After hearing what His Majesty Li Er said, everyone understood that this was a daytime visit to the sick camp, and His Majesty Li Er felt something in his heart.
It is true that every day of the severe cold winter will cause frostbite to countless soldiers and make logistical supplies more and more difficult. Why not simply launch a general attack in one go and capture Pingrang City as soon as possible? Even though the casualties are larger than those in severe cold climates, they are still acceptable.
Everyone was silent.
They are all old men who have followed His Majesty Li Er for many years. They naturally understand His Majesty Li Er's character. Listening to the tone of these words, you can tell that His Majesty Li Er has made up his mind, and I am afraid it will be difficult to change it.
As the deputy commander in charge of this battle, Li Ji could not remain silent at this time and asked slowly: "Your Majesty, although the situation is difficult at the moment, the army is already besieging the city. As long as we hold on steadily, Pingrang City will not be able to hold on for long. But if a strong attack is launched under such weather conditions, not only will the casualties of the army increase greatly, but even if it is a must-win situation, there is also a risk of failure."
In the past, what Goguryeo feared was not delay, but attack. Compared with the millions of soldiers of the Sui Dynasty, Goguryeo had only a few major generals. They could only rely on the unique terrain of Liaodong to trap the Sui army in Liaodong step by step. Then, when the weather was severe and snow fell, the Sui army was intolerant of the cold and had difficulty carrying supplies. Supplies, so retreat without fighting.
But now that the Tang army has arrived at Pyongyang, it is Goguryeo who is afraid of delay.
Although it is difficult for the navy to transport, crossing the sea can save a lot of time, and it can still transport the baggage to the front line to support the army's operations. On the contrary, Goguryeo was on the verge of subjugation. Materials from all parties could not reach Pingrang City. The shortage of supplies in the city was getting worse day by day.
The Tang army's invasion caused Goguryeo to share the same hatred with the enemy, and many soldiers had the will to live and die with the city. At this time, if they storm Pingrang City, they will face the enemy with the highest morale. The difficulty can be imagined.
As long as the siege lasts for a few more days, the Goguryeo army will see that there is no hope of victory, and their morale will inevitably collapse. If they launch a fierce attack again, they will know that they will get twice the result with half the effort.
What's more, Yeon Gaesumun himself has already prepared a retreat, and he doesn't know when he will escape from the battle. Pingrang City is leaderless, and it can be captured without even using a single soldier...
It would be unwise to launch a strong attack at this time.
His Majesty Li Er seemed to be determined, and said in a deep voice: "Not only is the situation in Liaodong difficult, the Arabs in the Western Regions are invading, and the Anxi army is retreating steadily. Although the defeat is not obvious, it is also very difficult to counterattack. , even with the help of the Youtun Guards, it is difficult to reverse the occupation. Guanzhong seems to be calm, but everyone must also know that the rapids are surging behind the scenes, and the slightest carelessness will shake the country... This battle must be ended as soon as possible. "
The invasion of Tuyuhun and Arabia was unexpected, and it was called an uncontrollable factor.
Before the expedition, His Majesty Li Er believed that all forces in the Tang Dynasty had been subdued, and even the Guanlong clan did not dare to cause trouble in Guanzhong during the Eastern Expedition. But the current situation in Chang'an has made His Majesty Li Er realize that he was too optimistic at the beginning.
He is not afraid of Tuyuhun or Arabia. No matter how powerful these foreign enemies are, their invasion of the Western Region will be overwhelming. Once they approach Yumen Pass, the war potential of the Tang Dynasty will be stimulated, and an army of more than 100,000 people will be raised in the pass. Not difficult, enough to resist foreign invasion.
However, if chaos breaks out in Chang'an, it will directly shake the country's foundation. How can he, the emperor, calmly command the army to continue the Eastern Expedition?
At that time, it is impossible to end the Eastern Expedition hastily and lead the army to brave the wind and snow through the cold Liaodong and return to the country...
That kind of situation is what His Majesty Li Er least wants to see.
When he mentioned the unstable situation in Guanzhong, Li Ji shut up.
It's not that he doesn't want to come forward, but it's a matter of national importance. Moreover, Changsun Wuji, the leader of the Longmen Clan, is here, so it's inappropriate for him to say anything.
To put it bluntly, if there is a drastic change in Guanzhong, how can he be able to shoulder this responsibility?
It goes too far, and it makes people suspicious of Changsun Wuji...
When it comes to the unstable situation in Guanzhong, Li Ji, who has a reserved temperament, has also kept silent, but Changsun Wuji cannot turn a deaf ear.
In the final analysis, the reason why Guanzhong is unstable is all caused by the Guanlong clan, and even the Changsun family is responsible for it...
Changsun Wuji could only stand up and leave his seat. He bowed in shame and apologized: "This is all due to the veteran minister's poor teaching and lax stewardship. I beg your Majesty to forgive me."
His Majesty Li Er glanced at Changsun Wuji, paused briefly, put some pressure on Changsun Wuji, and then said calmly: "At this time, not only Changsun's family is involved, but various families and factions have many plans behind the scenes. I know it in my heart." I understand. It’s just that this is the critical moment of the Eastern Expedition, and I don’t want to create any complications, so I’ll tolerate it for the time being. If these people still don’t know what to do, don’t blame me for being ruthless in the future!”
Do you really think that just admitting your mistake and asking for forgiveness will be enough?
He is too clean and has a greedy face. Today he is magnanimous and forgives him, but tomorrow these guys will dare to bully him into being soft-hearted and make fun of him!
I won't argue with you now. It's not that I've forgotten this matter, but I'm giving you a chance.
Don't blame me for not predicting what I said.
Changsun Wuji saw sweat on his forehead and said in fear: "I know the crime! I will restrain the children in the family and abide by the law to protect the country. If someone commits lawlessness, I will be the first to not spare him!"
"Okay, okay, I'm not targeting your eldest grandson's family alone... But having said that, the sons and daughters of Zhao Guogong's family really need to be restrained. They are all relatives of the emperor, how can they act arbitrarily without the king's law? They should be beaten. They should be beaten and scolded, but if Mr. Zhao is deeply affectionate in licking the calf and cannot bear to be harshly scolded, then I might as well teach them a lesson for Mr. Zhao."
"Here!"
Changsun Wuji's face turned red. He had never been reprimanded in person by His Majesty Li Er in his entire life. He was almost embarrassed to see anyone.
His Majesty Li Er tried hard to save some face for Changsun Wuji, so he changed the subject and asked: "Who else disagrees with launching a general offensive in advance?"
Everyone will understand that His Majesty Li Er is determined.
They are all veterans who followed His Majesty Li Er to conquer the world. They understand His Majesty Li Er's seemingly generous but stubborn character. He has always been arbitrary in his actions. Even if everyone objects, they cannot make His Majesty Li Er change his mind.
Furthermore, not everyone is Wei Zheng...
His Majesty Li Er nodded with satisfaction and said: "In that case, let's put our heads together and discuss how to attack Pingrang City."
Since no one objects, the matter is considered settled, and the next thing that needs to be done is to discuss the details.
Li Jidao said: "The enemy's outer defense is better. Although the enemy is tenacious in fighting, our army has an absolute superiority in the battle situation. It will be a matter of time to conquer them one by one. However, Pingrang City has high walls and thick walls, and there are many Goguryeo and Bai soldiers in the city. There are a hundred thousand Jilian troops. Even with the blessing of gunpowder, it is difficult to break into the city. It is still necessary to contact Changsun Chong and make him ready to respond. Once the army raids Pingrang City, he will cooperate Open the Seven Star Gate and welcome the army into the city, so that we can capture Pingran City as soon as possible and reduce the siege losses as much as possible."
The most difficult thing in a war is to siege a city. Even though there is a saying of "surround an enemy ten times, attack it five times, and divide it twice", attacking a city has always been a low-end strategy. Because when attacking a city, the defenders are fighting. The force can be increased several times depending on the geographical location, which can cause great damage to the siege troops.
Moreover, the morale of the defenders in Pingrang City was high at this moment, and they were all determined to hold on. If they stormed the city, they would inevitably encounter strong resistance.
If Chang Sun Chong can be allowed to open the Seven Star Gate and allow the army to enter the city smoothly, this battle will be a sure thing.
In terms of street fighting, the Tang army with the blessing of firearms is unparalleled in the world. No matter how many Goguryeo troops are there, they are like ants. They can only let the Tang army push forward and then capture Pingrang City.
It’s just that now, the first step in destroying the city will be taken by the Changsun family...
His Majesty Li Er nodded slightly and looked at Changsun Wuji: "What do you think, Duke Zhao?"
Changsun Wuji hurriedly said: "I will contact Quanzi immediately. No matter how difficult it is, even if I narrowly escape death, I must open the Seven Star Gate and welcome the army into the city!"
I felt happy.
If this is done, then the Changsun family will be the first to contribute. Not only will Changsun Chong be able to return to Chang'an smoothly, but his status will also become more stable due to his merits. As long as those bastards in the family don't act recklessly and offend His Majesty Li Er, Longxu, Even after his death, the wealth and glory of the eldest grandson's family can be maintained for decades.
Of course, the premise is to stay safe, otherwise once the prince comes to power, the first one to be operated on will be the eldest son's family...
His Majesty Li Er looked at him and said slowly: "If this is done, Changsun Chong will have made a great contribution, and I will not hesitate to reward him. But if it fails, the matter will be very important, and Changsun Chong will be a burden to him alone." Sorry."
