Da Tang: Father, can I resign?

Chapter 322 Brothers and you are connected by heart, you and your brothers use your brains

Linyi Pu, the capital of Linyi State, is a completely different scene from Chang'an, where the autumn wind is bleak.

Even in late autumn, the south is still hot and humid, with birds singing and animals chirping in the woods, and everywhere is full of green and vitality.

A tall and handsome horse, which was extremely rare in the south, galloped towards the palace through the muddy and narrow streets, eager to convey important news from the front line to His Majesty the King.

"Oh? We finally took over the entire Jiaozhou? The Tang army offered almost no resistance?!"

Linyi King Fan Fanzhi was so excited that he slapped his thigh and jumped up from the throne.

Because of the long distance and high mountains between the South and Chang'an, communication delays could last up to dozens of days.

Therefore, when His Majesty Li Chengqian learned on the day of autumn hunting that Jiaozhou was invaded by Linyi.

Fan Fanzhi's troops have been wreaking havoc in Jiaozhou for some time.

And before Chang'an's countermeasures reached the Jiaozhou battlefield, the border friction had even ended.

"Okay, great!"

Although Fan Fanzhi was quite old, he was still dancing with joy and refused to sit down for a long time.

Jiaozhou!
That is the territory of the Tang Dynasty!
"Everything is as His Majesty the King expected." The Prime Minister boasted at the right time.

"Huh... Indeed, I had expected today's victory."

Fan Fanzhi felt satisfied after being licked. He finally calmed himself down and forced himself to sit back.

"But this is still the most glorious and important day since the founding of Champa Bulo.

"Today is designated as Shiva Festival. Every year on this day, the whole country will hold a festival to celebrate today's victory!"

Fan Fanzhi had reason to be so happy.

Jiaozhou is just a piece of chicken ribs to the Tang Dynasty, but to Linyi, it is the land under the sun and the living space that the Zham people have always dreamed of!
The Cham people have long coveted the land of Jiaozhou, but because of the existence of the Tang Dynasty, they have the desire but not the courage to do so, and they dare not even fantasize about it.

And today, the Jiaozhou that they could only look up to was actually taken over by them in its entirety!
Just like a toad eating swan meat, the poor boy married the goddess he had admired for a long time. It was like a dream, no, it was even better than a dream!

"This is also thanks to the assistance of the Ming Dynasty." The prime minister couldn't help but sigh.

The old man expressed his gratitude from the bottom of his heart to the mysterious and almost autistic empire.

The equipment and money they sent were the key to the rise of the Linyi Kingdom.

Using the sword of the Ming Dynasty as the plow of Linyi to obtain land belongs to that.

Although the Cham people were unorganized, undisciplined, without tactics or strategy, the fighting power of their opponents, the Jiaozhou natives, was equally poor.

The Southern Barbarians could cause trouble to the Tang Dynasty only because the emperor was far away, and they had never been a fighting force on the frontal battlefield.

Linyi and Jiaozhou were at the same starting line, and the importance of equipment was immediately apparent as they were fighting each other.

With the help of the Ming Dynasty's advanced iron tools, the Cham people's technological level leapt forward by several hundred years.

Facing his little cousin from Jiaozhou who still mainly used bamboo spears and long lances, it was like a god descending to earth, chopping people and cutting melons and vegetables.

The Nguyen army was vulnerable and was beaten to a pulp. The local natives were killed in large numbers and had no choice but to abandon their homes and flee north in large numbers, shamelessly seeking refuge from the Tang Dynasty.

The Tang troops stationed locally were originally the ones with the worst quality and the least welcome. Moreover, because the post of Jiaozhou governor had been vacant for a long time, they had no desire to fight.

When they saw that the southern natives were wearing armor, they immediately realized that something was wrong. They gave up their plan to defend their country and retreated to other states and counties in the north.

What? You said that the Tang army's humiliating retreat put the people of Jiaozhou in dire straits, and if they continue to retreat like this, they will lose face?
The Tang army also had reasons to say, "What civilians are I leading? All I am leading are traitors who are stabbing the Tang Dynasty in the back."

Can we protect those natives? I don't have the mood to do that, you know! They were causing trouble in the government office a few days ago, and today they come to ask the Tang army to protect their homes and personal safety. Do you have any shame?
All I can say is, let go of the desire to help others and respect their fate.

Therefore, the local Tang army acted decisively and retreated northward, and would never interfere with the Cham people's massacre of the Jiaozhou natives.

After all, the land may not belong to the Tang Dynasty, but the life is definitely yours. Waving a few knives at the air is worthy of the imperial court's food and salary.

Just like that, under the manipulation of Li Ming's invisible hand, the entire Jiaozhou fell into serious internal and external troubles, the interior was riddled with holes, the entire line of defense was useless, and was directly handed over to the enemy.

The Linyi army basically encountered no decent resistance, which was equivalent to picking up a state for free.

The number of people who died from "armor-removing wind" (taking off the hot armor and blowing in the cool wind, which caused the body to suddenly cool down) was much greater than those who died directly in the battle, which constituted the greatest war loss for the Cham people.

In other words, the victory of the entire Jiaozhou battle actually had nothing to do with the combat effectiveness of the Linyi Kingdom.

However, Fan Fanzhi didn't think so and snorted contemptuously.

"The Ming Dynasty that wants something from me? Oh, it's the Cham people who are sacrificing their lives and blood in the front. They are just hiding cowardly behind our army."

After taking over the coveted Jiaozhou, he became arrogant and inflated, thinking that the great Chinese nation was no more than that.

Jiaozhou has a military governor's office in the Tang Dynasty!
His Linyi tore such a large piece of meat completely from the body of the Tang Dynasty with such a delicate touch.

And he didn't suffer much loss, he even made a lot of money!
With his limited knowledge, he really couldn't think of any other barbarian country that could take such a big advantage of the Tang Dynasty.

What Turks, what Xueyantuo, how can they compare to the elite soldiers and generals of Champapula!
"Uh... yes, your highness. Your highness is majestic."

The old prime minister paused, and somewhat awkwardly flattered the leader, then showed a relaxed expression, changed the subject and continued:

"Now that our country has occupied Jiaozhou, the next step is to govern it.

"The large number of Jiaozhou people fled northward, leaving us Cham people with plenty of arable land.

"As for those who stayed behind..."

"Is there any need to ask? Of course, they will all be expelled. Those who refuse to leave will die!" A fierce light flashed in Fan Fanzhi's eyes.

“We attacked Jiaozhou in order to gain more living space for my people.

"Before the war, the Jiaozhou people occupied that piece of land, and after the war, they still occupied that piece of land. Doesn't this mean that the war was fought in vain?"

"This..." The prime minister was speechless by the king's simple and crude policy.

The fighting among the natives is naturally incompatible with the "civilized army". The battle may not be fierce, but there will definitely be a lot of killing.

But if he wants to completely change the ethnic group of a place, the Prime Minister thinks that His Majesty the King is a bit too extreme.

Regardless of whether this is humane, killing too many people will also lead to strong backlash from the locals, which in turn will increase the conquerors' governance costs.

But Fan Fanzhi was already so overwhelmed by victory that he would not listen to any gentle advice.

Not only did he want to severely insult and ravage Jiaozhou, which he had longed for in the past, but he also wanted to go further and further.

"You must not only cleanse the Jiaozhou natives, but also do it quickly." Fan Fanzhi ordered the prime minister:
"We must continue our efforts and take Liangzhou while the Tang people haven't reacted yet."

"Liangzhou?!" The prime minister gasped.

Crazy, crazy…the old man complained silently in his heart.

Liangzhou was located to the north of Jiaozhou (equivalent to the Lang Son area on the border between Guangxi and Vietnam today). Although it was also a vassal state, that vassal state was not quite the same as Jiaozhou.

Because Liangzhou is directly adjacent to Qinzhou, an important southwestern node of the Maritime Silk Road.

Qinzhou was no longer a vassal state, but a proper Han territory, and also a very important seaport and trading city.

Therefore, even though they were both vassal states, the Tang Dynasty paid much more attention to Liangzhou than Jiaozhou.

In other words, if Linyi dared to extend its dirty hands to Liangzhou.

Then the possibility of incurring divine punishment from the Tang Dynasty will greatly increase!

"Oh, are you scared? Are you afraid of that effeminate new emperor of the Tang Dynasty?"

Fan Fanzhi looked at the prime minister's pale face and laughed wantonly.

The new emperor ascended the throne. Although he had not had the opportunity to pay homage to him, rumors about the new emperor Li Chengqian had already spread to Lingnan.

Just by listening to the description, Fan Fanzhi judged that the new emperor was far inferior to the previous Heavenly Khan.

Although Tian Khan is not dead yet, his health must be failing, otherwise how could he abdicate?

Nothing to be afraid of! Fan Fanzhi is now like a nouveau riche who has been suppressed for too long. He suddenly feels that he is very successful. The years of grievances suppressed by the powerful neighbor in the north are instantly released, and he jumps from being cautious to the other extreme.

What is the Tang Dynasty? When the Champa soldiers arrived, didn't they still get scared and flee?
If Jiaozhou is like this, the defenders of Liangzhou will not be much better off.

Fan Fanzhi was very excited at the thought of being able to rub the usually arrogant Datang under his body.

Not to mention Liangzhou, as long as the support from the Ming Dynasty comes in, he dares to attack Qinzhou!

Isn't the Ming Dynasty instigating Linyi to cause trouble for the Tang Dynasty?

no problem!
He can push northwards all the way, encompass all the territories where the kapok flowers bloom, and divide the country with the Ming Dynasty by the river!

"Report!"

Just as His Majesty the King was feeling elated, a messenger rushed in hurriedly.

Fan Fanzhi frowned and reprimanded the messenger:

"How rude! What's so urgent? If you dare to make a noise in front of me for nothing important, I will kill you!"

The messenger's face suddenly changed, and he began to tremble and stammer.

"Your Highness, the capital, the capital is..."

The prime minister had to come out to smooth things over, asking in a gentle tone:
"Calm down, what's so urgent?"

The messenger took a deep breath:

"The capital has been invaded!"

"Ah?" Fan Fanzhi felt that this information was nonsensical.

"I have driven out the people of Jiaozhou, and the Tang army has also fled. Who dares to attack our capital?"

The front line is moving from one victory to another, how could the hometown in the rear be stolen?

"It's not Jiaozhou, it's not the Tang Dynasty..." The messenger swallowed and said:
"It's Zhenla!"

…………

"Zhenla? Is that your answer?"

Back to the day when Li Chengqian fell ill due to anger during the Autumn Hunt.

Just outside Li Chengqian's ward, Li Shimin looked at the next crown prince, Li Zhi, examiningly in front of a group of princes and kings.

Li Zhi nodded affirmatively:
"Yes, unite with Zhenla Kingdom and contain Linyi Kingdom. This is my strategy."

Li Shimin did not comment, but only said three words:

"why?"

Li Zhi slowly raised his head, his eyes full of calmness.

After all, he had been a regent, so he had always been calm and composed. He was not at all nervous during this public defense, which was the highest level of the Tang Dynasty.

"Because Linyi's territory is long from north to south and narrow from east to west. There is a sea to the east. If we attack from west to east, we can easily cut off the country's north-south connection and threaten the entire Linyi territory.

"Zhenla is Linyi's western neighbor. As long as they send troops, everything will be fine."

To suppress the Southern Barbarians, the battle itself is not a problem; the local miasma and extremely long supply lines are the problems.

But with the local imperial army fighting for the good families of the Tang Dynasty, all of the above are not a problem.

Li Shimin nodded slightly with his eyes half drooped, tentatively approving this plan, and continued to test it:
"Why should Zhenla help you?"

"The king of this country sent envoys to the capital to pay tribute during the Sui Dynasty. His loyalty is evident." Li Zhi first gave the superficial reasons, and then added:
"Besides, Linyi covets Jiaozhou, so how could Zhenla not covet Linyi?"

Zhenla is today's Cambodia, located directly west of Linyi.

The environment there was even worse than Linyi. Apart from dense forests, there were snakes, insects, rats and ants.

Letting them attack Linyi would give them a strong motivation.

Li Shimin's expression relaxed, and he obviously agreed with his son's answer.

But he was not completely satisfied yet, and further asked about the feasibility of this strategy:
"However, Zhenla is poor and has few people. How can you expect them to fight against the Cham people who are armed by the Ming Dynasty?"

Li Zhi's mouth corners slightly raised:
"If Li Ming can do it on the first day of the month, we can do it on the fifteenth day. If he can help Linyi, then our Tang Dynasty can naturally help Zhenla."

Li Shimin closed his eyes and nodded slightly.

"But there is no sea route between Zhenla and our dynasty, so we can only send aid to it through Erhai Lake." Li Zhi even answered the additional question.

"Fortunately, Linyi's main forces are all in Jiaozhou, so the defense of its capital must be weak.

"We only need to provide Zhenla with a small amount of weapons and let them launch a surprise attack on Linyipu.

"The Cham barbarians are rootless. As long as their capital is destroyed, or even if their king can be captured, the troops in front will scatter like birds and beasts, and the siege of Jiaozhou will be lifted."

Li Shimin slowly opened his eyes and a sincere smile appeared at the left corner of his mouth.

"Yes. You haven't made any progress."

Although the words were not necessarily nice to hear, for General Li, who has always been straightforward after his stroke, it was quite precious to get a non-negative comment from him.

Huh... Li Zhi let out a breath.

To be honest, he was a little nervous being stared at by his father.

Although he has retired, the pressure from the emperor emeritus is much greater than that from the emperor.

He immediately realized his slight mistake, lowered his head humbly and said:

"I am just repeating what others have said."

"You are just repeating what your fourteenth brother said, right?" Li Shimin said.

Inciting the natives to fight against each other is almost a replica of what Li Ming did when he instigated Baekje to fight Silla.

"No, I am learning from my father's advanced experience of uniting the New Turks and the Murong Xianbei to defeat the Tubo."

Li Zhili flattered his father with confidence.

Indeed, recruiting the barbarian royal army to lead the charge is a traditional skill of the Tang Dynasty, and it is difficult to say who plagiarized whom.

Moreover, the various forces in the south of the Tang Dynasty were complicated and chaotic, and no one side could gain an absolute advantage over other ethnic groups.

This provided a basis for Li Zhi's strategy of using one faction to fight against another, and it was also able to maintain a dynamic balance.

The princes watched the entire grand defense and felt ashamed of themselves.

The young Lao Jiu had actually risen to the level of being able to command the country, far surpassing them...

"With the imperial physician watching over him, the emperor should be fine. I am tired, so I will go back to Ganlu Palace to rest first."

Li Shimin yawned and couldn't wait to go back to the harem to work hard.

"May the Emperor be well and healthy." Li Zhi and other princes bid farewell in unison.

"Yeah." Li Shimin raised his right hand slightly - after several months of rehabilitation, the right half of his body could already move simply - and with the help of the eunuch, he prepared to leave.

Before leaving, he suddenly asked Li Zhi:

"Zhi Nu, why didn't you tell your brother earlier about this idea of ​​joining forces with Zhenla, and only told me after he fell ill?"

Li Zhi blinked and spoke without pausing:
"I am a stupid son. I just realized it now. I am extremely ashamed."

Li Shimin raised his eyebrows slightly, his gaze lingered on the respectful crown prince for a while, then turned and left without saying anything.

(End of this chapter)