Time blink of an eye to the seventh year of Wude, that is, in 624 AD, after the elimination of the Jianghuai Fu Gongqi forces, the unification war of the Tang Dynasty gradually came to an end, and victory was in sight. For the Li Tang Dynasty, except for Shuofang Liang Shidu, the national unification was basically realized. Or, to be precise, on the road to the Tang Dynasty's domination of the world, there are no strong enemies and strong rivals that can match it.

However, just when the Tang Dynasty was about to complete the unification war, the situation was very good, and the world was initially decided, a major event occurred within the ruling group of the Tang Dynasty. A meritorious general who had made great contributions to the Tang Dynasty actually raised troops against the Tang Dynasty and took the lead in singing a duet with Li Shimin, Taizong of the Tang Dynasty, who had just ascended to the throne. This general who supports the army and fights is none other than the border general who guards Youzhou - Luo Yi, the king of Yanjun.

So, why did Luo Yi insist on raising troops when the overall situation of the world was decided? In the face of Tang Taizong Li Shimin's repeated entrapment, why did Luo Yi still insist on going his own way, and what kind of personal grievances existed between him and Tang Taizong? In the end, how did Tang Taizong, who first ascended the throne, quell this mutiny from within, and what heavy price would Luo Yi pay for his rebellious behavior?

In February of the sixth year of Wude (623), just as the unification war of the Tang Dynasty was getting closer and closer to victory, a bad news suddenly came. It turned out that Princess Pingyang, a generation of heroines who made great contributions to the founding of Li Tang, unfortunately died young. The death of Princess Pingyang made Tang Gaozu Li Yuan grief.

Princess Pingyang is the daughter of Tang Gaozu Li Yuan and Empress Taimu Dou, and they are also their only daughter. Li Yuan and Empress Dou gave birth to a total of four sons and one daughter, namely the crown prince Li Jiancheng, the king of Qin Li Shimin, the king of Wei Li Xuanba, the king of Qi Li Yuanji, and the princess of Pingyang. Among them, the third son Li Xuanba died early. Therefore, the children of Tang Gaozu Li Yuan who grew up are Li Jiancheng, Li Shimin, Li Yuanji, and Princess Pingyang.

Regarding Princess Pingyang and herself, as mentioned earlier, she is not a small jasper who lives in a simple way, but a heroic heroine. At the beginning, when Li Yuan decided to raise troops in Jinyang, Princess Pingyang and her husband Chai Shao remained in Chang'an. In the end, the husband and wife discussed, Chai Shao returned to Taiyuan to assist his father Li Yuan, and Princess Pingyang stayed around Chang'an, acting at the opportunity and waiting for the opportunity.

After Chai Shao left, Princess Pingyang scattered all her wealth and quickly recruited troops around Chang'an. Under her inspiration, the team gathered grew stronger and stronger, even exceeding 70,000 people. This army is the famous "Women's Army". After the creation of the "Women's Army", Princess Pingyang personally led the army to attack cities and conquer cities everywhere, including Kehu County, Zhouzhi, Wugong, and Shiping. It is equivalent to saying that Princess Pingyang has cleared one obstacle after another for her father Li Yuan to enter Guanzhong.

Later, Li Shimin personally commanded the Right Route Army and took the lead in advancing into Guanzhong. At that time, Princess Pingyang selected more than 10,000 elite soldiers of the "Women's Army" to join forces with Li Shimin's Right Route Army in Weibei. The two sisters and brothers passed through the Guanzhong together to welcome the arrival of their father Li Yuan. Princess Pingyang's husband Chai Shao, who is subordinate to Li Shimin's subordinates, is on the same level as Princess Pingyang. Therefore, the husband and wife, each leading an army, set up their own shogunate.

Therefore, in the process of Li Yuan's conquest of Chang'an and the establishment of the Tang Dynasty, Princess Pingyang's contribution was no less than that of her younger brother Li Shimin, who later laid down half of the Tang Dynasty. Li Yuan called the emperor and named his beloved daughter "Princess Pingyang". And, according to the record of "Tang Hui Yao", "with unique military merits, each reward is different from that of other masters". Because of Princess Pingyang's outstanding military exploits, the rewards she receives every time are different from those of other princesses.

The death of Princess Pingyang made Tang Gaozu Li Yuan very sad. In his opinion, the death of the princess not only made him lose his beloved daughter, but also caused Datang to suffer a huge loss. Therefore, Tang Gaozu decided to hold a grand funeral for the princess. So, Gaozu issued an edict to bury the princess with a military salute, "the front and rear feathers preached, the big chariot, the building, the squad sword forty people, and the tiger armor." This is an unprecedented funeral specification for all dynasties.

However, Tai Changqing, who was in charge of the ritual system, believed that the preaching was military music and was not suitable for women's funerals: "Li, women have no preaching." The princess is a woman, and she is buried with military honors, which is not in accordance with the etiquette system. As a result, Tang Gaozu Li Yuan was very unhappy, in his opinion, how could Princess Pingyang be compared with ordinary women. For the establishment of the Tang Dynasty, the princess worked hard and made outstanding achievements, and was buried with a military salute, which is justified, why not! In the face of too often questioning, Tang Gaozu Li Yuan refuted it like this:

Preaching, military music also. The former princess Yu Sizhu raised troops to respond to the banner of righteousness, personally held the golden drum, and had the honor of restraint. Zhou Zhiwen's mother, listed in the ten chaos; The princess is very worthy of women. There is no advocacy. ("Old Tang Book: The Biography of Princess Pingyang")

In the end, Tang Gaozu overrode public opinion and still buried Princess Pingyang with the courtesy of the army. At the same time, Tang Gaozu ordered Yousi, according to the law, "Mingde has merit and Zhao", and posthumously called Princess Pingyang "Zhao". Therefore, Princess Pingyang was also known as "Princess Pingyang Zhao", and she also became the only princess in Chinese history with an independent nickname.

Just when Tang Gaozu was still immersed in the pain of losing his daughter, at this time, there was good news, which slightly alleviated Tang Gaozu Li Yuan's grief. What's the good news? Luo Yi, the general who was responsible for guarding Youzhou and was the governor of Youzhou at the time, took the initiative to invite him into the court. In this regard, Tang Gaozu was very happy and appointed Luo Yi as the general of Zuo Yiwei.

However, what Luo Yi never expected was that this time he entered Beijing to report on his work, but he inadvertently got involved in the power struggle within the Li Tang royal family. Moreover, in this political struggle, Luo Yi made mistakes again and again, and he was so confused that he embarked on a road of no return to rebellion.

The so-called power struggle within the Li Tang royal family, to put it bluntly, is the struggle between the crown prince Li Jiancheng and the Qin king Li Shimin over the throne. The prince group represented by Li Jiancheng and the Qinwang group represented by Li Shimin, the two major political groups, launched fierce competition and competition above the court of the Tang Dynasty.

Since the establishment of the Tang Dynasty, as a generation of war gods of the Tang Dynasty, for a long time, Li Shimin, the king of Qin, has been the supreme military commander of the Tang Army, leading the army, conquering the south and the north, sweeping away the heroes, laying down half of the Tang Dynasty, and making incomparable feats. In particular, in the fourth year of Wude (621), Li Shimin led 100,000 Tang troops to conquer Luoyang in the east, fought a decisive battle at Tiger Prison Pass, completely annihilated the main force of Dou Jiande's more than 100,000 Xia army, and conquered Luoyang in one fell swoop, broke Zheng and destroyed Xia, uprooted Wang Shichong and Dou Jiande, and realized the unification of the Yellow River Valley by the Li Tang Dynasty.

Conquering Luoyang, Li Shimin made immortal contributions to the Tang Dynasty. Therefore, on the day of the triumph of the army, the soldiers and civilians of Chang'an held a grand welcome ceremony, and the scene was extremely grand. After the war, for Li Shimin's reward, Tang Gaozu Li Yuan almost reached the point where there was no reward. In the end, Tang Gaozu drew up an unprecedented title and gave Li Shimin - "Admiral Tiance". At this time, Li Shimin reached the pinnacle of his life and career.

Due to Li Shimin's achievements in the world and the power of the world, the brotherly relationship between him and his eldest brother Li Jiancheng is gradually changing. First of all, the power in Li Shimin's hands is getting bigger and bigger. Over time, he also began to covet the position of the crown prince. As a result, the king of Qin, who made the world fearful, was no longer satisfied with just being the king of the domain, and planned to go one step further and replace the crown prince of his eldest brother Li Jiancheng, and even one day, he would replace his father Li Yuan, reign over the world, and become the lord of the Tang Dynasty.

At the same time, Li Jiancheng, who is the crown prince, also sensed Li Shimin's wolf ambitions. With Li Shimin's achievements, Li Jiancheng felt an unprecedented sense of crisis, and one day, Li Shimin would threaten his position as the prince. In the past dynasties, the struggle for imperial power has never had a pulse and warmth to speak of. Therefore, of course, Li Jiancheng will not let it spread, in order to consolidate the position of the crown prince, he naturally wants to try his best to curb the expansion of King Qin's power.

In this way, the two brothers, Li Jiancheng and Li Shimin, one wants to compete for the storage position, and the other wants to consolidate the storage position. Once fought side by side, the brothers of the same mother, wrestled with each other for the throne, and launched a cruel open and secret fight. In this process, on the temple of Chang'an, many civil and military generals were involved in the dispute between the crown prince and the king of Qin, including Luo Yi, the general who guarded Youzhou.

The key problem is that in the struggle between Li Jiancheng and Li Shimin, Luo Yi has always belonged to Li Jiancheng's camp and stood on the opposite side of Li Shimin. It is precisely because of this that Luo Yi's life tragedy of rebellion in the future. So, what irreconcilable contradiction exists between Luo Yi and Li Shimin?

If you want to understand all this, you have to start with Luo Yi's life experience. Perhaps, from Luo Yi's experience, it can be seen that he has some unknown character traits.

From ancient times to the present, Luo Yi's literary image in the folk is extremely rich. For example, Yuan Yuling, a writer in the late Ming and early Qing dynasties, said in his novel "The History of Sui Wen" that Luo Yi was originally a general of the Northern Qi Lord, and after the fall of the Northern Qi Dynasty, he was unwilling to return to the Sui Dynasty, so he led the army to Youzhou, colluded with the Turks, and set up a counter-flag. Later, the Sui Dynasty repeatedly attacked Luo Yi, so he had to Zhao'an, cede Youzhou to Luo Yi, and let him command 100,000 male soldiers to defend Youzhou.

Moreover, in this novel, Luo Yi also fictionalized a wife Qin and son Luo Cheng, and Qin Qiong became Luo Yi's nephew. Whether it is a series of later storytelling and romance works such as "Speaking of the Tang Dynasty" and "Romance of the Sui and Tang Dynasties", they basically continue this statement, and Luo Yi is a feudal official:

Luo Yi, the word Lian'an, Lord Yan Gong of Northern Qi, Marquis of Sui Fengjingbian, Qin Qiong's uncle, father Luo Yungang, and Mrs. Qin are the daughter of Qin Da, the son of Luo Cheng. (Speaking of Tang)

In "Speaking of Tang", Luo Yi is upright, excellent in martial arts, and good at using a rolling silver gun, and the Luo family gun is unparalleled in the world. It's just that later, Luo Yi died under Su Dingfang's secret arrow. His son Luo Cheng is the seventh best man in the Sui and Tang Dynasties, with strong martial arts and handsome appearance, known as "Luo Cheng with a cold face and a cold gun". Luo Tong, the protagonist of "Speaking of the Later Tang Dynasty: Luo Tong Sweeping the North", is the grandson of Luo Yi, the son of Luo Cheng, and the third generation of Sui and Tang Dynasty heroes.

According to the storytelling and romance works, Luo Yi is a vassal king with a different surname who guards one side. So, did Luo Yi in history hold power and call for wind and rain as he did in Romance? Although there are some sources, but in general, there is not much difference, romance and official history, there is one thing in common, Luo Yi is a feudal official. It's just that the only difference is that Luo Yi in Romance lived in the Northern Qi era; Luo Yi in the official history was active in the Sui and Tang dynasties.

Luo Yi, whose name is Ziyan, was originally from Xiangyang, Hubei, but lived in Yunyang County, Jingzhao Prefecture (now Jingyang, Shaanxi) for a long time. Therefore, Luo Yi has lived in the Guanzhong area since he was a child. However, Luo Yi is not an ordinary grassroots background, on the contrary, he was born in a family of Jiangmen. Luo Yi's father, Luo Rong, served as the general of the Left Prison Gate in the Sui Dynasty. Therefore, it also made Luo Yi develop some habits of military generals.

This kind of martial arts habit seems to have indirectly led to Luo Yi's future life trajectory. What kind of military general's habits? According to the record of "The Old Tang Book: The Biography of Luo Yi", "the art is reckless, rigid and unkind, brave in attack, good at shooting, and able to make a lance". Luo Yi is unruly and self-serving, but he is brave and good at fighting, good at riding and shooting, and good at using horses. Among them, Luo Yi's most distinctive character trait is unruly and disobedient.

In the middle of the great cause, Luo Yi was promoted to a tiger general due to his repeated military exploits. Later, in the eighth year of the Great Cause (612), Emperor Yang of Sui made his first eastward expedition to Goguryeo, and Luo Yi was ordered to supervise the army in Beiping County, which was controlled by Li Jing, the general of the Right Military Guard. Li Jing is not an idle person, this person has gone through the Northern Zhou Dynasty and the Sui Dynasty, experienced a hundred battles, and has participated in the Northern Zhou Dynasty to destroy the Northern Qi Dynasty, the crusade against Wei Chi Hui, the Sui Ping Nanchen, the expedition to Liaodong and other major wars, with countless military achievements, can be called a generation of famous generals.

However, during Luo Yi's time in supervising Beiping County, he had a conflict with the old general Li Jing. It turned out that Luo Yi was familiar with military affairs when he was young, and he had strict military discipline. However, Luo Yi himself is arrogant and willful, his eyes are above the top, and he has clashed with Li Jing many times, and he is always humiliated by Li Jing. After a long time, Luo Yi held a grudge against Li Jing and wanted to get rid of this old guy who was against him. So, Luo Yi planned to frame Li Jing.

At that time, Li Jing was guarding Youzhou, and the rebels were swarming from all over the country, and the situation was not optimistic. In order to defend Youzhou, Li Jing recruited warriors everywhere and strengthened his military strength to resist the peasant rebels. Unexpectedly, Luo Yi felt that this was a good opportunity to get rid of Li Jing. Therefore, Luo Yi reported to Emperor Yang of Sui, saying that Li Jing was secretly recruiting dead soldiers with the intention of rebellion. Unexpectedly, Emperor Yang of Sui didn't believe it at all, and sent Li Jing's son to Youzhou to appease Li Jing:

Even if people say that the public is peeping into the sky, according to Kyoto, I am undoubtedly also. ("The Turtle of the Book of Books")

Originally, Luo Yi wanted to make something out of nothing, sue Emperor Yang of Sui, borrow a knife to kill people, and get rid of the veteran Li Jing. As a result, he lifted a stone to shoot himself in the foot and made himself disgraced. However, from another angle, it can also be seen that Luo Yi is narrow-minded, will repay his eyes, does not know how to forbear, and blindly loves to be in the limelight.

But, then again, madmen are generally capable. Although Luo Yi is unruly, he has his own advantages. If it weren't for the two brushes, I'm afraid Luo Yi would have fallen to the ground a long time ago. It is precisely because of Luo Yi's outstanding ability that he can dominate and occupy a place in the troubled times at the end of the Sui Dynasty.

The so-called times create heroes, and Luo Yi's rapid rise in troubled times is inseparable from the social background at that time. In the last years of the Sui Dynasty, the world was in turmoil, and warlords were divided. Due to the long-term war, the countryside was barren, the people's livelihood withered, and peasant uprisings occurred one after another.

In addition, the local area of Zhuo County is rich in products, coupled with excellent weapons, sufficient grain and grass, and in the Linshuo Palace, a large number of gold and silver treasures have been accumulated, and tens of thousands of troops are stationed, which can be described as a place where soldiers must fight. Because of the important strategic position of Zhuo County, it has also become a coveted target of all forces:

Later, when the world was in turmoil, Zhuojun was Yinfu, and there was a war of Liao weapons, and the warehouse was surplus. There are many treasures in the palace, tens of thousands of soldiers, and thieves compete to plunder. (Old Tang Dynasty Book: The Biography of Luo Yi)

Zhao Shizhu, He Lanyi, Jin Wenyan and others, who were responsible for staying in Zhuo County, could not resist the attack of the peasant rebel army. Only Luo Yi led the army to fight alone, and the thieves killed the enemy before and after, which was innumerable, so his prestige became more and more famous. The wood is beautiful in the forest, and the wind will destroy it. Luo Yi made countless feats, and soon was hated by some people.

Sui general Zhao Shizhu and others felt very uncomfortable when they saw Luo Yi in the limelight, and began to regard Luo Yi as a thorn in the eye and a thorn in the flesh. Luo Yi could also see that these generals were very unkind to him. Simply, strike first, kill these people in one pot, and then occupy Youzhou and develop independently. How can this be achieved? Luo Yi decided to incite the people and preach among the people:

Our generation begging for thieves is very effective, and the warehouses in the city are piled up, and the officials who stay behind are systematized, and they have no intention of helping the poor, which is not the meaning of mercy. (Old Tang Dynasty Book: The Biography of Luo Yi)

Sure enough, Luo Yi's provocation quickly spread among the people, arousing the indignation of the local people. Soon after, Luo Yi led the troops back to the city, and Jun Cheng personally came to greet Luo Yi. Unexpectedly, as soon as he saw him, Luo Yi immediately took down the county, and then Chen Bing went down to the city and set up a battle; Zhao Shizhu and others in the city, seeing this scene, were terrified, and came to obey orders and express their submission. Immediately afterwards, Luo Yi entered the city and ordered the distribution of treasury property, rewarding soldiers, opening warehouses to release grain, and providing relief to the hungry. For a time, the military and civilians in the territory were very happy, and no one came out to oppose Luo Yi.

After that, Luo Yi killed Tang Yi, the Taishou of Bohai, and a few people who were unwilling to obey him, Wei Zhen Bian Shuo. It didn't take long for Liucheng and Huaiyuan to be attached to Luo Yi one after another. After getting Liucheng and Huaiyuan, Luo Yi went to the old and welcomed the new, deposed the original Liucheng Taishou Yang Linfu, changed the county to Yingzhou, and took Xiangping Taishou Deng Wei as the governor of Yingzhou, and Luo Yi himself called himself the governor of Youzhou. In this way, Luo Yi initially had his own territory, took the opportunity to stand on his own, and divided the two states of Youyi and Ying, becoming a major separatist force in the north.

Indeed, Youzhou has been an important strategic location since ancient times. According to the records of "Zhou Li, Xia Guan, and Zhi Fang", Youzhou is one of the ancient Kyushu, roughly located in today's northeast, "the northeast is called Youzhou." Its mountain town is called the medicine witch, its Ze is said to be raised, its rivers are raised, and its soaking is soaked".

During the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period, the world was in turmoil. Later Jin Emperor Shi Jingjiao, in order to seize the Later Tang Dynasty, took the initiative to declare himself a vassal to the Khitan and ceded the sixteen states of Youyun to the Liao State. After this, the gateway to the Central Plains was opened, and the Great Wall defense line against the southward movement of the nomadic tribes was lost. In contrast, every time the Liao army's iron cavalry went south, it was a flat river, unimpeded, and deep into the hinterland of the Central Plains. This is also an external factor that causes the weakness of the two songs.

The recovery of the Sixteen Prefectures of Youyun became the dream of the rulers of the Song Dynasty. For example, in the fourth year of the Taiping Rejuvenation (979), Zhao Guangyi, the second emperor of the Northern Song Dynasty, personally led an army of 100,000 to eliminate the Northern Han Dynasty, the last secession regime of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms. After that, Song Taizong planned to take advantage of the victory to send troops to recover the sixteen states of Youyun in one fell swoop. As a result, in the battle of the Gaoliang River, 100,000 Song troops were defeated by the 9,000 iron cavalry of Yelu Xiuge, the king of the Southern Courtyard of the Liao State. Even Song Taizong himself was hit by two arrows in the thigh and fled in a donkey cart. Since then, the name of Song Taizong's "Gaoliang River Car God" has become a household name.

It can be seen that Youzhou is of great strategic significance. During the Sui and Tang dynasties, Youzhou was an important military town, transportation center and commercial metropolis guarding the northern border. Therefore, Luo Yi's occupation of Youzhou is equivalent to having a military important place that can train soldiers and horses and cut off the strong.

At the same time, Luo Yi's occupation of Youzhou naturally attracted the attention of the separatist forces of all parties. Therefore, Luo Yi has become the object of all forces to fight for and win over. These ideas of separating the heroes, even if they can't let Luo Yi lead his troops to surrender, they can form an alliance with him.

For example, after Yu Wenhua was defeated by Li Miwagang's army in Luoyang, he led the remnants and retreated into Hebei. After arriving in Hebei, Yu Wenhua saw that Luo Yi occupied Youzhou and was strong, so he started Luo Yi's idea. As a result, Yu Wenhua and the envoy summoned Luo Yi, as if they wanted to adopt Luo Yi.

Luo Yi could see that Yu Wenhua was already surviving, and it was a matter of time before he perished. If he accepts Yu Wenhua's summons, he will undoubtedly be tied to the same chariot with him and buried him for nothing, Luo Yicai will not do this kind of loss-making business. Therefore, Luo Yi said to his subordinates:

I am an old minister of the Sui family, I am grateful for the tired leaves, and I am really sad to subvert the big line. (Old Tang Dynasty Book: The Biography of Luo Yi)

After making up his mind, Luo Yi immediately killed the envoy of Yu Wenhua, and mourned for Emperor Yang of Sui, crying for three days. In this way, Luo Yi categorically rejected Yu Wenhua's summons with practical actions. Yu Wenhua and his attempt to win over Luo Yi ended in failure.

Yu Wenhua and wooing Luo Yi are still relatively gentle ways, just sending summonses. As a result, Luo Yi didn't buy his account and killed him. However, this does not mean that others like Yu Wenhua and so implicitly. Some of them are divided, and their attitude towards Luo Yi can be said to be simple and rude, and even directly meet each other.

Although, the strategic location of Youzhou, which Luo Yi occupies, is important. But after all, the territory is too narrow and the development space is limited, not to mention that it is in Hebei, which is surrounded by heroes. Youzhou hangs alone in the north of the river and is surrounded by forces from all sides. It is equivalent to saying that for a long time, Luo Yi has been under the eye of Dou Jiande, Gao Kaidao and other Hebei heroes, they have all coveted Youzhou for a long time, and they have long wanted to be in the bag, especially Dou Jiande, the king of Xia who dominates Hebei.

Since the rise of Dou Jiande, he has swept Hebei, eliminated the separatist forces of all parties, and occupied almost the entire Hebei. Only some small-scale separatist forces have not been completely eliminated. Among them, the two forces are the most typical, one is Youzhou Luo Yi, and the other is Caozhou Meng Haigong. These two separatist forces, with Luo Yi's strength, are relatively strong. Therefore, Dou Jiande regarded Luo Yi as a difficult bone to gnaw, and was bent on eliminating Luo Yi and capturing Youzhou.

In the face of Dou Jiande's aggressiveness, Luo Yi knew it. In his opinion, although his territory is narrow, Youzhou is impregnable, easy to defend and difficult to attack, and his subordinates are not idle; Moreover, Luo Yi's subordinates have fierce generals like Xue Wanjun and Xue Wanche brothers. Therefore, Luo Yi believes that he has the strength to fight with Dou Jiande. Even if you can't hit the Xia army hard, at least hold Youzhou, it shouldn't be a problem.

Dou Jiande and Luo Yi, one wants to capture Youzhou, and the other wants to defend Youzhou. Driven by such hearts, the two sides are bound to fight. Finally, the contest between Dou Jiande and Luo Yi still came, and the two armies launched a fierce battle under Youzhou City. This battle of Youzhou cost both sides a huge price.

In October of the third year of Wude (620), Dou Jiande led a large army and besieged Youzhou. The Xia army is several times larger than himself, and there is a lonely city in Youzhou, and the strength that Luo Yi can fight in his hands is far inferior to Dou Jiande. If you have a hard time with Dou Jiande, it obviously won't work. Therefore, Luo Yi can only look for foreign aid.

At that time, there was a separatist force around Youzhou - Gao Kaidao. So, Luo Yi took the initiative to ask Gao Kaidao for help. The so-called lips and teeth are cold, and Gao Kaidao certainly can't let Dou Jiande swallow Youzhou alone. After receiving Luo Yi's request for help, Gao Kaidao immediately led two thousand cavalry to rush to the aid of Youzhou. Dou Jiande saw Gao Kaidao leading the army to come, so he led the troops away. The first time he attacked Youzhou, Dou Jiande did not successfully capture it.

However, soon after, Dou Jiande made a comeback, gathered an army of 200,000, and attacked Youzhou again. Obviously, this time to attack Youzhou again, Dou Jiande came prepared, and gathered 200,000 Xia troops, no matter what, he also wanted to take Youzhou in one fell swoop and eliminate Luo Yi.

At the beginning of the battle, the Xia army attacked the city on a large scale, and had already broken through the city defense and climbed the city wall of Youzhou. Unexpectedly, at the critical moment, Luo Yi's two fierce generals, Xue Wanjun and Xue Wanche, led a hundred soldiers who died first, came out of the tunnel, and suddenly hit the back of the Xia army and covered the killing. The Xia army was caught off guard, scattered and routed, and was beheaded more than 1,200 levels.

Xue Wanjun and Xue Wanche brothers were surprised and defeated the Xia army. Seeing the defeat and retreat of the Xia army, Luo Yi couldn't help but be a little underestimated, and led the army to attack, preparing to attack the Xia army's camp. Unexpectedly, Dou Jiande had already lined up in the camp. When Luo Yi gradually approached the camp, the soldiers of the Xia army suddenly rushed out of the trenches and launched a counterattack. Luo Yi didn't notice it for a while and was defeated. Subsequently, Dou Jiande took advantage of the victory to pursue and pursued until the city of Youzhou.

Then, Dou Jiande launched the siege again, but he still couldn't conquer Youzhou. In desperation, Dou Jiande had no choice but to lead the army, withdraw from Youzhou, and return to the base camp of Yuzhou.

Dou Jiande attacked Youzhou twice and drew with Luo Yi. The Xia army spent a lot of troops, but in the end it still failed to capture Youzhou, but lost its troops. Similarly, although Luo Yi kept Youzhou, his losses were not small, and he almost lost Youzhou.

The two battles of Youzhou made Luo Yi understand a truth. Although the city of Youzhou is strong, after all, it is lonely and lonely in the north for a long time, which is by no means a long-term solution. Withstanding Dou Jiande's attack this time does not mean that he can withstand it next time. Therefore, Luo Yi believes that if you want to keep Youzhou and the soldiers and horses in your hands, you must rely on a strong backer. Soon, Luo Yi locked in a "potential stock" - Li Tang Dynasty.

After the defeat of the attack on Youzhou, Dou Jiande clearly realized that Luo Yi was indeed a difficult bone to gnaw, and it was difficult to eliminate it in a short period of time. At this time, Dou Jiande thought of a compromise strategy, intending to recruit Luo Yi and take Youzhou without spending a single soldier. Therefore, Dou Jiande and Gao Kaidao successively sent envoys to meet Luo Yi. The meaning of the two is very clear, that is, they hope that Luo Yi can cooperate with them.

However, Luo Yi has already made up his mind and is ready to lead his troops to join Li Tang, where is he willing to cooperate with Dou Jiande and Gao Kaidao. What's more, Dou Jiande attacked Youzhou twice and formed a deep hatred with Luo Yi. Cooperating with Dou Jiande is undoubtedly seeking skin with the tiger. Therefore, Luo Yi clarified the meaning of the Tang Dynasty to his subordinates, saying:

Jiande and Kaidao are all drama thieves, and they are incapable of turning and rebelling. Today, the Tang Dynasty raised troops, all of which were in line with people's expectations, and everything was done in the right place. I have led the people to return to it, and the intention has been decided, and those who disagree with the people will be killed. (Old Tang Dynasty Book: The Biography of Luo Yi)

At this time, the Tang Dynasty also threw an olive branch to Luo Yi. Soon, Zhang Daoyuan, the envoy of the Tang Dynasty, came to Shandong and sent someone to convey the meaning of Tang Gaozu Li Yuan to Luo Yi, and Luo Yi was overjoyed. Immediately, in the third year of Wude (620), Luo Yi took the initiative to report to Tang Gaozu and expressed his willingness to return to the Tang Dynasty.

For Luo Yi's sincerity, Tang Gaozu couldn't ask for it, and gave Luo Yi a very high treatment, Tang Gaozu issued an edict, crowned Luo Yi as the king of Yanjun, gave the surname Li, and belonged to the management of Zongzheng Temple. Giving the surname to be the king shows that Tang Gaozu attaches great importance to Luo Yi, which is also to envelop this hero who is attached to Li Tang. From then on, Luo Yi was no longer the grass king of one side, but the official of the Tang Dynasty officially recognized as a feudal official.

On the other hand, although Luo Yi took the initiative to surrender to the Tang Dynasty, Tang Gaozu gave him the surname of king; However, the Youzhou under his rule is actually similar to the situation of Du Fuwei at the beginning, they are all superficially descended to the Tang Dynasty, and the territory is still in his own hands. The slight difference is that the Jianghuai region occupied by Du Fuwei has a vast land, while Luo Yi's territory is narrow, and he lacks the capital and strength to bargain with the Tang Dynasty, so he does not pose a threat to the Tang Dynasty at all.

After the Tang Dynasty, Luo Yi did fulfill his duties, defended the important town of Youzhou for the Tang Dynasty, and made great achievements. Among them, the most well-known is to participate in the war to quell the rebellion of Liu Heimin in Hebei. From the fourth year of Wude (621) to the fifth year of Wude (622), Liu Heimin raised troops to rebel against the Tang Dynasty twice in Hebei, which was huge, spread widely and harmful, and posed a great threat to the lord of the Central Plains of the Tang Dynasty.

In order to quell Liu Heimin's rebellion, the Tang Dynasty spent a lot of effort and lasted a year to cut off Liu Heimin's forces and quell the Hebei rebellion. In the process of quelling the rebellion in Hebei, Luo Yi was responsible for guarding Youzhou and made great achievements. The Tang army quelled the rebellion in Hebei, and Luo Yi once sent troops to cooperate with the military operations of Li Shimin, the king of Qin, and Li Jiancheng, the crown prince.

For example, when Li Shimin, the king of Qin, led his army to Hebei for the first time and attacked Liu Heimin, Luo Yi led tens of thousands of soldiers and horses to defeat the rebel general Liu Shishan (Liu Heimin's brother) in Xuhe and captured 8,000 people. In the second year, with the support of the Turks, Liu Heimin revived, and the crown prince Li Jiancheng took command of the expedition, and Luo Yi led the troops again, and joined forces with Li Jiancheng in Zhaozhou to jointly crusade against the rebels. In the matter of pacifying Hebei, Luo Yi intersected with Li Jiancheng and Li Shimin, and made military achievements.

However, not long after quelling the Hebei rebellion, in February of the sixth year of Wude (623), Luo Yi took the initiative to report to Tang Gaozu and invited him to report to the court. In fact, for Luo Yi, it is a decision without a choice, or in other words, this is the trend of the times.

As mentioned above, the Tang Dynasty's surrender of Luo Yi was similar to the nature of surrendering Du Fuwei. Whether it is Du Fuwei or Luo Yi, although they nominally surrendered to the Tang Dynasty, in the eyes of Tang Gaozu Li Yuan, they still belong to local warlords and are independent of the central court. With the continuous victory of the Tang Dynasty's unification war, this phenomenon will not last long.

By the sixth year of Wude (623), the Tang Dynasty had completely unified the north, and the war with troops in the south was gradually approaching victory. It can be said that the situation in the world is initially determined, and it is only a matter of time before Datang dominates the world. In this case, the choice in front of Luo Yi is only to leave Youzhou and take the initiative to invite into the court to dispel Tang Gaozu's doubts. Therefore, Luo Yi took the initiative to leave Youzhou, which had been in business for many years, and joined the dynasty to report on his work.

Luo Yi took the initiative to enter the court, and Tang Gaozu was very happy about this. He felt that Luo Yi was still very discerning, so he didn't have to summon Luo Yi to Beijing. Therefore, Tang Gaozu "met Luo Yi very well", worshiped him as General Zuo Yiwei, and still let Luo Yi take charge of the army.

Although Luo Yi left Youzhou and came to Chang'an. However, Tang Gaozu also knew that Luo Yi had been guarding Youzhou all the year round, with a great reputation and countless military exploits, and he was a general of the border army, and he still had to give full play to his strengths. It just so happened that at that time, the Turks often invaded the borders of the Tang Dynasty. Because Luo Yi had dealings with the Turks during his stay in Youzhou, he was known for his prestige. Therefore, Tang Gaozu ordered Luo Yi to lead the Tianjie Army as the governor of Youzhou, to defend Jingzhou and resist the Turks:

When the Turks were repeatedly troubled, they were famous for their art, and they were feared by Beiyi, so they ordered their officials to lead the Tianjie army to Zhenjingzhou. (Old Tang Dynasty Book: The Biography of Luo Yi)

Throughout the Tang Gaozu Wude period, Luo Yi's behavior was still relatively peaceful, and he cooperated with Li Shimin, the king of Qin, and Li Jiancheng, the crown prince, to quell Liu Heimin's rebellion, and was ordered to defend Jingzhou to resist Turkic attacks, and had experience in fighting against the Turks. From this point of view, Luo Yi can also be regarded as a founding Yuan Rong of the Tang Dynasty.

However, after Tang Taizong Li Shimin ascended the throne, in the early years of Zhenguan, Luo Yi actually became restless, not only did he disobey Tang Taizong's orders, but even finally raised an anti-flag and supported the army. So, what is the reason for Luo Yi's rebellion? In the face of Luo Yi's rebellion, how should Tang Taizong Li Shimin respond? The root of all this is that Luo Yi was involved in the battle for the position of Li Jiancheng and Li Shimin's brothers.

Since Li Shimin conquered Luoyang, destroyed Zheng and destroyed Xia, and was crowned "Admiral Tiance", the contradiction between him and his eldest brother Li Jiancheng has gradually become apparent and intensified. Because of Li Shimin's high achievements, he coveted the crown prince's throne and had the ambition to enter the East Palace. Li Shimin's wolf ambition made the crown prince Li Jiancheng also have a sense of crisis. In this way, the two brothers launched a fierce competition for the position of the crown prince.

For the competition for the position of the crown prince, the two brothers Li Jiancheng and Li Shimin did not give in to each other and did their best. In order to curb Li Shimin's momentum of seizing the throne, Li Jiancheng racked his brains to quell the Hebei rebellion, which is the last example. Similarly, the suppression of the rebellion in Hebei also became the beginning of Luo Yi's political speculation.

Just imagine, why did Li Shimin dare to challenge his eldest brother Li Jiancheng's crown prince as the king of Qin? At the end of the day, two words: military merit. Since the establishment of the Tang Dynasty, Li Shimin has led the Tang army, fought in the south and the north, swept the heroes, laid down half of the Tang Dynasty, and made incomparable feats.

Li Shimin's Qinwang group can be called the mainstay of the military strength of the Li Tang Dynasty and has strong military strength. Of the seven unification battles in the early Tang Dynasty, four were completed by the Qin Palace. Moreover, Li Shimin himself is the "Tiance General" who is in charge of the military power of the Tang Dynasty; At the same time, the ministers of the Qin Wangfu are like clouds, and the fierce generals are like rain, Qin Qiong, Cheng Yanjin, Wei Chi Jingde, Duan Zhixuan, Zhang Gongjin, Hou Junji, Qu Tutong, Liu Hongji, these immortal famous generals, are all from the Qin King Group. Therefore, in terms of military affairs, the Qinwang group has an overwhelming advantage.

The first step in the confrontation between the prince group and the Qinwang group was to make military achievements and compete with the Qinwang group for military merits. As we all know, Li Shimin and the entire Qin Wangfu laid half of the Tang Dynasty for the birth and death of the Tang Dynasty, and this feat is incomparable.

Therefore, if Li Jiancheng's prince group wants to compete with Li Shimin's Qinwang group, first of all, it must compete with the Qinwang group for military merit. In terms of military merits, I dare not say that it surpasses the Qinwang Group, but at the very least, it should be equal to the Qinwang Group in terms of military merits. In this way, there is the capital to defeat the Qinwang Group.

It just so happened that in April of the fifth year of Wude (622), not long after the Battle of Lishui, Liu Heimin revived with the support of the Turks and raised troops in Hebei to rebel against the Tang Dynasty. Liu Heimin's second rebellion made many members of the prince's group think that this was a golden opportunity.

So, Wei Zheng, Wang Qi and other strategists suggested to the crown prince Li Jiancheng and took the initiative to ask Ying to take command of Hebei. First, you can make military achievements and make military achievements; Second, they can take the opportunity to recruit Shandong heroes, cultivate forces, and accumulate political capital to confront the Qinwang group. Therefore, after some weighing, Hebei put down the rebellion for the second time, and in the end, Tang Gaozu Li Yuan still ordered the crown prince Li Jiancheng to take command of the expedition.

Li Jiancheng led the army to Hebei, and Luo Yi, as the governor of Youzhou, took the initiative to send troops and joined forces with the prince's troops in Zhaozhou to defeat the rebels. And it was precisely in the process of the second counterinsurgency that Li Jiancheng successfully wooed Luo Yi and developed him into his own person. In other words, in the battle for the throne of Li Jiancheng and Li Shimin's brothers, Luo Yi was a real prince's party and stood in the hostile camp of Li Shimin, the king of Qin.

It is precisely because Luo Yi used to be a member of the Prince Group, so after the Xuanwumen Change, Luo Yi has been uneasy, worried that Li Shimin will settle accounts after the autumn. Especially after Li Shimin became emperor, this uneasiness became more and more intense. In the end, under huge mental pressure, Luo Yi took a desperate step and raised troops to rebel.

Perhaps, some people will find it strange that after the Xuanwumen Incident, Li Shimin adopted the strategy of forgiving political opponents, pardoned many important members of the former crown prince and the party of King Qi, and almost all those who had been enemies of Li Shimin submitted to him. Why did Luo Yi rebel and be different from everyone else?

The reason is very simple, in the battle between Li Jiancheng and Li Shimin, Luo Yi, as the prince's party, did a stupid thing that did not know the height of the sky, and deeply offended Li Shimin, the king of Qin. Therefore, Luo Yi had a pimple in his heart, worried that Li Shimin would turn over old accounts. So, what is it?

Speaking of which, this is a trivial matter, and Li Shimin didn't take it to heart at all. However, Luo Yi lives the belly of a gentleman with the heart of a villain, always thinking that Li Shimin has bad intentions and wants to take revenge on him at any time. It can be said that it is completely Luo Yi's suspicion. There is a clear record in the history books about this incident:

The art is high and heavy, and there is nothing to descend, Taizong tastes his camp left and right, and the art beats him for no reason. Gaozu was angry, and he was a subordinate official, and after a long time, he was relieved and treated as before. (Old Tang Dynasty Book: The Biography of Luo Yi)

This matter is not big or small. That happened when Luo Yi had just entered Beijing, and he came with the army. Once, Li Shimin, the king of Qin, sent his cronies to Luo Yi's camp to do routine business. Unexpectedly, Luo Yi relied on his high position, and he was a little arrogant. treated the cronies sent by Li Shimin, Luo Yi didn't give any face, and beat them up for no reason.

As the saying goes, it depends on the owner to beat a dog. Moreover, these people came on behalf of the King of Qin and conducted routine business. Hitting these people is tantamount to slapping Li Shimin in the face. Let's think about it, what kind of person is Li Shimin, the first god of war in the Tang Dynasty; Who is Luo Yi, a former local warlord. The dignified Tang God of War was so humiliated by a local warlord, Li Shimin's inner feelings can be imagined.

Afterwards, not only Li Shimin was unhappy, but even Tang Gaozu Li Yuan was a little angry. Whether it is to maintain the dignity of the court or to protect his son's face, Tang Gaozu feels that Luo Yi has gone too far. Therefore, Tang Gaozu ordered Luo Yi to be imprisoned as a punishment. Not long after, when the Turks committed crimes, Tang Gaozu released Luo Yi again and allowed him to make meritorious contributions, which could be regarded as giving Li Shimin a face and a lesson to Luo Yi.

Therefore, this is the reason why Luo Yi has been uneasy. Before Tang Taizong Li Shimin became emperor, Luo Yi once deeply offended him, and the two formed a relationship. Although Luo Yi was not directly involved in the Xuanwumen Change, as the party of the hidden prince, Luo Yi was in a panic, and he was once disrespectful to Li Shimin. Therefore, Luo Yi was very worried that after Li Shimin killed the crown prince and the queen of Qi, he would use himself as a side general.

Speaking of which, some people may ask again, doesn't Luo Yi know Li Shimin's strength and energy, and doesn't he know the consequences of this incident? Of course he knew. So, why is Luo Yi's attitude towards Li Shimin so rude, even at the expense of offending him? There are two main reasons for this.

First, Luo Yi misjudged the situation.

When this incident happened, it was the time when the Prince Group and the Qinwang Group were fighting the most fiercely. Moreover, Luo Yi was already in the prince's camp at that time, and he had a hostile relationship with Li Shimin. After all, Luo Yi is a martial artist, and it is okay to lead troops to fight, but he is not very sensitive politically.

In Luo Yi's view, the crown prince Li Jiancheng and the Qin king Li Shimin competed with each other for the position of prince, and the two camps wrestled with each other and were evenly matched. On the surface, it is not yet known who killed the deer. Therefore, Luo Yi mistakenly believes that Li Jiancheng is the crown prince and Li Shimin is the king of Qin, from the perspective of political identity alone, it seems that Li Jiancheng's chances of victory are greater, and Li Shimin's hope is extremely slim, and there is almost no possibility of defeating the prince and replacing him.

In this case, the two sides are evenly matched and evenly divided. At the same time, Luo Yi worked for the crown prince Li Jiancheng, so he naturally had to do his best to work hard for his master. Therefore, Luo Yi deliberately humiliated Li Shimin, but he was also selling a good impression to Li Jiancheng and Bo.

Second, Luo Yi's personality is dictated.

As mentioned earlier, Luo Yi is unruly, arrogant, and arrogant, and is known for his resistance. For example, as mentioned earlier, in the last years of the Sui Dynasty, Luo Yi supervised the army in Beiping County, and had a discord with Li Jing, a veteran general stationed in Youzhou, and the two had a very unpleasant quarrel. As a result, Luo Yi was indignant and wanted to declare his personal vendetta, intending to frame Li Jing and falsely accuse Li Jing of rebellion to Emperor Yang of Sui. Fortunately, Emperor Yang of Sui understood Li Jing's personality, so he was not deceived by Luo Yi's one-sided words.

It is not difficult to see that Luo Yi's character has a natural rebellious element. After returning to the Tang Dynasty, Luo Yi guarded the important town of Youzhou for a long time, commanded the border army, and made many military exploits. In this way, Luo Yi's unruly personality has become out of control, and he doesn't like anyone and doesn't take anyone in his eyes. "The New Tang Dynasty Book: The Biography of Luo Yi" records Luo Yi's character, "bearing his merits, and a lot of preciousness".

Luo Yi is arrogant, empty-eyed, and doesn't look at anyone in his eyes. Even, Luo Yi didn't take the invincible Qin King Li Shimin in his eyes, and finally offended Li Shimin. Luo Yi's personality is particularly easy to offend people, which is not surprising. However, why did Luo Yi eat the bear's heart and leopard gall and dare to offend Li Shimin, the king of Qin?

In fact, there was a cooperation between Luo Yi and Li Shimin. After Liu Heimin rebelled, Li Shimin led the army to quell the rebellion, and Luo Yi, as the general guarding Youzhou, took the initiative to send troops to respond to Li Shimin's actions. It was this military cooperation that made Luo Yi despise Li Shimin a little.

As we all know, in the unification war in the early Tang Dynasty, Li Shimin made great contributions, fought in the south and the north, swept the heroes, and laid down half of the Tang Dynasty, and was a well-deserved first god of war. However, in Luo Yi's opinion, he doesn't think so. The so-called hearing is false, seeing is believing. In the process of quelling the rebellion in Hebei, Luo Yi's impression of Li Shimin was recognized, and everyone somewhat deified the King of Qin.

As mentioned above, in the process of quelling the rebellion in Hebei, Li Shimin only focused on military conquest and neglected political pacification. Although after the Battle of Lishui, Li Shimin broke Liu Heimin's main force, but soon after, Liu Heimin resurrected with the help of Turkic forces. However, Li Jiancheng took command and personally conquered Hebei, changing Li Shimin's mode of military conquest, focusing on appeasing people's hearts, quickly defeating the rebels, and completely pacifying the situation in Hebei.

By quelling the Hebei rebellion, Luo Yi believed that the crown prince Li Jiancheng was stronger than Li Shimin, the king of Qin. Therefore, during Li Jiancheng's personal expedition to Hebei, he took the opportunity to encircle Shandong heroes and develop his power, and Luo Yi naturally joined the command of the prince Li Jiancheng and worked for the prince group. As for how to treat Li Shimin, the king of Qin, Luo Yi's approach was simple and rude, without emotional intelligence, humiliating the king of Qin in public and grilling himself on the fire.

The battle between the crown prince Li Jiancheng and the king of Qin, Li Shimin, involved half of the civil and military officials. Of course, some of them are completely political speculation, and Luo Yi is one of them. However, Luo Yi's vision is really bad. He wishfully believed that Li Shimin would never be able to fight Li Jiancheng in the struggle between the prince and the king of Qin, and that he was on the side of the prince and was definitely the victor.

It's a pity that Luo Yi miscalculated. He didn't expect that Li Shimin, the king of Qin, who was at a disadvantage, would go off the rails and make a desperate bet to launch the "Xuanwumen Change" through a bloody coup d'état, killing the crown prince Li Jiancheng and the king of Qi Li Yuanji, thus forcing Tang Gaozu Li Yuan to abdicate.

The change of Xuanwu Gate, Li Shimin won completely, and Luo Yi was directly dumbfounded. Originally, he was still an important member of the prince's group, but overnight, he actually became the old department of Prince Yin. recalled that he had offended Li Shimin, presumably the new prince Li Shimin must have hated himself.

According to Luo Yi's thinking, Li Shimin has just killed the crown prince Li Jiancheng and the king of Qi Li Yuanji, and the situation is unstable, so he must establish his prestige. What is the best way to build authority? Homicide. As a general who holds the border army, he is also the confidant of the original Prince Yin, and he once offended Li Shimin. The past came back to his heart, and Luo Yi felt more and more uneasy, feeling that Li Shimin must have operated on himself, and his death was approaching.

So, will Li Shimin, who has just become the crown prince and holds great power, as Luo Yi imagined, in order to stabilize his position, eliminate a large number of princes and the remnants of the king of Qi, and attack Luo Yi? After Tang Taizong Li Shimin ascended the throne, he obviously said that he would take the initiative to show favor to Luo Yi regardless of his previous suspicions, and gave him a seal of honor. In this case, why is Luo Yi still obsessed, insisting on going his own way, and embarking on the road of no return to rebellion? In the end, what kind of fate will Luo Yi end. In the face of Luo Yi, who openly rebelled, how will Tang Taizong, who has just ascended to the throne, quell this border town mutiny?