Datang: Just been appointed as the crown prince, the counterattack system is here

Chapter 316 Li Chengqian's outrageous actions continue! [Seeking monthly votes]

Under normal circumstances, it would be perfectly appropriate for the emperor to personally lead an expedition, with the crown prince overseeing the country and handling state affairs.

And historically, Li Shimin did indeed do just that.

But the Li Chengqian of today is very different from the Li Chengqian of history.

This made Li Shimin worry about one thing: after he personally led the expedition, would Li Chengqian usurp the throne in Chang'an?

You should know that half of the officials in the court are his people. If he is allowed to stay in Chang'an to oversee the country, even if he does not violate morality and usurp the throne, he will have many ways to undermine his authority.

In this way, even if he returned in triumph and remained the emperor of the Tang Dynasty, it would be too late.

He only needed to say one sentence, "I want to control all the armies in the world," and he would be powerless against him.

And this kind of operation is something I'm very familiar with.

Thinking of this, Li Shimin's desire to personally lead the expedition vanished almost entirely.

But he was still somewhat unwilling to give up.

He pondered for a moment, then said with a stern face, "Didn't the Crown Prince meet with Zhishi Sili before? How could this happen? Could it be that your plan has forced Yishi Yinan and the others to rebel?"

"Ok?"

Li Chengqian was slightly taken aback, seemingly puzzled by Li Shimin's three probing questions.

However, he did not try to deceive Li Shimin and directly stated, "Father, you are overthinking it. It is true that I met with Zhishi Sili, but my plan will never force Yishi Yinan and the others to rebel!"

"Why? As far as I know, Tuli has a close relationship with the Khitan tribes. Now even the Khitan tribes are supporting Yishiyinan. Isn't there a problem here?" Li Shimin frowned.

Li Chengqian thought for a moment and said, "To be honest, Father, this is also the key to my doubts, but I will definitely have the Embroidered Uniform Guard find out the truth. Please rest assured, Father!"

"So what exactly is your plan?"

"This one……"

Li Chengqian hesitated for a moment, then sneered, "Using one tiger to devour another!"

"Ok?"

Li Shimin was taken aback upon hearing this, and then couldn't help but look around at his ministers.

Fang Xuanling asked curiously, "Does Your Highness intend to use the Gurkha Khanate to deal with other countries? May I ask which country it is?"

"Western Turks!"

Li Chengqian answered decisively: "I will send Zhishi Sili back to tell Tuli that if he is interested in annexing the Western Turks, I can provide him with a large amount of weapons and provisions, on the condition that after taking over the Western Turks, he helps me destroy the Tuyuhun!"

"Nonsense!"

Upon hearing this, Li Shimin immediately rebuked him, saying, "You're simply being ridiculous! If you help Tuli destroy the Western Turks, do you think he'll help you destroy the Tuyuhun?"

"At that time, Tuli will become the next Jieli, do you know that?"

"Impossible. Tuli could never become the next Jieli. The moment he destroys the Western Turks, I will have him eliminated. And that will be the perfect opportunity for our Great Tang to unify the north in one fell swoop!"

Li Chengqian shook his head and said, "Tuyuhun is just a cover. My real goal is to unify the entire north!"

"This……"

Upon hearing this, Li Shimin and his generals were filled with surprise.

But Li Chengqian continued, "Only by controlling the entire north can our Great Tang Dynasty have a covetous eye on the Western Regions, and even Tuyuhun, Tibet, and Goguryeo. I have dozens of ways to deal with them!"

"Unfortunately, Yishiyinan struck first, killing Tuli before Tuli could even send troops to the Western Turks!"

Upon hearing this, Li Shimin and his ministers exchanged bewildered glances.

If Li Chengqian's plan succeeds, it will definitely be a good thing for the Tang Dynasty.

The problem is that plans can't keep up with changes, and the key issue is how to deal with these changes.

Li Jing seemed to be deep in thought when he said, "Your Highness, what you just said meant that you have other ways to deal with Goguryeo?"

"Ok?"

Upon hearing this, everyone, including Li Shimin, turned to look at Li Chengqian.

Li Chengqian paused for a moment, then said with a wry smile, "No, General Li Jing, where did you get the idea that I have other ways to deal with Goguryeo?"

"Heh, His Highness the Crown Prince just said that if we control the entire north, we have at least dozens of ways to deal with Goguryeo. I was thinking, although the entire north is not ours now, half of it is ours. Even if we subtract half of the dozens, there are still quite a few ways!" Li Jing said with a smile.

Li Shimin and his ministers were speechless for a moment, thinking to themselves, "What kind of calculation is this?!"

But Li Chengqian's reaction was beyond their expectations.

Li Chengqian exclaimed in surprise, "General Li truly lives up to his reputation as a master of military strategy; his thinking is truly different from others!"

"Ah, Your Highness, you flatter me!"

"No, I wasn't praising you!"

"Does Your Highness have a new idea?" Li Jing asked with a half-smile.

"If my father, the Emperor, personally leads the army, then I will have it!"

"No, what are you saying? Does that mean no one else is acceptable but me?"

No sooner had Li Chengqian finished speaking than Li Shimin questioned him with some displeasure.

But then he laughed and said, "Father, I must say, besides you, no one else is really suitable!"

"Why?" Li Shimin asked, frowning.

Li Chengqian smiled and asked, "May I ask, Father, what peaceful means do the Central Plains dynasties generally use to deal with barbarians?"

"The Way of the King: Education and Transformation!"

Li Shimin said without hesitation.

Li Chengqian smiled and nodded, then asked, "How did Goguryeo treat our Tang Dynasty?"

"This one……"

Li Shimin glanced at Fang Xuanling hesitantly, then said thoughtfully, "During the Wude era, Goguryeo took the initiative to submit to our Great Tang and pay tribute, and even promulgated the Tang calendar in its country. However, behind the scenes, it prevented Silla and Baekje from paying tribute to our Great Tang!"

“When I first ascended the throne, I also sent envoys to mediate between the three kingdoms, but Goguryeo has been preparing for war for many years.”

"And because I was busy dealing with the Eastern Turks, I never paid attention to Liaodong, which is why Goguryeo exists today."

"Therefore, Goguryeo, deep down, looked down on our Great Tang! Because they had never witnessed the power of the Heavenly Khan! Even..."

At this point, Li Chengqian paused, then looked around at the assembled officials and said, "I've also heard a rumor that in the hearts of the Goguryeo people, Father Emperor couldn't even handle one of their nosa! It's said that nosa even tried to shoot out one of Father Emperor's eyes!"

"What!?"

Upon hearing this, the generals were greatly surprised and filled with righteous indignation.

"How dare these mere barbarians be so arrogant!"

"Your Majesty! This humble general is willing to lead 30,000 elite troops to slaughter them without leaving a single survivor!"

"Your Majesty! My army has not seen blood in a long time! I swear to show these barbarians the might of my Great Tang!"

"His Majesty……"

Seeing his generals angrily requesting to fight one after another, Li Shimin remained remarkably calm.

He calmly asked, "What I want to hear is the Crown Prince's new plan!"

"Hehe, Father, please don't be in a hurry, let me finish speaking!"

Li Chengqian smiled and then continued, "Actually, from the rumor I mentioned, Father should be able to see that the entire Goguryeo Kingdom looks down on our Great Tang!"

"As the saying goes, pride comes before a fall. Our Great Tang needs their contempt to deal with them effortlessly."

"Oh?"

Li Shimin raised an eyebrow: "How can it be done without breaking a sweat?"

"Your Majesty, I previously proposed a solution: let the Goguryeo envoys come to the Tang Dynasty, find out the situation, and then decide whether to wage a full-scale war against Goguryeo."

"The reason I did this is because I also received information that the power dynamics within Goguryeo have become increasingly polarized."

"This……"

Upon hearing this, Li Shimin and his ministers exchanged bewildered glances once again.

Only now did they truly witness the power of the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

Almost all of Li Chengqian's intelligence was gathered by the Embroidered Uniform Guard from various channels.

But Li Chengqian continued, "I'm sure Father and the important ministers know that Gao Yanshou and Li Siyuan came to the Tang Dynasty to purchase our weapons and equipment. Their purpose was to usurp the throne. However, before they could even begin to implement their plans, the rebellion in the country was suppressed, and they were detained in the Tang Dynasty by me."

"In addition, there is another matter, namely that man named Yeon Gaesomun. It is said that he has become the most powerful minister in Goguryeo, and even the King of Goguryeo is somewhat wary of him." "Since ancient times, the relationship between the monarch and his minister has been the most complicated. Let's put aside everything else for now and just talk about Yeon Gaesomun and the King of Goguryeo's attitude towards our Tang Dynasty."

"According to Li Siyuan and Gao Yanshou, Yeon Gaesomun was hostile to our Great Tang, while the King of Goguryeo was on friendly terms with our Great Tang!"

"From this, Father and all the ministers, have you discerned anything?"

"Does Your Highness mean that this plan to attack our Great Tang was very likely Yeon Gaesomun's idea, and that the one who sent envoys to our Great Tang was the King of Goguryeo?" Li Jing said, as if he had just realized something.

Li Chengqian smiled and nodded, saying, "It's not just very likely, it's highly likely. After all, with a young ruler and a suspicious court, powerful ministers hold sway—you all understand that!"

"This one……"

The ministers looked nervous, thinking to themselves, "We don't understand."

But Li Shimin seemed to have been enlightened, and smiled broadly, saying, "I understand what you mean. You want me to get closer to the King of Goguryeo, or rather, to support the King of Goguryeo, so that Goguryeo will first fall into chaos, and then be defeated one by one, right?"

"Your Majesty is wise! That is exactly what I meant!"

Li Chengqian smiled and bowed, then said, "Goguryeo may seem powerful, but if there is internal discord, it may not have any impact in the short term, but in the long run, it will definitely cause problems!"

"As the saying goes, a skillful strategist first makes himself invincible, and then waits for the enemy to become vulnerable!"

"Ok?"

Upon hearing this, Li Jing's eyes lit up, and he thought to himself that the Crown Prince was indeed a military genius, as he even understood the essence of this military strategy.

But he quickly said, "Your Majesty, I support the Crown Prince's new plan. As long as Your Majesty leads the army to Liaodong, Goguryeo will surely be shaken throughout the country. At that time, Your Majesty can then use the teachings of the King of Goguryeo to win over the King of Goguryeo, which will surely deepen the conflict between the King of Goguryeo and Yeon Gaesomun!"

"Furthermore, we should employ the same tactics we used to attack Shuofang, harassing Goguryeo's granary with cavalry. We don't need to penetrate too deep; four hundred li will suffice. At that time, Goguryeo will surely descend into chaos due to food shortages!"

"Hahaha!"

Upon hearing this, Li Shimin burst into laughter unexpectedly.

If Li Chengqian's method was a trigger, then Li Jing's strategy was definitely the main ingredient, making his mind instantly clear.

"Our greatest advantage over Goguryeo is not manpower, but our vast territory and abundant resources. If we continue to harass Liaodong, Goguryeo's millions of people will lose more than half of their food. As a result, the number of people who starve to death next year will be beyond imagination."

"Then, if our Great Tang were to send troops to Goguryeo at this time, it would surely be twice as effective with half the effort."

"Your Majesty, Holy Might!"

The generals were overjoyed, and then spoke in unison.

In fact, the idea that Li Chengqian gave was the very method his good younger brother, Emperor Gaozong of Tang, used to destroy Goguryeo.

But then Li Chengqian tentatively asked, "So, Father, are you sure you want to lead the expedition in person?"

"Uh, this..."

Li Shimin, who was initially overjoyed at having a new way to deal with Goguryeo, became wary again upon hearing Li Chengqian's words.

Although Li Chengqian's new method was indeed very good, Li Shimin became somewhat hesitant when he thought about the potential dangers of personally leading the expedition.

Fortunately, Li Shimin had a kind and understanding minister like Fang Xuanling by his side.

Fang Xuanling chuckled and said, "Your Highness's new method is indeed good, but there's no need for His Majesty to personally lead the expedition. As long as His Majesty sends envoys to express his support for the King of Goguryeo, the effect shouldn't be too bad!"

"If the Left Minister thinks the results won't be too bad, you can send someone to try it out. But I must remind you, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. If the person you send messes things up, the responsibility will fall on the Left Minister!"

"Ah? This..."

Fang Xuanling was startled by Li Chengqian's words, thinking to himself, "Surely not! How can this be blamed on me? I was only thinking of His Majesty's safety!"

Besides, it seems that His Majesty is worried about you, the Crown Prince!
Seemingly noticing Fang Xuanling's embarrassment, Li Shimin waved his hand to interrupt him, then turned his gaze to Hou Junji, frowning as he asked, "What does the Minister of War think?"

"This one……"

Hou Junji hesitated for a moment, then glanced at Fang Xuanling and looked at Li Chengqian, saying, "Before answering Your Majesty, I would like to ask His Highness the Crown Prince a question!"

"Oh?"

Li Shimin raised an eyebrow and gestured again, saying, "Ask away!"

"Yes!"

Hou Junji responded, then faced Li Chengqian and bowed, saying, "May I ask Your Highness how you plan to deal with the Xueyantuo Khanate, or rather, if the Xueyantuo Khanate were to go to war with our Great Tang, who should our Great Tang send to fight?"

"This is naturally me!"

Before Li Chengqian could answer Hou Junji, Li Jing spoke first to Li Shimin: "Your Majesty, I request permission to fight against the Xueyantuo Khanate!"

"Right Minister, weren't you frostbitten when you came back last time? And this time..."

"Your Majesty! Frostbite is nothing, and besides, my frostbite has been cured by a new drug developed by the medical school!"

"Oh? The medical school has developed a new drug to prevent frostbite?"

"Yes, Your Majesty! And it's not just the new medicine for preventing frostbite, but also various new medicines for treating external injuries, with remarkable effects!"

"Excellent! This way, the wounded soldiers of our Great Tang Dynasty can be saved!"

Li Shimin nodded repeatedly, overjoyed.

At this moment, Hou Junji spoke up again: "Your Majesty, I think it is not appropriate to send the Right Minister to deal with the Xueyantuo!"

"Why?"

Li Jing frowned.

All the generals looked at Hou Junji.

But Hou Junji spoke eloquently: "With the Right Minister's skill in military strategy, dealing with a rabble like the Xueyantuo is naturally a piece of cake. But we have to consider a problem: with His Majesty and the Right Minister leading troops into battle, who will guard the central government?"

"Although the Tang Dynasty is at peace, have you all forgotten? There are two countries that are at odds with our Tang Dynasty: Tuyuhun and Tibet!"

"If they find out that the two most powerful commanders of our Great Tang are not in Chang'an, will they take advantage of the situation and launch an attack?"

"This one……"

The ministers exchanged glances, and a collective sigh escaped their lips.

Although Hou Junji's words were somewhat risky, they were indeed true.

The two most powerful commanders in the Tang Dynasty at present are Li Shimin and Li Jing.

If neither of these two people is in Chang'an, then it is indeed a potential problem.

But Yuchi Gong scoffed at his words: "Has the Minister of War forgotten His Highness the Crown Prince's command abilities? His Highness made invaluable contributions when Shuofang was pacified."

"That's right, the generals in the Eastern Palace are also quite good, especially Su Dingfang, who definitely has the talent of a commander!" Cheng Yaojin echoed.

Hou Junji, however, disagreed, saying, "It's not that I don't believe in His Highness the Crown Prince and the generals of the Eastern Palace's abilities, but rather whether the entire court, or even the entire world, will believe them!"

"If something happens in Chang'an, it won't just affect one city or one region, but the entire world!"

At this point, Hou Junji smiled and looked around at his generals, saying, "You don't want the rear to catch fire while the fighting is going on, do you?"

"Hou Junji! What do you mean?!"

Upon hearing this, one of the generals from the Eastern Palace could no longer contain his anger and immediately rebuked Hou Junji, saying, "With His Highness the Crown Prince in charge of Chang'an, are you afraid of chaos in the world?!"

"Exactly! If we were as afraid of this and that as you are, the Tang Dynasty would have perished long ago!"

“That’s right! When the Emperor Emeritus was stationed in Chang’an, His Majesty was fighting in the south and the north, and General Li Jing was also fighting in various places. Why are there so many problems with the Crown Prince?”

"Yes! I think everyone should just stay in Chang'an and act like cowards!"

"presumptuous--!"

Seeing his men getting increasingly absurd, Li Chengqian immediately rebuked them, then gave Hou Junji a cold look and said in a deep voice, "The Minister of War's concerns are not unreasonable. Since the Minister of War does not approve of the Right Minister going to Xueyantuo, how about I go to Xueyantuo?"

"No!"

Before Hou Junji could speak, Fang Xuanling immediately stepped forward and said, "Your Highness, you absolutely mustn't! If you and His Majesty leave Chang'an at the same time, who will take charge of the court?!"

“Yes, Your Highness, this is absolutely unacceptable!” Li Jing quickly echoed.

But Li Chengqian ignored them and instead focused his gaze on Li Shimin, asking, "What does Father Emperor think?"

Li Shimin narrowed his eyes, then said in a deep voice, "If the Crown Prince has any ideas, he might as well speak them directly! I believe the Crown Prince is aware of the gravity of this matter!"

"Your Majesty, I do have a small idea!"

"what idea?"

"How about establishing a wartime cabinet?"

Li Chengqian said with a smile.

(End of this chapter)