Chapter 18 Chapter 18: Guo Xiaoke Defeats Yanqi and Li Shimin Goes to Liaodong

Xiang Lixuan was ordered to go to Liaodong, and the first stop of his mission was Korea. The people of Goryeo are the descendants of Fuyu in ancient times. Goryeo borders Silla to the east, Baekje to the south, Yingzhou of Datang to the northwest across the Liaoshui River, and Mohe to the north.Its capital, Pyongyang, was the seat of Lelang County in the Han Dynasty. Xiangli Xuanju came to Pyongyang after a while. At that time, Gai Suwen had personally participated in the battle and won two cities in Silla.When he heard the arrival of the Tang envoy, he knew that it was the emperor of Tang Dynasty who advised him not to attack each other, so he really disdainful in his heart, but he still didn't dare to blatantly break his face with Datang, so he treated each other with courtesy and met Xiangli Xuanjiang .

Xiangli Xuan prize took out the seal book and read in the hall: "Baekje and Goryeo, relying on their remoteness, invade and force Silla every time. I am deeply in love with you, and I ordered the envoys to order the other two tribes, and the soldiers are well..." After reading the seal book, he handed the seal book to Gai Suwen, and said: "The emperor's meaning is very clear, that is, let You are good neighbors and friendly, don't attack each other." Koreans speak Chinese and write Chinese characters at this time.Gai Suwen read the seal book again, and understood Li Shimin's intentions very well.He pondered for a moment, then asked Xiangli Xuan award: "I know that the noble envoy was originally from Korea, so he should know the history of Korea. The two Silla cities I just took back were originally the land of Korea. I heard that the Tang Dynasty was recently destroyed. If the Gaochang Kingdom is destroyed and changed to prefectures and counties, can the emperor be free to attack at will, but not me?"

Xiangli Xuanjiang knew that the two cities that Gai Suwen was attacking now were indeed under the jurisdiction of Koryo.When Emperor Yang of the Sui Dynasty fought against Goryeo on a large scale, the Goryeo people were unable to go east to deal with the Sui army with all their might, so Silla took the opportunity to seize these two cities. Gai Suwen said again: "I heard that the reason why the emperor chose Gaochang was that Gaochang was originally the old place in the Han Dynasty, so it is reasonable to take it. I took these two cities as the old place of Koryo. Why didn't the emperor think about Goryeo and replaced Silla instead?" Backing it up? At that time, Silla took the land of Koryo not only from these two cities, but about 500 miles wide, if I can't restore all the old land, it will be difficult to comply with the order." It can be seen that Gai Suwen's tone is tough, and he is determined to win.

Xiangli Xuan Prize confronted each other: "That's right, these two cities are indeed the hometown of Koryo. But today, what is the past? If you follow the king's theory, Koryo was originally a county in China, and my emperor can send troops to take it." Gai Suwen sneered and said, "I know you want to talk like this. Well, just ask the emperor to come and pick it up anytime, I'll wait here." Xiangli Xuan praised: "The emperor now governs the country with benevolence and love, and treats the surroundings with virtue, and will not raise troops at will. If the emperor is like this, why do you want to go to war?"

Gai Suwen shook his head and said: "The emperor has a broad mind and a vast territory. There is no need to care about a little bit of land. I am different. If my neighbors take a little from the east and a little from the west, can Koryo still establish a country? Your envoy is originally from Koryo. People, there must be many relatives of yours in the country, can't you think about the Korean people?" Xiangli Xuan praised: "My lord, I did this for the sake of the Koreans! The emperor's seal clearly states that if anyone does not obey the order and raises troops arbitrarily, the emperor will definitely send heavenly soldiers to question the crime. If the heavenly soldiers come here How is Goryeo an opponent? And after the war starts, blood will be splashed on the battlefield and money and food will be wasted, which is not a blessing for the Goryeo people."

Gai Suwen couldn't listen to it at all, and said with a sneer, "Korea has been preparing for many days to prevent China from invading. There are hundreds of miles of Great Wall to the west to resist, and the domestic city is strong. You can fight against the Tang army. Go back and tell the emperor. , what Su Wen wants to do, I can't turn it around even with the strength of ten oxen. If the Tang army comes here, I will cover Su Wen's soldiers to block it, cover it with water and soil, and not be afraid of anyone's lies. Hmph, Emperor Yang of Sui At that time, relying on the strength of China and pouring all the strength of the whole country to attack, didn't they also make a mess in the end!"

The two of them spoke in such a non-congenial manner, Xiangli Xuan Prize got up and said goodbye.Seeing Gai Suwen's attitude, he knew it would be futile to go to Baekje again.Sure enough, he went to Baekje country and saw King Yici of Baekje. At that time, the envoy from Goryeo came here to convey the meaning of Gaisuwen. Xiangli Xuan prize came home disgruntled. Li Zhi was established as the crown prince in April of the seventeenth year of Zhenguan. With the help of important ministers, he devoted himself to learning and political affairs, and Li Shimin was quite satisfied with him.In order to strengthen the power of the two palaces, Li Shimin also ordered Li Daliang to be the general of the left guard and the minister of the Ministry of Industry. In this way, in addition to the previous appointment as the prince's left guard, Li Daliang held three positions.Li Daliang lived in the two palaces of guards, and he was very dedicated. When he was on duty, he would sit and sleep soundly, which can be said to be respectful, thrifty and loyal.Li Shimin asked Li Daliang to be in charge of the guards, and soon Li Zhi was in charge of the troops and horses in the camp.

When time entered the winter moon, Li Shimin ordered a daughter from a good family to live in the East Palace. Li Zhi sent Yu Zhining to resign to Li Shimin on the grounds that she was still young.At that time, Li Shimin agreed to dismiss the election, but he was puzzled. Today, he said to his eldest grandson Wuji alone: ​​"Wuji, I made Zhier the crown prince according to your opinion. I have been observing carefully for a while, and I think he is still too cowardly. If the ruler is weak, he may not be able to defend the country." Of course, Changsun Wuji disagreed with Li Shimin's statement, and argued: "Since King Jin was established as the crown prince, he is respectful and studious, and His Majesty has praised him many times. He is still young, and I believe that with the help of his ministers, he is knowledgeable and a director. The ability can definitely improve a lot.”

"Human character is born in nature, and it is difficult to change fundamentally. I am very worried about Zhi'er." "Your Majesty, I think that if a person is eager to learn, that is the way to become a talent. Given time, as the prince grows older, he will definitely be able to govern calmly." Li Shimin shook his head and said: "I look at all the scholars and think that Ke'er Yingguo is like me. It is better to make Ke'er as a reserve. In the long run, it is definitely better than Zhi'er." Changsun Wuji heard Li Shimin say this, knew that he had moved Yi Chu's mind again, and was very anxious, and resolutely objected: "Your Majesty, this is absolutely impossible. In the past, Chengqian and Wei Wangtai competed for the throne, and the courtiers were divided into two factions because of it. Now that the new crown prince has been established, the forces in the court are gradually becoming unified. If your majesty wants to establish the king of Wu, it will definitely cause chaos."

Li Shimin looked at his situation and knew that he was extremely anxious, so he smiled and said: "Wuji, you object to making Ke'er the heir, is it because Zhi'er is your nephew, and isn't Ke'er?" Seeing Li Shimin's smile, Changsun Wuji understood that what Li Shimin said was not serious, so he said seriously: "Your Majesty said that the crown prince is weak, but he is actually benevolent. After a hundred years, your majesty will succeed the crown prince, and I guarantee that he will at least be the ruler of success. Having said that, the abolition of the reserve position is related to the great fortune of the country, and you should not abolish the establishment at will, may your majesty think twice."

Li Shimin discussed this matter with Changsun Wuji alone today, obviously wanting to test Changsun Wuji's tone.Changsun Wuji's attitude was resolute, and he couldn't discuss it further, so he said: "Forget it, this matter is over. Wuji, since you firmly support Zhi'er, Zhi'er will be more concerned by you from now on. If it is difficult for him to become a master, his reserve position will not be guaranteed." Changsun Wuji bowed and replied: "Your Majesty, I will do my best not to let Zhi'er lose His Majesty's ambition." Li Ke was born by Yang Qiong and was the third son of Li Shimin.In terms of intellectual ability, it is indeed above Li Zhi.Li Shimin is determined not to be easy to save anymore, because he doesn't want his other sons to have another heart.A few days later, when he saw Li Ke, he warned him: "Although our father and son are close relatives, if you are guilty, I cannot violate the law of the world for personal gain. In the past, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty had established Emperor Zhao, but King Yan refused to accept it, and plotted against the law. , was punished by Huo Guang. You are a subject, you must stop." All the princes know that Li Shimin values ​​the virtuous, and now the cowardly Li Zhi has been established as the prince. If his brothers are not convinced, of course the king of Wu, Li Ke, will be the leader.Now that Li Shimin said this, seeing that it would be impossible to take the crown prince again, Li Ke was so discouraged that he bowed and agreed.However, after all, Li Ke's virtuous name spread far and wide, and he was deeply favored by everyone. Changsun Wuji still couldn't let it go in his heart.Later, when Li Zhi succeeded to the throne, Changsun Wuji said that Li Ke participated in Fang Yiai's rebellion and caused him to die unjustly. It was the Spring Festival of that year, and countries from all over the world competed to pay tribute to Chang'an.Li Shimin received the princes and envoys of the Sifang in the Taiji Hall, and suddenly found that Yanqi Kingdom had not sent anyone.At that time, although Goryeo and Baekje were dissatisfied with Tang's protection of Silla, they still sent people to send tribute.After the court meeting was over, Li Shimin asked Li Zhi to give a banquet on his behalf, and called Tang Jian and Li Shi to ask about it. Li Shimin asked: "Is there a reason why the Yanqi Kingdom did not come to pay tribute?" Tang Jian said: "At the end of last year, the Minister of Western Turks, Qu Lichu, married Tuqizhi's daughter for his younger brother. I think Tuqizhi felt that he had a new backer, so he would not come to court this year." Li Shimin pondered: "At the beginning, Gaochang and Western Turkic Siyehu Khan joined forces to defeat Yanqi, and Tuqizhi was forced to flee to Kucha. Later, Hou Junji led the army to conquer Gaochang, and returned the city of Yanqi and its people to Tuqizhi. Unexpectedly, after more than a year, Tuqizhi turned to Western Turks again. Brother, it seems that Siyehu Khan's forces are heading eastward, so is Nishi Khan hard to stop it?" In order to divide the Western Turkic forces, Li Shimin canonized Nishi Khan and recognized his status in the Western Regions.In order to obtain the canonization of Datang, Siyehu Khan sent envoys to Chang'an to offer his kindness to Datang, and asked for a marriage.Li Shimin rejected these proposals of Siyehu Khan, and only told him to be good-neighborly and friendly with other countries in the Western Regions, and not to attack each other. Li Shi reported: "Yanqi was originally a vassal state of Nishi Khan. After the establishment of the Anxi Duhufu, Tuqizhi thanked us for returning its land and population. It was quiet for about half a year. Unexpectedly, Siyehu Khan took advantage of Nishi When the Khan was in decline, the new Ashina Helu was appointed as Ye Hu and let him lead his troops to invade the east, gradually encroaching on Nishi Khan's territory. Tuqi Zhishan would speculate on the direction of the wind, probably because he thought Guo Xiaoke only led a few troops Thousands of people guarded Tingzhou, but Siyehu Khan was no match in the end, so he stepped on two boats. This time he married his daughter to Qu Lichu's younger brother, obviously thinking that he had found a backer, so he didn't come to pay tribute." Li Shimin sighed: "It seems that the situation in the Western Regions is still controlled by the Western Turks! After all, Yanqi is a small country, and the Tuqi branch turned to Siye to protect the Khan. It is obviously to protect the safety of their own country, and it is not wrong." Tang Jian said: "Tuqizhi is really a snobbish person. Now he is wholeheartedly seeking favor from Siyehu Khan, but he has forgotten my kindness to him. Your Majesty, I think this wind cannot be opened. If Tuqizhi is allowed to act recklessly like this , the Western Regions will think that our government is weak, and they will show their favor to Siyehu Khan. In this way, the Anxi Protectorate established by Your Majesty to manage the Western Regions is useless." Li Shimin recalled that after Gaochang was breached, he discussed with his ministers how to manage the land in Gaochang.At that time, Wei Zheng insisted that according to the method of dealing with Tuyuhun, the descendants of the Qu family should be established as the kings of Gaochang, and Gaochang should be made a vassal state of the Tang Dynasty, thinking of autonomy.At that time, I had an ambitious plan to manage the Western Regions, and felt that if the Gaochang Kingdom was reestablished, the Western Turkic forces would prevail in the Western Regions, and the Tang Dynasty would not have much initiative there.For the sake of the long-term, the three prefectures were established, and Anxi Duhufu was set up under the jurisdiction of them, as the outpost of Datang's management of the Western Regions.Now he carefully tasted the words of Li Shi and Tang Jian, and felt that if Ren Siyehu Khan gradually developed his power there, the next step would definitely endanger the safety of Anxi Duhu Mansion.Li Shimin obviously did not want to see such a situation. Li Shimin thought of this, and asked again: "Brother Shi, you said that Guo Xiaoke was able to lead the troops in Tingzhou well, and the farms were effective. Is it true? With his strength, he does not need to transfer troops from the interior. Can he cope with the situation there?" Li Shi replied: "Your Majesty appointed Guo Xiaoke as the Protector of Anxi. It can be said that he knows people with insight. After he took office, he has made the defenses of Yizhou, Xizhou and Tingzhou very strong, so that the Western Turks dare not attack easily. Its garrison staff will use more than a thousand people dispatched from the interior as the backbone, and then train the militiamen in the three states, tens of thousands of people can be obtained. Guo Xiaoke does not need to dispatch troops from the interior now. With his strength at hand, he can not only protect the defense of the three states In addition to being safe, you can also organize troops to attack, which can be described as both offensive and defensive." "For example, if Yan Qi disrespects our country, can Guo Xiaoke kill him?" "Your Majesty, Guo Xiaoke recently made a request to the Ministry of War to refer the emperor to allow him to attack Yanqi. Guo Xiaoke said that while defending the three states, he can surprise Yanqi with a strong army, and send another army to guard against Siyehu Khan. After careful observation, I feel that Guo Xiaoke's words are feasible." After Li Shi finished speaking, he presented Guo Xiaoke's statement to Li Shimin. After reading it, Li Shimin praised: "What Guo Xiaoke said is not empty, it seems that he has put in a lot of effort. Well, let Guo Xiaoke be the protector of Anxi, it can be said to be a man. Brother, do you think now is the time to attack Yanqi? ?” "I think it's feasible. If Guo Xiaoke can win Yanqi in one fell swoop, he can promote our Tang army. If Yanqi is conquered, all the countries in the Western Regions will definitely fear me, and can curb Siyehu Khan's eastward invasion. And after Yanqi is pacified, Your Majesty can appoint a new king of Yanqi. Nishi Khan has the help of our court, and the countries in the Western Regions will surely submit to him. In this way, his power will gradually be able to resist Khan Siyehu.” Li Shimin smiled back at Tang Jian and said, "Tang Qing, listen carefully to what my brother said. His few words not only outline the plan to attack Yanqi, but also plan for the future situation in the Western Regions. What is the talent of a handsome man, this is what brother is!" He turned to Li Shidao: "The Ministry of War can transfer the document of the Anxi Capital Protectorate to approve Guo Xiaoke's performance. You have to tell Guo Xiaoke that the Western Regions are under his sole control, and he will do things cheaply. If he starts a war against Yanqi, the imperial court will not send someone from within. One soldier and one horse, let him plan carefully with the soldiers at hand, and there must be no mistakes. If he loses the battle, he will retreat thousands of miles, and our Great Tang's foothold in the Western Regions will be lost from then on, so let him be cautious." Li Shi bowed to receive the order. Li Shimin asked Tang Jian again: "Tang Qing, has Xiangli Xuan Prize been sent to Liaodong as an envoy, and hasn't returned yet?" "I haven't returned. Chang'an went to Liaodong for more than 6,000 miles, and it would take several months to go back and forth. This time, he needs to convey His Majesty's decree to Korea and Baekje, and maybe he will go to Silla to comfort him." Li Shimin touched his heart and asked Li Shidao: "Brother Shi, do you think Xiangli Xuan Prize's mission this time will make them stop fighting?" Li Shi shook his head and said: "Given Gai Suwen's temper, it's hard to persuade him to turn around with a few words." "I don't believe it either! From this point of view, the first battle in Liaodong is inevitable?" Li Shi nodded. "Hey, there is Yanqi in the west and Goryeo in the east. If we fight at the same time, will the people in the government and the opposition accuse me of being warlike?" Tang Jian said: "The battle of Yanqi was presided over by Guo Xiaoke, and it could be completed without dispatching troops from the interior, and the cost of using troops was very little. Only the battle of Liaodong was too far away, and the Koreans were always strong, so they had to use heavy troops." "Yes, it takes several months to go back and forth for only one mission, let alone a large army? Moreover, the climate there is bitter and cold, and it is difficult to fight in winter months. In this way, the suitable time for fighting is only a little more than half a year. Even so, The Liaodong War must be fought, if I hold back, will Gai Suwen's tail still be up to the sky? Brother, you have to pay attention to the affairs of the Northwest, and also plan the Liaodong affairs." Li Shi bowed again and agreed. After one month, Xiangli Xuanju returned to the capital from Liaodong.When Li Shimin learned that Gai Suwen did not follow the order to stop the war, and made rude remarks, he said angrily: "What an ignorant and arrogant person! Well, he said that Gai Suwen wanted to take back his homeland, so I won't take it back ?” Li Shimin strengthened his determination to attack Goryeo. He counted the time and thought it would be a bit hasty to attack Goryeo this year, so he decided to attack Goryeo in the spring of next year.Therefore, he immediately issued several edicts. One edict urged Yan Lide to step up the supervision of the production of grain transport ships and warships, which were gathered in Laizhou in July this year; The soldiers and the Khitan, Xi, and Mohe soldiers were asked to harass Goryeo at the right time, so as to restrain their attack on Silla and observe its momentum; they also ordered Taichangqing Chen Junbin to be the envoy, and Cui Renshi, the minister of the Ministry of Civil Affairs, to be the deputy. All the prefectures in Henan and Henan are subject to their festivals, and they act cheaply to ensure that food, grass, and ordnance are transported to Liaodong in time to prepare materials for the war. In August of the eighteenth year of Zhenguan, it was late autumn in Chang'an, and snow had begun to fall in the Western Regions, and a battle commanded by Guo Xiaoke kicked off. Guo Xiaoke is a native of Yangzhai, Xuzhou. He has been in the army for many years. He is resourceful, brave and has made many military exploits.He also has the general advantage of being able to get along well with his superiors and treat his subordinates with sincerity.Li Shimin recommended him to Li Shimin as the Anxi Protector at the beginning, perhaps because he saw such benefits in him. The Anxi Protectorate's Mansion was first built, and the personnel here are rather mixed.Its residents are mainly the old people of Gaochang, and there are also some Turkic people.The border guards are mainly more than a thousand soldiers from the Tang Dynasty. They rotate every three years, and there are also some migrant criminals as guards.Facing such a motley crowd, Guo Xiaoke understood that if he wanted to stabilize the three states, he must first unite everyone's minds.Li Shimin granted him the title of Inspector of Xizhou and Governor of Anxi. In fact, he put all the military and political power here in his own hands, which was quite beneficial for him to comfort everyone. In the past, the Qu Dynasty exploited the people of Gaochang for a long time, which caused people's resentment to boil, and the Qu Dynasty also accelerated its collapse.Guo Xiaoke understood this festival and took two major measures: one is to ask Li Shimin for an order to exempt the rent and tax of the three states within three years, and Li Shimin will play it; Thought officials.Guo Xiaoke tried Li Shimin's practice in the early years of Zhenguan here, and it really had an immediate effect.Seeing that farming and mulberry do not need to pay rent or tax, the people under his jurisdiction immediately aroused their enthusiasm for reclamation, and the land of the three prefectures showed a school of vitality; and it was also seen that the officials were all people who were in line with the people's minds, not those hideous faces of tigers and wolves in the past. Official, the state of mind is also relaxed.After a period of time, Guo Xiaoke took advantage of the situation and asked them to use households as units, and every ten households as a group, so as to organize the militia.These militiamen reclaimed wasteland during busy farming seasons and trained troops during slack farming seasons, gradually becoming a climate. Guo Xiaoke leads the army and is known for his sincerity and sincerity.Now facing these wandering sinners, apart from strictly guarding them according to the laws of the court, he tried his best to feel them sincerely.He said to these prisoners: "You have migrated here. To the west are the Western Turkic countries. When you get there, you have no relatives and cannot speak a word; to the east is two thousand miles of sandy moraine. If someone walks alone, there is no chance of survival. I say this , I want to tell you: the only way to survive is to commit crimes and make meritorious service here. Indefinitely, it will definitely hurt his heart." These prisoners were sent here for committing various crimes in the interior. Along the way, they ate and drank dew, and experienced the heat and cold of the sandy moraine, as well as the most unbearable hunger and thirst.He knew that if he fled back to the mainland alone, he would indeed die. Guo Xiaoke said again: "From today onwards, you are not criminals who have committed crimes, but soldiers of our Tang Dynasty guarding the frontier. If you can respect the land, or make meritorious service to the court, you can reduce your sentence and even get rewards from the court." A prisoner timidly asked: "Guo Duhu, can we have enough to eat from now on?" Guo Xiaoke replied: "I think the journey was difficult when you came here, so you were hungry and full. When you arrive here, you will be treated the same as everyone else. You may not know that I never open small stoves, but share meals with soldiers. From today From now on, you can eat whatever you eat, don’t worry about it. Of course, the people here are exhausted, so we must not disturb them; relying on the Middle Earth to transport grain and grass, the journey is too long, our grain supply is somewhat insufficient, and we need to share weal and woe. What should we do? What? We have to train unremittingly while cultivating the fields. We have to rely on our own hands to have enough food and clothing.” Sure enough, Guo Xiaoke ate with everyone according to his words. He often patrolled the camp and cared about the food and daily life of soldiers and prisoners.It is not a lie to say that Guo Xiaoke was able to "caress the emperor with sincerity and win his favor" in history. Li Shimin's quasi-war edict was sent to Guo Xiaoke, and Guo Xiaoke was appointed as the chief of the Xikaidao march, allowing him to act cheaply.After Guo Xiaoke finished reading the edict, seeing that the imperial court had not sent a single soldier, he deeply felt that he had a heavy responsibility on his shoulders and dared not make any mistakes, so he devoted himself to planning and making preparations in advance. Guo Xiaoke selected 1,000 soldiers, 1,000 criminals, and 1,000 militiamen, and matched them with 3,000 war horses for them to practice day and night. In order to prevent Siyehu Khan from leading troops to help, Guo Xiaoke decided to set up a second line of defense.Between the original Gaochang State and Yanqi State, there is a north-south silver mountain lying here. Guo Xiaoke plans to send 3,000 people to ambush here for defense, which is the first line of defense; The strong city resists it, which is the second line of defense. Guo Xiaoke wanted to bring 3,000 people with him to surprise Yanqi, and he could return to Tingzhou after he succeeded.In case Siyehu Khan comes to help, he can set up an ambush in Yinshan area to intercept. Guo Xiaoke kept training his troops here, waiting for the opportunity to attack Yanqi.Perhaps it was a very good opportunity, and two people came from Yanqi Kingdom this day, which made him overjoyed. These two are the younger brothers of Tuqizhi, the elder is named Jiebi, and the second is named Li Pozhun. When Guo Xiaoke met them, he was skeptical at first, thinking that when the two countries were at odds, it must be something extraordinary for them to come here to throw themselves into their arms.Guo Xiaoke asked a little bit, and the two will tell the details soon.Li Pozhun is eloquent, and the two of them mainly talk about him. It turned out that Tuqizhi decided to join Siyehu Khan and marry his daughter to Qu Lichu's younger brother. This matter was quite controversial among his tribe, and the opponents were led by Jiebi and Li Pozhun.They disapproved of marrying the Western Turkic Qulichu, and Li Pozhun explained the reasons for her objection: "To marry with Quelichu today is to abandon Nishi Khan. Compared with Siyehu Khan, Nishi Khan is indeed The power is getting weaker, but Khan who is the mud won the title of Datang, and there is Datang's support behind him. It is impossible for Datang to allow Khan Siyehu to be strong in the Western Regions. Xi Gaochang and Khan Siyehu joined forces to reject Datang. They attacked our country again, which was powerful for a time. However, soon after Tang soldiers left the Western Regions, Si Yehu Khan heard about it and retreated thousands of miles to the west, and the Qu family fell to the country. Now, Guo Xiaoke leads the army to guard the three states, bordering our country. How can we ignore the present situation? Do you follow Gaochang's mistakes?" Tuqizhi insisted on his stand, and reprimanded: "Our country used to be a vassal state of Nishi Khan, how did it ever get the protection of Datang? Have you forgotten the embarrassment when you fled to Kucha? Datang is now concentrating on domestic affairs, No time to look around. He set up the Anxi Capital Protectorate in the Western Regions, but it is just a false name. Yes, Guo Xiaoke is indeed close at hand, but there are only more than a thousand people guarding him under his command, plus some soldiers who are guilty of crimes, what can be done? Is it Ye Hu Khan’s cavalry? Now that Ashina Helu dares to move under Guo Xiaoke’s nose, has Guo Xiaoke moved a hair on him?” Li Pozhun responded tit for tat: "That's right, Guo Xiaoke led only a few thousand troops, and Siyehu Khan didn't know, why didn't his cavalry dare to invade Xizhou half an inch? That Tingzhou was originally called Khan Futu City, and it was built by Ashina Bu Really guarding, now Siyehu Khan is powerful, why didn't he take Tingzhou to avenge his old revenge?" The opinions of the two factions were very different. In the end, Tuqizhi relied on the name of the king to suppress the opinions of the other faction, and sent his daughter to the Western Turkic royal court to marry the younger brother of Qu Lichu.Thus, Yanqi and Siyehu Khan kept in touch and began their honeymoon relationship.Siyehu Khan was very happy because Yanqi took the initiative to throw himself into his arms. In fact, Yanqi Kingdom is connected to Tang Xizhou in the east, Qiuci in the west, Yuli Kingdom in the south, and Wusun Kingdom in the north. Now it belongs to him. That is to say, he has a slight upper hand in the power competition with Datang and Nishi Khan.It is said that the land of Yanqi Kingdom is not big, it is about 400 miles across and 600 miles across, and there are only 4,000 households and 2,000 soldiers in the country. Seeing Tuqi sticking to his own way, Jiebi and Li Pozhun had nothing to do.One of the two was worried about the prosperity of the Tang Dynasty, and the two wanted to gain their own interests, so they escaped from Yanqi on a dark night and came to Xizhou to join Guo Xiaoke. Guo Xiaoke heard the details and felt that what they said was true.Before that, he had also sent people into Yanqi to investigate the situation, and he had a rough idea of ​​the facts of the disputes among his clansmen. Now that it is confirmed by Li Pozhun's words, he is even more convinced.He thought to himself that it would not be difficult to defeat Yanqi, but how to govern the country would be difficult in the future.Now that these two people come to vote, if one of them is made king after defeating Yanqi, he will definitely turn his heart to the Tang Dynasty in the future, and this problem will be solved.Thinking of this, Guo Xiaoke was not in a hurry to explain this point, and called someone to lead the two brothers down to settle down and rest.In the next few days, Guo Xiaoke often summoned these two people to inquire about Yanqi's domestic geography and the defense of the capital. Li Pozhun understood that Guo Xiaoke was going to do something to Yanqi, so she said: "In Yanqi's country, only the capital city is well-prepared, and its preparation is not in manpower, but in defending against danger." Guo Xiaoke asked why. Li Pozhun said: "The capital city has a radius of thirty li and is surrounded by mountains on all sides. There is a moat under the city wall. It can be said that it is easy to defend and difficult to attack. The people of the country rely on its dangers and think that it is not easy for outsiders to attack. Over time, its defense is quite negligent. It is nothing more than sending a few It's just a lookout between people. We escaped from the city this time, and we didn't meet a single person on the way." At this time, Guo Xiaoke realized why the Tuqizhi was like a chameleon. He knew that his own country was weak and it was difficult to fight against other countries, so he adopted the method of adhering to the strong to ensure his own safety, and he did not prepare his own troops to defend himself.It is a smart move for Tu Qizhi to survive in the cracks. Li Pozhun didn't wait for Guo Xiaoke to speak out at this time, and said bluntly: "Guo Duhu, if the Tang army wants to attack Yanqi, I am willing to be a guide. The people of our country are all eagerly waiting for Guo Duhu to come." Guo Xiaoke thought to himself, what the people are waiting for is all nonsense, the whereabouts of the Yanqi Kingdom, isn't your brothers around there?Thinking of this, he smiled and said to the two brothers: "On the day you came to vote, I have sent a statement to the court, asking the emperor to grant your brother the master of Yanqi from now on. You are thinking about the people, and I expect the emperor will not refute me." What you play will definitely be granted." The two brothers were very happy, and said: "If His Majesty the Emperor grants permission, my younger brother Li Pozhun can take this seat." Li Pozhun hurriedly gave in, Guo Xiaoke secretly smiled and said: "It's really rare for your brothers to be so humble.He pondered for a moment, then said: "We will discuss this matter later. In fact, before you came, I had been preparing for a long time to send troops to attack Yanqi. You are here because God helped me. Li Pozhun, you will be the guide of the army. You have to draw out the marching route immediately, and march in the next day." The two brothers stood up and agreed. On August 21st, night gradually enveloped Yinshan. Dark clouds hung low in the sky, covering the starlight and moonlight. At the foot of Yinshan Mountain, 3,000 horses were ready to go, and another 3,000 horses were lined up. They were listening to Guo Xiaoke's speech: "You stay here and keep an eye on your surroundings. I am going to Yanqi. I will break the city tomorrow and return the prisoners in the evening." .Yanqi country is nothing to worry about, but it communicates with the Turks, so we must prevent the Turks from coming to help." Everyone suddenly agreed. Afterwards, Guo Xiaoke ordered 3,000 troops to move, with Li Pozhun leading the way as a guide.He avoided the place where the Yanqi people lived, and chose a relatively secluded place to march, so as not to expose the whereabouts of the army. Yinshan is only a hundred miles away from the capital of Yanqi. After galloping overnight, 3,000 horses arrived under the capital of Yanqi in the middle of the night.Guo Xiaoke ordered all the staff to dismount, and then ordered the horses to be enclosed in an open field, leaving a thousand people to guard the horses and serve as backup. Sure enough, Yanqi's capital city was defenseless, with only a few people on duty in the tower. It was more than half of the night at this time, and these people all fell asleep in the tower.Li Pozhun was familiar with the habits of these people, so she told Guo Xiaoke about it, and drew the locations of the towers one by one.Guo Xiaoke led 2,000 people to approach the city quietly, and selected 200 people to try to swim across the moat, and then climbed up the city wall along the cable.Their task is to deal with these guards. Things went very well, and the two hundred men, dressed in night-clothes, swam across the moat in separate groups.At that time, the cold wind was like a knife, and the cold air hit people. When they crossed the moat, they felt as if they were frozen.At any rate, this group of people were selected strong and strong people. Without any hesitation, they quietly threw the grappling hooks onto the city wall, and then began to climb along the rope.With such an effort, a lot of the cold air in his body was driven out.They climbed up the city wall and gradually gathered around the city tower. The leader coughed lightly, and the others rushed in. They either stabbed them straight with their knives, or knocked them out by hitting their heads with the handle of their knives, and soon killed all the guards on duty. man in uniform. At this time, the sky was twilight, and the two hundred people quietly opened the gates around the city, and put down the moat suspension bridge, so that the outside army could enter smoothly. More than half of the Tang soldiers entering the city held drum horns in their hands. As soon as they entered the city gate, they immediately beat the drums in their hands and blew the horns in their mouths.All of a sudden, the sound of drums and horns sounded from all over Yanqi's capital city, and people shouted loudly. I don't know how many Tang soldiers entered the city. When Tuqizhi learned that the Tang army had entered the city, under the protection of the palace guards, he led people to resist for a while.However, the Yanqi people were panicked at this time, and they heard the sound of drums and horns, and felt that the general situation was over, and it was difficult to organize a decent resistance.The soldiers who came with Guo Xiaoke felt that it was time to make meritorious deeds. They were like wolves and tigers, cutting down everyone they met, and blood flowed everywhere they passed.When Li Pozhun led Guo Xiaoke to approach the palace and captured Tuqizhi and the others in one fell swoop, Guo Xiaoke ordered the fighting to stop. By this time, more than a thousand Yanqi people had lost their heads. Guo Xiaoke ordered people to clean up the battlefield, and then asked Li Pozhun to preside over the affairs of the city, and asked him to post notices to reassure the people.Guo Xiaoke led Li Pozhun to the tower, and asked: "If the emperor ordered you to be the lord of Yanqi, will you be like Tuqizhi, who is forced to rebel against the Tang Dynasty by external forces?" Li Pozhun replied with great emotion: "No country in the world can resist the power of the Tang Dynasty now. How can we talk about external forces? Guo Duhu, please rest assured, if the emperor really canonize me, I will be a minister of the Tang Dynasty, and there will be no repetition in this life!" "Okay, I believe what you said. The land of Yanqi Kingdom is an important place, and the various forces in the Western Regions will definitely compete fiercely here. As long as your heart is in the Tang Dynasty, I will work hard to protect you. I will return in the afternoon, and you have full control over this place." Host, the matter of city equipment can no longer be just a fake." Li Pozhun suddenly showed a look of panic, and begged, "Why did Guo Duhu leave in such a hurry? I heard that Qu Lisuo heard that the Tang army was coming to attack, and had already led the Turkic troops here to help. If the Tang army left, this place would almost become a city. Empty city, I really can't resist." "I know that Trevor is coming, and counting the distance, he will arrive in the next day. Don't worry, I intend to leave, but it is a trick to lure the enemy. I will lead the troops to station in front of the Silver Mountain, thinking of your solidarity. In your city Void, I can leave 500 soldiers to help you defend the city. This city is a natural danger. As long as there is enough food and grass in the city, it will be difficult for outsiders to attack. If Qury comes, you just stick to the city, and he will eventually There is nothing we can do. Qu Li saw that the siege was in vain, so I came here to lure him at the right time, he thought that my soldiers would definitely pursue him, and in this way, a good show will begin." Guo Xiaoke asked people to escort Tuqizhi and his wife to Chang'an, and let Li Shimin decide the future fate of Tuqizhi.When he led his troops to the Silver Mountain, he stopped there and waited for Qu Lichu's arrival. Two days later, Qu Lichu led his troops to the city of Yanqi.He heard that Tuqizhi was sent to Chang'an, and Li Pozhun presided over the city. He was furious and ordered to attack the city.The originally false city defense is now presided over by five hundred Tang soldiers, which can be described as solid as a rock.Qu Lishui stormed all afternoon, and the people in the city were not damaged, but his men were wounded by arrows countless times.It was night, and the servants came to report that there were only a few traces of the Tang army in the Yinshan area. Qu Lishui understood the layout of Yanqi's capital and knew that a fierce attack would not be effective in the short term, so he blamed Guo Xiaoke at this time, thinking that he caused the trouble.At that time, Qu Lichu didn't understand Guo Xiaoke's well-organized army, and thought that he had only a thousand troops under him, so he decided to pursue Guo Xiaoke, and thus cut off Li Pozhun's backup.He thought very well, thinking that after defeating Guo Xiaoke, Li Pozhun would open the city and surrender.He felt that the battle with Guo Xiaoke was a sure bet, because Turkic cavalry were best at field battles, and siege was not their forte. Qu Lishui did what he said, and sent the wounded back to the royal court early the next morning, and led the rest of the cavalry to the Yinshan Mountain like a whirlwind. After noon, the Turkic cavalry approached Yinshan and found hundreds of Tang soldiers at the foot of the mountain grazing horses there.The Turks yelled and rushed over with a shiny machete in their hands.Those Tang soldiers looked at the Turkic iron cavalry galloping forward, their faces showed panic, and they got on their horses in a panic and ran for their lives.Many Tang soldiers unloaded their saddles on the ground, but they couldn't put them on at this time, so they fled embarrassingly on the bare backs of their horses. Qu Li sipped loudly and shouted: "Fight forward and kill them all on the spot!" Hearing the order, the Turks swung their whips and beat the horses fiercely, getting closer and closer to the fleeing Tang soldiers. The fleeing Tang soldiers rode crookedly on their horses, and some of them were knocked to the ground by the horses. The Tang army, who was desperately fleeing, was in front, and the Turks were behind. They turned left and right in the silver mountain, and they didn't realize that they had entered a narrow valley.Tang Bing turned a corner of a mountain and disappeared. The Turkic people who passed the corner suddenly turned pale with fright. They all tightened the reins of their horses and made their horses stand upright. It was obvious that they had seen something frightening. It turns out that after the corner, there is a steep slope facing you, and there is only a narrow and long hole at the bottom of the slope to communicate with the outside.The steep slope was full of Tang soldiers, all of them with bows and crossbows, aiming at the Turkic soldiers rushing one after another. Seeing that the former army did not leave, Qu Li asked in surprise, "What's going on? Why didn't they move?" Before the words were finished, there was a sound of clappers in the mountain stream, and the front army suddenly mourned, and arrows and crossbows shot densely towards the bottom of the valley like locusts. 屈利啜到此时方才注意四周的山势，方悟唐军早就选好地势埋伏起来，张网以待。他观罢大惊，急忙大喝道：“快退，快退。” 说时迟，那时快，眼前的局势已经不容屈利啜来左右。就见山谷两侧也有唐兵现身，他们或掷下石块、檑木，或觑准人群发出长箭。谷底的突厥人遭此大难，顿时乱成一团。 由于谷内狭窄，突厥人在谷底难有腾挪之地，人马互相践踏，又伤折不少。及至他们退出谷外，检点出谷人马，发现伤亡之人已过半。 屈利啜经此惨败，再无心与郭孝恪交手，遂带领残兵败将返回西突厥王庭。 李世民这日召来李世，欲向其布置攻伐高丽之事。 话间一名太监手捧驿盒，叩道：“兵部送来加急文书，请皇上御览。” 李世民道：“快呈上来。” 李世民展开文书，快速阅读一遍，然后将之交给李世，说道：“好呀，郭孝恪果然有勇有谋。其以奇计击破焉耆，可谓兵不血刃，用此人来经营西域，可谓得人。” 李世笑道：“总观此战，郭孝恪不用内地一兵一卒，靠一军之力，大破一国，又力拒突厥，其若无上乘的胆识和谋略，断难成功。” “不错，郭孝恪有勇有谋，朕定当赏赐。世兄，朕此时心悦此战完胜。经此一战，焉耆成为大唐属国，那肆叶护可汗不敢轻易犯边。如此，西境可以保持一段时期内的安定，朕可以放手来对付东方了。” 李世马上明白李世民要开始征讨高丽了，遂言道：“陛下，时辰已进入冬月。若想征讨高丽，明年开春为最佳时机。” 李世民叹道：“朕欲征高丽，不料朝中有许多人反对，独你支持此举。你说得对，明年开春，非征讨高丽不可。朕今日叫你来，即是商议此事。” “陛下前令阎立德造船，如今船皆集于莱州；又令陈君宾为馈运使，其已将大半粮草运至营州。船、粮、器械已备，只需陛下选定兵马，克日奔赴辽东。臣等厉兵秣马，唯等陛下号令。” 李世民沉思一会儿，说道：“世兄，此次高丽之战，朕要亲征。” 李世民年轻之时，多次率兵出征，所战皆捷。然其当了皇帝，近二十年间每遇战事，多在京中部署，再未带过兵。他现在忽然提出要御驾亲征，确实为石破天惊的举动。李世原想征讨一小国，李世民至多派自己为帅，从未想过他要亲自出征，遂说道：“高丽小国，臣率十万兵即可讨之，勿需陛下亲征。”其心内想到，许是群臣多反对征高丽，惹得李世民动怒，且其多年未曾出外带兵，于是想过一把瘾，泄泄心中之忿。 李世民摇手道：“朕谋定多日，你无须再劝。朕想好了，此次出战，可采用水陆合势之法来夹攻高丽。朕授你为辽东道行军大总管，率步骑六万及突厥、薛延陀、回纥之兵奔辽东，朕随你而行；再授李大亮为平壤道行军大总管，率江淮之兵四万，战舰五百艘，自莱州渡海趋平壤。其下将官，由你们各自挑选。这样两军合势并进，必克高丽矣。” 李世不再谏李世民亲征的事，问道：“臣奉旨。敢问陛下，臣等何日启程？” “明年三月，为总攻高丽之时。你把握时间，便宜行事吧。朕近日要颁布讨高丽之诏，还要对国内之事预作安排，军事由你全盘谋定。咳，朕之诏命一发，朝中之人又要有人来劝谏了。” 后数日，李世民颁布《亲征高丽手诏》，此诏由李世民亲手所拟，诏文中责盖苏文弑其君、专国政、侵新罗，为此要兴兵问罪。诏文中最后说：“略言必胜之道，盖有五焉：一曰以我大而击其小；二曰以我顺而讨其逆；三曰以我安而乘其乱；四曰以我逸而敌其劳；五曰以我悦而当其怨。何忧不克，何虑不摧，可布告元元，勿为疑惧耳！”李世民必胜之心理，跃然纸上。 此事在朝中掀起轩然大波，于是，群臣或上疏，或当面向李世民进谏，竭力阻止李世民征伐高丽之举。 褚遂良上疏反对李世民亲征，其疏中言道：“天下犹如一身，两京为心腹，州县为四肢，四夷为身外之物。高丽罪大，确实应该征讨，陛下可令数猛将率数万众，仗陛下之威灵，取之如反掌。现在太子新立，年纪尚轻，监国尚需磨炼；陛下若涉辽海之险，轻行远举，愚臣甚为忧心。”李世民读了数句，即弃而不看。 房玄龄、长孙无忌、萧瑀、马周、刘洎等大臣皆认为征讨高丽实为民力轻用之举，他们拿出隋炀帝的例子，让李世民引为鉴戒；通过颂扬贞观盛世，说明“抚民以静”的好处。李世民对这些谏言统统不听，反而斥道：“夫天有其时，人有其功。盖苏文凌上虐下，百姓延颈待救，此正是高丽可亡之时也。你们纷纭来谏，为何看不到此节？” 贞观年间以来，李世民倡导的诤谏之风，虽魏征逝去，此风依然未改，从此事上可见一斑。以李世民之智，他完全明白征讨高丽大违自己多年来的治国方针，奈何他心已至此，别人纵使再谏，也一意孤行。 李世民为了征辽成功，倒是下了不少工夫。已致仕在家的前宜州刺史郑元踌，曾经跟随隋炀帝征讨过高丽。李世民将其召入宫中，问询征讨高丽的方略。郑元踌详详细细将自己所知道的征高丽的情况说了一遍，最后恳切说道：“辽东道远，粮运艰难，冬日时严寒，且高丽多坚城，人们善守城，攻之难以迅速攻破。老臣以为对高丽应以安抚为主，不可轻易动兵。” 李世民这些日子早听烦了这些陈词滥调，斥道：“今日非隋可比，朕也不是隋炀帝。你瞧着吧，朕攻之三月，定克高丽。”李世民此时觉得，自己能成贞观盛世，又能办成隋炀帝不能办成的事，声望之隆可达极致。在那一时刻，其心中以为高丽已是囊中之物，心底油然升起得意之情。 后数日，李世民又召见李靖。待李靖坐定，李世民问道：“药师兄深居简出，可曾闻我欲伐高丽吗？” 李靖答道：“老臣前些日子曾见过陛下诏告，知道陛下欲伐高丽。” “药师兄深识军机，以为我伐高丽能全胜否？” 李靖沉吟道：“高丽路远，冬日时寒冷异常，若攻之需有数年准备，方能一举克之。高丽毕竟为一小国，其难以与中国相抗。陛下若攻之，定能克平。” “嗯，药师兄此话，我还爱听。药师兄，我自从说过要伐高丽，朝中之臣除李世赞成外，其他重臣皆出言反对。” “陛下，臣以为群臣所忧，主要是鉴于隋炀帝之败，深恐由此劳乏国力，以致国内动荡。” “是呀，他们动辄拿出隋炀帝的例子来警示，以图让我罢征高丽之意。药师兄，今日非复前隋旧时，我难道会成为昏君吗？我多年来教化天下，以德感之。那隋炀帝无道，失人已久，其辽东之役，人们为避征役皆断手足，由此激起杨玄感之乱。我今征高丽，并非强征硬索，所取兵士皆出于自愿，且募十得百，募百得千，有不能选入军中者，皆愤怒失落，怎能会由此招致民怨呢？” “陛下所言甚是，不过大战之前，须精心准备，不敢有稍许懈怠，方能保此战成功。” 李世民叹道：“是啊，为保此战成功，我欲亲征。药师兄，你随孝恭平定南方，北破东突厥，西定吐谷浑，立有无数大功。现在仅有高丽未服，此役若能有你主持，我也无须亲征了。” 是时，李靖老迈，再让他带兵出征，实在是勉为其难。李世民现在这样说，李靖心中一惊。他知道，以李世民之聪明，断不会让自己挂帅出征。然李世民说出这等话，其中定是大有深意。思来想去，许是李世民深恐自己军机兵法冠盖天下，其亲征出外，京中定然空虚，怕京中发生什么变故。李靖想到这里，起身拜道：“臣以往凭借陛下天威，得成尺寸微功，累陛下记挂，臣心存感激。老臣今日虽老病交加，行动不便，若陛下不弃，臣愿随陛下到辽东建功。” 李世民心中确实想让李靖随同自己出征，一来想让李靖随军谋划军机；二来确实怕太子年幼，自己长期出外，京中容易发生什么变故。多年来，李世民既使用李靖，又时刻对他保持戒心。然他看到李靖现在毫不犹豫答应随军，又看到李靖确实老迈难行，遂叹道：“罢了，我心中确实想让药师兄随行，然你戎马一生，为我立功无数，现在正是颐养天年的时候，我岂能忍心让你再受劳顿之苦？外人若见你出征，定会责我不恤你了。” 李靖拜道：“臣戎马一生，若就此战死沙场，方为武人本色，乞陛下允臣随军。” 李世民摇头，坚决不许。 不过李世民在出征之前，为防国内发生变故，采取了不少应对措施。 由房玄龄留守长安，京中及国内事务由其全权主之。 由萧瑀留守洛阳。 太子李治至定州，由高士廉、刘洎、马周、褚遂良、张行成、高季辅等人辅佐，负责处理国内要务，居中与辽东战场联络。 这样，自长安始，其中经洛阳、定州，皆由李世民所信任的重臣镇之，连成一线，万一国内有变，可保无虞。 贞观十九年二月，李世民带领大臣和武将奔赴洛阳，他在这里集齐诸军，由此开始了东征高丽之行。随行大臣有长孙无忌、岑文本等人，武将尉迟敬德、李道宗、李世、契苾何力、李思摩等人同行。是时，李大亮带领副将程名振等人已赶至莱州。 春节之时，盖苏文得知大唐欲发兵相攻，心内不免惊惧，遂遣使携带白金入长安朝贡。唐俭奏知此事，李世民问其何以处之，唐俭答道：“盖苏文弑其君，人神共怒，陛下正欲伐之，臣以为不可接受白金。”李世民以为然，让唐俭将高丽使者引入殿内，斥道：“你们以前皆为高丽王建武之下属，有官爵在身。那盖苏文弑逆，你们不能为高丽王复仇，反而来为乱臣游说想欺骗中国，罪莫大焉。”他说完唤来孙伏伽，让他将高丽使者投入狱中治罪。 于是，一场大战拉开了帷幕。