The news had come out a few days ago. A scout at Li Zhengyi's side had charged into the capital, his body covered in blood. After being carried to the Bureau of Military Personnel, he had only been able to hand over his token and send a message requesting reinforcements before falling unconscious.
If the Ouzan's attack on the border of Longxi was a large-scale invasion of the Tang Dynasty, then the grievous news of the 180,000 soldiers of the Tang Dynasty from Jiange in the southwest was a world-shattering shock.
No one had expected this result. The assault of the Ouzan had thrown everyone into panic.
"The Ouzan are declaring war on the Tang Dynasty! This is a complete rupture! … "
In the imperial court, an imperial censor shouted with all his might. Even his face was red, and his extreme anger caused his body to tremble.
"They've already broken off! In Longxi and the southwest, the Ouzan have launched a large-scale attack on the Tang Dynasty, mobilizing hundreds of thousands of soldiers. If this isn't a rupture, what is? What we need to discuss now is what to do! "
"Li Zhengyi has already been defeated, so how can we still have soldiers?"
"If we want to help Xianyu Zhongtong and Li Zhengyi, the Big Dipper Army is the best way!"
"But the Big Dipper Army is already being held down by We Tadra Khonglo and Dusong Mangpoje!"
"Lord Wang said long ago that now was not the time to send troops, but none of you listened. Now you understand! "
"What I'm worried about isn't this, but the hundreds of thousands of civilians in the southwest! If the 180,000 Tang Dynasty elites of the Annan Protectorate can't stop them, the southwest will be a flat plain. Who can stop the combined army of Mengshe Zhao and Ouzan? "
… …
Bzzz! It was like all the air had been sucked out, and the noisy hall instantly fell silent. All the nobles, ministers, and imperial censors fell silent.
A stifling energy shrouded the entire Imperial Court.
The defeat in the southwest had never been the most worrisome. What truly worried them were the nearly one million civilians of the southwest.
As the barrier of the southwest, the Annan Protectorate was the first and last barrier against Mengshe Zhao and Ouzan.
For this reason, the army of the Annan Protectorate had always been very large. Its 180,000 elites far surpassed Geshu Han's Big Dipper Army and Anxi's Gao Xianzhi's army.
Not even Zhang Shougui of the Andong Protectorate had 180,000 soldiers.
This was the reason why Zhangchou Jianqiong had always been cautious when he was stationed in the southwest, never daring to launch an attack recklessly.
However, Gelofeng's sudden assault, as well as the pressure that Zhangchou Jianqiong had to face after becoming the Minister of War, caused all of this to go up in smoke.
The new wave of reinforcements from the imperial court would need at least two months to regroup. Whether it was from other directions, from the protectorates, or from a temporary organization, it had to be done.
But before that —
The nearly one million people of the southwest would have no protection. When they thought about the consequences of the sudden advance of Mengshe Zhao and Ouzan's armies, all the ministers couldn't help but tremble.
"Wang Chong …"
As he looked at the solemn and speechless ministers, The King of Song suddenly thought of a certain person.
No one had expected the 180,000 elites of the Tang Dynasty's Protectorate of the Southwest to fall to such a state. If there was one person in all of society who had known that all of this would develop to this point, there was no question that this person was Wang Chong.
For some reason, The King of Song felt that Wang Chong had long ago known that all of this would develop to this point. This made him feel very strange.
"… Perhaps, this child has some kind of plan!"
The King of Song raised his head and looked up at the ceiling of the Coiling Dragon Hall as he quietly said to himself.
… …
While the Imperial Court of the Central Plains was reeling from the defeat in the southwest, the north and northeast of the Tang Dynasty were equally restless.
"Hahaha, this is an opportunity bestowed by the heavens! I didn't think that the 180,000 elites of the Tang Dynasty would lose to Ouzan and Mengshe Zhao! … …
On a moonlit night, north of the Yin Mountains, a massive white ivory tent towered over the vast grassland. Around the tent were massive snow-white wolves, their fangs savage as they warily observed their surroundings.
Inside the huge moon-white tent, under the illumination of the oil fire, a pitch-black figure was cast on the wall of the tent, looking incomparably huge.
Although this figure had not used a single technique or technique, this pitch-black figure exuded a terrifying aura that was like a bottomless abyss, drawing in all the moonlight in a radius of several hundred zhang.
"Pass on my order. The army is to head south and confront the Tang Dynasty's Beiting Protectorate. Once the Tang Dynasty's Beiting Protectorate makes any strange moves, we'll head south and utterly crush them! "
The rough voice clenched his fists as he spoke without hesitation.
"But Great Khan, wouldn't we be completely offending the Tang Emperor this way!"
In the flickering light of the flames, another voice cautiously spoke, sounding extremely apprehensive.
"Ha, do you still think that the Tang Dynasty is the same as the Tang Dynasty of the past? One hundred and eighty thousand elites … This was one hundred and eighty thousand elites! If this was the Tang Dynasty of the past, even if Mengshe Zhao and Ouzan mobilized all their forces, they still might not be able to defeat them! "
The rough voice spoke, his voice faintly drifting, as if he was lost in some sort of memory.
The strength of the Tang Dynasty was not something a normal person could imagine!
When the War God of the Tang Dynasty, So Jung-son, reigned, the Eastern and Western Turks were at their strongest, and Ozmish Khagan was just a child.
One hundred and fifty thousand fully armed Black Wolf Khaganate of the Western Turks could not stop So Jung-son's eight thousand cavalry! Later on, the Eastern and Western Turks suffered heavy losses, and Wang Jiuling and Wang Zhongsi took a very long time to recuperate.
The six to seven hundred thousand Tang Dynasty soldiers had been able to suppress all the foreign empires around them by relying on their overwhelming strength and various weapons and equipment.
But now, one hundred and eighty thousand Tang Dynasty elites and sixty thousand reinforcements had been routed by Mengshe Zhao and Ouzan. To the Western Turks and the other empires, this was something that they would never have dared to imagine.
"The Tang Dynasty has already become weak, no longer as strong as it once was. They have grown weak, and we … are no longer the same! "
The rough voice suddenly became resounding, and all the white wolves around the tent seemed to sense something. They bared their teeth, savage looks in their eyes.
"Go! The Turks and the Tang Dynasty must fight, not now … but in the future! "
"Yes, your subordinate understands!"
… …
At the same time, to the east of Youzhou, to the north of the Bohai Sea …
Across a vast plain and a clear river, a towering wall towered over the Andong Protectorate headquarters.
The wall was covered in smoke and appeared to have gone through countless battles, but it was still extremely tall and sturdy. Not even the cities of the Central Plains could compare to it.
Gaimo City!
On the surface of the gigantic city, there were three Chinese characters written in the language of the Central Plains. The Goguryeo Empire bordered the Central Plains, and although they spoke different languages, the official language used was the standard Chinese characters of the Central Plains.
"Boom!"
All of a sudden, the closed gates of Gaimo City burst open, and groups of Goguryeon infantrymen swarmed out. At almost the same time, large numbers of Goguryeon soldiers also surged out from the gates to the north and south of the city.
This sudden movement alarmed all of Youzhou!
All the Tang Dynasty soldiers of the Andong Protectorate were dumbfounded by this sudden development.
To the east of Youzhou, the Andong Protectorate possessed a ruling status. This status had not been crowned by one's own will, but forged through blood and fire, through several battles.
In the northeast, the Goguryeo Empire had always adopted a passive defense, relying on its sturdy walls and various fortifications to resist the attacks of the Tang Dynasty.
Never before had the Tang Dynasty taken the initiative to open the gates to attack.
"Enemy attack! — — "
On the banks of the Lushui River, several Tang Dynasty scouts suddenly leaped onto their horses and galloped off with shrill cries. None of them noticed that on the walls of Gaimo City, a stalwart Goguryeon general with five long sabers on his back was silently watching him with a complicated expression.
In his hands was a bright yellow Goguryeon imperial edict, and the image of the 'Moon in the Water' on the imperial edict clearly indicated its owner.
This was a decree from Emperor Yeon Gaesomun of the Goguryeo Empire!
"Attack with vigor and restrain the Tang Dynasty!"
On the bright yellow imperial edict, there were only these few words.
In a single night, the Eastern and Western Turkic Khaganates, the Goguryeo Empire, and even the distant Arabian Empire began to show signs of activity around the Tang Dynasty.
The entire Tang Dynasty was in a state of panic.
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