The sixth year of the revolution, July 20.

At dawn a misty drizzle fell.

Li Shimin only slept for less than two hours last night before he got up. He was a little irritable, so he personally went to the front line to inspect the position of the Zhao army.

Before he reached the forefront, the eldest grandson Wuji on the side said, "Your Majesty, Yang Gongren is back." ”

Li Shimin turned his head and frowned and asked, "Yang Gongren, Yang Shidao and Chai Shao, aren't they chasing Wang Junkuo's men?" How did you get back. ”

The eldest grandson Wuji said: "Your Majesty, let's listen to Yang Gongren himself." ”

Soon Yang Gongren entered and said to Li Shimin: "See Your Majesty, Long live your Majesty." ”

Li Shimin helped Yang Gongren up and said: "Aiqing has worked hard, how is the battle going?" ”

Yang Gongren replied, "Your Majesty, Weichen has brought you an army of 10,000. ”

Li Shimin glared at Yang Gongren, and said with a look of dissatisfaction: "I have enough troops here, I don't need your men, what you need now is to keep an eye on Wang Junkuo." ”

Yang Gongren lowered his head and said: "Your Majesty, General Chai and we have lost the movement of Wang Junkuo's men and horses, they are all cavalry, they are too fast, our army has few cavalry, and there are many infantry troops, just chasing them for three days, they were thrown off." Both General Chai and my younger brother were ready to continue the pursuit towards Longyou, and ordered me to lead my army back to help His Majesty and prevent Wang Junkuo's attack. ”

Li Shimin listened and said, "You said that Wang Junkuo continued to join forces with Li Chongjiu in the third place?" ”

Yang Gongren knelt down and said: "Your Majesty, Weichen thinks that it will take some time for Wang Junkuo to regroup, but Wechen is also worried that after Wang Junkuo regroups. will come to Sanyuan to attack our army before and after. But at least not today, Majesty. Weichen wanted to ask His Majesty to make a decision on the spot, not to give Zhao Jun a chance. ”

Li Shimin's eyes lit up when he heard this. At that moment, he grabbed Yang Gongren's hand and said: "Aiqing is right, now I order you to deploy in the area of Gaoling County to cover the rear road of our army, no matter what happens, you must protect the retreat of our army to Chang'an, understand?" ”

Yang Gongren hugged his fists and said: "Your Majesty, rest assured, Weichen will do his best." ”

After Yang Gongren left, Li Shimin said to the eldest grandson Wuji: "Do you want to tell the Turks that the Zhao army may detour to the flank of our army?" ”

The eldest grandson Wuji said expressionlessly: "Your Majesty." Wechen thought he didn't want to sue. In this way, the morale of the army can be stabilized. ”

Li Shimin said: "If you don't tell you, then do you think that Tongye Hu can break through the defense of the reeds of the Zhao army?" ”

The eldest grandson Wuji said: "Your Majesty, Tong Ye Hu has been on the battlefield for a long time, and he still has a hand, His Majesty can believe it, and Wei Chen guesses that Tong Ye Hu is also worried that Zhao Jun may make a detour at any time, and he will definitely fight with all his strength today." ”

"Very well, then today is the time to know the winner and loser."

After Li Shimin finished speaking, he walked to the front of the Tang army's position and inspected the Zhao army's camp.

Li Shimin pointed to the Zhao army camp and said to the eldest grandson Wuji: "You can know from the formation. Li Chongjiu is really cautious in the use of troops, you see that the left flank of his army is next to an unknown village, and the main force of the Chinese army is deployed on the road from Sanyuan to Gaoling County, holding the traffic. We don't let our army pass through guò, and the right flank is next to a field of reeds. On the east and west sides of the camp were hills, which prevented our cavalry from making a detour. ”

The eldest grandson Wuji nodded and said, "Your Majesty is very right. It is not only the Zhao army that pays attention to the east and west formations, but also looks at it from the north and south. You see in the center of the Zhao army's camp, there is a hill that rises slightly. Some of its soldiers and horses were deployed on the southern slope. You can condescendingly spy on our army, but behind the hills, you can ambush soldiers and horses, so that our army will not have a glimpse of it. ”

The drizzle of the early morning made the ground even more humid, Li Shimin paced in front of the formation, looking into the distance, and in the fog in the dense milky white dome tent in the Zhao army's camp and said: "You are very right, I have always disliked attacking prepared enemies, but today I have to do it. ”

Compared with Li Shimin, who got up early in the morning to inspect, Li Chongjiu did not close his eyes all night. In the face of this battle that can determine the outcome of the world, he has been on the battlefield for many years, but at this moment, he can't help but have some gains and losses.

In the early morning, the subordinates reported that there were signs of Turkic cavalry movement in the reeds on the right flank, and Li Chongjiu did not feel sleepy at the moment, and immediately got up.

The morning dew was heavy, and it had just rained, and the ground was very muddy.

In the camp, the soldiers were still sleeping in the tent, the drizzle hit their faces, and the sky in the distance was gray, and the camp of the Tang army below seemed to have begun to make a fire for cooking, and there were signs of soldiers and horses moving back and forth.

The senior general, Chi Gong, came to proclaim: "Your Majesty, on the right flank of our army, we found that the Turkic cavalry was carrying the nearby villagers with soil bags, and it seemed that they were trying to make a passage in the reeds and advance more and more. ”

Li Chongjiu said: "In the reeds and mud, it is not convenient for cavalry to enter and exit, and the Turks are doing this to pave the way and attack the right flank of our army." ”

Wang Mahan hugged his fists and said: "Your Majesty, the cavalry in the mud is a plate of dishes, we sent foot soldiers to slaughter all such Turkic dogs." ”

Li Chongjiu said: "Although the reed is not conducive to the maneuver of the cavalry, it is convenient for ambushing people and horses. There must be an ambush in the reeds, which is clearly a plan to lure the enemy by the leaf guard. ”

"But Majesty!"

Wang Mahan wanted to say more, Li Chongjiu shook his head and said, "Even if you have a chance to win, I won't allow you to fight." ”

Wang Mahan complained when he heard this: "Your Majesty, you are really too cautious in using soldiers. That Tong Ye Hu, it seems that he is just a mediocre general. ”

"I believe that it is not necessary to praise any enemy, it will lower the morale of our army, and of course it is not advisable to blindly belittle the other side. You can't go wrong with being careful! ”

Wang Mahan listened to the moment and clenched his fists and promised to retreat.

Seeing that Wang Mahan still couldn't mind, Li Chongjiu smiled and patted him on the shoulder and said, "Wang Mahan, how long have you been following me?" ”

"It's been almost twenty years."

Li Chongjiu nodded and said: "Yes, among so many generals, you have followed me for the longest time, and your title has also changed. ”

"Weichen knocks thank you!" Wang Mahan knelt down when he heard this, and the seven-foot man couldn't help but be excited at the moment.

Li Chongjiu said: "Go down, I have a hunch that the Tang army will invest heavily in the left flank today, and you must guard this place for me, there must be no mistake." ”

Wang Mahan wiped away his tears and said: "Your Majesty, rest assured, if the Tang army has a soldier and a pawn on the left flank, Weichen will screw his head off." ”

After Wang Mahan left, his subordinates gave Li Chongjiu a war horse. Li Chongjiu turned over and jumped on his mount to begin the pre-battle inspection.

By this time the sky was beginning to brighten, and a little morning light shone through the trees in the east.

Because the big war was imminent, the leader of the Zhao army cooked earlier than before. Because it had rained, some of the firewood was wet, so when it was burned under the marching pot, it made a choking smoke. The leaders of the gang were covering their faces and cooking, many of them were blackened with smoke, and the soldiers were jokingly joking with each other, and all kinds of laughter came softly from the barracks.

"Your Majesty, the war has not yet started, do you want the soldiers not to make noise!" The court guards did not set up a military order to prohibit noisy noise by soldiers in the army, and violators could be beheaded.

Li Chongjiu waved his hand and said: "No need, the big battle is imminent, the soldiers are all tense, let them relax now, don't you see that the morale of our army is very high?" Don't worry. ”

"No." Wang Shi agreed. Wang Shi is the son of Wang Junkuo, who previously served under Guo Xiaoke and participated in the first battle against the Khitan. After Goguryeo was pacified, there was no major war in the east of Zhao State, and Wang Shi, who couldn't bear the loneliness, wanted Li Chongjiu to apply for it at the moment, transferred back to the Imperial Guard, and even went to Emperor Yang E to go through the back door.

After Li Chongjiu consulted Wang Junkuo's opinion, he transferred Wang Shi to his side and served as a special general in the court guard.

The two rode around the army, and Li Chongjiu had high hopes for this 'nephew' and often talked to him. At this moment, he looked at Wang Shi and said, "Do you think your father's men and horses will come back from the west to participate in this big battle?" ”

Wang Shi said with great confidence: "Your Majesty, of course, the more Li Shimin said outside, my father's Western Route Army was defeated, in fact, there is no confidence." Who is my father, when he was crisscrossing the north and south, Li Shimin still wore a crotch cloth? If you want to calculate him, no way. ”

Listening to Wang Shi's vulgar words, Li Chongjiu also laughed, the generals and staff on the side are used to it, and if other ministers speak to Li Chongjiu like this, they will be dishonored by the imperial historian, and the lightest one will also be taken away from office. Of course, no one in Zhao Guo dared to say that.

Li Chongjiu and Wang Shi talked and laughed and inspected the whole army.

There were also more footsteps in the camp, and the Dazhao military camp also woke up with dawn. The soldiers all went out of the camp to inspect their equipment and eat their meals.

Li Chongjiu's ears seemed to hear the gentle sound of birds, and the sound of iron buckets swaying as the soldiers fetched water.

On the side, Sergeant Zhao saw Li Chongjiu coming to the front line in person, and couldn't help but put down the rice bowl in his hand excitedly, stood up and saluted Li Chongjiu. Li Chongjiu took off his helmet and raised his hand to greet the soldiers, and everywhere he went, the soldiers shouted long live. Seeing Li Chongjiu talking and laughing, the generals obviously had full confidence in this battle, so they were all determined from the bottom of their hearts.

After inspecting the complete army, Li Chongjiu returned to the Chinese army.

After arriving at Yuanmen, the sky was already bright, and the early morning mist gradually dissipated.

Li Chongjiu rode on his horse and looked at the Tang army's position, but saw that the Tang soldiers were almost ready, and the Tang soldiers were assembling in the open space when they were camping, all in armor, shining in the morning light.

Large groups of cavalry, galloping around the infantry formation from a distance, concentrated on the right flank, among them were both Turkic cavalry and Tang cavalry.

Woo!

Woo!

Woo!

Three shrill horns sounded.

Li Chongjiu tilted his head and asked, "What time is it?" ”

When Wang Shi heard this, he immediately rode his horse to the sundial in the army, and then rode his horse back and said: "Your Majesty, it's three o'clock!" (To be continued......)