My father, Li Shimin, please call me Crown Prince

Chapter 325 Everyone in the World Underestimates the Prince

"Father is sending someone to negotiate peace?"

The news from Chang'an quickly spread, and such a matter naturally had to be delivered through Tongguan.

So far, Li Chengqian's slogan has been to purge the court of corrupt officials rather than to rebel.

Therefore, it is impossible to address Li Shimin by his proper name.

Li Chengqian was a little surprised about this. How could a man as proud as Li Shimin give in?
But if you think about it carefully, it makes sense.

Li Shimin, who had just ascended the throne, was adaptable. Or it could be said that the entire Li family was adaptable.

Li Yuan pledged allegiance to the Turks, and Li Shimin signed the Treaty of Tanyuan.

Now it seems that it is no big deal to give in to my son.

"Your Highness, could this be His Majesty's?"

Wen Zhong said cautiously.

Before he finished speaking, Li Chengqian naturally understood what he meant.

In Wen Zhong's view, the fall of Tongguan was equivalent to strangling Chang'an's throat, and now was the time to pursue the victory.

"Let's see what you say first."

Li Chengqian did not refuse directly.

It’s not that we don’t want to attack Chang’an in one go, but the conditions in all aspects are not yet mature.

Cannons are powerful, but once a cannon is fired, it’s worth a fortune.

Su Dingfang bombarded the Tongguan city wall at all costs, which resulted in a large number of artillery pieces being temporarily unusable and having to be renovated first.

There is also a supply of fire bombs, but the quantity is not enough at the moment.

In addition to Tongguan, there are several checkpoints behind. Although they are not as troublesome as Tongguan, with Li Jing there, it is not easy to break through. They can only rely on artillery to open the way.

By the time they reached the city of Chang'an, all their artillery and fire bombs were basically used up.

The city of Chang'an is thick, and the walls are being reinforced. It is not impossible to blow them down, but the cost would be enormous.

In fact, not only Li Shimin needed time, but Li Chengqian also needed time to produce.

"Yes, Your Highness."

Wen Zhong was a little hesitant and wanted to persuade the prince, but since the prince had spoken, he naturally could not refute it.

In recent days, the prince's majesty has been growing.

Wen Zhong did not dare to arbitrarily influence the prince's decision.

Of course, this is also because he doesn't know the current situation of artillery and ammunition.

The news that Li Chengqian agreed to negotiate soon spread back to Chang'an.

This made Li Shimin feel more relieved, and he felt that the prince did not seem to be so rebellious.

After all, he is still his son.

At this moment, Li Shimin began to reflect to some extent.

I wonder if it has anything to do with me that things have gotten to this point.

After just a quick thought, Li Shimin didn't think any more about it.

Now that things have come to this, let’s wait and see.

He ordered Zhangsun Wuji to set off immediately.

Tongguan.

The next day, Changsun Wuji came here.

He saw with his own eyes the city walls being collapsed by artillery fire.

A large piece, now many craftsmen are repairing it.

Seeing the damaged state of the city wall, one can imagine how shocking it was when the artillery bombarded the city.

Of course, Changsun Wuji had seen the power of the imperial court's Thunderbolt, but it was hard to imagine that it could reach this level.

At this time, Changsun Wuji understood why Li Jing had no choice but to retreat.

No soldier would have the will and courage to fight in the face of such artillery.

At this time, Su Dingfang came over and bowed, "Changsun Situ, you have worked hard along the way."

Chang Sun Wuji's eyes were still fixed on the city wall, and he said slowly: "General Su, you have made great contributions in this battle. It is really admirable that you broke through Tongguan in such an amazing way. However, the power of this artillery is beyond my imagination."

Su Dingfang raised his head slightly, looking at the damaged city wall, a complicated look flashed in his eyes, and he said, "Changsun Situ, this cannon is something that His Royal Highness the Crown Prince has painstakingly studied, and it is extremely powerful. When we attacked the city that day, we also relied on this weapon to take Tongguan so quickly."

Zhang Sun Wuji turned to look at Su Dingfang, his eyes full of inquiry: "General Su, you are a good general of the court. Why are you following His Royal Highness the Crown Prince on this path..."

He paused, choosing his words carefully: "What about the way to confront the imperial court?"

Su Dingfang is now considered a famous general.

He fought against Goryeo, Silla, and Baekje and made great achievements.

Now he has even defeated the military god Li Jing.

Although he relied on the power of firearms, this achievement is there and cannot be erased.

Changsun Wuji himself could also see that the soldiers under Su Dingfang's command obeyed his orders.

Even if he was just a soldier on duty, his confidence was completely different.

Su Dingfang's expression was stern, he straightened his back, and said solemnly: "Changsun Situ, although Dingfang is a military general, he also knows the general situation of the world. His Royal Highness the Crown Prince has shown favor to Dingfang, and this favor is as heavy as Mount Tai. Back then, Dingfang was just an unknown person in the army, and among the many generals, he was not very noticeable. It was His Royal Highness the Crown Prince who had a unique vision and promoted me and entrusted me with important tasks."

These words made Su Dingfang recall the days when he was neglected in Chang'an.

The appearance of the prince is a ray of light in his life.

Zhang Sun Wuji frowned slightly, and after thinking for a moment, he said: "General Su, your loyalty is commendable. But what the Crown Prince did is ultimately contrary to His Majesty. Now His Majesty has made many concessions, and is willing to restore the Crown Prince's position, grant him fiefdoms, and establish the position of Regent and Councillor. Why don't you persuade the Crown Prince to stop fighting and return to the right path, so as to avoid the suffering of the people."

Changsun Wuji was very clear about Su Dingfang, who was Li Chengqian's most important confidant in military affairs.

There are three generals in Li Chengqian's army.

Su Dingfang, Pei Xingjian, and Xue Rengui. Pei Xingjian followed Su Dingfang in his early years and they were in fact a master and a disciple.

If Su Dingfang returns to the court, the prince will inevitably face a situation where there is no one available.

In a more serious case, if Su Dingfang led tens of thousands of troops to rebel, then even if the prince had artillery, it would be useless as the enemy would collapse without a fight.

Changsun Wuji naturally knew that it was impossible to convince Su Dingfang with just a few words, so he tried so hard to test whether there was any possibility on Su Dingfang's side.

As long as there is a two or three percent chance, you can focus on this aspect.

Su Dingfang looked determined and shook his head, saying, "Situ Changsun, I'm sorry that I can't obey your order. Your Highness the Crown Prince has come all the way to where he is now, and he has gone through many hardships and dangers. How can he be easily moved by a few conditions?"

"Your Highness promoted me back then, allowing me to achieve great things on the battlefield. Ding Fang's life was given by Your Highness the Crown Prince. Now that Your Highness is in trouble, how can I abandon him?"

"Besides, the situation is now clear. His Royal Highness has the upper hand. If we give up now, all our previous efforts will be wasted."

Zhang Sun Wuji sighed, took a step forward, and said earnestly: "General Su, you only see the advantages in front of you. But have you ever thought that if you really break with the court completely and continue the war for a long time, it will be the people of the world who will suffer. Moreover, even if His Royal Highness the Crown Prince enters Chang'an and ascends the throne, he will face many obstacles. Many old officials in the court may not sincerely support you. In order to repay the Crown Prince's kindness, you may put yourself in a position of disloyalty and injustice. Why do you do this?"

Su Dingfang looked calm and said, "Changsun Situ, Dingfang understands your concerns. But Dingfang has followed His Royal Highness the Crown Prince and has long disregarded life and death. When I was at my lowest, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince trusted me and gave me a chance. I have no way to repay this trust, but to fight with my life. As for the resistance in the court, I believe His Royal Highness the Crown Prince has his own way to deal with it."

Zhang Sun Wuji looked at Su Dingfang deeply and said slowly: "General Su, you followed His Royal Highness the Crown Prince because of his kindness. But you should also understand that His Majesty is the legitimate monarch of the Tang Dynasty. During his reign, the Tang Dynasty was peaceful and the people lived and worked in peace. Now that His Royal Highness the Crown Prince has raised an army, the world has fallen into turmoil. Is this what you want to see? To repay the Crown Prince's personal kindness without caring about the people of the world is not in the interests of justice."

Su Dingfang shook his head slightly and said, "Changsun Situ, Dingfang is not disregarding the people of the world. His Royal Highness the Crown Prince uses me because he hopes that I can serve the Tang Dynasty and benefit the people. Now that I follow His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, I am fulfilling my mission. Dingfang believes that His Royal Highness the Crown Prince has the ability to make the Tang Dynasty better, even if the process is full of hardships."

Zhang Sun Wuji frowned and retorted: "General Su, although what you said makes some sense, there are many ways to repay a favor, and it is not necessary to go against the court. You can persuade His Royal Highness the Crown Prince to solve the problem in a peaceful way, which can not only repay the Crown Prince's kindness, but also maintain the stability of the Tang Dynasty."

Su Dingfang's eyes sparkled as he said, "Changsun Situ, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince has come this far, how can he turn back easily? Since Dingfang has chosen to follow, he will continue to do so unwaveringly. In Dingfang's heart, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince's kindness is more important than anything else."

Zhang Sun Wuji was silent for a moment, and then said: "General Su, you followed the prince, but have you ever thought about your family? If you lose this battle, your Su family will face a catastrophe. Do you want to implicate your family for a momentary impulse to repay a favor?"

Su Dingfang looked determined and fearless, and said, "Changsun Situ, Dingfang has already put life and death aside, so why would he be afraid of implicating his family? If I can repay the Crown Prince's kindness, even if it means implicating my family, Dingfang will never regret it. Besides, the Crown Prince is kind-hearted, and he will not let those who follow him down."

Seeing Su Dingfang so determined, Changsun Wuji couldn't help but feel anxious, and raised his voice and said, "General Su, don't be blinded by the temporary favor. Since ancient times, treason has rarely ended well. It's not too late for you to turn back now. His Majesty is magnanimous and will definitely give you a lighter sentence based on your past achievements."

Su Dingfang sneered and said, "Changsun Situ, Dingfang is not a blindly loyal person. I follow His Royal Highness the Crown Prince out of gratitude and loyalty. If I retreat in the face of danger, how can I call myself a general of the Tang Dynasty? How can I face the trust of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince?"

Zhang Sun Wuji shook his head helplessly and said, "General Su, I really cannot understand why you are so stubborn. Is it worth it to make the whole world your enemy just for the prince's kindness?"

Su Dingfang looked at Changsun Wuji firmly and said word by word: "Changsun Situ, in Dingfang's heart, the Crown Prince's kindness is as valuable as a thousand gold. In order to repay this kindness, Dingfang is willing to go through fire and water without hesitation."

Zhang Sun Wuji sighed and said, "General Su, I came here for the peace of the Tang Dynasty and for the people of the world. I hope that you can persuade His Royal Highness the Crown Prince to put the overall situation first, lay down your arms, and return to the embrace of the court at an appropriate time."

Su Dingfang bowed again and said, "Changsun Situ, Dingfang understands your painstaking efforts. But Dingfang is determined to follow His Royal Highness the Crown Prince. As for His Royal Highness the Crown Prince's decision, Dingfang will do his best to implement it."

After that, he turned around and left without talking any more.

Changsun Wuji frowned.

Because he could feel the soldiers around him looking at him with hostility.

This means that the prince's prestige in the army is extremely high.

Under normal circumstances, soldiers follow generals, and the general's personal prestige often surpasses that of the monarch.

This is a very common thing, otherwise, how could there be so many rebellions since ancient times.

But the prince does not lead troops, yet he has such prestige in the army.

"Is it because of the Military Academy?"

Changsun Wuji quickly figured out the reason.

In the past, the crown prince had set up a military academy in the East Palace, but after the crown prince went on an expedition to the east, the academy became a mere name.

Now, the world's attention is focused on artillery.

If there were no artillery, there would be no prince today.

However, few people noticed the strength of the army under the prince's command.

With this in mind, Changsun Wuji then paid more attention to the Prince's Army in Tongguan.

This attention feels extraordinary.

Changsun Wuji also understood military affairs. Although he had never led troops in battle, he was not unfamiliar with the army.

Before Empress Changsun married Li Shimin, Changsun Wuji and Li Shimin were already childhood friends, and with the added bonus of being Li Shimin's brother-in-law, their relationship became even closer.

After Li Yuan raised his army in Taiyuan, Zhangsun Wuji went to Taiyuan to join Li Yuan. Since then, he has followed Li Shimin in his campaigns and provided advice to Li Shimin.

Over the years, I have seen all kinds of elite armies in the world.

However, even if you only look at a part of the prince's army, you can feel how elite it is.

After comparing them repeatedly in his mind, Changsun Wuji suddenly realized that the only one that could be compared with it was His Majesty's Black Armor Army back then.

Thinking of this, Changsun Wuji was a little stunned.

It turns out that father and son are of the same bloodline.

This gave him some additional thoughts.

After all, they are all family, and the prince was raised by his uncle.

He is my sister’s eldest son.

The kindness should be there.

Whether to help His Majesty or to help the Crown Prince, from Changsun Wuji's perspective, it will not make any difference no matter who he chooses.

My mother's uncle is the oldest one, and now that my sister is gone, it is not right for him to help his nephew.

Of course, if given a choice, Changsun Wuji would still stand on the side of His Majesty.

But since the situation is like this, Changsun Wuji also has to leave himself a way out.

Now Tongguan is in the hands of the prince, which is really troublesome for Your Majesty.

If the prince's army really arrived at the city of Chang'an, with the addition of artillery.

The final outcome is particularly predictable.

Changsun Wuji actually wanted to see the artillery, but Su Dingfang directly refused.

The next day, Changsun Wuji set out for Luoyang to meet the prince.

(End of this chapter)