"This is not because of your thoughtfulness!" Wang Wenzuo shook his head: "Since ancient times, there has been no more upright battle than Zhou Wu's defeat of Zhou, but even so, the rebellion of the three eunuchs is indispensable. If you give me another ten years, Cultivate your health and work hard, and naturally those are not problems. But this time I was transferred, and the war between Tang Dynasty and Tubo cannot be resolved in a short time, and trouble in the east is inevitable!"
"What plans do you have, Sanlang?" Cui Hongdu asked.
"The main thing is to recruit troops!" Wang Wenzuo said: "If the court asks me to go to the west to fight the Tibetans, then most of the people I command should be the troops from Longyou, Guanzhong, and Hedong, and then the cavalry from Tuyuhun, Turks, and Uighurs. I There is no grudge between us, and there must be a layer of separation between us. I plan to recruit some people who are good at shooting from the Japanese country, Xiongjin Dudufu, Mohe, etc. to serve as my loyal followers. When the time comes, it will be better!"
"That's what the master said!" Sancho said: "If you don't have a knight accompanying you, what's the difference from entering the battle naked? I will go back now and pass on the master's message. At least two or three thousand people will come!"
"You don't need so many!" Wang Wenzuo waved his hand: "Five hundred people from the Japanese side, five hundred people from the Xiongjin Governor's Mansion, the Mohe people raised a thousand people, plus those from Yaqiandu, that's about it. The key is to be capable. A man who is good at shooting and dares to fight will not have many soldiers but his skills."
"Yes!" Cui Hongdu nodded: "I remember what Sanlang meant!"
"In addition, there are also selected generals to make black teeth permanent, Shazha Xiangru, Shoujun Dashi, Gaosheji..." Wang Wenzuo read more than ten names in one breath, all of which were Baekje, Japanese, and Goguryeo generals under his command. , and finally mentioned: "There is also He Bayong, who came with the army. Also, I remember that Cao Sengnu is in Yangzhou now, right? He was ordered to stay in Yangzhou, managing trade while contacting local heroes!"
"Contact the local heroes?" Cui Hongdu was stunned. Wang Wenzuo's last sentence was completely beyond his expectation. What does this have to do with the war with Tubo?
"Just ask him to do it! Some things have to be done first. If things come to an end, it will be too late to prepare!" Wang Wenzuo said.
"Yes, yes!" Cui Hongdu didn't dare to ask any more questions and carefully wrote down what Wang Wenzuo said just now. After Wang Wenzuo read it, he stamped it with his private seal and rushed to Yangzhou by messenger after dawn.
The subordinates all retreated, and there was still more than an hour before dawn. Wang Wenzuo exhaled a long breath and returned to bed. He planned to take a short rest and accumulate some energy for the journey in the next few days. But with his eyes closed, he still couldn't fall asleep. Regarding the sudden oracle, others saw the emperor's trust and importance and Wang Wenzuo's bright future. Almost everyone had the same optimism about the upcoming war.
We can’t blame them. Since the late Emperor ascended the throne, if Datang’s external wars could be summed up in one word, it would be “win”. If it were summed up in four words, it would be “win after win”. Not long after, In the past, Goguryeo, which had stubbornly resisted the Sui and Tang dynasties and was attacked by three monarchs for more than half a century, was completely destroyed. As witnesses, how could they have any doubts about the outcome of the future war?
Wang Wenzuo often mentioned to them that the Tibetan people were tenacious and good at fighting, that the plateau was cold and difficult to walk, and that the stone fortress was steep and difficult to attack. But how could the Goguryeo and Baekje people not be tenacious and good at fighting? The vastness of Liaoze, the mountains of southern Liaoning and the countless mountain cities on the Korean Peninsula are also dangerous and difficult to attack. Didn't they all succumb to their steel swords in the end? What Wang Wenzuo said was just the necessary caution as a general and did not affect the final outcome of the war.
Of course, the optimism of his subordinates could not be hidden from Wang Wenzuo's eyes. His mood was very contradictory. He was pleased with the confidence and courage of his subordinates, but also worried about the future war. Historically, the war between the Tang and Tubo almost lasted the same period as the Tang Dynasty. Although both sides had their own victories and defeats, the Tang army never entered the hinterland of the Tibetan people on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. This is not accidental. The total number of successful expeditions into the hinterland of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau in human history cannot be counted in one hand. Each of them can be said to be a miracle in human logistics and military organization due to the cold and changeable climate, high altitude, and rugged terrain. Compared with many other factors that were on the side of the defenders, Napoleon and Hannibal's expedition across the Alps was nothing more than a joke.
Of course, Wang Wenzuo did not think this was a losing war. While the high-altitude terrain of the Tubo Empire gave her a commanding advantage, it also brought disadvantages such as barren land, small arable land, small population, and backward productivity levels. . Although the warm and humid climate at that time allowed the Tubo people to have a much larger population and wealth than at other times in history, they were still far behind the Tang Dynasty at the same time. Therefore, as long as the Tang army does not want to march straight in, overwhelm its lair, exterminate its race, throw hundreds of thousands of troops into the barren wilderness of Xikang, Qinghai, and die; they will honestly build castles and farm fields, and send money and silk to win them over. The centrists should choose several directions to engage in attrition strategies. The failure of Tubo will be a matter of time.
But it may be a matter of path dependence. What the Tang army liked to do most in history was to drive straight in, attack the heart of the country, and engage in field battles. The result was that the Tubo people tricked the enemy into going deep, and sent several waves of kills in succession. Only later did they understand and change their tactics. Although the attrition strategy reversed the situation of the war, the Anshi Rebellion came next. The Shuofang Army in Anxi was transferred back to fight the civil war, and naturally there was no aftermath.
"Hey, it would be great if the British Duke was still alive!" Wang Wenzuo sighed. Although the emperor specially sent someone to summon him to Luoyang with a handwriting, he was still very self-aware of his influence. Since the founding of the Tang Dynasty, decisive victory in field battles has been the main theme of the Tang army. Under this strategy, generations of Tang army generals were trained, and these generals were also supporters of this strategy. The military system of the Tang Dynasty also revolved around this strategy. .
For example, if the strategy of decisive victory in field battles is adopted, the Tang army only needs to recruit the troops from Guanzhong and Longyou, as well as the troops from Huihe, Turks, and Tuyuhun. They will send out troops after the spring plowing is over, and then end in September, and it will be completed in half a year (if it can If you win). But if Wang Wenzuo follows Wang Wenzuo's attrition strategy and first builds fortresses on the Qinghai front, then he or she will have to recruit troops or replace them from Longyoufu in Guanzhong, and the time will be extended from half a year to one year to three or five years. Even ten years, not to mention the need for corresponding diplomatic strategies. To achieve all this, we must make corresponding reforms to the empire's political, economic, and military systems. In other words, we must touch the interests of a large number of existing vested interests. , I’m afraid this is not something that just Wang Wenzuo can do.
In the final analysis, the issue of strategic choice is actually a matter of line, politics, and personnel, not just what you think makes sense. Any strategy makes sense, but which one is used in the end is not about who makes sense, but Supporters on stage. In history, the only way to implement new strategies is to "change people without changing ideas." If Li Ji was still alive, maybe he could be persuaded to get the emperor to adopt it. Now that Li Ji is dead, Wang Wenzuo has no ability to let the emperor adopt it. If you change people, you will naturally not be able to make others change their minds.
The sound of cockcrow brought Wang Wenzuo out of his thoughts and back to reality. He walked to the window and looked out. A piece of white fish belly appeared on the horizon. He lay in bed and thought about things, and before he knew it, it was already dawn.
"The only way to plan now is to find ways to exploit them!"
Luoyang Palace Ziwei City Yiluan Hall.
"Your Majesty, these are tribute oranges sent from Jiangxi!" Wu picked up an orange from the table and peeled it open with a smile: "It's very sweet, why don't you eat some too?"
Li Zhi nodded. He reached out and took the piece of orange handed over by his wife. The sweet orange juice immediately filled his mouth. He nodded happily: "It is indeed very sweet!"
"There are also orange trees in Chang'an, but they are far inferior to those in Jiangxi!" Mrs. Wu gave another piece of orange to her husband's mouth and sighed regretfully.
"The water and soil are different!" Li Zhi said with a smile: "Huainan is orange and Huaibei is zhi! What's more, Guanzhong and Jiangxi are almost further apart!"
"It's not just water and soil!" Wu laughed and said, "Even if the tribute oranges are sent from Jiangxi, there is a difference between those sent to Chang'an and those sent to Luoyang. The oranges sent to Chang'an are either rotten or dry, and it will hurt your mouth. The inside is like rotten wadding, with no moisture at all!"
"Oh, there is still a waterway from Luoyang to Chang'an. Inconvenient transportation will delay time!" Li Zhi said with a smile: "What's the problem if you want to eat it? Just ask the palace to use fast horses to transport it from Luoyang to Chang'an!"
"Your Majesty, how can I be greedy for oranges?" Wu said: "What I mean is, why don't you move the capital to Luoyang? Luoyang is in the middle of the world, and tributes from all directions come. Compared with Chang'an, It’s much more convenient in the West!”
"Haha!" Li Zhi laughed: "Meiniang, this is true in peacetime, but if war breaks out, Chang'an will be stronger than Luoyang. As long as Tongguan is closed and defends itself, the troops in Guanxi can be pacified. The ancestors established the capital. Chang’an, it makes sense!”
"I don't think so!" Empress Wu retorted: "Now that the number of household registrations in Guanzhong is increasing day by day, and water transportation is not coming, the soldiers and people of Chang'an will have no food. Even if there are millions of people, what is the use of not having food? If war really breaks out. , it will definitely not work if we close Tongguan and defend ourselves!"
Faced with his wife's rebuttal, Li Zhi's face turned ugly. In ancient Chinese political discourse, Han and Tang were usually referred to together. Scholars at that time also usually called themselves Han. For example, the "Emperor of Han" in the poem was actually It refers to the emperor of the Tang Dynasty. If you look closely, the "Han" among the scholars of the Tang Dynasty actually refers more to the Western Han Dynasty, because the Western Han Dynasty and the Tang Dynasty both had their capitals in Chang'an and were based on Guanxi. Generally speaking, It is believed that the Western Han Dynasty was stronger than the Eastern Han Dynasty.
Many scholars even believe that Emperor Guangwu of the Han Dynasty established the capital in Luoyang instead of Chang'an because of the ruins of Guanzhong. This is an important reason why the Eastern Han Dynasty was not as prosperous as the Western Han Dynasty. Some scholars with rich imagination even moved King Ping eastward and Emperor Guangwu of the Han Dynasty established the capital in Luoyang. To connect it, it is believed that Emperor Guangwu of the Han Dynasty established his capital in Luoyang because King Ping moved eastward and lost the land of Zongzhou. There is some mystical connection. Of course Li Zhi also knew this. After hearing Wu's request to move the capital to Luoyang, naturally his face was not very good-looking.
"There are land and sea in Guanzhong, there are the people of Sichuan and Shu in the south, the interests of Yuanma in the north, and the merchants of Longshang and the Western Regions in the west. To the east and dominate the world, it is the foundation of kings and hegemons. How can we abandon it lightly?" Li Zhi's expression became solemn. Get up: "Mei Niang, you don't need to mention it again!"
Seeing her husband's rare seriousness in front of her, Mrs. Wu had to lower her head and stop talking. After a while, Li Zhi felt that his tone just now might be too strong, so he smiled and said: "I also know that you like Luoyang more. After all, you have stayed here for so many years. How about this, we will be in Luoyang every year from now on?" Live in Chang'an for half a year and half a year?"
"Thank you, Your Majesty!" Feeling the concession from her husband's words, Mrs. Wu was secretly happy: "Actually, it doesn't have to be half a year, three or four months would be great!"
"What's so difficult about this? Every year I come to Luoyang for inspection for three or four months!" Li Zhi said with a smile: "In fact, I don't know the benefits of Luoyang, but now the war with Tubo is imminent, and it is much more convenient to be in Chang'an. When the war in Tubo subsides, there’s no harm in coming to Luoyang to stay longer!”
"The war in Tubo?" Wu quickly captured this key word: "Is Your Majesty planning to send out large-scale troops?"
"Yes!" Li Zhi nodded: "In August, Tubo sent troops to attack our cities in the Western Regions, and Anxi has already reported an emergency. I summoned Longyou Xue Rengui to report, and he advocated taking advantage of the Tibetan troops to go out of the Western Regions, and when Qinghai was empty, we sent troops to Qinghai , I have agreed to the strategy of escorting Tuyuhun Khan back to his homeland, and then directly taking Luosuo (today's Lhasa)!"
"Luosuo? Where is this?"
"It's the capital of Tubo!"
"Go straight to the capital of Tubo? That Xue Rengui is really brave!"
"Yes! The general shot down the Tianshan Mountains with three arrows, and the strong man entered Hanguan with a long song! How can it be beyond the reach of others?" Li Zhi said with a smile, his words full of preference for Xue Rengui.
"If General Xue is the only one who leads the army, I'm afraid he will be outnumbered!"
"Of course he's not the only one with the army!" Li Zhi said with a smile: "There is also Ashina Daozhen. I even sent an envoy to recruit Wang Wenzuo. He should be arriving in Luoyang soon!"
"Wang Wenzuo?" Mrs. Wu laughed: "Didn't he go to the Cui family in Qinghe to propose marriage, but you summoned him here? Could it be that it delayed his good deeds?"
"It's just the Cui family of Qinghe. If he can make more achievements this time, I will choose a good girl from the clan to adopt as an adopted daughter and marry her!" Li Zhi said with a smile: "Isn't it far better than a daughter of the Cui family? ?”
"That's true!" Mrs. Wu said with a smile: "The prince values him very much, so we are a family, hand, foot, femur! By the way, your majesty summoned Wang Wenzuo to make him obey orders under Xue Rengui?"
"No!" Li Zhi shook his head: "I plan to let him go to Jiannan Road!"
"Jiannan Road? Why go there?" Wu asked in confusion.
Regularly asking for subscriptions, votes, and rewards! The next Tubo War is really difficult to write about, and it’s hard to find all kinds of information!
(End of chapter)
