in2ebook Chapter 355 Tang Dynasty Sunset Battlefield Tour Group!
Chapter 355 Tang Dynasty Sunset Battlefield Tour Group!
In May of the third year of Qianwu, the mountains and rivers of the entire Tang Dynasty began to tremble, and the country entered a state of emergency of full mobilization.
This is destined to be a critical moment recorded in the history of the Tang Dynasty.
In the court, Fang Xuanling and Grand Tutor Qi, the two pillars of support, sat firmly at the center.
Grand Tutor Qi sorted out the mountains of government affairs in a clear and orderly manner, leaving out nothing from the overall planning of taxes to the summary analysis of military intelligence from all parties.
Fang Xuanling looked solemn. With his rich experience and calm demeanor, he carefully considered and decided key issues such as military logistics and troop deployment.
They worked day and night, and the lights in the office were on all night, just to ensure that the foundation of this huge war was as solid as a mountain.
In the harem, Su Zhi took good care of the prince.
At this time, Li Chengqian was dressed in military uniform, ready to lead the army to attack Goguryeo in person.
Li Chengqian appointed Zhang Liang as the commander-in-chief of the Pyongyang Road Army. He selected 40,000 brave soldiers from the Jiang, Huai, Ling and Shaanxi areas. All of them were full of fighting spirit. They bid farewell to the mountains and rivers of their hometown and gathered in Laizhou.
Together with the three thousand passionate young men recruited from Chang'an and Luoyang at a high price, these warriors, eager for military exploits, boarded warships at the harbor of Laizhou and will bravely march towards Pyongyang by sea.
Li Zhentao, the general who was entrusted with the important task of commanding the navy of the Tang Dynasty, stood tall and straight at the bow of the ship.
He commanded with confidence, and his navy, like a forest of warships, echoed with Zhang Liang's navy from afar, and headed towards Goguryeo in two groups in a pincer formation, vowing to tightly blockade Goguryeo's coastal areas and leave it isolated and helpless.
Su Dingfang, the commander-in-chief of the Liaodong Road, led an elite army of 60,000 veterans, as well as the brave and fearless Hu warriors who surrendered from Lan and He states, and marched towards Liaodong.
Qin Ruzhao was appointed commander of the Five Military Camps and summoned 150,000 soldiers from the three major camps from all over the Tang Dynasty, who quickly rushed to Yingzhou in Hebei Province from all directions.
On the training grounds of Yingzhou, the soldiers were training in formation in an orderly manner, and the shouts of killing were deafening.
At the same time, the order for 120,000 border troops from Hedong, Henan and Hebei to assemble and wait in Liuzhou was also being carried out in a tense and orderly manner.
These border troops guard the border all year round. In the wilderness of Liuzhou, they gathered quickly and their tents were endless.
Li Chengqian personally led 50,000 Shenwu troops to the rear. All the soldiers had undergone rigorous training and were loyal to Li Chengqian.
Li Chengqian rode on a tall and mighty warhorse, looking ahead.
The total number of troops deployed by the navy and army was 450,000. Such a large-scale military force was the largest number of troops deployed since the founding of the Tang Dynasty.
The brightly colored military flags fluttered in the wind, proclaiming the mighty military power of the Tang Dynasty to the world.
Such a large-scale troop mobilization was undoubtedly an extremely difficult test for the officials in the court.
They needed to accurately calculate the reserves and allocation of food and fodder, meticulously plan the army's marching routes and garrison camps, and constantly collect intelligence from all sides and report it in a timely manner.
He stayed in the office almost day and night, not daring to slack off in the slightest.
The outcome of this war is related to the rise and fall, honor and disgrace of the Tang Dynasty. The Tang Dynasty must not lose and will not lose!
In stark contrast to the tired and busy court officials, the retired old ministers were all excited.
In the Xianyang sanatorium, beautifully decorated carriages were lined up in an orderly manner, their wheels turning slowly, heading towards Li Chengqian's army with the expectations of the old ministers.
Li Shimin sat upright in the spacious carriage, his face flushed with excitement.
Li Chengqian's strategic layout for this expedition to Goguryeo just happened to unleash the ambition that had been suppressed in his heart for many years, which was a perfect match with his wishes.
A total of 450,000 soldiers and horses!
In the past, such a scale of troops was something he could not even dream of.
How could he have never thought of conquering Goguryeo?
However, Goguryeo was not an ordinary small country. It had a vast territory and strong strength. It was a powerful country that should not be underestimated.
An agricultural society like the Tang Dynasty had a population of five or six million. Once fully mobilized, it would be easy to gather an army of 300,000.
Back then, Yang Guang mobilized the entire country and sent out a million troops to launch three massive expeditions, but he failed each time and was unable to completely conquer Goguryeo.
Just from this point, it is clear enough to see how tough and difficult it is to deal with Goguryeo!
It was not that Li Shimin did not want to tackle this tough issue that was hindering the development of the Tang Dynasty. It was just that the Tang Dynasty had been mired in many affairs before, and its national strength was not yet strong enough to support such a large-scale war of conquest.
According to the previous national strength of the Tang Dynasty, even if it launched a war reluctantly, it could only put together an army of 100,000 at most. With such a small force, the chances of destroying Goguryeo were slim.
But now, times have changed and the Tang Dynasty is no longer what it used to be.
The army that Yang Guang claimed to have one million strong was actually quite inflated. For an elite army that was truly capable of fighting, 300,000 was already the limit.
But Li Shimin knew better than anyone that the 450,000 troops led by his son on this expedition were the real powerful army of the Tang Dynasty.
If we really count the enthusiastic people along the way who voluntarily came to help transport food and supplies, the scale would be enough to be called a million.
Regarding Goguryeo, which had been a thorn in his side for a long time, Li Shimin's idea was exactly the same as Yang Guang's back then, that is, to eradicate it completely and completely.
Otherwise, if it continues to grow and develop, it will become a serious threat to the Tang Dynasty in the future. When we try to deal with it at that time, the difficulty will increase exponentially and the consequences will be unimaginable.
How can I allow others to snore next to my bed?
The carriage that Li Shimin rode in was extremely comfortably decorated.
Cheng Yaojin, Yuchi Jingde, Li Jing, Hou Junji, Li Ji and other generals who were once powerful on the battlefield and are now retired all sat in the same carriage with him.
Cheng Yaojin was still as bold and unrestrained as ever, waving his strong arms excitedly and recounting in vivid detail the thrilling and funny stories of his previous battles on the battlefield, making everyone laugh.
Yuchi Jingde listened quietly with a smile on his face, occasionally interjecting a few humorous and insightful remarks, which made the atmosphere in the car even more cheerful and lively.
Li Jing slightly opened the curtains and stared at the ever-changing scenery outside the car window. Thinking of the Tang Dynasty before, he couldn't help but feel a lot of emotion in his heart.
Not only Li Shimin, but everyone in the car looked excited about the upcoming battle.
Tang Dynasty Sunset Battlefield Tour Group!
After all, after so many years of fighting, this was the first time they heard that they could actually watch and support the battle from the sidelines.
In the past, they were all fighting on the front lines. Although they have now retreated to the second line, they can still participate in this war that concerns the destiny of the Tang Dynasty in another unique way. How can they not be extremely excited and full of pride?
Wei Zheng originally wanted to ride in the same carriage with Li Shimin so that he could be by his side and give him honest advice at any time.
Li Shimin directly found a reason to politely decline Wei Zheng's offer.
Wei Zheng did not argue at all, but turned around and got on another carriage to go with Tang Jian.
Li Jing looked at the scene outside and saw billowing white smoke coming out of the factory chimney and rising into the sky.
He couldn't help but shake his head slightly, his eyes filled with emotion: "The changes in our Tang Dynasty are really great now, I can't even understand it anymore!"
Back then, when the Tang Dynasty was first established, everything was in ruins, and everywhere was desolate and dilapidated. The people lived in poverty, and the military equipment was rudimentary.
Today, factories stand in large numbers, commerce is booming, people live and work in peace and contentment, and the army is strong.
All these changes happened in the blink of an eye, so fast that people were caught off guard.
When Li Shimin heard Li Jing's words, he was stunned for a moment, then slowly shook his head, a complicated smile on his face: "Pharmacist, not to mention you, even I can't understand it!"
He looked through the car window at the factories in the distance.