After listening to Wang Yu's words, Li Yuan summoned Xiao Yu, Chen Shuda and others to discuss.

After discussion, Li Yuan issued an order and ordered Li Yi, the king of Yan, to lead his troops south to attack the capital of the Xia Kingdom. Cooperate with Li Shimin to launch a full-scale attack on the Xia State.

And after Xu Shao received the secret decree, he was very hesitant.

After getting along with Li Jing during this time, he clearly knew that Li Jing was a talented general, and if Li Jing was executed at this time, it would definitely be a big loss for Datang.

Xu Shao was a person who cherished talents, and he immediately wrote a letter to explain the facts to Li Yuan and intercede for Li Jing.

After Li Yuan looked at the recital, he thought about it and withdrew the order to execute Li Jing.

And Li Jing didn't know all this.

Not long after, Ran Zhao, the leader of the Kaizhou barbarians, rebelled against the Tang Dynasty and led the crowd to invade Kuizhou.

Li Xiaogong personally led his army to meet the battle, but was defeated.

After Li Jing found out, he led 800 cavalry to attack the barbarian camp, and the result was a big break for the barbarians.

Immediately afterwards, Li Jing set up an ambush at a dangerous place, broke through the barbarian camp in one fell swoop, killed its leader Ran Zhaoze, and captured more than 5,000 barbarians.

Li Xiaogong was overjoyed and praised Li Jing.

After Xu Shao heard this, he was not only happy for Li Jing, but also relieved.

In the recital, he boasted to Li Yuan about Haikou, saying that Li Jing would definitely be able to pacify the south for the Tang Dynasty.

Now that Li Jing has pacified the barbarians for the Tang Dynasty so quickly, it can be regarded as a good start.

When the good news reached Chang'an, Li Yuan was very happy, and he smiled and said to the ministers: "I heard that it is better to appoint people who have meritorious service than to appoint people who have done it, and this is really very reasonable."

"Look at it, Li Jing has made a great contribution."

The ministers praised one after another: "Your Majesty is wise. ”

Li Yuan smiled even more happily, and immediately issued a seal book to comfort Li Jing.

"Qing has done his best and made outstanding achievements...... Lonely knows your loyalty, there will be rewards and rewards, and you don't have to worry about fame and fortune......"

This time, Li Jing's sincerity and loyalty made Li Yuan change his prejudice against him, and Li Yuan also wrote an edict to Li Jing in his own handwriting, which read: "...... The past has been forgotten. ”

After Li Jing received these things, his heart, which had been hanging for several years, finally fell back to its original place.

In the past few years, he has always felt that Li Yuan has suppressed him intentionally or unintentionally, and he has not had much merit over the years, and he is always worried that if he does not get Li Yuan's appreciation, Li Yuan will find an opportunity to kill him.

There were even several dreams in which he dreamed that his whole family died on the guillotine, and Li Yuan was the executioner with the ghost head knife in his hand.

Now that he has made war achievements, Li Yuan finally told him that he would forget the past, which means that Li Yuan will no longer embarrass him and suppress him from now on.

So, according to the current situation, Li Jing presented Li Yuan with ten strategies to defeat Xiao Miao.

Li Yuan attached great importance to this and consulted with the courtiers with these ten strategies.

Subsequently, Li Jing was promoted to the head of the march, and concurrently served as the chief of Li Xiaogong's march.

On the grounds that Li Xiaogong was not very proficient in the affairs of war, he entrusted Li Jing with the heavy responsibility of commanding the three armies.

In other words, Li Xiaogong just hung the name of a marshal, and the real commander of the three armies was Li Jing.

At the same time, Li Yuan also sent several craftsmen to Kuizhou to help Li Jing build warships.

While supervising the construction of warships, Li Jing organized soldiers to practice water warfare diligently, and prepared to go down to Jiangling to destroy Nanliang.

On this day, he came back from outside and said to Li Xiaogong: "Not long after the land of Ba and Shu was annexed to our dynasty, the tribes were not yet very stable and had not yet been completely submissive.

"If they have different intentions and take advantage of our attack on Nanliang to defect and attack our rear, the consequences will be unimaginable."

Li Xiaogong was not angry that he was just a nominal marshal, nor was he jealous of Li Jing, and he usually discussed anything with Li Jing.

Li Jing is not arrogant, he will discuss anything with Li Xiaogong, and he will never be arbitrary.

Therefore, when Li Xiaogong heard this, he immediately asked Li Jing for advice: "Does Li Gong have a good plan?" ”

Before coming, Li Jing had come up with a countermeasure, so he replied smoothly: "You can gather the children of the chiefs of each tribe to Kuizhou, and give them official positions according to their talents, and place them on the left and right."

"It is claimed to be a recommendation and promotion, but in fact, these children are held firmly in their hands as hostages.

"In this way, we have solved our worries."

Li Xiaogongle blossomed: "Li Gong is really brave and strategic, this plan is very good, so let's do it." ”

......

Li Jing and Li Xiaogong were actively preparing for war, and Li Shimin was not idle, he led the Xuanjia Army to defend the Tiger Pass, and defeated the Xia army known as 300,000 with a small number of troops.

Dou Jiande was unwilling and launched attacks again and again, but failed one after another.

In April, Dou Liang, the governor of Yizhou, led his troops to join Li Shimin.

On this day, Li Shimin received news that Dou Jiande's grain and grass were about to arrive.

He consulted with the generals: "Although there are many people in the Xia army, there are also Meng Haigong, Xu Yuanlang, and Wang Shichong's people, and the three armies are not united.

"Now that they have lost one battle after another, their morale has been weakened, and if we take away their food and grass again, they will be in a panic.

"I'm going to send someone to rob this batch of grain and grass, who of you wants to go?"

As soon as these words fell, Qin Shubao and others stood up one after another: "The last general is invited to fight." ”

Seeing that they were so active, Li Shimin was very relieved, and in the end, he chose two generals, Qin Shubao and Wang Junkuo.

That night, Qin Shubao and Wang Junkuo led more than 1,000 light cavalry to the back of the Xia army and attacked the grain transportation team.

"Report, the grain and grass transported from Liyang were robbed by the Tang Army......

"What?"

Hearing the report from the soldiers, Dou Jiande stood up in shock, as if he couldn't believe it: "You say it again? ”

The soldier was shocked by Dou Jiande's loud voice, and he said tremblingly: "The grain and grass transported by Liyang were robbed by the Tang army, and many people from the grain transportation team died, except for a few people who escaped, the others were taken captive. ”

Dou Jiande sat down again, his face was ugly, he didn't expect that Li Shimin's soldiers were not as many as his, and he could also hold the Tiger Prison Pass.

Not only that, Li Shimin actually dared to send people around behind him to rob him of grain and grass, which was really bold.

Dou Jiande felt that he needed to readjust his strategy, so he convened the Minister of Civil and Military Affairs to discuss countermeasures.

"The Tiger Prison Pass has been unable to be captured for a long time, and now the grain and grass have been robbed by the Tang Army, what good plan does Zhu Qing have?"

Cao Zhan said: "If we can't capture the Tiger Pass, we can only be blocked here, and we can't move forward, let alone rescue Luoyang." ”

"And we have lost one after another, our morale is low, and the soldiers are panicked, and recently they have privately said that they want to go back to Zhaozhou.

"The minister thinks that for King Zheng, we have done our best, we don't have to go any further, just go back to the court."

Dong Kangmai also agreed with his opinion: "Yes, my lord, the Tang army is fierce, and the weapons are more powerful than ours, if we continue to fight, I am afraid that Luoyang will not succeed in rescuing, but will put us in ourselves."

"We don't want to do such a thing that outweighs the loss, so please give the Lord an order to return to the court immediately."

Other generals chimed in.

Dou Jiande frowned, although they were right, he was not reconciled......

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