On the side, Li Ji said in a deep voice: "Your Majesty, we must continue to stop and suffer the chaos. At this time, there is no way to retreat. We can only capture Anshi City at any cost. Otherwise, once the news that the army is blocked here spreads back to Chang'an, it will inevitably
It makes the situation even more corrupt."
How many people in Chang'an City looked longingly at Liaodong, and their hearts were pulled by every move of the Eastern Expeditionary Army?
If the army is as strong as a broken bamboo, attacking the city all the way until it captures Pingrang City and overthrows Goguryeo, then the situation in the DPRK and the world will inevitably be simmering with fire, flowers will bloom, and everyone will praise His Majesty Li Er's achievements and be willing to become a citizen of the Tang Dynasty.
However, once the army is blocked at the foot of Anshi City and is unable to make any progress, it may even cause the Eastern Expedition to come to an end and have to withdraw to Youying and Two Prefectures before winter comes. Then it will be a completely different situation.
A victory can cover up too many problems and make everything develop for the better.
But failure brings all the problems to light...
The founding of the Tang Dynasty was just over 20 years ago, and there are still many people who still remember the Sui Dynasty. Although Emperor Yang of the Sui Dynasty went against the grain and ruined the Sui Dynasty with great success, he still has many loyal supporters. Although the photo is taken at the moment
The power of the Tang Dynasty had to bow down and be an "obedient citizen", but once the situation changed, these people would rush out and overthrow the rule of the Tang Dynasty.
The worst outcome will also cause earth-shaking changes in the power structure of the imperial court, especially those aristocratic families who represent the interests of their respective ethnic groups. Once power is seized by them, they will be unable to lose it, forming so-called "power clans".
Like cancerous tumors, it parasitized on the body of the Tang Dynasty. It sucked blood and marrow and continued to grow, until it separated into one party and competed with the central government.
Therefore, no matter what the original intention or the process of this Eastern Expedition, it can only be won, not defeated.
No one can bear the chain reaction of failure. They can't withdraw their troops from Liaodong after a failed conquest, and then fight back to the Tang Dynasty to kill all the noble families one by one to eliminate hidden dangers, right?
The blood will flow like a river, and the foundation of the empire will be cut off and destroyed.
…
His Majesty Li Er was well aware of the importance of this Eastern Expedition. He placed the opportunity to resolve all internal conflicts in the Tang Dynasty on the overthrow of Goguryeo. This method of resolving internal conflicts externally through war has been tried and tested throughout the ages.
However, once the Eastern Expedition fails, not only will his ambition to become "one emperor through the ages" become a delusion, but his prestige will be reduced and it will be difficult to convince the public, and even he will be unable to fully control the violent reactions caused by the backlash of contradictions.
His eyes swept over the faces of the generals around him one by one, and then focused on the soldiers fighting desperately in the water in the distance. He finally made up his mind.
"Ming Jin withdraws the troops, and all the troops return to camp to reorganize. Tomorrow morning, we will capture Anshi City at any cost! We will never withdraw our troops until this city is broken!"
"Here!"
The generals responded with a roar.
…
Returning to the central military tent, His Majesty Li Er changed into a set of clean clothes, had someone make a pot of tea, and sat in the tent staring at the map on the wall in a daze.
Who would have thought that a mere city called Anshi would be beaten to death by Tiger Tiger of the Tang Dynasty, and the morale of the army would be greatly damaged?
This is just Anshi City, not Pingrang City!
Even if Anshi City is captured now regardless of casualties, what kind of arduous battle will they face when they arrive at Pingrang City in the future?
Could it be that the fall of Goguryeo would result in hundreds of thousands of casualties?
His Majesty Li Er took a sip of tea and felt extremely depressed and angry.
He regretted a little at this moment. He should have adopted Fang Jun's advice and used the navy as the main force to ferry the army across the Bohai Sea and directly attack Pyongyang City. First, he would overthrow the Goguryeo court, and then calm down the remaining cities, gradually encroaching on them, and win steadily.
Of course, this is just a thought and it is impossible to do it.
The Eastern Expedition represents the interests of various aristocratic families. If the navy is the main attack force, then even if Goguryeo falls, who will get the credit? This is absolutely unacceptable to the aristocratic families.
War is a continuation of politics, and it is always simple. It is not something that can be fought however you want...
There were footsteps outside. His Majesty Li Er looked up and saw Li Ji hurriedly opening the door curtain and walking in. He came to him, handed a memorial in his hands to him, and said: "Your Majesty, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince has ordered
Please have Your Majesty take a look at the memorial that has arrived."
His Majesty Li Er's heart sank slightly, he put the tea cup on the table at one side, and read the memorial at a glance.
At the end, he threw the memorial to the ground violently and cursed angrily: "Chai Zhewei is lying on his body and is afraid of the enemy. What does he want to do? He deserves to die!"
Li Ji stood on one side, not daring to answer.
Above the memorial was the prince's report on the recent situation in Chang'an. Tuyuhun wanted to rebel, which was beyond everyone's expectations. Otherwise, Guanzhong's troops would not have been depleted, resulting in the current dangerous situation. Youtun Guards went out to control Hexi
, to intimidate Tuyuhun, guard the counties in Hexi and preserve the passage to the Western Regions, this is also a last resort, although the chance of winning is not high.
However, Chai Zhewei "happened" to become ill and was bedridden, unable to lead his army on the western expedition...
No matter how flawlessly Chai Zhewei pretends to be, no one believes it is true. Although court laws cannot hold Chai Zhewei responsible, the public opinion in the government and the public is enough to destroy Chai Zhewei's prestige and reputation.
And from now on, His Majesty Li Er will be excluded from the center, and even labeled as "untrustworthy". The entire family will be alienated by the royal family and will not be reused.
Because of his fear of the enemy and cowardice, Fang Jun had to lead half of the Youtun Guards out of Hexi to challenge Tuyuhun, who had strong troops and horses.
Once Fang Jun is defeated and dies in Hexi, or even Tuyuhun marches straight into the pass... I am afraid that His Majesty Li Er will be able to tear Chai Zhewei's nephew into pieces.
After scolding a few times, His Majesty Li Er tried hard to calm down his anger, raised his hand to signal Li Ji to sit down, and then asked: "In Maogong's opinion, what chance does Fang Jun have of winning when he goes out to suppress Hexi to fight against Tuyuhun?"
?”
He always scolded Fang Jun sincerely and never used to protect him, but he admired Fang Jun's character and ability very much. He always believed that as long as he developed steadily, Fang Jun would definitely be able to enter the center in the future and even dominate the world.
.
If the loss occurred in Hexi, he would not be able to accept it.
What is even more unacceptable is that once Fang Jun is defeated, there will be no danger in the Hexi and Longyou areas. Tuyuhun can drive in all the way to Guanzhong. If he breaks through again, the core of the Tang Empire will be devastated by war. Of course,
The country will not be destroyed, but the great situation created by the monarchs and ministers who have worked hard to govern since the early years of Zhenguan will be destroyed in one day.
If that were the case, the Tang Dynasty would never be able to return to its peak in his lifetime.
Not only did the dream of "one emperor through the ages" come to naught, he Li Er was even recorded in history books, saying that he was "overjoyed with great achievements", "faint and incompetent", and insisted on the Eastern Expedition, which led to the decline of the empire, causing the people to be trapped in the flames of war and the lives of the people...
Li Ji pondered for a long time, then sighed quietly and said in a deep voice: "The soldiers of Youtun Guard are recruited through the recruitment system that is the first choice in the army. They are all strong and strong, and through Fang Junzhi's unremitting training, they have strong fighting power."
, enough to rank among the best among the Sixteen Guards. However... Tuyuhun's rebellion was definitely not a spur of the moment. It was obviously planned for many years and fully prepared. If it is not launched, once launched, it will be a thunderous force. The whole country was overwhelmed at that time.
The force defeated Tuyuhun and forced Fu Yun to commit suicide, but it was still unable to completely eliminate the remaining troops of Tuyuhun. After these years of recuperation, its strength has improved to a higher level. If the Youtun Guards can come out in full force, they still have the strength to fight, but now only half of them are gone
Troops, the consequences are in danger."
He had also participated in the battle to annihilate Tuyuhun and was aware of Tuyuhun's overwhelming combat power. He actually said this to ease His Majesty Li Er's worries. In fact, he believed that even if the Youtun Guards went to battle with full strength, they would be defeated.
.
His Majesty Li Er remained silent. Except for the so-called "Military God" Li Jing, it was recognized that Li Ji's strategic literacy was unmatched by anyone in the court. Even he said such words as "the consequences will be disastrous", which shows that Fang Jun and his right
The situation in the garrison is very bad.
Doesn't Fang Jun himself not know this? It's absolutely impossible. In His Majesty Li Er's impression, Fang Jun has a lot of minor problems, but he has never had such bad habits as "arrogant" or "willful". He understands how to lead half a branch.
When the Youtun Guards came out to control Hexi, they were basically throwing eggs at stones, but they were resolute and took the initiative to fight without retreating.