"Chief Tuoba, I …" A Dangxiang leader walked into Tuoba Chici's yurt in shame and said obsequiously.
"Even your Hulan tribe betrayed us. Two years ago, your Hulan tribe suffered a disaster. If it weren't for Chief Tuoba's help, your Hulan tribe wouldn't have become what it is today." The Wulan tribe leader scolded him loudly with his eyes wide open.
"The Tang Army is too powerful. We had no choice!" The Hulan tribe leader said in shame. However, the Tang Army was too powerful. If they didn't leave now, they would probably be buried with the Tuoba tribe.
"Chief Hulan, you don't have to say more. The Tuoba tribe understands!" Tuoba Chici waved his hand and said before the Hulan tribe leader finished speaking.
Since Chief Hule sent the request of the Tang Army, there were many tribes like the Hulan tribe. Since the Tang Army's target was the Tuoba tribe and the Wulan tribe, there was no need for these small tribes to be buried with them.
Although everyone knew that this was the Tang Army's plan to drive a wedge between them, the small tribes couldn't wait to leave now that they had the chance to get away.
The Hulan tribe leader blushed and said in shame, "The Hulan tribe will leave 300 sets of iron armor to help the Tuoba tribe. Please take care of yourself."
The three hundred sets of iron armor here were not ordinary gifts. The iron tools of the nomads were very rare. Most of the nomads' armors were leather armor, which had very weak defense. The three hundred sets of iron armor were probably the accumulation of the Hulan tribe for several generations. This was a generous gift.
"Thank you, Chief Hulan!" Tuoba Chici showed a rare smile. 300 sets of iron armor were extremely precious even in the Tuoba tribe.
Later, many Dangxiang tribes came to say goodbye. Some left their cattle and sheep, some left their iron armor, and some left their bows and weapons.
Soon, only the Tuoba tribe and the Wulan tribe were left in the encampment of the Tuoba tribe.
"Woo woo!" The horn to assemble was suddenly blown.
The generals and soldiers of the two tribes gathered. With the help of the Dangxiang tribes, almost half of the tens of thousands of cavalrymen of the two tribes were equipped with iron armor. Their combat effectiveness was greatly increased.
Tuoba Chici looked at the majestic Dang Xiang cavalry in front of him, and said with a stern look in his eyes: "This time, we still have the power to fight. It's not that easy for the Tang Army to swallow my Tuoba Wulan Tribe. "
The leader of the Black Orchid Tribe nodded solemnly. Fu Yun's escape was an example that they could learn from. Naturally, they would not make such a mistake. Now, the only way for their two tribes to survive was to fight.
The two battalions were waiting for the arrival of the exhausted Tang Army.
"Rumble!"
A large number of Tang dynasty's cavalries arrived. When they saw the Dang Xiang's cavalries who were ready for battle, they all reined in their horses and confronted them.
Under the protection of a large number of Tang Army, Li Jing came forward. Looking at the unmoving Dang Xiang cavalry in front of him, he could not help but praise in his heart: "Tuoba Chici is indeed a mighty leader. His ability to command troops is somewhat extraordinary. Li Daoyan's defeat is not unjustified. However, I'm afraid that's the only achievement of an outsider's life."
The Tuoba tribe's seemingly impregnable camp was full of flaws in Li Jing's eyes. Immediately, Li Jing waved his hand and said: "Su Dingfang, you will be the vanguard in this battle!"
Although Li Daoyan suffered heavy losses in the battle of Wild Fox Gorge, Li Jing had an unexpected gain, which was Su Dingfang. This man took the lead and led 8,000 wounded soldiers to defeat the Dang Xiang army and rescue the Chishui Army. He was particularly conspicuous among the generals.
"Yes!"
With a loud and clear voice Su Dingfang received the order. He took the lead, leading the eight thousand wounded soldiers, officers and soldiers, he charged straight toward the Dangxiang position.
Many generals looked at Su Dingfang's back with envious eyes. Before this, Su Dingfang was just an inconspicuous general in the Tang Army. However, in this western expedition, he shone brightly. The 16 Great Generals commanded only 10,000 soldiers, while Su Dingfang commanded 8,000 wounded soldiers. It would not be long before Su Dingfang would be one of the 16 Great Generals of the Tang dynasty.
"It's that cavalry again!" Tuoba Chici looked at Su Dingfang's familiar flag and his eyes could not help but turn cold. It was the sudden appearance of this cavalry that ruined his plan. Of course, it was also because he did not want to fight to the death with the Tang dynasty. It was not that his Tuoba tribe really did not have the strength to match them.
"Come on, stop him!" Tuoba Chici waved his hand, and immediately, a group of elite cavalry of the Tuoba tribe attacked.
The two cavalry forces crashed into each other. Tuoba Chici had sent the most elite cavalry of the Tuoba tribe. Even so, they were still suppressed by Su Dingfang's wounded battalion. However, Tuoba Chici was relieved that they managed to block Su Dingfang's attack.
However, to his surprise, the wounded soldiers were not the only elite troops of the Tang Army. On the contrary, a large number of cavalry that appeared later were as ferocious as the wounded soldiers. If the entire Dang Xiang tribe had not been supporting the Tuoba tribe with iron armor and weapons, the Tuoba tribe would have been defeated.
"The Tuoba tribe has so many iron armors!" Hou Junji was surprised when he saw the battlefield. It was Mo Jiazi's problem. The Dang Xiang cavalry was wearing iron armor. Although it was not as good as the armor of the Tang dynasty, the gap had been infinitely narrowed. In addition, the Dang Xiang cavalry was skilled in archery and horse riding. For a while, the Tang Army really could not do anything to them.
Li Jing looked at the battlefield and couldn't help but nod, "Tuoba Chici is indeed a genius, but when a person reaches out with his fist, his back will be exposed. Now is the time when the Tuoba tribe is at its strongest, but also at its weakest."
Hou Junji looked thoughtful and quickly looked at the battlefield. He saw that on the battlefield, after the continuous mobilization of the Tang Army, the Tuoba tribe and the Wulan tribe had been unknowingly separated, and the whole battle line had been stretched out very long.
"Kill!" Suddenly, a group of Tang Army troops came from the back of the Tuoba tribe.
"Left Army Guard!" Hou Junji looked at the flag and suddenly understood. It turned out that Li Jing still had a trick up his sleeve. He actually sent the Left Army Guard to the back of the Tuoba tribe.
"Hyah!"
Cheng Yaojin shouted and galloped wildly. Behind him, the Left Army Guard was travel-worn. Obviously, they had just traveled a long way.
"General Li is really too much. Although we are good at long-distance raids, we can't just catch a sheep and pull its wool!" Meton complained. The paper in his hand fluttered down. On it was the route map of the Left Army Guard's long-distance raid. Its final goal was the battlefield in front of them.
Meton's horsemanship was not good. He did not want to go on a long-distance raid. Unfortunately, he was tied up by Cheng Yaojin. Without Meton's calculation of the route map and direction, he was not sure that he could reach the battlefield on time. Once the Left Army Guard missed the time, he was afraid that all his previous achievements would be in vain.
"Kill!"
Like a sharp knife, the Left Army Guard attacked the back of the Tuoba tribe and gave Tuoba Chici a fatal blow.
"How can there be another Tang Army?" Tuoba Chici was scared out of his wits. His scouts had already covered dozens of miles. He thought that he had figured out the strength of the Tang Army, but he did not expect that there was another Tang Army coming from the sky.
Tuoba Chici saw that the Left Army Guard directly stabbed into the back of the Tuoba tribe's cavalry. The situation of the whole battlefield suddenly took a sharp turn, and the Tuoba tribe immediately fell into a disadvantage.
"Defend!" Tuoba Chici gritted his teeth and suddenly urged the horn.
In an instant, teams of the Tuoba tribe's cavalry began to gather. They gradually stood firm and began to fight back. However, before Tuoba Chici could breathe a sigh of relief, he saw black lumps suddenly fly out from the Tang Army's camp and fall between the Tuoba tribe's cavalry.
"Boom! Boom! Boom! "
Loud noises were accompanied by flames. A large number of warriors of the Tuoba tribe fell off their horses. The Tuoba tribe's warriors, who had always been known for their bravery, suffered heavy casualties before they could fight back. Soon, the besieging Tang Army seized the opportunity and immediately launched a large-scale attack. The defensive formation of the Tuoba tribe was broken by Li Jing's attack.
"That mysterious army is also here!"
Tuoba Chici's vision darkened. This time, the Tuoba tribe was finished. He did not fight with the Tang Army because he wanted to guard against this army. But who would have thought that he could not escape from this disaster?
"Beat the gongs and retreat. We surrender!"
Tuoba Chici gave the order with a defeated face. If they surrendered, they might be able to save the soldiers of the Tuoba tribe. But if they fought to the death, the Tuoba tribe would be wiped out today.
When Tuoba Chici was brought in front of Li Jing, the battlefield still did not stop.
"I won't surrender. I will never surrender. The Dang Xiang tribe is the eagle on the grassland. How can we kneel at the feet of the Han people? Tuoba Chici, you are the shame of the Dang Xiang tribe," the leader of the Wulan tribe roared in grief and indignation.
"Kill!"
A large number of cavalry of the Wulan tribe and many brave cavalry of the Tuoba tribe fearlessly charged at the Tang Army.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
A large number of grenades exploded, and Tuoba Chici closed his eyes in pain.
After a long time, the sound of fighting on the battlefield slowly stopped. The whole battlefield was dead silent. The Wulan tribe was wiped out, and the Tuoba tribe suffered heavy losses.
"The sinner Tuoba Chici kowtows to General Li!" Tuoba Chici's hair was disheveled, and he looked defeated. He no longer had the demeanor of commanding the entire Dang Xiang tribe.
"Tuoba Chici, do you know your crime?" Li Jing looked at Tuoba Chici with an expressionless face.
If it was before today, Tuoba Chici would have made an impassioned speech and said that the Tang Dynasty was the first to break their promises. However, at this moment, Tuoba Chici could not say a word. He could only silently hang his head.
"The sinner knows his crime. The sinner is willing to atone for his crime with death. Please be magnanimous and let the Tuoba tribe go," Tuoba Chici humbly pleaded.
Since the Tang Army did not directly kill the cavalry of the Tuoba tribe, it meant that there was still hope for the Tuoba tribe. The Tuoba tribe could not help but feel a burst of hope. He was willing to exchange his life for the Tuoba tribe's existence.
Just as Tuoba Chici closed his eyes and waited for death, Li Jing suddenly shook his head and laughed. "It seems that Chief Tuoba still doesn't know what crime you have committed. My Great Tang was in the wrong first, so how could this official willfully slaughter the innocent Tuoba Tribe? "
Tuoba Chici suddenly opened his eyes and looked at Li Jing in disbelief. He did not hear it wrong, did he? Li Jing actually admitted that the Tang Dynasty was at fault first.
"F * ck!" Tuoba Chici wanted to curse. Since you know that the Tang Dynasty was at fault first, why did you still attack with the army?
But on the surface, Tuoba Chici still said in fear and trepidation, "General, please enlighten me!"
"All the land under the sky belongs to the king, and all the people on the land are the king's subjects! Since Li Daoyan is at fault, it is not an excuse for you to use force. The Heavenly Khan will uphold justice for the Tuoba tribe. Now that Li Daoyan is about to be escorted back to the court, how can you, the plaintiff, be absent from this late trial? "Li Jing said sternly.
Tuoba Chici was a very shrewd person. He instantly understood the plan of the Tang Army. The Tang Army wanted to protect the reputation of the Tang Dynasty and avenge the 3,000 soldiers of the Chishui River. Therefore, the Tang Army must defeat the Tuoba tribe to deter other tribes and protect the Tuoba tribe to show the court's reputation.
Tuoba Chici could even imagine his own fate. He would definitely win this trial because the reputation of the Tang Dynasty could not be broken. However, he was afraid that he would never be able to return to the Qingtang Land. Just like Xieli Khan, he would be a puppet in Chang 'an City.
He understood that Li Jing was setting the rules. Once there was a conflict, the Heavenly Khan would uphold justice. Whoever dared to use force without permission would end up like the Tuoba tribe.
"Tuoba understands!" Tuoba Chici buried his head deep in the ground. It was not difficult for Tuoba Chici to choose between his own honor and the survival of his tribe.
The generals also sighed. At that time, the army came to bring Fu Yun back to replace Xieli Khan's position. However, who would have thought that by a freak combination of factors, Fu Yun died and brought back Tuoba Chici to the imperial court. They wondered how Tuoba Chici's Hu Xuanwu was.
"Come on, close the battlefield and collect all the weapons of the Tuoba and Ulan tribes," Li Jing said loudly.
"Yes!"
Immediately, a large number of soldiers came forward and collected the weapons of the Tuoba and Ulan tribes who surrendered.
When they saw the piles of armor and steel sabers, Li Jing's face could not help but become gloomy. The generals of the Tang Army could not help but gasp.
They were originally surprised that the Tuoba and Ulan tribes were only two tribes, but they could resist the attack of the most elite army of the Tang Army. When they saw so many armors, they suddenly understood.
"General, Tuoba Chici has told us that most of the armors and weapons are gifts from other Dang Xiang tribes!" Cheng Yaojin came to Li Jing and reported.
The generals were slightly relieved. If all the Dang Xiang tribes were at such a level, the military of the Tang Dynasty would be restless.
Meton shook his head and said, "How could the other tribes give all their armors and weapons to the Tuoba tribe? It would be good if they gave 30% at most. According to this calculation, there are so many armors and weapons left in the tribes."
Li Jing's face darkened and said, "So, the Dang Xiang tribes still have the strength to fight."
The biggest reason why Tuoba Chici had the confidence to resist the Tang Dynasty was that the Dang Xiang tribes had strong soldiers and strong horses. Moreover, Qingtang was close to the Tang Dynasty, so there were more opportunities to get iron tools. That was why the Dang Xiang tribe had accumulated so many armors and increased their strength.
At this time, the most elite troops of the Tang Dynasty were here, and a group of famous generals had defeated the Tuoba and Ulan tribes. If the army left, the Dang Xiang tribes would have their own soldiers, which would not be good for the Tang Dynasty's control of Qinghai!
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