The third emperor of the Sui Dynasty

Chapter 467 I also want face
There was controversy within the Li-Tang dynasty about the grand plan of the Eastern Expedition from the very beginning. The opposition believed that the Eastern Expedition was too hasty. Their main point was that there was not enough time for army training, especially since the soldiers from Shu had been sparsely engaged in battle for a long time, it was impossible It was the opponent of the great army of the Sui Dynasty, but Li Yuan and Li Shimin insisted, so before the result came, the faction against the Eastern Expedition did not occupy the mainstream.However, with the annihilation of the East Route Army, the fall of the two counties of Fuyang in Xiangcheng, and the failure of the Tang Army in the west to seize Henan County, news spread to Xiangyang one after another... which caused the dissatisfaction in the court to become more high-profile.

In particular, the unfair treatment of Li Xiaogong has become a reason for people to criticize the representative of the main combat faction - Li Shimin. They strongly criticized Jin Wang Li Shimin's unfavorable performance in the war situation. Take precautions, Li Daozong will not go out to rescue, Yiqueguan will not fall, and there will be no subsequent defeat of Li Xiaogong, so in the final analysis it is Li Shimin's fault, and he is the main person responsible for the defeat of the Eastern Route Army. It was Li Xiaogong who was hit by Chiyu.

The voices opposing Li Shimin and supporting Li Xiaogong are very popular in Xiangyang. Although various forces are contributing to the flames, it is also directly related to Li Xiaogong's personal reputation in Jingzhou.Because the land of Jingzhou became the territory of the Tang Dynasty, it was actually Li Xiaogong's personal contribution. There were countless people from the south who were promoted by him. Their benefactors were wronged, and these people naturally took advantage of the trend to speak out.

Wude Palace Imperial Study Room!

Xiao Yu was once again entrusted by Li Shimin to lobby Li Yuan, and Chen Ming had a strong relationship.

Although Li Yuan's condition has improved, his mood is really low. The unfavorable battle on the front line and the dissatisfaction of the government and the public have brought him tremendous pressure. He also realizes that he has made a strategic mistake.

It was he who misjudged the situation in the world, thinking that the Sui Dynasty, which had undergone major military reforms, fell into short-term chaos, and Yang Tong was temporarily unable to interfere in the affairs of the Central Plains...

It was also his lack of understanding of Wang Shichong's strength and resistance, which caused the West Route Army to spend too much time in the battle of Luoyang and exhausted their energy prematurely in the decisive battle with Wang Shichong, so when they faced the Sui army that suddenly went south, Can only be forced to withdraw troops.

On the other hand, after he reached a consensus with Li Mi, he was overly optimistic, believing that the Central Plains was bound to be won and within easy reach, so he appointed Li Xiaogong to lead the Shu army who had been neglected in battle to seize the Central Plains. He found that he had made a fatal mistake in this important decision. If the order at that time was to let Li Xiaogong and Li Shimin merge into one, then Henan County would have already been taken. It's too late.But what Li Yuan didn't know was that this kind of mistake was not the first time he committed it. What was terrible was that he kept making mistakes repeatedly. The most typical example was the division of troops and conquest of the heroes of the Quartet just after occupying Guanzhong.

"My lord, the situation of the West Route Army is extremely bad now, and they are always facing the risk of being encircled by the Sui army on all sides. The king of Jin means to temporarily abandon Hongnong County and withdraw to Xiyang County. While preserving the strength of our army, we can also form a large army. Defend the Sui army at Waiwuguan and Zhuyangguan to strengthen our Xiangyang peripheral defense. When our strength recovers, we can attack Luoyang again. After learning the lesson of this failure, we will succeed!" Xiao Yu tried hard to persuade Li Yuan.

Li Yuan's pale face showed deep hesitation, and he sighed: "I understand his difficulties very well, but if we retreat, the Sui army will occupy Henan County, and then occupy the entire Central Plains. Let's think about it again." It is even more difficult. Moreover, the West Route Army and the Sui Army only had a small collision at the ferry of the Yellow River. After careful calculation, the West Route Army is no different from the first World War. The West Route Army now has sufficient food and grass, and its troops and military equipment are no less The Sui army is small, if we retreat because we are afraid of the power of the Sui army, I really can't explain to the court and the people of the country!"

He walked a few steps with his mobile game behind his back, and said seriously to Xiao Yu: "Shiwen (Xiao Yu's character)..."

"The minister is here!" Xiao Yu saluted respectfully.

"I also want face! So I hope that the King of Jin can work hard and defeat Yang Yu once in a dignified and graceful manner. Not only will he keep Hongnong, but he will also earn some glory for my old face."

"..." Xiao Yu smiled bitterly: His Majesty's attitude was not what King Jin expected. Although he said it very tactfully, His Majesty not only disagreed with the withdrawal of King Qi's army, but also hoped that King Jin would defeat Yang Yu and break the rule that the Tang army would lose every Sui Dynasty. The "curse" of the Tang Dynasty added beauty to the Tang dynasty, which had suffered repeated defeats and demoralized.

Since the Holy Majesty refused to withdraw, Xiao Yu had no choice but to retreat: "I understand the difficulties of the Holy Majesty, and I also know that my Tang Dynasty and the people are eager for a hearty victory... If I withdraw my troops like this, I really have no face to face the world. Can the Majesty How about an appropriate increase in troops? The King of Jin hopes that the Holy One will send [-] to [-] troops from Huai'an to put pressure on Xiangcheng, Fuyang, and Yingchuan in the north, so as to disperse Yang Tong's energy and strength, thereby increasing the chances of acquisition."

"This...let me think about it before making a decision..."

The soldiers of the Li Tang dynasty came to fight this war, and after the rest were divided into various places, the number of troops left in Xiangyang was pitifully small. Now Li Shimin asked for more troops, and Li Yuan was a little embarrassed.And the lessons learned from the past made Li Yuan dare not send reinforcements again, because he used all his troops to fight Xue Ju. As a result, the main force of Li Tang led by Li Shimin was beaten by Li Jing in Liangzhou, and he couldn't even return to Guanzhong. Back to Jingzhou.That battle was also a battle for the weakening of the Li-Tang Dynasty. If Yang Tong hadn't tried to drive the Guanlong Group out of Guanzhong, the fundamental place, the Li-Tang Dynasty would have been destroyed at that time. It is a very shameful way to give up Daxing City and lose Xiangyang.

If all the limited troops are put on top now, and Li Shimin is defeated again, what will Datang use to guard Xiangyang?Is it to let the old things repeat themselves?
The key is, will Yang Tong let Li Tang go again?
The answer is obviously no, because the strength of the Sui Dynasty is not what it used to be, and Yang Tong no longer has to worry about the aristocratic family. Naturally, he does not need to compromise with the Guanlong Group whose strength has been greatly damaged, let alone the Li Tang Dynasty.

As for the thoughts of the Guanlong Group, the Shandong family, and the southern gentry, Li Yuan is also well aware.

The children of the aristocratic family have always put their own interests first. Seeing that the business of the Sui Dynasty is booming, they have long been looking forward to the idea of ​​re-boarding the big ship of the Sui Dynasty. The dynasty has worked together to the present.If Yang Tong threw out a meatless bone now, they would break their heads to earn it. It was too late for them to curry favor with Yang Tong. How could Li Yuan expect them to challenge Yang Tong?
Because of this, Li Yuan attached great importance to military power, and he held the command of the army in his own hands from the beginning to the end.

In view of the current situation, he had the idea of ​​expanding the army
(End of this chapter)