The Flourishing Tang Dynasty: Beginning with Marrying Yang Yuhuan

Chapter 300 Thinking about retreating
Zhang Mujin then fed Li Heng the medicine.

Li Heng said, "When Feng Changqing takes the former King of Dabolü to Liangzhou, I will have to go back to Chang'an. Every time I go back to Chang'an, there are undercurrents."

Yang Yuhuan smiled and said, "I still cannot accompany you back."

"There has to be an explanation." Li Ying said.

Yang Yuhuan took Li Heng's hand and touched her abdomen, and said happily: "I'm pregnant again."

"Really?" Li Heng was overjoyed. "How long has it been?"

"More than a month." Yang Yuhuan's face was full of joy. "Sister Mujin is pregnant too."

Li Ying looked at Zhang Mujin, took the medicine bowl from her hand, and said, "Then how can I let you serve me? You should take care of your health."

Zhang Mujin said: "I know how to take care of my body and I will serve Your Highness well."

"Life is like this, what else can I ask for?" Li Ying reached out and gently stroked Zhang Mujin's beautiful face. "From now on, you don't have to call me Your Highness. It seems strange. Just call me the same as the princess."

"Yes." Zhang Mujin looked up at Li Ying.

She came from a family of officials and knew the extravagant life of noblemen. Therefore, it was very rare that Li Heng, with his current status and power, could still treat her the same way.

In that case, what else is there for her to fight for?
She remembered what Zhang Jun had said to her: "You have been married to His Royal Highness Prince Shou for ten years. His Highness must have been tired of you. The reason he did not abandon you is because you are useful to him. If you want to keep your current position, you can only become more useful."

She was skeptical at the time, but now she doesn't believe it at all.

Zhang Jun didn't know that she had known that Li Heng was faking illness since she started following him. If Li Heng really disliked her and was cruel, she and the Zhang family would never be able to leave Anxi. However, Li Heng never doubted her or restricted her freedom. On the contrary, he took her to Chang'an several times and left all aspects of life in the palace to her.

Li Ying's behavior was just as he said just now. He would not blame her, but if she went astray, they would all be finished.

Thinking of this, Zhang Mujin could not help but lean into Li Heng's arms and said, "Your Highness..."

Li Heng interrupted, "What did you call me?"

Zhang Mujin said: "Ah Lang treats me like this, I have no regrets in this life."

Li Heng put down the medicine bowl, touched Zhang Mujin's head, and said, "We are not separated by life or death now, so why do this? Go and have someone pack up and follow me back to Liangzhou tomorrow. I will stay with you in the mansion this winter."

"Yeah." Zhang Mujin stood up, kissed Li Ying, and left happily.

Li Heng watched Zhang Mujin leave and said to Yang Yuhuan, "Do you remember why Mujin followed me in the beginning?"

Yang Yuhuan said: "He is a hostage, and also a hidden stake."

Li Ying said: "There are still secret agents in the mansion."

"My dear, do you want to get rid of it now?" Yang Yuhuan asked.

Li Heng shook his head and said, "Not for the time being. As long as you and Mu Jin are careful, the secret agents will be good for us. Otherwise, how can the emperor be at ease?"

"That's right." Yang Yuhuan nodded. "The sage asked you to go to Liangzhou because he wanted to take away your power in Longyou. You pretended to be sick in order to give the sage an excuse. It's really difficult for you."

Li Heng said: "Handing over the rights of Longyou is a good thing for me."

"Why is this?" Yang Yuhuan asked puzzledly.

Li Heng said: "With the troops of four towns, I can make mistakes if I am right, unless I continue to use troops against Tubo. But now it is no longer appropriate to fight against Tubo." "Why?" Yang Yuhuan asked again.

Li Ying smiled and said, "Why are you listening to this?"

Yang Yuhuan looked at Li Heng with an expression of admiration and said, "Every time I listen to you talk about military and political affairs, I feel that you are shining and dazzling. I like this feeling very much."

"You're praising me to death?" Li Heng smiled even more. "But I like it, so I'll tell you about it."

"Okay." Yang Yuhuan looked serious.

Li Heng said: "Before the war with Tubo, I submitted a letter to the court and offered three strategies."

"I know." Yang Yuhuan recalled, "My Lord summarized it as slow progress, making friends far away and attacking those near, and provoking internal conflicts in Tubo."

Li Heng nodded and said, "The court did not accept the proposal at that time and was anxious to let Geshu Han march forward, which resulted in the death of 30,000 soldiers in Longyou and the loss of a large amount of baggage and food. If it were not for this, I would not have to take out Anxi's family property and let Feng Changqing involve Tubo in the west."

Yang Yuhuan sighed and said, "The court made a mistake, and you came to make amends. Afterwards, I have to be more wary of you."

Li Heng smiled back, expressing his agreement, and continued, "Now that the court has seen the situation clearly, it is likely to adopt my previous strategy."

Yang Yuhuan said: "It's a last resort."

Li Heng said: "The Tubo national strength is not weak. We were able to take back most of the Qinghai Lake and the Yellow River Nine Bends. We have already mobilized the troops of the four towns. If we fight further, our logistics will not be able to support it, and the Tubo will be more united."

Yang Yuhuan said, "If it weren't for your master's military prowess, I'm afraid we wouldn't be able to retake Shibao City."

Li Ying said: "You always find ways to praise me."

"I'm telling the truth." Yang Yuhuan smiled sweetly.

Li Heng said: "The reason why the war can be fought like this is mainly because the Tang Dynasty is strong and has a profound foundation. The four towns in Longyou Road have well-trained soldiers and sufficient food, and the generals are all good at fighting. Now most of the land of Qinghai Lake and the Nine Bends of the Yellow River have been recaptured. The best strategy for the future is to accept Tubo's request for peace on the surface, and secretly make friends with distant countries and attack nearby ones, provoke internal conflicts in Tubo, and once Qinghai Lake and the Nine Bends of the Yellow River are developed, we can move our logistics base forward and then proceed to the next step of the battle."

"This is what is called nibbling away at the enemy step by step." Yang Yuhuan understood a little, "Even if you are in charge of Longyou now, you can't launch the next attack on Tubo in a short time."

"That's right." Li Heng nodded. "Li Mi had already reached the capital of Nanzhao before, but was still defeated by Nanzhao in one battle. War is like this. You can win a hundred times, but if you lose once, you may lose everything you put in. Tubo's complex plateau environment, coupled with our logistical pressure, if we attack now, we will be defeated before we can reach the capital of Tubo."

Yang Yuhuan suddenly realized and said, "So you should withdraw in time to protect yourself, and wait until the Tang Dynasty is ready to attack again. At that time, with your current achievements, the saint will definitely appoint you as the commander-in-chief again."

Li Heng nodded.

"What happens after that?" Yang Yuhuan pondered, lowering her voice, "Besides, the Saint is very old now, can he hold on until..."

Li Heng understood what Yang Yuhuan meant.

Yang Yuhuan was thinking, what can he do if he gets power again at that time? Moreover, if Li Longji died and was replaced by Li Heng, not only would Li Heng not use him, but there is a high probability that he would target him.

Li Heng secretly said in his heart: "According to the time, the gunpowder barrel in Hebei should have exploded by then. I will find a way to make it explode at the right time. As for my father, his greatest characteristic is that he can survive."

Li Ying thought to himself and said faintly: "That might be the key to victory or defeat."

Yang Yuhuan didn't know what Li Heng was talking about, but she believed in him and didn't ask any more questions. She changed the subject and asked, "When my husband comes back from Chang'an this time, can we go back to Qiuci?"

Li Ying shook his head and said, "I'm afraid not."

(End of this chapter)