The emperor would rather have a

Chapter 202 The First Battle is the Decisive Battle!
"Your Excellency is stationed in Tokyo, overseeing all military affairs and working with other officials to maintain overall stability in the capital region. You have also been able to identify and address any shortcomings, supervise the integration of new recruits, and ensure internal and external security. Your efforts have been well-managed and orderly, which greatly pleases me."

King Sejong Chae Yong's words were calm and powerful, clearly affirming Li Yi's diligence and achievements during his stay in Tokyo.

Li Yi bowed deeply, his sleeves trailing on the ground: "To share Your Majesty's burdens and to do my utmost for the well-being of the people is the duty of a subject, and I dare not speak of merit."

Chai Rong nodded slightly, accepting the humble remark.

Immediately, however, he abruptly changed the subject and said in a deep voice, "The war in Huainan is currently at a stalemate, with everything going wrong. The puppet Tang emperor Liu Renzhan is holding the city to the death, like a malignant tumor clinging to the bone. In addition, the heavy snow and bitter cold have made the supply lines difficult. The timing and the terrain are both against the will of our Great Zhou army!"

At this point, Chai Rong's face darkened, as if he were recalling the various twists and turns of the war.

But the expression only flashed by for a moment before he continued, "I have summoned you all here today to consult you on matters of war. Just now, Attendant Wang presented his strategy. In your opinion, Minister Li, is it appropriate?"

The emperor's questions were sharp and direct, leaving no room for circumlocution.

In an instant, everyone's eyes were focused on Li Yi, and the invisible pressure seemed to solidify into a tangible form.

Li Yi knew in his heart that if he rejected Wang Pu's strategy, he might offend the other party, not to mention the consequences.

But the emperor would certainly ask me what my plan is.

Otherwise, if one simply opposes without having one's own ideas, wouldn't that be just playing with the emperor?
But if we were to agree with Wang Pu's strategy... just look at the emperor's expression after listening to it, and we would know that he was not very satisfied with Wang Pu's suggestion.

The emperor would certainly not be able to wait for the results to come so slowly.

If it were someone else, they would probably be stumped immediately in this situation.

Fortunately, Li Yi already had a plan in mind.

He took a deep breath, met the emperor's rather imposing gaze, and bowed, saying, "Your Majesty's inquiry terrifies me. As for Attendant Wang's strategy for the southern campaign, in terms of long-term planning, I believe there are no major problems..."

Before he finished speaking, a hint of disappointment flashed across Chai Rong's face.

He originally thought that his brother-in-law had performed very well while staying in Tokyo, and that he was quite resourceful and clever in his actions.

Therefore, Chai Rong invited Li Yi to this military council meeting. Besides the fact that they were close relatives of the emperor, he actually wanted to hear what good suggestions his brother-in-law had for the southern expedition.

But unexpectedly, it was just such echoing words?

Li Yi's words clearly disappointed Chai Rong.

However, just as he was about to tell him to step back, Li Yi's tone suddenly changed, and he uttered the clear word "but".

Seeing everyone's gaze fixed on him, Li Yi wore a humble smile, but showed no stage fright whatsoever.

He first bowed deeply to the emperor, then apologized to Wang Pu before continuing, "Forgive my humble opinion, but in extraordinary times, extraordinary measures must be taken. While Attendant Wang's strategy is sound, it will only waste time and is not commensurate with the enemy situation and the national situation. There is also the possibility of unforeseen changes."

"Oh?" Chai Rong's eyes showed a hint of interest. "Then, in your opinion, what should be done?"

Li Yi bowed and said, "In my opinion, the loss of Huainan was not due to a lack of military strength, but rather to the disadvantages of heaven and the terrain. However, if we lose the advantage of terrain, we can gain the support of the people. If we lose the advantage of heaven, we can seize the opportunity to win."

"Having observed the situation in Huainan for several months, I believe that to pacify Jiangnan, we must not rely solely on attacking its weak points. Jiangnan is far more prosperous than our dynasty, and prolonging the war will only lead to a quagmire. Only a swift and decisive victory is possible!"

After a brief pause, he declared loudly, "Therefore, if we wish to quickly conquer Jiangnan, we must follow the ten-character mantra—the first battle must be the decisive one, and the outcome will be decided in a single battle!"

As soon as these words were spoken, the whole room fell silent.

However, instead of finding the suggestion particularly brilliant, the crowd thought Li Yi's words were too impractical.

The emperor has already returned from his personal campaign, so what first battle could there be?
Not to mention that they wanted to defeat Jiangnan with just one battle... If it were really that easy, why did the army return empty-handed?

A glint flashed in Chai Rong's eyes, and he leaned forward slightly, pressing for details: "You said 'the first battle is the decisive battle,' do you have a specific strategy?"

He didn't care what others thought, but he was indeed intrigued by Li Yi's words, because what he wanted was a quick victory to eliminate the threat from the south in a short time.

Then they could free up their resources to deal with the major threats to the north of the Central Plains—the Northern Han and the Khitan.

Li Yi bowed and said, “The first battle I mentioned does not refer to the initial battle, but to the crucial battle, facing the enemy’s offensive head-on and using strength to defeat strength. ‘One battle to decide the fate’ does not mean defeating Jiangnan with just one battle, but finding a place where we can strike them fatally.”

He walked to the large hanging map and pointed precisely at the location of Shouzhou City.

"If we follow the usual method and station a large army under the city walls, we will wear down our Great Zhou's supplies and morale, and we will also wear down our army's will to win!"

"The lifeblood of the pseudo-Tang is its navy! Although our army is strong on land, the Huai River is crisscrossed and densely packed with water fortresses. Our naval forces are weak and it is difficult to control the water. Therefore, Liu Renzhan can hold the river and the Tushan military camp can block our supply lines. At the same time, they send warships and naval forces to travel on the rivers. Our army can only look at the river and sigh."

"The biggest regret of this southern expedition is that we could not defeat the Jiangnan navy. The most urgent task is that His Majesty has already foreseen the opportunity—to build a large number of warships and train the navy on the Bian River."

As he spoke, he pointed to the location of the Bian River on the map.

"Han Du Yu Hou has been ordered to excavate a shipyard, build a wharf, and dig ponds and marshes along the Bian River for water diversion and training. This plan is of utmost importance. I have already witnessed its progress in Tokyo, and I must urge it to be accelerated after the spring. We must gather skilled craftsmen from both north and south of the river, disregarding conventional practices, and reward them handsomely to ensure that within a few months, we can build a navy capable of competing with the pseudo-Tang dynasty on the inland waterways!"

"And do everything in our power to ensure the smooth flow of grain transport on the Huai and Bian Rivers. Recruit laborers from prefectures and counties along the way to melt snow, dredge rivers, and paddle boats. We must stockpile enough grain, fodder, and armor before the spring flood season and store them at the front lines!" Chai Rong's eyes were sharp, and he nodded slightly: "Your words are very much in line with my thoughts. The navy is the key to defeating Tang, and we must not delay."

Li Yi continued, “Shouzhou is an important town on the Huai River. Liu Renzhan is shrewd and has won the hearts of the soldiers and civilians. It will be difficult to take it by force in a short time. If we continue to besiege the fortified city next spring, we may repeat the same mistake, wasting money and food and dampening our morale. It would be better to continue to besiege it with an elite force, so that it cannot move. There is no need to launch a forced attack.”

"At the same time, another elite force, skilled in long-distance raids and with exceptional combat capabilities, will be dispatched to bypass the fortified city of Shouzhou, turn eastward rapidly, and strike directly at Hao and Si, while also launching a strong attack on Chuzhou and threatening Haizhou. This will prevent them from having the strength to come to the aid of Shouzhou."

Wang Pu frowned and couldn't help but stand up: "There are many places we must pass through on this route. The Tang navy can harass the supply lines along the Huai River. Moreover, it's a long-distance raid. If we are blocked by fortified cities or our rear is cut off..."

Li Yi said in a deep voice, "Your concerns are very valid. However, this is the key to breaking the deadlock—to force the enemy to come to their aid, so that the enemy and our army will engage in direct combat, leaving them no time to look north."

His finger traced the direction of Chuzhou: "In my humble opinion, Chuzhou is the most crucial of all the prefectures north of the Yangtze River. It is the gateway to Jinling, the pseudo-capital of Li Jing. If we can capture this strategic location, we can both threaten the pseudo-Tang capital and advance eastward to Yangzhou. Both prefectures, one in the east and one in the west, are prosperous areas south of the Yangtze River."

"The biggest obstacle to taking Chuzhou is the forces of the puppet Tang general Huangfu Hui. He is a fierce general from the Central Plains who was highly valued after defecting to Jiangnan. His abilities are beyond doubt. We should lead a strong army straight to Chuzhou and have a head-on battle with Huangfu Hui!"

"Li Jing is weak and suspicious. His favorites, Chen Jue and Feng Yanji, wield power internally but are intimidated by external forces. They only seek to enjoy wealth and honor and have no ambition. Within the pseudo-Tang state, few can compare with Huangfu Hui in terms of military experience. Once he is defeated, it will have a tremendous impact on the morale of the pseudo-Tang army."

He paused, then emphasized, "This is precisely the perfect opportunity for our army to reverse our disadvantage in terrain! The Tang army has divided our forces with a network of waterways, making it difficult for us to utilize our land warfare advantages. We will then send a portion of our main force to rush into their heartland, forcing them to leave the waterways and fortresses and enter our land warfare trap!"

"Although the supply route is long for the army's rapid advance, the remaining troops can provide flank support and short-distance supplies by both land and water, which is more convenient than transporting supplies from the Shouzhou line. If we can get the navy to cooperate in harassing and containing the Tang navy in the lower reaches of the Huai River, the chances of victory will be even greater."

"To defeat the enemy by surprise, we must act against common sense and focus our attack on their strong eastern front. Li Jing will never expect that our army would dare to venture alone into the heart of their eastern capital!"

"Once my iron cavalry arrives at the gates of Yangzhou and our forces threaten the pseudo-capital of Jinling, Li Jing will be terrified! The core of his Jiangbei defense line is right near Jinling."

"At that time, he will only have three choices: First, to do everything in his power to draw heavy troops from various prefectures north of the Yangtze River to reinforce Yangzhou in the east! But this move will inevitably leave the Tang army forces west of Shouzhou and along the Huai River line greatly depleted."

"Secondly, they could hastily mobilize the main force of the Imperial Guards protecting Nanjing to go north to provide relief. Thirdly, they could abandon Yangzhou and hold Nanjing. Whichever choice they make, it will force their main force to break away from the fortified city walls and pre-prepared water fortifications, and engage in a decisive battle with our army on the vast Jiangbei Plain, or create huge gaps and chaos in their defenses!"

At this point, Li Yi swallowed, feeling his mouth dry, but he didn't stop.

"When forcibly encroaching on Jiangnan, we can also use a tiger to devour a wolf, thus dividing their military strength!"

He pointed to Changzhou in the southeast corner of the map, "The pseudo-Tang is not only trapped in Jiangbei, but its heartland Jiangnan is also not peaceful! King Qian Hongchu of Wuyue, Your Majesty has ordered him to assist in the attack on Tang. Although he is hesitant, he has already sent troops to besiege Jinling in Changzhou! This is a golden opportunity that must be taken advantage of!"

"We should send another eloquent envoy to Hangzhou immediately, offering him generous rewards and explaining the advantages and disadvantages, urging him to intensify his attack on Changzhou! Changzhou is adjacent to Runzhou, guards the Grand Canal in Jiangnan, and is only a stone's throw away from Nanjing. The fiercer Qian Hongchu's offensive becomes, the more Li Jing will be attacked from both sides, and his limited troops stationed in Jiangnan will be firmly tied down along the Changzhou-Runzhou line."

"In addition, although the Gao family of Nanping is hesitant to advance, we should try to make them make a feint in western Hubei to tie down some of the troops of He Jingzhu of the pseudo-Tang state in Ezhou."

"At the same time, send two detachments to advance on the southwestern prefectures of E and Shu, but there is no need to rush to attack the cities. Once the elite forces of the pseudo-Tang have been defeated by our army, Li Jing will have no power to fight back. The soldiers and civilians of these four prefectures will not dare to resist anymore, and we will be able to take them without bloodshed!"

After Li Yi finished his impassioned speech, the hall fell into an eerie silence, so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

Most of the civil officials were alarmed and doubtful, feeling that this strategy was too risky and that such a desperate gamble was unwise.

Seeing this, Li Yi bowed to the emperor and added, "My strategy lies entirely in the word 'risk' and the word 'speed'! We will use Chuzhou as the anchor point of our attack, and take the threat of Yangzhou and Jinling as the core, forcing the pseudo-Tang to confront our army head-on. All units of our army will be committed to this, advancing with a do-or-die mentality. Although there are considerable risks, the only way to achieve a swift victory is to seek victory amidst danger."

"We are betting that Li Jing has no will to die, and that the central government of the pseudo-Tang dynasty is corrupt and incompetent! If our army can swiftly gather its elite forces and launch a fierce attack on a single point, creating an overwhelming force, its internal forces will surely collapse! This perfectly embodies the essence of 'the first battle is the decisive battle, and one battle will determine the fate of the nation'! One battle will crush their courage and dismantle their foundation!"

Chancellor Wang Pu asked, "How can Commander Li guarantee that even if our elite troops are deployed, the false Tang dynasty leader Li Jing will definitely submit?"

He phrased it rather euphemistically, but he was actually worried about the possibility of failure.

Because of such an aggressive fighting style, it is impossible to maintain logistics for long. Although the troops can march quickly, the transportation of food and supplies will take time.

If the offensive is blocked by the Southern Tang, there will be great uncertainty.

"This humble general cannot guarantee it... but I have great confidence in the fighting strength of the Imperial Guards of my Great Zhou!"

Li Yi politely cupped his hands in greeting to Wang Pu.

"Once our army arrives at the gates of Jinling like a divine army descending from the heavens, displaying the magnificent power of the Great Zhou Emperor's personal expedition, a huge uproar will surely erupt in the capital! At that time, people's hearts will be unsettled, rumors will spread, and voices advocating war, peace, and surrender will surely be in an uproar. Li Jing will be too busy to take care of himself and will certainly not dare to resist to the end."

His displayed confidence puzzled everyone, as if Zhou Jun was about to take over Jiangbei.

Everyone could only sigh inwardly: They really are still young and impetuous!
However, one person held a different view, and that was Emperor Sejong Chai Rong—Li Yi's words resonated deeply with him.

But Chai Rong did not rush to express his opinion. He tapped his knuckles lightly on the imperial desk, pondered for a moment, and then slowly spoke: "My dear minister, you have been able to manage all affairs in the capital with great skill. What is even more commendable is that, in addition to diligently performing your duties, you have not forgotten to pay attention to the war situation at the front. Such concern for the country and planning for the nation is truly rare."

He paused slightly, his gaze falling on Li Yi, his praise growing even stronger: "As for the strategies you presented, my dear minister, your analysis of the military situation, the enemy and ourselves, the terrain and other factors is meticulous and your planning is thorough. Although their specific implementation still needs to be discussed and deliberated in court, your patriotic heart is very gratifying to me!"

Upon hearing this, Li Yi quickly bowed and said, "Your Majesty flatters me! Thanks to the Prince of Wei's previous memorial to the court, in which he expressed his insights on personnel and military formations, I have gained some enlightenment after reading it."

"I also recalled the lessons I learned from leading troops to conquer the four prefectures of Longbian two years ago and fighting several battles with the Shu army. At that time, I observed that Shu's situation was somewhat similar to that of Jiangnan—both had enjoyed a long period of peace and had not experienced a major war. Although Tang's national strength far surpassed that of Shu, its military strength might not have been much greater than that of the Shu army."

"Several months ago, I used a strategy of rapid and fierce attacks, which overwhelmed the Shu army and caused them to collapse in defeat. I have been thinking that we should learn from this tactic when dealing with the rebels in Jiangnan, using speed to overcome slowness, sharpness to break through strength, and overwhelming them with overwhelming force!"

(End of this chapter)