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

Chapter 347 Ambitious, Granted by Imperial Authority! [Bonus Chapter 13 for the Dreamers Watching TV Alliance Leader]

"Send the order!"

With a stern expression, Tuoba Mi commanded, "All tribes must assign specific personnel to guard the area tonight, patrolling day and night without the slightest negligence!"

"Yes!"

The surrounding Tuyuhun generals immediately accepted the order.

Soon, the Tuyuhun camp began to bustle with activity.

Although they had been thoroughly ridiculed and lectured by Li Daliang, Cheng Gao, and other soldiers from Ganzhou outside Liangzhou City, leaving them feeling extremely aggrieved.

But in their minds, the Tang Dynasty remained the prime suspect in that night's attack.

In particular, the clamor of those Tang soldiers almost admitted that the attack that night was related to the Tang Dynasty.

In other words, something else might happen tonight.

Therefore, the first thing Murong Xiaojun did upon returning was to discuss with Tuoba Mi that they must be on high alert and absolutely not give the Tang army a second chance.

When only Tuoba Mi and Murong Xiaojun remained in the military tent, Tuoba Mi finally managed to ask, "Vice Chancellor, shouldn't we order those tribes to relocate away from the vicinity of Liangzhou City? I feel the Tang Dynasty has become somewhat different! I'm worried."

“I understand your concerns, but have you ever thought about why these tribes have taken root on the border of the Tang Dynasty?”

Before Tuoba Mi could finish speaking, Murong Xiaojun interrupted him with a sigh: "The territory of my Tuyuhun is actually not small, but the plateau is barren. There are only so many grasslands and places to grow grain. The reason why these tribes came here is because they cannot compete with the tribes that occupy the good grasslands and good grain fields!"

"If we relocate them from here, where do you plan to settle them? If we are not careful, our Tuyuhun will be plunged into endless civil war. Is this what the Great Khan and the Crown Prince want to see?"

"this."

Tuoba Mi opened his mouth, but for a moment he was speechless.

In fact, he was not unaware of the situation within Tuyuhun. Now, the Great Khan of Tuyuhun, Fuyun, was seriously ill, and the struggle for the throne between the Crown Prince of Tuyuhun and Murong Shun was becoming increasingly fierce.

If trouble were to arise at this time, Tuyuhun might fall apart.

At that time, the Tang Dynasty would probably be laughing in their sleep.

Therefore, the current situation for Tuyuhun is to remain as still as possible, because any movement could have far-reaching consequences.

But then Murong Xiaojun said thoughtfully, "Originally, the Crown Prince's plan was to take advantage of the war between the Tang Dynasty and the Xueyantuo to send an army near Liangzhou to tie down a portion of the Tang Dynasty's forces, and then demand benefits from both the Tang Dynasty and the Xueyantuo at the same time. In any case, neither side would dare to make enemies with us at this time."

"However, to our utter surprise, the Tang Dynasty actually dared to take the initiative to attack our tribes, and the method they used was beyond our expectations. They actually dared to divide into multiple small forces and attack more than twenty of our tribes in one night. Moreover, they were very mobile and destroyed more than ten of our tribes in one night. This was simply unimaginable before!"

"What's even stranger is that they didn't attack in the name of the Tang Dynasty, but in the name of the Xueyantuo. This makes it impossible for us to retaliate without evidence!"

"Indeed."

"mean!"

Before Murong Xiaojun could finish speaking, Tuoba Mi couldn't help but say angrily, "These Tang people are getting more and more despicable!"

"hehe."

Upon hearing this, Murong Xiaojun smiled noncommittally, then shook his head and said, "Just as they said, large countries have many advantages over small countries, especially in terms of strategic depth. Our Tuyuhun is not as good as the Tang Dynasty, so we cannot defend all fronts, because you simply do not know where they will come from!"

"Then what strategy should we adopt?" Tuoba Mi asked, frowning.

Murong Xiaojun thought for a moment and said, "In the past, when we dealt with the Tang Dynasty, we always used mobile attacks to keep them from penetrating deep into our territory. Who knew that the Tang Dynasty would learn this method now? Moreover, because we have many tribes, they don't even need to penetrate deep into our territory to attack us!"

"Therefore, my idea is to divide our army into three parts and place them in three directions around Liangzhou City. Once our scouts discover their tracks, we should immediately surround them and wipe them out!"

"This won't work. The success rate is too low. We only have a little over 30,000 troops. If we divide them into three parts, we might not even have time to surround the Tang army before they turn the tables and wipe us out!"

Upon hearing Murong Xiaojun's idea, Tuoba Mi immediately rejected it: "Dividing troops is a major taboo in military strategy. The Vice Prime Minister should be cautious!"

Although Murong Xiaojun was far superior to him in other aspects, he was still inferior to him in military affairs.

However, Murong Xiaojun said dismissively, "Based on what happened today, I don't think there is a large force in Liangzhou City. Moreover, given the speed of our cavalry, it will be difficult for the Tang army to catch up with us, as demonstrated in previous battles. Therefore, I don't think there is much of a problem with dividing our forces!"

"But this is just your guess. What if..."

"Unless something goes wrong, you should do as I say on this!"

"No! This is the Crown Prince's army; I must be careful!"

"you"

"Report——!"

Just as the two were arguing, a report suddenly came from outside the tent: "Reporting to the Vice Chancellor and General Tuoba, an envoy from Xueyantuo is requesting an audience outside the camp!"

"Ok?"

Upon hearing the report, Tuoba Mi and Murong Xiaojun were both startled, then looked at each other.

But Tuoba Mi spoke first: "Why is the Xueyantuo envoy here?"

"Could it be that there's been a new development in the war between the Tang Dynasty and the Xueyantuo?" Murong Xiaojun pondered and analyzed.

Tuoba Mi suddenly seemed to remember something, slapped his forehead and said, "That's right! How come I didn't think of that!"

"If the Xueyantuo can wage war against the Tang Dynasty, what are we afraid of? Can the Xueyantuo's strategic depth compare with that of the Tang Dynasty?"

"this."

Murong Xiaojun hesitated for a moment, then shook his head and said, "The reason why Xueyantuo dared to go to war with the Tang Dynasty is not because their strategic depth can be compared with that of the Tang Dynasty, but because they are a country formed by the alliance of many large tribes, just like the Eastern Turks in the past."

"Moreover, half of the territory of the Eastern Turks is now under the actual control of the Xueyantuo, and their strategic depth remains very strong!"

"So you mean the Tang Dynasty is just bullying my Tuyuhun?" Tuoba Mi said, somewhat displeased.

Murong Xiaojun smiled but didn't respond to him. Instead, he directly ordered towards the outside of the tent, "Let the Xueyantuo envoy in!"

"Yes!"

A voice responded from outside the tent, and soon the Xueyantuo envoy was led into the military tent by two Tuyuhun soldiers.

But then the Xueyantuo envoy bowed first and said, "Xueyantuo envoy, Ariel, greets the Deputy Chancellor of Tuyuhun and General Tuoba!"

"Hehe, you're too kind, please have a seat!"

Murong Xiaojun smiled and gestured, then had someone bring Ariel a wooden tablet.

After Ariel sat down, Murong Xiaojun asked again, "May I ask what brings you here today?"

"It is said that the Deputy Prime Minister of Tuyuhun is well-versed in the culture of the Central Plains. Seeing him today, I can see that he is indeed extraordinary!" Ariel replied with a smile, seemingly unrelated to the question.

Murong Xiaojun frowned deeply and said in a deep voice, "What is the meaning of this, Your Excellency?"

"Hehe, don't misunderstand, I've come here today to discuss cooperation with your country!"

"What cooperation?"

"I wonder if your country is interested in the Hexi region?" Ariel continued.

Murong Xiaojun was slightly taken aback, and couldn't help but ask, "What does this mean?"

But then Ariel laughed and said, "To be honest, Vice Prime Minister, my eldest prince of Xueyantuo is currently at war with the Crown Prince of Tang. My eldest prince has successfully wiped out most of the garrison in Ganzhou and is now about to have a decisive battle with the Crown Prince of Tang. Therefore, my eldest prince hopes that your country can provide support to attack Liangzhou City and join forces with my army to attack the Crown Prince of Tang!"

"If we succeed, the Xueyantuo are willing to hand over Liangzhou, Ganzhou, Lingzhou, and the entire Hexi Corridor to the Tuyuhun!"

"What!?"

Upon hearing this, Murong Xiaojun and Tuoba Mi were greatly surprised, seemingly not expecting the eldest prince of Xueyantuo to have such great ambitions.

But Tuoba Mi couldn't help but ask, "Is what you're saying true? Your eldest prince has already gone to war with the Crown Prince of Tang? And he's even wiped out most of the Ganzhou army?!"

"Of course it's true! You can send someone to investigate if you don't believe me!"

Ariel smiled confidently, but then changed the subject: "However, we don't have much time left. If the Crown Prince of Tang's reinforcements arrive, we'll probably have a hard time defeating him!"

"As you probably know, Li Ji's 200,000-strong army is still within the territory of the Eastern Turks."

"This"

Upon hearing this, Murong Xiaojun and Tuoba Mi exchanged bewildered glances. But soon, they sensed that something was amiss.

But then Murong Xiaojun said coldly, "Does Your Excellency think we are easy to fool? We just took a trip to Liangzhou City, and we didn't sense any intention from them to support the Crown Prince of the Great Tang. If it is really as you say, that the Crown Prince of the Great Tang is in trouble, why haven't they reacted at all?"

“The Vice Minister is indeed astute. Indeed, in principle, Liangzhou City should have reacted. However, what the Vice Minister does not know is that Liangzhou City has very few troops left, because most of their troops have gone to war with the Crown Prince of Tang. Therefore, even if they wanted to support the Crown Prince of Tang, they would be powerless to do so,” Ariel said calmly.

Upon hearing this, Murong Xiaojun's pupils contracted sharply, and he couldn't help but turn to look at Tuoba Mi.

Tuoba Mi also looked at him with a surprised expression.

That's it!

That's it!
No wonder Li Daliang and Cheng Gao set up the empty city stratagem; it turns out Liangzhou City was really empty!
"Damn it! We've been tricked!!"

Tuoba Mi slammed his fist on the table in anger, stood up abruptly, and said, "I'm going to mobilize troops! I'll make those damned Tang people pay!"

"Wait a minute!"

Seeing that Tuoba Mi was about to leave, Murong Xiaojun quickly stopped him and said in a deep voice, "It's almost dark now. Even if we want to attack Liangzhou City, we should do it during the day. Besides, have you forgotten our disadvantages? How can we rashly start a war against the Tang Dynasty?"

"But."

Tuoba Mi opened his mouth, but hesitated to speak.

But Murong Xiaojun said in an unquestionable tone, "This matter is not urgent, we still have time!"

After saying this, he ignored Tuoba Mi and instead focused his gaze on Ariel, calmly saying, "What you just said is only one side of the story. How can I believe you?"

"Hehe, this is a personal pledge from our eldest prince. As long as your country agrees, everything will be based on the pledge, without any falsehood!"

Ariel seemed to have anticipated this scene, and immediately smiled as he took out a scroll and handed it to Murong Xiaojun.

Murong Xiaojun frowned, glanced at Ariel, then took the document and looked at it again. He remained calm and said, "This is only the letter of your eldest prince, not the letter of your Xueyantuo Khan. How can I believe it?"

“Vice Prime Minister, you may not know this, but my eldest prince is about to be made crown prince by the Great Khan. This is a written agreement established in the name of the crown prince of the country. Does the Vice Prime Minister not even believe in the crown prince of the country?” Ariel retorted.

Murong Xiaojun laughed: "He hasn't been made crown prince yet, so how can he be acting as crown prince? Does your Khan know about this?"

"This"

Ariel was momentarily speechless, but his reaction was quick.

But then he laughed and said, "Our eldest prince commands 100,000 elite Xueyantuo troops. May I ask if your crown prince possesses so many soldiers? Doesn't this prove our Khan's trust in our eldest prince?"

"Once our eldest prince defeats the Crown Prince of the Tang Dynasty, isn't it a foregone conclusion that he will be made Crown Prince?"

"This"

Murong Xiaojun was speechless upon hearing this.

Because what Ariel said makes sense. Whether it's a large army or capturing the Tang prince alive, this eldest prince of Xueyantuo is indeed the most qualified to become the crown prince of Xueyantuo.

But is capturing the Tang Dynasty's crown prince alive really that easy?
To be honest, even though Ariel expressed the idea that 'the advantage is in our hands,' Murong Xiaojun still had some reservations about waging war against the Tang Dynasty.

After all, they had just been taught a lesson outside Liangzhou City.

Ariel seemed to see Murong Xiaojun's concerns and said with a smile, "Our eldest prince said that you Tuyuhun do not need to participate in the war directly. Just put enough pressure on the Tang Dynasty for our army so that the Tang crown prince cannot attend to both ends!"

"That Liangzhou City."

"It's up to you. If you want to be the top, then be the top; if you don't want to be the top, then don't be the top!"

Ariel spoke quite frankly, but then seemed to remember something and slapped his forehead, saying, "Oh right, I heard on my way here that more than twenty tribes near Liangzhou City were attacked. I wonder if the casualties were heavy? Do you know who attacked your tribe?"

Upon hearing this, Murong Xiaojun and Tuoba Mi's expressions immediately darkened.

I thought to myself, "Why the hell are you bringing up this sore spot? Are you deliberately trying to cause trouble?"

However, they were still somewhat angry when they thought about the humiliation they had suffered.

But Tuoba Mi couldn't help but say again, "Vice Prime Minister, I think even the fiercest tiger is afraid of a pack of wolves. The strategic depth of the Tang Dynasty is greater than that of my Tuyuhun, but with so many countries combined, are we still afraid of them?"

"this."

Upon hearing this, Murong Xiaojun hesitated for a moment, then asked Ariel, "When does your eldest prince plan to have a decisive battle with the Crown Prince of the Tang Dynasty?"

“Tomorrow at dawn!” Ariel replied.

Murong Xiaojun thought for a moment, then nodded and said, "Alright! Tomorrow at dawn, we will also send troops to Liangzhou City. If the situation is as you say, we will definitely capture Liangzhou City and join you. But if the situation changes..."

"If the situation changes, your country can make its own decision!"

Before Murong Xiaojun could finish speaking, Ariel interrupted him with a smile.

Murong Xiaojun and Tuoba Mi exchanged a glance and smiled knowingly.

Soon, both parties agreed on the details and waited for the next day at dawn.

Meanwhile, in Liangzhou City.

When Li Daliang and Cheng Gao received Li Shimin's imperial edict, they were completely stunned.

They only came to their senses and respectfully accepted the decree after being reminded by the official delivering the decree.

But then the official delivering the imperial edict smiled and said to them, "His Majesty says that Liangzhou is an important border city. The case of the Prince of Changle has caused some disloyalty between the military and the people and the court. He hopes that Governor Li and Commander Cheng will govern Liangzhou well and prevent such incidents from happening again."

"Please convey to His Majesty, Special Envoy, that we will do our utmost and will not let the people and soldiers of Liangzhou down!" Li Daliang said, cupping his hands in greeting.

The official who delivered the decree smiled, said nothing more, and simply took his leave.

After watching him leave, Li Daliang and Cheng Gao exchanged a strange look.

But Cheng Gao spoke first: "Commander Li, what do you think His Majesty means by this? He appointed you as the Grand Commander of the Longyou Road Military Circuit, but handed over the military power of Longyou Road to the Crown Prince. I don't quite understand this."

"Don't tell me you don't understand, I don't understand it either!"

Li Daliang muttered irritably, then frowned and said, "But listening to what that special envoy told His Majesty just now, I think I understand a little!"

"Do you understand? What does that mean?"

Upon hearing this, Cheng Gao immediately pressed for an answer.

Li Daliang glanced at him, then said thoughtfully, "His Majesty mentioned the Prince of Chang Le. Who is the Prince of Chang Le? A traitor! So why would he mention a traitorous prince?"

"Yeah, why?"

"My guess is that they're worried the Crown Prince will go astray!"

Cheng Gao was utterly astonished: "No way, how could His Majesty suspect the Crown Prince of plotting a rebellion?"

"I didn't say Your Majesty suspects the Crown Prince of rebellion. What I mean is, Your Majesty has a problem!"

"What?! How could His Majesty have a problem?!"

Cheng Gao was completely confused by Li Daliang's words.

But then Li Daliang said in a deep voice, "His Majesty has not been to the Northwest for many years, and he is probably not aware of the changes in the situation there. The Crown Prince is in the field and has a comprehensive view of the situation, so he naturally understands it better than His Majesty."

"He put the Crown Prince in charge of the military power in Longyou, but appointed me as the Grand Commander of the Longyou Military Route. On the surface, I have to obey the Crown Prince's orders, but if the situation changes, I can completely replace the Crown Prince. Do you know what that means?"

Cheng Gao thought for a moment, then said somewhat uncertainly, "So, His Majesty's purpose is to allow you to restrain the Crown Prince at any time?"

"Ah!"

Li Daliang sneered, then narrowed his eyes and said, "If this idea was given to His Majesty by someone else, then that person must be problematic. If this idea was His Majesty's own, then His Majesty is in the wrong."

Cheng Gao was stunned again and couldn't speak for a moment.

But Li Daliang said calmly and indifferently, "If the Crown Prince can wipe out Xueyantuo and Tuyuhun in one fell swoop, he can command the military power in Longyou at will, and I will not hinder him!"

After saying that, he smiled slightly and said, "There was no imperial decree before, but now it is a special permission granted by the imperial authority!"

(End of this chapter)