Chapter 1709 The perfunctory Yu Chigong
His Majesty the Emperor felt guilty and changed the topic. Everyone else remained silent, but Cheng Yaojin grinned and laughed loudly: "How guilty is Your Majesty?"
His Majesty Li Er was so angry that his teeth itched, but after spending many years together, he knew the temper of this old bastard. The more he competed with him, the more he would never stop fighting. In the end, he became so arrogant that no matter how much noise he made, how could he be punished seriously? The emperor can only be sulking...
Ignoring this old man, His Majesty Li Er said: "Fang Jun reported to me yesterday, intending to take advantage of the arrival of winter to launch the navy to go to sea to find the main force of the Goguryeo navy, and decide on a battle to lay the foundation for the Eastern Expedition in the spring. Laying a solid foundation can also inspire the whole army and boost morale. All of you are famous generals who are accustomed to fighting on the battlefield. Is it feasible to come together to provide advice? ”
Fang Jun settled down and waited to hear the opinions of the famous generals.
Strictly speaking, these people here are the military figures with the highest military authority, the oldest qualifications, and the most experience in the empire. Everyone gathers together to discuss state affairs, which has the flavor and prototype of a "military committee" in later generations...
"Wei Chen thinks it's feasible."
The first person to speak out was Li Ji.
This king is now the Minister Zuopushe, the head of the Prime Minister and Fu, and he also bears the honor and reputation of "the first person in the military" after Li Jing. He can be said to be the mainstay of the temple and the leader of the courtiers, but he is still calm and taciturn. , looking like a worldly master, Xian Yun Yehe.
He doesn't speak much, but his stance is clear and weighty.
Li Daozong, Prince of Jiangxia County and Minister of Civil Affairs, immediately nodded in agreement: "During the Eastern Expedition, the land route must be the main force. However, the battlefield is changing rapidly and anything can happen. If we can ensure the safety of the sea route in addition to the land route, no matter the situation of the war, No matter how damaged it is, it can still keep the transportation of baggage flowing smoothly, and the hundreds of thousands of Eastern Expedition troops are already in an invincible position. "
Li Xiaogong gradually retired and had withdrawn from the center of imperial power. Li Daozong, the king of Jiangxia County, took over his position as "the first general in the royal family" and was even more favored than Li Ji.
These two people were the first to express their opinions, and their attitudes were consistent. They had almost set the tone for today's motion.
Of course, the venue is a battlefield of interests. Every meeting is a competition of interests. No one is willing to put their own interests on the line. Even when the overall situation has been decided, they must go all out and never be honest. Just go along with the flow...
Yuchi Gong coughed slightly, his face, which was much darker than Fang Jun's, was full of solemnity, and he said hesitantly: "It is said that Fang's proposal is indeed a mature move to seek the country. He should consider defeat before thinking about victory, which is the best strategy in the art of war. There's just one question that I don't know if I've ever thought about it. The sea is boundless and boundless, and the coast of Goguryeo is thousands of miles long, so you can be stationed there. There are many good harbors for the navy. It is less than a month before winter begins, and it is only two months before the north wind blows and the sea water freezes. In such a hurry, trying to find the main force of Goguryeo's navy is no different. Searching for a needle in a haystack, once you mobilize troops but fail to achieve success, will it not only fail to boost morale, but will it even be counterproductive?”
Logically speaking, Yu Chigong's remarks are quite reasonable.
The Royal Navy went out to sea to find the Goguryeo navy to seek a decisive battle. This news must not be concealed, and the Goguryeo side would definitely receive the news. Everyone knows that the Royal Navy of the Tang Dynasty is invincible across the seven seas. Even if Goguryeo is arrogant and arrogant, it is impossible for it to collide head-on with the Royal Navy in a showdown.
Their only chance of winning is to avoid sharp attacks and wait for opportunities to attack...
Of course, everyone present here is an outstanding person, and they can all see that the reason why Yu Chigong opposes Fang Jun is not only for strategic reasons.
There is no doubt that Yu Chigong has a solid temperament, is not interested in flattery, and is loyal to His Majesty Li Er.
However, he asked a woman from the Langya Wang family to be his successor...
As for the "two ladies in black and white", that's just folklore...
The Langya Wang family has lived in the south of the Yangtze River for hundreds of years. Although their official career has gradually faded away, they have a profound and prosperous foundation. Yu Chigong's wife and Wang Xue'an are not from the same lineage, but from the lineage of Wang Qia, the third son of Wang Dao, the prime minister of the Eastern Jin Dynasty, and can be regarded as the direct branch of the Langya Wang family, Zhengshuo.
Wang Qia is the cousin of Wang Xizhi, the "Sage of Calligraphy". It is said that the two have been as good as brothers since childhood, and this man is "well-versed in calligraphy, especially good at writing." He is also a calligrapher...
Everyone knows that the Jiangnan nobles do not want to be involved in the Eastern Expedition. Now that the Qiao and Wu surnames in Jiangnan are united, they just want to make a fortune quietly and do not want their money and grain to be confiscated by the court for military supplies. As the former leader of the overseas Chinese surname, the Langya Wang family was naturally the first to bear the brunt.
But I never thought that after being suppressed by Fang Jun, the Jiangnan nobles actually replaced Yu Chigong, who was deeply trusted by the emperor, as their spokesperson in the court...
This is indeed somewhat unexpected.
However, what is even more unexpected is that after Yu Chigong openly opposed Fang Junzhi's strategy, before everyone here could carefully consider the meaning and still react jointly, the man who had already picked up the tea cup and "stayed, stayed, stayed" slowly After taking a few sips, I leaned back on the chair, closed my eyes, and calmed down...
Who could not understand the meaning of this gesture?
My wife is the daughter of the Langya Wang family, and I myself have received a lot of benefits from the Langya Wang family, so here I express their wishes on behalf of the Langya Wang family. As for whether you agree or disagree, that's all up to you. Anyway, you can speak freely in the court, and we didn't say anything treasonous. We were just expressing our stance, right?
So, from now on, you all can do your best. As long as you don’t curse your mother, I will pretend that you can’t hear it and won’t say anything...
Everyone couldn't laugh or cry.
The Langya Wang family thought that they had gained access to the emperor's confidant as Gao Zhi'er, but her daughter sent her to let this young man cause trouble for many years. But when it came to serious matters, he was so vague and perfunctory. If he knew the truth at this moment, he was afraid that he would come with a knife. Yuchi Gong is desperate...
His Majesty Li Er was helpless.
This old black man seems to be a rough man with no intentions, but in fact he is well versed in the art of protecting one's own safety. At present, almost all the forces in the army are leaning towards Fang Jun's proposal. If Yuchi Gong strongly opposes it, he will not only stand against these people, but it will not help the matter.
The approach is correct, but is your perfunctory attitude going too far?
After all, that’s your in-law’s family. It’s too cunning to do nothing even though you’ve taken advantage of all the benefits...
In this way, the strategy is finalized.
As for how to implement it specifically, it is something that needs to be considered within the Ministry of War. This is also the result of Fang Jun repeatedly fighting for power for the Ministry of War. This is reasonable. The court only needs to determine the general direction of the strategy. If all the courtiers have a say as in the past, and everyone can influence the specific tactics, delay and complexity will be inevitable.
What are the responsibilities of the Ministry of War?
You just need to tell me who to hit. As for how to hit, that is my own business...
Of course, it is still possible for a war of this magnitude like the National March to the East to be decided by Fang Jun. How can you still expect the land army led by the emperor to obey the orders of the Ministry of War?
No matter how high the power and responsibility of the Ministry of War is, it must be placed under the emperor. There is no doubt about this.
Unless Fang Jun doesn’t want to hang out anymore...
After the major matter was agreed upon, Li Daliang sighed and said: "I have been a minister of the same palace as Fang for more than ten years. At this moment, I really envy him for being able to go boating south and appreciate the charm of the water town in the south of the Yangtze River. In a few years, I will not be able to ride a horse or bow. You have to imitate Fang Xiang and travel around the mountains and rivers and wander into the countryside.”
This king came from a family of officials, a well-known wealthy family in Jingyang. His father was the official of Shuozhou Governor and Wuyang County Duke in the Sui Dynasty. He was talented in literature and military strategy since childhood.
However, even though he came from such a prominent official family, he was indifferent to fame and fortune. His family had little money and was very poor.
His Majesty Li Er was dissatisfied and said: "My beloved has not yet reached his sixties. He is strong and energetic. He should have a good life and serve the court for a few more years. Why are you so negative?"
In his expectation, once he went on a personal expedition, Fang Xuanling, who was good at planning, and Li Daliang, who was steady and brave, would be left behind to assist the prince in the capital. Only in this way could the morale of the army be stabilized and he would have no worries. But now that Fang Xuanling has retired from office, he has been troubled by the choice of who will stay in the capital to command the officials and assist the prince. If Li Daliang is not interested in state affairs, is it possible for Li Ji, the first person in the army, to be in charge of the capital?
Without Li Ji's military strategy, His Majesty Li Er himself felt a little guilty in the face of Goguryeo's stubborn resistance...
Li Daliang said gratefully: "Old minister, I just felt it for a moment. When this empire is revitalized, I will break into pieces to help your majesty achieve eternal greatness, and I will not give up even if I die!"
His Majesty Li Er was now satisfied. The old ministers in the court were getting older, and among the new generation of civil and military officials, except for a few outstanding ones such as Fang Jun, it was difficult for him to feel completely reassured. After handing over the empire to those young officials, can they take up the important roles and protect the empire along this prosperous road?
(End of chapter)