Tang Dynasty: A Guide to Avoiding Pitfalls for Li Er at the Start

Chapter 296 Shooting yourself in the foot

“‘I want to see Your Majesty,’ that’s what he shouted after I finished speaking.”

Inside the Lizheng Hall, only Wen He and Li Shimin faced each other.

When he came out of the Dali Temple, the people sent by Gao Yue were already waiting for him. In fact, he had originally planned to go to the palace to ask for instructions, but he did not expect that Li Er would be so distrustful of him.

When he met Li Shimin, the emperor's face clearly showed a hint of melancholy.

Wen He didn't beat around the bush and simply told Zheng Yuanzhu all her plans.

After he finished speaking, he glanced at Li Er on the throne and saw that the displeasure between his brows was gradually fading away, so he secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

"Zheng Yuanzhu is, after all, the Left Martial General of the Tang Dynasty. If I were to let him play the 'traitor' card, where would I put my face?"

Li Shimin tapped his fingertips lightly on the dragon table, his tone tinged with hesitation.

The dignity of an emperor is of paramount importance; it would be too shameful to speak of a high-ranking official betraying the Tang Dynasty.

Upon hearing this, Wen He couldn't help but blink.

Even Li Er would care about his reputation?
This is unlike his usual decisive and efficient style.

"Your Majesty, it is precisely because he once held a high position that Goguryeo can trust him so deeply."

Wen He took half a step forward, her voice clear and bright.

“If it were just an unknown nobody who defected, they might not care. But if someone like Zheng Yuanzhu ‘surrenders,’ they will definitely see it as a huge prize and will lower their guard against him.”

Li Shimin looked up at him, raising his eyebrows slightly: "Goguryeo is just a small country, why go to such great lengths? Once the Tang Dynasty has gathered its strength for a few more years, the army will be able to conquer the land easily. Besides, that land is barren and may not be a treasure for our Tang Dynasty."

Wen He was secretly puzzled.

Why does Li Shimin look down on Goguryeo at this moment?
Then why did they launch three campaigns against Liaodong later?
Was it because Yeon Gaesomun murdered the emperor, usurped power, and disobeyed imperial orders?
Or was it to avenge the former Sui Dynasty?
But these are just the official reasons. With Li Er's foresight, he should have been able to see the importance of Liaodong.

He pondered for a moment, then felt it necessary to have a proper talk with His Majesty.

"Your Majesty may not know this, but the area south of the Yalu River in Goguryeo may be insignificant, but the north bank hides vast fertile fields and inexhaustible mineral veins, which will continue to nourish the region even after thousands of years."

Wen He deliberately emphasized her words, her gaze intense.

The heavy industrial region in the early days of the founding of the nation was known as the place of GHG's eldest son (harmony).

The future Andong Protectorate of the Tang Dynasty.

“That place has been part of our Chinese territory since the pre-Qin period, but now it has been occupied by villains. With Your Majesty’s wisdom, if you wish to achieve lasting great deeds, how can you allow your homeland to be left to wander abroad?”

He deliberately raised his voice, speaking with great passion, as if he could already see the Liaodong lands returning to the map.

Li Shimin remained outwardly calm, but inwardly he couldn't help but mutter to himself.

This brat, does he really think I'm short-sighted?
Am I as muddle-headed as Emperor Yang of Sui? Even he could see the importance of Liaodong, so how could I not know?

Seeing Wen He's earnest expression, he ultimately didn't voice his thoughts, only saying calmly, "Please continue."

Seeing that Li Shimin remained silent and his brows were slightly furrowed, Wen He took another step forward, her tone becoming even more earnest.

"Does Your Majesty still remember that I previously said that you would encounter setbacks in your future campaign against Goguryeo? In fact, the main problem lies in your unfamiliarity with the local environment and geography."

"That is why, when the cold winter was approaching, our army was unable to capture Anshi City for a long time, and the transportation of grain and fodder was not smooth, so His Majesty had no choice but to order a retreat."

"In that campaign, our Great Tang lost nearly two thousand soldiers and eight thousand warhorses. In the end, we captured ten cities of Goguryeo, relocated seventy thousand people to the Central Plains, beheaded more than forty thousand, annihilated its army of one hundred and fifty thousand, and seized fifty thousand warhorses, fifty thousand cattle, and ten thousand sets of iron armor."

Such a record, if it were in a later dynasty, would probably be enough for an emperor to perform the Fengshan ceremony at Mount Tai.

After all, they even dared to boast of their unparalleled achievements in repelling invading enemies.

Then they signed a so-called alliance with the other party that was humiliating and detrimental to the country, and went to Mount Tai to perform the Fengshan ceremony.

The face is gone.

However, Li Shimin ultimately failed, simply because his initial goal was to completely destroy the country and bring Liaodong entirely into his territory.

"Is it really that difficult?"

Li Shimin finally spoke, his brows furrowing even more deeply, his fingertips tapping lightly on the dragon table, his tone becoming increasingly solemn.

He originally thought that even if he couldn't win completely, he could at least take half of Goguryeo's territory, but he didn't expect it to be so time-consuming and laborious, and he only managed to gain ten cities in the end.

Seeing the change in Li Shimin's expression, Wen He knew that her words had worked, so she followed up by saying, "That's right. Goguryeo is located by mountains and rivers, and its cities are mostly built in strategic locations. The winters are also harsh and come early. If our army is completely unaware of the terrain and climate, it is very easy to fall into a passive position."

Li Shimin's expression darkened. How could he not know the old story of the Sui army's defeat in Liaodong?

The soldiers who froze to death in the bitter cold and the supplies that were blocked by dangerous terrain are all bloody lessons.

"Is Zheng Yuanzhu really that important?"

He pressed on, his fingertips lightly tracing patterns on the imperial desk, as if weighing his options.

"Um... it's hard to say for now," Wen He said frankly.

"But given his status, Yeon Gaesomun could not possibly be indifferent to him. Your Majesty may not know, but Yeon Gaesomun is an extremely arrogant person. Especially after he murdered King Yeongnyu, he even acquired five knives for himself and carried them on his person all day long to demonstrate his power."

"He will definitely value Zheng Yuanzhu at first, but whether he will give him an important position depends on what Zheng Yuanzhu and his son do."

Li Shimin understood instantly.

Such an arrogant person, upon hearing of the defection of a high-ranking official of the Tang Dynasty, would surely feel that the Mandate of Heaven has been bestowed upon him, and would inevitably become complacent and lower his guard against Zheng Yuanzhu.

Just like when Yang Xuangan raised an army, he always thought the world would respond, but he didn't know that he had already become someone else's pawn.

After a moment of silence, Li Shimin raised his eyes and asked, "Do you think Zheng Yuanzhu is trustworthy?"

“It cannot be completely trusted, but it can be used,” Wen He answered decisively.

Li Shimin nodded slightly, a resolute glint in his eyes. Having spent half his life in battle, he naturally understood the importance of knowing oneself and one's enemy. Wen He was right; the land of Liaodong could not be underestimated simply because it was weak.

only……

For Zheng Yuanzhu to surrender to a small country like Goguryeo would ultimately be a disgrace to the Tang Dynasty.

"How about I demote him to Lingzhou and make him 'surrender' to the Turks?"

Li Shimin suddenly spoke, his tone tinged with a hint of probing.

The Turks were, after all, a powerful nation, and it seems that if spies could be planted there, the value would be even greater.

Wen He was taken aback by his words and looked at him helplessly: "Your Majesty, that is the real danger."

Unlike Goguryeo, the Turks were a formidable enemy who truly had the strength to rival the Tang Dynasty.

Zheng Yuanzhu made several trips to the Turks and had a close relationship with Khagan Jieli. If he really hardened his heart and abandoned his wife and children to submit to the Turks for the sake of his future, wouldn't he be shooting himself in the foot?

It should be noted that there are still quite a few people from the former Sui Dynasty in the Turkic region.

Empress Xiao was also there.

Li Shimin pondered the matter and felt it was inappropriate, so he waved his hand and said, "Fine, I'll do as you say."

He finally relented: "Let Zheng Yuanzhu come to see me. I want to ask him myself if he has the courage."

Wen He was overjoyed and quickly bowed to accept the decree: "Your subject obeys!"

He knew it was a done deal.

With Li Shimin personally giving him a warning, Zheng Yuanzhu will surely comply obediently.

Once this move is made, another crucial piece with hidden sharpness will be added to the Tang Dynasty's campaign to conquer Liaodong.

Li Shimin watched his retreating figure and lightly tapped the Liaodong region on the map with his fingertip.

Perhaps this brat's schemes are more profound than I thought.

If we can truly understand the true strength and weaknesses of Goguryeo through Zheng Yuanzhu's help, our army will be able to avoid many detours when it goes on expeditions in the future.

As for face...

Those who achieve great things do not stick to trivial matters.

Once Liaodong is incorporated into the territory, who will remember these trivial details?

Not long after, Zheng Yuanzhu, dressed in the uniform of a hundred cavalrymen, was led into the palace. Li Shimin specifically requested a private meeting, and even Wen He had to wait outside the hall.

Wen He leaned against a pillar, pondering to herself.

Li Er would surely first soothe Zheng Yuanzhu with gentle words, then explain the greater good, and finally offer some benefits to persuade him to accept the assignment.

He could guess this tactic of using both kindness and severity even with his eyes closed.

The atmosphere inside the Korachi Hall was completely different from what he had imagined.

"Would you like to emulate Su Qin?"

Li Shimin flipped through the notes on the table without even lifting his eyelids, his tone as indifferent as if he were asking about today's weather.

All the grievances Zheng Yuanzhu had been holding back in prison surged up at once. He knelt down with a thud, his voice trembling with tears: "Your Majesty! I am innocent! I am not convinced!"

Since being imprisoned in the Dali Temple, he had never seen the emperor's face again. Now that he saw Li Shimin, he felt that he had no way to express his grievances.

Li Shimin didn't give him a chance to vent his emotions. His brows furrowed sharply, and he looked up at him with a cold, sharp gaze: "Are you wronged? Are you not convinced?"

"Do you know that I originally intended for you to die in the Dali Temple!"

The angry shout was like a thunderclap, and Zheng Yuanzhu trembled with fear, repeatedly saying, "Your Majesty, I know my crime! Your Majesty, I know my crime!"

"I have never doubted that I have treated you well."

Li Shimin's voice carried a hint of disappointment.

"But you were blinded by greed and colluded with the Cui family, almost ruining my important plans!"

These questions struck Zheng Yuanzhu like a heavy hammer, causing him to lower his head even further, almost touching the ground.

"Now I will only give you two choices."

Li Shimin's tone regained some calm.

"First, go to Goguryeo. After you succeed, I will grant you the title of county duke and ensure the safety of your children. Second, I will give you poisoned wine and exile your sons to the harsh land of Liaodong."

If Wen He were inside the hall at this moment, she would exclaim in surprise.

Your Majesty's actions are not a combination of kindness and severity; it's clearly putting a knife to someone's throat!

Even coercion and bribery shouldn't be this blatant!
The hall fell into a deathly silence, with only Zheng Yuanzhu's heavy breathing audible.

Li Shimin picked up his teacup and sipped it slowly, without any intention of urging him.

After about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, Zheng Yuanzhu suddenly let out a long sigh of relief, as if a heavy burden had been lifted off his shoulders.

He slowly raised his head, the fear from before gone from his face, as if he had made up his mind.

"Your Majesty, I am willing to serve you with utmost loyalty, like Su Qin who sought to sow discord between Qi." He bowed deeply to Li Shimin. "However, I have a request, and I hope Your Majesty will grant it."

Li Shimin put down his teacup and softened his tone slightly: "Minister Zheng, please speak."

Zheng Yuanzhu kowtowed and said, "Your Majesty, I would like to request Your Majesty to grant a decree allowing the magistrate of Wen County to take my daughter, Wu Niang, as a concubine."

(End of this chapter)