Chapter 185 Ying Guo
Guguan is located in the camp outside the city.

Several captured high-ranking officers of the Liangzhou Army gathered outside a tent by the Taoshui River, with a bonfire in the middle. For them, this was probably the lowest point in their lives.

I had thought we could capture Longxi County with great momentum, but now we were caught in a swarm of attacks.

Fortunately, both East Yan and West Yan are Yan. They had followed Xiao Juan and joined West Yan without knowing why. If they were given the opportunity to choose, there would be no problem in joining East Yan.

But in this kind of situation, you can't just surrender to others with a flattering face, you have to be dignified at least.

So Mu Changling, Wang Sengdi, Da Xi Changru and others stayed in the tent very patiently, waiting for the winner's invitation.

These people all came from prominent families and had close ties with the Longxi Li family and the Qinghe Cui family. For example, Wang Sengdi of the Taiyuan Wang family, his mother was from the Longxi Li family, and Mu Changling's cousin married the young lady of the Qinghe Cui family.
But without exception, they all felt frightened and puzzled about the Battle of Taoshui.

"Li Erlang is really very swift in commanding his troops. Even if he had sent out his troops in the evening, we wouldn't have lost so badly."

Wang Sengdi stared at the Taoshui River not far away, and there was a hint of dissatisfaction in his words and in his heart.

Mu Changling was more open-minded and sneered, "Brother Wang, it's already this late, why are you still fussing about this? You and I have also seen a lot of battles in Hexi, including the Tibetans, the Turks, the Tuyuhun, and the Huihe. We always won more than we lost in the past. Now we have lost to the heroes of the Central Plains. What can we say? It's nothing more than a winner takes all."

Wang Sengdi did not get angry when he heard this, but said helplessly: "It's just a few complaints, what else can it be? You can't just stop people from speaking, right? You said that Li Erlang hasn't seen us yet, what is he up to?"

Da Xi Chang Ru, who was warming his hands by the fire, said, "We have been fighting for several days and nights, chasing Li Er Lang all the way from Didao and Guguan to the Yellow River. Li Er Lang should be resting now. Besides, nearly ten thousand people in Liangzhou have been captured. Haha, there are too many things to do."

When Wang Sengdi heard about tens of thousands of people, he couldn't hold back any longer. "This battle was about 10,000 pigs. It would take the Longyou Army several days and nights to capture them. But we were wiped out in one day. We can't even reorganize a counterattack. What a shame!"

Da Xi Chang Ru said, "Li Erlang of the Tang family is a good commander. He knew that he could not give our Liangzhou army a chance to catch its breath, so he divided his troops into several teams. We gathered our troops to fight several times, but were dispersed by the Longyou army. It is said that you should not pursue a desperate enemy and should not expose a returning army. But Li Erlang did the opposite. His decisiveness in using troops and his swiftness in action are rare in ancient and modern times. He has some of the style of the Han Dynasty's Champion Marquis."

Mu Changling agreed, "Brother Daxi is right. Last year, Li Erlang led 500 cavalrymen to launch a surprise attack on Fuhan, causing tens of thousands of Tuyuhun troops to flee in panic. Tuyuhun's Fuyun Khan moved the capital westward from Fuhan, perhaps because he was afraid of the momentum of the Longxi border army and had lost his courage. Looking at his use of troops this time, it can really be described as 'fast as the wind, aggressive as fire'."

Wang Sengdi frowned and thought to himself, "You guys are overestimating Li Erlang, aren't you? Huo Qubing is a genius who only appears once in a thousand years. He made great achievements at the age of 18. This Li Erlang, it seems, is not even 20 years old?"

Is it possible that there really are such people?

"Let's not talk about Li Erlang for now. I just want to ask you one thing. We are all Li Erlang's captives now. Why aren't you guys anxious at all?"

Mu Changling laughed and said, "Anxious? What's the use? You also know that we are captives now. We are at the mercy of others. Why are you so anxious? Just wait for their decision."

Wang Sengdi said: "Brother Mu, you are quite open-minded, but our Liangzhou army has been defeated. I guess it will be difficult for General Yuwen in Guanzhong to conquer Longyou. The situation has changed too quickly. We..."

At this point, Wang Sengdi suddenly understood why these people were so calm.

After all, to put it bluntly, this war was a civil war within Dayan. The Eastern Army and the Western Army were both from Dayan. Moreover, their official positions were all granted by the previous emperor. Even if it was a favor of recognition, it would not be the turn of the current Wuxing Emperor Murong Zan in Chang'an City.

Is it necessary to be loyal to him? There is absolutely no need. A scholar dies for his friend. It seems that it is a natural thing for him to flee to the Luoyang court in the east.

Thinking of this, Wang Sengdi finally calmed down.

However, Dou Zhun, a nobleman from Hexi who had been sitting on the sidelines and remained silent, suddenly said, "I'm afraid that Longyou will also have the surname Li."

Upon hearing this, Wang Sengdi, Mu Changling, Daxi Changru, and the captured Yingyang Lang Jiang Hou Jun all fell silent and thought.

In Longyou, people also want to have the surname Li.

Why use "ye"? Because the current governor of Yizhou and the governor of Yangzhou both have the surname Li.

While they were hesitating, Li Erlang, whom they had been waiting for, finally arrived.

The appearance of the sun and the sky, the dragon and the phoenix.

Most people in this era are obsessed with appearance. A person's appearance and temperament can even greatly affect his career.

Li Erlang's appearance is very outstanding. He has a well-proportioned body, is tall and strong, looks extraordinary and heroic, and there is a natural nobility between his brows.

"Li Mingqi from the Longxi Li family greets several lords."

Li Erlang had already changed into a round-necked robe and a fu hat. He came alone in front of the crowd and bowed and clasped his hands.

When they saw Li Er, they all stood up and returned the greeting. "General Li, you are too polite."

"Meet General Lee."

"Mr. Li Erlang."

After greeting each other, Li Er said, "I have been busy with the aftermath these days and have been slow to treat you gentlemen. This is my negligence. I hope you can forgive me."

Mu Changling said: "General Li, you are too polite. We are all defeated generals. It is a mercy from the general that we can survive. How dare we ask for anything else?"

Li Er said, "Don't say that. The world is in chaos now. The common people of Liang are doing evil things. They have gathered troops to rebel when the former emperor's body is still warm. This is a great rebellion and everyone in the world can punish them. You were deceived by them in the past, or you had to obey the orders of your superiors. Why don't you put things right now? And you haven't committed any serious mistakes. If you are willing to correct yourself, I can let my father submit a petition to defend you.

"

Li Er spoke very straightforwardly, and he persuaded them to surrender. The implication was that the Murong family was fighting to the death, and we didn't need to risk our lives. If you are willing to surrender, no, to return to the right path. If you are willing to return to the right path, my father will submit a petition to protect you.

Having said this, everyone remained silent. They were all thinking, or trying to hold back for a while.

Li Er also knew that he needed to give them some time to process slowly, so he did not rush to speak.

It was Da Xi Chang Ru who stood up first and said, "General Li, do you want to stabilize Longyou, or do you have other plans?"

Li Er's expression suddenly became serious when he heard this. "I wonder if General Da Xi has any advice for you?"

"General Li, Liangzhou has sent out all its elite troops, but they were defeated in Longyou. Although Lord Xiao escaped, he only has a few hundred cavalrymen with him. If we send troops to Hexi at this time, we can seize the entire territory of Liangzhou. If you trust me, I am willing to recruit my old subordinates to serve as your vanguard."

Da Xi Changru's words shocked Li Er.

If you believe in Da Xi Chang Ru, it will undoubtedly be a gamble.

When the others heard this, they were even more stunned. My goodness, a few of us were still trying to control you, but you just voted?
Still want to lead the way?

Another Yingyang Langjiang, Hou Jun, also spoke up: "I am also willing to lend a helping hand, General. I wonder if you dare to use me?"

Li Erlang was speechless for a long while, then a smile suddenly appeared on the corner of his mouth, "Okay. It is a blessing to have the help of the two generals. Now, I will leave the important matter to you two."

Hou Jun and Da Xi Changru looked at each other and saw some inexplicable expressions in each other's eyes.

These words of the two were undoubtedly a test, to test whether the other party had the courage to use them to seize Liangzhou.

After all, asking them to gather their old subordinates would be very dangerous for the Longyou Army, because once they defected, it might trigger a crisis in Longyou.

But they were directly impressed by Li Erlang's courage. He was wise and decisive, and his spirit was far beyond that of ordinary people.

Who in the army wouldn't like such a heroic person?

Once someone starts, there will be a second one. After the second one, there will be a third one, and then the situation will open up.

As a result, Wang Sengdi, Mu Changling and Dou Zhun all expressed their willingness to rebel.

Li Erlang was very generous and agreed to the requests of several people. He then gave them several letters from home.

Those are the families of several people, currently being settled in Shu.
When they heard this, they were a little confused. Shouldn't it be in Chang'an?
After listening to Li Er's explanation, I learned that when Li Er withdrew from Guanzhong to Longyou, he took away a large number of officials' families.

Among them were the families of most prefects and generals in Longyou and Liangzhou.

This is also what Li Er specifically mentioned to King Gaoyang.

The reason why Wang Sengdi, Mu Changling and others initially agreed to Xiao Juan's standing on the side of Western Yan was actually because their families were in Chang'an.

However, after all, Hexi and Chang'an are thousands of miles apart, and there is Longyou in between, so there is no news and it is not clear whether the family has arrived in Shu.

After hearing what Li Er said, he was speechless. Why didn't you tell me about this earlier? Why would you fight if you had told me earlier?
(End of this chapter)