Early Tang Dynasty: forge ahead

Chapter 346 Emperor Gaozong made plans before listening to the advice
Li Zhi's eyes fell on Chen Qingsi for a long time.

To be honest, he was a little tempted to send troops to Goguryeo immediately because he couldn't wait any longer.

Li Zhi is only thirty-four this year, which is his prime age.

But Li Zhi knew very well that he was different from ordinary people. He had been frail and sick since he was a child and suffered from wind diseases. He was by no means a long-lived person.

Li Zhi understands the disease very well.

Several generations of the Li family have been suffering from this disease, which is difficult to cure. His father Li Shimin was also troubled by wind disease.

Li Zhi also learned about this stubborn disease. The lifespan of a person suffering from this disease depends on God... Some patients have no problem living to seventy or eighty years, while some patients suddenly become ill in their prime years when they are twenty or thirty years old. A desperate death.

But Li Zhi always felt that no matter what, it would be no problem to live for another ten or twenty years, and there would be enough time to express his ambitions.

But in the past six months, he found that the situation was not as expected. His health took a turn for the worse, his wind condition worsened day by day, and he even became blinded for a short period of time.

Li Zhi still had a lot of things to do, and he was worried that he would not have much time left. Facing Silla's proposal, he was inevitably moved.

Of course, he knew that Silla might be uneasy and kind-hearted, so he specifically asked Su Dingfang to ask about the situation.

Knowing that Su Dingfang also felt that sending troops immediately, Goguryeo who could attack was unprepared and could march straight in and take the capital of Goguryeo, he felt that this matter was promising.

If Goguryeo can be defeated in one battle like Baekje, then he will accomplish what his father, Emperor Li Shimin, failed to accomplish, and then be granted Zen status...

As long as all these are completed, this life will be considered complete and the future successor of the Tang Dynasty can be arranged.

But Chen Qingsi did not agree.

Li Zhi's heart was filled with tangles and struggles, and he asked, "What if I insist on going my own way and order the troops to march immediately?"

Chen Qingsi pursed her lips, but said resolutely: "There is a high probability that he will return without success. Of course Su Xinggong can use Baekje as a stepping stone to advance forward. But there will be chaos in the rear of Baekje. Even if Su Xinggong has the power to reach the sky, this rear It’s unstable and there’s nothing we can do.”

The decisiveness he said was not his imagination, but was based on evidence.

In history, Li Zhi was also eager to attack due to various problems. After taking Baekje, they immediately made arrangements to attack Goguryeo.

Su Dingfang's performance was as good as ever, and he reached the gates of Pyongyang in one breath, while the other Liaodong army also sang loudly. Qibi Heli defeated them in one battle, and the Goguryeo Moli Zhiquan boys beheaded 30,000 people. But at this time, the Nine Tiele tribes rebelled, the Liaodong Army turned back to suppress the rebellion, and the Nationalist Army within Baekje also became more and more fierce. In the end, Su Dingfang gave up the siege of Pyongyang City and withdrew his troops back to the division.

However, due to the emergence of Chen Qingsi, Mobei Tiele has already rebelled in advance, and with the presence of Sanshou surrender, the north no longer poses a threat to the imperial court. Even Tubo will not threaten the imperial court in the short term due to civil strife.

But even if the hidden dangers of the Tang Dynasty were wiped away by Chen Qingsi, he was still not optimistic about this dispatch of troops.

Because the opponent is Goguryeo...

Perhaps because of the confusion of later generations about their ancestors, many people confuse Goguryeo with Goguryeo, and even underestimate Goguryeo, but the reality of Goguryeo is not weak at all.

Goguryeo is a country that has existed for more than 400 years, and it has a certain heritage, otherwise the Central Plains would not have been at odds with it for several generations.

Yang Guang even ruined a rising dynasty for it.

Li Zhi looked deeply at Chen Qingsi, thinking that over the years, everything he said was true. It was the same in Haidong, Tubo, and Mobei.

The only time they didn't listen to him almost led to the defeat of Qinghai. It was all thanks to Su Dingfang to turn the tide on his own. Even Su Dingfang was behind Chen Qingsi's suggestion...

"Okay! I'll just wait for you, I love you."

Li Zhi, who has always been arbitrary, rarely chose to compromise this time.

Compared with his own eagerness, at this moment, he chose to believe in Chen Qingsi's strategic prediction.

He suppressed the slightest bit of unwillingness and continued walking, saying, "Then when do you think it's best to send troops?"

Chen Qingsi responded: "At least wait until the internal forces of Baekje surface and make Baekje unable or unwilling to resist before sending troops. As for when, it depends on the governor."

When Li Zhi heard this, he suddenly regretted it. If I had known this, I should have sent Chen Qingsi.

Fang Renyu was indeed good at both civil and military skills, but Li Zhi knew very well that his skills in both civil and military skills were much inferior to those of Chen Qingsi.

Of course, he has no regrets. He believes that Fang Renyu also has the ability to defeat Baekje. It’s just a matter of time...

The two chatted for a while about the Haidong matter. It was not until they approached the back garden that Li Zhi stopped.

Before parting, he suddenly said: "The prince, if you have time, you can move around more. The prince is young and has many shortcomings. I should fulfill your responsibilities as an advisor."

Chen Qingsi immediately agreed.

Walking alone on the way out of the palace, Chen Qingsi recalled every detail of the walk and gradually understood that Li Zhi had begun to have Tuogu's thoughts.

Li Zhi's body was strange and he did not publicize it to the outside world. But this kind of thing can only be hidden from the people below, and Chen Qingsi's current level cannot be hidden.

Of course, Chen Qingsi knew that Li Zhi was far more alive than he thought and could survive for more than ten or twenty years, but he didn't know that when the wind attack occurred, he felt dizzy and even his vision went dark, it was really as if he was about to die. It is reasonable to make some preparations in advance.

Naturally, Chen Qingsi had to express something about Li Zhi's entrustment.

Before Li Zhi spoke, Li Hong and Empress Wu had similar words, but Chen Qingsi ignored them. As a minister of the Ministry of War and the leader of the Qingliu Party, it was not a wise move to get close to the prince.

The news that the Tang Dynasty refused to immediately send troops to Goguryeo reached Silla through the credential.

Jincheng, the capital of Silla.

King Jin Chunqiu of Silla and Grand Superior Jin Yushin were discussing the matter, and Crown Prince Jin Bomin was listening quietly.

King Jin Chunqiu of Silla lay on the bed with a tired look on his face, his eyes showing a bit of anger and unwillingness.

His voice was rich, yet somewhat weak.

"So, Tang Ting doesn't plan to send troops?"

Jin Yuxin looked at the king who was in his twilight years and said helplessly: "The emperor of the Tang Dynasty has already replied, saying that their food and grass were attacked by the sea wind and overturned most of them, and their logistics are tight. They will wait for them to regroup before making an expedition plan. But in the opinion of the veteran, They are trying to appease us so that they can take advantage of Baekje. They will not easily send troops before Baekje surrenders."

Jin Chunqiu said with a bit of decadence: "So, I have no chance to see the fall of Goguryeo, and I have no chance to see Silla unify Haidong."

After he finished speaking, he coughed.

Jin Yuxin looked at the superior king, feeling secretly resentful in his heart, but there was nothing he could do about it.

"Damn it! Hateful!"

suddenly

Jin Chunqiu shouted twice, raised his hands in the air, and was so angry that he died. His eyes widened and he refused to close his eyes. Even if his soul dissipated, those eyes were still full of unwillingness and indignation.

Jin Yuxin looked at all this in a daze at first, and watched the prince Jin Famin throw himself on Jin Chunqiu and cry bitterly, with indomitable determination in his eyes.

He walked step by step to Jin Chunqiu's body, reached out and grabbed Jin Famin's shoulders, pressed down hard, and said word by word: "Wenwu, you will bear the burden of Silla."

Jin Famin's mother is Jin Yuxin's sister Wen Ji, also known as Queen Civilization, so Jin Yuxin is Jin Famin's uncle.

Wenwu is Jin Famin's nickname, given by Jin Yuxin, which means "Yun Wen Yun Wu".

Not only that, Jin Yuxin and Jin Chunqiu also had a life-long friendship.

Kim Chunqiu is the grandson of King Jinji of Silla and the grandson of King Jinpyeong of Silla. Although he is a member of the royal family, he is actually not qualified to succeed to the throne of Silla.

Silla only believed in blood, with sacred bones being the most respected and real bones second.

Only those with the blood of the holy bones can succeed to the throne of Silla.

The last holy bone bloodline is Queen Seondeok and Queen Jindeok, while Jin Chunqiu is just a noble of Zhendeok.

At that time, Silla was in decline, and Queen Seondeok and Queen Jindeok gave up all their dignity and surrendered to the Tang court for Silla.

This move was regarded as a great shame and humiliation by many nobles in Silla, and they launched many rebellions.

Queen Seondeok died in the rebellion. At that time, many people despised them for being Tangting dogs.

Jin Chunqiu is one of the few people who fully supports them.

For the sake of Silla, the two shouldered the infamy and helped the Queen of Silla together until the sacred bones were severed. Jin Chunqiu ascended the throne with a real bone. He still chose to follow the policy of the two queens and chose to embrace the Tang Dynasty. He did it more thoroughly. He sent his son as a hostage to the Tang court to show his loyalty. At home, he wore Tang Dynasty clothes, He followed a series of Tanghua movements such as Zhengshuo of the Tang Dynasty to please the Tang court and put down all national dignity.

This is also the reason why some people in Goguryeo, Baekje, and even Silla cannot see Jin Chunqiu clearly.

Jin Yuxin knew, however, that the living best friend and king in front of him was Goujian, who lived on his own gall and even tasted excrement for King Wu. His biggest goal was to destroy Baekje and Goguryeo, and his biggest ambition was to unify Haidong. Let Silla become the master of Haidong.

In order to achieve this goal, he was humiliated, despised and scolded like Gou Jian, but the result was different from Gou Jian.

Putting aside all national values, what resulted was the current situation...

Silla adopted a two-gold system. To put it bluntly, Kim Chunqiu and Kim Yushin co-governed.

With Jin Yuxin here, Jin Chunqiu was so angry that it did not cause turmoil.

The political power transitioned to Jin Famin smoothly.

Of course, Jin Famin was not qualified to succeed to the throne. Without the canonization of the Tang Dynasty, Jin Famin was not qualified to be the king. He only acted on behalf of the power of the King of Silla.

Jin Famin, dressed in mourning clothes, knelt before Jin Chunqiu's soul and accepted the sacrifices from the nobles of Silla subjects.

Until late at night, only Jin Famin, Jin Yuxin and Queen Wenming were left in the mourning hall.

Jin Famin suddenly said: "Father, I swear in front of your soul that I will unify Haidong and make me, Silla, the true master of Haidong."

"Good!" Jin Yuxin praised loudly: "In this way, he is worthy of being the son of King Wenxing. The king has this determination, and Jin Yuxin will give up his old life to help the king get his wish."

Jin Famin was smart since she was a child and was deeply loved by Jin Chunqiu and Jin Yuxin. She received a good education and had the spirit of a British ruler.

Historically, with the help of Jin Yuxin, he successfully wrested Baekje and southern Goguryeo from the Tang Dynasty, became the lord of Haidong, and pushed Silla to its peak.

At this moment, he was in front of his father's mourning hall, discussing with Jin Yuxin how to deal with it.

"uncle!"

Jin Famin said: "According to your original plan, you prompted the Tang Dynasty to send troops directly to Pyongyang City, use the strength of Pyongyang City to resist the Tang Dynasty army, and use a rout to break the Tang Dynasty's myth of victory and boost Haidong's morale."

Jin Yuxin nodded silently. For this reason, he went to Su Dingfang to drink and chat, and told him about the situation in Goguryeo. He knew that Su Dingfang's military tactics were unparalleled in the world, but his strategic foresight was relatively average. In addition, he did not understand the situation in Haidong, so he would probably fall into his scheme.

As long as the Tang Army really sends troops, the Tang Army will most likely be defeated.

There is no other reason. Goguryeo is good at defense. Goguryeo's terrain is mountainous, and most of its cities are built on the mountains, making it easy to defend but difficult to attack.

Pyongyang City, in particular, has a very dangerous terrain and is surrounded by the Daedong River and Xiaodong River, forming a natural moat. There are towering peaks on the east and west sides, which are also natural barriers.

The Tang Army's front line in Liaodong was covered with mountains, forests, and swamps, making it difficult to transport food and grass. It only took a small group of troops to attack and cause huge trouble for the Tang Army.

There are also nails he planted inside Baekje, once the Tang army really launches a full-scale attack.

Although Goguryeo could not gain an advantage on the frontal battlefield, the Tang army could not hold on if it was attrition.

The defeat of the Tang army gave them an opportunity.

It's just that things don't go as planned.

Chen Qingsi...

This name came to Jin Yuxin's mind.

Many of the strategies proposed by Chen Qingsi are forward-looking, which are so-called strategic predictions. These things are not suitable for publicity.

Once known to the enemy, appropriate measures will be taken.

For example, Chen Qingsi's "On the Enemy" dissects Tubo so thoroughly that its strategic significance is too profound to be suitable for propaganda, and not many people know about it.

Therefore, only a few senior executives know about Chen Qingsi's strategic achievements.

But Kim Yu-shin is indeed a remarkable person.

Datang and Silla had close exchanges due to strategic complementarities. Although they were thousands of miles apart, many things were in common with each other.

With the rise of Chen Qingsi and the changes in Tang court's strategy, Jin Yuxin guessed who sabotaged their century-old plan of Silla.

Before Chen Qingsi appeared, although Silla had lost its national dignity, it could still get a good response from the Tang court.

As a result, after the rise of Chen Qingsi, Tang Ting's strategy for Silla changed significantly. Their cry for help was disqualified, but they only received a few responses, so that the current Silla's strength was greatly reduced.

Jin Famin continued: "Now that Tang Ting has sent Fang Renyu to take charge of Baekje, we must do something. If Tang Ting is to stand firm in Baekje, it will not be easy to have a tiger beside him. The back-up man arranged by my uncle, Uncle A general of rank is probably not enough to drive Tang Ting out of Baekje."

Kim Yoo-shin held the pearl of wisdom in his hand and said: "So, we have to invite Buyeobong... He was sent to the Japanese country as a hostage when he was young. Now he is the only crown prince of Baekje who is living abroad. In the name of Buyeobong, he calls for the restoration of Baekje. .”

(End of this chapter)