Da Tang: Father, can I resign?

Chapter 257 The Bloody Battle of Hengshan
It’s snowing heavily in Hengshan Mountain.

A corner far away from human habitation.

"These sheep are so greedy, aren't they? They dug up all the grass roots on the whole mountain."

Qibi Heli looked at the bare hilltop, scratched his head helplessly and muttered.

The emperor and the crown prince, the two great generals himself and Ashina She'er, plus the tribal members who followed them and the surviving imperial guards.

The food and clothing of this large group of people all depended on the sheep they had brought from Xueyantuo.

It is impossible to hunt in this cold winter, and vegetables cannot be grown. We can only drink goat milk to sustain our lives.

In the winter in the mountainous areas where supplies are scarce and people have to hide from place to place, the only food available is goat milk.

As for mutton, it is a luxury.

Only when the sheep die of disease, freezing or starvation can we occasionally eat meat.

It is not a good idea to kill the sheep on your own initiative. After you kill the sheep, who will feed them grass and give them milk?
In difficult times, save as much as you can.

Ashina She'er hunched his shoulders and came over to say:
"Hengshan is considered to be quite fertile. If it were in the desert, without the autumn grass, the livestock would have starved to death long ago."

The two Hu generals laughed in a bitter and amusing way.

In the middle of laughing, Ashina She'er suddenly remembered something and quickly bowed to the two saints who were sitting by the fire and watching them grinning foolishly, to apologize:
"We, the ministers, are incompetent and have caused the Heavenly Khan and the Little Khan to suffer."

They were born in Mobei where conditions are much harsher and have become accustomed to the winter outside the Great Wall.

However, His Majesty the Emperor and His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, who usually live a life of luxury, have been drinking goat's milk with them for several months.

In the past, this would have been an unimaginable development even in nightmares.

“Is this how nomads spend their winter?”

Li Chengqian tried to put on a generous smile, but failed.

I don’t know if it was because he drank too much goat milk or because he was frozen in the snow for too long, but his face was extremely pale.

Prince Jingtu finally experienced the real life of the Turks and felt a sense of disillusionment like Ye Gong who loved dragons but was afraid of them.

He finally understood why the nomadic peoples, no matter how badly they were beaten by the Central Plains regime, still persevered and continued to invade the south, like moths to a flame.

Drinking goat milk for a whole winter would make anyone go crazy.

Li Shimin was much more relaxed than the crown prince and answered cheerfully:
"My dear, what are you talking about?
"I am usually troubled by government affairs and indulge in sensual pleasures.

"These few months are the only time I can take a break and enjoy the northern scenery, savor the buttermilk under the reflection of the snow, and face my true self. It is also a kind of pleasure."

The emperor said that his soul was purified after the trip to the snowy mountains.

He is not a spoiled second-generation soldier, but a soldier who has fought in wars, charged into battles, and been surrounded. He certainly knows that one should not ask for too much during difficult times.

You are not some dried bones in a grave, who is clamoring for honey water when you are defeated and running away, and will die in front of you if you can't drink it.

Li Shimin's positive and optimistic attitude infected everyone.

"We only need to wait for a month or so. When spring comes, the cattle, sheep and horses will give birth, and the Tiele people will have to return to the grassland to graze. By then, their guard at the Great Wall will surely be relaxed, and we can take advantage of the chaos to return to the Tang Dynasty from Yanmen Pass."

Veteran nomadic Qibi Heli analyzed from a professional perspective.

Ashina She'er nudged him with his elbow:
"Don't talk about such a long distance. Let's go find some grass for the sheep first. Otherwise, we will have nothing to eat before we enter the customs."

"What are you afraid of? We have spent the winter in the snow before. I have experience. These sheep won't die all in a short time. By the time they die, winter will be over."

The brothers left the tent laughing, leaving the emperor and the prince sitting by the fire.

Li Chengqian felt a little awkward, so he patted his butt and stood up:
"Father, I'll go get them some water."

"Go."

When he was the only one left in the tent, the smile on Li Shimin's face gradually faded.

Life in the ice and snow over the past few months was by no means as easy as he had just described.

The old injuries from fighting in wars when he was young and the unhealthy lifestyle and diet after he became emperor left him with a host of hidden illnesses.

Under the current harsh living conditions, all these hidden diseases were aroused, dealing a heavy blow to his health.

The physical burden is secondary; the psychological exhaustion is even more painful for him.

No one can be happy when being the leader of a country is forced to survive in the wilderness.

And he hasn't fully recovered from the blow of losing Li Ming.

Not only that, but with the war between Liaodong and Xueyantuo, he fell deeper and deeper into the pain of losing his son.

The scene brings back memories!
"hiss……"

Li Shimin covered his temple in pain, silently enduring the dull pain like being hit by a hammer.

As an emperor, although his food was very monotonous, with only mutton and goat milk, the quantity was still sufficient.

This in turn increased his cardiovascular burden, and his symptoms of headaches and numbness in his hands and feet became more severe than ever before.

But Li Shimin was powerless to change this situation.

In the freezing cold mountains and wilderness, without even a speck of green, it’s good enough to have something to eat. How can we expect a balanced diet?

"Li Ming...I am wrong, it is my fault...

"I was wrong about those two wicked men. If I had known earlier, I would have given the throne to you and I would have been the emperor emeritus.

"Isn't it much better than today's chaos and the barbarians claiming to be kings?"

He was filled with regret and muttered to himself.

"I... am far inferior to my father..."

Just as Li Shimin was looking dejectedly at the fire, he heard a faint clanging sound.

It was extremely crisp, like the sound of metal colliding, coming from far away.

Metal collision...

There's a fight going on nearby?!

"not good!"

Li Shimin almost immediately broke free from his emo mood and walked out of the tent quickly. His hands and feet were so agile that he didn't look like a sick person.

"Your Majesty, Your Majesty is not well!"

Qibi Heli and Ashina She'er also rushed back in a hurry, looking anxious:
"When I went to fetch water, I found that the Liaodong Army and the Xueyantuo Army..."

"Hide immediately and don't let them find any trace of us here." Li Shimin interrupted Qibi Heli and gave the order calmly.

People are good at hiding, but the hundreds of sheep they raise will not obey and hide.

Fortunately, this hiding place was one they had carefully selected. It was located at the bottom of a cliff. There was also a very deep cave on the cliff, so it would not be easily discovered.

Qibi Heli's men immediately mounted their horses and skillfully drove the flock of sheep into the cave.

After settling the livestock, people also went into the cave and hid one after another.

Although the cave is large, it can only accommodate thousands of people and livestock.

It was so crowded inside that the air became stuffy and dirty, with the stench of human sweat mixed with the stench of sheep. The smell was simply unbearable.

Even the well-trained imperial guards couldn't help but dry heave a few times.

"I... go get some fresh air."

Li Chengqian was so smoky that his consciousness became blurred. He walked lightly towards the cave entrance, but was pulled back by Qibi Heli.

"Your Highness, where are you going? It's dangerous outside!"

"...Thank you... Ugh!"

Ashina She'er put on a layer of snow-white sheepskin over his armor and said to Qibi Heli:

"Give me a few men, I will go and investigate the situation on the battlefield over there.

"If the situation is bad, move immediately."

"I'll go too." Li Shimin walked to the entrance of the cave.

"No!" they said in unison. But the emperor had made up his mind and no one could stop him.

Li Shimin had already put on a layer of sheepskin and said lightly:

"Reconnaissance is the first priority in war."

He was used to leading charges, and in the war to unify the country, no less than six horses under his saddle died in the battle.

It's a critical moment now, and he can't sit still if he is asked to sit in the rear.

What's more, this rear area stinks.

"I...I'll go too!" Li Chengqian limped to his feet, holding on to the wall.

He couldn't stay in this stinking cave for even a minute.

He would rather be shot in the head by an arrow from the Tiele people, as it would be a relief.

"You?" Li Shimin looked at his eldest son questioningly.

"As your son... I just want to go forward and retreat with my father. Besides, I am good at riding a horse and will not be a burden." Li Chengqian lowered his head guiltily and said flattering words against his will.

Li Shimin continued to look at him for a moment and nodded:
"Follow me."

At this point, Qibi Heli was embarrassed to stay in the rear and let the two saints work on the front line.

I had no choice but to put on the camouflaged sheepskin and follow them out of the cave and into the snow.

Outside the cave, the sounds of distant fighting became clearer.

It came from the northwest.

A group of four people riding on small prairie horses tiptoed towards the source of the sound.

But they soon discovered that they didn't need to be so cautious.

Because of the neighing of war horses, the clashing of swords, the shouts of warriors... the noisy sounds were blown by the northwest wind, becoming louder and louder, and soon drowned out the tiny noise they made.

The four of them climbed up a ridge. Li Shimin listened attentively for a while and pointed behind the ridge:
“It came from there.”

They immediately dismounted, tied their horses to a tree stump, lay prone on the ground, covered their heads with sheepskins, and carefully poked their heads out from above the ridgeline.

On top of the white snow, the equally white sheepskin can well cover their figures.

On the other side of the ridge is a valley formed by the erosion of a tributary of the Sanggan River. It is steep and deep, covered with trees, and the terrain is very dangerous.

And on this cramped piece of land that is almost unsuitable as a battlefield, a battle that they will never forget is taking place.

On one side, there were large groups of Tiele soldiers, attacking from the bottom of the valley to the top of the mountain like locusts.

On the other side, in the mountains and forests, red headscarves are dotted here and there.

They are the Red Turban Army from Liaodong.

He was the only chivalrous person who extended a helping hand to his neighbors in Hebei.

It is Li Ming’s political legacy.

In front of the surging Tiele army, the Red Turban Army was like a few inconspicuous waves that seemed like they would be swallowed up in an instant.

"How do we fight this war? How can we fight this war?!"

Li Shimin lay in the snow and couldn't help but hold the snow tightly in his hands.

"Idiot, retreat!"

He couldn't help but yell.

"His Majesty!"

"Heavenly Khan!"

Qibi Heli and Ashina She'er simultaneously held down the excited emperor, asking him to calm down and not to stand up casually.

This hidden ridge is not too far from the battlefield. The Tiele people have scouts, so don't seek death and expose yourself.

At this time, the Tiele people took further action.

They did not charge forward on horseback, but dismounted and formed a neat infantry square, with archers guarding the two corners of the square, and advanced along the hillside in a very methodical manner.

What is quite counter-intuitive is that the Tiele tribe of Xueyantuo was not only capable of cavalry charges, they were actually capable of fighting in formations on foot.

One of the traditional Xueyantuo tactics was to ride horses to the front line, then dismount and form a square formation to conduct infantry combat, similar to the tactics of dragoons.

The soldiers under Zhenzhu Khan's command were not a mob.

He really knows how to fight.

"Are the soldiers in Liaodong blind? Don't they know that they are facing an enemy that is several times or even dozens of times larger than themselves? They are courting death!"

Li Shimin's eyes were bloodshot and he gnashed his teeth.

Although it is said that a kind man cannot be in charge of an army, this is not a reason for him to watch a good man die.

A soldier's life is like silver. It can be spent, but it must be spent sparingly and never squandered meaninglessly.

Even he, a veteran of many battles, had never seen such a huge gap between the enemy and us.

Although he also set records of defeating tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands of people with just a few hundred people.

But they were fully armed professional soldiers against a completely untrained peasant army armed with bamboo spears.

When both sides are armed with armored and skilled soldiers, the difference in numbers is difficult to make up with terrain advantages and technical and tactical levels.

Even if hundreds of thousands of troops were lined up to fight, there would be no chance of victory for only two or three thousand people...

"kill!"

The Tiele people launched another charge towards the Red Turban Army's line.

"Fire arrows!"

The Red Turban Army greeted them with a rain of arrows.

On the other side of the ridge, under the gaze of the four stunned men, the exchange of fire between the two sides became increasingly intense.

The sound of killing was deafening, people fell like straw, and the blood dyed the white snow red.

The Xueyantuo army was like a black torrent, violently and tirelessly washing over the mountain walls.

The Red Turban Army's defense line looked like a red silk thread from a distance, extremely thin.

However, it was this thin line of defense, which seemed to be broken by a single blow, that managed to withstand the impact of the black tide and prevented the Xueyantuo army from moving forward.

When the arrows are used up, use the swords; when the swords and spears are broken, use hand-to-hand combat.

It was so tragic that it was unbearable to watch.

Li Shimin seemed to smell a strong smell of blood.

This made him feel sick for the first time in his life.

How stupid! Those people from Liaodong are so stupid!

If you can't win, why not run away? Why try to stop a chariot with a mantis arm?
What military tactics taught them to face an enemy that is a hundred times their size?!

"Father?!"

Li Chengqian let out a low cry.

Only then did Li Shimin suddenly realize that his cheeks were wet.

He is crying.

After experiencing the betrayal of his two biological sons at the same time, he could not bear to watch the righteous men loyal to the Tang Dynasty wither away one by one before his eyes.

This is what Li Ming left for him and for the Tang Dynasty!
"Retreat quickly! Idiot, why don't you retreat?!

“Stop making unnecessary sacrifices, no one will think you are cowards!
"Why didn't you run away? Is it because Li Ming taught you to sacrifice your life for justice?!"

Li Shimin could no longer suppress his grief and shed tears on Mount Hengshan.

(End of this chapter)