Chapter 440 The Tang Dynasty is besieged, and a commander is appointed!
"Tell me about it..."
Li Shimin asked, "What are your thoughts on the Tuyuhun?"
"Your Majesty, I am willing to lead an army of 100,000 into battle!"
As Cheng Yaojin stepped forward, the other generals all volunteered to fight.
Opportunities to earn merit are few and far between!
Especially large-scale battles like this.
"His Majesty."
Fang Xuanling stepped forward and said, "When Shuyu proposed exchanging Yangtong for Tuyuhun, I thought it would be better to let the Tubo send troops to attack Tuyuhun."
"That's a good idea..."
Li Jing shook his head: "But I'm afraid the Tibetans will only put in the work without putting in the effort."
The soldiers frowned.
The Tibetans weren't fools; they saw this as a perfect opportunity to reap the benefits.
How could they possibly agree to that?
"What's there to discuss?"
Cheng Yaojin roared again, "They're just a Tuyuhun!"
"Your Majesty, give me an army of 100,000."
"I'll kill him to appease you!"
Seeing this, Yuchi Gong also came out to join in the fun.
"right!"
Yuchi Gong agreed: "Your Majesty, my future son-in-law Xue Rengui is exceptionally brave. Please entrust this matter to me."
"I only need 80,000 troops to crush him for you!"
Everyone was speechless.
The two generals, Heng and Ha, are up to their old tricks again.
Unfortunately, both of them are incredibly stubborn.
No one else dared to interrupt.
"Nonsense."
Changsun Wuji shouted sharply, "This is a battle involving hundreds of thousands of troops. How dare you speak so carelessly?"
No sooner had Changsun Wuji finished speaking than he was met with a furious outburst from the two men…
"You are cowardly before the battle even begins."
"You are undermining morale."
"You boost the morale of others while diminishing your own."
It might not be possible for two people to learn.
But when it comes to theories about military operations and warfare, he can rattle them off without hesitation.
"You bastard."
Changsun Wuji gritted his teeth.
One tough nut to crack is already difficult to deal with, two of them would be too much for him to handle.
That's enough.
Li Shimin sternly rebuked, "What time is it? Why are you still arguing like this!"
The two then returned to their positions, each pretending to be deep in thought with furrowed brows.
"Report."
Just as the group was getting into their conversation, another soldier rushed to the door.
"Come in!"
Li Shimin's expression suddenly darkened.
It was another soldier holding a special order.
Could something big have happened again?
"Your Majesty."
After clasping his hands in greeting, the soldier said, "The Xueyantuo army of 200,000 men has divided into four routes to attack our Great Tang's Daizhou, Shengzhou, and other places..."
What?
All the ministers were terrified.
They were even considering joining forces with the Tibetans to besiege Tuyuhun.
As a result, things turned out differently... and we ended up being surrounded and attacked first.
"His Majesty."
Hou Junji clasped his hands and said, "The Tuyuhun and Xueyantuo are definitely colluding, otherwise they wouldn't have attacked our Great Tang together by such a coincidence!"
Li Shimin remained silent.
His fears came true!
The consequences of Jieli's death were more serious than he had imagined!
"Do any of my beloved ministers have any better strategies?" Li Shimin asked solemnly.
"His Majesty."
Wei Zheng stepped forward and said, "I believe we should send an envoy to find out the truth..."
"First, send envoys to Tuyuhun to find out what happened to Murong Shun."
"As long as he can cause chaos in Tuyuhun, he can disperse Tuyuhun's military forces."
"Secondly, an envoy was sent to Tibet to exchange sheep for Tuyuhun."
"Regardless of whether Tibet sends troops or not, we can test their strength and weakness."
"Thirdly, send envoys to the Eastern Turks to find out the main reasons why the Xueyantuo attacked the Tang Dynasty."
"If we could use a divisive tactic to cause internal strife between the Eastern Turks and the Xueyantuo, that would be ideal..."
Fourth, he sent envoys to the Dangxiang and ordered them to send troops to Tuyuhun.
Li Shimin nodded.
We must fight!
But victory must be achieved at the lowest possible cost.
While the Tang Dynasty is not afraid of head-on confrontation, it is very likely that it will lose its current hegemonic status if a large-scale battle breaks out!
"Do you have anyone in mind, my dear minister?" Li Shimin frowned.
"I believe..."
"The Eastern Turks were sent by Li Simo."
"The Tuyuhun sent an envoy from Shanzhou."
"Tibet is..."
Wei Zheng paused, then said, "Wei Shuyu is on a diplomatic mission."
Wei Shuyu, who was already listless, was stunned.
You really are my dad.
Choose me the furthest place, preferably a high-altitude region!
"Wei Shuyu?"
Li Shimin looked puzzled.
"His Majesty."
Wei Zheng explained, "Shuyu once defeated Songtsen Gampo, and the two were of similar age."
"I believe that it is most appropriate for him to be the envoy."
Upon hearing this...
Li Shimin glanced at Wei Shuyu and fell into deep thought.
Send Xiao Wei...
What about my secret stash of money?
"I disagree."
Changsun Wuji immediately stepped forward: "Wei Shuyu is young and impetuous, and does not know how to be patient."
"What if this backfires and angers Songtsen Gampo?"
"If Tibet also sends troops to attack our Great Tang, then we'll be besieged from three sides!"
Upon hearing this, many officials nodded in agreement.
Given Wei Shuyu's temperament...
It might explode at the slightest touch; you never know.
"Shuyu, what are your thoughts?"
After thinking it over, Li Shimin decided to consult Wei Shuyu's opinion.
"His Majesty."
Wei Shuyu bowed and said, "I don't care, the key is that I really don't have the time to go to Tibet."
The Tang Dynasty didn't have airplanes.
I don't know how long it will take to go back and forth.
I'm already overwhelmed with work at the Ministry of Commerce, how can I possibly leave?
"However, I do have someone in mind."
Who is it?
"Wang Xuance".
Wei Shuyu recommended him, saying, "He is eloquent and a rare talent in diplomacy."
"At that time, I will write a letter to Songtsen Gampo and have him take it with him."
"We guarantee that Songtsen Gampo will send troops!"
Li Shimin frowned and pondered for a while.
Since this was Xiao Wei's first time recommending someone, it wasn't good to refuse him.
"allow."
Li Shimin agreed: "Wang Xuance will go as the envoy's deputy."
Immediately afterwards... Li Shimin looked at the generals.
"King Jiangxia, heed my command!"
"Your subject is here!"
Li Daozong took a step forward.
"I hereby appoint you as the General Who Conquers the West, and send you with 50,000 troops to conquer the Xueyantuo. You must make them submit to the iron cavalry of the Tang Dynasty!"
"Your subject obeys the decree."
"Li Shiji, Zhang Jian, Zhang Shigui, Li Xiyu, and Zhishi Sili, listen to my command."
"Your subject is present."
All the generals and soldiers stepped forward in unison.
"I hereby appoint you as deputy generals of the Western Expedition, to join forces with the Prince of Jiangxia to quell the threat of the Xueyantuo."
"Your subject obeys the decree."
"Another order was issued to Xue Wanche, the governor of Daizhou, and Song Junming, the governor of Shengzhou... to assemble their troops and await the command of the King of Jiangxia."
Li Shimin issued orders methodically.
After the candidates to fight the Xueyantuo were chosen, the next target was the Tuyuhun...
"As for Tuyuhun..."
Li Shimin's gaze swept over the assembled generals...
When it comes to dealing with rebels like Liu Shuyi, figures like Cheng Yaojin and Yuchi Gong are capable of handling it.
However, in the fight against enemy countries, the two may not be up to the task in terms of overall strategic vision.
Finally, his gaze settled on Li Jing.
In a war between two nations, there is no room for error.
If defeated, the Tang Dynasty would suffer heavy losses if the enemy advanced unimpeded.
"Your Majesty, I request permission to fight!"
Knowing that Li Shimin had taken a liking to him, Li Jing immediately stepped forward.
Even if someone's achievements overshadow the emperor, there's nothing that can be done; the safety of the Tang Dynasty is the most important thing.
"allow!"
Li Shimin announced: "I hereby appoint Li Jing as the General Who Pacifies the West, and send him with 50,000 troops to conquer Tuyuhun. I hope you will pacify this foreign land and protect the borders of our Great Tang!"
"Your subject obeys the decree!"
"Hou Junji, Xue Wanjun, Duan Xuanzhi, and Qibi Heli, listen to my command."
"Your subject is present."
"I hereby appoint you as deputy generals of the Western Pacification Army, to work with the Grand General of the Western Pacification Army to quell the threat of the Tuyuhun."
"Your Majesty, we obey the decree."
"Another order was issued to Li Daoyan, the commander-in-chief of the Chishui Road Army, and Gao Zengsheng, the commander-in-chief of the Yanze Road Army... to assemble their troops and await the orders of the pharmacist."
Li Shimin's sharp gaze swept over the assembled officials: "Do any of you have any further questions?"
"We, your humble servants, are willing to serve the Great Tang Dynasty to the death!"
"good!"
Li Shimin stood up to see them off: "I hope all the generals return in triumph. I will be waiting for you in Chang'an to celebrate your victory!"
All the soldiers bowed.
They immediately retreated one by one, only turning around and leaving abruptly when they were close to the main gate.
"Cough cough..."
Cheng Yaojin stepped forward: "Your Majesty, what about me?"
“Yes, yes, and also your subject and your future son-in-law.” Yuchi Gong also stepped forward.
"Two scoundrels."
Changsun Wuji rebuked, "If you all leave, who will protect Chang'an?"
well.
The credit is gone.
This excessive trust from His Majesty is not necessarily a good thing.
(Payment's here, taking leave!)
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