As the saying goes, character determines destiny. A person's personality and temperament often directly affect his future life trajectory. Throughout ancient Chinese history, the founding fathers, loyal ministers and good generals of all dynasties seem to have a rare good death. Bai Qi, Han Xin, Zhou Yafu, Hu Luguang, Yue Fei, Yu Qian, and Yuan Chonghuan are all bloody examples. These civil and military generals who have made great contributions to the country are basically unable to escape the cyclical law of "cunning rabbits die, lackeys cook".

Part of the root cause of this is that the feudal ruling class removed obstacles that threatened the imperial throne and imperial power in order to maintain its rule. Part of the reason is because of their personalities. These heroes and generals are either proud of their achievements, or Geng Jie is too much, or they don't know the times. All kinds of personalities that were incompatible with the imperial rule eventually led to their death. For example, Long Keduo and Nian Qianyao during the Yongzheng period of the Qing Dynasty are excellent examples:

Long and Nian, by virtue of their power, have no scruples, and recklessly act as a blessing, that is, they will be destroyed, and the ancient saints commanded. (Manuscript of Qing History)

The same principle is also very appropriate when applied to Li Mi. The ending of Li Mi's life and his final tragic fate are inseparable from his own character. So, what is Li Mi's personality like? Conceited, arrogant, arbitrary, and incapable of bending.

It must be admitted that Li Mi is a very capable person. If he had not excelled, he would not have developed the Wagang Army into the No. 1 rebel army in the Central Plains in just a few years, and had enough military strength to compete with the Sui Dynasty. Even, Li Mi was once only one step away from the highest power. It can be said that Li Mi was a legend of that era, a landmark figure in the late Sui and early Tang dynasties.

However, it was Li Mi who was too capable, which also led to the shortcomings of his character. What are the shortcomings of character? Sometimes they are too conceited, and even a little blindly confident. This kind of self-righteous character finally made Li Mi suffer the consequences. In the battle of Beibi Mountain, Li Mi did not listen to the advice, insisted on going his own way, and rashly fought a decisive battle with Wang Shichong's main force. As a result, the Wagang army was almost wiped out, and Li Mi's dream of being an emperor came to naught overnight.

Moreover, the general conceited personality will be accompanied by a bad vicious circle. That is, once you have a setback, it is very difficult to get back on your feet. Li Mi is such a person, he wins, but he can't afford to lose. Therefore, after being sent under the fence, Li Mi could not bear the cold eyes of others, and he did not know how to lie on his salary and taste his courage, and endure humiliation; Always put on a proud posture everywhere and refused to bow his head.

Wei Zheng later wrote an epitaph for Li Mi, "The Epitaph of Li Mi, the Late Duke of Xingguo in the Tang Dynasty". In this epitaph, Wei Zheng has a very incisive analysis of Li Mi's character:

Although the public authority has not been lifted, the Lord has done it himself. The old part of the cover is attached first, and there are more than the right; Therefore, the officials may come later, or live on top of it. Huai Yuyang's indignation, shame from Wu Geng's ranks; With Huaiyin's sorrow, shame and Jiang irrigation are together. Negative wisdom and bravery, quite uncomfortable.

To put it bluntly, from beginning to end, Li Mi has always been unwilling. Driven by this unwillingness, Li Mi finally took a risk, embarked on a road of no return, and personally dug a grave for him. In the end, not only did Li Mi's dream disappear, but even his life could not be saved.

So, under what circumstances did Li Mi embark on this road of no return? How did Li Mi's final life end? The fuse of all this, or rather, the direct trigger for Li Mi's rebellion against the Tang Dynasty, originated from a banquet. It was precisely because of this banquet that Li Mi was completely angered.

As mentioned above, after Li Mi surrendered to Tang, Tang Gaozu Li Yuan gave him three official titles: Shangzhuguo, Guangluqing, and Xing Guogong. Among them, Shangzhu Guo and Xing Guogong are both fictitious titles and have no real power. The only one who has real power is that Guang Luqing, who has a very high official rank and does not play a particularly important role.

Regarding the functions of Guangluqing, they have been described in detail above. Guang Luqing is mainly in charge of the royal diet, which is equivalent to the secretary and first-class head chef who manages the royal diet. Li Mi was 10,000 dissatisfied with this official position. Originally, before Li Mi surrendered to the Tang Dynasty, he imagined that the Tang Dynasty would give him a high-ranking official like the Three Princes. Even if he is not a high-ranking official of the Three Princes, he should be an important military and political position with real power.

Unexpectedly, as soon as Li Mi entered Chang'an, not only did the illusions of the three high-ranking officials go down the drain, but Li Yuan instead gave himself such an insignificant and insulting official position - Guangluqing. According to Li Mi's personality of disobedience and refusal to bow his head, something will definitely happen. Sure enough, not long after, something happened.

Since Li Mi was appointed as Guangluqing, then he must fulfill his duties. Generally, when the imperial court and the royal family hold important banquets, Guang Luqing must be present and preside over the relevant ceremonies. Therefore, whenever a banquet is held in the palace, Li Mi, as Guang Luqing, naturally cannot be absent. However, after a banquet, Li Mi finally broke out, and he didn't want to endure it any longer. What's going on? According to historical records:

Li Mi has been arrogant for a long time, and he has returned to the country with self-conceit, and the court is depressed and unhappy. When you taste the great court, you are secretly Guangluqing, and when you eat, you are deeply ashamed; Retreat, in order to sue Wang Bodang, the general of the left Wuwei. (Information Governance Guide)

Once, the Tang Dynasty ushered in the annual grand court meeting. For the great unified dynasties throughout the ages, often when the great dynasty meets, all the countries come to worship, and the scene is extremely lively. Although the Tang Dynasty has not yet achieved unification, it must have specifications. So, Tang Gaozu Li Yuan held a banquet and invited hundreds of officials of the clan.

During the banquet, Li Mi, who was Guangluqing, was responsible for offering wine and food to Li Yuan, the ancestor of the Tang Dynasty, as well as the Li Tang clan and courtiers. This was originally Guang Luqing's job, but in Li Mi's view, he felt that he had suffered a great humiliation. I used to be such a powerful man in the world and worshiped by the heroes of the eight directions, but now he has been reduced to the point of drinking in Tsing Yi and being called by others. Therefore, Li Mi's anger can be imagined.

Therefore, after the banquet, Li Mi privately complained to his confidant Wang Bodang, the general of Zuo Wuwei, and poured out his inner dissatisfaction and resentment:

In Luokou, I wanted to take Cui Junxian as the glory, and I didn't want to be for this. (The New Tang Dynasty Book: The Biography of Li Mi)

Wang Bodang has a deep understanding of Li Mi's situation. So, Wang Bodang took the opportunity to offer Li Mi a strategy, suggesting that Li Mi should do it alone instead of sending someone under the fence:

The affairs of the world are in the inner ear of the public. Today, the Duke of Donghai is in Liyang, the Duke of Xiangyang is in Luokou, and the soldiers and horses of Henan are only a finger to count, how can it be like this for a long time! (Information Governance Guide)

Wang Bodang's opinion is that if Li Mi continues to stay in Chang'an, he will never have a bright future. Nowadays, the quickest and most effective way is to leave Chang'an as soon as possible. So, where do you go after leaving Chang'an? Wang Bodang's plan is that Henan is the place where the Wagang army rises. Although most of the territory of Henan has been occupied by Wang Shichong at this time, there are still some places in the hands of the old Wagang department. For today's plan, Li Mi should go east out of Tongguan, develop towards Henan, convene Xu Shixian, Zhang Shanxiang and other old departments, re-erect the banner, and command the world again, it is not impossible.

After listening to Wang Bodang's strategy, Li Mi was overjoyed. He had long wanted to break away from Li Tang and try to achieve a great cause, and Wang Bodang's suggestion was right in his arms. Therefore, Li Mi adopted Wang Bodang's suggestion and took the initiative to ask Tang Gaozu for help. So, how should Li Mi hide from the scheming Li Yuan? Li Mi said to Li Yuan in a high-sounding manner, hoping that the imperial court could send him to Shandong, gather the old department, and jointly fight against Wang Shichong of Luoyang:

The ministers were favored by honor, sat in Beijing, and had no retribution; All the people in Shandong are under the command of the deceased, please go to collect and caress them. With the prestige of the country, take the king of the world like picking up mustard ears! (Information Governance Guide)

In the face of Li Mi's self-recommendation, what was Tang Gaozu Li Yuan's reaction? In front of Li Mi, Tang Gaozu did not express his position. After Li Mi left, Li Yuan summoned his ministers to discuss the matter. Before Li Yuan could speak, the ministers below took the lead in expressing their opinions. They resolutely opposed letting Li Mi go to Shandong, and bitterly advised Tang Gaozu that Li Mi must not be allowed to leave; Once Li Mi is released from Chang'an, the consequences will be unimaginable:

Li Mi is cunning and rebellious, and if he is sent now, he will not return if he throws a fish into a spring or a tiger in a mountain!

The ministers unanimously believed that Li Mi's request to go to Shandong to "appease" was obviously harboring evil intentions. He is pretending to be appeased, wanting to take the opportunity to defect from the Tang Dynasty, trying to make a comeback and fight against the Tang Dynasty. If Li Mi is allowed to leave, it is tantamount to letting the tiger return to the mountain. If he leaves, it is estimated that he will not come back, and when the time comes, he will definitely become a confidant of Datang.

The exhortations of the ministers, their opinions, were very well analyzed. However, what is strange is that Li Yuan finally agreed to Li Mi to go to Shandong. Li Yuan has always been wise and wise, and he is scheming, doesn't he know the true intention of Li Mi's move? With Li Mi's outstanding ability, once the tiger is out of the cage, he will definitely be able to regroup and form a new force. Isn't Tang Gaozu clear about these? Of course he knew.

Li Yuan was not a hot-headed gambler, and the reason why he agreed to Li Mi's request was naturally his own considerations. Li Yuan considered things from the perspective of the Tang Dynasty and the overall strategy of unifying the world. Therefore, Li Yuan mainly has two important considerations.

First, Li Yuan's original intention was to go east out of Tongguan and march into the Central Plains.

This is out of the overall strategy of unifying the world. Since the unification of the northwest, Tang Gaozu Li Yuan has been planning the eastward expansion strategy. Although at that time, Liu Wuzhou of Shanxi was ready to move, and he could threaten the safety of Taiyuan at any time. However, it was only a matter of time before Li Tang entered the Central Plains. According to the record of "Tang Gaozu Record":

Hearing that none of his troops were attached to Wang Shichong, he ordered the secret collection of the remaining people to try Luoyang.

If the Tang Dynasty wanted to enter the Central Plains eastward and take Luoyang directly, the first military problem to be solved was the old Wagang Department east of Tongguan. As long as the military situation east of Tongguan is stabilized, the Tang Army's eastward expedition will have a better chance of victory in the future. And Li Mi can just help Li Tang solve this military problem.

The area around Shandong is the place where the old Wagang Army is entrenched, and Li Mi is the former leader of the Wagang Army, and he has a lot of prestige in the Wagang Army. Therefore, appointing Li Mi to Shandong to recruit Fu can effectively stabilize the east of Tongguan and clear the way for the Tang Dynasty to enter the Central Plains eastward. To this end, Wei Zheng specially elaborated in the "Epitaph of Li Mi, the Late Tang Dynasty Xing Guogong":

The Russian marshal King Qin, who ran the Luo, also personally inherited the secret strategy and led the pawns first. Not only out of the rooster crow, but also the plug of the cattle, the edict to give the number, but also to make a plan.

According to Wei Zheng's statement, Li Midong's action out of Tongguan this time was not his action alone. Regarding this eastward exit from Tongguan, Tang Gaozu Li Yuan appointed Li Shimin, the king of Qin, as the marshal and led the army to advance eastward, and Li Mi was only Li Shimin's forward force. In other words, Li Mi is in front, and Li Shimin is following closely behind, so it is easy to avoid Li Mi from acting rashly and making outrageous moves.

Second, Li Yuan's move is a typical plan to kill people with a knife.

Tang Gaozu Li Yuan, how old and spicy. Of course, he understood that Li Mi's motive for asking to go east out of Tongguan was impure. Therefore, Li Yuan deliberately agreed to Li Mi's request and allowed him to go to Shandong. In fact, Li Yuan was borrowing a knife to kill people, borrowing Wang Shichong's knife to take the opportunity to get rid of Li Mi. At the beginning, the ministers resolutely opposed letting Li Mi leave, believing that this was to let the tiger return to the mountain. However, Tang Gaozu Li Yuan said this to his ministers:

The emperor has his own destiny, which is not something that a kid can take. To betray is like shooting an arrow into the middle ear of Artemisia! Now let the two thieves fight, I can sit back and accept the disadvantages. (Information Governance Guide)

Since the defeat of Luoyang, Li Mi's power has basically ceased to exist. Li Yuan saw this very thoroughly. In case Li Mizhen's dog jumped off the wall in a hurry and parted ways with the Tang Dynasty. At that time, it is bound to enter the territory of Wang Shichong in Henan, and there will inevitably be friction with Wang Shichong.

As soon as Li Mi and Wang Shichong fought, no matter who won on both sides, it would be of great benefit to the Tang Dynasty. If Li Mi wins, he can use this to weaken Wang Shichong's military strength, and Li Mi also kills 1,000 enemies and loses 800 himself; If Wang Shichong defeated Li Mi, he would just use Wang Shichong's knife to get rid of Li Mi's henchman, which was something the Tang Dynasty couldn't ask for. Therefore, no matter which of the two sides wins or loses, the Tang Dynasty can reap the benefits of the fisherman.

The above are Li Yuan's two considerations, based on the overall plan, Tang Gaozu finally agreed to Li Midong's departure from Tongguan, leaving Chang'an, and going to Shandong to appease. On November 29, the first year of Wude (618), Tang Gaozu Li Yuan officially sent Li Mi to the east of Kunshan Mountain to appease the old Wagang tribe that had not yet been annexed.

Before leaving, Li Mi asked Tang Gaozu for instructions, hoping to let his henchman Jia Yanfu go with him, and Li Yuan agreed to his request. Moreover, before Li Mi and his entourage set off, Li Yuan specially set up a banquet in the palace to "feast" for Li Mi and others. During the banquet, Tang Gaozu, Li Mi and Jia Yanfu sat on the same couch, and the three of them shared a wine glass to drink. When the wine was hot, Li Yuan said such meaningful words to Li Mi and Jia Yanfu:

The three of us drink wine together, so as to be of the same mind; Good at making a name for yourself, with a vice meaning. The husband promises people, and it is not easy to make a thousand dollars. Some people really don't want their brother to do it, and I push my heart to my brother, which is beyond the power of others. (Information Governance Guide)

After listening to Li Yuan's words, Li Mi and Jia Yanfu hurriedly thanked them again and again. Immediately afterwards, Tang Gaozu Li Yuan took Wang Bodang as Li Mi's deputy general and asked him to follow Li Mi out of Tongguan in the east. In fact, Li Yuan's words have another profound meaning. On the surface, Tang Gaozu was greeting Li Mi with warmth, but in fact, there was a murderous motive behind it. It can be said that this is Li Yuan's last warning to Li Mi.

In these words, Tang Gaozu pointed out very clearly, hinting at Li Mi, I understand your intentions very clearly. Moreover, regarding your invitation to go to Shandong this time, many ministers of the DPRK and China are resolutely opposed. What does that mean? Li Yuan issued an ultimatum, if Li Mi'an kept to himself and honestly went to Shandong to appease him, everyone would be fine; However, if Li Mi made the slightest move, it would be as easy as crushing an ant to death if the Tang Dynasty wanted to eliminate him.

In this way, in this murderous situation, on the first day of December in the first year of Wude (618), Li Mi led his subordinates to leave Chang'an and officially embarked on the road to Tongguan in the east. At this time, it was only less than three months before Li Mi defected to the Tang Dynasty.

Li Mi led his troops out of Chang'an and to the east of Tongguan, marking his official parting of ways with the Tang Dynasty. Li Mi's departure also completely embarked on a road of no return to rebel against the Tang Dynasty and become self-reliant. Since then, Li Mi not only never returned to Chang'an, but even lost his life in the end, and died without a place to be buried.

Since Tang Gaozu had already seen through Li Mi's conspiracy, he saw that he actually wanted to take the opportunity to rebel against Tang and set up his own door. Do you really let him go without any precautions? No way. Who is Li Yuan? Since he is determined to get rid of Li Mi, he will definitely not let him leave Chang'an so easily, and he will definitely have a back hand. The back hand prepared by Li Yuan is a trump card. What trump card? The military god of the Tang Dynasty - Li Shimin, King of Qin.

As mentioned above, Li Mi's trip to Tongguan this time was not his own action. His troops and horses were only the vanguard troops of Li Shimin, the king of Qin, and Li Shimin was the main person in charge of this eastward exit from Tongguan. In other words, Li Mi led his troops to fight in the front, and Li Shimin pressed in the back.

Li Mi led the men and horses to leave Chang'an on the first day of December in the first year of Wude (618), and only one day later, Li Yuan dispatched Li Shimin's trump card. On the second day of December, Tang Gaozu Li Yuan issued an edict appointing Li Shimin, the king of Qin, as the chief lieutenant, the envoy, and the Daxingtai of Eastern Shaanxi. At the same time, Li Yuan also stipulated that all Tang army units in Puzhou, Hebei and other places should be unified under the command of Li Shimin and under the command of the king of Qin.

At this time, Li Shimin had just achieved the brilliant record of pacifying the Western Qin, and it was not long before the class master triumphed. After receiving the order, Li Shimin did not delay, and immediately led the main force of the Tang Army, which opened from Chang'an, followed all the way to the east, and followed closely behind Li Mi's troops.

Li Yuan's appointment of Li Shimin as a lieutenant not only affirmed Li Shimin's great victory on the Western Front, but also gave Li Shimin an important task: to guard against Li Mi. This time, Li Midong went out of Tongguan and led his troops first as the main general of King Qin's forward; And Li Shimin, as the commander of the east out of Tongguan this time, naturally had to lead the troops to follow up. Therefore, Li Shimin led the lieutenant, and on the second day after Li Mi left Beijing, he led the main force of the Tang Army, marched all the way east, and followed closely behind Li Mi.

The development of the situation is very clear, the reason why Tang Gaozu sent Li Shimin is only one purpose, that is, to keep an eye on Li Mi. Tang Gaozu Li Yuan can be regarded as holding Li Mi to death, his idea is that you can go out of Beijing, but I will never let you leave Chang'an so easily.

Therefore, Li Yuan's principle for Li Shimin is that if the enemy does not move, I will not move. If Li Mi really insisted on going his own way, he finally embarked on the road of rebellion against the Tang Dynasty. When the time comes, Li Shimin can make a decision on the spot, and the Tang army soldiers and horses in Puzhou and Hebei Prefectures will be unified under the command of Li Shimin, the king of Qin.

If Li Mi openly rebelled, with Li Shimin's military talent, he commanded the main force of the Tang Army, and attacked the Tang troops east of Tongguan to divide and encircle Li Mi, and he would definitely be able to completely eliminate Li Mi. Therefore, it is equivalent to that as soon as Li Mi came out of Chang'an, he fell into the trap designed by Tang Gaozu, and failure was doomed. So, Li Mi's trip out of Tongguan went smoothly? It didn't go well.

First of all, as soon as Li Mi came out of Chang'an, Tang Gaozu Li Yuan gave him a trick to "draw salary from the bottom of the kettle". At the beginning, Li Mi came to vote poorly, and when he entered Guanzhong in the west, he only brought the remnants of the 20,000 Wagang Army. This time, he was ordered to go to Shandong to recruit Fu, and Li Mi naturally wanted to take his old department with him. However, Li Yuan is extremely smart. He knew that if Li Mi was allowed to take the 20,000 horses out of Guanzhong, with Li Mi's appeal, it would not be long before his 20,000 horses would become 200,000 male soldiers.

Thinking of this, Tang Gaozu had to take action, and he couldn't let Li Mi take all his 20,000 old troops out of Guanzhong. So, Li Yuan thought of a way to simply divide Li Mi's army into two. The so-called division into two is the bottom of the kettle. Tang Gaozu Li Yuan ordered Li Mi to leave half of the army in Huazhou, and only let him lead the other half of the army to the east of Tongguan. In this way, the troops led by Li Mi were only 10,000 horses.

Tang Gaozu's move, to a certain extent, effectively stifled the number of Li Mi's army. At the same time, it also gave Li Mi a slap in the face. As soon as this move came out, Li Mi understood that Emperor Li Yuan had never trusted himself from beginning to end. Now, he only allows himself to command 10,000 horses, and his troops are thin. In case the Tang Dynasty really decided to do it, wouldn't these 10,000 horses not even be qualified to be sent to death. Therefore, Li Yuan's move made Li Mi extremely frustrated.

However, this is not the most frustrating thing for Li Mi. Immediately afterwards, an unexpected situation occurred, which made Li Mi completely lose his mind and be in chaos. Because of this, it eventually led to Li Mi's defeat. What kind of contingency is this? In Li Mi's camp, some people defected.

The subordinates who followed Li Mi out of the customs were very clear that Li Mi was going to officially part ways with the Tang Dynasty and wanted to go it alone. The current situation is that behind him, the army of Li Shimin, the king of Qin, is pressing forward step by step; Ahead, life and death are uncertain. This trip is extremely dangerous, if it succeeds, everything is easy to say. But if it fails, it will be a catastrophe. Therefore, at this time, within Li Mi's camp, some people retreated.

This person is Li Mi's long history - Zhang Baode, he feels that Li Mi is simply overwhelmed, and he can't be sent to death with Li Mi. In order to protect himself, Zhang Baode hurriedly played Tang Gaozu secretly, insisting that Li Mi's trip would be reversed, and it would definitely set off a big chaos:

The envoy Li Mi divided half of his command to stay in Huazhou and half of it was released. The long history of Zhang Baode was in the middle of the line, and he was afraid of the secret and died, and the crimes were related; On the seal, it is said that it will be rebellious. (Information Governance Guide)

After receiving Zhang Baode's secret recital, Li Yuan's attitude immediately changed one hundred and eighty degrees. At this time, he regretted letting Li Mi leave, and Tang Gaozu decided to make amends. As a result, Li Yuan immediately issued an edict, ordering Li Mi to leave his army in place and return to Chang'an alone.

When Li Mi marched to Chousang, he received an edict from Tang Gaozu, ordering him to return to Beijing immediately. This edict was undoubtedly the last straw that broke the camel's back, and completely broke Li Mi's psychological defense. Years of hard work made Li Mi's nerves tense immediately. This edict ordering him to return to Beijing was a "talisman" for Li Mi. Li Yuan put him on the stove for barbecue, putting him in a dilemma.

Why? Li Mi understands that whether you go or not, the result is the same. When Li Yuan released this edict, it was obvious that he had murderous intentions towards Li Mi. Once Li Mi is really ordered to return to Beijing, Tang Gaozu will never let him go again, and maybe he will kill him.

However, if you don't go back and continue to drive to Shandong, you will also face layers of dangers. First of all, at that time, Li Mi's trip to the east of Tongguan was unclear, and he might be besieged by many forces. It could be from Wang Shichong, or it could be from the attack of the Tang army. Not only that, Li Mi's rear, Li Shimin's main army, like Mount Tai pressing on the top, followed closely. In this kind of situation where the enemy is on his back, Li Mi's future is very confused.

Moreover, although Li Mitie was determined to rebel against the Tang Dynasty and stand on his own, after all, he was still nominally a courtier of the Tang Dynasty. If Li Mi did not obey the edict, it would be a blatant disobedience. When the time comes, Tang Gaozu can justify his name and declare Li Mi a rebel and order him to be exterminated. Therefore, no matter whether Li Mi finally decides whether to return to Beijing or continue to move forward, it is a dilemma. At this time, Li Mi was completely caught in the situation of riding a tiger.

So, in the face of such a dilemma, how should Li Mi choose? Is it to return to Chang'an obediently, or to go all the way to the dark. After a fierce ideological struggle, Li Mi chose the latter and decided to go his own way and rebel against the Tang Dynasty to the end. After making up his mind, Li Mi explained his plan to his adviser Jia Yunfu and Pan:

Sent me to go, and called me back for no reason, the Son of Heaven sent to the clouds, "Some people are really stubborn and do not allow it", this is done. If I return it today, there is no recovery, and it is better to break Taolin County, collect its military rations, and cross the river north. Than the letter to Xiongzhou, I am far away. If you get to Liyang, great things will be done. What is the public opinion? (Information Governance Guide)

At this time, Li Mi made up his mind and went all the way to the dark and never looked back. Therefore, Li Mi formulated a plan and led his troops to continue to advance, attack Taolin County, which was not far ahead, capture his subordinates, and seize its food. Then, cross the Yellow River to the north, go to Liyang, and meet Xu Shixian, then the great thing can be accomplished. In order to ensure that the plan was foolproof, Li Mi specially told Jia Yanfu and asked him for advice.

Unexpectedly, as Li Mi's confidant and strategist, Jia Yanfu strongly opposed it. He believes that even if Li Mi conquers Taolin County, it will be difficult to regroup. Taolin County is located in Chongyao, once it falls, Ren Gui, Shi Wanbao and other Tang Dynasty generals can arrive overnight. Moreover, the Tang Emperor has always been kind to Li Mi. Now, Li Mi openly rebelled against the Tang Dynasty, which was inevitably a little ungrateful, and gave people the truth:

The Lord treats Ming Gong very kindly; Moreover, the name of the country is written in the picture, and the world should be unified in the end. Ming Gong has been commissioned, resurrected a different picture, Ren Gui, Shi Wanbao according to Xiong, Grain Erzhou, this matter is moved, the soldiers are coming, although the peach forest, the soldiers are gathered, a rebellious, who restores people! For the sake of the Ming Dynasty, if it is not necessary to be ordered, with Ming Yuan has no dissent, it is not possible to infiltrate naturally; If you want to go out of Shandong, Xu Siqi can also.

Jia Yanfu's words instantly made Li Mi's mood low to freezing point. Originally, Li Mi revealed the plan to attack Taolin in the hope that Jia Yanfu could support him. Unexpectedly, Jia Yanfu not only resolutely opposed, but also persuaded Li Mi on the basis of his prophecy, which made Li Mi even more angry.

Until now, Li Mi is still paranoid that the prophecy of "Li should be the Son of Heaven" should fall on him, not Li Yuan. Li Mi felt that he once had such a strong strength, and he should return to the destiny of heaven and achieve the emperor's business. Why should he bow down to him Li Yuan, he is unwilling. Therefore, after hearing Jia Yanfu say this, Li Mi was very angry, and then reprimanded Jia Yanfu very unhappily:

Tang made me and Jiang and Guan in the same column, how can I be worthy! And the response of the prophecy is what I share. Don't kill me now, listen to the east, and the king will not die; Even if Tang Sui settled in the middle of the pass, Shandong will eventually be owned by me. Heaven or not, but want to tie up and cast people? Gong, my confidant, what does it mean! If you don't have the same heart, you should cut it and do it!

It is not difficult to see that Li Mi has completely lost his mind at this time and cannot listen to any opinions. Seeing that Li Mi was so stubborn, Jia Yanfu still wanted to make one last effort. So, Jia Yanfu burst into tears and persuaded Li Mi bitterly, hoping that Li Mi could recognize the current situation:

Although the Ming Gong should be prophesive, he has been slightly contrary to the heavens and people. Now the sea is falling apart, people think about themselves, and the strong are strong; Ming Gong ran to Fuer, who listens to each other! And since Zhai Rang was killed, everyone said that Ming Gong abandoned his kindness and forgot his roots, who is willing to reinstate all the soldiers today to commit the public to the public! He will be worried about the public, resist against each other, and once lose power, how can there be room for it! Those who are not benevolent can speak deeply! May Ming Gong think about it, but I am afraid that the great blessing will no longer be. Gou Minggong was caught off guard, and Runfu was killed without any resignation!

The general meaning of this passage has a strong smell of gunpowder, and Jia Yanfu pointed the finger at Li Mi. He unceremoniously pointed out that at this time and at that time, Li Mi is now a grasshopper after autumn, and he will not be able to achieve much of a climate. Moreover, since Li Mi killed Zhai Rang, everyone in the world feels that Li Mi is mean and ungrateful. Therefore, even if Li Mi raised troops to rebel against the Tang Dynasty, no one would send troops to help. Therefore, Jia Yanfu concluded that this incident would definitely fail.

To be honest, Jia Yanfu's heartfelt words were all for Li Mi's sake. It's a pity that Li Mi didn't appreciate it. Previously, when Jia Yanfu analyzed the situation for Li Mi, Li Mi was on fire. Now, Jia Yanfu's bitter admonition finally angered Li Mi.

Li Mi, who was furious, pulled out his saber and was so angry that he wanted to kill Jia Yanfu. Fortunately, Wang Bodang stopped Li Mi in time, which saved Jia Yanfu's life. At this point, Jia Yanfu can understand that Li Mi is a self-righteous and narrow-minded person, and there is no need for him to be sent to death with this kind of person. Therefore, after Jia Yanfu picked up a life, he immediately left Li Mi without saying goodbye and went to Xiongzhou under the control of the Tang army.

Because Li Mi did not listen to the advice, he forced away the strategist Jia Yanfu, so that he was reduced to the point of rebellion and discouragement. At that time, only the general Wang Bodang was with Li Mi. In fact, Wang Bodang is not optimistic about this trip to Tongguan in the east. However, he also knew that Li Mi had made up his mind, and he couldn't persuade him. Therefore, Wang Bodang simply followed Li Mi to the end, lived and died with Li Mi, and he said to Li Mi:

The ambition of the righteous is not to change the heart with survival. The public will not listen, and Bertham will die with the public, and then I am afraid that it will be useless in the end. (Information Governance Guide)

In this way, Li Mi insisted on going his own way, driven by his own obsession, and his henchman Wang Bodang, as well as 10,000 people, openly disobeyed the imperial decree of the imperial court, and embarked on a road of rebellion against the Tang Dynasty to the east. What he didn't know was that it was his move that brought him closer to death.

chose to continue eastward, which meant that Li Mi completely broke with the Tang Dynasty and could not turn back. Therefore, Li Mi decided to do things absolutely since he wanted to do it. At that time, in order to summon Li Mi back to Beijing, Tang Gaozu Li Yuan specially sent an envoy to recruit Li Mi with an edict in hand. At this time, Li Mi had already decided to betray the Tang Dynasty, so he simply didn't do anything and killed the messenger sent by Li Yuan directly. In this way, it is tantamount to openly tearing up the skin with the Tang Dynasty.

After killing the envoy, Li Mi's next move was to break through Taolin County, which was not far ahead, collect the army, and obtain food. Then cross the Yellow River and head to Liyang, where he meets Xu Shiyun. Therefore, Li Mi began to march non-stop to Taolin County, preparing to attack Taolin County.

First of all, Li Mi pretended to send someone to inform the county order of Taolin County, and falsely said: "The edict is temporarily returned to Beijing, and the family please send it to the county house." Immediately afterwards, Li Mi selected dozens of strong soldiers, asked them to change into women's clothes, wore a bean on their heads, and carried a sharp blade, disguised as Li Mi's family members, and quietly approached the county seat.

After these dozens of elites entered the county seat, they suddenly changed back into their clothes, showed the sharp blade in their arms, entered the county government, and quickly controlled the entire Taolin County. Without waiting for the Tang army troops to react, Li Mi carried the population of the city and entered Nanshan. In addition, Li Mi specially sent someone to inform Zhang Shanxiang (the former general of the Wagang Army), the assassin of Yizhou, hoping that he could send an army to meet him at that time.

Although Li Mi took Taolin County by surprise and plundered a large number of people. However, the problem also arises. As Jia Yanfu had predicted, Taolin County is located in Chongyao, and the distance from Xiongzhou and Guzhou is too close. Once Taolin County was attacked, it would inevitably alarm the defenders around the Tang Dynasty. If there is an urgent rush, it will only take one night, and the Tang troops from all walks of life will come one after another to form an encirclement of Li Mi.

Sure enough, the news of Li Mi's attack on Taolin County, as soon as it came out, immediately alarmed the Tang Dynasty defenders in the Xiongzhou area. At that time, there were two generals of the Tang Dynasty stationed in Xiongzhou: Shi Wanbao, the general of the Right Yiwei, and Sheng Yanshi, the head of the march. Li Mi attacked the peach forest, and these two generals got the news as soon as possible. So, the two discussed countermeasures together. Shi Wanbao felt that Li Mi was not easy to deal with, so he said to Sheng Yanshi:

Li Mi, a thief, supplemented by Wang Bodang, is now making a decision to rebel, and he can't be done. (Information Governance Guide)

The head of the march, Sheng Yanshi, is a rare general who is good at using soldiers. After hearing what the main general Shi Wanbao said, Sheng Yanshi smiled and said confidently: "Please invite thousands of people, and you will be the first." "Sheng Yanshi patted his chest and assured that I only need thousands of soldiers and horses to take down Li Mi's head on the spot.

You know, there is no joke in the army. Sheng Yanshi was so confident, Shi Wanbao couldn't help but be very curious, and asked him about the best way to break the enemy: "How can the public plan it?" Unexpectedly, Sheng Yanshi deliberately hung Shi Wanbao's appetite and sold a pass: "The art of war is still deceitful, and it cannot be said publicly." "What he means is that soldiers are not tired of cheating, and this is a military secret, so you can't tell the general first, and you will naturally know when the time comes.

Although Sheng Yanshi had reservations, there was no ambiguity at all when the troops were really arranged. After a brief discussion with Shi Wanbao, Sheng Yanshi immediately led a detachment of divisions, crossed Bears Ears Mountain, arrived south of Bears Ears Mountain, and laid an ambush at a choke point. The specific location of the Tang army's ambush was roughly located in Xinggongshan, Luhun County (now Xinggongxian, Song County, Henan). Sheng Yan's division set up an ambush in Bear's Ears Mountain, preparing to solve Li Mi here.

Sheng Yan led the army to Bears Ears Mountain, and after selecting the ambush site, he divided the ambush into two parts. First of all, Sheng Yanshi ordered a team of crossbowmen to take the high ground by the road, occupy the commanding heights, condescendingly, and shoot Li Mi's rebels with the help of favorable terrain; Secondly, he ordered a group of sword and shield men to lie in ambush on both sides of the valley. Moreover, Sheng Yanshi ordered: "When the thief crosses halfway, he will fire at once, and the bow and crossbow will be shot at a high level, and the blade will be thin." ”

It is very obvious that this is a typical "half-crossing" tactic. Master Sheng Yan ordered the crossbowmen to be condescending, and the sword and shield men to ambush both sides of the valley. When Li Mi led his army to cross the stream, the Tang army launched a surprise attack, the crossbowmen shot from a high place, and the infantry took the opportunity to cover and kill, and wiped out Li Mi's troops in the canyon in one fell swoop.

The plans are seamless and interlocking. However, among the Tang army, there were still some generals who objected to this plan: "I heard that Li Mi wanted to go to Luozhou, and the public entered the mountain, why not?" "If Li Mi went directly to Luoyang and didn't pass through here, wouldn't it be a waste of time? Regarding this, Sheng Yanshi had long expected this, and he asserted that Li Mi would definitely pass through Bears Ears Mountain. Sheng Yanshi explained to the generals like this:

Secretly said that he would go to Luo, and if he actually went to Xiangcheng, he would be kind to him, and he would be taken by surprise. If the thief enters the valley, I will chase him from behind, the mountain road is dangerous, there is no way to show his strength, and a husband and a palace will not be able to control it. Now I have to enter the valley first, and I will capture it. ("Old Tang Book: The Biography of Master Sheng Yan")

After listening to Sheng Yanshi's analysis, the generals immediately calmed down, as if they had taken a "reassuring pill". At this time, everything is ready, only the east wind is owed. A detachment of the Tang army led by Sheng Yanshi was ambushed in the narrow valley of Bears Ears Mountain, waiting patiently for Li Mi to throw himself into the net. Bears Ears Mountain is destined to become Li Mi's burial place.

It seems that God is destined that Li Mi will eventually go to ruin. As Sheng Yanshi expected, after Li Mi attacked Taolin County, he did not go to Luoyang, but turned all the way into Bears Ears Mountain. Unconsciously, Li Mi walked into the encirclement of the Tang army step by step.

At the beginning, Li Mi took Taolin County by surprise and captured a large number of people. However, Li Mi also knew that Taolin County was too close to the Tang Army's garrison to stay for a long time. Therefore, having just occupied Taolin County, Li Mi did not stop for a moment, wrapped up in the population of the city, and went straight to Nanshan.

At the same time, Li Mi sent someone to contact Zhang Shanxiang, hoping that Zhang Shanxiang could send troops to respond. Until now, Li Mi still maintained a high degree of vigilance, and he didn't know where the Tang Army would suddenly emerge to pursue the soldiers. Therefore, along the march, Li Mi always strengthened his vigilance to prevent the Tang army from raiding.

The problem is that Li Mi was still careless in the end, and finally lost his life. What kind of negligence is it? Li Mi led his troops all the way forward, and after passing Shaanzhou, he began to slowly relax. Because Li Mi found that this march was not intercepted by the Tang army. Therefore, Li Mi mistakenly thought that he had completely escaped the pursuit of the Tang army. As a result, Li Mi began to slow down his march.

As he walked, Li Mi entered the area of Bears Ears Mountain. He didn't know that a Tang army had been waiting there for a long time. Just when Li Mi commanded the crowd and was crossing the south of the mountain, he saw Sheng Yanshi's order, and the Tang army ambushed in all directions, densely packed, and appeared on both sides of the narrow mountain pass. Because the Tang army occupied the favorable terrain of Bears Ears Mountain, Li Mi's troops were surrounded in the canyon.

Facing the Li Tang army that fell from the sky, Li Mi suddenly realized that he had fallen into the Tang army's plan to invite the king into the urn. Without waiting for Li Mi to react, the Tang army crossbowmen on both sides of the valley, ten thousand arrows, fired at Li Mi's army in the canyon, and shot fiercely. Suddenly, arrows rained down. After several rounds of arrows, almost half of Li Mi's sergeants and subordinates were shot dead, and their corpses were strewn all over the field, with heavy casualties.

Immediately afterwards, the Tang infantry who were ambushed on both sides of the valley took advantage of the situation to cover up and fiercely attack Li Mi's army. As a result, Li Mi failed to withstand the fierce attack of the Tang army. His troops, broken through from the center by the Tang army, were cut into two sections, so that the end could not be taken care of. After a while, Li Mi's army was either defeated and fled, or it was scattered in the valley, and the whole army was basically wiped out. In the melee, Li Mi and Wang Bodang also died in the chaos.

At this point, Li Mi, a generation of tyrants who had dominated the storm in the late Sui and early Tang dynasties, in this way, drew an end to his life in a tiger-headed way, and died in Bear's Ears Mountain at the age of Chinese New Year's Eve. With the death of Li Mi in Bear's Ears Mountain, it also marked the complete bankruptcy of his conspiracy to betray Tang and go east. The Tang Dynasty used the least cost and the most direct way to quell this internal turmoil and quickly stabilized the situation.

Perhaps, it is a historical coincidence; Perhaps, Li Mi's failure is an inevitable trend of historical development. Li Mi originally voted for the Tang Dynasty and was given the title of Duke Xing Guo by Tang Gaozu. Coincidentally, the place where Li Mi died was called "Xinggong Mountain". It seems that God wants to end Li Mi's life, according to the statement of "Dividing Ancient and Modern Things":

Li Mi returned to China and was named the Duke of Xingguo. Later, he rebelled in Taolin, sent troops to recruit him, and went to six (Lu) Hun to behead him at the foot of Xinggong Mountain. First of all, there are rocks on the side of the mountain, which is quite anti-luggage, and people call it Xing Gong's misfortune, and Mi Guo died here.

Bears Ears Mountain set up an ambush, Li Mi and Wang Bodang, and died on the spot. Afterwards, Tang sent Sheng Yanshi the heads of the two to Chang'an and handed them over to Tang Gaozu. Sheng Yanshi made great contributions because of his clever ambush in Bear's Ears Mountain and the killing of Li Mi. Therefore, soon after, Sheng Yanshi was given the title of Duke of Ge Guo and continued to command the soldiers and horses of Xiongzhou.

Li Mi died, and for the Li Tang Dynasty, a hidden confidant was finally eliminated. So, how will Tang Gaozu Li Yuan deal with Li Mi's afterlife? According to common sense, Li Mi rebelled against Tang and fled, openly disobeyed the imperial edict, beheaded the envoy, and attacked Taolin County. This kind of behavior, not only in the eyes of the Tang Dynasty, but even in the eyes of the world, is an outright traitorous behavior.

Therefore, in terms of reasonableness, Li Yuan can treat Li Mi's behavior as a crime of treason. Not to mention the extermination of the Manchu clan, it is not an exaggeration to expose the corpse for a few days. At the beginning, after Yang Xuangan's rebellion was suppressed, Emperor Yang of Sui carried out a crazy massacre and purge of the remnants of the rebellion. For a time, blood flowed like a river, and countless heads rolled to the ground. As the mastermind of Yang Xuangan, Li Mi was almost executed, but in the end, he escaped with his wit.

Now, instead of Li Mi's rebellion and his defeat and death, Tang Gaozu Li Yuan's approach is completely different from that of Emperor Yang of Sui. He didn't like Emperor Yang of Sui, who would rather kill a thousand by mistake than let go of one. Li Yuan did not do things perfectly, but left a trace of leeway. Regarding Li Mi's posthumous affairs, Tang Gaozu still made a relatively decent treatment, so that he had a better home after his death.

The reason why Tang Gaozu handled it like this was very simple. Li Mi's death will inevitably make the old Wagang department east of Kunshan Mountain float in the hearts of the people. At that time, in Shandong, there were still some old Wagang departments, which were not attached to the Tang Dynasty. If Li Yuan did things too desperately, it would be very unfavorable for the Tang Dynasty to stabilize the situation in Shandong, and it would not be conducive to the Tang Dynasty's march into the Central Plains in the future. Starting from the overall strategy, Li Yuan can't go too far.

So, what kind of decent posthumous thing did Li Yuan give Li Mi? Regarding this matter, there is a clear record in the "Old Tang Book: Li Mi Biography":

At that time, Li Tao was the governor of Liyang, and Gaozu used the old affairs to keep things secret, and sent an envoy to report his reaction. Please accept the funeral and allow it. Gaozu returned to his corpse, sent mourning clothes, and prepared the gift of the monarch and ministers. It is very majestic, the three armies are all vegetarian, and they are buried in the south of Liyang Mountain. The old people cried, and there were many people with European blood.

As mentioned above, under the persuasion of Wei Zheng, Xu Shichang had already attached himself to the Tang Dynasty at this time, and was awarded important positions such as the governor of Liyang, Shangzhuguo, and Laiguogong. After Li Mi died in Bear's Ears Mountain, he and Wang Bodang's head were sent to Chang'an together. Tang Gaozu considered that Li Mi was once the old master of Xu Shiyun, and the two of them had the righteousness of monarchs and ministers. So, Li Yuan told Xu Shiyun the news that Li Mi was killed in rebellion, and handed over Li Mi's body to him.

Xu Shiyun is a loyal and courageous person, and never takes advantage of the danger of others and falls into the well. At the beginning, when he decided to submit to the Tang Dynasty, he showed his loyalty to the fullest. This time, of course, is no exception. Although he and Li Mi had differences, after all, the two were once monarchs and ministers. What's more, Li Mi is now dead, and the dead are the greatest. At present, only Xu Shiyun can send Li Mi on his last journey.

After receiving Li Mi's corpse, Xu Shiyun immediately faced the north and wept in mourning. At the same time, Xu Shiyun went to the court and asked Tang Gaozu to allow him to organize a funeral for Li Mi. Regarding Xu Shiyun's request, Li Yuan did not hesitate and immediately agreed. Then, Xu Shiyun held a grand funeral for Li Mi, and buried Li Mi's body in the south of Liyang Mountain. Xu Shiyun's righteous deeds were praised by the government and the opposition in an instant:

The clothes are declining, and the old bureaucrats and soldiers are buried in the south of Li Mountain, the tomb is seven feet high, and the people are scattered, and the government and the opposition are righteous. (The Old Tang Dynasty Book: The Biography of Li Tao)

It must be admitted that in the troubled times of the late Sui and early Tang Dynasties, Li Mi was undoubtedly a legend and a typical representative of the heroes of the troubled times of that period. Li Mi's existence has added a strong touch to the turbulent history of the Sui and Tang dynasties. Therefore, Li Mi is both a pioneer and a guide.

At the end of the Sui Dynasty and the beginning of the Tang Dynasty, it was a great historical era in which heroes came out in large numbers and gathered heroes. In such a turbulent era, Li Mi relied on his outstanding leadership ability and convincing leadership charm to open up an earth-shattering career, and became the leader of the Wagang Army and the leader of the anti-Sui League who was worshiped by the world's heroes. Through Li Mi's unremitting efforts, he has enough strength to compete with the Sui Dynasty, to tear the earth and seal the marquis, and to dominate the world:

Li Mi can't bear it because of the people, the first is chaotic, the heart is broken, and he is in the enemy, according to the mouth of Gong and Luo, the division of millions, Dou Jiande's generation is all following the Letui, and Tang Gongqi is pleased to be admired, and it is also great! (The Old Tang Book: The Biography of Li Mi)

However, history is often full of drama and there is always too much uncertainty. Li Mi is destined to only achieve hegemony, but he cannot become an emperor. Looking back on Li Mi's life, he may have the posture of an emperor and the power of an emperor, but he alone does not have the life of an emperor.

In just a few years, Li Mi has made a series of unprecedented achievements in military affairs. However, after that, his life and career fell into a predicament. Not only did they make mistakes again and again, but they also missed opportunities step by step. In the end, because of Li Mi's insistence, the 100,000 Wagang army was wiped out under Luoyang City. Li Mi, who was desperate, was like a lost dog, so he had to lead the remnants and defect to Li Tang.

After suffering a major setback, Li Mi did not know how to rein in his edge, he was too eager to make a comeback, and he was unwilling to be subservient. As a result, just two months after defecting to the Tang Dynasty, Li Mi openly betrayed the Tang Dynasty and fled, ending up in a tragic situation with a complete defeat and a different head.

Li Mi is a tragic hero, and his life is also a tragic song, destined to only cross the sky of history like a meteor and disappear into the vast universe. At the end of "The Old Tang Book: The Biography of Li Mi", there was an incisive discussion that summarized the tragedy of Li Mi's last life:

As for the destiny of heaven, the major event has gone, and there is more than Chen Shi. At the beginning, it was said that the first army was raised, and in the end it was willing to surrender, and it was a plan, and it was not dangerous! He can't be entrusted as a minister, and he is a traitor in his deeds, and he is a madman in the end, and he doesn't take what he says, so he will be in trouble with the peach forest.

In December of the first year of Wude (618), Li Midong went out of Tongguan in an attempt to raise the anti-flag and rebel against the Tang Dynasty. Unexpectedly, Li Mi passed through Bear's Ear Mountain and was ambushed by the heavy troops of the Tang Dynasty general Sheng Yanshi, and Li Mi, a generation of tyrants, was defeated and died at the age of Chinese New Year's Eve. It should be said that the Tang Dynasty's attack on Li Mi this time was a bloody means of force; However, it is clear that the intended strategic objective has been achieved.

Li Mi was defeated and killed, and a heart disease that had plagued the Tang Dynasty for a long time was finally successfully eradicated. The Li Tang Dynasty, which was founded less than a year ago, solved this great problem in one fell swoop. Moreover, Li Mi's death also helped the stability of the Tang Dynasty from another aspect.

Since Li Mi's death, the Tang Dynasty has stepped up the pace of recruiting the old department of Wagang. Under the political offensive of the Tang Dynasty, there were many old Wagang departments, which were successively attached to Li Tang. At this point, the Tang Dynasty basically took full control of the area east of the Kushan Mountains and roughly stabilized the situation. Until this time, the military obstacles of the Tang Dynasty east of Tongguan were swept away to a certain extent. Therefore, Li Tang's eastward march into the Central Plains is already the trend of the times and imperative.

From May of the first year of Wude (618), the Tang Dynasty was officially founded; Until December of that year, Li Mi was defeated in Bears Ears Mountain. In just eight months, with the fall of one fierce enemy after another, the internal and external situation of the Tang Dynasty, as well as the prospects for a unified war, gradually began to become clear.

Externally, in November of the first year of Wude (618), Li Shimin led his army to eliminate Western Qin in one fell swoop, pacified the Xue regime, and included Longxi in the territory of the Tang Dynasty; The following year, in May of the second year of Wude (619), the Tang army sent troops to quell the Li Rail regime in Hexi. Due to the successive collapse of the two major regimes of Longxi and Hexi, the Tang Dynasty completely unified the northwest region. The unification of the northwest marked that the Tang Dynasty had a stable rear from then on, and relieved the worries of the Tang Dynasty for the unification of the world.

Internally, the Tang Dynasty carried out a series of political measures, gradually leveled the complex situation east of the Kunshan Mountains, appeased a large number of old Wagang troops, and paved the way for the Tang army to advance eastward into the Central Plains in the future. Moreover, through the attack on Li Mi on Bears Ears Mountain, the Li Tang Dynasty used a quick force to quell a civil strife and eradicate a fatal henchman. All these actions were conducive to Li Tang's efforts to stabilize the domestic situation and consolidate the nascent regime.

In fact, after pacifying the Western Qin, Tang Gaozu began to plan the next strategic plan. In order to promote the Tang army to advance eastward as soon as possible and compete with Wang Shichong and Dou Jiande in the Central Plains, Li Yuan locked the target of the next attack to the regime of Liu Wuzhou in Shanxi. Only by pulling out the nail of Liu Wuzhou can the Tang Dynasty have no worries, march eastward, compete for hegemony in the Central Plains, and then complete the great cause of pacifying the four seas and dominating the world.

However, due to December of the first year of Wude (618), Li Mi's rebellion against the Tang Dynasty occurred in the Tang Dynasty. Therefore, Li Yuan had to temporarily shelve this plan and make every effort to quell Li Mi's rebellion. Soon, Li Mi's rebellion was put down. Next, the plan was put on the agenda again.

Between Li Tang and Liu Wuzhou, there will be a battle that cannot be avoided. Because of this, after killing Li Mi, the Tang Dynasty began to actively prepare for war, preparing to launch a new round of military offensive and destroy Liu Wuzhou in one fell swoop. A new big battle is about to begin!

However, before the Tang Dynasty could take the initiative to attack, Liu Wuzhou took the lead in attacking the Tang Dynasty. In the second year of Wude (619), a very bad news came from Shanxi. This news, for the Tang Dynasty, which was in full swing, was tantamount to a bolt from the blue. What's the news? Taiyuan, the place where the Li family and his son raised their troops and the foundation of Longxing of the Tang Dynasty, was unexpectedly lost and occupied by Liu Wuzhou.

Taiyuan was the capital of Hedong, and its importance to the Li Tang Dynasty is self-evident. At the beginning, Li Yuan's father and son were based on Taiyuan, raised troops against the Sui, fought bloody battles all the way, and finally entered Guanzhong and created the Tang Dynasty. Therefore, the strategic location of Taiyuan is second only to the capital Chang'an.

After the establishment of the Tang Dynasty, Tang Gaozu still attached great importance to Taiyuan, not only appointing his fourth son, Li Yuanji, the king of Qi, to guard it for a long time; Moreover, a large number of elite Tang troops were deployed in the Hedong region and stationed in various places to defend Taiyuan. Since Taiyuan was so tightly guarded, why was it so easily occupied by Liu Wuzhou?

Things don't always go their own way. Li Yuan didn't expect that this was just the beginning. The Li Tang Dynasty, which had just gained a foothold, was once again drawn into the flames of war. The loss of Taiyuan was like a flame, and the war immediately spread to the entire Hedong region. To be precise, the current Hedong crisis was the second serious military crisis faced by the Tang Dynasty after the defeat of the Tang Dynasty, and even a national crisis that threatened the rule of the Tang Dynasty.

So, as the foundation of Longxing of the Li Tang Dynasty, how was Taiyuan occupied by Liu Wuzhou? In the face of the sudden battle of Hedong, how should the Tang Dynasty respond? In the end, in such an extremely unfavorable war situation, what did the Tang Dynasty rely on to turn the tables against the wind, turn the tide, level the war in Hedong in one fell swoop, defeat the strong enemy Liu Wuzhou, and eliminate this secessionist regime entrenched in Shanxi?