Early Tang Dynasty: forge ahead

Chapter 293 Su Dingfang’s shock (two in one)

Su Dingfang held the wine glass high and looked at the young man in his prime, he couldn't help but sigh: "You are young and have a lot of potential."

The two toasted each other several times.

Chen Qingsi really admired Su Dingfang.

Perhaps in other people's minds, this was Su Dingfang's normal operation.

But Chen Qingsi knew that Su Dingfang's victory in this battle was definitely a complete reflection of his own strength.

The father and son duo of Galdongzan and Lun Qinling are not easy-going people. Although Lun Qinling is not at his peak level at the moment, he is not easy to handle when he is at an advantage.

Su Dingfang traveled thousands of miles across two deserts and attacked for hundreds of miles. For others, being able to walk out of the desert would be worthy of bragging, let alone turning the tide, killing the enemy's head, and turning the tide of the war in one fell swoop.

Chen Qingsheng wanted to know how Su Dingfang did it, and talked about the situation in Qinghai smoothly.

Su Dingfang smiled cheerfully. What he said in his words were superficial things, but he didn't mention anything about the deeper things.

Chen Qingsi reacted immediately and knew that Su Dingfang had reservations, so she stopped asking and only talked about Fengyue.

Because it was a victory banquet, the whole process was full of celebration.

In particular, the music of King Qin breaking the formation is more relevant to the theme at this time.

When Chen Qingsi returned home, his wife Xiao Miaochen was playing with the children.

The little guy has now reached the stage of vocalization. He is curious about everything and screams at the top of his voice when something happens.

"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh", and they will laugh and shout when they see familiar people. This is the most fun time.

Xiao Miaochen saw Chen Qingsi coming back and stepped forward with her child in her arms.

Chen Qingsi took a step back and said, "No, no, wait until I wash up well and get rid of the smell of alcohol before playing with him."

Since having children, he has been much more restrained in drinking.

Today is a formal occasion, and I am accompanying the protagonist, so I inevitably drink more.

Although there is no proof that the smell of alcohol will affect the baby, as a father, he must avoid it even if there is only a small possibility.

After washing thoroughly, Chen Qingsi hugged her chubby son with peace of mind and played with him.

Seeing the child in her arms changing day by day, Chen Qingsi suddenly felt inspired, "Life is short, only a few decades, so we should cherish our time."

Xiao Miaochen was watching the father and son playing with joy and peace in his heart, but suddenly he heard these sad words and asked slightly nervously: "But what happened in the court?"

Chen Qingsi shook her head and said, "I'm just feeling sad for one person."

Of course he was talking about Su Dingfang. As Su Dingfang's companion tonight, the two of them would inevitably chat in private.

Chen Qingsi is the best at observing words and expressions, so she naturally discovered that Su Dingfang was cautious during the conversation. There is no reason for a famous general who is invincible outside to be so reserved at his own celebration banquet inside the court.

Thinking of his own personal experience, it seems that he has been refrigerated for twenty years and has a psychological shadow. Don't dare to talk nonsense when dealing with people you don't trust.

Think about it, how many twenty years are there in life?

Chen Qingsi and Xiao Miaochen have a harmonious relationship and trust each other. They often share some court affairs with her, and Su Dingfang's case is no exception.

Xiao Miaochen heard Chen Qingsi's respect and regret for Su Dingfang, and said: "In life, everything can never go as planned. The same is true for Su Xinggong, and the same is true for Captain Xi in Jiangnan. I remember Lang Jun once said that he would recommend it to the court if he had the opportunity. I don’t know when this opportunity will come.”

Chen Qingsi did not forget Xi Jun's purchase, but it was not convenient for him to recommend it.

He is now a civil servant, and the contacts he has are mostly from civil servants. Recommending a general at an inappropriate time would be of no benefit to both parties.

"Don't worry, madam. I will keep the matter of Captain Xi in mind for my husband. The opportunity will come soon."

Xi Junmai was from Longyou and served as a soldier in Longyou. The peak battle of his life was fought in Tuyuhun. He had great prestige in Tuyuhun. Nowadays, both Longyou and Tuyuhun are short of people. No one is more suitable than him.

Just how to speak, this needs to wait for an opportunity.

Xiao Miaochen stopped talking. She was afraid that Chen Qingsi would forget about it, so she wanted to remind him. Seeing that he had his own plans, she didn't ask in detail.

The little guy in Chen Qingsi's arms was originally obedient, but for no reason at all, he burst into tears.

The couple looked at each other and smiled and said no more.

This is the meaning of the little guy making trouble for you to coax him to sleep.

On the second day, Chen Qingsi, who was on business in the East Palace, was summoned by Li Zhi.

It’s still Chengqing Hall…

The East Palace is not far from Chengqing Hall. When Chen Qingsi arrived at the main hall, there were only two people in the hall, Li Zhi and Ren Yaxiang.

Li Zhi looked at Chen Qingsi with eyes filled with relief and respect. For the Qinghai war to end like this, in the eyes of the emperor, Chen Qingsi was the one who made the greatest contribution, even greater than Su Dingfang.

Without Chen Qingsi's in-depth study of Tubo, they would not have noticed that Tubo had such ambitions. Without Chen Qingsi's persistence, Su Dingfang would not have appeared on the battlefield in Qinghai.

When the two armies are destroyed and Li Ji goes to war despite being ill, what will be the outcome is unknown.

Although no one except Su Dingfang could determine the outcome of the battle in that situation, Chen Qingsi was still the unshakable candidate in Li Zhi's heart.

As for Ren Yaxiang, he looked embarrassed.

They were fighting against Chen Qingsi here back then, and how hard they were at this time.

Ren Yaxiang never expected to be slapped so hard in the face by Chen Qingsi.

Neither of the two armies can win together. They have to rely on the other side's backup to reverse the situation. Otherwise, they will be blamed this time.

Therefore, Ren Yaxiang was embarrassed and grateful to Chen Qingsi.

It had just been less than five months since he had entered the prime minister's position due to his military exploits, and yet he encountered such a major mistake. How could he be so secure in this position?

uncomfortable.

Soon the third person came.

It was none other than Jiang Ke, Minister of the Ministry of War.

As soon as Jiang Ke entered the hall and looked at Chen Qingsi beside him, he was as embarrassed as Ren Yaxiang.

At that time, the two of them were the ones fighting the most. It is also a coincidence that Ren Yaxiang became the Minister of the Ministry of War because of his military merits, while Jiang Ke replaced Ren Yaxiang as the Minister of the Ministry of War because of his military merits.

Jiang Ke, the Minister of War, was less than five months old, and he encountered such a war without doing anything. Then he made a fatal mistake in his decision-making. He ignored the right person and saved him...

I feel ashamed, grateful and embarrassed, all equally uncomfortable.

However, Ren Yaxiang was feeling a little better. After all, she was not the only one suffering.

Regarding them, Chen Qingsi had no restraint and quietly enjoyed their embarrassment. It felt...comfortable.

After waiting for a while, the news that Su Dingfang asked for a meeting was conveyed.

When Chen Qingsi met Ren Yaxiang and Jiang Ke, she already guessed that they were recruited to discuss the matter of Tuyuhun in Qinghai.

The arrival of Su Dingfang now proves this point.

Su Dingfang was slightly stunned when he saw that Chen Qingsi was among them. He could not imagine the reason why Chen Qingsi would appear here.

Bow and take your seat.

Li Zhi said: "Your Excellency is not in the imperial city to report on his duties. He will come later. Please wait for a moment. Su Aiqing, take this opportunity. I have a letter from Chen Aiqing here. You can appreciate it yourself."

He directly used the word "appreciation". As the strategic power of Tibet's invasion of Tuyuhun was fully revealed, the value and significance of Chen Qingsi's strategic theory also increased.

This strategic prediction can no longer be described as accurate, but terrifying, just like seeing it with one's own eyes.

After Li Ji mobilized troops in Tubo, he secretly lamented: This strategic theory list alone was enough for Chen Qingsi to take a place among the military strategists.

Su Dingfang took Chen Qingsi's strategic discussion on Tibet from the hand of the chamberlain and looked at it carefully. After only half of it, he couldn't help but glance at Chen Qingsi. His eyes were full of shock. He continued to look down. After seeing the detailed analysis, I couldn't help but take another look...

When writing a strategic essay, Su Dingfang glanced at Chen Qingsi five times. It was hard to imagine that such a strategic essay was written by such a young man.

Su Dingfang continued to read again. This time he read especially carefully, pondering every word.

As the top general of this era, Su Dingfang understood the strategic theory in his hand more thoroughly, even more than Li Ji.

After all, Li Ji had never dealt with Tubo. When Su Dingfang was in the Western Regions, he already knew that Tubo had ulterior motives, and he fought with them in Qinghai Lake. He knew Tubo far better than Li Ji, and he also understood the strategy in his hands better. Discuss the strategic value of tables.

After taking a long breath, Su Dingfang realized that he didn't know when he had arrived.

There was a living person in the hall, but he didn't notice it at all.

Seeing that Su Dingfang had come to his senses, Li Zhi said: "We are all here. I have summoned you here today to discuss the strategic direction of the imperial court, mainly regarding the defense of Tibet. The potential threat of Tibet, after this battle in Qinghai, you must have I have gained a new understanding. Learn from the mistakes and gain wisdom. Don’t be careless anymore.”

Li Ji said: "Let Mr. Xing speak first. He has just returned from the front line and has a more realistic understanding of Tubo."

Su Dingfang pointed to the strategic theory table in his hand and said: "Chen Yude has made it very clear in the theory table. The Tibetans are no better than the enemies we have encountered in the past. There are capable people in their country, especially their great leader Gardong. Praise... Tubo's hand has already reached the Western Regions. The people behind the rebellion of the Hu groups outside the Great Wall in the Western Regions and the three kingdoms of Shule, Zhujuban and Congling are Tubo."

Li Zhi's decision on whether to send troops to Qinghai gave Su Dingfang sufficient autonomy.

The reason why Su Dingfang chose to send troops was because when he attacked Xia Shule, he learned from the prisoners that the Tibetans were behind the instigation. Thinking of their attack on Tuyuhun, he realized that Tuyuhun had a huge conspiracy: it was very likely that it was First occupy Qinghai, then compete for the Western Regions, divert the wealth from the Western Regions to Qinghai, and reopen the Qiangzhong Road.

Su Dingfang noticed Tubo's strategic intentions and realized that Qinghai Lake could not fall into Tubo's hands, so he decided to send troops.

What surprised Su Dingfang was that he relied on the information he received from the front line to determine Tubo's strategic intentions. Chen Qingsi was far away in Chang'an and could determine Tubo's strategic goals. Qinghai Lake... the Western Regions, and Chen Qingsi's judgment was even further, and he would be able to determine Tubo's strategic goals. Liangzhou and Longyou have all been budgeted for.

By capturing Qinghai Lake, Tubo will be able to establish itself; by capturing the Western Regions, they will gain the wealth of the Western Regions. Then he competed with the Tang Dynasty for Lianglong, completely blocking the imperial court's westward route, and completely controlling the wealth of the Western Regions.

Su Dingfang didn't dare to say what would happen next, but Tubo's plan for Qinghai Lake and the Western Regions was already Sima Zhao's heart.

"Everything is just as Chen Yude said. Fortunately, we have seen the opportunity in advance and forced the other party to take action..."

When he said this, he said: "According to the news from Tubo, they suffered heavy losses in this battle. 110,000 troops went south, and more than 65,300 people were seriously injured and killed. I feel that the news may be false... ...I estimate that there are not that many, around 30,000, which is the number of people I estimated."

As soon as he said these words, the expressions of Li Zhi, Ren Yaxiang, and Jiang Ke changed instantly.

In this battle, the number of Tang soldiers killed and missing was as high as 29,000. Counting the Khitan and Qiang vassal soldiers, the loss was 45,000.

Tubo had 60,000 casualties, so they still had some dignity, but if they really only had 30,000, how could they have the dignity to claim victory?

Li Ji and Chen Qingsi were not surprised. They both felt that the number of casualties in Tibet was somewhat exaggerated.

how to say?

Tubo's two great victories were won on the frontal battlefield.

Lun Qinling first surrounded Liu Renyuan, gathered reinforcements, and defeated Liang Jianfang. Then he and Zan Xiruoduobu defeated Ashina Zhong. Ashina Zhong was defeated and retreated to the foot of Dafeichuan.

Su Dingfang's attack was a surprise attack, focusing on chaos and victory, with limited damage.

Su Dingfang did not have the strength to pursue and cover up the enemy, so he was seriously injured and killed 60,000 people all at once, which was a bit incredible.

But it's not easy for them to question. After all, they are not on the front line. Questioning will offend others.

In fact, Su Dingfang had been hesitant to speak. After all, killing like this would not only look good, but the soldiers would also receive many more awards.

It was not unusual to falsely report military merits. Now that the Tibetans cooperated with them in reporting the number of casualties, the soldiers on the front line were naturally happy to do so.

Telling the truth in this situation is so offensive.

However, after seeing Chen Qingsi's strategic theory, Su Dingfang also guessed why the Tibetans wanted to increase their casualties. They were making an illusion that they had suffered heavy losses and were unable to fight again in a short time, so as to make the court relax.

But in fact, their casualties were not as serious as imagined, and they also plundered tens of thousands of people in Tuyuhun.

The Tang Dynasty undoubtedly won this battle, but this victory made Li Zhi, Ren Yaxiang, and Jiang Ke lose their reputation.

"So, Tibet can come back anytime, anywhere?"

Li Zhi was a little happy when he thought of the Tubo treatise Gal Dongzan personally compiled a book and begged for forgiveness and begged for peace.

This is what Chen Qingsi is most worried about. His original idea was to make Tubo severely injured and unable to peek into Qinghai for a short period of time. Now that Tubo has retreated, it already has the strength to peek into Qinghai.

But Tuyuhun no longer had the power to resist Tubo.

Su Dingfang said: "That's exactly it."

Li Ji said: "Your Majesty, I think it is necessary to set up a Protectorate in Qinghai. Tuyuhun's vitality is severely damaged and unable to resist. And if our troops and horses support from Lianglong, we will lose the opportunity. The only way is to set up a Protectorate. It’s the best policy.”

(End of this chapter)