Tiantang Splendid

Chapter 5297 Missing an Opportunity
"Shut up!"

The hall was noisy, so loud that Zhuge Di's head ached. He slammed his hand on the table and shouted angrily.

All the civil and military officials were startled and immediately shut their mouths.

Zhuge Di spread his right hand and pressed his thumb and middle finger on both temples, while Qiangzi calmly thought it over.

He had misjudged the current situation and offended the Tang people too much. The Tang army had mobilized its main naval force to Da Nang, and it was now a foregone conclusion that they would attack the city of Dharampura.

Over the years, the Tang navy has dominated the oceans and been invincible, yet it has never been known that the Tang army is arrogant. Every battle is well-prepared and fought with all its might, and no negligence or mistakes caused by arrogance or laxity are tolerated.

Even if a hawk swoops down on a rabbit with absolute certainty, one must still tirelessly employ feints before battle to minimize losses and maximize gains.

Su Dingfang was a famous general of the Tang Dynasty. Over the years, he had made a name for himself overseas and intimidated foreign countries. How could he be so easily discovered and communicated by spies buried in the Tang army camp about the time of his general attack?
"not good!"

Zhuge Di's expression changed drastically, and he slammed his fist on the table: "We've been tricked by the Tang people!"

The others were puzzled, but Kelvin asked curiously, "What do you mean by that, Your Majesty?"

Zhuge Di said angrily, "The Tang people are cunning. They must have deliberately leaked false information to mislead our spies into thinking that they had obtained important intelligence. Therefore, they disregarded the cost to spread the information, hoping that we could know in advance and prepare a response... If I am not mistaken, our spies planted in Da Nang have now been uprooted and wiped out in one fell swoop."

Everyone was taken aback, but their reactions varied.

Some people were worried: "If this is the case, we will no longer be able to grasp the strength and weakness of the Tang army. We are already weak, and we will be even less able to resist them! It seems that it will be very difficult to win with fewer troops. We can only go all out and be prepared to die rather than live in dishonor!"

This is the pro-war faction.

Others disagreed: "Whether or not there are spies, or whether we can know the Tang army's movements in advance, is actually irrelevant. With the Tang army's combat strength, what difference would it make if we knew their battle plan in advance? The Tang army's advance is unstoppable."

These are the surrender faction.

"In the past, we might have been able to detect the Tang army's battle plans and attack directions in advance. If we could win with fewer troops, that would be the best outcome. At the very least, we could escape their attack range and retreat into the mountains to try and make a comeback. Now that we have lost all our intelligence and are constrained at every turn, we might as well take the initiative to seek out the Tang people for negotiations."

This is a neutral party that changes course with the wind.

Zhuge Di pondered for a long time, then looked at Kelun Wengding: "Sir, when you go to Chang'an, you should know the attitude of the Tang Dynasty towards the Kingdom of Lin-yi. Do you think there is any possibility of negotiation?"

He naturally wanted to negotiate, and he never thought of going to war with the Tang Dynasty. However, he misjudged the Tang Dynasty's attitude towards foreign countries out of greed and was deceived by the Tang Dynasty's so-called national policy of "not taking overseas territories".

As a result, I'm now stuck in this predicament, feeling lost and helpless.

Khren Ongding smiled bitterly, shook his head under everyone's gaze, and sighed, "The Tang navy has at most 60,000 to 70,000 men, with the main force only accounting for half of them. Yet now nearly 50,000 men have gathered in Da Nang, which shows that the main force has been deployed... Why would they need so many troops to attack our Dharapura City? It is clear that the Tang people's slogan of 'reproaching the rebels and maintaining the legitimate dynasty' is not just empty talk, but they really intend to do it."

For any dynasty, "legitimacy" means "right to rule," which is the foundation of its existence and all legal principles, and it will never tolerate "usurpation." This principle is not only applied to its own country but also extended to all its vassal states.

"Maintaining the legitimacy of the vassal state's calendar" can be considered one of the suzerain states' greatest responsibilities.

This is unparalleled political correctness, a hard stick as solid as iron; anyone who dares to violate it will be punished.

After a pause, Kronen said, "Moreover, our Champa is in no different condition from that of Zhenla."

The throne of Lin Yi Kingdom belonged to the Fan family. Fan Zhenlong was killed by you, and the throne was stolen by you. You are also a "usurper"!
Zhuge Di gritted his teeth in anger: "Is it true that might makes right? What about justice and fairness? I am a 'usurper,' Zhenla is a 'usurper,' but isn't the Great Tang also a 'usurper'? Who in this world isn't a 'usurper'? Can't I also raise an army in the name of the former Sui imperial family to punish this traitorous Tang dynasty?"

Kelunweng said helplessly, "Logically speaking, it is certainly possible... but as you said, only the bigger the fist can prevail over reason. Your fist is not as big as that of the Tang Dynasty, so naturally no one will listen to or believe your reasoning."

Linyi has been independent of Xianglin County since the end of the Han Dynasty and has since established itself as a kingdom. It has continued to this day through many dynastic changes and has a history that is not short. In the historical books written in Chinese, there has always been only "survival of the fittest" and "the strong bullying the weak". Where has "justice" or "principle" ever been mentioned?
Zhuge Di exhaled, looked around, and said in a deep voice, "While the Tang army's leaked information about the time of the general offensive is very likely false, the date of the general offensive must be not far off. What do you all think we should do?"

The pro-war faction said: "We will meet force with force and water with earth. The Tang people are indeed powerful, but this is our home ground. With the city's strong defenses and the unity of our army and people, we will surely wear down the Tang people under the walls of Tuolupura. Once the Tang people run out of steam, it will be time for us to launch a counterattack and wipe out the foreign invaders! Our king's prestige will surely shake the world and we will be invincible!"

The peace faction glared at them angrily: "Do you intend to drive our king to the brink of destruction? The Tang people are fierce and invincible. Wherever their army marches, Tuoluobuluo City will be reduced to dust! Linyi will be reduced to ashes! The ancestral temples will crumble and the state will be overthrown. You are all sinners against Linyi! Only by initiating peace talks and making concessions can we protect our king, our ancestral temples, and our nation!"

Kelun Wong offered a strategy: "A decisive battle with the Tang army is a poor choice. The Tang army's firearms are incredibly powerful. No matter how high the walls of Tuolupuluo City are, they cannot withstand the Tang army's gunpowder. It would be better to gather money, food, and treasures as soon as possible, gather nearby troops, and retreat into Changshan before the Tang army arrives. While relying on the mountain ravines to maneuver against the Tang army, we can also seek help from Zhenla."

Changshan runs almost parallel to the coastline from north to south. To the east of the mountain range is Linyi, and to the west is Zhenla. With its high mountains, dense forests, and crisscrossing waterways, the Tang army would be helpless even if they doubled their strength, as long as they hid within it.

After much deliberation, the civil and military officials reluctantly decided to follow the advice of Kelunweng.

However, before retreating, it is imperative to seize all the wealth and provisions within and outside the city; otherwise, if they retreat into the deep mountains without money or food, the army will inevitably mutini.

Zhuge Di was a formidable figure of his time. Although he was extremely reluctant to abandon the city and fertile fields and retreat into the deep mountains, once he made the decision, he did not hesitate any longer. He immediately ordered his troops to assemble and deploy on the west side of Tuolupuluo City to guard against the Tang army's attack. In addition, he dispatched his trusted troops to plunder the city. Whether it was money, silk, grain, treasures, or beautiful women, he took everything he could, leaving the Tang army with not a single coin or grain of rice.

However, such large-scale looting and plundering, disregarding military discipline and laws, led to the increasingly severe and brutal methods of the troops under their command. Initially, they ordered all the people and merchants in the city to hand over money, silk and grain. Then, they broke into the homes of those who were stubborn and allowed their troops to plunder, until it developed into wanton looting, rape, arson and murder. The entire city of Tuolupura was filled with smoke and dust and the howling of ghosts.

Zhuge Di only realized the situation belatedly and was greatly alarmed, so he hurriedly ordered his troops to be disciplined.

Although he has retreated this time, he will still come back. If he causes a public outcry now, how will he have the face to return in the future?

The throne was seized through usurpation. If the people of Linyi not only do not support him but also regard him as an enemy, then his foundation will be completely severed!

However, at this very moment, more than 10,000 Tang troops set off from Da Nang and suddenly appeared 30 miles west of the city in just two days, their forces heading straight for the city of Tarapura.

Zhuge Di watched helplessly as the opportunity to retreat was lost due to the chaos in the city, and he was immediately overwhelmed with worry and fear.

……

"Is the city of Dharapura engulfed in arson, murder, and looting, and the people in chaos?"

Liu Renyuan, who was in charge of the attack on Tuolupuluo City, had just arrived thirty miles west of the city and was facing off against the enemy across a small river when he received news from inside the city, which left him completely bewildered.

"Exactly! Zhuge ordered the collection of money, silk, and grain from the entire city. Many people and merchants opposed this and were suppressed by the army. The unrest intensified and the number of opponents increased. The suppression gradually turned into a massacre. Now, the city of Tuolupura is filled with piles of corpses and rivers of blood. Almost half of the people and merchants have been brutally murdered."

"It seems Zhuge Di is planning to flee!"

Liu Renyuan stroked his beard, lost in thought.

Making such a judgment is not difficult. When a country is about to perish, some will rise up in resistance and perish with the entire city, while others will abandon the city and flee to survive alone. However, if the city's food and wealth have been searched, it can only mean that it is a strategic retreat to avoid the enemy's sharp edge, hoping to make a comeback.

Liu Renyuan had his personal guards hang up a map of Tuolupuluo City. He carefully searched the map with his eyes and quickly thought through the information.

Although Zhuge Di was still in the city, since he had ordered the looting of money and provisions, he must have already made preparations for retreat. However, the looting process unexpectedly encountered resistance, which delayed the retreat.

Even so, by sacrificing one unit to resist the Tang army's attack and thus "cutting off the tail to survive," they could still quickly escape from Tarapura City.

They didn't have enough time to surround the entire city.

So, in which direction will Zhuge retreat?

To the east of Tuolupuluo City lies the continuous, high-ridged, and densely forested Changshan Mountains. It seems that one could easily escape the Tang army's pursuit by simply hiding in the mountains... However, Zhuge Di's army numbered over ten thousand, along with domestic nobles and their families, plus merchants and commoners willing to follow him, bringing the total number to over twenty or thirty thousand.

Finding a place to settle down for so many people is no easy task; we need to ensure their safety while also maintaining control of the troops to prevent them from becoming too dispersed...

Liu Renyuan's gaze lingered on Wuwenling.

The Changshan Mountains are steep on the east side and gentle on the west side. There are many mountain passes connecting east and west among the towering mountains. The eastern exit of one of these passes is located at Wuwenling.

The steep slopes and gentle peaks here allow for the garrisoning of tens of thousands of people, enabling them to advance or retreat as needed, and, when necessary, to directly evacuate westward through the mountain pass into Zhenla territory.

After a moment's consideration, Liu Renyuan ordered, "Send a message to Zhuge Di inside the city, saying that I will remain inactive and that he should come out of the city to negotiate with me."