Chapter 19 Arriving in Longxi!

"Um."

Li Taiyi, dressed in casual clothes, stood on the horse and nodded.

As a prince, Li Taiyi originally had a special royal carriage to travel, but Li Taiyi did not do so.

As a commander, you should set an example and be consistent in your orders and actions. Only in this way can you gain the support of the officers and soldiers and the entire army will be united.

The so-called leading by example is the basic principle of being a commander.

Li Taiyi quickly looked behind him.

Although there are only a hundred people, their powerful aura as one body is not inferior to that of the three thousand people in front.

All of these people were soldiers summoned and trained by Wang Haibin.

Although they originally belonged to different teams, in just a few days they were like an army that had been working together for many years, which also verified Wang Haibin's training level.

"Set off!"

Li Taiyi quickly turned the horse's head and said loudly.

In an instant, a team of more than 3,000 people surged out like a torrent.

And just when the huge team passed through the city gate, no one noticed a figure standing on the tall city wall, looking at the direction where Li Taiyi disappeared, with extremely sharp eyes.

…

Time flies, more than ten days later, after a long march over mountains and ridges, Li Taiyi led more than 3,000 soldiers and horses to finally reach the Longxi military camp.

The tents for more than ten miles have flags fluttering.

Different from the tranquility in the capital, this place is heavily guarded and has a tense atmosphere.

"Welcome the Third Prince!"

In the Longxi camp, a burly general with a beard walked out with a solemn expression and personally greeted Li Taiyi.

Guo Dingguo!

Li Taiyi recognized it at a glance. The person in front of him was the supreme commander of the Tang Empire in Longxi.

Although he looks slovenly with a beard, his eyes are as sharp as an eagle, and his aura is extremely powerful.

It feels as if a thick mountain is approaching.

And that is indeed the case.

The situation in the empire is complicated, and the current Guo Dingguo is really like a thick mountain, which determines the tranquility of the western border of the empire and the safety of nearly one million people.

Moreover, as far as Li Taiyi knew, General Guo had excellent martial arts skills and was familiar with military literature. Whether it was an old army or a newly formed soldier, it often only took a few times to see the opponent's flaws.

In the Longxi area, Guo Dingguo's prestige is extremely high.

"General Guo, how is the battle going?"

Li Taiyi turned over and dismounted, looking quite respectful.

"It's a bit tight. We are conducting a rehearsal in the military tent. Since His Highness is here, please join us."

General Guo glanced at the troops brought by Li Taiyi and said calmly.

Li Taiyi could feel that General Guo said this just out of politeness, but in fact it was very disappointing.

The war in the empire was tense, and Li Taiyi's thousands of troops were not enough for Guo Dingguo to fill his teeth on the battlefield. Moreover, at this time, the imperial court even sent a prince over for "experience".

This is simply adding to the chaos.

It's amazing that Guo Dingguo has a good impression of him. It's quite good to be able to hold back his anger and treat him politely.

These thoughts flew through his mind. Li Taiyi just smiled lightly and did not say anything:

"Then there's General Lao."

"Haibin, take everything to the back."

"Yes, Your Highness."

On horseback, Wang Haibin said respectfully.

"By the way, Your Highness, there are rules in the army. After all, it is different from the palace. Your Highness comes to Longxi this time and hopes not to be too public."

As soon as Li Taiyi's voice fell, Guo Dingguo's eyes swept across the horse team and the huge wooden boxes on the carriages opened their mouths.

He had long noticed that the army behind Li Taiyi carried a large number of huge wooden boxes, no less than thirty or forty.

Although the prince's status was special and he did not have to be the same as ordinary soldiers, he had already been prepared in his heart. After all, this was Prince Xuan, who was famous for being tyrannical and unreasonable in the Tang Dynasty.

However, it is not good for the third prince to be so "extravagant" and attend so many "ceremonies", bringing the habits of the palace to the army.

"Haha, don't worry, General Guo, I understand."

Li Taiyi smiled calmly.

Of course, these are not "ceremonies". Guo Dingguo obviously misunderstood, but Li Taiyi did not explain. In the future, Guo Dingguo will naturally understand.

"please!"

Guo Dingguo frowned slightly, but soon returned to normal, made an invitation gesture, and led the way.

Li Taiyi nodded and soon followed Guo Dingguo towards the main tent.

Behind him, with Li Taiyi's wave, more than 3,000 troops behind him immediately took up their positions, slowly retreated the thirty identical huge wooden boxes, and began to set up camp.

When Li Taiyi approached the main tent, he heard a heated discussion before he even opened the curtain:

"The Uzang cavalry comes and goes like the wind. A large number of people have been killed and injured in various places, and people are panicked!"

"We have to stop him. Do these bastards really think that since the Tang Dynasty only has infantry, they can't do anything to them?"

"How hateful!"

…

Li Taiyi's eyes flashed with light, he opened the curtain and quickly walked in.

Seeing someone lifting the curtain and walking in, there was a sudden silence in the camp. Everyone turned their heads and looked over. When they saw Li Taiyi coming in behind Guo Dingguo, everyone was startled, but they soon understood and immediately bowed their hands:

"See the Third Prince!"

To everyone, Li Taiyi was just a prince who wanted to make military exploits. Naturally, they would not offend him and the etiquette must be thoughtful.

"No need to be formal, everyone. His Highness has just arrived. Let's continue the discussion. At the same time, we can also let His Highness know about the situation on the border."

Guoding National Road.

"Yes, sir."

Everyone nodded, already understanding what Guo Dingguo meant.

There are many princes in the past dynasties who went to the border to "experience", and it was basically just a formality. The third prince was obviously the same. General Guo meant that everyone should proceed normally and not worry about the third prince.

On the other side, Li Taiyi saw this scene and knew what they thought of him, so he directly found a seat and listened carefully.

"General Guo, after discussion, we found that these villages have been the most severely invaded. I suggest that the army be stationed here and that there be reinforcements."

A dark-skinned general came out, pointed at a cowhide map hanging on the wall inside the main camp tent, and said in a deep voice.

Looking at the sound, the map was smoky and old, but it clearly showed Longxi and the place where it meets Uzang. The place where the dark-skinned general was pointing was exactly one of the densely populated villages. residence.

"No, Uzang is so cunning. After we pass by, they will definitely change their target. Moreover, our Tang Dynasty focuses on infantry, and Uzang cavalry are good at riding horses. Let alone facing them head-on, it will be difficult for us to capture any traces. .”

At this moment, another strong general came out and retorted.

"But if we don't do this, what will those people do? Do they watch him being killed by the Uzbeks?"

The dark-skinned general immediately said excitedly.

"It's not like you don't know our situation. Our troops are depleted, we are infantry, and we are defending such a large area. If something happens because our troops are too scattered, and Uzang takes advantage of us, who can bear the responsibility? What if something happens to the capital?"

The previous Uzang general said.

The dark-skinned general looked suffocated when he heard this and couldn't say a word.

Longxi is the gateway to the capital, and everyone has to pay attention to this.

"I suggest that we divide up several troops, divide this defense line into areas, and protect them in separate teams. If one side discovers the Uszang cavalry first, use Wolf Smoke as a signal, and the two nearby teams will quickly support and join together."

At this moment, another general came out of the queue. As he spoke, he drew a few lines on the map with a charcoal pen to segment the long defense line:

"In this way, we can defend against Uzang's cavalry and protect the people. Secondly, we can also minimize the weakening of our troops."

After hearing these words, all the generals in the camp thought carefully and nodded to show their approval.

But at this moment, Guo Dingguo frowned and spoke:

"no!"

Hearing this, all the generals looked over one after another, their eyes full of doubts.

"In the past, Cui Sheng's strategy could have been adopted, but today is different. Wuszang's intention is obvious, and he obviously wants to attack the mainland of the Tang Dynasty."

Guo Dingguo said in a deep voice:

"If the detachment is stationed in sections, the overall strength will definitely be reduced even more. When the time comes, Uzang can defeat it with a single point, or send out more troops. Do we have to dismantle the entire army?"

"Uzang's cavalry has plundered dozens of villages so far. The top priority is to find their whereabouts before they wreak havoc further and cause greater losses, rather than dividing the troops to defend."

After hearing Guo Dingguo's words, there was a sudden silence in the camp.

"But sir, Uszang is a cavalryman, and his speed is much faster than us. Every time we get the news and rush over, we are always in vain. There is no way to stop it in time."

"Moreover, there are thousands of them. With the power of the Uzang Ladder Array, they can already defeat seven or eight thousand troops. Without enough military strength, even if we catch them, we can't defeat them. With just a little strength, it is impossible to defeat them at all. There’s no way to fix them.”

A general from Longxi hesitated.

Guo Dingguo didn't speak, but his thick eyebrows furrowed tighter and tighter.

How could he not know this problem, but during this period of time, he had thought of all the ways he could think of, but they didn't work at all.

The current situation is a trap. There are too many things to worry about.

"General Guo, if you can, please let me try. Maybe I can find them."

And just when the atmosphere was at its most silent, a clear voice came over. Everyone looked startled, and quickly looked over, and it was Li Taiyi who had been sitting aside who spoke.

Although Li Taiyi didn't speak, he was listening carefully.

Hearing this, he almost understood. No surprise, Uzang sent a large cavalry force into the interior of Longxi to burn, kill, loot and create chaos.

And now it seems that a lot of damage has been done.

The Longxi Army has the responsibility of guarding the border and cannot sit idly by. However, the opponent's whereabouts are unpredictable and their maneuverability is extremely high. Longxi has no way to deal with them.

most importantly--

Although Guo Dingguo didn't say it, Li Taiyi also knew that Uzang had never invaded the Tang Dynasty on a large scale because he was not familiar with the interior of the Tang Dynasty.

This cavalry unit is only responsible for causing chaos everywhere. It is also responsible for the task of exploring the inland intelligence of Longxi.

Once they were allowed to detect too much, it would be extremely detrimental to Longxi and the Tang army.

"Your Highness, no! The battlefield is no better than the capital, no joke. This is a place where one can lose one's life at any time."

At this moment, the sturdy general immediately stopped him.

Can the third prince find the Uzang cavalry unit that they couldn't find?

Are you kidding me?

Not to mention whether they can be found, the battlefield is dangerous, and as the third prince, if something goes wrong during the battle with the Wusi Tibetans, who among them can afford it?

"Your Highness, please leave this matter to us."

Guo Dingguo also frowned at this time and said.

The matter is serious, if anything happens to the third prince, the Longxi Army will not have to worry about dealing with Wu Zang.

"General, I understand your worries. There is a large Uzang army attacking in the front, and there is interference from the guerrillas behind. The battle situation is tight. However, what we are talking about right now is not the battlefield, but just a wandering Uzang cavalry unit. Even if there is danger, how big can it be?”

"Moreover, my father has already stationed enough protective forces around me this time when I leave the capital. Nothing will happen. Even if something happens, I have already told my father that it has nothing to do with you."

Li Taiyi smiled slightly.

"But--"

Guo Dingguo wanted to say something else, but before he could finish speaking, Li Taiyi interrupted;

"The cavalry in the army is exhausted. Right now, I am the only one who has brought thousands of elite cavalry from Beijing to successfully pursue those Uzbeans. If successful, I can share the worries of the generals and contribute to the Tang Dynasty, even if they are defeated. , you can escape unscathed, right?

Li Taiyi said suddenly.

For a moment, the generals were silent.

What Li Taiyi said is not unreasonable. If they are all cavalry, even if they cannot defeat them, they should still be able to escape in the hinterland of Longxi.

"Your Highness is really sure that he can catch the Uzbek cavalry hiding in Longxi?"

A Longxi general couldn't help but said.

It's not that he doesn't believe it, but what Li Taiyi said is too shocking.

When did this third prince with a bad reputation in the capital have such ability?

"Oh, if you don't try it, how will you know?"

Li Taiyi smiled.

There was silence in the main hall. After a long time, Guo Dingguo finally spoke:

"In that case, I would like to thank you, Your Highness."

The Third Highness brought more than 3,000 horses with him, and Wu Zang's cavalry was elusive. The Third Highness might not be able to find traces of the other party. Moreover, if His Highness succeeds, he can reduce the military pressure on them. Even if he fails, there will be no impact at all.

"Cui Sheng, go to support and protect the safety of His Highness the Third."

"yes!"

Cui Sheng stepped out and cupped his hands.

Cui Sheng was the most powerful and powerful man among the generals in Longxi. With Cui Sheng protecting him, the lives of the three princes were not in great danger.

On the other side, after hearing General Guo Dingguo's words, Li Taiyi did not refute. His eyes flickered, but he couldn't help but think of something.

He actually had an impression of the Uzbek cavalry that Guo Dingguo and the Longxi Army were worried about.

Although Uzang was only fighting the autumn wind on the border of the Tang Dynasty, it was particularly violent this year. Countless people were robbed by Uzang and died. Although the Tang Dynasty sent troops to fight, they could not always face it head-on because of the infantry. Uzang's cavalry, even if they were encountered, Uzang would pinch the horse's belly and quickly disappear without a trace.

Guo Dingguo and the Longxi generals are troubled precisely because of this, but I am afraid that even they themselves do not know that it is this large number of Wuszang cavalry troops wandering in Longxi that will soon create a shocking scene in Longxi. Tragedy on the continent's border.

After they captured all the border areas in the middle section, they rushed straight into the interior of Longxi from the north and captured Feng Village. More than 1,500 people survived. It can be said that a real river of blood flowed into the city at that time, and the city was washed with blood. It was known in history as the "Blood Massacre" ".

And because Fengcun was occupied and the defense line was broken, Datang entered a difficult war of resistance.

Li Taiyi looked at the middle border area on the map that was bordered by the Wuszang invaders, and his eyes were calm.

No surprise, the cavalry will appear there soon.

He will never let history repeat itself!

…

Time passed slowly, crossing Longxi, passing through many spaces all the way, and we were on the towering Uzang Plateau, with green grass, herds of cattle and sheep, a peaceful scene, and the occasional breeze, which made us feel relaxed and happy.

On the plateau, dome-shaped tents with obvious Uzbeg style stood. Outside, several Uzbek soldiers in armor were patrolling with broadswords in their hands and sharp eyes. Because of the terrain, although they are not tall in stature, the aura exuding from each of them is extremely powerful.

"Are you ready for the night attack tonight?"

Xi Yuyu, the war horses neighed, and at the training ground of the Uzang camp, a team of thousands of cavalry seemed to be one, and the person speaking was a burly man opposite the cavalry.

This person is a general who specializes in leading the cavalry troops, nicknamed "Blood Butcher".

The Blood Butcher has a cruel character, especially the Kou Bian operation he leads, which causes a large number of deaths every time, which is also the origin of his nickname. Although the Blood Butcher is cruel to his enemies, he is extremely powerful. He kills enemies along the way and becomes a general of the Uszang Thousand-Man Army.