Tang Dynasty, my wife Wu Zetian

Chapter 519 I trust the Empress to handle things.

"Why aren't you all saying anything!" King Kim Chun-chu of Silla roared angrily.

After Kim Beom-min and Kim In-moon brought back the unreasonable demands of the Tang Emperor, Kim Chun-chu became extremely irritable.

Although the land of Japan is good, it can never compare to the land passed down from our ancestors. Besides, with so many people, how can we just move away?

However, the will of the Tang emperor was not so easily rejected.

Although Jin Chunqiu had allied with the Mohe people in recent days, his deep-seated worries had never disappeared.

Sure enough, not long after, the Tang people sent envoys to urge them to relocate and also brought a large army to the border as a threat.

Jin Chunqiu hurriedly summoned his civil and military officials to discuss how to deal with the Tang envoy, but unfortunately everyone remained unusually silent.

Jin Renwen stepped forward and advised, "Father, since the Mohe have agreed to return the eight prefectures of Wa Island to us, why don't we agree to the Tang Dynasty's request and move to Wa Island? This way we can get rid of the Tang Dynasty's threat."

Kim Chun-chu angrily said, "You bastard! Silla has been established for seven hundred years, while the Tang Dynasty has only been established for less than fifty years. Why should we abandon our homeland of hundreds of years just because the Emperor of Tang says so?"

Kim In-wen sighed, “The issue now is not about the length of time a country has existed, but about which country is stronger or weaker.”

"Shut up! I've never heard you say a single thing I like to hear. Keep your mouth shut! Famin, you tell me!"

Jin Famin said, "Now that things have come to this, we can only fight a battle with the Tang Dynasty first. If we can't win, then we can move Yingzhou Island."

Jin Chunqiu asked, "Is there any chance of winning?"

Kim Beom-min said, "Although the Tang army is strong, we are not weak either. When they attacked Baekje, they could only take action when Baekje was divided. I think we have a 30% chance of winning!"

Jin Chunqiu looked at General Jin Yuxin.

"General, what do you say?"

Kim Yu-sin sighed, “Your Majesty, the Tang army is a battle-hardened force that cannot be defeated by force. Now that Goguryeo and Baekje have both perished, Silla, with its isolated army, has no chance of winning.”

Kim Yu-sin had been leading troops for a long time, and among the Silla high command, apart from Kim In-moon, he was the most rational one, clearly understanding the gap between the Tang army and the Silla army.

Jin Chunqiu muttered to himself, "Do I really have to sever this land? What will future generations think of me?"

A general in his forties strode forward and shouted, "Your Majesty, do not be afraid! This humble general is willing to lead 30,000 elite troops to repel the Tang army and share Your Majesty's burden!"

A glint flashed in Jin Chunqiu's eyes as he stared intently at the general and asked, "Yuan Shu, are you really confident?"

Kim Won-sul was the second most powerful man in the Silla army. He was a general whom Kim Chun-chu gradually promoted to weaken Kim Yu-sin's influence in the army.

Kim Yu-sin is getting old and has rarely participated in wars in recent years. Kim Won-sul has been leading troops to deal with local rebellions and wars with pirates and island barbarians.

Jin Yuanshu declared loudly, "Everyone else fears the Tang army, but I do not. If I cannot defeat the Tang army, I am willing to die!"

Jin Chunqiu was overjoyed and looked at Jin Yuxin, saying, "General, what do you think?"

Kim Yu-shin stared at Kim Won-sul and sneered, "In other places, if you fight a few fake battles, it won't have much of an impact, and I won't bother with you. But fighting the Tang people concerns the survival of the nation, and you dare to say such big words?"

Kim Yu-sin held Kim Won-sul in utter contempt because Kim Won-sul was shameless and loved to falsely report his military achievements.

On one occasion, a group of dozens of island barbarians launched a surprise attack on the coast of Silla. Kim Won-sul led his troops to quell the attack and defeated them. He then announced that he had defeated more than two thousand island barbarians.

On another occasion, after defeating a group of over a hundred pirates, he claimed that they were a Japanese army of five thousand who wanted to invade Silla.

These things naturally could not be kept from Jin Yuxin, but Jin Chunqiu believed them without a doubt and kept promoting Jin Yuanshu.

Kim Won-seo had another advantage: he was very eloquent. He didn't get angry when Kim Yu-shin made sarcastic remarks; he just shook his head.

"This humble general knows he is not worthy of the General's favor, and you may say whatever you wish. However, now that foreign enemies have invaded, we, as soldiers, should lead our troops to defend the country, not advise the King to flee and abandon our ancestral lands!"

Kim Yu-shin retorted angrily, "Anyone can say such nice things, but are the Tang army easy to deal with?"

Jin Yuanshu shouted, "If we can't win, we should die. How can we be cowardly before we even fight?"

Before Jin Yuxin could say anything more, Jin Chunqiu interrupted, "General, I think we should let General Yuan Shu lead the troops to try it out. This ancestral land should not be abandoned lightly!"

Thus, Kim Won-sul led 30,000 Silla troops to reinforce Gwansan Fortress.

The entire Silla court and people waited anxiously for news from the front.

Jin Chunqiu knew deep down that no matter how well-trained his own army was, it would be difficult to resist the brutal Tang army.

Therefore, he had already ordered people to pack up the gold and silver treasures of the palace and load them onto carts, ready to flee to Yingzhou Island at any time.

On that day, while he was praying for the ancestors' blessings in the mourning hall, Jin Famin rushed over and said, "Father, the Mohe people have arrived."

Kim Beom-min snorted, "What are they doing here?"

Although the Mohe people have recently become much more friendly towards Silla and have taken the initiative to form an alliance, they refused when Kim Chunchu asked them to attack the Andong Protectorate.

Because of this incident, Jin Chunqiu was very dissatisfied with the Mohe people.

Kim Beom-min said, "The one who has come is Prince Jo-yong of the Mohe tribe. Father, you should meet him."

Jin Chunqiu was silent for a moment, then said, "Let him wait for me in the back hall."

Kim Beom-min accepted the order and left.

Before long, Jin Chunqiu finished his worship and came to the main hall of the rear palace. When he saw Queen Joyong sitting and drinking tea, he smiled and cupped his hands, saying, "Your Highness Joyong, I am so sorry for not welcoming you properly."

Zuo Rong said in a deep voice, "Your Majesty, I heard that you have sent 30,000 of your main forces to fight against the Tang army. Isn't that just sending them to their deaths?"

The Mohe people had already discussed how to deal with the Tang Dynasty. In their view, they should never engage in a direct battle with the Tang people on land.

The best solution would be to shift the battlefield to Yingzhou Island. The Tang army on Yingzhou Island is limited, and the sea makes it difficult for Tang reinforcements to arrive, and logistics are also a challenge.

At that time, the Mohe army, together with the Silla and Japanese armies, might be able to defeat the Tang army.

They also considered that if the Tang Dynasty crossed the Black River and attacked the Mohe homeland, they would all flee into Jin'alin (Lesser Khingan Mountains) and Changbai Mountains.

The Tang army's long and arduous expedition could not be sustained, so they had no choice but to withdraw.

For this reason, even though the Silla army was not strong, it was still very valuable to them.

Just as they were figuring out how to avoid the main force of the Tang army, they heard that the Silla people had sent out their main force to fight the Tang army head-on.
The Mohe people suspected that the Silla people were mentally ill, so Jo-yeong came over to persuade them.

Kim Chun-chu snorted, "Prince Jo-yeong, we did lose to you on the Japanese islands, but that was just our ordinary army. You have never seen the strength of Silla's elite troops. Moreover, we are not necessarily unable to defeat the Tang army when fighting on our home turf!"

Zuo Rong said urgently, "It's impossible to win. We need to retreat immediately. I've already reached an agreement with the Japanese. Only if the three of us join forces will we have a chance to defeat the Tang people on the Japanese island!"

Jin Chunqiu angrily said, "Then let me ask you, if the Tang people asked you to leave the Blackwater region and migrate to the Japanese islands, would you be willing to leave?"

Zuo Rong fell silent.

They naturally wouldn't leave, but that was because they were far away and had Changbai Mountain and Jin Alin as cover, while the Silla people had no such protection. Just as the two were locked in a stalemate, Kim Beom-min suddenly rushed into the hall, his face flushed as if he were drunk, and shouted loudly, "We won, Father! We defeated the Tang army!"

Jin Chunqiu exclaimed in surprise, "You really won?" His voice trembled slightly.

Jin Famin was overjoyed and shouted, "It's true! General Jin Yuanshu defeated the Tang army, and the Tang army has fled back beyond the border!"

Jin Chunqiu felt a shiver run through his body, and every pore of his skin felt incredibly refreshed. He burst into laughter.

"Prince Joyeong, do you see this? This is the strength of my Silla's elite troops. The Tang army, which has never been defeated, probably never expected to encounter such a determined and brave enemy!"

Zuo Rong, however, remained calm and said in a deep voice, "No, there must be something wrong here."

He looked at Kim Fa-min and asked, "Are you sure you defeated the Tang army?"

Jin Famin hesitated for a moment, then said, "Who else could it be but the Tang army?"

Zuo Rong asked, "Who is the commander of the Tang army?"

Kim Fa-min said proudly, "Hei Chi Chang-zhi is a fierce general, but he is no match for General Kim Won-seo!"

Jo-yeong frowned and said, "Heukchi Sang-ji, I think he was a general from Baekje!"

"That's right, he has now pledged allegiance to the Tang Dynasty."

Jo-yeong said, "Since it is a Baekje general leading the troops, the soldiers under his command are probably also Baekje people!"

Kim Beop-min shouted, "There are no Baekje troops now, only Tang troops. Aren't you just unwilling to admit that my Silla army defeated the Tang army?"

After a long silence, Jo-yeong slowly said, "I'm just wondering, why did the Tang army, which was stationed at the Ungjin Governor's Office, allow the surrendered Baekje army to attack you?"

Kim Beop-min angrily retorted, "You said they were Tang soldiers, why do you insist on saying they were Baekje soldiers?"

Jin Chunqiu suddenly raised his hand and said, "Famin, calm down first. What Prince Zuorong said makes sense."

Jin Famin was taken aback and asked, "Father, do you suspect that the Tang people have some kind of conspiracy?"

Jin Chunqiu said in a deep voice, "The Tang people are cunning; we must be wary. Didn't you bribe Fuyu Fuxin in Chang'an? Send someone to contact him and find out why!"

Kim Fa-min replied, "Yes!"

Jo-yong said to Kim Chun-chu, "Your Majesty, we will also send people to investigate. If we find anything, we hope that our two families can exchange information."

Jin Chunqiu said, "Of course."

……

News of the defeat of the Xiongjin Governor's Office reached Chang'an in May, and Emperor Li Zhi immediately issued an edict to suppress the news.

However, this matter could not be kept secret from the officials in the court.

Although the defeated army was the Baekje surrendered troops, they are now part of the Tang army.

Many officials felt this was an ominous sign and petitioned Emperor Gaozong to have Heichi Changzhi escorted to Chang'an for questioning and to send a regular Tang army to attack Silla.

The Tang people believed in revenge, and even civil officials felt they had to get back at the enemy after a defeat.

After reading these memorials, Li Zhi did not reply to them at all, but put them all on the table and ignored them.

He strolled to the Lizheng Hall, approached Wu Meiniang, and asked her if she still remembered Tianshui Xian Ge.

"Brother Tianshui? I heard that he has already married Zhao Chiman and become his principal wife. Why did Your Majesty suddenly mention her?" Wu Meiniang asked curiously.

Li Zhi said, "That's right, she did marry Zhao Chiman. I have something I need her to do, but she is a woman after all, and it's not convenient for me to see her, so I can only trouble you, Meiniang."

Wu Meiniang smiled and said, "Your Majesty, please give me your orders."

Li Zhi said, "Fuyu Fuxin recently bought a dancer and took her as a concubine. She is Wang Xiaoxian, the top courtesan of Chunfeng Tower."

Wu Meiniang's eyes flickered slightly: "If I remember correctly, His Majesty gave Fuyu Fuxin the official title of Langjiang. The redemption fee for the top courtesan in Pingkang Ward is not low, how could he afford it?"

Li Zhi praised, "As expected of my empress, her memory is indeed excellent. Indeed, this person originally could not afford to redeem himself, but he has recently found a new source of income."

"I'm afraid it's not so proper." Wu Meiniang blinked.

“Yes, this is a path to treason. Buyeo Boksin has been bribed by the Silla people and has become their spy,” Li Zhi said in a deep voice.

Wu Meiniang squinted and pondered for a moment before slowly saying, "Your Majesty intends to send a message to Wang Xiaoxian through Tianshui Xiange, and then have Wang Xiaoxian tell Buyeo Boksin, who will ultimately pass the message on to Silla?"

Li Zhi smiled and said, "The Empress has hit the nail on the head."

What message does Your Majesty wish to convey?

Li Zhi held up two fingers.

"First, our Great Tang Dynasty has been at war for years, and the national treasury is already empty. The country can hardly afford it anymore, and we will soon have to reduce our military strength."

"Secondly, I ordered Silla to relocate to Yingzhou Island and forced the Mohe to return Silla's land to them. In fact, I deliberately intimidated them to prevent them from discovering the weakness of the Tang Dynasty and taking the opportunity to attack Baekje and Goguryeo."

After hearing this, Wu Meiniang's eyes flickered, as if she had already guessed Li Zhi's intention, but she did not ask any further questions.

"I have noted it down. Does Your Majesty have any further instructions?"

Li Zhi said, "Try to make Li Yizhen act as naturally as possible, so that Wang Xiaoxian doesn't notice anything amiss."

Wu Meiniang nodded: "I will personally teach her how to speak, and I will make sure that Wang Xiaoxian will not suspect anything."

Li Zhi smiled and said, "I trust the Empress to handle things."

After leaving the Lizheng Hall, Li Zhi issued another decree summoning Xue Rengui to the Ganlu Hall for an audience.

Since we're going to put on a show, we might as well go all the way.

The reform of the Tang army's military system had been progressing slowly. After defeating the Arabs, Li Zhi prepared to convert another batch of soldiers from the imperial guards into recruits.

This matter had always been handled by Xue Rengui, but this time, Li Zhi gave Xue Rengui a special order.

Only lay off employees, no recruiting!

Previously, when the garrison troops were dismissed, all the dismissed soldiers were reorganized into conscripts.

This time was different. He hoped to wait two months, that is, to first abolish the local militia, but not immediately convert them into recruited soldiers.

In this way, from the outside perspective, it would appear that the Tang army was indeed reducing its troops, and only in this way could they deceive the foreign spies hiding in Chang'an.

(End of this chapter)