In the Tai Chi Palace.

Fang Xuanling said to Li Shimin: "Your Royal Highness the Prince, although the rebellion of Yang Wengan is peaceful, our army has paid a lot of price for it. Yang Wengan was reckless, and hundreds of miles of Gyeongju had become scorched earth after this battle, and tens of thousands of people were displaced. In the capture of Gyeongju, more than 2,000 of our soldiers were wounded and killed, and the victory was not happy. ”

Fang Xuanling continued: "Yang Wengan's rebellion also caused chaos in Hexi, Duan Decao took advantage of the situation to destroy the post station, block the road, cut off contact with the imperial court, and at the same time led the army to garrison the counties, Yang Gongren once sent people to persuade him to surrender, Duan Decao replied, if the persecution is too great, he will directly surrender to Zhao." ”

Li Shimin asked, "Master Liang can't not move at all." ”

"Yes, Liang Shidu is the best at fighting people, at the beginning, with the power of the Turks, repeatedly violated my border, and now he has the support of Zhao State, and once again offended my hinterland in Hexi, but this person is mediocre with troops, and several raids after the surrender of Zhao were defeated by Hou Junji, as long as the Zhao army no longer increases troops in Hexi, I think Hexi should be no hindrance." Fang Xuanling replied.

Li Shimin said: "The defense of Hexi cannot be taken lightly, if there is no Hexi, Longyou can not be determined, if it is Longyou, Sichuan Shu, Guanzhong can not be safe." Li Chongjiu has the advantage of more than 100,000 grassland light cavalry, and he can go south at any time, plus the help of the Western Turks and Tuyuhun, the pressure on the Hexi defense line is extremely great. ”

Du Ruhui replied: "Your Majesty, the Hexi defense line is still worry-free for the time being, Chai Shao, Yang Gongren, and Yang Shidao are all my Li Tang's famous generals, and Hexi still has my 50,000 troops to defend it, even if Li Chongjiu has the advantage of light cavalry, but he is helpless in attacking the fortifications." As for the Western Turks, Tuyuhun doesn't have to worry, this time Chai Shao led 10,000 light cavalry to set foot in the Western Regions. The Western Turks, the Tuyuhun tribes are invincible. More than 100,000 cattle and sheep were captured, and more than 30,000 people were captured. I have a great Tang reputation. It is enough to make the Western Regions frightened. ”

Li Shimin was greatly relieved to hear this, although it was Li Xiaogong and Liu Hongji could not be used, but the Guanlong Gate Lords started with military merits, and famous generals emerged in endlessly, and Li Tang was also very capable of fighting elite soldiers trained in more than ten years of warfare. This time, Chai Shao personally led 10,000 horsemen, that is, he swept through the countries of the Western Regions, which really greatly increased Li Tang's prestige.

Li Shimin said: "This time give it to the Turks." The blow of Tuyuhun was enough, so Chai Shao and the Turks, Tuyuhun, signed an alliance under the city, and then returned to Hexi. Duan Decao has a backbone, and he will be a lonely confidant in the future. ”

"No!"

"Your Highness, the war in Henan is also very unfavorable. Zhao Jun Xu Shiji, Shan Xiongxin two generals, unforgiving. continued to storm Henan, Li Jing could no longer hold on, and Zhang Gongjin secretly played Li Jing to retreat to Qinling and defend Jingxiang. ”

Li Shimin listened and did not speak. Du Ruhui said at this time: "Your Highness." The Zhao army swept through the southeast, Lin Shihong's defeat was decided, and Feng An, the governor of Gaozhou. This year is also a tribute to Chang'an, I don't know if it means to be self-reliant. It is still intended to surrender to Zhao, but it is all bad news for us. ”

Listen to Du Ruhui say this. Li Shimin said: "The world is overturned, and even people like Feng Ang are ready to move, does he want to be Zhao Tuo?" Such a person, don't pay attention to it, Lingnan is very miasma, the people are quite stubborn, Li Chongjiu can rely on it, and he can't have it, let him go. As long as our army guards Jingxiang, according to the trend of the upper reaches of the Yangtze River, we can ensure that Sichuan and Shu are safe, and tell Li Jing that the battle situation in Henan will be decided by him alone, and I believe him! ”

Fang Xuanling and Du Ruhui were all overjoyed when they heard this, Li Shimin was obviously very bold to give power to Li Jing and let him fight the matter by himself. After all, the current battle situation in Henan has been very erosive, and the people's hearts are also abandoning Tang and going to Zhao.

Ordinary people are unwilling to give up such a heavy place as Henan, and Li Yuan will definitely be burdened with various political pressures, and will not risk making such a decision. But Li Shimin also knew that the war situation in Henan was now unsolvable, so he boldly left it to Li Jing to decide. However, Fang Xuanling also knew that although Li Shimin was decisive, but now that the general trend of the world was on the side of Zhao State, no matter how outstanding Li Shimin was, could he reverse the general trend with his own strength?

If it was three or two years earlier, maybe the current situation would not be like this, thinking of this, Fang Xuanling couldn't help but sigh secretly. On the side, Du Ruhui saw Fang Xuanling like this, and he also knew his intentions, so he didn't say anything.

Both of them were appreciated by Li Shimin, and after entering the Tiance Mansion, they were trusted and reused by Li Shimin. Both of them are loyal people, and they both have the idea that the king treats me as a countryman, and I will repay the countryman. No matter what happens to Li Shimin in the future, they can only do their best to help him and see if they can help the overall situation, and success or failure is not in their consideration.

Just when Li Tang's civil strife continued, Zhao Jun was advancing in Jiangnan.

Nanchang.

Ouyang Xun rode into the city, three days ago the city of Nanchang has been captured, and the battle of Nanchang is also very smooth, when the Zhao army vanguard Wang Xiong Dan led 5,000 foot soldiers to break into Nanchang.

And suddenly it rained heavily, and most of the 5,000 steps were lost, and only Wang Xiongdan led 200 soldiers to arrive at the city of Nanchang. Wang Xiong was not afraid when he saw that there were few soldiers, and immediately led two hundred soldiers to shout under the city that the Zhao army was coming, and the Zhao army was killed!

Wang Rong, the defender of Nanchang City, did not have the courage to fight at all, and only took a dozen cronies to abandon the city and flee, and the defenders in the city surrendered. Wang Xiongdan captured this important town in one go, which shows that Lin Shihong's Chu army is really vulnerable.

When Ouyang Xun arrived in the city on horseback, there were soldiers guarding the stone road at the city gate, and the ground was very slippery because of a heavy rain. However, there are still many local slang people wearing blue shirts, carrying mountain goods and bamboo baskets on their heads to sell in the city.

On the narrow streets of the market, most of the shops are open, and they are very peaceful.

Seeing such an orderly scene, it was obvious that the local guards were well governed, Ouyang Xun nodded with satisfaction, and then entered the Nanchang Mansion and saw Wang Xiongdan.

As soon as Wang Xiongtan saw Ouyang Xun, he was very polite, and Ouyang Xun also knew that this person was very appreciated by Li Chongjiu in the battle to destroy Du Fuwei. So he, who has always been snobbish, also talked to Wang Xiongtan cordially when he saw him.

The two exchanged pleasantries amicably, and then talked about business.

Wang Xiongdan first asked Ouyang about the war against the Chu army, and he said: "After Lin Shihong was defeated in Jiujiang County, he and Lin Yaoshi led the main force to retreat to the mountains of Poyang County, intending to defend the mountain and take advantage of the geographical advantage to deal with our army. However, General Song did not intend to set up for the enemy, but led the army to Poyang and Yuzhang counties, led the army to guard the various intersections, strictly blocked the way out of the mountain, and sent the army into the mountain to search. ”

"But then we learned that after Lin Shihong went to the mountains, he married the Lingnan slang leaders with gold and silver, and recruited soldiers to defend themselves, which was quite stubborn. However, before the southern expedition, His Majesty had an explanation, mentioning that a matter about the Lingnan slang people needs to be cautious, and you might as well inform him before dealing with it, so I have already reported the general's situation to the Song Marshal, so I led the army to settle here, resting the soldiers and horses on the one hand, and waiting for His Majesty's will on the other. ”

Ouyang Xun said happily: "General Wang is brave and strategic, restrained soldiers and horses, and is not light, which really makes this official admire." It just so happened that this time the official also came to Lingnan with the will of His Majesty to see if he could contact Feng Ang and then make a decision. ”

Wang Xiongdan's subordinate said with a smile: "Actually, there is no need for Ouyang Shangshu to be so troublesome, and he came all the way from Luoyang to go deep into the wild land of Lingnan, our men and horses can be dispatched at any time, not to mention Lin Shihong, even Feng Ang is also captured and brought to the city in the future, isn't it a beautiful thing?" ”

Ouyang Xun sneered when he heard this: "For the barbarians to use the army to win without force, if they are not victorious, it is humiliating to win, how can the major affairs of the military family be so simple as victory or defeat, although it is easy to defeat Feng An, but it is difficult to serve the Lingnan slang, and millions of people are served." ”

"You." This subordinate was immediately furious when Ouyang inquired about this sarcasm, but he didn't dare to say anything about the other party's identity.

Wang Xiong said: "It is not a matter of seeking peace with Lingnan, it is just a matter of killing and killing, which hurts the peace of the heavens, His Majesty is the lord of magnanimity, and the people of Lingnan are the remnants of Baiyue, but they have intermarried with my Han people for many years, and they are not real barbarians." Isn't this Lingnan Feng clan after Feng Hong of the Northern Wei Dynasty? So it's good to be able to surrender without a fight."

Ouyang Xun stroked his beard and praised: "General Wang, that's not bad at all. ”

The next day, Ouyang Xun rushed south to Lingnan together with the Daxingtai of Henan Province and Wei Shuhuan, the director of the Ministry of Rites. Wei Shuhuan is a disciple of Jingzhao Webster, and he is after Wei Huan, the head of Pingnan Chen. Wei Wei guarded Lingnan back then and made friends with the Lingnan Feng family, so this time Li Chongjiu wanted to recruit Lingnan Feng An, so he worshiped Uncle Wei as the head of the Ministry of Rites and asked him to go on the road with Ouyang Xun.

Ouyang Xun, Wei Shuhuan took the local pro-Han slang people as guides, went deep into the wild land of Lingnan, and soon encountered the slang tribe. Ouyang Xun bluntly asked to see Feng An, and these slang tribes immediately led Ouyang Xun to see him.

Originally, the Lingnan Feng clan base was in Nanhai County, and Ouyang Xun thought that he was going to climb over the mountains, but he didn't expect that Feng Ang would station troops near Ganshan Mountain. Ouyang Xun and Uncle Wei were both shocked.

Ganshan is the main road that guards Lingnan, but see the local dwellings rise layer by layer according to the mountain, and the houses are also very distinctive, the roof is woven bamboo and grass for the two floors, the upper floor is the own place, and the downstairs is to raise chickens and dolphins, which is called the hemp pen locally.

The local slang soldiers were watching with spears, Ouyang Xun looked at these people but saw that they were all not wearing leather armor, their chests were exposed, their heads were not crowned, and their feet were not wearing silk shoes. The local soldiers were tattooed with severed hair, and various beasts were tattooed on their chests to scare the enemy.

Ouyang Xun understood that if such a soldier went to the Central Plains to fight on the flat land, with the Zhao army holding strong armor and crossbows, and then arranged into a strong formation, such a slang soldier, the phalanx of 100 people of the Zhao army could fight 10,000 people. However, if it is a battle in the mountains and forests, in the harsh environment surrounded by miasma in Lingnan, coupled with the courage of the soldiers themselves, the combat effectiveness is very extraordinary, and the strength is equal, and it is not certain who wins and who loses.

PS: Today and tomorrow are double watches, ask everyone for recommendation vote support, thank you! (To be continued......)