"Big Uncle, once the war begins, the Tang Dynasty will lose without a doubt!"
Wang Chong knelt on the ground and cried out in pain.
"I want to stop this war not because I want to help Mengshe Zhao, but because I'm worried about the Tang Dynasty. Three hundred thousand Mengshe Zhao elites and one hundred and eighty thousand Tang Dynasty Annan soldiers. Once this war begins, it will be a war of unprecedented proportions. Big Uncle, have you ever thought about what will happen if the Tang Dynasty loses? "
Wang Gen was dumbfounded.
As a civil official, he was not well-versed in matters of military strategy. In this period of time, the court had been discussing how to punish the Mengshe Zhao Empire and Gelofeng.
No one had ever considered the question of the Tang Dynasty's defeat, and no one had ever considered it from this angle.
The Tang Dynasty would not lose. This was a belief deeply rooted in everyone's hearts.
But 'victory and defeat are commonplace for a soldier'. Wang Gen had to admit that once the war began, there would be victory and defeat. The Tang Dynasty was completely likely to lose.
Wang Gen did not believe that the Tang Dynasty would lose, but he was, after all, born into a clan of ministers and generals, so this was common sense.
For a moment, Wang Gen was stumped by Wang Chong's question.
The dark prison was cold, and the gloomy light illuminated the even colder floor tiles. As Wang Chong knelt on the floor, he felt waves of cold air coming from his knees, but Wang Chong's heart was even colder than the floor.
All he could hear was silence. There was nothing but the sound of breathing. But Wang Chong could clearly hear the beating of drums.
That was the warning voice of fate in the dark.
A world of billions of people, after going one round, had once more stepped into the abyss of destruction. Dawn was coming, and there would be the first glimmer of light. Autumn was coming, and there would be the first fallen leaf.
The war in the southwest had never been a simple war!
One hundred and eighty thousand elites had been wiped out, and the billions of people had been reduced to bones. For the first time in the Central Plains, the Tang Dynasty had been completely defenseless against two foreign empires at its southwestern gate …
This crushing defeat shocked the entire empire! It also shocked the boundless barbarians and jackals around the Tang dynasty.
The death of one hundred and eighty thousand border elites caused the empire to suffer an unprecedented heavy blow. The entire military strength of the Tang dynasty suffered a huge loss of nearly a third.
Such casualties were unprecedented in the history of the Tang dynasty.
This war inspired all the great powers around the Tang dynasty: the Eastern and Western Turkic Khaganates, the Goguryeo Empire, the distant Abbasid Caliphate, Charax Spasinu, and even Mengshe Zhao and the Ouzan Empire that started this war …
For the first time, the great powers around the Tang dynasty found that the Tang dynasty was not as powerful as they had imagined. It turned out that the current Tang dynasty was no longer the invincible and terrifying Tang dynasty.
This battle allowed all the foreign barbarians around the Tang dynasty to see the weak side of the Tang dynasty. From then on, countless powers began to grow restless, and they stared hungrily at the Tang dynasty.
Northwest, Northeast, North, Longxi … The Tang dynasty was embroiled in endless wars, and it fell into troubled times. A massive empire, the most powerful civilization in the history of the Central Plains, fell into decline, and it fell into decline.
This was the eternal pain in the hearts of the people of the Tang dynasty! It was also the pain of the entire Central Plains!
No matter what, Wang Chong had to change everything.
"… Big uncle, I know that this matter has put you in a difficult position! But First Uncle, please think about it. Since young, have I ever lied to First Uncle? I know that Big Uncle is in a difficult position, and I have never asked Big Uncle for anything. But this time, I hope that Big Uncle can promise me no matter what. No matter how many people oppose me, or how many people slander me, I hope that Big Uncle can stop this war! This isn't just for the Wang Clan, it's also for the Tang dynasty! One day, time will prove that I am right! "
At the end, Wang Chong clenched his fists tightly, and his head was pressed against the ground. His veins were bulging from the excessive force he was exerting.
On this journey of vengeance, he was fated to be alone. Only by experiencing it for himself did he understand how difficult it was to change the fate of the empire and the world.
There were far too many things in his heart that he couldn't tell anyone. Even someone as close as his big uncle couldn't convince him easily, much less anyone else.
Wang Gen looked at the kneeling Wang Chong, his heart deeply moved. Although Wang Chong hadn't said much, Wang Gen could feel the unshakable will in his heart.
"Chong-er, let me think about it!"
Wang Gen sighed, closed his eyes, and fell silent. Military affairs were no trifling matter. One couldn't be swayed by emotions, and one couldn't neglect one's private interests for the sake of public interests. This was the principle that Wang Gen had upheld for many years in the Imperial Court.
If it were any other descendant of the Wang Clan, even if it were his own son, Wang Li, Wang Gen wouldn't even consider it. But Wang Chong …
Scenes of the past flitted through his mind. The Regional Commanders Incident, the Consort Taizhen Incident — Wang Chong had proven himself time and time again, and it was Wang Chong who had been the first to discover the recent war in the southwest.
Time and time again, he had proved that Wang Chong was right!
He seemed to have some sort of foresight, always able to find the most correct path among the countless threads.
"Chong-er, tell me that you won't regret today's decision!"
Wang Gen suddenly said.
"Big Uncle won't regret it."
Wang Chong was overjoyed.
His big uncle's words clearly indicated that he was agreeing.
Wang Gen suddenly gave a long sigh.
"Chong-er, I can agree to your request this time. This is the first time I've abandoned public interests for the sake of private interests, but it will also be the last time. Do you understand? "
Wang Gen opened his eyes.
"Your nephew understands."
Wang Chong sternly said. If he didn't know his big uncle's personality, Wang Chong wouldn't have let his big uncle off during the Regional Commanders Incident and only tried to persuade the King of Song.
"Speak. What else do you need me to do next?"
Wang Gen said, his expression much more relaxed.
"Mm!"
Wang Chong nodded.
"Big Uncle, after we return, please tell the King of Song that no matter what, he must personally make an appearance. In addition, I have a letter here that Big Uncle should give to Yang Zhao. If we want to change the decision of the Imperial Court, we need Big Uncle, the King of Song, and Consort Taizhen!
"In addition, Big Uncle, please tell the King of Song that we aren't helping Mengshe Zhao. Gelofeng's ambitions are too obvious, and she must be punished, but not now. Ask him to stall for time and only act when he is fully prepared. So, from now on, Big Uncle and the King of Song should mobilize the army from the Bureau of Military Personnel to the southwest.
"Just the 180,000 soldiers in the southwest are far from enough to deal with Gelofeng. Only an army of 300,000 or more can deal with Gelofeng!"
"That's impossible! Mobilizing an army is no small matter. Even the King of Song can't make such a decision on his own. He needs the approval of the other officials. "
Wang Gen shook his head.
The King of Song was an authoritative figure in the Bureau of Military Personnel, but he wasn't so powerful that he could blot out the sky with one hand. At the very least, King Qi's faction also wielded great authority in the Bureau of Military Personnel.
Moreover, the Tang Dynasty had always fought with the few against the many. The Tang Dynasty had always walked the path of elite soldiers, and their soldiers were well-equipped from head to toe. In terms of equipment, they were superior to all other powers.
If they really mobilized 300,000 soldiers, they could easily crush Mengshe Zhao. That would be a war that could wipe out a country.
Moreover, the Tang Dynasty only had so many soldiers. If they mobilized 300,000 soldiers, the defense in other areas would become weaker, and that might cause even more trouble.
"Then we'll use the reserve army, the prefectural armies! This is the best source of soldiers, and we can bypass the Bureau of Military Personnel to minimize any resistance! "
Wang Chong's eyes were sharp as he spoke without hesitation. As the War Saint of the Tang Dynasty and the last commander-in-chief of the Central Plains, Wang Chong had a far more thorough understanding of the art of war than his big uncle.
"The battlefield is the best furnace. Three months is enough to train a regular army that would take several years to reach the standard. The prefectural armies are the best source of soldiers! "
If a regular army existed in a perfect military system, there would definitely be a reserve army. Mengshe Zhao, Ouzan, Goguryeo, and the Eastern and Western Turkic Khaganates were all examples.
Although the Tang Dynasty did not have many soldiers, they had always maintained a large reserve army. The number of reserve soldiers was not large, but there were at least 200,000 of them.
Moreover, the training of the Tang Dynasty was far more rigorous than that of other armies. It was a complete system. An army that had undergone such rigorous training could enter the battlefield at any time.
This was also the reason why the Tang Dynasty was able to maintain a stable number of soldiers despite fighting one against six and suffering many casualties every year.
However, reserve soldiers were still reserve soldiers, and they were severely lacking in battlefield experience. Although they could quickly train a large number of qualified and experienced soldiers by entering the battlefield, the casualties would probably be high.
Moreover, such a transfer of reserve soldiers would cause a gap in the military pyramid of the Tang Dynasty. The training of reserve soldiers would be severely lacking, and it would have a great impact on the future.
Wang Gen looked at Wang Chong with a strange look in his eyes.
Wang Chong knew much more than he did. These words didn't seem like something a teenager like Wang Chong would be able to say.
"I will try my best to convince The King of Song. The war between the royal court and Mengshe Zhao will definitely unfold. If it is unavoidable, this might be the best solution. "
Wang Gen sighed.
"... Also, there is one more thing I need to trouble Big Uncle with."
"Speak."
This time, Wang Chong did not speak. Instead, he leaned forward and whispered in Wang Gen's ear.
"Ouzan!!"
Wang Gen's body trembled. He understood Wang Chong's meaning.
"Big Uncle, no matter what, you must bring these words to Zhangchou Jianqiong. The southwest is not our territory. Only Zhangchou Jianqiong's words will be listened to by Xianyu Zhongtong. "
Wang Chong said.
Mengshe Zhao had never been a thorn in the heart of the Tang dynasty. The true thorn was Ouzan. No matter what, they had to keep tabs on Ouzan's movements.
If they did not understand this, the tragedy of their previous life would only repeat itself.
"I understand. Leave this matter to me. "
In the end, Wang Gen still left.
With Wang Gen gone, the dungeon became deathly silent.
"Come out!"
After his big uncle left, Wang Chong suddenly spoke without raising his head.
At first, there was silence in the dark prison. After a while, a few figures appeared. Zheng Chenzhou led several experts from the Chamberlain of Dependencies out from the back.
"Wang Chong, I don't care what you're discussing with your big uncle. You won't be able to escape from this important matter."
Zheng Chenzhou bluntly said.
"There's no need for you to worry about this matter."
Wang Chong indifferently said.
Zheng Chenzhou harrumphed. Not wanting to invite a rebuff, he beckoned his subordinates over and left.
Once everyone had left, Wang Chong once more extended a finger and began to write on the ground. Around him were countless square letters and maps of the Tang dynasty. Compared to a few days ago, they were several times more detailed and thicker.
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