Just as the spring plowing in Lanzhou was in full swing, good news came frequently from the southern part of the Tang Dynasty. Hou Junji, the Minister of the Ministry of Personnel and the general manager of Dangmidao March, led his troops south to retreat from the enemy in Songzhou. Using cunning tactics, the Tubo people were unexpectedly killed with surprising difficulty. The front was thwarted, Songgan Zanbu retreated in panic, and Songzhou was recovered. Hou Junji sent his troops to cover up the killing, and Songtsen Gampo was defeated. Thousands of corpses were left behind and he returned to the plateau.
Since the Tang Dynasty pacified Tuyuhun a few years ago, it has not launched many foreign wars. The successful news of the Battle of Songzhou made everyone in Datang rejoice.
However, when Songtsen Gampo led an army of 200,000 to invade, the Tuyuhun territory that was plundered and the Qiang tribe that surrendered out of fear did not return. Just recovering a Songzhou seems to have not achieved the expected goal.
A large part of the lost Tuyuhun territory was near Dafeichuan and near Shancheng.
When the good news came from Songzhou, the soldiers on the front line were excited and couldn't sit still. Qin Mubai's pressure came again.
At this time, spring plowing and field work were at a critical juncture, and with great difficulty, all kinds of seeds, farm tools, and cattle were finally in place. But the soldiers on the front line were holding back too much. They could only stare at the achievements of their brothers and sisters. They pretended to turn a blind eye to the Tibetan cavalry wandering around in Dafeichuan every day. This was like letting a pack of wolves attack I was eating vegetarian food in the vegetable garden, but I watched longingly at the fat sheep pacing outside the vegetable garden.
As expected, Xue Wanjun came to ask for a fight!
This time, he was more polite. He did not gather a group of generals and go directly to the governor's palace to force him to go to the palace like last time. Instead, he wrote a letter of invitation in a serious manner and sent someone to pay homage to the governor Qin Qin Shubao.
When Qin Mubai received the invitation to fight, he was in the governor's mansion, and the father and son gathered together. Qin Shubao believed that it was not a good idea for one person to suppress the fighting spirit and fighting spirit of all the soldiers. Xue Wanjun and others were obviously jealous of Hou Junji's military exploits and couldn't stand still. It's better to let them attack appropriately to strengthen their muscles and have a few small battles with the Tibetan enemy forces in Dafeichuan.
Qin Mubai thought about it, and agreed.
Qin Shubao issued a military order, allowing Xue Wanjun to "fight Tubo three times", but there were three major restrictions: first, the number of troops sent out at any time could not exceed 3,000, the rations could not exceed ten days, and the depth could not exceed a hundred miles. This seems to limit the scale of the battle.
Xue Wanjun received the military order. Although he was a little unhappy, he accepted it. This was better than strictly guarding it.
At that moment, he organized his troops on the front line and mobilized three thousand elite cavalry to leave the city and launch a surprise attack on the nearest Tubo military camp. For several months, the Tubo people saw that the Tang army was closed in the city and concentrated on farming, without any defense. Facing the surprise attack by the fierce general Xue Wanjun, they were helpless. They abandoned the military camp and threw hundreds of corpses behind, and fled back in a hurry.
Xue Wanjun won the first battle, and his morale was high. He pursued the victory without stopping and advanced for dozens of miles to Dafeichuan. Along the way, he encountered several groups of large and small Tubo cavalry and annihilated them all, winning consecutive battles.
At this point, the losses of the three thousand cavalry were very small. Every time they killed an army, they took food from the enemy. The supplies were still sufficient. After a winning streak, Xue Wanjun had forgotten Qin Shubao's military orders, as if he still fantasized about repeating Huo Qubing's feat back then, attacking the enemy from thousands of miles away and capturing the enemy chief alive. So, he led these three thousand cavalrymen to the bank of Qinghai Lake and the hinterland of Dafeichuan!
This is where Tubo's heavy-duty military town with tens of thousands of troops is located!
It should be said that Xue Wanjun is really a fierce tiger on the battlefield, killing all the enemies along the way and being invincible. At this time, facing an enemy force that was ten times his own, he showed no fear and went forward with his gun drawn. The Tubo people really didn't expect that this Xue Wanjun was so bold and dared to come to the "away game" to provoke with only three thousand horses. At first they were still suspicious, thinking that Xue Wanjun was just a decoy outpost, with a large army ambushing him behind. After hesitating for a while, the Tubo people basically just stood firm and did not formally engage in a decisive battle with them.
Later, the Tubo people found out the news and found out that Xue Wanjun was really alone in going to die!
This made the Tubo people angry. Their plateau cavalry were not vegetarians!
After repeated challenges to no avail, the enemy camp was too large to be invaded by force, and Xue Wanjun was preparing to retreat. At that night, the Tubo people suddenly launched a sudden attack and a major counterattack, and thousands of cavalry came out to fight against them!
Xue Wanjun is worthy of being a battle-hardened general. He is calm at night and does not panic when attacking, and his troops rise up to resist in an orderly manner. But after all, they were outnumbered, and the division's veterans were exhausted and retreating steadily. They fought and retreated, retreating backwards. The Tubo people are also very angry, so how can they give up? While they were besieging, they sent another detachment of light cavalry to intercept Xue Wanjun's retreat. The encirclement was complete, and Xue Wanjun fell into a tight siege, which turned into a bitter battle.
Seeing that the three thousand cavalry were about to be destroyed, the defeat of this battle was obvious. Xue Wanjun felt so regretful that he almost drew his sword and committed suicide. The lieutenants on his left and right persuaded him to stop, and they fought to the death to fight his way out. He led more than a hundred cavalry to break through the siege and fled back to Shancheng.
Of the three thousand elite cavalry, only a hundred came back, and most of them were injured. General Xue Wanjun suffered from more than a dozen sores and lost more than a fight of blood. He fell into a coma and was in critical condition.
The Tubo people took advantage of the victory to counterattack, and their troops reached Shancheng. Shancheng was without its chief general and fell into chaos for a while. Several deputy generals hurriedly organized troops to defend the city, and the soldiers and civilians who went out to farm also hurriedly retreated. Half of them fled into Shancheng City, and the other half had to escape far away and fled into other states and counties. The Tubo people did not stop, and surrounded Shancheng like an iron barrel. They also sent troops to loot, burn, kill, and plunder, trampling on farmland and destroying water canals.
Suddenly, Shancheng is in crisis!
When the news reached the Governor's Mansion, Qin Shubao became furious and said, "Xue Wanche should be killed!"
"Father, calm down!" Qin Mubai hurriedly advised, "Xue Wanche disobeyed military orders and made arbitrary decisions, resulting in the division's defeat and heavy losses in the city. It is indeed an unforgivable crime. However, the top priority at the moment is to resolve the danger in Shancheng!"
"I personally led the troops to defeat the thief!" Qin Shubaofeng's eyes narrowed slightly, murderous intent burst out, and he was about to order his deputy to bring him a gold spear with a tiger's head.
"Commander Father, wait a minute!" Qin Mubai hurriedly dissuaded him and said, "Commander Father is the leader of the three armies, how can he underestimate the enemy? In this critical period, Lanzhou cannot be without a master for a day, Commander-in-Chief Father should still sit in the Governor's Mansion, right? Let the children take his place. Father goes out to fight and lead the army to quell the chaos and relieve the crisis!"
"You? You have never been in battle and can only talk on paper. It's inappropriate!" Qin Shubao waved his hands quickly, "You should stay in the Governor's Mansion to take care of these government affairs and people's livelihood! I am getting old, and I have not yet paid attention to those Tubo children! "
"Commander Father, think twice!" Qin Mubai bitterly remonstrated, "Lanzhou's defeat in the first battle will definitely shake up Xiazhou and County, and the morale of the soldiers of the three armies is ups and downs. At this moment, Commander Father's first priority should be to appease the soldiers and civilians, with the overall situation in mind. If the commander-in-chief goes out in person at this moment, even if he wins, it will only be a big attack on a small one that is not enough to revive the army; if the boy goes out to win, he will win with a small attack on a small one, which is enough to inspire the three armies!"
"It makes some sense..." Qin Shubao seemed to be persuaded, nodded while stroking his long beard, and said to himself, "If I send an unknown rising star to repel the Tubo people in one fell swoop and relieve the danger of Shancheng, Maybe it will be more effective than if I go out in person to fight - well then! Sanlang, I will order you to personally lead the Yifu cavalry, and allocate three thousand Yue cavalry, for a total of five thousand fine cavalry, to attack Shancheng at starry night and retreat from the enemy to relieve the siege. !”
"Yes!" Qin Mubai promised loudly, took the military talisman and left.
"Wait a minute!" Qin Shubao suddenly stopped him, stepped forward and whispered: "The battlefield is no laughing matter, so be careful!"
"Father, don't worry." Qin Mubai smiled slightly and said, "Didn't you come this way from the first time you went into battle? The child inherited his father's tiger-headed golden spear, and he has never seen it before. Blood. Only for today!"
Qin Shubao smiled happily and patted Qin Mubai on the shoulder: "It's my son! - Go!"
Lanzhou soldiers and horses, half of the cavalry, the elite division of the Tang Dynasty. The Yifu Zhongjun and Yueqi are even more elite among the elite. Five thousand men and horses gathered quickly. Qin Mubai was fully dressed and mounted, and there was no need to take any oaths to boost morale. He waved the golden gun with a tiger head in his hand toward the northwest, and five thousand cavalry galloped out, covering up the smoke for several feet. Go to the city.
The war situation is critical, and every second is an opportunity. Shancheng is also a hundred miles away from Lanzhou, so there is no problem for the cavalry to attack them from morning to night. However, after repelling them with all their strength, the elite cavalry will become useless. So Qin Mubai pressed down his army horse halfway down the stream to rest for a while. People eat dry food, horses chew grass, and drink some water to replenish their strength. At the same time, various scouts and fast horses were sent out to inquire about the military situation.
While he was chewing dry wheat cakes and looking at the map around Shancheng, Xue Rengui and Yuwen Hongtai came together and squatted next to Qin Mubai.
"You two, what do you think?" Qin Mubai pointed at the map and said.
"I don't understand this. All I know is that if a fight breaks out soon, I have to be at the front!" Yuwen Hongtai said solemnly.
Qin Mubai and Xue Rengui laughed to themselves. They studied the terrain around Shancheng together, and then Xue Rengui said: "Young general, your troops are very fast. After eating this piece of wheat cake, you should be able to set off. The Tubo people took advantage of this. To besiege the city and start a rebellion after winning is actually to commit the same taboo as Xue Wanjun - to go deep alone! But if it is delayed for a long time, they should really take over the city of Shancheng, or occupy some villages, hills, and dangerous passes in basins and valleys. The favorable terrain is quite disadvantageous to our army!”
"It makes sense." Qin Mubai nodded, "This is also the reason why I marched quickly and attacked at night. Every inch of time means every opportunity. At the same time, if the Tibetans stay in Shancheng for a moment longer, we will suffer more losses. Those who were burned and killed It will be difficult for us to rebuild and clean up the plundered herdsmen and the people, as well as the farmland and water conservancy that have been trampled and destroyed.”
"Damn it, these Tubo people are just like locusts!" Yuwen Hongtai cursed, "Let's just fight, no matter how we set fire or trample on any fields! They are really harmful to people!"
"This is their usual tactic." Qin Mubai frowned and said, "Looting is one of the main purposes of their war. But even if they capture the city, they have no intention of running a defense, and the farmland and other things in the city cannot be moved. So we had no choice but to destroy them. We were not allowed to get what they couldn't take away. The purpose of destroying these things was simply to fear that we would become stronger and threaten them."
"You son of a bitch, you are insidious!" Yuwen Hongtai spat twice, "When we reach the plateau one day, we will also demolish their villages, slaughter their yaks, and destroy their fields! Forget about women, they are from Tubo Women are so ugly, they all look like men!”
"Haha! Qin Mubai and Xue Rengui laughed.
"Rengui, that's what I thought." Qin Mubai thought for a while and said, "Although the enemy army has thousands of horses, they came from afar and besieged and looted the city, so their troops were scattered. Our army rushed to kill When the troops are strong, they will definitely not be willing to fight. Based on their usual tactics and the situation at hand, they will probably retreat in droves and will not fight to the death. Therefore, our army must work hard to defeat them in the first battle - so! , I decided to let you personally lead the hundreds of cavalry guards and the elite Yueqi from Yifu as the vanguard. Let go of your horse power and charge in. No matter which group of enemies you encounter, you just charge in and don't look back. Hong Tai and I will be responsible for your left and rear. Cover up and protect you!"
"Yes! The last general takes the order!" Xue Rengui solemnly clasped his fists, his face was calm, and the fighting spirit rose in his eyes.
"Ah, why don't you let me take the lead?" Yuwen Hongtai was unhappy.
"Forget it." Qin Mubai said with a smile, "You are a fool. You only care about your own killing ability. You may have lost the subordinates behind you without even knowing it. Rengui is the first to charge into the battle, and his bravery is invincible. He knows how to save time and assess situations.”
"Hmph! After all, he just hates that I can't beat him!" Yuwen Hongtai cursed, "Xue, why are you following me to Lanzhou for nothing? If you don't come, this pioneer must be mine!"
"Haha!" Xue Rengui laughed, "General Yuwen, don't be angry, Xue will give you the vanguard next time!"
"Don't break your promise!" Yuwen Hongtai said seriously like a child with his eyes widened.
"Stop talking, go back and get ready, we're about to start!" Qin Mubai stood up and put away the map.
The second general clasped his fists and accepted the promise, immediately went back to rectify the troops, and immediately set off to advance towards Shancheng.
Not long after setting off, we met a scout who reported military information. It is said that there is a large group of Tibetan cavalry ahead, which has just plundered a piece of pasture and farmland, and is slowly retreating towards Shancheng with a large number of cattle and sheep.
Just now, less than twenty miles away from Shancheng, you can almost hear the sound of rumbling horns and war drums coming from the direction of Shancheng.
"Xue Rengui!" Qin Mubai shouted.
"The general is here!" Xue Rengui, who was wearing a white horse, a silver robe, and a halberd, stepped out and clasped his fists in agreement.
"Attack immediately - kill the enemy and achieve great feats!"
"yes!"
High-spirited!
Xue Rengui leaped on his horse and raised his halberd, shouting loudly: "Soldiers, follow me to attack - charge!"
"Roar!" The elite soldiers of the Chinese army rode on horseback and practiced with Xue Rengui for a long time, knowing that Xue Rengui was brave and invincible. With him around, it's like having a backbone. Two thousand elite riders roared loudly, their horses' hooves flew swiftly and the ground trembled, and they galloped forward.
"Yuwen Hongtai!"
"Here!" Yuwen Hongtai roared and dodged out like thunder.
"I order you to lead my troops and follow Xue Rengui on the right to cover the enemy. I will personally lead the remaining troops to cover the left and right of you. The three armies form horns and help each other to fight the enemy together. You are only allowed to advance, not retreat! Anyone who disobeys the order will be killed! "
"yes!"
When Yu Wen Hongtai roared with thunder, he was actually very happy. He galloped up to the front of the cavalry of his headquarters and asked his flag bearer to raise the "Yuwen" flag high. Then he raised his phoenix-winged gold-plated bell and shouted: "You are a man, come with me." ! Cut off the head!"
"Kill--" A group of iron cavalry rushed out following Yu Wen Hongtai, the black iron monster, and followed Xue Rengui to kill forward.
"Commanders - attack!" Qin Mubai shouted loudly, straightened up his sharp tiger-headed golden spear, reined in his horse and started to move.
The cavalry soldiers behind them let out a deep roar, and smoke and dust suddenly rose as the men and horses galloped forward.
On the vast yellow sand Gobi, three groups of cavalry, shaped like a cone, galloped forward to kill. Five thousand cavalrymen shook the ground and flew into the clouds.
At this time, the thousands of Tubo cavalry in front obviously noticed the strange movement in the rear. A blaring horn war horn sounded, and the Tubo cavalry turned their horses and abandoned the captured cattle and sheep, and rushed towards the Tang army to kill them!