Tang Dynasty, my wife Wu Zetian

Chapter 432 Xue Rengui's "Modesty"

At dawn, the east gradually brightens, and the first rays of sunlight appear.

A horse-drawn carriage passed through the majestic and perilous Tongguan Pass, heading towards Henan along the Tongguan Road.

The three boys in the car were all leaning against the car window, staring blankly at the scene of people queuing to cross the Tongguan Pass outside, as if they couldn't get enough of watching.

They couldn't get enough of looking at it, because Li Yong, Li Xiao, and Li Lian were all leaving Chang'an City for the first time.

On the evening of the fifteenth of August, they were summoned to the palace by Emperor Gaozong (Li Zhi).

They had initially thought Li Zhi was going to inquire about the Flying Feather Troupe, but instead they only had a simple family dinner. Afterward, Li Zhi issued an order for them to go to Laizhou to help Li Zhong.

The three of them were naturally overjoyed.

Perhaps, as Li Lian said, Li Zhi knew about their actions, but because he was satisfied with their behavior, he didn't say much about it.

Although the three of them did not have a good relationship with Li Zhong, going to Laizhou to help Li Zhong was still more comfortable than working in a restaurant.

Moreover, this was the first time they had completed a task assigned by their father, and all three of them were determined to complete the task exceptionally well and impress their father.

The wheels rolled on, and the road stretched on. While they were still on their way to Laizhou, Yuchi Gong and Cheng Zhijie had already arrived at the Xiongjin Governor's Mansion.

Meanwhile, in Yingzhou, Li Ji, Xue Rengui, Zheng Rentai, and Qibi Heli had already arrived and divided their troops into their respective units.

However, there was a small disagreement among the four: who should be in charge of attacking Anshi City? They had not yet reached an agreement.

Of the four northern routes, the shortest one is the route taken by Emperor Taizong during his campaign, which runs along the southernmost point.

This route is indeed the shortest, but it also faces a major problem: Anshi City is the bottleneck ahead!

Emperor Taizong once assembled more than 100,000 troops and besieged the city for more than two months, but he still failed to capture Anshi City. How could he possibly take it so easily now?

In other words, of the four armies, the route to Anshi City, although the shortest, was actually the most difficult.

Therefore, attacking this city is of utmost importance.

Because when four armies march out together, the one attacking Anshi City will definitely be the fastest advancing.

If the commander-in-chief can take Ansi City in one fell swoop, it will greatly boost the morale of the entire army and make the entire battle plan to attack Goguryeo smoother.

If the general leading the army is blocked in Anshi City or suffers a defeat, the situation will be very bad and will inevitably have an adverse effect on the morale of other troops.

That's why this journey is extremely crucial.

Li Zhi never interfered in military affairs, leaving Li Ji in full charge.

Li Ji originally intended for Xue Rengui to be in charge of attacking this route, but Qibi Heli and Zheng Rentai both protested and wanted to take charge of this route themselves.

Over the years, in order to protect himself, Li Ji developed a bad habit: he was unwilling to offend anyone.

Therefore, he did not force it to pass, but instead convened a meeting for everyone to discuss it together.

In addition to the four commanders, the meeting was attended by Liu Rengui, the logistics captain, and Gao Funan, the pacification commissioner.

However, neither of them really interrupted. Liu Rengui was a meticulous person. Since the emperor had put him in charge of the grain and provisions, he wouldn't say anything about military matters.

Gao Funan dared not say a word.

As a result, it became a contest between Qibi Heli and Zheng Rentai, while Xue Rengui, recommended by Li Ji, sat upright in his chair, looking down at his nose and not interrupting.

Seeing that Qibi Heli and Zheng Rentai were unable to reach a conclusion, and Xue Rengui remained uninvolved, Li Ji had no choice but to speak up: "General Xue, what do you say?"

Xue Rengui said calmly, "I am a junior, so I will not compete with the two old generals. This humble general requests to attack Wugu City."

The Northern Fourth Route Army consisted of four arc-shaped routes advancing simultaneously from north to south.

The route to attack Anshi City is located at the southernmost point. First, attack Gaimou City, and then you can attack Anshi City. Once you break through Anshi City, you can bypass the mountains and reach Bogoukou to cross the Yalu River.

Wugu City, which Xue Rengui attacked, was the second route from the south. It was also a fortified mountain city and could be used to reinforce Anshi City at any time.

Emperor Taizong had initially considered attacking Wugu City first, but feared that Anshi City would cut off his supply lines.

Therefore, Li Ji's strategy this time also included Wugu City as an important target, hoping to isolate Anshi City.

The generals present were all seasoned veterans of the battlefield, and upon hearing Xue Rengui's request, they guessed his intentions.

Xue Rengui appeared modest, but judging from his expression and words, he clearly had other intentions.

If the general attacking Anshi fails in battle, he can first take Wugu City, then turn around and help take Anshi City, thus not affecting the overall battle plan.

Qibi Heli stared at him, his eyes wide, and said, "General Xue, do you think we can't take Anshi City?"

Xue Rengui fell silent again.

He was a professional soldier who rarely spoke. Besides strictly obeying Li Zhi's orders, he actually had a strong sense of pride and believed that as a young man, he should help the veteran generals.

Li Ji smiled faintly and said, "Brother Qibi, you were dissatisfied with General Xue's competition with you for Anshi City, and now that he has given it to you, you are still dissatisfied. Do you only feel satisfied when he returns to Chang'an?"

Seeing that his tone had become more serious, Qibi Heli snorted, "Fine, I don't care about anything else. I must take Anshi City. Lord Li, when our army attacked Baiyan City, Wugu City sent 10,000 troops to reinforce it. I led 800 cavalry to defeat them. This method of besieging a city and attacking reinforcements is my specialty. You should know that!"

Li Ji nodded and said, "Very well. In that case, Wugu City will be under the responsibility of General Qibi. General Zheng, you will take the route through Baiyan City. I will take a longer route and advance from Yin City."

Yincheng is the northernmost route, and also the most arduous and thankless. When Zheng Rentai saw that Li Ji had assigned him the most difficult task, he didn't say anything more.

Thus, the allocation of the four armies was finally completed.

After the meeting, everyone dispersed to nearby military camps for pre-battle mobilization.

Li Ji discussed the logistical situation with Liu Rengui for a while and learned that people from fifteen prefectures in Hebei had been mobilized to transport grain for the army, which put him at ease.

A protracted war consumes an astonishing amount of food and supplies, which must be divided into two parts.

The first part consisted of pre-prepared military rations, which were distributed to various units and carried into enemy territory along with the main army.

This portion of the provisions could usually only last for one or two months, and Li Zhi had already ordered preparations in advance. However, the remaining provisions needed to be continuously replenished from the rear; in other words, every day the war lasted, the country's consumption increased.

Li Shimin chose to retreat because he could no longer afford to wait out the war.

Emperor Gaozong implemented a policy of light taxes, allowing Hebei to recuperate and recover for ten years. As a result, the people of Hebei actively supported the war effort on the front lines.

However, if this war continues for too long and causes further devastation to the people of Hebei, then it will be a losing proposition.

Therefore, Li Ji set the battle plan to be completed within a year. If Goguryeo could not be defeated within a year, in order to prevent any changes in Hebei, he would have no choice but to abandon the plan and withdraw his troops.

Of course, after years of planning and with the emperor's strong support, Li Ji believed that he would definitely be able to conquer Goguryeo within a year, and perhaps even win a decisive victory in less than a year.

After leaving Liu Rengui's governor's office, Li Ji returned to the camp outside Liucheng.

After returning to his tent, he immediately felt a little tired, realizing that he was indeed getting old and that his energy was already waning after only a short while.

He pinched his eyes, closed them to rest, and began to recover his energy.

At this moment, a guard came to report that Zhao Chiman was requesting an audience.

Li Ji opened his eyes and said, "Let him in."

Before long, Zhao Chiman entered the camp. He had changed into a set of silver armor and looked very dashing, but his eyebrows were furrowed.

Li Ji glanced at him and said, "General Zhao, is there something you need from this old man?"

Zhao Chiman said in a deep voice, "Grand Commander, I don't understand why you chose the route to Xincheng. Even if the advance goes smoothly, this route is roundabout and the logistics will definitely not be able to keep up. I'm afraid that by the time the other generals have captured Pyongyang, we will still be wandering around in the mountains!"

Li Ji said, "Is that all you wanted to say?"

Zhao Chiman gritted his teeth and said, "Of the 80,000 troops in Yingzhou, the 30,000 most elite Imperial Guards were divided among the three generals Xue Rengui, Zheng Rentai, and Qibi Heli, each taking 10,000 of them."

"Most of the remaining veteran soldiers from Yingzhou were assigned to them, while we mostly received newly transferred recruits. Grand Commander, how am I supposed to fight with these troops?!"

As the commander-in-chief of the entire army, Li Ji had already told Zhao Chiman that he would be in charge of this force.

Zhao Chiman was initially very happy, but after several days of discussion and allocation, he found that Li Ji's army not only had the worst route but also the worst soldiers, which he found hard to accept.

Li Ji squinted and said, "You seem to have quite a few complaints. Anything else?"

Zhao Chiman said in a deep voice, "Based on these two points alone, I'm afraid I won't be able to be the first to enter Pyongyang."

Li Ji said calmly, "Changsun Wuji once praised you highly in front of me, saying how remarkable you were. But after meeting you today, it seems he was just praising his own junior."

Zhao Chiman's face immediately turned red.

Li Ji glanced at him and said, "You're not convinced?"

"This humble general dares not!" Zhao Chiman said through gritted teeth.

Li Ji snorted and said, "Do you know how many outstanding talents among the Twelve Guards want to participate in this battle but have no chance? Take Liu Rengui's subordinates, for example. There are at least four or five generals whose ability to lead troops is superior to yours. If you don't want to do it, you can take off your armor immediately and get out of the camp. Someone else will lead the army for you!"

Zhao Chiman paused, then fell silent.

Li Ji said coldly, "You must remember, the army does not exist for you. Don't think of the battlefield as a stage to make a name for yourself. You exist for the army. All you have to do is ensure that our army can win the war. For this, even if you sacrifice your life and gain no honor, you must do it. If you cannot do this, you are not worthy to stand here as the deputy commander-in-chief and command the elite troops of the Tang Dynasty. Do I make myself clear?"

Zhao Chiman felt as if he had been hit on the head with a sledgehammer, his head spinning and his forehead covered in sweat.

He truly saw this operation as a stage to showcase his abilities.

He wanted to prove to the world that his fame did not come from Jiang Ke, and that people would no longer say, "So you are Zhao Chiman, who was as famous as Jiang Ke."

Li Ji's words were like a wake-up call, making him realize that he had been living in his own world.

His obsession with honor paled in comparison to the resolve of the iron-willed soldier before him.

Zhao Chiman took a deep breath, his eyes regained their firmness, and cupped his hands, saying, "This subordinate understands."

Li Ji looked at him and said, "Do you still have any questions now?"

Zhao Chiman said, "No, that's all."

Li Ji said, "Alright, take this. This is your next route of advance. Study it carefully."

"Yes."

Zhao Chiman reached out and took it. After reading it, a look of surprise flashed in his eyes. Judging from this marching route, it was not an attack on Pyongyang, but rather an advance towards Wandu Mountain.

Li Ji scrutinized his expression and asked, "Do you have any questions?"

Zhao Chiman said in a deep voice, "No."

Li Ji nodded and said, "Then you may leave."

Only after Zhao Chiman left the tent did Li Ji reveal a slight smile.

"It is indeed a good piece of iron. Such a strong hammer blow did not crack it. Instead, it became even stronger. Changsun Wuji's eyes are indeed sharp."

At this moment, another guard came over and said that Liu Rengui wanted him to come over.

Li Ji frowned. He had just returned from Liu Rengui's place, so why was he being called over again? Had something happened?
About half an hour later, Li Ji rode his horse to the governor's mansion in Liucheng and was invited into Liu Rengui's study.

"Master Li, please take a look at this." Liu Rengui handed him a piece of paper without any further ado.

After reading it, Li Ji's expression became extremely serious.

"Did the inner guards gather this information?"

Liu Rengui: "Exactly."

Li Ji remained silent for a moment, then shook his head and said, "Let His Majesty handle these matters. We only need to focus on winning this battle."

(End of this chapter)