Datang: Rebirth of Li Chengqian, the beginning of the treason interrogation

Chapter 91: Planning and Winning a Battle from a Thousand Miles Away
"Also, bring a few more Si Nan to point out the direction, otherwise you will get lost in the vast ocean."

Li Chengqian said again, still worried.

Sinan, also known as the compass fish, has been used in the field of warfare since the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period.

"Don't worry, Your Highness. I will definitely give good instructions to the soldiers who are going out."

Liu Rengui carefully folded the papers, especially the world map.

Liaodong Camp.

The Eastern Expedition Army led by Li Ji has arrived at Liaoze.

Li Ji, Li Daozon and others stood on the lakeside, all looking at the boundless swamp with solemn expressions.

The Liaoze Lake stretches for more than 200 miles from east to west, and men and horses cannot pass through it, as they are all submerged in it.

The Liaoze Lake was a natural barrier for Goguryeo. When Emperor Yang of Sui Dynasty marched eastward, he lost countless soldiers and armors in the Liaoze Lake.

The river is a natural chasm, and there are Goguryeo soldiers guarding the other side. No matter how many troops we have, we cannot deploy them. We cannot cross the river by brute force, otherwise we will repeat the same mistake.

Going north, there is the Liao Great Wall built by Goguryeo. Goguryeo used the whole country's strength to build the thousand-mile Great Wall relying on the Liao River.

Although Goguryeo finally won the battle after being conquered by the Sui Dynasty, it also realized that conflicts were inevitable no matter who was in power in the Kingdom of the Central Plains.

Therefore, under the awareness of crisis, the construction of the Liao Great Wall and mountain city began in the early Tang Dynasty.

The mountain city is a very distinctive defense system of Goguryeo. It is built against the mountains and beside the water, making it easy to defend but difficult to attack.

It has to be said that Goguryeo was very talented and powerful. In just sixteen years, they built the Great Wall, a six-meter-thick, three-meter-high defense line, and more than two hundred mountain cities.

There was a reason why Li Shimin could not destroy Goguryeo. Goguryeo was very powerful. Don't think that it was weak just because it was only in a corner.

The fact that it stood from the Han Dynasty to the Tang Dynasty explains everything.

The Sui Dynasty destroyed Goguryeo's foundation, and Li Shimin oppressed it again, and then continued to suppress it, and finally destroyed it in the hands of Emperor Gaozong Li Zhi.

At that time, Goguryeo had a total population of more than 500 million, while the Tang Dynasty had only about 1500 million subjects. Moreover, the war was fought in different places, so the difficulty can be imagined.

There was the natural barrier of Liaoze in front, the Liao Great Wall to the north, and fighting in a different place. These unfavorable conditions made the generals feel troubled.

"How is Zhang Jian's army progressing now? How is the map of the Goguryeo region being drawn?"

Li Ji spoke calmly.

Zhang Jian's troops were not the main force. Their mission was to draw a defense map of Goguryeo and provide information to the army.

"Zhang Jian was trapped outside the Liao Great Wall and could not move an inch, and those foreign soldiers were difficult to command."

Li Daozon replied that the progress on the northern route was not as smooth as they had imagined.

Foreign soldiers were soldiers from vassal states who cooperated with the Tang Dynasty in attacking Goguryeo. In fact, in most cases, it was foreign soldiers from vassal states who led the charge.

This is the definition of a strong person. When launching a war against the Eastern Turks, the Tang Dynasty also summoned its younger brothers to join the fight.

The same is true in the current battle against Goguryeo, using the strategy of group fighting.

Otherwise, with the current number of troops that the Tang Dynasty can mobilize, which is actually only about 500, how dare you attack Goguryeo, a country with a population of million?

"We can't always rely on foreign soldiers, we have to find a way ourselves."

How could Li Ji not know the ins and outs of this? It's not that the foreign soldiers are difficult to command, it's obvious that you want them to play as vanguards and die. It would be strange if others listened to you.

During this period, because the Tang army's oppression on the foreign soldiers was too great, the Mohe soldiers directly turned to Goguryeo.

After the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms, the Mohe people were called the Jurchens. The Tang Dynasty was never lenient in suppressing foreign nations.

All nations come to pay tribute to you, not because of your prosperity, but because of your military might.

As prosperous as the Qing Dynasty, or as weak as the late Qing Dynasty, it would only attract jackals.

"The grain from the imperial court is still arriving, and we don't have much left in reserve."

Zhang Shigui said on the side that the last time they took a risky tactic, they drained the resources of the Lu family in Fanyang and transported hundreds of thousands of stones of grain and fodder, but now it is almost used up.

"That's easy. Don't these noble families like to withhold our military rations? This time it's my turn. The Cui clan land in Boling is close to us, so I think we should be able to get more food."

Xue Wanche grinned, as if he was addicted.

"We had no choice. Fortunately, Shigui didn't attack the city last time, otherwise it would have been difficult to end it."

Li Daozon shook his head. This was certainly Li Chengqian’s brilliant plan.

Suddenly, Li Dao Zong remembered something and said to Li Ji:
"Didn't His Highness have a letter before? Wasn't it told to open it before the battle?"

Li Ji was also quite expectant and opened the letter that Li Chengqian had sent him.

After all, Li Chengqian played his cards very unconventionally. Before, how could they have thought that he, as the crown prince of a country, would actually lead his army to attack inland.

Then, his expression changed drastically and became extremely solemn.

"What did His Royal Highness say?"

Several generals of Li Daozon were also surprised. What kind of content could make a man like Li Ji change his expression so drastically?

"You all can watch it too."

Li Ji handed over the letter.

"Your Highness the Crown Prince is truly a master strategist who can win battles thousands of miles away. His ideas coincide with what we discussed before." Li Daozon took a breath.

"Yes, Your Highness the Crown Prince also thinks this is feasible. Then let's divide our forces. One group will build a floating bridge here, and the other group will march north quickly, bypass the Liao River Great Wall, and attack Liaocheng from the north."

Zhang Shigui also agreed very much. They had discussed this plan, but fighting alone would be very risky, so they were all hesitant.

The letter that Li Chengqian sent out now was obviously already formulated when they came up with it.

"Master General, I am willing to lead 10,000 elite soldiers to the north and attack Buyeo City directly."

Li Daozon requested the order, saying that he was very good at raiding and fighting, and had many wise strategies, making him more suitable than Xue Wanche and Zhang Shigui.

"No, I will personally lead the troops north. Our army will build a floating bridge here, which will definitely attract the Goguryeo army to station on the other side. The defense of Buyeo City will definitely be weak. With the cooperation of Zhang Jian's army, we will be able to capture it."

Li Ji said with great certainty that he did not want to split his troops into two groups, but instead adopted a strategy of making a feint to the east and attacking in the west, with the main army heading north while leaving a part of the army for the detailed attack.

"Li Dao Zong, I order you to lead 10,000 soldiers to build a floating bridge to cross Liaoze. Once our army enters Goguryeo territory, Goguryeo will definitely discover our strategy and will definitely come to support us. At that time, you will lead your army to attack them and we will form a horn of support for each other."

Li Dao Zong bowed and accepted the order: "Yes, I will follow your order."

"Also, you can wait and see!"

Li Ji added again that when it comes to seizing opportunities in battle, no one can match Li Daozon.

"Zhang Shigui, Xue Wanche, you must immediately reorganize the troops and follow me northward."

(End of this chapter)