Li Shimin's large-scale withdrawal had already set the tone for the final battle.
Li Shimin had lost!
The Tang dynasty had lost!
While the army was retreating, Xia Xia's army was also quickly chasing after them. The two sides, one chasing and one fleeing, arrived at Guazhou City in the blink of an eye. However, Li Shimin didn't dare to enter Guazhou City. Instead, he led the army and left in a hurry.
While Li Shimin was retreating, Zhangsun Wuji followed beside him. When Zhangsun Wuji saw Xia Xia's army chasing after them, he urged his horse to run while shouting, "Your Majesty, the situation isn't good. Should we mobilize the black armored elite cavalry and let them enter the battlefield to fight back against Du Qi's pursuers?"
"No!"
Li Shimin refused without even thinking.
The black armored elite cavalry was the last resort. Especially when Li Shimin saw Du Qi's giant elephants, he knew that even with the black armored elite cavalry, they wouldn't be able to defeat him. In front of the elephant soldiers, even if the black armored elite cavalry were to fight, they would only be pushed to the ground.
At this time, they could only retreat.
Hearing this, Zhangsun Wuji didn't say anything else and could only retreat with Li Shimin.
The army kept retreating.
Time passed, and soon they were far away from Guazhou City. After all, the gates of Guazhou City were blown open and the city had already fallen. If Li Shimin led the army to camp there again, he would be seeking death. Therefore, Li Shimin led the army to escape and deal with it in the direction of Shazhou. When Li Shimin ran to the border of Guazhou and approached Shazhou, the army stopped. There were no more pursuers behind them.
Li Shimin got off his horse and let out a long sigh of relief. He ordered them to rest and reorganize.
At the same time, he ordered them to count the losses.
In less than an hour, the number of people in the army under Li Shimin's command had been counted.
Zhangsun Wuji came to Li Shimin's side and said with a pained expression, "Your Majesty, the losses in this battle have been counted. Our army is only left with thirty thousand people and five thousand black armored elite cavalry that we haven't used. The rest of the army has either fled, been killed, or been captured by Du Qi. The army of over two hundred thousand has been completely defeated. "
Li Shimin's expression suddenly changed.
The losses were too great.
One had to realize that Li Shimin had mobilized more than two hundred thousand soldiers, nearly three hundred thousand if one counted in the forces of Goguryeo, Silla, and the Turks. Now, there were only thirty thousand people left. Especially after this defeat, Guazhou would definitely be lost. It would be impossible to take it back.
Li Jing was gone too.
Duan Zhixuan was also dead.
Not only did they lose soldiers and generals, they also lost their territory.
Li Shimin's mood was incomparably terrible, his mood fluctuating, his heart even more depressed. At this moment, Li Shimin was completely disheartened. He felt like he was better off dead than alive.
Suddenly, Li Shimin felt something sweet in his throat. He opened his mouth and spat out a mouthful of dark red blood.
Li Shimin's essence, energy, and spirit immediately became much worse.
He was extremely dispirited.
Zhangsun Wuji hurriedly advised, "Your Majesty, the battle between us and Du Qi is just the beginning. The Tang dynasty was rich in natural resources and had a strong national strength. Even if we lose this battle, we still have a chance to turn the situation around. Your Majesty, don't worry about the gains and losses of one city and one land. We can still fight again. "
Li Shimin smiled bitterly, "Auxiliary machine, the losses in this battle are too great. Li Jing fell, Duan Zhixuan was killed, and close to three hundred thousand soldiers were wiped out. Not even a tenth of them survived. I have been fighting for decades, and I have never suffered such a great defeat! "
At this point, Li Shimin's heart was filled with grief.
He was even more heartbroken.
Zhangsun Wuji comforted, "Your Majesty, now is not the time to be dispirited. Du Qi is extremely ruthless and cruel. Now that he has taken Guazhou, he will definitely continue to attack. Now, we have to think of a way to deal with it. Your Majesty, please pull yourself together and prepare to fight again. "
Following Zhangsun Wuji's words, Qin Qiong, Yuchi Gong, and the others also spoke, encouraging Li Shimin to pull himself together. The Tang dynasty could not do without Li Shimin.
The Tang dynasty could not be in chaos.
As the monarch, Li Shimin could not panic. Once Li Shimin panicked and ignored government affairs, the consequences would be unimaginable.
Li Shimin looked at everyone's expectant and worried eyes. He clenched his fists, gritted his teeth, and said, "Du Qi and I will not give up."
After a pause, Li Shimin continued, "Don't worry, I know what to do and what not to do. Now is not the time to be sad. I know that I have to pull myself together to deal with it. "
Zhangsun Wuji said, "Your Majesty is wise."
Li Shimin said, "What wise? I have already lost to this extent, what is there to be wise about?"
Zhangsun Wuji comforted, "Your Majesty, actually, did you notice that although we lost this battle, we have played Du Qi's disadvantages and advantages out, and we have also figured out all of Du Qi's trump cards. We have indeed lost many soldiers in this battle, but it is actually worth it. Because when we fight Du Qi next, we will not be in the dark and not know anything. Now, we can deal with the problem. "
After a pause, Zhangsun Wuji said, "From a certain point of view, this is actually a good thing."
Li Shimin smiled bitterly.
He knew that Zhangsun Wuji was comforting him.
Li Shimin sighed, "Wuji, you don't have to comfort me. On this point, We are well aware of our own limitations. "
Zhangsun Wuji shook his head and said, "Your Majesty, I am just speaking the truth. It is a very simple reason. Previously, when we fought with Du Qi and Xia Xia, we were afraid of Xia Xia's weapons and did not dare to fight. "
"In fact, in the battle of Guazhou City, although the city was blasted open and Du Qi's attacks were fierce, in close combat, our Tang dynasty's army crushed Du Qi's army."
"In the end, because of the appearance of Du Qi's elephant soldiers, the situation was reversed and we were defeated."
Zhangsun Wuji said, "Du Qi's army seems to be strong, but it is not invincible. Because we have sufficient understanding, we will be able to know the situation more clearly, and the battle will be easier. "
Li Shimin said, "What you said makes sense, but in fact, you are just comforting yourself. Now that we are defeated, it will definitely cause a huge uproar. "
Zhangsun Wuji said, "Your Majesty, there is no other way. Now that things have come to this, what we need to consider now is how to deal with Du Qi and prepare to continue fighting with Du Qi. "
Li Shimin nodded.
Zhangsun Wuji continued, "Your Majesty, there is still one more thing. Du Qi will definitely continue to send troops, so after we retreat and return to Shazhou, we will continue to organize troops and fight again. "
Li Shimin said, "Fighting again is a must."
At this point, it was necessary to prepare for the next step of the battle.
Li Shimin squinted his eyes, and after a moment of silence, he said, "What I am worried about now is Li Jing."
Zhangsun Wuji said, "Your Majesty, Duke Wei is greatly indebted to you and is an important minister of the Tang dynasty. The soldiers that escaped also said that although Duke Wei was captured, he would rather die than surrender. Duke Wei is different from Su Dingfang. Su Dingfang is young and easily influenced. Duke Wei, on the other hand, is different. He will definitely not be affected. "
"Let's hope so."
Li Shimin's heart was still a little worried.
However, he could not give a reason why.
Li Shimin did not say anything else and rested on the spot. After the army rested, they continued on their journey.
This time, they headed straight for Shazhou.
The Shazhou Provincial Governor was Wei Shuyu, Wei Zheng's son. When the army led by Li Shimin arrived at Shazhou, Wei Shuyu personally led people out of the city to welcome them. This was because along the way, they had been living in the open and it was really tough. Wei Shuyu settled down Li Shimin's army and placed him in the Provincial Governor's Manor.
After the arrangements were made, Wei Shuyu mobilized the soldiers and sent all the rations to the army.
This journey was really tough for the soldiers.
They needed food to recover their strength.
After Wei Shuyu arranged everything, he returned to the Provincial Governor's Manor to meet Li Shimin. Li Shimin was very impressed with Wei Shuyu's actions and praised him. Wei Shuyu naturally replied humbly. After the soldier finished reporting, Wei Shuyu got up and left.
Li Shimin temporarily rested in the Provincial Governor's Manor. However, Li Shimin did not rest. Instead, he arranged for people to gather Zhangsun Wuji and Wei Zheng for a meeting to discuss the next step.
When the three of them were discussing, a letter from Chang An arrived.
It was sent by a bad person.
When Li Shimin saw the contents of the letter, he was instantly shocked. The information recorded in the letter was about Li Jing. When Li Shimin finished reading the letter, he angrily threw the letter on the ground.
Zhangsun Wuji's heart skipped a beat.
It was definitely bad news.
Zhangsun Wuji got up and picked up the letter. When he saw the contents of the letter, his expression froze.
Wei Zheng was both curious and worried. He hurriedly asked, "Duke of Qi, what's going on?"
Zhangsun Wuji said, "It's Li Jing's family. The Li family has all disappeared from Chang An. The situation of these people is exactly the same as Su Dingfang's. They were taken away by Du Qi's men. "
When Wei Zheng heard that, his expression changed.
Back then, Su Dingfang was taken down by Du Qi. Following that, Su Dingfang's family disappeared from Chang An. Then, Su Dingfang worked for Du Qi. Now, Li Jing's family had disappeared from Chang An. Obviously, Li Jing was working for Du Qi.
One must know that from Li Jing's defeat at Mulberry Hill, to the battle between Li Shimin and Du Qi in Guazhou City, to Li Shimin's defeat, to Li Shimin's arrival in Shazhou, not much time had passed.
However, Li Jing's family had already disappeared. It could be seen that since Li Jing was taken down by Du Qi, everything had already started. Otherwise, Li Jing's family would not have disappeared from Chang An so quickly.
The atmosphere in the study room was heavy.
Everyone's expression was solemn.
Li Shimin, who was sitting on the main seat, had a solemn expression. Li Jing submitting to Du Qi would definitely have a huge impact on Li Shimin and the Tang dynasty.
Dong! Dong!
At this moment, there was a knock on the door.
Zhangsun Wuji got up to open the door. Another bad guy said, "Duke Qi, this is the latest news from Chang An."
Zhangsun Wuji took the letter and brought it to Li Shimin. "Your Majesty, this is news from a bad guy. It's the situation in Chang An."
Li Shimin took it and started reading again. He looked down, and his expression instantly darkened. He angrily threw the letter in his hand onto the ground.
Zhangsun Wuji picked up the letter again.
After reading it, his face twitched. He could not help but sigh.
It was news from Li Jing again.
This time, without waiting for Wei Zheng to ask, Zhangsun Wuji said, "The bad guy sent news that after Li Jing's family left Chang An, news spread out from Chang An City. They said that Your Majesty's army was stopped at the border of Guazhou. Li Jing led his army to submit to Du Qi. Now, the entire Chang An and even other places in the Tang dynasty are spreading the news of Li Jing's surrender. "
After pausing, Zhangsun Wuji continued, "Li Jing is the pillar of the Tang dynasty. Him submitting to Du Qi has a huge impact on us."
Wei Zheng's expression changed again and again.
The situation was not good!
The current situation was not only because Li Shimin was defeated, but also because of Li Jing's surrender, causing the rear to be in a mess.
Zhangsun Wuji said in a low voice, "Your Majesty, I think that after Li Jing's surrender, the situation in Chang An is different. The current situation was already somewhat different from before. The battle has started, and we need to make adjustments. "
Li Shimin said, "How?"
Zhangsun Wuji said, "The Crown Prince is the regent, but he is still young and doesn't have enough prestige. It is hard to stabilize the situation in the rear. So, under the premise of Li Jing surrendering to Du Qi, I think Your Majesty should return to Chang An and stabilize the situation in the rear. Even if you want to fight with Du Qi, you need a stable rear. If there is chaos in the rear, the situation will not be good. "
Li Shimin thought for a while and said, "After I return, who will lead the frontline army?"
"Li Xiaogong!"
A bright light flashed across Zhangsun Wuji's eyes.
His eyes were sharp as he said, "Among the imperial family, Li Xiaogong is the best at war. His influence is no less than Li Jing's. With Li Xiaogong, the morale of the army can be stabilized. Moreover, Li Xiaogong is Du Qi's father-in-law. With Li Xiaogong, Du Qi will be restricted. So, I suggest to let Li Xiaogong lead the army. "
After Li Shimin heard this, he thought about it carefully.
Wei Zheng said, "Your Majesty, according to Duke Qi's analysis, there are some benefits to letting Duke Hejian fight. However, there are also some risks. What if Duke Hejian directly defected to Du Qi? What can we do? "
"Impossible!"
Zhangsun Wuji didn't even think and directly answered.
His eyes were sharp as he analyzed, "Firstly, Li Xiaogong is a member of the imperial family of the Tang dynasty, someone with the surname Li. Secondly, even if Li Xiaogong fights, his family is still in Chang 'an. Thirdly, the Tang dynasty is where Li Xiaogong's roots are. He can't leave casually. "
After a pause, Zhangsun Wuji continued, "Also, Your Majesty arranged for Li Xiaogong to lead the army. It might not be Li Xiaogong alone. There will be someone who can restrict him secretly, making it impossible for him to surrender casually."
Wei Zheng didn't say anything else.
After all, Zhangsun Wuji was right.
Zhangsun Wuji looked at Li Shimin, who didn't say anything, and said, "Your Majesty, this matter shouldn't be delayed. If we want to make a decision, we must make it quick. "
Li Shimin took a deep breath and said, "Li Xiaogong's arrangement as the commander can be the first choice. If this plan can't be arranged, how should we arrange it? Who will be the commander? "
When Zhangsun Wuji heard this, he knew that it was done.
Li Shimin had already agreed.
Zhangsun Wuji thought about it and said, "Your Majesty, if something happens to Li Xiaogong here, he won't be able to lead the army. Then, I think the most suitable person to lead the army is Li Ji. Although Li Ji can't be compared to Li Xiaogong, Li Shentong, and the others, he can't be compared to Li Jing's influence. However, Li Ji is a Confucian general. Not only can he manage the army, but he can also manage the region. Only such a person can lead the army and stabilize the situation. "
Li Ji was also very famous in history.
He was one of the 24 meritorious officials of the Lingyan Pavilion.
Li Ji's original name was Xu Shiji. After submitting to the Tang dynasty, Li Yuan gave him the surname Li. When Li Shimin ascended the throne, he changed his name to Li Ji to avoid the word 'Shi' in his name.
In the novels of the future, Li Ji was the military advisor of Wagang Camp, Xu Maogong.
He was quite an amazing person.
Li Shimin thought about it and nodded, "Since that's the case, Li Xiaogong will be the commander and Li Ji will be the deputy commander. When I return to Chang An, I will personally arrange this. At that time, I will send a decree to Li Ji to tell him that if there are any changes, he will have full authority to control the army. If Li Xiaogong is not willing to be the commander, Li Ji will be the commander to lead the army to fight against Du Qi's army. "
Zhangsun Wuji praised, "Your Majesty is wise!"
Wei Zheng also said, "Your Majesty is wise!"
After Li Shimin decided on the strategy, he didn't waste any more time and gathered the cavalry to retreat. However, even though Li Shimin wanted to retreat, Zhangsun Wuji and Wei Zheng wouldn't leave for the time being. This was because when Li Shimin was away, Zhangsun Wuji and Wei Zheng would be in charge of stabilizing the situation in Guazhou and even organizing troops to fight against Du Qi's army.
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