Da Tang: Father, can I resign?

Chapter 333 Li Shimin should be attacked, but it is not appropriate to attack Li Shimin
Lao Li and Xiao Li have one thing in common, which is that they like to study maps when they have nothing to do.

He spent as much time and energy on the national battle map on the table as he did on the beauty in his bed.

I have studied this map countless times, and it always feels new when I look at it.

"Did you find out?" Li Shimin asked.

Li Shiji nodded:

"We have discovered that the Ming army has occupied Yanzhou on the west bank of the Sishui River and Yunzhou and Huazhou on the south bank of the Dahe River. They are about to connect with Hebei, Qi and Lu, and are only waiting to sweep across the Central Plains and attack Guanzhong in one fell swoop!"

“……” Li Shimin opened his mouth and was speechless for a moment.

Is this what I meant...

They were clearly looking at the same map, but their views were completely different.

The Li family father and son are not the only ones who like to study maps when they have nothing to do.

As a famous general who was listed among the Ten Sages of the Temple of Martial Arts, Li Shiji spent just as much time studying maps as Li Shimin.

Just one is the king and the other is the general.

If you look at the problem from different perspectives, the conclusions you draw will naturally be diametrically opposed.

"Mr. Mao, your combat skills are indeed remarkable, but you keep making mistakes on matters of right and wrong. Do you know where your problem lies?"

Li Shimin spoke frankly.

After suffering a cerebral infarction, His Majesty the Emperor was determined not to waste time on internal affairs. This is the kind of man he is, and this is his character.

“……” This time it was Li Shiji’s turn not to know what to say.

Although His Majesty the Emperor was suspected of opening up old grievances, Li Shiji also knew that he was in the wrong.

Whether it was that he stood on the wrong side on the issue of succession, or that he was defeated by Li Ming and Li Jing in the First Central Plains War.

Compared with those top-level old foxes, he is indeed a little inferior in grand strategy.

Tactical problems can be remedied, but strategic errors are difficult to salvage and will cost you your life.

Li Shiji himself knew very well that he was still able to hold an important position and command the army... no, his head was still on his neck, all thanks to the magnanimity of His Majesty the Emperor and the Retired Emperor.

In other dynasties, any big mistake he made would be enough to make all his clans happy and reunite the family.

"I will follow your majesty's orders..." Li Shiji said in a muffled voice, completely losing his confidence.

"It's not an order, I'm talking to you about reason."

Li Shimin changed the subject and his tone became very calm, pointing his chin towards the map:
“Don’t just focus on what’s in front of you; set your sights higher.

"From the map, what are the locational characteristics of the areas occupied by the Ming army?"

Li Shiji answered without hesitation, without even glancing at the map:
“Your Majesty, the prefectures and counties usurped by the Pseudo-Ming are all adjacent to the Pseudo-Ming mainland, and the logistics supply routes are very smooth.

"Yanzhou and Yizhou are connected by the Sishui Bridge, while Yunzhou and Huazhou are separated from Hebei by only a large river. Now in the dry winter season, boat transportation is very convenient.

"But our warships have too deep a draft, so they are prone to running aground and difficult to intercept."

In fact, he knew the entire map by heart and could recite the overall situation without even looking at it.

"That's right, this is the biggest difference between the Ming army's actions this time and last time -

"They only occupy the frontier roads with convenient transportation and never go deeper."

Li Shimin was satisfied this time and stroked his beard with a smile.

So the subordinates have to be punished occasionally.

"This situation is not only convenient for transporting military logistics, but also for transporting other things." Li Shimin said:
"For example, civil engineering, masonry and the like."

Li Shiji frowned in confusion, and after thinking for a while, he still didn't know what Your Majesty meant, so he bowed and asked:

"Your Majesty, please make it clear."

"I suspect that the purpose of these Ming troops in the Central Plains is not to occupy the Central Plains..."

Li Shimin knocked on the armrest of the couch:
"It is about consolidating the defense on the spot to prepare for our army's attack.

"But are they provoking this war just to resist our army's attack? This is just looking for trouble.

"They must have some other purpose."

Li Shiji understood it immediately:
"In order to attract the main force of our army and cover up military actions in other places?

"If so, where would it be?"

Li Shimin tapped the map with his chin again:
"Remember the other two directions the Ming army attacked this time?"

Once he left the Central Plains front and looked at the overall situation, Li Shiji subconsciously looked at the map.

"Taihang Mountains and Yangzhou." Li Shimin said without hesitation.

"It's difficult for Yangzhou to make any major moves on the waterway, so the enemy's main attack direction is likely to be Taihang Mountain. The Central Plains is just a feint to deceive the enemy."

Li Shiji immediately took a breath of cold air and murmured:
"The Eight Passes of Taihang... Oops, Guanzhong!"

"The Nansanxing Pass leading to Guanzhong is heavily guarded by Cheng Zhijie. That place is not the flat land of the Central Plains. There is no need to worry too much."

Li Shimin immediately denied Li Shiji's guess:

"The problem lies in the northern Taihang Mountains."

As he spoke, he looked up slightly, as if pointing at a map.

However, he was half-lying on the couch the whole time, and from his angle, he could not see the map on the table clearly.

He was reading the "map" in his mind.

He has already imprinted the pattern of the entire world firmly in his mind.

"Northern Taihang...Fenhe Valley?" Li Shiji murmured, somewhat puzzled:
"Guanzhong and Dongxi are both in the south, why did the Ming army go north?"

It is clear that if they go south, they can penetrate the core of power of the Tang Dynasty. Isn't it going against the trend to go north to Taihang Mountain?

Do they want to go north to fight the nomads?

But after several waves of both civil and military "fists" sweeping the land, there are no nomadic barbarians in the north left for them to fight!

"You still don't understand Li Ming. He is not the kind of person who takes shortcuts." Li Shimin shook his head slowly:

"Remember when he caused a big disturbance in Liaodong a few years ago?"

Li Shiji nodded in silence:
"remember."

The Liaodong Jiedushi's capture of Liaodong is so well-known that it is hard not to know about it.

Even if Li Shiji really wanted to forget, his eldest grandson Li Jingye would tell him endlessly about the great achievements of "Ming Ge" and force him to recover his memory.

"As a prince and a high-ranking official in charge of the financial power and military power of a region, he clearly had many ways to end the rebellion in Pingzhou, report it to the court, contact the governor of Yingzhou..."

Recalling the not-so-distant past, Li Shimin's eyes became a little dazed.

"However, that fellow did not choose any of the above safe solutions, nor did he even use the advantage of his noble birth.

"Instead, he chose the dumbest and most laborious solution—

"We started from the beginning and took back the land of Liaodong inch by inch.

"But, in hindsight..."

"This is the smartest solution..." Li Shiji murmured.

A least promising prince and a most remote and inferior state actually set off a storm that swept the whole world.

This is no coincidence.

"What others give you doesn't count. Only what you win with your own ability is yours."

This is Li Shimin's own experience. After all, he also seized the throne through his own ability.

His father didn't pass the throne to him, but so what.

The entire empire was conquered by Tian Ce himself. Even if he didn't want to be emperor, his subordinates would not let him.

"If you want to completely and firmly control the whole country, taking shortcuts will not work. Li Zhi's usurpation of the throne caused a mess, and all places were dissatisfied because of this reason."

After hearing this, Li Shiji understood immediately.

As one of the parties involved, he has a deep understanding of Li Zhi, the negative example.

"So, your majesty means that... compared to a quick victory through a surprise attack on Chang'an, Li Ming would rather advance steadily and win over the world with a great and overwhelming victory?" he guessed.

Li Shimin's mouth curled up slowly:

"Yes, you are very perceptive."

Old Li actually had another sentence to say, but he kept it in his heart and did not tell Li Shiji. He also could not tell this realization to anyone else.

In fact, what Li Ming wanted to do, the boy had clearly said it himself during the quarrel that day -

That is, to defeat his father Li Shimin and make him submit.

Even if Li Shimin now regrets and does not want to fight anymore, and tries to persuade Li Chengqian to give up the throne to Li Ming, it will not work!

If he just wanted to be an emperor who maintained the status quo step by step, it would be fine for him to take over the throne peacefully from his father and brother.

However, what Li Ming wants to do is too big——

He wanted to transform the Tang Dynasty into the Ming Dynasty and promote his overly radical production system to the entire world!
This seems a bit extreme, and it affects too many people. Almost all the noble families were uprooted, and the power of local tyrants was returned to the government.

It is a great achievement that even Li Shimin dared not imagine.

To achieve extraordinary results, you need extraordinary prestige, otherwise you will be taking too big a step and end up with nothing.

Li Ming's tactics could work in the Ming Dynasty because Liaodong, Goguryeo and Hebei were all conquered by Li Ming himself.

With supreme military authority no less than that of the founding emperor, no one dared to oppose what he wanted to do.

But other lands of the Tang Dynasty have not yet been trampled by Li Ming's iron hoof.

Will it be like the Ming Dynasty, plowed over by the Ming army?
Not too possible.

The world has been in turmoil for too long and people's minds have become unstable. If the war drags on too long, there will be backlash.

Therefore, Li Shimin felt that he was singled out by Li Ming as a tool to help him establish his authority.

As long as he could defeat General Tiance, the spiritual totem of the Tang Dynasty, on the battlefield, he would prove that he had completely overwhelmed the past emperors in both civil and military aspects.

Then, it is estimated that there is no carbon-based creature in the world that dares to disobey Li Ming.

"Then I have to play a good rivalry with him."

There was a blazing fire in Li Shimin's eyes.

"What?" Li Shiji was stunned.

"Nothing." Li Shimin waved his hand gently:

"Gather all the troops and prepare to set off immediately to the north to Taihang."

Isn’t it bold for the entire army to climb Taihang Mountain and release the Central Plains?
"……His Majesty."

Li Shiji hesitated again and again, but still expressed his concerns:

“The army’s movement is not like migratory birds overwintering, and its movement speed is very slow.

"If the Ming army in the Central Plains was not feinting, if they were just afraid that our army would lure the enemy deep into our territory, causing their advance in the Central Plains to be somewhat slow...

"Then when they discover our army has withdrawn, they will surely launch an all-out attack. By then, the Central Plains will be lost and our dynasty will be in danger!"

Li Shimin asked back:
"If Taihang Mountain is lost, will our dynasty be safe?"

“……” Li Shiji frowned and fell into deep thought.

"It's just a gamble of choosing one from two. We have done our best and now it all depends on fate."

Li Shimin's smile was more relaxed than ever before.

…………

"The seal of Shuozhou Prefecture is here. We gave up resistance because we couldn't bear to see the people of Shuozhou suffer such a disaster and their lives destroyed, not because we were afraid of death..."

At the gate of Shuozhou Prefecture, the governor spoke with great righteousness while grovelling in surrender to the Ming Dynasty soldiers.

The capture of Shuozhou means that the Ming Dynasty has basically completed the North Taihang copy.

Hou Junji became impatient with the rosy words and snatched the seal from the horse with his spear.

"Cut the nonsense!"

"Jun Ji, you must not be rude to the envoy."

Li Jing frowned at him.

Tch... Hou Junji curled his lips, exerted force on his wrist, and held the spear horizontally in front of the Tang Dynasty's Shuozhou Governor.

Take it yourself.

"Go on, sir."

Li Jing smiled and said to the pale-faced governor, sighing inwardly:

Ugh……

Even with Li Jing's prestige in the Ming army, he was still unable to subdue everyone.

For example, Hou Junji.

I'm afraid the only person in the world who can tame this wild horse is His Majesty Li Ming.

Prestige is really a wonderful thing. It cannot be seen or touched, but it can make a large group of people follow one person wholeheartedly.

The most prestigious person in the entire Ming Dynasty is undoubtedly His Majesty Li Ming.

As for the mission of these soldiers, it is to spread your majesty's prestige throughout the Tang Dynasty.

The biggest stumbling block to this mission is the Emperor Emeritus of the Tang Dynasty, His Majesty Li Shimin.

After all, the only one who could compete with the founding emperor of the Ming Dynasty in terms of prestige was the (actual) founding emperor of the Tang Dynasty.

"If we can achieve a great victory over His Majesty the Emperor on the front battlefield, the enemy's morale will collapse, and the whole world will submit to His Majesty Li Ming. This war will end quickly."

Li Jing muttered to himself, then smiled bitterly and shook his head, patting his head:
"What are you thinking about? Stop daydreaming."

With General Tian Ce personally taking action, who dares to guarantee a sure win?

Even though the general had suffered a stroke and was not as strong as before, he had just treated the Ming army rookie Xue Rengui like a dog a few months ago, proving that he was still as skilled as ever.

Li Jing was not completely confident of defeating such a Li Shimin.

In fact, fighting all the way north from Bingzhou had consumed a lot of his energy.

From his belly, which was deflated as quickly as a deflated sheep's bladder, it could be seen that the battle was actually very stalemate.

The Tang army's defense was very tenacious, and the wind and snow in the mountains also posed a great obstacle to their march and fighting.

If the neighboring Hebei Province had not been able to send supplies in time, it is hard to say how this war would have turned out.

"However, the Three Jins of Shanxi... His Majesty Li Ming really picked a good battlefield."

The former territory of the Jin State, which includes the Taihang Mountains and the Shanxi Plateau, seemed tailor-made for the Ming army.

This place is all mountainous, and it is very inconvenient to march here from the Central Plains.

If Li Shimin's main force was successfully lured and trapped in the Central Plains battlefield, it would be too late to rescue them and they could only watch Shanxi fall.

The loss of Shanxi was a blow to the Tang Dynasty no less than the loss of the Central Plains.

For Li Ming, that was a huge victory that he could never win again.

Even if the strategic deception failed, the main force of the Tang army arrived in time.

The mountains and hills here also make it impossible for the Tang army to use its cavalry tactics, which it is good at.

The Ming army, which excels in mountain warfare, was just like a fish in water.

It has to be said that His Majesty Li Ming's strategic vision is still as vicious as ever.

"It's probably too late for the emperor to arrive at this battlefield."

Li Jing looked towards the calm south and said lightly.

"The mountains are blocked by heavy snow, and messengers are traveling slowly. When Cheng Zhijie's message reaches the front line of Yanzhou, and the emperor leads his army to attack, we will be able to consolidate Shanxi's defense line."

“Hmph, if we can’t break their backbones in one battle and completely kill their hopes, the Tang Kingdom might still be able to survive for a while, and this war will have to be delayed for some time.” Hou Junji hit his left palm hard with his right fist.

Although he was unruly, he had a high IQ and he saw the strategic value of confronting Li Shimin head-on.

Although it is profitable to bypass the main force and steal a chicken, compared with destroying the main force head-on, it always feels not enough to establish authority.

"Jun Ji, are you Duke Xiang of Song? Don't think that fighting is too simple." Li Dao Zong said with a wry smile:
"As long as we can win, any means are acceptable. We don't have to use a grand formation."

Hou Junji, who had crushed Gaochang with his magnificent battle array, was quite dissatisfied with this:

"If we don't win in an honest way, how can people in the world respect us?"

"The Tang Dynasty is not a small country like Gaochang. We need to win first..."

The two were at loggerheads.

On the side, the young general Xue Rengui, who was beaten up by Li Shimin as if he were a star, could only keep his mouth shut and listen obediently throughout the whole process.

Losing a war means there is no human rights.

Su Dingfang felt a headache.

They actually quarreled over whether or not to confront Emperor Li Shimin head-on. Damn it, don't those two have anything else to do?

After being kidnapped by Li Ming, he has never been quiet, as if he has been fighting a war all the time, and his brains have become stupid.

For him, he had no energy to think about anything else. He just wanted to end the war as soon as possible and restore unity and peace to the world.

He now felt that being a happy police officer might not be a bad idea...

"Why are you two arguing about something that doesn't exist?"

Li Jing rubbed his temples with a headache.

"The mountains are now covered in snow. With the speed of the horses on the road, the main force of the Tang army in the Central Plains cannot arrive before our army consolidates its defense line..."

Before he finished speaking, a messenger came running in with the news:
"Report! Bingzhou has been lost!"

The generals who had been clamoring just now shut up at the same time.

(End of this chapter)