Elegy of Tang Dynasty

Chapter 755: General Dies in a Hundred Battles

Sending troops to Hexi to resist Tubo may seem like just eight words, but in fact, it involves so many aspects of affairs that it is too numerous to mention, and its difficulty is no less than fighting a war to destroy a country.

For a regime that can still survive in the Central Plains for many years, it is impossible not to have internal controversy if it decides to send troops to the border and do those "thankless" things.

As the real person in charge of the Bianzhou court, Fang Chongyong should not be hesitant or complacent, but should find a way to quell internal disputes and make serious preparations for sending troops.

For this purpose, Fang Chongyong met Yan Zhuang, Li Quan and Liu Yan separately. These three people were in charge of government affairs, military planning and logistical support in the court of Bianzhou.

After one negotiation after another, the results were mixed.

Yan Zhuang opposed sending troops, while Li Quan and Liu Yan firmly supported it.

However, although Yan Zhuang’s attitude was very clear and he expressed his opposition to sending troops, the problem he had was not that big.

At present, the Bianzhou court is running smoothly, and there are no other strong competitors. It can be said that it has already taken on the appearance of a "new dynasty with elegant governance" and cannot cause any waves.

However, even though Li Quan and Liu Yan supported sending troops, they also raised many practical issues. Moreover, these issues were objective and could not be changed by their will.

"Sir, if we want to send troops to Hexi, we need to plan a food route that is a thousand miles long. This is obviously not something that can be done on a whim.

No one can say how long this battle will last, so we need to think about this matter carefully."

In the study of Kaifeng government office, Li Quan said worriedly.

He supported sending troops, but the difficulties in doing so were greater than he had imagined, and these had to be raised now.

"Please tell me in detail. There is no need to be shy about anything."

Fang Zhongyong nodded slightly and said, in fact, these are all expected.

"If we want to send troops to Hexi, we must use Chang'an as a fulcrum and straighten out the grain route. And to deal with Chang'an, we must manage Luoyang.

But now, Chang'an and Luoyang are both in ruins, the people are displaced, and the vitality is greatly damaged.

To develop Luoyang, the first thing to do was to dredge the canal from Bianzhou to Luoyang and set up ferry crossings along the way.

Then let Hanjia Granary in Luoyang become the starting point for transporting military grain.”

Li Quan said seriously.

Fang Zhongyong nodded slightly and sighed, "That's true. Without food and fodder support, it would be extremely difficult to win this battle."

On the other side of Hexi, there was no need to count on the local food and fodder. Either they fell into the hands of the Tibetans, or they were cleared out and stored in the treasury of Shazhou Prefecture.

The Bianzhou army had to travel a long distance and rely on supplies from Guanzhong for everything.

Guanzhong was in ruins and could no longer support a large army to march to Hexi, so grain had to be transported from the Central Plains. The starting point for transporting grain from the Central Plains was not Luoyang, but Bianzhou.

However, in terms of transportation conditions, Hanjia Granary in Luoyang was the most suitable place. As the general logistics base, it transported grain and fodder to Chang'an via the Yellow River and the Liangjing Road.

Otherwise, even if the soldiers of the three armies are as fierce as tigers, they cannot defeat the Tibetans if they are hungry!

If you want to fight a war, you must first build roads and dig canals.

Bianzhou is not short of food, but it lacks a low-cost route to transport it to Chang'an. The canal that Brother Ji built to supply Chang'an, Fang Zhongyong now has to pick it up and continue to use it!

Again, the responsibilities that the central government has to bear are completely different from those of local separatist governments!

"Indeed, we cannot do without managing Luoyang and Chang'an. This battle can be said to affect the entire body."

Fang Zhongyong nodded slightly, already understanding the pros and cons.

In order to send troops to Hexi, Luoyang and Chang'an must be included. In order to achieve strategic goals, economic interests must often take a back seat.

Otherwise, the Tibetans would attack Guanzhong every year in the future, and the Bianzhou court would be like having its hands and feet tied, having to guard against the Tibetan army's eastward expedition every year. How could the court develop then?

To manage Chang'an, even if we don't restore it to the Kaiyuan period, it must at least be able to serve as a place to store food and replenish troops.

"The food and fodder must be sent before the troops move. By the time our army sets out, I'm afraid all the states east of Liangzhou will have fallen. It's not impossible for the Tibetans to reach Fengxiang Prefecture.

I am not saying that we should not send troops, but the danger of this battle may be beyond imagination, so you should not have too high expectations.

This matter cannot be rushed. Once the troops are dispatched, they must be victorious. It doesn’t matter if it’s a little slower.”

Li Quan shook his head helplessly.

He personally supports sending troops, both publicly and privately. However, he cannot deliberately conceal some objective difficulties just because of his own preferences.

The Privy Council is responsible for planning wars and dispatching military resources.

As the head of the Privy Council, Li Quan naturally understood that even if the decision was made to fight now, the earliest that they would have to fight the Tibetans would be half a year later.

That is, after the late autumn and winter this year, it is also the tradition of the Tibetans to "go down to the plateau for the winter." Of course, the Tibetans also calculate the time it takes to consolidate their territory in "years."

They are also well adapted to steadily encroaching on territory, unlike those nomadic peoples.

Therefore, the scale of this war may be larger than they expected. But the pace of the war may not be as fast as lightning. It is likely that they will look for an opportunity to defeat the enemy after a long-term confrontation.

It must be said that the Tibetans are also very good at this kind of methodical "slow war". In a war, if it lasts for a long time, the weaker side is likely to be unable to bear it.

If we don't make preparations in advance, we will most likely lose due to lack of food and supplies.

Fang Chongyong, who had many dealings with the Tibetans, knew very well that the Tibetan nobles never took human life seriously. If a real fight broke out, it was unrealistic to expect the other side to be defeated.

"We have to fight even if it's dangerous, otherwise we won't have peace for a day in the future. If the Tibetans invade the border every autumn and hang around in Fengxiang Prefecture, no one can tolerate it.

Rather than being in a rush then, it is better to get the vaccine now. A short pain is worse than a long one."

Fang Zhongyong waved his hands, indicating that he was determined and would not give up because of the temporary difficulties.

"Your Majesty is right. If we win this battle, we can conquer the world with the power of a great victory over Tubo."

Li Quan saluted Fang Zhongyong with his hands crossed.

In fact, what he said was basically the consensus of his group of staff. As long as they could recover Hexi and defeat the Tibetans, the Bianzhou court could smoothly take over other places, such as Guanzhong and Hedong.

This is a battle that concerns the support of the people, and its strategic significance must not be underestimated.

After defeating the Tibetans, the Bianzhou court would become a complete central government and could legitimately deal with some places that are still in a state of separatism.

"You need to work harder these few days and calculate the required troops, baggage, and the cost of maintaining the food route, including the reconstruction of Hanjia Granary and the amount of supplies needed to support Guanzhong.

As for how to gather all these things, Liu Yan will find a way. "

Fang Chongyong said calmly.

Strategically despise the opponent. The people's hearts are not on the side of the Tibetans. There is no need to scare yourself or bow your head and ask for peace.

However, preparations for war must be carried out in a solid manner and we cannot deceive ourselves. This requires us to pay tactical attention to our opponents.

The laziness you show now will turn into blood on the battlefield in the future.

"Please rest assured, sir. I have your support in the rear. As long as I am still alive, I will not cause any trouble to the front line."

Li Quan said excitedly.

This is a battle that will go down in history. All those who participated in it, whether they were killing enemies at the front or coordinating the battles in the rear, will be recorded in the book.

Now wealth and official position have no appeal to Li Quan anymore.

He had already obtained all the wealth and official positions that he could obtain. Even if he wanted to go further, the space ahead was very narrow and it was not worth working hard in that direction. The only thing he could not refuse was the temptation of being recorded in history.

"Well, I trust you to do the job. I just need to wait for Yuan Zai to contact Li Baoyu and see what the other party's attitude is.

If they don’t obey, then we will have to resort to some means.”

A cold light flashed in Fang Chongyong's eyes.

Common sense would have it that Li Baoyu had no objection to the Bianzhou army's dispatch to Hexi, and he was even overjoyed. But it was hard to say whether some individuals might have different ideas.

Fang Chongyong was actually making preparations for both scenarios, and he did not rule out the possibility of leading his troops into Guanzhong to fight Li Baoyu. This could be considered as what the principal said, "To resist foreign aggression, one must first stabilize the internal affairs."

……

In a private room on the second floor of Zhuangyuan Building in Bianliang City, a group of scholars preparing for the imperial examinations were feasting. The host was none other than Liu Renqing, the son of Liu Longxian.

"Liu Tongnian, your father is a general in the army. Do you know what happened in Hexi?"

"Have you heard? The government is preparing to send troops to Hexi!"

"It seems the court is recruiting soldiers, and the notice has been posted."

Several candidates looked at Liu Renqing and asked questions at the same time. These words immediately attracted the attention of many people.

Liu Longxian used to be a military commander of a vassal state, but now he has surrendered his military power and no longer commands a place. However, it cannot be said that he has become like an ordinary person.

The army belongs to the imperial court, but Liu Longxian still retains some command power. Even though this power is restricted, it is much greater than that of the candidates present.

Everyone knew that Liu Renqing would definitely pass the imperial examination this time. To his peers, this was a good thing and there was nothing unfair about it.

As long as the court can reserve some positions for people of ordinary backgrounds like them to compete on the same stage and be admitted fairly, it would be good enough.

We can't expect the sons of high-ranking officials to start from the same starting point as them. It's unrealistic to put yourself in their shoes.

"The Tibetan clowns invaded Hexi and killed our people. It is naturally a great pleasure for the government to lead the troops to fight!"

Liu Renqing slammed the table, filled with indignation as if the Tibetans had robbed his wife.

However, he changed the subject and continued, "My father is also in the army, and I'm afraid he will go to the battle this time as well. I only regret that I can't go with my father because I have to take the imperial examination this year."

"Yeah, what a shame."

For a moment, the private room was filled with sounds of flattery.

Did Liu Renqing follow his father into battle?
Just listen to it casually. What was the reason for our fathers to fight in the sea of ​​blood and corpses? Of course, it was to prevent the next generation from doing the same as them, fighting with their heads on the line.

Even if Liu Renqing was crazy and wanted to join the army, his father would not agree!

"Actually, if you want to join the army, you can do so. It won't interfere with your imperial examinations."

Suddenly, a strange and sarcastic voice came from the door, which was very abrupt amid the flattering words.

Liu Renqing was about to curse, but suddenly he saw the purple official robe and was instantly silenced. Although he didn't know who the man was, he knew from the official robe that he was someone he couldn't afford to offend.

The current Bianzhou court has long established its authority, just like the prosperous Tang Dynasty. It's okay to think about the fact that the son of a soldier can do whatever he wants, but just keep it in your heart and don't say it out loud.

Otherwise, you’ll get beaten to a pulp by the government.

"That's Xiao Yingshi, who is the Minister of Education in the newly established Ministry of Education of the imperial court, and is in charge of the imperial examinations and running schools..."

An examinee who had some connections came up to Liu Renqing and whispered something in his ear.

"The government has issued an order, the emperor has issued an edict, the government army is going to march to Hexi to attack the Tibetans!

Now the imperial court would recruit clerks and military doctors from among the candidates for the imperial examinations, and those who returned from military service would be granted the title of Jinshi.

Here is the government decree. You may take a look at it. It is written in black and white and is ironclad.”

Xiao Yingshi took out a folded document from his sleeve and handed it to the candidate closest to him, asking them to pass it around.

This... is true!
Everyone present looked at each other with complicated thoughts.

On the one hand, after returning from the army, one can be awarded the title of Jinshi, which means one has the qualifications to become an official. This kind of good thing has never existed before!
On the other hand, war means death! Who can be sure that it is not him who will die?

It hurts, but I’m so happy!
Should we go or not? Everyone present had their own ideas, and no one spoke up.

Everyone has different ideas.

"Liu Renqing, your father is also going to join the army this time. The battle is dangerous, the emperor has shown mercy and you don't have to go with him. Just study hard in Bianzhou for a year and we'll talk about it next year.

This year's imperial examination will be based on the Battle of Hexi, and joining the army is the exam."

Xiao Yingshi said calmly.

"Don't! Minister Xiao! Father and son will fight together in the battlefield. I didn't say I won't go, but please don't leave me in Bianzhou!"

When he heard that the imperial court would not hold the Imperial Examination this year, but would allow candidates to take the examination by "joining the army", Liu Renqing immediately became angry!
In recent times, he has spent a lot of money to win over a group of candidates, and he also hopes that these classmates can take care of each other when they become officials in the future!

It is possible that many of those present here will join the army, and it is very likely that they will become officials directly after returning victorious.

However, the "personality" that Liu Renqing has always created is "the father is a hero and the son is a hero", and the son of a soldier gave up the military to serve the government. If he did not join the army, would he still be able to hold his head up in the eyes of these people?
Everyone looks down on you, so what’s the point of having such connections?
"You said it yourself. I didn't force you."

Xiao Yingshi said with a smile.

"No, no, Liu volunteered. It's a father-son partnership."

Liu Renqing smiled awkwardly.

Xiao Yingshi directly handed the official document, which had been printed countless times and was about to be posted in every state and county, to Liu Renqing, then turned and left.

"Liu Tongnian, this... is this possible?"

A candidate stared at the contents of the document with wide eyes and asked in disbelief.

The court has always been stable and its policies are consistent. Why did they decide not to hold the imperial examination this time?

Actually, it's not that they don't want to do it. It's that the Battle of Hexi is the examination hall, and joining the army is like taking the exam. As long as you can come back alive, you will be a Jinshi!

In this way, wouldn’t a large number of Jinshi be born?

It's hard to say, because some people are afraid of death, and some people think they are still young and don't want to take risks. On the battlefield, swords have no eyes, and if you die, you die. There is no resurrection.

Some smart people came to their senses. Could it be that if you were brave enough to hang out in the army, you could become a Jinshi?
Haha, I thought it was too simple.

If you want to survive on the battlefield, you must fight with all your strength! Be alert!

Because only when everyone contributes, even a great deal, can the probability of winning be increased.

Therefore, this "exam" is not only a gamble of knowledge, but also a gamble of life. It is much more valuable than the previous imperial examinations.

"What's wrong with that? I grew up in the army. I'm just wearing armor. The Tibetans are not superhuman. Why should I be afraid of them?"

Liu Renqing slammed the table and shouted, obviously not intending to back down.

His father is in the army and he is under his father's command. How could he charge into battle?

This round is secured!
(End of this chapter)