When Li Shimin and others learned that Xiangyuan was also captured by the Sui army, they immediately had major differences. The general represented by Fang Xuanling believed that the action of besieging Lion Fort should be given up at this time. Instead, they concentrated their forces to attack Xiangyuan or other passes in an attempt to open a gap in the encirclement of the Sui army and avoid the disaster of the 200,000 troops being wiped out.

However, a few generals believed that they would take advantage of the fact that there were about ten days of food and grass in the Tang army camp to siege the Lion Fort. Since Yang Guang was in the Lion Fort, he would naturally kill or even capture Yang Guang after breaking the Lion Fort. At that time, the Sui army would defeat himself without attacking and surrender without fighting.

In the big tent, everyone was clamoring, but Li Shimin didn't say a word. He closed his eyes and pondered for a long time before making a gesture to make the generals in the tent keep silent. The scene that was still noisy just now suddenly became quiet, and a quiet needle could be heard falling to the ground.

Li Shimin spoke slowly, "Looking back on the various situations before, this is clearly a bureau that Yang Guang had set up in advance. Do you think that since he spent such a large price to trap us in the Shangdang Basin, he could still let us go? Yesterday, 25,000 infantry and cavalry fought desperately under my strict order, killing nearly 10,000 soldiers, and almost all the teams involved in the siege were destroyed. This did not take down Xiangyuan. Moreover, according to the officials who escaped from Xiangyuan City, there were only a few thousand cavalry in the Sui army that occupied Xiangyuan City at that time, but today, I am afraid that more troops would be stationed in Xiangyuan City. And once there were signs of large armies gathering in Xiangyuan or other Sui army strongholds, the Sui army would react immediately."

Li Shimin expected it well. Now Xiangyuan has received reinforcements from 5,000 Xiaoguo Army. In addition, the defenses of other key passes and important towns have also been strengthened by the Sui army. Eight thousand light armored flying cavalry wandered on the fields of Shangdang Basin and could launch assaults against the Tang army at any time to indirectly support the pass camps that may be counterattacked by the Tang army. Some pass camps are also equipped with a large number of terrifying longbowmen and crossbow gun troops. The remaining two thousand royal court heavy cavalry are used as mobile backups to assist at any time and may be attacked by the Tang army. They can serve as heavy armored infantry to enhance the defense of the supported locations.

After hearing what Li Shimin said, Fang Xuanling said anxiously: "Does Your Majesty still have to attack the Lion Fort with all his strength? As Your Majesty said, since this is a situation set by Yang Guang, it will not allow us to easily open the gap in the encirclement, how can we break through the Lion Fort? Taking his life? This is the worst strategy! The green mountains left are not afraid of no firewood. As long as our army can break through the encirclement, we can protect our Tang Dynasty and the country will have the opportunity to make a comeback and make a comeback."

Li Shimin's face turned solemn and said, "Yes, whether it is to attack Lion Fort, attack Xiangyuan City or other strongholds surrounded by the Sui army, it may end in vain and be wiped out. But there is also the opportunity to burn together and narrowly defeat the opponent. If our opportunity is only used to break through, our main force of the Tang army will be exhausted after the break through, but the Sui army will not be damaged, then we will still be chased and beaten by Yang Guang like a dog that is a broken family. But it is completely different for us to use this opportunity to break through Lion Fort and kill Yang Guang. If we succeed, will it be a great opportunity? Seeking victory in the vicinity. Most of the world will be in the hands of our Tang Dynasty."

Fang Xuanling's eyes drooped and said, "I understand what Your Majesty means. Your Majesty is going to make the last full bet with Yang Guang."

...

On the second day, at dawn in the early winter of the 16th year of Daye, the sky was gloomy. There were noisy noises and drums and whistles on both sides of the Lion Fort Camp. A large number of people rushed out from the Tang army camp on the horizon and began to line up.

When it was dawn, the Tang army rushed from north and south like a tide, and along the foot of the mountain ridges on the east and west sides of the Lion Fort to the Sui army camp. The first wave of attacks, the Tang army dispatched 100,000 people. They first walked slowly, and when they reached the eighty battles of the Lion Fort camp, they began to run, and became faster and faster. The sound effects of the 100,000 people running on the field were rumbling like the Qiantang River tide.

The Sui army's trenches were filled with Xiaoguo Guards standing on a short ladder, the spearmen of the Tianxing Army, the Longbowmen, the Beiwei Guards, and the armored soldiers of the two thousand royal court heavy cavalry. At this time, there was no difference in the types of troops. Except for the Longbowmen who were good at using bows and arrows, the Beiwei Guards, the rest of the people were all holding crossbows.

Suddenly, countless huge stones passed through the sky, which were shot by hundreds of trenchers in the Tang army. Over the past few days, Li Shimin has been urging the craftsmen in the army to build trenchers, and built more than a hundred giant trenchers in total. Now they are starting to show their power.

When the stones hit the barriers that were rammed by the loess, they immediately smashed the barriers into a large pit. When they hit the ground, a pillar of dust suddenly rose up. People nearby could feel the earth trembling. However, because these rammed earth barriers were only half a battle high and thick, they could not push them down by flying stones.

The Sui army in the trench crouched down. The trench with half a high barrier on one side was a shooting blind spot. The big rock thrown by the trench machine could not fall into the trench. Of course, the arrows shot by the Tang army's crossbowmen could not hurt the people hiding behind the barrier.

Under the cover of dense flying stones and arrows, a large number of Tang army soldiers approached the twenty battles of the barrier. There was a sound of chung in the camp, and the Sui army exposed their heads and shot out the arrows that had been prepared.

In the dense rain of arrows, those Tang soldiers who were caught off guard and were not equipped with shields and fine armor were all shot into the ground. Some generals or some Changlin soldiers who were protected by excellent armor were penetrated by the longbow's heavy arrows and fell to the ground and died.

The Tang army's casualties cost the Tang army pushed the vanguard forward ten more battles. At this time, in order to prevent accidental injuries, the Tang army's catapult stopped shooting. Thousands of "short spears" suddenly flew out of the Sui army's camp, mixed in the rain of arrows. It was the javelin thrown by the heavy cavalry. There were almost no living people standing where these javelins covered. Even those Tang army soldiers holding shields had many of them pierced through the helmets or shoulder armor or thighs and fell to the ground.

These casualties did not stop the Tang army's charge, and they rushed to the top of the low-high barrier. The Tang army had already learned the lesson last time and knew that the barrier was a deep trench, so many people took wooden springboards and tried to put the springboard on the opposite side of the barrier and trench after rushing to the barrier.

But this time, the Sui army stationed in the trench, except for the longbowmen who quickly retreated to the second line of defense, the rest did not retreat. They had replaced the crossbows in their hands with swords, guns and spears, and attacked the Tang army, who had just climbed up the barrier. The Tang army soldiers fell backwards like fences washed by floods.
Chapter completed!