Since Tang Gong Li Yuan was promoted to Wei Wei Shaoqing, responsible for the three towns of grain, grass and ordnance, he has not interfered in the operation of the grain protection army for a long time. This time, the horn was suddenly blown in the army, and the soldiers were all taken aback, and after a while, the generals above the captain level gathered and stood under the tent, waiting for Tang Gong's orders.

"The Eastern Expeditionary Army sent a letter that the day before yesterday it had signed an alliance with Goguryeo under the city. Gao Yuan clown called the minister, willing to cut all the land north of Sashui to the Great Sui, and never regret it! Tang Gong Li Yuan loudly announced an exciting good news to everyone.

The generals of the grain protection army had close contacts with Li Xu, Liu Hongji and others, and were too heavily influenced by the other party, so they were not optimistic about the prospects of this Eastern Crusade. Suddenly hearing the good news, a big stone hanging in everyone's hearts landed on the ground, high-fived each other, and cheered loudly.

Tang Gong Li Yuan did not show the slightest joy on his face, lightly pressed his arm, suppressed the noise made by everyone, and continued: "Xu Guo Gongyu sent a letter to Ma at the same time, saying that there is a huge shortage of food in the army, and please send 100,000 stone of grain to the west bank of Maqishui to respond!" ”

When the words fell, everyone was stunned. Xu Guogong Yu Wenshu and Tang Gong Li Yuan have always been at odds with each other, which is well known to everyone. If the army had already locked in the victory, he would never have given half of the credit to Tang Gong at this juncture. In an instant, the expressions on everyone's faces changed from joy to confusion, and several thoughtful people such as Changsun Shunde, Chen Yanshou, Ma Yuangui, etc., already showed a worry in their eyes.

"I'm afraid that the military rations have run out!" Chen Yanshou was the first to stand up and analyzed worriedly. Although as the chief staff member of the Li Mansion, he knew that the news of Yuwen Shu's request for help was not earlier than the others. The messenger of the victory of the army had only arrived at His Majesty's tent this morning, and Yuwenshu's letter of request for food followed by the horsetail of the messenger.

"Now to send food to Ma Qishui, along the way to guard against bandits, it will take seven days to arrive!" Qian Jiulong, the head of the guard of the Tang Mansion, added in a low voice. In terms of planning, he thinks that he is not as good as the eldest grandson Shunde and others. In terms of the experience of marching and fighting, none of the people present here is higher than him.

"It's good if it can be delivered, but the most feared thing is that the Goguryeo people don't believe in their words!" Ma Yuangui's words sent everyone's mood into the eighteenth layer of hell. Under the city of Liaodong, everyone has fully appreciated the cunning and untrustworthiness of the Goguryeo people, if they pretend to sue for peace, and wait for Yuwenshu and others to withdraw their troops and then chase after them, intercepting and killing everywhere along the way, the 300,000 Sui army without the support of grain and grass is in danger.

"Yuwen Shu, this old horseman, didn't tell us earlier that he broke off!" Qian Jiulong's eyes turned red immediately. He has been in the army and knows the hardships and hardships of being a soldier. If the battle is really defeated, the generals can surrender to the enemy country after being captured, or be taken prisoner by the opponent in exchange for ransom, and the soldiers will only be left with a headless body.

Goguryeo gathered the troops of the country and gathered more than 200,000 people. No general dared to take in more prisoners than his headquarters, from Qin General Bai to Chu overlord Xiang Yu, there was only one way to deal with the soldiers who far exceeded their own army. The reason for this is not necessarily that they are cruel by nature, but more because there is no safer solution.

Moreover, the Goguryeo people have not been civilized for a long time, and their temperament is originally more barbaric than that of the Central Plains.

The tent fell silent in an instant, and all the soldiers looked at each other, their faces paler than frozen snow. I don't know how long it took, Liu Hongji sighed, and was the first to stand up and say: "If the truth is really as Lord Chen expected, I'm afraid that before we can transport the grain, the army has already collapsed." But in any case, we cannot sit idly by and watch the army perish. It is better to gather 2,000 war horses and transport 10,000 stone of grain lightly to rescue the emergency. Then, Tang Gong gave the Ming Holy Grace again, mobilized the people to slowly distribute food, and strived to save more people back! ”

"I'm afraid that the Holy Lord will not believe that the army will be defeated!" Chen Yanshou had a bitter face and laughed miserably.

If it weren't for the fact that he was familiar with Yu Wenshu's temperament, Li Yuan's staff would not dare to speculate that the army would encounter risks. Right now, the emperor is immersed in the good news of the success of the Liao War. At this juncture, someone told him that Yuwenshu might be defeated, and it was strange that he didn't think it was deliberately disturbing Yaxing.

Tang Gong Li Yuan was not favored in front of His Majesty the Emperor, and he was not in harmony with Yuwenshu, so he went to remind the army that it was in danger, and even if he was not punished, no one would believe it. Thinking of this, the expressions on everyone's faces became even more bitter, it is really up to you to rack your brains, and you can't think of a good way to not only make His Majesty the Emperor believe in the loyalty of Duke Tang, but also to send the grain and grass to Yuwenshu in time.

"Just do what Hongji suggests!" After a while, Tang Gong Li Yuan let out a sigh of relief, as if risking his life, and said resolutely.

"Yes!" Liu Hongji agreed loudly, turned around and wanted to go out. only then did he move his body, and was stopped by Li Yuan again.

"Wait, you go back to the warehouse and get the food first. After I have collected the war horses, I will send them directly to your camp. It is my duty to supply to the front line on a small scale, and I don't have to ask the emperor for orders. The grain convoy set off tonight without stopping. Li Yuan took a few steps forward, approached Liu Hongji, and commanded in a low voice.

"The last general obeys!" Liu Hongji knew that the matter was very important, so he gave a military salute to Li Yuan, and replied with a straight face.

"A regiment of cavalry under Zhongjian's department, the fastest move, you take all of them, and go to the front to find out the news of the army." Li Yuan stepped forward and patted Liu Hongji's shoulder gently, his tone sounded extremely heavy, "Jiancheng and Jiulong will also go with you, Jiulong can fight the battle, listen to his advice in everything." You juniors haven't fought any battles, but now you can't help it. We can't let the 300,000 army starve to death on the way to withdraw the troops! Go, if you can save one, you can't save others, and you have to let yourself come back safely! ”

"Yes, the last general obeys!" Li Jiancheng and Qian Jiulong agreed at the same time, and without waiting for the eldest grandson Shunde and others to speak out, they grabbed the military order from the table.

"Duke Tang, the prince ......" The eldest grandson Shunde opened his mouth, wanting to advise Li Yuan not to send his son to take risks, looking at the other party's face, and holding back the remaining half of the sentence back to his stomach.

Li Yuan's hand left Liu Hongji's shoulder, trying his best to stand up straight. In an instant, the expression on his face changed from miserable to solemn, as if he was sending thousands of troops and horses out on the march.

"Liu Hong listens to orders!" Li Yuan stood firm and shouted loudly.

"The last general!" Liu Hongji solemnized his hands and stood upright.

"Immediately go back to the warehouse to transfer grain, and as soon as the war horse arrives, set off immediately!" Li Yuan handed over the general order to Liu Hongji, and then grabbed another general order: "Li Xu listens to the order!" ”

"Humble duty!" Li Xu took half a step forward and stood solemnly.

"You take the soldiers and horses of the headquarters and explore the way for Liu Hongji in front of your head. If there is news of the army, send a fast horse to report it immediately! ”

"Obedience!" Li Xu agreed loudly, with a little nervousness in his voice. What everyone was talking about just now, he didn't hear a word clearly. But for now, apart from trying his best to save people, he doesn't care about any risks.

"Zhou Wenyuan!" Tang Gong picked up the third general order.

"Humble duty!" Zhou Wenyuan mustered up the courage to step forward, a little scared and a little excited in his heart.

…….

Only 500 soldiers and horses were left to guard the granary, and the rest were sent out by Li Yuan. Some went with Liu Hongji to transport grain, and some went to the nearby Goguryeo people's shrunken new city and the domestic city to guard in both directions, so as not to prevent the Goguryeo people in those two cities from hearing the wind and grass and then fighting the idea of the army's grain and grass. When all the generals and colonels were far away, Li Yuan beckoned and called the two henchmen to his side.

"Shunde, Yanshou, the two of you lead all the guards of our Li family, and keep an eye on the pontoon bridge on the river these days. As long as they don't come back, no matter whose order they make, they can't let people destroy the bridge! Li Yuan ordered in a deep voice.

If the military situation is really as Chen Yanshou inferred, within five days, the remaining 700,000 troops besieging Liaodong will inevitably be shaken. His Majesty the Emperor has never lost a battle since he led his troops at the age of sixteen. He didn't dare to guarantee that His Majesty, after hearing the news of the defeat of the Liao, would be able to behave as bravely as he usually did.

"Duke Tang should communicate with the courtiers and find a way to make His Majesty plan for the worst!" After Chen Yanshou took over the order, he reminded in a low voice. Yu Wenshu, Liu Shilong and others led 300,000 troops to make a detour to attack Pyongyang, although the number of people accounted for only one-third of the Eastern Expedition army, but more than seventy percent of them were government soldiers. Over the years, the Great Sui soldiers have been invincible in the world, relying on these well-trained elite soldiers. If they were gone, His Majesty the Emperor would have to think about more than just Liaodong.

"Nayan Su Wei is seriously ill, and Duan Wenzhen, the secretary of the Ministry of War, is critically ill!" When there were no outsiders on his side, Li Yuan's back was lifted again. The house leak happened to rain overnight, since the conquest of Liao, the ministers who could let Banzai listen to a few words of advice get sick and die, and now the rest of the court are either visionary or people who tend to be inflammatory. For an unlucky guy like Li Yuan, who the emperor doesn't want to see, everyone can't hide, who wants to exchange views on the battle situation with him!

"Huangmen Squire Pei Ju has been favored recently!" The eldest grandson Shunde saw that Tang Gong was worried about the matter of giving advice to the emperor, and reminded him in a low voice.

Hearing this, Li Yuan felt bitter water begin to rise in his throat and eyes. Pei Ju, the squire of the Yellow Gate, was born in the Pei family in Hedong, and made great contributions to the emperor's acceptance of Zen and the current enthronement. This person knew that His Majesty the Emperor had lofty ambitions, so he made suggestions one after another to conquer the Turks, conquer the Khitan, and conquer Gaochang, and expand the territory. Under his advice, the Great Sui Emperor succeeded to the throne for ten years, and almost every year he raised troops to crusade against the country that was not subordinate, squandering the national strength to the limit. This eastward expedition to Goryeo is also what Pei Ju has always advocated. Asking him to remind His Majesty the Emperor of the risk of defeat is tantamount to seeking the skin of a tiger!

"Pei Jusu is treacherous, skillful and attached, and is an out-and-out villain. But villains are often better at judging the situation than gentlemen. He likes the famous horse Zhuyu, Tang Gong voted for his favor, and then he knows the situation, with his person, he may not be willing to be a lonely minister loyal to the country in Liaodong. Besides, in the future, this person will also be a help! Chen Yanshou thought about it and echoed the proposal of the eldest grandson Shunde. (Note 1) "That's all it can be!" Li Yuan sighed and said. No matter how reluctant he was in his heart, he had to go and see Master Pei today. Even if it is not for the 300,000 Eastern Crusade army, it must be for his son and the future of the Li family.......

The eight hundred grain guards quickly assembled, and the excitement in their hearts was far higher than the fear when they heard that their joints were itching to the front line.

In order to avoid confusion in the army's mind, Liu Hongji strictly ordered his generals not to leak out speculations about unfavorable military conditions. "That's speculation, not necessarily true. If the delivery of grain and grass is delayed because of rumors, you know what the military law will do! He shouted to a few friends who were usually close friends.

"Yes! Rest assured! All the generals and colonels involved in the grain transportation agreed in unison. Liu Hongji has won the expectations of everyone, and at the critical moment, everyone is willing to work with him to tide over the difficulties.

Li Yuan used the power at hand to recruit the war horses to arrive later, along with the war horses, as well as Li Jiancheng and Qian Jiulong, Li Mansion guard Fan Xing also brought twenty personal soldiers to follow Jiancheng, this is the first time that the prince of Tang Gong has carried out military affairs alone, and they will swear to protect his safety.

Li Wan'er and Li Shimin also rushed over before the departure of the army, and they and their brother Jiancheng have been inseparable since childhood, so they specially rushed to see off their brother. Both of them wore military uniforms and looked heroic and thin-haired. As soon as he entered the barracks, Li Shimin rushed to the soldiers who were ready to go, holding the reins in one hand and the lance in the other, as if he was the commander of this expedition. Li Wan'er rarely showed a little bit of the gentleness of a little daughter, walked to Li Jiancheng's side, and whispered: "Brother, be careful on the road, and pay more attention to the woods, valleys and other hidden places on both sides along the way. The Goguryeo people are unwilling to surrender, and there must be some diehards who will wait for an opportunity to move! ”

"Don't worry, we ride in pairs, and there are mostly Pingchuan between here and Maqishui!" Li Jiancheng nodded and comforted with a smile. For the first time, he led all the way alone, and he didn't know the bottom of his heart. However, as the courage of an army, you have to pretend to be magnificent no matter what.

"It's good if my brother has an idea!" Wan'er gave her brother a smile, rode her horse, approached Liu Hongji, and advised: "Brother Liu, you should be careful." I know you're strong in martial arts, but it's ...... to lead troops into battle."

"Alright, I promise to send your brother and your brothers back safely!" Liu Hongji interrupted Li Wan'er's words aggressively. He was very happy to be able to do a little bit for the Li family. As for the danger along the way, for him who has been on the road for many years, it is just an appetizer. No matter how fierce the Goguryeo people are, are they more fierce than the horse thieves and Turks on the side?

Li Wan'er flattened her mouth and protested against Liu Hongji's self-defeating hero. Turning her head, she saw Li Xu, and the smile on her face slowly dimmed.

"Brother Zhongjian!" Li Wan'er shouted in a low voice, she wanted to say two words of advice like to Liu Hongji, but suddenly found that there were no suitable words to express her meaning.

Li Xu is only a few months older than her, and Wan'er is a little reluctant to treat him as an elder brother like she treats Liu Hongji. But apart from treating him as an older brother, the girl's family couldn't find any other way to express their concern for a while. After thinking about it, he finally lowered his voice and muttered like a gnat, "Be careful yourself, come back safely!" ”

"I know, you and the people should be careful!" Li Xu's answer was even more marginal than Li Wan'er's advice. The two looked at each other, smiled, and gently staggered the horse's head.

Five hundred men, two thousand horses, and 10,000 stone of life-saving grain and grass rushed to the east. Compared with the 700,000 troops under Liaodong City, this number of people is very small, except for a few pairs of reluctant eyes, almost no one pays attention to their whereabouts.

"I wanted to say......" Li Wan'er stood on a high slope, looking at her brother and everyone in the distance, thinking silently.

"You promised to protect me! Promised! She broke off a willow branch and thunderbolted, and the ground was dusty.

Note 1: Pei Ju, a famous minister of the Sui and Tang dynasties, was the main proposer of the three eastward expeditions to Goryeo. He once served as a high-ranking official in the Northern Zhou, Sui, Yu Culture and the Tang Dynasty, and became a model for later generations with elegance and honesty.

[Remember the URL . 三五Chinese网]