My father, Li Shimin, please call me Crown Prince

Chapter 278 Without Thunderbolt, would Li Shimin dare to send troops?

Chapter 278 Without Thunderbolt, would Li Shimin dare to send troops? (Happy New Year)

At the port of Duli Town, as soon as dawn broke, the faint light of morning light could not wait to fall on the sea, dyeing the entire port golden.

The fleet is quietly anchored here, like a giant dragon that has been dormant for a long time, ready to go.

The huge flagship stood tall in the center of the fleet. The hull was made of solid mahogany, and the cloud and dragon patterns painted with vermilion lacquer shone brightly in the morning light. The dragon's whiskers fluttered in the wind, as if it would take off into the sky at any time.

The mast of the flagship towered into the clouds, and the huge white sails were embroidered with golden dragon patterns representing the royal family. They fluttered in the sea breeze, like majestic flags.

At this time, the port was bustling with activity, with sailors shuttling between the ships like ants.

Some sailors were working hard to carry baskets of food and fresh water onto the ship, while others were carefully checking the sails and ropes to make sure there would be no problems during the voyage.

Li Chengqian, dressed in a gorgeous brocade robe and wearing a golden crown, strode onto the deck of the flagship, surrounded by Su Dingfang, Chen Yunchao, Li Dejian, Li Daozon, Changsun Wuji and others.

"Pass the order and prepare to set off!"

Li Chengqian's voice was low and powerful.

Following this order, the entire fleet instantly became excited.

The sailors quickly took their positions and pulled the ropes in unison. The huge sail slowly rose and quickly unfolded under the breeze.

At the same time, the oars entered the water one after another and began to row in unison, stirring up layers of snow-white waves.

"Weigh anchor!"

Loud shouts were heard, and a huge anchor slowly rose from the bottom of the sea. The iron chain rubbed against the side of the ship, making a dull sound.

The flagship moved slowly first, its bow splitting the calm sea surface, leaving a long white trail.

Other warships followed closely behind and set off one after another. The entire fleet was like a well-trained army, sailing in an orderly manner towards the depths of the sea.

Seabirds circled above the fleet, making clear calls, as if seeing the fleet off.

The sea breeze became stronger and stronger, blowing the sails of the fleet and making them bulge. The fleet broke through the waves and moved forward at an increasingly faster speed, and the splashing waves were like crystal pearls, falling on the side of the ship.

The sunlight shines on the sea, the waves are sparkling, and the silhouettes of the fleet complement each other, forming a spectacular and beautiful picture.

Li Chengqian stood at the bow of the flagship, facing the sea breeze, his clothes fluttering.

His deep gaze penetrated the turbulent sea and looked into the distance.

Return to Chang'an?
ridiculous.

The day he left Chang'an, Li Chengqian had no intention of returning.

If I go back, I will just be at the mercy of others.

The reason why he obeyed the imperial edict and set out on the return journey was just to cover up his tracks.

The reason for not launching an army is that they do not want to consume the combat power of the Tang Dynasty in a civil war. Given the current situation, a civil war in the Tang Dynasty would undoubtedly repeat the mistakes of history, just like the Battle of Xiangji Temple, and it is very likely that all the elite troops of the Tang Dynasty would be wiped out.

The reason why he ordered Helan Chushi to let Li Xiang rebel when necessary was not to attack the Tang Dynasty, but Li Chengqian did it to protect himself.

That was something I had to do.

Li Chengqian’s real destination.

It’s Luoyang.

Luoyang, the eastern capital.

Li Chengqian's resolute decision to occupy the eastern capital Luoyang was by no means a momentary impulse, but a strategic choice made after careful consideration and comprehensive consideration of many factors.

From a geographical point of view, Luoyang is located in the heart of the Central Plains, which can be said to be the center of the world and has the reputation of "the heart of the Kyushu".

It is backed by Mang Mountain in the north, faces Yique in the south, and has Luo River running through the city, which enjoys a unique location.

Compared with Chang'an, Luoyang's transportation hub advantage is more obvious.

Chang'an is located in Guanzhong. Although it is surrounded by mountains and rivers, its external transportation is relatively inconvenient. Due to dangerous passes such as Hangu Pass, the flow of materials and personnel is hindered to a certain extent.

There are many crisscrossing waterways around Luoyang. The Yellow River, Luo River and other rivers provide convenient water transport channels, so materials and personnel can be quickly transported to various places by water; land transportation is even more extensive, and it is an important transportation route in the Central Plains.

Controlling Luoyang is like holding the center of the world, you can attack when you advance or defend when you retreat.

To the north, you can attack the grassland directly and intimidate the nomadic peoples in the north.

To the south, we can lead our troops to the south of the Yangtze River and control the land of fish and rice.

To the east, you can control Shandong and obtain abundant human and material resources.

To the west, the city can also rely on its strategic terrain to resist the threat from Guanzhong.

For Li Chengqian, who had ambitions to conquer the world, Luoyang's geographical location was undoubtedly the key support point for him to achieve his hegemony. Compared with Chang'an, Luoyang could radiate across the country better and effectively control the situation.

Since the Qin and Han Dynasties, Luoyang has been one of the economic centers of the Central Plains.

After hundreds of years of development, Luoyang's agriculture is very developed. The surrounding land is fertile and irrigation is convenient, making it an important grain producing area.

The farmland here can produce a large amount of food every year, providing sufficient material support for the army and the people. Luoyang's handicraft industry is extremely prosperous, especially silk weaving, ceramic production and other industries, with exquisite skills.

Li Chengqian’s newly built textile machine can also develop faster in Luoyang, where there is no shortage of workers with technical skills.

Commercially, Luoyang City was lined with shops and had a bustling market. As a commodity distribution center in the Central Plains, it brought together rare treasures and daily necessities from all over the country.

On the other hand, although Chang'an was also an important economic center, due to the population growth in the Guanzhong region, the land carrying capacity increased, the ecological environment gradually deteriorated, and the potential for agricultural development was limited. Luoyang, on the other hand, was located in the Central Plains, with rich land resources, which was more conducive to the sustainable development of agriculture and commerce.

By occupying Luoyang, Li Chengqian would be able to control huge economic resources, providing a solid material foundation for future military operations and regime building.

As the eastern capital of the Tang Dynasty, Luoyang carries a long history and profound cultural heritage, and is the first choice for emperors of all dynasties to establish their capital.

In the hearts of the people, Luoyang represents orthodoxy and authority.

Compared with Chang'an, Luoyang served as the capital for a long period of time and for many dynasties in history, and its political influence was more deeply rooted among the people.

Li Chengqian's occupation of Luoyang was equivalent to occupying a political position and having the capital to compete with Li Shimin.

You can rely on Luoyang's political influence to strengthen your own power.

With Luoyang as his base, Li Chengqian could issue decrees, exercise power, establish his own political system, and gradually realize his political ambitions.

In addition, many palaces and government offices from previous dynasties are still preserved in Luoyang City. These buildings are not only a symbol of power, but also a ready-made foundation for Li Chengqian to establish his regime, which can reduce his time and energy consumption in regime building.

Luoyang’s city defenses were extremely strong.

It has tall and thick city walls with defense facilities such as watchtowers and arrow towers, making it easy to defend but difficult to attack.

The moat is wide and deep, serving as a natural barrier against foreign invasion.

The streets and alleys in the city are well laid out, making it easy for the army to move and defend.

Moreover, the terrain around Luoyang is complex, with natural obstacles such as mountains and rivers, which provide favorable conditions for military defense.

Although Chang'an is known as the "land surrounded by four barriers", Luoyang has more advantages in terms of flexibility of military defense.

The transportation network around Luoyang made it easier to mobilize and supply troops. Once a war broke out, troops could be quickly assembled to deal with threats from all sides. After Li Chengqian and his 50,000 elite soldiers entered Luoyang, they could make full use of these advantages to strengthen the city's defenses and resist the attack of the imperial army.

Once a war breaks out, Luoyang can become Li Chengqian's solid fortress.

Although Luoyang was once Li Shimin's back garden, after Li Shimin ascended the throne, his former confidants had moved to Chang'an.

There is also a most important reason, Luoyang can better get rid of the influence of aristocratic family forces.

Over the years, the Guanlong Group has become deeply rooted in Chang'an. In addition, the Five Surnames and Seven Clans have continued to infiltrate. All forces in the world want to have a place in the capital, and the situation is already complicated.

In terms of future development direction, Luoyang is better than Chang'an.

As the fleet sailed through the waves, Li Chengqian turned and walked into the cabin of the flagship. Su Dingfang, Chen Yunchao, Li Dejian, Pei Xingjian, and Xue Rengui had already been waiting there. Everyone looked solemn, and the atmosphere was tense and depressing.

These are Li Chengqian’s confidants.

The matter of occupying Luoyang and confronting Chang'an had already been made clear long ago.

Li Chengqian sat down slowly, his eyes swept over everyone one by one, and said in a deep voice: "Everyone, Luoyang City has strong defenses, many officials, and behind it is the power of the Chang'an court."

"But now that we have made up our minds, we must not back down."

"The purpose of this meeting is to control Luoyang at the lowest cost and to resist a possible counterattack from Chang'an."

This is the worst case scenario.

As long as they occupied Luoyang, it would be tantamount to turning against Li Shimin and clearly disobeying his order.

It is possible that Li Shimin would be afraid of civil war and thus not start a war.

But it is more likely that a large army will be sent to encircle and suppress them.

In order to prepare for a rainy day, Li Chengqian naturally could not wait until the imperial army arrived before making preparations.

Su Dingfang stood up first. He stood tall, his eyes were firm, and his voice was steady and powerful. "Your Highness, although Luoyang City is well defended, it is not difficult to capture it with our current strength and morale. However, there are many officials in Luoyang City, most of whom are trusted officials of the court. How to deal with them is related to the stability of Luoyang."

Li Chengqian nodded slightly, his eyes revealing a hint of coldness: "For those officials who are determined to be our enemies, we will never tolerate them; but for those who can be won over, we might as well make them understand the pros and cons and let them work for us. General Su, which officials do you think are possible to win over?"

Su Dingfang pondered for a moment and said, "Wang Hongyi, the chief official of Luoyang, is an upright person and has great prestige among the people of Luoyang."

"If Your Highness can persuade him personally, perhaps he can be won over."

"There is also Zhao Chongwu, the defender of Luoyang City. He commands a large number of troops and is the key figure in our control of Luoyang City."

Li Chengqian nodded and said, "Once we arrive in Luoyang, I will naturally summon them one by one to see what they think."

Inside the cabin, the atmosphere was heated and tense.

Everyone continued to discuss various details, from city defense deployment to troop deployment, from food and grass reserves to intelligence gathering, and every link was discussed in depth.

Li Chengqian listened carefully to everyone's suggestions and put forward some ideas of his own.

It is not difficult to capture Luoyang.

Because according to the normal itinerary, Li Chengqian was supposed to start from Duli Town and arrive in Luoyang, and then return to Chang'an by land.

But no one would have thought that after arriving in Luoyang, Li Chengqian had no intention of returning to Chang'an.

In fact, according to Li Chengqian's personal analysis, for the time being, the imperial court would not dare to send troops in the short term.

The reason for this is Thunderbolt.

Li Chengqian had naturally received the information that Chang'an was already developing Thunderbolt Fire.

But the development of Thunderbolt is not such a simple matter.

According to historical records, the military use of gunpowder began in the late Tang Dynasty.

However, the mature use of gunpowder did not occur until the early Ming Dynasty.

There is a difference of nearly five hundred years here.

Even if we knew the function of gunpowder, it would be impossible to develop black gunpowder that could compare to the thunderbolt in Li Chengqian's hands in a short period of time.

What's more, after arriving in Luoyang this time, Li Chengqian had already planned to start producing cannons.

Liaodong Tongbaohang issued paper money, which gave Li Chengqian a large amount of copper.

The copper has been loaded onto the ship, and once it arrives in Luoyang, we can start making cannons.

The reason why copper cannon was chosen first is mainly because the current steel production is insufficient.

Copper has good ductility and is easy to process and shape. It can be used to make firearm parts of various complex shapes, such as copper cannon barrels, which can better meet the process requirements of firearm manufacturing.

Compared to iron, copper is less susceptible to rust and corrosion in the natural environment, which is very important for firearms that are stored and used for a long time.

In a humid environment, iron firearms are prone to rust, resulting in performance degradation or even damage, while copper firearms can avoid this problem to a certain extent and maintain better performance and appearance.

Copper has a relatively low melting point and is easier to melt and cast under today's casting technology conditions, which can ensure the quality and precision of firearms casting.

During the casting process, the copper liquid has good fluidity, which can fill the mold more evenly, reduce defects such as pores and sand holes, and thus improve the overall performance of the firearm.

In terms of craftsmanship and polishing, the inner bore of the copper gun barrel is smoother. When firing the shells, the friction between the shells and the barrel is relatively small, allowing them to fly out more smoothly, thereby improving the shooting accuracy and range.

Copper is a relatively uniform material. When subjected to the pressure generated by a gunpowder explosion, it can disperse the force more evenly, reduce the occurrence of dangerous situations such as barrel rupture, and improve the safety and stability of artillery use.

a few days later.

The waves hit the side of the ship, making a dull sound.

An inconspicuous small boat began to approach Li Chengqian's flagship.

On the boat, Zhao Jie and King of Han Li Yuanchang looked nervous and excited.

"Finally I get to see the prince again."

King of Han Li Yuanchang was deeply moved.

It has been more than a year since we last met.

Zhao Jie's expression was somewhat complicated.

The prince finally came to this point today.

However, Zhao Jie does not regret it.

Because he and the prince have been in the same boat for a long time.

When one loses, both suffer, and when one gains, both prosper.