Da Tang: Father, can I resign?

Chapter 303 The advantage is mine!

The news that the retired emperor was leading the army in person quickly spread throughout Chang'an.

On the day of the expedition, His Majesty the Emperor, all the princes, royal family members, and all the officials of all ranks in the capital came out of the city to see him off, and the procession stretched for several miles outside the city.

The war drums roared and the army was in neat order.

The Tang army swept away the haze of suppression by the powerful neighbor in the north and its morale was high.

This army had one of the strongest generals of the time, including Li Shiji, the general commander of the army, Ashina She'er, Cheng Zhijie, Anxi Protector Guo Xiaoke, and Li Daliang, the general of the left guard...

But even if all these generals were packed together, none of them could make the soldiers feel at ease as Li Shimin.

Whether it is the Supreme Emperor, the Emperor, or the Heavenly Khan, they are all just a title, a respectful appellation.

In the hearts of the vast majority of generals and soldiers in the Tang Dynasty, General Tiance is the title that best fits His Majesty Li Shimin.

Over the past few months, the Ming Dynasty in the north has been advancing by leaps and bounds, while the Tang army has been stuck in a quagmire, with plenty of energy but nowhere to use it, and has been wasting time internally.

Now, General Tian Ce has come out.

As long as General Tian Ce leads the army, there will be no enemy that cannot be defeated and no kingdom that cannot be conquered.

Li Shimin was the backbone of this army and the spiritual totem of the Tang Dynasty.

Among the marching troops, there were many soldiers who were quietly complaining to each other.

"What did you tell us a few days ago? His Majesty the Emperor was suffering from a stroke?"

"Yes, you dare to spread such rumors that will kill all nine generations of your clan. You really are asking for your life."

"My eldest father-in-law has suffered from rheumatism and can't even speak clearly. If Your Majesty is really ill, how can you lead the army in person?"

"That's right, are you a spy from the other side spreading rumors?"

Everyone angrily denounced Figenius, saying that he was really trying to attract attention at the cost of his life and even dared to spread fake news about the Emperor.

"Hiss... Eh? But I clearly..."

This round of criticism will make it impossible for the person who spread this rumor to be criticized.

Some of them were followers of Qibi Heli, some were naturalized Turks of the New Turks, and some were palace soldiers under Anxi Protector General Guo Xiaoke.

They had all witnessed Lao Li's half-paralyzed appearance, so they were all confused about the current situation.

The emperor's physical condition is now in a Schrödinger's state. He may be paralyzed, but it is unlikely.

After all, the imperial court has not made any statement on this matter, nor is it possible to make any statement, and it has ignored all rumors.

This makes some people doubt their eyes and memory.

Could it be that I remembered it wrong or saw it wrongly, and General Tian Ce is actually fine?
Some people plucked up their courage, secretly raised their heads and looked at the front of the marching team.

There were three layers of guards inside and outside the place, blocking the inside completely and nothing could be seen.

In the middle of the layers of guards, an altar was set up to offer sacrifices to cheer for the retired emperor and the soldiers of the Tang Dynasty.

All the princes, whether legitimate or illegitimate, knelt before the retired emperor's carriage, crying bitterly with sorrowful looks on their faces.

Li Shimin sat upright in the golden carriage, his indifferent face also showing some fluctuations.

He sighed and said softly:
"The battlefield is unpredictable, and the sword has no eyes. After today's farewell, we may never meet again."

The princes cried even harder, and it wasn't all just an act.

An old man, a half-disabled old man who had suffered a stroke, went to the battlefield and faced the strongest opponent the Tang Dynasty had ever encountered.

It is not an exaggeration to say that life and death are uncertain.

"Chengqian."

Li Shimin called out to his eldest son in a low voice.

Emperor Yongqing, who was kneeling at the front, stood up, wiped away his non-existent tears, and said respectfully and appropriately:
"Your son respectfully listens to your father's teachings."

Li Shimin looked at him and did not say anything like "You have to be a good emperor". He just said two words briefly:
"Thank you."

This senseless thank you left the others present a little confused.

Li Chengqian's body trembled slightly, and he was stunned for a while before answering:
"I am probably not a good emperor."

Not cruel enough, judging by the standards of the "Xuanwu Gate Inheritance Law".

In the end, he did not kill his father, the emperor, whom he hated from the bottom of his heart, and let him lead the army out.

If it had happened seventeen years ago, such a "heartless woman" would not even know how she died, let alone inherit the throne.

Li Shimin shook his head slightly:
"But you're a good son."

Li Chengqian raised his head suddenly and saw his father looking at him lovingly.

"Father..." His lips moved slightly.

Li Shimin turned to another legitimate son, Crown Prince Li Zhi.

"Pheasant."

"Father..." Li Zhi cried.

Li Shimin said leisurely:

"Your brother said that he is not a good emperor. You should assist him more."

Li Zhi sobbed and gave the standard answer:

"Your Majesty is modest, wise and brave... Although I am stupid, I will assist you wholeheartedly and will not hesitate to die... Woohoo, I can't bear to leave my father!"

Li Shimin smiled:
"You are being modest. You are much more evil-minded than your brother. If he can't make up his mind, you should make it for him."

It was unclear whether this was a compliment or criticism, but Li Zhi was stunned for a moment. He immediately cried even harder, trying to cover up the awkward atmosphere with his voice.

Li Shimin glanced around and the relaxed smile on his face faded a little.

"Where's Ah Sizi?"

Li Chengqian answered immediately:
"There are so many people around, it's inconvenient for the women to come forward..."

"Ha." Li Shimin snorted angrily:
"My sister Princess Pingyang was able to lead troops to fight alone, but now girls can't even go out?
"It really has been soaking in the honey pot for too long."

The sulky attitude was like that of a little child, diluting the sad atmosphere of farewell.

Li Chengqian pretended:

"It's really outrageous. I will bring them out right away."

"Forget it." Li Shimin waved his hand:

“Alas, I was an enemy of her ‘Little Brother Ming’, and she’s probably still mad at me.

"It's getting late. You and I, let's say goodbye now."

Without much greeting, Li Shimin led a large army to the northern front.

…………

Tai Chi Palace, Li Zheng Palace.

Outside Princess Jinyang's boudoir.

"Your Highness, Your Highness Princess." The maid called out from outside the closed door:
"Please open the door and have a meal. This will only harm your health."

Princess Jinyang's voice came from the room:

"I'm sick!"

The palace maids looked at each other and shook their heads helplessly.

In the room, A-sizi Li Mingda threw himself on the bed, crying.

The battle for the throne in the past few months made her face the cruelty of politics for the first time, turning the originally innocent girl into a depressed girl.

Li Ming turned against his brothers, Li Zhi and Li Tai attacked each other, Li Ming killed Li Tai, Li Chengqian confronted Li Ming...

Every few days, bad news came, like a blunt knife cutting into her heart.

After her father and elder brother Cheng Qian came back, her depressed mood improved for a while.

However, I was hit to the bottom by even worse news——

The emperor decided to lead the army himself.

what does this mean?
This means that the feud between brothers has finally developed into a feud between father and son!

And he dragged all the people in the world - whether from the Ming Dynasty or the Tang Dynasty - into the water and made them kill each other!
This is much worse than the Xuanwu Gate Incident!
"What a tragedy! What a tragedy! Those stupid men!" Li Mingda clenched the bed sheet in his hand, his eyes red.

…………

"Isn't it a bit too cruel to her..."

Li Shimin sat in the car, holding his chin with one hand, looking at the scenery receding outside the window.

The apple of his eye was drifting away from him, and he could clearly feel it when he just returned to Beijing.

A little more respectful, a little less intimate.

"She has grown up now, and now she knows how cruel the world is. No one can help themselves..."

Li Shimin sighed sadly and shook his head in self-mockery:

"With such a formidable enemy at hand, I am still thinking about these romantic matters. How can this be allowed? I am really getting old and confused..."

He said this, but he didn't know if it was an illusion, ever since he left the palaces of Chang'an and returned to the army.

His brain started to work again.

I am no longer drowsy all day and lose consciousness easily like before.

Even the disabled right half of his body could be moved with difficulty.

More importantly, even though he was thinking about many issues at the same time, he couldn't help feeling sleepy and his mind was slow, making him unable to carry out comprehensive tasks such as governing the country.

But when he focused his thoughts on the war.

His consciousness and intuition were still there, and his thinking had not deteriorated too seriously.

Being in the military atmosphere made him feel as if his mind was awakening, as if he had a second spring.

"His Majesty."

A call woke Li Shimin from his thoughts.

It was Li Shiji, who was holding the golden carriage and walking outside the car window.

"Mr. Mao, do you know the strategy for this battle?" Li Shimin asked.

Li Shiji did not dare to neglect and answered immediately:
"Your Majesty's brilliant plan, I will keep it in mind."

"That's good, that's good." Li Shimin nodded, curling his lips:
"It's a pity that the old friends rarely get together on the battlefield, but Yuchi Jingde, the charcoal-headed guy, has become a bad boy and refused to go with me, saying that he can't swim. Isn't he afraid of losing his integrity and being branded as a traitor by historians?"

"Your Majesty, Duke E may be afraid that his old age and frailty will hinder the march..."

Li Shiji tried to excuse Yuchi Jingde but was interrupted by Li Shimin.

"Why does he have so many reasons? Isn't it just that his good grandson Yuchi Xunyu is on the other side, and he doesn't want to participate in this battle?
“Not everyone can be like me.”

This self-deprecating remark made Li Shiji break out in a cold sweat, and he didn't dare to respond.

"Don't worry about him. He can come if he wants. The Tang Dynasty doesn't lack good generals anyway. I am not King Zhaoxiang of Qin, and he is not Bai Qi."

Li Shimin casually mentioned the incident of his old friend disobeying the emperor's order and asked Li Shiji:
"Do you know why I appointed you as the chief steward for this war?"

It was because Li Ming had taken away half of the famous generals of the Ming Dynasty, leaving no one available... Of course, Li Shiji, who had high emotional intelligence, would not answer like this, but said:
"Your Majesty is giving the guilty general a chance to atone for his sins."

As the palace Sima of Jin Wang Li Zhi, Li Shiji's performance in the chaos last year can be said to be quite disgraceful.

The emperor and the prince were lost, and there was no way to make up for it by finding them back. The two nobles found themselves back on their own.

This behavior can be said to be quite abstract, so abstract that it makes people wonder whether he colluded with Li Zhi and conspired to kill the emperor and the prince.

"No, I know this is not your fault, and it is not a mistake you can bear." Li Shimin shook his head.

Li Shiji breathed a sigh of relief after hearing this.

Li Shimin then added:
"If this heinous crime was really attributed to you, you wouldn't still be standing here."

Li Shiji's body suddenly tensed up again and he dared not even breathe.

Old Li looked at his subordinate who had been beaten to a crisp on the outside and tender on the inside, and the smile on his face became more intense:

"The opposing coach is Li Jing."

Duke of Weiguo... Li Shiji murmured, as if he realized something.

Li Shimin said earnestly:
"I want to see who is the best general in the world, so I choose you as the commander-in-chief."

These words were like a shot of chicken blood. Li Shiji's expression immediately became serious, and he clasped his fists and said:
"The final general will live up to His Majesty's high expectations!"

Li Shimin nodded slightly:
"Go ahead and follow the rules."

Li Shiji bowed one last time, then mounted his horse and galloped eastward.

Li Shimin looked at the back of his trusted general until he disappeared on the horizon, then he slowly withdrew his gaze.

The title of the world's number one general will probably be decided soon...

…………

The Ming army came out in full force and, under the command of Li Jing, the commander-in-chief of the army, they captured cities and strongholds along the way and were invincible.

Taking Yanzhou as a breakthrough point, the Red Turban Army surged out like a red tide, sweeping across the Central Plains, and the advance was very smooth.

To be honest, the advancement was a little too smooth.

Not only did it greatly exceed Li Ming's expectations, but even the officers and soldiers on the front line were somewhat caught off guard.

Because up to now, the Tang army on the opposite side has not put up any decent resistance.

The Central Plains is densely populated and has numerous cities.

Even if the defenders did not show their heads and just stayed in the city without opening the gates, the Ming army would not be able to eat so easily.

Basically, before the Red Turban Army reached the city, the local Tang army fled upon hearing the news and handed over the city.

"Hahaha! We've been so nervous, but the enemy is just like this!"

In the main camp of the Ming army, all the generals gathered together to discuss the direction of the next battle.

Xue Wanche spoke first and said that the advantage was mine.

Li Dao Zong poured a bucket of cold water on Old Xue:
"Don't take it lightly. Although we have occupied a large area, we have not destroyed many enemy troops."

Hou Junji poured cold water on his old friend from another perspective:

"Besides, we didn't get much spoils. We are not allowed to plunder the city after it is destroyed. What a shame..."

Everyone:...

He even wants to plunder his own city. Is this corrupt official's addiction coming back?

"The Tang Dynasty's army is so vulnerable. It's really...unexpected." Su Dingfang expressed the sigh of a middle-aged man.

He has been in the military all his life, and it is sad to see his old boss become such a coward.

Damn it, how did the invincible Tang army become like this?

"The enemy must have been inspired by the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty and voluntarily gave up resistance." Xue Rengui, the youngest but also the most experienced senior in the Red Turban Army, gave his own opinion.

"Plus, their main force was deployed to the Yangzhou front, so it is not difficult to understand why our army was so unstoppable."

"But once the battle line becomes long, supply problems will easily arise. We should advance slowly." Li Daozon made a prudent suggestion.

Su Dingfang and Hou Junji agreed.

Xue Rengui raised objections:

"The Eastern Capital Luoyang is right before our eyes! After defeating the Eastern Capital, we can face Chang'an directly!

"If we miss the chance to fight, and wait for the Tang army to be transferred from Yangzhou, the strategic opportunity will be lost, and the test on logistics will be even more arduous."

Xue Wanche agrees with his cousin Xiao Xue's point of view:

“And we can collect food locally.

"The occupied cities have not suffered much damage, so they can provide these supplies. We can buy them with money."

The radicals and conservatives each held their own views and argued fiercely.

Tap, tap…

The silent coach Li Jing lightly tapped the table.

Everyone fell silent.

(End of this chapter)