My father, Li Shimin, please call me Crown Prince

Chapter 233 Li Shimin: Prince, are you about to take off?

The mansion of the Lord of Anshi City.

Helan Chushi left with a worried look on his face.

The situation on Hou Junji's side has been reported over.

It was Your Majesty's imperial decree that abolished my father-in-law's position as the commander-in-chief of the Liaodong Road.

Your Majesty's move is actually very obvious. You are telling the Crown Prince that I already know about what happened between you and Hou Junji.

Li Chengqian doesn't care, but Helan Chushi cares a lot.

Because all his power and status came from his father-in-law Hou Junji.

Originally, among the prince's people, his father-in-law was his greatest support.

Now that his support is gone, the prince, who had never taken him seriously, will naturally ignore him even more.

He wanted to ask the crown prince to send troops to stop Li Ji, but the crown prince refused.

For a moment, Helan Chushi didn't know what to do.

Inside the mansion.

Li Dejian said: "Your Highness is wise. If we send troops to stop Li Ji now, we will be at odds with Your Majesty."

"Your Majesty probably doesn't want to fall out with Your Highness now, so he just ordered the troops to return to the court."

Li Chengqian nodded: "There is really no way to deal with Hou Junji. Father has issued a secret decree. After Hou Junji is captured, who dares to resist?"

No matter from which perspective, rescuing Hou Junji will definitely bring more benefits than disadvantages.

However, by doing this, the only remaining balance between him and Erfeng would be broken, which was tantamount to openly opposing Erfeng, which was not worth it.

"Okay, let's not talk about this anymore."

"Even if Hou Junji is taken back to Chang'an, at least his life will be guaranteed before my father and I have a falling out."

"Now let's continue talking about the military system. What do you think?"

Li Chengqian continued.

Hou Junji's crime was treason, but Li Chengqian knew that Erfeng would not charge him with treason for the time being.

Once it is decided, he, the crown prince, will be deposed.

Now Li Chengqian has the method of creating thunder and fire, as well as the great contribution of pacifying Goryeo, and the number of troops he has.

If the two Fengs rebel, the Tang Dynasty will be in constant civil war.

Just like when the prince attacked Goryeo, if thunder and fire fell on the Tang army camp, it would also cause huge casualties.

It is still unknown whether Erfeng can win steadily.

"Your Highness, is this military system too kind to the prisoners?"

Li Dejian asked.

Li Chengqian's military reforms mainly focused on discipline, supply, and salaries.

The government soldiers of the Tang Dynasty did not have a fixed salary. They worked as farmers in their spare time and served as soldiers in times of war.

The Goryeo army was naturally similar.

But now, Li Chengqian wants to build professional soldiers, and the first one is an army of 50,000 people, named Shenwu Army.

Among these 50,000 soldiers, 30,000 were from Goryeo and 20,000 were from the Tang Dynasty. It was a mixed organization, and 90% of the officers were Han people.

This army not only has a fixed salary, but also has strict standards for food.

Even arrangements have been made for compensation for those killed in battle, support for descendants, and support for elderly parents.

Among them, there is no distinction between Tang soldiers and Goryeo soldiers.

As long as you are one of these 50,000 troops, you can enjoy similar treatment.

For officers, the treatment will be slightly better.

There are also a series of welfare policies. For example, if a soldier dies in battle, his children can go to school for free. After a man turns sixteen, if he can pass the selection test, he can directly join the Shenwu Army.

The family can also receive a certain amount of food rations from the local government every month and is granted the right to appeal.

The so-called right to appeal means that if anyone in the Shenwu Army or their family members encounter unfair things, they can directly appeal to the top leaders of the Shenwu Army for handling. It is similar to the concept of a military court, but slightly different.

This is to protect the families of the Shenwu Army from being bullied by local authorities.

"Don't talk about captives anymore, Dejian. You have to remember that from now on, no one is Korean. We are all citizens of the Tang Dynasty. We cannot discriminate against each other. We must treat everyone equally."

Li Dejian bowed his head slightly: "Yes, Your Highness."

Su Dingfang thought for a moment and said, "Your Highness has treated the soldiers so well, who would dare not risk their lives for Your Highness?"

"The name of the Shenwu Army will surely resound throughout the world in the future."

"It's just that we don't have much money and food now, so we need to think of other ways."

Fifty thousand professional soldiers are not just a one-time expense, but a long-term expense. Even if the salary of each soldier is not high, when added together, it is still not a small amount.

At present, the salary set by Li Chengqian is calculated in copper coins, and each person in the Shenwu Army receives three hundred coins per month.

Fifty thousand troops meant that Li Chengqian had to pay 15 million coins in military pay every month.

Three hundred coins are not a lot, but in terms of food, food and accommodation are provided, including free medical care, and armor, military uniforms and other equipment are all provided by the army.

For soldiers serving in the Shenwu Army, the three hundred coins were completely free and could be used to directly subsidize their family expenses.

As long as you are a soldier of the Shenwu Army, your family can enjoy certain tax reduction policies.

However, for the time being, these policies will be easier to implement in Goryeo, but in the Tang Dynasty, whether the local government approves or not is another matter.

"The trial can now be fully launched."

"Believe me, the nobles of Goryeo are much richer than you think."

It is naturally impossible for Erfeng to provide military expenses, and there is no doubt that the Goryeo treasury is a huge hole.

But Li Chengqian had no intention of stopping there, so he could only take money from the pockets of the Goryeo nobles.

Oh, and Silla.

Directly inviting the Queen of Silla to come would only be another Hongmen Banquet. In the end, in history, the royal family of Silla, that is, the inheritance of the holy bones, would be cut off anyway.

It's just a little early now.

If she is obedient, she can still retain a little special status. If she is not obedient, you can't blame Li Chengqian for destroying her.

The next day.

The plan for the establishment of the Shenwu Army was soon spread throughout the army.

When the soldiers heard about the generous welfare benefits, they simply couldn't believe their ears.

Not only are soldiers provided with food and lodging, but they also get paid every month?

Such things are totally unbelievable in today's era.

Then, the big selection began.

Not everyone can join the Shenwu Army.

The first is the age limit, between sixteen and thirty-five years old.

The Shenwu Army will no longer recruit anyone over the age of 35, except for officers.

The physical condition of ordinary people these days is generally not very good, and when they reach the age of 40, it begins to decline sharply.

Thirty-five is just the right age.

After all, this is the optimal age calculated by later scientific research.

Because of the great selection, the departure for the Goryeo capital, originally scheduled for three days later, was delayed for a few days.

It was not until the ninth day of October that Li Chengqian set out on his journey.

At this time, a large number of laborers had been dismissed.

More Tang civilians began to be assigned to various cities in Goryeo to serve as officials such as Wu Hou and County Lieutenant.

Although many cities have not been attacked yet, there is no need to attack them anymore.

All it takes is a written document to pass through and they will surrender naturally.
-
Chang'an. News of the great victory in Goryeo came back.

The whole city was in an uproar.

Newspapers often reported news about the situation on the Goryeo battlefield, allowing the people of Chang'an to know the general situation.

For example, Gaimu City was breached, and the prince conquered Liaodong City in half a day.

The place that the Sui Dynasty's million-strong army had failed to conquer after three expeditions to Goryeo was now completely pacified in just three months.

As citizens of the Tang Dynasty, we are all proud of this.

A large number of scholars wrote poems to praise the event, and many shops took the opportunity to launch promotional activities.

Li Shimin also carried out a general amnesty.

The attitude of envoys from various countries towards the Tang Dynasty became even more humble.

The Tang Dynasty's eastern expedition to Goryeo allowed many countries to see how powerful the Tang army was.

Especially the Crown Prince of the Tang Dynasty, who attracted the attention of almost everyone. As for the siege weapon of thunder and fire, is there any city in the world that can stop it?

Although Li Shimin abolished Hou Junji, let Li Ji seize the military power, and ordered the Pyongyang Road army to return to the court.

But most people are unaware of the subtle relationship between the Emperor of the Tang Dynasty and the Crown Prince behind this behavior.

From a normal person's perspective, the pacification of Goryeo, the return of most of the troops, and the return of the civilians to their homes and reunions were all gifts from the Tang Dynasty.

This is an apparent compromise.

No matter what others speculate, as long as Li Shimin and Li Chengqian do not completely fall out, the current peace and stability can be maintained.

The palace.

The king and his ministers discuss matters.

Li Jing brought the latest news.

"Your Majesty, Li Ji has led his army out of Anshi City and is marching towards Yingzhou."

"Hou Jun has gathered all his troops and they are now under the control of Li Ji."

Li Shimin looked calm and asked, "What about the prince? What actions has he taken?"

"Should we send troops to stop them?"

Li Jing replied, "There is no movement for the time being. The Crown Prince has ordered the Queen of Silla, Jin Deman, to go to the Goryeo capital today to welcome the carriage."

Li Shimin was silent.

The meaning of sending a message to the Queen of Silla is self-evident.

He could not help but snorted coldly and said, “If such a big country like Goryeo cannot satisfy him, is he going to torment Silla?”

"What do you think the Crown Prince's intention is?"

Li Shimin had no intention of issuing an imperial edict to the crown prince. He knew very well that even if he did, the current crown prince would not listen to him and would only cause embarrassment.

Zhang Sun Wuji did not have too many taboos and said bluntly: "I am afraid that the prince wants to take this opportunity to annex Silla."

Fang Xuanling frowned slightly and was about to speak, but hesitated for a moment and stopped.

The current situation is no longer a question of whether to rebel or not.

The prince has become a problem that Your Majesty is unable to solve now.

As long as the prince does not return to Chang'an, no matter how conclusive the evidence of treason is, it can only be suppressed for the time being.

Forcing the prince to rebel will benefit no one.

Li Shimin frowned slightly: "Has the prince annexed Silla and is going to conquer Baekje? Does he think his Thunderbolt is really invincible?"

"Those who are not of my race must have different hearts. Will those Goryeo soldiers really obey his orders?"

"Don't make a fool of yourself by then."

After thinking for a while, Li Shimin continued: "Send a message to the prince, telling him that too much is as bad as too little. Remember, he only has 25,000 Tang troops."

Li Shimin had suffered losses before, so he knew very well that in order to suppress the alien races, he had to use both kindness and force. Blindly showing kindness would only make them more arrogant.

Hearing this, everyone was silent.

Finally, the focus was on Wei Zheng.

To advise His Majesty, we still have to rely on Wei Zheng.

Wei Zheng lived up to everyone's expectations and bowed, saying, "Your Majesty, I think this is inappropriate."

Li Shimin said in a deep voice: "What do you think, Mr. Wei?"

There was some dissatisfaction in his tone, but Wei Zheng didn't care.

He has long been used to it.

He replied, "Now that the Crown Prince has won a great victory, he is suppressing Goryeo and plotting against Silla. If Your Majesty sends a letter to him at this time, it will certainly not be taken seriously by the Crown Prince."

"I heard that the Crown Prince has been recruiting Tang Dynasty students to serve as officials in Goryeo. Your Majesty, why don't you follow his wishes and arrange for more students from the Imperial Academy to go there? First, they can better govern Goryeo, and second, they can better help the Crown Prince overcome crises when he encounters setbacks."

There were some things Wei Zheng was not comfortable saying directly. During this period, people from all walks of life who wanted to get official positions came to him.

There was no way around some favors, so Wei Zheng could only write a letter of recommendation.

Who made Wei Zheng the Prince's Grand Tutor?

Now, being an official in Goryeo is seen as a shortcut to success.

After Li Shimin learned the news, he had no intention of objecting, which attracted many followers.

In fact, to Wei Zheng, Fang Xuanling, and Changsun Wuji, it was a good thing for the prince to annex Silla and then conquer Baekje.

Winning is good, losing is also good.

If they win, the Tang Dynasty will expand its territory and unify the Liaodong Peninsula.

If he is defeated, the prince's pride will be dispelled, and perhaps the relationship between Your Majesty and the prince will be eased.

At this point, to a large extent, Li Shimin no longer had the final say on whether to depose the crown prince, as the impact was too great.

Although Li Shimin was very angry about the prince's actions, for the time being, he had not yet reached the point of deposing him.

I really can’t bear to let go of such an outstanding heir.

"Just let the prince act like this?"

Li Shimin was somewhat reluctant and always felt it was embarrassing.

"Perhaps the prince has his own ideas. If he can really unify Silla and Baekje, it would be a blessing."

Changsun Wuji hesitated for a moment, but finally stood up and spoke to the prince.

The situation kept changing, and even Changsun Wuji was a little unsure of it.

Originally, it was thought that the Crown Prince would be deposed for sure. But now that the Crown Prince is making such a fuss, how can Your Majesty bring himself to do it?

Yesterday, Changsun Wuji was still considering whether to secretly send a message to the prince to inform him that his rebellion had been exposed, so that the prince could make arrangements early and not return to Chang'an.

The reason why I have such an idea is that the prince’s performance on the battlefield and the military achievements he obtained were too exaggerated.

Even more powerful than Your Majesty back then.

All in all, the possibility of the prince inheriting the throne increases a little.

Changsun Wuji didn't want to go against the prince anymore.

Li Shimin pondered for a moment and asked Fang Xuanling, "What do you think, Mr. Fang?"

Fang Xuanling now felt like crying.

If he had known that the prince was such a person, why would he have gone to such great lengths to oppose him?

Is it too late to turn from darkness to light?

Your Majesty asked me what I think?
I have to lie down and watch it.

If the prince ascends the throne, will he still have a chance to survive?

After thinking for a while, Fang Xuanling said: "Silla has always admired our Tang Dynasty and obeyed our Tang Dynasty's orders. If the prince forcibly annexed it, I am afraid it would be unjustified."

(End of this chapter)