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

Chapter 406 Is it possible that I am about to lose to that rebellious son? [Requesting monthly votes]

Would Li Chengqian kill Li Ke?!

When Changsun Wuji heard Li Shimin's worries, his eyes widened instantly. He was shocked, bewildered, and even a little secretly pleased.

However, being a rational person, he naturally did not want Li Chengqian to do that.

Because the crime of killing one's brothers was too grave, even though Li Shimin had done such a thing before, he still could not act recklessly.

In fact, half of the credit for Li Shimin's ability to endure was due to his past acts of killing his brothers.

After all, the moral standards of this society are what they are, and even an emperor is still bound by them.

Moreover, Li Chengqian was not yet the emperor, but only the crown prince.

If he really did commit such a heinous act as killing his brothers, even if he was in the right, he probably wouldn't be able to keep his position as crown prince.

Changsun Wuji, of course, did not want Li Chengqian to lose his position as crown prince.

He then recovered from his shock and said carefully, "Your Majesty, what makes you say such a thing? Although the Crown Prince is domineering, he also has a benevolent and filial side. How could he do something so immoral? Could it be that Your Majesty has been misled by treacherous people?"

He did not directly criticize Li Er for his wild thoughts, but cleverly used the instigation of others to give Li Er a way out.

But Li Er was unmoved and shook his head, saying, "I understand Chengqian less and less these days. I don't know what he really wants."

"As the saying goes, too much thinking brings worries, while less thinking brings clarity. I think Your Majesty shouldn't overthink things. How could someone as intelligent as the Crown Prince do something so foolish?"

Changsun Wuji smiled and comforted him, "Your Majesty should think more about the battle at the front and not damage morale, after all..."

He paused for a moment, then added meaningfully, "This is a crucial achievement that you cannot afford to fail!"

"Ok?"

Li Shimin was slightly taken aback, then looked up at Changsun Wuji.

But then Changsun Wuji continued, "Your Majesty, as long as you return to the capital with unparalleled achievements, what problem can't you solve?"

"this."

Li Shimin hesitated for a moment, then his mind cleared instantly.

Yes!

Even if Li Chengqian had the greatest courage, he wouldn't dare to kill his brothers!
If Li Kezhen did something wrong and Li Chengqian caught him doing something wrong, then he would have no choice but to hand him over to the court for processing!

Ultimately, the decision-making power rests with me. As long as I don't go back, no one will dare to make any moves!

Thinking of this, Li Shimin's eyes gradually cleared, and a smile unconsciously appeared on his face: "Wuji truly understands my heart!"

"Then, Your Majesty..."

"Guards! Convey my decree: immediately summon all generals to discuss military matters! Also, send someone to Chang'an to order Prince Li Ke of Shu to return to Shu as soon as possible to gather provisions for me, without delay!"

"Furthermore, issue another decree to the Crown Prince, instructing him to return to the army as soon as possible after resolving the epidemic in Chang'an. All important matters of the court shall be discussed and handled by the Cabinet! I will return to the capital as soon as possible!"

He spoke with particular weight the last sentence, "I will return to the capital as soon as possible."

The official outside the door, who was in charge of delivering the imperial edict, immediately understood and said loudly, "Your Majesty, I obey your command. I will immediately go and inform Minister Yang to draft the imperial edict!"

"Go!"

Li Shimin waved his hand in acknowledgment.

Not long after, Li Xiaogong and the others returned to the operations conference room.

Li Shimin spoke first: "Xiaogong, my beloved ministers, I was thinking too much just now and became a little distracted. I apologize to you. Now I will focus all my attention on the Liaodong war and strive to capture Anshi City within three months!"

"in addition."

At this point, he looked around at the assembled officials and said solemnly, "I have already issued an edict to the Prince of Shu, instructing him to gather provisions as soon as possible. You need not worry; Ke'er has never disappointed me in his work!"

Upon hearing these words, the ministers exchanged glances, then said in unison, "We humbly obey Your Majesty's decree!"

"Alright, enough talk, come and take a look."

Li Shimin waved his hand to interrupt the flattery of the crowd and immediately called out to them, "With the arrival of spring, the snow north of Anshi City is gradually melting. If we climb up the mountain to the north, set up the cannons, and fire from a high vantage point, just like when we attacked Liaodong City, we can give them a devastating blow. What do you think?"

Upon hearing this, everyone immediately stepped forward to examine the sand table map.

After a moment, Zhang Jian said, "Your Majesty, I feel this is inappropriate!"

"Oh?" Li Shimin raised an eyebrow: "Is there something wrong with it?"

"Your Majesty, please take a look!"

As he spoke, Zhang Jian immediately picked up a bamboo pole and pointed it towards the mountain to the north, saying, "This mountain is steep and not easy to climb. Moreover, winter has just ended, and the trees are still withered and cannot block the view. If we occupy this mountain on a large scale and transport the artillery up there, the enemy will definitely obstruct us!"

"in addition."

He paused, looked around at everyone, including Li Shimin, and said, "If we are trapped on the mountain, it will easily become a death trap!"

"this."

Upon hearing this, everyone exchanged glances and nodded knowingly.

Li Shimin, however, disagreed: "Now that we have surrounded Anshi City, how can they send troops to stop us, let alone besiege us?"

“Yes! If they leave the city, it will suit our purposes perfectly!” Li Daozong echoed.

"Your Majesty! I have something to say!"

Just as the two sides were at odds, Gao Tubo, a surrendered general, immediately stepped forward and bowed.

"Ah!"

Li Shimin smiled and immediately raised his hand, saying, "General Gao, what are your thoughts?"

"Uh," Gao Tubo couldn't help but twitch his lips.

Although he knew that in Li Shimin's eyes he was a brave but reckless general, otherwise he would not have been easily defeated by Li Shimin when leading an army of 150,000.

But now that he was a general in the Tang army, he naturally had to fulfill his duties. After all, Li Er had treated him fairly well and had not treated him like a surrendered general.

After a moment's thought, he solemnly replied, "Your Majesty, as far as I know, the city lord of Anshi City and the city lord of Wugu City have a very good personal relationship and often help each other."

"If we plan to move north, the city lord of Anshi City will definitely contact the city lord of Wugu City to stop us. And the city lord of Wugu City's army of tens of thousands of people is not to be underestimated either; they are all elite troops!"

"That's right! General Gao is right!"

Sun Daiyin, also a surrendered general, stepped forward at this moment: "I know the same as General Gao. The lord of Wugu City is not easy to deal with. When Your Majesty attacked Liaodong City, I asked the lord of Wugu City for help."

"However, Your Majesty's speed is of the essence. Before I could even receive your reinforcements, Your Majesty had already made a swift advance. But I must say, if the reinforcements from Wugu City arrive, Your Majesty may not be able to take Liaodong City so easily."

At this point, he suddenly noticed that the Tang generals were looking at him strangely, so he quickly added a flattering remark: "Of course! Even so, I will still surrender to Your Majesty! I will serve Your Majesty with utmost loyalty!"

The officials of the Tang Dynasty: "."

"Hahaha!"

Li Shimin couldn't help but throw his head back and laugh, as if all his bad mood had been swept away.

At this moment, Gao Tubo said awkwardly, "Actually, there is another matter, which I am not sure whether I should say."

"speak!"

Li Shimin suppressed his laughter and waved his hand, saying, "There's nothing in our Great Tang that can't be said! General Gao, please speak your mind!"

"Thank you, Your Majesty!"

Gao Tubo bowed and then spoke again: "Actually, this was not my idea, but that of my strategist. He felt that Anshi City is now a city where everyone is a soldier and everyone is willing to fight to the death to defend the city, so it will not be easy to break through."

"Especially since Your Majesty defeated my 150,000 reinforcements, Goguryeo is terrified."

"The best course of action now is to bypass Anshi City and take Wugu City directly."

"Although the elite troops of Wugu City should not be underestimated, the city lord of Wugu City is old. As long as we attack the city with all our might, we will surely be able to break through it."

"Furthermore, if we adopt a strategy of making an example of them during our advance, those small towns will surely flee at the mere sight of us. We will not only be able to supply ourselves without waiting for His Highness the Prince of Shu's provisions, but we can also pursue our victory. Pyongyang will be within our grasp in no time!"

Upon hearing this plan, Li Shimin frowned.

Sun Daiyin had previously proposed this strategy, but he had silently rejected it.

After all, at that time, he had just defeated Gao Tubo's 150,000 reinforcements and was at the height of his power. How could he possibly take a wrong turn?

However, with the siege of Anshi City protracted and the situation in Chang'an becoming increasingly tense, he no longer had the same mindset as before and only wanted a quick victory.

"What do you all think?" Li Shimin asked his ministers calmly. Although he had already agreed with Gao Tubo's suggestion in his heart, he had previously silently rejected it. If he agreed too easily, it would only make people think that he had been slapped in the face.

But Li Xiaogong was the first to step forward and said, “Your Majesty, I think General Gao’s suggestion is very good. Our army still has Zhang Liang’s 40,000-strong navy in the south. We can order him to march towards Wugu City immediately, then join forces with our main force to capture Wugu City, and then cross the Yalu River in one fell swoop to take Pyongyang, the capital of Goguryeo!”

"Yes, Your Majesty! I also think General Gao's suggestion is good!" Cheng Yaojin echoed, "Although we don't understand strategy, it's really unnecessary to keep gnawing on one tough nut in one place, and our food supplies are almost exhausted! It's better to change our approach, which may end the Liaodong war sooner and allow us to return to Chang'an to be with our children!"

"Your Majesty! Me too!" Yuchi Gong quickly interjected, "I haven't been home for a long time, and I miss my wife a bit!"

"Hahaha--!"

Everyone burst out laughing.

Li Shimin also found it somewhat amusing.

Judging by the time, they have indeed been out for quite some time, and everyone knows about the outbreak in Chang'an.

He said he missed his wife and children, but actually he was worried about whether his family would be affected by the epidemic.

When the laughter gradually subsided, Li Shimin glanced at Sun Daiyin, nodded slightly, and immediately decided, "Alright! Then let's do as General Gao says and detour through Wugu City!"

"Your Majesty, Holy Might!"

Everyone spoke in unison again, secretly breathing a sigh of relief.

However, as they finished speaking, a very uncomfortable voice suddenly rang out: "Your Majesty! I think this is inappropriate!"

"Shh-!"

Upon hearing this, all the officials, including Li Shimin, immediately turned to look at Changsun Wuji.

Li Shimin frowned deeply: "Fuji! What do you mean by this?"

He didn't call him 'Wuji', but directly called him 'Fuji', meaning to remind Changsun Wuji not to speak carelessly.

But Changsun Wuji ignored his reminder and said calmly, "The emperor's personal campaign is different from the battles fought by you generals. We cannot take risks with wishful thinking."

"There are still more than 100,000 Goguryeo troops in Anshi and Jian'an. If we bypass them and attack Wugu City, what should we do if the troops from the two cities harass our rear?"

"Therefore, I think we should first break through Jian'an City and then advance in; this is the safest course of action!"

Wow!
The whole place was in an uproar!

Changsun Wuji's words were undoubtedly a wake-up call for everyone.

If Anshi City is not removed, the country will face the crisis of running out of food supplies. If Li Ke cannot send food supplies, Li Shimin will have no choice but to withdraw his troops, and this expedition will be in vain.

If they were to bypass Ansi City and directly attack Ugok City and Pyongyang, it would seem like a brilliant and unexpected move, but it would also face the same old problem: the logistical supply lines would be much longer.

If the soldiers and civilians of Pyongyang were to defend their city to the death, just like the soldiers and civilians of Ansi, the situation would be even worse.

Not only will the supply of provisions be in trouble, but the supply lines will also be insecure, and the country will be attacked from both sides, with unimaginable consequences.

Why did Emperor Yang Guang fail in his three campaigns against Goguryeo? Wasn't it because he took too many detours and had problems with supplying provisions that led to his disastrous defeat?
Therefore, every strategy has its advantages and disadvantages, and there is no such thing as a perfect solution.

At this moment, as Changsun Wuji's words fell...

The entire operations conference room was as silent as autumn leaves being swept away by the wind.

What should we do?

This is an extremely difficult decision!

Although Li Shimin had already agreed with Gao Tubo's suggestion in his heart, as Changsun Wuji finished speaking, the scales in his heart began to tip in Changsun Wuji's favor.

After a long pause, facing the constant gazes directed at him, he finally made up his mind: "I have no intention of detouring through Wugu City. I will not rest until Anshi City is captured before summer arrives!"

"This"

A moment of silence fell over the crowd, but no one stood up to object.

After all, Li Shimin had made up his mind, and they had no choice but to risk their lives to attack Anshi City.

In the days that followed, the Tang army launched a fierce attack on Anshi City.

The soldiers attacked the city six or seven times almost every day, and various weapons were brought up in turn.

Unfortunately, Anshi City was too sturdy. The city walls could not be broken or collapsed even by cannons and explosives, let alone traditional siege weapons such as catapults.

Moreover, Anshi City's defenses and supplies were excellent. As soon as you breached a small part of it, they would immediately send people to reinforce it, and each time the defenses were stronger than the last, leaving the Tang army with no opportunity to take advantage.

As the food supplies in the camp dwindled day by day, and the hope of victory dwindled, Li Shimin became completely numb.

He didn't know why things had turned out this way, since his previous battles had all gone smoothly.

Is it really going to be that I lose to that rebellious son?
Li Shimin stood outside the camp, looking unwillingly in the direction of Anshi City, his fingers pressing on his sword until his knuckles turned white.

Meanwhile, in Chang'an City.

After killing Li Ke and his brother, Li Chengqian did not immediately announce that they had been killed by the guards, but instead went straight back to the Crown Prince's residence.

Because there was one more thing to deal with than the Li brothers.

That was the matter of Shouzhulang and Hou Junji conspiring to rebel.

Although he had long known that Hou Junji was problematic, and that the historical Hou Junji was a traitor, he never imagined that Hou Junji would collude with Shouzhulang.

Moreover, given that the garrison commander had devised so many plans and placed so many people in Chang'an, it's impossible that he only went this far.

Even if Wu Bing, Liu Yun, Bai Tong and his sister, and Li Ke and his brother were all pawns of that garrison commander, then why did he not react at all when all his pawns had been removed?

Clearly, Li Chengqian felt there was something wrong with this.

Although he did scheme against Li Ke, it was not he who facilitated Li Ke's collusion with the Shouzhulang.

Therefore, he was simply going along with the trend while Li Ke was colluding with the garrison commander.

So now, what exactly does that mysterious guardian want to do? And where is he?
With countless questions in mind, Li Chengqian finally returned to the Crown Prince's residence.

At this moment, someone he never expected came to the Crown Prince's residence.

"Mr. Yuan, what brings you here?" Li Chengqian looked at the middle-aged Taoist priest with a somewhat puzzled expression.

"hehe."

Yuan Tiangang smiled, then took out a piece of yellow cloth from his sleeve and handed it to him, saying, "This is what the Emperor Emeritus asked me to give you!"

"Grandpa Huang?"

Li Chengqian paused for a moment, then took the yellow cloth and slowly unfolded it, revealing a complete aerial view of Chang'an City.

However, that's not the main point. The main point is that the watchtower marked above actually contains a hidden secret.

"This is."

Li Chengqian looked at Yuan Tiangang with some disbelief.

But then Yuan Tiangang laughed and said, "When the retired emperor was emperor, although he established the capital in Chang'an, the situation was not very stable. So, with the idea of ​​being prepared for danger in times of peace, he secretly devised a way out for the Tang Kingdom. Although it could not solve the problem of the enemy being at the city gates, it could ensure that the royal family could escape from Chang'an smoothly."

“Of course.” He then changed the subject and said with a smile, “The Emperor Emeritus believes that His Highness the Crown Prince can defend Chang’an. This map is just a reference for you. How to use it is entirely up to His Highness the Crown Prince.”

"Oh I got it."

Li Chengqian suddenly realized and said, "Then please thank my imperial grandfather for me."

"His Royal Highness, you are polite."

Yuan Tiangang smiled and cupped his hands in greeting, then looked around and said in a low voice, "In addition, the Emperor Emeritus also asked me to remind you that you cannot fight the Guardian General head ...

"what?"

Li Chengqian was somewhat surprised: "My imperial grandfather even knows about the abilities of the guards?"

"That's natural. The Emperor Emeritus was able to send the first Bad Guy Commander to assist you, so he must know something about the Guardian Envoy."

"Oh, I see."

Li Chengqian suddenly realized something again, and then cupped his hands to Yuan Tiangang, saying, "Then thank you again to my imperial grandfather."

Yuan Tiangang nodded with a smile, then turned and walked towards the door.

Just then, with a 'thud', a long spear pierced through his body without warning.

"Your Highness, you..."

(End of this chapter)