Chapter 7 Chapter 7 Sneaking Over Feiyun Valley on a Snowy Night

Li Gui occupied Wuwei City in Liangzhou, named his country Great Liang, and named himself the Emperor of Great Liang.Due to repeated invasion and oppression by Xue Rengao, the territory has been shrinking day by day.Without the barriers of the Qilian Mountains and the ancient Great Wall, Li Gui would have been driven into the desert in the northwest by Xue Rengao. Fang Xuanling took Li Yuan's seal book, and under the guard of two cavalry, the Qingche Jiancong avoided the road occupied by Xue Jiaqi, headed east first, then detoured Luzhou to the north, and walked all the way to the ancient Great Wall on Helan Mountain underfoot.From here to Wuwei, there are still less than three days away.

Binzhou is still on hold, but the people in the city are not idle.Li Jing led his eldest grandson Wuji and Shi Danai to train recruits and rehearse formations during the day, and read various military reports with Li Shimin at night.Hou Junji and Duan Zhixuan personally went to Qizhou to escort the grain and grass. The two guarded the convoy one by one, and they were vigilant in every possible way, not daring to take it lightly. In the evening, the Marshal's Mansion was the most lively place, and the generals studied and judged military affairs, exchanged information, and expressed their strengths.Li Shimin asked for Li Jing's three volumes of military books. During the day, he read chapter by chapter and pondered them carefully. At night, he took Li Jing to the side room and let him explain them one by one.

Today Li Shimin read Article 152, titled "Arrogant Defeat of Generals". Li Shimin sighed: "Brother Yao, the defeat of Feiyun Valley in the past is still vivid in my mind, which is heartbreaking. If I read this earlier Books will not cause mistakes." Li Jing said: "The most difficult thing for a general is to adjust one's own inherent thinking. The most effective way to adjust is to experience personally and accumulate a lot before you can have an epiphany. As far as I have said in these volumes of military books, among them All the ancients were involved. As the marshal mentioned this article, Wu Zi asked Sun Wu: "The enemy is brave and not afraid, arrogant but not worrying, and the soldiers are numerous and strong. What can I do?" Sun Wu replied: "Just wait for it, To follow the will of the enemy, not to be aware of orders, to benefit his slackness, to wait for the enemy to move, to lie in wait, to move forward without looking forward, to ignore the back, and to hit them in the middle, although everyone is desirable. The way to attack arrogance is not to fight for the front.' Sun Wu has already explained the reasons for the arrogant defeat of the generals. Zhang Xutuo, the former governor of Xingyang County in the Sui Dynasty, can be said to be a good fighter. He defeated Zhai Rang and Li Mi several times in a row. However, Li Mi saw Zhang Xutuo's faults and thought that "Xutuo's sudden victory is very arrogant, and he can be captured in one battle." Li Mi encouraged Zhai Rang to take the initiative to attack. Sure enough, Zhang Xutuo was defeated in this battle and was beheaded in front of the battle. .”

Li Shimin said: "According to Brother Yao's words, the art of war is a routine, the key is to learn and apply it flexibly." He changed the subject, "According to your observation, what is the strategy of the opponent in front of us——Hao Yuan?" Li Jing replied: "This Hao Yuan can be regarded as a man of insight. Back then he assisted Xue Ju in running Longxi, and he made great contributions. Just like in front of you - he knows the importance of a quick victory, so he tried different ways to provoke us. This man Master, we have to be ten times more careful. But as a general, there must always be a good master to be effective. Xue Rengao is far different from his old man Xue Julai. He is cruel, simple and suspicious. Now seeing Hao Yuan here If we stand still, we will definitely rush over time, and it will naturally lead to discord between the master and the general, and this is the variable we are looking forward to."

Li Shimin interjected: "We showed our cowardice and let Hao Yuan be sandwiched between Xue Rengao and us, so it's not easy to be a man. Is this the way Brother Yao tortured Hao Yuan?" The two looked at each other and smiled. After this period of tempering, the two admired each other, and their minds became much closer. Fang Xuanling finally arrived in Wuwei, and he read Li Yuan's seal to Li Gui in court.Li Gui couldn't help being overjoyed when he heard that Li Yuan called himself "Congdi", just like continuing the Li family tree.He treated Fang Xuanling kindly, and sent his younger brother Li Mao as an envoy, carrying precious gifts, and accompanied Fang Xuanling to Guanzhong to Chang'an to thank him.

When Fang Xuanling arrived in Binzhou, it was already half a month later.Li Shimin was very happy to learn that Li Gui was willing to make friends with Tang, and immediately ordered Du Ruhui to send people to sneak into the hinterland of Longxi to spread the news.In less than three days, officials from various prefectures and counties in Longxi talked about the news of the friendship between Tang and Daliang. Everyone was in different moods, some panicked, and some hoped that Xue Rengao would collapse soon. Hao Yuan and Zong Luohui sent several teams of horses to the city of Binzhou every day to demonstrate and challenge the battle, with the intention of driving the Tang army out of the city for a decisive battle.Reluctantly, under Li Shimin's strict order, the Binzhou defenders stood firm and stood still.

The cold current from the north came quietly, the strong wind raged for three days in a row, the temperature dropped sharply, and the winter rain began to fall.This morning, the sky was gray and cloudy, and the winter rain turned into snow particles. After a while, heavy snow fell one after another.By noon, the snow was no more than ankle deep.The snow was still falling, and there was a vast expanse in front of him, with a very narrow field of vision. The 30,000 Xue Jiaqi stationed at Tingkou had a food and grass crisis.Originally, the food and grass transported by Xue Rengao could only maintain the food and clothing of the soldiers. This time, the sudden winter rain and heavy snow made the road slippery and difficult, and the food and grass were unsustainable.For two days in a row, they all looked forward to the arrival of the grain and grass team.If the food and grass cannot be delivered in time today, some sergeants and horses will be hungry in the evening.

The entrance of the pavilion is narrow, and 30,000 horses and horses are crowded here with no place to move. At night, more than half of them have no shelter. For many days, they have been pawnshops as tents.This time the cold snap hit, and hundreds of soldiers and horses lacking fodder froze to death in the camp. Hao Yuan took Zong Luohu to patrol the camp, and Zong Luohui said worriedly: "Damn Tang Jun hid in Binzhou and refused to come out. They warmed up there, and we were frozen here, intending to freeze us to death. Hao Shuai, we We need to find a way to motivate them to come out."

Hao Yuan was dressed in white, looking elegant and refined amidst the dense snowflakes.He didn't say a word, letting the snow under his feet creak under the squeeze of his boots.From a distance, I saw several people forming a circle, and when I got closer, it turned out that several soldiers were digging a pit, preparing to bury a comrade who died of freezing last night.Seeing the Lord approaching, they hastily fell to the ground and kowtowed.In the past few days, there was a lack of food and grass, and the weather was freezing. The dead horses were immediately cut into pieces and grilled before being eaten by the soldiers, and the human bodies were buried on the spot.

Hao Yuan stepped forward to help them up, and felt that their whole bodies were icy cold from the tentacles. Looking closely, they had frost marks on their faces and ears to varying degrees.Hao Yuan said softly: "Everyone has suffered, and I am also very sad. Who can tell me, what do you most want at this moment?" A young sergeant sobbed, and he choked up and said, "Marshal, I miss home so much." Zong Luohou roared: "Nonsense! You don't think about meritorious service when you are away from the army, and you think about your home. Do you know the military law?"

Hao Yuan stopped Zong Luohu with his hands, stepped forward to wipe away the tears of the young sergeant, and said, "You are right, we should go home. Tell your companions, we will go home immediately." After finishing speaking, he turned his head and shouted Walking towards the way he came, when Zong Luohu saw this, he quickly caught up with Hao Yuan in shock, grabbed Hao Yuan's skirt and asked, "Hao Shuai, are you talking nonsense? Are we not afraid of the emperor's punishment if we return to the army?" Hao Yuan stopped, stared at Zong Luohu, and said word by word: "General Zong, if we stay any longer, the shortage of food and cold will kill us all. Tang Jun is well aware of our army's inadequacy, and they are determined to fight with them." We have spent it, can we afford it? What will be the result of the consumption?" Zong Luohu said: "Even if we withdraw the troops, we have to wait for the emperor's order." Hao Yuan said: "It's too late, how long will it take to wait for the order to be restored? How many people will fall every day! If the heavy snow not only blocks the escape route, but if you want to retreat again, all the baggage will be lost. We can't wait any longer Now, let me explain to the emperor. Pass my order, the whole army will immediately dismantle the camp and pass through Feiyun Valley overnight. After passing the valley, leave 2,000 troops to guard Gaoqian, and the rest will return to Jingzhou." The Xue family rode out of the stronghold to the west, and the pavilion suddenly became an empty city. The snow is getting bigger and bigger, and the eyes are decorated with silver.Li Jing got up early in the morning and stepped outside, taking a deep breath.It was cold and snowy in front of him, and he knew that Xue Jiaqi's life was very difficult at the moment.Yesterday, I heard Changsun Wuji say that Xue Jiaqi came to claim the battle as usual, but after only staying in the city for two hours, he withdrew his troops and returned to the camp early.After hearing this, Li Jing became suspicious: Xue Jiaqi shouldn't be able to resist these two days, so is he planning to retreat?He immediately asked Changsun Wuji to send more spies to sneak around the entrance of the pavilion to observe the movement.In the evening, there was a reply, saying that Xue Jiaqi had left camp and returned to the west.Li Jing was discussing with Li Shimin at that time, Li Shimin's face was serious, so Changsun Wuji sent someone to investigate again.The spies didn't return all night after leaving, which made them worry. Thinking of this, Li Jing got on his horse and ran towards the tower.Shi Danai was on duty today, and when he saw Li Jing riding alone from a distance, he hurried down the stairs to meet him.He trained with Li Jing these days, and he really knew what "unfathomable" is.In the past, relying on horses, speed, and courage, he dared to charge forward and won the trust of Li Yuan and his son, and he was always proud of himself.But the experience of these days made him know that fighting a war is not about being brave.He dusted the snow off Li Jing's body and let him into the tower.On weekdays, when you look at Linxuan from here, you can have a panoramic view of several miles below the city.Now it is snowing heavily, the eyes are cloudy, and the scenery ahead is blurred. Li Jing asked: "General Shi, have those who went out come back?" Shi Danai said: "I'm also hopeful here, I think it's delayed due to the difficult road." Li Jing said: "Where can this Hao Yuan retreat? Should he go out of Feiyun Valley to camp in Gaoyan City, or go west to Jingzhou? Hao Yuan still has a vision. He retreated before the snow was sealed, which not only relieved his own embarrassment, but also Can block us with heavy snow for a while!" At this time, a person outside the door interjected: "Senior Brother Yao sees the fire clearly, plan to come out?" As soon as the two heard the sound, they knew that Li Shimin had arrived, and hurried out to greet him.I saw Li Shimin wearing woolen hair and a silver fox fur cloak, walking over energetically. Li Jing cupped his hands and said: "The marshal has already made up his mind, and he is about to take advantage of the snow on this tower to command troops. Li Jing has been waiting here for a long time." Li Shimin laughed, took two hands and entered the tower together.Li Shimin looked into the distance and said: "Brother Yao, I didn't see you when I visited your room, so I had to follow the horseshoe prints to follow here. If I have a plan, why don't I come to you? Come on, let's continue your topic." Li Jing discussed the art of war with Li Shimin these days, and during the conversation, he felt that the young master in front of him should not be underestimated.In the past, he felt that Li Shimin was heroic and talented from other people's words, but now he knows that he is extremely smart, his vision is both high and strange, and he is by no means a mediocre person.Li Jing has always been proud of the world in the art of war, but talking with Li Shimin, he feels that he has made great progress.Among the many counselors and generals in the Sui and Tang dynasties, none of them can compare with Li Shimin.As time passed, Li Jing put away his professorial heart and felt a sense of fear.He warned himself that in the future when talking with Li Shimin, he should grasp the heat, be able to state his own opinions, but not be sharp. Seeing Li Shimin's sincere inquiry, Li Jing replied: "If that's the case, I'll throw bricks to attract jade. Now Hao Yuan has two options for retreating. One is to garrison Gaoyan City to deter Feiyun Valley; the other is to retreat back to Jingzhou and stay there Some people guard Gaochao. According to my estimation, the possibility of the latter is relatively high. For the past few days, the Xue family has been running out of food and grass, and the men and horses have froze to death. It is freezing cold, Hao Yuan believes that we will not go out lightly, and he will probably choose this method. Now we wait for the sentry to report, no matter where they camp, I intend to send troops forward, taking advantage of their unsteady footing and paralysis If you are careless, move our foothold out of Feiyun Valley." Li Shimin listened and pondered, pacing back and forth in the room, his face showing a calmness that was not commensurate with his age. Shi Danai had been looking at the city from the window, and now he said softly: "Here we come." Li Shimin and Li Jing hurried over to watch, only to see three small black spots shaking indistinctly under the snow curtain all over the sky. The three horsemen soon arrived at the city gate, and a general went downstairs to put them in and took them upstairs.Seeing Li Shimin standing in front of them, the three of them kowtowed on the ground: "Marshal, we are late in reporting, please forgive us." Li Shimin helped the three of them up, and said gently: "Get up, you are sweating profusely, this trip must have suffered a lot." The three stood up, and the leader said: "Marshal, General Shi, we were ordered to investigate the enemy's situation overnight. When we arrived at the entrance of the pavilion, the entrance of the pavilion was already an empty city. When we arrived at Feiyun Valley, the road was frozen and slippery, and the horses could not walk. We We had no choice but to get off the horse, one of them watched the horse, and the two of them walked forward on foot. At midnight, we left Feiyun Valley. When we arrived at the foot of Gaoqian city, we quietly climbed into the city wall and observed carefully. In the meantime, the rest of the troops disappeared, presumably retreating westward." Li Jing asked: "You have climbed over the city wall before, how high is the wall? Is it still strong?" The other party replied: "The city walls are not that high, they are all made of adobe, and they seem to be in disrepair for a long time, and there are still big gaps in a few places." When Li Shimin heard Li Jing's question about the city wall of Gaoqian, his heart moved. He understood what Li Jing was thinking at the moment.He waved to the three of them: "Okay, thank you, go down and rest. General Shi, they have been freezing all night, so you make an exception and reward them with a bowl of wine to warm them up and have a good night's sleep." .” Shi Danai took the three of them out of the house, leaving only Li Shimin and Li Jing in the house.Li Shimin said: "Brother Yao, you really got what you said. How do you move in chess? I would like to hear the details." Li Jing clasped his hands and said, "I would like to ask the Marshal to order, Li Jing is willing to take down Gao Qiang for the vanguard." Li Shimin smiled and said: "If that's the case, I'm going to work on senior brother Yao. I'll ask Shi Danai and Changsun Wuji to help you. You lead an army of ten thousand horses and take down Gaoqian overnight. How about it?" Li Jing replied: "Li Jing would like to listen to the commander's order, there is no need to delay, we will set off in the afternoon." Li Shimin said: "Okay, I will ask the governor of Binzhou to hurry up and make 10,000 white cloth sheets for the whole army to wear, so as to confuse the Gaochao defenders. When you take Gaochao, I will command the army as a backup At that time, I will bring more wooden boards and other things, so that I can reinforce the high city wall in time, so that Hao Yuan cannot counterattack calmly." After noon, Li Jing, Changsun Wuji, and Shi Danai led an army of 10,000 horses to set off.At that time, the heavy snow had not decreased, so Li Shimin sent them out of the city, held hands to say goodbye, and watched them disappear into the boundless snow curtain. Liu Wenjing, Hou Junji, Duan Zhixuan and others were preparing follow-up troops in the city. Li Shimin didn't want to go back to the city for a while, so he led Fang Xuanling and Du Ruhui for a walk in the snow.The snowflakes floated on the face and turned into clear water, which looked icy cold in the cold wind, and the surrounding was very quiet, which aroused countless daydreams.Li Shimin said to Fang Xuanling: "Xuanling, it's a pity that Mr. Yu and Mr. Yan are not here, otherwise the battle will be imminent. Walking in the snow, admiring the snow and reciting poems, it will be a special experience." Fang Xuanling said: "The marshal will keep this intention in mind for now, and wait until the world is pacified. Wouldn't it be great to lead them to drink horses in the northwest border and write poems outside the Great Wall?" Li Shimin bent down and broke off a dead branch covered with snow, and saw that it was covered with a layer of shining ice, and sighed: "Isn't fighting a poem? Both should pay attention to starting, inheriting, turning, and combining. Now Li Yaoshi Leading the troops out of the valley can be described as the 'turn' of our West Discussion campaign. By the way, Xuanling, Ruhui, what do you think of this man?" Fang Xuanling said: "The government and the public admire Li Jing extremely, what Li Jing lacks most now is actual military exploits. These days he often discusses the art of war with the marshal, I think the marshal already has a conclusion in his mind." Du Ruhui said slowly: "In my opinion, this person's military strategy and timely decision-making are all superior. His ambition is not small, and someone needs to keep it in check. Looking at the world, only the marshal has this ability." Li Shimin said: "Those who have achieved success throughout the ages must have the tolerance of all rivers. This Li Jing is indeed a hero, and you are also heroes. The times make heroes. In short, if you want to make the foundation of the Tang Dynasty, it will be impossible without you. Shimin sincerely hopes that It is good to live up to the emperor's grace." The two nodded without speaking. The snow in Feiyun Valley is knee-deep.At dusk, Li Jing led an army of 10,000 horsemen to the valley and ordered them all to dismount.Looking into the valley, the heavy snow continued and the visibility was extremely poor.Li Jing ordered to bury the pot and cook on the spot.After a hearty meal, everyone gathered quickly, everyone put on a white cloth list, ten people in a row, held hands with each other, and marched into the valley side by side. Gaocheng City was built facing the valley, and the city wall connected to the mountain. If people and horses want to walk westward, they must enter the city through the wide city gate. When they walk out of the west gate, they will see the endless grassland.In summer and autumn, it rains continuously, and patches of shallow water often accumulate in the low-lying areas of the grassland. The locals call this grassland shallow water plain. When Hao Yuan withdrew his troops, he told General Gao Yu not to slack off, and to keep a close watch on the movements of the Tang army.The guard Nuonuo agreed, but in private he blamed him for worrying too much, thinking that the road would be blocked by heavy snow and it would be difficult to walk in the valley, so Tang Jun would not fly over with wings.He calculated that Tang Jun would not act, so he only arranged for watchmen, and everyone else retreated into private houses to keep warm and rest.No wonder, when they suffered from cold and hunger at Tingkou for a long time, they always felt a little bit of resentment and slack in their hearts when they watched the brigade retreat to Jingzhou, leaving themselves alone on duty. The guards on duty didn't pay much attention, it was fine the night before, and the city patrollers could still patrol back and forth along the city wall.In the middle of the night, the surroundings were completely silent, and it was so cold that they consciously reduced the number of inspections, and spent more time shrinking in the tower to keep warm. After midnight, Tang Jun came here in white cloth.Li Jing led Shi Danai and Changsun Wuji to observe the city tower intently in the snow, only to see that there was no one on the city wall under the snow light, but there were many figures inside the city tower.Li Jing ordered in a low voice: "General Shi leads 500 people to the left along the city wall, and Wuji also leads 500 people to the right. You all try to climb the city wall and open the city gate together. I will lead the brigade here to respond." Things went surprisingly smoothly. When the city gate opened with a dull "squeak", the defenders didn't respond.With a wave of Li Jing's hand, nine thousand Tang troops rushed in.Li Jing led the army up to the city tower, Changsun Wuji led a group of troops to attack the west gate, and the rest of the troops were assigned by Li Jing to occupy the surrounding walls. In less than half an hour, Changsun Wuji occupied the west gate.He ordered a fire to be lit on the west tower, and Li Jing also ordered a fire to be lit on the east gate when Li Jing saw this. This was a signal agreed by the two.The two fires reflected each other, and the night sky suddenly glowed with light.In the light of the fire, you can see that the snow is still falling tightly.Soon, the soldiers on the surrounding walls also lit the torches in their hands, and the entire Gaoqiang City was surrounded by a huge circle of fire. General Gao Qian was awakened from his sleep, and he hastily assembled his team and rushed to the east gate.I saw Li Jing standing with his sword in the flames, and shouted to his face: "Could it be the guard? I am Li Jing of the Tang Dynasty, and I am leading 20,000 soldiers and horses to surround you like an iron barrel. I hope you will quickly order your men to put down their weapons and raise their hands." Surrender with your hands, or I will order the massacre of the city as soon as the sun breaks." The guard looked at Li Jing, knew what he said was true, thought for a long time, sighed and threw the machete in his hand on the snow.Seeing this, everyone hurriedly threw away the weapons in their hands. It was already the afternoon of the second day when Li Shimin arrived at Gaoqi City.Seeing Li Jing, he held up his hand and said, "Brother Yao, you use your soldiers like a god, and you took Gao Qian into your bag without any effort. I am in Binzhou, and I have taken care of you." Li Jing smiled heartily, and said: "Li Jing dare not be greedy for his own merit, everything is under the command of the marshal, I, Li Jing, am just a pawn." Fang Xuanling and Du Ruhui, who were behind them, saw the two of them being humble to each other here, and smiled at each other. Liu Wenjing, Hou Junji, and Duan Zhixuan commanded soldiers to fortify the city wall.The luggage was also continuously transported to Gaoqian. Li Shimin looked at Qianshuiyuan, and murmured: "We have to be far-sighted, the battle is yet to come. Brother Yao, tell me, if Xue Rengao knows that we have won Gao Qian, how will he feel?" None of the Xue Jiaqi in Gaoqi City escaped, and the strong wind and snow raged for another three days. The roads were difficult to pass and the news was blocked. When Xue Rengao learned that Gao Que had fallen, he jumped into a rage and scolded Hao Yuan and Zong Luohou: "You withdraw your troops without asking for an order from me. Who gave you the power? Now that Gao Que's natural insurance is thrown away, how many heads do you have on your neck?" Let me cut it off? Gu Nian you are the old ministers of the former emperor, I have the right to send your heads, and I will take back Gaoqian within ten days." Hao Yuan said: "Your Majesty, the key reason for the retreat last time was the shortage of food and grass. This time, I hope the Emperor will guarantee the follow-up food and grass." Xue Rengao said: "I don't have a big granary here. It's not like you don't know that the grain and grass in Longxi need to be supported by Guanzhong. Now that the Tang army has cut off my grain road, this is why we are rushing into the army. You must fight quickly and support war with war. You The knives and guns in your hands are not torches, and there is not enough food and grass. Don’t you think you will requisition from the people around you? My temper is good now, don’t make me anxious, I won’t need you then, I will conscript myself, you think I can’t fight ?" Hao Yuan didn't say anything anymore, he had no reason to talk to such a tyrannical boy.Before leaving, he couldn't help but said: "Your Majesty, there is still time to spare. The road is now covered with heavy snow, and it is difficult for people and horses to travel, and there is no danger in the shallow water plain. The best strategy is to fight outside. The time is too short, and it may be difficult to attract the enemy." Xue Rengao said: "You all want to lure them out, so you won't go to attack the city? Then Li Shimin is not superhuman, why was he able to take Gao Qian? Well, I will give five more days, fifteen days, enough Bar?" After Hao Yuan went out, he looked up to the sky and sighed: "Heaven is not lucky with Daqin, what can we do? Luohu, let's try our best to attack, if we fail, we will retreat to the west!" In his heart, he was extremely discouraged by Xue Rengao, but thinking of the foundation created by Xue Ju, he handed it over. I was really unwilling to give up to Li Yuan. The heavy snow fell for seven consecutive days before it stopped, and the mountains and rivers in Longxi were covered by thick snow.When the sun came out, the snow began to melt, but the official road was crushed by pedestrians and wheels, and a layer of hard black snow formed on the road.Xue Jiaqi built a camp on the west side of Qianshuiyuan along the official road, and sent 5,000 troops through Qianshuiyuan to the foot of Gaoqi City.Unexpectedly, Tang Jun stood on the city wall and looked at them coldly, but still ignored them. Hao Yuan ordered people to go to the city to call for battle, and at the same time hid the large group of troops in a corner of Qianshuiyuan, hoping that when the Tang army went out of the city to pursue them, they would suddenly attack them.However, twelve days passed, and the snow on the ground had melted away. Tang Jun still sat firmly on the Diaoyutai without any movement. In a blink of an eye, the time limit of 15 days was up, Hao Yuan did not dare to go to Jingzhou to meet Xue Rengao, so he sent someone to Jingzhou to beg Xue Rengao for more time.I don't know if he was instructed by an expert, or Xue Rengao's conscience discovered that he knew that Hao Yuan and Zong Luohou were the two most important to rely on now.It's just that it is really difficult to provide food and grass, and the longer the time, the more unfavorable it will be. I only hope that Hao and Zong will fight the enemy bravely and win the battle quickly. Hao Yuan also got angry before the battle, Husi and Li Shimin took over several battles, except for the battle of Feiyungu, they were defeated in other aspects.Now that the Tang army is sticking to Gaochao and not leaving the city despite being humiliated in every possible way, Hao Yuan has nothing to do.He also wanted to take a detour to the north and copy Li Shimin from behind, but the food and grass were not enough, and the detour expedition would also be exhausted, and he might not have the strength to continue the battle by then.He is really helpless. Five days later, there was still no movement in Gaoqi City.Hao Yuan couldn't hold back anymore, and led Zong Luohou back to Jingzhou, asking to see Xue Rengao. Although Xue Rengao was known as the Emperor of Great Qin, Longxi was hidden and the city was simple, far less prosperous than Chang'an.Xue Rengao did not have the conditions to be as rich as Li Yuan. The original state capital filled his palace, and he did not have a strict system of going to court.He went hunting all day long, and when he came back at night, he hugged the captive woman for pleasure.If the minister wants to see him, he needs to report temporarily. Whether he sees him or not depends on his mood at the time.Hao Yuan came to see him that day, he was enjoying the Kucha music and dance in the hall, he knew that Hao Yuan had no important business and would not leave the front line easily, so the boss reluctantly waved the dancers to leave. Hao Yuan entered the door and said: "The guilty minister Hao Yuan has been unfavorable in attacking for several days, so he is here to accept the crime. I have another plan to play to the emperor, which is related to the survival of our country. I don't know if it should be played or not?" Xue Rengao said: "Forget it, Hao Qing, I know your difficulties. Li Shimin wants to spend time with us. Longxi is far away from Chang'an. I think he will lose patience after a long time. What do you want to play? Just say it." Hao Yuan said: "Your Majesty, I see that the Tang army's actions are sinister. They are well aware that our army is short of food and grass, and they wait for work with leisure. I offer a plan: our army will retreat on its own initiative, until it reaches Jincheng, and move all the people around, so as to destroy the land within a hundred miles. It has become a no-man's land. Now around Chang'an, there are Liu Wuzhou in the north, Wang Shichong and Dou Jiande in the east, and Zhu Can and Xiao Xian in the south. They all need Li Yuan's troops. If the pressure on our army is small, Li Yuan will definitely transfer Li Shimin back to Chang'an. We take advantage of this gap , to deal with Li Gui with all our strength, completely wipe out the Western Regions, and stabilize Longxi. At that time, if we try to go east, we will have no worries, and the chances of winning are good." Xue Rengao squinted his eyes and said: "According to Hao Qing's words, we ignore Li Shimin and give up Jingzhou?" Hao Yuan said: "Yes, this is an expedient measure, with a long-term intention. After Longxi is stabilized, we will compete with Li Tang." Xue Rengao was very annoyed: "Hao Qing, I can't bear it anymore! Now you can't even take down a small gauntlet, why are you talking about stabilizing Longxi? The Xue family rides a mighty Longxi, if you take a big step back, what face will you have? What kind of face is ordering the ministers? You don't have any more excuses, and I will give you another ten days. If you can't take the gauntlet again, I will personally march, and you can come back and rest." After finishing speaking, Xue Rengao's eyes showed a fierce look. Seeing this, Zong Luohu hastily touched Hao Yuan with his toe to stop him from speaking further.The two returned to the front of the battle in dismay. When he was still in Binzhou, Li Jing began to think about how to deal with Xue Jiaqi.If the cavalry is against the cavalry, whether it is the tacit cooperation of the battle formation or the skillful swordsmanship of the riders, the Tang army will be at a disadvantage.Li Jing thought about it day and night, and was suddenly inspired by the infantry fighting with each other during the practice of spears and swords that day.He thought that under the point of the gun, Igor's shape would be cast into a hook with a blade, and then the handle would be lengthened.In this way, the infantry holding this kind of weapon can not only stab the rider on the horse, but also hook the horse's hoof.Li Jing ordered the craftsmen to build a few, and he devoted himself to studying the usage of spears and daggers, and painstakingly created ten new weapon moves, and selected ten people to personally guide the training.That day, Li Jing invited Li Shimin and others to observe on the school grounds, and saw that the ten new trainees were wearing heavy armor, and their heads were tightly covered by special helmets, only a pair of eyes were exposed.They stood side by side, holding this gun-like weapon and looking ahead.At this time, ten horses were galloping under the control of their riders. Following a deep command, the ten people lowered their bodies at the same time, only to see where the guns flashed, the galloping horses fell to the ground, and the riders on them also jumped. fall.Li Jing explained to everyone: "Our army's infantry is strong, but the horse army is weak. Equipping infantry with this kind of weapon will definitely have a miraculous effect against Xue Jiaqi." Li Shimin was overjoyed and applauded with high fives: "Well, Senior Brother Yao, with a little modification, you have realized a powerful weapon against the horse army from this spear. It is useful against Xue Jiaqi now, and it can be used in future battles." Show your skills! This weapon is your choice, so you can give it a name!" Li Jing said: "Marshal, I think this thing has a spear point on it and a sickle on the bottom, so let's call it a hook and sickle gun." Li Shimin said: "Okay, let's call it the Hook and Scythe Spear. I will give it to my father immediately, and ask Chang'an to bring more refined iron and craftsmen to come here. To deal with Xue Jiaqi, there must be at least ten thousand Hook and Scythe soldiers. Brother Yao, From now on, we need to make guns and teach soldiers marksmanship, the time is really tight, can it be done?" Li Jing smiled and nodded.Within a few days, the fires in the city of Binzhou were raging, and later in the city of Gaochao, fires were set up everywhere.On the school field, soldiers with hook and sickle guns stabbed straight at the oblique hook according to the password, a scene of steaming. Although Li Shimin stood still, the spies were sent out like flowing water.Most of these spies are people who have lived in Longxi for generations. They are familiar with geography, and they either spy on the cavalry camp of Xue's family from a close distance, or go to Jingzhou to investigate Xue Rengao's movements from afar.Although Li Shimin is far away in the small town of Gaochao, he knows the enemy's situation well. For several days in succession, Li Shimin personally went to the Ximen tower to observe Xue Jiaqi's activities.For nearly a month, Xue Jiaqi, who came to Suo Zhan, knew that teasing was useless, and he only yelled and cursed for a while every day before returning to the camp.In the past, they would yell and scold until after noon, but in recent days it has been significantly shortened, each time they only stay in the city for more than an hour, and their voices are not as high-pitched as before.Based on all the information, Li Shimin and Li Jing concluded that Xue Jiaqi was in an embarrassing situation. The Tang army did not fight with them, and there was a shortage of food and grass, so they had to reduce the supply. Morale was noticeably low.Within a few days, Liang Hulang and Zhai Changsun led some troops to surrender to the Tang army.Li Shimin had a heart-to-heart talk with them, asked in detail about the deployment of troops and the situation of the generals, and learned more about Xue Jiaqi's background. On November 27th of the first year of Wude, Li Shimin convened a military meeting before the battle and ordered an all-out attack on Xue Jiaqi. At Yinshi, the west gate of Gaoqi was wide open, and Duan Zhixuan led 10,000 newly trained hook and sickle spear troops to march westward. Li Shimin ordered them to lie in ambush on the way Xue Jiaqi came to claim the battle. And annihilate it. At the time of Mao, 10,000 people led by Duan Zhixuan entered the designated location. Most of the shallow water plains are flat and wide, but here are more undulating mountains.The valley in the ridge is the ideal place to ambush.Duan Zhixuan divided the soldiers into three groups. He led 2,000 people to ambush in the middle of the depression, 4,000 feet to the left and 5,000 feet to the right to ambush 4,000 people respectively.After he finished allocating, it was already the dawn of the morning. In the morning on the plateau, the cold was threatening. The soldiers didn't feel cold when they were walking, but when they squatted on the ground, they felt cold to the bone after a while.In less than half an hour, many people's hands and feet were frozen.Duan Zhixuan looked at the east, and saw the sun just showing his face. According to the activity pattern of Xue Jiaqi, they passed here about Chenshi.Duan Zhixuan thought in his heart that the soldiers should not be allowed to crouch in the cold, otherwise when Xue Jiaqi appeared, his combat effectiveness would be weakened.Thinking of this, Duan Zhixuan sent people to watch from a high place, and when Xue Jiaqi appeared in sight, he would report in time.During this period of time, the sergeant is allowed to move around on the spot to keep warm and chew dry food. Time passed little by little while waiting anxiously, and the sun had risen more than three feet high.The sun on the plateau is strong. Even though it is winter, it quickly dissipates the heavy cold and the thin layer of mist that shrouds the plateau.Qianshui used to be uninhabited. In recent years, there have been endless wars here, business travel has been blocked, and there is no singing of birds in winter. There is a deathly silence in front of us. The sound of hooves broke the silence.The lookout hurriedly reported to Duan Zhixuan, and the team quickly prepared for battle.Everyone hid behind the slope, listening attentively to the sound of horseshoes approaching from far away.Like a gust of wind, Xue Jiaqi arrived in front of him in a blink of an eye.At this time, Duan Zhixuan was observing Xue's riding from a high place, and when his first riding was about to go uphill, he waved his hand and shouted: "Come out." The three behind him lit the horn gun at the same time. Two thousand infantry jumped up to the top of the slope at the same time. They were wearing heavy armor, holding hooks and sickles and pointing at the coming people.When Xue Jiaqi saw this, the leading commanding army hurriedly reined in their horses to observe. He saw that the Tang army had finally come out, and there were not many of them.Immediately, a special trumpet rose from the ride: this trumpet first dragged a thick black smoke tail in the air, and then exploded two times at a distance of five hundred feet from the ground.After a while, a similar cannon blasted off five miles away.This is the communication method designed by Hao Yuan, and a relay communication station is set up every five miles. Seeing that the news had been spread, Xue Jiaqi's commanding army shot fiercely at Tang Jun in front.For the past two months, he has been in charge of bringing people to challenge the battle, but the other party ignored him, which made him suffocated.The Tang army in front of us was not many, about two thousand.The 5,000 iron cavalry led by him can perform a cat-and-mouse game, and this battle must be the first.Thinking of this, he waved his saber and shouted loudly: "Come on!" He took the lead and rushed to the front.The gunman on the opposite side did not meet the stab, but lowered his body, used his heavy armor as a cover, and hooked his gun fiercely at the horse's hoof. After hearing a "plop", the horse stumbled and fell down, and the commander himself fell to the ground.Seeing that strange gun stabbing at him again in a panic, Tong Jun was quite clever and rolled on the spot to avoid the fatal blow.When he rolled down the slope, he got up in embarrassment to watch the situation, only to see that his first wave of attacks had been beaten to pieces. He scrambled and ran back to his team, got on his horse in shock to observe the battle situation, and cursed fiercely: "What thing? Left and right, pass my order, everyone charge together, they have only a few human hairs, let's charge up together Let's see how they can hook our horseshoes in time." After speaking, he swung his saber and commanded his men to charge forward.Sure enough, Tang Jun couldn't stop the tide of attack, and soon, a hole was torn in the front line. Seeing this, Duan Zhixuan ordered to fire the trumpet again.Amidst the sound of cannons, the two ambush troops appeared in the hiding place together, and came from left and right.这位统军见状，大惊失色，急令所有兵马从撕开的口子中通过，到唐军的东面集结，等待援军。算着时间，宗罗睺应该现身了。 众人在杀伐中听不见马蹄声，等宗罗睺带领的三万薛家骑到了近处，只听到马蹄声如一阵风雷滚地而来。宗罗睺眼见索战部队已经退向东面，唐军夹在中间，令从骑散开，呈扇形包抄过去。东面的统军看到援军已经来到，精神大振，也约束余部向西压迫过去。 段志玄眼见众军士皆面露惊惧之色，大声喝道：“大家莫慌，元帅令我等前来引敌，必有妙计收拾薛家骑。各位听令了，就地散开形成三道防御圈，外层用钩镰枪防御，专钩来犯马蹄，中层和内层用弓箭却敌。”各队统军听言，急忙收拢各自队伍，由于平时训练有素，三道防御圈迅速形成。 西来的薛家骑没有领教过钩镰枪的厉害，纵马一窝蜂地冲过来，前排的立刻人仰马翻。宗罗睺立在后面的坡顶上看到如此阵势，一时也闹不清是什么原因。他下令暂停进攻，重新布置了进攻方式，令骑手下马拿出弓箭向唐军防御圈射过去。霎时，箭矢如雨般泼了过去。那边唐军早有准备，他们拿出盾牌竖起来，阵前形成一道盾牌墙，试图将箭雨挡在墙外。然毕竟挡不干净，薛家骑居高临下，箭羽多从高处进入唐军阵中，不时有中箭之人发出哀号声。段志玄一边组织盾牌阻敌，一面令圈内弓箭手射箭，以牙还牙地用箭雨阻挡薛家骑，争取不让他们再靠近。 两军相持了大半个时辰，宗罗睺在那里暗自得意，心想唐军的箭总有用尽的时候，届时再以全军冲击挤压过去，必能将他们一鼓而擒。这时，郝瑗带了数十骑来到战场，郝瑗的身后，三万步卒正在快速赶来。宗罗睺简单向郝瑗报告了眼前战况，郝瑗皱起眉头思索半天，他既像询问宗罗睺又若自言自语道：“他们在这里苦苦撑持，定有所恃。唔，他们显然在等待援军。” 郝瑗的手中一年四季都离不开那柄羽扇，只见他将羽扇一合，右手在空中划了一条弧线，下定了决心：“罗睺，他们在等待援军！让射箭的骑手都退下，统统上马，由一万步卒接替进攻。你带领骑兵和二万步卒绕过去，在他们援军的来路上设伏，打他们个冷不防。” 宗罗睺明白了郝瑗的意思，急忙向前方正在进攻的马队下令退后，很快，秦军后续上来的一万步卒接手了进攻阵地。这些步卒一部分人继续放箭，一部分人手持盾牌向段志玄的防御圈挤压过去。半个时辰不到，秦军的包围圈向内压缩了三百尺。 段志玄带领的队伍有两个作用，其一是作为诱兵之饵，其次用钩镰枪小试牛刀，争取歼灭薛家骑的有生力量，给他们一个下马威，打击对方的士气。现在这两个目的都已经达到，剩下的就是坚持下去等待援兵。没想到郝瑗阵前识破了唐军的计谋。段志玄带来的一万兵士已经损失掉三千人，箭羽也快用光，若被数倍于自己的秦军攻破防御圈贴身肉搏，自己必败无疑。他看到郝瑗换上步卒围困自己，而大队马队则有向东面开进的意图，心内如火焚烧，援军如果还不能赶到，自己这帮人就要变成郝瑗的刀下之鬼了。正当宗罗睺整军欲向东面开进的当儿，忽见东面尘土飞扬，马蹄声与马嘶声混杂在一起，旌旗闪处，依稀可以看到打头的红旗上书有“骠骑将军史”的字样，自是史大柰领兵到了。 史大柰突然出现，事先绝无端倪，想是他们早已潜行至近旁，算准时辰才猛然出击。他们以迅雷不及掩耳之势杀将过来，使从东面围攻段志玄的秦军乱了阵脚，秦军无招架之力，只好一哄而散，动作慢些的则被飞驰过来的骑手斩下了首级。 段志玄见状大喜，下令让防御圈缓缓向东移动，试图和史大柰会合。 宗罗睺不容段志玄的图谋得逞，他一声唿哨，一万薛家骑瞬间起动，马刀如林，径直向段志玄和史大柰两军的结合部冲杀过去。转眼间，史大柰的前锋马骑就被冲散，阻断了段志玄和史大柰会合的企图。 那边，郝瑗的羽扇又一次张开，指点五千步卒加入到进攻段志玄的队伍中。郝瑗感到自己的安排还是慢了一步，他只好重新调整部署，企图暂时挡住史大柰的攻势，加快进攻段志玄的速度，以快速聚歼西面的七千唐军步卒。然后再腾出手来，全力对付史大柰。 史大柰带来马队二万，上面还搭载有长孙无忌率领的一万钩镰枪军。这些步卒在抵近战场八百尺处已经下马，他们略作整队后，就排成两个方阵向秦军逼过来。从双方的总兵力看，秦军拥有马军三万五千，步卒三万；唐军有马军二万，钩镰军不足二万。若是硬拼，于唐军显然不利。 两军又相持了一会儿，各自的胜机可以略微看出来。唐军竭力想将东西两部分军马会合在一起，这样力量可以大大增强，若取守势与秦军相持等待援军，不失为稳妥之计。然从双方的对阵形势看，郝瑗的如意算盘正在实现，西边双方的步卒已经开始贴身肉搏，段志玄的兵员在逐步折损，如此发展下去，估计郝瑗的打算会率先实现。 史大柰眼见己方马骑不利，下令用弓箭射住阵脚。他和长孙无忌简单商量了几句，唐军阵势马上发生了变化。马骑为钩镰枪军让出道路，这些钩镰枪军南北散开成一纵队，身披重甲，手执盾牌和钩镰枪向横在他们与段志玄之间的薛家骑压过去。 这批薛家骑约一万人，已经吃过了钩镰枪的苦头，眼见这一长溜儿只露出眼睛的怪物追过来，慌了手脚，阵脚顿时大乱。未等宗罗睺下令，已一窝蜂退却而去，让出了段志玄和史大柰的结合部。 长孙无忌看到薛家骑退开，对史大柰道：“李药师真是神人啊，一杆小小的钩镰枪，就让纵横陇西的薛家骑闻风丧胆。” 史大柰凝眉道：“长孙郎中，恶仗还在后头呢。我看秦兵数量多于我们，我们还是赶快把段将军接应出来，想法构筑阵地与之相持，等待元帅到来吧。” 宗罗睺看到前方马骑退却，不禁大怒，拍马上去挥剑斩了两名跑在最前面的骑手，大喝道：“谁敢再退，格杀勿论。”身后一队头缠红布的彪形大汉拦住后退的马骑，刀光闪处，数名骑手的头颅落地。 如此一阻，薛家骑后退的趋势被遏制住了。这时，一身白衣的郝瑗冲了过来，对宗罗睺道：“罗睺，你让马骑以弓箭射住阵脚。我观察过了，李世民搞的这柄奇形枪不足畏，让我们的步卒对付他们。一俟他们的步卒阵列被撕破，你就带领马骑冲过去杀散他们，然后直取高墌。李世民这次精锐全出，高墌定是空虚得很了。” 宗罗睺大声答应：“知道了，郝帅，交给我吧。” 秦军变换了阵势，三万步卒列成纵队一层层向唐军逼过去，喊杀声、枪戟碰撞声混杂一片。秦军占了人数众多的优势，渐渐地，长孙无忌带领的一万钩镰枪军抵挡不住，又和段志玄的兵圈拉开了距离。宗罗睺见状，马刀一挥，一旁严阵以待的薛家骑放开马蹄冲将过来，他们越过自己的步卒队伍，向已呈败状的钩镰枪军砍杀过去。长孙无忌竭力想把阵势组织起来，无奈队伍已散无法传令。只见薛家骑马刀闪处，哀号阵阵。长孙无忌回首向史大柰喝道：“史将军，混战局面已成，你们赶快冲杀过来啊。” 史大柰在那里紧张地判断大势，段志玄那里一直被秦军围困，长孙无忌的队伍已散，自己就是冲杀过去，面对骁勇的薛家骑，绝无致胜机会。眼前已成混战局面，若让段志玄、长孙无忌在那里苦苦支撑，断不能持久，唯有自己冲杀进去，也许能够延长一些时间。想到这里，他拍马冲上去，身旁的两万马骑也猛然发动。浅水原里，唐、秦两军一派混战。 李世民让刘文静、房玄龄、杜如晦带领一千兵士留守高墌，自己带领所有人马出城，他们先是向北，再向西行军，这会儿已经到达浅水原两军交战处的正北面。侯君集指挥四万步卒，纵向列成方队悄悄向交战处移动。 李世民和李靖两人纵马奔上一处高坡。“玉极骝”和“白蹄乌”一直比槽而食，它们一样神骏，两马的出蹄节奏非常一致，几乎同时到达坡顶。眼望两军交战处，李世民含笑说道：“药师兄，此战我方稳操胜券，薛仁杲指日可擒。”李靖微笑点头。这些天他掌控情报，探子如流水般往来穿梭，可以时刻了解到敌我态势的细微之处。眼前的交战情况他也了如指掌。现在双方的混战局面已成，虽然己方略处下风，但等侯君集现身阵前给秦军雷霆一击，秦军必败无疑。 侯君集的四万人渐渐抵近交战处，他们擂响钲鼓，大张旗帜。正在战斗的秦军抬眼一看，只见北面又攻来黑压压的唐军，其势凶猛。 李世民看到侯君集的队伍已经加入战斗，他仰天长啸一声，对李靖道：“药师兄，你且在这里守着，我先带领这帮马军前去冲杀一阵。” 后面的坡下，整齐立着张万岁带领的三千马军，这三千匹马正是他从河西带过来的，这一段时间他亲自调教，马阵进退自如，骑手刀法炉火纯青。此次出征，李世民嘱咐张万岁领此三千马军紧随自己身后，说要和薛家骑比试一番。上次马军在飞云谷不敌薛家骑，李世民一直耿耿于怀。 李世民将一面红旗交给张万岁，向坡下三千马军大声喝道：“大家听令了，你们到了阵中要紧随这面红旗，旗到何处你们的马蹄就要跟到何处，不管步卒，只砍马军。走，随本帅出发。”他别转马头，手持那把青偃大砍刀向交战处奔去，张万岁手擎红旗紧随身后，三千马军像一阵轻风，瞬息间就飘到了阵前。 战斗从平明开始，直杀到太阳偏西。夕阳残照下，枯草萋萋的浅水原上战斗仍酣，地上躺满了双方战死的将士和马匹。现在，秦军已经被唐军分割成一小块一小块的。李世民催动“白蹄乌”专捡秦军的马队冲杀。红旗到处，三千马军紧密成团，如旋风一般忽东，忽西；马刀闪处，鲜血迸溅如雨。李世民那件白色战袍在阵中格外抢眼，他一把大砍刀使得如泼风一般，胸前和衣襟上溅满了鲜血。 郝瑗远远立在战场的西首，当他看到侯君集的队伍出现时，明白今天败局已定。想要撤兵收拢队伍，然苦于双方混战一起无法传令。宗罗睺在阵中杀得眼都红了，他领着五千薛家骑专往唐军兵马最厚处冲杀，妄想杀开缺口。无奈唐军太多了，刚刚冲开一个口子，后续兵马就像水淹草地一般，一层层地漫过来，很快便弥合了缺口。郝瑗见状长叹一声，吩咐身旁护卫的兵士：“你们设法入阵告诉宗将军，让他不要恋战，设法突围，最好四散逸去，不让唐军发觉我们的意图，大家想法到泾州城内聚齐。” 这些兵士拼死进入阵中，宗罗睺接令后，将身边的薛家骑分成十骑为一小队，让他们到被围困的秦军中传令。 李世民在冲杀过程中眼观六路，看到秦军从各个小圈中冲杀出来，星散逃走，知道现在大局已定。他招呼李靖：“药师兄，天色将黑，急切中难将秦军彻底剿灭。现在他们已经开始逃散，不能让他们再聚合起来，我现在奔袭泾州切断他们的后路。你在这里，帮我掌握战场，待战事一结束，立刻带领大军向泾州压过去。” 李靖道：“好，元帅，一鼓作气，可获大胜。” 同样杀得一身血污的长孙无忌听说李世民要带不足三千骑奔袭泾州，忧心道：“元帅，秦军已败，不如我们明日休整后再攻泾州。你带这么一点儿人马，又是经历恶战人困马乏之师，还要夜行二百里路，能行吗？” 李世民道：“这些败军若退回泾州聚合起来，经郝瑗、宗罗睺的整顿，终是我们的后顾之忧。我一鼓作气切断他们退路，不给他们喘息之机，他们又摸不清我们的虚实，岂不是速战速决的良机？” 李靖道：“元帅，你放心出发吧，我这里争取早点结束。你早一点到达泾州，长孙顺德和刘弘基的安全就多了一分。” 李世民听罢，带领张万岁向西面奔去。二千余骑随红旗腾尘而去。 郝瑗和宗罗睺半夜之后方才收拢六千余骑，战斗了一天，他们水米未进，人困马乏。这一会儿，四周黑漆漆的，气温在夜色的包裹下逐渐下降，他们都渴望能有火取暖和吃上食物。 郝瑗一身白衣污秽不堪，手中的羽扇也没了影儿。宗罗睺六神无主，眼瞅着郝瑗拿主意。郝瑗道：“罗睺，现在四周敌情不明，天一亮，唐军肯定要向泾州进发。我们只有打起精神，速返泾州合兵一处，方能阻挡唐军的攻势。”宗罗睺听后，觉得目前别无良策。两人摸着黑带领残兵，跌跌撞撞向泾州奔去。 李靖眼见秦军基本丧失抵抗力，就令段志玄带领一万人马打扫战场，押解俘虏。其他人就地埋锅做饭，饱餐以后开始整军向泾州进发。李靖和史大柰带领马队在前，步卒在后。长孙无忌想到李世民深入敌后，心里实在焦急，就让侯君集带领步卒在后行走，自己骑马随马队行进。 李世民和张万岁率领二千余骑，一夜急速行军，平明时分赶到了泾州城下。他令二千骑在各个城门处集队把守，自己领着五百骑来到东门下，令守城者传话给薛仁杲，让他出来答话。 薛仁杲昨晚大醉一场，这会儿还在梦中。泾州守城都尉感到事态紧急，不顾宫人阻挡闯宫报告。薛仁杲一听秦王李世民已经兵临城下，大惊失色，一迭声地问道：“胡说，怎么可能？别是你们看花了眼，是郝卿他们吧？好，朕到城楼上看看，要是你们弄错了，朕砍你们的头！”说罢，他衣衫不整，匆匆跑往城头，定睛一看，城下站立的果然是唐军兵马。 李世民眼见一堆人登上城头向下张望，一人衣衫不整站在罗盖之下，知道薛仁杲到了。他仰头问道：“来者莫非薛仁杲吗？我是秦王李世民。” 薛仁杲语无伦次：“李世民？朕……你，你怎么跑到这里来了？想找死吗？” 李世民哈哈大笑：“薛仁杲，现在太阳很大很圆，你还在这里说梦话不成？告诉你，郝瑗已经被我杀败，薛家骑这个名号从此在陇西算是没有了。我的十五万雄兵正源源不断压向泾州城，你现在剩下的仅有开城投降一条路。我给你一天的时间让你考虑，到了傍晚若还执迷不悟，不出半个时辰，泾州就会被夷为平地！” 薛仁杲镇定下来，冷笑道：“哼，李世民，凭你的这点人马，还大言不惭让我投降？做你的白日梦吧！别忘了，你的妻叔和好朋友还在我的手上呢！” 李世民道：“废话少说。我知道你城里兵马不足一万，还都是些老弱病残。你的心思，不过想等郝瑗来救你。那你就慢慢等着吧。我已经在陇西等了两个多月，还在乎这么一天吗？你别想拿人质来要挟我，没有一点用处。我正告你，他们两人若少了一根毫毛，你会死得很惨。投降是你的唯一出路，你若投降，我保证你薛家延续香火。”李世民说完，不待薛仁杲回话，别转马头带领五百马军向来路走去。他与薛仁杲搭过话，还要设法堵绝薛家骑的败兵退路。 郝瑗远远望见泾州城，身后众人觉得马上有吃的东西，顿时雀跃起来，人人精神大振。这时，一彪马军斜刺里冲出来拦住他们的去路，领头一人素袍素甲，手执青偃大砍刀。郝瑗识得他是秦王李世民。郝瑗和宗罗睺做梦都没有想到李世民会在这里出现，眼见他所率的唐军虽也有疲惫之色，然人吃饱饭马进草料，精神旺盛。自己这帮人马已经一天一夜没能进食，都指望进了泾州饱餐一顿，哪儿知道唐军如神兵天降闸断了去路，他们实在没有气力再战。 李世民挥手让从骑原地不动，自己骑着“白蹄乌”缓缓向前靠近，与郝瑗相距仅一百步远。 郝瑗见李世民的从骑仅五百左右，又见李世民如此放心大胆，脸含微笑向自己逼近，料定他有恃无恐。李世民走近问郝瑗道：“我认得你是郝瑗，人说你一年四季羽扇不离手，这会儿你的羽扇怎么不见了？” 郝瑗没想到李世民上来会问这个问题，正想作答，李世民又转问宗罗睺：“宗将军果然带兵有方，一夜之间又收拢来这么多人，动作挺快嘛！” 宗罗睺默然不语，他侧头眼盯着郝瑗听他说话。郝瑗这会儿紧张地思索，他想若只对付眼前的五百骑，是不费吹灰之力的事情，然而这位年轻的秦王还有什么厉害的后招呢？ 这当儿，李世民收敛起笑容，厉声道：“你们两人并非蠢笨之人，现在泾州已被我围得如铁桶一般，活捉薛仁杲如探囊取物，你们还想入城与他合兵，那是妄想！我不想再多说什么，你们好好思量吧。若认为我所言非实，我这里只有五百兵马，你们尽可以放马过来将我擒拿。”说完，他一扯缰绳，“白蹄乌”灵巧地转过身去，驮着李世民向回走去。 郝瑗和宗罗睺面面相觑，一时说不出话来，在那里各想各的心事。 忽然，背后马蹄声响，后军疾驶过来一人向宗罗睺报道：“禀将军，后面尘土大起，不知有多少马骑赶来，观其旗帜，依稀是唐军模样。” 两人脸同死灰，郝瑗黯然道：“前有伏兵，后有追军，罗睺，我们没有力量再战，降了吧。唉，皇上和这秦王年龄相仿，为何没有人家这般神威呢？现在大唐气势正旺，今日投降，未尝不是一件好事呢。” 宗罗睺点点头，两人此时心意相通。他们同时下马，脱冠向西走去。到了李世民马前，两人跪伏马下