Tiantang Splendid

Chapter 5273 A Must-Contend Land
Sensing something was amiss, Liu Ji quickly spoke up: "Funan was merely a country that had paid tribute to the Central Plains dynasties a few times in the past. The term 'vassal state' was just a humble way of putting it and should not be taken seriously. It has absolutely nothing to do with our Great Tang. Moreover, its territory is now entirely under the control of Zhenla. What reason does the Great Tang have to waste resources, weapons, and the lives of its soldiers to aid a country that has been extinct for over a century? There is no reason for it!"

The war with Lin Yi had already crossed his bottom line, and he only reluctantly agreed after much leniency. But the military actually went too far and wanted to start a war with Zhenla.
Is this never going to end?

So you're just thinking of constantly waging war to maintain the military's position, right?
wishful thinking!

Cui Dunli said calmly, "The Empire has no reason to go to war for a country that has been extinct for a hundred years. However, under the rule of King Ishanabha, Zhenla is now powerful and constantly annexing the territories of neighboring countries. Its influence has now spread to Panpan and Langyaxiu. Once these two countries are annexed, its influence will directly reach the Gorofusa Strait, threatening the Empire's maritime routes. If it is not stopped in time, the Empire's maritime trade will face great danger and the losses will be incalculable."

Panpan and Langyaxiu are both small countries on the peninsula south of Zhenla. Their national strength is simply no match for the powerful Zhenla. Once the peninsula is occupied by Zhenla, their military might can then threaten the Gorofusa Strait, the only sea route for East-West trade.

Li Ji said, "We'll have to fight sooner or later; this battle is unavoidable."

Liu Ji looked around and remained silent.

The military's claim that real wax would threaten maritime routes effectively hijacked all the powerful families, nobles, and relatives involved in maritime trade. Given the enormous profits they have made from maritime trade, who could stand idly by and watch this source of wealth be threatened in the future?

The silence of everyone present speaks volumes; their stance is already aligned with the military.

Moreover, the military has already come up with a reason to start the war...

He sighed inwardly and said, "Even so, we should be fully prepared to face such a powerful country with such a vast territory. The Ministry of War should prepare a detailed and rigorous plan for the Grand Council to review, then the Council of State Affairs should assess the expenses and costs, and finally His Majesty should decide whether to go to war."

Those guys in the navy are really cunning. One day they sent all the second-generation meritorious officials to serve in the fiefdoms of various princes, and the next day they were able to start the war again, so that those second-generation meritorious officials had no reason to participate. All the benefits brought by the war were swallowed up by the navy...

Li Chengqian didn't look at Cui Dunli, but frowned and asked Fang Jun, "Is it really necessary to fight?"

In a sense, his stance was consistent with that of Liu Ji and other civil officials, which was to limit the development and expansion of the military as much as possible.

The best way to limit war is to restrain it.

Despite all the constraints, the military not only waged a major battle in the Western Regions, but Xue Rengui even launched a rapid advance to attack Damascus, and was about to open a new battlefield in the Indochina Peninsula...

It's a lonely constraint.

Fang Jun said to the head eunuch, "Bring me a map of the Indochina Peninsula."

"Here!"

Wang De, who was serving nearby, quickly withdrew and soon brought back a map. Fang Jun got up, took it, and hung it on the wall of the imperial study. Li Chengqian also got up and stood in front of the map with his hands behind his back, and the other ministers stood behind him.

Thanks to the reforms Fang Jun implemented when he served as Minister of War, the surveying and mapping standards of the Tang Dynasty are now unparalleled in the world, and the mountains, rivers and waterways of the Indochina Peninsula are vividly depicted on paper, as if viewed from the palm of one's hand.

"The Indochina Peninsula is separated from China by mountains and rivers. It is surrounded by the sea on the east, south, and west. Its terrain is high in the north and crisscrossed by rivers, while the terrain gradually decreases and becomes flat in the south. There are also small peninsulas extending southward to guard the Korofuza Strait..."

After giving a brief introduction to the geography of the Southeast Peninsula, Fang Jun continued, "There are now more than ten countries and forces scattered across the peninsula. They seem to be a scattered mess, fighting each other and not worth worrying about. However, whether it is Lin Yi Kingdom, Zhenla Kingdom, or Pyu Kingdom further west, they all have the power to unify the peninsula... especially Zhenla Kingdom."

He gestured across the south-central part of the peninsula: "The country has a flat terrain, abundant water resources, and a pleasant climate that is extremely suitable for farming. Rice can be harvested three times a year. Because of its strong national power, none of the surrounding countries can pose a threat to it. As a result, its population has grown rapidly in recent years. In addition, Thonburi is an important supply point for maritime routes, attracting merchants from both the East and the West and absorbing both Eastern and Western cultures. Iron smelting, shipbuilding, and other technologies have developed rapidly... All of these have laid the foundation for it to become a regional power."

He turned around and looked at Li Chengqian and the ministers: "Your Majesty, gentlemen, do you know what kind of threat Zhenla will pose to the Tang Dynasty if it develops at its own pace and unifies the peninsula?"

Before anyone could answer, he turned again and drew a line across Annam and the Six Zhao regions, his tone steady: "Its development will inevitably extend northward, with the Annam Protectorate, controlled by the Empire, bearing the brunt. Annam is now extremely prosperous, with countless merchants and people migrating there, making it a vital financial center for the Empire. The losses from war there would be incalculable. Following closely behind is the Six Zhao region around Erhai Lake. When the Zhenla army marches north, how will the barbarian people of the Six Zhao resist? If the Six Zhao fall, Jiannan Road and Lingnan Road will be under their military threat. If Zhenla then makes contact with Tibet and coordinates with them to launch a surprise attack from the plateau… the entire southeast will be in chaos."

Li Chengqian's face was ashen as he looked at Fang Jun, who was talking animatedly with the other ministers while they were looking at the map.

Li Ji sighed and said, "If one day Zhenla unifies the peninsula, it will be like Goguryeo in the past."

Did Emperor Yang and Emperor Taizong of the Sui Dynasty really launch their campaigns against Goguryeo with the full force of the nation, as popular belief suggests, simply because they were ambitious and wanted to achieve lasting glory?

This was certainly one reason, but the bigger reason was the awareness that a unified and developing Goguryeo posed a significant threat to the empire's northeastern border. Rather than allowing it to develop and inevitably leading to war, it was better to strike first and prevent it from happening in the first place.

Today's Indochina Peninsula is just like Liaodong was back then.

Ma Zhou said, "Even if we destroy Zhenla, its territory is vast and crisscrossed by rivers. We can't possibly station hundreds of thousands of troops to govern it, can we? The empire can't afford such a drain. But even a centipede that dies doesn't fall down easily. Once the army retreats, those remnants will come out of the mountains and cause trouble again. Can we really go and wipe them out again and again?"

The empire is developing rapidly and its national strength is growing stronger. However, if it is bogged down in a large-scale and protracted war, it is very likely to fall into an inescapable quagmire and ruin its current excellent situation.

Therefore, it is not entirely unreasonable for the civilian government to repeatedly prevent the military from launching further wars.

War is a matter of vital importance to the state, a matter of life and death; it is imperative to examine it carefully…

Fang Jun pointed to several places along the southern coast of the Indochina Peninsula on the map and said, "Chigun, Thonburi, Samgang... these places are all located at the mouth of major rivers, with vast areas and flat terrain. We can build seaports to station naval forces in each of them, and then expand the cities to govern them. This way, we can firmly anchor ourselves on the peninsula, and the Tang army can move north smoothly and unstoppably at any time."

When he spoke of "expanding the city and building the seaport," he looked at Li Chengqian.

Li Chengqian met Fang Jun's gaze and immediately understood his intention... These three places could serve as the fiefdoms of a prince!
Although the place is far away, it is connected by sea. It seems remote but is actually rich in water and soil. It can not only resolve the threat of Zhenla, but also defend the southern border of the empire... It is really perfect!

However, we cannot voice such intentions. Otherwise, the reason of "going to war for the land of the prince's fiefdom" will inevitably be opposed by the civil officials. Not to mention that countless meritorious officials, nobles, and scions of powerful families will flock to us seeking military merit. If we are mixed in with these people, even if we win in the end, we will suffer too many losses for nothing.

Using imperial strategic security as a pretext would avoid many troubles.

Li Chengqian understood immediately and nodded, saying, "Zhenla is indeed a significant threat. The Ministry of War can combine it with the attack on Linyi Kingdom to create a comprehensive battle plan. It must be detailed, thorough, and foolproof. Then, submit it to the Grand Council for strict review by me and the other Grand Council ministers, and launch a war as soon as possible to eliminate the threat."

"Here."

Fang Jun responded loudly.

Liu Ji's face was grim. He had previously said that the Council of State Affairs should be involved in estimating the cost of grain and supplies, but now His Majesty only said that the Grand Council should be involved, clearly excluding the Council of State Affairs... Although he was dissatisfied, since it concerned the strategic stability of the empire's southern border, how could he disregard the overall situation?

Fortunately, Li Chengqian seemed to feel that it was inappropriate to exclude the Council of State Affairs from such a major battle, so he said gently, "After the battle plan is drafted, it will be sent to the Council of State Affairs for the prime ministers to review and estimate all expenses, and then to raise provisions for support. This battle is of great importance and cannot be lost. I hope that all my ministers will join hands and ensure victory."

"Here!"

The ministers responded in unison.

……

Inside the side hall, candles were lit, and several exquisite dishes were placed on the table, while a eunuch warmed yellow wine and placed it aside.

The emperor and his ministers sat facing each other and dined at the same table.

Generally, people of such high status eat separately, but occasionally dining at the same table signifies a privilege, or even a reward, demonstrating the monarch's favor and closeness. Only trusted ministers can receive such an honor...

Fang Jun poured wine from a pot, while Li Chengqian waved his hand to dismiss the eunuch beside him. There were only the emperor and his minister in the hall, so they could speak freely without any need for restraint.

Li Chengqian took a sip of yellow wine, gestured for Fang Jun to make himself at home, and then asked, "Does Erlang think that the Central and Southern regions are suitable for establishing a state?"

Fang Jun ate a bite of food and drank a sip of wine. Compared to baijiu, grape wine, and sanlejiang, he still felt that huangjiu was more palatable, and drinking more of it would not harm his health.

"I had some thoughts I didn't express earlier... The empire's land territory is basically fixed in the short term. All our efforts should be focused on governing Yunmengze and developing Lingnan, with a focus on the Six Zhao, not to mention Liaodong... We can harvest millions of acres of fertile land and settle tens of millions of people without expanding outwards. The Indochina Peninsula is naturally separated from the Tang Dynasty by rivers and geography. It can be used to settle princes and serve as a barrier for the empire's southern border. How can we allow it to remain isolated and become a threat to the southern border? The Indochina Peninsula is indeed a place that must be contested."