Li Chengqian of the Tang Dynasty: Please say long live His Majesty

Chapter 537: Suppress first, appease later, break the spine (Second update for Lantern Festival)

The night was dark, but the entire Tai Chi Hall was still brightly lit.

Liang Jianfang and Qiu Shenqi stood in the hall.

Li Chengqian sat on the imperial couch, overlooking the hall.

Fang Xuanling, Zhangsun Wuji, Yu Zhining, Ma Zhou, Lai Ji, Cui Dunli, Han Yuan, Li Xizhi, Cheng Zhijie, and Yuchi Jingde who had just returned, all sat on both sides of the hall with solemn expressions.

"Yanzhou is located in the northwest of Guizhou. It has high mountains and deep valleys, steep terrain, dense forests and miasma, and a huge temperature difference between day and night. The mountain roads are narrow, and the waterways are blocked, making it difficult to transport food and grass. It will be extremely difficult to quell the rebellion." Fang Xuanling raised his head slightly and looked at the emperor on the imperial couch with a serious expression.

Li Chengqian nodded calmly. It was easy to shout for war and killing, but when it came to fighting on the battlefield, the difficulties faced were more than anyone imagined.

"Did you two hear what Prime Minister Fang said?" Li Chengqian's gaze fell on Liang Jianfang and Qiu Shenqi.

"Yes!" Liang Jianfang and Qiu Shenji bowed calmly, as if they didn't take the difficult terrain and the miasma obstacles seriously at all.

Li Chengqian smiled.

He nodded with satisfaction and said, "The so-called felling mountains and destroying temples is very direct. I don't want you to rush into the mountains to suppress bandits. Block all key roads, then build a fortress and seal off the inside and outside. If you are worried about someone breaking in at night, then cut down all the trees in sight."

"Yes!" Liang Jianfang and Qiu Shenqi suddenly became serious.

"Also, I heard that miasma is mostly caused by plants and trees. In other words, fire is the natural enemy of miasma. When you arrive in Qianzhou, you must learn to use it flexibly." Li Chengqian said this, and all the ministers in the hall looked at him with a little surprise.

"Your Majesty, there is a lot of rain and fog in Guizhou, even in winter." Fang Xuanling couldn't help but advise.

Li Chengqian shook his head calmly: "Then cut down the trees first, wait until the trees are dry, and then use the wood to ignite the trees, and the miasma in the mountains will be cleared away."

"Your Majesty!" Zhangsun Wuji looked up and said, "Prime Minister Fang is saying that if we burn the forests on a large scale, it will probably cause widespread resentment among the locals, and the cost will outweigh the benefits."

Li Chengqian turned and looked at Zhangsun Wuji, saying, "Uncle, regarding the Yanzhou mutiny, I have received reports from the governors of Qianzhou, Zizhou, and Yanzhou, but not from the governor of Yanzhou. The local people you mentioned..."

Changsun Wuji's expression paused, then he lowered his head and sighed softly.

Li Chengqian looked at Liang Jianfang and Qiu Shenji and said, "Of course, you don't have to be too blatant. Cut down trees to build a camp, and then use firewood for heating. Don't let the locals see you. At the same time, use fewer local people. Do you think you will allow others to spy on your military secrets?"

"I obey your order." Liang Jianfang and Qiu Shenqi bowed at the same time with calm expressions.

All the ministers in the hall looked at the two men, their faces becoming solemn.

Liang Jianfang was a murderer to begin with, and together with Qiu Shenqi, who was deliberately trained by the emperor in this area, the two of them went to Qianzhou together with the intention of killing people.

"Destroying mountains and temples is the Taoist's specialty." Li Chengqian looked to the side and said, "Master Yin."

"I'm here." Yin Wencao, the head of Louguan Dao, walked out from the side.

Li Chengqian nodded calmly: "The Taoist sect is in the southwest jungle. Are there any experts who are good at felling mountains and destroying temples?"

"Yes." Yin Wencao shook off his floating sinker and bowed, saying, "Qingyang Temple and Qingcheng Mountain both have several experts who are good at felling mountains and destroying temples. In addition, Longhu Mountain is also familiar with the Qianzhou area."

"Dispatch the immortals from Qingyang Monastery, Qingcheng Mountain, and Longhu Mountain to accompany the army as advisors." Li Chengqian nodded directly and said, "If the army returns victorious, I will not hesitate to reward them generously."

"Yes!" Yin Wencao bowed solemnly.

Louguan Dao is the leader of all Taoist sects in the world. When the emperor needs help, Louguan Dao will naturally dispatch various Taoist sects inside and outside to provide assistance.

Li Chengqian looked back at Liang Jianfang and Qiu Shenji and said, "The Taoist master is quite familiar with the destruction of mountains and temples. He knows how to stabilize the local people's hearts and minds while trying his best to avoid miasma and other insidious tactics. You two must be respectful."

"Yes!" Liang Jianfang and Qiu Shenqi looked stern.

Li Chengqian looked at Fang Xuanling again and said, "Prime Minister Fang, please tell us about the affairs of Yanzhou, Yanzhou, and Zizhou."

"Yes!" Fang Xuanling bowed and said, "These three places were formerly known as Yelang. They were established as counties during the Han Dynasty and returned to the Tang Dynasty in the early Zhenguan period, when they were established as Yanzhou, Zizhou, and Yanzhou. Yanzhou Governor Xie Shan was the leader of the Western Xie Man, while Zizhou Governor Xie Wansui and Yanzhou Governor Xie Faxing were the leaders of the Eastern and Central Xie Man, respectively."

"So it's a familiar barbarian." Li Chengqian nodded slightly.

"Yes, the Liao people who invaded Yanzhou this time are actually wild barbarians from the deep mountains, and are not the same as the Three Xie barbarians." Fang Xuanling explained briefly, then said, "The Three Prefectures appointed the Three Xie barbarians as governors and provincial governors, and simultaneously sent officials from the imperial court to serve as chief secretaries and military officers to supervise the local areas."

"But there was a change in Yanzhou, and there was no news from the Yanzhou governor and the chief secretary before and after the incident. I have to suspect that it was the Yanzhou governor who killed the chief secretary Sima, and then the raw and cooked people rebelled together." Li Chengqian sneered slightly.

"Your Majesty, there's a huge difference between raw and acquainted barbarians. In fact, they're often mortal enemies." Changsun Wuji raised his head with a serious expression and said, "Your Majesty, we can't generalize."

"Uncle is afraid that I will kill both the native and the familiar barbarians." Li Chengqian looked up and said, "I understand what uncle means, but what I want to know is, is this rebellion in Yanzhou the result of years of simmering resentment, or is it someone behind the scenes instigating the rebellion, just six months after my father's death?"

Changsun Wuji raised his eyebrows, then whispered, "Your Majesty, are you saying that the Governor of Yanzhou instigated the rebellion, and that he and his domesticated barbarians all returned to the mountains and became wild barbarians?"

"According to the court's usual strategy, we should use both suppression and support. Therefore, they should cause chaos for a while, and then surrender after gaining enough benefits. Am I right?" Li Chengqian looked at the ministers.

"Yes!" All the ministers, including Changsun Wuji, bowed in unison. "So, they will eventually come out, so I'm not in a hurry." Li Chengqian looked back at Liang Jianfang and Qiu Shenji and said, "You don't have to rush either. Once you reach Yanzhou, proceed steadily and carefully. Seal off all the entrances and exits to the mountain, and prevent anyone from spying. After all, it's a vassal state, so I don't care about the autumn harvest."

"Yes!" Liang Jianfang and Qiu Shenqi bowed together.

"Of course, the barbarians in Zizhou and Yanzhou should mostly be leaning towards the Tang Dynasty, but we must be careful." Li Chengqian sneered softly and said, "Some are loyal to the Tang Dynasty, while others are treacherous. Naturally, some will play both sides and gain the advantage, especially now when it is obvious that someone is plotting all this."

"Yes!" Liang Jianfang and Qiu Shenqi bowed at the same time.

"I want to see how long these guys who use rebellion as a means to blackmail the court for benefits can last." Li Chengqian knocked heavily on the imperial desk twice, and all the ministers bowed in unison.

"Tell me, if there is someone behind the Qianzhou incident, who do you think it might be?" Li Chengqian looked at the ministers.

"Your Majesty!" Li Xizhi stood up and said seriously, "Your Majesty, although Yanzhou is in northwest Guizhou, it actually has connections with the Five Zhaos in Yunnan and the Li Liao in Lingnan."

"The Feng family of Lingnan." Li Chengqian's expression became serious.

Although the Five Kingdoms later became a threat to the Tang Dynasty, they only occasionally invaded southern Sichuan. On the contrary, if something happened to the Feng family in Lingnan, the entire Guangzhou and Jiaozhi would be in chaos.

"If there really is someone plotting behind the events in Qianzhou, I guarantee that the Feng family in Lingnan must have received the news in advance. However, since Lady Xian's grandson Feng Ang passed away in the 18th year of the Zhenguan reign, there has been a lack of communication. Therefore, even if there was news, it would not reach Chang'an." Li Xizhi bowed slightly and said, "But if the Feng family has the final say, pacifying Qianzhou will not be difficult."

Li Chengqian smiled lightly, then turned to look at Liang Jianfang and said, "Duke Yanmen, you have quite a bit of help."

"Yes!" Liang Jianfang's expression became serious.

Although the Feng family is not close to Qianzhou and is not the culprit, they are actually one of the masterminds behind the chaos in Qianzhou who want to reap the benefits.

"Your Majesty, since there are the Five Zhaos, it's inevitable that Tubo is involved," Changsun Wuji said, his expression becoming serious. He bowed and said, "Therefore, the Qianzhou rebels can hold out for much longer than Your Majesty estimated. Once the war spreads, there may be chaos."

"Uncle, are you saying that Tubo, the Five Kingdoms, the rebels in Qianzhou, and the Feng family in Lingnan should join forces?" Li Chengqian connected the entire southwestern part of the Tang Dynasty with just one sentence.

"It's possible. If chaos breaks out in the southwest, it will affect the stability of the country, especially your majesty's expedition against Goguryeo." Changsun Wuji stood up and bowed worriedly, saying, "Your Majesty, please be cautious."

Li Chengqian fell silent, leaned back slightly, and began to think seriously. In fact, Changsun Wuji was not worried about Tubo, but about someone else.

……

"First, Tubo, Wuzhao, Qianzhou, and Lingnan are already separated by mountains, cutting off communication, let alone contacting one another." Li Chengqian looked up and said, "So, we sent people to Qianzhou and Lingnan to spread the news that the Tubo Zamp suddenly died of illness..."

Li Chengqian suddenly paused, and the ministers looked up in surprise.

"No, spread the news to Wuzhao, Qianzhou, and Lingnan simultaneously, saying that the Tibetan king has passed away. That way, Wuzhao and Lingnan will be afraid to move, and Qianzhou will also be cautious." Li Chengqian leaned forward and continued, "Songtsen's physical condition is a mystery. Perhaps he is already dead, but the Tibetans are keeping it a secret."

All the ministers suddenly realized that although the Tibetans were planning something, as long as they told the other parties that the Tibetan king was dead, everyone would hesitate.

"Without Tubo, the chaos in the southwest won't be that serious." Li Chengqian smiled and said, "As for the Feng family in Lingnan, they've been longing for the Central Plains since the Liu Song Dynasty. This is their major strategy. So, they may reap some benefits from this, but they won't mobilize troops."

Changsun Wuji nodded: "The rest are Qianzhou and Wuzhao."

"Qianzhou is the easiest to deal with. Two of the Three Xie Barbarians are on the side of the Tang Dynasty. Even if they have ulterior motives, they won't do anything as long as the Tang Dynasty doesn't suffer a major defeat." Li Chengqian tapped the imperial desk gently and said, "So, as always, we must be steady. Cut off all communication and connections, then gradually push inward until they are forced to emerge from the mountains, and then we can destroy them in one fell swoop."

"Yes!" Liang Jianfang and Qiu Shenqi bowed at the same time.

"Find out the true core of the rebellion, and in the final battle, break the backbone of the Xixie Man. The rest will be to pacify them." Li Chengqian looked at Zhangsun Wuji and said, "After that, send people to teach and compile household registers. At the same time, build a large city to attract the Liao Man from the mountains. Whether it's for labor or attack, the situation is under my control."

"Yes!" Changsun Wuji thought for a moment and nodded slowly, saying, "Your Majesty's strategy is correct: suppress first and then appease."

"The Qianzhou rebellion is, after all, very close to Qianzhou. The Tang Dynasty has known them well over the years. The Five Zhao are the opposite." Li Chengqian's expression grew serious. "Their base is too far from Shuzhong. It can be said that their access is blocked, making them a threat to the Tang Dynasty. However, it is also not easy for the Tang Dynasty to suppress them."

"I will arrange for people to increase trade with the Five Zhaos and infiltrate and divide them." Changsun Wuji stood up and bowed.

"The situation in the southwest has been temporarily straightened out." Li Chengqian turned to look at Qiu Shenji and said, "After all, we are just making wild guesses in Chang'an. If you really want to understand everything, you need to investigate carefully after you arrive in Qianzhou."

"I obey your order." Qiu Shenji was the General of the Right Thousand Oxen Guard, and it was his job to investigate these things.

"After you go to Qianzhou, learn from the Duke of Yanmen." Li Chengqian's expression softened as he said, "Duke of Yanmen was like you in his early years, a bit impatient, but now he has learned to be calm. You must learn from him so that I can make good use of you in the future."

"I obey your order." Qiu Shenji bowed solemnly. The emperor's words made him feel touched and his eyes red.

Li Chengqian smiled, looked at Liang Jianfang, and said, "Duke of Yanmen, for this battle, you will be the commander-in-chief of the Qianzhong Road Army and the Qianzhong Road Pacifier, and Qiu Shenji will be the commander-in-chief of the front army. In this battle, everything will be under your command. I allow you to act at your discretion. Those above the fourth rank may be temporarily dismissed, and those below the fourth rank may be executed first and reported later."

Liang Jianfang suddenly looked up, then bowed solemnly and said, "I will definitely live up to your Majesty's trust."

"Ok!"

(End of this chapter)