People in the early Tang Dynasty: I compete with Wu Zhao for the throne

Chapter 1678: He was given the surname Wu, was given the title of Prince of Nanyang, and married to a daughter of the Wu clan.
With a "bang", Empress Wu, dressed in a bright yellow dragon robe, slammed the imperial desk heavily.

Something on the table shook for a moment.

The ministers in front of Empress Wu gritted their teeth and cursed: "Don't say I didn't warn you. Who dares to say such a thing?"

"Your Majesty, please calm down." In the Qianyang Palace, all the ministers knelt down and bowed their heads.

Empress Wu took a deep breath, and her heaving chest gradually calmed down. At this time, she waved her hand, and the ministers stood up.

Looking at the paper in front of her, Empress Wu suddenly raised her head and looked at Yan Huaidan, and asked, "Attack with fire and capture with water, and destroy Luoyang. Yan Qing, King Peng used fierce fire oil, and earlier he had cut off the four water supplies. I ask you, can Luoyang City withstand it?"

All the ministers in the hall looked at Yan Huaidan at the same time with serious expressions.

They have always known that Li Xuan is very good at attacking and defending cities.

He seldom attacks by force, but even if you have a million troops defending the city, you can't help but worry that he will suddenly break into the city by strange means.

This was the case with Xishi Pass, Hulao Pass, Yique Pass, and Xuanyuan Pass before.

Now, the people on the Luoyang city wall have been broken by him time and time again. Who knows when he will directly break through the city wall and kill his way into Luoyang city.

If it weren't for the fact that it took Emperor Taizong more than half a year to besiege Luoyang, Luoyang would probably have been in panic and chaos by now.

But even so, prices of all kinds of goods in Luoyang city have risen to crazy levels.

Not to mention, Li Xuan has all kinds of psychological tricks...

The ministers looked at Empress Wu carefully, then turned their gaze to Yan Huaidan.

They attacked with fire and captured with water, and massacred people in Luoyang.

This is Li Xuan’s best method, how to stop it?
"If it's a water attack, I have people digging more canals in the city, and the people in the city are also preparing simple rafts and boats. With the strong city of Luoyang, King Peng will never be able to conquer Luoyang by water. But the real trouble is a fire attack."

Yan Huaidan bowed his hands with a solemn expression and said, "As soon as the flaming oil is added, the entire city wall will immediately become a sea of ​​fire. Unless a large amount of sand and soil are prepared in advance, it can be put out in time. However, sand and soil occupy too much space on the city wall, which is not conducive to defending the city..."

"Bang bang..." Empress Wu slapped the table unhappily, then stared at Yan Huaidan and said, "I asked you to come here to discuss solutions, not to ask you to complain."

"I am guilty." Yan Huaidan bowed slightly, and then said cautiously: "Although the sea of ​​fire is difficult to put out, it is difficult for us to defend it, and it is also difficult to attack King Peng. If we adopt some sophisticated layout, the sea of ​​fire may be able to help us. However, catapults and crossbows are probably of little use."

Empress Wu looked at Yan Huaidan, pondering his every word, and cast a suspicious glance at the ministers around her. She immediately understood that Yan Huaidan did not trust these people.

He must have had his own strategy against Li Xuan, but Yan Huaidan did not trust all of these people at the moment.

Dou Lu hoped that although Wang Dezhen was not here today, Liu Zhirou was still here.

Empress Wu's eyes flashed, she nodded, and said, "Let's do as you say."

"Yes!" Yan Huaidan bowed and stepped aside.

"To defeat King Peng, we cannot rely on Yan Qing alone. We need to attack from both inside and outside." Empress Wu looked at the ministers and said seriously, "Inside the city, Luoyang City must recruit 100,000 soldiers. We must speed up. Tell the White Horse Temple to send people to help."

"Yes!" Wu Sansi stood up and bowed, his face solemn.

The influence of Buddhism in Luoyang far exceeds that of Taoism. Before Empress Wu ascended the throne, she had been trying to win over Buddhism.

The influence of Buddhism is not only helpful in people's livelihood, but also in military strength.

"When Emperor Taizong attacked Luoyang, the monks of Shaolin Temple took the initiative to capture Wang Renze. Today, they are helping me, and they need to do their best." Empress Wu looked up at Wu Sansi and said, "Sansi, you go. I need their help to integrate the 100,000 soldiers in Luoyang."

"Yes!" Wu Sansi bowed solemnly.

"One hundred thousand soldiers, make it ten thousand soldiers, and supplement it with another ten thousand soldiers. Even if all the soldiers in the city are killed or wounded, we must stop Prince Peng from entering the city." Empress Wu looked at the ministers fiercely.

Empress Wu now has few cards to play, and she is trying her best to put everything together.

"Yes!" The expressions of the ministers were stern. The meaning of Empress Wu's words was very clear. Even if all the people in Luoyang city were to be killed, Li Xuan must be stopped outside the city.

But it is not easy to achieve this unless someone integrates the people's thoughts.

That is Buddhism.

Good means.

"In addition, there are those outside the city." Empress Wu looked at the ministers and said seriously, "I still say the same thing. No matter who the generals outside the city are, as long as they submit to me, they can be given titles of general, king, governor, and governor of a local area, and even be granted land and territory!"

All the ministers looked up in astonishment. Could Empress Wu say such words as granting territory and borders?
"Alright, the Secretariat will re-draft the imperial edict and then send people to deliver it to the major armies outside the city." Empress Wu waved her hand and said, "Everyone go and do your work. Sansi and Huaidan will stay behind."

"Yes!" The ministers bowed, then turned around and left the Qianyang Palace.

Someone was secretly watching Fan Lubing.

This was the court official whom Empress Wu trusted the most. But she did not keep him in a secret meeting with her.

However, under the gazes of the ministers, Fan Lubing calmly walked out of the Qianyang Palace without any intention of looking back.

……

In the Qianyang Palace, Empress Wu looked at Yan Huaidan and Wu Sansi, sighed softly, and said, "Now Prince Peng is using fire attacks and water traps to force the people in the city to leave Luoyang City. His intention is to use these people to announce to the world that I have changed the Tang Dynasty to Zhou. If they do not support Prince Peng, they are traitors. This is the orthodox title he wanted a long time ago, and I gave it to him."

Yan Huaidan and Wu Sansi became solemn. Although they were eager to see Empress Wu ascend the throne, after she actually ascended the throne, they realized that this was not a good time.

Li Xuan, who is eyeing the city covetously, will receive huge nominal support, which will put more pressure on them.

Looking at Yan Huaidan and Wu Sansi, Empress Wu shook her head slightly and said, "It is inevitable that some people will think that I am stupid, but I deliberately let them think so, so that they will ignore the crisis under their noses."

"Your Majesty, please give us some advice." Yan Huaidan and Wu Sansi bowed at the same time.

"Mr. Yan." Empress Wu looked at Yan Huaidan and said seriously, "I need to leave behind 10,000 elite cavalry. If anything happens outside the city, immediately lead the cavalry out of Dingding Gate and head straight to King Peng's camp to kill him in one fell swoop."

"Yes!" Yan Huaidan looked at Empress Wu in disbelief, and said in a panic, "I accept your order."

Empress Wu nodded, turned to look at Wu Sansi, and said, "Sansi, here is a secret decree. Find a way to deliver it to Tang Zhenxing. You can make an extra copy, but you must deliver it to him." "Yes!" Wu Sansi looked at Empress Wu in surprise. Empress Wu had tried to win over Tang Zhenxing before, but he had chosen to refuse. Unexpectedly, Empress Wu would still want to make something of Tang Zhenxing. Could it be that there was something about Tang Zhenxing that he didn't know about?

"Go and get busy." Empress Wu waved her hand and said, "The situation is difficult now, you two should be more attentive. If it comes to a critical moment, I will personally go to the city and face the traitor King Peng directly."

"Yes!" Yan Huaidan and Wu Sansi bowed at the same time, then turned and left Qianyang Palace.

In the shadow of the palace gate, Empress Wu turned sideways to look at Qiu Huan and asked, "Has the message been sent out?"

"Send him out." Qiu Huan cupped his hands and said solemnly, "That man has been under Tang Zhenxing's command for many years. If he takes action, he will surely be able to make Zuowei defect."

"Take it slow. Let Tang Zhenxing and King Peng turn against each other first." Empress Wu's breathing gradually calmed down, but her expression was very solemn.

Empress Wu had some confidence in the stalemate with Li Xuan in Luoyang City, but the power in the city alone was far from enough to defeat Li Xuan.

So what Empress Wu could rely on were the forces she had arranged in her early years.

……

"drive!"

"Shut up!"

Yan Huaidan and Wu Sansi arrived at Dingding Gate at the same time. Under the cover of night, there were not many torches on the entire Dingding Gate, and it seemed that there were not many people patrolling.

"This is..." Wu Sansi turned his head and looked at Yan Huaidan with a frown.

Yan Huaidan shrugged helplessly and said, "Everyone was frightened by the fire today, but it doesn't matter. King Peng has always kept his word. He said he would not attack the city, so he won't.

Right now, he is most likely watching those who are running away from the city."

Li Xuan wanted to use these people to tell the provincial governors outside that Empress Wu had changed the Tang Dynasty to Zhou, which was no longer the orthodox dynasty in the world.

Therefore, he would not act rashly and risk scaring these people back.

"Are there many people like this?" Wu Sansi immediately became alert and looked at Yan Huaidan and asked, "Who are they?"

"The sons of aristocratic families, very wealthy families." Yan Huaidan looked at Wu Sansi and said calmly, "Aristocratic families have always liked to leave a stick of incense. I have also reported this to Your Majesty, and Your Majesty has agreed, but they need to provide a sufficient amount of food in exchange. In addition, there are also the families and relatives of the soldiers in the army. They are fighting for Your Majesty in the city, but leaving a stick of incense can also make them work harder."

Wu Sansi frowned and asked, "Don't they think highly of the Great Zhou?"

"After living under the Tang Dynasty for decades, it will take time for them to get used to the Zhou Dynasty." Yan Huaidan shook his head, and then said: "More importantly, we need a big victory. King Peng is the first disaster after the founding of the Zhou Dynasty. If we overcome it, the Zhou Dynasty will naturally own the world. If we lose..."

Wu Sansi suddenly looked at Yan Huaidan and said in disbelief: "You wouldn't..."

Yan Huaidan looked ahead calmly and said softly, "Your Majesty asked King Liang to send people out of the city. Isn't it also to take advantage of the current opportunity?"

King of Liang, King of Liang Wu Sansi.

Wu Sansi fell silent and walked forward, with a team of black-clad soldiers following him calmly.

Yan Huaidan stopped and decided to let Wu Sansi handle his own affairs.

……

In the shadow of the city wall, Wu Sansi closed the secret decree in his hand, his eyes full of hatred.

He was promoted to general, given the surname Wu, and granted the title Prince of Nanyang. He married a daughter of the Wu clan and became the governor of Changzhou, in charge of the northwest.

If he kills King Peng, he can be made King of Jing, and his heir can be made Prince of Nanyang, with a fief of 20,000 households.

Prince, Prince.

Wu Sansi now finally understood why Empress Wu was so anxious to ascend the throne.

Because only after she ascends the throne will she have the power to crown the king.

There were kings of different surnames in the Tang Dynasty, and their endings were not very good.

But there were also many kings who were given surnames, especially the Turks, many of whom were given the surname Li and were granted the title of prince.

For example, Tuli, Jie Li, Murong Nuohebo, Songtsen Gampo and others were all like this.

Now the Great Zhou was named Wu, and as the founding monarch, Empress Wu naturally had the power to grant Tang Zhenxing the title of a county prince.

He even asked Tang Zhenxing to marry a daughter of the Wu clan.

In this way, he and the Wu family will be more closely bound together, and he will not have to worry about the court taking action against him.

Wu Sansi was sure that as long as Tang Zhenxing got hold of this edict, he would be tempted.

Because Wu Sansi, who was holding this edict, was extremely angry.

Now that Empress Wu has become emperor, there are only a few people in the Wu family who have been crowned kings.

Now suddenly there appears a prince who commands a large army and marries a daughter of the Wu family, or even a prince. How could Wu Sansi tolerate this?

Taking a deep breath, Wu Sansi finally suppressed the anger in his heart and handed over the imperial edict in his hand.

The black-clad soldiers under his command had already changed into ordinary people's clothes, and then they quickly climbed the rope ladder and left the city.

Outside the city, hundreds of figures were running towards the distance at the same time.

……

In the dark sentry tower, Li Xuan watched everything with bright eyes, and said sideways: "Pass the order, no one leaving Luoyang City is allowed to approach the army. Anyone who tries to stop them twice and disobeys will be executed."

"Yes!" The black-clad figure in the darkness bowed and accepted the order.

(End of this chapter)