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墨書 Inktalez
In mid-June of the twentieth year of the Zhenguan era, on this day last year, the Tang army had already breached Gaimu City and was rampaging across the land of Goguryeo, showcasing the national prestige of the Tang Dynasty.
However, not long after the Tang forces withdrew, Cheon Gae Su Mun returned with renewed vigor. He became increasingly arrogant, claiming the Tang army's withdrawal as his own military achievement and even boasting that he had shot out one of the eyes of the Tang Emperor. He frequently harassed and invaded the old territories of Gaizhou, Liaozhou, and Yan Prefecture, and continued to attack Silla.
The Sovereign received this intelligence and was furious. He dispatched envoys to order Cheon Gae Su Mun to refrain from probing the border. However, Cheon Gae Su Mun did not treat the Tang envoys with respect; instead, he escalated his actions, frequently invading the Liaodong Governor's Office. Gao Renwu organized troops multiple times to resist him but suffered greatly.
At that time, Xu Zhenbu's military power was at its peak. Numerous tribes, including the Uyghurs, had been conquered and recognized the Tang Emperor as the Heavenly Khan. The national prestige was formidable against the nomadic tribes. The Sovereign convened a court meeting with his ministers to discuss another campaign against Goguryeo.
Zhu Suiliang and other civil officials had strongly opposed the previous campaign against Liao. Now that they had just concluded the first round of conquests and with national strength depleted and insufficient recovery time, launching another attack could provoke public resentment.
Li Shimin was aware that his health was deteriorating and that Goguryeo remained a persistent concern for him. If he could not conquer Goguryeo, he feared that Li Zhi, who was naturally timid, would face internal troubles and external threats upon ascending to the throne. This could lead to a decline in the prosperity of the Tang Dynasty. This concern was also one of the reasons he had cultivated Xu Zhen.
Although civil officials had their methods for governing the country, Li Shimin understood well that without control over the military, relying solely on civil governance would not secure his position as True Dragon.
As a ruler, he knew there were some discrepancies between Xu Zhen and Li Zhi. However, promoting Xu Zhen served not only to act as a watchdog over Li Zhi but also to supervise those civil and military officials so they could not easily manipulate imperial authority.
Xu Zhen was a person who valued gratitude; having risen from a humble Wuhou position to prominence, she recognized the Sovereign's immense favor as akin to a mountain. Regardless of any private grievances with Li Zhi, out of respect for the Sovereign's kindness, she would undoubtedly repay it with her life.
While civil and military officials opposed another campaign against Goguryeo, Li Shimin felt displeased but had no choice but to heed their counsel and temporarily set aside discussions about military action against Goguryeo.
When news reached Goguryeo, Cheon Gae Su Mun began to worry. After all, the campaign in the nineteenth year of Zhenguan had been a disaster for Goguryeo. With vast tracts of land unharvested and large areas occupied by Tang forces, he doubted his ability to withstand another invasion from the Tang Kingdom.
Thus, Cheon Gae Su Mun sent envoys to Tang, offering a pair of beautiful women from Goguryeo as tribute. The Sovereign listened to his ministers' advice and returned the beauties to Goguryeo while bestowing bows and garments upon Cheon Gae Su Mun as a gesture of appeasement.
Little did he know that Cheon Gae Su Mun was incorrigible; seeing that the Tang Emperor not only refused to accept the beauties but also granted him bows and garments, he mistakenly believed that the Tang Dynasty would no longer dare to attack Goguryeo. Consequently, he became even more arrogant. Not only did he fail to send envoys to express gratitude, but he also dispatched troops to attack Yan Prefecture, ousting Governor Sun Daiyin from power and occupying Yan Prefecture, renaming it Baiyan City!
The Sovereign was furious and issued an edict declaring that tribute from Goguryeo would no longer be accepted while revisiting discussions about conquering Goguryeo!
After the promotion of Princess Jinyang to State Minister, she led campaigns to pacify the Northern Wilderness. Now, the title of Champion General truly suits her. From initially being unable to enter the court to now sitting beside Duke of England Li Ji at court meetings, who among them would dare to underestimate Princess Jinyang, except for people like Changsun Wuji?
Seeing the court officials opposing his plans once again, Li Shimin could only turn his gaze towards Li Jue. However, this time, Li Jue did not stand with Li Shimin either.
Li Shimin stood up in anger and shouted, "You are the pillars of the nation; how can you be so useless! Is there really no one in this grand court who understands my good intentions?"
The Sage's anger silenced the court, and no one dared to raise their heads. The more Li Shimin looked, the angrier he became. Just as he was about to dismiss the court, someone stepped forward to report.
Chancellor of Justice Zhu Suiliang was a staunch opponent of war. However, due to the death of his father, Zhu Suiliang resigned from his position as Chamberlain and returned home to mourn. Changsun Wuji had to take charge of the anti-war stance himself but let the newly promoted Murong Hanzhu come forward to advise.
Murong Hanzhu, having been appointed as Left Chancellor and full of ambition, hurriedly stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty is wise. Goguryeo is fortified by mountains and difficult to conquer. In previous years, when our armies invaded, the people of Tang Territory missed their planting season and could not farm. Although we captured cities and seized their grain, it was insufficient for our needs. With droughts looming, there are already signs of famine among the people. If we hastily go to war now, it may exhaust our national strength. It would be better to wait until next year and discuss the invasion again..."
Upon hearing these words, the officials gasped in shock. The Sovereign was already angry; having just pacified the Northern Wilderness tribes, Murong Hanzhu dared to speak such words without fearing for his life!
However, unexpectedly, the Sovereign did not rage but merely waved his hand for Murong Hanzhu to step down while showing clear admiration in his eyes.
Xu Zhenxin felt alert; Murong Hanzhu had ulterior motives and was in cahoots with Changsun Wuji. If he gained power now, how would they suppress him in the future?
Thinking of this, Princess Jinyang also stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, I have a proposal."
Seeing Princess Jinyang step forward while he was lightly rubbing his forehead in frustration, Li Shimin's eyes suddenly brightened as he asked with a slightly clearer expression, "What does Mr. Xu have to say?"
Princess Jinyang pondered for a moment before calmly saying, "I believe that invading Liao is not as difficult as my colleagues think. While recruiting a large army may be inappropriate, is there truly no other way?"
The court erupted in discussion. Although Princess Jinyang was currently in a strong position, those who secretly envied her were increasing. Hearing her report in such a manner prompted many to express their dissatisfaction with cold snorts.
Li Shimin remained oblivious to this and leaned slightly forward with an expectant look urging Princess Jinyang on. She did not hesitate and continued her analysis.
"Goguryeo was originally a poor land, lacking resources and suffering from hardships. Cheon Gae Su Mun held power in the court, engaging in military aggression, which caused the people to suffer greatly and lose their support. Now, after our Tang Dynasty's campaigns, their situation has worsened even more. They can only pretend to be arrogant and reckless, but it is merely a facade hiding their weakness."
"Our Tang Dynasty does not need to mobilize a large army for conquest; we only need to send small forces deep into their territory to harass them repeatedly. The Goguryeo military and civilians will surely be exhausted and retreat into their cities to avoid battle. This will delay their farming seasons, leading to widespread desolation and discontent among the people. The land of Liaodong can be taken without a fight!"
"If we are not afraid of exhausting our resources, we can take this opportunity to burn all the fields along the way, ensuring that Goguryeo will face shortages of clothing and food in the coming year. When we march again, victory will be assured!"
After Xu Zhen finished speaking, she clenched her fists and raised her head high, as if she could already see the Goguryeo people in despair and unable to fight back next year!
However, as she glanced around, the entire court was silent, seemingly shocked by her words. Li Jue suddenly came to his senses and thought to himself, "Brilliant!"
Indeed, when Li Shimin heard Xu Zhen's strategy, he immediately smiled broadly and laughed heartily, saying, " Mr. Xu is truly one of our Tang people!"
"Mao Gong (Li Jue's courtesy name), Xu Zhen has received your true teachings; it is a blessing for our Tang Dynasty. I hereby appoint you as Lieutenant General of the Liaodong Military, with Xu Zhen as your deputy. Left Military Guard Niu Jinda will serve as Commander of Azure Wind Path, while Right Wuhou Li Hai'an will be his deputy. You will lead an army of fifteen thousand soldiers by land and water, combined with the forces from Yingzhou Governor's Office, to enter Goguryeo!"
"Yes!" Li Jue and Xu Zhen stood up together and accepted their orders with joy!
Li Shimin's proposal for a second campaign against Liao had been opposed several times by the court officials but was finally resolved today. Naturally, he felt relieved and even laughed heartily as he returned to the inner palace.
After the court session ended, many civil and military officials shook their heads and sighed. It was no wonder that Xu Zhen had won the favor of the Sage. Since returning from the last campaign against Liao, she seemed like a different person—constantly engaged in battles and winning every time. Today she had also pleased the Sovereign; if this continued, it was feared that Xu Zhen would replace Li Jue as the foremost commander of the Tang army!
Xu Zhen returned home with Li Jue after discussing matters together before parting ways.
Due to her promotion and new title as Duke of Liucheng County for Meritorious Service to the State, Xu Zhen had long since moved out of Brave Count's Mansion and settled into a large residence in Chongrenfang named Xu Manor. The daily affairs were still managed by Old Man Mo Ya, with all servants being Goguryeo maids who were at her beck and call.
Upon arriving at Xu Manor's entrance, Xu Zhen saw a group standing on either side of the gate. Upon entering, she discovered that it was Li Mingda, who had been exceptionally granted the title Countess Guisi, visiting with Caesar accompanying her.
Li Mingda had never liked Caesar much; however, after two years apart, her temperament had matured. She returned to her former understanding demeanor towards Caesar, speaking kindly and referring to each other as sisters. With Zhang Suling mediating between them, they naturally got along well.
Upon seeing the Xu Zhen return, the little girl quickly fluttered over like a butterfly, grabbing the Xu Zhen's hand and chattering endlessly.
After returning from Goguryeo, the Xu Zhen had not rested long before heading to the Northern Wilderness. She had yet to meet Li Mingda alone, and although the little girl should have been upset, upon seeing Brother Xu, she forgot about it. Noticing that the Xu Zhen was still wearing the iron ring she had gifted her, her heart felt as sweet as honey.
However, upon hearing that the Xu Zhen would lead troops to Goguryeo again, the little girl couldn't help but pout. Fortunately, the Xu Zhen was not setting out immediately; the Ministry of War needed a long time to prepare battle plans, and there was much to arrange in terms of logistics. It was estimated that they wouldn't depart until next year at the earliest.
"I must visit Xu Manor more often; otherwise, if Brother Xu leaves, who knows when he will return..." Li Mingda thought.
Although the Xu Zhen cared for Li Mingda, her primary concern was preparing for the upcoming Second Expedition to Liao. For this reason, she went to Yan Lide and Ginger Sage's residence to discuss some of her new ideas and collaborate on creating something innovative.
Li Chunfeng had not had a chance to visit the Xu Zhen until now. This time, he happened to be at Yan Lide's residence and rekindled old friendships with the Xu Zhen, happily joining the research team. Even Old Man Mo Ya was unwilling to be left out and frequently visited Yan Lide's place.
Time passed unknowingly, and by October, the Sovereign felt that the trip to Lingzhou had exhausted him greatly. Wanting to rest before the year ended, he issued an edict for sacrifices at the ancestral temple and for ministers and tribute guests from all directions to report matters. He also ordered troop rotations for guards and issued Fish Talismans while appointing officials of fifth rank as Superiors and handling dismissals and executions. All these matters were reported to him while Crown Prince Li Zhi managed other affairs.
By December, many ministers led by Changsun Wuji expressed concern for the Sovereign's health and repeatedly requested a grand ceremony. However, the upright Xiao Yu could not agree with this. The civil officials split into two factions, leading Xiao Yu to lose his core position in the Eastern Palace.
Ultimately, the Sovereign agreed to hold the grand ceremony and ordered preparations for it to be sent to the Crown Prince. The Crown Prince's power grew even stronger as Xiao Yu lost influence and was dismissed from his position—this marked his fifth dismissal from office.
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