The main significance of today's military discussion is to promote the final determination of the core decision-making level of the Tang Dynasty to launch the Eastern Crusade, but the deeper meaning is the binding of responsibilities, Li Yuan does not want to bear the responsibility for the future defeat alone, but wants all the decision-making ministers to take responsibility together, as for how to fight the specific war, it is not the court ministers can decide, but the heavy responsibility of the commander Li Xiaogong. Pen % fun % Pavilion www.biquge.info

After deliberating for an hour and a half, the ministers finally reached an agreement, and on the first day of the third month, 80,000 Tang troops officially launched an eastward crusade to Yuzhang County.

After the discussion, Li Yuan returned directly to the imperial study, and he asked him to find his second son Li Shimin, in fact, no one needed to find him, Li Shimin had already appeared at the door of the imperial study, and he needed to talk to his father about Qu Tutong again.

After a short time, Li Shimin walked into the imperial study quickly, knelt down and saluted: "Erchen greets his father!" ”

"Get up!"

"Thank you, Father!"

Li Shimin stood up and stood aside with his hands down, he couldn't speak first before his father spoke, this was the basic way to be a courtier.

Li Yuan glanced at him and asked, "How is the situation of the Sui army in Hetao?" ”

Li Shimin said respectfully: "Back to my father, the Sui army was training in the winter, after the New Year, the Northern Sui implemented the military household system, and people began to move to the Hetao, Li Jing has been busy with the resettlement of military households, and there is no sign of the southern expedition. ”

"The emperor also thinks that the Sui army will not march south for the time being?"

Li Shimin nodded, "Erchen does think so, Hetao is the foothold of the Northern Sui in Guanlong, which is very important, especially Lingwu County is related to whether the Northern Sui can gain a foothold in Guanlong, so before the Northern Sui gain a firm foothold in the Hetao area, they will not easily go south, in fact, it can be seen from the annexation of the state, although the Northern Sui occupied Changping County and Shangdang County, but never continued to attack the southern counties of the state, this is the consistent stability of the Sui army, and it will only consider expansion after gaining a firm foothold." ”

"Speaking of which, I can rest assured a little bit."

After a moment of silence, Li Yuan said slowly: "There is one more thing I want to tell you first, I plan to transfer Qu Tutong back to Chang'an." ”

Li Shimin's heart was pounding, and sure enough, he came, this is the true intention of his father to find him, of course, this is also what Li Shimin wants to discuss with his father.

Li Shimin didn't dare to say that he had received the secret report from Wu Shitong, so he pretended to be a little stunned and said, "Father, why is this?" ”

Li Yuan sighed and handed the report that Li Yuanji gave him to Li Shimin, "You can see it by looking at it." ”

Li Shimin hurriedly took the report and read it carefully, he also wanted to know how the fourth brother slandered Qu Tutong, and hurriedly read it, Li Shimin suddenly cooled half, he never thought that the fourth brother's report was so viciously written, and words such as arrogance, supporting the army and standing on his own feet, and ill-intentioned abound.

"Father, this.... Such a conclusion is ridiculous! Li Shimin looked at his father in shock.

Li Yuan smiled bitterly, in fact, he also understood in his heart that Yuan Ji's unscrupulous attack on Qu Tutong was related to the previous incident with Qu Tugai, Yuan Ji vented all the anger in his heart on Qu Tutong, saying that Qu Tutong was about to rebel, and Li Yuan didn't believe it, but the facts stated in it made Li Yuan feel uncomfortable, especially the birth card of Ming Gong in the world made Li Yuan feel even more uncomfortable.

"I want to hear your opinion, do you think that Yuanji's report was made out of nothing, or that the proof of the samurai is also insincere, what does the emperor mean?"

Li Shimin sighed and said: "This matter Erchen thinks is true, but Erchen thinks that there is a reason, at least Qu Tutong has a thousand personal guards is agreed by Erchen, this is for the need to command the war, to make a very simple analogy, when the two armies are fighting, if there is no 1,000 personal guards guarding the commander's side, the enemy will seize the loophole and kill the commander, and the whole army will collapse. ”

Li Yuan didn't argue with his son, and asked lightly, "What about the other two?" ”

"The purpose of building the city wall is to strengthen the defense, Erchen went to Jiangxia to see, Jiangxia County is close to the Yangtze River, the big ship can go straight to the city from the waterway, if it is a three-zhang high city wall, then the two thousand stone big ship can directly board the city, in order to avoid this threat, only to continue to build the city wall, there is no other way!"

"Keep talking!" Li Yuan said quietly.

Li Shimin was really a little uneasy in his heart, he knew that the second explanation was actually a bit far-fetched, the moat outside Jiangxia City could only drive a thousand-stone warship at most, and could not enter a two-thousand-stone ship, and the height of the thousand-stone warship could not reach three zhang, if his father was more serious, he would expose his explanation.

But at this point, Li Shimin could only stubbornly continue: "As for the third article, the statement of the Ming Duke of the world, the sons feel that this is ambiguous, but they just praise him for being a benevolent and virtuous elder, his father, Qu Tutong's wife and children are all in Chang'an, how can he have the heart to support the army and stand on his own." ”

"I can understand what the emperor said, but I also know that there will be some special circumstances, but the system of the imperial court is not a decoration, there should be rules to do things, if you don't think the soldiers are enough, you can apply to the imperial court to increase the number of people, the city wall is too short to stop the attack of ships, you can also propose to the imperial court to increase the city wall, but if there is special information, the imperial court will also consider it as appropriate, and I will also give special approval, but he has guarded Jiangxia for so many years, and has never made any application to the imperial court, so why increase the number of people without authorization, build the city wall without authorization, and must be special, How can I turn a blind eye, and how can I regulate other generals and other cities? Everyone is like him, so what's the point of the court system? ”

Li Shimin was dumbfounded for a while, and his father said that Qu Tutong did not apply to the imperial court and made his own decisions.

Li Shimin bit his lip and said, "The child is willing to guarantee General Qu Tu?" ”

Li Yuan glanced at his son dissatisfied, and said coldly: "I didn't say that I would punish him, and I also believe that he is different from Duan Decao, but I just consider that Qu Tutong's time in Jiangxia is too long, and it is not good for him, and it is good for him to change places, which is good for the court and himself." ”

When Li Shimin heard his father mention Duan Decao, he knew that his father was already suspicious, and he couldn't help but sigh secretly, "Then where is my father going to transfer him?" ”

"I want him to be the general of the right guard, and as for the main general who will succeed him, he can be recommended by the emperor."

Li Shimin is also an extremely stubborn person, he knows very well in his heart the importance of Qu Tutong sitting in Jiangxia, but it seems that his father does not understand, and he decides to persuade his father one last time.

"Father, since we are going to launch the Eastern Crusade, Erchen thinks that it is too risky to change generals at this critical time, there is Qu Tutong sitting in Jiangxia, but Jiangxia is safe, he is the most suitable to sit in Jiangxia, and transferring him away will only create an opportunity for the Sui army to attack Jiangxia, please think twice!"

Li Yuan's tone was even more dissatisfied, "The Eastern Expedition is Xiaogong's offensive in Yuzhang County, which is far away from Jiangxia County, the Eastern Expedition has nothing to do with Qu Tutong, there is no need to talk about a temporary change of generals, and I have a large number of famous generals in the Tang Dynasty, Jiangxia does not have to rely on Qu Tutong alone, this matter is so decided, you recommend another general to guard Jiangxia!" ”

Li Yuan said in the end, his tone was obviously a little unhappy, Li Shimin saw that it was irretrievable, so he had to say helplessly: "Then let Erchen go to Jiangxia." ”

"No! I have already talked to you the day before yesterday, your task is to destroy Wang Shichong, since you believe in Qu Tutong so much, then let Qu Tutong be your lieutenant, and you can recommend others on Jiangxia's side. ”

"What does Father think of the Right Martial Guard General Sheng Yanshi?"

Li Yuan shook his head, "Maybe I didn't make it clear, but I meant to use the children of the clan as much as possible." ”

Li Shimin lowered his head and pondered for a moment and said, "Li Daoxuan, the general of the Right Thousand Niuwei, what does my father think?" ”

Li Yuan still shook his head, "He is only seventeen years old, he is too young, it's okay to charge and fight, but sitting on one side, he is far from enough in terms of qualifications and experience, think about others!" ”

Li Shimin felt that his father had already chosen someone in his heart, and his recommendation was just talking, so he had to lower his hand and ask, "Does my father have a better candidate suggestion?" ”

Li Yuan smiled slightly, "I consider letting Chai Shao go to Taiyuan, and your third uncle of the runes will go to Jiangxia, he is old and cautious, I think it's a good decision, what does the emperor think?" ”

Li Shimin bowed his head and was silent for a long time, although Chai Shao and his eldest brother have a close relationship, he would rather let Chai Shao sit in Jiangxia, at least Chai Shao is shrewd and capable, and good at flexibility, and cousin Li Shenfu is old and steady when he says it well, and it is too mediocre to say it badly.

"What, does the emperor think this decision is inappropriate?" Li Yuan asked in a long voice.

Li Shimin glanced up at his father, only to see that his father's sharp eyes were full of determination and irresistible, Li Shimin had to whisper: "The son has no opinion!" ”

"Then it's decided, and your third uncle of the runes will be in charge of Jiangxia."

In the afternoon of the same day, Li Yuan issued a decree to transfer Qu Tutong, the governor of Jiangxia, to the general of the right guard, give Zhu Guo, change the title of Li Shenfu to the king of Jiangxia County, and at the same time serve as the governor of Jingbei Metropolis, commanding 60,000 soldiers and horses in seven counties including Jiangxia, Xiangyang, Anlu, Yiyang, Handong, Yong'an, and Chungling, and sitting in Jiangxia.

This appointment is still far from the goal of Li Yuanji's arrest of Qu Tutong and his imprisonment for review, which makes Li Yuanji really annoyed in his heart, but he knows that this is the result of the second brother Li Shimin's efforts to protect Qu Tutong behind his back, although he is annoyed in his heart, but he has no choice but to continue to wait for the opportunity, and he must put Qu Tu's brother to death, so as to vent the hatred in his heart.

But in any case, Qu Tutong was transferred away, and Fang Xuanling's counter-plan was successfully fulfilled.

At this time, the wind and clouds over Jianghuai have begun to stir up, and the reappearance of Du Fuwei will bring a huge military disaster to Qichun County. (To be continued.) )