Tiantang Splendid

Chapter 5133 Planning
The snow on the mountaintops has gradually melted, and streams are pouring down and merging into the river, with waves rolling in the Suiye River. Fang Jun rode slowly along the riverside, looking at the towering snow-capped mountains and the vastness of the world, and couldn't help but feel a surge of emotion in his heart, thinking of that sentence... On this vast earth, who is in charge of the ups and downs?

The environment can affect people's will. Being here, I feel that the army is full of weapons and horses, and I am as fierce as a tiger. What's wrong with fighting for the country and dying on the battlefield? Personal petty and calculating are nothing compared to this picturesque landscape.

The invincible Tang army once suffered a heavy blow here. Although the "Battle of Hengrus" ended in a draw, the myth of the Tang army's invincibility was broken, which also became a regret for future generations... If the battle had been a complete victory, the Tang army would not stop expanding its territory, and the Seven Rivers Basin and the Transoxiana region would have prostrated themselves under the iron hoof of the Tang army.

The strategic significance of the "Battle of Halas" was extremely great. From the perspective of later generations, if the battle was won, not only would the Arabs be unable to compete with the Tang Dynasty for the Transoxiana region, but Tubo would also be strategically surrounded by the Tang army. It would be difficult for them to survive cautiously, let alone have the energy and courage to conquer the Western Regions.

If the Western Regions were not lost, the Silk Road would be smooth, a steady stream of fiscal surpluses would fill the national treasury, and the "Anshi Rebellion" might not break out.

If there had not been the "Anshi Rebellion", the Anxi Army would not have been transferred back to Chang'an to quell the rebellion. With the main force of the Anxi Army stationed in the Western Regions, how could Tubo dare to swoop down and capture the four towns of Anxi?
……

The sound of horse hooves behind him came rapidly from far away. Fang Jun reined in his horse, looked back, and saw Pei Xingjian galloping towards him.

"General, a letter from Ashina Helu!"

Without dismounting, he handed over the letter he had just received on horseback.

Fang Jun took the letter, pulled it out and read it at a glance, then said with a smile, "As the saying goes, talent determines the upper limit, this is reflected vividly in Helu. This guy is not qualified to be a Khan. He has neither the courage to burn his boats nor the talent to work hard to govern. But when it comes to rebellion and backstabbing, he is indeed a professional."

Pei Xingjian also laughed: "Originally, I wanted Helu to go to the Arabs and station near Kesan City, so that we can cooperate with our strong medicine to kill the water and capture Kesan City. But now he is stationed in Tuozhe City and controls the Qierqik River, which is equally important."

Fang Jun shook the letter and stuffed it back into the envelope: "This fellow sent a letter every few days, which shows that he has completely controlled Tuozhe City. The letter mentioned that he had made some progress in persuading the Persian prince A Luohan to rebel."

Therefore, in fact, no one in this world is a so-called "waste". As long as you put them in the right position and make the best use of their talents, they will always produce unexpected results. Helu not only traveled thousands of miles to successfully infiltrate the Arabs and gain their trust, he was even able to take the initiative to instigate rebellion against the enemy generals... It was truly an unexpected surprise.

Pei Xingjian nodded. Helu's performance was indeed better than expected.

However, he still had some concerns: "Helu is cunning and fickle. Is it possible that he has teamed up with the Arabs to trick us into falling into his trap?"

Fang Jun shook his head. "To get to Tuozh City from Suiye, we need to cross Qianquan Mountain and pass through the Qierqik River Valley. Cavalry cannot pass through. Even if we really sneak into Chencang to capture Tuozh City, we can only go there with a small group of elite troops. What's the point of deceiving these troops and killing them all? Not to mention that it will not affect the overall situation, his family members who stayed in Mohe City and his son far away in Chang'an will pay a heavy price for this... Helu is not a fool, he will not do that."

He even had a feeling that Helu was enjoying his current "undercover role in the enemy's nest"...

Pei Xingjian approved of this and said, "There is one more thing. Lun Qinling has arrived in Chang'an with his wife and children. When Your Majesty summoned him, he expressed his willingness to become a Tang citizen, serve loyally, and give everything for the entire Gar tribe to join the Tang."

Fang Jun was somewhat stunned. After deep thought, he said with emotion: "He is indeed a great man of his generation. He is cruel to others and even crueler to himself!"

Pei Xingjian understood Fang Jun's meaning and agreed, "In this battle with Tubo, Lun Qinling performed extremely well. He defeated the enemy with a smaller force several times and forced Luoshui City to retreat step by step and become embarrassed. He has been praised as the 'first famous general of Tubo'. He will become a great man in the future. Now he has taken the initiative to go to Chang'an as a hostage, which is equivalent to giving up everything. What he wants is only the stability of the inheritance of the Gar tribe and the brotherhood between brothers. He is indeed a great man."

The two chatted for a while, then rode back to the city one after the other. When they returned to the official residence, they immediately summoned Xue Rengui, Gao Deyi and other Anxi army generals to discuss strategy.

The map was unfolded on the wall. Pei Xingjian first informed everyone of Helu's letter, and then pointed his finger at the location of Tuozhe City: "Tuozhe City is ready, and we can send troops to attack at any time. With Helu's cooperation, it will not be difficult to capture the city. What we need to consider now is whether to attack Tuozhe City now, or wait until the war starts?"

Each has its own advantages.

If we launch a surprise attack now, we will inevitably disrupt the enemy's overall deployment, making it difficult for them to gather their entire army and then attack Suiye City with all their might. We can then deal with it calmly. If we wait for the enemy to gather their large army and then attack Suiye with all their might, and then launch a surprise attack, it will be difficult for them to take care of both ends. We only need to withstand the enemy's fierce attack head-on, which will surely cause their morale to collapse and lead to their defeat.

Xue Rengui said: "A surprise attack at this moment will certainly embarrass the enemy, but it is difficult to gain a fundamental advantage. It will only make them anxious and flustered. If the enemy stabilizes their morale and launches a counterattack, the troops who go to attack will be killed and there will be no chance to return. In my opinion, we should prepare a group of elite troops and launch a surprise attack when the two armies are fighting to the death. This will achieve twice the result with half the effort."

As soon as he finished speaking, Gao Deyi suddenly stood up, his armor leaves rustling, and he shouted, "I am willing to go!"

The road is rugged and dangerous, crossing Qianquan Mountain, passing through the river valley, and going downstream along the Chirchik River. You can hide your tracks and wait for the arrival of a surprise attack from the sky, but once the attack fails and the enemy is chasing you, the rugged road will be like the gate of hell, and there will be no possibility of escape.

However, the greater the risk, the higher the strategic position, and naturally the greater the merit.

Fang Jun waved his hand and said, "General, please take a seat and be patient. Let's formulate a strategy first and then choose the person to execute it."

"Here."

Gao Deyi returned to his seat.

Fang Jun looked around and said, "Everyone, please speak freely. Let's talk."

Pei Xingjian said: "I agree that we should fight a decisive battle first and then launch a surprise attack. Although the risk is high, if the surprise attack is successful, it may directly cause the enemy army to collapse. As long as the enemy army collapses, they will surely flee in panic in the area of ​​​​Hezhong, which will give General Xue a chance to use his skills."

Xue Rengui nodded in agreement: "For the entire winter, I have been leading the army to train according to the plan formulated by the Marshal, and I am full of confidence. As long as the enemy army is defeated, the stragglers of the remaining ethnic groups will scatter and naturally we will not be able to hunt them down one by one. However, none of the 100,000 elite soldiers under Yezid will be able to return to Damascus alive!"

Gao Deyi also agreed: "The Arabs are arrogant and cruel, and they are bullying too much. If we can't wipe them out completely, how can we show the power of the Tang Dynasty? I agree to do this, and I am willing to lead the army over mountains and across rivers to raid Tuozhe City!"

As the commander-in-chief, Fang Jun naturally has to command from Suiye City. Pei Xingjian will be responsible for making plans and coordinating logistics. Xue Rengui must be the vanguard of the army. Apart from them, other generals either lack ability or prestige. He is the most suitable one to lead the army in a surprise attack.

As expected, Fang Jun nodded and said, "If that's the case, then it's decided. Gao Deyi selects 3,000 elite soldiers. They don't need to participate in any battles. Just take the 3,000 elite soldiers and get ready. When the time comes, rush to Tuozhe City and cut off the enemy's retreat!"

"Here!"

Gao Deyi stood up again, knelt on one knee, saluted, and responded loudly.

Xue Rengui tutted his lips, somewhat envious: "Going deep behind enemy lines, leading the army in a surprise attack, divine troops descending from the sky, capturing enemy cities... these are feats that we soldiers dare not even dream of, you've made a fortune!"

"hey-hey!"

Gao Deyi smiled complacently: "The general has to command the battle and charge into battle, so this little thing can only be done by me."

"Oh, you're still acting cute after getting an advantage?"

Xue Rengui glared at Gao Deyi, then turned to Fang Jun and asked, "When are we going to attack?"

The strategy had already been decided. It was impossible to just sit in Suiye City and wait and attack the city of Kesan before the enemy troops had finished assembling.

Fang Jun looked at Pei Xingjian and asked, "Is it possible to change the pre-planned strategy?"

Pei Xingjian smiled and said, "Does the Marshal intend to launch a feint attack?"

"He who knows me well, keeps his promises!"

Pei Xingjian thought for a moment and agreed, "Okay!"

The original idea was that Ashina Helu would go to Kesan City, and then be placed by Yezid nearby to defend a section of the river. Then Xue Rengui would lead the cavalry in a long-distance raid, force a crossing of the Yaosha River from Helu's defense zone, and fiercely attack Kesan City.

But now Helu has been placed in Tuozhe City, and there is no opportunity to take advantage of around Sancheng. The consequence of still attacking according to the plan will be a huge increase in casualties, which is not cost-effective.

"We will launch a feint attack to make the enemy shrink their defenses. Shouyue will lead his troops to retreat to Hengluo, while the main army will set out to join them. We will prepare for a decisive battle with the enemy in Hengluo, while Gao Deyi will attack Tuozhe City by surprise. After the attack is successful, we will join forces with Helu and even Aluohan to attack Kesan City directly. Even if we cannot capture Kesan City, we only need to burn its food, fodder and weapons, and the Arab army will surely be defeated."

Pei Xingjian said something, and then reminded Fang Jun: "We should write a letter as soon as possible and send someone to deliver it to Tuozhe City to give it to A Luohan, promising him a huge profit. If we can bring him over, we will definitely win this battle!"

Fang Jun nodded and said, "That's exactly what should be done!"

He was unfamiliar with the name Arohan, but since the other party was a member of the Persian royal family, he had a blood feud with the Arabs. Now he had no choice but to submit to the Arabs, but if there was another choice, he would most likely turn against them.

Helu and Aluhan both surrendered to the Tang Dynasty, so a surprise attack on Tuozhe City would be effortless and the losses could be minimized as much as possible. When counterattacking the rear formation of Kesan City, the power would naturally be enormous.