Chapter 150: Bloody Battle at Hulao Pass, Capturing Two Emperors in One Fight (Combined Chapter Request)

—The four seas are in a ferment.

Across the entire Central Plains, with Luoyang as the core, a world-shaking battle unfolded.

Heroes from all directions gathered to vie for the deer;

it even carried the implication of a single battle deciding the fate of the world.

No, it was simply a single battle to decide the fate of the world.

For the various lords of the world, if they could not completely annihilate the Tang in this battle, then looking across the entire world, it would be hard to imagine who else could withstand the edge of the Great Tang.

Hulao Pass.

As one of the most important passes in the Luoyang region, too many stories had happened here, and it had likewise left behind endless legends.

Recalling the days of the past;

it was Gu Chen who blocked the allied forces of Yuan Shao and other lords at Hulao Pass.

Although he was eventually forced to withdraw from Luoyang, he had nonetheless blocked the lords from all directions before this very pass.

This battle was also the beginning of Gu Chen’s fame throughout the world in those years.

—Five thousand men.

Only five thousand men!

While ensuring that Luoyang did not fall out of the encirclement, Li Shimin could at most mobilize five thousand elites; this was also all that the Great Tang could bring out.

The lords from all directions were besieging them.

With all the elites deployed abroad, the entire Changancheng was now already very tense.

It was impossible to provide any help.

The front line besieging Luoyang needed even more troops.

The force heading to Hulao Pass consisted of only five thousand men, who had to face Dou Jiande’s army of nearly one hundred thousand head-on.

The danger of this battle could be imagined.

Li Shimin still possessed great personal charisma; even when facing such a situation, there were still many generals who wanted to follow him.

However, Li Shimin only selected those generals who were skilled in martial arts.

As for those skilled in command, they naturally remained on the front lines.

Gu Yan and other members of the Gu Shizi also requested to fight, but Gu Quan naturally could not agree.

With Gu Yu not yet presiding over the court.

As the eldest son;

he had to block all risks for all his brothers.

The army set out.

No one had any certainty of victory in this battle, and Li Shimin, Gu Quan, and the others had no way to retreat.

No matter what, they had to block Dou Jiande before Hulao Pass.

If not, the Tang Army would be caught in a pincer attack between Wang Shichong and Dou Jiande, and as long as their elites were lost, the Great Tang would be doomed to fall.

In such a situation, who could be without pressure?

But no matter what, all that was left for Li Shimin and Gu Quan was to face it head-on.

Lead-colored clouds hung low, pressing down on the battlements of Hulao Pass until they were breathless.

Li Shimin rested his hands on the mottled bricks of the watchtower, his fingertips brushing over the undried bloodstains on the wall—splattered there when scouts clashed with the Xia Army’s light cavalry the day before.

He narrowed his eyes, gazing at the churning dark clouds on the horizon.

Although he remained calm throughout.

Just looking at his silent state was enough to reveal Li Shimin’s mood at this moment.

At this time, shouts suddenly rang out.

"Report!" A messenger stumbled up the watchtower, "The Xia Army vanguard has reached three miles from the pass!"

The wind carried the smell of earth as it rushed toward them; Li Shimin immediately glanced at Gu Quan, and without any wasted words, the two climbed to the top of the wall.

The next moment, they saw a vast, endless crowd rapidly approaching from afar.

Those crimson banners embroidered with the character "Xia" swept across the wilderness like a sea of blood.

Countless spear tips pierced the clouds, reflecting a cold, grim light in the haze, like snakes flicking their tongues, seemingly pressing the entire world toward the pass.

The sound of drums suddenly erupted.

The Tang Army, having long prepared to meet the enemy, climbed the walls one after another, ready for battle.

An invisible pressure descended.

This hazy sky combined with that vast army created an overwhelming sense of oppression.

"Ziyuan, are you afraid?"

Li Shimin looked at the approaching army and suddenly spoke to Gu Quan.

"Your Highness, are you afraid?" Gu Quan asked in return, his already stern face showing no change.

Seeing this, Li Shimin was slightly stunned, then suddenly raised the corners of his mouth and actually laughed out loud, "A real man dies when he must; what is there to fear?"

"I want to see—"

"what this Dou Jiande can do to me!"

Unconsciously, Li Shimin’s hands had already gripped the sword at his waist.

Gu Quan nodded slightly, his gaze growing sharp as he looked at the approaching army below the wall, and said calmly, "Indeed, a real man stands in this world; when it is time to die, what is there to fear?"

Neither of them attempted to boost the morale of the troops.

With such a vast disparity, what use would words be to boost morale?

Reality is ultimately not a novel.

And it is certainly not a film where you can rally the entire army by shouting a few lines while fighting against superior numbers.

Everyone would be afraid, and everyone would feel the pressure.

To completely turn this around—

one could only speak through truly repelling the enemy!

The army arrived before the pass in an instant; Dou Jiande did not rush to attack, but instead rode his horse slowly forward, leading dozens of messengers, and looked up at the wall with a cold sneer.

"Is that the Li family’s second son on the wall?"

The roaring voice instantly carried over with the breeze.

The Li family’s second son!

Dou Jiande was clearly trying to crush the Tang Army’s morale with sheer momentum, starting with psychological warfare, addressing Li Shimin with the tone of an elder.

"Why must you thieves only rely on the strength of your tongues?" Li Shimin’s voice was like metal and stone, every word ringing with force.

The messenger immediately shouted at the top of his lungs, turning these words into a thunderous cry that echoed over the pass.

When the clamor subsided, Li Shimin stepped forward abruptly, his long sword unsheathed, the blade’s light like a silver streak cutting through the haze. He pointed his sword directly at Dou Jiande’s army and said loudly, "I stand here today! If you have the guts, bring your horses over!"

"You thieves arrived with a great army, yet you only know how to rely on the strength of your tongues."

"Could it be—"

"that you fear the reputation of Li Shimin?"

The response rang out like thunder.

At this moment, Gu Quan also spoke: "Gu Ziyuan of the Gu family is here; how dare you invade our borders?"

He was doing this deliberately.

Nearly half of Dou Jiande’s subordinates were from Hebei; the name of a Gu Shizi would definitely affect their fighting spirit.

Sure enough, as soon as these words were spoken.

A slight commotion broke out in the army below.

In an instant, a flash of anger crossed Dou Jiande’s face.

In truth, Li Shimin was right—he was indeed somewhat wary of Li Shimin and the Gu Quan beside him.

"You seek death!"

He dared not hesitate any longer.

Since psychological warfare failed, then only a frontal assault remained.

Although his heart was indeed filled with wariness, what of it?

He had an army of one hundred thousand!

An army of one hundred thousand could sweep away all obstacles.

—The great battle began instantly.

Gu Quan’s name could indeed affect the morale of the Xia Army, but relying on a name alone to repel the enemy was clearly not enough; perhaps only someone of Gu Chen’s level could achieve that.

Dou Jiande would not wait any longer.

From the moment Gu Quan revealed his identity, he had completely lost the opportunity for such psychological tactics!

He had to attack directly!

The sounds of killing rang out across the sky, and dense arrows fell like raindrops, accompanied by the sound of them tearing through the air.

Dou Jiande was very clear.

He must not give Li Shimin a chance to drag things out.

Even if this first battle could not directly break Hulao Pass, there had to be some progress.

He did not believe the Tang Army’s morale could be that stable.

As long as they won one battle, given the disparity in troop numbers, the Tang Army’s morale was destined to collapse completely.

At that time, he would be able to drive straight in.

In truth, Dou Jiande’s battle was not merely for the sake of some Wang Shichong; he naturally had his own intentions.

Having reached this point today.

Who among them would not want to reach the end and become the ruler of the world?

Dou Jiande had long since made his plans.

As long as he could break through Hulao Pass and destroy the elite of the Tang Army, he could then take advantage of the momentum to directly attack Wang Shichong, seize Luoyang and the Changancheng and Longxi regions of the Li Tang, and add those to his foundation in the Hebei region.

At that time, he would become the strongest warlord in the world.

It was precisely because of this that Dou Jiande did not agree to the strategy proposed by his advisors to attack Changancheng by "besieging Wei to save Zhao."

He needed to seize the initiative to reap the fruits of victory.

As for what the other warlords might think at that time, why would he need to care?

The path of an emperor;

Naturally, it is just a matter of using whatever means one has.

When he becomes the strongest warlord in the world, why would he need to care about the attitudes of the others?

Therefore, no matter what, Dou Jiande must maintain the advantage.

Under his constant orders.

The entire Xia Army’s offensive was extremely fierce.

But as a perilous pass, even if Dou Jiande had many troops under his command, it was impossible to pile all his forces up at once due to the constraints of the terrain.

This was also the greatest reliance of Li Shimin, Gu Quan, and the others.

They only needed to hold off this fiercest wave of the Xia Army’s offensive, and it would be enough to shatter their morale!

"Kill!!!"

"Kill!!!"

"Kill!!!"

"."

On this battlefield, which could be called a meat grinder, the surge of various hormones constantly stimulated the emotions of every soldier, causing them to let out deafening shouts.

Li Shimin never retreated.

Together with Gu Quan, Cheng Yaojin, Yuchi Gong, and others, he fought alongside the soldiers in front of the pass!

There were truly too many people!

The endless stream of the Xia Army was truly like flowing water, impossible to kill them all.

In the dense crowd, there were always those who could avoid the arrows and falling stones, climb up to the pass, and what followed was close-quarters combat.

It was fortunate that the troops Li Shimin had mobilized this time were the elite of the elite.

It was not just the Xia Army that would be affected by hormones; the same was true for these Tang soldiers.

Especially after they saw with their own eyes that Li Shimin, Gu Quan, and the other generals never retreated, this undoubtedly further ignited their fighting spirit.

But this battle was, for the Tang Army.

Also extremely difficult.

Fresh blood covered the earth; history seemed to have shifted into reverse, and countless lives fell once again beneath this legendary pass.

Among them were both Tang soldiers and Xia soldiers.

But compared to the Tang Army, which was composed entirely of elites, the casualties of the Xia Army were indeed greater.

It was just that under the advantage of such numbers, it seemed insignificant.

—Three whole days!

Dou Jiande had attacked continuously for three full days.

During this time, there were several opportunities where they almost broke directly into Hulao Pass, but without exception, they were all blocked.

In the end, he had no choice but to let the three armies rest.

Under such massive casualties and psychological pressure, he had to prevent the soldiers from mutinying, while also considering the combat effectiveness of the three armies.

Even if he knew that Li Shimin must be at his wit's end at this moment.

Perhaps only one final push was needed.

But many times, no matter how unwilling one is, one must accept it all.

Because there were already many prophecies appearing in the military camp, rumors regarding Li Shimin and the Gu Shizi; he had to control all of this.

Of course, there was also the most important reason.

He also wanted to let the Li Tang and Wang Shichong continue to exhaust each other.

This was the most critical reason.

As long as he ensured the right degree, he could then sit back and reap the rewards of the fisherman.

Inside Hulao Pass.

Seeing the enemy gradually retreat, the long sword in Li Shimin’s hand fell to the ground almost instantly, and his entire body went limp on the ground as if he had exhausted all his strength, gasping for air uncontrollably.

Gu Quan, Cheng Yaojin, and the others were the same; they simply could not control it.

Three whole days of attacking.

These generals, including Li Shimin, had never left the front line from beginning to end; the time for daily rest was less than two hours, and even when resting, they had to do so in front of the pass.

The consumption of physical strength and spirit was unimaginable.

But Li Shimin only rested for a short moment before picking up his long sword again and using it to prop himself up.

Seeing this, the officers and soldiers immediately prepared to rise again.

But Li Shimin waved his hand directly: "No need, brothers, rest well; there will surely be a great battle ahead."

He said this softly, then immediately went to inspect the three armies.

This was something he had to do.

Only in this way could the soldiers truly see that he, the Prince of Qin, always stood with them, which would give the soldiers confidence.

Perhaps because they were too exhausted, the soldiers did not get up upon hearing this.

Only Gu Quan slowly stood up.

Li Shimin glanced at him but did not say much; Gu Quan was ultimately different from the other generals. Whether it was his prestige within the Tang Army or his status, he could play a role at such a time.

Perhaps because of extreme exhaustion, the two of them supported each other as they walked around inside the pass.

The ground was bright red.

Exhausted soldiers and corpses were intermingled, making it hard to distinguish between them.

There were also wounded soldiers letting out bursts of wailing.

There were also many awake soldiers who instinctively wanted to stand up when they saw Li Shimin and Gu Quan, but they were stopped by the two of them.

Gu Quan did not steal the spotlight and never said much throughout.

He only let Li Shimin comfort these soldiers and give them confidence.

At the same time, he was also arranging the subsequent defense of the city.

But these tragic scenes still made Li Shimin’s expression increasingly solemn.

When the world rises and falls, the common people suffer.

He could not help but think of this saying, and this was an eternal truth.

After the inspection was over.

Li Shimin then looked at Gu Quan and spoke in a deep voice: "We cannot keep defending like this; if this continues, Hulao will surely be broken."

His casualties in this battle were not small.

Although compared to the Xia Army attacking the city, these casualties could be called a great victory.

But after all, the troop numbers were there, and the one holding the advantage was still Dou Jiande.

This was an undeniable fact.

"Does Ziyuan have a good strategy?"

Without any superfluous nonsense, Li Shimin directly asked for Gu Quan’s thoughts.

In the situation of defending the city.

He still trusted Gu Quan’s talent very much.

"Turn defense into offense, and attack their hearts." Gu Quan seemed to have already thought of the answer, and while sitting down, he said earnestly: "Only in this way... or perhaps we can hold Hulao."

He recounted to Li Shimin the story of how Gu Chen had defended Luoyang with a small number of troops in the past.

Li Shimin had naturally heard of these things.

But compared to the records in the Gu Shizi clan history, it was indeed much worse.

Li Shimin listened very carefully, weighing the gains and losses within it.

As soon as he finished speaking, Gu Quan immediately requested to fight: "Your Highness, this subordinate is willing to lead five hundred soldiers out of the city to display our military might!"

That’s right, he wanted to go now, just after the battle had ended.

Three days of bloody fighting.

If the Xia Army saw that the Tang Army still had the strength to fight, their morale would definitely be affected.

In fact, this strategy was not aimed at high-level figures like Dou Jiande.

It was just using human nature to employ a strategy!

Gu Quan firmly believed in the influence of the Gu Shizi name in the Hebei region; even if he did not know how the Xia Army was doing now, he could conclude that the pressure on the Xia Army was definitely no less than that on the Tang Army!

"Good!"

Hearing this, Li Shimin nodded slightly, not refusing.

But just as Gu Quan was about to rise, Li Shimin reached out and placed a hand on his shoulder: "I shall go with Ziyuan."

Gu Quan paused his steps, slightly stunned.

Li Shimin smiled calmly: "To manifest the might of the army, as the commander-in-chief of the three armies, how could I retreat?"

A real man should die when he must.

At this point, Li Shimin no longer cared about so much; he only wanted to seize the only possibility.

Gu Quan fell silent for a moment, then nodded slightly without saying more.

"Let's go, first let us purify ourselves."

"Let them see the military bearing of my Great Tang!"

While speaking, Li Shimin pulled Gu Quan along and left directly.

Subsequently, the two selected soldiers who still had some strength, including Cheng Yaojin and others, to go together.

Fortunately, the Tang Army was not lacking in grain and fodder.

Capturing the Luoyang Granary was absolutely the key to this battle, which gave the Tang Army the greatest confidence that their morale would not waver.

Many people naturally still wanted to dissuade him.

Whether for the safety of Li Shimin or for the upcoming great battle, it would be the wisest decision for Li Shimin to rest well now.

But Li Shimin was very composed, saying calmly before hundreds of soldiers: "The soldiers are all in a bloody battle, how could I retreat?"

"As for safety."

He paused slightly in his tone and shook the bow and arrow in his hand: "I hold the bow and arrow, and you follow with spears; even if there are a million of them, what can they do to me!"

From beginning to end, Li Shimin was that composed and confident.

Perhaps this was the extraordinary aspect of Li Shimin.

This kind of commander would give his soldiers a very rare sense of security.

With a creak—

As the gates of Hulao Pass swung open, hundreds of cavalry followed Li Shimin and Gu Quan as they charged out, crossing the corpses that littered the ground toward the Xia Army camp.

He did not follow the road.

This news was naturally reported back quickly by the Xia Army scouts.

The entire Xia Army was terrified!

Who could have expected that after just finishing several days of bloody battle, Li Shimin would actually lead his army out at such a time?

Was he crazy?

Or was it—

That there was already a problem in Luoyang, and the elite of the Tang Army had already arrived?

Smart people often have one flaw.

That is, they overthink.

Especially when the entire Xia Army had concluded that the Tang Army was at the end of its rope, this kind of thing would make people unable to stop overthinking.

But regardless, how could Dou Jiande let go of such a structural opportunity?

This was prey that had already been delivered to his doorstep.

He did not have any hesitation and immediately arranged for soldiers to surround Li Shimin.

But was Li Shimin's trip a suicide mission?

He was only manifesting military might, and at the same time, he wanted to continue to expand the turmoil within the hearts of the Xia Army.

When those shouts of "Luoyang has fallen, our Tang elite are about to slaughter their way to Hulao" gradually rang out, his plan was already complete.

There was no need to be entangled in battle at all.

There was not even a need to fight.

This was the benefit brought by small-scale guerrilla tactics; wanting to directly capture Li Shimin, Gu Quan, and the others was not that easy.

As for how many people would actually hear these words, no one cared.

A single spark can start a prairie fire.

Even if only one person heard such words, under the current situation, countless rumors would still arise within the Xia Army.

—The situation changed instantly.

Perhaps out of fear of the prophecy, or perhaps out of awe for the Gu Shizi.

Even though Dou Jiande kept trying to control it, he still could not stop the various rumors.

When "deserters" began to appear.

The situation already showed signs of being out of control, but Dou Jiande was indeed an ambitious hero; in this situation, he even brought up the Gu Shizi, falsely claiming that he had also received the approval of Gu Yu and so on, to comfort the hearts of the people.

He no longer cared what would happen to the Gu Shizi in the future.

As long as he could win this battle, he could withstand any backlash at that time!

But—he had made a fatal mistake.

As the weather became hotter and hotter, for the convenience of fetching water, he actually set up the army camp directly on the east bank of the Sishui River.

He lined up a twenty-mile-long formation, leaning north against the Yellow River and south against Queshan.

At first glance, this problem did not look like a sign of a defeated army.

But as the temperature rose, bacteria growth was an unavoidable factor in this era, especially when there was only one water source.

—A great plague still struck the Xia Army.

Although there were accompanying physicians who could quickly control the plague.

But in a situation where the prophecy was hard to extinguish, any accident would be regarded by people as "divine retribution."

"This is the retribution for us disregarding the kindness of the Gu Shizi!"

"If our ancestors saw that we are now actually at war with the descendants of the Gu Shizi, our ancestors would be ashamed for us!"

"I beg the Marquis of Wencheng for forgiveness..."

"..."

Within a few short days, the chaos in the Xia Army became completely uncontrollable.

In fact, Dou Jiande had never made a major mistake from beginning to end.

Every decision he made was the most beneficial to himself.

Holding Li Shimin at Hulao Pass, letting the Tang Army and Wang Shichong consume each other, including the various lords attacking Tang territory from all sides, while he sat back and reaped the benefits.

If all of this could go smoothly.

He would absolutely become the strongest lord in the world, infinitely close to the position of the master of the world.

But the only problem was—

He underestimated Li Shimin;

He also underestimated the influence of the Gu Shizi among the most ordinary people in Hebei.

In fact, this could not be blamed on him; it was simply human nature.

Was he not one of them in the beginning?

It was just that with the change in status and position, and the lack of assistance from the Gu Shizi, that gratitude and faith in his heart had faded away invisibly by a great deal.

But even so, Dou Jiande still stabilized the three armies.

But what could that do?

From the moment his camp appeared in chaos, for Li Shimin, the opportunity had arrived!

"Brothers, I intend to lead the army myself to take the Xia Army's main banner directly."

"If possible—"

"I want to raid the Xia Army's main camp directly!"

Inside Hulao Pass.

Li Shimin stood before the map, telling the soldiers his decision.

The formation stretching nearly twenty miles showed signs of loosening.

As long as one point could be broken, the enemy army could be completely divided; with the slightest carelessness, it might even directly cause the entire army to collapse.

This move was very dangerous.

But it was also a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!

The hall was silent, and everyone was looking at Li Shimin with extremely firm eyes.

—The answer did not need to be spoken.

Li Shimin referring to himself as "I" (Gu) already explained his attitude.

And these soldiers who had fought with him for so long.

Would not shrink back at this moment.

That very night, Li Shimin personally led the army, almost in full force, and slaughtered his way directly to the Xia Army camp.

—No one could have expected this reversal.

With such a huge gap in military strength, Li Shimin actually dared to turn from defense to offense.

Who could believe this?

But no matter how hard it was to believe, Dou Jiande had to face reality.

But all of this was ultimately too late.

Li Shimin had long since scouted everything out and was just waiting for this critical strike.

He had gambled almost everything he had.

Including his life!

How could he allow Dou Jiande to turn the tables?

Just as the enemy forces had not yet reacted, Li Shimin had already broken through the defensive line and charged directly toward the Xia Army’s great banner.

And this was at the break of dawn.

As the Xia Army’s great banner was severed, things did not exceed Li Shimin’s expectations.

The soldiers of the Xia Army instinctively assumed that their rear was under attack.

This was the most difficult problem to resolve with a connected camp—the failure of orders to reach the troops!

Li Shimin would not abandon this opportunity at all; while the enemy forces were still unable to react, he swiftly severed the connections between the four sides.

He poured everything into attacking Dou Jiande’s dragon tent.

The situation fell into complete chaos.

Having completely lost contact with the central army, the Xia forces on all four sides had become like headless flies.

Even if someone discovered the anomaly in the central army.

Under these circumstances, they would instinctively develop another thought.

—The central army had been completely routed!

It was even possible that Dou Jiande had been captured.

No one was willing to throw their life away for nothing, especially since the Xia Army had already lost its morale; various factors combined to push the entire Xia Army into an abyss of total collapse.

And Li Shimin had not paused from beginning to end.

He had only one goal—

That was Dou Jiande!

Chaos!

Complete chaos.

Dou Jiande had initially wanted to resist, but as subsequent events unfolded, he finally had to choose to flee.

Not to mention the soldiers on all four sides.

Even his central army had already lost the will to resist.

How could this battle be fought?

He could only flee!

Li Shimin did not care about the other Xia forces at all; his goal was singular, to bite onto Dou Jiande and not let go!

As long as Dou Jiande was captured.

With the help and grain supplies of the Gu Shizi, it would not be a difficult task to subdue these troops!

At that time, the roles of attacker and defender could be reversed; this was a once-in-a-thousand-years opportunity!

Li Shimin was like a madman who disregarded his own life, pursuing them recklessly.

He did not even care that he himself was wounded.

Under these circumstances, Dou Jiande finally had nowhere left to retreat; under the dual pressure of body and mind, he fell from his warhorse in a moment of carelessness.

Facing the Tang Army that arrived in an instant.

In his terror, he had no choice but to reveal his identity.

"Do not kill me, I am the King of Xia!"

"I am the Emperor of Great Xia."

What master of the world, what supreme ruler, what eternal hegemony.

Under the threat of death.

Dou Jiande finally suppressed everything he had once dreamed of.

He only wanted to live.

—The overall situation was completely settled.

Until they saw Dou Jiande being brought over with their own eyes, some people still found it hard to believe all of this.

Li Shimin’s expression was also extremely complex.

Exhaustion, relief, and all sorts of emotions surged together.

Even the usually very serious Gu Quan could not help but have his expression change at this moment.

For them.

This battle had ultimately cost far, far too much.

What Li Shimin shouldered was the rising world of the Great Tang.

And what Gu Quan shouldered was the prestige of the Gu Shizi, and even the life and death of the Gu Shizi.

If they had been defeated by Dou Jiande, would Dou Jiande have spared the Gu Shizi?

Even if Gu Yu still had means.

The Gu Shizi would still be destined to pay a great price.

But now—they had won.

Without the slightest hesitation, Li Shimin immediately took Dou Jiande and rushed back along the path they had come.

He needed to subdue Dou Jiande’s troops.

At the same time, he also needed to have this news sent to the Luoyang front line.

The current situation in Luoyang remained at a stalemate.

Wang Shichong was still holding out stubbornly; even though they had reached the point of killing horses for food in the city, he was still holding the city fast.

He had now placed all his hopes on Dou Jiande.

As long as this news was sent there.

Then the time to pacify Luoyang would be at hand!

The process of subduing the Xia Army was extremely smooth, not even requiring the presence of the so-called Emperor, Dou Jiande.

Facing the mass of Xia soldiers who had long since lost their will to fight.

As long as Gu Quan stepped forward.

They would lay down the weapons in their hands.

The real problem was naturally Luoyang; facing the news that the Tang Army had already pacified the Xia Army and even captured Dou Jiande alive, no one was willing to believe it.

—Who would dare to believe it?

Even people like Li Yuanji and Li Jing were stunned when they heard this news.

Let alone Wang Shichong?

But reality was reality after all.

No matter how unwilling Wang Shichong was to accept it, and even after he had successively killed many people, when he saw Dou Jiande in that cage with his own eyes, everything had come to a complete end.

The fourth year of Wude, July 11th;

The tightly shut gates of Luoyang were finally pushed open.

Wang Shichong had now shed his dragon robe, replaced by the attire of a subject.

Holding the imperial seal he had once cared about most, he led a group of civil and military officials as they slowly approached Li Shimin, then slowly knelt down.

With one battle, the Heluo region was settled!

——————

"In the third year of Wude, the feudal lords conspired to attack the Tang together.

At that time, the Grand General Quan followed the Prince of Qin, Li Shimin, to campaign against the Eastern Capital; he first occupied the strategic points, captured several cities in succession, and then besieged Luoyang.

The Nine Provinces were shocked, and the four corners of the realm were in turmoil.

The Xia Emperor, Dou Jiande, heard the news and brought 100,000 men from Hebei, wishing to take advantage of the struggle between the snipe and the clam. The Prince of Qin moved his forces to Hulao Pass to resist him; the Xia Army attacked the city day and night, but could not take it for three days.

Quan advised, 'Their troops are weary and their morale is fading; we should shift from defense to offense to shatter their spirit.'

The Prince of Qin adopted his strategy and personally led the troops out; the Xia masses were terrified, and prophecies began to spread.

It happened that Dou Jiande arrayed his forces on the east bank of the Si River, resting his back against the Great River to the north and connecting to the Que Mountains to the south, stretching for twenty miles.

Before long, a great plague broke out in the army, and the formation loosened. The Prince of Qin waited for their slackness, personally donned armor, and led the Black Armor Cavalry to charge the formation; Quan fought his way through, leading fierce generals like Gong and Qiong to open the path.

Dou Jiande was routed and fled; they pursued him to Niukou Islet and captured him.

In this one battle, the dead and captured filled the fields; the Heluo region was pacified, and the world was awestruck."

—"Book of Tang: Biography of Gu Quan"

(End of chapter)