Su Dingfang remembered what Fang Jun had said to him, thought about it, and said slowly: "The navy's transportation capacity is limited, and it is impossible to escort these 30,000 prisoners back without delaying the transportation of food and supplies. Besides, Anshi City
There are also more than 20,000 prisoners waiting to be dealt with there... In this case, why not ship the young and healthy patients back, and send an army to escort the rest, the old, weak, sick and disabled, from Liaodong back to the Tang Dynasty..."
Zhu Suiliang wanted to refute Su Dingfang by saying, "How long does it take to walk by land, and the mountains are blocked by heavy snow in the severe winter, so it is extremely difficult to walk by land." However, he remembered the pain caused by his previous words and pursed his lips.
, swallowed this sentence again.
But in my heart, I despise Su Dingfang very much. This man is the Navy Commander, but in fact he seems to be a fool. This suggestion is completely unworkable...
Unexpectedly, after everyone pondered for a long time, Li Ji spoke first: "I second the proposal."
Then came Cheng Yaojin: "I second the proposal."
Then Xue Wanche and Ashina Si also expressed their stance: "I second the proposal."
The rest all agreed.
Zhu Suiliang: "..."
His eyes widened, wondering if there was something wrong with these people's minds? Or were they specifically targeting me today?
This is obviously an unreliable suggestion. The climate in Liaodong is extremely cold. In the winter, heavy snow often seals the mountains and the water turns to ice. How can a group of old, weak, sick and surrendered soldiers from Goguryeo survive if they walk back to the Tang Dynasty? It would be better to kill them with a knife.
, because an army of soldiers had to be dispatched to escort...
However, His Majesty Li Er soon made a final decision: "Let's implement it this way. However, we cannot claim to the outside world that those who take the land route are the old, weak, sick and disabled. We can only say that the navy's transport capacity is insufficient and can only transport some of the soldiers, and the other part needs to be transported."
Just reach Datang by land."
"Here."
The generals take orders.
His Majesty Li Er also ordered: "The navy should start transporting prisoners immediately, but the army must not be short of food and supplies."
When Su Dingfang agreed, he glanced around among the generals and pointed at Zhou Daowu: "If the prisoners are to be escorted back to the Tang Dynasty by land, it will be left to Governor Zhou to carry out the task."
Zhou Daowu's mouth was filled with bitterness. This was not a good job. Not only could he not participate in the most critical battle of Pingrang City, but the road to Datang was long and it was difficult to travel in the severe winter. However, he also knew that among so many generals,
This kind of hard work can only be done by my consort, and anyone else would probably complain about it.
Sometimes hard work can only be done by those close to you.
I hope that’s what His Majesty meant...
"Well! The general will definitely complete his mission."
"Well," His Majesty Li Er glanced at him and warned: "It is difficult to travel by land to the Tang Dynasty. As the leader of an army, you must not only take good care of yourself, but also take good care of your soldiers, including food and warmth.
You have to be considerate of everything. If the commander-in-chief of the army impeaches you for being disrespectful to your subordinates, don’t blame me for being merciless."
Zhou Daowu immediately became energetic: "Your Majesty, don't worry, the general will know what to do!"
The implication is that as long as you take good care of your soldiers, as for the life and death of the prisoners...
"Okay, I'm a little tired. The British Lord will clear out the remaining enemies in the city as soon as possible, open the ferry, organize a large army to cross the Yalu River tomorrow morning, and strive to arrive at Pingrang City as soon as possible. There is only one last step left to accomplish this unparalleled achievement. I hope you can cooperate with me.
I share the joys and sorrows, and continue to work hard. He went to Lingyan Pavilion, and I rewarded you for your merits. In the classics of historians, your achievements will be passed down to future generations!"
His Majesty Li Er was in high spirits and boosted morale.
"Here!"
The generals responded with a roar.
The meritorious deeds of the fall of Goguryeo can indeed shine through the history and be remembered for centuries. Everyone worked hard, struggled, and was excluded, and now they are even in the battle. Isn’t it just for such an unforgettable achievement?
If there is no such credit, I am afraid that in the future, the court will be occupied by children like Fang Jun, leaving them arrogant but helpless...
…
Returning to the central military tent, His Majesty Li Er's spirit suddenly slumped, probably because he was too excited just now. He only felt that his head was dizzy and his whole body was sore and weak. After drinking a glass of water, he leaned on the soft couch to rest.
When he opened his eyes and saw Zhu Suiliang arranging documents, he asked someone to make a pot of hot tea and said to Zhu Suiliang: "Dengshan, take a break and drink tea with me."
"Here."
Zhu Suiliang simply gathered the documents at hand and put them on the desk. He got up and went to the basin at the door to clean his hands. He went back and knelt down in front of His Majesty Li Er, reaching out to make tea.
His Majesty Li Er raised his hand feebly and dismissed the servant in the tent.
Zhu Suiliang put the tea cup in front of His Majesty Li Er with both hands, opened his mouth, but stopped talking.
His Majesty Li Er picked up the teacup and took a sip. The hot tea went into his throat, leaving a fragrant aroma on his teeth and cheeks. His body felt like dry rotten wood being moistened by water vapor. Instantly, a warm current surged through his body, which was very beneficial.
Putting down the teacup, His Majesty Li Er asked: "Are you confused about what happened just now?"
Zhu Suiliang blushed and nodded, feeling very ashamed.
His Majesty Li Er had previously warned him not to talk nonsense and to keep his mouth shut and read more and think more. As a result, he couldn't hold it back for a moment and was jointly resisted by almost all the generals in the army. It was a small matter to be embarrassed. The most important thing was that he had always been arrogant.
, I feel that even though I am not a talented person, I still have outstanding abilities. Such an encounter is really a blow to my self-confidence that is close to collapse.
He would rather everyone boycotted him because they hated him, rather than have this result because his views were wrong. It was too shocking...
His Majesty Li Er was not harsh. He took another sip of tea and then said: "There are some things that can be done but cannot be said. Su Dingfang suggested that all the old, weak, sick and disabled prisoners should be killed. For the Tang Dynasty, this was
It is the best way, which can not only weaken the population of Goguryeo, but also relieve the Tang Dynasty's heavy supplies, but this thing goes against benevolence and will definitely be criticized by the world, so everyone is opposed to it."
Zhu Suiliang was stunned for a moment, then realized: "So the objection is not that killing prisoners is unlucky, but that it is due to the public opinion of the world?"
His Majesty Li Er nodded, pointed to the teacup and signaled Zhu Suiliang to pour the tea, and then said: "When you are studying, you can believe in the way of benevolence and righteousness, and take it as your duty to spread benevolence and virtue in the world. But if you become an official, you must clearly distinguish between ourselves and the enemy, and how to deal with them."
Understand that your salary comes from the people, and my throne comes from the support of my people. It is the billions of people of the Tang Dynasty who support us, not the barbarians and barbarians. You can't hold the people's anointing offered by the people of the Tang Dynasty, but pay attention to the barbarians and barbarians.
What is the difference between benevolence, virtue and fraternity and eating everything inside and outside?"
In his life, he looked down on corrupt scholars the most. He talked about benevolence, righteousness and morality but could not understand his own identity. While receiving support from the people of the Tang Dynasty, he advocated teaching without distinction and educating the barbarians with kingly ways. You have suffered for more than a thousand years.
What do the people who are being bullied by the barbarians think of you?
Feeding a bone to a dog can still wag its tail, but these corrupt people are worse than dogs...
Zhu Suiliang was not a fool, but His Majesty Li Er's words were contrary to the meaning of the sages' scriptures that he had studied since childhood, and caused a huge subversion in his cognition.
His Majesty Li Er added: "Everyone agrees to kill prisoners, but they know that they cannot do it openly, because once they kill prisoners openly, learned scholars like you, who claim to be disciples of saints, will jump out and criticize people who do not know the truth.
They will also be coerced by your words, which will make them blame you. But no one can criticize this method of selecting the old, weak, sick and disabled to arrive in the Tang Dynasty by land. You can't delay the supply of the army just to transport prisoners.
?However, the journey from Goguryeo to the Tang Dynasty is a long and winding road with poor mountains and rivers, and it is also the severe winter. It is considered a good fortune for one of the ten captives to make it to the Tang Dynasty alive..."
Zhu Suiliang understood that everyone's opposition to Su Dingfang was not against killing prisoners, but because they felt that it would be good if it was done and could not be talked about everywhere.
The result is the same. Those old, weak, sick and disabled prisoners will all die in the end, even more miserably. They are far less happy than being tricked and killed...
The values of soldiers had a great impact on Zhu Suiliang, which was contrary to what he had learned since childhood.
His Majesty Li Er took the trouble to say so much, but in fact he was too fond of Zhu Suiliang's talent and could not bear to see him "go astray and reach the officialdom." He sighed softly and said: "So, don't do anything to Dengshan in the future."
Pay attention to these worldly affairs. Everyone has their strengths and weaknesses. The way to live in the world is to make use of your strengths and avoid your weaknesses. If you stay by my side, I will naturally ensure that you will be rich and prosperous throughout your life, but if you step into it rashly
Without the protection of the court, you may fall into a pit at any time and you will never be able to climb out."
Zhu Suiliang naturally understood the meaning of these words, and immediately blushed: "Your Majesty's teachings, I should take them to heart."
It seems that I can only study and study, and I am not the material to be an official at all... But why do I always feel so unsatisfied in my heart?
Everyone who is ambitious will naturally strive to reach the top.
Princes, generals, and ministers would rather be kind, but I just want to taste the feeling of being high and powerful. Is it really that difficult?