Side Story Chapter 28: Another Battle with the Turks!
Li Taiyi had been summoned to Taiji Palace for an audience with the Tang Emperor.
In the war against Ü-Tsang, though the thirty ballistae had served as the basis for the victory, intimidating the Tibetans, Li Taiyi knew that this was due to the element of surprise that came from the ballistae being used for the first time.
Moreover, in the following battle against the Tibetans, Li Taiyi had fully experienced the Great Tang’s shortcoming in its lack of soldiers.
Thus, the first thing Li Taiyi did upon his triumphant return was to submit a memorial advising that the generals train and recruit more soldiers so that this shortcoming could be filled in.
To his surprise, when this memorial was submitted to the Tang Emperor, the Tang Emperor placed a great deal of attention on it. He had come to Taiji Palace this time to discuss the matter.
Shouldn’t he have already left? Why did he only come out now? Li Taiyi puzzled, his brow furrowing.
Ever since he had learned that the First Prince was returning to the capital, he had been pondering what to do and had been intentionally avoiding him. He had calculated that First Prince Li Xuantu should have already had his audience with the Tang Emperor and departed.
Even though he had also received a summons, the two should have missed each other.
But for some reason, something had delayed the First Prince, putting off the time he emerged, leading to this situation.
Was it Li Chengyi and Li Longfan?
Li Taiyi’s heart suddenly thumped as he recalled seeing Li Chengyi and Li Longfan coming from the direction of the central gate. A dark cloud of worry flitted across his brow.
Those two could not have appeared there for anything good.
But there was no time for Li Taiyi to think, for the Crown Prince of the Great Tang was making his way toward him.
“Third Brother.”
Surprisingly, it was the First Prince, not Li Taiyi, who broke the silence first.
His expression was aloof and unreadable, but his sharp eyes carefully examined Li Taiyi as if they wanted to penetrate through his organs.
Li Taiyi instantly felt a faint hostility from the First Prince’s gaze, and he trembled as his danger alarms went off.
His performance at Longxi and the Second Prince and Fourth Prince adding fuel to the fire had probably already earned him the attention of his first brother.
“Paying respects to First Imperial Brother.”
Li Taiyi hastily bowed, his expression natural and not at all discourteous.
His wings were not fully mature, and his only subordinates were Wang Haibin and Wang Jiuling. In comparison, the First Prince was at his zenith. This was far from the right time to clash against the First Prince.
Li Taiyi didn’t notice anything, but on the steps, there was a flicker from Li Xuantu’s eyes.
This third brother of his had always been naughty and stubborn, and even his father had found it difficult to change his nature. When did he become so polite?
Was this still the same Prince Xuan who killed people on the street, assaulted women, and gambled?
Li Xuantu suddenly began to carefully examine Li Taiyi.
Li Taiyi was wearing a black imperial robe with narrow sleeves, the edges of the robe embroidered with cloud motifs. A piece of jade hung from his belt and he wore a violet crown atop his head. He had an intimidating and majestic aura that clearly made him stand out.
Though his face had not changed, he felt much steadier and less arrogant than before, like he had become a completely different person.
A dark cloud passed across Li Xuantu’s eyes.
He had initially cared little about the Longxi matter, since a Prince going to the border to get some military achievements was not at all unusual. The story was probably mostly falsehoods.
In his mind, Great General Guo Dingguo had simply been pushing his own achievements onto the Third Prince. But now, he felt that things were not that simple.
Li Xuantu said nothing, but Li Taiyi felt the danger threatening him increase. He could clearly tell that the First Prince was examining him.
In front of his legendary first brother, Li Taiyi felt like a mountain was on his shoulders.
Whether it was in cultivation, status, faction, supporters, or prestige, his first brother far surpassed him.
“Imperial Brother has been to see Imperial Father? From the Turkic border to the capital is a distance of several thousand li. Imperial Brother is worn from your travels, so your brother will not delay Imperial Brother’s rest,” Li Taiyi calmly said.
At a time like this, he was still unwilling to have too many interactions with his first brother.
“Mm.”
Li Xuantu nodded and quickly looked away.
“Go, then. Imperial Father is waiting for you inside.”
Li Xuantu waved his sleeve, apparently not caring much about Li Taiyi. He quickly walked down the steps.
As Li Xuantu walked past, Li Taiyi remained calm, but he internally sighed in relief.
Regardless, he had managed to pass this trial.
“Third Brother…” Suddenly, Li Xuantu’s voice came from behind him.
“In the future, don’t come so quickly to Taiji Palace. Military tactics and recruitment… are not things you should be involved in yet!”
Li Xuantu’s voice was flat and indifferent, like he was bringing up something unimportant, but Li Taiyi shivered and immediately broke out in a cold sweat.
The memorial in his hand!
Though he had already folded it up and tried his best to keep it hidden, First Prince Li Xuantu had seemingly already seen through everything.
Whoosh!
In a rush of air, Li Xuantu vanished, not giving Li Taiyi a chance to respond.
Li Taiyi stood at the base of the steps in a daze, unable to speak.
“Haaah…”
With a soft sigh and a grim look in his eyes, Li Taiyi stepped into Taiji Palace.
In the distance, a figure silently watched from the shadows. Once both Princes were gone, the man smugly smiled and headed toward the Second Prince’s residence.
……
A few moments later, in Winter Yang Palace, the residence of the Second Prince…
Fourth Prince Li Longfan pushed open the door and excitedly rushed inside. “Second Brother, we’ve just received word that First Brother has suddenly started moving. His subordinates are gathering information on Third Brother and sending all of it to the Eastern Palace.”
“Great!”
Li Chengyi suddenly stood up from behind his desk, a sharp light in his eyes.
“It seems like everything is going as we predicted. Imperial Brother is finally starting to take him seriously!”
When it came to power, none of the Princes could compare to the Crown Prince. So long as the Crown Prince took action, Li Taiyi would be forced into an extremely disadvantageous and defensive position.
While two tigers struggled, the bystander in Winter Yang Palace could naturally reap the benefits.
“But, Second Brother, First Brother has always been proud. Why is it that he was convinced by us to move against Third Brother this time?” Li Longfan suddenly asked.
First Prince Li Xuantu had sharp eyes and was not someone so easily manipulated. In truth, neither of them had believed in their success.
“Haha, a tree that stands out in a forest will inevitably be blown down. Third Brother wants to act clumsy forever, but how long can he keep up the act? As for First Imperial Brother, he cannot ignore anyone who threatens his status. We are considered as such, so how could Third Brother be excluded?
“We’re going to have a good show soon.”
Li Chengyi gave a sinister laugh.
……
Time slowly passed. After two consecutive victories, the capital was calm and peaceful, but Li Taiyi had not enjoyed much of it.
This was because he knew that the fated war between the Great Tang and the Turks was going to take place soon!
Whether it was training new soldiers or expanding the ballista army, everything was proceeding smoothly under Li Taiyi’s arrangements.
In normal circumstances, Li Taiyi would be able to quickly get the powerful army he wanted so that he could reform the Great Tang step by step.
Alas, this calm did not last for long.
“Reporting!”
In the afternoon, a guard of Jade Dragon Palace rushed into the hall.
“Not good! Your Highness, we’ve just received word! The Turks are raiding the border again!”
Buzz!
In the hall, Li Taiyi and Wang Haibin were going over the reports on recruit training. Upon hearing the message, the two of them raised their heads in surprise.
“What’s going on? Didn’t the First Prince already pacify the restless Turks to the north? Why have they already come back?”
Wang Haibin frowned in confusion.
The guard got down on one knee and reported, “The reports say that because of that major defeat, some sort of coup took place on the steppe. The Turkic Khagan was killed, and the Turkic wolf masters lurking in the north colluded with the Loulan people and Arabs and joined the battle. They now have complete control over the Turkic steppe!”
Li Taiyi slightly frowned, but he quickly regained his composure.
This wasn’t the first time the Turks had raided the border, and though the Loulan people and Arabs had intervened this time, the Loulan people at most had some soldiers in the Western Regions, and the Arabs rarely sent soldiers into the eastern world.
Moreover, the Great Tang still had its soldiers in the north. Defeating the Turks would not be too difficult, at least if they stayed on the defensive.
It seems that First Imperial Brother is heading out again! Li Taiyi said to himself.
According to past precedent, the Turks to the north were under Li Xuantu’s domain, and with this new incident, his father would probably dispatch the First Prince soon.
But this was not his true concern.
“Why did you say that the situation was bad?” Li Taiyi asked with a frown.
In normal circumstances, Turkic intrusions in the north had little to do with him, and he had no need to worry himself over them.
Li Taiyi felt that this matter was not as simple as it seemed.
“Your Highness, Lord Wang Jiuling has already sent word that during the court session in Taihe Palace, Second Prince Li Chengyi came forward and recommended Your Highness to lead the army to pacify the Turks!” the guard sternly reported.
“The First Prince has already agreed!”
“What?!”
Li Taiyi and Wang Haibin both paled.
Though it was surprising for Li Chengyi to recommend Li Taiyi, it was not too surprising given his usual style.
But Li Taiyi had believed that the First Prince would object to this matter. After all, that was his territory, and as the Crown Prince, he had the right to participate in court. He should have been present at Taihe Palace when this was proposed.
Li Taiyi had never imagined that the First Prince would give his approval.
“This…”
Wang Haibin was also dumbfounded.
“It seems that the First Prince and Second Prince are already working together, in agreement on dealing with Your Highness!”
A tree that stood out from the forest was certain to get blown down!
The situation was extremely grim for the Third Prince.
The First Prince and Second Prince were the most outstanding of the Princes and had extremely high statuses. Moreover, both had the right to participate in court debates.
If they both agreed, then it seemed like a foregone conclusion that Li Taiyi would be going out on campaign.
Everything went as predicted. Two days later, the court passed a proposal. The First Prince had just returned from the north, so the Third Prince would command the army to the north, taking the First Prince’s place in fighting against the Turks.
Li Taiyi had little time to prepare. Three days later, at the northern training ground…
“Your Highness, this campaign will be dangerous. Please look out for yourself.”
Gao Lishi stood on the training ground and looked reluctantly at the Third Prince.
“Your Highness, is there really no room for negotiation?” Wang Haibin said with a tinge of hope.
“There is no defying an imperial decree, and the Imperial Court is already in agreement,” Li Taiyi calmly said.
“The north is the First Prince’s territory, and all the soldiers and generals are loyal to him. Once we get there, we’ll meet with adversity at every turn!” Wang Haibin sternly said.
The Turks were different from the Tibetans. They were more numerous, their soldiers stronger and more aggressive, and they understood the Tang far more than the Tibetans did.
This was completely different from the war in Longxi. Besides that, First Prince Li Xuantu had campaigned in the north for many years and had left behind many loyal men. These people would undoubtedly attempt to hinder Li Taiyi at every turn.
Beset by problems both internal and external, Li Taiyi would have a hard time pushing back the Turks.
Wang Haibin could already imagine that the Eastern Palace was keeping a close eye on them. The moment they failed, First Prince Li Xuantu would once more take the reins and go on the campaign trail.
In this way, the prestige that the Third Prince had built up through Longxi would instantly disappear.
The Third Prince would also lose the trust he had built up with the Tang Emperor.
All of Li Taiyi’s efforts would come to naught.
“Heh, relax. There’s always a solution. No matter what, we must win.”
Surprisingly, Li Taiyi patted Wang Haibin on the shoulder and smiled.
Rather than grim, he actually seemed relaxed.
Danger was danger, but it came hand in hand with fortune.
Although the challenges were numerous on this campaign, if he succeeded, he would ascend and truly earn the favor of the Emperor and the court officials.
The Turks were the greatest threat to the Tang, and they were also the best place to achieve military fame.
This was one of the major reasons the First Prince had been able to attain his current status.
Most importantly for Li Taiyi, the next phase of his plan had always involved heading to the northern border.
Though the First Prince and Second Prince had acted very abruptly, it had also saved him from recommending himself to deal with the Turks.
Li Taiyi turned to Wang Jiuling and said, “Lord Wang, I must trouble you this time to accompany me.”
“Mm.”
The man simply nodded.
Unlike before, for this campaign, Li Taiyi had specifically requested the Tang Emperor that Wang Jiuling accompany him.
Though he was just a civil official, Wang Jiuling possessed an astonishing head for strategy and tactics, even better than Wang Haibin.
This was the reason Li Taiyi was bringing him along this time.
Soon, an army of tens of thousands set off, watched by countless hopeful eyes.
Li Taiyi was bringing many more ballistae with him this time, along with many other newly trained soldier types: spear cavalry, horse archers, and heavy cavalry.
As the army set out, the court, the people, and even the surrounding countries turned their attention onto Li Taiyi and the Tang northern border.
But this war turned out to be far more gruesome than imagined, and its length and scale exceeded those of any previous war.