In April of the second year of Zhenguan (628), the main force of the Tang army conquered the city of Tongwan in Xiazhou, and the Liang division died in the chaos. At this point, the last enemy in the founding war of the Li Tang Dynasty was completely wiped out by the Tang army. The Tang Dynasty, which was founded for ten years, finally fulfilled its long-cherished wish, swept away the heroes, and dominated the world. It seems that the story should be able to draw a happy end at this point. However, the story is far from over.

In the battle to defeat the Liang Shidu, the Tang Dynasty certainly won the final victory in the unification war. However, destroying a small Liang Shidu was not the main goal of the Tang Dynasty. Tang Taizong's ultimate goal is to put a long line, catch big fish, and plan a bigger game of chess: bright sword Turks, and defeat this grassland overlord who once called for wind and rain in a war.

Whether it was Liu Wuzhou before or Liang Shidu who had just been wiped out, they were all separatist forces supported by the Turks to fight against the Tang Dynasty and suppress the living space of the Li Tang Dynasty. Therefore, the Tang army's elimination of Liang Shidu was precisely to remove the military obstacles to the Turkic march and pull out the nails laid by the Turks to threaten the Tang Dynasty.

The Turks rose in the late period of the Northern and Southern Dynasties, and were another powerful steppe nomadic people after the Xiongnu and Rouran, and had countless and unexplained grievances and entanglements with the Northern Zhou, Northern Qi, Sui and Tang dynasties. Soon, taking advantage of the chaos in the world at the end of the Sui Dynasty and the chaos in the Central Plains, the Turks jumped up and became the northern overlord of the grassland, and their strength became stronger and stronger, according to historical records:

Turkic Ashina, Gaigu Xiongnu northern also. Living in the sun of Jinshan, subservient to the worm, the descendants reproduce. To Tumen, then powerful, more Khan, still single in also, wife called Kedun. Its land is three hanging thin seas, and the south reaches the desert. …… The Khan built the capital of Jin Mountain, and the Yamen tree was a golden wolf's head, and he often sat in the east. (The New Tang Dynasty Book: The Turkic Biography)

In the last years of the Sui Dynasty, the Central Plains continued to be in turmoil, and the Turks took the opportunity to develop and grow and openly broke with the Sui Dynasty. In addition, many secessionist regimes in the interior of the Central Plains declared themselves vassals to the Turks, or formed alliances with the Turks in exchange for Turkic support, such as Xue Ju, Li Liang, Liu Wuzhou, Dou Jiande, Liu Heimin, Liang Shidu, etc., including the Tang Dynasty.

At the beginning, Li Yuan's father and son Jinyang raised troops and rebelled against Sui. In order to win the support of the Turks, Li Yuan specially appointed Sima Liu Wenjing to send an envoy to the Turks. In the end, Liu Wenjing successfully persuaded the Turkic Shibi Khan to support Li Yuan with his incorruptible tongue. Later, in the process of the Li family's father and son marching into Guanzhong, Shibi Khan ordered the general Telekan Sheli, leading 500 cavalry and 2,000 war horses to help Li Yuan and assist the rebel army in attacking Guanzhong.

The border dispute between the Tang Dynasty and the Turks has a long history, and it has been mentioned many times above. With the continuous victory of the Tang Dynasty's unification war, the relationship between the Turks and the Tang Dynasty gradually deteriorated. In order to obstruct the advance of the Tang Dynasty's unification war, the Turks set up obstacles everywhere. Internally, the Turks fostered a number of anti-Tang forces and did everything they could to suppress the Tang Dynasty; Externally, the Turkic army marched south for many years and invaded the interior of the Tang Dynasty, causing unrest on the border of the Tang Dynasty.

Throughout the unification war in the early Tang Dynasty, the Turks invaded the Tang Dynasty almost every year. There are countless small-scale invasions, and there are two main large-scale invasions. Moreover, in the face of the serious military threat brought by the Turks, Tang Gaozu Li Yuan was also shaken in his heart, and even had the idea of moving the capital for a while.

For this reason, Li Shimin, Taizong of the Tang Dynasty, who was still the king of Qin at that time, did not hesitate to confront his father and eldest brother in public, and resolutely opposed the relocation of the capital, which provoked his father Li Yuan to be furious, which led to the increasing tension between Li Yuan, Li Jiancheng, and Li Shimin's father-son and brother in the later period of Tang Gaozu Wude. What's going on? Let's hear it.

In July of the seventh year of Wude (624), the main Turkic force marched south, entered the Kou from Yuanzhou, and invaded the hinterland of Guanzhong of the Tang Dynasty. This Turkic invasion of Guanzhong is probably just to grab something, and there is no preparation for a protracted war. In this way, it created a rare opportunity for the Tang army to annihilate the enemy.

Therefore, Tang Gaozu quickly made arrangements and sent Master Ningzhou Thorn Shilu to lead the army to aid Yuanzhou; The general Yang Shidao led the troops and went straight to Damugen Mountain, cutting off the return route of the Turkic army. Subsequently, the Turks turned their troops to attack Longzhou. As a result, the fierce general of the Tang army, Wei Chi Jingde, waved his army to intercept the Turks, won a complete victory, and repelled the Turkic invasion.

However, the Turkic invasion made many ministers of the Tang Dynasty fear war. In their opinion, the Turks went and returned year after year, and there was indeed some trouble. What to do? At this time, some ministers in the DPRK and China made a suggestion to Tang Gaozu: move the capital. Some ministers believe that the Turkic invasion is completely dependent on Chang'an's children, and if Chang'an is burned and the capital is not here, the Turks will retreat and no longer be enemies of the Tang Dynasty:

The Turks have repeatedly rejected the passes, and their children are all in Chang'an. If Chang'an is burned but not the capital, then Hu Kou will rest on his own. (Information Governance Guide)

The idea of burning Chang'an without capital is simply absurd. Unexpectedly, Tang Gaozu initially adopted this opinion. After that, Tang Gaozu immediately appointed the Zhongshu Shilang Yu scribe and the scholar Lang Yu to cross the Nanshan Mountain to the Fan and Deng areas to survey the terrain, intending to find a suitable place to set the capital and prepare to implement the capital relocation plan.

At that time, the crown prince Li Jiancheng, the king of Qi Li Yuanji, and the prime minister Pei Lin all agreed with this proposal to move the capital. Another prime minister, Xiao Yu, although he did not approve of moving the capital to Fan and Deng, did not dare to offend Yan Zhizhi, went against the emperor's wishes, and did not express his position for a long time. At this moment, only one person stood up, raised objections, and resolutely resisted the abandonment of Chang'an, who is it? Li Shimin, King of Qin.

Years of war career, as well as calm judgment, made Li Shimin clearly aware of the importance of Chang'an to the Tang Dynasty. Since Li Tang founded the country and set the capital of Chang'an, Chang'an has long become the foundation of the Tang Dynasty. If Chang'an is abandoned, Datang will inevitably lose the support of the people of the world and will collapse in an instant. Moreover, Datang has millions of soldiers, if it retreats without a fight, won't it become the laughing stock of the world. Therefore, Li Shimin resolutely opposed the burning of Chang'an and moved the capital, and gave his father Li Yuan the example of Huo Quai's fight against the Xiongnu:

Rong Di has been in trouble since ancient times. His Majesty is a saint martial dragon, a light house in the summer, a million elite soldiers, invincible, but how to disturb the border with Hu Kou, move the capital to avoid it, the shame of the four seas, for the smile of the world! Pi Huo went to the Han Dynasty to be a general, and he was still determined to destroy the Huns; The ministers are willing to take a leave of absence for a few years, please tie the neck of Jieli, and give it to His Majesty. If it doesn't work, it's not too late to move the capital. (Information Governance Guide)

Li Shimin took the initiative to ask Ying, willing to follow the example of Huo Quai, a famous general of the Western Han Dynasty, and fight with the Turks. Li Shimin's suggestion, Tang Gaozu agreed to it at the beginning. However, the crown prince Li Jiancheng thought that the king of Qin was too self-righteous. Moreover, Li Jiancheng also listed the story of the Western Han Dynasty general Fan Hao who was able to sweep the Xiongnu with an army of 100,000, and refuted Li Shimin: "In the past, Fan Xu wanted to run rampant among the Xiongnu with 100,000 people, and the words of the King of Qin were no different!" ”

Li Jiancheng and Li Shimin sang a duet, and the two brothers, in front of their father and hundreds of officials of the imperial court, fought each other-for-tat and refused to give in to each other. In the face of the aggressive rebuttal of the eldest brother Li Jiancheng, Li Shimin did not show weakness, and immediately argued with reason, and directly argued with Li Jiancheng:

The situation is different, the use of troops is different, Fan Hao Xiaozhuo, what a way! In less than ten years, it will definitely be Mobei, and I dare not lie! (Information Governance Guide)

In fact, Li Jiancheng and Li Shimin are working against each other, and they have a bit of a sense of raising the bar. Because at this time, the dispute between the crown prince Li Jiancheng and the Qin king Li Shimin was already a well-known thing in the court. Therefore, it is understandable that Li Jiancheng did this, that is, he wanted to do his best to suppress Li Shimin.

In the end, Tang Gaozu Li Yuan listened to Li Shimin's suggestion and stopped burning Chang'an and moving the capitals to Fan and Deng. However, the crown prince Li Jiancheng and the harem concubines, in front of Tang Gaozu, wantonly slandered Li Shimin, saying that Li Shimin prevented the relocation of the capital and harbored evil intentions, and wanted to take advantage of the opportunity to fight against the Turks and take over the national military power:

Although the Turks have repeatedly been troubled by the borders, they will retreat if they get bribes. The King of Qin entrusted the name of the Imperial Kou outside, and the internal desire for the total military power became his usurpation plan! (Information Governance Guide)

The above is from Sima Guang's "Zizhi Tongjian". However, the record in the "Old Tang Book: Taizong Benji" is completely different from the record in the "Zizhi Tongjian". It is recorded in the "Old Tang Book: Taizong Benji" that when Li Shimin proposed to oppose the relocation of the capital and was willing to lead troops to fight against the Turks, Tang Gaozu Li Yuan's reaction was, "Gaozu was angry", but in the end, he still "still sent Taizong to ride more than 30 horses." Returning to the sun, the solid music cannot be moved, and the ancestors stopped".

Although in the end, Tang Gaozu still gave up the decision to move the capital, it can actually be seen that Li Yuan's approach is quite forced. Moreover, before abandoning the relocation of the capital, Gaozu's performance was "furious". It can be seen that in the later period of Wude, Tang Gaozu was already extremely dissatisfied with Li Shimin. Because of Li Shimin's world-class exploits, because of Li Shimin's unlimited expansion of political and military power, and his ambition to covet the position of the crown prince, Li Yuan is intolerable as both a father and a monarch.

The failure to move the capital this time can certainly allude to the power struggle within the Li Tang Dynasty, and the increasingly prominent contradictions between Li Shimin and his father Li Yuan and eldest brother Li Jiancheng; However, from another aspect, it can also be seen that the military threat of the Turks to the Tang Dynasty once made Tang Gaozu Li Yuan have the wrong idea of moving the capital. Fortunately, in the end, this absurd idea, under the resistance of Li Shimin, the king of Qin, did not cause hatred for eternity.

Not long after the dispute over the relocation of the capital, the Turks made a comeback, and the Tang Dynasty ushered in a large-scale Turkic invasion since the founding of the country. This Turkic invasion was unprecedentedly huge, and it caused Mount Tai to dominate the Tang Dynasty. In the end, it was Li Shimin, the king of Qin, who successfully helped the Tang Dynasty survive a national crisis with his extraordinary courage and superhuman strategy.

In August of the seventh year of Wude (624), the two great khans of Turkic Jieli and Turki, with the strength of the whole country, marched south and invaded the Tang Dynasty. This time, the two Turkic khans jointly led the troops, and the momentum of their southward march was greater than ever. At the beginning of the war, the situation was extremely unfavorable for the Tang Dynasty. The Turkic army went all the way south, as if entering a no-man's land, and advanced very quickly, until it reached the south of Fengzhou, less than 300 miles away from Chang'an, and Chang'an was in danger for a while.

Previously, because of the Turkic invasion, Tang Gaozu once intended to move the capital. Now, the Turks are invading the south with the power of the whole country, and Tang Gaozu does not dare to underestimate it. This time, the enemy faced by the Tang Dynasty was not a group of separatists in the country, but a group of steppe wolves with fast horses and scimitars. Therefore, in order to defend Chang'an, Tang Gaozu once again used the "trump card" of the Tang Empire, and there is no need to guess who this person is - Li Shimin, the king of Qin.

In the whole country of the Tang Dynasty, no one could surpass Li Shimin in terms of military struggle experience and ability to lead troops. What's more, Li Shimin is also the "Tiance General" personally appointed by Tang Gaozu, and he is the unique supreme military commander of the Tang Dynasty. Moreover, before that, Li Shimin resolutely opposed the relocation of the capital to avoid war, and strongly led the army to fight against the Turks. After thinking about it, Tang Gaozu finally decided to order Li Shimin, the king of Qin, to lead an army to resist the Turks, and Li Yuanji, the king of Qi, also went with the army.

At that time, it was raining incessantly in the Guanzhong area, grain transportation was blocked, the soldiers were exhausted, and weapons and equipment were even more out of order. In this situation, the Don army faced the Turks, which seemed to be fraught with all kinds of difficulties. Therefore, the civil and military forces of the Manchu Dynasty and the generals in the army were all worried about this, and they were always worried that this time it would be unfavorable.

However, this situation, placed here by Li Shimin, is not a problem at all. In this battle to lead the army against the Turks, Li Shimin, with his extraordinary military wisdom and convincing courage, overcame one unfavorable factor after another, and finally succeeded in turning the tide of danger and turning the tide.

Li Shimin led the Tang army and marched from Chang'an. Soon, Li Shimin and the soldiers of the Tang army encountered the Turkic army head-on in Fengzhou. At that time, Jieli and Tuli Khan, personally led more than 10,000 Turkic cavalry, lined up in the west of the city of Fengzhou, and formed an oppressive posture against the Tang army. At the same time, Li Shimin led his army to the front line, and Chen soldiers confronted the main force of the Turkic cavalry in Wulonghan. The two sides are in positions and will have a hard-fought battle at any time.

In the situation of the battlefield, the Turks have an overwhelming advantage, and the Turkic iron cavalry is brave and good at fighting, and everyone knows it. If there is really a fight, the Tang army may not have the upper hand. The enemy is outnumbered, and the strength of the two sides is very different. At this time, Li Shimin made an almost crazy move, the dignified Qin King of the Tang Dynasty, General Tiance, actually led a war horse to the front of the two armies and faced the Turkic army.

Li Shimin is worthy of being a hero and a brave man. I saw that Li Shimin personally led hundreds of light horsemen to the front of the two armies. His move really scared everyone. Everyone is wondering if His Royal Highness King Qin is crazy! Without waiting for everyone to react, Li Shimin suddenly shouted at Jieli Khan opposite, and said something that still sounds domineering and deafening:

The state has no responsibility to the Turks, what is the depth? I, the king of Qin, also came from a decisive battle with the Khan, if I fought a solid battle, I would only be able to ride a hundred ears, kill and wound in vain, and it would be useless. (The New Tang Dynasty Book: The Turkic Biography)

This passage is said in a bold and dry manner. Li Shimin asked Jieli Khan, I, the Tang Dynasty, have long had an alliance with your Turks, and now that you have penetrated into my realm, what is your intention? If you have the courage to do so, Khan, you will have an upright and upright one-man battle with me in front of the officers and men of the two armies. If you don't have the guts, there are hundreds of light horsemen behind me, use my hundreds of light horsemen, challenge your Turkic army, and see who is more powerful!

In fact, the reason why Li Shimin is so domineering and arrogant is also deliberate, he just wants to suppress his momentum and make him dare not act rashly. In addition, Li Shimin also knew that there were many factions within the Turks, and they could take advantage of this to stir up suspicion among the two Turkic khans. Immediately afterwards, Li Shimin changed his words and said something unpredictable to the Tuli Khan on the side:

You go to the alliance with me, and there is an emergency to help; Today is to lead troops to attack, why not have the love of incense! (Information Governance Guide)

Hearing Li Shimin say this, the Turki Khan is the second monk was confused, and he didn't know which one Li Shimin was singing. So the Turki Khan was silent. However, as soon as he heard the words "incense love", Jieli Khan's heart immediately muttered, could it be that Tuli really has a connection with Li Shimin, will the two sing and harmonize, and design themselves.

Just when Jieli Khan was suspicious, Li Shimin rode forward alone, preparing to cross the ditch, and made the appearance of wanting to renew Jinlan with Tuli Khan. Li Shimin's operation further strengthened the suspicion of Jieli Khan, and he hurriedly sent people to prevent Li Shimin from crossing the river, saying: "The king does not have to suffer, I will not fight, and I will discuss with the king." Immediately, Jieli Khan led his troops to retreat.

Soon after the Turks retreated, suddenly, heavy rain poured down. Li Shimin was overjoyed, it seemed that even God was on his side. Why? Because the Turkic cavalry was good at horse archery and relied on the advantage of bows and arrows. Now, in the event of heavy rain, the Turkic bowstrings are open, and the advantage of riding and archery is gone. The Tang army is different, relying on the hard battle of the sword and the long lance, and overcoming the enemy's shortcomings with its own strength, which is exactly this reason. Therefore, Li Shimin said to the generals:

The bow and ears of the captives are like the wings of a bird; My house is a fire food, the knife is sharp, and the labor is controlled by ease, and if you don't take it, what will you do! (Information Governance Guide)

Li Shimin believed that if the Tang army took advantage of the rainy night to advance and surround the Turkic camp, it would definitely cause the Turkic army to be in great confusion and achieve the effect of surprise. Therefore, Li Shimin ordered the whole army to quickly brave the rain and intersperse, advance overnight, and approach the Turkic camp to form an encirclement of it. In the face of the sudden arrival of the Tang army, the Turkic army was suddenly confused and panicked, completely unexpectedly that the Tang army would attack in the rain.

Writing this, some people must think that next, Li Shimin will definitely take advantage of the rainy night to launch a surprise attack and defeat the Turkic army. However, surprisingly, Li Shimin did not attack, but sent people into the enemy camp to negotiate with the Tuli Khan. Eventually, the Turki Khan was successfully persuaded to express his reluctance to engage the Tang army. Although at this time, Jieli Khan still wanted to fight the Tang army; However, Tuli has already compromised with Li Shimin, and he is isolated and helpless, so he can only obey reality. There was no way, Jieli Khan appointed his confidant general, Jia Bitler Ashina Simo, to go to the Tang camp and meet Li Shimin. In the end, the Tang Dynasty and the Turks reached an agreement, and the Turkic army led its troops to retreat, and a military crisis that threatened the imperial capital Chang'an once again became invisible.

This large-scale Turkic invasion, although in the end, Li Shimin relied on his courage and courage to successfully force back the Turkic invasion. However, from this response to the Turkic invasion, it can also be seen that there was still a certain compromise in the Tang Dynasty's strategy towards Turkism at that time. Because the Tang Dynasty at that time had just completed unification, it was in ruins, and it did not yet have the strength to fight a decisive battle with the Turks, so it could only adopt the method of peace and negotiation to make an alliance with the Turks and force the Turks to withdraw their troops. It was the first large-scale invasion of the Turks.

As mentioned earlier, the Turks launched two large-scale invasions against the Tang Dynasty. In the invasion of August of the seventh year of Wude (624), the Turkic army penetrated deep into the hinterland of Guanzhong and hit near Chang'an, threatening the safety of the Tang Dynasty's Jingshi. Then, in the second invasion of the ninth year of Wude (626), the Turks once came to the city of Chang'an, almost putting the Tang Dynasty in danger of extinction, and this invasion occurred not long after Tang Taizong became emperor.

In August of the ninth year of Wude (626), less than a month after Li Shimin, Taizong of the Tang Dynasty, ascended the throne, at this time, a bad news came from the distant border pass. A Turkic iron cavalry of more than 100,000 people roared south from the Saibei grassland, crossed the Yellow River, burned and looted all the way, and rushed straight to Guanzhong. What's going on?

It turned out that under the instigation and guidance of Liang Shidu, in the autumn of the ninth year of Wude (626), the Turkic Jieli and Turki Khan gathered more than 100,000 elite iron horsemen, known as millions of people, and once again marched south to invade the Tang Dynasty. More than 100,000 Turkic iron horsemen, under the leadership of the two khans of Jieli and Turki, went all the way deep into Guanzhong and invaded Jingzhou, Wugong and Gaoling. For a time, the capital division Chang'an was under martial law and entered a state of first-level combat readiness to defend against Turkic attacks.

At that time, not long after the Xuanwumen Change, Li Shimin accepted the offer of Tang Gaozu Li Yuanchan, and it was less than a month after ascending the throne, to be precise, less than 20 days. When Tang Taizong first ascended the throne, the Turkic "million army" waved his army south, and really gave Tang Taizong a "big gift".

The situation was critical, and in the face of the pressure of the Turkic army, Tang Taizong naturally could not remain indifferent. After all, Li Shimin is a battle-hardened son of heaven who uses his gods to determine all directions, and the powerful offensive of the Turks cannot frighten this generation of British masters. Soon, Tang Taizong immediately made arrangements.

On August 24, the Turkic iron cavalry invaded Gaoling. At this moment, the Turks have connected the two cities of Jingzhou and Wugong, and are approaching Gaoling. If the Turks break through Gaoling again, they will be able to take advantage of the situation and threaten Chang'an. Therefore, no matter what, the Tang court must also gallop to the aid of Gaoling and block the Turkic cavalry at any cost.

However, Tang Taizong was an outstanding military strategist in the end, and his ideas were different. In Tang Taizong's view, rushing to the aid of Gaoling could only temporarily block the Turkic attack, but could not deal a heavy blow to the enemy. Therefore, Tang Taizong decided to lure the enemy deep and close the door to fight the dog. Therefore, Tang Taizong, whose eyes were like torches, chose the decisive battle site in Jingyang.

Tang Taizong knew that the Turkic cavalry was good at cavalry archery, and Jingyang was surrounded by three mountains, which was not conducive to the cavalry galloping, and the Turkic cavalry and archery advantage would be difficult to display, just to hit the Turks. Therefore, Tang Taizong immediately dispatched troops and appointed Chi Jingde, the general of the Right Military Candidate, as the head of the Jingzhou Road march, leading the elite of the Tang army to Jingyang and meet the Turkic army.

Wei Chi Jingde is Tang Taizong's confidant and favorite general, and he is also a fierce general in the Tang Army. Therefore, Tang Taizong sent Wei Chi Jingde to Jingyang to meet the enemy, precisely because he took a fancy to this characteristic.

Wei Chi Jingde did not live up to Taizong's trust, and soon led the Tang army to a great victory. After arriving at the Jingyang front, Wei Chi Jingde and the Turkic army met on a narrow road, and the two armies started a big battle in Jingyang. During the battle, Wei Chi Jingde personally led a team of light cavalry to enter the enemy formation, captured the Turkic general Qi Jin Wuwu, beheaded more than 1,000 ranks, and broke the Turks. In the first battle of Jingyang, Wei Chi Jingde broke the Turkic cavalry and inflicted heavy losses on the enemy.

Soon after the Battle of Jingyang, Jieli Khan personally led a large army to the north of Weishui and set up camp at Benqiao. At this time, the Turkic army was close to Chang'an. It should be said that the Tang Dynasty has reached the point of life and death, and a major war is about to break out under Chang'an City.

First of all, the reinforcements of the Tang Dynasty at that time were scattered all over the place, and they could not gather in Chang'an in time, and they could not quench their thirst from far away. In addition, the Tang Dynasty had just swept away the domestic heroes and inherited a devastated and war-torn land of China. As far as the situation at that time was concerned, the people were at peace and the country was in dire need of recuperation. The current Tang Dynasty really can't withstand such a large-scale war. Therefore, Tang Taizong fell into a dilemma.

At this time, the Turks came to fall into the well again. Jieli Khan was stationed on the north bank of Weishui, and his troops were in Chang'an, aggressive. The inflated Jieli Khan sent his henchmen to enter Chang'an to have a showdown with Tang Taizong. After seeing Tang Taizong, his attitude was very arrogant, and as soon as he opened his mouth, he directly threatened: "The two Khans have a million soldiers, and now they are the best!" "It means that our million-strong army has already arrived in the city, and I hope that Your Majesty will make a decision as soon as possible.

In the face of the arrogance and rudeness of the Turkic envoys, Tang Taizong did not feel afraid at all. After all, Li Shimin also came out of the sword and sword, bloody rain, and he has seen a lot of this kind of scene. Hearing the threat of losing his mental power, Tang Taizong was furious, reprimanded him in the court, and threatened to kill him:

I made peace with the Khan, and you turned your back. And at the beginning of the righteous teacher, Er father and son were from me, and they bequeathed so much jade silk that they couldn't count, why did they enter my capital with soldiers and boast of being strong? Now I should be the first to kill! (The New Tang Dynasty Book: The Turkic Biography)

Seeing that Tang Taizong was about to push out the stubborn thinking power and cut it, he was scared when he lost his thinking power, his legs were weak, and he quickly knelt down and begged for mercy. At the same time, Xiao Yu and Feng Deyi, the two prime ministers, also came to advise Tang Taizong that the two countries were at war, and it was better to treat them politely if they did not kill them. Then, Tang Taizong got off the donkey, did not kill Zhi Zhizhi, but imprisoned him in Menxia Province. In fact, this is also a signal from Tang Taizong to the Turks to defend themselves.

However, Tang Taizong knew very well that the defenders of Chang'an did not have many troops, and it would take a while for reinforcements from all over the country to rush to Chang'an. If you stick to Chang'an, you will definitely not last long, and it will be difficult to resist the more than 100,000 Turkic iron horsemen outside the city. But at present, the great enemy needs Tang Taizong to make a decision. After a short period of consideration, Li Shimin made a decision to go out of the city in person and meet with Jieli Khan for a while.

In the end, Li Shimin was once invincible and invincible in the Tang Dynasty, a lonely hero, which was reflected at this time. But see, Tang Taizong and Gao Shilian, Zhongshu Ling Fang Xuanling, General Zhou Fan and other six people and six horsemen, from Xuanwu Gate out of Chang'an, came to Weishui in person.

I saw that Li Shimin, the heroic and unarmed Taizong of the Tang Dynasty, sat on a horse, stood on the bank of Weishui, confronted Jieli Khan across the water, and reprimanded him for betraying the alliance and violating the border. The Turkic soldiers on the opposite side looked over here and took a closer look, isn't this the King of Qin back then, and the current Emperor of the Tang Dynasty! Suddenly, there was a commotion among the Turkic army, and many people disembarked from Marobai.

Subsequently, the armies of the Tang Dynasty also arrived one after another. For a time, the Tang army was covered with flags, bright armor, and strict military appearance. Seeing this situation, Jieli Khan couldn't help but be puzzled, and he did not return for a long time, the Tang Emperor came to the front line in person, and the Tang army was ready to fight. Thinking of this, Jieli Khan couldn't help but feel a chill in his heart, once the Tang army was put to death and reborn, it would be a terrifying army of tigers and wolves.

Perhaps, Tang Taizong discovered Jieli's inner changes, so he retreated from everyone and ordered the army to line up in the rear, while he stepped forward alone and talked to Jieli. However, Prime Minister Xiao Yu thought that His Majesty's move was too risky, so he hurriedly stepped forward, stopped Taizong's imperial horse, and spoke bluntly. Unexpectedly, Tang Taizong disagreed, waved his hand, and said:

I am already familiar with it, and I don't know it. Therefore, the Turks dared to pour the country and come to the outskirts, saying that I could not resist the enemy because I was in trouble in my country. If I show weakness in my heart and keep my door shut, the captives will let their troops plunder, and they cannot be copied. Therefore, I rode alone and showed lightness; and shook the army, so that it would fight; Surprise and make it lose its picture. If you are taken into our land, you will be afraid, so if you fight with you, you will be restrained, and if you make peace, you will be solid. Subdue the Turks, in one fell swoop, the first to watch! (Information Governance Guide)

There is no record in the history books about the content of the conversation between Tang Taizong and Jieli Khan, but it is not difficult to imagine that Jieli must have opened his mouth and put forward many unreasonable conditions. Out of consideration for the overall situation, Tang Taizong could only endure a moment of indignation and agreed to these humiliating conditions proposed by the Turks.

On the same day, Jieli Khan sent an envoy to negotiate peace with the Tang Dynasty, and Tang Taizong agreed to negotiate peace, and then returned to the palace. On August 30, Tang Taizong drove to the west of Chang'an City, beheaded the white horse, and made an alliance with Jieli Khan at Weishui Bridge, and the two sides re-established the covenant. After that, the Turks led troops to withdraw, and it was known as the "Weishui Alliance" in history.

Although later historians, when evaluating the "Weishui Alliance", they highly praised Tang Taizong Li Shimin's wisdom and bravery, and relied on wisdom to maneuver with the Turks to promote the alliance between the two countries. However, it must be admitted that the Weishui Alliance, for the Tang Dynasty, was a thoroughly unequal treaty and a great shame in the diplomatic history of the Tang Dynasty. Under the military pressure of the Turks, the Tang Dynasty could only agree to the Turks' sky-high prices, and exchange the alliance for a short period of peace.

Therefore, the Weishui Alliance has become a lingering shadow in Tang Taizong's heart. The emperor of the Tang Dynasty, who has been fighting for half his life, has always dreamed of one day, launching a war of revenge against the Turks, sweeping away the haze of the shame of Weishui, and solving the hidden danger of the grassland that threatens the Tang Dynasty.

In fact, Tang Taizong understood that between the Tang Dynasty and the Turks, there would be a war sooner or later. It's just that the Tang Dynasty currently does not have the strength to fight a decisive battle with the Turks. Once the Tang Dynasty had enough strength, it could wipe out the Turks in one fell swoop. The Weishui Alliance won precious time for the Tang Dynasty to recuperate and accumulate strength.

In the following four years, the Tang Dynasty actively recuperated, vigorously prepared for the counterattack against the Turks. For example, Taizong of the Tang Dynasty made great efforts to govern the country and adopted a series of political and economic measures to benefit the country and the people, reusing talents and developing agriculture, so as to enhance the comprehensive national strength of the Tang Dynasty. Militarily, Tang Taizong was also actively strengthening combat readiness, training the army, improving the individual combat ability of Tang soldiers, and training a brave and warlike elite of the Tang Dynasty.

For example, there is one thing that is enough to prove the military innovation of Tang Taizong. In order to strengthen the battle of the officers and soldiers of the Tang Army, Tang Taizong tried his best to overcome public opinion and changed the regulations of the previous dynasty prohibiting generals and soldiers from carrying weapons to the palace. Tang Taizong ordered hundreds of strong soldiers to practice archery in the Hall of Xiande every day.

There were even times when Tang Taizong personally went into battle to teach these soldiers how to shoot arrows. In addition, Tang Taizong set a reward system, and those who shot the most times were rewarded with bows, knives, cloth and other things, and many generals also had to practice archery. For this reason, Tang Taizong once issued a special edict, explaining why the soldiers should be allowed to practice archery:

Rong Di invasion and theft, since ancient times, suffering from the border Shao'an, then the master Yi Yu forgot to fight, is to Kou Lai Mo can resist. Now I don't let Ru Cao go through the pond to build a garden, specialize in bows and arrows, and live idlely, then you will be your teacher, and if the Turks enter the Kou, you will be your general, and the people of China can be less peaceful! (Information Governance Guide)

However, most of the ministers expressed their incomprehension about Tang Taizong's unconventional approach, believing that this move was not in line with the etiquette system, and if someone had bad intentions and assassinated the emperor, the consequences would be unimaginable. As a result, many ministers wrote letters and admonished them. For example, Hanzhou Assassin Shifeng "falsely claimed to be a stagecoach to enter the court" and admonished the emperor. In the face of the unanimous opposition of the ministers, Tang Taizong was unmoved, and still insisted on his own opinion, saying:

The king regards the four seas as a family, and within the fiefdom, all of them are innocent, and I put my heart in his belly one by one, but the guards are also suspicious! (Information Governance Guide)

Under the active promotion of Tang Taizong and the vigorous implementation of military reform, the officers and men of the Tang Army worked diligently in training day by day and refined their combat effectiveness. Within a few years, the Tang Dynasty had an elite force that could fight well and was invincible in the United States. This army also became a new force for the destruction of the Turks in the future.

In addition to developing the country's agriculture, reusing talents, implementing military reforms, and strengthening the military strength of the Tang army, Tang Taizong was also clearing obstacles and paving the way for the decisive battle against the Turks. The method is actually very simple, that is, to uproot the separatist forces that are dependent on the Turks, and let the Turks fall into a situation of isolation and helplessness.

As mentioned above, in the first year of Zhenguan (627), the warlord Yuan Junzhang, who seized Heng'an Town, surrendered to the Tang Dynasty; In the second year of Zhenguan (628), the Tang army sent troops on a large scale and destroyed the Shuofang Liang Shidu regime. At this point, all the separatist regimes that were previously affiliated with the Turks were wiped out by the Tang Dynasty. Because of this, the Tang Dynasty swept away all military obstacles to the decisive battle with the Turks and occupied an absolute geographical advantage in counterattacking the Turks.

In the four years after the Weishui Alliance, Tang Taizong Li Shimin worked hard and made a series of full preparations in order to wash away the shame and humiliation of the Weishui Alliance. With the efforts of Tang Taizong, the Tang Dynasty's national strength flourished, and it had the advantage and strength to conduct a final decisive battle with the Turks.

As the saying goes, under the governance of Tang Taizong, the people of the Tang Dynasty recuperated, the soldiers were diligent in training, the monarchs and ministers ruled together, and the national strength was increasing day by day. It can be said that the Tang Dynasty was all ready, everything was ready, only the east wind was owed, and it was waiting for Emperor Taizong to give an order, and the army went out to shoot an arrow of revenge at the Turks.

On the other hand, in terms of the Turks, unlike the growing strength of the Tang Dynasty, after the Weishui Alliance, the Turkic Khanate, which once dominated the steppe, was gradually declining and falling into a desperate situation. It is not difficult to see that while the Tang Dynasty was becoming stronger, the Turks instead went to an extreme and slipped into the bottomless abyss.

The decline of the Turks is due to many factors. First, after the Weishui Alliance, the Turkic army returned to the steppe. Shortly after returning to the steppe, the Turks were hit by a cold wave and snowstorm that had not been seen in a century. The harsh natural climate has caused huge losses to the entire Mobei grassland.

In December of the first year of Zhenguan (627), the grassland was hit by a snowstorm, causing many sheep and horses to die of hunger and starvation, and the people's lives fell into poverty. Due to the severe snowstorm, Jieli Khan tried to use the method of war again to pass on the economic crisis in the country. As a result, Jieli Khan led his troops to Shuozhou, intending to invade the Tang Dynasty again.

In the face of the Turkic rebellion, many ministers of the court and the central government told the emperor that the Turks were shameless and must be crusaded against. However, Tang Taizong knew very well that he could see that the Turks were at the end of their crossbows, and it was not too late to strike out when the Turkic tribes were all in rebellion and the six animals were wiped out:

If you say a word, you still have to keep the letter, not to mention the world is the master! How can anyone be affinity with him, and take advantage of his calamity and perish? You can do it, but I don't do it. The Turkic tribes rebelled, and all the six animals died, and I finally showed my faith and did not ask for it; When he is rude, he will take his ear. (Old Tang Dynasty Books: Turkic Biography)

As Tang Taizong expected. In the face of the sudden cold wave and snowstorm, Jieli Khan still implemented a tough dictatorship in various departments of the steppe. In order to alleviate the economic pressure caused by the snowstorm, Jieli imposed taxes on the various ministries of the grassland, citing the lack of expenditure of the royal court. As a result, it aroused strong dissatisfaction among the various tribes of the steppe, and Xue Yantuo, Huifu, Bayegu, Tongluo and other departments rebelled one after another, raised troops to resist the Turks, and were brutally suppressed by the Turks.

In desperation, the steppe tribes that rebelled from the Turks were successively attached to the account of Xue Yantuo's department, and jointly elected Xue Yantuo's leader Yi Lostinan as the khan, forming an alliance against the Turks. However, for the unanimous support of all tribes, Yi Lost Yi Nan did not dare to accept it. Although Yi Nan had the heart to stand on his own, he was worried that his strength would be too weak, and if he couldn't do anything, he would be suppressed and purged by the Turks.

When Tang Taizong learned the news that the various tribes of the grassland had rebelled, he was overjoyed, and he could use this to pull them into the Tang Dynasty camp. So, Tang Taizong appointed the guerrilla general Qiao Shiwang as a special envoy to Xue Yantuo's department, canonized Yi Nan as the "True Pearl Biga Khan", and gave him a giant drum and a banner. Eventually, Yi Nan accepted the canonization of the Tang Dynasty and officially broke with the Turks. In this way, the Tang Dynasty was equivalent to establishing an alliance with the steppe tribes, balancing the north and the south, raising troops to resist, and suppressing the living space of the Turks.

At this time, the steppe tribes, which were originally subordinate to the Turks, rebelled one after another. As a result, Jieli Khan was too busy suppressing tribal rebellions in the country, and his national power plummeted. It was at this time that a split within the Turks exacerbated the situation of the Turks.

It turned out that the number two person of the Turks, the Turkic Khan, broke with the Jieli Khan. As the second-in-command of the Turks, why did the Turki Khan also defect from the Turks?

The Turki Khan, whose real name is Ashinash Bobi, is the son of Shibi Khan. In the second year of Wude (619), Shibi Khan died, and due to the young age of Shiba, his uncle Tong Lifushe, inherited the throne of Khan, and was "Chuluo Khan". Two years later, in the fourth year of Wude (621), the Khan of Chuluo died, and another uncle of Shi Bo Bi was proclaimed as the Khan, and he was the "Jieli Khan".

After Jieli Khan ascended the throne, he was named the Little Khan, responsible for the eastern part of the Turks, managing the Khitan, the Ya Ya and other tribes, and the Ya Tent was connected to Youzhou in the south, and his status was second only to the Jieli Khan, called "Tuli Khan". So, why did the Turki Khan, as the number two of the Turks, break with the Turks?

Since the second year of Zhenguan (628), severe snowstorms and tribal rebellions have broken out in the Turkic country, which has greatly damaged the national strength of the Turks. In order to suppress the tribal rebellion, Jieli Khan ordered a raid against the army. As a result, the Turki Khan was defeated, and most of his subordinates were attached to the Tang Dynasty. Therefore, Jieli was very angry and ordered Tuli to be imprisoned and whipped and humiliated in public. From then on, the Turki Khan became resentful and rebellious.

In April of the second year of Zhenguan (628), the Turki Khan secretly sent an envoy to the Tang Dynasty, expressing his willingness to join the Tang Dynasty. However, for some reason, the news accidentally leaked out, and the army of Jieli Khan besieged it. There was no way, so Tuli had to ask the Tang Dynasty for help. After receiving the request for help from the Tuli Khan, Tang Taizong immediately sent a small force north to meet the Tuli. Later, after the Tuli Khan entered the Tang Dynasty, Tang Taizong treated him very seriously, gave him imperial food, awarded him the general of the right guard, knighted the king of Beiping County, and ate 700 households.

Snow disasters, tribal rebellions, and the annexation of the Turki Khan to the Tang Dynasty were undoubtedly one bolt after another for the Turks. This grassland overlord who once galloped across the country and controlled millions of strings fell into a desperate situation step by step. At this moment, the conditions for the Tang Dynasty to be ready to fight back against the Turks have gradually matured. Now, it's just a good opportunity. Finally, the opportunity came.

In November of the third year of Zhenguan (629), the Turks invaded Hexi. The two Tang generals who were responsible for guarding Hexi: Sun Wuda, the prince of Suzhou and Cheng Renzhong, the Ganzhou assassin, each led the troops and formed a corner. The two generals, taking advantage of the strong city defenses of Suzhou and Ganzhou, fought to the death, and finally broke the Turkic cavalry and captured more than 1,000 people. The Turkic invasion of Hexi ended in failure. However, this also allowed Tang Taizong to find an excuse to attack the Turks.

In fact, long before the Turkic invasion of Hexi, Zhang Gongjin, the governor of Daizhou, once made a note and stated to Tang Taizong six reasons for sending troops to the Turks. Zhang Gongjin was Li Shimin's former confidant general, who participated in the "Xuanwumen Change" and was regarded as a hero from the dragon. Here's what he wrote:

Jieli indulges in violence, punishes loyalty, and rapes. Xue Yantuo and other tribes all rebelled, and the second also. Tuli, Tuo, and Desire Valley are all offended, and there is nothing to be ashamed of, and the three are also. The frost in the north is early, the grain is scarce, and the four are also. Jieli sparses his race, pro-commission Zhuhu, Hu people repeatedly, as soon as the army comes, there will be internal changes, five also. The Chinese entered the north, and there were many of them, and they gathered together in the small hall where they heard, and they were protected from the mountain danger, and the army went out of the fortress, and they naturally responded, and they were also six. (Information Governance Guide)

After receiving Zhang Gongjin's slight, Tang Taizong was like a treasure, and it seemed that the time had come to counterattack the Turks in one fell swoop. As a result, Tang Taizong sent troops to attack the Turks on the grounds that "Jieli Khan invited his relatives and restored the Liang division". On November 23, the third year of Zhenguan (629), Tang Taizong issued an edict that the troops were divided into six routes to attack the Turks. The Tang Dynasty's six-way army has gathered almost one of the top founding generals of the Tang Dynasty, which can be described as an all-star lineup.

The first way: Tang Taizong appointed Li Jing, the secretary of the military department and the acting prince of the country, as the head of the march of Dingxiang Road, and Zhang Gongjin, the governor of the acting state, as the deputy general, to lead the Chinese army and attack Dingxiang from afar.

The second way: Li Shixian, the governor of Bingzhou and the British duke, was the head of the march on the Tonghan Road, and led the main army from the east road to attack the Turkic hinterland.

The third road: Huazhou Thorn Shi, Huo Guogong Chai Shao as the head of the Jinhe Road march, led the army down the Yellow River from the west road, and Li Jing and Li Shixian's department, forming an echoing trend.

Fourth Road: Li Daozong, the king of Rencheng County, was the head of the Datong Dao march, and the general Zhang Baoxiang was the deputy, and he advanced from Lingzhou to the northwest.

Fifth Road: Wei Xiaojie, the governor of Youzhou, was the head of the march of Heng'an Road, leading the army to guard the Yanyun area and blocking the Turkic escape to the east.

Sixth Road: Xue Wanche, the governor of Lingzhou, was the head of the Changwu Road march, taking the northeast, attacking the rear of the Turks, outflanking the enemy's rear, and also responsible for monitoring the Turki Khan.

The Sixth Route Army, with a total of more than 100,000 soldiers and horses, mainly used the three-way army of Li Jing, Li Shixian, and Chai Shao as the main force to attack the Turks. The remaining three routes of soldiers and horses, as partial divisions, should respond to the main action. At the same time, in order to achieve the consistency of military orders, Tang Taizong specially ordered that more than 100,000 soldiers and horses of the Sixth Route Army should be unified under the command of Li Jing. In other words, Li Jing, the acting prince of the state, was the supreme commander of this attack on the Turks. The Tang army fired six arrows in unison, piercing the Turks.

Li Jing was a famous generation of soldiers in the Tang Dynasty, and in the unification war of the early Tang Dynasty, he was famous for using soldiers like gods and winning by surprise. In a series of major battles such as the destruction of Xiao Milling, the pacification of Jianghuai Fugongyi, and the recovery of Lingnan, Li Jingjun made immortal achievements. Therefore, in this counterattack against the Turks, Tang Taizong took Li Jing as the commander and ordered him to command the Sixth Route Army.

In fact, for the elimination of the Turks, Tang Taizong planned for a long time. Soon after the Sixth Route Army set out, the Turki Khan entered the Hajj to meet him. Li Shimin was very emotional about this, and said to the courtiers around him, expressing his feelings of shame in the war: "The former emperor called himself a minister to the Turks for the sake of the people, and I am often sad. Today, I am only in the house, and I am ashamed of the snow. ”

It can be seen that Tang Taizong attached great importance to counterattacking the Turks. Since we want to open up the cause of eternity and create an unprecedented Tang Dynasty, defeating the Turks is the first step. If this battle is won, it will be able to lay the pattern of the Tang Dynasty's power and reshape the pride of China in one fell swoop. So, will the officers and men of the Tang Army on the front line do what Li Shimin wishes?

In the first month of the fourth year of Zhenguan (630), Li Jingqin led 3,000 Tang army iron cavalry, set off from Mayi, entered the Tun Evil Yang Ridge, and smashed the Turkic royal court. Three thousand Tang army iron cavalry, under the leadership of Li Jing, unknowingly, inserted into the Turkic hinterland. Immediately afterwards, Li Jing did not delay at all, and took advantage of the night to immediately launch a surprise attack on Dingxiang City, breaking the Turkic defenders and occupying Dingxiang. After the war, Tang Taizong praised Li Jing like this:

Li Ling with a foot of 5,000 deserts, and then died to the Huns, and his merits are still written and bamboo. Jing rode three thousand, scooped up the bloody court, and then took Dingxiang, the ancient unprecedented, and the shame of bathing my Weishui! (The New Tang Dynasty Book: The Biography of Li Jing)

As soon as the news of the Tang army's capture of Dingxiang came out, Jieli Khan was stunned. He didn't understand why Li Jing dared to go deep alone, it seemed that the Tang Dynasty was attacking the whole country, and the main force would be behind its iron cavalry, so he couldn't help but be shocked and said: "Tang doesn't come from the country, how dare Jing come here alone!" In a panic, Jieli Khan had no choice but to flee and evacuate his tent to Mokou (present-day Shanding Hural, Inner Mongolia).

Jieli Khan fled to the mouth of the moraine, and the Turkic tribes around the royal court were leaderless, and the people were panicked. Taking advantage of the chaos in the hearts of the Turks, Li Jing played psychological warfare again, sending multiple secret agents to divide the Turkic people. As a result, many Turkic tribes were completely disappointed with Jieli. Soon, Kang Sumi, a confidant of Jieli Khan, escorted Empress Xiao, the widow of Emperor Yang of Sui, and Yang Zhengdao, grandson, to Dingxiang to surrender to Tang. Soon, Empress Xiao and Yang Zhengdao were escorted to Chang'an.

At first, after Empress Xiao and Yang Zhengdao came to Chang'an, among some Hu people who surrendered to the Tang Dynasty, a rumor prevailed that "the Chinese or the hidden book was inspired by Xiao and the latter". Therefore, Yang Wenjun, a member of the Chinese Scholar House, played and asked for the interrogation of Xiao's grandchildren. However, Tang Taizong said that he was not to blame for the past, saying:

The world is undecided, the Turks are strong, the foolish people are ignorant, or there is something wrong. Today is safe, the past sins, why ask! (Information Governance Guide)

Let's talk about the war between the Tang army and the Turks.

After learning that Kang Sumi had surrendered to the Tang Dynasty, Jieli Khan's heart was even more frightened and uneasy, and he didn't dare to stay longer. As a result, Jieli Khan continued to lead his troops and retreated all the way to the Yinshan area. In fact, on the way to Yinshan, Li Jing had already sent a message to the commanders of the Tang army, ordering them to march quickly, surround Jieli Khan, and attack his troops in turn. Thus, next, the Turks received a series of devastating blows from the Don army.

Jieli Khan retreated to Yinshan and traveled to the Hunhe River, where he was first attacked by the Jinhe army led by Chai Shao, and the Turks were defeated. After the defeat of the Hun River, Jieli Khan continued to retreat. At this time, the Tonghan Army, which was the main force of the Tang Dynasty's three routes, under the leadership of the main general Li Shixian, sent troops from Yunzhong. It just so happened that Li Shiyun led the Tonghan army and encountered the Turkic army head-on at Baidao (northwest of present-day Hohhot, Inner Mongolia). A fierce battle ensued between the two sides, and the Turks were again defeated, with numerous casualties.

After the disastrous defeats of the two battles of Hunhe and Baidao, the Turks lost almost half of their men and horses, and only some remnants of the remnants of the Tang army were defeated, which could only be barely maintained. Finally, Jieli Khan led his troops and fled into Yinshan. However, it didn't take long for Li Jing to lead 3,000 elite iron cavalry of the Tang Army to Yinshan Mountain. In the end, Li Jing only used 3,000 iron cavalry to defeat tens of thousands of Turkic soldiers and horses of Jieli Khan in Yinshan.

Li Jing led his army to break the Turks in Yinshan, but Jieli Khan was still unwilling to fail. After the defeat of Yinshan, Jieli Khan flowed in the Iron Mountain, and was still able to gather tens of thousands of people. However, at this time, the Turks had already been defeated, and the elite had been lost, and it was just a matter of survival.

In order to regain his vitality, Jieli Khan took the initiative to give in to the Tang Dynasty. Soon after, Jieli Khan sent his cronies to the Hajj to express his willingness to join the whole country. In fact, this was the Khan's delaying tactic. Jieli's intention is to take advantage of the grass and horses to break through and enter Mobei, and take the opportunity to make a comeback. Therefore, under the guise of peace talks, Jieli Khan gave the Tang Dynasty a big illusion, and secretly accumulated strength and prepared to move to Mobei.

What kind of person is Tang Taizong, the sky is sage, can't he see the careful thinking of the Turks! Tang Taizong saw through it at a glance that Jieli was not sincere in peace talks at all, he was deliberately delaying time. For the Turkic delaying tactics, Tang Taizong took a two-pronged approach, on the one hand, he sent Hongluqing Tang Jian, the general An Xiuren and others to the Turks to pacify and stabilize Jieli; On the other hand, Tang Taizong secretly sent an edict to Li Jing, asking him to lead the army to meet the remnants of the Turks at any time.

In February of the fourth year of Zhenguan (630), Li Jing led the main force of the Tang army, and Li Shichang communicated with the Han army and joined forces in Baidao. After the two armies of Li Jing and Li Shiqian met, they immediately discussed how to launch the final blow on Jieli, completely destroy it, and destroy all the hopes of the Turks. Li Shiyun explained his thoughts to Li Jinghe:

Although Jieli is defeated, its crowd is still prosperous, if you go to the north, protect the nine surnames, the road is blocked and far away, and it is difficult to catch up. If you choose 10,000 fine horsemen, and attack them with 20 days' rations, you can capture them without a fight. (Information Governance Guide)

Li Shiyun's suggestion is that the soldiers are very fast, and since His Majesty has sent an envoy to negotiate peace, he can take the opportunity to paralyze Jieli and make him relax his vigilance. At this time, we selected 10,000 elite horsemen to raid the enemy camp, and we will definitely be able to capture Jieli in one battle. Obviously, Li Jing agreed with Li Shiyun's strategy very much, held Li Shiyun's wrist, and said happily: "What the public said is Han Xin's strategy to destroy Tian Heng. Therefore, Li Jing and Li Shiyun hit it off and decided to surprise the Turkic camp.

So, Li Jing informed the deputy general Zhang Gongjin of this decision. However, Zhang Gongjin was very worried that Tang Jian and the others were still in the enemy camp, and if they attacked the Turks, they were afraid that Tang Jian's life would be hurt: "The edict has promised him to surrender, and the envoy is there, so why not attack him!" Who knows, Li Jing thinks that sacrificing a Tang Jian can be exchanged for a victory, which is very worthwhile, and said to Zhang Gongjin: "This Han Xin is so broken." What a pity for Tang Jian! ”

After making a surprise attack plan, Li Jing led the elite and marched overnight, while Li Shichang led the main force and followed closely behind, both approaching the Turkic camp. When Li Jing led his army to Yinshan in the snow, he found that there were more than 1,000 Turkic tents there, captured all of them, and asked these people to be used as guides to lead the way for the Tang army.

Looking at the Turkic side again, Jieli Khan saw that Tang Dynasty envoys Tang Jian and An Xiuren came to Daying, thinking that Tang Taizong really allowed peace negotiations, so he relaxed his vigilance and did not take precautions. Who knows, it is precisely because of the stupid behavior of Jieli Khan that he will regret it for the rest of his life.

After a while, Li Jing touched the Turkic camp. After approaching the enemy camp, Li Jing ordered his subordinate general Su Dingfang to personally lead 200 cavalry as the vanguard to assault. Su Dingfang led two hundred cavalry, under the cover of dense fog, galloped at a gallop, and it was only when there were only seven miles left from the Jieli Tooth Tent that the Turks became aware of it.

However, it was too late. Su Dingfang led two hundred cavalry, drove straight in, and broke through the tooth tent of Jieli Khan in one fell swoop. In the midst of the chaos, Jieli rode a horse and hurriedly fled backwards. Subsequently, Li Jing commanded the army and entered the Turkic camp. In an instant, the Turkic army collapsed and scattered in all directions. Tang Jian, An Xiuren and others took advantage of the opportunity of the Tang army to break through the Turkic camp and returned from danger.

In this battle, Li Jing commanded the Tang Army, attacked the Turkic camp, annihilated more than 10,000 Turkic soldiers and horses, captured more than 100,000 men and women, and hundreds of thousands of miscellaneous animals. Moreover, while Li Jing broke through the Turkic camp and annihilated the main Turkic force, he also killed the Turkic Kehedun, that is, the princess Yicheng of the Sui Dynasty, and captured Jieli's son Di Luoshi.

Jieli Khan was defeated in Yinshan, and after escaping from the chaos, he led more than 10,000 remnants to prepare to break through the moraine. I never thought that Li Shichang had already led the army to occupy the moraine. When Jieli arrived, he found that the moraine had been captured by the Tang army and he could not pass through it at all. At this moment, the big chiefs under Jieli saw that Jieli's general trend had gone, and they led the crowd to surrender to Tang. Li Shiyun captured more than 50,000 Jieli and led the troops back.

Since he could not break through from the moraine, Jieli Khan had to choose another route to break through. As a result, Jieli led his troops to flee westward from Yunzhong. Jieli's intention was to defect to Tuyuhun or Gaochang. However, at this time, Jieli was already a lost dog, and no one was willing to continue to follow him. On the way to escape, most of Jieli's subordinates defected. In the end, Jieli Khan was left with only a few dozen cavalry to follow.

Afraid of what comes. When Jieli fled in embarrassment, he encountered the Datong army led by Li Daozong, the king of Rencheng. Li Daozong, the king of Rencheng, led his troops to attack, and after a fight, Jieli was defeated, and fled overnight with several cavalry, hiding in the barren mountains and mountains, avoiding the pursuit of the Tang army. However, Jieli could not escape the Tang Army's net after all. In the end, the Tang general Zhang Baoxiang led the army to pursue, captured Jieli Khan, and escorted him to Chang'an, the capital division.

At this point, the Turkic Khanate, which once dominated the steppe and relied on the mausoleum, was completely wiped out. For hundreds of years, the northern border troubles that had been threatening the Central Plains Dynasty were completely lifted with the complete victory of the Tang Dynasty. The vast area of Yinshan Mountain in the south and the desert in the north was all included in the rule of the Tang Empire. In other words, the grassland forces, which were once the sworn enemies of the Han people, have since become part of the territory of the Tang Dynasty.

With the victory of Yinshan and the capture of Jieli Khan, the Tang Dynasty counterattacked the Turks and ended with a complete victory for the Tang Dynasty. After the fall of the Turks, the ethnic minorities that were originally dependent on the Turks also returned to the Tang Dynasty. Moreover, the attached Siyi monarch wrote to Tang Taizong, requesting that Tang Taizong be honored as "Heavenly Khan". That is to say, Tang Taizong was not only the emperor of the Central Plains Dynasty, but also the leader of ethnic minorities. "Tian Khan" has also become a new business card of Tang Taizong and the pride of an empire.

The battle of the Tang Dynasty to destroy the Turks was another brilliant victory of the Central Plains Dynasty over the northern nomads after Liu Che, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, attacked the Xiongnu in the north, and Emperor Taiwu of the Northern Wei Dynasty, Tuoba Tao, and Ma Tarouran. After a lapse of hundreds of years, the hunting flag of the Chinese nation has once again been inserted on the grassland of Saibei!

So, what is the outcome of Jieli Khan, who was captured by Tang Junsheng, in his life? As the victor, will Tang Taizong, as the victor, be a killer against this strong enemy of the grassland?

In April of the fourth year of Zhenguan (630), Jieli Khan was escorted to Chang'an and sacrificed to Taimiao. Tang Taizong personally drove to Shuntian Tower, displaying cultural relics and honor guards, and the people and scholars downstairs flocked to watch. Subsequently, the officials escorted Jieli to the emperor. In front of the ministers and the people, Tang Taizong angrily denounced Jieli's five major crimes:

And there are five crimes: and the father's country is broken, relying on Sui Yi'an, not to help him with a sword, so that his temple society will not eat blood, one also; and my neighbor forsake the letter and disturb the side, two also; The soldiers are not fighting, the tribe is grudging, and the three are also; thieves and Chinese people, violent crops, four also; Xu and his relatives moved to escape, five also. I am not nameless in killing Er, Gu Wei has not forgotten the alliance, so he is not responsible. (The New Tang Dynasty Book: The Turkic Biography)

However, Tang Taizong did not kill Jieli, but was very atmospheric and showed the posture that a winner should have. Tang Taizong ordered that Jieli's family be released and let him live in Taifu, where the state would provide food and living. Later, Taizong of the Tang Dynasty awarded Jieli Khan as the general of the right guard, and gave him a beautiful house.

In the eighth year of Zhenguan (634), Jieli Khan died of illness in Chang'an at the age of fifty-six, and a generation of grassland heroes fell. After the death of Jieli Khan, Tang Taizong posthumously presented Jieli as the king of Guiyi, nicknamed "famine", and ordered his countrymen to be buried, cremated according to Turkic customs, and buried in the east of Bashui.

According to historical records, after learning the news of Jieli's capture, Emperor Li Yuan was very excited and sighed: "Han Gaozu is trapped in Bai Deng and can't be reported; Now my son can destroy the Turks, and I have entrusted them with winning people, so why worry about it! It is not difficult to see that for the defeat of the Turks, even Li Yuan, the ancestor of the Tang Dynasty who has abdicated, is happy from the bottom of his bones.

Therefore, Emperor Taishang Li Yuan and Tang Taizong Li Shimin held a banquet in Lingyan Pavilion, and sang and feasted with more than ten noble ministers, kings, concubines, and princesses. When the wine was hot, the Emperor Taishang actually played the pipa himself. Seeing that his father was so happy, Tang Taizong also used the strength of wine to cooperate with his father and dance. During the banquet, the ministers and ministers toasted and congratulated the Emperor and the emperor. The banquet was held until midnight, and then it was not counted.

The destruction of the Turks and the capture of Jieli Khan made the entire Tang Dynasty fall into national celebration. Chang'an, the capital of the fourth year of Zhenguan (630), was destined to be a sleepless night. The destruction of the Turks marked the rise of a powerful Tang Dynasty in the east of the world, and established the lofty position of the Tang Dynasty as the core of East Asia! Therefore, the battle of the Tang Dynasty to destroy the Turks officially drew a successful end to the founding of the Tang Dynasty.

From the first year of Wude (618) when Tang Gaozu Li Yuan proclaimed himself emperor in Chang'an and established the Tang Dynasty, to the second year of Zhenguan (628) when the Tang army destroyed the Shuofang Liang Shidu regime and eliminated the last strong enemy in the founding war, and then to the Yinshan victory in the fourth year of Zhenguan (630), the Tang Dynasty took advantage of the Turkic civil strife and divided the troops into six routes and launched a large-scale northern expedition to completely wipe out the Turkic Khanate and pacify the northern steppe forces. After 12 years, the Li Tang Dynasty finally realized its long-cherished wish to dominate the world and sweep away the heroes. After 12 years of unremitting efforts, the Li Tang Dynasty, a feudal dynasty founded by the Guanlong aristocratic group and rising in troubled times, finally stepped from a local power to a unified dynasty and became a vast empire.

In the 12 years of Jin Ge Iron Horse, the Tang Dynasty won the final victory with its indomitable fighting spirit, overwhelming the military strength, the mind of accepting all rivers, and the wisdom of penetrating the overall situation. In this process, Datang has been confused and has encountered setbacks. But in the end, Datang overcame all difficulties, overcame hardships and dangers, and realized the dream of ambition. Because, history chose the Tang Dynasty.

The founding of the Tang Dynasty is a heroic epic of majestic mountains and rivers. This is an era of swords and swords, burning passion, this is an era of heroes drawing swords and spears riding horses to break the formation. A symphony of the times that gathers imperial power, the country, the country, and the hegemony, shuttling through the sky of Chinese history.

In just 12 years, on the land of China, there have been a number of powerful and turbulent heroes in the world, such as Li Mi, Xue Ju, Xue Rengao, Li Rail, Liu Wuzhou, Wang Shichong, Dou Jiande, Liu Heimin, Du Fuwei, Fu Gongyi, Xiao Miao, and Liang Shidu; There have also been many emperors and generals who are as brilliant as the sea of stars, Tang Gaozu Li Yuan, Tang Taizong Li Shimin, Wei Zheng, Fang Xuanling, Du Ruhui, Changsun Wuji, Qin Qiong, Cheng Yanjin, Yu Chi Jingde, Li Jing, Li Shixian......

The unification war of the Tang Dynasty was a revolution and a rebirth of the phoenix. First of all, the Tang Dynasty took only 12 years to reunify the Yellow River Valley, the Yangtze River Basin, and the northern grasslands, ending the strife and turmoil that had been raging in all directions since the end of the Sui Dynasty, correcting all kinds of social shortcomings caused by the tyranny of Emperor Yang of the Sui Dynasty, and announcing the true rise of a unified and powerful Tang Empire.

Secondly, the unification war of the Tang Dynasty fully absorbed the essence of the political system of the former Sui Dynasty, and injected these fresh blood into the national construction of the Tang Dynasty. With the complete victory of the unification war in the early Tang Dynasty, the dawn of peace and tranquility finally came to this land ravaged by hundreds of years of war. The majestic China is about to usher in a Tang Dynasty that looks down on the world and ushers in a new prosperous era - the Huanghuang Tang Dynasty!

From another point of view, the victory of the unification war in the early Tang Dynasty has, to a certain extent, promoted the arrival of the prosperous era of the Tang Dynasty. If there were no 12 years of throwing heads and spilling blood, perhaps, there would not be the prosperous Tang Dynasty of the "Kaiyuan Dynasty" in the future, and there would not be the heroic momentum of Li Bai's pen "The mountains follow the plains, and the rivers flow into the great wilderness". In fact, from ancient times to the present, the historiography has given a very high evaluation to the Tang Dynasty. For example, Mr. Chen Yinke, a master of Chinese studies, commented on the Tang Dynasty like this:

The history of the Tang Dynasty can be divided into two periods. In the early stage, the old situation of the Northern and Southern Dynasties was ended, and the new situation of the Zhao and Song dynasties was opened in the later period, which was the case for political, social, and economic scholars, as well as for cultural and academic scholars. ("On Han Yu")

Today, Datang has long become the eternal pride of the Chinese people. Today's Chinese, as long as they mention the Tang Dynasty, will inevitably say four words: the prosperous era of the Tang Dynasty. The stars of the Tang Dynasty are shining, and the romance of thousands of years is still vivid. When it comes to Datang, such words will definitely flash in people's minds: wealthy, strong, civilized, prosperous, and open. All in all, the Tang Dynasty was an incomparably fascinating and enviable country.

After completing the historical mission of unifying the world, dividing the territory of Jianping, and ending the war at the end of the Sui Dynasty, the land of China, which had been poisoned by the war, finally looked forward to a powerful empire - the Tang Empire; ushered in a famous emperor through the ages who has been famous in history and has been famous for all generations - Li Shimin, Taizong of the Tang Dynasty; It also ushered in a four-Yi guest service, the country was rich and the people were strong in the early Tang Dynasty - "the rule of Zhenguan". Pushing back the layers of clouds and mist, what I saw was a blazing sun, illuminating the sky of Chinese history.

In the more than 200 years since then, all the people of this country, under the leadership of the Tang Dynasty, have rushed step by step to the peak of the prosperous era of Chinese history, creating one legend after another of the prosperous Tang Dynasty. Datang is like a mountain rising from the ground, standing in the east of the world!

(ENDS)