My father, Li Shimin, please call me Crown Prince

Chapter 300: Outsmarting Li Chengqian

The prince's letter to the world was like a huge rock hitting the calm lake of the Tang Dynasty, causing huge waves.

Everyone in the world looked at him with awe.

After all, Li Chengqian published it through the Luoyang Newspaper, and the Luoyang Newspaper itself is similar to the Chang'an Newspaper.

And because Luoyang has well-developed water transportation, the speed of transmitting news is much faster than that of Chang'an.

Chang'an, the imperial palace.

Tai Chi Hall.

The prince's letter to the world was placed in front of Li Shimin's dragon desk.

Li Shimin's face was gloomy and his eyes were burning with anger.

He didn't expect that this rebellious son would dare to talk such nonsense.

"Li Chengqian is so audacious and reckless, confusing right and wrong, and trying to purge the emperor's side. This is truly treasonous! I have made up my mind and will send troops to Luoyang to quell the rebellion."

After the words were spoken, several important officials in the hall fell silent.

Even Wei Zheng and Zhangsun Wuji did not dare to speak to the prince at this time.

Things have come to this point, there is no room for turning back.

After Li Shimin spoke, unlike usual, he quickly calmed down.

Then he continued, "Luoyang City is strong, and the troops under his command should not be underestimated, and there is also the amazingly powerful Thunderbolt. Moreover, once the civil war begins, there may be unusual movements from foreign countries, and the Turks must be especially vigilant."

"My dear ministers, tell me how to deal with this?"

Li Shimin's eyes were as sharp as an eagle's. He glanced majestically at the ministers in the hall, and his voice was low and powerful.

It’s as if we’re back to the time when we were conquering the world.

However, only a few of the original eighteen scholars are left.

For Li Shimin, who had fought many battles throughout his life and created the prosperous Tang Dynasty, he did not expect that he would suffer such a huge setback from his own son. Li Chengqian's rebellion was not only a challenge to his imperial power, but also a betrayal of the entire Tang Dynasty.

If the current situation is not properly handled, not only will all the hard work over the years be wasted, but the people may also be caught in the flames of war and suffer devastating consequences.

Thinking back to the Weishui Alliance, they endured for several years for the development of the Tang Dynasty.

In order to recuperate, the imperial power continued to make concessions to the power of the ministers.

Although the Five Surnames and Seven Aristocrats were suppressed, in fact the power of ministers imposed many restrictions on the imperial power, so Li Shimin also gained a good reputation for being a man who listened to advice.

But now, it's all ruined.

The child does not teach, the father too.

What good reputation can Li Shimin still have now?

From an outsider's perspective, his father, brothers, and son all became his enemies.

What's the difference between being abandoned by everyone?

So whose fault is this?

Li Jing took a step forward and bowed.

His Majesty specifically asked him to come to the meeting between the emperor and his ministers, and it was certainly not to sit in.

As the military god of the Tang Dynasty, I naturally have to share your Majesty's worries.

"Your Majesty, Tai Li Chengqian brought back 50,000 elite troops from Liaodong, more than half of whom are cavalry. The cavalry charged into battle and were unstoppable. They also controlled nearly 30,000 troops in Luoyang. Their strength should not be underestimated."

"Luoyang is strategically located and has tall, strong city walls. If we storm it, our army will suffer heavy casualties. Add to that the terrifying Thunderbolt, and we need to be even more cautious."

"I think we can first cut off their food supply and besiege Luoyang. When the food and grass in the city are exhausted, the army will be in chaos. At this time, attacking the city will achieve twice the result with half the effort."

"During the siege, keep a close eye on the movements of the Human Torch and seek opportunities to control or destroy it."

"As for foreign forces such as the Turks, we can send more troops to the northern border to strengthen fortifications and set up more beacon towers so that the smoke signals can promptly convey warnings of foreign invasions."

"At the same time, we sent envoys to inform the surrounding areas that suppressing the rebellion is the internal affairs of the Tang Dynasty and warned them not to act rashly. We divided and disintegrated those who might collude with the Turks and promised them great benefits so that they would abandon the dark and join the light and remain neutral."

"If anyone dares to invade the border of the Tang Dynasty, he will never return!"

Li Jing was the last one who wanted to attack Luoyang by force.

It’s not that I’m afraid, but it’s really hard to fight.

Li Jing was already familiar with the prince's military capabilities, even if it was just the Liaodong Campaign.

But the prince's performance was really eye-catching.

Good fighters have no illustrious feats.

Although it seems that a lot of credit in the battlefields of Liaodong goes to Su Dingfang, Xue Rengui, Pei Xingjian and others, in fact the entire war situation was under the control of the prince.

The prince's military ability is more like that of his grandfather Li Yuan.

Military commanders are mainly divided into two types.

The first type is the one that can be seen frequently, leading troops to fight, and is called the practical type.

As for the second type, most people don’t understand it well. They don’t lead troops to fight, but they can use other means to decide the outcome of the war. This type is called the temple calculation type.

The most representative one is Zhuge Kongming.

A commander who is good at calculating in his plans and diplomacy will influence the outcome of a war. He focuses on defeating the enemy without fighting and winning the battle from thousands of miles away.

It is to use the overall situation to determine the outcome of a battle, to use the general trend to crush the opponent, and it is a contest at the strategic level.

The first is political, dividing the enemy, disintegrating the enemy, and causing them to fall into internal strife.

The Sui Dynasty often used this method against the Turks, first splitting the Turks into Eastern and Western Turks, and then causing the Eastern and Western Turks to split again.

The second is economy.

Destroy the enemy's economic system, or make the enemy dependent on your own economic system, thereby affecting the development of the enemy's national strength.

The third is diplomacy, which was more common during the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period.

Make alliances and make friends with distant countries and attack nearby ones.

The fourth is military industry.

Qin conquered the six kingdoms and unified the world, and military industry played an indispensable role in this.

The fifth is the people’s hearts.

This is how the aristocratic families dealt with Yang Guang
Li Yuan was also a strategic person.

The decisive factor for the victory of the Battle of Qianshuiyuan at the end of the Sui Dynasty was the abundant food and grass of the Tang Dynasty.

The reason why the Tang Dynasty had abundant food and grass was due to Li Yuan’s contribution.

Li Yuan could endure it.

When Li Yuan led his army to attack Chang'an, the officials in Chang'an directly dug up Li Yuan's ancestral tomb.

After Li Yuan occupied Chang'an, he only punished a few ringleaders and let all the others who participated in the grave digging go unpunished.

Such magnanimity made these officials willing to follow him. Therefore, after he occupied Chang'an, there was no major unrest, but instead the national strength developed rapidly.

This is why their food reserves far exceeded those of Xue Ju's army.

Li Shimin also learned his father's patience, which led to the Weishui Alliance and his willingness to accept advice.

Now, Li Jing saw that Li Chengqian was also a military commander who was calculating. This kind of person was the most difficult to deal with.

There is another key point.

The prince is not just a temple strategist, he has extremely high martial arts skills. Even if he has a leg disease, as long as he rides on a horse, no one can stop him.

And that Human Torch.

What Li Jing was most worried about was that His Majesty would insist on attacking Luoyang.

Fortunately, Li Shimin was not so stubborn.

He nodded slightly, agreeing with Li Jing's proposal.

In fact, Li Shimin was not afraid of failing to capture Luoyang by force. What he was more worried about was that if this civil war consumed too many lives of soldiers, it would have a greater impact on his reputation.

To put it bluntly, the soldiers who died all died because of the conflicts between their fathers and sons.

Li Chengqian would be scolded, and Li Shimin could not escape either.

Then, Li Shimin looked at Fang Xuanling with a questioning look in his eyes.

Fang Xuanling bowed slightly, his expression calm and his eyes deep, thinking quickly about the pros and cons in his mind.

He knew that this time, the suppression of the rebellion not only required military strategies, but also political, economic and other aspects. If he was not careful, it could trigger a chain reaction and make the situation more complicated.

"Your Majesty, General Li is right. But since Li Chengqian has a large army, he will guard the grain route tightly and set up a tight net. I suggest that you send a small group of elite troops first, like a cheetah in the dark, to quietly test the situation and then come up with a good strategy."

"We can bluff around Luoyang, disperse their forces and create opportunities to cut off their food supply. As for the Thunderbolt Fire, we can secretly investigate where it is made and stored. If we can master the method of making it, we may be able to use it and make that powerful firearm a sharp weapon for the Tang Dynasty."

"The Turks have always been a great threat to us. Although the Eastern Turks have been destroyed, the Western Turks are still there, and their wolfish ambitions have never been extinguished."

"In addition to military defense, we should also start from the economy and culture. Control border trade, restrict trade items with the Turkic forces, and restrict their economy, which is like cutting off their bones."

"Even if Li Chengqian's food supply is cut off, he may still have food reserves to hold out for a while. During this time, he may use the Thunderbolt Fire to counterattack. We need to be prepared early and lay a net to prevent him from taking advantage of the situation."

Li Shimin nodded slightly and looked at Changsun Wuji again.

Changsun Wuji also understood that if he continued to speak for the prince at this time, he, as the first meritorious official in the Lingyan Pavilion, would be in trouble.

We still have to distinguish between the big and small kings.

"Your Majesty, in addition to military strategy, the people's hearts are also the key to the key."

"Li Chengqian's actions were perverse and he has lost the support of the people."

"You can send people to Luoyang and the surrounding areas to publicize your majesty's benevolence and expose his rebellion, so that the truth will be known to the world. He who wins the hearts of the people wins the world. If the people stand on the side of our dynasty, even if Li Chengqian has 80,000 troops, he will be like a tree without roots and water without a source."

He paused, then continued: "As for the Turks, their internal tribes are full of conflicts and intrigues. We can support the pro-Tang tribes to help them grow and develop, and suppress the anti-Tang tribes so that they can't take care of themselves. Strengthen the alliance with friendly forces such as Tubo. If Tubo is on good terms with our dynasty, we can let it contain the Turkic allies in the southwest and form an encirclement, so that the Turks can't escape even if they have wings."

"At the same time, we can support some small forces around the Turks to serve as the eyes and ears of our Tang Dynasty. Once the Turks make any unusual moves, we can detect them in time."

"I am also worried that if the people's hearts are not stabilized as soon as possible, something unexpected may happen. I hope Your Majesty will think twice."

After listening to this, Li Shimin looked at Chu Suiliang.

Chu Suiliang hurried forward and said respectfully: "Your Majesty, you can post notices and send messengers to convey your Majesty's will to the people."

"Win over the gentry, merchants and other influential people in Luoyang to help me spread the word, so that your majesty's benevolence can be spread to every corner of Luoyang. Give a generous reward to those who know the information about Thunderbolt, so that there will be brave men under that generous reward, who will serve your majesty wholeheartedly."

"Send envoys who are good at political schemes to Luoyang to sow discord and cause infighting among the people in Luoyang, leaving them unable to take care of themselves. In addition..."

Chu Suiliang paused for a moment, observing Li Shimin's expression, and then continued, "After this incident, the position of crown prince is vacant. The country cannot be without a crown prince for too long. Your Majesty, can you consider appointing a new crown prince to reassure the country and the people?"

Chu Suiliang really did his job for money.

The Five Surnames and Seven Families have not given him good things during this period. Although the King of Wei has not expressed it directly, the hint is already extremely obvious.

Especially because the matter of establishing a crown prince was mentioned last time, and since then the King of Wei has sent people to express his goodwill many times.

It’s just that due to the current situation, I dare not have too much contact with you in private.

But Chu Suiliang knew in his heart that as long as the King of Wei became the crown prince and ascended the throne in the future, he, Chu Suiliang, would definitely be the first meritorious minister following the emperor.

Even Fang Xuanling has to stand aside.

Therefore, whenever he got the chance, Chu Suiliang would suggest establishing a crown prince.

How could this little trick be hidden from Li Shimin?

His face darkened, and he felt somewhat dissatisfied with Chu Suiliang's proposal to establish a crown prince at this time. The current situation was so tense, and suppressing the rebellion was the top priority. How could he be distracted at this time?

"The priority right now is to suppress the rebellion and defend against foreign invaders. The issue of appointing a crown prince will be discussed later."

Hearing His Majesty's dissatisfaction, Chu Suiliang quickly lowered his head and said, "Yes, Your Majesty."

Finally, Li Shimin looked at Wei Zheng.

At this time, Wei Zheng looked calm.

Although he was a member of the prince's party, at this time, it was naturally impossible for him to follow the prince.

Rebellion is a heinous crime that cannot be pardoned.

Deeply influenced by Confucianism, Wei Zheng felt deeply sorry for the prince's rebellion.

"Your Majesty, the stability of the court is related to the success of suppressing the rebellion, just like the foundation of a building. Now the officials have different views on this incident. If it is not handled properly, it may cause division and cause trouble within the court."

"Your Majesty needs to appease the officials, unify their thoughts, be alert to Li Chengqian's plan to sow discord, strengthen the management and supervision of officials, and make the court united and work as one."

"Chang'an is the capital, and we must not let our guard down. We must guard against sneak attacks by Li Chengqian and foreign raids. We must formulate a detailed defense plan to make Chang'an impregnable."

"We can set up ambushes around Chang'an. If the enemy attacks, we can cooperate with them from inside and outside to annihilate them in one fell swoop. I think only in this way can we be sure of victory."

Li Shimin was quite satisfied with Wei Zheng's attitude.

To a large extent, this also represents the attitude of the world's aristocratic families.

The trend is on my side.

Even if Li Chengqian has Thunderbolt, how can he lose?

"Everything you said has merit. Li Jing, you should quickly select elite troops, explore the grain route in Luoyang, pay attention to the movements of Pilihuo and foreign countries, and pay close attention to Li Chengqian's deployment and mobilization of troops."

Li Jing clasped his fists and said in a loud voice: "Yes, Your Majesty."

"Fang Xuanling, arrange for secret guards to assist Li Jing, and send more scouts to the northern border to keep a close eye on the Turks."

Fang Xuanling accepted the order respectfully.

"Changsun Wuji is responsible for winning the hearts and minds of the people around Luoyang, selecting envoys to visit foreign countries, implementing diplomatic strategies, and trying to shake the morale of the local army in Luoyang."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

"Chu Suiliang, contact and form an alliance with the small countries in the Western Regions, and keep an eye out for signs of Li Chengqian colluding with foreign nations."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

"Wei Zheng, you are responsible for the defense of Chang'an and the guidance of public opinion. Criticize Li Chengqian for his rebellion and stabilize the court."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Li Shimin made arrangements in an orderly manner.

This time, the strategy for dealing with the rebellious prince is very clear, and we will try our best to avoid direct confrontation.

We should focus on outsmarting others.

(End of this chapter)