Capital Datang

After all the civil and military ministers withdrew, only Li Shimin and the people he named to stay were left in the hall.Li Yin is still lying on the stretcher. He was accompanied by Li Jingheng and Yan Bei just now, so he didn't feel anything, but now he is lying alone. He wants to stand but dare not stand. People's eyes are all focused on themselves, and that feeling is not to mention how uncomfortable it is.

Li Shimin asked Li Ke and Li Min to stay, but ignored them again. Instead, he said to Li Jing and the others: "Tubo is now full-fledged, and has always been rude to us, the Tang Dynasty. Today, the Tubo ambassador was beaten by these juniors. With the arrogance of Tubo in the past, they will definitely not swallow this breath, how do you think the princes should deal with it?"

"Your Majesty, Tubo has been arrogant for a long time, and my Tang Dynasty absolutely cannot back down on this matter, so my minister predicts that there will be troops to invade our Tang Dynasty in the future, so I hope Your Majesty will make a plan early." Fang Xuanling came out first and said.

"What Prime Minister Fang said is right!" Wei Guogong Li Jing also stood up and said, "If Tubo raises troops, it is very likely to march from Jiannan Road, which belongs to the southern border of the Tang Dynasty, and its military strength is already weak, and it is also close to the Southern Liuzhao. , Except for the Nanzhao, the other five of the six edicts are all on good terms with Tubo, which is more conducive to Tubo's sending troops."

"Well, what the two lovers said is reasonable. It seems that Tang Dynasty is ready to fight against Tubo." Li Shimin was also very clear-headed and agreed with Fang Xuanling and Li Jing's analysis.Li Yin, who was lying on the ground, admired Li Jing even more. He remembered that the first battle between Tubo and Datang was in Songzhou, Sichuan, which was indeed very close to Tubo and Liuzhao.Capital Datang 32

"Hou Qing, as Minister of the Ministry of War, I will let you introduce the current situation in Tubo!" Li Shimin pondered for a while, then turned his head and said to Hou Junji.Hou Junji was Minister of the Ministry of War at the time, and it was within his purview to collect intelligence on enemy countries.

"Yes, Your Majesty!" Hou Junji stood up and said fiercely with tiger eyes and eagle nose, "Tubo is located in the southwest of my Tang Dynasty, and there are only some Qiang tribes between me and Longyou Road. The northeast of the country is Tuyuhun, and the southeast is It is the Six Edicts. The current name of Zanpu in Tubo is Songtsan Gampo, the son of Nangri Lunzan. After Songtsan Gampo succeeded to the throne, he moved the capital from Pibocheng in the south of Shannan to Luoxie, and merged the tribes of Subi and Yangtong , broke Dangxiang and Bailan, defeated Tuyuhun, and obtained its old land. It is extremely powerful. Although it is not comparable to the ** in its heyday, it is still an enemy that cannot be underestimated..."

Hou Junji talked eloquently to everyone in the hall, mainly introducing the situation in Tubo from the military aspect.Li Yin probably listened for a while, feeling very disappointed with Datang's intelligence system. What top-secret information could he have heard so far?Who knew that Hou Junji's talk for a long time was all about military information, such as the size of Tubo's military strength?How is the military strength?Who is the main general?The general situation of the distribution of troops, etc., as for the domestic people's livelihood, politics, economy, etc., there is almost no valuable information.

Hou Junji talked for a long time, took a sip of tea at the end, and then added: "In addition to the powerful military, Tubo also occupies a favorable geographical position. It is impossible for the army to pass through, and the few passes are heavily guarded by Tubo troops, so it can be said that they are easy to defend and difficult to attack."

Speaking of this, Hou Junji hesitated for a moment, as if thinking about something difficult to explain, he thought for a while and then continued: "Besides, I heard from people who have been to Tubo that it is difficult for outsiders to adapt to the climate of Tubo, except for native Tubo people. For example, there are some Datang caravans. Once they enter the territory of Tubo, many people in the caravan will have symptoms such as headaches, vertigo, tinnitus, general fatigue, etc., and people will become very fragile. A wind chill can kill a person."

"Oh? There is such a thing in the world?" Li Shimin asked hesitantly. It was the first time for other civil and military officials to hear such a thing, and they began to discuss in low voices.

"Your Majesty, this matter is absolutely true. The Tubo people once boasted that it was the blessing of their great god, which gave Tubo an additional natural barrier. With this barrier, even if it has thousands of troops, it will prevent the country from stepping into it. Half a step from Tubo!" Hou Junji replied affirmatively.

"Although the matter of ghosts and gods is absurd, one must believe it..." After Li Shimin finished speaking, he fell silent, looking very entangled, and the other ministers were also clueless.The royal family of the Tang Dynasty claimed to be the descendants of Lao Tzu Li Er, so they highly respected Taoism. Most of the upper-class nobles believed in Taoism, and the most legendary things in Taoism were things like immortal longevity.In order to seek longevity, many princes and ministers are making alchemy and taking alchemy, even Li Shimin is no exception. There are many Taoist priests in the palace, and occasionally they will make some elixir for him.Therefore, although Li Shimin doesn't fully believe in ghosts and gods, it's not that he doesn't believe in them.

"Father, this is not the protection of ghosts and gods at all, it's just the Tubo people boasting!" At this moment, Li Yin who was lying on the stretcher suddenly stood up and said.

He suddenly figured it out just now, the scene he acted was probably seen through by Li Shimin and others, but he didn't expose them face to face, and Li Shimin probably did it on purpose to let him lie down like this.He was worried that he had no legitimate reason to stand up, and he couldn't admit to himself that I was faking it?Just then, when he heard that Li Shimin and his group were stunned by an altitude sickness, Li Yin was overjoyed, and simply put on a cheeky face. Anyway, since he is underage, it is normal to be a little rascal.

"Oh? Liuying, tell me!" Li Shimin was taken aback for a moment. Originally, he had other deep meanings in keeping Li Ke and Li Yin behind, but he didn't expect that Li Yin would dare to expose his lies and stand up. But he is a man after all. The open-minded emperor is now focusing on Tubo, and doesn't care much about Li Yin's details.The other civil and military ministers were also taken aback for a moment, and they probably didn't expect Li Yin to speak!

"Father, the thing that Lord Hou said that outsiders cannot adapt to the climate of Tubo is indeed true, but it is not so mysterious. It is almost worthless to put it bluntly, and it is not impossible to overcome it." Li Yin is confident. Said full.

"Oh? The old minister is ignorant. Please ask His Royal Highness King Liang for advice!" Hou Junji asked with an ugly face. After all, he is the Minister of the Ministry of War and is in charge of the military intelligence of the entire Tang Dynasty. He would know, and he would make it worthless, which made him look bad.

"Hehe, I don't dare to give advice. Master Hou has collected quite a lot of information about Tubo. Li Yin admires it very much!" Li Yin said with a smile to Hou Junji. Now that his strength is too weak, when it is really not time to offend anyone, having an eldest grandson Wuji is already enough for him, and he doesn't want another Hou Junji to make him feel uncomfortable.

Hou Junji was very proud of himself, so he wouldn't be angry with Li Yin, who was fourteen or fifteen years old. After hearing Li Yin's praise, his face immediately looked better.

Li Yin breathed a sigh of relief, and continued to speak: "Actually, the series of discomforts caused by outsiders after entering Tubo that Mr. Hou just mentioned, we can collectively call it altitude sickness."

"Altitude sickness? Plateau? Could it be related to the terrain?" Wei Guogong Li Jing talked to himself a few times, and suddenly his eyes lit up, as if he had thought of something.

"Wei Gong is really powerful. Just by this name, I can think of the key point. He deserves to be No. 1 in our Tang army!" Li Yin praised, for Li Jing, a legendary figure, Li Yin admired him from the bottom of his heart.

Hearing Li Yin call Li Jing "No.1 in the army", those rebellious generals all took it for granted, even Hou Junji, who thinks highly of himself, is no exception. This shows that Li Jing is in the army prestige.But it's no wonder that Li Jing retired early, and now he is only acting as a military adviser, not in charge of actual military power. After all, no matter how magnanimous Li Shimin is, he absolutely does not want someone in the army to threaten his status as emperor. figure.Capital Datang 32

"Hehe, His Royal Highness King Liang praised you absurdly. Where did this old man say he was No. 1 in the army?" Li Jing stroked his beard and smiled. He didn't pay much attention to Li Yin after the five kings banquet last time. However, he was very surprised. No matter in terms of demeanor, temperament, and knowledge, he was almost unmatched among the younger generation he had met. Even Li Ke, whom he had always been optimistic about, now stood beside Li Yin like a foil. Where is he still the dandy prince from before?

"Haha, pharmacist, you're being polite. Who doesn't know that you use soldiers like a god? If it weren't for your help from the crowd and the Qing family, where would my Tang Dynasty be as prosperous as it is now?" Li Shimin also said with a smile, and by the way, everyone present After boasting again, he turned his head to look at Li Yin and said, "Yin'er, you'd better talk about that so-called 'altitude sickness' quickly, and how can you solve this problem."

"Yes, father!" Li Min bowed and said, "The so-called altitude sickness, in fact, is simply because Tubo is located on a plateau, and the air is much thinner than in the plains. People like us who live on the plains, After rashly entering the plateau area, the body will inevitably experience some discomfort. In fact, if the symptoms are not very serious, as long as you adapt for a while, you will be fine."

"This... is so simple?" Hou Junji had an expression of disbelief. In order to figure this out, their military department spent a lot of manpower and material resources, but what they got in the end was still just a theory of ghosts and gods.

At this time, British Duke Li Ji also stood up suddenly and said: "His Royal Highness Liang said this, which reminds me of when I was young, I used to visit friends on the mountains, but I fell ill just one day after I went there. At the beginning, the symptoms were almost the same as Master Hou said, but then my condition worsened and I almost died, my friend hurriedly carried me down the mountain, and after a few days of recuperation, I recovered, I guess it was altitude sickness, right?"

"That's right, as long as it exceeds a certain height, after people who have lived in the plains all year round enter, they will inevitably have various reactions depending on their physique. However, some people's reactions are very weak, and even I don't even notice it. Some people react strongly, and if they don’t deal with it in time, they may even be in danger of their lives. At this time, the best way is to return to the plains quickly like the British Duke, and rest for a few days and they will be fine.” Li Min said again.

"Okay!" Li Shimin jumped up, "If it is true what Min'er said, then my Tang Dynasty only needs to find a base in Tubo and send troops to adapt to the climate there. Then why should I be afraid of mere Tubo children? Hahaha~"

Probably thinking of the feat of the horse stepping on Tubo in the future, Li Shimin looked up to the sky and laughed loudly, letting out the suffocation in his chest.The civil and military officials below were also discussing a lot, especially those generals, most of them had happy faces, and now they are finally going to fight again.Most of the civil servants frowned and thought about it, as if they were weighing the gains and losses of the war with Tubo.However, no matter whether it was a civil servant or a military general, they all looked at Li Yin with a hint of admiration at this time.

The eldest grandson Wuji in the crowd had been looking at Li Min coldly, until then he suddenly said: "Your Majesty, although the Tubo army is strong, to my Tang Dynasty, they are just a bunch of local chickens and dogs, but The army goes ahead without moving food and grass. If troops are raised in Jiannan and Tubo, the problem of food and grass must be solved first. Jiannan Road is under the attack of Tubo and Liuzhao. Although it is rich there, the traffic is blocked and it cannot support too many troops stationed , if the two armies confront each other, it will be extremely unfavorable to me, Datang."

What Changsun Wuji said, you are like a bucket of cold water poured down on your head, which immediately wakes up Li Shimin.Jiannan Road includes most of the later Sichuan Basin, as well as parts of Yunnan, Guizhou, and Gansu. Although the Sichuan Basin is rich, it is surrounded by mountains. In addition, it is rainy and the roads are extremely rough and difficult. The army of the Tang Dynasty It is estimated that it will cost a lot to enter there.

Li Shimin pondered for a while, then suddenly turned his head and asked Fang Xuanling: "Fang Qing, I remember that the year before last, Jiannan organized people to repair the roads. Has the traffic situation improved now?"

"This..." Hearing Li Shimin mention this matter, Fang Xuanling smiled wryly, "Your Majesty, Jiannan did organize hundreds of thousands of people to build roads the year before last, but it was rainy in the south, and the roads that had just been repaired were washed away by the rain. Immediately it became muddy and impassable, and now it is mostly deserted and in most places impassable at all."

In ancient times, roads were made of rammed earth, and they were most afraid of being washed away by rain. The Zhuque Street in Chang'an City was paved with bricks and stones, but this is just a street. If all the roads in Datang were paved with bricks, it would probably mean that the Datang government went bankrupt. Can't finish it either.

"Hiss~" After hearing Fang Xuanling's words, everyone here gasped. The roads built by hundreds of thousands of people were completely destroyed by rain in less than two years. Before, they only knew that there were many roads in the south Rain, but I didn't expect it to be so strong.

Li Jing stood up again at this time and said: "Actually, Master Changsun is too worried. Compared with my Tang Dynasty, Tubo is much worse in every aspect, so the old minister predicts that even if Tubo invades our Tang Dynasty this time, it will definitely not It's just a test, and I dare not fight to the death with my Great Tang, so my Great Tang only needs to send an elite soldier to destroy Tubo's arrogance, and then Tubo will definitely retreat."

It has to be said that Li Jing's vision is vicious, and he can see the general trend between Datang and Tubo at a glance. test.

Li Yin next to him admired Li Yin even more. As far as he knew, in the Songzhou battle between Datang and Tubo, Tubo invaded Datang with 20 troops and surrounded Songzhou. It turned out that after killing thousands of Tubo troops, the Tubo people immediately retreated. Songtsan Shibu even wrote a confession letter in his own handwriting, and the aggressive Songzhou battle ended like this.

"Hahaha~, the hero sees the same thing, and I think so too!" Li Shimin clapped his hands and laughed, but soon his face turned worried again, "It's easy to defeat Tubo's arrogance, but this battle also exposed Jiannan Dao. I am afraid that with the strengthening of Tubo's strength in the future, there will be another dissent towards Jiannan Road. It seems that it is reasonable to strengthen the connection between Jiannan and Guanzhong, but this road..."

When Li Shimin said this, his brows were tightly frowned, and the officials below were also helpless. Road construction is not a problem, but the problem is that it will be unusable soon after it is repaired. A lot of manpower and material resources have been spent on it. , Datang's treasury can't afford such consumption.In fact, not only Jiannan, but also the strong regions of the Tang Dynasty south of the Yangtze River have road problems. Everyone knows that the south is rich and prosperous, but transportation has always been a big problem. After all, no matter how much production is produced, it is useless if it cannot be transported.

"Father, my son and minister have something to offer, which can solve the road problem!" At this time Li Yin suddenly stood up and said, seeing the Tang Dynasty's monarchs and ministers frowning because of a road problem, Li Yin secretly smiled in his heart. For this modern person, it is really a piece of cake. Taking it out can not only please his cheap father, but also make a fortune easily. It is simply killing two birds with one stone. . ..