The Leisurely Life of the Prince of the Tang Dynasty

Chapter 255: Wise Opponent

After saying this, Li Baiyao saw that the messenger did not seem to be seriously injured, so he led his men away again.

Chang'an was still peaceful in spring, and the entire court was divided into two groups. The Ministry of War and the Ministry of Civil Affairs were fully prepared for the war.

The Ministry of Personnel, the Ministry of Justice, and the Ministry of Works are still arranging matters for this year or next year according to the original regulations.

They were all dispatched by the Secretariat.

In his spare time, the Crown Prince of the East Palace can go fishing.
Li Chengqian sat by the Wei River. Today he did not go to Weinan or Xianyang Bridge, but found a secluded riverside.

In fact, there are more and fatter fish near Xianyang Bridge because there are markets on both ends of the bridge.

Feel the spring breeze on your face, and feel the best scenery of Guanzhong at this time of year.

Hearing the sound of the imperial carriage coming from behind, Li Ji reported: "The emperor has arrived."

Li Chengqian was still sitting on the stool, holding a fishing rod in his hand.

In the sunlight, I saw a figure walking up to me, also holding a fishing rod.

Li Chengqian turned his head and saw his father holding a worm in a pretentious and unfamiliar manner, and hanging the thin earthworm on the fishhook with great effort.

Then he washed his hands with river water and threw the fishing line into the river.

"Father doesn't like playing puzzles anymore? He also likes fishing?"

Li Shimin took the chair handed to him by Yuchi Gong and sat down by the river with big strides and a majestic posture.

In this way, Li Chengqian always had to look up at his father, which made him feel uncomfortable, so he said, "Actually, you shouldn't sit so high when fishing. A small stool is the most comfortable."

When the emperor went fishing, he even brought tea and pastries with him, and Cen Wenben was also by his side.

Li Chengqian retracted his gaze and didn't look at his father holding the tea bowl.

After a moment of silence, Li Shimin finished the tea in the bowl.

Li Chengqian picked up his small ceramic cup, uncorked it and took a sip of water.

"This ceramic cup is interesting. Why don't I have it?"

"Donggong did it himself."

Li Shimin nodded slightly, waiting for his son's next words, but he never got them.

After a while, Li Chengqian caught three or two fish.

Li Shimin looked at his fishing line, which was clearly farther than his son's fishing line, but there was no movement.

"Downstream of here is the newly built dam. What is the water level now?"

"It's not the flood season yet. As for how the construction is going, we'll know the results after the flood season."

"I see the weather is good today. Just as I expected, you came to fish."

"How can the emperor have the leisure to do this?"

Li Shimin sighed, "Those people in the court are arguing endlessly about how to fight this battle. They said that they should first lift the siege of Songzhou and discuss how to stop Songtsen Gampo. They are arguing endlessly, so I came out to relax."

The father and son chatted with each other intermittently.

"Father, move the fishing line closer to the shore. There is a good chance that a fish will take the bait."

Hearing this, the emperor followed his son's advice and moved the fishing line to a level with his son.

Cen Wenben stood at one side, looking left and right, not knowing what to look at for a moment.

Suddenly, a fish was hooked. Li Shimin picked up the fishing rod and caught a huge fish. He smiled and said, "The method of fishing is so exquisite. I have benefited a lot from it."

The emperor tried to take the fish off the hook clumsily again.

Li Chengqian anxiously grabbed his father's fishing line, easily took the fish off the hook, and then put it into a bamboo basket beside him.

Throwing the fishing line back into the river, Li Shimin cleared his throat and asked, "Did you write that article about Jingzhao Prefecture?"

Li Chengqian shook his head and said, "I wrote the outline and asked Yan Qinli to write it."

I wanted to explain to my father, but I didn't want to continue. If I were to write this kind of article myself, it might turn out differently.

"Now the people of Chang'an are united in their hatred of the Tibetans because of this article."

"Your Majesty, what you said is wrong. It is because of your Majesty's hard work that the people have returned to their hearts and minds. It has nothing to do with this article of yours."

Li Shimin smiled softly.

"I have also read the reports from the Hexi Corridor. The herdsmen in the Tuyuhun territory are now living well, better than when Fuyun was in power, because the Tang people will not rob their women and children, nor will they take their sheep. Congratulations, father. Now the Tuyuhun people and the Tang people are of one mind."

Cen Wenben thought to himself, not to mention the matter of Tuyuhun, after the completion of the Hexi Corridor, the emperor would naturally be confident that the situation in the west would be stable.

Li Shimin asked: "Can the counties in Guanzhong really provide 30,000 shi of grain and fodder?"

"It has been sent out, and the Ministry of War has also checked it."

"I thought you were going to siphon all the grain out of the government warehouses in the counties."

Li Chengqian looked at the wheat fields in the distance and sighed, "These are all donated by villagers in various counties. Each family contributed one bushel or one stone, according to their ability. It was all voluntary. Jingzhao Prefecture has never issued such an order. The county magistrates of various counties have delivered all the grain."

At this point, Cen Wenben bowed and said, "Your Majesty, people's hearts are like this. I congratulate the Tang Dynasty."

As the father and son chatted and laughed, the emperor perked up a little, his expression showing unparalleled confidence, whether this confidence came from his son or from the counties in Guanzhong.

The battle of Songzhou proved one thing: the people of Guanzhong have now achieved unity.

With such people's hearts, even the court officials can feel the power in their hearts. When everyone is united, no difficulty can defeat this empire.

If we win this battle, the people will be more united.

Therefore, Cen Wenben has always insisted that Jingzhao Prefecture's strategy for governing the people has always been correct.

Li Shimin asked in return: "If I don't fight this battle, what will you do?"

Li Chengqian frowned and looked at the riverside, saying, "I never thought about it. I don't know much about military affairs, but I think this battle is different from the one in Gaochang. The battle in Gaochang was for expedition, while the battle in Songzhou was for defense. They have different meanings."

"Just as the generals in the court said, the Tang Dynasty must establish its prestige in this battle and show it to the villains."

Articles from Jingzhao Prefecture were not only circulated in the counties of Guanzhong, but were also sent to Luoyang, or to Songzhou and Hexi Corridor where a war was about to break out.

Most of the simple villagers were illiterate, so there were teachers standing in front of everyone and reading this kind of article aloud.

This pre-war article spread in an incredible way.

After paper became cheaper, this article was copied countless times.

Nearing July, in late June, Liu Lan finally arrived with a large army to provide assistance.

At this moment, Songcheng had just suffered an attack from the Tibetans.

Niu Jinda, with disheveled hair and dirty face, led his men on the city wall to guard the city wall with the soldiers. He took a ladle and poured cold water into his mouth, gulping it down.

"General, General Liu Lan has arrived and brought 60,000 shi of grain!"

Niu Jinda put the scoop into the bucket, walked down the city wall quickly, and greeted the army coming to the east of Songzhou City for support. Zhishishili's troops also came with them.

When Niu Jinda saw the endless army behind Liu Lan, he shouted, "Songzhou cannot be lost!"

Liu Lan first asked all the soldiers to enter the city and asked, "How many Tibetan soldiers do you have?" Niu Jinda held up three fingers and said, "There should be 30,000 Tibetan soldiers attacking the city now."

Patting Niu Jinda's shoulder heavily, Liu Lan said, "My Tang generals are as fierce as tigers and wolves. How could we be afraid of the Tibetans? We are afraid that your city does not have enough food and grass, so we have come all the way here."

Niu Jinda said: "That's enough! Look, the people of the eleven counties in Songzhou are all helping me, how can it not be enough?"

Liu Lan looked at the city at war and saw many people walking around without armor, some carrying buckets and some carrying sacks.

"We must win this battle." Liu Lan urged, "If we lose, all the construction work over the past decade will be wasted."

Niu Jinda's thick and curly beard had covered his mouth, and he nodded heavily.

"Report! The Tibetans are coming again." The soldiers on the city wall ran down quickly, "General, the Tibetans are going to attack the city again."

The two generals hurriedly walked up to the city wall, and they saw a huge army.

"Damn, even more than before."

At dusk, I looked up and saw teams of Tibetan soldiers gathering.

That night, Li Zhen led a group of soldiers to Fuqi City in the Tuyuhun territory west of the Hexi Corridor.

Liang Jianfang was sitting outside the city holding an eight-foot long spear. He was wiping the spear with the cloth in his hand again and again. When he heard the sound of horse hooves, he did not look up, but continued to wipe it.

Most of the time, Liang Jianfang always maintained his posture, and his long spear was polished to a shiny finish.

Li Zhen rode on a horse and pulled the reins when he got close.

Liang Jianfang looked at his long spear and asked, "What are you doing here?"

Li Zhen said: "According to the order of the Crown Prince, we are to protect the Hexi Corridor to prevent Tubo from advancing into Tuyuhun."

Hearing this, Liang Jianfang's eyes lit up. He slammed the long spear in his hand heavily on the ground and said, "Good job!"

Li Zhen clasped his fists and said, "I hope the general will go with me."

As soon as he finished speaking, Liang Jianfang got on his horse without him saying anything. He said in a loud voice: "If Songzhou is lost, Tubo will definitely attack Fushi City and endanger the Hexi Corridor. Although I am just an ordinary man, how can I sit and watch it happen?"

After explaining their purpose, Li Zhen and Liang Jianfang divided their troops into two groups and prepared to cross the Habu River to stop the Tibetans.

Liang Jianfang led his own 8,000 troops and left another 6,000 men in Fuqi City for garrison, plus the two lieutenants given by Li Zhen, and asked, "May I ask who is in front of you?"

"Under the command of the General of the Left Guard, Pei Xingjian."

"Under the command of the General of the Left Guard, Wang Xuance."

Liang Jianfang snorted and said, "Oh, Su Lie's people."

"Gee!" With a loud shout, the two teams headed towards the Hab River.

Wang Xuance gave Pei Xingjian a look, and the two of them understood each other's meaning through eye contact.

He was showing off. From the speculation in Chang'an City, the two of them had achieved their goal.

They originally wanted to go to Songzhou, but had to come to the Hexi Corridor first because their names were not on the list of soldiers sent to support Songzhou.

The army was unable to make any other arrangements, so they asked General Su Dingfang for a job transporting grain. While grain was being transferred from Guanzhong to the Hexi Corridor, the two of them could escort it.

Thinking of Wang Xuance's plan half a month ago, those words were still ringing in my ears, "Even if Songtsen Gampo takes Songzhou, he must eliminate the threat of the Hexi Corridor and Tuyuhun. They can't send all their troops to Songzhou."

The main battlefield of this battle was not only in Songzhou. The Buha River on the edge of Qinghai was another main battlefield, where the armies of Lu Dongzan and Songtsen Gampo must have been stationed.

Over the past year, Pei Xingjian felt that as the only son of a general, he had met too many noble people along the way.

First he had Jingzhao Prefecture, then he was taken care of by General Zhang Shigui, and now he is a disciple of General Su Dingfang, and now he has met the far-sighted Wang Xuance.

Pei Xingjian suddenly laughed. He felt that Wang Xuance was a poor man, but even so, he could still thrive in Chang'an. It was not his luck.

But he has a unique vision. It is ridiculous that such a person is still unknown in the army.

A scout rode back and reported, "General, Tibetan troops were spotted five miles ahead."

Liang Jianfang suddenly stopped the horse and pulled the reins.

The horse paced back and forth restlessly.

"Are the Tibetans prepared?"

"It doesn't look like that. There are only five of them, and they seem to be investigating."

Wang Xuance whispered, "General Liang, I'm afraid Lu Dongzan intends to seize Fuxi City, so I sent him to investigate."

Pei Xingjian said: "Leave it to us, General. Just keep marching."

"Okay!" Liang Jianfang responded loudly.

It was just as the sky was getting light when five Tibetans rode their horses slowly along the Buha River.

Suddenly, they heard the sound of horse hooves from behind. In front of them was the territory of Tuyuhun, and behind them was the army. They smiled and waved to the group of soldiers behind them.

Pei Xingjian drew his bow and arrow on horseback. The bowstring made a taut sound and he aimed at the nearest Tibetan.

Seeing that the people coming were Tang soldiers, the five Tibetans tried to flee in panic. Pei Xingjian shot an arrow, which flew through the air and pierced the lower back of a Tibetan.

The other party fell to the ground immediately.

Wang Xuance led his men forward and surrounded the remaining Tibetans, shouting, "Tell me! Where is Lu Dongzan's army?"

Those Tibetans spoke in Tibetan, but no one knew what they were saying.

Wang Xuance raised his sword and chopped them down.

Pei Xingjian was about to ask something, but Wang Xuance killed people too quickly, so he had no choice but to let out a long breath while riding on his horse, looking around at the empty surroundings.

A flock of water birds were startled by the Buha River. The sparse grassland stretched to the end of the sight, and there was no trace of any soldiers or horses.

Pei Xingjian asked, "Shall we go back and report to General Liang?"

The horse under Wang Xuance was circling around the corpse. He thought for a moment and said, "Don't worry, they are all out. Let's explore further. If Lu Dongzan is smart enough, he should be able to think of what we think."

"In your opinion, Lu Dongzan is a very formidable opponent."

"Well, he is neither the arrogant King Gaochang nor the conceited and unjust Yu Gushe." Wang Xuance patted the warhorse's neck, signaling it to continue moving forward.

Pei Xingjian led his men further into the depths of the Buha River.

The Tibetans had to climb up the city wall of Songzhou again and again. The wall was not high originally, but it was built much higher before the war.

A pot of kerosene was poured down, and the people who were about to attack the city were burned to death.

They were not all Tibetans, there were also people from the former Tuyuhun, and some people of unknown origin who spoke a strange language.

As the day was about to dawn, I vaguely noticed some unusual movements of the Tibetans in the distance.

"General, the Tibetan rear army has moved."

"What!?" Niu Jinda was surprised and squinted his eyes to look into the distance. It was not yet completely bright, and the thick smoke from the top and bottom of the city made it difficult for people to open their eyes.

Today there are still two chapters for now. I am in a very bad state recently and I will allow Xiao Zhang to adjust and try to add more chapters at the beginning of the month.

It’s the last day of the month, I hope everyone remembers to vote for the monthly ticket. Thank you, Xiao Zhang.

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(End of this chapter)