Tang Dynasty, my wife Wu Zetian

Chapter 524 The Great Tang Dynasty's Mo Dao Team

In the battle against Goguryeo, the Tang Dynasty defeated the Mohe cavalry of 60,000 with 20,000 elite cavalry.

In the midst of the chaos, Qiqi Zhongxiang was the first to lead his troops to flee north.

During their escape, they gathered a large number of defeated soldiers, totaling about 20,000 cavalry, and fled towards Wandu Mountain, only to find that Wandu City had already been recaptured by the Tang army.

The Tang army, led by Li Yuanfang, recaptured Wandu City.

Li Yuanfang did not hide in the city, but led the Tang infantry to form a battle formation outside the city, quietly waiting for the Mohe army.

He was afraid that Qiqi Zhongxiang would abandon the main force, bypass Wandu City via the mountain road, and return to the Mohe.

As expected, Qiqi Zhongxiang saw that there were only 10,000 infantrymen, and he felt a bit more lucky. Unwilling to abandon the main force and flee, he led his cavalry to charge into the Tang army's infantry formation.

The Tang army's infantry vanguard consisted of three thousand Mo Dao (陌刀) units, which Li Yuanfang personally led, divided into five columns, directly confronting the Mohe cavalry.

This marks the first time the Mo Dao (陌刀) team has been able to demonstrate its capabilities on the battlefield since its formation.

The Mo Dao (陌刀) is heavy, and the soldiers who can enter the Mo Dao team are all veteran soldiers with elite skills.

These Tang soldiers maintained a certain distance from each other while slashing and hacking, creating a dazzling forest of blades.

The Mohe cavalry charged into the forest of blades, and all that could be heard were shouts of men and neighing of horses, and screams of agony. Many cavalrymen were cut down, horse and all, and fell to the ground.

The ground was covered in crimson blood, and the strong smell of blood permeated the air. The Tang soldiers were also covered in blood, their eyes wide open, like demons.

The Mo Dao team displayed terrifying lethality on their first battlefield appearance!

The Mohe people, who were already terrified, lost their will to fight when they saw the terrifying power of the Tang army's infantry.

Not to mention the people, even the well-trained warhorses lost some control upon seeing these Tang soldiers and dared not approach them.

With a formidable enemy ahead and pursuers behind, Qiqi Zhongxiang could no longer care about the main force. He dismounted and, with a dozen or so close followers, fled to Wandu Mountain, intending to detour around the mountain to return to the Mohe.

Little did he know that Liu Rengui had already dispatched the defeated Goguryeo-descended Tang army to block all the mountain passes of Wandu Mountain, trapping them like turtles in a jar.

Qiqi Zhongxiang was captured alive by a small team as soon as he went up the mountain road and was escorted all the way to Yingzhou.

The Tang army won a great victory in this battle. Knowing Xue Rengui's reputation for killing those who surrendered, the Mohe army dared not surrender and could only scatter and flee. In the end, most of them were caught and killed by the Tang army, and only a small number escaped into the mountains and forests.

However, this was Goguryeo, not the homeland of the Mohe people. They were unfamiliar with the place and were bound to die sooner or later.

Xue Rengui left the Goguryeo-descended Tang troops behind to wipe out the remaining Mohe stragglers, while he led his own Tang army into Mohe territory.

The Mohe people mobilized their entire force this time, leaving only the elderly, women, and children in their homeland. Xue Rengui's target was not them, but the three ports of the Mohe people.

Once these three ports are occupied, the Mohe army on Yingzhou Island will be unable to return to Mohe, and they can be completely annihilated on the island.

On the other side, shortly after Silla general Kim Won-sul led his army into Tang territory, he received an order from the King of Silla to return to Silla immediately.

Jin Yuanshu had just defeated the Tang army and was feeling triumphant. His army had already surrounded Suhe City of Xiongjin Prefecture and was about to make further contributions. Why would he want to go back?

He wrote a memorial to the King of Silla, stating that he was engaged in fierce fighting with the Tang army and could not retreat.

Just as he ordered someone to send the letter back, a subordinate general came to report that the Tang army in the city had taken the initiative to come out and was charging towards their camp.

Jin Yuanshu laughed heartily.

"That idiot Hei Chi Chang Zhi has clearly lost his mind. He actually dares to come out of the city and fight us. He's utterly courting death! Issue my order: have the central army come out of the tent to meet the enemy. The left and right battalions, move closer to the central army. I want to capture Hei Chi Chang Zhi alive!"

The subordinate general said, "General, Heo Chi Sangji is, after all, a famous general of Baekje. Could there be some kind of conspiracy behind his sudden departure from the city to engage in battle?"

Jin Yuanshu glared at him: "He's nothing but a defeated opponent of mine, what kind of conspiracy could he possibly have? Quickly pass on my military orders, or you will be held responsible if you delay my battle plan!"

The general had no choice but to go and relay the order.

Jin Yuanshu also donned his armor, mounted his horse, and, surrounded by his personal guards, arrived at the rear of the main army formation to take command.

In this battle, he divided his army into four battalions: left, center, right, and rear. As the commander-in-chief, his safety was of utmost importance, so he naturally hid in the rear to direct the operation.

Before long, the central army was engaged in fierce fighting with the enemy.

Jin Yuanshu led the rear guard to observe from two miles away, and soon he noticed that something was wrong.

The enemy suddenly became extremely fierce, as if they were completely different from when they attacked Guanshan City last time. Our central army was about to be unable to hold off the enemy!
How could this be?
Kim Won-sul stared blankly at the enemy, muttering, "This shouldn't be happening. How did the Baekje people suddenly become so fierce?"

The general beside him said urgently, "General, give the order quickly, otherwise the main force of the central army will collapse before the left and right armies can form an encirclement!"

Jin Yuanshu asked in surprise, "What order is being given?"

The general said, "Send reinforcements from the rear!"

Jin Yuanshu slapped his forehead, exclaimed "Ah!" and said urgently, "Quickly lead two thousand rear guards to reinforce them. You must hold off the enemy!"

The general was taken aback and said, "General, the rear guard has 10,000 men, but you only give me 2,000. How can we stop the enemy?"

Jin Yuanshu angrily said, "Why so much nonsense? You go and block them first, I know what I'm doing!"

Seeing this, the general had no choice but to lead two thousand rear guards to reinforce the army. However, the Silla central army was already in chaos, and even if the two thousand reinforcements arrived, it would be a drop in the ocean, and the trend of defeat became more and more obvious.

Upon seeing this, Jin Yuanshu hurriedly ordered another two thousand reinforcements, but a general beside him said, "General, the rout is already inevitable. Sending more men now will be of no use!"

Jin Yuanshu asked in a daze, "Then what do we do?"

The general said, "Retreat for now, find a high point to hold, gather the defeated troops, and at the same time, order the left and right flanks not to surround the enemy anymore, but to move towards the rear."

Jin Yuanshu hurriedly said, "That's it, that's how we'll do it!"

However, before the order could be relayed, a dark cloud suddenly surged from the side, like a giant black wave crashing towards them.

Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be a cavalry unit from the Tang Dynasty.

This cavalry force, numbering only about three thousand, advanced with unstoppable momentum, sweeping all before them like a sharp blade, cutting the Silla rear army in two and steadily approaching Kim Won-seol's banner.

Jin Yuanshu cried out, "What do we do? What should we do now?"

Faced with such a sudden situation, the other generals were also at a loss for what to do.

Before long, the Tang army approached. It was clear that these men were all burly, with thick eyebrows, large eyes, and resolute faces. These were not Baekje-descended Tang soldiers, but genuine Tang soldiers!
What Liaodong army wouldn't be afraid of the Tang army?
Upon seeing the Tang army arrive, fear quickly spread through everyone's hearts.

If the commander-in-chief were to say a few words at this moment to boost morale, perhaps they could still barely hold on.

However, Kim Won-sul held his head and kept shouting.

"What should I do? What should I do?"

With him in such a state, the other soldiers lost all fighting spirit, and the entire rear army quickly descended into chaos.

Jin Yuanshu looked around blankly, when suddenly he saw a Tang general holding a horse spear, rushing straight towards him with a terrifying cold light in his eyes.

Jin Yuanshu hurriedly threw down his weapon, tumbled off his horse, knelt on the ground, raised his hands, and shouted, "I surrender! I surrender! Don't kill me!"

The Tang general was also stunned for a moment. He took a rope from his saddle, tied him up, and then cut down the Silla's large banner with a spear.

Seeing the banner fall and their commander surrender, the other soldiers threw down their weapons and knelt on the ground.

Thus, under the leadership of General Kim Won-sul, the Silla army, whose main force still remained, surrendered.

After the rear army surrendered, the central army, which was still resisting, also surrendered.

Upon hearing the news, the left and right armies did not flee but rushed over and knelt down. Together, they numbered more than 30,000, twice the number of the Tang army.

News of the surrender of more than 30,000 Silla soldiers to the Tang Dynasty quickly reached Silla.

Upon learning of this, Jin Chunqiu was so enraged that he vomited blood, cursed Jin Yuanshu, and ordered the execution of Jin Yuanshu's entire clan.

The next day, while Jin Chunqiu was lying in bed taking his medicine, Jin Famin came to report that the Tang army had entered Silla territory, accompanied by the surrendered Silla troops led by Jin Yuanshu.

Because Kim Won-sul was extremely familiar with the deployment of Silla's military forces, with his help, the Tang army avoided the enemy's strengths and attacked their weaknesses, advancing rapidly and capturing more than a dozen cities. In another two or three days, they would reach Jincheng.

Jin Chunqiu was both shocked and furious. He pounded on the edge of the bed and shouted, "Quickly, go and invite the General over to discuss this!"

Kim Beom-min said with a bitter face, "Father, the General has already fled to the Japanese islands with his family and the city's defense troops."

"what?"

Jin Chunqiu was stunned for a long time, then looked up at the ceiling and murmured, "Eldest brother, the third brother should have arrived in Chang'an by now, right? Do you think he can persuade the Tang emperor to let us go?"

Kim Fa-min shook his head and said, "Now that things have come to this, I'm afraid it won't work."

Jin Chunqiu pounded the bed and hissed, "If I had known this would happen, I should have listened to him and befriended the Tang Dynasty!"

With the city's garrison taken away by Kim Yu-sin, Kim Chun-chu was left with only one or two thousand guards protecting the palace, and there were no other garrison troops available in the city.

If he were given another month or two, he could find a way to recruit another 10,000 or 20,000 troops from the local areas.

Unfortunately, the Tang army, led by Jin Yuanshu, arrived too quickly, giving him no time at all.

Under such circumstances, Jin Chunqiu and his son had no choice but to take the large and small carts of valuables they had prepared, abandon the capital, and flee to the Japanese islands by boat.

Jin Chunqiu had long ago sent people to build a palace in the Japanese island region as an emergency refuge.

When he arrived at the Japanese island, he found that Kim Yu-shin had already moved into the palace with his family and even seized his empress to live there.

Kim Yu-sin had 10,000 city defense troops, and most of the 20,000 Silla troops on the Japanese islands were under his command.

The situation was beyond his control, and Jin Chunqiu dared not express his dissatisfaction. He moved his family into a side hall and sent Jin Famin to invite Jin Yuxin over.

After waiting for more than an hour, Kim Yu-shin arrived in full military attire with several guards, but Kim Beop-min, who had been sent to fetch him, was nowhere to be seen.

Jin Chunqiu sensed something was wrong, but dared not say anything. He smiled and said, "General, now that we have moved to the Japanese islands, should we send someone to contact the Mohe people and ask them to return the land to Silla?"

Jin Yuxin gripped the hilt of his sword, sneered, and said, "Your Majesty, we can't even muster 30,000 troops right now. Do you think the Mohe people will return our land to us?"

Jin Chunqiu laughed and said, "They probably need us to deal with the Tang Dynasty too, right?"

Kim Yu-shin said coldly, "Do you think they can still stand against the Tang Dynasty?"

"This...don't the Mohe still have more than 100,000 troops on the island?"

Kim Yu-shin said coldly, "In the battle of the Yalu River, six of the seven chieftains of the Mohe died, and the remaining Qiqi Zhongxiang was also captured. Now the Mohe people on the Japanese islands are in chaos, and Jo-yeong can't control the situation at all. Let alone fight with the Tang people, they will fight each other!"

Jin Chunqiu's expression changed, and he said, "Then isn't there no hope?"

Kim Yu-shin squinted and said, "Yes, you have no hope left."

Jin Chunqiu was startled and stammered, "General, what do you mean by that?"

Jin Yuxin said coldly, "Back then, you ignored my and the Third Prince's advice and insisted on sending troops to invade the Tang Dynasty. The situation has come to this, and it is all your own fault. Why should I be buried with you?"

Jin Chunqiu gave a bleak smile: "Yes, I should have guessed it sooner. Someone as smart as you must have found a way out for yourself."

Jin Yuxin said frankly, "That's right. I have already sent someone to write a letter to Protector Pei, offering you to the Tang Dynasty, along with the wealth you brought from the palace."

Jin Chunqiu sighed and said, "I don't blame you for choosing to do this. I just don't understand where you went wrong to lead to this situation!"

Kim Yu-sin remained silent for a long time before slowly saying, "You want to unify the Three Hans and make Silla strong, that's not wrong, and I'm willing to help you!"

“But I told you long ago that only when the Tang people suffer a defeat in the west and are engaged in a bitter struggle will we have the opportunity to gradually nibble away at Baekje.”

"But the Tang Dynasty did not lose the battle."

Jin Yuxin said in a deep voice, "So you should have waited patiently, maintained good relations with the Tang Dynasty, and waited for a turning point. It's a pity that you changed your stance many times for short-term gains, which caused the Tang Dynasty to lose trust in us, leading to the current situation!"

Jin Chunqiu remained silent for a long while, then asked, "Is there anything else?"

"Of course!" Kim Yu-shin sneered, "In order to keep me in check, you let a fool like Kim Won-seo lead the army, and now you're reaping the consequences. What else is there to say?"

Jin Chunqiu closed his eyes and said, "That's right, I regret it now!"

Jin Chunqiu was soon imprisoned, and for the next period of time, he had no idea what was happening in the outside world.

About a month later, he was transferred and escorted to the port. He boarded a Tang Dynasty warship and sailed at sea for seven or eight days before arriving on an unfamiliar continent.

(End of this chapter)