One of the biggest features of the Chang'an city wall is that it has an inner and outer city. There is a corridor about five feet wide between the inner and outer city walls. The original intention of building a double city wall was not to defend, but to facilitate the emperor's travel. For example, Li Longji, the Emperor Xuanzong of Tang Dynasty, took Yang Guifei to Qujiangchi to visit, and walked on a wall corridor.

The inner and outer cities of Chang'an are not as focused on defense as the Dali City in Fengzhou. The inner and outer cities of Dali use plank roads on stone walls to connect. Once the outer cities are broken, the plank roads will be burned immediately, and the inner and outer cities will be completely isolated and impeccable.

There is no plank road between the inner and outer cities of Chang'an, so the city gate must be passed, so if you use it for defense, it is actually not realistic. Once the outer city is conquered, it will be much easier to conquer the inner city.

As long as you conquer the outer city, you can directly use the siege ram to break the inner city gate. You can use bows and arrows to shoot the inner city defenders in the outer city, cover the soldiers to climb the city with siege ladders, and even use a long ladder to directly build between the inner and outer cities. There are many ways to attack the city.

But the inner city crisis tonight was an unexpected situation. Dou Gui never hated himself like tonight. When he recruited soldiers during the day, he wanted to recruit all the young and strong men in Changan City as soldiers. But at this moment, the retreat of 50,000 new recruits put him in a desperate situation.

The news of the fall of the outer city caused panic in the defenders, and the morale of the army collapsed. Tens of thousands of Tang soldiers rushed down the city in panic and rushed towards Mingde Gate. The dark gate of Mingde Gate was filled with soldiers rushing into the city. They were crowded with each other and pushed each other. The speed of entering the city was extremely slow, with cursing, crying, and begging, and the city gate was in chaos.

Dou Gui stood at the top of the inner city and shouted loudly: "Close the city gate! Close the city gate quickly!"

The city gate was about to close several times, but it was resisted by tens of thousands of soldiers and could not be closed at all. Dou Gui was anxious and ordered the soldiers of the Jinwu Guard to drive them away. At this time, he had already faintly seen the Sui soldiers chasing from the East City, and heard the sound of war horse hooves galloping from the west, roaring outside the city like muffled thunder.

Dou Lu was so anxious that he stomped his feet. He couldn't close the city gate and something big was going to happen. At this moment, a large group of Sui soldiers suddenly appeared on the opposite city wall. These were hundreds of Sui soldiers using siege ladders to climb the outer city wall without any defense.

Dou Zhi's eyes suddenly widened, and he thought of the most terrifying situation. Sure enough, hundreds of Sui troops rushed into the city tower and heard the sound of the rumbling and rumbling of the suspension bridge in the outer city. Dou Zhi took two steps back and was stunned.

At this time, dozens of Jinwu Guard soldiers rushed forward and the head captain said anxiously: "Go away quickly, the city is about to be broken!"

Dou Gui stood there blankly, motionless, as if he had heard nothing. It was as if his soul had left his body. He never dreamed that Chang'an City would be easily broken. This was his responsibility. He was the eternal sinner of the Tang Dynasty.

Dou Gui suddenly drew out the sword and wiped it on his neck. The captain quickly grabbed Dou Gui's arm and grabbed his sword. He didn't care whether Dou Gui agreed or not, so he carried him on his back and ran down the city.

At this time, the outer city gate of Mingde Gate slowly opened. Yang Yuanqing led the Sui cavalry and came in. The Tang soldiers shouted in fear as if they were blowing up their nests, and stumbled into the corridors on both sides and ran away desperately.

The Sui army cavalry was like a sharp sharp knife and instantly penetrated into the city gate. The Tang soldiers who were unable to escape were all stabbed to the ground by the Sui army. The war horses rushed into the crowded city gate, and a shrill scream suddenly sounded...

The Jinwu Guard, who was defending the inner city, began to evacuate when the Sui army attacked the outer city. The soldiers quickly retreated to the palace city. Only a quarter of an hour later, the cavalry of the Sui army rushed into Mingde Gate on the bodies of the Tang army soldiers, and Chang'an City was broken.

Ten thousand Sui cavalry rushed into Chang'an, and the sound of horse hooves echoed on the stone slabs of Zhuque Street. The Sui cavalry lined up to separate to both sides. Surrounded by hundreds of cavalry, Yang Yuanqing urged war horses to enter this ancient capital that has become the political center since the Qin and Han Dynasties.

He looked at the Zhuque Gate in the distance in the distance coldly. At this time, Cheng Yaojin stepped forward and bowed and said, "Please ask Your Highness whether to attack Zhuque Gate?"

Yang Yuanqing shook his head, "Don't be anxious first, set fire to all the gates, but the army should not disturb the people. Those who enter private houses will be killed!"

The order was issued, and ten thousand cavalrymen took action separately. Soon, fires lit up everywhere in Chang'an City. Only the sound of horse hooves running around the streets and alleys were heard. The news of the Sui army entering the city had spread throughout the city. Everyone was extremely frightened and hid at home and dared not go out.

People either kowtowed in front of the spiritual throne of their ancestors, begging their ancestors to bless them, or begging the Bodhisattvas for blessings. The officials of the Tang Dynasty had no time to escape into the imperial city, and they changed into the clothes of servants and hid in the cellars at home. They were all worried and extremely frightened.

Both officials and ordinary people were uneasy, and they didn't know what kind of misery would come to them. The entire Chang'an City was shrouded in a shadow full of fear of death...

The Sui army captured Waigucheng. In addition, there were imperial city and palace city. The walls of the imperial city were about four meters high, which were taller and more solid, easy to defend but difficult to attack. The circumference was about twelve miles. At this time, 17 Jinwu Guards and Yulin Army soldiers were covered with the city. The Chang'an City opposite was broken. Everyone was in a very heavy mood. They watched the fire everywhere in the city. Many people were filled with worries. I wonder what their families' fate is now?

The gate of the imperial city opposite Zhuque Street is Zhuque Gate. At this time, at the head of Zhuque Gate, more than a thousand guards surrounded the Emperor Li Yuan of the Tang Dynasty. Li Yuan was supported by several eunuchs and his face was pale. Chang'an City was broken by Yang Yuanqing, which filled his heart with endless fear. Behind him, more than a hundred important officials stood, and they hid in the imperial city since noon.

Li Yuan even wanted to escape from Chang'an, but he was afraid of being caught up by the Sui army. He asked the guards next to him in a trembling voice, "Have you sent an urgent help letter to the prince and the King of Qin?"

"Report to Your Majesty, you have issued it. According to Your Majesty's will, you will issue twelve accelerated imperial edicts in a row. At the latest, the prince will rush back to the capital."

Li Yuan sighed, "It's still a problem whether I can survive tonight."

As soon as he finished speaking, a fierce sound of horse hooves suddenly came from afar. It seemed as if thousands of troops were running towards the Suzaku Gate, which was so shocked that all the soldiers on the city's head would stop beating. Li Yuan was even more frightened. He took a step back and almost fell to the ground. Several eunuchs hurriedly supported him, "Your Majesty, be careful!"

At this time, the sound of horse hooves suddenly disappeared, but everyone could see clearly. About one mile away from the distance, the Zhuque Street, one hundred and fifty steps wide, were densely filled with Sui soldiers, holding torches in their hands, shining the Zhuque Street as bright as day.

An officer rushed over on a horse, rushed to the gate of Zhuque, raised his head and shouted, "Can the Emperor of Tang be there?"

Li Yuan did not say anything, and gave Pei Ji a wink. Pei Ji understood and stepped forward to lean outside the battlement and asked loudly, "What's wrong with you?"

"I will send a letter on the order of His Highness the King of Chu!"

After saying that, he set off his bow and shot a headless arrow with a thread inserted into the city. Pei Ji was so scared that he lowered his head. The arrow flew over his head and landed at Li Yuan's feet. Li Yuan stared at the letter in a daze, as if it was a knife that killed him.

A eunuch picked up the letter and presented it to Li Yuan with both hands. Li Yuan took it and the soft light of the lantern illuminated the letter's skin. It was Yang Yuanqing's handwritten handwritten and Li Yuan knew it.

‘The Emperor of the Great Sui Dynasty, King Yang Yuanqing of Chu sent His Majesty to the Emperor of the Western Tang Dynasty.’

Li Yuan was secretly angry in his heart. Yang Yuanqing actually called the Tang Dynasty the Western Tang Kingdom. If it were usual, he would have torn the letter to pieces, but he did not have the confidence at this time. After all, the Sui army seriously threatened his life.

He had no choice but to sigh and opened the letter helplessly. In the letter, Yang Yuanqing gave him three conditions for withdrawal. The first was that the Tang army withdrew from Lingwu County, and the second was that the Tang army immediately withdrew from Luoyang and returned to Guanzhong. The third condition made Li Yuan stunned. Yang Yuanqing actually asked the Tang court to restore the position of Wei Yijie, the commander of Xianyang.

A small county magistrate actually became a condition for the Sui army to withdraw. Could it be... Li Yuan suddenly remembered the extra siege ladders of the Sui army.

But at this time Li Yuan had no time to think about it, and he continued to look down, and the following was a threat. If the Western Tang Kingdom did not agree to his conditions, he would burn Chang'an City tonight and razed Chang'an Imperial City and the Palace City to the ground.

Li Yuan sighed deeply and handed the letter to Xiao Yu, "You Five Prime Ministers, take a look!"

Xiao Yu took the letter, read it quickly, and handed it to Pei Ji, and the others surrounded him.

"Xiao Aiqing, what do you think?" Li Yuan asked tiredly.

Xiao Yu pondered for a moment and said, "I think that since Yang Yuanqing took the initiative to propose the conditions for withdrawal, and the conditions were not harsh, he should be unsure of being able to capture the imperial city. After all, his troops were insufficient. As for burning Chang'an, I think he was just a threat, and he really didn't dare to do so."

"I'm asking if you want to agree to his conditions?" Li Yuan asked with some annoyance.

"This... I dare not answer." Xiao Yu lowered his head. At this time, he did not dare to express his opinion. He really could not bear this responsibility.

"Then Pei Aiqing, what do you think?" Li Yuan glared at Xiao Yu and turned his eyes to Pei Ji again.

Pei Ji's eyes turned and said, "Weichen's idea is the same as Xiao Xiangguo. I also think that Yang Yuanqing is not sure of conquering the imperial city. He wants to leave Chang'an with decent attitude."

Pei Ji was also very smooth and refused to express his specific statement. Li Yuan felt disappointed. At the critical moment, he refused to share his worries. This was Dugu Zhen, who had been silent, said in a deep voice: "Your Majesty, I think you can accept Yang Yuanqing's conditions."

Li Yuan was excited and Dugu Zhen was the representative of Guanlong nobles. He said that he accepted the conditions, which meant that Guanlong nobles supported the withdrawal of troops from Luoyang. Li Yuan's eyes looked at Dou Gui again, and Dou Gui nodded slowly. Like Dugu Zhen, he must first protect the interests of Guanlong nobles. If Yang Yuanqing started a massacre in Guanzhong, Guanlong nobles would be the first to be affected.

With the support of two leading figures of Guanlong nobles, Li Yuan finally made up his mind and walked up to the city and whispered to the officer who reported the news: "I am the Emperor of the Tang Dynasty. Please tell His Highness the King of Chu that I accept his conditions!"

"My Highness hopes that His Majesty will respond in writing!"

Li Yuan had no choice but to take the pen and write the word "Accept" in Yang Yuanqing's letter, and then sign his name.

Then he handed the letter to the guards, who shot the letter with arrows. The officer picked up the letter and ran back to the Sui army, and presented it to Yang Yuanqing, "Your Highness, the Emperor of the Tang Dynasty said he would accept your highness's conditions!"

Yang Yuanqing took the letter and looked at it, smiled slightly, and immediately turned around and ordered: "Send an order to withdraw troops!"

The Sui cavalry quickly withdrew from Chang'an City, rushed to the east like lightning, and soon disappeared into the darkness.

One hour later, Duan Decao, a general under Li Jiancheng, led 20,000 Tang troops to quickly arrive in Chang'an City. (To be continued)
Chapter completed!