The news of Liu Hongcheng's death quickly spread in the Tang dynasty and Chang 'an like snowflakes. Li Shimin also received the news that Zhang Ye in Gan Province had fallen and Liu Hongcheng had been killed.
Li Shimin's expression immediately collapsed.
To say that Li Shimin had much hope for Liu Hongcheng, he really did not. However, Li Shimin still hoped that Liu Hongcheng would be able to defend Gan Province and stop Du Qi's army at the frontline.
Unfortunately, it was a little wishful thinking.
Li Shimin immediately arranged for Fang Xuanling, Wei Zheng, Xiao Yu, and Crown Prince Li Chengqian to enter the palace.
Xiao Yu was almost sixty years old.
However, Xiao Yu was also very experienced at this time. Because of the lack of Zhangsun Wuji, Li Ji, Li Jing, and the others, Li Shimin's direct subordinates were reduced. Now, even Li Yuan's direct subordinates were promoted.
Not long after, Fang Xuanling and the others entered.
Li Shimin looked around and said, "I just received the news that Gan Province has fallen and Liu Hongcheng died in battle. Now, Xia's army has already conquered Gan Province and will soon sweep the entire Gan Province. Next, Du Qi's army will definitely continue to move east. What do you think about this? "
Hearing this, everyone looked solemn.
Their expressions were not good, because the situation was not good.
After Li Shimin returned to the country, he quickly suppressed the local chaos. Although the rebellion around Gyeonggi Province had been suppressed. He had also given orders to suppress the rebellion. The situation was temporarily stable, but in fact, the undercurrent was turbulent, and the domestic situation had not really stabilized. Even if Du Qi did not attack the Tang dynasty, the current internal situation of the Tang dynasty would make Li Shimin anxious.
The officials in the court were also facing a lot of pressure.
It was very difficult for them.
Seeing that no one spoke for the time being, Li Shimin looked at Li Chengqian and said, "Crown Prince, what do you think?"
Li Chengqian wanted to kill Du Qi as soon as possible. There was a deep hatred between him and Du Qi. Therefore, as soon as Li Shimin asked, Li Chengqian immediately said, "Father Emperor, I suggest we go to war. Our Tang dynasty is rich in natural resources and treasures. There are always countless talents. Although Du Qi's army is strong, it doesn't mean that we can't fight them. "
"How do we fight?" Li Shimin asked.
Li Shimin was someone who came from the battlefield, and he was good at fighting. Therefore, when it came to marching and fighting a war, he was very familiar with it and had a sense of propriety. However, Li Chengqian only talked about starting the war and did not talk about the specific strategy. Li Shimin was not satisfied.
If they wanted to start a war, they had to have a strategy.
Only then would Li Shimin be satisfied.
Li Chengqian gritted his teeth and said, "Father, I do have a plan that might be able to stop Du Qi's army."
Li Shimin said, "Zhen is all ears."
Li Chengqian said with a serious expression, "Du Qi's army is now too powerful to be contained. Under such circumstances, if we don't stop Du Qi's attacks, the consequences will be unimaginable. "
Li Shimin flicked his big sleeve and said, "Cut the crap."
Li Chengqian's eyes flashed and he said, "The Imperial Court has issued an order to recruit knowledgeable people. They are allowed to recruit soldiers on their own, organize their forces, and then go to the front line to resist Du Qi's army. The Imperial Court will not be stingy with rewards for those who can resist Du Qi's army. They will be conferred the title of Prince with a different surname, or be conferred the title of Duke and be granted land. "
When Wei Zheng, Xiao Yu, and the others heard this, their complexions greatly changed. Disbelief was written all over their faces. This proposal seemed effective, but in fact, there were too many problems.
Li Shimin was also a wise ruler. Naturally, he could determine whether Li Chengqian's suggestion was good or bad, and could determine the advantages and disadvantages within it. In a low voice, he said, "Crown Prince, do you know how great of an impact this plan will have?"
Li Chengqian said, "I know."
Speaking up to here, Li Chengqian paused for a moment and then continued, "The Tang dynasty is now in a chaotic world. In this chaotic world, we need to use heavy punishments and carry out extraordinary measures. Right now, the Imperial Court's military forces need to be used to stabilize the internal situation and suppress the rebellions everywhere. And Xia Xia's army is constantly coming. This is an extremely bad situation for us. "
"The Imperial Court has no military forces to send. It's impossible to stabilize the situation with just the provincial governors, military governors, and military chiefs. Although Imperial Father is worried that allowing the local people to recruit soldiers will make many people stronger, this is not arbitrary. The Imperial Court will recruit first, and these people will come to register first. They will only start recruiting after receiving the Imperial Court's permission. "
"Then, they will have to go to the front line to fight. If these people only know how to recruit soldiers but do not take action, then the Imperial Court will directly deal with them. They will be wiped out in one fell swoop to increase the Imperial Court's strength. After all, the Imperial Court is not without military forces. As long as there is an army, it will not be a problem to suppress the various places. "
Li Chengqian said, "Moreover, through this order, we will have the opportunity to unearth more talents."
After hearing this, Li Shimin's face showed a touch of excitement. When he looked at Li Chengqian, there was a touch of praise and relief on his face.
Li Chengqian's arrangement was indeed good.
With such an arrangement, the Imperial Court could control a large area because of the registration. Even if some people had ulterior motives, the Imperial Court could still control everything and there would not be chaos.
Li Shimin said, "What do you think?"
Wei Zheng said in a deep voice, "Your Majesty, I think it's inappropriate."
Li Shimin said, "The reason?"
Wei Zheng said, "The reason is actually very simple. After this example, the Imperial Court's control over the local areas will definitely be weakened. On the surface, this is indeed a selection of people to participate in the war. However, participating in the war was not something that could be accomplished in one go. For example, Lantian County's Wang Mou registered with the government. He wants to recruit people to prepare for war. "
After a pause, Wei Zheng continued, "But after he recruited the people and formed a force, he left Lantian County but did not go. In fact, he delayed it for some reason. This was something that was very difficult to grasp. Your Majesty, this suggestion seems to be good, but in fact, there are too many problems and loopholes. It can easily be used by people with ulterior motives. "
Li Chengqian retorted, "Even if there are people with ulterior motives, can these people compete with Du Qi? How could these people be mentioned in the same breath as Du Qi? I'm afraid that even ten or twenty people can't be compared to Du Qi's danger. However, if we can find someone who can stop Du Qi, stall Du Qi's Army, and even destroy Du Qi, then our Tang Dynasty can be saved. "
Li Chengqian now appeared to be very confident and strongly counterattacked, saying, "As long as the external threat is solved, then the next step is to sort out the internal contradictions. It will be much easier."
Wei Zheng said in a deep voice, "Crown Prince, you're twisting words and forcing logic. Such a strategy is absolutely not feasible, because after such a policy is promulgated, it may cause the entire Tang Dynasty to be in turmoil. "
Li Chengqian said, "Wei Zheng, you're the one who's absurd. Could it be that you're partial to Du Qi and want to pave the way for Du Qi in advance because your daughter is married to the Du Family and your Wei Family is in-laws with the Du Family? "
"Enough!"
Li Shimin directly scolded.
At this moment, Li Shimin's eyes were very stern as he scolded, "Crown Prince, you're the Crown Prince. You should know what to say and what not to say. Wei Zheng is my right-hand man. How can he be so private? If you make the same mistake again, I won't let you off easily. "
Li Chengqian said, "This son knows his mistake!"
Wei Zheng directly took off his official hat and put it on the ground. He then knelt and said, "Your Majesty, this son is loyal to the Tang Dynasty. Heaven and Earth can be my witness. Since the Crown Prince has said so, it means that many people have come to the same conclusion. "
After a pause, Wei Zheng continued, "If this son is still in the center of the court, I'm afraid it's hard to convince people. Your Majesty, please put this son in prison. Before defeating Xia Xia's attack, this son will never leave the prison to prove myself. "
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