In the Liangyi Hall, the discussion on the allocation of grain, ordnance, and troops has ended. In addition to the generals who have been sent to Daizhou and Lingzhou, the troops from Daxingtai of Shaanxi Province, which is the farthest away, have also arrived in Yanzhou, although the number is only five. Thousands of people, but extremely powerful, and led by famous generals like Yu Chigong.
Back then, Li Shimin captured two kings in one battle in the Central Plains. It was a long-term war that lasted for more than a year. The number of troops under Li Shimin's command once exceeded 150,000. That was Li Tang's legacy.
After the war, Li Shimin prepared to build the Tiance Mansion in Luoyang. Some of his troops followed Li Xiaogong to conquer Jingxiang, Huainan, and Lingnan. Some of his troops returned north to Guanzhong, and some of his troops went north to take over Hebei, which soon surrendered to the Tang Dynasty. However, they also left many traces in Luoyang. Few elites.
Even part of Li Shimin's Xuanjia soldiers were in Luoyang.
In a word, this army is only under the command of King Qin Li Shimin. Not to mention Li Jing and Li Shan, even Li Yuan cannot command it. Although this army has not been on the battlefield for many years, it is no less elite than the Daizhou Army and Lingzhou Army. State Army.
Transferring this army to Guanzhong and supplementing the Yanzhou Army was, on the one hand, Li Yuan's attitude towards Li Shimin, and on the other hand, it was also Li Shimin's attitude towards Li Jing.
In addition, many officials from Daxingtai of East Shaanxi Province were transferred to the court. Han Liang, the left prime minister of Daxingtai of East Shaanxi Province, who was once as famous as Xue Shou in Tiance Mansion, was appointed as the Minister of War, and the right servant of Daxingtai of East Shaanxi Province was appointed as Minister of War. Qu Tutong, Duke of Jiang, was transferred to the position of Minister of Works.
Wen Daya, Shangshu of the Ministry of Civil Affairs of Daxingtai of Shaanxi Province who stayed in Luoyang, served as Youpuse and took charge of Shaanxi Province on Li Shimin's behalf.
Obviously, although he was preparing for war with the Turks and did not take action against the forces in the East Palace, Li Yuan blatantly gave King Qin weight, which was preparing for Yi Chu.
The other prime ministers and ministers all retired one after another. The expressionless Prince Li Jiancheng was too lazy to act anymore and went straight back to the East Palace. Only Li Shimin and Dou Gui stayed.
"It was definitely not Li Huairen." Dou Gui said with certainty, "It should be Zhang Zhongjian."
After a pause, Dou Gui added: "As early as the battle in Jingzhou, Li Huairen mentioned that Xue Wanche would win a great victory if he won, and a defeat would be great if he lost. So in fact, it is not appropriate for Xue Wanche to serve as the general manager of Xiazhou."
Li Shimin nodded slightly, "Those thousands of cavalry are stationed in Yanzhou..."
"It was agreed with Zhao Guogong Su Dingfang before he resigned as the March Commander of Lingzhou Road." Dou Gui said frankly, "Just because he was afraid that Xue Wanche would attack rashly and cause the situation to deteriorate, now Zhang Gongjin has been transferred to the Commander-in-Chief of Xiazhou, and thousands of cavalry have moved back to Lingzhou. There’s nothing wrong with that.”
"And Yanzhou is the dividing line. If the Turks invade from the south, it may be Lingzhou or Xiazhou, but it is impossible to choose Yanzhou."
Li Yuan is also a veteran on the battlefield, so he naturally knows the military affairs, and nodded, "But Li Yaoshi said that Yanzhou Road has a good horse cavalry."
"Indeed." Dou Gui also admitted this and said with a wry smile: "A few months ago, if Su Dingfang hadn't sent Li Keshi, Duan Zhixuan, and Zhang Baoxiang to lead the cavalry to help, the enemy would have been defeated, but it would have been difficult to capture and kill Liang Shi. .”
"There is nothing we can do about it." Li Shimin also said with a wry smile: "Nowadays, in China, Daizhou and Lingzhou have the most good horses and war horses."
The three people present were speechless for a moment. In fact, when Li Yuan raised troops in Jinyang, the lack of horses was a big problem. North of the Yellow River, the strength of the cavalry can often determine the direction of a war.
Back then, Li Yuan surrendered to the Turks. On the one hand, he was forced by the situation and was afraid that the Turks would cause harm. When he raised troops to attack Guanzhong, he asked Liu Wuzhou to give him a hard blow on the back. On the other hand, it was also to trade for a good horse. At that time, the Turks sold Li Yuan Li Yuan was given two thousand war horses.
Although Li Tang later captured Guanzhong and Longyou, there was still a serious shortage of war horses. However, a military genius like Li Shimin carefully selected a group of good horses to form the Xuanjia soldiers, and put them on the battlefield at the critical moment. The battle was successful. .
But after Li Shan was born, especially after he was appointed to Daizhou, the shortage of war horses was gradually made up. On the one hand, due to trade routes, a large number of good horses entered China through this method; on the other hand, due to Because they defeated the Turks twice in Shuozhou and Jingzhou, they captured a large number of war horses.
Especially in Jingzhou, Li Shan was able to blackmail Tuli Khan with 5,000 good horses.
Therefore, both the Daizhou Army and the Lingzhou Army had sufficient cavalry establishment, but Yanzhou Road lacked war horses... Li Jing's letter obviously did not really want to impeach Zhang Zhongjian, let alone Li Huairen, the Wei heir behind Zhang Zhongjian. It's a real problem.
Especially after Yuchi Gong and the Central Plains troops arrived in Yanzhou, the lack of horses really gave Li Jing a headache.
But Li Yuan and Li Shimin were also in a dilemma. It was definitely impossible to transfer war horses from Daizhou. It was too far away. They couldn't transport the horses out of Yanmen and then west across the Yellow River and through Yulin County, right?
In that case, we would directly go to war with the Turks.
But it is easier to say that it is easier to transfer war horses from Lingzhou to Yanzhou, but Li Yuan and Li Shimin must consider the opinions of Li Huairen, the successor king of Wei.
Although hundreds of years have passed, in the early Tang Dynasty, there was still a legacy of the two Han Dynasties. The so-called disciples were actually monarchs and ministers. Zhang Zhongjian's identity as a personal guard of Li Shan determined Zhang Zhongjian's stance in this life.
Moreover, in the battle of Jingzhou last year, if the Turks broke through Jingzhou, they entered Beijing on one day and arrived at Chang'an City on the next two days. Li Shan, who led the army on the expedition, took away almost all the cavalry.
After the great victory in Jingzhou, Li Shan made up for the shortage of cavalry and sent all the horses he took back to Chang'an. Then he used the good horses captured and blackmailed to form the cavalry army of the Lingzhou Army. This was what Su Ding could do. A key reason for the decisive battle in Lingzhou to defeat Liang Shidu.
All in all, with Li Shan's current status and weight in the army, at least in the Lingzhou army, even if Li Yuan and Li Shimin make a decision, they must say hello in advance, otherwise this will be the source of rift between the emperor and his ministers.
The relationship between the monarch and his ministers in this era is not the thunder, rain and dew of the Ming Dynasty, which was all about the emperor's favor, nor is it the master-servant relationship of the Qing Dynasty.
It requires mutual understanding, mutual testing, and mutual checks and balances to achieve a balancing effect.
After a moment of silence, Li Yuan looked at the palace attendants on the side, "The palace supervisor Su Zhi went to summon Li Huairen, the heir to the throne of Wei, to come to the audience. He accompanies his wife every day... and even washes her feet. It's really outrageous!"
Li Yuan and Li Shimin were fine, and the wives and concubines around them were all well-behaved, but there were many rumors in Chang'an that so-and-so's wife scolded him, look at you, King Wei Si washed his wife's feet!
"Ahem." Dou Gui coughed twice, "Your Majesty, Huairen entered the imperial city today."
"Oh?" Li Yuan asked in surprise: "There are two impeachment memorials in Yushitai, but I haven't been to Zongzheng Temple even once. Are you going to the Yamen today?"
"That's not true." Dou Gui smacked his lips, "He went to Hongwen Hall."
"Hongwen Museum?" Li Shimin blinked, "Why did he go to Hongwen Museum?"
Dou Gui put on a dead face expressionlessly, "I went to find Yan Liben and scolded him for not painting the handsome charm of Feng Shen..."
Li Yuan, Li Shimin and his son looked at each other, speechless. Isn't this guy a bit shameless? !
(End of chapter)
