Don't be a prince

Accompanied by an explosion, the return ship, which was barely maintaining its shape, collapsed above the deck.

The crossbow bolts of the Eight Bull Crossbows are not missiles after all, and their power is still limited. Judging from a single crossbow bolt, it is indeed not enough to destroy a ship.

Without Li Chengqian's instruction, the emperor saw an iron wrench, then looked at the label of "supply", and pulled it without hesitation.

The next moment, the deck cracked again, and two more crossbow bolts rose up.

Six crossbow arrows, six explosions, and most of the returning ship that could still fish for a while turned into fragments floating in the sea.

Putting down the eight-ox crossbow, the emperor frowned suddenly.In his opinion, six crossbow arrows blowing up a ship is still a bit slow.If this crossbow is used in land warfare, I am afraid that some vulnerable city gates will be blown open.

How smart Li Chengqian was, when he saw the emperor frown, he poked Zhang Liang.

Zhang Liang also came to his senses immediately, walked up to the emperor and cupped his hands and said, "Your Majesty, in fact, you don't need to completely blow up the enemy's ships in sea warfare. Blowing up their sails and blowing up their bottoms can play a decisive role." Effect. In sea combat, the primary goal is to paralyze the enemy's ship. When you are lucky, a single crossbow arrow can achieve the effect, but on this ship, there are 20 soldiers as standard, and one crossbow arrow can disintegrate the battle of 20 people. Strength, I don't think it's a big thank you."

With a cold snort, Li Shimin said leisurely: "Of course I know this, so you don't need to tell me. What I'm thinking now is that there are really too many eight-ox crossbows on the Prince. Is it necessary to carry more than 20 eight-ox crossbows?" ?”

After hearing the emperor's words, all the ministers looked at the two sides one after another. Sure enough, there were five crossbows lined up in front of the Crown Prince, and two crossbows lined up on both sides. In addition to the replacement eight-ox crossbows that must exist in the cabin, it is a luxury to carry more than 20 eight-ox crossbows on a ship!You know, the cost of these eight-ox crossbows alone is estimated to be tens of thousands of rounds.

Changsun Wuji only now realizes how ridiculous his offer of 15 yuan is. Indeed, 15 yuan is not enough to buy a single ship, let alone three ships plus a shipyard!

As for Hou Junji, he chose to keep his mouth shut a long time ago. The 15 was the price he and Changsun Wuji combined, but if the price was to be exchanged, it would be more appropriate for Changsun Wuji to ask for the price.After all, he is a rough man, and his concept of money is a bit vague, so it is difficult to give a formal price.

or...

Hou Junji looked at the emperor expectantly, and now, only the emperor would open his mouth to make the prince less important.

To his surprise, the emperor did not intend to speak, but turned and walked into the cabin of the Prince.

Different from the chill outside, the cabin of the Prince is neat and quiet.The first two cabins are infirmaries, and each infirmary has two military doctors in charge. With them, as long as the soldiers are carried here, they will be treated immediately.Don't look at the semaphore and other things that are difficult to accept, but they can memorize the new treatment plan fluently.Nowadays, all the local and state capitals of the Tang Dynasty are popularizing this knowledge. Basically, most of the government soldiers know some common first aid methods.

Behind the infirmary is the rest area. Some cabins have wooden beds, while others have hammocks for soldiers to choose freely.

Then there is the galley, the warehouse, and then the stern part.

Along the way, he failed to find his goal, which surprised the emperor. He turned around and asked Li Chengqian, "Where is the weapon compartment? Why didn't I see it?"

Li Chengqian smiled slightly, and gave Li Tai the chance to answer.After all, he was the one who came up with the idea in the first place.

Li Tai jumped out from one side, and said with a smile: "Father, the weapon compartment is not in the cabin, but under the cabin. You must open the mechanism to get to the bottom passage of the warship. The weapon compartment is separated from the living room. Effectively reduce the threat of open flames. Furthermore, although this iron-clad ship is mighty and unparalleled, it still has the possibility of falling. If the enemy controls the ship, those who stay in the weapon bay at the bottom will be destroyed. Hehe, Father thinks What is the arrangement, son-in-law?"

Li Shimin smiled slightly, stretched out his hand to rub Li Tai's head and said: "It's a good death, it's true. We Tang people never said that we surrendered, and we shouldn't even let the enemy capture anything. Your arrangement is very good. Turn around." When you arrive in Chang'an, I will reward you again."

Li Tai accepted the emperor's compliment with a smile, then stepped aside, giving the opportunity to talk to the emperor.

After learning of the importance of the weapons compartment, the emperor no longer had the desire to visit, but went back to the stern and stared at the wide sea in a daze.

The emperor was in a trance, so naturally no one dared to disturb him.

After a long time, it was not until a fish jumped out of the water that Li Shimin broke free from his fantasy.

Turning around, he said to everyone: "I used to always feel that to unify the Central Plains and expand the territory is to surpass our ancestors. Now it seems that our eyes should not be fixed on the land, but should also be developed on the sea. Looking at the map, the area of ​​the Bohai Sea It is so large that it even surpasses the land of several states. These days, you should have seen the output of the sea. The people on the sea can at least live comfortably by relying on the sea, and they sell their seafood to the inland. You can also get rich with this.

When the Governor of Dengzhou gave me the letter, he said that he wanted to do it with both hands, not only to clean up the saline-alkali land, but also to develop the fishery, so that the people of Dengzhou could live a better life.The output of the sea alone can feed the people of a state, let alone such a vast sea.Zhang Liang told me that what he has done all these years is to compete with the Koreans for the ownership of this ocean, and he only won half of it with his best efforts.

To be honest, he has done a good job when the imperial court didn't pay much attention to Donghai Navy. "

Hearing the emperor's words, Zhang Liang knelt down on one knee, filled with emotion.He knew that his efforts would one day be appreciated by the emperor, but he didn't expect this day to come so early.

He helped Zhang Liang up himself, and Li Shimin said: "Zhang Liang, I owe you a lot. Come here, pass on my will, and promote Zhang Liang, the governor of Xiangzhou and the Duke of Yun, as Minister of the Ministry of Officials, Minister of the Ministry of Military Affairs, posthumously Zhang's father is the governor of Yizhou, and he is granted the title of Liu Guogong!"

After making this arrangement, Zhang Liang immediately fell to his knees again.

As the governor of Xiangzhou, he is actually a false title, and now he has become the Minister of the Ministry of Officials, which can be said to be on the rise.The most rare thing is that he was born in poverty, and his ancestors were old farmers for several generations. Although he didn't have extravagant hopes, the emperor granted his late father the honor of giving the Zhang family the utmost honor.At this moment, he wished to repay the emperor's kindness with death.

Changsun Wuji, Fang Xuanling and others stepped forward to congratulate Zhang Liang after he got up.Zhang Liang became the Minister of the Ministry of Officials, and he officially joined the high-level circle of the court. No matter what, he still had to get close to him.

Li Chengqian is also very happy for him. Zhang Liang's rebellion in history does not rule out the possibility of resentment in his heart because he did not get rewarded for his merits.Now the emperor came to Dengzhou, inspected his work on the spot, and gave him a reward. It is estimated that this guy is eager to sell his great-grandson's life to Lao Li's family.

When Zhang Liang returned the salute one by one, Li Shimin sat on the chair brought by Li Jian, and whispered to Li Chengqian who was behind him, "Zhang Liang was recommended by you, it seems that you approve of him very much. You and I Tell me, you told me about Zhang Liang's hard work in my secret letter, isn't it because of the carloads of fish he gave you during the Chinese New Year?"

Li Chengqian shook his head slightly, and whispered in the emperor's ear: "There is indeed a trace of the relationship, but the main thing is that Zhang Liang did make meritorious service. Although he got stuck in the customs and gave money to his family, but he really He has worked hard to consolidate the coastal defense. It is his credit that our Datang coast has not been invaded. Besides, I am afraid that if I don’t speak well of him, he will be transferred back to Chang’an by you. I don’t believe you will send three put the ship in his hands."

Li Shimin chuckled and said nothing.Indeed, after seeing the might of the Prince, he had such a plan.Although Zhang Liang is loyal, he is still not qualified enough for him to have the power to establish a country overseas.Although the gunpowder was under his control, the deterrent power of the ship itself was enough.

Now, promoting Zhang Liang to the position of Minister of the Ministry of Officials will not only dismiss him happily, but also free up the position of Donghai Navy, so why not do it?

After all, the boat was not a good place to congratulate, so under the emperor's order, civil servants and most of the generals returned to the shore in small boats, leaving Zhang Liang, Li Jing, Li Daozong, and Zhang Jian who rushed over on the boat.

Although he just rushed over, seeing the people left behind by the emperor, Zhang Jian's heart was filled with enthusiasm. It was obvious that the emperor was planning to do something to Goryeo!He has stayed in Liaodong for so many years, except for the one time when he experimented with gunpowder weapons, he has basically never touched the Koreans. He is already going crazy. Now that the emperor has another idea, how can he not be excited?

Sitting on the bow deck of the ship, Zhang Liang took out a map enlarged in equal proportions, unfolded it on the deck, pointed to the map and began to explain the topography of Bohai Bay.Although he was reluctant to give up, this battle was the last time he commanded the East China Sea Division. If he could practice it with one victory, he would have no regrets in his life.

"...That's how it is, Your Majesty, if the boats in Muddy Water Bay in Goryeo are not destroyed, when we formally attack Goryeo, the sea passages will be blocked. Once the land is completely blocked, I'm afraid we will attack However, if we kill the fleet at Muddy Water Bay and attack Korea one day, the East China Sea Navy will be able to send a group of troops to the peninsula and directly take the capital of Korea to open the capital. In this way Come, the Koreans will be able to fight without a fight, and it will also help the situation in Liaodong."

As a staff officer, Li Jing also nodded and said: "Going straight to Huanglong is indeed a good way. The army that sneaks into the peninsula doesn't need to be very strong, and it doesn't need to attack any city. As long as it lands and behaves mischievously for a period of time, it can completely disrupt the Korean people. deploy."

Zhang Jian added: "I have been guarding Liaodong for many years, and I know a lot about the Korean people. Let's put it this way, although the soldiers in Korea are very resolute, and the generals in Korea are also top-notch, but their nobles, especially Gao Jianwu, It's really useless. I even dare to assert that as long as the Tang army appears near Pingjing, he will immediately order the Liaodong army to return to defense."

Chapter 369 Yuan Gai Su Wen's Threat

Zhang Jian's speech, at least in terms of targeting Korea, is almost No. 1 in the Tang Dynasty.He said that, which means that Muddy Water Bay must be attacked.

What satisfied Li Shimin the most was that Zhang Jian and Zhang Liang proposed to fight from the perspective of prevention.In this way, I am afraid that even the courtiers will not be able to stop this battle.

Seeing the corner of the emperor's mouth gradually raised, Li Chengqian smiled wryly.

Well, the battle that was originally intended to satisfy the prince's enthusiasm is now shared by the emperor.Missed the Battle of the Prairie, missed the Battle of Gaochang and Tuyuhun, the emperor who has been nesting in Chang'an for ten years, this time the appointment is determined to participate in the battle.Even though, this battle is a naval battle that he has never experienced before.

However, it is precisely because he has not experienced it that he yearns for it even more.

"It's okay, what are you doing with your mouth curled up, do you have other ideas?"

When Li Chengqian came back to his senses, he saw the emperor turned his head with a very bad expression, even Li Jing and the others looked at him in surprise.

Hastily regaining his composure, Li Chengqian cupped his hands and said, "Father, it's not that I disapprove of going to war, but I just remembered a person from Gaoli, so I was in a trance."

"Korean? Who?"

"Yuan Gai Su Wen."

Hearing this name, this time it was the emperor who curled his lips. He had never even heard of it.

Li Jing and Li Daozong looked at Zhang Jian together. If anyone had a thorough understanding of Goryeo, it must be Zhang Jian.

Sure enough, Zhang Jian's eyes widened, he got up and cupped his hands and asked, "Your Highness, why are you thinking of Yuan Gai Suwen at this moment?"

Li Chengqian said: "Of course I was thinking about how to kill him, Marquis Liancheng, you have been stationed on the border of Liaodong all the year round, and you know the style of Gaoli very well, so I come to ask you alone, how do you think Yuan Gai Suwen compares with Gao Jianwu? "

Li Shimin didn't expect the crown prince to compare this person like Yuan with the King of Korea, and there is such a number one person in Korea?

After thinking for a while, Zhang Jian sat down slowly and said: "Yuan Gai Suwen, I have never met, but if I have to compare him with Gao Jianwu, I can only say that Gao Jianwu is inferior to him. In terms of internal affairs, although Gao Jianwu worked hard , quite popular with the common people, but not when it comes to foreign affairs. Cautiousness is Gao Jianwu's temperament. In terms of land, he would rather not seek progress, but also seek safety.

In Koryo, there are two factions regarding Datang. One group advocates uniting all countries to form an alliance to jointly resist the possible invasion of Datang. of.However, the most interesting thing is Gao Jianwu, he is in the middle, and he does not favor any of the two factions. "

Not sloping on either side?Hearing this sentence, Li Shimin frowned slightly, and couldn't help seeing Gao Jianwu clearly again.As a monarch, the most taboo thing is to sway left and right. In the matter of facing Datang, it is a normal choice whether to bow one's knees or stand up and resist, but what is the matter of vacillation?

Zhang Jian's voice continued to sound: "Yuan Gai Suwen has not been in Korea for a long time. He has inherited his father's position and has become Korea's great opponent. He is equivalent to the prime minister of our Tang Dynasty, but he has Part of the military power. Not to mention anything else, just his arrangements for the Liaodong border, we can see this man's warlike heart.

The general who now commands the border between Goryeo and Datang is Jin Junxian, Jin Xiu's half-brother. Back then, Jin Xiu died tragically because of Datang's siege, and Jin Junxian can be said to have great resentment towards Datang.After this person became a border general, the first thing he did was to destroy all the arrangements I made. If it weren't for the threat of gunpowder weapons, he might have dared to fight all the way.

In addition, the generals he transferred to the border were all people who were full of resentment towards Datang.From this, the attitude of this person towards Datang is self-evident. "

Both Li Jing and Li Daozong nodded. What if they couldn't explain Yuan Gai Suwen's position at this level?

After thinking about it for a while, Li Shimin turned his head to look at Li Chengqian, and said, "Come to the front and talk. It's the rule for you to stand behind me, but it's so hard for me to always turn my head when I talk? Tell me, why did you mention Yuan Gaisu?" Wen this person?"

Li Chengqian obeyed the emperor's order, walked to the front, took the mat from Li Jing, thanked him, sat down and replied: "Because this person is difficult to deal with, father, Gao Jianwu has never shown any signs of harm since he has been in power for so long. His own military quality, but after Yuan Gai Suwen inherited the position, he directly pinched the lifeline of our sea when he made a move.

Now the Koreans are just preparing to build ships. Once they build a large-scale maritime fleet, they will undoubtedly pose an effective threat to Datang's Liaodong and Shandong Peninsulas.Just like what Zhang Liang said, once the fleet of Goryeo's muddy water bay is established, it is tantamount to nonsense for our Datang to send troops to harass the interior of Goryeo by sea in the future.

This person can so accurately grasp the shortcomings of our Datang, and put them into action regardless of the cost. It can be said that he has both strategy and action.It is not easy for such a genius to appear in Korea, it is better to destroy it.Since it is already a certainty that we will go out to defeat the fleet of Koryo's Muddy Water Bay, Erchen thinks that the best result is to end Yuan Gai Suwen in Muddy Water Bay.Marquis of Liancheng, Yuan Gai Suwen is in Muddy Water Bay right now. "

Zhang Jian nodded and said: "That's right, half of the shipyard in Muddy Water Bay was funded by the treasury of Korea, and the other half was prepared by Yuan Gai Su Wen. Moreover, Yuan Gai Su Wen purposefully diverted the strength of his family from All parts of Koryo moved to Liaodong, with the intention of drawing a clear line with Gao Jianwu. In order to find out the result, Weichen's subordinates and Honglusi's subordinates lost no less than [-] elite spies.

However, these losses are worthwhile, the news has not been disclosed, and Yuan Gai Suwen probably will not leave Muddy Water Bay.From Weichen's point of view, it's best to kill Yuan Gai Suwen! "

"Since that's the case, let's give the order. However, it's best to capture him alive. I really want to see if this man has so many heads and six arms that the love ministers and princes are so wary of him."

The emperor gave the order, and Zhang Liang naturally agreed.You must know that the order he gave to the Donghai Admiral before was to kill Yuan Gai Suwen if he saw him, and not to spare his life.Li Chengqian was also in charge of the order. The emperor's father had said so, so he could only change the order to convey the command.

Even if the meeting ended here, Li Jing and others went back to rest, but Zhang Liang started to get busy.Obviously, this time the emperor was going to march in person, and he was already worried that the prince would join the battle, but now that the emperor and prince were going together, he, the commander of the East China Sea Navy, was going to be worried.

There is still a distance from the seaside to the palace. Li Chengqian originally wanted to walk back, but was carried by Li Jian to the emperor's carriage.

After getting into the carriage, Li Chengqian's heart skipped a beat when he saw the emperor's stinky face.

Good guy, I don't seem to have offended you!

Sure enough, at the moment when the carriage started to move forward, Li Shimin gritted his teeth and said: "Hundreds of thousands, you three really dare to build it. If the Prince is higher than ordinary ships at sea, it will be fine. You actually built such a ship?" It is so huge that I dare not let Zhang Liang continue to lead the East China Sea Navy. Tell me clearly, what are you doing this for? If it is just for fun, there is no need to make such a big battle. Qingque, you three It's not just once or twice, it's not so violent, if I look at it, you have left Chang'an, without my supervision, you are floating!"

"It's wrong..."

Li Chengqian suddenly screamed: "The world, the sun, and the moon can learn from each other. Although the three of you and my ministers are here for fun, they are more for the sake of sharing the country's worries. Father, my son, I just want to ask you, our Great Tang Sea Power There are shortcomings, do you agree with this sentence?"

Li Shimin hesitated for a moment, but still nodded: "Indeed, although I have never seen the sea power of other countries, but if it is those broken ships, the power of our Datang Sea is indeed a little shivering."

After applauding Zhang Liangliang in his heart, Li Chengqian continued: "My son made such a big commotion in Dengzhou, not only to strengthen the power of Datang Sea, but you also know that the shipyard in Lingnan has not yet been officially put into use. After the wood in the shipyard there is finished drying in the shade, it will also start to manufacture merchant ships and escort ships for long voyages.

To be honest, although the local forces in Lingnan chose to surrender to the Central Plains under the leadership of Feng An, this surrender was only verbal.We are building seaports and shipyards in Lingnan. If one is not managed well, it may be taken over by others instead.Because of this, in the north, only when there is enough power to deter Lingnan, can Lingnan start construction.

Besides, with these three ships, even if the Tujia people in Lingnan have some unsuitable thoughts, they have to consider the consequences. Although the giant ships cannot go ashore, with them, we can march in at any time.The smoky area between the Central Plains and Lingnan can no longer be an obstacle to the Central Plains' southward attack. "

When Li Chengqian first spoke, Li Shimin was still stern, but as the narration progressed, his stern face gradually softened until a smile appeared.

It wasn't until the last sentence was finished that Li Shimin said happily: "It's good that you can consider so much. Frankly speaking, I have been hesitant to let you formally participate in politics. Now it seems that it is time. In terms of vision, you You are not weaker than Fang Xuanling and the others. When dealing with things, you often have a longer-term perspective than them. After returning to Chang'an this time, you will be the chief officer of the Shangshu Province. I have controlled the Shangshu Province for so long. It's time, and it's time to let the power out."

Although Li Chengqian surrendered and took the order, he was still very clumsy in his heart.

The chief official of Shangshu Province, he officially took a certain official position in the court, which means that he officially participated in the government.Different from Zhongshu Province and Menxia Province, although Shangshu Province is responsible for the specific implementation of the decision-making department, it has the same review responsibility as Menxia Province.Once there is a mistake in the implementation of the government order, the first person to be held accountable is Shang Shusheng.If Shang Shusheng did not make a mistake, it will be traced upwards.

This is not the most important thing, the most important thing is that after he became the head of Shangshu Province, his childhood life is completely over.Although it is not as good as 996, but...

Before Li Chengqian could come up with a reason to refuse, the emperor's voice sounded again: "I have been in the army for more than ten years, and I usually fight on land. I have never experienced water and sea battles. The three of you are only concerned about your own fun. I don’t know how to build a boat for me, it’s really unfilial.”

"Father, not to mention the high cost of a ship, these three ships were produced in the process of rushing to work at an extreme speed. This is already the limit of the shipyard. Besides, our ships are all It is named after your own identity. When it comes to you, what name do you use to name the ship? The Emperor? Once this ship is breached by the enemy or capsized in the sea, it will be unlucky. Although you think, the courtiers don’t Might agree."

Li Shimin pursed his lips depressedly, and immediately stopped talking.

The carriage passed through the busy city, and the greeting of "Long Live Your Majesty" could be vaguely heard on the side of the road.After the initial nervousness, the people of Dengzhou have gotten used to seeing the emperor's car on the road, clapping their hands and shouting long live, which can be regarded as satisfying their curiosity.

Hearing this voice, Li Shimin suddenly thought of something again, ordered the carriage to drive directly into the palace, and turned his head to ask Li Chengqian: "Although I want to drive in person, I don't have a boat of my own, so it's a bit ugly, boy, why don't you go first?" Rename your Prince number so that I can use it?"

Li Chengqian opened his mouth, and almost choked himself to death with a mouthful of saliva.

"No, yes, no, then what, father, it's not that I'm reluctant, it's because the three ships are brother ships built together, your emperor is the same size as Weiwang and Wuwang, don't you Feeling shivering? How about this, the name is considered to be the son of a minister, and you, as a father, supervise the battle, how about it?"

Seeing Li Chengqian's stern refusal, Li Shimin snorted coldly, and rushed out before the carriage stopped.

To be honest, from the moment he saw the Prince, he had the idea of ​​building one for himself.The idea of ​​naming an invincible warship after himself had never occurred to him before.

It's exciting just thinking about it!

Reluctantly following the emperor out of the carriage, seeing the still angry back of the emperor, Li Chengqian could only turn around at [-] degrees, instead of going to greet his eldest grandson, he went directly to his main hall.

The emperor got into the horns of the bull, and it was not something a few cows could pull back.You can do whatever you want, in the whole world, only the emperor has this privilege.However, regardless of the influence, it is a disease that can be cured!

I spent a day at the beach today, and it was already evening when I came back.But to Li Chengqian's surprise, there was someone waiting for him at the gate of the main hall.

Grandson Wuji!

From a distance, Changsun Wuji bowed and saluted.Seeing him like this, Li Chengqian had no choice but to put on airs, and only returned the salute when he approached.

"Mr. Zhao Guogong is visiting in the evening, but what's the matter?"

Chapter 3 Seventy

The eldest grandson Wuji at the entrance of the main hall was meticulously dressed in official uniform, with a solemn expression.

This eldest grandson Wuji can only be seen during court meetings.The more formal he is, the more uncertain Li Chengqian is. God knows why this guy came here in such a serious manner.

After bowing his hands again, Changsun Wuji said solemnly: "Your Highness is tired today, and I shouldn't have come to bother you in the evening. I just want to be as fast as possible, that's all I can do."

Li Chengqian nodded, and extended his arm to invite Changsun Wuji into the palace.

As soon as he entered the palace gate, he saw the table case that had been prepared. The two maids put tea at the right temperature on the table, saluted and then left.

Su Yuan is now accompanying the queen, so it should be Xiuxiu who made these preparations.But Xiuxiu is different from Su Yuan, she is not even qualified to meet and salute the grandson Wuji, so she can only hide in the apse.

After taking their seats, Li Chengqian poured a cup of tea by himself, drained it in one gulp, and then looked at Changsun Wuji: "Uncle, things like etiquette are for outsiders to see. Now that we are in the main hall, there is no need to do so." It's official. I believe you haven't eaten yet, I'll ask the cook to prepare a meal, and we uncle and nephew will talk while eating?"