Chapter 90: Build momentum

There is a desert area not far from Heisha City, which causes particularly strong wind and sand here.When the wind blows, the sky will be filled with sand, and the sun in the sky will become hazy, giving people the illusion of dark clouds.

As late autumn approached, the climate here became dry and cold, and Li Shizhi could only wear Turkic fur clothes to keep the cold, but his hair was still combed in the style of the Central Plains, so his dress looked a bit out of place.

Obviously, the assimilation ability of Turkic culture is limited, and it is difficult to affect people like Li Shizhi from the Tang Dynasty in a short period of time.

At this time, the news of Mochu Khan's victory over Gloru by Mochuo Khan's Turkic army had reached Heisha City, and all the Turks in the city were scrambling to celebrate.

Only Li Shizhi found the minister Shi Yugu and said: Now we can start preparing to escape from Heisha City, so as not to be caught off guard and become a prisoner of the enemy in vain.

Shinyugu said in surprise: Khan won the first battle, and the current situation is beneficial to us. Where does Mr. Li say this?

Li Shizhi did not answer the words of Shiyugu in a positive way, and asked back: You are also an old man who has been through the battlefield for a long time. I would like to ask, what is the most important thing in war?

When asked by a junior who had not yet grown his beard, Shiyugu said a little unhappy: Of course, it is the courage of the soldiers. All living creatures living on the grassland follow one principle: The strong eat the weak and the weak are eaten!

Li Shizhi disagreed: I think the strength of both sides is a foregone conclusion when the war is in opposition, and it is difficult to change. What you can control is how to use the strength in your hands.A wise commander uses military strength in just one purpose: clear thinking.

Shiyugu frowned and pondered.

Li Shizhi said again: How to win a war? The commander must first understand what path should be taken. For example, some take the way to seize the food route and prevent the enemy from staying for a long time, while others take the way to capture the thief first, each with their own way.The same thing is that they all know what they are going to do and how to achieve it step by step... Let's look at the war between Khan against the three surnames such as Gelulu, which was just revenge for angering their betrayal, but the timing was wrong. At this time, the Tang army had already dispatched troops everywhere to eye the enemy. What was Khan's idea and purpose?How important is a victory that is not helpful to you?Is it worth being so happy?

Shi Yugu's expression changed slightly, and he nodded subconsciously and said: Do Mr. Li think that King Xue Chongxun and others have clear ideas?

Although Li Shizhi had no good impression of Xue Chongxun and regarded him as the culprit for usurping the power of Li Tang and causing him to be in a downturn, he still talked about the matter at this point: The Xue family and his accomplices won many times, regardless of whether they all depend on luck, they must have his strengths.This time, the clear thinking of the Turkic Khanate was clear at a glance: first, build momentum and regard the righteousness of the Turks as the source of cruelty and crime, use the momentum to win over the forces that are beneficial to oneself and weaken the Turks; then gradually erode and continue to develop the situation in a direction that is beneficial to oneself.Xue's family was not anxious or slow at this time, and had not yet dispatched troops out of Hetao. Obviously, their thinking had long been determined to control the situation!

Li Shizhi looked to the southwest and was silent for a long time in the wind and said: Under such a strategy, the first battle is not about the gains and actual effects, but about the creation of momentum.If I were in his position, I would definitely choose the Turkic capital Heisha City!The Turkic Khan led the main force in the northwest and relied on victory to be prepared, which was an excellent fighter opportunity. Although the current Heisha City was not profitable, the city was named the Turkic Capital, and it was extremely beneficial to build momentum.By then, some loyal tribes were too easily fought by the Tang Dynasty... Now Mochu Khan made great efforts to punish the betrayers, but he didn't know that people's hearts were floating in the face of the general situation. Can they be punished?

Shi Yugu's expression turned cold: Mr. Li thought the Tang army would take this opportunity to attack Heisha City, so he suggested that we plan to escape early?But now the King of Jin has not arrived in the Hetao area, and the army has gathered and I don’t know when it will take until we can. How did he fight Heisha City? Could it be that he flew over?

Li Shizhi sneered: Everyone is likely to be the Murong Xianbei people and the tribes in the east that depend on the imperial court.With the current situation, are you still worried that no one from Xue’s family can be used?

Li Shizhi spoke incitement, of course, not really wanting Shiyugu to be prepared to escape, but hopes that Shiyugu will influence the Khan Ting's decision to make some necessary precautions for Heisha City through his own strength.

The old man named Shiyugu was a relatively wise and enlightened person among the Turkic rulers, and he should be able to figure out the relationship.

As expected, Shiyugu took Li Shizhi's suggestions seriously. Although he did not think that Heisha City would inevitably be attacked, he thought that this city was not far from the area controlled by the Tang army and was also in a state of emptiness at this time, so it was necessary to be vigilant.

So he found Tuoxi, who was left behind in the southern court, and persuaded the son of Mochu Khan.

Because Ashina Mochu's other son Yang Wozhi was too influenced by the Tang Dynasty and the Turkic nobles were not favored. In fact, Tosi was Mochu's heir, and his words in front of Khan were naturally much more effective.

Mochu Khan met Tosi's messenger on the northwest front line. It was reported that the Tang army might attack the southern court, so Tosi sent people to ask for troops to prepare.

Mochuo was a little unhappy and thought that his son was timid, but the ministers around him all suggested that Khan was not prepared enough after leaving Heisha City. Since there was news, he should not take it lightly.

Mochuo then divided his troops and returned, ordering them to obey Tosi's orders to defend Black Sand City.

It happened that when Khan's reinforcements just arrived at Heisha City, they received news from the scouts in the city and found that a large group of cavalry had been more than a hundred miles away from the city, directing directly to Heisha City!

After hearing this news, Shi Yugu's attitude towards Li Shizhi increased to a higher level. He could predict things like a god that he had to look at him with admiration again. Therefore, he valued more and more the Han people who escaped from the Tang realm.

At this time, the little Khan Tosi also felt that the Shwegu was very wise, because the person who proposed the defense strategy to Tosi was Shwegu, so Tosi urgently called Shwegu to Khan's tent to discuss the plan to retreat to the enemy.

Shi Yugu then called Li Shi one of them.

The Khan Tent is where Mochu's family lives. Now Mochu is not here, and Tosi dares not sit on the position above. He still sits as usual and emptys the dark seat in the middle.

After all the people of Shiyugu and others arrived, Tosi said: It was discovered that about 30,000 horses appeared in the southwest of the southern court, and they were Xianbei people and should have come from the middle city. It seems that it is the enemy, not the friend, and it is not good.The group of people marched quickly, and when our scouts discovered it, it was more than a hundred miles away, and it took about two days to arrive in the southern court.How to retreat to the enemy? Can everyone have a way?

Shiyugu glanced at Li Shizhi, then turned to Tosi and said: Fortunately, the reinforcements had just arrived, but the enemy was still in a situation where we were too few. We should immediately dispatch defense to defence, use fortifications to repel the enemy's troops with crossbows and arrows, and then send envoys to Khan's camp to stand by and wait for assistance, and never lose the Heisha City.

Although the Turks were not good at building cities and defending their territory, they absorbed the old tribes of Goguryeo who defected from the Tang Dynasty and were able to create some large-scale siege and defending cities, so the Naruo Valley had the confidence to defend the city.

Moreover, according to the war ideas explained by Li Shizhi, the Tang Dynasty sent troops to fight the black sand to build momentum. For the Turks, no matter what method they used to repel the attack and prevent the Tang Dynasty from succeeding their goals, it would be beneficial to the Turks.

The reinforcements immediately objected: Go to the city and let them fight?This is too cowardly. What kind of Xianbei people are? As long as we are allowed to face the enemy on the grassland, we will definitely be able to kill these mobs!

At this time, Li Shizhi said lightly: You don’t need to be angry, and there is no need to rush to destroy the Xianbei invading army.As Minister Narugu said, Heisha City was the focus of this war.However, I don’t think retreating to the city to defend the city is a good way to defend the city. The Turks were nomadic migrants and were not good at defending. Instead of doing so, it is better to give full play to the advantages of the cavalry and arrange the cavalry to both attack and defense outside, and to connect with the city guards. This is the best strategy.

Tosi looked at the hairstyle on Li Shizhi's head with distrust. Seeing this, Shi Yugu said: The first person to foresee the enemy's attack on Heisha City was Mr. Li. I also think that the strategy he offered was good, please consider it well.

Then Tosi asked: How to be both offensive and defensive?

Li Shizhi clasped his fists and said: The soldiers have no constant momentum. When fighting, the generals should follow the trend and adapt to the situation, but the overall situation should be agreed first.Since the Xianbei army has more than a hundred miles away, these more than a hundred miles are the depth and opportunity of our army. The cavalry went out of the city and went to the battlefield to find opportunities to attack on this journey. The battle was good and the war was not conducive to retreating. So when the Xianbei soldiers were at the city, they had lost their aura, and because the flanks were always threatened by the cavalry outside our city, they could not attack with all their strength. The mutual support inside and outside the city could make the enemy soldiers unable to make progress.

This method really catered to the combat habits of the Turks, and for a moment, many generals agreed.

Li Shizhi spent some time in the three cities, and whether he had witnessed it with his own eyes or heard it, he had some understanding of the tactics of the Turkic nomads, which came in handy at this time.

Seeing that many people agreed, Tosi said readily: There is not much time left. Since everyone supports this method, just do it like this!The cavalry was ordered to leave the city immediately and the defenders in the city checked the military weapons. Let's give the Xianbei people a head-on blow!

The plan in the Khan's tent agreed that the Turkic soldiers near Heisha City were successfully mobilized and deployed. Tosi sent a second group of messengers to report to Mochu Khan, and everything was ready.

Li Shizhi, a Han man, could give advice, but he could not have military power. When the Turks were busy preparing for war, he had nothing to do.

When he climbed the city to observe the city's defense, he saw groups of Turkic cavalry leaving the city one after another, which looked extra spectacular in the wind, sand and dark sun.

However, these soldiers are foreign soldiers, and no matter how spectacular they are, they cannot arouse Li Shizhi's emotions, and he feels a little uncomfortable.