Chapter 555 Chapter Four Turkic Army

"Dang! Dang! Dang!" The five bell towers in Longquan City respectively located in the palace and the four outer city gates rang the bells at the same time. Nine rings began to stop. Amidst the sound of the solemn death knell, the hearse carrying the remains of Bai Ziting's suicide was pulled by eight horses, with a hundred guards at the front and rear, dragging heavy steps, and drove out of the Suzaku gate, set foot on Suzaku Street, and headed south. The door opens. Along the way, the soldiers and civilians saw off, crying loudly, not only expressing their heartfelt sorrow for the tragic end of the leader who made them full of longing and hope for the future, but also weeping for the catastrophe of genocide.

Although the sound of the death knell could not overwhelm the sound of the war drums that shook the world outside the city, its clear sound that was thought-provoking and thought-provoking about the nature of death was not in harmony with the sound of the war drums, and on the contrary, it greatly suppressed the sound of the war drums. The sound of the war drums suddenly stopped, and only the sound of the bell continued to flutter in the vast night sky outside the city. Chen Bing, the vanguard of the Turkic army, lined up more than a thousand steps outside the south gate, and did not move forward again.

The south gate is open, and the lighthouse representing the honor and disgrace of Longquan Shangjing is blazing brightly, illuminating the city gate area as bright as day, but under the influence of the bell, there is an atmosphere of decline and desolation behind the brilliance of the fire. Kou Zhong, Xu Ziling, Ba Fenghan, Song Shidao and a group of Longquan generals gathered outside Nanmen City, silently waiting for the hearse to arrive. Zong Xianghua, Ke Subie and others did not shed tears. The sound of the death bell turned their humiliation and grief into strength, and no one was willing to show their weak side to the enemy at this time.

This is Kou Zhong's psychological warfare against psychological warfare, and the strange funeral ceremony of Bai Ziting to unify the emotions of the soldiers and civilians in Longquan, turning Sumo soldiers into a mourning army that the enemy dare not despise, sending a message to Jieli, The Sumo people could fight to the death of one soldier, and would never surrender, assuming the conditions of surrender were unacceptable. The hearse drove through the long doorway and stopped outside the south gate. "Dang! Dang! Dang!!? After the forty-ninth ringing of the death knell, there is a silence that weighs down people's hearts like a lead pendant.

The driver of the hearse left his seat, and Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling sat on it instead. Ke Subie shouted: "Congratulations to the King!" All the soldiers immediately knelt down, and finally couldn't help but burst into tears, which were bitter tears full of resentment and humiliation. Kou Zhong raised his horse whip, whistling in the air, and came back to lightly lash the horse's buttocks.The war horse neighed and dragged the hearse towards the enemy's formation.Kou Zhong glanced back, feeling sore in his heart, and sighed: "I'm really not sure this time, what does Young Master Ling think?"

The enemy's horns sounded, and suddenly nearly a thousand riders galloped towards the hearse they were driving like a whirlwind. Xu Ziling acted as if he didn't see it, and said with a wry smile: "This trip to Jieli has been prepared, so I will never go back empty-handed. The negotiation will be very difficult, and Da Zuorong is more likely to be a dead end in the negotiation." The horse neighed loudly, and the Turkic warriors rushing to the front reined in their horses and shouted at the same time, and the horsemen stood up, like waves sweeping across the grassland, and then dispersed left and right.Its superb riding skills and perfect formation are amazing.

Su Mo's soldiers, He Ba, Song and others in the rear retreated into the city at this time and closed the city gate tightly.Hearing the sound of hooves resounding from the left and right sides of the hearse, two thousand-man teams rushed towards the hearse from both sides, as if they were about to crush them and the cart to pieces. Chung controls very hard. Kou Zhong said ruthlessly, "Tuli is so disrespectful, he didn't show up when we needed him most, his grandma's bear." Xu Ziling said in a deep voice: "He has his own difficulties. The leaders of the tribal society on the prairie are different from the emperors of the Middle Earth. They must listen to the opinions of other chiefs."

Two Turkic cavalry teams galloped to the distance of Zhang Xu on both sides. Seeing that they collided with the hearse, they suddenly divided into two teams. After a while, the cavalry went away. Kou Zhong shook his head and smiled wryly, "If we train ten more times, we still won't be able to train such a powerful cavalry team. Even though I know they are demonstrating, I'm scared into a cold sweat." Xu Ziling stared ahead and said in a deep voice, "Here we go again!" Turkic warriors all over the mountains and plains appeared on the hills where the sweat flag was erected, and swept towards them like a tide.It made them think that if Middle Earth hadn't had a solid city, every inch of the land would have been trampled by the Turks' iron hooves.

Under the numbness of the scalps of the two, there were powerful Turkic cavalry in front, back, left, and right, like a raging ocean, flooding the plains around them. Two Turkic soldiers held the reins of the first two horses of the hearse and led the hearse forward. The morale of the enemy was like a rainbow, and everyone was full of energy. If the opponent is violent, even if their martial arts are twice as high, they will definitely die. Surrounded by thousands of Turkic warriors, the hearse continued to speed up and went around the hill. There was a large open space among the camps, and thousands of soldiers gathered. There were more than a dozen archery targets at the far end of the open space. Xieli and Zhao Deyan , Dun Yugu, Kang Jiaoli and other Turkic generals of more than 20 people, surrounded by their own soldiers, were shooting arrows for fun, but they could not see Dazhi and Xiang boy.

Seeing this posture, the two immediately knew that something was wrong, the other side was talking and joking, and they were sure to gain the upper hand.They wanted to offer Bai Ziting's body to sue for peace, the difference between superior and inferior was obvious. "Whoosh!" Jieli drew his big bow into a full moon, shot a strong arrow, spanned a distance of nearly 500 steps, and hit the red heart of the arrow target, immediately arousing the excited shouts and applause of tens of thousands of soldiers, and went straight to Xiaohan.The torches illuminate the blood red everywhere, filled with the atmosphere of violence and casualties before the outbreak of the war, which makes people excited.

The hearse stopped. Full of ambition, Jieli handed over the big bow to his subordinates, and beckoned to the two of them, "Young commander, please come here, Ziling!" "Swoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!" More than a dozen arrows were shot by the generals, and all of them hit the red heart of the distant target, and there was another burst of cheers from the sky. Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling jumped out of the carriage and walked towards Jieli and the others. The former cheered up and said with a laugh, "Khan's demeanor is still there, I'm glad I can congratulate you." Xie Li's face darkened at first, then he changed his smiling face and said with a big laugh: "Toefl, TOEFL! Did the young commander send Wu Caishi here, ha!" Even Xu Ziling didn't understand why Kou Zhong said "the style is still there" when he opened his mouth. This sentence was originally a compliment, but when it was used on Xie Li, who was defeated in the battle of Ben Lang Yuan, it turned into cynicism. what good.But thinking about it further, even if he pleases him, it may not be of any benefit. Like an old friend, Kou Zhong came to the side of Jieli who was bald and reflected the light of the torches around him, and said relaxedly: "My little brother is here today to make friends, not to send stones. Can Da Khan make it easier?" The two stared sharply at each other, refusing to give in to each other. Zhao Deyan, Dun Yugu and more than 20 generals and chiefs, but they all faced each other proudly, looking like they were sure of winning. A gradually widening smile floated from the corners of Jieli's lips, and he laughed and said, "It's easy to get a thousand soldiers, but it's hard to find a general. As long as the young commander nods in agreement, I, Jieli, will do my best to help you compete in the Central Plains. There are horses." At this moment, Zhao Deyan bent his bow and shot an arrow, which hit a distant target, Kou Zhong clapped his hands and said, "Good arrow skills, Yan Shuai, why don't you come to the grassland to ride a horse and shoot, so that we can open our eyes." Xu Ziling began to understand Kou Zhong's strategy a little bit, which was to play tricks and talk nonsense as far as possible, in order to distract the enemy's mind, and prevent the opponent from making plans step by step, there is no way out. Zhao Deyan's palace is very deep, and he was not offended by Kou Zhong's insinuation that he was pretending to be a Turk, so he looked at him and smiled and said, "Young Commander-in-Chief came to the prairie, if he just wanted to see me shoot arrows on horseback, he would be disappointed." return." Kou Zhong laughed and said: "I want to see more about the majestic appearance of the virtuous brother Yushan on horseback, whether it is as good as Yan Shuai. We really didn't realize the relationship between the Baling Gang and Yan Shuai until tonight." Ignoring Zhao Deyan, whose expression changed slightly, he turned to Jieli and said, "I, Kou Zhong, can't wait for Dahan to offer horses and horses, but my mother once taught me not to be greedy for cheap, and the ancients had a saying not to be eaten by dead dogs. How does the Great Khan explain my doubts?" Xu Ziling stood silently on the other side of Kou Zhong, looking shockingly, according to his guess, this time the Golden Wolf Army is indeed coming eastward, the number of people is almost twice as large as that of the Battle of Benlangyuan, the total strength exceeds 50,000, no threat Outside the 10,000-strong vanguard at the south gate of Longquan, other people were busy in the camp, cutting down trees to build various tools for attacking the city, showing them their readiness and determination to attack Longquan. Longquan's army strength is between 10,000 and 20,000. Even if everyone is determined to fight to the death, Longquan City, known as Little Chang'an, is still far from the size of Luoyang and Chang'an. Longquan will definitely not last for many days. Jieli said happily: "Young commander is a very special Han. He speaks quickly, candidly and frankly, unlike other Han people who are duplicity. Well, let's be frank. If I can help the young commander to defeat the Li family in Guanzhong, the young commander will send him to you." Youzhou was handed over to me, courtesy is reciprocal, we don’t owe each other a single cent, from now on, if we want to make peace, we respect it.” Youzhou is the territory of Gaokaidao, including Shanhaiguan. If it falls into the hands of the Turks, the Turks will gain an important military stronghold in the northeast of the Central Plains, and they can gradually expand and eat away. to retreat. Kou Zhong laughed dumbly and said: "Youzhou is not my Kou Zhong's, how can I give it to Da Khan like a gift?" Dun Yugu, who was listening attentively with the other Turkic chiefs, said calmly: "If the young commander can destroy the Li family, the world will be in the young commander's pocket. A mere Youzhou, the young commander will naturally be the master." Jieli said solemnly: "I was a Turk in your country during the Western Wei Dynasty. I broke through Rouran in the north of Huaihuang. Rouran Khan Anazao was defeated and committed suicide. The ancestor of our family, Ashina Tumen, established the Turkic Khanate and dominated the grassland. , The territory is wider than the ancient Huns, and the scale is unprecedentedly large. Unfortunately, it was later split into two major Khanates, the East and the West. Yang Jian unified the Central Plains, repeatedly invaded, and used the strategy of separation and division to cause endless civil wars among the various ethnic groups in our grassland. The East and West Khanates The reunification of the country is far away, we have no choice but to use troops against China, but our national policy is to unify first and then discuss other things, does the young commander understand what I mean?" Kou Zhong began to feel that Jieli could become the supreme leader of the Turks because he had a set of skills, his words were powerful and persuasive, and he was able to put aside his hatred for himself and only seek long-term interests. Xu Ziling felt differently, thinking about the difference between himself and Kou Zhong. If he had been negotiating with Xie Li instead of Kou Zhong, he might have flatly rejected Xie Li's proposal, but this would only ruin the matter, and the consequences would be worse. It was a massacre.Politics is about good or bad motives, but only about the consequences; there are no permanent enemies in politics, only permanent interests.Xieli is exactly this kind of person, while Kou Zhong understands the rules of the game.Although Xu Ziling understands it, he doesn't know how to do it, so he should never touch politics. Sun Tzu's Art of War has a saying that "soldiers are deceitful". In other words, strategy is a clever deception. After accurately grasping the objective situation, the strength and mentality of the enemy and ourselves, we begin to "make decisions before moving", "showing that we can't ", "Close to show that is far", to deceive the enemy and defeat the enemy after defrauding the enemy. The real world is cruel and ruthless, and what is right now is just a quagmire that overemphasizes ideals and morality, which cannot stand the test.Just like the Turkic army in front of us, they will only consider their own interests, and those who follow me will live and those who oppose me will die.Kou Zhong must start from the interests, in order to obtain the greatest benefits with the least sacrifice. So Xu Ziling can only listen. Kou Zhong smiled and said: "Khan thinks highly of me so much, how can I not be flattered, this matter can be discussed later, I am here today..." Jieli waved his hand to cut him off and said, "Young Commander, if you withdraw immediately from our quarrel with the Sumo tribe, I, Jieli, will be rewarded. In the end, Bai Ziting is not only related to you, but also a despicable and shameful enemy, Young Commander." How can it be worth standing up for such a fool who knows how to control himself?" Zhao Deyan smiled sadly and said: "It was Bai Ziting who provoked the war, not us. Even if according to the rules of the Jianghu in Zhongtu, we can't return empty-handed after a long expedition. Do you two think so?" Kou Zhong smiled and said, "Brother, can I ask you a question?" Dun Yugu said spontaneously: "Everyone is a person who asks for reason, young commander, please enlighten me." Xu Ziling felt a big headache, the opponent's strategy was to put on a rationale everywhere, not bullying the weak, which would make it even more difficult for Kou Zhong to parry. Kou Zhong looked at the starry sky and said after a while, "I don't know how you guys feel about the battle between Song Jingang and Li Shimin Bobi?" Jie Li was slightly astonished, showing displeasure, and snorted coldly: "If the young commander is only interested in this aspect, do we still need to waste precious time here?" Xu Ziling is also puzzled. Song Jingang and the Turkic soldiers attacked Taiyuan and returned in defeat. This is a serious setback for the Jieli people's invasion of China. Kou Zhong insists on exposing his scars. Kou Zhong laughed and said, "Khan, don't get angry. We Han people have a saying that 'never forget the past, and guide the future'. A post-war review will definitely be beneficial and harmless, and it can prevent future mistakes from happening again." Jieli managed to suppress his anger, and said coldly, "I'm listening." Kou Zhong said calmly: "The reason why Song Jingang suffered a disastrous defeat at Bobi was not because he was invincible, but because of his wrong strategy. If he confronted head-on in a decisive battle, Li Shimin would definitely lose. The clever strategy of "Ke Sheng" can be seen that Song Jingang's lone army goes deep, so although the soldiers are strong and powerful, they are still commanding a huge army supported by temporarily looted food and grass. Therefore, Li Shimin, the world's number one commander in chief, carried out a targeted strategy of fortifying the walls and clearing the field, followed by the guerrilla warfare of the small team's surprise attack, and fought hard when Song Jingang was forced to retreat because he was out of food. The Khan also understood what I meant. ?" Jieli, Zhao Deyan, Dun Yugu, Kang Jiaoli and the others all had angry expressions on their faces, and their eyes were full of murderous intent. Xu Ziling knew that Kou Zhong was taking a risk, and used the Battle of Baibi as a metaphor for the current situation to gain the capital of the negotiation.The most amazing thing is to see through the situation of the coalition forces. Xieli's army is indeed beyond the reach of the Longquan army, but if it is led by Kou Zhong, who is as good at defending the city as Li Shimin, Xieli wants to fight quickly. Not easy. In this case, Tuli's support will be the decisive factor. Will he attack the city guarded by his brother who was born and died with him?The greater possibility is to stand by and watch, and Tuli's attitude will even affect Bodhisattva, Tiefuyu and Abaojia.Under such circumstances, the risk of Xieli attacking the city will increase significantly. Once the stalemate persists, the Golden Wolf Army will become a lone army that goes deep into the enemy's territory. If it is caught in a dilemma, its position may be replaced by Tuli. Tuli's peace talks are only a combination of interests, and the trust between the two parties is conditional and limited. Su Mo's soldiers are famous in the Northeast for their bravery and skill in fighting, otherwise Jieli would not have personally sent troops to the east, but now they have become mourners, no one dares to underestimate their strength. Kou Zhong's words immediately regained a little advantage, and did not directly make Xieli lose face. Zhao Deyan turned his eyes cunningly, and pretended to be surprised: "Unexpectedly, the young commander is far away in the grassland, and he still seems to have witnessed what happened to the sergeant. I wonder if the young commander knows about Li Shentong's arrival in Liyang to help Li Shiji?" Kou Zhong smiled and said: "I seem to have heard about his mother, but Dou Jiande and Wang Shichong are still alive. Yu Wenhuaji was destroyed, and the three parties went wireless again. Liyang became an important town of the Tang Dynasty outside the customs. Dou, Wang Shichong Both Wang and Wang are willing to get it, so it should be the two old Lis who should be worried, not me, Kou Zhong, right?" Zhao Deyan laughed dumbly and said: "The young commander has a clear view. Because Li Yang is alone outside the pass, it is the worst policy to stick to it. Li Shimin threatens to defeat Song Jingang's remaining prestige, so he must show his strength at this time to protect Li Yang. The three sides are fighting and the situation is critical. The strange thing is that the young commander still seems to have endless time, so he ignores the young commander and the Central Plains hegemony, and gets entangled in trivial matters outside the Great Wall, which is really puzzling." These words hit Kou Zhong's key point, almost speechless. Xu Ziling couldn't bear it at last, and said in a deep voice: "Young Marshal didn't worship Ziting, but the innocent people in Longquan and everyone in Xiufang. Da Khan might not listen to his words, but Bai Ziting committed suicide. Assuming that the Sumo tribe demolished the city wall and made reasonable compensation, can the Great Khan be merciful so that Longquan does not have to be bloody? The magnanimity of the Great Khan will only win back a higher reputation for the Great Khan, and will not damage the reputation of the Great Khan cent." Jie Li was startled and said, "Master Xiufang?" At this point, the negotiations have finally entered a critical stage.