"The general is ascending the tent..."
On the third day after the negotiation, the two generals summoned their generals again to discuss the matter.
In the past, when generals were summoned, Li Xiang always stood at the back of the crowd. After all, he was a newcomer on the battlefield and there was no need to move forward, which would make many people feel disgusted. But at this moment, everyone naturally reserved a place for Li Xiang in the first row.
There is such a tradition in the army. Everyone respects the strong. As long as you can demonstrate your ability on the battlefield, there will be a place for you in the barracks. If you rely on your status, even if everyone reserves a place for you, there will be no place for you in their hearts.
The previous few times when they went up to the tent to discuss matters, Prince Jin Li Zhi wanted to stand at the front. Although everyone gave way to him, did anyone respect him?
Nowadays, Li Xiang has gained everyone's respect with his own abilities. When he stands in the first row, others are not dissatisfied. If you are not satisfied, you can take your men out for a surprise attack and see if you can get two sacks of human ears. If not, then just stand at the back honestly.
"Generals, we have already negotiated with Tuyuhun, but the results are not optimistic. I called you here today to hear your suggestions. The army's daily stationing here will cost 80,000 strings of cash, and the court cannot sustain it for much longer."
General Qin Qiong said helplessly that although only three days had passed, the quartermaster had come several times. Although the court was determined to fight this battle, if it continued to waste time like this, I am afraid that the civil servants within the court would have something to say.
"General, I believe we should fight quickly and decisively. Send out scouts to search for the main force of Tuyuhun..."
The generals present were also eager to fight, and they did not want to stay in Liangzhou City. However, it was not easy to find the main force of Tuyuhun in such a vast grassland.
Generals came out one after another to express their opinions, but most of them were old clichés, easier said than done. Considering the current actual situation, it is not so easy to fight a decisive battle, and if we don't handle it well, we may end up in an irreversible situation.
"Report to the General, urgent news from the army..."
Just as everyone was discussing something, a red feather urgent message suddenly appeared at the door...
In just a cup of tea, the Tuyuhun army was discovered in three cities, and these people began to play their tricks.
This is how the Tuyuhun army fought in previous battles. They divided their troops into several groups and then attacked several cities on the border of the Tang Dynasty. In one day, fires broke out everywhere, giving the people on the border of the Tang Dynasty the illusion that they, the Tuyuhun, had the ability to attack all border cities, forcing the Tang Dynasty army to divide its troops to guard them. In the end, their strength was weakened and they could not accomplish anything.
Although this method is old-fashioned, it is very useful for the Tang army. Li Shimin is ambitious and will not allow any city on the border to be lost. The generals under him also understand Li Shimin's thoughts, so even though they know that dividing the troops to guard the major cities is a wrong approach, they have to do so.
After a month or two, Tuyuhun did not attack any city, but it had exhausted the military funds of the Tang Dynasty. At that time, the Tang Dynasty had to send special envoys to conclude a new agreement with Tuyuhun. Although it did not require ceding land or paying compensation, the plan to teach Tuyuhun a lesson would come to nothing.
General Qin Qiong and Cheng Yaojin both understood this, but at this moment they looked at each other and realized that they had to divide their troops and let their generals stay in different cities. Perhaps this expedition would be fruitless again.
"Wait a minute, General. I have something to say."
General Qin Qiong was reluctant to give this order, but if the strength of each city was not strengthened, if Tuyuhun really took over a city, the Tang Dynasty would lose face. Just as he was about to give the order, Li Xiang stepped forward.
"Commander Li, speak frankly."
After spending some time together, the two generals realized that Li Xiang was not the kind of person who only talked about military strategy on paper. Either this guy didn't speak, or when he spoke, he would definitely be able to bring them new changes.
"General, if we divide our forces, we will repeat the previous outcome. We will end up wasting our resources and manpower, failing to teach Tuyuhun a lesson, and will return to Chang'an in disgrace. Therefore, I believe we must make some changes. Otherwise, we will never be able to change anything on the southwestern border."
Li Xiang's words made everyone present nod their heads, but some people were still unconvinced, such as Li Zhi who was standing next to him.
"The general asked you to talk about the solution, not to talk about this here. If you were to talk about this, would you still be needed to say it? Don't the local officials understand?"
Li Zhi said sarcastically that Li Xiang now felt that this guy was resurrected by Li Tai. He was somewhat sensible when he was in Chang'an City, so why did he become like this after coming here?
Other people also have this illusion. In fact, this is normal. When Li Zhi was in Chang'an City, he still had a feeling of being in control of the situation. However, after arriving at the front line, he was directly defeated by Li Xiang. In addition, all his subordinates were eliminated by Li Xiang. It is normal for him to lose his rationality for a while.
"If you have a plan to defeat the enemy, tell us. No one will punish you. Let's discuss it together."
Cheng Yaojin ignored Li Zhi because he knew that this guy had no other ability except internal fighting.
"General, think about it. They're attacking our cities everywhere just to create chaos. So, can't we do the opposite? Just like we did that night, we've already hit their weakest point. If we continue this way, they'll surely be thrown into disarray sooner or later."
Li Xiang's method is very simple, that is to take the initiative. We can use this method to force them to the negotiation table, but the damage we cause to them is too small, so there is no way to reach an agreement. But if we continue to do this, we will definitely be able to change the current situation.
"You're just talking about it on paper. What if our elite troops are all gone and the rear is empty? What if they take our city? Will you report this to Father?"
Li Zhi's words instantly brought everyone back to reality. Although what Li Xiang said was very tempting, if they lost a border city, it would be a loss of territory. According to the court's regulations, they would be beheaded in public...