GBP Chapter 119 Conquest of Luoyang
Chapter 119 Conquest of Luoyang
Li Mao stood in front of the tent, gazing into the distance with piercing eyes.
He knew that the key to this battle was to win quickly and decisively, and not to give An Lushan's remnants any chance to catch their breath.
The repeated confrontations with the wolf army had already taken a heavy toll on the Tang army. No matter how tough the Tang soldiers were, they could not withstand this repeated humiliation.
At this point, ending the battle as quickly as possible and allowing the soldiers to rest and recuperate is the right thing to do.
So he made a bold decision: "Ziyi and I will lead the army to Luoyang, the eastern capital, to deal with the remnants of An Lushan's forces. Jingqing will stay behind to guard the pass and repair it, and occasionally stage an 'empty city ploy' to confuse them."
They are now in a treacherous pass not far from the Yinshan Grassland, but thousands of miles away from Luoyang, the eastern capital.
Li Mao led his army there, but the road was long and arduous!
Li Jingqing looked worried and said, "But Your Highness, Luoyang is too far from Yinshan. It will take at least half a month to get there. What if something goes wrong during this time..."
“Jingqing, how can we accomplish anything with such timidity?” Li Mao disagreed with Li Jingqing’s caution, instead laughing freely and saying, “Ziyi, the cavalry, and I are all excellent riders, capable of traveling a thousand miles by day and eight hundred by night. We have no problem reaching Luoyang within ten days. As for mistakes, if we stay on the grasslands, we are simply letting things run their course, which will only make things more likely to go wrong!”
Upon hearing this, Li Jingqing sighed. He knew that Li Mao's mind was made up, so he stopped trying to persuade him.
"Your Highness, our army is ready and can depart at any time."
Guo Ziyi was so moved by Li Mao's words that he wished he could ride away immediately.
"Okay, let's go!"
Li Mao laughed heartily, revealing an admiring look in his eyes.
The two generals mounted their horses and led the elite Tang troops at breakneck speed toward Luoyang.
……
Outside Luoyang, An Lushan's remnants were busily constructing defensive fortifications.
Luoyang, the eastern capital, was one of the first cities they captured, a fact they have always been proud of.
Having been defeated and forced to flee near Yinshan, they knew the Tang army was coming with great force and attempted to rely on the strong defenses of Luoyang to resist the Tang army's attack.
An Lushan comforted himself, thinking: as long as he could hold out in Luoyang, the impregnable fortress of the Eastern Capital, the Tang army couldn't breach the city. If he could establish a foothold here, he could become king!
However, he failed to consider that when he conquered Luoyang, it was also an impregnable fortress.
"General, the Tang army is approaching Luoyang. This is a matter of great importance. Should we discuss it with... the Prince of Yan?" A rebel general hurriedly reported to a minor leader of An Lushan's remaining forces.
The Prince of Yan mentioned by the young general was none other than An Lushan, who attempted to establish his own regime.
He occupied the land, declared himself king, and named his kingdom Yan.
"What's the panic! We have the strong walls of Luoyang, and we'll make sure the Tang army never returns," the leader said confidently.
Of course, he refused to let his men report to An Lushan.
Now that An Lushan has suffered repeated setbacks due to Li Mao's betrayal and attacks, he has finally managed to hide in Luoyang, a city that gives him peace of mind. If any further complications arise, wouldn't he feel that his remaining troops are useless?
Anyway, the city was easy to defend and difficult to attack, he didn't believe that the Tang army could grow wings and fly in!
However, he was unaware that Li Mao had already sent out scouts to investigate the defenses of Luoyang and had even devised a detailed plan to attack the city.
This time, the troops were not expected to defeat An Lushan in one fell swoop.
But as long as we can wipe out the remaining forces and suppress An Lushan for a period of time, it will be good.
After all, the An Lushan Rebellion in history lasted for eight years, during which time the land was devastated and countless people died. Compared to that time, things are a hundred times better now.
When the Tang army arrived at the walls of Luoyang, Li Mao decisively ordered an attack on the city.
Guo Ziyi led his elite troops, charging towards Luoyang like tigers descending a mountain.
"Fire!" the rebel leader shouted.
Arrows rained down, and Tang soldiers raised their shields to defend themselves.
"Charge! Don't back down!" Guo Ziyi brandished his spear and bravely took the lead.
Encouraged, the Tang soldiers were in high spirits and continued their advance despite the rain of arrows.
During the siege, Li Mao discovered that the defenses of Luoyang's east gate were relatively weak. After reviewing the map, he quickly adjusted his tactics, ordering Guo Ziyi to concentrate his forces to attack the east gate.
"Attack the East Gate with all our might!" Guo Ziyi shouted.
Tang soldiers surged toward the east gate like a tidal wave.
This spot was indeed a weak point; the arrows fell from a great height at a unique angle, making it difficult to inflict serious damage on the Tang army.
Guo Ziyi took the lead and climbed the cloud ladder.
He brandished his spear, knocking down the rebel soldiers on the city wall one by one.
"Follow me!"
Guo Ziyi took the lead, and the Tang soldiers behind him followed suit.
Li Mao originally intended to take the lead himself, but Guo Ziyi persuaded him otherwise.
He was the only member of the royal family in the army that went on this expedition. If he died in the battle of siege, Guo Ziyi and others would not be able to explain to the emperor and the people when they returned to the capital.
After a moment's thought, Li Mao agreed to Guo Ziyi's request.
Anyway, he can make a significant contribution by setting up and directing the troops under the city walls.
The Tang army lived up to expectations and finally broke through the east gate.
"Kill them all and leave no one alive!"
The city gates were opened from the inside out, and Li Mao led the Tang army into Luoyang.
It is important to know that historically, after Li Longji abdicated, Li Heng only recovered Luoyang with the help of Guo Ziyi, Li Guangbi and others.
Now, thanks to Li Mao's ability to recognize and utilize talent, Guo Ziyi has shone brightly ahead of schedule, capturing Luoyang so many years ahead of time!
Li Mao thought about it, his heart surging with emotion.
At that time, the rebels in Luoyang were in a panic and fled in all directions.
Seeing that the situation was hopeless, the leader of An Lushan's remaining forces attempted to lead his troops in a breakout.
"Trying to run? Not so easy!" Li Mao led the Tang army in hot pursuit.
During the pursuit, Guo Ziyi stabbed the rebel leader in the back with his spear, but spared his life. He then asked sternly, "Where is An Lushan?"
Knowing his days were numbered, the rebel leader gritted his teeth and refused to reveal An Lushan's hiding place. No matter how Guo Ziyi interrogated him, he remained silent, and finally, he bit off his tongue and committed suicide!
Guo Ziyi gritted his teeth and said in frustration, "Damn it!"
"It's alright, it's already very good that we were able to recapture Luoyang this time," Li Mao comforted him.
He never expected to capture An Lushan on this expedition. This man's luck and destiny were still far off; the instigator of the An Lushan Rebellion was certainly not someone who could be captured easily.
With the death of the rebel leader, An Lushan's remaining forces were leaderless and surrendered one after another.
In the Battle of Luoyang, the Tang army achieved a great victory.
After the war, Li Mao stood on the city wall of Luoyang, looking at the once prosperous city, now devastated and filled with broken halberds and ruins, and was filled with emotion.
He was about to speak when Guo Ziyi exclaimed in alarm, "Your Highness, be careful—"
Immediately afterwards, a sharp arrow pierced the air, heading straight for Li Mao's face.
Someone had secretly shot Li Mao, intending to kill him!