My father, Li Shimin, please call me Crown Prince

Chapter 208: Prince: The Army's Heart Is With Me

The first day of August, the seventeenth year of Zhenguan.

When he was about to arrive in Youzhou, Li Chengqian caught up with Li Daozon.

Li Daozon set out one and a half months earlier than Li Chengqian.

According to the normal route arrangement, the two armies should meet in Youzhou.

However, since Li Chengqian was marching entirely in horse-drawn carriages, even at a normal marching speed, his speed was faster than Li Daozon's.

Li Daozon's army consisted of a large number of infantry and civilians, so naturally their speed could not be fast.

The sunlight is slightly weaker.

Li Chengqian was sitting in the carriage. In the distance he could see a large number of laborers moving slowly.

At a glance, the sky connects to the earth.

The team of tens of thousands of people filled the road ahead.

As the cavalry approached, the civilians in front stopped and made way.

After a month-long journey, even a strong man like Li Chengqian felt a little tired.

If it is a flat road, sit in a carriage.

If it is a rough path, ride a horse.

"They are all sitting in the carriage."

"Food and supplies are also transported by horse-drawn carriages."

"It's so comfortable."

"These are the prince's soldiers."

"I also want to be the prince's soldier."

The laborers looked at the people sitting on the public carriage, their eyes full of envy.

This easy way of marching was something they could not even imagine.

And yet, I saw it here with the prince.

In front, Li Daozon also received the news that the prince was approaching, and rushed over on horseback.

"Meet His Highness the Crown Prince."

"Uncle, come up and talk."

The carriage stopped, Li Daozon got off the horse, and then got into the prince's carriage.

He was Li Shimin's cousin and Li Chengqian's uncle, so he was more relaxed about etiquette.

After getting on the carriage, Li Daozon could feel a hint of coolness.

Although it’s not much, it’s comfortable under the scorching sun.

"This carriage is really nice, Prince."

Li Dao Zong exclaimed in admiration.

Li Chengqian smiled and said, "If the emperor's uncle likes it, he can also build one. I still have a lot of Xiaoshi here."

"Come to think of it, this was Qingque's idea. I used it to make ice before, but I didn't expect it could also be used to cool down the carriage."

Li Dao Zong was not polite: "Thank you, Prince."

No one would refuse the opportunity to march more comfortably.

Li Daozon was generally relaxed. According to the plan for this attack, he and the crown prince were responsible for the feint attack.

Therefore, both the journey and the battle will not be easy.

The battle would begin after Hou Junji's main force arrived.

This period of time will be very long, and they only need to contain Liaodong City.

Theoretically, it will take at least two months.

After all, it took a lot of time for Hou Junji and Li Ji to conquer Gaimu City.

It takes a lot of time to build siege equipment.

Ladders, battering rams, and catapults.

It is impossible to carry it with you. In the case of a long journey, you will only start making it after arriving at the battlefield.

Of course, after receiving the order to march east to Goryeo.

The governors of Youzhou and Yingzhou have already begun arrangements for its construction.

For example, the Tang Dynasty's ladder was improved and had six wheels on the base, making it relatively easy to transport.

When the army goes out to fight, it can be disassembled and carried with the army. When it is necessary to attack a city, it can be quickly assembled and put into use.

"I heard that there are many people from the Sui Dynasty in Liaodong City. They all fled there during the war."

"If we can destroy Goryeo this time, I think these people can also return to the rule of the Tang Dynasty."

Li Daozon's tone was somewhat lamentable.

In fact, Goryeo is now more powerful than it was during the Sui Dynasty.

The war at the end of the Sui Dynasty not only had no impact on Goryeo, but a large number of craftsmen enabled Goryeo's various technologies to develop rapidly.

Twenty-nine years have passed since Emperor Yang of Sui's third expedition to Goryeo.

The Zhenguan Reign lasted only seventeen years, but Goryeo had already been developing secretly for twenty-nine years.

The Goryeo Great Wall was built in the fifth year of Zhenguan, and is still under construction today.

But unfortunately, whether it was Li Shimin's attack on Goryeo in history or Li Chengqian's bombardment of Goryeo this time, this Great Wall would not play much of a role.

"Uncle Huang is right. These people will definitely return to the rule of the Tang Dynasty."

Li Chengqian had a smile on his face and his tone was confident and firm.

Li Dao Zong was shocked.

Thinking of bad things.

"Your Highness, His Majesty wants us to make a feint attack."

"Liaodong City has high walls and thick fortresses. Even a million-strong army of the Sui Dynasty failed to capture it. We only have tens of thousands of soldiers and horses. If we forcefully attack it, even if we suffer heavy casualties, we may not be able to capture it."

The reason why Li Daozon suddenly said this was that he was worried that the prince would become arrogant and that an outsider would command experts.

He wanted to destroy Goryeo to justify the military attack.

The crown prince does not need military merit, but he needs military merit to intimidate the King of Wei. How could Li Daozon not know this?

Before leaving, Li Daozon met the emperor, and Li Shimin specifically instructed him on several matters.

The first thing, of course, is to protect the prince's safety and not let him come to any harm.

The second thing is to supervise the crown prince and prevent him from doing things recklessly and disrupting the plan of the Eastern Expedition.

The prince’s military strategy and tactics are very powerful, but after all, it is his first time on the battlefield.

Things like war cannot be rushed.

When you are in a hurry, it is easy to make mistakes, and once you make a mistake, it is likely to affect the overall situation.

Emperor Yang of Sui was just like this. He was arrogant and fond of showing off, and as a result, the entire Sui Dynasty was destroyed.

In Li Shimin's eyes, the current crown prince has some shadows of Emperor Yang of Sui.

"Don't be afraid, uncle. How could I use the lives of soldiers and civilians to build my own steps?"

Li Chengqian smiled and comforted him.

Li Daozon breathed a sigh of relief, but he felt that there seemed to be something wrong in the prince's words.

In the following march, Li Chengqian's army merged with Li Daozon's army.

Originally, many of these civilians were brought by Li Daozon to help the crown prince in order to reduce his burden, and it was natural and reasonable for them to be under the crown prince's command now.

But soon, Li Daozon felt a headache.

During the Tang Dynasty, some of the baggage was carried by the people on their backs, usually in backpacks or bundles.

In areas with inconvenient roads such as mountainous areas, the people would put lighter supplies such as corn, dry food, arrows, etc. in backpacks and carry them on their backs as they followed the army.

After Li Chengqian accepted the laborers, he immediately arranged for the accompanying craftsmen, including the palace soldiers, to assist in making the carts.

This is the hand-pushed small bucket cart of later generations, which is still used in coal mines today. The loads of three laborers can be piled on one hand-pushed cart, which greatly reduces the burden on the laborers.

Pushing it on two wheels is definitely more comfortable than carrying it on your back.

In order to reduce the weight of three people at the same time, Li Chengqian changed the format and let two people take turns pushing a cart. This was not only easier, but also allowed them to recover their strength better.

In addition, the food of the civilians who served under the prince was also improved.

In the camp at night.

There were big pots filled with meat and animal organs.

Every laborer can drink a bowl of broth to restore their strength.

Served with broth, even with just a little bit of meat, the common people felt grateful to the prince and praised him for his benevolence.

People are afraid of having no comparison. The civilians on the other side who were eating dry food had envy in their eyes.

Li Daozon soon felt that the morale of his troops was wavering.

So he hurriedly asked the prince for instructions.

“The lives of the people are lives, aren’t they?”

"It's almost the harvest season, but they have to travel outside for the Tang Dynasty. I feel really guilty about this."

“I am thinking about my wife, children, parents, and rice fields that are ready for harvest.”

"I cannot bear to see the people suffering like this."

"Uncle, please follow my method, and it will also make life a little better for the people."

After hearing this explanation, Li Daozon couldn't help but feel a little disappointed.

A prince who can understand and care for the people is a good prince.

Immediately, Li Daozon arranged for people to make carts according to the prince's method, add broth, and implement it throughout the army.

"The prince is extremely kind and virtuous."

"We are so lucky to have a prince who cares about us common people."

"The curved plow was also invented by the prince. When the government wanted to promote the curved plow during the spring ploughing season, I thought it was a mess, but after using it, I realized it was really good."

There was a lot of discussion in the camp, with everyone praising the prince.

For a moment, the entire camp was filled with voices praising the prince.

Li Daozon naturally had no intention of stopping him. He was the crown prince, why would he stop him? That would be rebellion.

The march was boring, but now that there was something to talk about, the people were excited and their morale was boosted.

Someone sighed: "It would be a great thing to be a soldier for the prince. It would be an honor to die for the prince."

Someone immediately laughed at him: "You want to be the prince's soldier? You are dreaming."

The man was very angry: "I am loyal to the prince, why can't I do this?"

After saying that, he took out a piece of paper from his bosom and proudly unfolded it to everyone.

"Look, this is the portrait of the prince."

Although everyone was illiterate, the portrait of the prince was so lifelike that it immediately caused everyone to be amazed.

"You are a traitor. You dare to hide the portrait of the crown prince."

Those who were jealous started to question him immediately.

The man didn't care: "Don't slander me, this is called a court bulletin, issued by the prince in Chang'an, ten cents a piece."

"The portrait in this court newspaper was also printed by the prince, so that common people like us can also look up to the emperor."

"My wife sent me food last time and specially sent this report to me, hoping that I could get the crown prince's blessing and return home safely."

This blessing does not mean that the prince will take care of him, but it is like a glance from gods and Buddhas, protecting him in the dark.

The people who were conscripted for labor service had their food mainly provided by the army, but it was only basic food and not enough.

Therefore, not only did they need to bring their own dry food, but their family would also mail money and food through the post station.

It has been like this since the Qin Dynasty.

Civilians and soldiers on the battlefield could also write letters to their families.

There is a saying that goes "A letter from home is worth a thousand pieces of gold."

This statement immediately aroused the envy of everyone.

Some people didn't believe it and went to tell tales, but they were whipped instead.

The fact that the prince's portrait was printed in the official gazette was no longer a big secret.

Because of the improved load-bearing tools and the boost in military morale, the marching troops were in high spirits.

On the second day of August, we arrived in Youzhou one day ahead of schedule.

At this time, Hou Junji and other teams had already set out from Youzhou and began a strategic attack on the Goryeo city.
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middle East.

Multan region.

This is the buffer zone between the Harsha Empire and the current Arab Empire.

There are many small countries and tribes living there.

After the fall of the Sassanid Empire, the king Yazdegerd III fled here to avoid being hunted down by the Arab cavalry.

In fact, Yazdegerd III was not a foolish emperor. He also wanted to work hard to govern the country and restore the empire to its former glory.

However, the Persian Empire was plagued by political factions and had long been weak and corrupt.

Then came the rise of the Arab Empire. Even if Yaddeus III wanted to do something, it was of no avail as he could not resist the tide of history.

He is somewhat like Liu Chan of the Three Kingdoms, and also like Chongzhen of the late Ming Dynasty.

Yazdegerd III is now without his wife and daughter, and is only followed by a few loyal guards.

With little money left, he became impoverished. Faced with the Arab Empire's wanted manhunt, he dared not reveal his identity.

That night.

Yazdegerd III knelt devoutly in the moonlight and prayed.

"Great Ahura Mazda, can you hear the cries of your people?"

"I, Yazdegerd III, was once the king of Persia, but now I am an exile like a stray dog."

"My country, the land you once blessed, has been consumed by war, and darkness hangs over it like the shadow of Angra Mainyu."

"I tried to protect our honor, our faith, our people."

"But fate seems to be like a runaway horse, no longer under my control. Is this a test from you, or has Persia been abandoned by you?"

"Your Majesty, I once swore to you under the sun to protect Persia. Now that the sun no longer favors me, I pray for your guidance under the cold moonlight."

"Your Majesty, the noble and graceful Queen Anahita, why are your people suffering so much now? Have our mistakes made you withdraw your kindness?"

Ahura Mazda is the supreme god worshipped by Persian Zoroastrianism, which is commonly known as Zoroastrianism in the Tang Dynasty.

In Zoroastrianism, Ahura Mazda is in an eternal struggle with Angra Mainyu, who represents darkness and evil.

Mithra is the god of light and oaths, as well as the sun god.

Anahita was an important goddess, considered the patron saint of fertility, health, water, wisdom, and war.

When he was at his wit's end, Yazdegerd III could only pray to various gods, asking them to have mercy on him and save him, the lost lamb.

Perhaps his prayers really worked, and on the next day, the guards received a piece of news.

The Tang Dynasty's envoys are about to arrive in India, and have announced that the Tang Dynasty's Crown Prince is willing to provide asylum to the fugitive Persian emperor.

"Is this true? You are not lying to me." Yazdegerd III was incredulous.

He had sent envoys to the Tang Dynasty many times to ask for help, but received no reply.

"Everyone is saying it. I have asked your Majesty and it is true that there is a Tang Dynasty delegation going to India."

Yazdegerd III immediately knelt on the ground and worshiped the sun.

"Your Majesty Ahura Mazda, Your Majesty Mithra, Your Majesty Anahita."

"Thank you for your mercy."

(End of this chapter)