Da Tang: Father, can I resign?

Chapter 334 Father and Son

"Um……"

"Ok?"

"Ok!"

Li Ming punched out in frustration, successfully sweeping the snow off the city wall.

The book boy Jia Qibi Heli, as always, quoted strange stories and advised earnestly:

"Your Majesty, a gentleman should not stand under a dangerous wall. It is the middle of winter now, so please go back to your house and enjoy the spring breeze."

Xue Wanche, who was cursing on his behalf, also echoed:

"The Tang army is just a bunch of weaklings who look strong on the outside but are weak on the inside. They have been hiding in the camp for days and dare not come out. Your Majesty doesn't need to take action personally. I can scold them so badly that they can't even raise their heads."

Li Ming had no energy to complain about these two old men, one of whom was of the earth element and the other of the wood element. He habitually pointed at the city wall with his fingers, as if it was his desk.

“Is the Tang army a problem?”

"Isn't it?" The two old men who were so rustic and stupid were stunned.

Hiss, calm down... Li Ming took a deep breath and patiently told the couple:

"No. The problem is that there is no Tang army!"

From a grand strategic perspective, the mission of the Ming army in the Central Plains was to contain the enemy and to be a tank.

What is Tan most afraid of?
I’m afraid that if I don’t activate the taunt properly, I won’t be able to stop the monster.

There seems to be such a sign now, the city walls of Yanzhou seem to have lost their attraction to the Tang army.

Although Tang Jun still came to Yanzhou City on time every day to take a walk and have frank and in-depth exchanges with several brothers on the city wall.

However, the number of Tang troops under the city of Yanzhou was visibly reduced.

Not only did the troops blocking the gate withdraw, but the people of Yanzhou were also allowed to enter and exit freely.

Even the soldiers who came to challenge were only a few in number, and they all exuded the air of being on duty and punching in and leaving on time. They could only curse people like "traitors" and "bandits" over and over again, which was nothing new.

The Ming army had no passion to act against each other, and Li Ming just stared at the two generals Heng and Ha on the city wall every day.

All these bad signs gave Li Ming reason to suspect that the main force of the Tang army had been compromised.

"How long has it been since you last saw Li Er?" Li Ming asked.

The two generals Heng and Ha looked at each other in bewilderment.

"Who is Li Er?"

Li Ming: "...The Great Emperor of the Tang Dynasty, the Great Saint of Civil and Military Affairs, the Great and Filial Piety."

Second General: "Oh, His Majesty the Emperor? It has been a while since we last met."

Ever since the touching reunion between father and son on the first day, Li Shimin would occasionally ride in that chariot that was very much in accordance with Zhou rituals and come for a stroll around the city of Yanzhou whenever he had time.

Under the official pretext of "challenging", he took a few more glances at his little son.

However, after the troops that blocked the Yanzhou city gate withdrew, Lao Li's figure also disappeared and was never seen again.

“Could it be that the enemy is showing weakness to us, luring us out of the city to pursue them?
"Throughout the history of warfare, the tactic that the Emperor was best at was defensive counterattack, luring the enemy out of the city and killing them. It's hard to say whether he's using the same old tactic again this time."

Xue Wanche guessed.

As long as it is related to war, Lao Xue's IQ can always regain the high ground.

Tsk...Li Ming sucked his teeth.

Abandoning the cities in the Central Plains, luring the enemy deep into the territory, and setting a trap to destroy the Ming's vitality is a conventional tactic that can be imagined, and the possibility cannot be ruled out.

This is how the opponent played during the First Central Plains War.

It is not difficult for the Ming Dynasty to solve this problem.

All we have to do is follow the same approach and send a small group of troops out of the city to test the waters and see if they will be hit head-on by the enemy.

The problem is that the "Ming Army" in Yanzhou City and even in the entire Central Plains front are just good brothers who are paid only a few hundred coins a month. They can be used to swing hammers, but it is a bit difficult to use them as bait troops, even if you increase the pay.

"What should we do then? How can we find out the truth about the other side's movements?" Qibi Heli scratched his head.

"It's our turn now."

From the shadows at the corner of the city wall, a young boy's voice was heard, with a hint of vulgarity.

"Who?!"

The two generals Heng and Ha immediately transformed into two solid and reliable door gods, guarding His Majesty Li Ming.

"One of our own."

A young man with a wretched appearance and a slightly hunched back slowly walked out of the shadows and bowed to everyone:

"Your Majesty Li Ming, two generals. I hope you will forgive me for disturbing you."

Xue Wanche and Qibi Heli looked at the visitor warily.

For some reason, this wretched boy gave them a creepy feeling, as if the air had cooled down by several degrees. Just standing there made people feel very uncomfortable.

By the way, when did this suspicious person come behind the three people? They didn't even notice it just now...

"Lai Junchen, I've been waiting for you to come."

Li Ming, however, had no fear of the two powerful generals at all, and went up to them with a smile on his face.

"Brother Ming." Lai Junchen laughed and changed to a more intimate name.

In front of Li Ming, the negative energy on the spy man's body disappeared, and only the wretchedness remained on his body.

"I asked you to be personally responsible for investigating the movements of the main forces of the Tang army. How is the investigation going now?" Li Ming asked straight to the point.

The two rough men, Lao Xue and Qibi, opened their mouths, not knowing what to say.

Yes, if you want to know the enemy's movements, why send a bait force deep into danger to test it?

Why not just send spies to ask?
The idea is still too limited...

"Brother Ming, cough cough~"

Alai coughed dryly and glanced at the two men with unfriendly faces.

Li Ming waved his hand lightly:

"It's okay. General Xue and General Qibi are both on the same side. There's no need to keep this a secret from them. You can tell me what's going on."

What do you mean by "this matter"? Is His Majesty still directing the secret agents to investigate other matters behind our backs? Has the investigation led to us?! ...

Crouching Dragon and Phoenix Chick suddenly began to feel a little uneasy.

If the punishment is unknown, then the power will be unfathomable.

"Ahem, here's what happened."

Lai Junchen hastily bowed to the other two audience members whose faces were disheveled by the wind, and then began to report the results of the investigation:

"According to the information from spies scattered around, the main force of the Tang army that had originally gathered in Yanzhou to Huazhou and the cities in the Central Plains occupied by our army has already withdrawn from the front line..."

"Where did they retreat to?!" Xue Wanche couldn't help but interrupt.

Lai Junchen paused, then continued slowly:
"That's exactly what I'm going to say. The Tang army first retreated to the line from Zhengzhou to Luozhou, and then entered the city to rest..."

Although Zhengzhou City and Luoyang City were also in the Central Plains, they did not directly encounter attacks from the Ming army and belonged to the second-line area of the battlefield.

Xue Wanche interrupted again:
"Withdrawing to those cities doesn't mean anything. They are not far from the front line. They may come back at any time."

Lai Junchen glanced at Lao Xue unhappily and asked in a sarcastic tone:
"Are you done asking questions? Can I continue?"

Glancing at him with those cold eyes, Xue Wanche couldn't help but shudder and his eyelids twitched.

How come His Majesty Li Ming has all kinds of people under his command? Where did he find this talent from?

"You can continue. Don't take it to heart. General Xue has no ill intentions. But General Xue's question makes sense."

Li Ming quickly came down and smoothed things over for them.

There was no other way. Each of his men had special skills. Without him to coordinate, they would easily fight each other.

He felt like a kindergarten teacher.

“Those cities are important transportation routes. From there, they can either strike back at the Central Plains or support Shanxi.

"The key is their movements after entering the city." Lai Junchen gave the most standard answer to Li Ming's most concerned question:
"do not know……"

"I don't know what that means?!"

Lai Junchen was interrupted again, but this time it was not by Xue Wanche, but by Li Ming.

Before Xue Wanche could react, Li Ming's face turned red.

You don't even know whether such a large Tang army has left the city. What kind of poor professional ability is this of the Anti-Counterrevolutionary Committee? !
I trusted you so much!

Lai Junchen's chest rose and fell violently, but he finally calmed down and continued with a pleasant expression:
"This is what I was about to report. One night, the Tang army stationed in various cities went out of the city for training at the same time, and then entered the city at the same time in the early morning."

Li Ming's brows furrowed instantly.

"Are those soldiers in armor?"

"No. After entering the city, they took off their armor and stored it together," said Lai Junchen.

Qibi Heli and Xue Wanche nodded and said:
"There is a rule in the army that once troops leave the front lines and return to the camp, the armored soldiers must be stored in the warehouse to prevent mutiny in the army."

Hiss... Li Ming hissed and fell into deep thought.

Why do I always feel that my dad's actions are a bit familiar...

"Did they do anything unusual after that night?"

Lai Junchen recalled:
"It's not a major change. They just started strengthening the defenses of the city where they were stationed from the second day on."

The faces of the three people who were listening suddenly changed.

Isn't this the same trick they played in the Central Plains, using workers to impersonate soldiers to confuse people?
"Your father is really like you, a pure bad guy!" Xue Wanche blurted out.

Qibi Heli was also a little bit impatient, and kept saying:
"How can two people think of the same thing..."

It's no wonder that the father and son were so shocked that they could independently think of such a shady plan that could both draw down manpower and strengthen the city's defense at a low cost.

It is true that like son, like father.

Lai Junchen looked at the three pale faces and lowered his voice:

"Brother Ming, something bad happened?"

Li Ming's mouth twitched, and only three words came out of his mouth:
"Taihang Mountains..."

…………

"How come after seven days, we still can't capture even a small fortress? Come on!"

Outside Bingzhou City, Cheng Zhijie was as anxious as an ant on a hot pan.

Urgent, urgent, urgent. He is now the most anxious person in the entire Tang Dynasty.

The Second Saint gave him the task of guarding the north gate of the capital.

As a result, he was so focused on guarding the gate that he only focused on the most critical Chenguan Pass and ignored the North Taihang Mountains!
He also never expected that Li Ming would actually give up the big bait of Chang'an and instead turn north to eat up all the edible land first!
I was not mistaken, that little guy is really sneaky and steady!
“General…” The deputy general was beaten to a pulp, looking embarrassed.

"Bingzhou City relies on the Taihang Mountains and Luliang Mountains to build a series of fortresses, which support each other and are easy to defend but difficult to attack.

"A strong attack will only cause the soldiers to die in vain!"

Cheng Zhijie got angry when he heard this:

"You know nothing!"

"This group of fortresses was built under my supervision. Each fortress has a brick wall for reinforcement, and the gates are all covered with copper."

"...We have to fight for it! Are we going to just let the bandits take it over?"

Cheng Zhijie's throat was still clattering, but his momentum was obviously much weaker.

The Tang Dynasty regretted it now as much as it built the Taihang Mountain fortress.

They were now faced with a dilemma.

He himself knew very well how difficult it was to launch an offensive war among the towering mountains and ice and snow of the Taihang Mountains in winter.

Bingzhou was located right in the center of the Fen River Valley. If Bingzhou could not be captured, the several prefectures in the northern Taihang Mountains would be like being surrounded by dumplings, and their fall was inevitable.

The North Taihang Mountains have been lost, and the South Taihang Mountains will be lost soon.

Now that Southern Taihang is gone, the change of ownership of Guanlong and even the whole world is just around the corner.

The fall of the Tang Dynasty actually began in the place where it was founded. This is somewhat a trick of fate.

And as the primary person responsible for this epic defeat, Cheng Zhijie will be nailed to the pillar of shame in history and will be infamous forever!
"Damn it, the old land of Sanjin is the fief of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince. If the master's fief is lost, where will I, Old Cheng, put my face?"

Cheng Zhijie was furious and asked again:

"Where are the messengers who asked for help from Chang'an and Yanzhou?"

"Because of the heavy snow and wind on the road, it may take some time..." the deputy general hesitated.

"In a few days, the bandits will divide the land and relocate the people in Shanxi!" Cheng Zhijie was furious:
"Then keep charging!"

The superiors issued a death order, and the deputy general had no choice but to order the soldiers to launch wave after wave of death charges.

The Tang army soldiers advanced one after another without hesitation.

However, their strong will was defeated by the stronger earth and stone fortress.

The losses were heavy, but little progress was made, not even a single pillbox was captured.

"Alas! Kindness is not the key to success in the military. Kindness is not the key to success in the military..."

Cheng Zhijie's face looked very ugly.

The Taihang Mountains are thousands of feet high. I wonder how many good Tang dynasty ladies would be needed to fill them up...

Just when he was in a dilemma, several huge rocks flew through the air and smashed hard on a fortress occupied by the Ming army.

The brick wall could not withstand the impact and collapsed.

"Heavy catapult? Where did it come from?!"

Compared to surprise, Cheng Zhijie was more astonished.

Although his troops included many elite field soldiers, they were fighting a defensive battle after all and were not equipped with siege catapults.

There is no need for that, and it is also troublesome to transport such heavy machinery up the mountain.

As a result, we are now in the predicament of being unable to capture Bingzhou after a long siege.

"Damn it, if you have such a good thing, why didn't you take it out earlier? Are you hiding it to breed?!"

Cheng Zhijie started cursing loudly.

The lieutenant said timidly:

"This doesn't seem to be our car. It must be reinforcements coming..."

"Reinforcements? Bullshit! Do you think I'm stupid?!"

Cheng Yaojin was in a very bad temper right now, and he started to scold before anyone could finish speaking:
"Didn't you just say that the messenger seeking help was delayed on the way by the snow and wind? The message hasn't even arrived yet, so where will the imperial court get the reinforcements?

"Could it be that the imperial court can predict the future?!"

The deputy general didn't dare to answer, but just pointed weakly behind him.

"What the hell?"

Old Cheng cursed and glanced impatiently in the direction the deputy general pointed.

He was stunned on the spot, his whole body like a wooden sculpture, except for his hands that were trembling slightly while holding the reins.

An army, a mighty army, marched slowly along the Fen River towards the battlefield.

The soldiers marched in neat steps, their Tang armor shining brightly under the reflection of the snow, like a huge siege machine, unstoppable.

The flag of the Tang Dynasty fluttered in the wind, and the most conspicuous among all the flags was the flag of General Tian Ce.

"His Majesty……"

Cheng Zhijie was in a trance and his eyes became moist.

…………

Soon, he conquered Bingzhou.