Early Tang Dynasty: forge ahead

Chapter 280 Offering Advice Advantages (Two in One)

Li Ji was good at tactics but short on strategy. Like most people of this era, he fell into confusion.

Li Zhi and Li Ji were the first two people to come into contact with Chen Qingsi's "Treatise on Tubo". They also understood the potential dangers and terrifying ambitions of Tubo. They knew that Tubo was very strong, and they paid enough attention to it.

But their biggest problem is also that they pay enough attention to this...

They attach enough importance to this, but from another perspective, it is a kind of underestimation of the enemy.

They never regarded Tibet as a truly worthy opponent, but only recognized that they had strength...

Chen Qingsi may not know enough about the capabilities of Ashina Zhong, Qiu Xinggong, Liang Jianfang, and Liu Renyuan, but Li Zhi and Li Ji do.

Ashina Zhong, Qiu Xinggong, Liang Jianfang, and Liu Renyuan, the first three are all veteran generals who have fought for the imperial court for many years.

As for Liu Renyuan, he was the second generation general that the imperial court focused on training. At a young age, he was promoted to the Shangzhu Kingdom for his bravery. He followed the British Duke Li Ji to attack Xue Yantuo in Mobei, appeased the nine surnames Tiele, and was ordered to conduct a military expedition to Liaodong.

Later, he followed Duke Cheng Zhijie of the Lu State to attack Ashina Helu, the Shabolo Khan of the Western Turks. Later, as the plenipotentiary representative of the imperial court, he went to Mobei many times to appease the Uighur and Tiele tribes, and also went to Tuyuhun and Tubo to proclaim the imperial edict. All-round talents cultivated with all our strength.

Taken alone, any one of these four people is a prominent general, and he can destroy small and medium-sized countries.

Li Zhi and Li Ji really couldn't understand. The imperial court had sent such a lineup, why did Chen Qingsi not think it was enough?

"Mr. Xiao Chen is thoughtful and talented. With the help of various sources, he can see things that ordinary people can't see. His analysis of Tubo and Silla can be said to be every word, but in the end it is the convergence of all aspects. It is reasonable to be misled by information.”

As the leader of the military, Li Ji naturally had to stand on his own side.

Although he was very optimistic about Chen Qingsi and was extremely convinced of his talent and foresight, he did not believe that his old comrade-in-arms and veteran subordinates would lose in the showdown with Tibet.

Compared to Chen Qingsi, Li Zhi certainly believed in Li Ji's judgment more.

Li Zhi got a satisfactory answer, nodded and said: "I think so too."

Li Zhi left peacefully, but Li Ji himself couldn't sleep, wondering what Chen Qingsi was worried about.

I really couldn't figure it out, so Li Ji asked someone to call his good grandson Li Jingye...

"Grandma!"

Li Jingye came to Li Ji and knelt down beside him intimately.

Li Ji has two sons and five grandsons, but among the descendants, only Li Jingye is a good talent, and the rest are all middle-class talents. He can be good at governance, but if he wants to support the Li family, he must look to this eldest grandson.

In order to train Li Jingye, Li Ji specially took him from his eldest son Li Zhen to teach him.

Li Jingye lived up to his high expectations. He was proficient in bowing, horsemanship, riding and shooting, and he was also able to read military books and strategies as he asked.

Li Ji was very satisfied with this. He patted Li Jingye's hand gently and said, "Let's go out for a walk with my grandpa. I have been holding myself in the house these days, and my bones are getting moldy."

Li Jingye knew Li Ji's recovery status and did not stop him. He just said: "You can go out, but you have to take a carriage. Horseback riding is not allowed."

Li Ji nodded and said, "Okay! I'll listen to you..."

Li Ji got on the carriage and ordered: "Go to Xuanyangfang, Mr. Xiao Chen's residence."

After all, Li Ji felt uneasy and decided to talk to Chen Qingsi personally.

The Tang Dynasty could not defeat Tubo in this battle, and a failure would have far-reaching consequences.

At the same time, Chen Qingsi was also thinking about countermeasures in his study.

Whether Qinghai Lake can be saved this time will have a great impact.

This is not a simple matter of victory or defeat.

Why the five Tiele tribes rebelled? After understanding the situation, the officials comforted by the imperial court had already made a conclusion.

The main reason is that after Li Zhi succeeded to the throne, he recruited various tribes to fight for a long time, which caused a lot of resentment among the tribes.

The Five Tiele tribes were like this, and other tribes such as the Turks, Khitans, and Shiwei were also similar, but they were afraid of the power of the imperial court and did not dare to vent their anger.

Once the failure in Qinghai Lake spreads, it will bring immeasurable consequences to the court.

What's more, letting Tibet occupy Qinghai Lake is an extremely dangerous thing.

only……

For a while, Chen Qingsi could not think of any way to persuade Li Zhi to agree to let Su Dingfang withdraw his troops from the Western Regions and return to Qinghai Lake to take charge of the overall situation.

His initial idea was to let Li Ji take command.

Li Ji was wily and resourceful, and his prestige in the army was unparalleled. With him in charge of the overall situation, Qinghai Lake would be safe.

Who would have thought that Li Ji would become ill by chance.

Qinghai Lake is already on a plateau, and there is a certain degree of altitude sickness. How can Li Ji, at his age, endure it?

Su Dingfang is the only choice.

"Master Sir, Li Yinggong and his grandson Li Shaoqing would like to see you..."

Chen Qingsi immediately said: "Quickly, invite the two of them to the hall... By the way, go and move a bed into the hall."

Chen Qingsi came to the hall and saw a heroic young man supporting Li Ji, who looked a little haggard, and hurriedly stepped forward to say hello.

Just as the servants were moving the bed, Chen Qingsi said: "Senior Yinggong, you don't need to be polite in front of juniors, just do whatever makes you feel comfortable."

Li Ji was also an open-minded person and knew his own condition. He would not make a fool of himself even if he sat on his knees for a long time. He leaned on the bed and said with a smile, "Mr. Xiao Chen is still thoughtful. You should learn from Mr. Chen. The only way is to do it." Only when you are careful about everything can you always be in an invincible situation."

Li Jingye hurriedly bowed and said: "I have met Mr. Chen, and my grandfather often mentioned you in front of others. Today I am finally lucky enough to meet you."

Chen Qingsi looked at this person who had caused Wu Zetian a lot of trouble, and also started to praise each other: "It is said that the eldest grandson of Yinggong has his own style. I saw Li Shaoqing today, and he is really extraordinary."

Li Ji waved his hand to stop the two from bragging and said, "You can interact more in private in the future, but don't do this in front of me now."

He straightened his face and said: "Mr. Xiao Chen, I have a feeling that you seem to have failed to fully reveal the truth. This time the Tibetans invaded Qinghai Lake, combining internal and external forces to destroy Tuyuhun's resistance in one fell swoop. As you said, the Tibetans invaded Qinghai Lake. This has been planned for a long time... It is indeed an enemy worth noting. But in general, Tubo is still unable to confront our country. There is an obvious gap in both financial and military strength. Why does Mr. Xiao Chen think that our army may Not defeated?"

Naturally, Chen Qingsi could not say that there was a Gardongzan in Tubo. Regarding the Qinling Mausoleum, he could only say: "It's not that I don't believe in the abilities of our senior generals. I just think that this battle is of great importance. It is not only about the gains and losses of Qinghai Lake, but also about the prestige of the imperial court. Especially now, Tiele's five tribes have recently launched a rebellion. If they fail to win, they may be uncertain. Only then do I realize that a tiger must use all its strength to fight a rabbit, not to mention that Tibet is not a rabbit, but a wolf."

"The wolf is no match for the tiger, but it has the teeth and claws to hurt the tiger. That's why the younger generation insists on letting Duke Ying or Duke Xing take charge."

Li Ji nodded and said, "That makes sense." He was silent for a moment and said, "That's it. Mr. Chen doesn't need to think too much. If this illness is the only thing at the beginning of the year, I don't mind doing some exercise. Muscles and bones. But in this situation, I am really powerless. Su Xinggong is actually not suitable. Letting him take charge will only make the situation worse."

Chen Qing asked in astonishment: "Why is this?"

Li Ji said: "Mr. Xiao Chen only took a fancy to Su Xinggong's military talents, but ignored the people's hearts. Su Xinggong's military talents were as skillful as clumsy, and I admire them very much. But in the military, seniority and prestige are valued. In this place, Su Xinggong's western expedition proved that his ability was true. But it was not enough to convince Ashina Zhong, Qiu Xinggong, Liang Jianfang, and Liu Renyuan. Especially since Su Xinggong had other things to attend to, he would He called the four generals back to lead them, doesn't it mean that the court does not trust them?"

"The generals are at odds with each other and cannot enforce orders and prohibitions. How can Duke Su Xing win, even if he has great power?"

Chen Qingsi's expression changed slightly. This was indeed his negligence. Wasn't this the case in history?

Xue Rengui, who was in charge of the eastern front, was transferred to the western front to command the army to attack Tubo. Then the generals fell out and Guo Daifeng refused to obey Xue Rengui's orders.

Let Lun Qinling seize the opportunity and seal the victory in one fell swoop.

As for Qin Ling, he was a first-class general in the world. If there was a flaw like general discord, he would not be able to detect it and take advantage of it.

Chen Qingsi touched his chin, and for a moment it seemed that all routes were blocked.

Li Ji stood up and said: "Well, if that's the case, Mr. Chen, please relax. Even if there is no old man and no Su Xinggong, the frontline generals will not lose the prestige of our army. Mr. Chen must believe in them, our country can There are more than two generals who can stand alone..."

Chen Qingsi personally sent Li Ji and Li Jingye out of the mansion, looked at their retreating figures, and whispered, "But I don't believe it!"

Chen Qingsi turned around and returned to the study.

Li Ji's reminder made Chen Qingsi realize that letting Su Dingfang take command would not work. Airborne landings would cause big trouble.

This also gave him a new idea. Suddenly, Chen Qingsi thought of something and hurried to the bookshelf nearby: In order to write about the Tibetan threat, he collected a lot of southwest books, including one about Qinghai Lake. introduce.

He rummaged around and found a map of Tuyuhun. Looking at the scrawled map, Chen Qingsi's eyes became brighter and brighter.

Early the next morning, Chen Qingsi found Li Zhi.

Li Zhi was preparing to discuss with the ministers about the scheduling of the Qinghai Lake war. When he heard that Chen Qingsi asked for an audience, he couldn't help but frown slightly.

Some things are annoying over and over again.

After all, Li Zhi has the final say in the Tang Dynasty.

But after thinking about it, Li Zhi decided to meet Chen Qingsi.

Chen Qingsi finished her salute.

This time Li Zhi did not let him sit down, but asked: "Chen Aiqing, I am asking for a meeting in a hurry, do you have anything important to do?"

Chen Qingsi said: "I came up with a plan to defeat the enemy yesterday and came here to offer my advice."

Li Zhi was startled for a moment, then immediately changed his face and said, "Aiqing, please sit down first. Sit down and speak slowly."

**********

Fuqi City, tower.

Galdongzan stood on the city wall and patted his big belly with both hands, looking towards the direction of Qinghai Lake. Under the blue sky and white clouds, the holy snow-capped mountains in the distance, the blue lake in front of him, and the surrounding green grassland formed a pure, unique and beautiful picture. A magnificent picture of nature.

"Good good!"

Galdongzan couldn't help laughing loudly.

As the only strategist in the history of Tibet, Galdongzan knew better than anyone else the importance of Qinghai Lake to Tibet.

Only by winning Qinghai Lake can Tubo have the capital to dominate. Without Qinghai Lake, Tubo will never be able to dominate, and it will be short-lived at best.

After laughing, Galdongzan regained his composure, still looking at Qinghai Lake with burning eyes, and asked: "How is the situation now?"

There were two people standing behind Galdongzan. One was Dayan Mangbuzhi, the vice-president of Tubo, and Su Hegui, the deputy prime minister of Tuyuhun, was the first contributor to Tubo's ability to seize Fuqi City.

Dayan Mangbuzhi said: "Qinling is now stationing troops in Moliyi to attack Murongnuohebo. Zanxiruo is raiding the surrounding areas, but there are still some Tuyuhun tribes who are unwilling to surrender, and they are running away on this land. Great discussion , Both young masters performed very well in this battle, especially Qin Ling, his grasp of the fighting opportunities is really amazing."

Faced with the large-scale invasion of Tibet, Tuyuhun was naturally not to be outdone and gathered troops to resist.

The two armies faced each other near Jishi Mountain.

The two sides made several tentative attacks, but neither took advantage of them.

It wasn't until the second son of Gardongzan, Garqinling Zanzhuo, or Lunqinling for short, that he discovered an abnormality in the right wing of the Tuyuhun army.

It turned out that the Tuyuhun Fu Company in charge of the right wing had suffered from horse plague before the war, so they were riding uncastrated horses this time.

Uncastrated horses are not suitable for fierce battlefield fighting...

Lun Qinling launched a fierce attack on the right wing. Sure enough, once they were under tremendous pressure, the soldiers of Fu Company were unable to cooperate with the horses, resulting in a collapse situation.

In order to protect the right wing, the prime minister of Tuyuhun transferred the strength of the central army to the right wing to support it.

Vice Prime Minister Su Hegui also seized the opportunity, defected before the battle, directly attacked Tuyuhun's central army, and the entire army retreated.

Zan Xiruo and Lun Qinling attacked and pursued them wildly, not giving Tuyuhun a chance to gather his troops and fight again.

Gal Dongzan nodded with satisfaction: "Qin Ling's troops are superior to mine."

Su Hegui also said: "The eldest son Zan Xi has subdued five thousand Tuyuhun tribesmen through his kindness and power, which is also very impressive."

If talking about Qinling is about defeating the enemy, then talking about Xiruo is about reining in the mind and disintegrating Tuyuhun from the inside.

Galdong praised again: "I praise you if you can inherit my mantle."

Zan Xiruo was not as outstanding as Lun Qinling in military strategy, but he was an all-rounder and had high attainments in strategy, military strategy, and internal affairs.

Hearing the performance of the two sons, Galdongzan was very happy and said: "Send the order to call the two of them."

Dayan Mangbuzhi asked in surprise: "Why is this?"

Gal Dongzan looked deeply and said: "Our enemy was not Tuyuhun from the beginning, but...Tang Ting."

He looked to the east and said: "Their reinforcements are coming. Our soldiers have to be energetic and cannot spend more energy on Tuyuhun. I have sent people to sue for peace with Tang Ting to show weakness and let them think that we are afraid. No. Dare to confront them head-on and lead them to fight here in Qinghai Lake. They are not adapted to the climate here. If we fight here, we have an advantage!"

(End of this chapter)