Early Tang Dynasty: forge ahead

Chapter 134
"Free gift!"

Li Zhi briefly looked at the magical magistrate in front of him, pointed to the seat next to him and said, "Please sit down!"

"Thank you, Your Majesty!"

Chen Qingsi thanked him, lifted up his clothes, and sat down on the mat beside him.

Li Zhi asked: "I heard from Mr. Sun that you have special insights into Haedong Silla?"

Chen Qingsi said in her heart, "Sure enough!"

Li Zhi summoned him in such a hurry, something must have happened.The cause I planted half a month ago bore fruit today.

Chen Qingsi said sincerely: "I do have some opinions."

Li Zhi did not beat around the bush and told the story directly: "The situation in Haidong has always been a long-term trouble for the dynasty. Goguryeo and Baekje once again ignored my order and invaded Silla. Silla was in a hurry and sent people for help many times. Today we received another I sent a letter to Silla requesting support. I tell you that I sent troops to the Western Turks before to ensure peace in the northwest, so that I could try my best to end the chaos on the Haidong Peninsula and fulfill the unfinished wish of the late emperor. If Cheng Zhijie and Wang Wendu hadn't made a mistake, this would not have happened. By that time our army had already entered Goguryeo’s territory.”

"You said that a mistake was a good thing, and that Silla was not simple. I was very curious and summoned you to hear your opinion."

Li Zhi, like everyone else, had a very good impression of Silla who wrote poems for him and licked himself crazily.

And if we want to calm down the situation on the Haidong Peninsula at the minimum cost, Silla's power is also indispensable.

Therefore, in the Tang Dynasty and Silla, each took what they needed and consumed Goguryeo in recent years, and they cooperated very well.

Facing Silla's request for help again today, Li Zhi wondered whether to send a vanguard force to attack Goguryeo first to relieve the pressure on Silla.

Even the candidates have been decided. Cheng Mingzhen, the governor of Yingzhou and the protector of Dongyi, will lead the army, assisted by Xue Rengui, the right-leading army general, and they will march eastward from Liaodong.

While discussing the matter with the ministers, Sun Chuyue, who had rarely expressed his views on military matters, suddenly put forward a novel statement.

Silla was not that weak and might be using Tang to weaken Goguryeo's strength.

This statement even received Li Ji's attention.

Li Zhi originally planned to observe Chen Qingsi for a while and then decide how to arrange Chen Qingsi, but now he couldn't care so much and summoned him into the palace to inquire about the situation.

Chen Qingsi straightened up, bowed and said: "Your Majesty, when I was in the south of the Yangtze River, I met a Japanese businessman and chatted with him about the situation in Haidong. I have a certain understanding of the situation in Haidong."

He wanted to find a reason for himself first.

Li Zhi nodded imperceptibly when he heard this. At this moment, the Tang Dynasty did not attach great importance to maritime trade, but many maritime traders had appeared in Fuzhou and Guangzhou, mostly from the Western Cannibals, but from time to time there would also be merchants from Ryukyu and Japan.

"The Silla described by Japanese merchants was extremely prosperous, with King Jin Chunqiu of the King of Yeols, who was known as the hero of the world, and Kim Yushin, who was known as Haidong Kongming, and the people's livelihood in the country was strong..."

Li Zhi wanted to laugh a little. In a place with a bigger butt, there was a hero who helped the world and Kongming from Haidong. Anyway, he didn't believe it.

Chen Qingsi said: "I think that the Japanese merchants have not seen much of the world, and their evaluation of Jin Chunqiu and Jin Yuxin is falsely high. The possibility of gaining such a reputation can at least show that they are capable. The two queens of Silla, Seondeok and Jindeok, are both extraordinary. , Jin Chunqiu has a good reputation, doesn't it mean that the three generations of Silla's wise masters? I have been in Chang'an for less than a month, and I often hear that Silla's piety to the Tang Dynasty is the highest among all vassals. A small land, paying tribute year after year, is worth a lot of money , from another perspective, doesn’t it just show that Silla’s national power is rich?”

Li Zhi sat up straight and realized that he seemed to really despise Silla.

Before Silla, it was Xue Yantuo who gave gifts to Tang Dynasty in this way.

That is the hero of the entire north.

Chen Qingsi continued: "These days, I have a deep understanding of the situation in Haidong and found that Silla's territory has not been reduced in the past few years in the face of Goguryeo's invasion, but has actually increased a lot." Li Zhi knew this.

Back then, his father, Emperor Li Shimin, went on an eastern expedition and after capturing Liaodong, he stopped at Anshi City.

After that, Datang changed its tactics against Goguryeo. It no longer wanted to win it in one go, but to consume it for a long time.

So there were two Eastern Expeditions in the 21st year of Zhenguan and the 22nd year of Zhenguan.

In the 21st year, three generals, Li Ji, Niu Jinda and Li Haihan, attacked Goguryeo by land and water. Li Ji led his army across the Liao River and passed through several cities such as Nansu. Most of the Goguryeo soldiers fought with their backs against the city walls. Li Ji defeated them and burned the outside. Return to the army after the city.

Niu Jinda and Li Haihan led the navy into Goguryeo. After more than 100 battles, they were invincible and conquered Shicheng.Marching to Jili City and Goguryeo reinforcements, Li Haihan defeated them, beheaded two thousand people, and then returned to the army.

In the 22nd year of Zhenguan, Gu Shengan led the Tang army across the sea to attack Goguryeo. He defeated Goguryeo's [-] troops in three battles, swept the surrounding areas, and retreated calmly...

These two battles directly defeated Goguryeo...

The Tang army destroyed villages when encountering them, defeated troops when encountering them, burned cities when encountering them, and did not fight when encountering difficult mountain cities. Instead, they simply swept away the surrounding areas and calmly withdrew their troops.

Goguryeo didn't dare to be careless at all. Every time the Tang army came, they had to defend it with all their strength. As time went by, Goguryeo's people's livelihood was in decline, serious internal problems arose, and Silla also took the opportunity to take advantage of it.

After two harassments, Li Shimin planned to get rid of it once and for all in the third time.

As a result, in the 22nd year of Zhenguan, the greatest emperor in Chinese history died of illness.

Li Zhi ascended the throne to deal with internal affairs and stopped the war against Goguryeo.

After five years of repairs, Goguryeo regained some of its vitality. It happened that Queen Jindeok of Silla died of illness, and Goguryeo took the opportunity to join forces with Mohe to invade the northern territory of Silla.

Li Zhi ordered Cheng Mingzhen, the governor of Yingzhou, and Su Dingfang, the general of Zuowei Zhonglang, to lead an army to attack Goguryeo. Goguryeo was defeated again, and Silla took advantage of the situation to counterattack and took advantage.

After several consecutive battles, the Tang army indeed achieved its goal of consuming Goguryeo, laying a solid foundation for the future destruction of Goguryeo.

As an ally, Silla also gained a lot of practical benefits from it.

Li Zhi pondered for a moment and said: "I am not a narrow-minded king. Silla is so respectful to the Central Plains. When Goguryeo is overthrown in the future, they will also need to make great efforts. There is nothing wrong with giving them a share of the pie."

Chen Qingsi looked at the Emperor of the Tang Dynasty with burning eyes, and said word by word: "Just drinking soup is fine. But how did your majesty know that Silla would rather drink soup than eat meat?"

Li Zhi was slightly shocked, and said calmly: "He must dare to do that."

Chen Qingsi knew that period of history, and naturally knew that Silla not only dared, but also calculated in this way.

Although Kim Yu-shin, the Kongming of Haedong, was not a real Kongming, he was not a simple person either.

Of course, Chen Qingsi couldn't say that, and could only say tactfully: "I can't be sure, but I think it is possible. The times are developing, and it is not only our Central Plains China that is progressing, but also the surrounding countries. If we blindly regard them as barbarians , sooner or later you will suffer losses due to carelessness. Although Silla is small, it may not have the ambition to unify Haidong. Now the two sides have a common enemy and can get along well with each other. But once Goguryeo is destroyed, and even Baekje is destroyed, we will be the only one in the whole Haidong. Tang Dynasty and Silla, if there is a direct conflict of interest between the two parties, can they still be so harmonious?"

"So what?" Li Zhi snorted and said, "Silla really dares to be my enemy?"

Chen Qingsi said softly: "Why should we be enemies with Your Majesty? Goguryeo and Baekje have lived in Haidong for hundreds of years. If our government takes over these two places, the wealthy people in the territory will definitely be dissatisfied in a short time. Silla can secretly support their restoration, and Haidong Mountain There are many deep forests, and they are hiding in the mountains and forests to cause trouble, and the army cannot find them. How can we deal with the stalemate and consumption for three, five or even ten years?"

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(End of this chapter)