Li Hong stood up, walked to the simple barbecue grill, signaled Hua Meng to continue roasting rabbit meat, and said with his back to Wei Tuqi: "Forget it, why are you backing down? It's just a reward that Bai Chun gave you, and it doesn't count as a violation." "But why haven't you spent it yet? You don't usually spend money?"
Wei Tuqi's face turned a little red. Hearing His Highness the Crown Prince's words, he didn't know how to reply. There was usually everything in the palace. As for drinking and visiting the flower garden, he didn't have that thought, let alone as a relative of His Highness the Crown Prince. Guards, Miss Bai does not allow them to drink.
"He is just like us." Hua Meng chuckled, not caring at all about his eunuch status.
"Nonsense, I'm different from you, I just don't know how to spend money." Yu Tuqi straightened his neck and retorted.
At this time, only a soldier ran over, came to Yu Tuqi, saluted and said: "Sir, General Liu Rengui is more than forty miles away from us. It is estimated that he will be able to come and join us before dark."
"Okay, let's go out after eating and drinking. Where is the Jingzhe people? Has Cui Zhibian's navy arrived?" Li Hong took a bite of medium-rare rabbit meat and said with a mouth full of oil.
"Your Highness, Jingzhe hasn't come back yet." Hua Meng breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that Li Hong was no longer pursuing their welfare matters. Although it was useless for him to ask for money, he felt very relieved when he put it in his pocket with banknotes. no.
"Okay, then there's no need to wait for him. Let's set up camp under Humi City tonight to serve as bait for Liu Rengui's troops and see if we can get the Goguryeo defenders from Humi City to attack." Li Hong chewed nonchalantly. Rabbit meat said.
Wei Tuqi, Hua Meng, and Cheetah were all battle-hardened generals who had fought with Li Hong. After hearing Li Hong's words, they couldn't help but take a breath of cold air.
Li Hong looked at Hua Meng and others who were standing there not eating, but just watching themselves eating. He put down the rabbit meat in his hands and asked, "What? Don't you dare to go?"
"Your Highness, how about we lead our troops and you wait here for General Liu Rengui? Isn't it too dangerous for three thousand of us?" Hua Meng and Cheetah looked at each other, and finally Hua Meng came out and said bravely.
They also know that once His Highness the Crown Prince decides, it is difficult to change, but this move is really risky. It was better to have 20,000 soldiers and horses in Tubo at the very least. They would at least protect the Crown Prince. There was no problem escaping from Tubo, so they dared to go.
But now, there are only 3,000 people in total, and they are so weak that they have to camp under others' noses. Isn't this asking for death? What is this
Naturally, they did not dare to tell His Highness the Crown Prince like this, so they had to dissuade His Highness in a subtle way. Are they waiting here for the arrival of Liu Rengui's army...
"No, don't worry, nothing will happen. Maybe we can stage a myth of victory without a fight." Li Hong continued to eat rabbit meat as if he were an old man, looking relaxed and leisurely.
In the eyes of Hua Meng and others, it seemed that His Highness the Crown Prince was not talking about a war to siege the city, but rather that he was planning to leave as soon as possible and visit Taiyi City or Lantian County.
But in Li Hong's view, this humiliating city is located on the bank of the Datong River. Although it is Liujing, the royal city of Goguryeo, its garrison strength may not be too small in the face of the last barrier for the Tang Dynasty to capture their royal city.
But the only weakness is that if a large army really besieges the isolated city of Hanyi City, and Liujing is unable to rescue them in time, or dares not come to rescue them, Hanyi City is simply a turtle in the urn. Without attacking, they can be trapped and trapped to death. .
Therefore, if you see the Tang army approaching the city, and the defenders of Shangyi City are isolated and helpless, they may surrender without a fight. In this way, they will not be able to defeat themselves. Ryugyong, the royal city of Goguryeo, is definitely a good thing with both advantages and disadvantages. At least it can suppress Goguryeo's morale again.
He ate silently and ignored the earnest words of several people. After the three thousand soldiers and horses finished eating, and Hua Meng and others were still hungry, Li Hong ordered the army to break camp with a cold face.
Li Hong didn't even wear the armor that had been polished by Wei Tuqi, without a trace of dust, and even reflected the figure of a human figure. He was wearing a white round-neck robe, and his hair was tied back freely. Without even tying up his hair, he just casually climbed onto the back of the food stamps. A loud whistle sounded, and a black shadow in the sky rushed towards him.
Along the way, Li Hong discovered that Hai Dongqing was actually quite humane. He was no less generous than his younger brother Bai Qi. He patted Hai Dongqing on the shoulder. Li Hong was riding on the horse, surrounded by natural surroundings. Except for the prince's guards and Hua Meng, there was no one else.
The army was ready to go. In about two hours, before the sun was about to set, they could easily rush to the foot of Shangyi City. If they were faster, they could even pitch their tents before the sun set.
Like traveling, three thousand soldiers and horses walked calmly on Goguryeo's so-called official road. Li Hong continued to discuss with Hua Meng and the others about what the name of Haidongqing should be.
"The whole body is white as snow, and it can fly. How about calling it Xueluo?" Cheetah thought for a long time and said.
"No, the name Xueluo sounds too poetic. Saker, it has to match its name. I think since it is called Haidongqing, why not call it Xiaoqing?" Yu Tuqi stroked him beside him. Jaw, I thought hard to think of such a bad name.
"Xiao Qing? This name is very familiar, but it sounds quite easy to pronounce. Let's call it Xiao Qing. It sounds like someone else's name." Li Hong agreed with Wei Tuqi's suggestion.
Wei Tuqi on the side did not expect that the name he said so casually would not only not be scolded by His Highness the Crown Prince, but would actually be agreed to by His Highness the Crown Prince! For a moment, his cheeks were dull, not knowing whether to be happy or worried.
Hai Dongqing didn't seem to be too disgusted with the name Xiaoqing. Under Li Hong's patient guidance along the way, Hai Dongqing got used to the name Xiaoqing in less than two hours.
A city with a golden halo under the setting sun slowly appeared in people's sight from the end of the horizon. Shangyi City is not very big. Looking at its outline from a distance, it seems to be larger than Na'an City. Be smaller.
Li Hong didn't know that this was not a city in the strict sense. It functioned more like a military city, hoarding more grain and soldiers to defend the royal city of Liujing.
But as the saying goes, lucky people have their own destiny, and maybe everyone has bad luck sometimes. Now not only the Tang Dynasty is eyeing the royal city of Goguryeo, but also Silla and Baekje, as Li Hong guessed, starting from the Tang Dynasty After launching the war against Goguryeo, they were already ready to move on the border, always ready to take the lead in attacking the royal city of Goguryeo before the Tang army.
The three thousand soldiers and horses still advanced unhurriedly. The setting sun not only scattered on the city of humiliation, but also on the formation of the three thousand iron hooves. The horses in their hands shone with golden light in the setting sun, like It's like being demonized, giving people a feeling of depression and being swallowed up.
The dust raised by the horses' hooves seemed to be covered with a layer of gold under the setting sun. The original black armor of the Tang Dynasty cavalry, under the slanting sunlight, dragged a long shadow and silently continued to humiliate the city. Moving forward, the banners of the Tang Dynasty fluttering in the wind, like gods and demons demanding life, declare to the humiliating city the majesty of the Iron Hoof of the Tang Dynasty.
On the top of the city of Shangyi City, the horns sounded rapidly, and even under the favorable wind, the panicked shouts of the soldiers on the top of the city could still be vaguely heard.
Less than 500 steps away from the wall of Shangyi City, the cavalry of the Tang Dynasty slowly stopped advancing. Three thousand cavalry stood quietly on the plain below the city, without a trace of noise, and between the silent iron hooves , only the sound of whining was heard when the breeze blew across the plain.
Looking around, on the city wall facing Li Hong, the city wall of Hanyi City was full of people. Nervous soldiers crowded the entire city. After a while, a general in armor walked away. Arriving at the top of the city.
Li Hong picked up the binoculars and looked over. After seeing the scene on the top of the city clearly, he almost fell off his horse: "Holy shit, what are you doing? Why are there so many soldiers running up to the top of the city without holding weapons in their hands?" ?”
When several other people heard Li Hong's words, they involuntarily raised their telescopes and began to look at the soldiers guarding the city. They saw that the soldiers on the city were indeed as His Highness said. Everyone looked flustered, some even turned pale, their lips were trembling, and they gathered around the general, not knowing what they were saying.
The generals who defended the city also looked flustered. Listening to the various suggestions from the people next to them, they became even more annoyed. Why did the Tang army arrive at the city so quickly
Did the three cities of Mudi, Cangyan and Nansu surrender directly? Otherwise, how could it be possible to arrive at Humiliating City so quickly? Could it be that they flew here
"General, it seems that they only have three thousand people. With our strength, we will definitely be able to defeat them." The deputy general next to him looked at the few Tang troops in the city and tightened his fists.
"Impossible. The Tang army has many generals and the thunder from the sky is assisting us. I'm afraid the people under the city are luring us out of the city. There must be an ambush behind us. They will attack us as soon as we open the city gate. "Yes." Another general guarding the city said solemnly after looking at the Tang army who was as stable as a mountain without feeling any signs of panic.
"General, no matter what, the Tang Army was able to reach our Hanyi City so quickly. It is obviously because Cangyan and other cities have been destroyed. Otherwise, they would not have been able to be so fast. Therefore, the General believes that regardless of whether there is an ambush behind the Tang Army, We must not act rashly, lest we give the enemy an opportunity.”
The general who defended the city blinked his single-lidded eyes and looked at the silent and motionless Tang soldiers below, who were arranged in several square formations. For a moment, he couldn't come up with an accurate idea in his mind.
(End of chapter)