The Fierce Teacher of Zhenguan: Starting with Teaching the Crown Prince to Make a Comeback

Chapter 178 How to Destroy a Country Through Transactions?
Li Chengqian's gaze remained fixed on the paper filled with the training guidelines for "surprise troops".

What was written on the paper far exceeded his previous understanding of the word "military affairs".

Li Yichen did not urge him, but silently knelt on the mat, waiting for the Crown Prince to digest this first wave of shock.

The occasional crackling of the charcoal fire inside the hall only added to the stillness.

After a long while, Li Chengqian slowly raised his gaze from the paper.

"Sir... this 'surprise attack' strategy is indeed... astonishing. However, upon careful consideration, if it can truly be formed into an army, its effectiveness may be as you say, capable of determining the fate of the world in secret."

He took a deep breath, carefully rolled up the paper, and placed it on the inside of the desk, as if it were a deadly weapon, both fearing its danger and coveting its power.

"However, this strategy is a long-term plan and cannot be accomplished overnight. The current situation in Goguryeo is urgent."

"I fear that the Emperor and the officials of the court will not have the patience to wait for this 'surprise weapon' to be trained."

"Sir, you just mentioned that there are other strategies that can be implemented simultaneously?"

“Exactly.” Li Yichen nodded slightly, his gaze calm and serene.

"A surprise attack is like a dagger, concealed in one's sleeve, waiting for the right moment to strike. However, to defeat Goguryeo, it is even more necessary to strike at its root, disrupting its foundation. This foundation lies in two things: food supplies and the hearts of the people."

"Food and provisions? People's hearts?"

Li Chengqian's spirits lifted, and his body unconsciously leaned forward.

"Appreciate further details!"

"Your Highness may know that although Goguryeo is mountainous and barren, millet and wheat are also produced in its Liaodong region and river valleys."

"The country relies on the autumn harvest here to support its large army, in addition to the reserves accumulated in previous years."

"Chuan Gaisuwen murdered his master and usurped power, attempting to divert attention from internal affairs by waging wars abroad. His large-scale mobilization of troops consumed a considerable amount of food and fodder for the people and horses every day."

Li Yichen spoke in a calm tone.

"If their supplies run out, their morale will be low, and even if they have strategic passes and fortified cities, they will not be able to hold out for long."

Li Chengqian nodded.

"I understand this principle. However, Goguryeo's granaries must be heavily guarded. Even if our scouts can find their location, it would be as difficult as climbing to heaven to burn and destroy them."

"The 'surprise attack' that you just mentioned may be worth trying, but it's a long shot and can't solve an immediate problem."

“Open warfare is naturally difficult.”

A cold, stern smile appeared on Li Yichen's lips.

"However, there is a knife in this world that cuts flesh and removes bones without drawing blood. This knife is called 'economics'."

"Economy?" Li Chengqian was unfamiliar with the word, but vaguely felt that it was related to money, grain, and commodities.

"It can be understood as the way of trade and commerce," Li Yichen explained.

"However, this transaction is not for profit, but for... destroying the country."

Li Chengqian's pupils constricted slightly.

"Destroy a country? How can you destroy a country through trade?"

“Your Highness,” Li Yichen said in a low voice.

"What does our Great Tang possess that Goguryeo, and even the various tribes of Liaodong, regard as a precious treasure and covet so desperately?"

After a moment's thought, a glint flashed in Li Chengqian's eyes.

"Salt! Especially... jade salt!"

He immediately thought of the snow-white, crystal-clear snowflake salt controlled by the Crown Prince, which was several times better than the official salt.

This item is already more valuable than gold in Chang'an; if it were to flow into the surrounding barbarian states, its allure would be unimaginable.

"Your Highness is wise," Li Yichen affirmed.

"It is salt. Although there are salt lakes and sea salt in Goguryeo, they taste bitter and the purification techniques are far inferior to those of our Great Tang."

"Especially in the bitterly cold Liaodong region, both people and livestock need large amounts of salt to resist the cold, making salt even more important than elsewhere."

"The snowflake salt of our Great Tang Dynasty is nothing short of a divine delicacy to those people."

Li Chengqian seemed to have grasped something and asked urgently, "Sir, do you mean... to exchange salt for grain?"

“It’s not just about exchanging grain.” Li Yichen’s gaze was sharp.

"It is to use my 'sustainable' resources to attack their 'necessity'."

"Your Highness may secretly order the Crown Prince to take control of the situation, or to contact those large grain merchants who cooperate with the Crown Prince, have powerful backgrounds, and have trade relations with Liaodong."

"They offered them great rewards, which led them to send their caravans deep into Liaodong and even into the border regions of Goguryeo."

He paused slightly, observing the prince's reaction. Seeing that the prince was completely focused, he continued.

"Let them use snowflake salt as bait to exchange for local grain at a low price!"

"Exchange grain at a low price?" Li Chengqian was taken aback. "Sir, wouldn't our Great Tang be at a disadvantage if we did that? And how could those merchants possibly agree to that?"

“Your Highness, the accounts are not calculated this way.” Li Yichen shook his head.

"First of all, the cost of my Snowflake Salt is far lower than its market price. It seems like a low-price exchange for grain, but in reality, the profit is still substantial. Merchants are profit-driven, and with such huge profits at stake, I have no doubt that they will do their utmost."

"Secondly, the primary purpose of this strategy is not to profit, but to deplete the grain reserves of the Goguryeo people, especially those within the potential requisition range of their army!"

He went on to analyze it further.

“In Liaodong, production is limited. In ordinary years, the people may have some surplus grain.”

“Using the irresistible snowflake salt as bait, and exchanging it for their grain at an abnormally low price, those tribal chiefs, ordinary wealthy households, and even small landowners will scramble to get this salt and empty their entire grain reserves.”

"They even went so far as to use grain seeds reserved for winter or for planting the following year!"

Li Chengqian gasped.

He seemed to see countless Goguryeo people and small lords handing over their life-sustaining grains to Tang merchant ships for those snow-white grains of salt.

"This plan...this plan is extremely vicious! As a result, the grain reserves of the people in Goguryeo will be drastically reduced! If Yeon Gaesomun tries to requisition military supplies from the country again, he will face great resistance and it may even incite a popular uprising!"

“That’s exactly right,” Li Yichen said coldly.

"This is an open scheme. Our Great Tang Dynasty is exchanging salt for grain, a fair trade. They are doing it voluntarily. Even if Quan Gaisuwen is aware of it, he will find it difficult to openly stop it, otherwise he will lose the support of the people."

"However, the foundation of their army's food and supplies has been shaken by me without my noticing. This is the first point."

"Secondly," he continued, throwing out even more ruthless schemes.

"Once the salt-for-grain trade between caravans has progressed to a certain point and signs of food shortages begin to appear within Goguryeo, then we can proceed to the next step."

"What's next?" Li Chengqian felt his heart racing.

"Burn the grain." Li Yichen uttered two words, without any emotion.

"Burning grain?" Li Chengqian's pupils suddenly dilated.

"Burning...burning whose grain?"

“Naturally, we’ll burn the grain that has just been collected and is ready to be transported back to the Tang Dynasty, or that is temporarily stored at border trading posts.”

Li Yichen spoke calmly, as if stating something ordinary.

"It could be faked as an accidental fire, or... bandits who failed to rob the place and set it on fire to vent their anger."

"The location should be within Goguryeo territory, or in a sensitive border area."

Li Chengqian instantly understood the viciousness of it!
Those grains, which were nominally the property of Tang merchants, were burned within Goguryeo territory, making it difficult for Goguryeo to completely shirk responsibility.

More importantly, this fire will amplify the panic about food shortages to the extreme in an instant!

"The news of the burning of the granary will surely break the nerves of the people who are already on edge due to the grain exchange!" Li Chengqian's voice trembled slightly.

"At that time, there is a risk of panic buying and hoarding, causing grain prices to soar and the people to panic! If Quan Gai Suwen forcibly requisitions grain at a fixed price, it will surely provoke public anger!"

"Your Highness's concerns are very valid."

Li Yichen nodded.

“Panic can sometimes be more destructive than a real shortage. Once this plan is implemented, chaos will inevitably break out within Goguryeo, especially in Liaodong. This is the second point.”

Before Li Chengqian could recover from this series of vicious schemes, Li Yichen came up with a third plan.

"Thirdly, we can publicly declare, or spread through merchants, that any tribe or city within Goguryeo that is willing to set things right and oppose Yeon Gaesomun's tyrannical rule, will be supported by the intelligence they provide or by whatever support they can offer."

"In exchange for grain and snowflake salt aid from my Great Tang Dynasty!"

"We could even promise to offer more favorable trade terms once things are set right!"

Li Chengqian felt a chill run from the soles of his feet straight up to the top of his head!
This strategy was a blatant attempt to divide and conquer, sowing countless seeds of suspicion and betrayal within Goguryeo!
What choices will those forces already dissatisfied with Jeon Gaesomun make under the temptation of food panic and huge profits?

Faced with internal and external troubles, how much energy would Quan Gaisuwen have left to deal with the potential military pressure on the Tang Dynasty?
The trade in salt and grain undermined its economic foundation.

Burning grain creates panic and disrupts social order.

They openly offered incentives to undermine their political alliance.

These three strategies are linked one after another, each move seemingly aimed at the back of the head, yet there is almost no visible swordplay!
Li Chengqian stared blankly at Li Yichen, speechless for a long time.

He never imagined that the clash between the two countries, besides the mountains of corpses and seas of blood on the battlefield, would also involve such... such sinister and treacherous events.

But it may be a more effective tactic!

This has completely exceeded the concepts of "a benevolent and righteous army" and "a majestic formation" taught in the classics.

“Sir…this…this kind of strategy…” His throat went dry, and he didn’t know how to evaluate it.

Is it ruthless? Is it brilliant? Perhaps it's a combination of both.

He felt that if this strategy were implemented, Goguryeo would likely fall into chaos even without the Tang Dynasty needing to send many troops.

When the Tang army were to press on the border, it would be as easy as crushing dry leaves!

Seeing the shock, realization, and a hint of barely perceptible fear on the Crown Prince's face, Li Yichen knew the time was right.

He said slowly, "Your Highness, this is the prototype of 'economic warfare'."

"War is never confined to the battlefield. Cutting off their supply lines can cause an army of 100,000 to collapse without a fight."

"Disrupting the flow of wealth can alienate the people of a nation. This is the same principle behind how Guan Zhong used economic means to help Duke Huan of Qi achieve hegemony."

"Now that our great Tang Dynasty is far stronger than when Duke Huan of Qi was in power, using this method to deal with a small country like yours is like hitting an egg with a stone."

He paused briefly to allow Li Chengqian a moment to catch his breath.

"Of course, such strategies require careful planning and cautious execution."

“In particular, matters involving contacting businessmen and operating in secret must be kept absolutely confidential.”

“Those big grain merchants are all profit-driven people. As long as you offer enough benefits and ensure their personal and property safety, they will come up with all sorts of ways to transport salt in, exchange grain for it, and even... create ‘accidents’.”

Li Chengqian tried to calm his turbulent emotions, his mind racing with calculations.

Although the strategy you proposed is unheard of, upon careful analysis, every step of it directly targets Goguryeo's Achilles' heel, making it highly feasible!
Moreover, most of the operations were carried out through merchants, with the imperial court and the crown prince remaining behind the scenes, making the risks manageable.

"If...if this plan succeeds,"

Li Chengqian's voice carried a hint of suppressed excitement.

"That Quan Gaisuwen probably won't even make it to next spring!"

"Even if they manage to hold on, their domestic strength will be severely damaged and internal conflicts will intensify."

Li Yichen added.

"At that time, when our army launches another campaign, the resistance will be greatly reduced, and casualties can be kept to a minimum. This is the way to achieve the greatest results with the least cost."

Li Chengqian slammed his fist heavily on the table, his eyes burning with intense flames.

"Very well! We will follow your plan, sir! I will immediately submit this to my father, the Emperor, and make secret arrangements to select reliable merchants and carry out this matter!"

He could almost see the Goguryeo people wailing on the unseen front.

However, Li Yichen did not finish speaking.

He looked at the ambitious crown prince, his tone becoming even more profound and solemn.

"Your Highness, the above strategies constitute 'destruction'. However, after 'destruction', there must be 'establishment'."

"Stand?" Li Chengqian composed himself.

"Sir, please speak."

"After Yeon Gaesomun was beheaded and the situation in Goguryeo was initially stabilized,"

Li Yichen's gaze was distant, as if he could already see the future.

"Our Great Tang must not merely plunder or install a puppet regime before withdrawing its troops. We must seize this opportunity to implement a strategy of complete control."

"First and foremost, there is strict economic control. In post-war Goguryeo, all industries are in ruins and the people are suffering. Our Great Tang should intervene as an aid provider and rebuilder."

"The benefits of its salt, iron, minerals, forestry, fishing and hunting should be dominated by the Tang Dynasty."

"In particular, the salt administration must be taken back from the monopoly of the agency designated by the Tang Dynasty, and it must not be allowed to be left to its own devices as before. This is a move to control its lifeline."

Li Chengqian nodded slightly. After this "economic war," he deeply understood the importance of controlling key resources.

"Secondly, we should establish a Protectorate General's Office," Li Yichen continued.

"It is not the kind of protectorate with a loose control over the people in the past, but rather a protectorate of Liaodong with real power, a garrison of elite troops, and the ability to govern the people and maintain peace, modeled after the protectorates of Anxi and Anbei!"

"Its jurisdiction not only includes the former territory of Goguryeo, but also the various tribes of Liaodong. The Protectorate General shall establish prefectures and counties under its jurisdiction, and implement the laws, tax system and official schools of our Great Tang Dynasty."

His voice carried an unquestionable decisiveness.

Li Chengqian was deeply moved. This was no longer just a military conquest, but a fundamental integration of a piece of land and its people into the grand blueprint of the Tang Dynasty!
This is far more farsighted than simply destroying a country, and it is also more likely to ensure long-term stability and security.

"Sir...this is...this is the foundation for an everlasting legacy!"

Li Chengqian's voice trembled with excitement.

"If successful, Liaodong can forever serve as a bulwark for our Great Tang Dynasty, and future generations will never have to worry about troubles on the northeastern border again!"

"However, this process cannot be accomplished overnight; it requires perseverance and a huge investment."

Li Yichen reminded him.

"The establishment and operation of the Protectorate requires capable ministers, sufficient funds and provisions, and the unwavering support of His Majesty and the court."

"If Your Highness wishes to take the lead in this matter, you need to plan carefully, prepare talent in advance, and devise a strategy."

Li Chengqian took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the excitement in his heart, and nodded heavily.

"I understand! This strategy is not about raging fire and quick attack, but about simmering slowly over a gentle fire. I will keep it in mind and plan it carefully."

He gazed out at the deep night outside the palace.

An unprecedented sense of mission and control surged within him.

Tonight's conversation with you, sir, began with the "surprise weapon," then moved to the "economic" soft knife, and finally to the "strategic planning" for the long term. Each step was a step forward, full of hidden dangers, yet they were all interconnected and went straight to the heart of the matter.

If this combination of punches can be delivered, not only will Yeon Gaesomun be affected, but the foundation of Goguryeo, which has been established for hundreds of years, will also be shaken to its core!
He withdrew his gaze and looked at Li Yichen, who remained calm and composed opposite him, his heart filled with mixed emotions.

(End of this chapter)