Chapter 118 one hundred and seven

At dawn a few days later, the Flying Tigers' new army set off first. Their first destination was Suizhou, where they hid and waited for the start of the Eastern Front before looking for an opportunity to attack.Li Shimin personally went to see them off outside the city of Chang'an, handed a flag with Tang characters to Tu Changgui, the leader of the team, and then said in a loud voice: "All of you are leaders in the army. This is an infinitely glorious mission. I hope that you will plant this banner on the top of the Yin Mountain and tell those heroes who have been sleeping at the foot of the mountain that we have never forgotten them for a day!" Listening to the beloved emperor's passionate speech, looking forward to Holding this special flag, three thousand warriors burst into tears and shouted loudly: "The might of the Tang Dynasty is invincible in the world!"

Afterwards, this elite soldier who had been tempered into steel quietly set off on the journey in the morning mist. The eldest grandson Wuji beside Li Shimin sighed and said, "Ah, actually at this time, we really shouldn't forget one person." Li Shimin looked at the military flag that was drifting away and said: "I know who you are talking about. He wrote me five invitations to battle, and I shed five tears." After speaking, Li Shimin glanced sideways glanced.Changsun Wuji looked back, and on a hill not far away, there was a war horse, and immediately there was a slightly aged figure.Changsun Wuji recognized at a glance that it was Hou Junji!

Changsun Wuji asked: "Your Majesty asked him to come?" Li Shimin glanced at Changsun Wuji: "Can I bear the heart not to let a father send his son to the expedition?" Li Jing did not set off with the Flying Tiger Army, because Li Shimin planned to formally pay homage to the general before declaring war on Jieli, and to show his reputation to the world.According to the strategic plan formulated in advance, after worshiping the general, Li Jing must first go to Mayi to make arrangements for the frontal battlefield, so as to create the illusion that he is on the front line of Mayi before rushing to join the Flying Tiger Army .

For a period of time after that, the elites of the Tang Dynasty were mobilized in the direction of Mayi, and the government soldiers recruited from all over the country continued to go to the front line, and a large amount of food and grass were also transported to Chang'an. Taicang has never been so full. In the Chengqing Hall, Changsun Wuji held a stack of papers reporting the good news in his hand, and said to Li Shimin and Li Jing excitedly: "There are soldiers and food, I think we will win this battle, we should let the Ministry of Rites I’m preparing for the prisoner offering ceremony.” Li Jing joked, “Well, auxiliary machine, although you have never led a soldier, your judgment of the situation on this battlefield is much sharper than before.” Changsun Wuji followed Li Jing’s words and said: “Follow me all day long. For a military strategist like the emperor, no matter how dull I am, I can always open it up once or twice."

Changsun Wuji was flattering the emperor around the corner. Normally, Li Shimin would have had a laugh with him, but today, he didn't seem to be in the mood. Instead, he frowned and said to the two of them, "I'm afraid I can't." Are you happy so early? There is still a big problem that has not been resolved!" Changsun Wuji and Li Jing's expressions changed, and they said in unison: "Please make it clear, Your Majesty." Li Shimin asked: "Is 300,000 troops considered a lot?" Li Jing replied: "It is the first time in our court that 300,000 people have been invested in a single battle."

Li Shimin asked again: "Is the several million stones of grain in the granaries all over the country a lot?" Changsun Wuji said: "This is the first time in our court that there is so much grain in the treasury." Li Shimin looked at the two and said, "However, we have all overlooked one point. Only when soldiers and food are put together can they exert their power. Otherwise, no amount of soldiers will starve to death, and no amount of food will only rot!" Then Li Shimin pointed out Looking at the map, he analyzed to the two of them that hundreds of thousands of Tang troops gathered at the front line, and all the food and grass they needed had to be supplied by the interior.The grain road was narrow and tortuous, stretching for thousands of miles. There were few cities on the road and it was difficult to store grain. Jieli's subordinates were good at mobile warfare. He only needed to send a few cavalry to intercept the Tang army's grain convoy, and the supply to the front line would be unsustainable.In this way, the more soldiers and horses in front, the less food each soldier can eat. What is the use of millions of hungry soldiers?Conversely, if the Tang army wanted to keep the food road, at least half of its troops had to be drawn out to deploy defenses for thousands of miles, and the left and right were outstretched.

Changsun Wuji and Li Jing looked at each other, and after hearing Li Shimin's words, their hearts became heavy for a moment. Li Jing said: "The emperor's analysis is thorough. After fighting for so many years, I have realized a truth. The more everyone thinks that the battle will be won, the easier it is to make trouble. It seems that before the war, we must try to transport dozens of people. Wanshi's grain can go to the camp in Yunzhong, so that our army can bear the risk of cutting off the grain road for three months." Li Shimin shook his head, full of worry: "Xieli is a veteran of war, we have to take so much How can the grain and grass be transported to the front, escape his eyes and ears?"

Li Shimin's worries were quickly verified. That night, the Ministry of War sent an emergency report: a thousand troops delivering food and grass to Mayi were ambushed by Hu Kou, the entire army was wiped out, and 30,000 dan of military food was robbed!Looking at the paper, Li Shimin's heart became even more heavy. How many times can he be robbed no matter how much food is stored in the warehouse?If the battle continues like this, the Tang army will already be defeated before the main forces of the two sides meet! When Li Shimin was worrying about food, Dou Yi was also worrying about food.Dou Fu hurried back from Dingxiang, although he failed to bring Mu Yikuan back, but brought him back a big man from Dingxiang, and wanted to see him and talk to him about saving Mu Yikuan.

Dou Yi followed Dou Fu to the inn where the man was staying. There were two people drinking at the stairs, seeing Dou Fu approaching, one of them stood up and greeted Dou Fu, and led the master and servant upstairs together. Inviting them into a private room, Dou Yi stepped in, the man closed the door, and Dou Fu also stayed outside.A middle-aged man wearing a square scarf stood up from the chair, cupped his hands and said, "Mr. Dou, are you all right?" Dou Yi saw that it was an old acquaintance Botie, and he quickly put on a smiling face and said : "The old man is getting older and it's getting more and more useless. It's not like my lord, you are strong and strong, and you have a prosperous official career. You have been promoted to the general manager. Compared with the past, you are in a different mood."

Bo Tie waved his hand: "What manager, you are always angry, always scolded, and always worried!" Dou Yi joked: "My lord is still as funny as before, ah - funny!" Both of them laughed, Then you sit down modestly. After three or two glasses of wine, Dou Yi led the conversation to the main topic: "Oh, when Dou Fu came back, he said that he had seen the lord, and I finally put my heart in my stomach. The lord has always been a talker." A man of loyalty and the head of the housekeeper, for a commoner like Quanzi, wouldn't it be a matter of a word from the adults to release him?" Botie raised his wine glass and said, "Oh, old man, if your son goes there on weekdays Grassland, that is my honored guest, what gold, silver and jewels do you need as an excuse? If he wants to live, I will accompany him to visit the grasslands and Yinshan Mountains. If he wants to come back, I will personally send them to him Boundaries. But the situation is different now! I'm going to be sorry for you!"

Dou Yi's complexion changed, and he asked anxiously, "What's the difference between now and before?" Bo Tie shook his head and said, "Oh, it seems that we are about to fight Li Shimin, but at this moment, your son ran to the Tuli camp to discuss some grain business with him. Tuli is a bit discordant, do you think Da Khan can easily let the son go? Besides, I heard that Li Shimin secretly went to the north at that time, your Dou family should have nothing to do with this matter, right?" Dou A was startled, and immediately shook his head to deny: "There is absolutely no such thing, there is absolutely no such thing, and it's not that the general manager doesn't know that the old man is as timid as a mouse, and he is most afraid of officials on weekdays, and the few things he fawns on are all for business. There is a support, as for the Emperor of the Tang Dynasty, how dare the old man provoke him, and how can he cling to him!"