The film and television world begins with the battle for the throne in Kowloon

Chapter 1164 The war begins

Xue Rengui was also curious. He was only a middle-level general and did not bear the overall responsibility. Before leaving, the emperor had specifically told him that he was only responsible for protecting Li You's safety and was not allowed to fight on the battlefield.

As expected, he did not have the opportunity to participate in this war, but as a rising star on the battlefield, he was also looking forward to it.

When Li You heard this, his expression froze for a moment, but then he recovered and said cheerfully, "When it comes to fighting, the two old generals are the pillars of our Tang army. The emperor specifically reminded me before coming here that I am only responsible for stabilizing people's hearts and comforting the people of Hebei."

"As for the war, it's up to the two generals to decide."

Li You secretly hated the two men's contempt, but he could only pretend that he didn't understand. He was the commander-in-chief of the Eastern Expedition Army. To discuss such military and national affairs, he should go to the military camp in Licheng and then solemnly raise his tent.

Li You knew how powerful Li Shimin and Li Jing were when they came to the tent, which was very helpful for strengthening Li You's personal authority. Even if it was just a formality, at least he could show it to the generals in the army, which would be very helpful for winning them over later.

These two people took advantage of their seniority and brought up the issue casually in a restaurant while drinking heavily.

They all call him by his title, instead of the military commander's title. His contempt is obvious. This is also an indirect reminder to himself that he is only the King of Qi, not the commander-in-chief who commands the three armies. Don't think about controlling them, damn it!

Along the way, Li You tried his best to make friends with them, but the two of them continued to eat and drink despite the flattery of Li You, the prince.

It's just that in terms of attitude, she still doesn't take him seriously.

Of course Li You knew that they asked this not out of respect for him, but just to get him to hand over the decision-making power voluntarily so that they could legitimately "make their own decisions".

Sure enough, as soon as Li You finished speaking, the two of them nodded with a smile, looking like teachable children. This attitude, as if looking at his own juniors, made him furious, and his hands tucked into his sleeves clenched into fists.

"The King of Qi is wise."

Cheng Yaojin is a very senior person. Even the emperor is a junior in his eyes, let alone Li You?
Whether Li You was dissatisfied or not was not within his consideration. He said nonchalantly, "To be honest with you, King Qi, the court has already transferred 200,000 cavalry from Hexi. Lord Changsun has already made arrangements. Lord Mao and I will lead 100,000 each to wipe out the Turks in Jizhou."

"Uh"

Li You was stunned and his heart started beating fast.

He knew that this cavalry was the absolute force that could decide the outcome of the Hebei battlefield, and it was also the force that Shi Luodie had to keep an eye on.

Li You secretly reminded himself to hold back his anger for the time being and focus on the important things. After all, even if the two men didn't die after this battle, they would probably fall from the altar. After all, two generals who buried 200,000 elite cavalrymen couldn't hold their heads up in front of the world.

Li You put aside his emotions and pretended to be puzzled and asked, "By the way, General, if you hadn't told me, I would have almost forgotten to ask, why didn't I see these cavalrymen? When did they arrive? Where are they now?"

"We are already in place. We are stationed in the Julu area of ​​Xingzhou."

Li Ji added: "This time the court has mobilized 700,000 troops to destroy the Turks, of which 500,000 are infantry, distributed around Hebei Road. These forces are mainly defensive. The 200,000 cavalry are the ones that will actually be used to destroy the Turks."

"General Cheng and I will not go to Licheng. We will cross the Yellow River in Qizhou and then head north to Julu to take over these cavalry. The 500,000 troops around Hebei Road will be handed over to the King of Qi."

Li You cursed inwardly. As the commander-in-chief, he didn't know the deployment of troops as well as the two deputy commanders? What about 500,000 troops? These troops were distributed in all directions, including Hedong, Liaozhou, and Yanshan.

It was so far away that he couldn't even see their shadows. He estimated that all he could see were the 100,000 soldiers of Qi.

He was afraid that he would not even have the authority to command the Luoyang troops entering Xiangzhou.

It sounds like I have more power, but in fact, I can only influence the 100,000 troops in Qi. Even so, I am probably asked to provide logistics for them. There are 200,000 cavalrymen, but I can't do anything about it.

Until now, I still don’t understand the origins of these cavalrymen.

Well, let these two old guys fight with the Turks. Without them, I can still let go and win the hearts of the people in Qi.

"Okay, since the two generals have made their decision, I have no objection."

Li You thought that he had to get first-hand information before he could reveal it to the Turks. If the Turks were defeated, then his trip would be in vain. Only if the Turks won and eliminated the 200,000 cavalry, the situation in Hebei would be completely out of control, and he could take advantage of the situation to expand.

So he asked: "I will not interfere with the two generals' deployment of troops, but as the commander-in-chief, I also need to know the two generals' combat deployment and intentions in time so that I can cooperate." "Cavalry combat is ever-changing."

Li Ji frowned: "This time, the Turks and we are all cavalry, and Hebei is a plain. It is difficult to determine where the battle will take place. Everything must be adjusted flexibly according to the situation on the battlefield. Even the two of us don't know where the battle will start. How can we deploy in advance?"

Cheng Yaojin also nodded in agreement. In a cavalry battle, if one side avoids fighting and just runs away, it will not be able to destroy the other side. It may even turn into a pursuit battle. In the vast Hebei Plain, it is possible to run anywhere.

"Mr. Mao is right, but the King of Qi's considerations also make sense."

He thought for a moment and said, "The cost of these 200,000 cavalry is not a small number. We cannot plunder everywhere like the Turks. We must not neglect the logistics support. The King of Qi can stay on the south bank of the Yellow River north of Licheng to collect food and supplies for the army."

"The Turks have won one victory after another and are now extremely arrogant."

"If possible, we will contain the Turks in the Dezhou and Dizhou areas, and force them to the southeast corner of Hebei Road. The terrain here is open and very suitable for cavalry combat. To the east is the sea, to the south is the Yellow River, and to the north is the Jishui River."

"As long as we block them here, we can easily eliminate them."

Li You was delighted. He knew the general intention and could cooperate with the Turks. So he picked up the wine glass and said cheerfully, "That's great. The two generals can rest assured. The south bank of the Yellow River will be handed over to me. I wish you two generals a successful start and a great achievement for our Tang Dynasty."

"Thank you, King Qi." "Thank you for your good words, King Qi!" Cheng Yaojin and Li Ji both raised their wine glasses and drank them all in one gulp.

The next day, Cheng Yaojin and Li Ji, with a small number of their respective family generals, crossed the Yellow River and headed north, while Li You led Xue Rengui and five thousand imperial troops to Licheng.

"Officials of Qi County, both great and small, come to welcome the King of Qi." Outside the east gate of Licheng, the governor of Qizhou, the magistrate of Licheng County and other officials were there to welcome him.

"I am here on the orders of the Emperor, so I will be bothering you for a while."

Li You felt the long-lost respect, and waved his hand and said, "Qi County is where I grew up. I am not an outsider when I return to visit this place. Since we are all family, there is no need to be polite. Everyone, please stand up and we will talk after entering the city."

Everyone stood up and said respectfully, "Thank you, King Qi. We have prepared a banquet in Xiahe Tower to welcome King Qi. Your Highness, please enter the city."

Li You dismounted and talked cordially with the officials, appearing to be very easy-going. After a brief ceremony, everyone welcomed Li You into the city.

Li You was warmly welcomed by local officials and military officers in Licheng, who held a grand welcoming ceremony. Li You was originally the King of Qi, and like Li Yan who guarded Zhongshan County when he was a child, he grew up in Qi.

Tianran had a close relationship with the officials here, and his return made the civil and military officials here very happy.

Next, for several days in a row, officials and generals at all levels in the state hosted banquets for Li You. He accepted all the guests and quickly integrated into the group and became one of them.

A few days later, Shi Luodie received a flurry of reports in Anling City between Jizhou and Dezhou. The northwest towns of Hejian, Raoyang, Leshou, Wuqiang, and the Turkic people who were dividing the land nearby were attacked fiercely, and several small groups were wiped out, with thousands of casualties.

At the same time, Nangong, Xindu, Qingyang, Wucheng and other places in the southwest were also attacked by large groups of Tang cavalry, causing heavy casualties.

After losing nearly 20,000 to 30,000 people, Shi Luodie hurriedly retreated and gathered all the scattered land-distributing teams.

They retreated all the way to Ander City in Texas, and then gathered the remaining 250,000 cavalry.

In the Khan's tent outside the city, the Turkic leaders gathered together to discuss countermeasures. Ashina Moduo said angrily: "Great Khan, the Tang army is too much. Since we entered the Tang Dynasty, we have always shown mercy, but the Tang army attacked us regardless."

"Five thousand of my troops were wiped out. It is said that the Tang army did not take any prisoners. All the grassland people who fell into their hands were executed."

"Yes, Khan, three to four thousand people from my tribe were killed in the battle." The Khitan leader Yelu Shi said indignantly.

The Jurchen leader Suhemutai said angrily, "My tribe suffered the most. Almost all the people in the southwest are ours. Six or seven small tribes were wiped out by the Tang army. The Jurchen warriors lost more than 8,000 people. We must avenge this."

Afterwards, each tribe that had suffered losses reported its war damage, and finally, filled with righteous indignation, they all clamored for revenge.

Only Zhuolibuhua sat in the crowd in a low profile, not saying a word, with a look of fear on his face. Fortunately, the Khan ignored him during this period and did not send him out to attack cities and plunder land. Otherwise, he would have contributed to the losses.

(End of this chapter)