At the critical moment of Hulao, Li Shimin, wearing armor, was leaning on the city wall, looking at the Xia Army camp ten miles away, his eyes bright and thoughtful. Changsun Wuji stood silently behind Li Shimin. He followed Li Shiji's infantry reinforcements and arrived one day after Li Shimin rushed to reinforce Hulao Pass. In the past few days, Xia's army had attacked the pass many times, but they were all counter-attacked by Li Shimin. Defeated, the city wall of Hulao Pass was not damaged at all, but as a precaution, Changsun Wuji arranged various defensive equipment at the top of the city every time after Li Shimin went to battle, and went out with Li Shimin every day to check the terrain. Deducing the possible movements of the enemy army, today, the summer camp under the night sky does not seem as quiet as before, the lights are bright, and the troops are obviously moving back and forth. Even looking here, I know that the Xia army will take action tomorrow. Li Shimin finally opened his mouth: "Auxiliary machine, tell me whether the Xia army will withdraw tomorrow, or do you want to fight decisively?" Changsun Wuji curled his lips: "If I were Dou Jiande, I would definitely withdraw. Because it is obvious that no matter how hard it is, I will withdraw. It is impossible to capture Hulao Pass by fighting. If we retreat now, we can still retain most of our strength. If we insist on attacking, we will lose even more miserably and even lose everything." Li Shimin turned his head and smiled slightly. : "Have you heard those cheers in the summer camp? Do you think these soldiers can roar like this if they want to withdraw their troops and return to Hebei?" Changsun Wuji sighed: "This is what I can't understand the most about these Hebei people. The place, rationally, this battle is bound to be defeated, but it seems that they want to fight again, I really don¡¯t know what they are thinking.¡± Li Shimin¡¯s eyes flashed coldly: ¡°Because the heroes of Hebei value justice over life. In the pre-Qin Dynasty, people were generous and sang loudly, and there were many heroes in Yan and Zhao. The same is true now. Heads can be cut off, blood can be shed, and lives can be thrown away, but loyalty cannot be lost, let alone face. Returning to Hebei means losing face and losing face on this trip. This is something Dou Jiande is unwilling to accept even to the death. " Having said this, Li Shimin turned his head: "So, tomorrow's Xia Army will definitely come out with all their strength and fight us decisively. It's better to deal with it as soon as possible. They, I can go back and destroy Wang Laoxie. Wang Laoxie has come out of the city many times to attack my besieging troops. Yuan Ji is no match and has been defeated many times. General Lu Jun'e also died in the battle. I'm afraid we will be here for another ten days and a half. The siege of Luoyang is about to be lifted." At this point, Li Shimin's eyes flashed coldly: "Send the order, the whole army prepares food at the fourth watch, and leaves the border at the fifth watch. The infantry is in front, and the black armor cavalry is hidden on the right wing. Listen to me. Order to act. Tomorrow, I will fight to destroy Xia! "It's late in May, the wind is fine, the sky is blue, and the wind is blowing gently. Hulao Pass, also known as Sishui Pass, is adjacent to the big river in the north. The Sishui River passes from south to north, about a mile from the east of the Guandong, and goes straight into the Yellow River in the north. It also forms a natural barrier for this magnificent pass, from the Qin to the Sui Dynasty. , countless wars have broken out here, and countless heroic bones have been buried. Only the quietly flowing Si water remains, recording these world-defining battles in history. But at this moment, the Si River is flowing and vibrating gently. The river is not very wide, only more than thirty steps. In this season, the water depth is less than one foot, and infantry can easily As you pass by, you can see the pebbles on the bottom of the river at a glance, and these stones are shaking. The surface of the river is like boiling water, bubbling constantly, and even the fish are swimming in fear, constantly There are fish jumping out of the water, and then falling back into the river like dumplings. The sound of war drums in the east shook the heaven and the earth. Looking up from the height, the Hebei military formation was as dense as ants. From south to north, it laid out a front twenty miles wide. Thousands of war drums were roaring. The soldiers held up their arms. Changsha, wearing armor, marching in uniform steps, singing war songs, marching steadily forward, a sense of solemnity pervaded through the air, and the boiling of the river and the uneasiness of the fish were probably also It was precisely because he felt the murderous aura that soared into the sky that he had an instinctive reaction. On the west side of Sishui, 50,000 Tang army infantry and cavalry were already in full formation. The soldiers in the front row wore iron masks on their faces, their eyes were shining. From time to time, some warriors stuck out their tongues and licked the cold iron. face, showing the desire to fight and kill. Li Shimin was riding Shifachi, standing on a high hill in the south, with piercing eyes. He looked at the Xia army, which was already arrayed on the east bank of the Sishui River, facing the Tang army across the river, and raised his lips in disdain: "Everyone, Hebei soldiers and horses came in large numbers today. What do you think?" Li Shiji smiled slightly: "It's just an appearance. If you are really capable, you won't be able to touch the wall of Hulao Pass these days." Dou Kang's face changed slightly. Change: "King Qin, don't underestimate the enemy. Today the Xia army came out with all their strength and their morale was high. This is not a small group contact in the previous period. The number of our troops is less than half of the enemy's. It is better to defend firmly and not to move lightly." Li Shimin nodded. : "What you said all makes sense, but since the thieves set out in Hebei, they have not encountered any serious enemies. Today they came out in large numbers and made noise all the way. They seemed to be very powerful, but in reality they wereIt is a manifestation of unorganized and undisciplined. A truly powerful army should be a quiet army. Even if it is silent, it makes the enemy feel invisible pressure. Wang Shichong's army is such a quiet army, but Dou Jiande's no! " "Moreover, they are forcing the city to form an array like this, and they have the intention of underestimating me. The tactics of war are as follows. They are vigorous at one go, then weaken again, and are exhausted after three. As long as our army remains stationary and stands ready, with the Si River as an obstacle, the enemy's army is Those who dare not easily go out to fight with the whole army will have to retreat over time. When their morale drops and the soldiers are hungry, they lose the conditions for a decisive battle and can only retreat. If our army attacks again at this time, it will be invincible and invincible. ! Everyone, I will make a bet with you, by noon, I will defeat the Xia army! " An hour has passed, and the two military formations are still facing each other across the river without any changes. A large number of Xia Army soldiers have been standing under the sun for more than an hour, because they broke camp and walked nearly ten miles. The road was already depleted of people and horses, and many front-line soldiers simply sat on the ground, holding the spears in their hands, looking longingly at the river in front of them, unconsciously licking their chapped lips on a high slope in the middle of the army. On the top, Dou Jiande stood with his sword in his hand, his brows furrowed. Only Pei Shiju was by his side today. Qi Shirang did not know the art of war, and Ling Jing stayed in the camp out of anger. Only the former Sui Dynasty official minister went to the battlefield with him today as his military advisor. , and at this moment, even Pei Shiju looked solemn and said nothing. Dou Jiande sighed: "Our army is here, but the Tang army is blocked by the water. Our army cannot advance, and an assault is not the best strategy. Pei Pu shot. Is there any good strategy? ! Pei Shiju gritted his teeth and said, "Your Majesty, please send out your elite cavalry and cross the Sishui River to challenge!" "