the army to attack, Song Jingang and Yuwen Chengdu 8,000 cavalry went out of the pass to fight a decisive battle, and Su Dingfang attacked back and forth, the eldest grandson Wuji suffered more than 10,000 casualties and fled back to Lingshi County, Han Xinling's boss joined the army Tian Deping led 2,000 Tang troops to surrender. After listening to the battle report, Li Shimin immediately ordered Shi Wanbao and Gongsun Wuda to lead 5,000 cavalry across the thousands of miles to cover the withdrawal of Changsun Wuji; Stay for a day, take advantage of the night to go east, and occupy the three-way intersection from Pingyao and Jiexiu to Lingshi first.

After Liu Yun's army passed, Song Jingang, Liu Yun, and Su Ding conveniently outflanked the troops from the flank, but the eldest grandson Wuji was deeply familiar with the art of war, and after Shi Wanbao came to help, it was difficult for Song Jingang to break through the enemy formation. In the end, he could only follow Su Dingfang's suggestion to attack the enemy, kill 1,500 Tang troops, and capture a large number of armor and weapons; Li Shimin blocked Yujuluo's onslaught for a day and a night before breaking through, and retreated to the township and county with the eldest grandson Wuji, as well as 20,000 troops and 15,000 war horses.

Li Shimin sent someone to inform Zhang Changxun to abandon Liaozhou, and he led 15,000 cavalry to rush back to Taiyuan at night; Zhang Changxun received the order, but he was still a step slower, and the Song Jingang cavalry arrived at the township and county first, attacked a hundred miles north, defeated the 5,000-foot army led by Du Junxuan, and turned back to Wushan. The two armies met at Wushan, and the Tang general Zhang Changxun ordered the hussar general Gao Shijing to lead the cavalry to cover the retreat of the army; After Gao Shijing fought hard for a day, Zhen Zhai'er had already taken the road from Pingyao to Taiyuan and cut off the township, and Gao Shijing had no choice but to surrender.

Together with Liang De and Yang Shiluo, Yujuluo went all the way north to attack Qingyuan Fort in Jinyang County, and the 50,000 army was once again repelled by Li Shimin's 30,000 Tang army; But the victory of the Tang army was nothing more, Song Jingang and Han Shige defeated the Tang army on the east side of Taiyuan, captured Liu Zhenghui alive, and divided their troops to capture Shouyang, Niangziguan, Liaoshan and other places. This was Li Shimin's first defeat since his debut, losing nearly 50,000 troops, losing Liaozhou and the counties west of Taiyuan, and leaving only Yangzhi and Shun counties in addition to Jinyang City.

Chu Luo Khan took the opportunity to go south, and 30,000 Turkic troops entered Yangzhi County with pride, and directly set up camp in the county seat; Li Tang's face was completely knocked to the ground, and Chu Luo Khan was so arrogant that he sent his cronies to Jinyang to rob women. However, Chu Luo Khan is also a persimmon to pick up the soft pinch, in the face of the momentum of the Hexi army, can only put on a friendly posture, after all, Shouyang, Niangzi Pass and further north, is currently nominally controlled by Liu Wuzhou Mayi County, Yanmen County.

In fact, Liu Wuzhou is not even a puppet in the eyes of the Turks at present, Huang Ziying was ordered to go back to Yanmen County to rectify the people, and was killed by Luo Khan before he left the Turkic border, Liu Wuzhou has no more freedom except for being able to move between several tents. In this case, once the Hexi Army launches an offensive, the scene of the two counties of Mayi can be imagined.

Yang Shanjing was ordered to go south again and discuss Yang Zhengdao's affairs with Yang Chong in Pingyao, and Empress Xiao agreed to Yang Chong's suggestion, restored Yang Yu and Yang Tong's original identities as acting kings and Yue kings, and authorized Yang Chong to place the two of them. Yang Chong agreed to change Yangzhi County to Fenyang County, and together with Yanmen and Mayi Counties, it became Yang Zhengdao's territory; Yang Chong said to Yang Shanjing with a serious expression: "I need you to go back and warn the Turks that they are not welcome in Jinyang, and once my army enters Jinyang, the Turks will not be allowed to cross the border line." ”

For so many years, Yang Shanjing has long understood Yang Chong's bottom line, and giving up the three counties is just to hope that Yang Guang's family will have a better life, if Empress Xiao joins forces with the Turks, Yang Chong will definitely not hesitate to wave his army north, even if he loses both. Yang Shanjing said with a smile: "I will let the princess and the khan explain, but now Jinyang is still in Li Shimin's hands, you said it too early." ”

Yang Chong's eyes were as bright as a sharp knife, and he smiled confidently and said: "I came to solve this matter, and within three days, Li Shimin will hand over Jinyang." ”

Yang Shanjing was really stunned, Yang Chong is not a person who talks big, could it be that there is an accident in Jinyang City; Yang Shanjing hurriedly said goodbye and hurried back to Jinyang City. Jinyang City is now undefended against the Turks, but before Yang Shanjing entered the city, he could feel the anger in the eyes of the soldiers at the gate of the city, it was not ordinary anger, it was a kind of suppressed anger, and he didn't know when it would burn.

Yang Shanjing saw Zhang Changxun patrolling and immediately stepped forward to inquire; Zhang Changxun once took refuge in the Turks, and Yang Shanjing's personal training was also good, and said with a wry smile: "The King of Qin was originally going to send a sum of gold and silver to Chuluo Khan in exchange for the Turkic army to leave Jinyang, who would have thought that those carts of jewelry were turned over when they went out of the city, making it known all over the city." The Hexi Army's meticulous work even spread rumors that King Qin would flee to the Turks like Liu Wuzhou, not to mention the soldiers at the grassroots level, many middle-level officers came to ask if there was such a thing. ”

Yang Shanjing said in a low voice: "Yang Chong said that the King of Qin will hand over Jinyang within three days. ”

Zhang Changxun's face changed suddenly: "Yang Chong is really vicious, the Hexi Army sent dozens of letters, saying that he was willing to let the King of Qin lead 10,000 people back to Chang'an, as long as the King of Qin handed over Jinyang, Yang Chong would negotiate peace with Emperor Tang, and also released Li Xiaoji, Tang Jian, and Yu Yun, and Taiyuan was exempted from agricultural taxes for two years. If King Qin is obsessed, once the city is broken, all those who have helped the Tang Dynasty will be treated as rebellious and convicted according to the seriousness of the circumstances. ”

Li Yuan's father and son have been operating in Jinyang for many years, and if they are judged by this standard, they are almost no different from Tucheng; Yang Shanjing said strangely: "Isn't Yang Chong afraid that Jinyang will defend it together?" ”

Zhang Changxun said quietly: "The Turkic people's practices have made the people in Jinyang City dissatisfied, and now there is a way to either flee to Dingxiang or defect to Shizhou, and the people below are too frightened to help defend the city." Yang Chong sent thousands of letters from Hedong soldiers last time, which made the army unstable and forced the king of Qin to go south to fight; Now there are 30,000 Tang troops, at least half of them have no fighting spirit, and the lonely city is difficult to defend. ”

Yang Shanjing asked seemingly casually, "What are you going to do in the future?" ”

Zhang Changxun shook his head, and Yang Shanjing persuaded: "There is no way out to return to Chang'an, Yang Chong agrees that Empress Xiao has the five counties of Bingzhou Loufu, Dingxiang, Mayi, Yanmen, and Fenyang, you might as well come to Dingxiang and be a general." ”

Zhang Changxun thanked him and said, "Let's see how King Qin decides first." ”

As the two spoke, they arrived at the county guard's mansion, only to see a black oppression, and more than 2,000 people knelt at the gate of the yamen to petition, hoping that the government would restrain the Turks, and it was best to let the Turks leave the city; Yang Shanjing smiled slightly, Li Shimin is afraid that it will be difficult for him to do this. Yang Shanjing's eyes swept over, and when he saw the more than two dozen carriages parked in the square on the right, Yang Shanjing's smile froze, and he suddenly thought that Yang Chong was not joking, and the wealthy families in Jinyang did not dare to listen to it as a joke.

(End of chapter)