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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter 261 Baekje
Li Mi's words of victory indeed made many in the Civil and Military sectors feel that now was a good opportunity. If they did not take advantage of their strength while the enemy was weak, would they wait until the opponent was strong before going to war?
However, after Minister of Civil Affairs Wang Gui reported on the grain storage situation across the court, the military generals could only fall silent in disappointment.
The meat was right in front of them, yet they found themselves unable to bite into it.
This also prompted the Courtiers to seriously consider the matter of defeating the Turkic tribes. As long as they could participate, they would leave a mark in history, which was important for everyone.
As a newly established Tang Dynasty, it was undoubtedly growing quickly, especially after achieving a brilliant victory last year, which left the entire nation firmly believing in its strength.
Fang Xuanling stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, while it may not be suitable to engage in a large-scale conflict with the Turkic tribes at this time, it is still possible to make some early arrangements.
The Xue Yantuo Tribe originally belonged to one of the Tiele tribes. After being struck down by Shibi Khan, it revived during Xieli Khan's reign but is now facing exclusion from Tuli Khan.
I believe we can send envoys to establish connections and win them over, emulating the strategies of previous dynasties by bestowing the title of Khan upon the Tiele chieftain and granting him banners to split the Turkic tribes."
"Your Majesty, I support this. It's not just the Xue Yantuo Tribe; do Khitan, Uyghur, Balhae, A-Dye, Tongluo, Pugu, and other tribes truly wish to continue following the Ashina Clan?"
Throughout history, dealing with the grasslands has been inevitable, so there are established methods to rely on. The emperor agreed to any reasonable and feasible proposals.
However, he emphasized that this year's primary task for the court was to completely control the Liaodong region. In the Central Plains, efforts should continue to restore people's livelihoods. Aside from necessary repairs to canals and levees that must be addressed, no forced labor should be imposed on the populace for any reason.
The same applied to taxation; efforts should be made to implement policies of light taxation and minimal labor.
In March, the Inspector of the Henan Circuit submitted a report stating, "The peace of the people relies solely on the Prefect and County Magistrate. If capable individuals are selected for these positions, Your Majesty can govern with ease and without interference.
Currently, the court prioritizes internal officials while neglecting the selection of local officials. Many governors appoint military personnel, or unqualified officials from the capital are assigned to remote areas, leading to a lack of proper governance. This is why the people remain unsettled; it is largely due to this situation. I humbly request that Your Majesty exercise caution in appointing local officials."
Upon reading this report, Li Jian Cheng felt a sense of awakening. He realized he had placed too much emphasis on the capital while undervaluing local governance. Some capable officials should be delegated to local areas rather than kept close at hand.
At Li Jing's suggestion, some adjustments were made to military organization. The General's Office was renamed the Department of Military Affairs, with a total of six hundred thirty-four offices established nationwide—two hundred sixty-one within the central region, all under the command of various central guards.
The Department of Military Affairs was divided into upper, middle, and lower offices: the upper office had twelve hundred personnel, the middle office had one thousand, and the lower office had eight hundred.
Each two hundred personnel formed a unit led by a captain; fifty formed a squad led by a squad leader; and ten formed a fire team led by a fire leader.
…………
By late April of the fourth year of Taiping, Andong Protector Luo Yi commanded fifty thousand troops from Liaodong southward, while Hejian Wang Li Xiaogong led another fifty thousand naval forces eastward for a direct assault. The Silla Monarch also mobilized sixty thousand troops for an offensive, surrounding Baekje from three sides.
Initially, Baekje resisted fiercely. The remnants of Goguryeo rallied support from Silla and encouraged their troops to respond. Fortunately, Zhang Hutan, stationed in Pyongyang, had prepared for this situation.
However, the Silla King was compelled to recall his troops because allied with the remnants of Goguryeo were factions within his own country—the Park Clan and several families from True Bone including Choi, Jeong, and Lee.
The capital of Silla was nearly occupied by them. They were deeply dissatisfied that the royal family had submitted to Tang without any assurance of their interests being protected.
The common people in the country also failed to understand this situation. Consequently, they quickly gathered tens of thousands of troops not only to depose their Sovereign but also to support Baekje in driving out Tang forces from Liaodong and aiding Goguryeo in restoring its state.
As the supreme commander, Li Xiaogong continued to proceed steadily without any intention of pausing military operations, which made things quite difficult for Baekje.
Just as there will always be those who do not wish for the Tang army to come and disrupt the order, there are also a considerable number of people in Baekje who hope that the Tang army can break the current situation, allowing them to overcome the dominance held by the Eight Prominent Clans for generations.
Among the thirty-seven counties of Baekje, there are not a few prefectures that surrendered without a fight.
However, since they came from afar, the Tang army suffered quite a bit due to their unfamiliarity with the terrain. Relying solely on Luo Yi would likely not lead to success; they still had Li Xiaogong.
As they approached the capital of Baekje, Li Xiaogong halted the offensive and, before Baekje could fortify its defenses, sent troops to plunder a batch of grain, then began to digest and wait.
The reinforcements from Pyongyang arrived the fastest. Zhang Hutan and Wei Zheng were not only able to send troops to Baekje but also arranged some support for the Silla King.
When Wei Zheng arrived at Li Xiaogong's command tent, after exchanging pleasantries for a moment, he said, "General, with your forces, you are more than capable of besieging the capital of Baekje. Why hesitate?"
Li Xiaogong replied, "It is naturally for Duke Wei's future governance and pacification, to eliminate more stubborn elements.
Does Duke Wei not think that the combined population of Goguryeo, Silla, and Baekje is rather excessive?
The Central Plains are also severely lacking in manpower. His Majesty still needs to relocate several thousand households from Goguryeo to fill the border regions; how many Han Chinese can be used to fill Liaodong?"
Wei Zheng frowned and said, "One cannot abandon food for fear of choking. There is no need for Hejian Wang to worry about the Andong Protectorate."
Li Xiaogong did not care about Wei Zheng's attitude; at his position, aside from His Majesty, he did not need to heed anyone else's expression.
"It is one thing for ordinary people, but the aristocrats of Silla and Baekje will surely cause trouble. Since I have been ordered here to expand territory, I have the authority to make decisions on the battlefield. If Duke Wei finds it inappropriate, he may impeach me before the court."
Wei Zheng's expression darkened. A proud and fierce general cannot be swayed merely by words; moreover, Li Xiaogong is from the royal family. If he is truly determined, what else can be done?
Luo Yi, standing nearby, was delighted to see Wei Zheng in distress, all thanks to Hejian Wang.
He and Zhang Hutan were also foreign officials, so they still had to be somewhat wary of Wei Zheng.
With Hejian Wang's orders conveyed, the Tang army began to plunder the food and wealth of local noble officials in the occupied Prefecture.
However, it wasn't just destruction; the Tang army was also conscripting young men. This recruitment was essentially forced, so young male commoners had to serve as Commoners.
The Recruitment was aimed at those dissatisfied with the current situation in Baekje, encouraging them to volunteer. They would be given a pathway for advancement; anyone who came through Recruitment could directly command hundreds of Commoners.
Then, without needing orders from the Tang army, these individuals willingly went to attack cities, seize counties, kill officials, and plunder grain, subsequently gaining promotions and becoming substitutes for the noble families.
In a situation where he could not dissuade them, Wei Zheng also joined in. In some ways, Hejian Wang's methods were indeed effective.
There were still many in Goguryeo refusing to surrender because the Tang army had killed too few, leaving many remnants of noble families who were unwilling to cooperate and constantly sought to restore their nation.
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(End of Chapter)
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