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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter 216
"Brother, the Emperor has appointed me as the commander. Yuanji, do you dare to defy the imperial decree?"
Li Yuanji sneered, "I am the Governor of Bingzhou, responsible for defending against the Turkic. I have already engaged in battle with them and have a chance of victory. You come here without hesitation to seize military authority; I refuse. My soldiers will not agree either."
This statement was highly problematic, hinting at disobedience to the imperial order. However, since it was spoken by King Qi, even the Emperor would not take action against his own brother for such a matter.
Thus, with Li Shimin arriving alongside Li Mi and Xue Ju, none of them intended to speak up; they truly could not involve themselves in the disputes of the royal family.
Meanwhile, seasoned officials like Qin Shubao and Dan Xiongxin only wished to remain loyal subjects of the Emperor and did not want to meddle in the conflict between the two princes, lest they be misunderstood by His Majesty.
Li Shimin was furious, but he found himself powerless against Li Yuanji. The military power in Bingzhou lay entirely with Li Yuanji, and creating a major dispute now would only provide an opportunity for the Turkic.
He could only suppress his anger and say, "Gao Manzheng is still holding out at Mayi County. Li Gaoqian has taken four thousand elite troops with him; he does not have enough soldiers left to hold out much longer.
If Mayi County falls to the Turkic, it will be extremely difficult to reclaim it. If we act now while the county has not yet been captured, we just need to break through the Turkic blockade and send some troops to reinforce the county. If we can prevent the Turkic from completely occupying Mayi, they will have no choice but to retreat."
Li Yuanji countered, "We have had no news from Gao Manzheng for three days; Mayi County may already have been captured. We should fortify Guocheng and wait for the Provincial Troops from Youzhou and Shuofang to arrive before attempting to retake Mayi."
With both princes unwilling to yield, their armies could not unite against the Turkic threat; acting together would only increase the likelihood of disaster.
Li Shimin understood this well. Even if he forcibly took command of the military power through imperial decree, as long as Li Yuanji was intent on obstructing him, there would be vulnerabilities exposed at critical moments.
After angrily rebuking Li Yuanji, Li Shimin led his troops from Luoyang into battle. Naturally, Dan Xiongxin, Qin Shubao, and Li Mi followed their prince who had received an imperial order.
After leaving Li Yuanji's camp, Li Mi spoke up, "Prince Qin, I believe there is some truth in what King Qi said. With news cut off for three days, anything could happen. As a commander, one should first consider the worst possibilities."
Li Shimin mounted his horse and replied, "After Li Gaoqian's escape, Gao Manzheng could have surrendered the city directly, but he did not. Instead, he stubbornly defended for over ten days. This shows great loyalty and bravery. As long as there is even a glimmer of hope, I cannot abandon such a Loyal Minister.
Moreover, the Turkic are not skilled in siege warfare. If we march immediately, there is still a chance!"
After Li Shimin left, Li Yuanji's expression was also grim. His confidant advised him, "Your Highness, Prince Qin is here on imperial orders. If His Majesty finds out..."
"Hmph! It's not like I forced him to leave. Does that mean that as soon as Prince Qin arrives, I lose the right to speak?"
The confidants sighed, "Then Your Highness should quickly write to His Majesty. If Prince Qin takes risks and something goes wrong, the blame will fall solely on you."
Soon after, Li Jiancheng received memorials from both of his brothers, each stubbornly insisting on their own views and shifting blame onto the other. Especially Li Yuanji, who completely avoided mentioning his disobedience to the orders and only claimed that when Li Shimin saw a slight disagreement, he angrily abandoned the Bingzhou army without taking responsibility as the commander.
Seeing that the two were still at odds with each other brought some comfort to Li Jiancheng. If these two brothers wielding military power had a good relationship, he would be unable to sleep at night.
However, their issues needed resolution. First, regardless of whose decision was more correct, since he had already clearly stated that Prince Qin was to lead the troops, King Qi should comply with the order and hand over command to Prince Qin.
There were countless officials and generals in the court with grievances against each other; it was never just about these two brothers. Could they really complicate matters and jeopardize important state affairs?
The emperor immediately issued an edict reprimanding King Qi, removing him from his position as Right General of the Imperial Guards and ordering the Bingzhou Protectorate to take command of the troops under Prince Qin's orders. Anyone in Bingzhou who dared to feign compliance while secretly disobeying would face punishment along with their family!
At that moment, someone in the court suddenly proposed relocating the capital. They argued that the Turkic's desire to attack Guanzhong stemmed from its wealth and population being concentrated in Chang'an. If Chang'an were burned and no longer served as the capital, the Turkic attacks would naturally cease.
The words left Li Jian Cheng in shock. He couldn't understand why such a person would exist in his court, and to his surprise, it turned out to be one of his cousins.
"Then where do you want me to relocate the capital after burning down Chang'an?"
The Duke of Longxi thought he had finally found an opportunity and eagerly replied, "Xiangyang. I believe Xiangyang is the most suitable place."
Without needing Li Jian Cheng to speak, the Guanlong Officials and the Royal Family united to scold him.
"The threat of barbarians has existed since ancient times. Your Majesty, with the Holy Martial Dragon Rising, illuminating Zhongxia, and with a million elite troops, has been invincible in battle. How can we consider relocating the capital just to avoid a few bandits harassing the borders?"
"You yellow-mouthed child, do you wish to bring shame upon Your Majesty and become a laughingstock for generations? Get out!"
Li Jian Cheng had indeed considered relocating the capital. Although Chang'an was still bustling despite the population decline across the land, relying solely on the Weinan Plain could no longer sustain such a large population; they had to depend on food supplies from the south.
Moreover, Chang'an was situated in a basin, making it difficult to control the entire nation. Relocating the capital could not only resolve these issues but also break Guanlong's influence over the court.
However, this was clearly not the right time for such discussions. Not to mention that he could never burn down Chang'an; if he did so, he would likely not even be worthy of the posthumous title of Yang.
He chose not to punish his cousin. After all, since it was a matter of advice given to the emperor, it should not be overly reprimanded to avoid stifling free speech.
Du Ruhui spoke up, "Your Majesty, the Emissary from the Western Turkic Khaganate is still waiting for your response."
Though they claimed to seek a princess for marriage ties, their true intention was to form an alliance against the Eastern Turkic. Of course, they genuinely wished to marry a princess as well.
Li Jian Cheng asked the Left Minister, "The Western Turkic territories are far away, and we cannot assist them in urgent matters. Now, if we wish to form a marriage alliance and unite our forces, what does the Prime Minister think?"
Pei Ji replied, "Currently, the Northern Invaders are strong. At this time, it would be wise to engage in distant alliances while attacking nearby. I believe we should allow the marriage, which would stabilize Shibi Khan and the Turkic people."
Tongye Hu may not be as powerful as Shibi Khan, but he also claims to command hundreds of thousands of archers, with martial prowess surpassing that of previous Khans.
According to reports from the Western Regions, Tongye Hu has incorporated the kings of various states into a military administrative system, granting official titles to Xieli Bu and dispatching troops to monitor and oversee taxation.
Strong and wealthy, he indeed makes for a good candidate for a marriage alliance.
Li Jian Cheng himself did not have a princess yet, and his sisters were all married. However, there was still one widow among them, and there were also many eligible noble ladies from the Royal Family.
When asked about the intentions of Tongye Hu's envoys, they expressed a preference for the beloved younger sister of the Son of Heaven from the Central Plains—an immensely esteemed Highness—to become their Khan's Kehe Dun.
As for previous marriages, this is not considered significant on the grasslands; rather, it is something that their Khan appreciates even more.
………………
(End of Chapter)
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