Early Tang Dynasty: forge ahead

Chapter 339 In two months, Baekje was destroyed
The balance of Haidong Peninsula has indeed been broken.

But it was not the intervention of a fourth party force as Chen Qingsi expected, but the performance of one person.

The teeth are always black!

Heiji Sangji was born in the Baekje royal family. His ancestors were descendants of the Buyeo Kingdom. He took the fiefdom as his surname because he was granted the title of "Heiji".

For generations, the Black Teeth family has served as the commander of Baekje and the commander of the county. The commander is equivalent to the Minister of War in the Tang Dynasty, and the commander of the county is the local commander. Baekje's territory is not large, and this county will be equivalent to a feudal official.

In recent years, Baekje has attacked Silla many times without making a big fuss. It just retreated after grabbing the benefits, or occupied a village or county. In short, it was to avoid direct confrontation with Silla and use all means to take advantage.

It's just that if you walk too much at night, you will eventually encounter ghosts. Baekje's shameless way angered Silla general Jin Xuanzhong.

During Baekje's first attack, Jin Xuanzhong attacked decisively and fought with Baekje.

Both sides were furious, and a stray arrow hit the commander of the Baekje Army, Black Teeth Saji, killing him on the spot.

Hei Te Changzhi was ordered to take over his father's position and take over his military power. While Silla was celebrating its victory, he led his troops in a surprise attack and captured the city in one fell swoop. He originally wanted to kill Jin Xuanzang to avenge his father, but he learned that Jin Xuanzang had been transferred back to the capital.

Hei Te Changzhi was very angry, so he drove straight in, defeated six cities in a row, caught up with Jin Xuanzhong and took his head back.

Perhaps Baekje was used to small fights, or maybe Heiji Changzhi's pursuit was too fast and fierce, and Silla was unstoppable, and was defeated, and the battle line almost collapsed.

Baekje did not want to make a big fuss, but the great victory of Heiji Jangzhi stimulated Baekje King Buyeo Yiji. He felt that petty fighting could not satisfy his appetite, so he took advantage of the situation and robbed many cities in Silla.

The balance among the three parties was thus broken.

Seeing that its "allies" had exerted their strength, Goguryeo stepped up its offensive.

Silla is really unable to support it now.

Chen Qingsi was slightly shocked when he heard the way the balance was broken, and then felt relieved. As expected, soldiers are unpredictable and water is unpredictable. Any slight change on the battlefield can affect the entire situation.

Li Zhi was very excited about this change, with burning eyes.

From the overall situation, Haidong is uncertain and the rear is unstable.

Goguryeo is located in the east of the sea, has a large population, fierce folk customs, and has the foundation of a powerful country. If it is left unchecked, it will cause great harm.

Personally speaking, Li Zhi has always wanted to step out of the shadow of his father, destroy Goguryeo, pacify Haidong, and complete the unfinished business of his father, so that he can fulfill his obligations as a son of man and let the world know that he Li Zhi Not inferior to his father.

Xu Jingzong said: "Your Majesty has advised peace many times, but the small country of Baekje not only refused to listen, but went even further and expanded the war. This move has touched the bottom line of the imperial court and must not be tolerated. We must send troops to let the barbarians from all directions know that all the barbarians from all directions will If the barbarians engage in war rashly, they will be punished."

Xu Jingzong knew Li Zhi's thoughts and was the first to express his opinion.

In fact, there is no need to discuss this matter. The day there is a change in Haidong is when the Tang Dynasty sends troops.

This is a national strategy that was decided a year and a half ago...

The only thing that has not yet been decided is how to send troops, whether to adopt Su Dingfang's cross-sea attack, or use Li Ji's steady method of advancing troops.

Su Dingfang wanted to be quick. He took a boat directly from Dengzhou across the East China Sea and headed straight to the mouth of the Xiongjin River in Baekje. He caught the opponent by surprise and landed forcefully.

Li Ji sought stability. Because the sea was rough and the situation was unknown, he suggested crossing the Bohai Bay and sailing from the Shandong Peninsula to the Liaodong Peninsula. This route was familiar to the Tang army and the weather was stable and safe. Then they sailed along the coastline of the Liaodong Strait and arrived at Baiji. , to avoid sailing risks.

One is stable and the other is fast, each has its own merits.

Li Zhi looked at Jiang Ke and Chen Qingsi and said, "Does the Ministry of War have any suggestions for the march route?"

Jiang Ke sorted out his thoughts and said: "The Ministry of War is more inclined to Su Xinggong's strategy, but it has to be delayed. The current weather is not suitable for crossing the East China Sea."

He thought for a moment and said, "Let Shilang Chen explain it to you. He remembers more."

Jiang Ke didn't register it in advance. He knew a lot of things, but couldn't say them out for a while.

Li Zhi didn't care. Jiang Ke was promoted based on his military merit. In terms of details, he was indeed much inferior to civil servants. He looked at Chen Qingsi.

Chen Qingsi said: "Since the strategy was decided on that day, the Ministry of War, under the leadership of Jiang Shangshu, repaired the naval ships, and the imperial navy also trained in Jingu. According to the training situation, the imperial navy has the ability to cross the sea. The ability to transport troops for combat. In recent years, Dengzhou has cooperated with the government and the people. Governor Liu contacted local fishermen and businessmen, and obtained detailed information from them on the currents in the East China Sea, wind directions in the four seasons, and even navigation routes. After detailed confirmation by the Ministry of War, The news that Governor Liu received is true. If we send troops in the spring, the risk will be minimized."

Governor Liu?
Li Zhi thought for a while and said, "But Liu Rengui, the governor of Qingzhou?"

Chen Qingsi mentioned him specifically because she wanted to show Liu Rengui's face.

How come he, the anti-Japanese hero, is missing from the Haidong battlefield?

"It's him!" Chen Qingsi did not hide the relationship between the two in front of Li Zhi. After all, everyone knew about the original song "Farewell Liu Da": "Liu Governor's talent is known to my subordinates. He figured it out mostly through details. One or two, I am particularly attentive in this aspect.”

Li Zhi did not doubt that Liu Rengui's ability was what he valued, but between the other party and Li Yifu, he chose Li Yifu.

"Just in time, be polite first and then fight!"

Master Xu Yu suggested: "Your Majesty can issue a letter of credence first and ask Baekje to return all the Silla territories they have obtained. First, it can give them the illusion that we are unwilling to use troops. In addition, we can also give them the illusion before the battle. Scheduling and waiting for the right time to dispatch troops.”

Silla and Baekje have been at odds with each other for decades, and the territorial ownership of each other is complicated, and everyone has their own reasons.

It is impossible for Baekje to agree to return the land.

Li Zhi did not immediately order the war against Baekje, but secretly dispatched military supplies.

The Ministry of War, which had always been idle, was suddenly busy.

Food, grass, ordnance, mobilization of soldiers, and arrangements by generals all had to be handled by the Ministry of War.

However, Chen Qingsi has been hanging around the archives these days, and various files also record the dispatch situation.

Chen Qingsi learned a lot of experience from it. Although it was his first time to take charge, he was not unfamiliar and made all arrangements with ease.

As expected in this tense atmosphere.

Baekje King Fuyu Yiji rejected the last "goodwill" of the Li Tang court. In February of the seventh year of Xianqing, Li Zhi officially ordered Zuo Wuwei General Su Dingfang to be the general manager of the Shenqiu Road march, and led Zuo Xiaowei General Liu Boying and other land and sea troops One hundred thousand troops were sent to attack Baekje, and Liu Rengui, the governor of Qingzhou, was responsible for the logistics and transportation.

After receiving the order, Su Dingfang crossed the sea from Chengshan on the Jiaodong Peninsula and arrived at the mouth of the Xiongjin River at lightning speed. Baekje never expected that the Tang army would be able to transport 100,000 troops across the East Sea. It did not set up heavy defenses at the mouth of the Ungjin River, so that the Baekje defenders did not dare to leave the walled city to fight.

Su Dingfang rushed to the beach and landed, lined up on the mountain, and broke through the Xiongjin River Estuary in one battle. He killed 3,000 enemies and successfully landed 70,000 Tang army infantry.

By this time, Baekje's reinforcements were belatedly arriving.

Su Dingfang led the infantry and cavalry into the formation, and Liu Boying's navy cooperated, advancing along the river, and defeated the Baekje reinforcements in one battle.

Su Dingfang left a naval force stationed at the mouth of the Xiongjin River, and personally led the army to march straight in and attack the capital of Baekje, Sixian.

The king of Baekje, Fuyu Yici, was so frightened that he mobilized all the troops in the country to fight. Su Dingfang wiped out 20,000 enemies in one battle and trapped the soldiers in Sixi City.

The king of Baekje, Buyeo Eici, surrendered...

From sending troops to destroying the country, it took two and a half months.

Chang'an, the Imperial Palace!
Li Zhi looked at the victory report, held his head high and laughed, his laughter full of joy.

Chen Qingsi didn’t know what to say on the next home page.

Is Datang too powerful? Or is Su Dingfang too strong? Or is Baekje too weak?
This is completely devastating!

But looking at the complacent Li Zhi, Chen Qingsi decided to pour a basin of cold water in time.

"Your Majesty, I think it is too early for you to be so happy now."

Li Zhi said in astonishment: "Why is this?"

Chen Qingsi said: "Baekje is located overseas. It is easy to attack but difficult to defend for a long time. It is the first time that our government has taken over this place. We do not know the people's livelihood, the national conditions, and even the language. We will be in trouble for a long time. Those who stay behind need to be proficient in military strategy. In addition, good ministers who are good at appeasing the people must be able to appease the local people and win over the people. Only in this way can we truly control this place."

In his impression, there were major flaws in the Tang army's governance of Baekje.

On the one hand, Su Dingfang did not control military discipline very well, which led to some soldiers of the Tang army looting when they attacked the capital, which aroused dissatisfaction among the people of Baekje. On the one hand, Liu Renyuan, an idiot, failed to appease the people of Baekje, causing internal rebellion.

Hei Te Changzhi, a famous general of the Tang Dynasty in history, had already surrendered to Su Dingfang, but was forced to raise the flag of rebellion.

At that time, Su Dingfang had withdrawn to Chang'an to offer prisoners, and Baekje was in chaos.

Later, Liu Rengui joined forces with Jin Yushin of Silla, and it took three years to put down the rebellion within Baekje. During this period, Liu Rengui also defeated the Japanese navy at the mouth of the Baijiang River, and subdued the arrogant Japanese islanders of Yelang for hundreds of years.

Before Su Dingfang's expedition, Chen Qingsi, in the name of the Minister of War, repeatedly told Su Dingfang to pay attention to maintaining military discipline. He even brought up the old matter again, adding a pinch of salt to Su Dingfang's wounds.

As a general who rose to prominence at the end of the Sui Dynasty and the beginning of the Tang Dynasty, Su Dingfang should not have wasted twenty years.

Su Dingfang was so highly regarded by Li Jing that he was ordered to take the lead in the battle to destroy the Turks. Su Dingfang led 200 cavalrymen armed with crossbows as the vanguard, made a surprise attack on horseback, and rushed into the Turkic tent in one breath, forcing Jieli Khan and Princess Yicheng of the Sui Dynasty to escape with only dozens of cavalry and entourage, and then Li Jing's army arrived , DTZ was defeated. The Tang army beheaded more than 10,000 people and captured more than 100,000 men and women and hundreds of thousands of miscellaneous animals.

Su Dingfang performed amazingly in this battle because he was young and energetic. After the victory, he failed to stop his soldiers from looting, so he received a cold reception.

There are too many generals in this era, and Su Dingfang's cold reception has been forgotten in the corner.

It was not until Li Zhi ascended the throne that Su Ding had the opportunity to show off his talents.

If there is regret medicine, Su Dingfang will not keep it for those extraneous things, and will not be promoted for twenty years.

Chen Qingsi still remembers the expression on Su Dingfang's face as if he had eaten shit when he heard her peeling off his scar.

Because of this, Chen Qingsi can be sure that Su Dingfang will not make the same mistake again. As for Liu Renyuan, he had made rash advances in the duel with Lun Qinling before, causing the destruction of his troops and causing another group of troops to fall into crisis. He has been affected. If punished, he will be removed as a citizen. However, Li Zhi cherished his talent and promoted him to Zhonglang General to assist Xi Junmai in taking charge of Qinghai.

Because of his appearance, the historical reasons for Baekje's internal restoration of the country no longer exist.

However, Chen Qingsi knew in his heart that any action he took would treat the symptoms rather than the root cause.

On the side of the people of Baekje, the Tang army was an intruder, and if the Tang army took over Baekje, it would inevitably hurt the interests of the powerful families in Baekje.

Even without Su Dingfang's robbery and Liu Renyuan's reckless behavior, there might still have been internal turmoil, and it would take a certain amount of time to smooth out these problems.

And an excellent administrator will greatly shorten these times.

Li Zhi asked: "Is Mr. Su Xing not suitable?"

Chen Qingsi said: "When it comes to military strategy, Su Xinggong is the only two choices in the world, and the remaining one is Li Yinggong..."

In fact, in his heart, Li Ji was really one level behind Su Dingfang. But there is no need to offend others for this matter. Even if Li Ji knew about it, he might not care about it.

He continued: "It would be really difficult for him to calm down and manage people's livelihood and appease the people."

Li Zhi was right. The war was too easy and comfortable. He even thought of going north to attack Goguryeo and wanted to keep Su Dingfang in Baekje. But after hearing what Chen Qingsi said, he also felt that it made sense.

Li Zhi asked: "Who does Aiqing think is suitable?"

Chen Qingsi said without thinking: "I have always been with you. Most of them are civil servants. Most of them are civil servants. Few are good at military strategy and good at fighting. After thinking about it, Liu Rengui is the only one."

When Li Zhi heard "Liu Rengui" again, he couldn't help but smile and said: "Chen Aiqing really likes Liu Jishi."

Chen Qingsi said hurriedly: "I do not avoid relatives when I recommend talents. Liu Rengui is both civil and military. He is indeed a rare pillar of talent."

Li Zhi did not agree immediately, but just said: "I will consider it."

Chen Qingsi stopped talking and shifted the topic to Silla: "Your Majesty, don't be careless about Silla now. Our army captured Baekje with thunderous momentum, and established Xiongjin, Mahan, Dongmyeong in Baekje. , Jinyeon, and De'an five governor's offices to control the entire Baekje. This move will definitely stimulate Silla, and they have to be on guard against it."

Li Zhi also remembered the unclear situation when he was licked by the Queen of Silla, and said with a sullen face: "I know that if Silla is sensible, I will naturally keep her country for the sake of their continuous tribute for three generations. Zuo. He also wants to do some tricks behind his back, so I won’t spare them."

The two discussed the situation in Haidong in detail, and it was not until dusk that Chen Qingsi left the palace.

On the way home, Chen Qingsi felt a little unrealistic.

Their military department made full preparations, and it was done in two months?
(End of this chapter)