Li Chengqian's expression was changing.
This decision was very difficult to make.
"General Hou, is there no other way?”Li Chengqian asked.
"There's another way." Hou Junji shook his head."We can lead the army to Jishi Mountain and join the King of Wu. However, Tumen Pass probably isn't safe either.”
Hou Junji had been on the battlefield for many years.
Although he didn't know much about the specific situation in the direction of Tumen Pass.
It was only when they broke through Dafei Chuan that they received news that Li Ke had taken down Tumen Pass.
However, he remembered a piece of information inside.
The Tubo army was deployed hundreds of miles away!
Based on his experience, once Songzan knew about them, he would definitely attack.
"Crown Prince, General."
Liu Rengui suddenly said," Why don't I lead the army and lure the enemy to retreat in the direction of Tumen Pass? General, lead the best soldiers to retreat to Gaochang."”
"The Crown Prince and the General went to Gaochang to seek reinforcements and counterattack Tuyuhun.”
Li Chengqian's eyes involuntarily lit up when he heard that.
He turned to Hou Junji.
Hou Junji looked deeply at Liu Rengui and nodded in agreement."This is a good idea."
"Rengui, I hope that you will not listen to Li Ke's orders after you go to Tumen Pass. It would be best if you can obtain the command. Even if you can't, you have to…Forget it, let's do as you say.”Li Chengqian seemed to want to say something, but in the end, he did not say it.
Liu Rengui understood.
Li Chengqian wanted him to replace Li Ke. Even if he couldn't, he wanted Li Ke to be in a sorry state.
In this battle, Li Ke's limelight was too great.
The Crown Prince had lost too miserably.
Comparing the two sides, the Crown Prince had no face left.
"I understand." Liu Rengui replied loudly.
Li Chengqian then led a hundred elite soldiers from Hou Junji to quietly leave the army and flee northwest.
Liu Rengui watched Li Chengqian leave.
He did not dare to travel with Li Chengqian.
He was also guilty of a huge crime in this expedition.
Li Chengqian and Hou Junji had extraordinary statuses, and even if they were punished, they would at most lose their posts.
If he was punished, his head would probably fall to the ground.
At the very least, he had to protect the remaining army. If he could seize the right to command the army at Tumen Pass and make contributions to the defense of Tumen Pass, he might be able to make up for his mistakes.
When he could no longer see Li Chengqian and his group of 100 people, Liu Rengui turned his horse around and shouted,""Turn southwest and speed up to Tumen Pass!”
The two defeated troops led the forty thousand Tuyuhun elites and fled in the direction of Tumen Pass.
At this time, Li Ke was still nervously waiting for Murong Xiaojun.
"General Helian, is there still no news of Murong Xiaojun?”Cheng Chumo asked anxiously.
Helian Tienan had heard the same question countless times over the past few days. He smiled bitterly and shook his head."All the citizens of Helian Clan have received the order. So far, there is no news.”
"Brother, where do you think that bastard Murong Xiaojuan went?”"According to the schedule, Murong Xiaojuan should have arrived at Tumen Pass long ago!" Cheng Chumo said anxiously.”
Qin Huaiyu looked at Li Ke.
Li Ke's back was facing them as he stared at the map. That location was Dafei Chuan.
Dafei River?
Qin Huaiyu pondered in his heart, his eyes instantly widening.
"Report! His Majesty's messenger!"
Outside the marshal's manor, a scout trotted in with a yellow imperial edict.
By the time everyone got up, the messenger had already entered the hall. Panting, he unfolded the imperial edict and read it out."His Majesty has decreed that Murong Xiaojun, the defeated general of Tuyuhun, will seize Dafei River again…"
"…Order Wu Wangke of the Left Ridge Road to lead the army of the Left Ridge Road to defend Tumen Pass and buy time for the Imperial Court to retake Dafei River.”
"Wu Wangke only needs to defend for seven days. The Imperial Court is confident that they can conquer Dafei River within seven days!”
The brothers 'expressions were all very ugly.
The worst-case scenario that they were worried about had happened!
"Shu Yu, arrange for this brother to rest.”Li Ke took the imperial edict and ordered.
He finished reading the imperial edict again and walked back to the main seat of the long conference table.
He put down the imperial edict and said with a serious expression,"It's almost as we expected. Dafei Chuan is still lost, and the imperial edict is here. We have no choice but to defend.”
"Huaiyu."
Crash!
Qin Huaiyu immediately stood up.
"There is no need for the 1,000 soldiers of the Great Xia River. Go to the Great Xia River yourself and withdraw the soldiers. Remember, retreat with swagger.”
"Yes, sir!"
"Cousin."
Zhangsun Chong stood up.
"As my messenger, go to the Tibetan camp and tell Songzan that I will meet him at the Great Xia River in two days!”
"Cousin, are you trying to stall for time?”Zhangsun Chong asked.
Li Ke nodded and explained,"We need time to prepare more carefully. It depends on whether Songzan will give us face."”
"Don't worry, I promise to complete the mission.”
Li Ke finally looked at Helian Tienan and said with a bitter smile,"General Helian, you know the current situation. We are very passive. Under such circumstances, I will strengthen my guard against you.”
"Before the war ends, all the Helian Clan nobles in the city must stay at home. My men will be responsible for their daily needs.”
"The only thing I can promise you is that the final victor of this battle will be the Great Tang!”
"If General Helian dares to bet on the future, I can guarantee that after we conquer Tuyuhun, any policy that the imperial court implements that benefits the territory will be treated the same as the Tang in the Central Plains.”
"Furthermore, I guarantee that General Helian will be promoted to the position of deputy regional governor!”
"This is the biggest bargaining chip that I, Li Ke, can offer!”
If you want a horse to run, you have to feed it.
Li Ke knew this.
"Your Highness Ke, you're really a villain and a gentleman, but I believe in your promise!" Helian Tienan said with a wry smile.”
After spending a few days with Li Ke, Helian Tienan found that this prince was not difficult to get along with and was trustworthy.
"Thank you for your trust, General Helian. Now, I need you to order the tribes scattered in the northwest of Jishi Mountain to go out and investigate the situation of our defeated army. If you encounter them, try your best to help them enter Tumen Pass.”
The defeated soldiers were all brothers that he had trained with his own hands. He couldn't just watch them die.
Moreover, he also needed troops.
"General, don't worry. I'll arrange it immediately. I'll send the best scouts in the tribe to search for Tuyuhun!”Helian Tienan stood up and cupped his hands.
"Please, General!"
"Big brother, once the Tibetan army attacks, I'm afraid we won't even be able to defend for two days, right?”
"And if the scattered soldiers flee towards Tumen Pass, then Tuyuhun's army will swarm over.”
……
Once Helian Tienan left, the brothers could not help but speak up with worried expressions.
" We're not the wanton Duke in Chang 'an. We are soldiers in the army. Obeying orders is what we must do now.”
"Besides, we can't leave now even if we want to," Li Ke said solemnly."Once we leave Tumen Pass, with Songzan's hatred for us, won't he bite us like a wild dog?"”
Everyone was silent.
"What's there to be afraid of? Big brother said it calmly. He must have the confidence to defend!”Niu Lu rolled up his sleeves and shouted loudly.
"Anyway, we have taken down Tumen Pass and our name has already spread throughout the world. Even if we die, it will be worth it!”
"What do you mean by dead or not? I was able to step on Little Barbarian's little red face before, so I'm going to step on it again this time!”
……
When everyone suddenly burst out with the determination to face death, Li Ke smiled and ordered,"Leave the city immediately. Cut down all the trees near Dadun Mountain and Tumen Pass and make them into antlers. Within a hundred meters of Tumen Pass, arrange rows of antlers one meter apart.”
"Big brother, if all the trees on Dadun Mountain are cut down, it will be detrimental to the fortress's defense.”Niu Lu reminded.
Li Ke laughed." If Songzan attacked the city, it would mean that he was aiming for Tumen Pass. He could set the mountain on fire. The reason why we didn't dare to set the mountain on fire that night was that once the fire started, we would all be exposed.”
"Don't expect Songzan to treasure these jars in enemy territory.”
……
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