My father, Li Shimin, please call me Crown Prince

Chapter 263: Changsun Wuji empathizes with Fang Xuanling
Li Shimin finally agreed to the prince's extravagant behavior.

The left and right princes provided a lot of profits, but in the final analysis, they were still using the prince's money to do the prince's business.

After the king and his ministers finished their meeting, they took their leave.

"Wuji, please stay for a moment. I still have something else to tell you."

Li Shimin opened his mouth and gave orders.

Changsun Wuji bowed and said, "Yes, Your Majesty."

Soon, the other ministers left.

The only people left in the room were Li Shimin, Zhangsun Wuji, and the eunuch Zhang Ananda.

Li Shimin was the first to speak and sighed, "Now that the prince has been in Liaodong for a long time, he has become more assertive in his actions."

"It's about this cotton matter. He was sure that I would not refuse him, so he acted first and reported to me later."

"Also, his new policies were implemented very successfully in Liaodong. It was a good thing, but his actions were too rough and direct, which made the Tang noble families have a lot of thoughts in their minds."

"As for Baekje, even if they surrendered to the imperial court, the prince will definitely not let them off easily."

"Haedong is a remote place. Although it has surrendered, the imperial court cannot reach it. The crown prince is close to the water. If he forcibly implements the new policy in Haedong and ignores the Baekje nobles, I am afraid it will involve many people."

When Changsun Wuji heard this, he immediately understood what His Majesty was worried about.

It seems to be talking about Baekje, but in fact the root of the problem lies in suppressing the power of the crown prince. What about the remote place of Haidong? How much influence can it have on the Tang Dynasty? Any place in the territory of the Tang Dynasty is more valuable than Haidong.

This involves the father-son conflict between Your Majesty and the Crown Prince.

It also involves the views of the world's aristocratic families on the prince.

Of course, these words cannot be said to his face, so he echoed: "Your Majesty is right. The power of the Tang Dynasty is intertwined. The ministers in the court have their own calculations. The nobles want to continue their military achievements, and the aristocratic families value the inheritance of their ancestors. One move can affect the whole body. Your Highness the Crown Prince is full of passion, but he may not be thoughtful in his actions."

Li Shimin's eyes suddenly became sharp, and he looked straight at Zhangsun Wuji: "Wuji, I have an idea. I plan to hand over the power of Baekje's government to you. What do you think?"

Baekje is a remote area located in the east of the sea. After the imperial court accepted Baekje's surrender, it would definitely send provincial governors there.

Otherwise this surrender would be meaningless.

But who in the imperial court can play chess with the prince?
If ordinary officials went there, how could they dare to go against the prince's power?

Changsun Wuji felt his head buzzing and was stunned for a moment. It took him a long while to come back to his senses. He hurriedly stood up and bowed to the ground: "Your Majesty is so kind to me. I am really humbled. This Baekje government is by no means a trivial matter. I am so confused that I don't know how to respond."

Standing up straight, Changsun Wuji's face was full of confusion, "Your Majesty, it's not that I'm trying to shirk my responsibility, it's just that this matter is too important."

From Changsun Wuji's perspective, he is now invincible.

There is absolutely no need to get involved in the fight between His Majesty and the Crown Prince.

But things went against his wishes, and at this moment, His Majesty asked him to go to Baekje.

This was a very troublesome problem, and it put him in a dilemma.

If it is according to your majesty's wishes, the crown prince must be suppressed and not allowed to interfere too much in Baekje after it has surrendered.

However, he is a real princeling.

If he goes to confront the prince face to face, will the prince still be able to accept his kindness?

It's just like Zhu Bajie looking in the mirror, neither human inside nor outside.

Li Shimin stood up, walked to Changsun Wuji, and patted his shoulder: "Wuji, don't be modest. As the uncle of the emperor, you are of noble status and have great prestige in the court. I have always trusted your way of handling government affairs."

"Besides, you and the crown prince have a close relationship. If you take over Baekje, even if the crown prince has some ideas in his mind, he will not act recklessly."

How could Changsun Wuji respond to this? He could only reply bitterly: "Your Majesty, although I have some prestige in the court, I am unfamiliar with the political affairs of Baekje. Baekje has just surrendered, and we need to learn about its customs and local forces from scratch. I am afraid that I will be slow to get started and delay Your Majesty's important affairs."

He paused, stole a glance at His Majesty, and seeing that his expression had not changed, he continued, "I am really worried about His Royal Highness the Crown Prince."

"If the prince talks to me about the new policy, how can I refuse? If I refuse, the prince will surely feel resentful."

Li Shimin comforted him, "Wuji, I understand your concerns, but I have my reasons for choosing you."

"You are always calm and experienced. Although you are unfamiliar with Baekje, as long as you go there and manage it carefully, it will not be difficult to figure out the tricks."

"As for the prince, you are his uncle, and blood is thicker than water. Your words carry more weight. As long as you explain the pros and cons clearly, he will understand."

Zhang Sun Wuji smiled bitterly: "Your Majesty, although that is true, it is very difficult to strike the right balance. If I speak too lightly, the prince will not take it seriously. If I speak too harshly, I am afraid that it will hurt their feelings."

After Li Shimin returned to his desk, he sat down and thought for a moment: "That's why I asked you to go to Liaodong, under the guise of visiting the military, to test the Crown Prince's mind. You should tactfully reveal my intentions, saying that I know his ambitions, but that Baekje has just surrendered and the situation is unstable. We need a steady person to stabilize the situation first. When the time is right, there is still room for his ideas to be implemented."

Changsun Wuji was helpless and his eyes inadvertently passed over Zhang Ananda.

Zhang Ananda quickly dodged.

It was his idea to let Changsun Wuji go to Liaodong to act as a middleman between Your Majesty and the Crown Prince, and to take over Baekje.

This is equivalent to roasting Changsun Wuji on the fire.

But in the imperial court, only Zhangsun Wuji had this status and ability.

Changsun Wuji also felt at this moment that His Majesty was determined to arrange him to Baekje.

He could only struggle and say, "Your Majesty, that's what I said, but how easy is it to appease the prince? Once the prince has made up his mind, even eight oxen can't change it. How should I phrase it? If I'm not careful, it might cause trouble."
Li Shimin's eyes were blazing with unquestionable trust: "Wuji, I trust your ability. When you go to Liaodong, you must adapt to the situation and find out the prince's thoughts first. I will make proper arrangements for the rest."

Zhang Sun Wuji bowed helplessly: "Yes, Your Majesty."
-
The third day of May, the eighteenth year of Zhenguan.

Li Chengqian began to prepare for war against Baekje.

This is not a good time to fight. In the hot summer, soldiers wearing heavy armor are prone to heat stroke, dehydration, and even excessive fatigue and loss of combat effectiveness.

Moreover, metal armor will become extremely hot under the sun, causing damage to the soldiers' bodies.

Summer is the rainy season, with frequent rainfall, which is prone to floods. The roads will become muddy, slowing down the march and even causing the army to lose its way. At the same time, rising rivers will also make it difficult to cross the river and increase the risk of casualties.

The high temperature and rain in summer can easily cause food and grass to mold and spoil, making them difficult to preserve.

Moreover, the roads were muddy, the transportation vehicles were difficult to drive, and the transportation efficiency of food and grass was low, so it could not be supplied to the soldiers on the front line in time. If the army lacked sufficient food and grass, the soldiers would be hungry and tired, which would affect their combat effectiveness.

In summer, the temperature is high and water evaporates quickly, so the army's demand for water increases greatly. However, in arid areas, water may become scarce, and finding water will become a major problem for the army. If the army cannot find sufficient water in time, the soldiers will become thirsty and may even die from lack of water.

Soldiers camped in the wild with poor sanitary conditions and were more susceptible to diseases. Once the disease spread among the army, it would cause a large number of soldiers to become sick and their combat effectiveness would decline.

Hot weather can make people feel irritable and restless. Soldiers fighting in the summer not only have to endure the torment of high temperatures, but also have to face the pressure of war, which can easily lead to war-weariness and low morale.

In ancient times, agriculture was the main production, and summer was a critical period for crop growth, requiring a large number of laborers for farming, irrigation, weeding, etc. If a war was launched in the summer, a large number of young and middle-aged laborers would be conscripted into the army, resulting in no one to cultivate the farmland, affecting the harvest of crops.

What's more, now is the time when Silla in Liaodong is reclaiming wasteland, and everyone's mind is on accumulating wealth.

Side hall of Shenwu Palace.

Li Chengqian sat high in the main seat, and under his command were Su Dingfang, Chen Yunchao, Li Dejian, Xue Rengui, and Pei Xingjian.

Li Chengqian was the first to break the silence. He glanced at the generals and said in a deep voice, "Everyone, I called you here today because the battle plan has changed. I originally wanted to wait until the grain harvest is complete in September, when we have enough food and grass and no worries, before we can target Baekje. But now, the situation has changed."

Su Dingfang was a straightforward person. He immediately clasped his fists and asked, "Your Highness, I am stupid and don't know what happened. I hope Your Highness can explain it to me."

Li Chengqian frowned slightly and said, "I just received accurate news that Baekje sent its crown prince Buyeo Long to Chang'an secretly and has surrendered to the court."

"Although there is no news from the imperial court yet, if Baekje's surrender is accepted, it will definitely have an impact on my plans."

"Therefore, even though the weather is not favorable, we can only send troops by force to seize the initiative."

Li Dejian thought for a moment and said, "Your Highness is very concerned, but if we send troops ahead of schedule now, I'm afraid it will be too late to prepare food and fodder. I'm afraid the food in the army will be a bit of a stretch to support a major war."

This has to do with land reclamation.

In order to achieve better results in land reclamation, Li Chengqian, after collecting the stored grain from the nobles, distributed it to his subordinates continuously to ensure the physical strength of the people in land reclamation, including preparations for some disasters.

Li Chengqian nodded: "So, we must attack Baekje quickly and without delay."

"I have prepared enough thunderbolts, which are enough to quickly flatten all the major cities of Baekje and directly capture the Baekje capital, Sabi City."

Having said that, Li Chengqian stood up and walked to the sand table.

"General Su, how to fight is now up to you."

Although Li Chengqian also understood combat deployment, as a crown prince, it was impossible for him to personally go to every battle.

If he becomes emperor in the future, will he have to lead the army in person at every turn?

Therefore, in terms of military operations, Li Chengqian was more of an observer, while the specific combat plans and deployments were left to Su Dingfang.

Su Dingfang nodded slightly, bowed, walked to the sand table, pointed at the terrain above and said: "This time I think we can divide the troops into five routes."

"Yu Shouyue will lead 10,000 elite troops, carrying Thunderbolt, and sneak into the border of Baekje first."

"Find a hidden valley to station there. Once the central army clashed with the Baekje defenders and disrupted their deployment, we could seize the right opportunity and attack the important city of Ungjin in the east of Baekje."

"Ungjin is an important town in the eastern part of Baekje. Its strategic position is extremely important. Once this town is taken, the enemy's eastern defense line will be in chaos. Then we can set off the Thunderbolt Fire and catch them off guard."

Su Dingfang looked at Pei Xingjian and said, "Be careful to guard against the enemy's counterattack. Make sure to hold on to Xiongjin and wait for follow-up support."

Pei Xingjian bowed and said, "I will definitely fulfill your mission!"

Su Dingfang continued, "General Chen, you lead the central army, commanding 10,000 troops, and march forward with great fanfare. There is no need to hide your tracks, the more conspicuous the better. Set up many flags along the way, beat gongs and drums in broad daylight, and let Baekje think that our main force is all along your route, and attract their main force here."

"When the enemy gathers, you should hold your ground without attacking, wear down their morale, and create a good opportunity for General Pei to launch a surprise attack. However, the enemy is cunning, beware of their tactics to lure the enemy, and do not attack rashly."

Chen Yunchao clasped his fists and said, "Your Highness, General Su, rest assured. I know the pros and cons of this and will definitely be able to hold back the enemy. I'm just afraid that if the enemy comes with all their might, our army will be under too much pressure. I hope we can get backup in time."

Li Chengqian said, "General Chen, don't worry. General Li Dejian is leading 8,000 reserve troops in the rear and is on standby. If you are in trouble, he will come to your aid immediately."

Li Dejian clasped his fists and said, "I will protect the Central Army. Your Highness the Crown Prince and General Su, please rest assured."

Su Dingfang pointed to the west side of the sand table and said, "Xue Rengui, the western route is now in your hands. Lead 5,000 light cavalry to bypass the deep mountains and old forests on the west side of Baekje. The terrain there is complicated and the enemy will not expect our army to make a detour from here."

"When the battles on the east and central routes begin, you will rush out quickly to cut off Baekje's retreat to the west and block all possible reinforcement routes, so that Baekje will be completely trapped. Rengui is good at raiding and will definitely be able to fulfill his mission this time."

Xue Rengui held his head high and said in a clear voice, "Your Highness, General Su, I have long been waiting to drink the enemy's blood with this long spear. I will definitely prevent any reinforcements from Baekje from coming over!"

Su Dingfang then deployed: "There are two more naval forces. One is led by General Cheng Mingzhen with 5,000 naval forces. They will set out from the sea and head straight for the Baekje capital Sabi Castle."

"When the battle on land begins, General Cheng will lead the navy to launch an attack, and cooperate with the army to form a pincer attack on land and sea, making it difficult for the enemy to defend both ends."

"The other route is led by General Liu Rengui, who will lead 5,000 naval forces to patrol the sea and closely monitor the movements of the Japanese fleet."

"Now that we have heard that Baekje may ally with Japan, there are many warships at sea. Once we find the Japanese fleet coming to support Baekje, General Liu will immediately strike head-on. Even if it is guerrilla harassment, we will never let them join the Baekje fleet."

Li Chengqian nodded slightly, looking at everyone with a resolute gaze: "Generals, I know that the weather is not favorable and there are many difficulties for us to go to war at this moment. But the situation is pressing, and we have no way out. Only by fighting quickly and decisively can we achieve great things. This expedition is related to the glory and territorial expansion of our Tang Dynasty. I hope you will work together and return victoriously. I am waiting to celebrate for you!"

All the generals shouted in unison: "We are willing to die for your Highness and defeat Baekje!"

The sound shook the roof tiles and was full of high morale.

(End of this chapter)