Dragon Palace.
Autumn is approaching and summer is about to end. The sun in the sky seems to want to pour out the last bit of energy on the earth while the tail of summer is coming. The sky is dry and the heat is rolling. The cicadas on the big trees outside the window are screaming desperately. , some wilted leaves were motionless.
Wang Dezheng, the chamberlain's chief steward, directed several little chamberlains to hold sticky sticks and catch the screaming cicadas one by one from the tree. The weather was too hot, and there was not even a hint of cool breeze. Several people were sweating profusely but did not dare to stop. His Majesty the Emperor was handling government affairs in the palace. It would be terrible if the cicada's screams disturbed His Majesty and delayed the government affairs.
His Majesty Li Er sat behind the desk by the window, stopped writing, raised his hand and rubbed his neck.
Being buried in papers for a long time will always cause serious damage to the cervical and lumbar spine. Fortunately, Xu Huifei is a good massager. Her weak and delicate hands are quite strong, and every massage can make him feel relaxed and happy. …
In front of the window is a large locust tree with a canopy like an umbrella, blocking the harsh sunlight. Tiny light spots are sprinkled between the branches and leaves. In the middle of the hall, there is a huge ice basin. The ice cubes slowly dissolve and are released. The cool air-conditioning comes out.
Fang Jun is always creative, tinkering with weird things all day long. You can call these weird tricks, but he also has money-making things like glass, and even military things like gunpowder, muskets, and artillery. Heavy equipment, even this humble method of making ice, can greatly reduce the cost of making ice. In the past, even an emperor could not afford such a luxury and consume a lot of ice every day.
But it would be inappropriate to say that he is clever and has made great contributions to the country. Throughout the ages, no minister has been thinking about these things all day long...
He scratched his eyebrows, drank the ice-cold sour plum soup placed on the desk, and focused his attention on the memorial on the desk again.
While reviewing and reviewing, he suddenly stopped writing and frowned as he read the memorial submitted by Fang Jun carefully.
He was able to write a memorial even on his sick bed. His diligence was very good despite his position. However, the content of this memorial made His Majesty Li Er a little unhappy...
It is true that if the Arabs brazenly marched into the Western Regions, the Anxi Army could only challenge them head-on. When the stalemate persisted, if Tibet took advantage of the situation and took advantage of the situation, they would drive their army up to Congling and look down at the countries in the Western Regions. It would indeed be possible to cut off the Anxi Army's retreat. This made it difficult for the Anxi Army to take care of its head and tail, and it was trapped in a cage, and it was easy for the entire army to be annihilated.
However, the crux of the problem is... can a mere Arab make the Anxi Army feel like it is facing a powerful enemy, and even find it difficult to defeat it?
impossible.
His Majesty Li Er has full confidence in the Tiger Ben under his command, and this confidence is based on the destruction of Turks and Xue Yantuo, as well as several military expeditions to the Western Regions, all of which were returned with great victory. Even though the Arabs had some combat power, However, after long expeditions and thousands of miles of raids, the men and horses were already exhausted. However, the Anxi Army was stationed in the Western Regions to wait for work. How could it not be the opponent of the Arabs?
As long as the Anxi army can defeat the invading Arabs, then the so-called Tubo condescension to invade the Western Regions or even cut off the Silk Road is a joke...
His Majesty Li Er shook his head, put this memorial aside, then picked up the next one to read, and picked up the brush to prepare for approval.
However, he paused for a moment, picked up Fang Jun's memorial again, and read it again carefully, especially the importance of the Western Regions to the empire explained in the latter part of the memorial.
After a long while, His Majesty Li Er gently placed the memorial on the table, stood up and walked out from behind the desk, standing in front of the window with his hands behind his hands, looking at the sweaty Zhu Zhi climbing up and down the interior door in the yard, but his mind was filled with thoughts. I was thinking about that memorial.
After a long time, His Majesty Li Er shouted: "Wang De!"
Wang De, who was instructing the chamberlain to stick to the cicada, heard this and hurriedly ran to the window and said respectfully: "What are your orders, Your Majesty?"
"Go and call the British Duke and tell him that I have government affairs to inquire about."
"Here!"
Wang De did not dare to neglect, so he quickly took two young chamberlains and left the palace in person to go to the British Duke's mansion.
It's almost the end of the year now, and all the official offices in the DPRK are on low duty...
…
Li Ji was drinking tea with his friends in the mansion. Hearing His Majesty's call, he quickly changed his clothes and rushed to Tai Chi Palace without having time to take a shower.
Entering the Dragon Palace, I saw His Majesty Li Er sitting at the window reviewing memorials. He stepped forward and bowed to the ground, saying, "I have been summoned to come here. I wonder what your Majesty's orders are?"
His Majesty Li Er's men did not stop, but said: "Mao Gong will wait a moment."
It wasn't until he finished reviewing the memorial and put it aside that he stood up, took Fang Jun's memorial, took Li Ji to the chair on the side of the desk to finish it, and ordered someone to serve him some tea. He handed it to Li Ji and said: "This is a memorial submitted by Fang Jun. It is related to the situation in the Western Regions. Although you, Maogong, are no longer the Minister of the Ministry of War, your last expedition to unite the army to wipe out the rebellion in the Western Regions will definitely affect the situation in the Western Regions." You know everything, come and give me the details."
"Here."
Li Ji quickly took the memorial with both hands and looked at it carefully.
Li Ji had always had a high regard for Fang Jun's talents and abilities, thinking that he had extensive knowledge and that his advice could always hit the mark, and he was not stuck in clichés. He could often look at things from a novel perspective and be able to give advice. A novel disposal method, few people in the court can compare with it.
Upon closer inspection, he was not disappointed.
"Your Majesty, what this memorial says may seem a bit unrealistic, but in fact it is very prophetic. His grasp of the situation in the Western Regions is not inferior to that of a humble minister. It can be seen that since Fang Shaobao became Minister of the Ministry of War, he has very little understanding of the situation around the empire. It took a lot of hard work. Especially the explanation of the importance of the Western Regions to the empire in the later part can be said to be a breakthrough. Nowadays, the powerful enemies around the empire, Xue Yantuo, have been wiped out, Tuyuhun is still alive, the Turks' vitality has been severely damaged and fled to the desert, and Goguryeo's small land, soil There is nothing to fear from chickens, tiles, dogs and ears. Only Tubo's powerful soldiers and horses are ambitious. Because they rely on the advantages of the plateau, our soldiers of the Tang Dynasty are not accustomed to the soil and water, and it is difficult to invade its hinterland. Therefore, they will definitely become our powerful enemy of the Tang Dynasty for many years to come. . In fact, if it weren't for the 'highland barley wine' that Fang Shaobao came up with on a whim, which caused most of the food in Tubo to be consumed, it is estimated that Songtsen Gampo would have lost his temper and joined forces from the plateau. , we have conquered the capital of Tang Dynasty."
His Majesty Li Er nodded slightly. On this point, Li Ji had the same view as him, and they both quite agreed with Fang Jun's prediction.
only……
"According to Mao Gong's opinion, is it possible to think that the Arabs will pose a threat to the Anxi Army and may even defeat the Anxi Army?"
Li Ji cautiously said: "How brave and skilled the Arabs are, I have only heard about it from the Hu merchants who traveled to the Western Regions, but have never seen it with my own eyes. Therefore, who is stronger or weaker between the Arabs and our Tang Dynasty army? I don’t dare to make rash assertions. But when marching and fighting, knowing yourself and the enemy can lead to a hundred battles without danger. Now that we know nothing about the roots of the Arabs, any result may happen. Furthermore, we must consider defeat before winning, and we cannot blindly be confident in The strength of the Tigers of the Tang Dynasty is that they should consider various consequences before the battle and prepare ways to deal with them in advance, so that even if the war is unfavorable for a while, they can still deal with it calmly and not suffer too much loss."
"Um……"
His Majesty Li Er nodded.
He himself was an outstanding commander, so he naturally understood that everything Li Ji said made sense and was an essential element for marching and fighting.
Victory with less and fighting with a last resort are all strategies that must be implemented when the situation is desperate and there is no other way out. Throughout the ages, there have been countless battles with a small number of enemies, and most of them ended in failure. Occasionally, there are one or two exceptions. , so surprising and rare, it has been recited throughout the ages.
How can it be used as a routine?
A true commander-in-chief must use strong strength and careful arrangements in advance to confront the enemy head-on, crush them all the way, and allow the enemy to use all kinds of tricks and calculations. In the face of absolute power, they are like a mantis' arms blocking the car. , vulnerable.
But at the same time, His Majesty Li Er also knows that in today's Western Region, if the Anxi Army wants to become a majestic division with the strength to face off against any strong enemy, it must send troops from Guanzhong to support it.
How many people are there in Anxi Army?
Guo Xiaoke was greedy for merit and died in battle, resulting in the death of most of the elite Anxi army soldiers. Li Ji led his army into the Western Regions to quell the rebellion and then returned to Chang'an, leaving only 20,000 soldiers stationed in the Western Regions.
It is true that each of the 20,000 soldiers is one to ten, and they are the elite among the elite. However, it is obviously not safe to face the Arabs who do not know their roots.
What's more, there is Tubo who is watching covetously behind the scenes.
More troops... His Majesty Li Er sighed.
