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

Chapter 1801 Whoever leaks the secret will be killed by me

The big red ship slowly entered the Yangtze River.

Under the night sky, all the generals on the ship were extremely excited.

They traveled a thousand miles a day and arrived in Silla in three days.

Compared with before, the speed of the warship is more than ten times faster.

Li Xuan stood at the bow and said to the ministers: "When a ship is sailing on the sea, if it can resist the erosion of the waves and is fast enough, it can even avoid a storm. But the only problem is the direction. If the speed is too fast and the direction is wrong, it will be a big problem."

"Your Majesty is absolutely right." Ji Xiao nodded seriously. Among all the ministers, he was the only one who dared to speak up at this time.

Li Xuan sighed and said, "So, I have asked the people in the Historian Bureau to start looking for children with astronomical talents along the coast and train them. Then they will follow the caravan to Silla. When they arrive in Silla, they don't have to get off the ship. They just need to record the astronomical phenomena along the way."

After a short pause, Li Xuan said solemnly: "The war between the Tang Dynasty and Silla usually starts in March and ends in September. Record the changes in the celestial phenomena during this period, lock the distance between the Tang Dynasty and Silla, and avoid storms. Then, within three days, you will be able to fight your way from Yangzhou to Silla."

"Your Majesty is mighty!" The ministers couldn't help but bow excitedly.

Li Xuan waved his hand slightly and said, "I don't expect to conquer Silla in one battle. I will invade Silla's coastal cities, plunder all the wealth, and then return to the Tang Dynasty. Unless they don't defend these cities in the second year, the Tang Dynasty can lock the battle line in the western coastal plains forever, and don't have to go to the mountains to fight with the Silla people."

There was a hint of disgust in the corner of Li Xuan's eyes. What he hated most was fighting in an environment that was familiar to others.

No matter who it is, it is not easy to defeat Silla after entering the Silla Mountains.

"Yes!" All the generals bowed solemnly, especially Ji Xiao, who had been to Silla and was the one who knew the situation there best.

It is not difficult to occupy Silla, but the difficult part is to destroy its manpower, which is the most troublesome thing.

In fact, it is not just that. It is easy to occupy Silla, but it is difficult to rule Silla.

The Tang Dynasty destroyed Goryeo and Baekje, and even Silla was almost destroyed.

However, the Goryeo Restoration Movement and the Baekje Restoration Movement broke out more than once, and brought heavy burdens to the governance of the Tang Dynasty.

However, the real reason is that Dongdao is too far away from the Tang Dynasty. But if it takes only three days to reach Silla from the Tang Dynasty, it will be of great benefit to the rule of the Tang Dynasty.

Even as time goes by, this time can be shortened to two days.

Of course, two days are up. Unless Li Xuan takes out the steam engine, two days will be enough.

Li Xuan didn't plan to develop the steam engine before a thousand years had passed.

He wouldn't live that long.

Future generations will take care of their own business.

……

As the ship gradually entered the canal, Li Xuan looked at his ministers and said, "I will take this ship back to Luoyang, but in Hongzhou and Fuzhou, similar ships are already being built. When the time is right, the navy of Dengzhou, the navy of Yangzhou, and the navy of Hangzhou will all be transferred to Fuzhou to receive the new ships. Once they become proficient in them, it will be time to attack Silla."

"Here!" The officials held their hands in awe.

Li Xuan nodded and said, "I will prepare the ships and guides for you, but how to train the soldiers and who will be the commander at sea will depend on your efforts."

"We obey your command." Ji Xiao, Shi Jin, and Chunyu Gong bowed solemnly.

"My Lords, there is one more thing." Li Xuan looked at the ministers and said with a smile, "After you return to Yangzhou tonight, remember to drink less. This is the top secret of our Tang Dynasty. If anyone knows about it except those present, I will kill the entire clan of the person who leaks it."

Li Xuan's sudden words frightened all the officials, and then they bowed and said, "Yes!"

"Hmm!" Li Xuan nodded gently, looking at the bright night sky of Yangzhou City in the distance, Li Xuan said lightly: "The southeast is prosperous, but there are also many hidden dangers. I have received a lot of news about overseas pirates. Now that my Tang Dynasty is strong, we should go out to sea to destroy them. Whether it is Penghu or Ryukyu, let me take a look."

"Yes!" The ministers bowed solemnly.

……

When the ship entered Yangzhou, the curfew had already been imposed.

Qin Dunjiaogan stood in the courtyard of the post house, looked sideways at his subordinates who were hurrying towards him, and asked, "Are you ready for tomorrow's affairs?"

"Everything is ready." The subordinate immediately bowed.

Qin Dunjiao breathed a sigh of relief, and then asked, "Who is the highest-ranking person we can reach among the Tang Dynasty's Zuohai Guard?"

"He's a fifty-year-old Sea Guard captain. He's old and wants to retire. But he's been addicted to gambling for many years and hasn't saved much money, so he's in urgent need of money." The subordinate bowed.

"Find his wife and children, keep a close eye on them, tell him, and then give him money to let him find out from the people above what happened when the emperor went out to sea today." Qin Dunjiaogan raised his head and looked at the canal in the distance. He could clearly hear the sound of the Tang navy entering the city.

"Here!"

Qin Dunjiao Gan retracted his gaze and said, "After you leave tomorrow, don't come looking for me. If you have any news, send it directly back to Silla and let the court decide."

"Yes!" The subordinate bowed and then retreated carefully.

Qin Dunjiaogan's expression became solemn. The figure of Li Xuan appeared in his mind and he couldn't help but sigh.

Who could have thought that so many things had happened in the Tang Dynasty over the years, including Emperor Gaozong's death, the Queen Mother slaughtering Emperor Gaozong's descendants, and even sparing his own children.

As a result, later on, the descendants of Emperor Gaozong were either unable or unwilling to take the throne, and the throne finally fell into the hands of Prince Peng.

Although King Peng is also a descendant of Emperor Gaozu, he is not from the lineage of Emperor Taizong. Qin Dunjiaogan originally thought that there would be a temporary turmoil in the Tang Dynasty, but under the emperor's various means, officials and aristocratic families all recognized his throne.

Especially in the past two years, the emperor has rested and recuperated, and the people of the world have gradually become wealthy.

Occasionally there is a war, but it is over in the shortest time possible.

The unfortunate Central Turks were defeated, and even the heads of Ashina Gudulu and Ashina Mochuo were enshrined in the Taimiao.

Anyone with a discerning eye could see that the Tang Dynasty was gradually becoming a prosperous country.

Qin Dunjiaogan really didn't want Silla to provoke such a Tang Dynasty.

But they had already made some moves on Emperor Suzong, and some of them even had considerable ambitions.

He knew that things were not going well since Qin Dunjiaogan failed to bring back several valuable heads to Chang'an during his last visit to the court.

If he could see the problem, how could the emperor not see it?

He was a vicious person who had rushed out from the Tang Dynasty and attacked the entire world, and even killed the emperor on the throne in the end.

Even in Qin Dunjiaogan's heart, Li Xuan is more terrifying than Emperor Taizong.

Because he was much younger than Emperor Taizong.

Qin Dunjiaogan looked up at the starry sky.

The Tang Dynasty is like this brilliant starry sky, and Silla is just the outermost corner of this brilliant starry sky.

"Perhaps one day in the future, Silla will really be destroyed by the Tang Dynasty, and Silla will be completely incorporated into the Tang Dynasty, so that Silla will never have war again." The absurd thought flashed through Qin Dunjiaogan's mind, but it was completely extinguished in a very short time and ceased to exist.

……

The light rain falls and the autumn fog fills the air.

Xia'er rushed directly into Li Shan's residence to play with the "brother" she had just met.

In the pavilion and corridor in the backyard, Li Shan was looking after a one-year-old child, while his mother was talking to a young lady.

Seeing Xia'er, Li Shan glanced at his mother, then hurried over to greet her, and at the same time bowed and asked, "Why is the princess here?"

"What's the matter, are there guests at home, brother?" Xia'er looked at the wooden pavilion in the backyard in surprise.

"It's Madam Chen and Earl Yongchang." Li Shan explained a little, "Madam Chen is my mother's cousin, so she often comes to reminisce about the past. Uncle Yongchang disappeared two years ago, and it seems that he was recognized for his military merits last year and was able to inherit the title."

Liang Heng, Earl of Yongchang, Xiaer remembered this name.

Because her younger brothers, of course, one was named Earl of Gaochang, one was named Earl of Fengchang, one was named Earl of Jianchang, and now there was another Earl of Yongchang, Princess Fuchang naturally felt close to him.

"Then he is my brother's cousin, and Fuchang's cousin." Xia'er said, and then walked over carefully.

Liang Heng, who was lying in the cradle, did not cry. Instead, he looked at Xia'er and stretched out his little hand with a smile.

Xia'er and Liang Heng didn't notice anything unusual while they were playing.

The princess has arrived, no, the emperor has arrived, and the whole mansion should have welcomed him, but now there is no movement at all in the entire mansion, which is really strange.

But Xia'er didn't care. She was not a princess since she was a child. She had even climbed up step by step from Princess Fuchang to Princess Fuchang.

……

In the main hall of the front yard, Li Xuan and Li Shan were playing chess calmly.

Li Shan was cautious and didn't dare to speak casually.

Suddenly, a burst of hurried footsteps sounded from outside the yard, and Liu Jingxian and Cen Changqian walked in quickly, both of them with uncontrollable joy on their faces.

"Your Majesty!" The two men stood still in the hall, then bowed to Li Xuan and said, "Your Majesty, a Silla merchant ship has just arrived from Silla, bringing a memorial from the King of Silla, saying that Silla found the remains of a ship on its southeast coast, and found some clothes, some blank memorials, and a prince's seal."

Li Xuan suddenly raised his head, looked at the two of them in surprise and said, "Isn't the Prince's Seal the Emperor's Seal?"

"It's the crown prince's seal." Liu Jingxian cupped his hands and said, "When Emperor Suzong ascended the throne, he used the crown prince's seal. Your Majesty, have you forgotten that the imperial edict sent from Yangzhou to Changzhou also used the crown prince's seal at that time?"

"Then what about the Emperor's Seal?" Li Xuan looked at Li Shan puzzledly and said, "Didn't the Emperor's Seal be made at that time?"

"It's not that there are none. We made several emperor seals at that time, but we didn't think they were up to standard, so we destroyed them." Li Shan thought for a moment, shook his head and said, "As for whether we succeeded in making them later, I don't know."

"I see." Li Xuan stood up, looked at Liu Jingxian and Cen Changqian with a serious look, and said, "Have you checked it? Have you confirmed that it is indeed the Emperor Suzong's thing?

After all, two years have passed. If the Silla people put it into the water just now, it would be a fake.”

"It's true." Liu Jingxian nodded solemnly and said, "The things were locked in a box. The box was soaked for two years and was only recently found. There were other things in it, but they were difficult to identify. Only the things wrapped in the innermost part, although soaked by sea water, can still be preserved."

"So, even after taking care of him, he was finally buried in the sea." Li Xuan couldn't help but sigh.

"Your Majesty, please accept my condolences." Liu Jingxian and Cen Changqian bowed at the same time.

"Send the things to the Yangzhou Grand Military Governor's Mansion first, and ask the people who were there to identify them. After repeated confirmation, send them to me." Li Xuan turned and looked in the direction of Chang'an, and said softly: "If there is no doubt, perhaps we can build a cenotaph in Chang'an to commemorate them."

(End of this chapter)