Chapter 44: One Win and One Loss

When Haoxi first arrived, Jianchun Gate was as lively as ever.

The time of the day is in the morning. The morning has a fresh air, a beautiful mood, and a longing for the day. People are particularly happy in and out, as if they have endless energy.

"A great victory in the north! Capture Mochu alive!" A soldier galloped on a fast horse.

"A great victory in the north! Capture Mochu alive!" The people entering and leaving were stunned at first, then were surprised, and cheered in unison: "Long live the Tang Dynasty! Long live the Tang Dynasty!"

The next thing is to go home to celebrate, set off firecrackers and tell your relatives and friends about the great news of the day, as before.

After a while, the sound of shocking firecrackers sounded at Jianchun Gate, and people were excitedly roaring: "A great victory in the north! Capture Mochu alive!"

There is no need for the gatekeeper to give instructions. People know what to do. They are busy dodging and make way for the soldiers who are reaping victory.

The soldier galloped from under Jianchun's door on horseback, and cheers came from behind him. The soldiers galloped on the streets, and the common people had already given him a way out, letting him speed, and came to Daming Palace smoothly.

The soldiers guarding the Daming Palace made way without saying a word. They just sent a few soldiers to follow him in.

Let’s talk about today’s morning court, Li Longji still came to court early in accordance with the previous rules and accepted the congratulations from the ministers. As soon as the congratulations were completed, the soldiers in front of the palace came in to report: “Your Majesty, the victory in the north is great, and the news has arrived in front of the palace!”

"The victory in the Northland? Where is Mochu? Did you catch it?" Before Li Longji could speak, the ministers were so excited that they could not help but ask.

Li Longji raised his voice and said, "Call him in."

The ministers then remembered that they were a little unceremonious. They hurriedly kept silent and turned their heads to look at the gate of Xuanzheng Hall, eager to bring the soldiers who had won the victory in quickly.

The soldiers who reported the victory were brought in. When Li Longji saw him, he was covered in dust, covered in sweat and mud, his face was exhausted, his eyes were covered in blood, and he couldn't help but feel pity, saying, "Come on, give him a cup of hot water!"

Gao Lishi responded and hurriedly walked over with a glass of water and handed it to the soldier. The soldier was not polite, and grabbed it in his hand, drank it in a few sips. Then he breathed comfortably and said, "Thank you, the emperor, the great victory in the north, the young man is ordered to come and report the victory!"

"Did Mochu catch it?" Some minister asked anxiously.

"Mochu has been captured alive!" the soldier answered truthfully.

"That's great! Great!" The ministers were so excited that they stamped their feet. Even if they wiped out the army of the Later Turks, it would not be perfect if they didn't catch Mochu. You must know that Li Jing captured Jie Li Khan alive when he destroyed the Eastern Turks. This time, he had to catch Mochu to complete the task.

"You go down and rest!" Li Longji was also happy, waved his right hand and the soldiers left the hall.

Gao Lishi took the battle report, opened it, and placed it on Li Longji's imperial case. Li Longji glanced over and looked around the ministers and said, "In the battle of Yinshan, the artillery bombed for a day and a night, killing countless Turkic people, and the entire mountain plateau was dyed red. The Turkic people thus broke their courage and lost their fighting spirit. As soon as the artillery fire stopped, they rushed down the mountain plateau and surrendered. Eliminated hundreds of thousands of Turkic people, and the Tang Dynasty did not lose one soldier or another. This is a miracle!"

"A soldier and soldier have not been damaged?" The ministers thought there was something wrong with their ears, and they heard it wrongly, and they all looked disbelief.

Li Longji was also a little confused and patted his forehead and said, "On the same day, Chen Wanrong said that the artillery could fight head-on, and I was still a little skeptical. I planned to test whether what he said was true in this battle. I didn't expect it. Not only is it true, but it was also amazing! Hundreds of thousands of people could not withstand a day and night of bombing, but they actually lost their fighting spirit!"

The artillery is very powerful, but it is impossible to exert such power by relying solely on artillery. After a day of bombing, the Turks lost confidence in resistance. Another very important reason was that the Turks suffered heavy casualties in the battle at Zhongshoujiang City, which made their morale depressed. The Turks were originally afraid of the Tang army, and bombed the artillery for one day and one night, and the death and injuries were gone, and the remaining fighting spirit was gone.

"The emperor is wise! It is really a wise move to use Chen Wanrong!" The ministers immediately praised it.

Li Longji just nodded, frowned, took out a memorial from his arms, looked at it for a while, and then put it in his arms, saying, "Yao Chong, Song Jing stay, you all go down."

"Emperor, the victory in the north is great, and the court should celebrate it!" Some ministers happily suggested.

"Yes, Master! Since the Turkic rebellion, the northern region has been restless for more than 30 years. The Turkic people plagued the border and killed countless times. The imperial court sent troops to fight against each other several times but could not be obtained. Now the victory or defeat is determined in one battle. Mochuo is captured alive. From now on, the northern region has not made any great achievements. We must congratulate you!" A minister immediately agreed and also gave a great reason to congratulate you.

This was said to the hearts of the ministers, but Li Longji disagreed and said with a brow: "What's the point of celebrating this? It's expected! Today I will destroy the Turks, and I will destroy them in the future! I will go to the business, don't mention them again!"

Li Longji was not Ruizong, he had his own way of doing things. Ruizong originally wanted to be a successful monarch, but unexpectedly found that he would become a great monarch. Every victory was a joy, which made him happy and had to make trouble. Li Longji was a heroic and determined to be a wise monarch and lord. No matter how many achievements he had, it was not enough for him to celebrate. Although the victory in the north was a happy place, it was not yet enough for him to celebrate.

The more you can achieve success, the less you will not celebrate because of your victory! The more you cannot achieve success, the more you value victory, and even a small victory will be happy to celebrate.

Li Longji belongs to the former!

Although the ministers were unwilling to do so, they had to receive the order and retreated.

Li Longji waved at Yao and Song and said, "Come in front."

The two responded and walked up. Gao Lishi brought a chair. They thanked each other and sat down. Before Li Longji could speak, there was a tsunami outside the palace, saying "Long live the Tang Dynasty! Long live the emperor!"

"Your Majesty, listen!" Gao Lishi hurriedly reminded him.

Li Longji listened, smiled slightly, and said, "The people want to celebrate, so they can celebrate. Gao Lishi, go and issue an order to Chang'an Prefecture, ask them to pay more attention, strengthen their vigilance, and strictly prevent accidents!"

Gao Lishi responded and walked away quickly. Yao and Song hurriedly praised: "The emperor is wise!"

During such a celebration, it is indeed commendable that Li Longji can think of this, and they sincerely praise it.

Li Longji shook his hand and said, "Stay you here to discuss some things. Zhang Shougui sent it not only good news, but also many things. You can take a look first." He handed the good news to Yao Chong.

Yao Chong saw it and handed it to Song Jing.

After the two of them finished watching, Li Longji asked, "What do you think?"

Yao and Song looked at each other, and Yao Chong took the lead and said, "Your Majesty, I think it is feasible for General Zhang to request the move of Anbei Protectorate to the original site. Since the Turkic rebellion, Anbei Protectorate has moved several times. Now the north is pacified, and it is time to move back."

Song Jing nodded and said, "Emperor, I agree with this proposal. General Zhang suggested that the court station troops in the north of the Mo. I thought that it could follow the old rules of Emperor Taizong and station a small number of troops in the north."

Li Longji spoke: "There is another thing, what do you think? Zhang Shougui suggested that the army to Mobei should double their salary. There is a saying above, "The income from three years of garrison should take ten years. Do you think Zhang Shougui can say such a thing?"

They would never have thought that Li Longji would ask such a question, and they couldn't help but be stunned. Li Longji continued: "If I had no idea, Zhang Shougui was good at fighting, but when it comes to these geniuses, he should be Chen Wanrong's idea."

I still know Zhang Shougui, Yao and Song. They are good at fighting, and it is not his best to play this method. I can't help but agree: "The emperor is wise!"

Yao Chong hesitated and said, "In the bitter and cold land of the north, the troops stationed there are already very high salaries. If they doubled, it would be a bit incredible."

"Yao Xiang's words are very good, but there is one thing that is right. There must be a brave man under heavy rewards! If the court really wants to do this, I think the soldiers will be enthusiastic. After all, Mobei is quite hard, not as hard as the mainland. If there is no heavy reward, the morale of the army will be difficult to maintain." Song Jing thought.

Li Longji smiled and said, "The north is bitter and cold, and has been disgusted by soldiers since ancient times. If there is no heavy reward, it will be impossible to maintain the morale of the army. I think Chen Wanrong's statement is feasible. Another point is that Chen Wanrong said that the army stationed in Mobei should not be too many, and the time should not be too long. I also think it is feasible. Since the Qin and Han Dynasties, the garrisons in the north have complained about the sky, and there is heavy reward and shortening the time should be able to alleviate this pain."

That's right, this is indeed Chen Wanrong's idea. Since coming to the North, Chen Wanrong has gained a deeper understanding of the North's defense. He knows that since the Qin and Han Dynasties, the North's defenders have been reluctant to stay here because it is too bitter and cold. Raising salary and shortening the garrison time will play a role.

Yao and Song were proficient in government affairs. After thinking about it, they agreed: "I have nothing to say."

"The salary of soldiers has increased, which is a burden to the national treasury. However, with the national strength of the Tang Dynasty, it can still be afforded!" Li Longji was very confident and continued: "They said that they would use the power of victory to send troops north and send envoys to the grassland tribes. I think it is very necessary, so there is no need to discuss this point. As for the matter of dealing with Mochu, what do you think?"

Yao Chong did not answer immediately. After thinking for a while, he said: "They asked to deal with Mochu on the fifth chapter. I thought I would like to think about it again. Mochu's hands were covered with blood from the people of the border. However, he was captured alive after all, and the court had not killed the captured Khan."

Song Jing was also worried and said, "Although Mochu has done so many evil deeds, it is impossible to kill him, but this has a great impact. Back then, Fu Nian was killed, which made the Turks have the will to fight. The Tang Dynasty should learn this lesson just now. Besides, Jie Li Khan forced Emperor Gaozu to surrender, and the shame of forming an alliance between Bianqiao can be said to be the enemy of life and death of the Tang Dynasty. Emperor Taizong did not kill him. If Mochu was killed, would it cause trouble?"

Li Longji nodded and said, "Your worries are exactly what I am concerned about. I haven't made up my mind yet, so I asked you to discuss them together. However, on the other hand, Chen Wanrong and the others have a good reason. Mo Chuo is not Fu Nian or Jie Li, and he cannot compare with these two people.

"Fu Nian's death was indeed a mistake in the Tang Dynasty. Pei Xingjian had promised to spare his life, and he surrendered. After receiving Pei Xingjian's promise, Fu Nian also captured Fu Wen, who was the first to rebel, and made contributions to the Tang Dynasty. Pei Yan was good at it, so Fu Nian killed it. This was a mistake by the court, and there was nothing to hide.

"Let's talk about Jie Li, he was the Khan of the Turks at that time, and he was in a row with the Tang Dynasty. Although he forced Emperor Gaozu to surrender and the soldiers were guilty of Guanzhong, he was still the leader of an enemy country. Although the Turks were destroyed, they could still not die. The Tang Dynasty should treat him with special rituals.

"Mochu is different. Before him, the Turks surrendered for fifty years and were a minister of the Tang Dynasty. The Turks rebelled, and that was a crime that was unforgivable. There were five more killings in the Tao. Mochu should be killed! What do you think?"

"The emperor is wise! I have nothing to say!" Yao and Song finally figured it out, and what Li Longji said was reasonable.

Li Longji received their support and determined to say, "Since that's the case, I will issue an order to take Mochuo to the Wuhuidao to behead him to pay tribute to the unjustly death of the border people. He sent an order to Shen Que, asking him to go to the Wuhuidao to pay tribute to him as the imperial envoy!"

"Abide by the order!" Yao and Song received the order.

Li Longji took out a memorial from his arms and said, "This is sent by Geshuhan from the Western Regions. Look, let's discuss it carefully."

Yao Chong took it and glanced a little, and was surprised: "Ge Shuhan lost the battle in the Western Regions? This... this... is so difficult to fight?"

"Ge Shuhan defeated?" Song Jing was also surprised and reached out to grab the memorial from Yao Chong's hand. After a look, his eyes widened: "This Hacha is really hard to deal with!"

Li Longji said calmly: "Ge Shuhan cannot be said to be defeated in this battle, but can only be said to be a small defeat. Since the Battle of Talas, the reputation of the Tang Dynasty in Khorasan has increased greatly. Wherever the army goes, it is Kaicheng and the kingly army. The big cities of Samarkand have risen without fighting and surrendered to the Tang Dynasty.

"This area is rich and after receiving the support of the people, the food and grass needed by the army is not a problem, it is very sufficient. Geshuhan decided to use Victory Visie to advance and occupy Khorasan as quickly as possible. The march was very smooth, but when he was about to reach the Iraqi border, he encountered a large army led by Hacha. When the two armies met, there was naturally a war."

Yao Chong felt a little regretful: "Ge Shuhan is good at using troops, and Talas defeated the Tang Dynasty in the battle. However, it was a pity that he suffered a defeat when he met Hacha."

Since the Battle of Talas, the situation in the Western Regions was great. After encountering Hachazhi's army, the Tang army was unfavorable and had to retreat. It had lost many places and cities. It really made people sigh. Song Jing sighed and said, "The Tang Dynasty and the Great Food have fought for a hundred years and have never gained such an advantage, but this advantage seems to be unable to be maintained."

Li Longji was much more optimistic than them: "It's not as serious as you said. Geshuhan conducted a comprehensive analysis. There are several main reasons for this failure. First, our troops were insufficient. Geshuhan's total strength was only more than 140,000. He had to divide his troops to defend the city, and only more than 100,000 people could be used for combat. Hacha only transferred nearly 500,000 troops to press up, five times more than ours.

"Secondly, the combat power of Geshuhan's hands varies greatly, and there are not many Han troops. Apart from the Han army, the Huer Army, which only Chuqi Shi, is still not satisfactory, and the rest of the troops can only make up their numbers, which is of little use. And Hacha's army is the elite he created, especially the "Peacock Army". It has excellent equipment, strict training, and high morale. Not to mention, the number of Peacock Army is more than that of the Dragon Martial Army in Geshuhan's hands.

"Third, Hacha only used one firearm called 'Greek Fire'. This kind of firearm is even more powerful than our fierce tinder oil and can be sprayed out and burned people. During the critical period of the two armies' stalemate, Hacha only used Greek fire and burned many people to him. Geshuhan had to retreat."

Li Longji paused and continued: "Although it was a small blow, there were not much casualties. Geshuhan still had more than 110,000 troops in his hands. Although it was worse than confronting Hacha head-on, there was still no problem defending the city. As long as he could defend several important cities in Khorasan, he could wait for reinforcements."

Yao Chong asked: "Master, are you going to send a large army west?"

Li Longji nodded and said, "I originally thought that the war in the north would take years and it would be difficult to fight in one or two years. The battle was completed in just two months, which was far beyond my expectations. It was only March, and the army immediately retreated to Longxi for a month, and then set off to the Western Regions immediately. It took two months to march to Hurashan and Geshuhan to join forces and defeat Hachazhi. It was the time to defeat Hachazhi!"

Song Jing said in contemplation: "Master, the journey to the Western Regions is too far away. The army goes west and supplies are very problematic."

Li Longji smiled and said, "With the issue of supply for the army, Geshuhan thought that Khurashan was rich and food and grass were not a problem. As long as the Tang Dynasty did not lose the hearts of the people, there was no need to worry about food and grass being subdued."

Yao Chong immediately asked, "Emperor, what about the equipment? If you want to transport it from the mainland, it will be unbearable!"

Li Longji smiled, stood up, and said happily: "You don't have to worry about this, I already have a way."

"Master, what's the solution?" Yao and Song and others were anxious and blurted out.

Li Longji nodded and said, "It takes tens of miles to transport weapons from the mainland, and it will take tens of miles of time and effort, which will inevitably shock the world. I don't plan to do this. I want Chen Wanrong to lead his army westward, and at the same time, he will lead a group of craftsmen to the Western Regions. With these good craftsmen, he can use materials from the Western Regions to make armor and weapons for the army."

This is indeed a good idea. Yao and Song and others criticized it: "The emperor is wise! This move is feasible!"

"Ge Shuhan asked to transfer artillery to the Western Regions. According to Ge Shuhan's opinion, it is necessary to deal with Greek fire." Li Longji said with a brow: "It's over the north, and it's time to go to the Western Regions to show his power."

Yao Chong asked a key question: "Prince, what kind of weapon is Greece so powerful?"
Chapter completed!