Tiantang Splendid

Chapter 4808 Imperial Ambition
In short, the best situation for the Tang Dynasty now is that Tubo wins without winning, and the Gar tribe loses without losing.

Li Ji still had some concerns: "I know a lot about Qin Ling. It is no exaggeration to say that he is a man of extraordinary talent. He is especially good at planning and planning. He has fierce generals like Bolun Zanren and elite warriors from the Gar tribe under his command. Now he has received financial support from the Tang Dynasty in terms of military equipment, food, and supplies. If he has a little more luck, it is not impossible for him to capture Luoshui City."

Everyone knows that although Tubo seems powerful, it actually has serious internal strife. Once Lun Qinling's troops approach the city, it is very likely to cause unpredictable changes, and anything can happen...

Fang Jun had foreseen this: "Don't worry, Lord Ying, I will stop it at the critical moment."

Li Ji glanced at him and said calmly: "Even a well-trained eagle will bite its master, and a lackey will bark wildly. Don't be arrogant, and don't underestimate anyone."

Fang Jun pondered for a while, then nodded and said, "Thank you for your advice."

Li Ji was slightly stunned. Although Fang Jun was a generation younger than him, he was qualified to teach him a few words, but Fang Jun's current status had already surpassed the restrictions of generation. He was a person who could stand shoulder to shoulder with him and compete with him. The words "I will learn from you" at this moment showed how broad-minded he was and how deep his scheming was.

It is clear that he was a dandy who was a hawk-fighting, dog-fighting, and uneducated a few years ago, but he has grown so mature in the blink of an eye. This speed of progress cannot be achieved by teaching. I can only sigh that perhaps this is a natural talent...

So he smiled and said, "It's just the old man's nagging. If you want to listen, just listen. It can't be regarded as teaching."

Zheng Rentai, Pei Huaijie, Liu Rengui and others could not help but shake their heads when they saw the two of them had no estrangement and were sympathetic to each other. They had been arguing with each other in the last meeting. They had not seen Li Ji "love the young" or Fang Jun "respect the elderly". They both wanted to punch each other and knock them down...

Military reform involves too many areas and goes too deep. The recruitment and adjustment of soldiers, the improvement and perfection of logistics, etc. are no longer the sole responsibility of the military. Financial coordination, legal support, and even ordnance, horses, equipment, tactics, and even food are an extremely large and meticulous system project. After being drafted, it must be submitted to the entire army for discussion and improvement. It cannot be completed overnight.

Therefore, at every meeting, each "committee member" would propose a topic, and then everyone would discuss and fill in their opinions based on it, and improve it bit by bit.

As a result, there were constant disputes in this "conference room" set up in the Ministry of War. Once their respective interests were involved, they would not back down and would argue endlessly, often exchanging sharp words and getting red in the face. Fortunately, the door was always closed during each meeting, otherwise it would be disgraceful to be seen by outsiders...

……

The Ministry of War now holds great power and has sufficient funds. The food in the canteen at noon is very good. Although these "committees" are bigwigs in the court and the army, they still greedy for the food in the Ministry of War. So after every meeting, they will stay in the Ministry of War to eat a meal, and then leave one after another.

Fang Jun and Li Ji had dinner together. Just as they were about to go back home, the eunuchs in the palace came to announce that the emperor had summoned them...

The two men hurried out of the Ministry of War and did not take a carriage. Instead, they rode their horses out of the imperial city and went straight to Chengtian Gate, surrounded by their personal guards. Without reporting to the emperor, they were led by the eunuchs into the palace and came to the imperial study in the Wude Hall.

After the king and his minister exchanged greetings, they both sat down.

Li Chengqian had probably just finished lunch and was drinking from a teacup, asking the eunuch to serve tea to the two of them. He then asked, "The battle on the Tibetan side is fierce. Although Lun Qinling has taken the strategic initiative by capturing Naluyi, the Gar tribe is weak after all and may not be able to withstand the counterattack of the Tibetans. Should we increase our support?"

After he said this, Li and Fang understood what he meant.

Fang Jun asked tentatively, "Your Majesty, what level of support do you mean?"

Li Chengqian hesitated for a moment, thinking that there was no need to be vague in front of these two people, so he spoke frankly: "Why not let Pei Xingjian lead the army to Naluyi directly to help Lun Qinling guard the Ela Pass, what do you two think?"

The sudden attack of the Qinling surprise force and the swift capture of Naluyi, the first strategic point on the way to Lhasa City, gave him a feeling that "Tibetan is vulnerable". If the rabble of the Gar tribe could be so successful, what if it was replaced by the Tang army with better equipment and stronger combat power?
Will they push all the way from Dafeichuan to Lhasa City?
Will the Tibetan army collapse at the first blow and become vulnerable?
It is no wonder that Li Chengqian would have such an idea. The king is already the master of the world and is rich. If he has any pursuit, he will only compete in two things, one is "civil governance" and the other is "military achievements".

The Tang Dynasty has gone through three dynasties since its founding. Emperor Gaozu rose up in the chaotic times at the end of the Sui Dynasty and summoned heroes from all over the world to establish the Tang Dynasty's eternal foundation. Emperor Taizong destroyed the Eastern and Western Turks, the Xueyantuo, the Goguryeo, the Tuyuhun, and countless other countries. The prosperous Zhenguan period was magnificent, and it can be said that he was both civil and military, and was only one step away from being called "the greatest emperor of all time."

Li Chengqian boasted that he was not as good as those two and made up his mind to manage the internal affairs honestly. Even if he could not be recorded in history and intimidate the contemporaries like his father and grandfather, he should at least accumulate a huge fortune like Emperor Wen and Emperor Jing. He also wanted his children and grandchildren to have extraordinary talents so that they could make outstanding achievements. By then, the history books would surely praise him as the ruler who maintained the status quo.

But now he suddenly saw an opportunity to gain achievements that were no less than those of his father and grandfather, and that was to destroy Tubo.

When the surrounding powerful countries such as Xueyantuo in the north, Turks in the north of the desert, Goguryeo in Liaodong, and Tuyuhun in the south of the Qilian Mountains were destroyed one by one and disappeared, the vast territory of the Tang Dynasty was continuous and vast. If the Tubo on the plateau could also be destroyed and incorporated into the territory, then the Tang Dynasty could accomplish a feat that even the Qin Shi Huang and Han Wudi had never achieved - true unification within the geopolitical region.

Just imagine, when Mobei, Liaodong, the Western Regions, Tibet, etc. were all part of the Tang Dynasty’s territory, how magnificent, vast and invincible it would be?
No emperor could withstand such temptation.

Fang Jun and Li Ji looked at each other and immediately interrupted Li Chengqian's dream: "Your Majesty, you must not do that! The key to this strategy against Tubo is that the Tang Dynasty stays out of it. Only in this way can we stand outside and make arrangements calmly. Even if Tubo knows that the Tang Dynasty is supporting the Gar tribe, they can do nothing because they dare not go to war with the Tang Dynasty. But once the Tang Dynasty personally sends troops to participate, Tubo will be forced to declare war on the Tang Dynasty. The advantage of Tubo's occupation of the plateau is that the Tang Dynasty's army is currently insurmountable. Don't be fooled by Lun Qinling's current results. If Pei Xingjian personally commanded the Tang Dynasty's army, he might not be able to achieve such a record."

For soldiers who come from the plains, altitude sickness cannot be offset by willpower. They will feel out of breath just by taking a walk on the plateau, let alone a long journey to fight on the battlefield?
Obviously, Li Chengqian, who grew up in the deep palace, did not realize the real dangers and difficulties of altitude sickness.

Li Ji also said: "The Tang Dynasty is now in a period of reform, both in terms of internal affairs and military affairs. It needs the cooperation and participation of the whole country. This is a rare opportunity. Once this step is taken, the national strength of the empire will increase exponentially. At that time, what is the point of Tubo? I am willing to personally lead troops to attack the plateau and capture Songtsen Gampo to present him to Your Majesty! But now, if we are dragged into a war quagmire by Tubo, it will consume a huge amount of national strength, resulting in the temporary suspension of various reforms. Even if Tubo is eventually destroyed, it will not be worth the loss."

Tubo was indeed powerful, posing a great threat to the empire's western border. The empire had to deploy more than 100,000 troops in Wushaoling and the four towns of Hexi, spending countless money, food and supplies. However, compared with the political, economic and military reforms of the empire, it was not worth mentioning.

In Fang Jun’s words, this is called “iteration.”

This was a rare opportunity. There were no strong enemies outside, and the military environment was relatively stable, so they could focus on domestic affairs. Although there were internal disputes between civil and military officials, everyone, including Liu Li, was knowledgeable and willing to clean up the bureaucracy, develop domestic affairs, boost the economy, and encourage commerce.

Everyone in the empire was trying hard to establish merit.

The most important thing is that the king is wise and not overbearing, which is the best soil for change.

Generally speaking, weak monarchs are mostly foolish and indecisive, unable to stick to the established path and easily change their course at the slightest sign of trouble. Wise monarchs are mostly strong and cannot tolerate their subjects "interfering" with their power. They have strong opinions and prioritize consolidating their power.

Once the "iteration" is completed, the empire will leap to a higher level, which will be a "dimensionality reduction attack" on all countries in the world.

Compared with this, what's the harm in enduring Tubo for a dozen or twenty years?

Li Chengqian was a man who listened to advice. He knew that he was expecting too much, but he did not hide his disappointment in front of the two people. He even spoke frankly, "It's not that I am ambitious, but the achievement of destroying Tubo is too tempting for me. When I was still the crown prince, I was questioned by the world. Although I usually acted calm, I still care about it in my heart. I dare not compare myself to Gaozu and Taizong, but I must have some achievements to shut those people up, right? I am an emperor, but also an ordinary person. I also want to be recognized by the people of the world."

Since he ascended the throne, he had never brought a beauty into the palace. Was he not interested in women? Of course not. Ordinary officials and merchants all yearned to have three wives and four concubines, let alone an emperor like him?
But he knew what he wanted. Compared with beauty, he wanted to be evaluated as honest and wise.

He needs recognition so badly, now and in the future, whether alive or dead.