Li Shimin laughed and said, "Everyone, what we have to do is a protracted battle. Our basic strategy is to deprive Wang Shichong of food and aid through a long-term siege, so that Wang Shichong will eventually collapse on his own or be forced to go to war and suffer a annihilating blow.

However, unlike the tactics used to pacify Xue Rengao and Liu Wuzhou in the past, in the early stage of this war, we will not stand out; As long as Wang Shichong dares to lead the army to attack, he will resolutely engage in a large-scale field battle with him and give him a head-on blow. ”

Hearing this, the generals nodded one after another, and Yin Kaishan and the others had already tasted the sweetness in the battle with Liu Wuzhou and Xue Rengao, and said: "King Qin, why can't we go to the front wall to clear the wilderness, wait for Wang Shichong's grain and grass to run out, and then annihilate him in one fell swoop." ”

Li Shimin smiled silently and said to everyone: "Let's talk about it, why is this?" ”

Cheng Zhijie said with a smile: "We now have enough strength to fight any opponent in the field, and the soldiers of the Tang Army are also full of confidence in victory because of the victories in the previous wars, and their morale is quite useful." And Wang Shichong was demoralized, just when he wanted to defeat them in one go. ”

Li Shimin clapped his hands and said: "The fifth brother who knows me is also!" Is there anything else you can add? ”

Xu Shiji got up and said: "Another point is because we can gradually weaken Wang Shichong's elite main force through continuous field battles. It would be very stupid for Wang Shichong to fight with us like this, because Wang Shichong's strength is limited to a lonely city in the eastern capital, and he will only fight less and less; However, we can continue to replenish from the base camp in Guanzhong. Someday a decisive advantage will be achieved and they will be leveled in one fell swoop. ”

When everyone heard this, they praised it one after another, and Li Shimin also cast an approving glance at Xu Shiji.

Li Shimin said: "Everyone, Wang Shichong is a wall in the Central Plains of Dingding, as long as he is defeated; We will be able to go straight out of Guanzhong and participate in the decisive battle in the Central Plains. There is no room for loss in this battle. I'm going to rely on you! ”

All the generals gave their hands and said: "King Qin, rest assured, the last general will not give up until he dies!" Cheng Zhijie also laughed and said, "In this way, let me also help King Qin." ”

"Oh! Fifth brother, let's talk about it quickly. ”

"Don't say it, don't say it, King Qin just wait and see!"

Wang Shichong is now dying of headaches; The news that he Luokoucang was taken away, and the news that his generals surrendered one after another seemed to have grown wings, and everyone in Luoyang City knew about it. Even Wang Shichong's palace eunuch, Dou Luda, surrendered to the Li Tang court.

Wang Shichong saw that rumors were flying all over the sky and people's hearts were being lost day by day, so he used torture to strictly control them. He stipulated that if one member of the family escaped, the whole family, young and old, would be killed one after another, and that fathers, sons, brothers, and husbands and wives would be exonerated as long as they denounced each other.

He also commanded the five families to be one to supervise each other, and if any one defected and the neighbors did not find out, the neighbors around him were to be put to death.

As a result, executions continued one after another, people defected more and more, and even those who went up to the mountains to cut firewood had time limits for going out and coming back, making it impossible for everyone to live a normal life.

Wang Shichong regarded the palace as a big prison, and whenever there was suspicion, he would tie up his family and send him to the palace for detention. Later, it developed to the point that whenever a general was sent out to fight, his relatives were also detained in the palace as hostages.

The people imprisoned in the palace were next to each other, no less than 10,000 people, without food, and dozens of people died of hunger a day.

Wang Shichong hoarded all the elite soldiers in Luoyang City, which brought huge pressure on grain and grass. In addition, rumors abounded in the city; Merchants and wealthy families have hoarded food; This has led to skyrocketing food prices. In the past, a horse of silk could be exchanged for 4 stones of grain, but later it was impossible to exchange a piece of silk. And you can't change it if you want to.

The stockpiles of grain were quickly eaten up, and the people of the city ate human flesh. Some people took the mud and put it in the urn, washed it with water, sank the sand and stones to the bottom, took out the mud that floated on it, mixed the bran bran in it, and made cakes to eat, and everyone was swollen and their legs and feet were weak, and they lay down on the road one by one. Even Wang Shichong's Shang Shulang, Lu Junye, Guo Zigao and others starved to death in the ravine.

Li Shimin led the army to confront Wang Shichong across the water across the Luoshui; On this day, he came back from inspecting outside with Cheng Zhijie and Li Yuanba, and was stopped by Fang Xuanling as soon as he entered the camp gate.

Fang Xuanling ran over with an anxious face and said, "King Qin, the big thing is not good, Lord Qu Tutong and Liu Hongji, Yin Kaishan, Changsun Shunde, Dou Cong and others have arrested Yu Chigong. ”

Li Shimin's eyes flashed, and he shouted angrily: "What's going on? Are they crazy? ”

Fang Xuanling said: "Today, Chang'an sent a secret letter, and after Qu Tutong read it, he arranged for his subordinates to join the soldiers, and then called Wei Chigong into the military tent and arrested him." ”

"Let's go! Come with me! Like an angry beast, Li Shimin turned over and dismounted and strode into the military tent, and Cheng Zhijie and others looked at each other and followed.

Qu Tutong, Yin Kaishan, Liu Hongji, Changsun Shunde, Dou Cong and others saw him coming back, and quickly stood up and made a brief report to him about the situation. and presented Li Yuan's edict.

Li Shimin suppressed the anger in his heart and opened the edict to watch, and Xunxiang, who had surrendered with Wei Chigong, colluded with Liu Heimin and suddenly rebelled. Li Yuan ordered Li Shimin, the king of Qin, to take strict precautions against Liu Wuzhou's old troops, not to be careless, and if there was any change in them, they could solve it immediately, and there was no need to play first, etc.

Qu Tutong and Yin Kaishan didn't believe in Wei Chi Jingde, but now they were even more afraid that Jingde had received a secret report from Xun Xiang, so they suddenly launched a rebellion and caught the Tang army off guard. They even suspected that when the two armies were facing each other, if Jingde and Wang Shichong secretly colluded and cooperated with the outside, the consequences would be unimaginable!

The more they talked, the more afraid they became, and hurriedly summoned the veterans of the Taiyuan uprising, Liu Hongji, the eldest grandson Shunde, and Dou Cong, and showed them the edict, and they were so nervous that their foreheads were sweating, and they felt that a rebellion could happen at any time, and they were afraid that it would be too late for Li Shimin, the king of Qin, to come back.

As soon as everyone discussed, they decided to start immediately, and first arrest Jingde. So under the auspices of Qu Tutong and Yin Kaishan, hundreds of elite armor soldiers were arranged to lie in ambush behind the military tent, and sent people to falsely pass on the order of Li Shimin, the king of Qin, to come to the military tent to discuss matters.

Wei Chi Jingde doesn't know what's going on? As soon as he entered the door, he was pressed to the ground by five or six armor soldiers. Jingde showed a very shocked look, did not make any resistance, and was tied up by the armor soldiers, and pulled to the back to take care of it.

Li Shimin put down the edict, took a deep breath and said: "You said that Wei Chigong was going to rebel, what evidence is there, take it out!" ”

Qu Tutong and the others looked at each other and said, "King Qin, we have no direct evidence; But it's not too late for him to rebel, so let's review it first! ”

Li Shimin: "Smack! He slapped the table and shouted: "The emperor wants you to be strict with the rules, who told you to arrest people indiscriminately without evidence?" ”

Everyone had never seen Li Shimin get so angry, and their hearts were beating like war drums. The air inside is like a storm coming, and everyone is worried that the thunderous anger will slash their heads.

Relying on his old age, Qu Tutong took a few steps forward. "I decided this matter, mainly because I was afraid of making a mistake, so I hurriedly made a move, I did something wrong, this matter should have been decided by you King Qin after you came back, we were a little panicked, thinking that the matter was too dangerous and urgent; Please punish the King of Qin. ”

Li Shimin has always had great respect for Qu Tutong, and when he saw him speak, his tone became a little soothed and said: "Jingde is sincerely surrendering to my Tang Dynasty, how can he rebel against us?" You don't want to think about it, if Jingde wants to rebel, will he still fall behind the Xiangxiang! He has a future with Datang, why should he destroy his future for no reason?

Since you have caught a mistake, then correct it quickly, how can you add mistakes to mistakes and kill innocents indiscriminately! If we treat those who belong like this, who will dare to join us in the future? Put him out immediately! Although he didn't pursue it further, his face was still as cold as a sword, and his tone revealed an irreversible majesty.

The crowd had nothing to say. Li Shimin categorically gave an order to Liu Hongji: "You go and invite him over!" ”。

Liu Hongji agreed and took a few armor soldiers to the next door and brought the five-flowered captain Chi Jingde to the military tent. When Wei Chi Jingde saw Li Shimin, he knelt down and shouted: "King Qin, I have been wronged!" Tears flowed down her cheeks as she spoke.

Li Shimin's expression was hurt, and he stepped forward to help Wei Chi Jingde up, personally untied his rope and said, "I know that you are not the kind of capricious person. ”

"They're just fooling around and scaring themselves!" Li Shimin's eyes were like lightning, and he swept everyone away, and everyone lowered their heads in shame. "But after all, they did it for the sake of the country, not out of personal grudge against the general, please forgive them. I treated them like you. ”

Saying that, Li Shimin bowed to the end and saluted Wei Chigong. "King Qin!" Qu Tutong and the others hula suddenly returned to one piece.

Wei Chigong's grievances disappeared without a trace, he knelt on the ground and choked up: "King Qin, I, Wei Chigong, swear to the sky that I have never had the idea of leaving, I have not had in the past, and I will not have in the future." My Wei Chi Jingde is dead, and I won't be that kind of capricious villain! ”

"Okay, okay, no more talk, I understand your sincerity, that's the end of it! No one can mention it again! Li Shimin said happily, the solemn look just now was swept away, "Let's go, let's eat!" ”

After everyone finished lunch, Cheng Zhijie and others went to practice people. Li Shimin quietly took Wei Chi Jingde and 500 elite horsemen to the southern foot of Beibi Mountain, and looked at the scene in the eastern capital city for a while on the mountain beam, and described the terrain of the future battlefield outside the city. After the matter was done, they came to the area of Yuyi to shoot wild animals, and then climbed the Wei Xuanwu Mausoleum to visit the ancient times.