Vol 2 Chapter 2474: Shen Gongbao and Lu Yue in The Great Victory of Haojing (5)
Chapter 2474 The Great Victory at Haojing (5): Shen Gongbao and Lu Yue
Chapter 2470: Shen Gongbao and Lu Yue in the Great Victory of Haojing (5)
Li Shimin would choose the Haojing ruins for the decisive battle with Wang Jian. There is no special reason, just because the terrain here is open and suitable for a decisive battle.
The flat terrain surrounding the Haojing ruins was convenient for the Qin army’s cavalry operations, but it was also convenient for the Tang army’s coordinated infantry and cavalry operations.
The Qin army numbered 30,000, half of which were cavalry alone, totaling 15,000 cavalry.
The Tang army had 60,000 troops. Although there were not as many cavalry as the Qin army, there were still 10,000 cavalry. This was the only Xiliang cavalry left by Li Shimin.
After Dong Zhuo's death, the Xiliang Iron Cavalry was divided into two and was completely divided between the Li and Yang families. Among them, Li Shimin still occupied the majority.
Yang Guang fought with Li Shimin for Guanzhong, but failed and retreated to Liangzhou. At that time, there were not many Xiliang cavalry left under his command. However, as he became successful in Liangzhou and finally unified Liangzhou, the Xiliang cavalry of the Sui Dynasty began to grow stronger.
On the contrary, the Xiliang cavalry of the Tang Dynasty, which was originally strong, has become increasingly weak due to continuous defeats. Now there are only 10,000 elite cavalry left.
Whether it was the Tang or Sui dynasties, there was actually no shortage of horses.
Sui and Tang Dynasties worked together to eliminate the Qiang people, divided up all the Qiang resources, and integrated the Qiang land into six counties, with the Sui and Tang countries each occupying half.
This battle made both the Sui and Tang Dynasties a lot of money.
The Qiang people are also a nomadic people, rich in cattle, sheep and horses, and the Qiang land is also suitable for horse herding.
So, how could the Sui and Tang Dynasties be short of war horses? Instead, they relied on exporting war horses to maintain their huge military supplies.
The Tang State occupied Guanzhong and could barely afford the expenses of a large army. So how could the Sui State, which occupied the barren Liangzhou, rely on to support its army?
The only way is to sell war horses.
In troubled times, war horses are important strategic materials, and they are also consumables, with demand exceeding supply.
Shu and Chu in the south did not produce horses, but they both formed cavalry troops. This was because they purchased horses from the Sui and Tang Dynasties.
Even though a large number of horses were sold to Shu and Chu, the Tang State's war horse reserves were still very rich, but the number of its own cavalry was not large. This was mainly consumed in the battle with the Qin army.
Secondly, the cost of cavalry is much greater than that of infantry. With the size of the defeated Tang State, it could not afford to raise so many cavalry, and it was impossible to internally digest and convert all the horses it owned into cavalry.
After all, not every country can be like Qin and can easily raise more than 200,000 cavalry.
Of course, the total number of cavalry in the Tang Kingdom must not be just 10,000, but a full 30,000.
In addition to the 10,000 Xiliang cavalry in Guanzhong, the Tang State also had 10,000 cavalry in Longxi and Qiang regions.
It’s just that these 20,000 cavalrymen are newly recruited troops. Their training time is still short, and they have never experienced the temper of war. Obviously, they cannot be the opponent of the Qin cavalry who are armed to the teeth.
That's why Li Shimin left these 10,000 Xiliang cavalry in Guanzhong, because only the 10,000 Xiliang cavalry that have existed since Dong Zhuo's era are qualified to compete with the Da Qin cavalry.
The Tang army had 10,000 cavalry, while the Qin cavalry had 15,000. The Tang army was obviously at an absolute disadvantage, but Li Shimin was not worried at all, because he could recover from the disadvantage of cavalry in other ways.
"My lord, the Qin army came in three groups. Wang Jian was in the middle army, and Gongsun Xuanyuan and Gongsun Yan formed the left and right wings respectively. Except for generals such as Yuwen Chengdu, Yue Yun, Pei Yuanqing, and Huang Tianhua, there were no other generals accompanying the army. There are other new faces.”
After hearing the report from his men, Li Shimin looked at the neat and orderly Qin army camp opposite, a sneer flashed at the corner of his mouth, and said to himself: "Know yourself and the enemy, and you will never be in danger in a hundred battles.
Wang Jian, you know all the information in your mind, but you know nothing about me. You will lose this battle. "
All the intelligence of the Qin Army's three armies on the west route, including troop deployment, ratios, general lineups, etc., were exposed in previous battles, so Li Shimin knew Wang Jian's details so well.
On Wang Jian's side, apart from knowing the specific strength of the Tang army that left the city and that the leader was Li Shimin, he didn't even know what other generals the Tang army had besides Li Yuanba, and he knew very little about the details of the Tang army.
War is both a war of national power and an intelligence war.
I know everything about you, but you know nothing about me. With targeted arrangements, the weak can defeat the strong.
Li Shimin knew that the morale of his army was low and the overall combat strength was weaker than that of the Qin army, but he still dared to go out of the city for a decisive battle because he felt that he had figured out Wang Jian's details.
Now he not only has an overall advantage in terms of military strength, but also has an absolute advantage in the lineup of generals.
The lineup of generals under Li Shimin's command this time included not only the fierce generals from Li Tang's country, but also the Sanqing from the Taoist sect who joined in halfway, as well as elite disciples from the Buddhist sect.
Taiqing: Ji Fa, Boyikao, Nangong Shi, Ji Shuqian, Ji Shukun...
Yuqing: Xiao Sheng, Cao Bao, Ji Shuming, Ji Shusheng, Ji Shude...
Shangqing Dynasty: Shen Gongbao, Lu Yue, Chen Geng, Li Ping…
Buddhism: Wei Hu;
In addition to the strong generals of the Tang army: Li Yuanba, Ma Shanwei, Xin Wenli, Shang Shipu, Kang Anyu, Gao Siji, Gao Sixiang, Gao Xingzhou, Kang Junli, Guo Chongtao, Zhu Youqian, Shi Jingtang, Shi Jingsi, Hua Xiong, Li Jue Waiting for a group of warriors.
The Tang Army's general lineup this time was extremely luxurious and could almost completely crush the Qin Army.
As for the commander-in-chief, the Tang army included Li Shimin, Changsun Wuji, Zhao She, Yu Wentai, Xu Rong, and Li Keyong.
The Qin army consisted of Wang Jian, Gongsun Xuanyuan, and Gongsun Yan.
Although the Tang army had many commanders, only Li Shimin could command more than a hundred commanders. Although the Qin army was small in number, there were two commanders, Wang Jian and Gongsun Xuanyuan, who had more than a hundred commanders. There was also Wen Zhong who had not yet been exposed.
So, in terms of command, the Qin army is obviously superior to the Tang army, but Li Shimin has not realized this yet.
To sum up, except for the two aspects of command and morale, the Tang army had advantages in all other aspects. From any point of view, there was no reason for defeat.
But for some reason, Shen Gongbao, who joined the Tang army halfway, always had a bad feeling in his heart. After much hesitation, he said: "Tang Gong, something is wrong. If you stop now, it may be too late."
Li Shimin frowned when he heard this and turned to look at Shen Gongbao aside.
Shen Gongbao is wearing a Tai Chi Taoist robe, with white hair and a childish face, and an immortal spirit. However, the horse he rides on his hip is not a war horse, but a spotted black panther. This appearance alone will give anyone who sees it an unknown feeling.
When Shen Gongbao came, Li Shimin was still very surprised. He didn't understand why Shen Gongbao, who was born in the Shangqing Dynasty, came to help the Tang Dynasty.
When he learned that Shen Gongbao was a disciple of the Yuqing sect before joining the Shangqing Dynasty, and that he had already defected to the Song Dynasty, and that he came to help the Tang Dynasty this time just to repay Yuqing's kindness, Li Shimin reluctantly believed it. As for Shen Gongbao, the precaution he should have will definitely not be eliminated.
"Taoist Shen, why do you say this?" Li Shimin asked with some displeasure.
Shen Gongbao is also a human spirit, so he naturally saw Li Shimin's displeasure, but he was not Li Tang's minister, so he naturally did not need to look at Li Shimin's face, so he said bluntly:
"As of now, except for morale, the Tang Army has an advantage in all other aspects. It knows the enemy well, but the other party knows nothing about us. If we fight, we will win without saying anything. , the winning rate is as high as 70% to 80%.”
“Is there anything wrong with this?” Li Shimin asked again.
"Of course not. If the chance of victory of the Tang army is really so high, then why does Wang Jian dare to fight? Is he stupid? Or is he so arrogant?"
Hearing what Shen Gongbao said, Li Shimin's brows furrowed even more.
He is not the kind of monarch who cannot listen to others' advice. It was precisely because he listened to Shen Gongbao's words that he could think about it. Did Wang Jian dare to fight because of his arrogance?
Obviously not.
Wang Jian's record in conquering Japan was second only to Wu Qi's. He had gone through hundreds of battles without losing a single battle. He was obviously a very cautious general.
Then why do we come to engage in a decisive battle when the enemy is in darkness and we are clear?
Li Shimin couldn't think of the reason. He could only attribute it to Wang Jian's absolute confidence in the Qin army and himself. Even if the enemy was hidden and we were clear, even if the enemy was outnumbered, he was still sure of victory.
Shen Gongbao didn't know what Li Shimin was thinking. Seeing that Li Shimin was silent, he thought he was shaken, so he continued: "I have studied Wang Jian. This man is extremely cautious in using his troops and never fights without confidence, so he must have us." I don’t know the backhand.
Tang Gong, before the war starts, it’s better to withdraw your troops.
Although you will lose some face by going on strike, you can preserve your strength. However, once defeated, the consequences will be disastrous..."
Shen Gongbao was interrupted by Li Shimin before he finished speaking.
"enough."
Li Shimin's face was ashen, he drew his sword and pointed it at Shen Gongbao, scolding: "Taoist Priest dares to disturb the morale of our army, but do you think it is disadvantageous to have a sword in your hand?"
Seeing this, Shen Gongbao was very angry.
I have traveled thousands of miles to help you with good intentions. You don't appreciate it, but you still want to kill me?
Okay, you, Li Shimin, can play by yourself. I don't want to accompany Li Tang.
Shen Gongbao is also a man of backbone. After snorting coldly, he turned around and headed back.
Lu Yue and Li Ping, seeing Shen Gongbao leaving, also followed him. They did not want to participate in the war between Qin and Tang Dynasty, but they were persuaded by Shen Gongbao.
Shen Gongbao was dissatisfied, but he still hoped that Li Shimin could win. After all, only if Li Shimin won could it be possible to save Chang'an, and as long as Da Qin did not take Guanzhong completely, it would not attack the Central Plains, and the situation of Song State would be safer.
Shen Gongbao is just a small episode and will not affect the situation of the battle.
While Li Shimin was observing the Qin army's formation, Wang Jian and other generals were also observing the Tang army's arrangement.
It doesn't matter if you don't look at it, but you are shocked when you look at it, because almost all the arrangements of the Tang army are aimed at the Qin army.
The spear formation, crossbow formation, sword and shield formation, etc. can be said to be very distinct. Apart from a slight low morale, there is almost no flaw to be found.
"I'm a good boy, Tang Jun has found out all the information about our three armies on the west route." Yue Yun said with a serious face.
"Have you touched it thoroughly? You can't see it," Wang Jian said.
The generals looked puzzled, but Wang Jian pointed at Wen Zhong behind him and said, "At least Li Shimin doesn't know that Mr. Wen Zhong is in our army."
The generals looked at each other in confusion. It was true to say so, but just what Wen Zhong said could not offset the disadvantage of being in the dark and being clear to the enemy.
"Mr. Wen Zhong, you are the only one who has not been exposed to Li Shimin, so you are our army's best soldier this time. Whether you can win this battle depends entirely on you, eh? Mr. Wen Zhong? Sir?"
Wen Zhong didn't hear Wang Jian's shout. At this time, he was holding a telescope and observing the Tang army's camp intently, and he also discovered several familiar faces.
"Why is Shen Gongbao among the Tang army? And even Lu Yue is also there, is it true?"
Wen Zhong looked serious and quickly told Wang Jian and other generals the news.
Wang Jian and Gongsun Xuanyuan looked at each other and asked, "Mr. Wen Zhong, are Shen Gongbao and Lu Yue both disciples of the Shangqing Dynasty?"
“That’s right, even though he is only an outer disciple, he is undoubtedly a disciple of the Shangqing Dynasty.”
“Outer disciple?”
Wang Jian looked surprised, and Wen Zhongze explained: "The general doesn't know something. The Shangqing Dynasty is divided into the inner sect and the outer sect. The inner sect's disciples are strictly selected, while the outer sect's disciples are much more relaxed.
More than ten years ago, my master once advocated that there should be no distinction between disciples and that disciples should be accepted regardless of their past virtues. No matter how serious a crime they committed, as long as they sincerely repented, they could become disciples.
People like Shen Gongbao and Lu Yue were not good people. They worshiped at the outer gate at that time. "
“Then why did they help Li Tang?” Yu Wencheng asked in confusion.
Yue Yun, Huang Tianhua and other generals also looked puzzled.
From their point of view, the Shangqing sect has long been bound to the Great Qin, and all the elite disciples of the Shangqing have joined the Great Qin camp. These outer disciples should all join the Great Qin.
Moreover, the unification of the Qin Dynasty has been completed. It is better to seek refuge in the Qin Dynasty than to seek refuge in other countries.
Wen Zhong sighed: "This is because the laws of the Qin Dynasty are strict, and most of the disciples of the Shangqing outer sect such as Lu Yue have criminal records. It would be good if they are not liquidated, and it is impossible to be reused."
Wang Jian looked puzzled when he heard this and said: "Even if they have committed crimes, it was a matter of the previous dynasty. How do they have any relationship with my Great Qin? As long as you sincerely serve my Great Qin, Your Majesty will definitely forget the past."
“Those are generals. You don’t know what they have committed.”
As he said that, Wen Zhong showed a look of resentment and said in a deep voice: "Before Lu Yue worshiped Shangqing, he was the leader of the Five Poison Sect. In order to practice poison skills, he often captured living people to test poisons.
Once Lu Yue accidentally polluted the water source, causing thousands of people in a big town to be poisoned.
If the doctor Hua Tuo hadn't happened to save half of the people, the whole town would have been poisoned to death. "
…
Hearing this, the Qin generals present took a deep breath. They did not expect that Lu Yue, who was at the outer gate of the Qing Dynasty, would be so heartbroken and crazy.
How is this different from the heretics of evil spirits?
The Shangqing sect even accepts such people. Isn’t this damaging its own brand?
It's no wonder that Lu Yue didn't dare to join the Qin Dynasty. The Qin Dynasty perfectly inherited the Han Dynasty and was now an orthodox dynasty. There was no room for evil heretics like Lu Yue.
Presumably Lu Yue knew this, but he was also greedy for glory and wealth, so he accepted Zhao Gongming's invitation and joined the Song Dynasty.
Chapter 4000 words, two days’ guarantee on the 27th and 28th
Because the Chinese New Year is coming, the workload this week is particularly heavy. I work overtime every day until nine o'clock before going home. I also work on weekends. I really don't have much energy to type. Please forgive me.
The author has a holiday on the 30th, and there is still one last day, so I can relax after getting through it.
(End of this chapter)