Chapter 145: The Battle of Luoyang Begins; Advice Offered to Li Shimin (Begging for Monthly Votes)

The news spread to all directions like a rising tide.

—The Nine Provinces trembled!

As the Gu clan's first battle upon entering the world, this fight had already drawn much attention.

And now—

Gu Quan and Li Shimin could be said to have delivered a perfect answer.

A surprise raid on Longxi;

unconsciously replicating a feat like that of the late Loyal and Martial Marquis Gu Xiao and Emperor Guangwu of Han, Liu Xiu.

This influence had even surpassed the great victory itself.

Prophetic superstitions have always been an indelible mark of the feudal era; Li Shimin and Gu Quan's battle inevitably called to mind the Liu Xiu of old.

"The Mandate of Heaven rests with Li."

This four-character prophecy rose in the hearts of all under heaven almost in an instant.

The help this brought to Li Tang was beyond imagination.

Though none had ever lived through it personally, who among them did not yearn for the prosperous age passed down through generations?

The common folk had truly suffered for far too long.

Since the Han Emperor Li of old, the people of the realm had scarcely known a true golden age.

The Gu clan's silence had only deepened this despair.

In Yang Jian's time—

though it was the Rule of Kaihuang, in this present age, for the various policies to be fully implemented and take effect—

it was simply impossible for a single generation to accomplish.

And after Yang Guang's succession, he had, without anyone noticing, destroyed all of it.

What greeted the common folk was an even more desperate reality.

And most critically, since the fall of the Sui dynasty, among the various prophecies about the cause of its downfall, there inevitably appeared ones that slighted the Gu clan.

Now that the Gu clan had reappeared, and had even coordinated with Li Shimin to produce a battle like that of Gu Xiao and Emperor Guangwu in days past, how could the people of the realm not be filled with expectation?

But every coin has two sides.

Welcoming the Gu clan was no exception.

It would make all under heaven pay closer attention to everything about the Li clan, and likewise make the lords of the four quarters target the Li clan all the more.

This was the storm the Li clan had to face.

Once the news of this battle was fully heard, the lords of the realm would, by tacit agreement, turn their gaze upon Li Tang; with just one battle, Li Tang had gradually and thoroughly replaced Yang Guang as the target of all the lords under heaven.

—If Li Tang is not destroyed, the hearts of men shall find no peace!

Winds rose in all four quarters.

It was in the second year of Wu De, in winter.

Watching helplessly as all under heaven sang the names of "Li and Gu," an alliance bearing the slogan "First destroy Tang, then contend for the realm" finally took shape.

In truth, the lords of the four quarters had long harbored this intention.

And once Dou Jiande's envoys arrived in turn at every region, this alliance naturally came to be.

Zheng Emperor of Luoyang, Wang Shichong;

Xu Emperor of Jiangdu, Yuwen Huaji;

Xia Emperor of Hebei, Dou Jiande;

Liang Shidu of Shuofang;

the most powerful warlords under heaven today, those with a chance to vie for the realm, all made the same decision.

—First destroy Tang!

They agreed to jointly campaign against Tang in the spring of the following year!

It is worth mentioning that Li Mi, once a man who, like Li Shimin, had opened his granaries to relieve the common folk, ultimately fell beneath his own ambition as his status changed.

He had been defeated by Wang Shichong, and had now come to surrender to Great Tang.

Along with him came many capable men from the Wagang Army.

History had indeed changed too much with the appearance of the Gu clan, yet the fates of certain people remained long since sealed.

At Li Mi's surrender, Li Yuan was exceedingly thrilled.

But upon hearing of the "Alliance to Destroy Tang," what followed was despair.

—Yes, despair!

Great Tang today was indeed no weak power.

It could even be called one of the foremost warlords under heaven.

But faced with so many lords attacking in unison, Li Yuan's first feeling was still despair.

The exhilaration brought by the great victory vanished in an instant.

As the lords of the four quarters issued in succession their "Declarations for the Campaign against Tang," using the name that "Li Yuan" was a kinsman of "Yang Guang," they slandered Li Yuan as a tyrant and resolved to take up arms.

This pretext was indeed quite far-fetched.

But who cared?

They merely wished to ride the great momentum that had arisen together, to turn back Li Tang's ever-rising prestige!

—The situation changed in an instant!

Li Yuan had at first still held some hope.

After all, in such a chaotic age of rising warlords, so long as one was willing to pay the corresponding price, perhaps one could split apart or even win over a number of allies.

But such thinking, given the current situation, was doomed to be in vain.

At this time of competing for the throne, who among them would not want to sit in that seat?

Now the Great Tang's momentum soars to the heavens.

It has clearly not yet swept the realm clean, yet it already commands a prestige like that of the Sui court of old.

This is something no feudal lord could simply sit and watch!

What remains for Li Tang is but one path — and that is to fight.

But how should they meet the enemy?

The Hall of Supreme Ultimate.

A heavy atmosphere pressed down on every heart; the earlier joy of great victories and seized lands had long since vanished like smoke.

— The peril of national ruin!

Indeed, in the hearts of many, this was the peril of national ruin!

Facing the four quarters' feudal lords all at once.

This was a situation even the Sui court of old could not bear — how much less the Great Tang of today?

Though Tang's armies are strong, how could they surpass the Sui armies of old?

But at this very moment, what else could be done?

There was nothing for it but to keep fighting!

Watching the ministers' grave expressions, Li Yuan's own face at this moment was equally unsightly.

Upon first learning of the Longxi campaign he had even felt as though unification were within reach, but now that feeling had vanished in an instant, replaced instead by the peril of national ruin.

At this moment, Li Shimin slowly paced forward, his expression equally solemn beyond words.

"Father Emperor."

He cupped his hands in salute and slowly began to speak.

In an instant, every gaze turned to him.

Today, Li Shimin's prestige throughout the entire Great Tang could be called towering.

Whether it was his earlier merits, or the merit of this campaign to subdue Xue Ju, and especially those prophecies about him — all attested to his extraordinary nature.

"Your son believes that no matter what, our Great Tang must fight."

Li Shimin's gaze was sharp as a hawk's, an unquestionable majesty radiating from his whole being. "As the saying goes, the imperial road is strewn with thorns — without war one cannot open the path to peace, without martial might one cannot settle the universe!"

"Only when iron hooves trample the enemy ranks can the four seas know the might of Great Tang, and all nations look up to the edge of Huaxia!"

"Now, though the four false emperors have allied to plot against our Great Tang—"

"Could this not, for our Great Tang, also be an opportunity?"

"So long as we can win this battle—"

He drew a deep breath. "When that day comes, the people of the realm will surely fear Your Majesty's heavenly might, and Your Majesty shall become… the Son of Heaven who sweeps the realm clean!"

The atmosphere in the hall shifted in an instant.

In truth, every minister knew well that Li Shimin wished to fight.

But the question was — how to fight!

The current Great Tang did not have enough troops to face the four feudal lords at once; once war began, they would very likely face the same situation Yang Guang once did.

Even if they could gain the upper hand on one front—

They could not swiftly destroy the foe;

And as a result, the rear would be continually harassed — by any reckoning, this was a dead end.

But just then, Gu Quan, Gu Yan, and other scions of the Gu clan also slowly stepped forward, took their places behind Li Shimin, cupped their hands, and said: "Your Majesty, our Great Tang ought to meet the enemy in battle!"

— A simple sentence, yet impossible to ignore.

Because they bore the surname Gu.

Li Yuan frowned slightly and sighed deeply: "How could I not know we must fight? But the question is — how to fight?"

"Father Emperor."

Li Shimin did not hesitate in the slightest, and immediately spoke: "Your son believes our Great Tang must surely prevail."

His tone paused for a beat.

Then his whole expression grew ever more solemn, and once more he spoke with ringing force: "Father Emperor, my lords!"

"Now Xue Ju is destroyed and Longxi has submitted."

"Yet Wang Shichong, Dou Jiande, Yuwen Huaji and their like, fearing our Great Tang's might, would ape the Six States' vertical alliance to weaken Qin."

"But in your son's view, though these fellows are many, they are in truth a rabble — our Great Tang has ten victories, the feudal lords ten defeats!"

— Ten victories, ten defeats!

In an instant, every gaze could not help but subtly shift.

Li Shimin paid no heed to the eyes upon him, and continued within the hall: "First, righteousness prevails over tyranny;"

"Our Tang raised an army of righteousness, toppled the cruel Sui, and pacified the common folk — this is a host that follows Heaven and answers to men;"

"While Wang Shichong slew his lord and usurped the throne, and Yuwen Huaji murdered his sovereign to set himself up — these are the acts of traitors, whom all under heaven would punish. Righteousness is on our side. This is the first victory!"

"Second, a wise sovereign and a commander given full charge;"

"Father Emperor is wise and decisive, entrusting without doubt;"

"Those fellows each harbor their own schemes — Wang Shichong is jealous and slays his good generals, Dou Jiande is indecisive, Yuwen Huaji is abandoned by his own men. In the clarity of command, this is the second victory!"

"Third, our soldiers are elite and our generals brave;"

"Our Mysterious Armor cavalry are invincible, and men like Ziyuan are each a match for ten thousand;"

"Their allied army is united in name only — Wang Shichong drives townsfolk into the ranks, Dou Jiande's troops have never known a great battle. The disparity in fighting strength is the third victory!"

"Fourth, above and below are of one heart;"

"Our dynasty's civil and military officials work together, our soldiers give their all;"

"Their allied army each harbors different designs—Dou Jiande wishes to swallow Henan, Wang Shichong is wary of Hebei, internally divided—that is the fourth victory!"

"The fifth, terrain to constrain the enemy;"

"We hold the perilous passes of Tongguan and the Long Mountains, one man can hold the pass;"

"They must attack from a thousand li away, Wang Shichong must cross the Xiao-Han, Dou Jiande must force the Yellow River, we wait at ease for the exhausted—that is the fifth victory!"

"The sixth, ample provisions and fodder;"

"The fertile fields of Guanzhong, the Imperial Granaries are full, can sustain three years;"

"Wang Shichong is besieged defending the Eastern Capital, people eating each other, Dou Jiande has exhausted Hebei's civilian manpower in conscription, logistics decide victory—that is the sixth victory!"

"The seventh, boundless capacity to adapt;"

"We can concentrate our elites, strike east and defend west;"

"Their allied army's deployment is sluggish—by the time Yuwen Huaji's fleet reaches Jiangling, we will have already taken Luoyang, war prizes speed—that is the seventh victory!"

"The eighth, the hearts of the people;"

"Our Tang exempts taxes, equalizes land, the elders of Guanzhong welcome us with food and drink, and now we have the aid of the Gu clan, all the common folk of the realm turn toward our Great Tang, chanting the name of our Great Tang;"

"They extort and plunder—Wang Shichong mints 'small coins' to rob the people's wealth, Dou Jiande forcibly conscripts able-bodied men, the people's hearts turn one way or the other—that is the eighth victory!"

"The ninth, the Turks can be held in check;"

"Liang Shidu is no cause for concern; he may draw the Turks as allies, yet the Quli Khagan already has a pact with us, we need only send envoys with rich gifts, and the Hu cavalry will surely hold back and not advance, the northern border is worry-free—that is the ninth victory!"

"The tenth, the moment of battle is in our hands;"

"Now the various lords have just formed their alliance, their deployment is not yet set—if we wait for them to encircle us, it will be perilous!"

"Better to strike first, take Luoyang directly."

"Once Wang Shichong is broken, the remaining bandits will collapse on their own, the initiative is ours—that is the tenth victory!"

Li Shimin's voice, like Lei Ting, kept thundering throughout the entire Taiji Hall.

Everyone's expression changed—even Li Yuan was no exception.

But before the assembled ministers could react.

Li Shimin dropped directly to his knees before Li Yuan: "I beg Father Emperor to grant your son a hundred thousand elite troops. Your son wishes to seize this chance to take Luoyang directly. Within three months, I will present Wang Shichong's head beneath the palace gates! If I fail, please punish me for the crime of deceiving Your Majesty!"

Resolute, confident.

This was Li Shimin at this very moment.

Regarding the current situation, he and a group of trusted generals had already discussed it for many days.

The fight had to be fought.

The only thing they needed to consider was how to fight, and at the same time how to persuade Li Yuan and those ministers in court who wanted Li Yuan to abandon Longxi and make peace with the various lords.

In fact, Li Yuan was no mediocre man;

It was just that when facing certain great matters, he considered too many things, always needing someone to push him forward.

And now—

It was exactly so.

In truth, Great Tang had no choice at all. Whether it was becoming the lord of all under heaven or protecting the clan, Li Yuan could only choose to meet the enemy head-on.

The lessons of history told everyone that clinging to a corner could not last long.

Li Yuan naturally knew this as well.

But he would still hesitate too—this was a flaw in his character.

The entire Taiji Hall was silent.

It seemed everyone had been stunned by Li Shimin's words.

This situation lasted for a long while before it was finally broken.

—It was that group of military officers, who also opened their mouths to request battle.

Not only Li Shimin's trusted men.

But at this moment—

These generals all stood behind Li Shimin, and the scene was strangely somewhat terrifying.

Gu Yi was also watching all of this.

He clearly saw that Li Jiancheng beside Li Yuan, looking at this scene, could not help but have his gaze subtly shift. Though it was only for an instant, it was very obvious.

A person's mindset will gradually change as their position and circumstances evolve.

Clearly—

Li Jiancheng had now gradually noticed Li Shimin's influence in the army, and this thought was absolutely not his alone.

The ministers in court, those who supported him.

Could not have failed to notice this point.

But these hidden dangers were destined to cause no change now—Great Tang still had to face the current situation.

Li Yuan did not look at Li Jiancheng. He kept his gaze fixed tightly on Li Shimin and the generals behind him. After a moment of silence, he finally nodded slightly: "Good!"

"My son's words today may be passed down through the ages."

"This theory of ten victories and ten defeats has finally awakened Us."

He rose slowly, his gaze sweeping over the assembled ministers, and said in a deep voice: "We absolutely must not make peace!"

"When Our Great Tang was first founded, We once made a great vow to bring peace to the nine provinces."

"If We now seek peace—"

"Would We not then become a man without faith?"

Though he had not directly stated his stance, the meaning between his words was already utterly clear.

This is Li Yuan's political wisdom.

He is giving those who wish to make peace a face-saving exit, showing them his stance and offering them a chance to turn back, not to say anything that would undermine unity at this moment.

Indeed, as soon as he finished speaking, he turned to Pei Ji and said calmly: "Xuanzhen, what do you think?"

"Your Majesty's wisdom is supreme!"

Pei Ji did not hesitate for a moment; he immediately bowed to Li Yuan and said, "I second the motion. Please, Your Majesty, mobilize the troops!"

"Please, Your Majesty, mobilize the troops!!!"

"Please, Your Majesty, mobilize the troops!!!"

"."

One after another, the cries erupted throughout the Taiji Hall; the ministers' responses were perfectly synchronized.

If they still failed to see this now,

then they truly had no business holding office.

Li Yuan nodded in satisfaction, then turned again to Li Shimin and said seriously: "Er Lang, do you have any further strategies?"

This time, Li Shimin did not speak immediately; instead, he bowed slightly and turned to look at Gu Quan, Changsun Wujie, and the others behind him.

—— Not seizing credit;

it was also Li Shimin's personal charisma.

He wanted his subordinates to demonstrate themselves before Emperor Li Yuan.

And the men did not hesitate at all; they immediately laid out the strategies they had discussed in recent days.

First—launching an offensive against Luoyang to seize the initiative is the core.

But to accomplish this core, complete preparations are required.

Guard against enemies from all directions.

No matter how the battle unfolds, as soon as the Tang army moves, if Wang Shichong truly falls into disadvantage, the warlords across the land will inevitably act in turn.

Even if this alliance does have some cracks,

those cracks mean nothing before the threat of annihilating Tang.

If Li Tang were to destroy another warlord state again,

with this prestige and prophetic momentum, their window of opportunity will be truly minimal!

The atmosphere in the hall suddenly grew solemn without anyone noticing.

Listening to the strategies,

everyone furrowed their brows, pondering the possibilities.

But in such a great war, achieving absolute certainty is impossible.

Li Yuan naturally understood all of this.

Although he sometimes hesitated, once he made a decision, he would no longer waver.

The matter was settled.

Li Yuan gave the ministers no time to question these strategies; the moment they finished speaking,

he immediately, before all the ministers, finalized the decision.

Appoint Li Shimin as commander-in-chief;

Gu Quan and Li Jing as deputies;

lead an army of one hundred thousand, march on Luoyang.

It must be said that when facing a crisis this deadly, the ministers' unity was still strong.

Although compared to the Li clan,

these aristocratic clans did not feel the crisis acutely.

But Li Yuan had already promised them too many benefits; people always act for interest, let alone now that the Li clan has the support of the Gu clan.

Compared to other warlords, as long as the Li clan still has even a sliver of chance,

they would choose to gamble on it.

From this day forward, the entire Tang court's operational speed reached its absolute limit.

Grain supplies;

troops and horses;

armor and weapons;

the allocation of all equipment had reached its maximum.

In addition, before the expedition,

Li Yuan imitated Gu Chen's ancient precedent and held a grand sacrificial ceremony, using the occasion to boost morale and denounce the crimes of the warlords across the land.

—— A spectacle of overwhelming might.

Whether Tang's soldiers or the common folk living in Tang Tu,

they were different from the Li imperial family and the aristocratic clans.

Repeated victories, coupled with the Gu clan's support,

had already instilled in them a deep sense of pride; even facing the warlords of all directions, they trusted and looked forward to the court.

This, without doubt, was Tang's sharpest blade.

Gu Yi had been silently observing all of this, his heart utterly unruffled.

History had indeed changed.

The warlords uniting to attack Tang was indeed a crisis for the Tang.

But unfortunately, they were about to face not Yang Guang.

The Tang army's morale was high;

Not to mention the commander was still Li Shimin.

And looking at their so-called "Anti-Tang Alliance," there was no need to mention the soldiers under its banner—even these lords themselves were wary of Li Tang's increasingly terrifying momentum.

This kind of war simply couldn't be fought.

Today's Li Shimin would only be more well-rounded than in the original history; just how magnificent a golden age this fellow could ultimately create was something even Gu Yi found hard to imagine.

News constantly spread toward all directions.

And after the sacrificial rites, in the eighth month of the third year of Wu De.

Li Shimin formally led his troops straight toward Luoyang.

Although Wang Shichong had long made corresponding preparations, facing the Tang army with its overwhelming momentum, he still could not help but suffer defeat after defeat.

But things had not gone beyond the expectations of Li Shimin, Gu Quan, and the others.

Just as the news spread—

Dou Jiande likewise raised troops in Hebei, leading a hundred thousand men out of Hebei, issuing a "Proclamation Denouncing Li" to the realm, claiming an army of three hundred thousand heading straight for Guanzhong.

Liang Shidu likewise moved his troops;

But as expected by Gu Quan and the others, he wanted to obtain the aid of the Tujue.

But the pity was that Li Yuan had already increased his investment toward the Tujue before this, which greatly diminished the threat Liang Shidu could pose.

In the lands of Jiangdu, Yuwen Huaji likewise made a move, sending warships down the Grand Canal to strike directly at Liyang Granary.

Today's Yuwen Huaji could be considered to have swallowed up everything left behind by Yang Guang of old.

Actually, behind these four lords—

Yuwen Huaji's current strength was not weak, especially the morale of the soldiers under his command.

These soldiers now all harbored the desire to return to the Central Plains; this longing had even overridden their fear of the Li clan and the Gu clan.

Only the matter of regicide invited some censure.

But it was not enough to affect this battle.

—The four seas boiled over!

The intensity of this battle far surpassed anything before; it could truly be called the rising of lords on all sides.

But Li Tang could only meet them in battle.

The other routes were not the key; they only needed to hold back the enemy's offensive, and small-scale gains and losses need not even be minded.

Once the fighting at Luoyang concluded and the Tang army returned—

Then everything would not be a problem!

Li Shimin of course understood this point well; he pressed his troops forward with ever greater speed.

At the end of the ninth month;

He defeated Wang Shichong's nephew Wang Honglie at Cijian, completely opening the western gate of Luoyang city.

And then—

He set his sights on the world's foremost heavy granary—the Luoyang Granary!

Luoyang city was absolutely not that easy to breach.

Today's Luoyang was no longer the old city left behind by the great Han of old; to completely take Luoyang would absolutely require paying an enormous price.

But the Luoyang Granary was different!

If Wang Shichong wished to protect his grain, he could only sally forth and fight; then Li Shimin would fear no one under heaven.

If Wang Shichong was unwilling to leave the city—

Then they would seize his grain, and thereafter could nibble away at the various lands around Luoyang, turning the entire city into an isolated one!

The man defending Luoyang Granary was Li Mi's former subordinate general Bing Yuanzhen, who later betrayed Li Mi after being bribed by Wang Shichong.

But Li Mi still knew his character inside out.

Based on this intelligence—

Li Shimin, through Bing Yuanzhen's favored concubine, transmitted false information, luring him out of the city for a night raid, slaying several thousand enemies in one battle, and by mid-October had directly breached Luoyang Granary.

Wang Shichong had actually made preparations.

There was a good deal of fire oil within Luoyang Granary; should any problem arise, he could completely burn everything to ashes with a single fire.

By normal reasoning, no matter what, Li Shimin would not gain the advantage.

But the pity was—

Bing Yuanzhen had made absolutely no preparations, and just as the garrison inside the granary was about to set the fire, Li Shimin had already charged in.

Although the grain still suffered some losses—

With the fire extinguished in time, Li Shimin still seized close to nine hundred thousand shi of grain.

The situation changed drastically.

Within a few days, news after news spread across the realm.

Such as Yuwen Huaji having breached Tang territory, or Liang Shidu having fought his way to Tongguan, and the like.

This was clearly news deliberately released by someone to shake the Tang army's morale.

But they had ultimately underestimated Li Shimin.

For Li Shimin, there was now only one path forward.

Only by completely taking Luoyang could the Great Tang, surrounded on all sides, snatch even this sliver of a chance for survival.

What news could possibly affect him?

He had not even bothered to suppress these reports, letting them spread freely among the soldiers.

If it had been in the past—

This move would absolutely cause the collapse of morale.

But right now the Tang army was on a string of victories, and Li Shimin even laughed before the officers and soldiers of the three armies, saying, "The bandits fear us and are deliberately trying to shake our hearts."

With a little more spreading, these rumors would be hard-pressed to cause any further effect.

Still, the Tang army's subsequent offensive was checked.

—Shan Xiongxin.

This great general under Wang Shichong halted the Tang army's advance at Jinyong City, the northern fortress of Luoyang.

He was entirely different from the other commanders before him.

Shan Xiongxin was extremely valiant; facing the Tang army he showed not the slightest fear, repeatedly sallying out to fight, and even nearly wounded Li Shimin.

Had Yuchi Jingde not arrived in time, Shan Xiongxin would even have had a chance to kill Li Shimin outright!

This truly did halt the Tang army's advance.

But the pity was that, compared to the Tang army like a rising tide, Shan Xiongxin's troops were simply too few.

Under this series of successive attacks, the present Wang Shichong absolutely could not divert troops from Luoyang to reinforce Shan Xiongxin.

And Shan Xiongxin was not invincible under heaven either.

Whether it was Gu Quan, or Cheng Yaojin and Qin Qiong and the others, any of them could hold Shan Xiongxin in check.

Under such circumstances—

Even if Shan Xiongxin had heaven-shaking abilities, he could not continue to hold out.

Under the Tang army's relentless assaults, he could only abandon the city and flee back to Luoyang.

This incident had a certain effect on Li Shimin.

Perhaps it was precisely because of that invincible heart—having nearly lost his life yet still failing to kill Shan Xiongxin—that Li Shimin inevitably gave rise to some unusual thoughts.

The burden on his shoulders was too heavy.

If a man like Shan Xiongxin could not be removed this time, it would absolutely have an enormous impact on future offensives.

But Gu Quan, who was usually very solemn and taciturn, stepped forward at this moment and, quite unusually, took the initiative to say to Li Shimin: "Your Highness, this general remembers when I once read the annals of our clan in years past."

"I heard that when our ancestor, Marquis Zhaolie, was young, he was in both civil and martial matters inferior to the other brothers of the clan."

"But our ancestor was never discouraged."

A simple sentence, yet it instantly restored Li Shimin.

No man is perfect;

Li Shimin had never gained the support of so many officers and soldiers because of his martial prowess.

Looking at Gu Quan before him, Li Shimin suddenly smiled: "Ziyuan, the brothers all tell me you're far too tight-laced, and it frightens people."

"In my view—"

"You're the type who's cold on the outside but warm on the inside."

Gu Quan had now faintly become a figure like Gu Xiao of old.

The man of highest rank beneath Li Shimin himself.

Whether it was the prestige of the Gu clan, or his record of launching a surprise attack on Qin City and holding it alone for three months, these were realities that all the officers and soldiers had to acknowledge.

But facing Gu Quan, these fellows all felt a great deal of pressure.

As he spoke, Li Shimin gradually withdrew his smile, gently sighed, and his gaze regained its sharpness: "On the day we break into Luoyang, I shall surely avenge the grudge of this battle!"

"Your Highness."

Hearing this, Gu Quan suddenly spoke again: "Does Your Highness believe that, if one day our army faces a siege and the brothers face an invading enemy, they should be ready to lay down their lives?"

In an instant, Li Shimin's brow immediately furrowed.

He naturally understood the meaning behind Gu Quan's words.

Put simply—

Each serves his own lord; what grudge is there to speak of?

On the contrary, a man of Shan Xiongxin's ability and loyalty should be worth employing.

Li Shimin was silent for a long while, and finally his brow gradually eased; he gently patted Gu Quan's shoulder and said: "Ziyuan speaks well; it was I who was narrow-minded."

"Henceforth—"

"If I err again, Ziyuan must remember to remonstrate with me by all means."

Gu Quan cupped his fist toward Li Shimin in salute, and said no more.

With Shan Xiongxin's defeat and retreat—

The morale of the Xia army throughout the area around Luoyang could be said to have completely collapsed.

Li Shimin hardly needed to attack and kill again; some cities would almost surrender the moment they heard the Tang army was coming.

This too was inevitable.

With supplies already cut off, who could possibly withstand the Tang army bearing down like a raging torrent?

That very month, the Tang army once again captured Huiluo Granary.

This place was an absolutely vital point; for Dou Jiande's reinforcements to reach Luoyang quickly, they had to pass through here.

However, this place was not the best position for dealing with Dou Jiande.

What truly mattered was Hulao Pass!

That was the key.

Still, with the Tang army having taken this place, it did affect the speed at which Dou Jiande could come to reinforce.

Luoyang had now become an isolated city; given time, Li Shimin could even take Luoyang without shedding a drop of blood, so long as he could hold out.

But how could one possibly use this alone to stop Dou Jiande's great army?

In the Tang army's great camp.

"Your Highness, since this general once held Qin City for three months, I can hold Hulao now."

Before the assembled generals.

Gu Quan cupped his hands toward Li Shimin and requested battle: "This general requests orders to lead my troops to Hulao to meet the enemy!"

"This general is willing to go as well!"

"This general is willing too!"

"."

As Gu Quan's words fell, one shout after another rang out in quick succession.

It wasn't only Gu Yan.

Cheng Yaojin and the others likewise all requested battle.

Li Shimin sat in the seat of honor, looking seriously at everyone present, his expression equally solemn.

How could he not know that entrusting it to Gu Quan was the best course?

As for the reason—

Just as Gu Quan had said, the Battle of Qin City was his finest record.

But the problem was that Li Shimin had never been the sort of man who feared danger and pushed all the peril onto his other brothers.

He drew a deep breath, then waved his hand to quiet the assembled officers, and slowly rose to speak: "Brothers, no need for more words—Hulao Pass is naturally best entrusted to Ziyuan."

Hearing this, the officers could not help lowering their heads.

This truly was something they could not refute.

Gu Quan's expression did not change in the slightest; he was just about to cup his hands and accept the order.

But just at this moment—

Li Shimin's voice rang out once more: "Yet I, Li Shimin, absolutely cannot place the safety of all Li Tang upon Ziyuan alone."

"Issue my command."

His tone suddenly rose: "I will go with Ziyuan in person to Hulao, to face Dou Jiande in battle."

"Brothers—"

"You shall assist the Prince of Qi and continue the siege of Luoyang."

"Under no circumstances give Wang Shichong any opportunity!"

The entire tent, in that instant, fell into utter deathly silence.

To say nothing of the officers failing to react.

Even Gu Quan and the Prince of Qi, Li Yuanji, were likewise stunned, never having expected Li Shimin to make such a decision.

The next moment, the officers hurriedly began to urge him against it.

Even Gu Quan's expression changed.

Holding Hulao Pass was absolutely an extremely dangerous matter.

Luoyangcheng was no small city—Wang Shichong still had a full sixty thousand troops within its walls, and absolutely too many men could not be drawn away, or else Wang Shichong would surely lead his army in a breakout.

When that happened, he could join Dou Jiande in pinching the Tang army from front and rear.

How could such a thing be allowed with Li Shimin, commander-in-chief of the three armies, going in person?

Even Li Yuanji was trying to dissuade him.

But Li Shimin had clearly already made his decision; regardless of how the officers urged him, he immediately waved his hand: "My mind is set—no further dissuasion is needed."

He rarely styled himself "I" (gu) before this band of brothers.

But every time he styled himself so, it had already shown his attitude.

No matter who urged him, it could no longer make him change his mind!

(PS: A two-in-one chapter. On my knees begging for monthly tickets and recommendation tickets—this may be the only time this book gets a shot at the rankings. Brothers, please support me heavily, toss me your monthly tickets! Fish will definitely do his best to update. Please, brothers, just give Fish this one boost!)

(End of this chapter)