Chapter 292: Deploy Troops in Liaodong and Secretly March to Chencang

At this time, after hundreds of years of development spanning the Han, Wei, Jin, and Southern and Northern Dynasties, the Goguryeo regime was at its peak.

The vassal state relationship with the Central Plains dynasty, which was a tribute-paying state, also ended after the death of the previous emperor Zhao Mang.

During the reign of Zhao Gan, the second emperor of the Daxin Dynasty, Goguryeo frequently had military conflicts with the Daxin Dynasty in the Liaodong Peninsula, and occupied cities and plundered people and resources from time to time.

Especially after the death of Zhao Gan, the second emperor of the Daxin Dynasty, in Tumubao, the then king of Goguryeo, Gao Zang, seized the opportunity to send troops to Liaodong and annexed the four counties of Liaodong, Xuantu, Lelang, and Daifang of the Daxin Dynasty in one breath, confronting the Daxin Dynasty across the Liaohe River.

After annexing the four counties, Goguryeo frantically expanded its armaments to cope with the possible fierce battles between it and the Daxin Dynasty in the Central Plains.

By the first year of the Tang Dynasty's Zhaowu reign, the number of standing troops in Goguryeo had reached 600,000, including infantry, cavalry, navy and other arms.

It is no exaggeration to say that the strength of Goguryeo's Treasure King Gao Zang was much stronger than the two kings of different surnames, Li Zongmin and Mu Rongfu, who proclaimed themselves emperors of the Daxin Dynasty.

If not for this, Zhao Mang, the Emperor Gaozu of the Daxin Dynasty, would not have returned in vain after three expeditions to Goguryeo, and would have acquiesced to Goguryeo's existence in Liaodong as a vassal state of Daxin.

Otherwise, given Zhao Mang's character, Gao Meng, the King of Goguryeo at that time, would most likely have become one of the nine kings of different surnames of the Daxin Dynasty.

And the territory of the Daxin Dynasty, which is more than 13 million square kilometers, is estimated to increase by more than 200,000 square kilometers.

Let's get back to the story.

After Emperor Zhaowu of the Tang Dynasty, Chen Huaian, successfully raised an army to quell the rebellion as the King of Jin of the previous dynasty and proclaimed himself emperor in Jinling City, he immediately sent envoys to Goguryeo, hoping that King Gao Zang of Goguryeo would pay tribute to him in accordance with the etiquette of the previous dynasty and make Goguryeo a vassal state of the new dynasty.

However, at that time, the King of Jin, Chen Huaian, who proclaimed himself emperor, was unable to completely unify the territory of Daxin. In Guangdong, Guangxi, Yunnan and Guizhou, there were two kings of different surnames in the previous dynasty who had proclaimed themselves emperors, and large areas of land in the two Jiang, two Hu, and Bashu were still under the control of the remnants of Daxin;

Therefore, when King Gao Zang of Treasures first faced the special envoy of Emperor Zhaowu Chen Huaian, he rejected Chen Huaian's proposal without hesitation.

The second time that Emperor Zhaowu Chen Huaian sent envoys to Goguryeo was after he had pacified Nanyue and Nanzhao, and successfully wiped out all the remnants of the Daxin in the Liangjiang, Lianghu, Bashu, Yunnan and Guizhou areas, completing the unification of the Xin Dynasty;

He once again issued an imperial edict, hoping that Goguryeo would comply with the etiquette of the previous dynasty and pay tribute.

The result was still ruthlessly rejected by King Baozang Gao Zang!

The third time he sent envoys was when Chen Huaian confirmed that he would ascend the throne and establish the country on the fourth day of the first lunar month, hoping that Goguryeo would send envoys to pay homage as a vassal state.

This time, he was still rejected by Gao Zang.

On the contrary, it was the behavior of Emperor Zhaowu Chen Huaian who took the initiative to send envoys to Goguryeo again and again, which made King Baozang Gao Zang and the civil and military officials in the country believe that Chen Huaian was just an ordinary person, without real ability, and only knew how to talk.

As a result, the people of Goguryeo, from top to bottom, did not take the newly established Tang Dynasty seriously.

Some radical young generals in the Goguryeo army even threatened to cross the Liaohe River and incorporate the entire Northeast region of the Central Plains Dynasty, which is rich in resources, into the territory of the Goguryeo Dynasty.

Until recently, the scouts of the Goguryeo army, which occupied the four counties of Liaodong, Xuantu, Lelang, and Daifang, suddenly discovered that the Tang Dynasty on the other side of the Liaohe River began to frequently mobilize troops to gather on the border;

The civil officials and military generals in the Goguryeo court suddenly reacted that the newly established Tang Dynasty seemed to be serious this time.

As a result, the civil officials and military generals in the Goguryeo court were divided into two factions: those who advocated war and those who advocated peace.

In addition, all the information previously summarized about Emperor Zhaowu of the Tang Dynasty, Chen Huaian, was turned out again and sorted out and analyzed one by one to provide corresponding evidence for whether to fight or make peace with the Tang Dynasty in the future.

This day.

In the palace of the Goguryeo capital of Pyongyang.

Treasure King Go Zang is convening Li Zhenghao, the prime minister who is in charge of state affairs, to discuss matters.

The topic of the discussion is how to deal with the possibility that the Tang Dynasty will deploy troops in Liaodong and cross the Liaohe River to fight against Goguryeo at any time.

Prime Minister Li Zhenghao was the first to express his opinion, saying: "Your Majesty, I received another memorial from the Ministry of War today. The number of troops assembled by the Tang Dynasty in Liaodong is still increasing;"

"According to the latest news from our spies in Liaodong, the number of Tang troops assembled in Liaodong has exceeded 200,000!"

Hmm?

Hearing this, Treasure King Gao Zang raised his eyebrows and said, "Prime Minister Li, didn't the Ministry of War submit a memorial three days ago saying that the Tang army in Liaodong was only 150,000?"

"In just three days, another 50,000 troops have been added?"

Prime Minister Li Zhenghao nodded and said, "Your Majesty, it's like this!"

Gao Zang frowned slightly, thought for a moment and said, "It seems that the Tang Dynasty is preparing to cross the Liaohe River and march towards my Goguryeo Dynasty!"

Humph!

As he said this, Gao Zang sneered and continued, "This Tang Dynasty's Emperor Zhaowu Chen Huaian is really interesting. First, he sent envoys to come again and again, hoping that the king would pay tribute to him;"

"Now, they are preparing to deploy troops in Liaohe River and fight without declaration!"

"From this point of view, whether to fight or make peace is entirely up to him, Chen Huaian? Our Goguryeo Dynasty does not even have a little autonomy?"

"He, he, Chen Huaian, really thinks he is the Khan of Heaven!"

After a pause, Gao Zang frowned and asked: "Prime Minister Li, facing the deployment of the Tang army in Liaohe River, have the civil and military officials in the court reached a unified opinion on whether to fight or make peace?"

Li Zhenghao shook his head and told the truth: "Your Majesty, not yet!"

After thinking for a while, Li Zhenghao said: "A group of young generals in the Ministry of War are still in a high mood of advocating war. ", especially the Western Expedition General Cui Dongyuan;"

"He believes that there will be a war between our country and the Tang army. Since war is inevitable, why not be more determined to take the initiative to fight;"

"The generals headed by Cui Dongyuan have fought against the army of the Central Plains Dynasty in the war to annex the lands of Liaodong, Xuantu, Lelang, and Daifang in the Western Expedition, and won a great victory;"

"Therefore, they advocate that while the Tang army has not yet gained a foothold in the Liaodong area, they should take the initiative to cross the Liaohe River and catch the Tang army off guard!"

As he said, Li Zhenghao took out a letter from his sleeve and presented it respectfully to the treasure king Gao Zang.

Li Zhenghao said: "Your Majesty, this is General Cui Dongyuan's letter of request for war, please read it!"