Chapter 6: By the Banks of the Wei River, a Great Battle is About to Begin
"Your Majesty."
"Send an envoy now to deliver the peace negotiation letter!"
"Arrange to meet Jieli Khan tomorrow at noon on the Bian Bridge for peace talks!"
"One day is enough time for us to prepare."
Su Liang said.
"Good, good, good! I shall send someone at once!"
"This plan will surely be flawless!"
Emperor Li Er gazed into the distance, his face full of smiles.
The ninth year of the Wude era of the Great Tang.
The sixteenth day of the eighth month, at noon.
North of Changancheng, on the northern bank of the Wei River.
The two-hundred-thousand-strong army of the Eastern Turks had set up camp there.
At this moment, inside the central command tent of the Eastern Turks.
After reading the personal letter from the Great Tang's Son of Heaven, Emperor Li Er.
Jieli Khan squinted his eyes, his hands clasped behind his back.
He paced back and forth inside the tent...
The letter had just been delivered by men sent by Emperor Li Er.
Its content was an invitation for him, the Turkic Khan, to meet for peace talks.
"Meet for peace talks on the Wei River bridge, cease hostilities and call a truce."
Jieli Khan muttered to himself, his expression obscure and difficult to read.
A moment later.
"Hoo..."
Jieli Khan suddenly took a deep breath.
"Thirty thousand head of cattle and sheep, ten thousand horses, one million shi of rice, gold and silver..."
"Calculating it this way, this southern expedition was not a loss; it can be considered a return with a full load."
Jieli Khan chuckled.
And the cattle, sheep, horses, million units of grain, gold, silver, and other items he spoke of.
Were precisely the price Emperor Li Er, the Son of Heaven of the Great Tang, was paying to make him cease hostilities and sue for peace.
It was just a pity that this Jieli Khan of the Eastern Turks did not know.
That what Emperor Li Er, the Son of Heaven of the Great Tang, said he would give him.
Was actually just to make him, this Jieli Khan of the Eastern Turks, fall more easily into a trap that had already been set!
"Come here, send a message to the Great Tang's Son of Heaven, Li Shimin."
"This Khan is willing to meet for peace talks; we shall convene tomorrow at noon on the Bian Bridge over the Wei River."
Jieli Khan waved his hand, possessing quite the heroic spirit of one who commands the situation!
The ninth year of the Wude era, the seventeenth day of the eighth month.
At noon, by the banks of the Wei River.
Emperor Li Er had already dismounted his warhorse and was walking slowly onto the bridge.
Approaching him from the opposite side, walking slowly forward, was none other than Jieli Khan of the Eastern Turks.
At this moment.
On the northern bank of the Wei River, the two-hundred-thousand-strong army of the Eastern Turks had already arrayed their forces.
That intense aura of slaughter rushed toward them, soaring straight into the clouds!
At the same time, on the southern bank of the Wei River.
The Great Tang Imperial Son-in-Law, Prince of Chu, Su Liang, had five thousand Black Armor Cavalry behind him.
Su Liang touched the Overlord Heaven-Splitting Bow in his hand, preparing at this moment to shoot and kill Jieli Khan of the Eastern Turks with a single arrow...
A moment later.
Emperor Li Er and Jieli Khan finally stopped their advance.
There was no more than ten paces of distance between the two sides.
"Jieli, why must you betray our covenant!"
"And now you have even led an army of over two hundred thousand south."
Emperor Li Er shouted sternly, an imperial aura erupting instantly.
He seized the initiative in an instant.
Jieli Khan was not to be outdone.
He smiled faintly, his tone indifferent, his expression detached.
"Since ancient times, the world has belonged to the strong; only the strong have the right to speak!"
"Now that my Turkic people are powerful, naturally I can do as I please!"
"Does the Great Tang Emperor only understand this now?"
Emperor Li Er stared fixedly at Jieli Khan, but in his heart, he was sneering incessantly.
Looking at the arrogant and conceited Jieli Khan before him.
It was as if he were looking at a cold corpse.
"Heh..."
Emperor Li Er let out a cold laugh and continued.
"Today I finally know that what the sages and worthies said is indeed true."
"You barbarians do not understand civilization; the kingly way and rituals truly cannot educate the likes of you."
"Treacherous and faithless, driven only by profit, utterly shameless!"
"I never imagined that there could be such a thick-skinned and shameless person in this world today."
"What face do you have left to continue living in this world!"
Emperor Li Er was aggressive, his spit flying!
His gaze fixed firmly on the Turkic barbarian before him, he opened his mouth and unleashed a torrent of abuse!
At this moment.
Jieli himself was completely stunned.
This was no invitation for peace talks; it was clearly an invitation to come out and be scolded.
Emperor Li Er was neither humble nor pushy, not panicking in the slightest.
In any case, not far from him, his son-in-law's eighteen-stone heavy bow was ready.
With a range of five hundred paces, he could take the life of this Jieli brat at any time and any place.
Suddenly.
Jieli Khan's complexion turned visibly gloomy.
But Emperor Li Er could not be bothered to pay him any mind.
At this time.
The peace talks between the two had long since reached the brink of collapse.
For these peace talks, Jieli Khan had originally thought that this Great Tang Son of Heaven would make concessions.
But now, the reality was completely beyond his expectations.
Jieli's eyes were bloodshot, his eyes wide with rage, the veins on his forehead bulging, his gaze fixed firmly on Li Er.
Suddenly, Emperor Li Er raised his right hand high, then brought it down in an instant.
Su Liang, in the distance, saw this.
He pulled the bow with both hands until it was like a full moon.
"Swish..."
Three hundred paces away.
A sharp arrow tore through the void, shooting rapidly toward Jieli.
The next second.
A sharp arrow pierced through the center of Jieli's brow.
Jieli Khan of the Eastern Turks, dead!
The ninth year of the Wude era of the Great Tang.
The seventeenth day of the eighth month, at noon.
Jieli Khan of the Eastern Turks died on the Bian Bridge over the Wei River.
On the northern bank of the Wei River, the two-hundred-thousand-strong army of the Eastern Turks.
Watching their own Khan being shot and killed by an arrow on the Bian Bridge.
All two hundred thousand of them fell into a death-like stupor.
The Tang army on the other side of the river was at least three hundred paces away.
At the same time.
The corpse of Jieli Khan slowly toppled over.
In the end, it was actually facing the side of the Eastern Turkic grand army.
That pair of eyes, wide open like copper bells.
Stared fixedly at the Eastern Turkic army of two hundred thousand.
Dying with eyes wide open in anger!
Just at this moment.
On the northern wall of Changancheng, a large number of Tang Army soldiers appeared rapidly.
Immediately following.
Ten thousand Tang Army soldiers roared angrily from atop the city wall!
"The Great Tang is mighty!"
"The Great Tang is mighty!"
"The Great Tang is mighty!"
Those waves of massive roars caused many warhorses in the Eastern Turkic army to jump in fright.
And the two hundred thousand Turkic troops looked at all this before them in a daze, their morale already completely shaken.
"I am the Son of Heaven of the Great Tang!"
"Those who offend our Great Tang, no matter how far away, shall be punished!"
Li Er stepped forward fiercely and shouted angrily.
"Those who offend our Great Tang, no matter how far away, shall be punished!"
"Those who offend our Great Tang, no matter how far away, shall be punished!"
"Those who offend our Great Tang, no matter how far away, shall be punished!"
Suddenly, the sound of mountains collapsing and seas roaring was incessant, and many commoners also shouted in unison!
Accompanied by the roar of the Great Tang soldiers behind him: "Those who offend our Great Tang, no matter how far away, shall be punished!"
Li Er seemed to have entered a heroic aura of commanding the realm!
At this moment.
The nephew of the Eastern Turkic Jieli Khan, Tuli Khan.
Was also startled back to his senses by the roars of the Great Tang soldiers and civilians.
Looking at the sight of his uncle's inexplicable and miserable death.
Tuli Khan was almost scared silly.
Seeing the nearest Tang Army on the other side of the river was a full three hundred paces away.
A single arrow shot his uncle, and the Khan of the Eastern Turks died instantly.
Tuli Khan panicked...
But Su Liang knew that someone would definitely jump out to avenge Jieli Khan.
The facts were indeed so; after the Turkic army began to fall into chaos.
A general immediately appeared at the front on the north bank of the Wei River.
He drew the curved blade at his waist and spurred his horse toward Li Er.
"Little brat Emperor, I will kill..."
But before the harsh words were finished.
He was shot dead by Su Liang.
At this moment, Li Er's face remained extremely calm.
With his hands behind his back, facing the gusts of cool wind on the Wei River, he sneered as he watched the twenty thousand Turkic troops opposite.
Just this kind of composure in the face of ten thousand troops.
Was enough to make people feel incomparable respect for the Emperor.
On the ramparts of Changancheng.
Although most of the defending soldiers had already shouted until their voices were hoarse.
Helpless, they could only retreat.
But the commoners of Changancheng.
Spontaneously swarmed onto the city walls.
Taking their places.
Gazing at that figure of the Great Tang's Son of Heaven on the bridge.
They continued to shout, "Those who offend our Great Tang, no matter how far away, shall be punished!"
Suddenly.
"Swish..."
On the north bank of the Wei River, at a distance of three hundred and fifty paces.
Another general charging on horseback died instantly.
"Swish..."
On the north bank of the Wei River, at a distance of four hundred paces.
A general who had just drawn his sword from its sheath died instantly.
"Swish..."
On the north bank of the Wei River, at a distance of four hundred paces.
The Turkic military flag's pole snapped at the sound.
"Swish... swish... swish..."
Sharp arrows pierced the void, continuously shooting rapidly toward the Turkic generals.
As the Turkic generals were shot dead one after another by the sharp arrows.
The morale of the entire Turkic army gradually collapsed.
And Tuli Khan was naturally clear about all this.
"Four hundred paces, four hundred paces..."
Tuli Khan muttered to himself, nearly scared enough to wet his pants.
Heaven knows if a sharp arrow would fly toward him in the next moment.
Thinking of this.
Tuli Khan couldn't help but shiver.
Suddenly.
Someone shouted loudly.
"Jieli Khan is dead, several generals have been shot, everyone run..."
This person was naturally arranged by Su Liang to continue disrupting the army's morale.
"Jieli Khan is dead, the enemy generals are dead, kill!"
Following Su Liang's order.
The five thousand Profound Armor Cavalry behind him shouted in unison: "Jieli Khan is dead, the enemy generals are dead, kill!"
"Jieli Khan is dead, the enemy generals are dead, kill!"
"Jieli Khan is dead, the enemy generals are dead, kill!"
Suddenly, the mountains and plains were filled with the sounds of battle!
A sky full of arrows, like a violent storm, came head-on...
Shooting into the Turkic army one after another.
In an instant, the Turkic army suffered countless casualties.
At this time, Tuli Khan saw that the army's morale was already in chaos and roared.
"Retreat quickly..."
Then, without a moment's delay, he immediately turned his horse's head and was the first to gallop north.
Any benefit is not worth mentioning in the face of death.
Tuli Khan had completely lost his nerve.
At this moment.
The entire two hundred thousand Eastern Turkic army.
Their morale and spirit had completely collapsed.
Jieli Khan was dead, and the minor Khan Tuli had already fled first.
Now these pitiful Turkic soldiers had only one thought.
That was... to escape...
To hurry back to their Mobei grasslands...
It was just that.
The soldiers of the Great Tang would not agree.
The Turkic barbarians had invaded our Great Tang for a thousand miles.
That humiliation of the army bearing down on the city.
How could they tolerate them easily escaping back to the Mobei grasslands.
At this time, Su Liang had already led the five thousand Profound Armor Cavalry and charged over on horseback.
"Your Majesty."
"This subject will first go to hunt down the fleeing Eastern Turkic soldiers!"
Emperor Li Er nodded silently.
"Be careful, my good son-in-law; I shall await your triumphant return!"
Su Liang bowed slightly and cupped his hands in agreement.
He then turned quickly, wheeled his horse around, and led five thousand Profound Armor heavy cavalry in a pursuit to the north...
"Those who offend our Great Tang, though they be far, shall be punished!"
"Our Great Tang has no need for prisoners; kill!"
At this moment.
The Turkic army of two hundred thousand.
The battle formation had long since collapsed, with no organization to speak of.
The soldiers were fleeing north in disarray...
The road was filled with corpses that had been trampled to death after being pushed to the ground.
Nearly ten thousand Turkic soldiers had been trampled to death.
By now, the morale and spirit of the two hundred thousand-strong Eastern Turkic army had completely disintegrated...
The leader, Little Khan Tuli, was already drenched in cold sweat...
It was only after running ten miles to the north that he breathed a slight sigh of relief.
"If this Khan does not die..."
Khan Tuli’s tone was extremely firm.
"In this life, I shall certainly never be an enemy of the Great Tang!"
At this moment, Tuli could not help but recall Li Er, who was still the Prince of Qin back then.
In the Battle of Hulao Pass, three thousand Great Tang Profound Armor troops defeated Dou Jiande’s one hundred thousand-strong army and captured Dou Jiande alive.
He was suddenly drenched in sweat; the Great Tang was too terrifying.
Now, this Little Khan of the Eastern Turks.
Had already been scared out of his wits on the banks of the Wei River.
He had only one thought now.
To hurry back to the Mobei grasslands and never dare to come to the Great Tang to pillage again.
It was a pity that just as Khan Tuli finished this thought.
At that very moment.
Thousands of heavy cavalry suddenly appeared on both the east and west sides of the fleeing Turkic army.
"Hahaha... you Turkic barbarians!"
"I, General Hou Junji, have been waiting here for you all for a long time."
"Those who offend our Great Tang, though they be far, shall be punished!"
"Our Great Tang has no need for prisoners; kill!"
Before the words had even faded.
Hou Junji had already led three thousand Profound Armor heavy cavalry in a charge.
The three thousand Profound Armor heavy cavalry struck from the east side of the fleeing Turkic army, and in an instant, the Turkic army suffered heavy casualties!
At the same time.
Another voice arrived as promised.
"Hahaha... you Turkic barbarians!"
"I, General Zhang Gongjin, have been waiting here for you all for a long time."
"Those who offend our Great Tang, though they be far, shall be punished!"
"Our Great Tang has no need for prisoners; kill!"
Before the words had even faded.
The three thousand Profound Armor heavy cavalry led by Zhang Gongjin had also arrived in a charge.
Striking from the west side of the fleeing Turkic army, the Turkic army suffered heavy casualties in an instant!
Just at this moment.
Su Liang, who was in the rear, also arrived in pursuit with his five thousand Profound Armor heavy cavalry.
The rhythmic sound of horse hooves.
Was like a funeral knell.
"The Great Tang Profound Armor Army..."
Khan Tuli muttered to himself.
He was on the verge of a breakdown, his mental state completely shattered.
In this instant.
Tuli felt only endless regret and despair!
Staying in his own Mobei grasslands, with his beautiful wives and concubines, drinking wine and eating meat to his heart's content—was that not better?
Why did he have to run to the Great Tang to cause trouble with his uncle?
Truly, if you don't court death, you won't die!
Thinking of his uncle who had already died a miserable death.
At this moment, Khan Tuli’s eyes were full of tears.
No matter what, he had to save his own life first!
He immediately wiped away his tears and roared at the top of his lungs.
"Retreat..."
"Retreat quickly..."
"Abandon all supplies and retreat quickly..."
Meanwhile, within the borders of Yunyang County.
The ten thousand Great Tang soldiers led by Yuchi Jingde had already been lying in ambush there for a long time.
"Hahaha... you Turkic barbarians!"
"I, General Yuchi Jingde, have been waiting here for you all for a long time."
"Those who offend our Great Tang, though they be far, shall be punished!"
"Our Great Tang has no need for prisoners; kill!"
Before the words had even faded.
Yuchi Jingde had already spurred his horse forward to charge!
The next moment, the ten thousand Great Tang soldiers struck the flank of the fleeing Turkic army, and the defeated Turkic troops suffered heavy casualties in an instant.
At this moment, the situation within Sanyuan County was the same.
The ten thousand Great Tang soldiers led by Cheng Yaojin had already been lying in ambush there for a long time.
"Hahaha... you Turkic barbarians!"
"Your grandfather Cheng Yaojin has been waiting here for you all for a long time."
"Those who offend our Great Tang, though they be far, shall be punished!"
"Our Great Tang has no need for prisoners; kill!"
Before the words had even faded.
Cheng Yaojin had already spurred his horse forward to charge!
The next moment, the ten thousand Great Tang soldiers struck the flank of the fleeing Turkic army, and the defeated Turkic troops suffered heavy casualties in an instant.
By now, Khan Tuli was already drenched in sweat.
He clamped his legs hard against his horse's belly, and the whip gripped tightly in his hand struck the horse incessantly.
He continued to flee frantically in a north-northwesterly direction.
Now, the Turkic army surrounding him was less than one hundred thousand strong.
Yuchi Jingde, Cheng Yaojin, and the others stopped while they were ahead.
They no longer led their troops in pursuit, as the infantry was simply too slow.
In any case, there were still ten thousand Profound Armor heavy cavalry in pursuit.
Furthermore, there was Li Jing’s army of fifty thousand in Ningzhou.
Waiting for these Turkic barbarians...
Everyone laughed heartily toward the sky!
The immense pressure brought about by the Turkic army’s long-standing threat to the borders.
Was finally swept away at this moment!
"Kill..."
"Kill..."
"Kill..."
For a full half-day.
The sounds of battle cries filled the mountains and plains!
The soldiers of the Tang Army were like wolves and tigers, gripping their blades and swords tightly, charging and slaughtering at will!
Yuchi Jingde, wielding the steel whip in his hand, slaughtered countless enemies amidst the ten thousand troops.
As for Cheng Yaojin, he was even more valiant; holding his Bagua Xuanhua Axe, he slaughtered his way through the ten thousand troops as if entering an empty land.
There was no help for it; the morale of the Turkic army had long since collapsed, and every soldier of the Tang Army was bathed in blood, their eyes burning red, each one like a god of slaughter!
The south bank of the Wei River.
"Hoo..."
Li Er, the Emperor, exhaled a long, heavy breath.
His gaze was fixed to the north, watching the massive Turkic army retreating and fleeing into the distance.
Looking at the dust filling the sky to the north, he laughed heartily and happily.
"This time the Turks marched south, it is all thanks to my worthy son-in-law!"
"Hmph, the next expedition will be to annihilate the Eastern Turks!"
A satisfied smile appeared on the face of Li Er, the Emperor!
The ninth year of the Wude era of the Great Tang.
The seventeenth day of the eighth month.
In this short half-day.
The two hundred thousand defeated troops of the Eastern Turks.
Encountered a full four ambushes.
And were pursued by three divisions of Black Armor Cavalry!
And the Great Tang's Prince of Chu, Su Liang.
Personally led five thousand Black Armor Cavalry.
Following closely behind the Turkic people.
Dealing heavy blows to the Turkic army time and time again.
Now, the Turkic army of two hundred thousand was reduced to less than one hundred thousand.
Not until the sun set in the west.
Did the Turkic army finally flee out of the borders of the Jingji Circuit.
At the same time.
The three divisions of Black Armor Cavalry had also merged into one.
All of them silently watched the Turkic army fleeing into the distance!
End of Chapter
