Tiantang Splendid

Chapter 5122 Conflicting Interests
Moreover, they had to cross mountains, swamps, grasslands, and cities. Even with an army of 200,000 well-equipped troops, they could not push all the way to the city of Damascus. After all, even if the Arab army was defeated, the various passes and cities along the way would be enough for them to get the opportunity to gather and rest. With obstacles everywhere and snipers at all times, how many Tang soldiers would die in the battle?

How much food, fodder and military equipment will be consumed?
No matter how rich and powerful the Tang Dynasty was, it would be impossible for it to support such a war!
Besides, the Western Regions are vast and sparsely populated. How could the Tang army mobilize an army of 200,000?

Will all the sixteen guards stationed in Guanzhong and protecting the capital be transferred to the Western Regions?

If this is true, the Tang Dynasty will inevitably fall into turmoil, and there is even the possibility that the country will fall and the country will change hands...

No matter how incompetent the Emperor of the Tang Dynasty was, or how much he favored Fang Jun, there was no way he would support him in fighting such a war.

Moreover, even if the emperor agreed, it would be impossible for the civil and military officials in the court to agree.

Fang Jun smiled and poured tea for Lu Dongzan: "It's just bluffing. We will spread slogans like 'revenge for every grievance, blood debt for blood' and 'if the enemy can go, I can go too'. Once the enemy is defeated, we will chase and kill them for a while, which will surely make Damascus panic and afraid to gather the defeated soldiers to organize a counterattack. Naturally, we can take the opportunity to expand the victory. As for really attacking Damascus, it's of course a joke. The Prime Minister will not believe it, right? Haha!"

Lu Dongzan: “…”

He had a headache facing Fang Jun.

Although he always claims to be a smart man, he is unable to predict Fang Jun's intentions and movements every time. This guy's behavior and way of thinking are completely inconsistent with the current mainstream, and are often unexpected and unpredictable.

He certainly believed that the Tang army was incapable of pursuing the Arab army and heading straight for Damascus, and he did not think that Fang Jun was a warmongerer or a madman. But why did he always feel that whether it was Fang Jun, Pei Xingjian, or Xue Rengui, they all exuded a heroic and murderous spirit?
I always feel like these guys are going to do something big...

*****
Changan.

The sky was gloomy, and snowflakes fluttered down onto the palace roof, covering the black and yellow glazed tiles, leaving only a hint of red walls and newly painted columns.

It was warm as spring in the imperial study.

Liu Li knelt in front of Li Chengqian, unable to hide the heavy bags under his eyes, and looked listless. He sighed and said, "It's not that I don't want to do the job, nor am I trying to hinder it, but the letters from the Grand Marshal are coming in like snowflakes, and a thick pile has accumulated on the desk of the Secretariat. Each letter is asking for food, cotton clothes, and military equipment... I have coordinated with the various central departments to meet their needs as much as possible, but I still can't satisfy the Grand Marshal."

Li Chengqian was surprised and said, "In the past two years, the weather in Guanzhong has been good, and there has been rice imports from overseas. As far as I know, the granaries everywhere are full. In addition, the cotton harvest is good, and both cotton weaving and cotton clothing sewing are going smoothly. Why is the Minister of the Central Secretariat still in such a dilemma?"

He was just pretending to be surprised.

Since ancient times, the reason for the conflict between civil and military forces is the difference in their interests. Once a war breaks out, the military, whether it is to prepare as much food and fodder as possible to ensure victory, or to embezzle and manipulate, always complains that there is not enough food and fodder, and keeps asking the central government for more, like a gluttonous beast that can never be satisfied.

In order to maintain the operation of the country and implement various policies, the central government always tried every means to cut the military's supply, giving eight ounces for one pound and five dou for one stone...

The two sides were arguing endlessly.

It's okay to argue, but if you're holding back, that's too much...

Liu Li understood the meaning of His Majesty's words, but he did not explain too much. Instead, he smiled bitterly and said, "Your Majesty, the food and fodder mobilized by the Grand Commandant are enough to supply the Anxi Army to fight peacefully for three years. Such a large-scale allocation of materials has caused prices in Guanzhong to rise, and the treasuries everywhere have complained. Now, every day when I open my eyes, I have to rack my brains to think about where to squeeze out materials to send to the Western Regions. It is really exhausting."

Ma Zhou on the side looked up at him without saying anything, but he felt dissatisfied in his heart.

What does “supply the Anxi Army for three years” mean?
Are you implying to Your Majesty that the Anxi Army is now strong in men and horses and has abundant supplies, and can even start a civil war?

These words were said very skillfully, as if saying them openly would make him appear upright, without any hint or slander, but the meaning was expressed in a real way, which could be considered an open conspiracy.

But Ma Zhou would not argue with him.

Li Chengqian waved his hand and said, "If the Arabs want to attack the Western Regions, they will come out in full force and exert the whole country's strength. They are coming with great momentum and are determined to win. Erlang is alone in facing a powerful enemy with a small force. He dare not make the slightest mistake. It is also a matter of course to prepare food and fodder in advance. The Minister of the Central Secretariat should do his best and not be lazy."

His relationship with Fang Jun is now very complicated.

But no matter what, he didn't believe Fang Jun would do anything rebellious...

Liu Li said awkwardly: "I will obey your order and do my best."

We will certainly try our best, but we will definitely not meet the amount of food, fodder and supplies that Fang Jun requested. It's not that he is dragging his feet or ignoring the stability of the border and the lives of the soldiers, but the amount that Fang Jun requested is too huge and it is simply impossible to do it, so we can only do it with our best efforts.

Fang Jun also knew that his request was too high, and he was also trying to "aim for the best and get the middle", asking for a high price and paying back on the spot.

Military generals have always done this, it's considered routine operation...

"Where did Zuo Wuwei arrive?"

"Your Majesty, we have arrived at Xiaoguan, but the heavy snow and difficult mountain roads have delayed our journey. We will reach Chang'an in a few days."

Li Chengqian nodded: "Send a message to Duke Lu, telling him not to rush on the road, to prevent the soldiers from getting hurt."

"Your Majesty is so kind. I will send someone to deliver a message to Duke Lu later."

"Ah."

Li Chengqian nodded, looked at Liu Li, and said soothingly: "The Tang Dynasty and the Arabs are the two most powerful countries in the world today. The rest are small countries and are not worth mentioning. Therefore, the Arabs are raising troops to invade and fight in the Western Regions. This is a battle to lay the foundation for the Tang Dynasty to become the hegemon. If we win, we can develop the empire to a higher level within a hundred years. If we lose, the achievements made since the Zhenguan period will be wasted. In addition, the external environment is bad, and many Hu tribes are ready to move... You are the Minister of the Central Secretariat, so you naturally know this, so you should put aside your prejudices, work together, and win this battle!"

Liu Li was startled. His Majesty's warning was so obvious, obviously because he was afraid that he would hinder Fang Jun. He could not explain at this time, so he could only express his position: "Your Majesty, rest assured. As the Minister of the Central Secretariat, my duty is to assist Your Majesty in handling government affairs. It is my responsibility to allocate supplies and support the border. I will never slack off and will do my best to support the Anxi Army."

Li Chengqian did not comment, and said to Ma Zhou: "The Minister of the Court should also assist the Minister of the Secretariat to do this. The soldiers are climbing ice and snow, fighting bloody battles on the frontier, and they put their lives at risk. We, who are in the rear, must ensure the logistical supply of the soldiers. This battle cannot be lost, and we cannot lose because of the lack of logistics!"

The place with the richest resources in the world is Jingzhao Prefecture. As the Jingzhao Yin, if Ma Zhou can assist Liu Li, he will naturally get twice the result with half the effort.

Ma Zhou sat upright and said, "Yes!"

Liu Li looked normal, but he felt very disappointed in his heart.

……

Liang Guogong Mansion.

In the backyard, Princess Gaoyang looked up and down at the pure and beautiful Princess Qinghe Li Jing, and said with a smile: "Sister is a rare guest. Since you are here today, you must stay for dinner. Let me show my hospitality. Let us sisters have a drink and have a good chat."

Li Jing smiled gently and said softly, "I am a quiet person by nature and don't like socializing. I stay at home most of the time and don't go out. I can't come to visit you all the time, which makes my sister angry."

Princess Gaoyang held her hand affectionately and said with a smile, "You are my elder sister, so I should go to visit you. However, recently my husband and the old master have had different ideas and have been doing something dirty, so I can't come to your house without permission. I apologize here."

Li Jing patted Princess Gao Yang's hand and sighed, "No matter what, you and I are related by blood. No matter how dirty their men are, we must not be estranged."

The two sisters argued for a while, but in the end, Li Jing gave in first.

After all, I came here today to ask for a favor...

Princess Gaoyang also understood that Li Jing wanted to ask for something. Although both of them were dissatisfied, as Li Jing said, they were connected by blood after all, so there was still some affection.

Then she dismissed the maid, leaving only the two sisters in the hall, and then she asked, "Sister, are you here today for something?"

Although Princess Qinghe had a gentle face and soft tone, she was a straightforward person. She nodded and said, "I do have something to ask you, sister."

Princess Gaoyang smiled and said, "You and I are sisters, we should help each other. If you need help from your sister, just tell her directly. Why do you need to ask for help? It's too distant."

Princess Qinghe said solemnly, "This is a serious matter. Sister, please consider it carefully. If you can do it, then do it. If you can't do it, I won't force you."

Princess Gaoyang asked curiously, "What's going on?"

Princess Qinghe said, "My father-in-law bought a batch of cotton fields in Hexi in the name of Zuo Wuwei, which are several thousand acres, and he intends to transfer them to my name. You also know that the family business of Duke Lu's mansion will definitely be inherited by my uncle in the future. Although I have some dowry, I will be quite embarrassed after the division of the family in the future. My husband is not capable of doing anything, so my father-in-law intends to use these cotton fields as compensation."

"That's a good thing, what's the problem?"

Cheng Chuliang is a real playboy who has no interest in economics or a career in politics. He spends his days enjoying himself in the mountains and rivers. In the future, he will not get much of the family property of Duke Lu. It will be difficult for him to support the whole family with just the princess's dowry.

Princess Qinghe looked at Princess Gaoyang and said softly, "But now some people think that those cotton fields are not legitimate and may impeach the father-in-law. Naturally, we have to prevent them from falling into my name, so I came here today to ask my sister for help."