The third emperor of the Sui Dynasty

Chapter 468 Li Jiancheng Takes Command

Chapter 468 Li Jiancheng Takes Command

There are six major factions in Li Tang's army. One is Li Shimin's Jin Dynasty. In addition to the army he commanded outside, there is also the garrison in Xicheng County, which is about 15. No less than [-]; another faction is Li Xiaogong's Bashu Jingxiang faction, which also has about [-] people, and is known as the main force of the Prince's faction by insiders.

These two factions not only constituted the main force of the Tang army, but also existed as if Li Jiancheng and Li Shimin were fighting against each other in the army. However, due to Li Xiaogong's disastrous defeat in Xiangcheng County, and he was deposed as a civilian, they disappeared on the surface and ceased to exist.But everyone knows that Li Xiaogong's influence on the south is especially strong. As long as the army is reorganized, the traces of Li Xiaogong will not be erased, and then it will still be Li Jiancheng's prince faction.

Then there are four middle-level factions, one is the Prince's Army directly controlled by Li Jiancheng, with a number of about [-], followed by Li Shentong's Guanzhong faction, Li Yuanji's new army, and finally Chai Shao's Conglong faction.Among the four factions, except Chai Shao who is responsible for Li Yuan's Conglong faction, the rest are Li Jiancheng's forces, but their strength is not large.

In addition to the six factions of the Li Tang army, there is also the Yuancong Forbidden Army directly controlled by Li Yuan. Its status is equivalent to Yang Tong's Xiaoguo Five Army, and it only listens to Li Yuan's orders.

As an emperor, Li Yuan does not dislike this kind of factional dispute, and is even happy to see it succeed, because dividing and transforming his courtiers is the core meaning of the emperor's mind. The importance of the emperor will obediently listen to the emperor's words and win the emperor's support, so that he will not go further, and finally let the emperor sit firmly on the throne of the dragon chair. This way of getting along with emperors and ministers has been deeply learned by emperors of all dynasties, and Li Yuan can also play it well. Very smooth.

Li Shimin asked for more troops this time, and Li Tang had only two sources of troops: one was to draw from the prince's faction, and the other was to recruit recruits, but recruiting recruits could not solve the urgent need, so once Li Yuan agreed to Li Shimin's request, he could only withdraw Li Jiancheng's prince faction.

The reason why he didn't immediately agree to Xiao Yu's increase of troops was not only his own concerns, but also because he knew that if he wanted to increase his troops, he had to get the support of Prince Li Jiancheng, which was also a tacit understanding between the monarch and his ministers.And this kind of talk is not clear, you can only go around slowly and persuade the other party with some high-sounding reasons, and this is the essence of a politician. Words on the stage are always just an excuse, and in the end you can only understand the truth through the results.

Li Jiancheng walked into the imperial study room, and gave a deep salute: "I will see my father!"

Li Yuan motioned to Li Jiancheng to flatten his body, and asked with a smile, "How is Xiaogong feeling?"

Li Jiancheng smiled: "Xiao Gong knows the series of evil consequences brought about by his defeat, and also understands the difficulties of the father, so there is no difference in the punishment of the father, and he intends to close the door to thank guests for studying military books, to meditate and organize his military career I hope that one day I will be able to take the crime and make meritorious deeds for my Tang Dynasty."

"There will be such a day." Li Yuan was very relieved, and said with a smile: "Xiao Gong forgives and retreats, without arrogance and self-defeating, and can understand my difficulties. I am very pleased. One can be like Xiaogong, think more about me and the court, instead of being superior, not listening to a few words of subordinates, and not being a hawk all day long, wasting a good time. In a few days, I will get together with them and have a good talk fan."

"Father has such an idea, it is really my blessing from the Tang Dynasty, and the luck of the Li family."

Since the rise of the army in Jinyang, Li Yuan followed the principle of using the commander only to the clan, and the members of the Li Tang clan became the commanders of each army, but these people's military capabilities vary, and they are basically at the middle and lower levels, and few are outstanding. Therefore, Li Xiaogong, who has excellent military talents, became one of the two generals of the Tang army, leading the Tang army to conquer cities and lands, and captured one state after another. It can be said that Li Xiaogong took down all of Li Tang's current territories.It would indeed be a blessing to the Tang Dynasty if the Li family members could follow Li Xiaogong's example to demand themselves.Therefore, Li Jiancheng strongly agrees with Li Yuan's attitude.

The father and son chatted a few words about the clan reunion, and Li Yuan's topic turned to the current situation. He sighed slightly and said: "Our army's Eastern Expedition is not good, so let's not talk about Xiaogong's Eastern Route Army. The people worked so hard to destroy Wang Shichong, and were finally forced to give up Luoyang, which had just been acquired. Not to mention that Yang Tong was fulfilled, but he was still in a disadvantageous situation. Said that the army is a lieutenant, the situation is very unfavorable to us."

"Then father decides to withdraw the troops, or continue to fight?" This is also the mainstream thinking in Xiangyang. Li Jiancheng's question is obviously not abrupt, and it also covers up the fact that he and Li Shimin have secret contacts.In fact, at this critical moment, their brothers don't want to communicate like thieves, but once their brothers show a close attitude, I'm afraid their old father will have trouble eating and sleeping.

Li Yuan stared at Li Jiancheng with burning eyes: "Your second brother has the idea of ​​withdrawing the army, but I am not willing to give up like this. If I give up without a fight, I will not be able to explain to the world; but the problem is that there is no sure victory. I'm sure, your second brother hopes that I can increase the number of troops appropriately, [-] to [-], does the emperor think it is feasible? I want to hear your opinion."

At this point, Li Jiancheng knew that Li Yuan still wanted to fight again, he was silent for a moment, and finally he still didn't say the words 'what if the whole army is wiped out again'.Because he also understands the helplessness and difficulties of his father, the government and the public are extremely dissatisfied with his father and the court, and his father is very eager for a victory.

He didn't dare to attack his father's opportunistic heart, let alone say that he would not increase his troops, otherwise if Li Shimin lost, he would definitely put the responsibility on himself.

But he can't agree to it all at once, otherwise his personal power in the army will be weakened, and it will encourage the power of Li Shimin's political opponent. More importantly, if he agrees to it all the time, and the result still fails, he will also share the failure. Responsibility, because Li Shimin would say that he had decided to withdraw the army against the order, but because of the arrival of Li Jiancheng's reinforcements, he had a fluke heart, and finally there was a war and a failure.

Therefore, whether to increase troops or not is definitely a difficult choice for Li Jiancheng. Fortunately, he received Liu Wenjing's letter early and discussed it with his staff all night, so he was well prepared.

"Father, what my son is most worried about is not the Central Plains battlefield, but worrying that Yang Tong will drag our main force to Hongnong, and then he will let Xue Wanjun attack Xiyang from Shangluo, Yu Chigong from Hanchuan to attack Xicheng, and Wang Fubao. Attack Wudu from Hanyang; even talk about mobilizing Xiao Xian's troops to go out of Nanjun to attack Yiling and Jingling, directly intimidating Xiangyang. If this is really the case, how should we resist with our emptiness?"

Li Jiancheng looked at Li Yuan and said seriously: "The Sui Dynasty was full of arrogance, not only had the ambition to launch an all-out war, but also had this strength, so we can't expect our enemies to follow the rhythm of my Tang Dynasty honestly. Father, Yang Tong He is an unreasonable character, and there is a group of highly intelligent people around him to make suggestions, which is impossible for him to miss."

"I really haven't considered this issue..."

Li Yuan was also moved. Yang Tong has the power to eliminate Li Tang, making a sneak attack on Li Tang's interior a reality.

Li Jiancheng continued to discuss the matter: "Even if the Sui army in charge of the sneak attack cannot attack a county, as long as they approach the city, it will be a great blow to the West Route Army. My Tang army is already afraid of the Sui army. Once the morale of the army is in turmoil, the second brother can only be forced to retreat in a hurry. The result of the Sui army's fine cavalry pursuit is that we are bound to suffer a disastrous defeat. If the people of the world end up like Xiaogong, our Tang Dynasty will be in danger... and the son-in-law I think Yang Tong will not give us another chance."

Li Yuan's face couldn't help shaking. Li Jiancheng's earnest words reminded him of the unbearable past when he left Chang'an in embarrassment.Now even the eldest son doesn't support him to go to the decisive battle, let alone Chao Wenwu. He stared blankly at Li Jiancheng's almost pleading face, his spine seemed to be broken. After a long while, Li Yuan showed a look of disappointment on his face: "So Speaking of which, does the emperor support the withdrawal of troops?"

Li Jiancheng shook his head, "What I mean is to let the reinforcements go out of Zhuyang Pass, not necessarily to participate in the war, but mainly to suppress the Sui army's front with military strength, giving the Sui army the illusion of attacking Luoluonan with all their strength, making Xue Wanjun's sixth If the army does not dare to act rashly, the second brother will be less likely to go to the enemy on the west side of the three routes. This will at least give him a [-]% chance of winning than now. And if the second brother is defeated, he will be able to immediately respond to the defeat. At the same time, he was able to quickly take over the defense of Zhuyang Pass and Waiwu Pass, and keep the Sui army out of Xiyang County. This is the real thought of my son, I wonder what the father thinks?"

Li Yuan's heart was moved, but after thinking about it, he suddenly felt that Li Jiancheng was afraid that his power would be eaten by Li Shimin, so he said these high-sounding words to deal with him.Thinking of this, Li Yuan was instantly furious. How far has it come? It is about the future of Datang, but the two brothers are intriguing regardless of the overall situation.

In fact!The discord between the Li brothers, apart from their thoughts on the Supreme Throne, has a lot to do with Li Yuan's provocations, whether overt or covert, but at every critical moment, Li Yuan hopes that their brothers can abandon their past suspicions and fight against the enemy together. The mentality is exactly the same as 'I want the horse to run, but I don't want the horse to eat grass'.However, Li Yuan was helpless when he was angry: Li Xiaogong's fiasco had weakened the power of the Prince's faction to an unbelievable degree. Li Shimin's dominance in the army made Li Jiancheng very disturbed, so this decision was Li Jiancheng's biggest decision. Concession, if I don't agree, I am afraid that the civil and military forces of the Manchu Dynasty will come to ask for the withdrawal of troops.

After thinking about this, Li Yuan came up with another thought: Could it be that the people of the world are asking for more troops because of this idea?If Shimin devours the built army, who else can restrain him?I'm afraid it won't work if I build a union with myself.

This thought could not be lingered for the rest of his life, and it was firmly entrenched in Li Yuan's mind like a curse, and then suddenly said: "The emperor's words are very reasonable, everything will be done according to what you said."

"Yuan Ji, the third younger brother of my son Baozuo, is the main general, and he led [-] fine riders under his command to support the second younger brother." Li Jiancheng was cautious. He was worried that a general with a foreign surname would lead his troops, and Li Shimin might find a reason to kill him and seize power. He is decisive and vicious, absolutely capable of doing such a thing, and Yuan Ji would not have such a terrible result.

Li Yuan pondered for a long time, frowned and shook his head, "Yuanji is not right, let's change to a general to lead the army."

The reinforcements were indeed just strong and powerful to contain the Shangluo Sui Army, but Li Yuan was worried that the situation would change suddenly. When Li Shimin needed support, Li Yuanji would most likely ignore Li Shimin, causing the West Route Army to be defeated like a mountain; he was also worried that the situation would be great. At that time, in order to fight for merit, Li Yuanji ignored Li Shimin's reasonable arrangements and turned the battle from victory to defeat.

It is said that knowing a son is like a father, this is true. Li Yuan knows Li Yuanji's nature well, so naturally he will not agree with Li Jiancheng's suggestion.

"Then who does the emperor think is more suitable?"

His father's opposition also made Li Jiancheng a little helpless, but when he thought about the abilities of the generals under his command, he suddenly found that he had no more suitable candidates. Those who are capable are all generals with foreign surnames. Such people may be killed by Li Shimin; Li Shimin dare not kill them The people in charge are not capable enough, so they simply let Li Yuan be the chief general.

"Do you really want me to decide the general?" Li Yuan smiled, with a hint of meaning on his face.

"I have no opinion at all!" The words had already been uttered, and Li Jiancheng was not allowed to go back on his word, so the answer was quite frank.He believed that he had already achieved this step, and his father would never go too far.

Li Yuan was extremely relieved, and said with a smile: "The emperor is actually the best candidate."

"Ah?" Li Jiancheng was taken aback, his face full of disbelief.

Li Yuan enjoyed the shocked expression of the courtier very much, and asked with a smile, "No confidence?"

In fact, Li Jiancheng is qualified in Li Yuan's heart. He is an excellent heir to the throne with a heart for the world. His status in the Tang Dynasty has always been higher than that of Li Shimin. These years, like Xiao He of the Han Dynasty, he has established a stable rear for the Tang Dynasty—— It is because of his efforts that Li Tang has money and food to support the army that has been defeated repeatedly.What pleased Li Yuan the most was the magnanimity displayed by the eldest son in the face of big issues. This alone cannot make the eldest son feel cold. More importantly, Li Shimin's dominance in the army made Li Yuan a little uneasy. At this time, he naturally did not want Li Shimin to swallow Li Jiancheng. The power, take the opportunity to grow bigger again.

Li Jiancheng settled down and said frankly: "It's not that I don't have confidence. The key is that I have no experience in leading an army alone, let alone handling major military accidents. In normal times, I would naturally not object to the appointment of my father, but this battle is one I cannot afford to lose, and I really dare not take on this important task..."

Li Jiancheng's words seem contradictory, but they are actually very reasonable. He cannot harm Datang because of his stupidity and boldness. This is a very rational expression.

"It's true that you have no experience in leading the army, but how did you forget about Xiaogong?"

"Xiao Gong?"

"That's right!" Li Yuan said with a smile, "Look at Yang Tong's generals Qin Qiong, Luo Shixin, Pei Xingyan, Niu Jinda, Yu Chigong, etc., which one was not used out of the ordinary?"

"Can it still be like this?? Is this really possible?" Li Jiancheng was dumbfounded.

"Of course. Although he was deposed by the people, I never said that he would never be hired. It is reasonable for you, the crown prince of the Tang Dynasty, to promote talents from the people, and it has nothing to do with me."

"..." Li Jiancheng actually found himself speechless, only one thought reverberated in his mind: since ancient times, system makers are masters who play with the laws of the country, and he is still tender in front of his father.

After staying for a while, Li Jiancheng stopped mentioning this matter and changed the subject, "Father, the specific plan for recruiting troops has been handed over to the Ministry of War. I hope that Father will approve and implement it."

The increase of troops is also an imminent matter for the Li and Tang Dynasties. The Tang army is not as good at fighting as the Sui army. The key is that the number of troops is not as good as others. The embarrassment shown by the army during the raid made every minister's heart heavy, and everyone realized that the army must be expanded.

It is quite strange to say that Li Xiaogong is obviously fighting at home, but it feels like a lone army fighting in a foreign country.If the Tang Dynasty had enough troops to sit on the border, then Li Xiaogong would at least have someone to help him with his withdrawal, and the result might not be such a miserable defeat.

Now a consensus has been reached on a short-term withdrawal of troops, but Li Shimin's request for an increase of 30 troops discouraged many ministers. One hundred thousand young and strong were trained urgently, and then gradually increased troops within two years, increasing the "standing army" of the Li Tang Dynasty to 40.

Of course Li Yuan knew the serious consequences of insufficient troops, he immediately said to Li Jiancheng: "I will approve the recruitment plan today, you should prepare for the birth first!"

"My son retire."

"You must keep the matter of recruiting Xiaogong a secret, I hope he can give Yang Tong a surprise."

"Here!"

……

The Li Tang dynasty’s reinforcement of the West Route Army finally reached a compromise after bargaining among Li’s father and son. Li Yuan immediately appointed Prince Li Jian as the Second Route Marshal, Zuowei General, and Hussar General of the Western Expedition Army, and led [-] cavalry out of Xiangyang. , The urgent aid of the Hongnong Tang army made the Central Plains campaign a bit more variable.

(End of this chapter)

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