RPAGF Chapter 19 The Tibetan army is at the city gates
Chapter 19 The Tibetan army is at the city gates
The commander waved his hand.
The surrounding soldiers immediately drew their bows and arrows, and their swords were drawn.
"This piece of junk,"
"I see over a dozen a day, get them all!"
Fang Xuanling whispered in Li Shimin's ear.
"Your Majesty, Liu Siyuan is a very shrewd and calculating man."
They've probably already bribed all these lower-ranking officers.
"In their eyes, this sign is indeed not as substantial as the gold ingots on the ground."
Cheng Yaojin was about to lash out when Li Shimin silenced him with a single glance.
He then took out another token from his pocket, which was the captain's token left by his son who was serving in Hezhou.
You surely recognize this one!
"Order from the Border Army of Hezhou, Colonel!"
Cheng Yaojin shoved the token in front of the commander, his expression unfriendly.
The commander originally wanted to laugh.
Upon seeing the familiar bronze beast pattern, his expression instantly changed.
Border Army Captain, although not a high-ranking officer.
But in border regions, it represents real military power.
He looked at Cheng Yaojin suspiciously, then glanced at Li Shimin, who exuded extraordinary presence, behind him.
"You...are you really from the military?"
"Nonsense! Lead the way to the county government office!"
"If you delay the crucial border defense plan, how many heads do you have to lose?"
Cheng Yaojin seized the opportunity and kicked a soldier's shield.
That strength was astonishing.
The shock caused the soldier to stumble backward, eventually collapsing to the ground.
Seeing this, the commander finally dared not act rashly.
With a wave of his hand, he signaled everyone to put away their weapons.
The four men were escorted towards the county government office, and Li Shimin observed the soldiers along the way.
The troops were in disarray, and their weapons were rusty.
Some people were even secretly swallowing their saliva, clearly indicating that they had been going hungry for a long time.
The defenses of Qingyang City were a thousand times weaker than he had imagined.
The killing intent in his heart had never been so intense as it was at this moment.
But in a dark alley a few streets away.
Ye Yuhang was running at top speed, while the big cat leaped nimbly across the rooftops.
The faint sounds emitted were masked by the wind.
He was going to see his brothers at Liuyun Village; he wanted to use his last night together.
A killing formation was set up in Qingyang City.
"Since the authorities can't handle it, then I, Ye, will take charge."
His eyes were resolute.
The darkness before dawn is the deepest.
Li Shimin and his three companions sat in the inner hall of the county government office, where Cheng Yaojin and Yuchi Gong had somehow managed to gather some leftover wine and meat.
"Boss, please make do with this."
Who knows what tomorrow will bring?
Cheng Yaojin tore off a piece of dry, hard beef and handed it to Li Shimin.
The smile that used to grace his old face was gone, replaced by a grim look, as if he were facing a battle.
Li Shimin took the wine cup and drank it all in one gulp.
"This wine, is it what Liu Siyuan left over?"
He looked at the murky liquid in his glass, a strange expression playing on his lips.
"If the Tibetans really dare to come tomorrow..."
I then used the city bricks of Qingyang City to bury them all.
Twilight.
The gate of the county government office was suddenly kicked open.
Last night, the commander rushed in in a panic, not even bothering to straighten his helmet which was askew.
"My lords, something terrible has happened!"
Li Shimin's fingers clenched tightly, his eyes filled with solemnity.
"What a flustered and disorderly manner!"
"What is it? Speak!"
He asked in a deep voice.
"Generals... the Tibetans are here... their army is at the city gates!"
The commander shouted, his voice trembling with tears.
He pointed towards the city gate, his fingertips trembling.
"They're going to massacre the entire city... They said that once they enter, they'll leave no one alive!"
"Now that the enemy has arrived, why not prepare for battle?"
Li Shimin suddenly stood up, his tone icy.
"Where are the soldiers and officers of Qingyang City?"
What about the defensive equipment?
"Gone...all gone!"
The commander shook his head repeatedly with a bitter face, his eyes filled with bitterness and helplessness.
"Most of us were brought in by Liu Siyuan just to make up the numbers."
"Except for the few days I served as a border soldier,
The others...the others were still ordinary people toiling in the fields for food just yesterday!
"After Liu Siyuan died, everyone heard that the Tibetans had arrived."
They had already thrown away their weapons and run away.
He knelt on the ground and kowtowed repeatedly to Li Shimin.
I also want to escape.
I remember that several generals are still here, so I came to inform them.
"Generals, please save the people of Qingyang City!"
The commander let out a mournful plea and lay prostrate on the ground, no longer moving.
"That Liu Siyuan is something else!"
I, Old Cheng, really want to drag that corpse out and chop it into eight pieces!
Cheng Yaojin flew into a rage and kicked over the mahogany chair next to him.
Yuchi Gong also clenched his fists.
"How dare you, as the head of a city, treat this so childishly?"
Damn it, absolutely damn it!
Fang Xuanling, however, was not blinded by anger.
He turned his head and looked at Li Shimin with a deep gaze.
"Your Majesty... the most urgent matter is not assigning blame."
Fang Xuanling stepped forward and whispered advice in Li Shimin's ear.
As a strategist, his primary concern was the stability of the Tang Dynasty.
Rather than the gains or losses of a single city or battle.
"Qingyang City is now without soldiers or defenses."
"With just the four of us, we absolutely cannot defy the will of Heaven."
Fang Xuanling pointed to the chaotic direction outside the door, his expression full of anxiety.
"Your status is noble, and your wealth is immeasurable."
Never risk your life here.
He had already quickly sketched out the retreat route in his mind, which he believed was the most correct choice.
Li Shimin remained silent.
He was painfully weighing his options.
As emperor, he cannot die;
But how could he, as the ruler and father of his people, abandon them?
"Let's go, let's go take a look at the city wall!"
Li Shimin suddenly looked up and gritted his teeth as he spat out those words.
His gaze became unusually firm.
"They're just Tibetan barbarians; I, Old Cheng, haven't had my fill of killing them yet!"
Cheng Yaojin immediately agreed and picked up the horizontal sword next to him.
Yuchi Gong nodded silently and followed Li Shimin with long strides.
As the four walked out of the county government office, they were met by a surging tide of refugees.
The streets were filled with pitiful cries and frantic footsteps.
People, carrying bundles and leading their children, fled in all directions.
Li Shimin's expression grew increasingly solemn.
He felt the weight of the nation on his shoulders become incredibly heavy at that moment.
When they climbed the city wall of Qingyang, the view in the distance made everyone's hearts tighten.
On the distant wasteland, the massive Tibetan army had already formed its battle formation.
The sound of warhorses neighing drifted on the cold wind, carrying with it a nauseating, fishy smell.
"That's the banner of the Tibetan Wolf Army!"
Fang Xuanling gazed into the distance, his face instantly turning deathly pale.
"That's one of their most elite units, probably numbering over a thousand!"
"Your Majesty! We must not linger here."
"We, your humble servants, will protect you and help you leave quickly!"
Fang Xuanling hurriedly grabbed Li Shimin's sleeve.
At this distance, once the enemy launches an attack...
This dilapidated city gate won't last much longer.
Li Shimin remained silent, staring intently at the black waves.
Fang Xuanling knew Li Shimin's temperament.
Once someone becomes stubborn, no one can persuade them otherwise.
"Zhijie and Jingde, why don't you quickly persuade His Majesty!"
Fang Xuanling turned around and shouted loudly at the two fierce generals.
"His Majesty is traveling incognito, and we have a duty to protect him."
If anything goes wrong, we will both be sinners against the Tang Dynasty!
Cheng Yaojin looked at Yuchi Gong, and both of them saw an unprecedented solemnity in each other's eyes.