After receiving an urgent report from his disciple Feng Zhidai, Bai Fan did not dare to slack off, and immediately entered the palace to face the saint.

Li Eryi slapped off the coffee table next to him with one palm, and said angrily: "They are so angry, they want to eat my northern grassland in one bite?"

Come to someone, spread my message, and discuss the government in the palace. ”

The inner servant Lao Gao walked quickly to arrange for someone to announce the decree, the so-called small discussion of the political hall is relative to the big discussion of the Taiji Palace, when the Taiji Hall is a big meeting, the officials who have arrived in the middle of the court have to participate, but the small discussion of the political hall is only the core level to participate.

Half an hour later, everyone gathered, Li Erchuan looked at the secret letter, and the atmosphere in the hall was a little tense for a while.

"Straight lady thief, Your Majesty, instead of waiting for them to attack, it is better for us to strike first, and with my Lao Cheng, an army of 100,000, we will ensure that the heads of those small country chiefs will be brought one by one." Cheng Yanjin scolded angrily.

"Hmph, the net will blow nonsense, if 100,000 can destroy the country, you will not be blocked in Beisha City in the first place." Wei Chigong scoffed.

"What did you say?

That's my old Cheng didn't thunder, now the thunder is blazing, God blocks and kills God, Buddha blocks and kills Buddha, just a small country, what is the way? Cheng Yanjin remembered the scene of Li Daozong's 30,000 breaking the Western Turks, and his heart was full of envy, and he didn't blink his eyes when he said big things.

"Hehe, I was counting on thunder, if there is a thunderstorm, why do you need an army of 100,000? With me, you can go and get the head of Gasuwen back with me. Wei Chigong laughed at the top of his throat.

"Okay, state affairs are in charge, why don't you brag to each other here?" Li Jing stopped the two of them.

Li Erdao: "Pharmacist, the enemy is menacing, according to Jian Zhi's calculations, the combined forces of the northeast and northwest have at least 500,000 troops, and my Tang Dynasty is only 300,000 troops, can you prevent it?" ”

Li Jing muttered: "If it is a simple defensive war, Lao Chen is confident that he can block the enemy's 500,000 soldiers with an army of 300,000 and make them unable to advance an inch, but it can only be a bloody battle."

But next year, we will use 300,000 troops to destroy the country, so we cannot afford to lose this defensive battle.

But you can't avoid it without fighting, otherwise the enemy will be barbarians, and the slaughter will not be soft.

Therefore, the minister believes that there is only one way at the moment, that is, to follow the style of King Qi in southwest Tibet, shrink the strength of men and horses, and thunder the sky to defend the border city. ”

Li Er looked at Bai Fan, "Jian Zhi, may the thunder follow?" ”

Shaking his head, Bai Fan said: "Pig iron is needed for the production of thunderstorms, last time the northwest recovered Gaochang, the 30,000 army brought 100,000 thunderbolts, that is our stock for three years, and now we only have 30,000 thunderbolts, which is seriously insufficient." ”

This...... How so?

Bai Fan's words poured a basin of cold water on the generals, and he was still thinking about sweeping the Quartet with a thunderbolt, now it's okay, the defense is tight, what to take to fight?

Li Er also knew in his heart that Bai Fan had handed over the thunder to the Ministry of Industry of the Imperial Court, but the pig iron needed by the Ministry of Industry now also relied on Bai Fan's blast furnace steelmaking plant for supply, and if he used Datang's own original raw railway, he would not be able to make even 10,000 pieces a year.

"Thirty thousand, so we have to fight a bloody battle?" Li Er was slightly disappointed, once there was a bloody battle, it would mean that the battle of the Tang Dynasty to destroy the country would be postponed for more than three years.

"No, not necessarily, according to my calculations, it is about to enter winter, the north is bitterly cold, there is a lot of snow in winter, whether it is the Western Turks and the Hui, or Goguryeo and the peninsula, if the ground is not civilized after winter, there will be no war at all, so we still have at least four months.

Four months, hehe, my steel plant can work overtime, and by the time the spring war begins next year, 100,000 thunderbolts will not be a problem. Bai Fan explained.

"Good! 100,000, 500,000 enemies, even if one kills one, it can earn 100,000 heads. Li Er laughed.

"You mean, next spring? The enemy is going to war at the beginning of spring? And what about our spring ploughing? Li Jiancheng exclaimed.

Well, the reality is really not so beautiful, a word to wake up the dreamer.

"That's right, it's Kaichun, if I want to attack Tang, I will definitely choose Kaichun War, it is precisely because Datang needs spring ploughing, if it is an army against the enemy, then it will delay spring ploughing, if there are no soldiers, then people can take advantage of the void to enter, don't say that the grassland is defeated, maybe it can hit Chang'an." Bai Fan said in a deep voice.

"Guys, is there a way to have it both ways?" Li Er asked.

At this time, Fang Xuanling said: "Your Majesty, why don't you avoid war?" ”

"Oh? What does Xuan Ling mean by this? What is war avoidance? ”

"That is to avoid its front for the time being, since the enemy wants to attack our northern grassland first, then because the Eastern Turks were destroyed by us, now the north is mostly herdsmen and people, and the fortified cities are only three built by Mao Gong.

We took advantage of the winter to move all the herdsmen to the Great Wall, so that the people would be safe when the enemy was coming.

Wait until the spring of next year when the enemy attacks, from the north to the south to close the territory, leaving only an empty grassland and empty city, they come all the way to the south, the march will take at least half a month, we will be able to complete the spring ploughing by the time of the three, there will be a surplus of troops, so it is to avoid the war, but also a delay in the army. Fang Xuanling explained carefully.

"Well, this method makes sense." Li Jiancheng nodded.

Du Ruhui said: "It is better to avoid the war than to face the war, the soldiers who fought the war are only 300,000, in the past, we avoided the spring ploughing war, because each war requires a huge amount of labor, and the people who follow are often more than the soldiers.

But since we have long been aware of this, why not start transporting grain in the winter? As long as the military rations are transported to the northern battlefield in one winter, and the war starts next year, the 300,000 troops go straight to the front line, and there is enough money and food, so why worry about the battle of defense?

There are only 300,000 strong laborers in the country, and there is no delay, as long as you persist for three months, you will receive the first batch of immortal grain harvested next year, and from then on, there will be no shortage of military food, and victory is in sight.

However, if we avoid war and the migration and mobilization of millions of people in the northern grasslands, this task can be a hundred times more difficult than transporting grain. ”

"Well, that's a good idea, it makes sense." Li Daozong supported.

"Pharmacist, you are the boss, whether you are facing or avoiding the battle, you say." Li Er asked.

Li Jing stroked his beard and muttered: "Both strategies have advantages and disadvantages, but the old minister thinks that they can be used in combination, avoiding the battle on the one hand, and facing the battle on the other."

There are three fortified cities in the north, which can be used to shrink some of the people, and the people near the Great Wall have also shrunk back, implementing the policy of clearing the wilderness in the grassland, and at the same time transporting grain to the three northern cities, and the thunder and thunder have also been transported over.

In this way, the pressure on the migration of the grassland people will be reduced, and at the same time, as long as the 100,000 army is stationed in the three fortified cities, and the barbarian cavalry is not good at attacking the city, even if they have an army of 500,000 besieging the city for three months, they will not want to shake us in the slightest.

After insisting on spring ploughing, Lao Chen personally led an army of 200,000 and went out of the Great Wall to teach them how to behave as a barbarian. ”

"Okay, what the pharmacist said is exactly what I want, so I will use this method, big brother, you will coordinate the officials of the six ministries and preside over the migration of the grassland people.

Pharmacist, your military department sent someone to arrange the transportation of food in winter. Li Er clapped his hands and said.

At this time, Bai Fan, who had not spoken, spoke, "Did you forget me?" ”

"You kid is optimistic about the base camp for me, and there can't be the slightest difference in 100,000 thunderbolts." Of course, Li Er did not forget.

"I mean, if I can, I can send out a batch of iron oxen for transportation, this thing is much better than manpower to transport grain, and it can save the grain consumed to transport grain, don't you want it?"

Today's first chapter, please support.

(End of chapter)