Chapter 767: Longyou Collapse
Chapter 767: Longyou Collapse
Because the Liang army retreated northward, Yang Gongren wanted to send 10,000 troops to support Jincheng County, but this was not something he could decide, so he asked Tang King Li Yuan for instructions.
"Father, what did the King of Tang say?" asked the eldest son Yang Siyi.
Yang Gongren sighed and said, "King Tang did not allow me to send troops to Jincheng County, and asked me to continue to guard Xiaoguan strictly!"
"Didn't father say that the Sui army had probably already entered Shuofang and was engaged in a fierce battle with the Liang army?"
"That's just my guess. The Sui army entered Yanchuan County. Logically, they wouldn't be able to hold out for long. Supplies would be too difficult. They would either retreat or march directly into Shuofang. I personally think the possibility of marching into Shuofang is greater."
"Father can send scouts to get information!"
"It has been sent, but there is no news yet."
Just then, a soldier came to report, "Marshal, the court has an urgent order!"
A courier with an express speed of 800 miles came forward and handed Yang Gongren an urgent order from the court. When Yang Gongren opened the order, it was like a bolt from the blue. Jincheng County was lost and Liu Hongji was killed by the rebel general.
"Dad, what happened?" Yang Siyi noticed that his father's face looked strange.
"Someone betrayed and killed Liu Hongji, and Jincheng County was lost."
"What will happen?"
Yang Gongren said nervously, "That means the Hexi Army has entered Longxi County. Qu Tutong and his men are being attacked from both sides, and the entire army is likely to collapse."
Yang Siyi was also anxious, "What should I do then?"
"The emperor asked me to return to Longxi immediately to provide assistance. I think it would be better to attack directly into Hexi, and then we can attack Wei and save Zhao."
"Father, please do not disobey the emperor's order, otherwise you will be held responsible for all the consequences."
Yang Gongren nodded, "You are right!"
At this time, another soldier came to report, "Commander-in-chief, our scouts have returned and brought back news about the Sui army's commander."
"Ah! Where is the person?"
Soon, the scout he sent to Shuofang was brought up, knelt on one knee and saluted, and presented a letter, "This is a handwritten letter from Li Jing, the commander of the Sui army, to the commander."
Yang Gongren took the letter and asked, "What's the situation in Shuofang?"
"Reporting to the commander-in-chief, the Sui army has completely defeated Liang Shidu. Liang Shidu and the Turkic cavalry have fled north in panic. Longyou has been recovered."
Yang Gongren breathed a sigh of relief. It had to be the Sui army! The problem was completely solved with one move.
Only then did he open the letter, which was written to him by Li Jing, inviting him to send troops to recover Hexi together.
Yang Gongren felt sad in his heart. He wished he could agree to send troops to Hexi together, but the King of Tang ordered him to return to Longxi.
Yang Gongren was helpless and could only sigh to the sky.
In just half a day, three pieces of news came one after another, making Yang Gongren a little overwhelmed.
However, the situation in Longxi was critical, and Yang Gongren did not dare to delay. He wrote a reply to Li Jing and led 20,000 troops to attack Longxi County. Liu Hongji's accident was completely accidental and related to his personality. Liu Hongji had a bit of moral cleanliness, was particularly strict with himself, and could not tolerate any flaws.
His son-in-law was Li Rong, a native of Jincheng County and a member of the Longxi Li clan. Last year, Liu Hongji's daughter unfortunately died of illness, and the couple had no children, so Li Rong basically had no relationship with Liu Hongji.
However, Li Rong still calls Liu Hongji father-in-law for the sake of his deceased wife.
This kind of father-in-law and son-in-law relationship is just a courtesy relationship and has no practical significance.
A few months ago, Liu Hongji banned prostitution in Jincheng County on the grounds that there were too many prostitutes and it was affecting the morale of the army. However, he found that the ban had no effect. Later, someone informed him that the owner of Baihualou, the largest brothel in Jincheng County, was actually his relative Li Jinyao, Li Rong's father.
Liu Hongji was so furious that his son-in-law was involved in prostitution. He ordered the closure of Baihualou and made a public statement that his son-in-law had violated the ban and should be punished with the highest level of punishment. Other owners were only given fifty sticks, but his son-in-law was given a hundred military sticks.
Li Rong was just a weak scholar. How could he withstand a hundred military sticks? He died when he was hit by seventy sticks.
Poor Li Rong had no relationship with Liu Hongji anymore, but just because he was nominally his son-in-law, he was beaten to death with sticks.
Li Jinyao was heartbroken and hated Liu Hongji to the core. He immediately sent someone to contact his nephew Li Gui, and the two sides agreed on a plan and time to surrender the city.
Liu Hongji felt very regretful for killing his son-in-law. When he came to pay his respects to his son-in-law, he was shot to death by dozens of Li family warriors who were ambushed in the mourning shed.
Li Jinyao's other son, Li Yi, led a thousand soldiers to rebel and opened the city gate. Li Gui's army finally broke into Jincheng County. Without Liu Hongji's command, the deputy general Lin Xingcan had to surrender with 20,000 defenders.
The consequences of the fall of Jincheng County were extremely serious, allowing the 30,000 Hexi troops to march into Longxi County with great momentum. Xiangwu County, the county seat of Longxi County, was an important logistics base for the King of Tang's Western Army, and there were only 3,000 troops guarding it. When the 30,000 troops approached the city, the Xiangwu County defender Huang Long abandoned the city and fled, and the Hexi army occupied Xiangwu County.
The 100,000 Western Route Army fighting on the Lintao front not only lost their food and logistical supplies, but also encountered a severe situation of being attacked from all sides, causing great morale in the army.
Li Shimin personally led an army of 50,000 to counterattack Xiangwu County. Li Yuan also urgently ordered Yang Gongren to lead his army south to fight in Longxi County by an express route of 800 miles.
Xue Ju, who was very good at seizing opportunities, immediately ordered a massive attack on Qu Tutong's army and put all 80,000 troops in his hands into action.
The Tang King's Western Army was in great chaos and morale was low at this time. They were no match for Xue Ju's army and Qu Tutong was defeated.
Qu Tutong escaped with only a few thousand men, while the rest of the army was completely destroyed, including his brother Qu Tugai and general Li Anyuan.
This battle completely changed the situation in Longyou. When Li Shimin learned that Qu Tutong had been defeated, his soldiers had lost all their morale and were extremely low. They had no way of returning to provide support. Even the Hexi Army, which had just occupied Longxi County, could easily defeat him.
Li Shimin immediately changed his plan and led 50,000 troops to bypass Tianshui County to avoid interception by the enemy. He retreated to Dazhen Pass in Longshan at the fastest speed, relying on the natural barrier of Longshan to guard the Guanzhong line.
At this time, Yang Gongren also rushed over from Xiaoguan and joined Li Shimin's army at Dazhenguan.
The collapse of Longxi caused an uproar in Chang'an. After almost two years of fierce fighting with the Xue father and son, and investing an unknown amount of money and grain, Li Yuan was ultimately defeated. The defeat also dealt a heavy blow to Li Yuan's reputation and legitimacy. Those who had originally supported him began to doubt their own vision.
King Li Yuan of Tang was extremely angry. He also knew that this time he had to settle accounts thoroughly and there was no need to compromise. Li Yuan immediately issued an edict to remove Li Shimin from his post as Marshal of the Western Expedition and ordered Li Xiaogong to replace Li Shimin. At the same time, he dismissed Qu Tutong from his post as Deputy Marshal and the rank of General. Liu Hongji was the source of the disastrous defeat and was also dismissed from his post and deprived of all his official positions and titles.
Yang Gongren also could not escape dismissal. Li Yuan believed that he was too slow in coming to the rescue and missed the opportunity to fight, so he issued an edict to remove him from the post of General Manager of Xiaoguan and appointed him as the Chief Priest of the Tang Palace, and ordered Yin Kaishan to take over his military post.
At the same time, the news that the Sui army won a great victory in Shuofang, annihilated Liang Shidu and the Turkic cavalry, and recovered Shuofang and Hetao also reached Chang'an, forming a sharp contrast to the disastrous defeat of Li Yuan's army in Longyou.
(End of this chapter)