When the King of Goguryeo arrived at the Prime Minister's Mansion, he found that Gai Yuan Su Wen was also about to go out. Even if he didn't come, Gai Yuan Su Wen would probably go to the palace.
The two had been fighting for a long time. Not to mention going to each other, even the peaceful conversation was only on the city wall. The rest of the time was tense. But now the Tang army was advancing too quickly, so they had to discuss this matter carefully.
Whether it was Li Shimin or Emperor Yang of Sui, both of them attacked Goguryeo with great fanfare, but their progress could not catch up with Li Xiang. Only a few days had passed, and Li Xiang had already captured Baiyan City. If Li Xiang continued to advance, he would soon reach the banks of the Taedong River. Although many generals of Goguryeo boasted about the impregnable defense line of the Taedong River, no one knew what was going on better than these two guys.
Goguryeo had been in civil strife for such a long time that it had not focused its energy on the defense line of the Taedong River. Many people were just trying to save face. Take the financial allocation for example, 60% was used for internal fighting, and the remaining officials' salaries accounted for another 20%. In the end, only 20% could be used for military affairs.
No matter how good the people below are at managing money, they can't cook without rice. You simply can't come up with money, so the Taedong River defense line can't withstand it at all.
No one knows what the two discussed. All we know is that after they finished discussing, the King of Goguryeo sent his younger brother, King Go Hyeon of Han River, to the front line to reach an agreement with the Tang Dynasty.
Gai Yuansu Wen also said that it will take at least another half a month from our side. Some people may not be clear about Li Xiang's speed of action. If you know, he may continue to capture cities in this half month, so we have to send a pigeon to the front line first, and then let the King of Han River rush over. This may be able to save the Taedong River defense line, otherwise we can just wait for Li Xiang to kill us.
As for the idea of divine protection, the common people might believe it, but they were the rulers of Goguryeo. Before they had any power, how could there be divine protection? In the past, whether it was Emperor Yang of Sui or Emperor Taizong of Tang, the Goguryeo army remained intact. Fighting on their home ground had some bonus, so they were able to achieve victory.
But now the army is in a mess. Although there are still some people who can fight, they have not received their salaries for such a long time. Do you expect them to work hard for you?
After receiving the imperial edict, Hanjiang King Gao Xian wanted to faint. If he fainted, perhaps he would not have to do this. Everyone knows that the Tang Dynasty is coming with great force and lost Baiyan City in a short time. It is the city with the strongest defense north of the Taedong River. Now, if the Tang Dynasty is unwilling to negotiate, then wouldn’t it be like throwing meat buns at a dog if I go there to negotiate?
Gao Xian asked for an audience twice, but the King of Goguryeo refused to meet him. He only ordered him to find his way and set a deadline for him. If he didn't set off, he would probably chop off his head.
In fact, the main negotiators were the officials around him. Gao Xian went there purely to show respect for the Goguryeo Dynasty. If there was no royal member in such an important negotiation, it would seem a bit too frivolous. If Li Xiang used this as an excuse, Goguryeo would have nowhere to cry, so Gao Xian had to go.
Five days later, the Tang army captured Mishi City, captured more than 10,000 people, and killed more than 4,000 people.
Seven days later, the Tang army captured Tongjiang Prefecture...
Ten days later, the Tang army arrived at Anshi City.
According to Li Xiang's plan, it would take at least half a month to reach here, but he didn't expect that they would arrive in just ten days. Looking at the still majestic city wall in front of him, Li Xiang may understand why Li Shimin failed here.
First of all, there is a water source in the city. Even if you besiege it, the people in the city will have no problem drinking water. In addition, it is indeed difficult to capture such a city in the era of cold weapons, but all this is nothing to Li Xiang.
When Li Shimin arrived here, there were tens of thousands of battle-hardened troops in the city, and there were 20,000 to 30,000 troops roaming around, so Li Shimin had no way to use all his troops to attack the city, but this did not exist for Li Xiang.
According to the intelligence we received, there are still more than 6,000 soldiers left in the city. Compared with the soldiers in Baiyan City, these soldiers are relatively elite. In addition, this is where Li Shimin failed, and many Tang army soldiers have some concerns in their hearts, so Li Xiang plans to rest here for two days.
The ambitious Emperor Taizong of Tang actually failed in such a small place. Li Xiang didn't know what to say, but he would definitely not fail this time. Li Xiang had already obtained all the combat data of both sides. With absolute advantage, if he still failed here, he would have to go home and hug his children.
"Report to the commander-in-chief, General Niu is here."
Su Dingfang rode over on horseback. This hillside was the highest point nearby, and Li Xiang liked to stand here and overlook the entire Anshi.
"It seems that General Niu can't wait any longer. The next main attack will be General Niu's."
Li Xiang said with a smile. Su Dingfang said nothing beside him. He has been in the limelight these days. As the vanguard general of the entire army, he is always at the forefront no matter what kind of charge it is.
As the saying goes, "A tree that stands out in the forest will be destroyed by the wind." Su Dingfang did not have deep roots in the court. If he took all the credit for himself, others would probably be dissatisfied. What's more, Niu Jinda was not a young man and had his own abilities in the court, so he should share some of the credit.
"Your Highness, I, Lao Niu, am here..."
Compared to the coldness when they first met, Niu Jinda was also familiar with Li Xiang's temper. They were all men serving in the army, so there was not so much hesitation. There were conflicts over some things in the past, but no one was narrow-minded, so they were all brothers now.
"I knew you, Old Niu, couldn't sit still, so I told the brothers to rest for two days. When the day after tomorrow comes, I will lead your brothers to attack Anshi."
Li Xiang's words made Niu Jinda extremely happy. With the help of gunpowder, the Tang army could be said to be invincible. This was the place where Emperor Taizong fled to Maicheng. If Niu Jinda could capture this place, it would be of great significance...
