My father, Li Shimin, please call me Crown Prince

Chapter 320 If the Crown Prince is defeated, the King of Wu will surrender

Luoyang Palace City.

Li Chengqian is looking at a map.

He was very surprised that King Wu Li Ke raised an army in response.

From the very beginning, Li Chengqian never thought about looking for allies.

Because it doesn't make much sense.

So there was no mention of contacting King Wu Li Ke.

Even though Concubine Yang had always been friendly to him and even secretly sent him some information about the court.

If we really have to talk about the best ally in terms of interests, it would naturally be the Turks. However, how could Li Chengqian be like the Five Surnames and Seven Clans and sell out the Tang Dynasty in exchange for his own interests?

Even among Li Shimin's ten major crimes of being a crown prince, this one was included.

There were even rumors that when the news reached the Western Turks, it seemed that the Turks were admitting to conspiring with the prince.

This was naturally intended to make the situation in the Tang Dynasty more complicated, but Li Chengqian didn't care about it at all.

Because he also knew that Li Shimin would not allow the Turks to enter.

If we don't take any action here, the Turks will not be able to break in.

Besides, Li Shimin would not mobilize troops at the border, as it would be meaningless.

Far water cannot quench a nearby fire. Moreover, in terms of military strength, Li Shimin's advantage over Li Chengqian is already great enough. Having more troops would not be a good thing.

Things like fighting a war cannot be judged on paper data, because as the number of troops increases, it will also bring a huge economic burden. In terms of logistics and supplies, the battle may not last long before you will be dragged down.

Su Dingfang came over after hearing the news.

"His Royal Highness!"

Li Chengqian raised his eyes slightly, moving his gaze away from the map, with a calm expression, and raised his hand to signal: "General Su, no need to be polite."

The voice was neither hurried nor slow, with his usual calmness.

Su Dingfang stood up and said calmly, "Your Highness, I just received news that Wu Wang Li Ke has raised an army to respond to us."

Regarding this matter, Su Dingfang's face did not show the slightest excitement due to the news, as if he was just stating an ordinary matter.

Li Chengqian said "hmm" softly, nodded slightly, and looked back at the map. He moved his finger slowly along the direction of Tongguan and said calmly, "It's good that he can respond, but in terms of the overall situation, the impact is limited."

Su Dingfang walked to the map, scanned the various symbols on the map, and said calmly: "Your Highness is right. We rely on the strength in our hands."

"The response from the King of Wu is just an additional force. Even if he does not raise an army, our current deployment is enough to deal with the court."

After feeling the power of the artillery, Su Dingfang is now much more confident.

With artillery in hand, ten thousand soldiers can serve as a hundred thousand soldiers.

During large-scale legionary battles, who can avoid collapse after hearing the artillery bombardment?

No matter how elite the soldiers are, their morale will be completely destroyed when faced with such earth-shattering firearms.

Even if there are a few people who are not afraid of death, it is meaningless.

Legionary combat cannot be won by just a few people who are not afraid of death; it depends on the morale of the entire army.

If the troops were not too small, Su Dingfang could have led his army to directly besiege Chang'an.

Now it all comes down to a question of military strength. With the current military strength, we can only advance step by step and grow stronger slowly.

It is not a chaotic time now, so it is not like we can just make a call and many people will respond.

Even though there were some disasters and the court's tax revenue was greatly consumed by the war, for most people, the chaos at the end of the Sui Dynasty had just happened and they should have been recuperating, and they had an aversion to war.

During the Zhenguan period, under the governance of Li Shimin, most people could barely make ends meet, as can be seen from the price of rice.

If the war is not fought in troubled times, there will be no uprisings everywhere like in the end of the world.

In fact, if we look at most historical periods, we will know that for the common people, as long as they can have food to eat, no one would be willing to risk their lives to make money.

In the end of the world, there is really no way to survive except to fight for your life.

Either rebel or starve to death.

There is no other option.

Therefore, even though Li Chengqian had been raising his army for such a long time, in fact, except for the area between Luoyang and Chang'an, the rest of the area was basically stable.

Li Chengqian stood up, picked up a command arrow on the table, turned it gently, and said, "Yes, we have been preparing for a long time. The power of the artillery and the bravery of the soldiers are the basis for victory."

"The King of Wu is heading towards Xiangyang, which can tie up some of the imperial court's troops, but we cannot disrupt our deployment because of this."

The fief of King Wu Li Ke was in Anzhou, which is the area of ​​Anlu in Hubei in later generations.

The first big city on the way to Chang'an is Xiangyang.

Su Dingfang nodded slightly, his eyes focused: "Your Highness has a detailed plan. According to Your Highness, should we deploy our troops next or continue to advance towards Tongguan as planned?"

Although he was the crown prince's most trusted confidant and the one most valued by the prince, Su Dingfang had long passed his youthful and vigorous days.

Moreover, the prince himself has strong military command capabilities. Even if he has some ideas in his mind, Su Dingfang will not say them directly, but will listen to the prince's opinions.

Li Chengqian put the command arrow back into the quiver and said firmly, "The original plan remains unchanged. Tongguan is the key. As long as Tongguan is taken, Chang'an will be wide open. As for the King of Wu, act according to the agreement and maintain necessary contact. There is no need to pay too much attention."

Su Dingfang clasped his fists and replied, "Yes, Your Highness. There are many variables during the march, and we must always be vigilant against surprise attacks from the court, especially the rear supply lines."

Li Chengqian looked calm and confident, "Don't worry, General Su. The rear defense has been properly deployed, and the early warning lines have been set up. If the court wants to launch a surprise attack, it will not be easy. We have also arranged special personnel to be responsible for the supply of food and fodder, which is enough to support the army's operations."

This is the benefit of occupying Luoyang.

It is too difficult for Chang'an to blockade Luoyang. As the center of the world, water transportation is well developed. As long as there is enough money, it is too easy for Luoyang to get food.

No matter how grain is transported between the north and the south, it must pass through Luoyang.

Unless you want to transport food over land, the cost of land transportation is sky-high.

A shipload of grain could transport several thousand dan of cargo, with almost no consumption.

If it were land transportation, the manpower and horsepower would be lost by half before it even starts.

Grain merchants did not dare to do this. If the imperial court banned water transportation, they would rather not transport grain, as they would suffer losses if they did.

Li Chengqian tried and confiscated the property of the nobles of Goryeo, Silla, and Baekje, and the wealth he collected was simply astronomical in price.

Not to mention an army of 50,000, even an army of 200,000 would be affordable.

The food supply in the army nowadays may not include meat at every meal, but you can still see meat every day.

Meals are just enough to keep you full.

Su Dingfang asked again: "Your Highness, do the soldiers' daily training need to be adjusted according to the current situation?"

Li Chengqian thought for a moment and said, "The daily training will continue as usual, with an emphasis on strengthening the training of artillery coordinated operations so that the soldiers can become more proficient in it."

"Also, focus on improving the soldiers' endurance. The situation on the battlefield changes rapidly. Only in this way can we respond with ease."

Su Dingfang accepted the order and said, "Yes, Your Highness!"

Luoyang is too close to Chang'an.

Luoyang can almost be considered the front line. If the road is unobstructed, it will take Su Dingfang less than two hours to go back and forth, so he will often return to Luoyang.

Su Dingfang was nominally the commander of the front line, but in reality, most military deployments had to go through Li Chengqian. In terms of military reform, Li Chengqian had abandoned the traditional command model.

It is more similar to the staff combat system of later generations.

Su Dingfang was able to control other troops, but his headquarters only had 10,000 men.

The rest of the troops were organized into groups of 1,000 men.

This means that Su Dingfang has ten regiments of one thousand men under him.

As for the grassroots officers, most of them came from the Military Academy.

This constitutes the skeleton of Li Chengqian's current military force.

It’s not that it’s impossible to recruit more soldiers, but Li Chengqian prefers the combat style of professional soldiers.
-
The time came to the beginning of December in the eighteenth year of Zhenguan.

It's already the end of the year and it's freezing cold.

Even if King Wu Li Ke responded, he could not mobilize troops directly due to the situation in Anzhou.

Most of the time, Li Ke had to take complete control of Anzhou first.

Although Li Shimin intended to mobilize troops to pacify Anzhou.

But we have to wait until spring.

This winter march took too much toll on the soldiers.

If you are not careful, you will freeze to death on the road.

In comparison, Li Chengqian's army felt more comfortable.

First of all, the large supply of cotton-padded clothes kept the soldiers very warm.

The military camp also provided a large amount of coal for heating.

There is also hot soup available every day.

The winter at this time is not that cold, and even on snowy days, Li Chengqian will still maintain the habit of training.

Under such circumstances, Li Chengqian naturally maintained a certain advantage over the court.
-
Chang'an Palace.

Li Zhi met with Wu Zetian in secret again.

Li Zhi was wearing a plain brocade robe and pacing back and forth in the courtyard with a worried look on his face.

Wu Zhao, wearing a light blue palace dress, walked quietly to Li Zhi's side with lotus steps, bowed slightly, and said softly: "Judging from the expression of the King of Jin, is he worried about the affairs of the Crown Prince and the King of Wu?"

Li Zhi looked up and saw that it was Wu Zhao. He nodded slightly, sighed, and said, "Mei Niang, the court is in chaos today. The crown prince has raised an army and the King of Wu has responded. Father is worried about this, and I am also very upset. This situation is so complicated that I really don't know how to deal with it."

He now feels very powerless and can't participate in anything.

What Li Zhi wanted was the position of crown prince, so naturally it was impossible for him to say that he would help the crown prince.

He had stood on the Crown Prince's side previously only to win the favor of his father and express that he had no intention of vying for the throne.

In the current situation, speaking to the prince would be treason.

Wu Zhao's eyes flickered, revealing intelligence and ambition. She whispered, "Prince Jin, this is a chaotic era, but it is also an opportunity for the Prince of Jin. The Crown Prince and the King of Wu rebelled, and the court was shaken. This is the time for the Prince of Jin to show his talents and win the favor of His Majesty."

Li Zhi looked puzzled and asked, "Mei Niang, what do you mean? What can I do?"

Wu Zhao approached Li Zhi and said in a low voice: "Prince Jin, your majesty is most worried about the war. You can take the initiative to volunteer to help your majesty. I suggest that you select a group of young generals, train them carefully, and serve as a reserve, ready to be dispatched by your majesty at any time. This will not only show the loyalty of the prince to your majesty, but also let your majesty see the responsibility and talent of the prince."

When she said "times of chaos", Wu Zetian actually wanted Li Zhi to gain military power.

Without military power, you are nothing and can only watch.

Only when you get the military power can you participate and show yourself.

Li Zhi thought for a moment and then said, "But I have never led an army before. I am asking for the chance to take on the task. Will the emperor agree to my request?"

Although he had the title of General of the Jinwu Guard, the Jinwu Guard was only responsible for the public security in Chang'an City, which was completely different from marching and fighting.

Wu Zhao smiled and said, "Prince Jin, although he has not commanded the army, he can show his strategic knowledge. Prince Jin can privately collect military intelligence from all sides, analyze it in detail, and present to Your Majesty a war analysis and response strategy. Your Majesty will surely see Prince Jin's dedication and talent. Even if you don't let Prince Jin command the army, you will still look at Prince Jin differently."

The current situation is that if the prince wins, Prince Jin will naturally have no chance of becoming the crown prince.

So that's not under consideration.

What we really need to consider is how to better seize the vacant crown prince's throne after the court puts down the crown prince's rebellion.

Li Zhi's eyes lit up with a glimmer of hope, but he also said with some worry: "If I act this way, wouldn't the King of Wei think that I am fighting for power and profit, which would be disadvantageous to me?"

It’s no wonder that Li Zhi was not afraid. The current King of Wei was much stronger than him.

Not to mention the support of the Five Surnames and Seven Noble Clans, even the 5,000 troops that were previously used to fight against Goryeo have not yet been withdrawn by my father.

Wu Zhao looked at Li Zhi with a firm gaze and said, "Prince Jin, in troubled times, you should not fight, but if you do, you need to be bold. Now the Crown Prince and the King of Wu have lost your majesty's trust, and the other princes have their own thoughts. At this time, if the Prince of Jin can step forward and help your majesty solve the problem, it will be in line with the will of heaven. Moreover, the Prince of Jin only needs to think about your majesty and the Tang Dynasty and act uprightly, so why should he be afraid of other people's criticisms."

She saw things more clearly than Li Zhi. Now it was no longer a question of whether or not to offend the King of Wei.

If you want to fight, it's impossible not to offend.

Besides, this is Chang'an, and Wu Zhao thought Li Zhi was too afraid of King Wei.

The King of Wei's five thousand soldiers were not in Chang'an City, so the power of the Five Surnames and Seven Families in Chang'an City was limited.

Li Zhi was in charge of the Jinwu Guard, which consisted of more than 20,000 official soldiers, and he could mobilize 10,000 people in Chang'an city at any time.

In fact, the King of Jin actually has greater advantages than the King of Wei.

It’s just that Li Zhi himself didn’t realize this.

Power is one thing, and military power is another.

With Your Majesty at the helm, why should we be afraid of the King of Wei?

Li Zhi nodded slightly, his expression gradually firmed up, and said: "Mei Niang is right. But I am afraid that I can't do it alone, so I need help."

Wu Zhao bowed slightly and said softly, "Prince Jin, I am willing to gather intelligence for you and lend you a helping hand."

Li Zhi looked at Wu Zhao with gratitude and said, "Mei Niang, I am lucky to have your help. If I can make a difference in this, I will not let you down."

Wu Zhao's eyes flashed with a barely perceptible smugness, and she said, "Prince Jin, there is no time to lose. We will start preparing now."

At the same time, in the Taiji Hall in Chang'an, Li Shimin sat high on the dragon throne with a solemn expression, while the civil and military officials below were whispering to each other.

Li Shimin said, "My lords, the Crown Prince and the King of Wu have rebelled one after another. The situation is critical now. Do you have any good plans?"

Fang Xuanling said, "Your Majesty, the Crown Prince and the King of Wu are supporting each other, which is indeed a difficult situation."

"However, Crown Prince Li Chengqian is occupying Luoyang, which is a great threat to us."

"If you defeat the crown prince, the King of Wu will surrender."

Li Shimin nodded.

He was very clear about how powerful King Wu Li Ke was.

The entire Anzhou has only 20,000 troops.

It sounds like a lot, but in fact it is completely different from the prince's 50,000 elite troops.

He also understood what King Wu Li Ke was thinking. He simply thought that the prince might win, so he took sides in advance.

(End of this chapter)