Meton smiled bitterly and said, "That was just me trying to intimidate the Tuyuhun emissaries. Indeed, if we use this method, our Tang Dynasty will definitely win. However, if we push Tuyuhun into a corner and suddenly counterattack, our Tang Dynasty will definitely win, but it will be a pyrrhic victory. The entire Longyou will definitely be riddled with holes. You should know that our Tang Dynasty does not only have Tuyuhun as our opponents, but also the highland Tubo, the powerful Western Turks, the restless Tiele Nine Tribes, and our archenemy Goguryeo. If the Tang Dynasty suffers heavy losses, I'm afraid these opponents will pounce on us like wolves."
The generals nodded solemnly. This method seemed feasible, but it could only be used as a deterrent. Once it was implemented, it would hurt both the enemy and the army, and the injured beast's counterattack would be even fiercer.
"Moreover, the army will consume a lot of food and fodder every time it goes on an expedition. If the 200,000 troops are continuously consumed in Longyou for three to five years, I'm afraid the huge military expenditure alone will drag down the Tang Dynasty. Moreover, if we retreat today, those Qiang tribes who are affiliated with the Tang Dynasty will definitely suffer the revenge of Tuyuhun. The next time the Tang Dynasty sends out troops, it will be impossible to ask the Qiang tribes for help again, "Merton said.
"That's right. If you don't kill the snake, it will hurt you. Fu Yun is a greedy snake. If our army wins this time, if we don't completely eliminate Tuyuhun and miss this opportunity, I'm afraid it will be too late for us to regret it in the future. "Unexpectedly, Hou Junji actually took the initiative to agree with Meton's point of view.
Meton nodded solemnly and said, "Since we all think that it will be difficult, I'm sure Fu Yun will also think so. If we take the risk and chase after them, we will definitely be able to catch Tuyuhun off guard. If we withdraw today, we will certainly be blamed for not having done anything and will receive the Imperial Court's reproach. But if we pursue at this moment, while there is a risk of failure, there is also a chance that we will succeed in this battle. At that time, there will be a great merit waiting for us. I believe that everyone understands this principle. "
The generals couldn't help but look at each other, wavering. However, none of them requested to withdraw.
Li Jing glanced at Meton with appreciation, then looked back at the generals and said, "Since the Tang dynasty and Tuyuhun will have a pursuit battle sooner or later, why don't we chase after them today? We have a large number of troops in our hands, and Fu Yun is already scared out of his wits. In this battle, we will definitely take Fu Yun back."
"Understood!" the generals replied in unison.
Li Jing was the commanding general, and military orders were like mountains. Naturally, no one dared to disobey.
"But the Qinghai region is thousands of miles wide. If Fu Yun wants to hide, I'm afraid that we will be like looking for a needle in a haystack. How can we chase after him?" Li Daoyan frowned and said. He was a member of the royal family and usually lived like a prince. He couldn't help but complain.
Li Jing heard this and couldn't help but look at Li Daoyan coldly. If Li Daoyan wasn't a member of the royal family, Li Jing would have nothing to say even if he was convicted of shaking the morale of the army.
Meton saw this and mediated, "No matter where Fu Yun escaped from, there is only one ultimate goal, and that is …
That is the Western Region. "
Li Jing's expression softened, and he temporarily let Li Daoyan off. Li Daoyan immediately felt as if he had been pardoned, and he didn't dare to be the first bird to stick his neck out.
"That's right. Thirty years ago, Fu Yun escaped to the Western Region under the pursuit of the Sui army. It was with the support of the Western Region's kingdoms that he finally reestablished his country. This time, Fu Yun definitely wants to use the same trick again." Hou Junji analyzed.
Li Jing nodded and said coldly, "Fu Yun burned the pasture in order to prevent us from chasing after him. However, he made a fatal mistake. Our warhorses are indeed lacking pasture, but when the Tuyuhun escaped to the west, they will definitely have a herd of cows and horses. The pasture they need will definitely be ten times more than ours. Therefore, Fu Yun will definitely divide his troops to reduce the pasture pressure and also confuse us from chasing after him. This move seems clever, but it gave us an opportunity to dismember the Tuyuhun."
"Dismember the Tuyuhun?" The generals looked at Li Jing in confusion.
Li Jing said confidently, "With 300,000 Tuyuhun cavalry together, even if our army wins, we will suffer heavy losses. However, if they are divided into several tens of thousands of small tribes, how can they be a match for our army?"
The generals' eyes couldn't help but brighten. If the Tuyuhun divided their troops into several tens of thousands, the Tang Army could be said to have a sure victory if the difference in strength was not big.
"When we chase after them, the first priority is to defeat the scattered Tuyuhun tribes one by one, so that Fu Yun will have no troops to use. Even if Fu Yun escapes to the ends of the earth, he is still a toothless tiger. What is there to be afraid of? "Li Jing said proudly.
The generals' eyes suddenly brightened. They had been worried that after the Tang Army retreated, Fu Yun would retaliate. If they wiped out the remaining forces of the Tuyuhun, even if they did not catch Fu Yun in the end, they would not have to worry about Fu Yun's counterattack, and the great merit would naturally be theirs. Moreover, they could also capture a large number of cattle and sheep, so that they could give an explanation to the Imperial Court and make up for the deficit of the Imperial Court. After all, the Imperial Court had spent too much money and food for this western expedition.
"General, you are wise!" The generals gladly agreed. Even Li Daoyan no longer refuted.
Li Jing looked at the generals with satisfaction and said, "In order to avoid our pursuit, Fu Yun burned the grassland. If our army wants to pursue, there are only two ways. One is to bypass the fire and pursue from the north through the eight hundred li Immensity Sea. The other is to take the southern road through the fire and pass through the land of the Wu Sea."
"The eight hundred li Immensity Sea! The land of the Wu Sea. "Everyone's heart sank.
The eight hundred li Immensity Sea referred to the current Chaidamu Desert. It was not an easy task to cross the desert. Not to mention that there were tens of thousands of troops. The difficulty could be imagined.
The land of the Wu Sea was in the south of Tuyuhun, adjacent to the Tubo Plateau. The terrain was high. If the Tang Army reached the Wu Sea, they would definitely suffer from altitude sickness and lose a lot of combat power. It could be said that both directions were full of difficulties.
"In that case, we will divide into two groups, one from the north and one from the south. I wonder if the generals have any ideas?" Li Jing looked around and asked.
"We will listen to the general's orders." The generals shook their heads.
"In that case, I and Minister Hou Junji will lead the troops separately. I will take the northern road, and Minister Hou will take the southern road. We will split up to pursue Fu Yun." Li Jing looked at Hou Junji and said.
"Yes, sir!" Hou Junji immediately accepted the order. Hou Junji was the Minister of War. His official position was the highest under Li Jing. It was natural for him to lead one group alone.
"Where is Su Dingfang?" Li Jing shouted.
"I am here!" Su Dingfang stepped forward and said.
"How much dry rations do we have left?" Li Jing asked.
Su Dingfang bowed and said, "The compressed dry rations that have been made are enough for the army to eat for a month and a half."
"A month and a half." All the generals nodded their heads in satisfaction. This way, they would be able to guarantee the soldiers' daily necessities. If they could capture some more Tuyuhun cattle and sheep to serve as rations, they would no longer have to worry about the rations for this pursuit.
Su Dingfang breathed a sigh of relief. Fortunately, in order to treat the night blindness before the battle, the army had been eating meat non-stop. This gave Su Dingfang enough raw materials to make the compressed dry rations.
Li Jing nodded and said, "From now on, immediately distribute all the dry rations to the various troops. At the same time, hand over all the army's supplies to your troops. Station here to guard the wounded soldiers' barracks."
"Understood!"
Su Dingfang immediately accepted the order. However, in his heart, he was filled with regret. It seemed that this pursuit had nothing to do with him. His supply troops were too slow and could not keep up with the pace of the army. Moreover, the wounded soldiers' barracks needed to be guarded. It was indeed the best choice.
"Li Daozong, take the south road. Cheng Zhijie, take the north road! … "
"Yes!"
Everyone accepted the order.
"Good. Everyone, get ready. The earlier the pursuit, the higher our chances of victory." Very quickly, Li Jing had assigned the route for all the generals.
Just as the generals were about to return to pass down the order, they suddenly heard Meton weakly raise his hand and say, "General, what about our Firearms Division?"
Li Jing also looked at Meton with a headache. In terms of numbers, the Firearms Division only had 30 to 50 people. However, in terms of contributions, the Firearms Division's contributions were greater than the First Guard's. Furthermore, the Firearms Division was also part of the fighting force.
Cheng Yaojin laughed and said, "Little Mo, I'm afraid that the Firearms Division's gunpowder bullets have already been used up! Without gunpowder bullets, your Firearms Division is like a toothless tiger. Why don't you follow General Su to guard the wounded soldiers' barracks? "
When Meton heard this, he immediately smiled and said, "Indeed, my Firearms Division's gunpowder bullets have indeed been used up. However, I still have a lot of hand grenades!"
"Hand grenades!" Li Jing's eyes suddenly lit up. At the Firearms Division's Great Demonstration, they had personally seen the power of the Firearms Division's Great Demonstration. It could be used by a single soldier and its power was not small.
Meton, this little brat, had prepared so many hand grenades. It was clear that he had long expected this day to come. At this moment, Li Jing helplessly said, "Then you follow General Cheng and take the north road."
"Thank you, General!"
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