Chapter 3111 Difficult Choice
On the side, Li Ji said in a deep voice: "Your Majesty, we must continue to stop and suffer the chaos. At this time, there is no way to retreat. We can only capture Anshi City at any cost. Otherwise, once the news that the army is blocked here spreads back to Chang'an, it will inevitably Making the situation even more corrupt.”
How many people in Chang'an City looked longingly at Liaodong, and were heartbroken by every move of the Eastern Expeditionary Army?
If the army is as strong as a broken bamboo, attacking cities and fortresses all the way until it captures Pingrang City and overthrows Goguryeo, then the situation in the DPRK and the world will inevitably be simmering with flames and flowers. Everyone will praise the achievements of His Majesty Li Er and be willing to become a citizen of the Tang Dynasty.
However, once the army is blocked at the foot of Anshi City and cannot make any progress, or even causes the Eastern Expedition to come to an end and have to withdraw to Youying and Two Prefectures before winter comes, then it will be a completely different situation.
A victory can cover up too many problems and make everything develop for the better.
But failure brings all the problems to light...
The founding of the Tang Dynasty was just over 20 years ago, and there are still many people who still cherish the memory of the Sui Dynasty. Although Emperor Yang of the Sui Dynasty was rebellious and obsessed with great achievements, and single-handedly ruined the Sui Dynasty, he still had many loyal supporters. Although at the moment, due to the power of the Tang Dynasty, they have to bow their heads and become "obedient people", but once the situation changes, these people will rush out and overthrow the rule of the Tang Dynasty.
The worst outcome will also cause earth-shaking changes in the power structure of the imperial court, especially those aristocratic families who represent the interests of their respective ethnic groups. Once power is seized by them, they will be unable to lose it, forming so-called "power clans". Like cancerous tumors, it parasitized on the body of the Tang Dynasty. It sucked blood and marrow and continued to grow, until it separated into one side and competed with the central government.
Therefore, regardless of the original intention and the process of this Eastern Expedition, we can only win, not lose.
No one can bear the chain reaction of failure. They can't withdraw their troops from Liaodong after a failed conquest, and then fight back to the Tang Dynasty to kill all the noble families one by one to eliminate hidden dangers, right?
The blood will flow like a river, the foundation of the empire will be cut off, and the foundation of the empire will be destroyed.
……
His Majesty Li Er was well aware of the importance of this Eastern Expedition. He placed the opportunity to resolve all internal conflicts in the Tang Dynasty on the fall of Goguryeo. This method of resolving internal conflicts externally through war has been tried and tested throughout the ages.
However, once the Eastern Expedition fails, not only will his ambition to become "one emperor through the ages" become a delusion, but his prestige will be reduced and it will be difficult to convince the public. Even he will be unable to fully control the violent reactions caused by the backlash of contradictions.
His eyes swept over the faces of the generals around him one by one, and then focused on the soldiers fighting desperately in the water in the distance. He finally made up his mind.
"Ming Jin withdraws the troops, and all the troops return to camp to reorganize. Tomorrow morning, we will capture Anshi City at any cost! We will never withdraw our troops until this city is broken!"
"Here!"
The generals responded with a roar.
……
Returning to the central military tent, His Majesty Li Er changed into a set of clean clothes, asked someone to make a pot of tea, and sat in the tent staring at the map on the wall in a daze.
Who would have thought that a mere city called Anshi would be beaten to death by Tiger Tiger of the Tang Dynasty, and the morale of the army would be greatly damaged?
This is just Anshi City, not Pingrang City!
Even if Anshi City is captured now regardless of casualties, what kind of arduous battle will they face when they arrive at Pingrang City in the future?
Could it be that the fall of Goguryeo would result in hundreds of thousands of casualties?
His Majesty Li Er took a sip of tea and felt extremely depressed and angry.
He regretted a little at this moment. He should have adopted Fang Jun's advice and used the navy as the main force to ferry the army across the Bohai Sea and directly attack Pyongyang City. First, he would overthrow the Goguryeo court, and then calmly encroach on the rest of the city, gradually encroaching, and win steadily.
Of course, this is just a thought and it is impossible to do it.
The Eastern Expedition represents the interests of various aristocratic families. If the navy is the main attack force, then even if Goguryeo falls, who will get the credit? This is absolutely unacceptable to the family.
War is a continuation of politics. It is always simple. It does not mean that you can fight it however you want...
There were footsteps outside. His Majesty Li Er looked up and saw Li Ji hurriedly opening the door curtain and walking in. He came to him, handed a memorial in his hands to him and said: "Your Majesty, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince has ordered Please take a look at the memorial that has arrived.”
His Majesty Li Er's heart sank slightly. He placed the teacup on the table at one side and read the memorial at a glance.
At the end, he threw the memorial to the ground and cursed angrily: "Chai Zhewei's corpse is lying bare, and he is afraid of the enemy and is too timid to fight. What does he want to do? He deserves to be damned!"
Li Ji stood on one side, not daring to answer.
Above the memorial is the prince's report on the recent situation in Chang'an. Tuyuhun's intention to rebel was beyond everyone's expectations, otherwise he would not have exhausted all the troops in Guanzhong, causing the current dangerous situation. The Youtun Guards went out to control Hexi to intimidate Tuyuhun, guard the counties in Hexi and preserve the passage to the Western Regions. This was considered a last resort, although the chance of success was not high.
However, Chai Zhewei "happened" to become ill and was bedridden, unable to lead his army on the western expedition...
No matter how perfect Chai Zhewei's disguise was, no one believed it was true. Although court laws cannot hold Chai Zhewei accountable, the public opinion in both the government and the public is enough to discredit Chai Zhewei and lose his reputation.
And from now on, His Majesty Li Er will be excluded from the center, and even labeled as "untrustworthy". The entire family will be alienated by the royal family and will not be reused.
Because of his fear of the enemy and cowardice, Fang Jun had to lead half of the Youtun Guards out of Hexi to challenge Tuyuhun, who had strong troops and horses.
Once Fang Jun is defeated and dies in Hexi, or even Tuyuhun marches straight into the pass... I am afraid that His Majesty Li Er will be able to tear Chai Zhewei's nephew into pieces.
After scolding a few times, His Majesty Li Er tried hard to calm down his anger, raised his hand to signal Li Ji to sit down, and then asked: "In Maogong's opinion, what chance does Fang Jun have of winning when he goes out to suppress Hexi to fight against Tuyuhun?" ?”
He always scolded Fang Jun sincerely and never used to protect him, but he admired Fang Jun's character and ability very much. He always believed that as long as he developed steadily, Fang Jun would definitely be able to enter the center in the future and even dominate the world. .
If the loss occurred in Hexi, he would not accept it.
What is even more unacceptable is that once Fang Jun is defeated, there will be no danger in the Hexi and Longyou areas. Tuyuhun can drive in all the way to Guanzhong. If he breaks through again, the core of the Tang Empire will be devastated by war. Of course, The country will not be destroyed, but the great situation created by the monarchs and ministers who have worked hard to govern since the early years of Zhenguan will be destroyed in one day.
If that were the case, the Tang Dynasty would never be able to return to its peak in his lifetime.
Not only did the dream of "one emperor through the ages" come to nothing, he, Li Er, would even be recorded in history books, saying that he was "overjoyed with great achievements", "faint and incompetent", and insisted on the Eastern Expedition, which led to the decline of the empire, causing the people to be trapped in the flames of war and the lives of the people...
Li Ji pondered for a long time, then sighed quietly and said in a deep voice: "The soldiers of Youtun Guard are recruited through the recruitment system, which is the first choice in the army. They are all strong and strong, and through Fang Junzhi's unremitting training, they have strong fighting ability." , enough to rank among the top among the Sixteen Guards. However... Tuyuhun's rebellion was definitely not a spur of the moment. It was obviously planned for many years and fully prepared. Once it is launched, it will be a thunderous force. At that time, the entire country's efforts were used to defeat Tuyuhun and force Fu Yun to commit suicide. However, it was not possible to completely eliminate the remaining Tuyuhun troops. After these years of rest and recovery, if Youtunwei can reach a higher level. We still have the strength to fight, but now only half of the troops are gone, and the consequences are dire.”
He also participated in the battle to annihilate Tuyuhun and knew Tuyuhun's tyrannical fighting power. He actually said this to ease His Majesty Li Er's worries. In fact, he believed that even if the Youtun Guards went into battle with full strength, they would only be defeated.
His Majesty Li Er remained silent. Except for the so-called "Military God" Li Jing, it was recognized that Li Ji's strategic literacy was unmatched by anyone in the court. Even he said "the consequences will be disastrous", which shows that Fang Jun and his right The situation in the garrison is bad but bad.
Doesn't Fang Jun himself not know this? Absolutely impossible. In the impression of His Majesty Li Er, Fang Jun has a lot of minor problems, but he has never had such bad habits as "arrogant" or "willful". He understood that leading half of the Youtun Guards out to control Hexi was basically hitting a stone with an egg, but he was resolute and took the initiative to ask for war without retreating. (End of chapter)