Li Shimin looked stern.
"Oh? What is the fatal flaw? Tell me what it is."
He knew that Xu Fenglei's opinions had always been unique and often hit the mark.
Xu Fenglei stretched out two fingers and said:
"Two words, Huihe."
"The reason why I say that Xue Yantuo is puffy and fat now is because although he secretly embezzled a lot of old Turkic lands, he did not have the ability to digest and absorb them."
"And Yi Nan seems to have tasted the benefits of territorial expansion, and he is a little happy with it."
"Not only did he harass the habitat of the Turks and attract the hatred of the Turks, he also made relations with the Uighurs very tense and caused territorial conflicts with them."
"Xue Yantuo has no geographical advantages. Just like Korea during the Warring States Period, it can be called a place of the Four War."
Li Shimin nodded slightly and ordered to the chamberlain:
"Get a map."
The nearby waiter responded and left.
Xu Fenglei paused for a moment and continued:
"So, if you want to use troops against Xue Yantuo, you only need to communicate well with the Uighurs and send troops together!"
"In this way, the imperial court sends a group of soldiers and horses, the Turks send a force, and the Uighurs send another force. The three groups of soldiers and horses attack Xue Yantuo together, giving Na Yinan an enemy from both sides!"
"With this form, tell me, what chance does Xue Yantuo have of winning? It's so easy to destroy him!"
Li Shimin stroked his beard, his eyes shining brightly.
"So, I have to find a time to arrange for an envoy to go back to Hehe to contact you?"
He mused,
"As you said, if we cooperate with the Uighurs, Xue Yantuo will be much easier to fight!"
Xu Fenglei smiled.
"Your Majesty can find an opportunity to send envoys to visit the surrounding countries. Xueyantuo, Uighur, Goguryeo and other countries should all send envoys to visit. This will not appear out of the blue."
"In addition, the envoys can also see the topography of Xue Yantuo and Goguryeo. If they use troops in the future, they will definitely be useful."
Da da.
"Your Majesty, the map is here."
The attendant came forward and presented the map respectfully.
Li Shimin spread it out smoothly, his eyes wandering over the countries in the northern Xinjiang.
"Your idea is good. These countries pay tribute to the Tang Dynasty every year, so I will arrange for envoys to go there in the name of rewards."
He nodded and said,
“Whether it’s for contacting someone or asking for information, it’s very convenient!”
After the words fell, Li Shimin closed his eyes and thought for a moment.
"I am confident that I can win this Xue Yantuo."
In a moment, he had completed the war deduction in his mind and was sure of the outcome!
This is an ability that only an admiral can have!
"It is easy to conquer a country. Your Majesty must think carefully about who should go there to build a country."
Xu Fenglei shrugged and said,
"Of course it would be best to be a direct prince, but there are not many princes as capable as Li Ke. If you don't have a choice, you can only choose from the clan and heroes."
"Let me say it first, I can't do this. I won't go to a place where birds don't shit and claim to be king."
Li Shimin immediately rolled his eyes.
"Don't worry, I won't let you establish a feudal kingdom. Isn't that overkill!"
He hummed softly,
"You are such a great hero, I have another use for you."
"As for how to manage it after it's conquered, I'm too lazy to think about it now... Let's discuss it after it's conquered!"
"Continue talking about Goguryeo. Did you just say that Goguryeo is harder to defeat than Xue Yantuo? Is it because you saw that Emperor Yang of the Sui Dynasty failed in his three campaigns against Goguryeo?"
Xu Fenglei nodded, then shook his head.
"Yes and no."
"I can only say that this is part of the reason."
"The environment in Goguryeo is very harsh, and there is not much space for ordinary people to survive. Many cities are built on mountains, using mountain rocks as materials and reinforced for generations. It is precisely because of this that those cities are extremely strong, easy to defend and difficult to attack. "
His finger pointed at the location of Goguryeo's Anshi City.
"Just for this city, even if your Majesty sends tens of thousands of soldiers and horses, you may not be able to defeat it. This is a tough nut!"
Li Shimin looked along his fingers and frowned.
"That's it..."
"I don't know much about Goguryeo. It seems I really need to send an envoy over to have a look..."
I originally thought that Emperor Sui Yang's failure in obtaining the Three Certificates of Goguryeo was because he was too incompetent.
Now listening to Xu Fenglei's analysis, it seems that there is really something about Goguryeo!
Li Er immediately put away his contempt.
His greatest strength is that he listens to advice.
Since Xu Fenglei said it is difficult to defeat, we must take it seriously!
"The mountain cities of Goguryeo are easy to defend and difficult to attack. Even if Your Majesty raises 200,000 troops to destroy them, it will take a lot of effort. This requires a general to lead the troops."
Xu Fenglei said in a deep voice,
"I do have a shortcut. With only 70,000 to 80,000 troops, up to 100,000, I can capture Goguryeo and destroy Silla and Baekje."
"However, it's a shortcut, but it's not that easy..."
Li Shimin narrowed his eyes.
"Don't be too pretentious, just tell the truth!"
This kid is always pissy.
"If the Tang Dynasty had a navy, they would set off directly from the sea and launch a beach raid on Pyongyang, the capital of Goguryeo! Let's capture the thief first!"
Xu Fenglei didn't hesitate and said,
"Cooperate with the army to attack from the front, fight on two fronts, and work together to attack!"
"If this can be done, the Goguryeo regime will be overthrown in an instant, and those mountain towns that resist fiercely will lose their fighting spirit due to the fall of the royal city and will quickly collapse."
"My strategy is the optimal solution, and perhaps the only solution."
The Zhenguan Dynasty in history did not conquer Goguryeo, which was indeed a great regret. Xu Fenglei also wanted to make up for this regret.
"But the Tang Dynasty didn't have a navy."
Li Shimin shook his head and said,
"Not to mention the navy, there are only a few sea-going ships, so how can we fight by sea? Isn't this a joke!"
Xu Fenglei smiled.
"Who said there isn't one?"
"Previously, Fenglei Bank invested in a navigator named Liu Fubo. He has been building ships for five or six years and has done hundreds of sea trials in order to build a truly strong ship that can allow him to go to sea. Explore the ocean.”
"It cost a lot of money, but the results have come out! He has taken the fleet to Nanyang, and what he left to the Ministry of Industry is valuable shipbuilding experience."
"As long as the funds are in place, sea ships are not a problem! The only problem is training the navy!"
"Li Jing seems to be the first choice. When he was pacifying the south, he was very good at using the navy."
Li Shimin raised his eyebrows.
"What do you mean, let the Ministry of Industry build sea ships and let Li Jing train the navy?"
He mused,
"How many years will it take for this to become large-scale?"
Xu Fenglei stretched out his finger and said confidently:
"It can take three years as quickly as possible, or five years as slowly as possible, and it will definitely become a large scale!"
"As long as the Tang Dynasty's navy is reduced to 10%, and the waterways can advance together, Goguryeo can be wiped out quickly!"
"This is called raising an army for a thousand days, using it for a while; showing the edge of the sword and taking the head directly!"
Da da.
Li Shimin tapped his fingers lightly on the table.
This was his habitual action when he was thinking.
"Five years, that is the 20th year of Zhenguan... I can afford to wait."
He said softly,
"In five years, we will build a Tang navy."
"I'm afraid the cost is quite high."
Li Shimin was a little worried at the moment. He was afraid that spending too much money on the military would affect the court and people's livelihood.
The 100,000 Zhaoling Guards in Mount Jiuwei need to be trained, and a navy and sea-building ship must be built here...
The annual expenses are an astronomical amount!
"When you earn money, you use it. What's the use of keeping it in your hands?"
Xu Fenglei continued,
“If you should spend it, you must spend it!”
"With the current national strength of the Tang Dynasty, it is more than enough to raise a navy! Once the navy is formed, it will be easy to conquer Japan in the East, Java and other countries in the South Asia in the future! These places contain huge treasures! "
"Your Majesty, believe me, you will not suffer any loss, and you will not be fooled."
Not to mention the spices and treasures from various Southeast Asian islands and countries, in Japan alone, there is a mountain that occupies the entire Yinmi Mountains!
If the Tang Dynasty didn't have a navy, how could he bring so much money back?
Must have!
"Let me think about it..."
Li Shimin pinched his eyebrows.
He was somewhat moved, but couldn't make up his mind for the moment.
"What else are you thinking about? If Your Majesty is short of money, I have a way to make money here, and I will guarantee that you won't be able to use up all your money!"
Seeing his hesitation, Xu Fenglei was ready to drop a bombshell.
"ah?"
Li Shimin said in astonishment,
"Is there any way to make money?"
"Your bank has already made so much money, are you still thinking about making money?"
I'm afraid this kid is not the reincarnation of the God of Wealth!
That's how you can make money!
"The main purpose is to benefit the people all over the world, and making money is just a side trip."
Xu Fenglei said modestly,
"I got a crop called cotton. It is a stronger clothing material than mulberry. It is extremely soft, extremely warm, and easier to grow!"
"I have already planned to plant this cotton all over my fief, and by the way, let the people in my fief also plant cotton on a large scale, leaving only part of the cultivated land to grow food."
"After all, there is so much food in the Tang Dynasty that we can't eat it all, and the low price of grain is hurting the farmers!"
Li Shimin was a little confused.
"cotton?"
"What is that?"
Xu Fenglei slapped the table and said bluntly:
"It's a good thing that can make you rich and benefit the country and the people! Your Majesty, do you believe me? If you believe me, just ask all the imperial villages to plant cotton instead!"
"I guarantee, your income can be doubled several times! The more you plant, the more you earn!"
"With this money, not to mention building a navy, if you want to build three or five, that will be more than enough!"
He can't produce the real thing now, so he can only say this.
It just depends on whether Li Erxin trusts him or not!
"Of course I believe you."
Li Shimin responded decisively, saying,
"You kid, you have never let me down."
"Okay! I'll just listen to your arrangements and grow this thing called cotton! I'm a little curious after what you said... an extremely warm clothing material?"
"Is it warmer than fur?"
Xu Fenglei laughed dumbly.
"Of course not. The warmth-keeping effect is probably about 70% of that of fur."
He responded,
"But the price is very different. Hundreds of kilograms of cotton may not be exchanged for a good fox fur."
"So I say, this is a good thing that benefits the country and the people! It can be afforded and used by ordinary people!"
Li Shimin was shocked.
"If it is really so good, it should be fully promoted!"
He continued,
"I can't have a monopoly, and neither can you."
As an emperor, he will not sacrifice the welfare of the people for his own selfish gain!
"Your Majesty is truly a role model for us."
Xu Fenglei gave a thumbs up and praised,
"Your Majesty, please rest assured, of course we will not have a monopoly, but any crop needs to be gradually promoted. In the first two years, you forced the people to plant it, and they were not happy. When they see the benefits of growing cotton, they will naturally rush to do it. to plant, and when that time comes, we will just take advantage of the trend to promote it."
"what do you think?"
When Li Shimin heard this, his brows relaxed.
"Okay, okay...this is a good idea."
He put his hands on his hands and smiled,
"I agree, let's do it! In this way, I can feel at ease with the money I have earned in the past two years."
Xu Fenglei said happily:
"Now that the problem of financial resources has been solved, your Majesty can make up his mind to build the Tang Navy, right?"
"If you build a navy, I will be willing to lead the army to attack Pyongyang!"
He has already been the commander-in-chief of the army, but he has not yet been the commander-in-chief of the navy. This has to be enjoyable!
"You have a beautiful idea! If there is really a navy commander, it should be me! I have never experienced it!"
Li Shimin waved his hand and said,
"Okay, okay, I promise!"
"I will make arrangements in a few days."
"Don't tell me, although you like to be the hands-off shopkeeper, the work department has quite a full schedule!"
Xu Fenglei grinned.
While the two were chatting, they heard the sound of footsteps, and a row of palace maids filed into the queen's palace.
Each of them held different tools in their hands, and each of them looked serious and solemn, as if they were doing something sacred and solemn.
"Are they...serving the Queen?"
Xu Fenglei rarely saw such a battle, so he asked in surprise.
Li Shimin turned his head slightly and sighed:
"Yes, now we take care of Guanyin Maid once every two hours, six times a day."
"Thanks to Master Sun's good arrangements, Maid Guanyin can have such conditions."
"Her condition is getting better and better now. I think she will wake up, but I don't know when. When the time comes, I will ask Master Xuanzang to see if this holy monk who has returned from Tianzhu to obtain scriptures can help me. Answer your questions and get rid of your worries.”
The reason why Li Er was so looking forward to Xuanzang's return was mainly because of his grandson Wugu's incident.
People are like this. When things are going smoothly, they will never think about praying to God or worshiping Buddha. Only when they encounter setbacks and have infinite troubles, will they turn to Buddhism and find spiritual sustenance.
Li Shimin is no exception. He is eager to know when Changsun Wugu will wake up!
"I don't know if Xuanzang can clear up the confusion. I only know that there is one thing your Majesty did that was not honest, or that he was seriously negligent."
Xu Fenglei looked at Li Shimin and said in a deep voice,
"Your Majesty, I have to say a few words to you."
"Have you ever forgotten to praise someone?"
