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

Chapter 322 A Pioneering Spirit is Essential [Seeking Monthly Tickets]

According to the previous military reforms, the Tang Dynasty now has approximately 600,000 troops available, of which about 50,000 are stationed in Liangzhou and Shuofang, which are close to Tuyuhun.

Within the Eastern Turkic territory, in order to prevent Turkic rebellions, Li Jing left behind almost all the troops that had been used to quell the Eastern Turkic uprising.

Currently, these armies are mainly led by Zhang Gongjin, Li Daliang, Li Ji, and others.

As for the remaining 300,000 troops, 200,000 were deployed to the Liaodong border, and 100,000 were stationed in Guanzhong to protect the capital region.

In other words, 200,000 troops were equivalent to one-third of the military power of the Tang Dynasty.

When Li Chengqian asked Li Shimin for one-third of the military power, how could Li Shimin accept that?

Therefore, the moment Li Chengqian finished speaking, his first thought was that Li Chengqian was preparing to force him to abdicate.

It's the same as when he forced Li Yuan to hand over his military power.

He suppressed his anger and stared intently at Li Chengqian, asking slowly and deliberately, "Your Highness, what are you planning to do now?"

"Didn't Father Emperor ask me to handle the Xueyantuo matter? I have carefully analyzed the situation of Xueyantuo and feel that this war is unavoidable, so I thought it best to just wipe out Xueyantuo in one fell swoop!"

Li Chengqian explained with a relaxed expression, "Anyway, Father Emperor would never let me stay in Chang'an to oversee the country, so why not let me lead the army into battle as well!"

"So you'll also lead an army into battle?"

Li Shimin was surprised for a moment by Li Chengqian's words, then shook his head and said, "No!"

"Why not? Does Father Emperor think I can't destroy the Xueyantuo?"

"It's not a question of whether we can conquer it or not, but rather that the current situation of the Tang Dynasty is not suitable for fighting on two fronts. Moreover, a war of annihilation is not as simple as you think."

As Li Shimin spoke, his expression turned serious, and he continued, "I know your ambition, and I also know that my Great Tang is indeed not very large on the world map, but territorial expansion must be done step by step. We must not go down the old path of exhausting our resources with military campaigns!"

After saying this, he walked down the steps one by one and said slowly, "When I was discussing the conquest of Goguryeo with my ministers, the Left Minister gave me a summary. The current population of my Tang Dynasty is about two million households, which is less than that of the early Western Han Dynasty, not to mention the more than eight million households during the peak of the Sui Dynasty. This is why some ministers say that my Tang Dynasty is not as good as the Sui Dynasty."

"Look at the Han Dynasty, it took more than seventy years from Emperor Gaozu to Emperor Jing to reach a population of five million households. Even so, by the late years of Emperor Wu, the population of the country had been halved."

"Our Tang Dynasty's current foundation is not even as good as the situation after Emperor Wu of Han's turmoil. We can't afford to act recklessly!"

"Ah!"

Upon hearing this, Li Chengqian immediately laughed: "Since Father Emperor knows that we cannot act recklessly, why did you just fight the Eastern Turks and then start fighting Goguryeo? How dare you advise your son not to engage in endless wars?"

"What is this nonsense?"

Li Shimin immediately objected: "I attacked the Eastern Turks because they repeatedly threatened our Great Tang, leaving me no choice but to fight them! As for Goguryeo, it was Goguryeo that attacked our Great Tang first. As the Celestial Empire, shouldn't our Great Tang retaliate? Moreover, I didn't use many troops to fight them; at most, I only made a brief appearance!"

"Tch, stopping short of a fight is worse than not fighting at all. Didn't Emperor Yang of Sui also try to subdue Goguryeo without a fight during his three campaigns? And what was the result? How many people died on those three expeditions?"

Li Chengqian retorted with a sneer, "If Father Emperor fought with this attitude, he would be no better than Emperor Wu of Han. Although Emperor Wu of Han was aggressive and warlike, he conquered real territory, not just forced others to submit!"

"No, what nonsense are you spouting? Do you think that the territories you conquered will always be yours? Did Emperor Wu of Han conquer all the territories that later belonged to the Han Dynasty?"

Li Shimin walked to the map somewhat speechlessly, pointed at it and said, "Look at this map. It extends westward all the way to overseas lands and northward all the way to the North Pole."

"If someone can't beat you, they can run away. No matter how powerful a nation is, it can't fight to the ends of the earth, right? And even the most powerful country will decline eventually, right?"

"When you decline, others will come back. Then all the territory you worked so hard to conquer will have been for nothing."

"Look, it's only been a few years since Emperor Wu of Han, and the Xiongnu have risen again, haven't they?"

"Therefore, what I am doing is not annihilating and annexing them, but rather to contain their development."

After hearing these words, Li Chengqian finally understood the difference between Emperor Wu of Han and Emperor Taizong of Tang.

Although they are both regarded as great emperors throughout history, their historical reputations differ greatly.

Even in terms of positive evaluations, Emperor Taizong of Tang is more highly regarded than Emperor Wu of Han.

Because Emperor Taizong of Tang was well aware of the difference between wars of national annihilation and wars of hegemony.

One is to completely defeat the opponent, and the other is to defeat the opponent until they are convinced of their superiority.

Looking at Emperor Taizong's war history, most of his battles were won with tens of thousands of men, and some even with just a few thousand.

In this way, the loss to national strength is almost negligible.

Of course, there is another problem here. When Emperor Wu of Han fought against the Xiongnu, he did not know much about the situation on the grasslands. Even the Zhao and Qin states, which were the first to resist the Xiongnu, could only reach as far as 700 li (approximately 350 kilometers) from the Xiongnu.

The Xiongnu royal court was more than two thousand li away from the Great Wall.

To completely eliminate the Xiongnu, it would be necessary to expend enormous national resources.

However, during the Tang Dynasty, with the foundation laid by the Han Dynasty and the chaos caused by the Five Barbarian Invasions, various tribes from the grasslands invaded the Central Plains, which also gave the Central Plains a deeper understanding of the grasslands.

Furthermore, the Tang Dynasty itself had intricate relationships with various tribes on the grasslands, so the wars waged by the Tang Dynasty against the grasslands naturally did not consume as much resources as those waged during the Han Dynasty.

Therefore, the Han Dynasty almost collapsed from fighting the Xiongnu, while the Tang Dynasty, which was established only a few years ago, was able to destroy the Eastern Turks. Even during the Zhenguan era, when Li Shimin was frequently waging war against foreign powers, the Tang Dynasty still achieved the Zhenguan Era of Prosperity.

This may be the difference between pioneers and successors.

However, in Li Chengqian's view, the Tang Dynasty could not continue down the path of successors forever; otherwise, the country would only become more and more complacent.

A nation without a pioneering spirit is bound to decline, just like the later Qing dynasty with its queues, which ultimately fell behind the rest of the world and became prey for the great powers to carve up.

Therefore, after a moment of silence, Li Chengqian still firmly said to Li Shimin, "Although I admit that Father's idea may be a good thing for the Tang Dynasty now, it may not be a good thing for the Tang Dynasty in the future."

"Therefore, I have always firmly believed that the future of the Tang Dynasty lies in the stars and the sea, and I want to conquer a vast territory for the Tang Dynasty!"

"Why are you so stubborn, kid?!"

Li Shimin was angered by Li Chengqian's words and immediately shouted, "If you want to conquer overseas, you also need to consider your national strength, right? Without sufficient national strength, how can you expand your territory?!"

"War is not child's play; it involves the lives of millions of soldiers, so we must be extremely cautious!"

He was a veteran of war, and the scars on his body, if laid end to end, could form a painting. Therefore, he understood the cruelty of war better than anyone else.

But Li Chengqian still insisted on his own ideas.

But then he said in a deep voice, "Father, what kind of Tang Dynasty do you envision?"

"Ok?"

Li Shimin was slightly taken aback, seemingly not expecting Li Chengqian to ask him this question.

However, Li Shimin had already thought this through, otherwise he would not have launched the Xuanwu Gate Incident.

Because the Tang Dynasty in his heart was definitely different from the Tang Dynasty of Li Yuan, Li Jiancheng, and Li Yuanji.

Therefore, in order to build the Tang Dynasty in his heart, he embarked on that path of no return that shocked the world.

But then he said thoughtfully, "In my mind, the Great Tang Dynasty is one that can protect all living beings with virtue, awe the world with power, be respected by all people, and be subjugated by all foreign tribes. Even thousands of years later, when people talk about the Great Tang Dynasty, they will look up to it and revere it."

"of course."

At this point, Li Shimin's face showed a hint of embarrassment, and his voice even became a little softer: "If my Tang Dynasty could last for eight hundred years like the Zhou Dynasty, that would be even better."

Li Chengqian: "."

Li Shimin: "."

The father and son looked at each other, both silent.

After a moment, Li Shimin couldn't help but feel embarrassed and changed his words in a low voice: "I know that it is unrealistic to last for eight hundred years, but I can accept it if it exceeds four hundred years. At least it will last longer than the Han Dynasty!"

"Ah!"

Li Chengqian smiled.

Li Shimin glared at him angrily and said, "What are you laughing at? Isn't this the Tang Dynasty you envision?"

"No, I'm not laughing at the idea that there's something wrong with the Tang Dynasty in Father's mind. I even think that what Father said earlier can definitely be accomplished."

"Hahaha! I knew it!"

Before Li Chengqian could finish speaking, Li Shimin laughed.

But then, he couldn't laugh anymore.

Because Li Chengqian only acknowledged what he said earlier, meaning that what he said later was basically impossible to achieve.

But he simply couldn't understand how such a perfect Tang Dynasty could not even last four hundred years? How could that be!?
But then Li Chengqian said, "Although Father Emperor is indeed capable of establishing a prosperous nation, does Father Emperor know about the dynastic cycle?"

"This"

Li Shimin was slightly taken aback.

Although he had never heard of the term 'dynastic cycle law' before, a sense of dread welled up from the bottom of his heart.

It's important to know that he wasn't just an emperor who only knew martial arts; his civil achievements were also legendary.

There was a time when he discussed history with the eighteen scholars of the Hongwen Academy, summarized history, and even used history as a mirror.

This shows that he has some understanding of history. And the dynastic cycle law is actually about the historical lifespan of a dynasty.

Li Chengqian sighed and said, "Since Qin Shi Huang unified the six kingdoms, no unified dynasty has lasted more than three hundred years. Even the Han Dynasty lasted more than four hundred years after the merger of the Western and Eastern Han Dynasties. As for the Jin and Southern and Northern Dynasties, and even the Sui Dynasty, they lasted even shorter."

"Although there are many factors that led to their short-lived kingdoms, the most important factor was land annexation."

"Because all dynasties, in their later stages, cannot avoid land annexation. As a result, the land available to the people will become less and less, and people will frequently suffer from poverty. If a major natural disaster or man-made calamity occurs, the country will surely perish."

"So, according to you, the expansion of our Great Tang Dynasty abroad will prolong its reign?"

Li Shimin was very intelligent and understood things very quickly.

Li Chengqian then decisively revealed his true thoughts.

But then he interjected, "Theoretically speaking, that's how it is. Since land annexation is unavoidable, we should expand our territory to mitigate the harm of land annexation and thus prolong the life of the nation."

"This"

Upon hearing this, Li Shimin was speechless.

Because he had already understood what Li Chengqian meant.

This should be the dynastic cycle law that Li Chengqian mentioned.

But Li Chengqian had not finished speaking.

"I'm sure Father has heard something similar. A minister told you that what the Tang Dynasty lacks most right now is not land, but population. As long as the population is increased, the national strength will definitely increase. In the short term, this is not a problem."

"But in the long run, a country's territory is only so big. When there are two million households, land can be allocated at will, but what about four million, eight million, or even ten million households? Can land still be allocated at will? Don't meritorious nobles want to own more land?"

"This is why I told my father before that the reason for the collapse of the Fubing system was the imbalance of the current equal-field system."

"The plate is fixed, and there won't be enough to go around if there are too many people. So, if I make the plate infinitely bigger, won't the problem be solved?"

"Yes, you're right, that's indeed a good idea."

Li Shimin nodded thoughtfully, then glanced at Li Chengqian before walking straight to his throne. He then changed the subject, saying, "But I still don't think that our Great Tang is ready for external expansion right now!"

"I never said we were expanding outwards now!"

Li Chengqian shrugged and said, "I just asked my father to give me 200,000 troops so I could destroy the Xueyantuo!"

"Ah!"

Li Shimin scoffed, then sneered, "Do you think it takes 200,000 troops to destroy a mere Xueyantuo? Do you think other tribes will obediently submit to Xueyantuo after their marriage proposal to our Tang Dynasty failed?"

"Well, that's true."

Li Chengqian nodded in agreement, then said, "It certainly won't take 200,000 troops to destroy a small Xueyantuo, but if we also take down the Western Turks, Tuyuhun, and Tibet, then it will probably take at least 200,000 troops!"

"What did you say?!"

Upon hearing this, Li Shimin suddenly stood up again, looking at Li Chengqian with disbelief on his face.

Although he had known for a long time that Li Chengqian was plotting against the Three Kingdoms, he did not expect Li Chengqian to be so crazy as to want to destroy the Three Kingdoms in one fell swoop.

No, if you include the Xueyantuo, that would mean the annihilation of four kingdoms in one fell swoop.

How crazy is this?
Not to mention him, even I couldn't do it!
How could he even dare to think that?!

Clearly, Li Shimin was once again shocked by Li Chengqian's actions.

So much so that he stood there, speechless for a long time.

While the father and son fell silent, a small-scale war was taking place in the Xueyantuo Khanate, far away on the grasslands.

On the battlefield, swords flashed, flesh and blood flew everywhere, and screams, roars, and the sound of horses' hooves mingled together, creating a tragic and magnificent scene.

The war was triggered by Eulshiinan's hearing that the Tang Dynasty was going to war with Goguryeo and that he had been rejected by the Tang Dynasty in marriage. He then planned to take advantage of the Tang Dynasty's war against Goguryeo to plunder.

However, the Xueyantuo Khanate was a state formed by the alliance of many tribes, and not all tribes wanted to go to war with the Tang Dynasty. Among them were the Khitan tribe and the Eastern Turkic tribe.

They not only refused to send troops to the Tang Dynasty, but also withdrew from the alliance. This angered Yishiyinan, who had just replaced Tuli as the Great Khan, so he directly sent troops to attack the two tribes.

Although the Khitan tribes were very powerful, they were still outnumbered. Even with the assistance of the remaining Eastern Turkic tribes, they were no match for Yishiyinan.

Ultimately, they were routed by Eshi-inan's army and suffered a complete defeat.

Yishiyinan sat on his warhorse, looking coldly at Dahe Kuge, the chieftain of the Khitan tribe, and said in a deep voice, "Kuge, I'll give you one more chance. As long as you submit to me, I guarantee that your Khitan tribe will achieve new glory!"

"I bother!"

Dahe Kuge spat out a mouthful of blood, brandished his scimitar a few times, and sneered, "Yishi Yinan, what are you? If the Great Chief hadn't believed your slander, he wouldn't have supported you in replacing Tuli! You despicable and shameless bastard, you harmed Tuli, and now you want to harm us!"

"you wanna die!"

No sooner had Dahe Kuge finished speaking than Yishi Yinan's eldest son, Yishi Dadu, angrily rebuked him, saying, "Tuli is nothing but a dog of that Tang Dynasty crown prince! He is not worthy to be our Great Khan!"

“That’s right, we are eagles of the grasslands, not dogs raised by the Han people!” a tribal chief echoed.

Dahe Kuge sneered disdainfully, "If you don't want to be the Crown Prince of Tang's dogs, then be his enemies. He'll make you regret it!"

"Humph!"

Yi Shiyi sneered, "Who will regret it is still uncertain, but I'll make you regret it right now!"

Having said that, he stopped wasting time and directly ordered, "Kill them all!"

“Oh ho ho~~”

The men of Yi Shiyi immediately charged towards Dahe Kuge, howling like ghosts.

Dahe Kuge made up his mind and prepared to fight to the death with Yishi Yinan's subordinates.

Just then, the sound of horses' hooves suddenly came from the left. On the vast grassland, dust billowed, and then the earth shook.

"They are cavalry from the Tang Dynasty!"

Someone spotted the Tang Dynasty flag immediately and stopped their warhorse in surprise.

At the same time, someone spotted a familiar figure and shouted, "It's Zhishi Sili! He's gone to ask the Tang army for reinforcements!"

Upon hearing this, Yi Shiyinan's face instantly turned ashen.

Because when he sent someone to assassinate Tuli, it was Zhishisi who saved Tuli.

Although Tuli eventually succumbed to his injuries and died, Zhishi Sili's constant sabotage of his plans at crucial moments greatly annoyed him.

But then his eldest son, Yi Shi Dadu, hurriedly asked, "Father, what should we do now? Should we go to war with the Tang Dynasty?"

Yi Shi Yinan thought for a moment, then frowned and said, "The Tang Dynasty has not yet started a war with Goguryeo, so it is not advisable for us to make the first move."

"What about Brother Ku and the others?"

"A bunch of defeated soldiers, they're no match for us. Notify Yeon Gaesomun to send troops to destroy the Khitan's stronghold. He needs a vanguard anyway, so let the Khitan and Mohe die for him!"

"Yes!"

Yi, being magnanimous, responded with a nod and then ordered a retreat.

By the time Zhishi Sili arrived with the Tang army, the Xueyantuo army had already completely withdrawn.

All that remained were the wounded remnants of the Khitan army.

"Brother Ku! Are you alright?"

Zhishi Sili rode his horse over to Dahe Kuge and asked him with concern.

Dahe Kuge glanced at him, then at the Tang army behind him, and said with a wry smile, "You really have influence, managing to get the Tang army to come!"

"No, it wasn't about my reputation, it was about His Highness the Crown Prince's reputation. I told them I was His Highness the Crown Prince's subject, and they agreed to help me!"

"you"

Dahe Kuge never expected that Zhishi Sili would be so honest, actually openly admitting that he was a subject of the Crown Prince of the Tang Dynasty.

But Zhi Shisi Li said with pride, "I have always been a man of the Crown Prince of the Great Tang!"

"Natuli"

"He is not!"

"So, their calling Tuli the dog of the Tang Dynasty's Crown Prince, could it be you?"

"That's right, it was I who betrayed Tuli, because he was no longer under His Highness the Crown Prince's control!"

"What!?"

Upon hearing this, Dahe Kuge was completely stunned.

(End of this chapter)