Chapter 1385: Unhindered Prosperity

Chapter 1385: Unhindered Prosperity

Ever since they learned of the news that the Tang Dynasty had defeated the Western Turks and shocked the Western Regions at the beginning of the year, the remnants of the Northern Qi Dynasty in Liaodong had been in a state of intense preparation for war. However, the time quickly passed from the beginning of the year to the second half of the year, but there was still no large-scale attack by the Tang army. This also made the remnants of the Northern Qi Dynasty feel extremely complicated. They were nervous and anxious, mixed with a hint of happiness, and some anxiety. Of course, they were more tired.

After all, if the spirit is tense for a long time, even some energetic people can't bear it, and ordinary people can't help but complain. In addition to the mental pressure, there are also various busy things that need to be taken care of in the process of preparing for war, which makes ordinary sergeants breathless.

Today, the remnants of the Northern Qi Dynasty do not have a vast territory for recuperation and defense. They are just huddled in a corner of the northern foot of Yanshan Mountain. The territory does not have much depth, and there are no natural resources to draw from. What can still be relied upon from the outside is the agreement on an offensive and defensive alliance with the Khitan, Kumoxi and other Donghu tribes. In addition, the recent peace agreement with Goguryeo in Liaodong has made these areas a place where the remnants of the Northern Qi can fight when necessary. place.

However, for Hu Luguang and others who still dream of returning to Hebei, of course, the closer to Hebei, the better. And only by blocking the Tang army south of Yanshan can they demonstrate their strength and value, allowing the Donghu tribes to rely more on them to fight against the Tang army.

If the battle is unfavorable and they retreat to the rear, their value to the Donghu tribes will undoubtedly be greatly reduced. It is not even ruled out that these Hu tribes will choose to betray them and stab them in the back because they are afraid of the power of the Tang state.

Therefore, Xingyuan at the northern foot of Yanshan Mountain has become a place that they cannot easily abandon. Once it is lost, not only will the remaining forces suffer heavy losses again, but it will also plunge them into a huge crisis of national subjugation and genocide.

Therefore, in the past six months or so, apart from urging his troops to practice diligently, Hu Luguang spent most of his energy on building a defense line at the foothills of Yanshan Mountain. However, because there are too few manpower and material resources available now, it is difficult to deploy a large-scale defense line. Basically, it is just to build forts in some gaps in the mountains and rivers north of Luronce for key defense.

Even just like this, the manpower and material resources invested were already too much for them. They still relied on Hu Luguang to intimidate and coax Ku Moxi and other ministries to help, and then they reluctantly set up a defense line.

In fact, from Hu Luguang's point of view, he does not think that this kind of pure defense can reverse the situation. Instead, he thinks that taking the initiative can create opportunities. However, when he proposed this idea, he was immediately met with unanimous opposition.

"The current situation is that the enemy is strong and we are weak. If the enemy does not come to attack us, we can still get a moment of respite. It is not wise to challenge the strong with the weak and invite the enemy to fight!"

When Bohai County fell, Feng Xiaoyan led his clan members across the sea to surrender. Of course, he also hoped to return to his hometown. However, when he heard Hu Luguang's idea of ​​taking the initiative, he still hurriedly objected.

After hearing this, Hu Luguang frowned and said: "I have a feud with the enemy! Even if I don't challenge him, the thieves will come to attack me. Today, Liaodong is a small area, the people are tired, and materials are scarce, so it is difficult to endure a long-term resistance war. . However, the power of the Tang State was several times greater than in previous years. Once an attack comes, we will never rush back and forth. When the battle begins, we will have to face a long confrontation. By then, our situation will inevitably become more difficult. It is better to enter the enemy's territory and plunder before the enemy's army arrives, and then fight and retreat, gradually wearing down the enemy's vigor. "

The mere defense line to the north of Lulongsai has exhausted all the manpower and material resources they can mobilize, and this thin line of defense alone is obviously not enough to firmly keep the enemy at bay. Once the Tang Army's divisions and brigades were besieged here, the space for movement would be even smaller, so it was better to place the early battlefield in the prefectures and counties that had been ruled by the Tang State for a long time.

But not everyone is as courageous as Hu Luguang. In other words, Hu Luguang’s idea itself is somewhat divorced from reality. Even his brother Hu Lvxian disagreed: “Brother wants to take the lead and face the enemy.” Externally, although this is a good idea, the current group is no longer the strong force in Jinyang in the past. Most of them are frightened people, and there are also people who have fled from Hebei.

The terrain in Hebei is flat and flat, which is conducive for the army to advance and retreat. If the enemy sees how strong the enemy is, they may lose their will to fight and fight and retreat at that time, which may lead to collapse at the first touch. Moreover, the Tang garrison generals such as Youzhou and Yingzhou are not mediocre. If they fail to fight, they will frustrate me first, and subsequent battles will be even more disadvantageous! "

Hu Luxian did not want his brother to take risks and go deep into enemy territory. Compared with Hu Luguang, who had always focused on military affairs, he had to manage a wider range of affairs, so he also knew in his heart that the real situation of the remnants of the Northern Qi Dynasty was actually worse than it seemed on the surface. A bit worse.

Take those who fled Hebei, for example. They were either driven by the war or were kidnapped by the Qi army. Once they returned to Hebei and saw that the prefectures and counties were in good governance and the people's livelihood was peaceful, they might lose their fighting spirit and regret before even fighting. For his original choice, he hated the Qi army that had been holding them hostage.

The leader of Qi, Gao Ji, had always remained silent, but when he saw that the people above and below seemed to be opposing Hu Luguang, he was immediately ready to take action. He couldn't help but said: "Yes, the country is in crisis now, all because of Xianyang The king and his ministers worked together to survive. Although the king is unparalleled in loyalty and bravery, and is not afraid of fighting to the death, all the ministers now have objections. The king of Xianyang should still consider carefully if the king escapes and is robbed by thieves. who?"

Hearing that no one supported his proposal, Hu Luguang had no choice but to give up the idea and continue to concentrate on repairing the Yanshan defense line.

However, long-term intense preparations also make the soldiers exhausted, and it is inevitable that some negligence will occur. Hu Luguang has always been very strict in managing the army, and now it is a critical moment of life and death. He will punish such situations severely, which will inevitably make the masses complain.

On this day, Gao Baoning, the leading general in charge of guarding the garden, violated military law again and was sent to the military camp by Hu Luguang to prepare for punishment. Gao Baoning was a member of the Qi clan and had been in Liaoxi for a long time. Qi Lord Gao Ji also relied heavily on him. After hearing the news, he rushed to the military camp to intercede for Gao Baoning.

"Your Majesty, with his rich body, has a certain control over movement and silence, why do you end up working for those who are violating the law?"

Hearing Gao Ji's intention to come, Hu Luguang felt a little unhappy and said in a deep voice.

After Gao Ji heard this, he felt a little embarrassed, and bowed slightly and said: "Since the eastward journey, relatives have been separated, which makes people feel sad. I am the leader of the army, and I usually use it appropriately. I also ask the King of Xianyang to bring justice. Slightly wider and gentler.”

"This is not the first time this person has messed up our military laws. It is really hateful. But now that your majesty has said that, the staff will be reduced to thirty. If he does it again, he will not be spared lightly!"

Hearing what Gao Ji said, Hu Luguang was also a little sad, and he pondered for a while before speaking again.

After Gao Ji heard this, he thanked him profusely, and when he left, he took Gao Baoning back to his home after his punishment. Although he had been given a lighter sentence, Gao Baoning had endured thirty punishments with a cane. Gao Baoning was still full of wounds and could not get up. He leaned in the car and said angrily: "The King of Xianyang is really too domineering. I don't want to be punished." He was punished, but he was so embarrassed that His Majesty came in person, and he still refused to give in. "

"King Xianyang is an important minister of the country. Without his protection, it would be difficult for me to be here!"

Gao Ji always responded like this to those who discussed Hu Luguang's rights and wrongs in front of him, and this time was no exception.

After Gao Baoning heard this, he became even more angry and said with a groan: "Although King Xianyang is a loyal minister, is it possible that the rest are all traitors? Although he is loyal and brave, it is difficult to save the country in danger by his own will. The current situation is inherently bad. In a critical situation, with few troops and weak strength, he still threatens and frightens everyone..."

"Stop saying that. King Xianyang's loyalty to the country is as strong as gold and stone. I have no doubt about it!"

Seeing that Gao Baoning still kept silent, Gao Ji frowned and scolded him.

Not to mention these disharmonious factors within the remnants of the Northern Qi Dynasty, after the Tang Hebei side received the conquest order from the imperial court, the war machine started running again. Last year, when the Holy Emperor visited the west, he mainly recruited soldiers from Shannan, Guanlong and other places. Although there were also soldiers from Hebei, the number was not large.

Nowadays, there are nearly a hundred military mansions, large and small, in the entire land of Hebei, and there are tens of thousands of soldiers and soldiers registered in the mansion. Most of them were added after the pacification of Hebei, and they missed the opportunity to defeat the Northern Qi Dynasty, which was a great victory. Therefore, many soldiers of the government only enjoyed the basic equalization of land, and there were not many additional rewards for meritorious service.

The number of conscripts distributed to Hebei last year was limited, and many soldiers were still fearful and hesitant about going to the Western Regions, so the atmosphere was relatively calm. But this year, another combat mission was issued, and many military mansions in Hebei were immediately excited. The mansions were filled with sergeants requesting expeditions, all hoping to exchange for greater rewards through military merit.

"A certain Qi Hua warrior is a border guard. He is also very familiar with the border situation in Liaodong. He once killed Kumo and ridiculed several people. If the master of the palace doesn't point me down, he must be doing things unfairly!"

In order to get quotas for sending troops, the sergeants all shouted about their own advantages and used words to bully the palace master who was responsible for recruiting troops. As a result, the Hebei states originally planned to recruit 30,000 troops, but the total number of troops in various places was as high as 70,000. the crowd.

When Li Mu, who was appointed as the head coach of this expedition, came to Yecheng and saw the war preparations submitted by Li Licheng, the general manager of Xiangzhou, he was dumbfounded. He shook his head repeatedly and said: "There are too many overstaffed people. This is absolutely unacceptable! Henan The army recruitment orders from all the states have been issued, and they need to bring food to the north. The imperial court does not have the extra expense to use these surplus soldiers!"

"The soldiers are greedy for merit and strive to be the first. All the military offices are worried about this. If this report is not made, the military will be uneasy. Since you have been entrusted with this matter, you should handle it properly!"

Li Licheng had been worried about this matter for a while. Now he finally waited until Li Mu arrived and handed over the matter. Of course, he refused to take over the matter again. He hurriedly said goodbye to Li Mu and returned to the manager's house to avoid seeing him.

As a military general, Li Mu naturally hoped to fight a rich war and invest as much troops and material resources as possible. Seeing that there was still some time before the campaign, he took the initiative and reported the situation to the court.

Naturally, it would not be possible to use so many soldiers and horses just to attack the remnants of Qi in northeastern Liaoning, but if the target is larger, it would be reasonable to mobilize so many troops. Hebei sergeants enthusiastically applied for the call. If the imperial court did not agree, it would need to send envoys to express condolences and appease the military.

When this situation was reported to Chang'an, Li Tai read through the memorial. In addition to seeing that the sergeants were eager to fight and had military morale, he also realized that the construction of the army in Hebei was lagging behind. Although the scale of the army and the number of sergeants had increased, However, the related resource allocation is still not comprehensive enough. In addition to farming and weaving, the biggest source of income for the soldiers is naturally military rewards, so this is why there is such an enthusiastic situation.

There are many reasons for this situation, one of which is very important is that a large amount of local resources in Hebei are still in the hands of powerful families.

Although the powerful families such as the Li family in Zhaojun and the Feng family in Bohai suffered severe blows after the Northern Qi Dynasty was conquered, these were just special cases after all. The Cui family in Qinghe, the Cui family in Boling, the Lu family in Fanyang, and other aristocratic families suffered a severe blow because of their relationship with them. The close relationship between the Li and Tang clans allowed them to join the ruling order of the new dynasty relatively smoothly, and their rural capital power was also retained and even continued to expand.

In order to maintain the stability and recuperation of the junior high school, Li Tai did not carry out in-depth reforms in this type of situation. This time the prince was sent to take charge of the removal of counties and merged states, with the intention of suppressing the Haoyou family.

At present, the morale of the military in Hebei has been revealed. It can be said that the objective conditions for more profound reforms have been formed. If there is no positive response, it will undoubtedly make people feel lazy and depressed.

However, when there was a foreign war, Li Tai rarely chose to make internal adjustments at the same time. At present, the emotions of the soldiers in Hebei's various prefectures are obviously difficult to calm down through simple comfort. After all, they have truly strong and urgent needs.

After weighing the situation, Li Tai decided to go abroad first and then go inward. He also gave up his plan to spend the winter in Guanzhong and went to Luoyang to take charge. Then he sent his son Li Jin, who had set out earlier, to Yecheng to supervise military affairs. At the same time, the scale of the expedition in Hebei was expanded, and Changpingcang in various states prepared for shortages temporarily provided military supplies, thus launching a larger-scale war in Liaodong. This time, they not only wanted to wipe out the remnant Qi forces of the Northern Qi Dynasty, but also pushed the Tang Dynasty's troops to the front line of Liao River to make plans.

So as the Holy Emperor arrived in Luoyang, Datang's war machine started to increase its power again. The original plan was to mobilize 50,000 divisions and brigades to conquer the remnants of the Qi Dynasty, but now the number of troops mobilized has more than doubled. More than 100,000 troops gathered in Youzhou, and then took the Lulong Fortress and the Liaoxi Corridor to besiege the remnants of the Northern Qi Dynasty at the northern foot of Yanshan Mountain.

At this time, the remnants of the Northern Qi Dynasty had been preparing for war for more than half a year. Finally, when the news came that Tang Dynasty was sending troops, it was another form of getting what they wanted. But when they learned that the Tang Army, which claimed to have an army of 300,000 soldiers, was heading toward Liaodong in large numbers, the remnants of the Northern Qi Dynasty were immediately dumbfounded. Even Hu Luguang was surprised: "There is nothing here." Only tens of thousands of poor troops were defeated, but the Tang Dynasty actually attacked with the whole country. It seems that he is very determined to destroy us. If we don't die, we can't sleep in peace."

No matter how many men and horses of the Tang army came to fight here, the only thing they had before them now, the remnants of the Northern Qi Dynasty, was to fight to the death. In the past few days, Hu Luguang had been preparing for war, so the soldiers were still determined to fight and were not frightened by the enemy's powerful force.

Although the Tang Dynasty had a great momentum, due to the increase in the scale of recruiting troops, the final date of dispatching troops was later than originally planned.

On the contrary, after receiving the order, the Turkic Khan Shetu, who led his troops across Monan and attacked western Liaoning, arrived at the battlefield in western Liaoning first and quickly established something. Seeing the arrival of the Turkic army, the Khitan, which was already weak in fighting spirit and disorganized, directly knelt down, surrendered to the Turks, and turned around and became the vanguard of the Turkic army.

As the Turks turned against each other, the north side of Yanshan Garden was completely uncovered and directly exposed to the eyes of the Turks. At the same time, after arriving at Huanglong in Yingzhou, the army passing through western Liaoning immediately launched an attack on Yanshan Hangyuan. However, this direction was not the area where the remnants of the Northern Qi Dynasty focused on fortification, and was only slightly hindered by the mountains and rivers.

This is not because Hu Luguang made a major oversight when preparing for the war. The key is that he lacks strength and can't do what he wants but can't. Originally, Hu Luguang planned to join forces with Goguryeo to set up the northern defense line of Huanglong and maintain smooth communication to and from Liaodong. However, Goguryeo was hesitant. Seeing that the Tang army had not launched an attack, it repeatedly delayed the cooperation and even sent troops to Hu Luwudu, who welcomed the bride in Pyongyang, is still stranded in Pyongyang and has not moved back.

Now that the Tang Dynasty's political decrees have dropped sharply and the conquest of troops is approaching, it is already too late in terms of time and strength to make remedial arrangements. As all sides were besieged, the Yanshan defense line that had been carefully managed by Hu Luguang suddenly became a lonely force and was trapped in a heavy siege.

However, Hu Luguang did not panic because of this. He knew that the Turks were lax and weak in combat effectiveness, and the divisions and brigade coming from the west of Liaoning were circuitous and could not be the main force of the Tang army. The main force of the Tang army that can truly pose a fatal threat will definitely come from the front line of Lulongsai.

Therefore, he continued to stay at the Yanshan defense line, and at the same time ordered his younger brother Hu Luxian to lead an elite army to repel the Khitan and Turkic divisions to the north, while the rest of the troops stayed at Xingyuan, relying on the defenses built by Xingyuan in recent years. To resist Yingzhou's offensive.

Hu Luguang was still in command here, but the Yanshan Garden behind was already in chaos. Not everyone expected Hu Luguang to be so calm and composed. Hundreds of thousands of Tang troops were attacking aggressively, and all surrounding parties were directly exposed to the enemy's front. It was really difficult to stay calm. Especially when Hu Lvxian led a group of troops to the north to attack the Turks and Khitan divisions, which reduced the number of troops stationed in Xingyuan and made people here more and more frightened.

"Your Majesty, the Tang army came to attack in large numbers, but the Hulu brothers each led their troops to stay outside, without any regard for the safety of the Supreme Being. How should we respond to the enemy? The Supreme One should also plan for himself!"

Gao Baoning, who had long been at odds with Hu Luguang, was panicked when he saw that there were fewer people under his command to dispatch. He quickly asked to see Gao Ji and gave him advice.

Although Gao Ji was also quite panicked, he still managed to calm down and said: "Leader, please stop saying this. King Xianyang is loyal..."

"The King of Xianyang may be loyal to the country, but he may not be loyal to the king. Since the Supreme Lord came here, he has been left in the palace, and no one can ask about internal and external affairs. They are all controlled by the brothers of the King of Xianyang. The reason why he has been in Jinyang since Jinyang To guide and protect the supreme being is nothing more than to use a divine martial bloodline to command the subordinates. Whether this bloodline is supreme or not, it makes no difference to him..."

An eunuch next to him couldn't help but speak at this moment. However, before he could finish his words, Gao Ji stamped his feet and roared: "Stop, eunuch! How can I allow you to comment on important matters of the family and the country! The king of Xianyang Kingdom Zhuchen, I have unparalleled loyalty and righteousness. If I don’t believe it, how can I trust you?”

After being reprimanded, the eunuch hurriedly lowered his head, but soon he said again: "How many things does the Supreme Lord take charge of in the so-called family country? This is the country of the bright moon, but not your Majesty's country! Although the talents of slaves are not as good as those of others, King Xianyang, but now that the enemy is approaching and the slaves are still guarding the Supreme Lord, where are brothers Hulu now?"

"This is the country of the bright moon..."

After Gao Ji heard this, his expression suddenly froze, and the negative emotions accumulated in his heart suddenly surged up. After being stunned for a long time, he looked at the eunuch again and said in a deep voice: "You, the eunuch, have some knowledge? What's the name?"

"The slave's name is Qi Shao, and he has been in the palace since the age of Shenwu. Now the country is poor and it is difficult to fight against the enemy, but if you want to continue the inheritance of the country, you can't do it in one city or one place. Although the emperor of the Tang Dynasty is unparalleled today, his ancestors also had There are those who have lost their country and run away A dangerous situation. If you want to save the country, it depends not on the place but on the people. The supreme being is born with noble blood and the direct blood of the gods. Wherever you are, the country is where you are. Even if you go to the vast ocean and live on an isolated island, you will not lose the title of the owner of the island. It is better than being trapped. I’m waiting to die!”

Seeing that Gao Ji had been persuaded by him, the eunuch said quickly.

"Qi Shao... a good name, a good name! Yes, I am the Sheji. Where I am, the Sheji is. The bright moon is tied to me here. It is just to use me to control the people. I should not be trapped in his treacherous plot!"

Facing the fierce attack of the Tang army, Gao Ji was naturally extremely frightened. However, his reason had always told him that Hu Luguang was a loyal minister of the country. As long as he trusted him, things would get better. However, now he was persuaded by the eunuch Qi Shao. , his mood suddenly changed greatly, and he no longer planned to stay here and wait to die.

So he immediately ordered the leader Gao Baoning to gather a group of elite soldiers, pack up a group of goods, and while the Hu Luguang brothers were all outside to meet the enemy, he left Xingyuan directly and fled eastward.

Although the Turkic and Khitan coalition forces were powerful, their combat effectiveness was really not high. In addition, they did not expect that the Qi army would dare to take the initiative to attack, so their front troops were ambushed by Hu Lvxian at the northern foot of Yanshan Mountain, resulting in thousands of losses. After that, the troops retreated hastily, not daring to attack any further.

After temporarily repelling the enemy from the north, Hu Luxian hurriedly returned to Yanshan Garden. However, when he arrived at the garden, the place was already in chaos, and Qi Lord Gao Ji had already abandoned them. These last survivors of the Northern Qi Dynasty fled to no one knows where.

Faced with this situation, Hu Luxian was completely despairing for a while. After a long time, he sighed in shame and said, "Who can revive this family after it has been abandoned by heaven? The Qi family must have brought it upon themselves!"

At the same time, the news that the Lord of Qi deserted the crowd and fled also spread to the Yanshan defense line. After learning about this, Hu Luguang was speechless for a long time, but finally cheered up and said: "No matter what, we must fight! Tang Guo You will never show mercy to us, the remnant of our country, because we are abandoned by your father!"

Things did not go as Hu Luguang expected. The main force of the Tang army came north via Lulongsai, and the defense line arranged by Hu Luguang was right on the route of the Tang army's advance, firmly trapping the Tang army in Yanshan. . Until this moment, although this famous Northern Qi general was in bad luck, he still maintained a keen insight into the war.

But that was all. No matter what kind of virtue and talent Hu Luguang had, facing the declining Northern Qi state, he could not save it by himself. Although the defense line he deployed caused a lot of trouble for the Tang army's march, no matter how strong the defense line was, it still needed someone to garrison it.

Today's Tang army is better armed and more morale than when it conquered the Northern Qi Dynasty. When Hu Luguang was still leading his troops to resist in the mountain beacon, the various Tang army divisions and brigades were already strong. Climbing over mountains and ridges, climbing high and jumping down, swarms of fearless ants followed, and their strong morale greatly reduced the effectiveness of the defense line.

As the defense lines were broken down one after another, the defense line carefully arranged by Hu Luguang did not last as long as he expected. Although he still has outstanding talents, he seems to have been separated from the Tang army soldiers by an era, and his past experience is no longer effective. And even if this defense line holds on, the Qi master in the rear has fled, and the meaning of their persistence no longer exists.

"That's all!"

Seeing that the defense line was broken at all points, and more and more Tang army soldiers were approaching, Hu Luguang took out the saber in his hand and said to the people around him: "A certain person was born as a general, he was wanton in his youth, he has a humerus in middle age, and he is loyal in his later years. Lie, I have no regrets in this life! The Lord of the Tang Dynasty is heroic and has unified the world. The remnants of the previous dynasty will leave as soon as possible and will not hinder the prosperous times. You and other disciples have mistakenly followed mediocrity and are in this desperate situation. I can't save you. Let's go and survive! "

After saying these words, he put the knife in his neck and killed himself on the spot. Seeing Hu Luguang commit suicide, the remaining disciples were all sad and panicked for a moment. Some people climbed over the defense line and abandoned their weapons and surrendered to the Tang army, while others silently gathered around Hu Luguang's body, protecting him with their bodies. The body is not damaged by enemy forces.

The death of Hulugu did not stop the Tang army's march. This time, annihilating the remnants of the Northern Qi was just a small goal in the expedition. The goal of the Tang army was to completely recover Liaoxi and look to Liaodong.

After the Yanshan defense line was breached and Hulugu's body was collected, the Tang army continued to advance, and all the routes joined together to encircle and suppress Huluxian, who was about to lead his troops to Kumo Xi in the north. After that, the Tang army split into two routes. One route, led by Li He, the governor of Youzhou, attacked Kumo Xi and other Donghu tribes that had colluded with the remnants of the Northern Qi, and the other route, led by Li Mu, continued to attack eastward.

Gao Ji, the Qi lord who abandoned his people and fled, did not have the luck of Li Bao, the ancestor of the Longxi Li family, to run far away to restore the country and maintain the country's destiny. When he fled to the vicinity of Liaoshui, he happened to meet the troops of Yang Hu, the governor of Guangzhou, who came from Guangzhou across the sea. The group was directly captured and killed on the banks of Liaoshui River.

Goguryeo obviously did not expect the Tang army to advance so quickly. They were waiting to see the Tang army and the remnants of the Northern Qi confronting and fighting in the west. However, in the blink of an eye, the Tang army had already advanced to the vicinity of their country. Although its capital Pyongyang was still far away from the Liao River, as its territory on the peninsula was occupied and divided by Silla and Baekje, the territory of Liaodong became more and more important to its country.

Fearing a fierce attack from the Tang army, Goguryeo's ruler Gao Tang did not hesitate and immediately sent envoys to the Tang army camp on the banks of the Liao River to surrender. Along with the envoys, there were also Hulugu's son Hulugu Wudu, who was previously detained in Pyongyang, and Hulugu's new wife, who had not yet married. However, they were not alive, but their heads.

Seeing this situation, the Tang army could not help but sigh at the Goguryeo ruler's quick change of attitude and cruelty, but Goguryeo's quick surrender also left them no reason to continue to march east of the Liao River. Moreover, as winter approached, Liaodong became bitterly cold, making it inconvenient to deploy troops on a large scale.

So after consulting the court, the court temporarily accepted Goguryeo's request for surrender and appointed Yuwenshan as the governor of Pingzhou to guard Liaoshui, while the rest of the divisions were evacuated in batches and returned home.