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

Chapter 636: This place is already ours, do we still need to feed the Pingrang people? (Part )
Seeing Gao Baozang being taken away in a daze, the generals in the hall finally couldn't help laughing.

In front of Li Ji, Gao Baozang was like dough, being kneaded at will.

"Okay!" Li Ji knocked lightly on the table, and everyone in the hall immediately became solemn.

Li Ji turned to the side and asked, "Wei Shaojian!"

Wei Hongji stood up and bowed: "Marshal!"

"How much grain has been shipped out of Pingrang City?" Li Ji's expression became serious.

"Half of it is gone." Wei Hongji bowed and said, "General, although most of the granary was burned down before, only less than 40% is left, but it is still a lot. I, Wangdu County Marquis and I led the people to move for three consecutive days, but in the end we only moved half of it."

"The food in the city is enough for nearly 200,000 people in the city to eat for four months. It is not a small amount. It is not easy to move half of it away." Li Ji nodded slightly.

"Thank you for your understanding, Marshal." Wei Hongji couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.

"General!" Su Xu stepped forward and asked, "Will the food for the army stationed in the city also be provided by the remaining grain in the city?"

"Of course." Li Ji nodded calmly.

"But, Marshal!" Su Xu took a deep breath and said with a salutation, "But there are still hundreds of thousands of Goguryeo people in the city. They can still hold on now, but if they are not enough in the future..."

If there is a shortage in the future, the entire Pingrang City will immediately fall into chaos.

Li Ji nodded to Su Xu and said, "What the Protector General said is indeed a problem, but Prince Consort, the army is now on the front lines, and the annual military expenditure is over 8 million strings of cash. If we don't do everything we can to make up for it, there will be problems in the court."

The Tang Dynasty's eastern expedition to Goguryeo was not simply to help Gao Baozang restore his country.

Not only did they want to conquer Goguryeo and eliminate all forces in Goguryeo that were against the Tang Dynasty, but they also wanted to plunder Goguryeo's wealth as much as possible and return it to the court.

Among these, food is the most important.

After all, a lot of the Tang Dynasty's military expenditure was spent on transporting military rations from the court to Pingrang City.

The emperor even hoped that there would be a surplus after this battle.

Li Ji saw clearly that the emperor was obviously planning to do something through this incident.

"As for the Goguryeo people in Pingrang City," Li Ji said, turning his gaze from Su Xu to all the civil and military officials in the hall, "First of all, we only need to take care of them until April of next year. After April, the army will completely withdraw from Pingrang City.

Of course, if Gao Baozang insists on staying, that's another matter, but no matter what, after April, Ping Rang will have nothing to do with us."

Su Xu nodded slightly. After April, everything would be Gao Baozang's business.

"Within these four months." Li Ji tapped the table lightly and said, "Quan Gaisuwen prepared so much food because he needed to feed the people and soldiers in the city before going to war with us. But now, this place is ours. Do we still need to feed them?"

Su Xu was stunned, then suddenly looked up.

Feeding people and not feeding them are two completely different concepts.

To feed someone, you need at least a full bowl of rice, but if you don’t feed them, then at most you can only have a bowl of porridge.

A few times is the difference between more than ten times.

"Also, now that Gao Baozang has returned, although Pingrang City may be short of food, he can order the other cities of Ping Goguryeo to send food to Pingrang City, which will solve part of the food problem." Li Ji smiled calmly and said, "Also, in a month, when the alliance is officially signed, the people in the city will be able to leave."

Leave the city and make a living on your own.

Li Ji raised his head, looked outside the palace, and said calmly: "We can catch wild grass and vegetables outside the city and in the river, and we can also catch wild animals in the mountains. Together with the food in the city, it will be enough for them to survive for half a year."

Although it is difficult, it is not difficult to survive.

"Also, Pingrang City is short of food, but Goguryeo is not!" Li Ji's eyes grew serious as he looked at everyone and said, "Everyone, we have only occupied the western coastal area so far, while Goguryeo still has a large number of cities and camps hidden in the mountains. There are a lot of food stored there, and we can take it out."

"Yes!" All the generals bowed.

"Of course, these are all things Gao Baozang needs to do after we leave." After a brief pause, Li Ji said, "What we need to do is to transport as much treasure as possible from other cities in Goguryeo back home, Gao Kan!"

"I am here." Gao Kan stood out from among the generals.

"Three days have passed. The news of Pingrang City's fall should have reached other cities by now. What are they doing?"

"Your Excellency," Gao Kan said, bowing. "Three city lords have already sent messengers after receiving the news. The others are still waiting and watching."

Li Ji nodded and said, "It seems that they are Gao Baozang's trusted confidants."

"Yes!" Gao Kan nodded affirmatively.

"Su Dingfang, Xue Rengui, Xue Wanche, Xue Wanbei, Ashina Zhong!"

"I'm here!" Five people stood up immediately.

"From now on, Su Dingfang will be the Chief of the Rebellion Control Office, assisting Jin Shangquan in pacifying Goguryeo. While summoning the city lords to pacify the rebellion, all armies will enter each city under the name of Gao Baozang and search and destroy the city's treasury." Li Ji raised his head slightly and said, "If they feel embarrassed, let Jin Shangquan communicate with them and ask them to donate the money themselves."

"Yes!" Su Dingfang, Xue Rengui, Xue Wanche, Xue Wanbei and Ashina Zhong bowed indifferently.

Li Ji smiled and said, "If anyone is unwilling, then beat them until they agree."

"Yes!"

"There are others." Li Ji's expression grew serious. "There should still be a group of people who don't recognize Gao Baozang as the King of Goguryeo. I don't need to explain how to deal with them."

"I understand." The five of them bowed in unison.

Li Ji waved his hand slightly, and the five people immediately stood back in the formation.

Li Ji continued, "Apart from the gold, silver, and precious treasures, it's best not to do anything too tampering with other things. However, there's still much that can be done in Pingrang City... Duke of Langya."

"I am here." Niu Jinda stood up and bowed solemnly.

"During this battle, there were nearly 50,000 troops in Pyongyang City, and now there are only over 30,000 left." Li Ji said with an indifferent expression, "All their weapons, armor, and horses should be confiscated. Whatever can be transported to Jiangbei should be transported there as much as possible. Especially the weapons. Even if we take them back to the court and melt them down to make farm tools for the people, it would be better than leaving them in Pyongyang."

"Yes!" Niu Jinda bowed solemnly.

The Tang Dynasty wanted to completely destroy Goguryeo's hostile forces against the Tang Dynasty, but wanted to retain Goguryeo's power to face Baekje and Silla, so it only attacked the military equipment in Pingrang City.

"Marquis Wangdu."

"I'm here!" Liu Demin bowed and stepped forward. Li Ji's expression grew serious, and he looked at everyone and said, "The Goguryeo Jiangbei Protectorate has been annexed by the Tang Dynasty. Soon, Your Majesty will grant it a title and appoint a governor. Previously, Jin Shangquan was in charge of Jiangbei, but in the future, he will be one of us."

"Yes!" The expressions of everyone in the hall suddenly became serious. They already knew what Li Ji was going to say.

"The tens of thousands of people in Jiangbei have been governed half by Jin Shangquan and half by us in the past few years. So, as long as the means are appropriate, it will not be difficult to rest assured. But after the spring next year, we will have to carry out spring planting, followed by autumn harvest, and in between there are also teaching matters, which all need us to do well." Li Ji looked at everyone solemnly.

"Yes!" Everyone bowed in unison. When Jiangbei completely became the territory of the Tang Dynasty, everything was completely different.

I felt a sudden heaviness, but also a sense of belonging.

"We can talk about other things later, but how are we going to get through this winter?" Li Ji shook his head and said, "Getting firewood from the mountains is the easiest, but I think the best way is to properly tidy up Junbi City. Generally speaking, this is extremely costly, with labor and materials, but everyone, we have tens of thousands of prisoners of war now!"

"The Marshal is planning to use the prisoners of war in Pingrang City to repair the city?" Liu Demin immediately understood.

"Yes!" Li Ji nodded and said, "There's no need to send them all out at once. We need to make preparations in advance, then transfer them in batches, use them, and then send them back. When they're in Jiangbei, we'll make sure they have enough to eat, and even let them bring some back for their wives and children. In Jiangnan, they'll still have only a bowl of porridge."

"This is a strategy to divide people!" Su Xu said subconsciously, then bowed to Li Ji and said, "I apologize for the intrusion."

"That's fine." Li Ji waved his hand and said, "Junbi City is in Jiangbei, and Pingrang City is in Jiangnan, just across the river. Gao Baozang might still be dreaming of conquering Jiangbei and returning it to Goguryeo. So, the best way to shatter his dream is to govern Jiangbei better than Jiangnan."

"It's winter now, and Jiangbei can't do much. But by next spring, Jiangbei will be able to start construction in a big way. In Pingrang City, by next spring, it will not only face food shortages but also chaos in the city. Jiangbei can provide food, so naturally everyone envies Jiangbei." Su Xu muttered, revealing all of Li Ji's intentions.

"Although Gao Baozang is the King of Goguryeo, to be honest, he doesn't have much governing ability. It's okay when we are here, but when we are gone..." Li Ji snorted twice, but soon calmed down. This is exactly what they wanted.

"Yes!" All the generals bowed and smiled.

Li Ji then looked at Liu Demin and said, "Marquis Wangdu, from now on, you will coordinate and manage this matter. First, use these prisoners of war to move the things in Pingrang City to Jiangbei... Remember, every time you go there, give them a full meal."

They are just prisoners of war now, but in the future perhaps ordinary people in Pingrang City will also be attracted over.

Of course, these are matters for the future Protector of Jiangbei, and there is no need for Li Ji to tell them.

"Yes!" Liu Demin bowed solemnly.

Li Ji continued, "Finally, it's about Baekje and Silla."

Everyone became serious again.

Li Ji looked outside the hall and said with a serious expression, "To destroy Goguryeo, the Tang Dynasty will not do it alone, because we cannot afford to support the nearly two million people of Goguryeo. Therefore, we need Baekje and Silla to take action and cut off a part of Goguryeo."

This was the emperor's plan, and everyone present had heard it.

Now sitting in Pingrang City, they can better appreciate the correctness of this strategy.

Just asking them to support the nearly 200,000 people in the entire Pingrang City is already a bit too much for them to bear, not to mention that this number has to be increased tenfold.

In other words, their strategy was correct. They forcibly divided the entire Goguryeo by using a balance of power, and only targeted Pingrang City. In addition, they had a Gao treasure to use. Otherwise, the outcome would be really hard to predict.

But fortunately, they will all retreat to Jiangbei in April next year.

"Silla and Goguryeo have a deep-seated feud. So, this time, they're coming not only to reclaim the cities Goguryeo has occupied over the years, but they'll probably also take a few more as revenge." Li Ji looked up and said calmly, "They've been fighting Goguryeo for years, and they're at a disadvantage in many ways. They can only resort to this method."

The Tang Dynasty confronted Gaesomun at the Taedong River, and Gaesomun not only had to stabilize the domestic situation in Goguryeo, but also had to guard against Silla.

Of course, Baekje was added in the past two years.

"After all, Silla is a vassal state of the Tang Dynasty. They have gained a lot from this battle. It is only right to give them some benefits. However, it is only benefits, and..." Li Ji raised his head and looked to the left and said, "Liu Rengui!"

"I'm here." Liu Rengui stood up and bowed.

"Go and talk to them. Give them some of what they want, but don't give them all. Also," Li Ji took a deep breath and squinted his eyes. "Because of the wars in recent years, Silla hasn't paid tribute to Chang'an properly for quite some time. Let them prepare well."

"Yes!" Liu Rengui bowed and accepted the order with a calm expression, but everyone understood that he understood the hidden meaning in Li Ji's words.

Li Ji nodded calmly and said, "There is also Baekje. Although Baekje didn't do much this time, he is the one that is truly worth winning over."

The generals looked up subconsciously.

"Of the three kingdoms of the East Island, Goguryeo is half mountainous and half plain; Silla is entirely mountainous; and Baekje has only a small portion of mountainous land, but is mostly coastal plains with many ports." Li Ji smiled softly and said, "If Silla and Baekje clash in the future, we should support Baekje. This will force Silla to attack Goguryeo in the north. At that time, we should side with Silla."

Silla destroyed Goguryeo.

"If Silla takes advantage of Goguryeo, then Baekje won't let it go. A chaotic war will ensue among the three kingdoms, and we must ensure Goguryeo's destruction." After a brief pause, Li Ji said solemnly, "How about this? We'll march south and destroy Silla's main force, which has finally emerged from the mountains. Then, we'll march back into the mountains to destroy Silla, and finally, we'll come out and destroy Baekje."

Silla is located in the southeast of Dongdao Island, with complex mountainous terrain.

The reason why Goguryeo was able to suppress Silla in recent years was that half of their land was mountainous, they were familiar with the terrain, and they had many soldiers and generals who were proficient in mountain warfare.

But the Tang Dynasty couldn't do that.

The only way was to destroy Silla's main force in one fell swoop when it came out of the mountains, and then rush into the mountains and destroy Silla.

Baekje is on the seaside, and once it emerges from the mountains, it will directly take advantage of the above advantages.

In this way, if there is another naval raid on the coast and Baekje is attacked from both sides, it will surely be destroyed.

"Wei Daijia." Li Ji turned and looked to the other side.

"I am here." Wei Daijia immediately stood up.

"You will be responsible for the talks with Baekje. Use your connections in Baekje to gain as much benefit as possible from Baekje, and then give them some Goguryeo cities as appropriate." Li Ji narrowed his eyes and looked cold.

"I obey your command." Wei Daijia bowed respectfully.

"All that's left is this covenant." Li Ji picked up the scroll from the table, then looked at the generals and said, "Duan Baoxuan, you must personally deliver this and my report to Luoyang, to His Majesty."

"I obey your command." Duan Baoxuan stepped forward and took the scroll and memorial.

Li Ji took a deep breath, looked at the crowd and said, "Everyone, although the overall situation of Goguryeo has been resolved, we must still be cautious and careful. We must persevere for a few more years. Once the Three Kingdoms are completely destroyed and the Tang Dynasty unifies Dongdao, it will be time for you to celebrate. Therefore, everything is for the Tang Dynasty. I hope you will continue to work hard for a few more years."

"Everything is for the Tang Dynasty." Yuchi Jingde, who had been silent all this time, stood up and bowed seriously to Li Ji.

"Everything is for the Tang Dynasty." Su Xu calmly bowed his hands with a solemn expression.

"Everything is for the Tang Dynasty." Everyone in the hall bowed solemnly.

(End of this chapter)