Early Tang Dynasty: forge ahead

Chapter 279 Unsolvable Problem (Two in One)

The military situation was urgent, so Li Zhi chose to ride a horse and rushed to Chengqing Palace. Chen Qingsi also picked up a good horse from the thousands of accompanying riders and went with him.

When they arrived at the Chengqing Hall, many court officials had gathered in the hall, including Xu Jingzong, Xu Yushi, Sun Chuyue, Ren Yaxiang, who were on duty in the Council Hall, and Jiang Ke, the Minister of War.

The three of them were waiting anxiously.

The Tubo invasion was fierce this time, with 120,000 troops descending on the plateau. The speed and determination of the troops were so fast that many ministers in the temple were not prepared for it.

Li Zhi and Chen Qingsi entered from the main hall one after another.

Chen Qingsi was honestly at the bottom.

After Li Zhi took his seat, he waved his hand to stop the greetings of several people and said: "Military situation is the most important thing. What is the current situation in Qinghai Lake?"

Jiang Ke left the mission and said: "It's very dangerous. Tubo's move south this time has been planned for a long time. They mobilized 120,000 soldiers and horses at once, and also instigated the rebellion of Minister Su Hegui. Although Tuyuhun was prepared, he was still caught off guard. Now Tuguhun Khan Nuohebo was forced to flee to the meander of the river with Princess Honghua. The governor of Liangzhou, Ashina Zhong, the governor of Shanzhou, Qiu Xinggong, the governor of Kuozhou, Liang Jianfang, and the governor of Yaozhou, Liu Renyuan, had all received the news and were ready to go to war. We just need to wait for His Majesty to mobilize troops and horses for support."

120,000 soldiers and horses? Escape to the meander of the river?

When Li Zhichu heard the news, he, who had always been steady and steady, was a little dumbfounded.

How could Tuyuhun be so vulnerable that Qinghai Lake was lost?

"Who is this Su Hegui?"

Li Zhi soon discovered the reason for the loss of Qinghai Lake.

Xu Jingzong said: "It was Tuyuhun's second prime minister who was at odds with the prime minister. However, he unexpectedly turned against Tuyuhun and attacked Tuyuhun's resistance army from behind, causing the resistance to be completely defeated. Su Hegui was too familiar with Tuyuhun, and in his Under the leadership, Tuyuhun was unable to organize resistance and could only flee without help."

"Hateful!" Li Zhi yelled.

When Chen Qingsi heard this, he also looked solemn. The situation in Qinghai Lake was worse than imagined.

According to his original strategy, Tuyuhun should be a buffer zone.

Tubo's luck in this era can be called a blessing from heaven, and it belongs to a country that is chased and fed by God.

The warm climate makes the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, which is not suitable for survival, burst into life, rich resources, geographical location connecting the two major cultures of the East and the West, and unique altitude sickness. Who wouldn't have a headache when facing a wise master and a famous general who was born due to luck?

Chen Qingsi knew very well that with the current state of Tubo, even the Tang Dynasty at its peak would have to knock out a lot of teeth to be able to chew it off.

What about now?

Besides, even if we use the strength of the whole country to conquer Tubo, what will happen?

With today's technology, how can we control the plateau?

Facing the almost invincible Tubo, the best way is to wait. They can't sustain a long battle, so they use Tuyuhun to consume the Tubo, allowing the Tuyuhun to weaken the strength of the Tubo, and the Tang army can also take the opportunity to accumulate experience in plateau warfare.

When Tubo is weak, consider whether to take the next step.

But Tubo's swift action and decisive attack were beyond his imagination.

Tuyuhun, who was originally thought to be a buffer zone, was actually vulnerable and lost the land around Qinghai Lake and fled to the borders of the Tang Dynasty.

How many days has it been?

Chen Qingsi's memorial against Tubo came to Li Zhi's mind. Today's heart-stopping actions of Tibet all proved that everything was as he predicted.

Li Zhi would never believe Tubo's offensive efficiency without a careful plan.

Tubo always wanted to grab food from his mouth.

Tubo must not be allowed to get Qinghai Lake...

At this moment, Li Zhi completely believed in Tubo in Chen Qingsi's eyes.

Tubo is a bad wolf. There is no bad wolf in this world that can be fed. They have taken over Qinghai Lake and will never stop there.

Once they were adjacent to the Tang Dynasty, they would covet the territory of the Tang Dynasty. At that time, in order to protect the border, they could only send heavy troops to protect the border.

No matter whether it is public or private, Tubo will not be allowed to succeed.

Li Zhi clenched his fist and said: "I want to appoint Ashina Zhong as the general manager of the march on Qinghai Road, Qiu Xinggong as the deputy envoy, Liang Jianfang as the general manager of the march on Xihai Road, and Liu Renyuan as the deputy general manager of the march, and gather soldiers from Hexi and Longyou. We sent troops to Qinghai Lake to support Tuyuhun, what do you think?"

In the Tang Dynasty, there were not many ministers who were unwilling to fight. Every time an army was launched, there would be voices of opposition.

But there was a rule in the Tang Dynasty at this time: you couldn't jump, and all the barbarians from all directions who dared to talk about fighting would be killed.

That is to say, if I want to hit you, someone will say I can't. But if you jump up and shout "Who dares to hit me", then I'm sorry, but you will be beaten.

This kind of behavior of Tubo was intolerable in the Tang Dynasty.

Therefore, no one raised any objection to Li Zhi’s words...

But just when Li Zhi was about to issue an order, Chen Qingsi stood up.

"I have objections!"

Li Zhiwei frowned, a little confused. Supporting Tuyuhun and setting the battlefield in Qinghai Lake was Chen Qingsi's decision to fight against Tibet. Why did he oppose him?

"What do you think, Aiqing?"

Li Zhi still said patiently.

Chen Qingsi said: "I feel that we should not rescue immediately, but should wait for a while."

As soon as Chen Qingsi finished speaking, someone immediately retorted: "The military situation is on fire. How can we slow down the momentum of Tibet?"

The speaker was none other than Prime Minister Ren Ya, who had just been promoted from Minister of War to Prime Minister.

Although Ren Yaxiang was a civil servant, he followed the path of a military attaché and relied on his military exploits to get to where he is today.

He was very knowledgeable in the military. He saw that the military situation in Qinghai Lake was urgent and could not delay the slightest. He saluted Li Zhi and said: "Your Majesty! The Tibetan army marched so quickly and the effect was so outstanding. It is obvious that all actions were carefully thought out, just to hit us." We were caught off guard. If we delay every quarter of an hour now, it may lead to the deterioration of the situation, and even allow Tibet to rely on Qinghai Lake to build a defense line to resist our army."

Li Zhi still looked at Chen Qingsi, wanting to hear a reasonable explanation.

"Your Majesty!" Chen Qingsi said bravely: "I am not unaware of the urgent military situation, but we have already lost the upper hand, so we should act more cautiously. Your postponement does not mean that you will not save, but that you will save when you are fully prepared. With Li Sikong as your Commander, perhaps Duke Xing is transferred from the Western Regions, and it is most appropriate for him to be the commander to lead the counterattack."

As soon as Chen Qingsi said these words, Ren Yaxiang and Jiang Ke were dissatisfied and angry.

Ren Yaxiang immediately asked: "What do Chen Yude mean by this? Are you saying that Ashina, the general manager, is not capable enough? Or are you saying that Qiu, Liang, and Liu, the three governors, are unable to take on important responsibilities?"

Jiang Ke also said: "General Manager Ashina once captured Jieli Khan alive, and Governor Qiu followed the late emperor to conquer Chang'an, and eliminated Xue Ju, Liu Wuzhou, Wang Shichong, and Dou Jiande, and had many meritorious deeds. Governor Liang defeated the foreign barbarians and ordered the group to The barbarians were so frightened that they fled to the valley. He also led his troops to the west, and Zhu Xie, who broke his virginity, beheaded 9,000 people, captured 6,000 canal commanders, captured more than 10,000 livestock, and captured 70,000 cattle, horses, and miscellaneous animals. At the beginning of the history of Liu Prefecture As a personal guard of the late emperor, he slaughtered tigers and wolves with his bare hands and was unstoppable. When he conquered Goguryeo, he was the first to break the formation and was promoted to Shangzhu Kingdom. He was the founding Duke of Liyang County. He also fought with Li Yinggong through Lue Mobei to fight against Xue Yantuo."

"These four generals are all our generals who have fought hundreds of battles. They are both wise and brave. Why should Chen Yude question them?"

Even though Chen Qingsi was good at talking, she didn't know how to answer the question at this moment.

He could not say that it was not that Ashina Chung, Qiu Xinggong, Liang Jianfang, and Liu Renyuan were incompetent, but that the enemy was too strong. Although Tubo's overall strength is not as good as that of the Tang Dynasty, it is far superior to any country the Tang Dynasty currently faces, even the Turks who claim to control millions of strings...

The generals of this era lacked a clear understanding of Tibet's strength.

Even at this moment, Li Zhi and Li Ji knew in advance that Tubo was an opponent worthy of attention, but they were only vigilant and did not regard the other party as an enemy of the same level.

This is true for Li Zhi and Li Ji, and even more so for the people below.

Against Tubo, against Geer Dongzan, against Tubo at Lun Qinling, the consequences of underestimating the enemy are extremely terrible.

Especially now...

Tubo was well prepared for its march south this time, which was obviously a response to the imperial court's Longyou strategy.

They will definitely make arrangements in advance to deal with the imperial court's reinforcements.

The opponent already had an advantage. Apart from Su Dingfang and Li Ji, Chen Qingsi could not imagine that the third person could defeat the father and son Ge Erdongzan and Lun Qinling despite being at a disadvantage.

Chen Qingsi said earnestly: "Your Majesty, the Tibetans have gained momentum. Don't underestimate them. Their strength will not be inferior to that of the Turks in the past, or even worse. They have already gained the upper hand and have the advantage. I thought that since If you lose the first move, simply admit defeat and don't compete with it to avoid being taken advantage of by the enemy. The best strategy is to follow the plan step by step and fight steadily."

Ren Yaxiang frowned and said: "Why does Chen Yude's words both inside and outside increase the morale of others and destroy his own prestige? Since the founding of our country, we have destroyed countless countries. Wherever the army goes, if the scorching sun shines on the frost and snow, how can Tubo do it?" exception?"

Jiang Ke is the newly promoted Minister of War, a descendant of Jiang Wei of the Shu Han Dynasty. He was promoted to Minister of War by virtue of his military merits. He did not serve as Minister of War for a long time, even less than a year.

After he took office, it happened that Li Zhi wanted to strengthen the military power in Longyou and Hexi to deal with Tubo's ambition to seize Qinghai Lake.

Jiang Ke was involved in the appointments of Ashina Zhong, the governor of Liangzhou, Qiu Xinggong, the governor of Shanzhou, Liang Jianfang, the governor of Kuozhou, and Liu Renyuan, the governor of Yaozhou. He even recommended Ashina Zhong and Liang Jianfang.

Chen Qingsi questioned their ability, implying that they were unable to deal with Tibet, which was tantamount to questioning his ability to work as the Minister of War.

Jiang Keben had a slight affection for Chen Qingsi. After all, as a civil servant, his performance in fighting back the five Tiele rebels was really good.

His old boss Li Ji also boasted about Chen Qingsi many times in front of him, saying that he had proposed to His Majesty that he should join the Ministry of War so that he could train and promote him well.

But now it's okay, just deny your own achievements...

Of course Jiang Ke couldn't bear it. What's more, in his opinion, Chen Qingsi was just a young boy who had only made some achievements in the military. How could he be qualified to shit and urinate on his head?

Immediately he was not polite and said: "These general managers and governors are all generals who have fought in hundreds of battles. Who does Chen Yude have the right to question them?"

Chen Qingsi was speechless.

Take any one of these four people and their military achievements and capabilities are all superior to his.

There is one thing to say, but I am really not qualified.

Chen Qingsi sighed secretly: "The prestige is still low."

Li Zhi took a deep look at Chen Qingsi and then said: "In this case, Xu Aiqing, you come to draw up the decree. The appointment remains unchanged. The troops will be divided into two groups to support Tuyuhun. Ashina Zhong and Liang Jianfang will be the commanders, and Qiu Xinggong and Liu Renyuan will be the deputy commanders and assistants. Of."

Xu Jingzong loudly accepted the order.

"Xu Qing! You are responsible for preparing the food, grass and baggage. Sun Qing, you are responsible for recruiting military personnel and transporting food and grass. Ren Qing, Jiang Qing, you are responsible for preparing the army, horses, weapons and armor..."

"promise!"

Several ministers resigned one after another after receiving the order.

Only Chen Qingsi is left...

Li Zhi frowned and said: "Chen Aiqing, I also think you are a bit alarmist. Tubo is indeed not weak in terms of performance. It's just that you said that they can compete with my Tang Dynasty, and I don't believe it."

Chen Qingsi smiled bitterly, understanding that Li Shimin's invincible momentum in the Tang Dynasty also caused people in this era to really have no opponents in their eyes.

This concept is difficult to change with words alone.

Just like the famous World War II general, MacArthur, who was anxious for Christmas.

If you don't slap it on his face a few times, he won't know what pain is.

Historically, Li Zhi knew that when it hurts, it hurts too much.

In the Battle of Dafeichuan, the Tang army was almost completely wiped out. The most dazzling general of the Tang Dynasty at that time was trapped in a tight siege and was completely defeated.

Can’t we just sit back and watch history repeat itself?

Chen Qingsi bowed and said: "Your Majesty, I have been studying Tubo. The more I study, the more frightened I am about Tubo's strength. Tubo is really not an opponent that can be underestimated."

"I understand."

Li Zhi said with a smile: "I have no doubt about Aiqing's talent. That's good. I will edit the book myself and give it to Ashina Zhong and Liang Jianfang to remind them to use their troops carefully. Tubo is not an opponent that can be underestimated."

Chen Qingsi bowed and said, "Thank you, Your Majesty."

Li Zhi may have felt that he already valued Tubo.

Only Chen Qingsi knew that this was not enough, but he had tried his best.

"My lord, resign!"

Chen Qingsi bowed and left.

Li Zhi looked at Chen Qingsi's retreating figure with his brows furrowed. He could tell that Chen Qingsi was not satisfied, just because he was the emperor and could not argue anymore.

Compared with those people who think they are favored, think they are great, and want to make themselves adopt his opinions, Chen Qingsi's performance makes him quite satisfied.

"He's a man who knows how to advance and retreat."

Because of this, Li Zhi was still thinking about Chen Qingsi's opinions.

After a long while, Li Zhi stood up and said: "Hand on, I want to leave the palace!"

Li Zhi's goal was the British government.

Li Ji fell ill at the beginning of the year and is still recuperating. Chen Qingsi was in Mobei at the time. He had only been back for a few days, so he didn't know.

After half a year of recuperation, Li Ji's spirit has improved a lot and he can walk freely. However, his physical strength has not yet been restored and he is prone to shortness of breath.

Li Zhi told Li Ji in detail about General Li Zhi's situation and the situation in Chengqing Palace today.

Li Ji was silent for a long time and said, "I can't understand why Mr. Xiao Chen pays so much attention to Tibet..."

(End of this chapter)