Tiantang Splendid

Chapter 5296 A Feint

Zhang Liang is of high rank and seniority, and holds the official position of Governor-General of Luzon. If he disobeys orders and acts arbitrarily on the battlefield, Su Dingfang, as the naval commander, has no right to deal with him. Since it is not a matter of insufficient troops, why add an unstable factor?
Let Zhang Liang stay on "Princess Gaoyang Island" obediently, bully the savages, exploit the merchants, and not cause any trouble...

Wouldn't it be wonderful if we could go back to Chang'an to retire in a few years?

Yang Zhou laughed as well: "The Duke of Yunguo is a bit forgetful of what he's learned."

Upon hearing this, everyone couldn't help but laugh.

Back then, they intended to use their Duke title to suppress Fang Jun, but Fang Jun cut off their water and food supplies. Their huge warship drifted on the Yangtze River like a giant coffin. If they hadn't secretly transported some rice and grain by sampan in the middle of the night, they probably would have starved to death on the ship...

Now that he's come to the South China Sea, he seems to think his ducal title is useful again, and he's even thinking of getting involved in naval affairs.

The South China Sea is not the Yangtze River; it's all too common for a ship to sink unexpectedly there...

Su Dingfang smiled and shook his head: "He is, after all, the Duke of Tang and a meritorious official. As long as he doesn't cause trouble, we don't need to pay attention to him. Let him run wild on the island."

Liu Renyuan said, "All units are ready. Their weapons, provisions, and operational areas and strategic objectives are all in place. When will the war begin?"

Su Dingfang said, "We will wait for the imperial court's order."

Yang Zhou frowned and said, "Da Nang is thousands of miles away from Chang'an. If we have to obey the court's orders in everything, wouldn't that delay our chances of winning the war? A general in the field may not obey the emperor's orders. In the past, the commander-in-chief made the decisions on his own. Moreover, Zhang Liang attacked the islands without authorization, and the court did not seem to have any dissatisfaction."

Su Dingfang shook his head and said, "That's why the prime ministers in the court are already extremely dissatisfied with us acting on our own. This time, we should give them some face... Don't make things too tense and put the Grand Commandant in a difficult position."

The struggle between civil and military officials has always been severe and brutal. However, in the current environment, no matter how they fight, they must set a bottom line and limit the struggle to a certain scope as much as possible, rather than expanding it without limit.

Of course, it was less about obeying the imperial court's orders and more about waiting for Fang Jun's orders.

Just then, a soldier strode in and shouted, "Reporting to the Commander-in-Chief, an envoy sent by the Grand Commandant from Chang'an has arrived and requests to see the Commander-in-Chief to deliver the Grand Commandant's orders!"

"Please!"

Outside the door, Li Jinxing strode in, knelt on one knee and saluted: "This humble general, Li Jinxing, a naval captain, has been ordered by the Grand Commandant to inform the Commander-in-Chief that the battle will begin on the first day of the second month!"

All the generals in the hall stood up with a "whoosh".

Xi Junmai stepped forward and took the imperial edict presented by Li Jinxing with both hands, then handed it to Su Dingfang.

Su Dingfang quickly scanned the imperial edict, confirmed its accuracy, and then carefully put it away. He looked intently at Li Jinxing and asked, "Does the Grand Commandant have any further instructions?"

"The Grand Commandant has already departed from Chang'an for Huating Town. He will be stationed in Huating Town during the great battle, while the Commander-in-Chief will be fully responsible for commanding the battle. Battle reports will be sent to Huating Town by sea. If there are any decisions that cannot be made, please ask the Grand Commandant for consideration."

Su Dingfang nodded, a surge of pride welling up within him.

Fang Jun's reason for stationing himself in Huating Town was not to interfere with Su Dingfang's command of the battle, but to protect him. If they won, the credit would go to Su Dingfang; if there were any missteps, Fang Jun would take the blame.

This encourages him to act freely.

What more could one ask for than a superior who is honest, incorruptible, and willing to vouch for you in crucial moments?

"There is no need to issue a date for the start of the war for now. All departments should prepare themselves. When the time comes, we will start the war immediately! Everyone must follow the previously established battle plan and strive to annihilate the Lin-yi Kingdom in one fell swoop with lightning speed. We should also shift the battle line westward with all our might and advance by land and sea to destroy Zhenla!"

"Here!"

The generals responded in unison, their morale soaring and their spirits lifted.

Su Dingfang then looked at Li Jinxing. Although he had never met him before, he had heard of him before and knew that he was a member of the navy and had been stationed in Luoyang to serve as the bodyguard of Lady Wu. He must be a trusted confidant of Fang Jun, so he would not neglect him: "I have heard that Lieutenant Li is brave and skilled in battle, and his bravery is the best in the army. He should be incorporated into my command immediately and made the leader of the Trapped Camp. What do you think?"

Everyone looked toward Li Jinxing, whom they had only heard of before but never seen.

After the war began, Su Dingfang was stationed in the central army to command the battle. His elite troops were responsible for providing support to battlefields that had not progressed as planned. This was an extremely important responsibility, but also offered many opportunities for meritorious service, which shows how much Su Dingfang valued them.

Of course, no one objected. Who in the navy did not know that Lady Wu was a woman of exceptional character and skill, not inferior to any man?
Those who are entrusted with important safety responsibilities by her side are certainly not incompetent.

Li Jinxing was overjoyed upon hearing this and shouted, "I will obey the Commander's orders without hesitation, even unto death!"

"Good! Pass down the order: all troops, prepare for battle!"

"Here!"

……

Two days later, another imperial edict arrived, and along with the edict came a group of noble second-generation nobles and their accompanying personal guards and retainers, a bustling crowd of more than two thousand people, which blocked the dock completely.

After reading the imperial edict, Su Dingfang completely ignored these second-generation elites who came to "gild their resumes" and "gain seniority." He simply reorganized them all and handed them over to Liu Renyuan for command, leaving them aside. He only selected Li Jingren and incorporated him into Li Jinxing's elite infantry.

Li Jingren was moved to tears.

The Jiangxia Prince Li Daozong died in a mutiny. Although His Majesty did not implicate his family or strip them of their titles, a grave mistake had been made. Naturally, the court and the public were extremely resistant to and discriminated against the Jiangxia Prince's Mansion.

Therefore, Li Jingren was not afraid of death, but he was afraid of not being able to prove his innocence by dying.

While the Vanguard Camp was fraught with danger and its casualty rate often exceeded 50%, such a desperate opportunity would be impossible for any other unit, even with His Majesty's decree.

Su Dingfang patted his shoulder and said seriously, "What's there to be afraid of when our fathers lost their fame and titles? A true man should take them back on the battlefield! After the war starts, I will send you to the most dangerous place. If you are unlucky enough to lose your life, don't blame me."

Li Jingren shouted, "This humble general is only grateful to the Commander-in-Chief. Fighting for the country is my lifelong wish. Even if I am trapped in the enemy's ranks and die on the battlefield, I will not utter a single complaint!"

Su Dingfang smiled meaningfully: "If you are truly grateful, don't thank me, just thank the Grand Commandant."

Li Jingren was taken aback at first, then felt a warmth in his heart and almost shed tears.

Since his father's defeat and death, the Jiangxia Prince's Mansion has been shrouded in the shadow of "rebels." Relatives and friends avoid him like the plague, and those who were once on good terms with him and his father have all distanced themselves to protect themselves. No matter how grieving and questioned the entire Prince's Mansion is, no one has ever offered a helping hand.

Even Fang Jun and his friends stood by and did nothing.

This experience exposed him to the harsh realities of life, inevitably leaving him with some resentment.

It is now clear that Fang Jun was not afraid of being implicated and thus remained a bystander, but rather that he knew that no matter how much he helped in the past, it would be difficult to change the fact that he was a "traitor." Now that His Majesty has given his approval, Fang Jun immediately began to exert his efforts to provide assistance.

There were dozens of other second-generation nobles in the same group, while the rest were sidelined and sidelined, their records ultimately only containing a brief mention of "participation in the Central-South War," and nothing more. He, however, was singled out and joined the Vanguard Army, personally commanded by Su Dingfang…

The difference in treatment between them can be described as worlds apart.

……

That evening, Su Dingfang issued an order to launch a general attack on Tuolupuluo City at dawn the next day.

The generals in the hall looked completely bewildered.

Didn't we agree to start the war on the first day of February?

Today is only the 28th day of the first lunar month!

"The general offensive is a ruse. Tonight, the entire army is on high alert and will be thoroughly investigated for spies."

The generals then realized what was happening.

The Tang army that had gathered in Da Nang had reached 50,000 men. Most of them landed and prepared for battle, while a small number remained on the ships. After the surrender of Dharampura City, more than 30,000 men were withdrawn by ship to land and fight at places such as Chi Gun, Thonburi, and Sam Kang.

Including various logistical personnel, the total troop strength is around 70,000.

With such a large force gathered, it's impossible that there weren't enemy spies infiltrating and gathering intelligence. The reason for issuing a false order and making a feint was to eliminate a group of enemy spies infiltrating the army before the battle began.

Although no one believed that the mere city of Dharapura could stop the Tang army's advance, Su Dingfang still proceeded with extreme caution and meticulous planning, not allowing the slightest mishap.

The Grand Commander was being overly cautious...

*****
Dharapura is located more than 100 miles from Da Nang, inland, with mountains behind and rivers in front, and a superior geographical location. However, due to the limited terrain, the city was not large, only about 20 miles in circumference. Even with high walls and thick walls, it was still not very practical. It was far from Singhapura, the capital of the ancient Lin-yi Kingdom.

Night fell, and the crescent moon was faintly visible.

It was midnight, and the royal city was brightly lit.

Zhuge Di sat in the simple palace, his gaze sweeping over the faces of the ministers and generals before finally settling on his trusted minister, Kelun Wengding.

"Are the Tang people really so arrogant and domineering, vowing to destroy my Champa kingdom? Can you see clearly whether this is a trick or not?"

Before the Sui and Tang dynasties, the country was called "Lin-yi". After the Sui and Tang dynasties, the country called itself "Champa", but foreign countries still referred to it as "Lin-yi"...

Khrenongding, travel-worn and looking distressed, said, “I went to Chang’an but didn’t even see the Emperor of Tang. I only met with the Grand Commandant of Tang. He didn’t accept our gifts. Instead, he spoke harshly and aggressively, saying that Funan was a vassal state of Tang, and that Zhenla was acting like a subject over the emperor and committing treason. Tang was determined to send troops to conquer them and uphold the orthodoxy. We, Champa, were also included in the list of those to be conquered because we assisted Funan in persecuting its prince and his direct descendants. Now that the Funan prince has gone to Da Nang to complain, we are also included in the list of those to be conquered.”

One of the generals was furious and said angrily, "That's utter nonsense! Funan was destroyed by Zhenla decades ago, and its royal family has long been wiped out. How could there be any Funan prince surviving? They're just looking for an excuse to start a war against us!"

The rest of the people remained silent, their hearts pounding with fear, and they completely disregarded the general's words.

The Tang Dynasty was at its zenith, and conquering Champa would be a piece of cake. Why are you getting so worked up over some random excuse?
Just then, an official rushed in from outside and said urgently, "The Tang army in Da Nang has issued an order to launch a general offensive at dawn tomorrow!"

The hall was instantly thrown into chaos, filled with shouts of alarm.