My father, Li Shimin, please call me Crown Prince

Chapter 314: The War Must Be Fought in Winter
Luoyang in November.

Snowing.

The weather this year seems to be much colder than in previous years.

It was also at this time that Li Chengqian decided to mobilize his troops.

The reason why it was winter was because Li Chengqian already had enough cotton clothes.

Li Jing's army would be greatly weakened without cotton clothes to keep warm.

The most important thing is that it is difficult for the imperial court to mobilize more troops in winter.

Under the influence of the weather, soldiers from all over the place would suffer huge losses just by traveling. Such huge losses would be difficult to bear and would also affect morale.

Li Jing now has 100,000 troops, while Li Chengqian only has half of that.

Including the troops defending Luoyang, the number of troops that can be mobilized is no more than 30,000.

Even so, Li Jing did not dare to act rashly.

The deterrent effect of artillery is really too great.

In the warm room of the Luoyang Palace, the charcoal fire was burning, driving away the severe winter cold, but Li Chengqian and Su Dingfang's expressions were still solemn.

Since they had occupied Luoyang, this was the first time they had prepared to take the initiative to attack, except for breaking through the imperial navy blockade. The two men were fully aware of the importance of this battle.

Li Chengqian walked to the window, looked at the snow-covered Luoyang City outside the palace, and said, "Dingfang, since our army has been defending Luoyang, we have been patient and have not launched an attack. Now that winter is coming, the imperial army is short of clothes and food, and morale is low. However, our army has enough cotton clothes and firearms are ready. We have the advantage of time and place. It is time to mobilize the troops."

"Li Jing has an army of 100,000, while we can only mobilize 30,000 troops. We must plan carefully before we act in this battle."

Su Dingfang bowed slightly, clasped his fists and saluted, and responded respectfully: "Your Highness is wise."

"Li Jing is a shrewd man. He must have expected our army to take action."

"The area around Luoyang is full of mountains and rivers, densely packed with passes, and the terrain is extremely complex."

"In my opinion, he is very likely to use these dangerous terrains to set up numerous ambushes in an attempt to consume our troops and then wait for an opportunity to strike."

"They will probably ask for help from Chang'an. Once the reinforcements arrive, they will surround our army and try to trap us to death in the Luoyang area."

Su Dingfang's speech was clear and every word revealed his deep insight into the situation.

Li Chengqian nodded slightly and agreed: "You are absolutely right. Li Jing, this old fox, will never admit defeat easily."

"But no matter how much he planned, he could not have expected that I had already made a thorough plan for the subsequent battle."

As he spoke, Li Chengqian slowly stood up and walked to the map of Heluo hanging in the house. The map marked the mountains, rivers, passes and towns in detail.

Li Chengqian stretched out his finger and slid it along the winding mountains and rivers on the map, and continued, "The complex terrain around Luoyang is certainly an advantage that Li Jing can rely on, but it is also a place that we can use. I plan to divide the troops into two groups. One group will be led by you, and the other group will be led by Xue Rengui and Pei Xingjian."

Li Chengqian turned around, looked at Su Dingfang firmly, and said in a strong tone: "You need to pretend to be the main force of our army, set out from the east gate of Luoyang, and make a big show of attacking the surrounding important towns."

"During the march, the flags must be bright, the gongs and drums must be sounded, and the momentum must be huge, so as to attract the attention of Li Jing's main force and induce him to take the initiative to fight."

"But remember, don't rush into enemy territory. Once you encounter the main force of the enemy, find an opportunity to feign defeat and retreat, and lead them step by step into the encirclement I have already set. This is of utmost importance, and there must be no mistakes."

Su Dingfang replied, "I obey your orders! However, I still have some doubts in my mind. I don't know where Your Highness will set up the encirclement. Please let me know."

Li Chengqian raised the corners of his mouth, revealing a confident smile, which was filled with a bit of ambition and determination to win.

He turned around again and pointed to a valley circled in red on the map, saying, "This place is called Qingyan Valley. Look, the valley is deep and the forest is dense. The mountains on both sides are steep and the terrain is dangerous. It is indeed a place that is easy to defend but difficult to attack."

"The entrance to the valley is narrow, only large enough to accommodate a small number of troops, but the valley is spacious and open, enough to accommodate a large number of troops for an ambush."

"Pei Xingjian and Xue Rengui led another elite force and set up an ambush in the valley in advance. Once you have led Li Jing's army into the valley, you will quickly cut off their retreat and then launch a fierce attack from above with artillery fire."

"Even if Li Jing is a master of military strategy, he can't escape from this desperate situation."

Su Dingfang praised: "Your Highness's plan is brilliant and ingenious! This will surely inflict heavy damage on Li Jing's army and clear a major obstacle for our army to advance into Chang'an."

"The key to this plan lies in whether I can lure Li Jing into the trap by pretending to be the main force. I will do my best and make careful arrangements to live up to your trust."

"However, if we want to pretend to retreat, I still need your advice. How can we make Li Jing believe it?"

Su Dingfang naturally knew what to do, and he was giving His Highness a chance to show his abilities.

If you want to get to a high position, it takes more than just ability. It is also very important to be able to provide enough emotional value to the person in the position.

It is obvious that Su Dingfang is not a reckless man, and his emotional intelligence and IQ are both high.

Li Chengqian nodded slightly, thought for a moment and said, "Dingfang, you have been pretending to retreat all the way, so don't panic. You must keep the army's formation intact, fight and retreat, and organize small-scale counterattacks from time to time, so that the enemy will think that we are still fighting even though we are defeated, and we have to retreat only because of our lack of manpower."

"You can deliberately discard some food and supplies along the way to create the illusion that our army is fleeing in panic."

"Li Jing is cautious by nature. He will definitely send people to investigate carefully. These flaws are enough to make him believe that you are really defeated."

"The retreat speed must not be too fast. We must grasp the right measure to ensure that the enemy is steadily led into the encirclement."

Su Dingfang clasped his fists and said, "Your Highness has considered everything. I will follow your instructions. However, I will be used as bait and will definitely encounter fierce attacks from the enemy. Casualties are inevitable."

This was a preventive measure. It wasn't that Su Dingfang felt sorry for the war. There would always be casualties in war, and he himself had fought in the war many times.

Mature military commanders have long learned to ignore their lives.

However, since we don't have many troops, if the losses are a little greater, His Highness might be unhappy later.

Li Chengqian patted Su Dingfang on the shoulder and said earnestly: "Dingfang, I know that this battle is difficult and you have a heavy responsibility along the way. But in order to defeat Li Jing in one fell swoop and open the road to Chang'an, this is a necessary sacrifice."

"I will arrange for sufficient troops and firearms to be prepared in Qingyan Valley. As long as you can lure Li Jing in, the mission will be accomplished."

"When this battle is victorious, I will reward you and your soldiers handsomely."

Su Dingfang said in a deep voice: "Don't worry, Your Highness. I am willing to go through fire and water for Your Highness. Even if there are thorns ahead, I will definitely lead Li Jing into the encirclement and help Your Highness achieve great things!"

Li Chengqian was very satisfied. After thinking for a while, he gave instructions: "During this expedition, we must also control the marching speed. In winter, the roads are covered with snow, and the march is difficult. We must not lose our composure in a hurry to achieve success."

"You have been pretending to be the main force all along. You must show your strength, but you cannot really get into a tough fight. If you encounter a small group of enemies, you can quickly defeat them to boost our morale. If you encounter a strong enemy, you can pretend to retreat according to the plan."

"Also, keep the communication with Qingyan Valley open. If there is any change, send a message in time."

Su Dingfang listened carefully and nodded in response, "Your Highness is right. I will act cautiously. However, in this winter battle, we need to pay special attention to keeping the soldiers warm. I plan to prepare more heaters and furs in the army to prevent the soldiers from frostbite and affect their combat effectiveness."

Li Chengqian praised, "It's great that you thought of this. Soldiers are the foundation of our army, and we must not lose them due to the severe cold. Also, if Li Jing sends scouts to find out the strength of our army, you can arrange some smart people to deliberately leak some false information to make him more convinced that you are the main force."

Su Dingfang clasped his fists and accepted the order: "I understand, and I will adapt to the situation. But if Li Jing doesn't take the bait, how should our army respond?" Li Chengqian pondered for a moment and said: "If he doesn't move his troops, you can create some momentum around Luoyang and attack a few unimportant passes, pretending that you are going to cut off his supply lines. As the commander, he can't just sit there and do nothing. In short, you must do everything you can to force him to send troops and lure him into my trap."

Su Dingfang's eyes were firm and his expression was solemn: "Don't worry, Your Highness, I will live up to your expectations."

Li Chengqian looked at the silvery-white world outside the window, his eyes looking across the sky towards the northwest.

That's where Chang'an is.
-
The Tang Dynasty should have been a prosperous and peaceful era, but the continuous wars were like a heavy haze, hanging over the heads of the people and making them miserable.

This has a lot to do with the previous attack on Goryeo.

With 700,000 troops mobilized, the money and food consumed alone on the road would be an astronomical figure.

After the attack on Goryeo, the subsequent results of the battle were reported to Li Chengqian.

This also meant that attacking Goryeo was a very unprofitable business for the imperial court.

However, because Li Shimin took over the coal factory, the treasury became full, but the national treasury was a little dry.

This time, he dispatched 100,000 troops to attack Luoyang.

It is said that there are 100,000 soldiers, but in fact, including the mobilized civilians, the number will not be less than 300,000.

Not every place can have a good harvest.

Every year in the Tang Dynasty, some places had good weather and good harvests, but some places were constantly hit by disasters.

The small village on the outskirts of Chang'an was covered in snow. From afar, it looked white and dead silent. The biting north wind was howling, cutting people's faces like a knife. At dawn, Old Man Zhang, wrapped in his tattered and thin jacket, hunched over, walked towards his own fields with one foot deep and one foot shallow.

His hands were already red and swollen from the cold, covered with chilblains, and the cracks between his nails were filled with frozen hard soil. Every time he swung the hoe, he had to use a lot of strength, and the hoe hit the ground that was frozen like iron, making a dull sound.

In the fields, the wheat seedlings are sparse, unable to lift their heads due to the weight of the thick snow, and trembling slightly in the cold wind. It is obvious that there is no hope for a harvest this year.

"Oh, how can I live like this?" Old man Zhang straightened up, looked at the fields in front of him, sighed, and the white mist instantly dissipated in the cold air.

Since the outbreak of the war, most of the young and strong men in the village have been conscripted into the army, the labor force has been drastically reduced, and the land has gradually become barren. Now that it is winter again, farming has become even more difficult.

In order to supply military supplies to the front line, taxes have been rising again and again. The little grain reserves at home may not be enough to pay the taxes.

Just as he was thinking, Zhang Lao's daughter-in-law Xiuniang came cautiously with a bowl of porridge in her hand. Xiuniang's face was as pale as paper, and her body was so thin that it seemed that a gust of wind could blow her down. Her coarse cloth clothes were patched with layers of patches, which could not resist the bone-chilling cold at all.

"Dad, take a break and have some porridge."

Xiuniang's voice trembled in the cold wind. Old man Zhang took the bowl of porridge and looked at the thin porridge that was so clear that the bottom was visible. A thin layer of ice quickly formed on the surface of the porridge, and he felt a pang of bitterness in his heart.

"Xiuniang, you and the baby should drink more of this porridge. My old bones can still hold on."

Old man Zhang said distressedly. Xiuniang's eyes turned red, and she tried hard to hold back her tears: "Dad, you are the pillar of the family, you can't go hungry. It's okay for me and the baby."

After hesitating for a while, Xiuniang said, "Dad, I've heard recently that there are many factories in Luoyang that pay high wages, provide food and accommodation, and also recruit female workers."

"Our life is so hard. I thought, why don't we move to Luoyang and I go to work in a factory, maybe that will give our family some relief."

Old man Zhang asked hesitantly, "Are you talking about the prince's factory?"

Xiuniang nodded seriously.

Old man Zhang sighed.

He didn't think there was anything wrong with what his wife said.

When the prince was in Chang'an, he also recruited people into the factory and offered generous remuneration.

Someone from the neighboring village went there, made a lot of money, and built a house for his family.

It just didn't last long.

Since the prince left Chang'an, the factories in Chang'an have changed a lot.

Not only was the salary drastically reduced, but food was no longer included.

That’s how it is. If you want to get a job there, you have to use connections.

If you go to Luoyang to make a living, you might find some good opportunities.

"Kehuzi"

Old man Zhang hesitated to speak.

Hu Zi is his son and also Xiuniang's man.

Now they are being conscripted as soldiers to fight the prince.

Xiuniang had tears in her eyes: "Dad, I know Huzi followed the court to attack Luoyang, but we have no way to deal with it."

"The child is still young, and the little rice and food at home won't last through the winter."

"Only by going to Luoyang can we have a glimmer of hope."

"I also heard from someone that the prince has opened the warehouses in Luoyang to distribute grain, and all the checkpoints are unguarded, so everyone can pass through."

After hearing this, Old Man Zhang's brows immediately wrinkled into the shape of a "川" character, his face full of worry, and he seemed to be hesitant to speak.

But Xiuniang said something else, and Old Man Zhang was moved.

"Dad, I don't know if Tiger can come back, but Tiger Boy must survive."

Old man Zhang sighed, "Then go ahead. Sell all the things in your house tomorrow, leave a letter for Hu Zi, and go to Luoyang."

My son may never come back.

The grandson is the only remaining child.

If we continue to stay here, we will be waiting for death. Only by going out can we survive.

This winter is not easy.

The story of Old Man Zhang is just a microcosm.

At present, refugees are gradually gathering in Luoyang.

In this regard, Li Chengqian accepted all offers.

(End of this chapter)