My father, Li Shimin, please call me Crown Prince

Chapter 266: If the crown prince succeeds to the throne, will he share power with the aristocratic families?
The capital of Baekje, outside Sabi City.

The early morning light struggled to penetrate the thick clouds and shone on the vast plain outside the Baekje capital of Sabi.

Fuyu Yici, wearing a heavy and gorgeous armor, slowly walked out of the tent.

This piece of armor carries the glory of successive Baekje kings fighting on the battlefield, but now it seems to weigh a thousand pounds, making his steps a little heavy.

He raised his hand and gently stroked the exquisite patterns on the armor, feeling mixed emotions. The past glory and the current predicament kept intertwining in his mind.

"My king, the soldiers have assembled and are waiting for your instructions."

The guard beside him whispered. Fuyu Yici nodded slightly, took a deep breath, and strode towards the training ground.

On the parade ground, tens of thousands of Baekje soldiers lined up in neat rows. However, in this seemingly strict military formation, Buyeo Uiji keenly captured the anxiety and uneasiness in the soldiers' eyes.

He climbed onto the high platform, his eyes sharp as torches, scanning every soldier below the stage.

"Baekje warriors!"

Buyeo Yici's voice was loud and powerful, echoing in the empty training ground.

"Today, our homeland is being attacked by the Tang Dynasty, and our wives, children, and parents are in a state of panic in the rear. We are the backbone of Baekje and the sharp blade that protects our country! In this battle, for our loved ones and for the glory of Baekje, we must not retreat, even if we shed our last drop of blood!"

The soldiers raised their arms and shouted, their passionate shouts reaching the sky, trying to dispel the fear in their hearts.

Buyeo Yici felt a little relieved when he saw the soldiers' morale had been slightly boosted.

Buyeo Uiji actually had a very good reputation in Baekje, and was also loved by the generals, soldiers and civilians.

In the war against Silla in the past few years, he continued to win victories, which also established Buyeo Uiji's reputation.

In addition to the ongoing reforms, although the reforms ultimately failed to be completely successful, many people have benefited.

From the perspective of Baekje's subjects, their king was a wise ruler who was both capable of expanding territory through military force and governing the local area through civil means.

However, war has never cared about these things.

As the horn sounded, the Baekje army marched forward in a mighty force, heading towards the battlefield ahead which was filled with smoke.

Buyeo Yiji was riding on his tall white warhorse in the center of the army, staring firmly into the distance.

Along the way, the green grass and trees trembled in the wind, as if they were also grieving for the upcoming cruel war.

When the Baekje army arrived at the battlefield and faced the Tang army from a distance, Buyeo Yici saw the neat and majestic military formation on the opposite side.

The flags of the Tang army fluttered in the wind, and swords and spears were like a forest, flashing cold light.

He couldn't help but shudder in his heart, but his years of dignity as a king made him straighten his back immediately and confront the other party without fear.

"Order, forward attack!"

Buyeo Yici gave a decisive order. As the order was conveyed, the vanguard of Baekje rushed towards the Tang army like a surging tide. For a moment, the shouts of killing shook the earth and the dust flew.

However, just as the two sides were about to engage in close combat, there was a sudden commotion in the Tang army.

The Tang army pushed out a row of crossbows with cloth bags hanging on them.

"What is that?" Fu Yu Yi Ci whispered to himself.

Before they could figure out the situation, they saw those black objects being ignited, flying towards the Baekje army like meteors with sharp whistling sounds and dazzling flames.

At this moment, he suddenly remembered.

This is the Human Torch.

It was the Thunderbolt Fire created by the Crown Prince of the Tang Dynasty.

It was the magical weapon of war that made the Tang army invincible.

"Oh no, get out of the way!" Fu Yu Yi Ci shouted loudly, but it was too late.

His voice was drowned out by the horde.

The first thunderbolt exploded in the Baekje vanguard troops, and in an instant, it seemed as if the sky was falling and the earth was splitting apart.

The huge impact force threw the surrounding soldiers high up in the air, and then they fell heavily to the ground. The flames raged, the heat waves rolled, and the soldiers screamed incessantly. Body fragments, broken weapons and flying dust were mixed together, and the originally neat vanguard formation was instantly torn into huge holes.

Buyeo Yici's warhorse was frightened by the sudden loud noise and vibration, and its front hooves were raised high. He had to use a lot of effort to steady it.

Looking at the hellish scene in front of him, he was deeply shocked. He had never seen or imagined such a terrifying weapon, and the warriors of Baekje were so vulnerable to it.

No oral or written description can compare to the shock of seeing it with your own eyes.

Buyeo Yiji deeply felt the fear and helplessness of Goryeo when facing such a sacred weapon.

No matter how strong the city defense is, how can it stop it?

At this moment, Buyeo Ui-ja felt the same way as Yeon Gaesomun.

On the Tang side, Pei Xingjian looked at the Baekje army in front of the battle line, which was thrown into chaos by the thunderbolt, and turned to Su Dingfang beside him and said, "General Su, although the Baekje army was hit by the thunderbolt, they are still fighting desperately. Their king Buyeo Yici is personally supervising the battle, and their morale has not completely collapsed."

Su Dingfang frowned slightly, staring at the battlefield with a sharp gaze, and said: "Buyeo Yici has always been prestigious in Baekje. If we don't take him down as soon as possible, there may be new changes. And judging from the posture of the Baekje army, they seem to want to make a final struggle."

Under normal circumstances, Thunderbolt is usually used only after the battlefield is halfway covered.

But this time, Su Dingfang ordered the use of Thunderfire just as the war started.

This was not to increase casualties, but to undermine the morale of the Baekje side.

Thunderbolt does not play a big role on plain battlefields, and after being on the market for so long, many people have a certain understanding of it.

Therefore, when facing the Tang army, the Baekje army would try to spread out their formations as much as possible, which could effectively reduce the casualties caused by the thunderfire.

Buyeo Uiji had a high reputation in the army, and as he was the king of Baekje, the morale boost he brought by his personal expedition was sufficient.

Moreover, the tens of thousands of troops dispatched this time were all Baekje's most elite and battle-hardened soldiers.

With the added buff of "the army that is in distress will win", Su Dingfang is not afraid, but he also does not want the army to suffer too much casualties.

Throwing a trump card at the beginning is the best way to undermine the enemy's morale.

In the art of military operations, Su Dingfang was already extremely mature.

Pei Xingjian thought for a moment and suggested: "General Su, I will lead 10,000 elite troops to attack from the flank and attack their center army while they are in chaos, and then go straight to Buyeo Yici. You will lead the main force to attack from the front, attract their main force, and disrupt their formation. By attacking from both sides, we will surely defeat the Baekje army. However, the flanking detour may lead to an ambush by the enemy, so I need to be cautious."

Su Dingfang's mouth curled up slightly, revealing an expression of approval: "This is a great plan, let's do as Shouyue said. Pass the order down, and all troops must obey orders and cooperate closely without any mistakes. In addition, when Shouyue makes a flanking move, I will send a small group of troops to support you around your route, just in case."

After teaching this apprentice for many years, Su Dingfang was still very satisfied.

In this Eastern Expedition, Pei Xingjian demonstrated outstanding military talent, which made Su Dingfang's years of teaching not in vain.

Pei Xingjian bowed his hands and thanked him, "Thank you, General Su. I will definitely fulfill my mission. However, the pressure of a frontal attack is not small, General Su needs to be careful. The Baekje army is desperate and will probably use all its strength."

Su Dingfang laughed proudly: "Don't worry, Shouyue, leave the Baekje army in front to me. I will definitely hold them back and create opportunities for you."

On the battlefield, Pei Xingjian took the lead, leading the elite troops to quickly detour to the flank of the Baekje army like a ghost. Looking at the chaotic enemy formation, he shouted: "Soldiers, this is the time to make achievements. Kill!"

Thousands of elite cavalry rushed into the enemy camp like a tiger descending from a mountain, and the shouts of killing suddenly resounded through the sky.

Pei Xingjian led the charge, wielding his lance and killing several Baekje soldiers in succession.

While fighting, he shouted loudly: "Don't linger in the battle, go straight to the enemy's center!"

The soldiers' morale was greatly boosted, and they charged left and right in the enemy's camp as if they were in an empty space.

Seeing that Pei Xingjian had already taken action, Su Dingfang also gave decisive orders.

The Tang army in front was pressing towards the Baekje army like an overwhelming force.

Buyeo Yici was in the center of the army and was shocked when he saw the Tang army suddenly attacking from both sides.

But he did not panic, and quickly organized his troops to resist. He waved his long sword and shouted loudly: "For Baekje, kill!"

Under his encouragement, the Baekje soldiers fought desperately, and for a time, the two sides were in a stalemate.

The outcome of a battle between hundreds of thousands of troops cannot be decided in a short period of time.

The morale of the Tang Dynasty was high, and although the morale of Baekje had suffered a blow, it still stood firm.

From dawn to dusk.

Under the scorching sun, the burden on both sides was enormous.

The soldiers' physical energy consumption also increased dramatically.

As the sun set in the west, the shouting and screaming on the battlefield gradually died down.

Only the sound of heavy breathing was left.

When I came to my senses, there were already corpses everywhere and rivers of blood.
-
On the other side, Changsun Wuji had already arrived in Liaodong, and was only a few days' journey away from the Shenwu Palace.

It was only in the past few days that he learned about the war news from the front.

Taking advantage of this time, Changsun Wuji took a look at the situation in Liaodong under the governance of the prince.

When Changsun Wuji passed Liaodong City, he was shocked by the scene before him.

The barren land of Liaodong is now full of lively scenes of people reclaiming wasteland and planting crops. Men, women, old and young are all working in the fields, and everyone is full of energy.

The young and middle-aged men wielded hoes and plowed the land hard. Their clothes were soaked with sweat, but they didn't care at all.

The women followed behind, carefully sowing the seeds, their eyes full of anticipation for a good harvest in the future.

The children were not idle either, helping to transport farm tools or driving away birds that were pecking at the seeds. Their clear laughter echoed across the fields.

Changsun Wuji pulled the reins and stopped to watch.

Zhao Ping beside him said with emotion: "Changsun Situ, I didn't expect that the land of Liaodong would have such earth-shaking changes in such a short period of time."

Even in the Tang Dynasty, such a scene could only be seen in a few wealthy places.

But where they are now is just a relatively ordinary place in Liaodong.

Continuing forward, we passed by a village and saw a notice posted at the entrance of the village. It was the policy of reclaiming wasteland and giving away farmland promulgated by the prince.

Many people gathered around, and an old man was explaining it to everyone word by word. Changsun Wuji couldn't help but dismount and move forward to listen.

Because most of the Goryeo people in the countryside still spoke Goryeo, and the notices were all in Chinese characters, they had to be translated to be understood.

"Changsun Situ, it's simplified Chinese."

Zhao Ping glanced at the notice and whispered to Changsun Wuji.

Changsun Wuji nodded slightly.

When the prince was in the Military Academy, he promoted simplified Chinese characters.

I guess the entire Liaodong region now uses simplified Chinese characters.

"Everyone, listen carefully. This policy is made by His Royal Highness the Crown Prince for the benefit of us ordinary people! As long as we are willing to work hard to reclaim the land, this land will be ours and can be passed on to future generations. His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is truly our benefactor!" the old man said excitedly.

"Yes, in the past we never dared to dream of having our own land, but now it's good. As long as we are willing to work hard, good days are ahead!" a young man echoed.

"That's right. With the arrival of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, we no longer have to be bullied by those nobles, and the government has become fair and clean. We must work hard and not let His Royal Highness the Crown Prince down." Another middle-aged woman was also deeply moved.

"What are they talking about?"

Changsun Wuji asked the interpreter who was accompanying him.

The interpreter translated: "They are singing praises to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince."

The interpreter translated the words of the Goryeo people one sentence at a time.

After listening to this, Changsun Wuji was deeply moved, and he couldn't help but have a deeper understanding of the reputation of Crown Prince Li Chengqian among the people of Liaodong.

He thought to himself that what the prince did in Liaodong not only won the hearts of the people, but also tied their interests closely to his own. This method was truly brilliant.

However, it was also noted that due to the war with Baekje, many young and strong men were conscripted into the army, resulting in a significant shortage of labor in the fields. Some families were left with only the elderly, women and children, and it seemed quite strenuous for them to work.

Changsun Wuji and his group continued on their journey and met an old woman working in the fields. She was thin, but still swinging a hoe with difficulty.

Upon seeing this, Changsun Wuji stepped forward and started talking to the old woman.

"Old man, it's too tiring for you to do such heavy work at your age. Where are the young people in your family?" Changsun Wuji asked with concern.

The interpreter next to him helped with the translation.

When she saw that it was a Han Chinese, the old woman did not feel afraid, but rather somewhat enthusiastic.

He straightened up, wiped the sweat from his forehead and replied, "My son went to the front line to fight, and I am the only one left at home with my old bones, daughter-in-law, and grandchildren. Although it is a bit tiring, I have to do it in order to open up more wasteland and leave some family business for my descendants!"

Zhao Ping, who was standing next to him, listened to the translator's translation and couldn't help but ask, "Aren't you afraid that your son will be in danger on the front line?"

The old woman said with a firm look in her eyes: "How can I not be afraid? But this is the order of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince. His Royal Highness the Crown Prince has done so many good things for our people. We cannot hold him back."

"Besides, everyone knows that only by following His Royal Highness the Crown Prince can our future lives get better and better. As long as we can conquer Baekje, Liaodong will be more stable, and our children will be able to live a peaceful life in the future."

After leaving, Changsun Wuji felt a little complicated.

Will this meeting with the Crown Prince really go as Your Majesty wishes?

What we see now is only a corner of Liaodong, but even from this corner, we can get a glimpse of how terrifying the prince's reputation in Liaodong is.

The most important thing is that because the Liaodong aristocratic families were wiped out, the prince's power truly reached the people.

If the prince, who has already tasted the sweetness of this, inherits the throne of the Tang Dynasty, will he be willing to hand over power to the Tang Dynasty family?

(End of this chapter)