Chapter 16

Mingzhou, anciently known as Handan, was a place that the northern warlord Dou Jiande favored during the great turmoil at the end of the Sui Dynasty. He chose it as his capital and spent many years renovating it, giving it a grand appearance, making it a formidable city.

After Liu Heita's uprising, he also chose Mingzhou as his capital, implementing comprehensive defensive measures. Initially, Liu Heita planned to lure Li Shimin into battle, taking advantage of Mingzhou's natural defenses. However, Li Shimin did not fall for the trap and instead forced Liu Heita to cross the river for a decisive battle.

To secure victory, Liu Heita almost took all his troops, leaving only a few guards to watch the city gates.

Luo Shixin, escorting Liu Heita, effortlessly broke the will of the city's defenders and captured Liu Heita's capital, adding another achievement to his record.

Escorting Liu Heita, Fan Yuan, Wang Xiaohu, and other key figures of the Handong army, Luo Shixin entered the Tang army camp amidst envious and jealous gazes, heading straight for the main tent.

As he approached the tent, a man hurriedly walked towards him, and they met face to face.

The man stopped first, bowed respectfully, and said, "Chai Shao greets General Luo. Congratulations on capturing Liu Heita! Prince Qin is waiting for you. I have military affairs to attend to, so I must take my leave."

"Alright!" Luo Shixin was taken aback for a moment, only managing to respond with this one word.

Chai Shao was the type of person Luo Shixin, both the historical and the new Luo Shixin, found most difficult to deal with. It wasn't that there was any animosity between them, but their personalities didn't mesh. Chai Shao was too formal and rigid. Although he was a military general, his adherence to etiquette was even more severe than that of a typical scholar, making conversations with him feel very uncomfortable.

Just as today, their relationship was not particularly close. They had been in the Tang camp for three to four years, and meaningful conversations between them could be counted on one hand. Yet, every time they met, Chai Shao would greet him politely and formally, leaving Luo Shixin somewhat at a loss.

Luo Shixin glanced back, seeing Chai Shao's figure almost disappear, clearly having important matters to attend to.

Reaching the entrance of the main tent, the guards outside said, "His Highness has ordered that when the general arrives, he should enter without announcement."

Luo Shixin entered the main tent, where only Li Shimin was present.

Li Shimin, having just won a battle, was in a good mood and said with a smile, "Well done, to be honest, did you know something beforehand?"

Luo Shixin replied without hesitation, "Somewhat. Your Highness, don't forget that I was once a general of the Wagang army, serving alongside Liu Heita under Mi Gong. I knew that while he appeared to be a great man, he was actually a petty person. I never believed that in such dire circumstances, Liu Heita would fight to the death with his subordinates!" This first merit came too easily, and Luo Shixin knew that his intention to secure the first merit could not be hidden from people like Li Shimin, Fang Xuanling, and Du Ruhui. He couldn't claim to know history because he was from the future.

He was still troubled by this. On the Ming River, Liu Heita was still making a final struggle, mentioning their past service under Li Mi, hoping that Luo Shixin would show mercy. It was then that Luo Shixin recalled that Liu Heita had also served in the Wagang army and held a high position, providing the above excuse.

"Of course!" Li Shimin, knowing Liu Heita's background, was enlightened. He warmly walked forward, pulled Luo Shixin, and helped him sit down, then returned to his seat and said, "This time, we owe a lot to General Shixin. If it weren't for General Shixin's foresight in predicting that Liu Heita would flee and taking precautions, his escape might have led to another war."

"It's not just a possibility, but a certainty! Historically, Liu Heita did borrow ten thousand troops from the Turks and made a comeback!" Luo Shixin thought to himself.

Li Shimin continued, "General Shixin's capture of Liu Heita today is equivalent to eliminating a war for our Tang Dynasty. Your contribution is significant, and you deserve the first merit. When we return to Chang'an, I will certainly inform the Emperor and request a generous reward for you."

Luo Shixin was overjoyed and quickly bowed, "Thank you, Prince Qin."

Li Shimin gestured for him to sit down and then suddenly said, "Chai Shao has led troops to Yizhou and Beizhou to sweep away the remnants of Liu Heita's forces. The power of the Handong army will soon be completely eradicated. Among the remaining warlords, only Gao Kaidao, Xu Yuanlang, and Liang Shidu remain. What are your thoughts on the current situation, General Shixin?"

Luo Shixin was taken aback by the question. In his memory, Li Shimin never discussed the overall situation with him. Could it be that his performance this time made Li Shimin see him differently?

Luo Shixin could only inwardly sigh. This first merit was not as easy to achieve as he thought.

After some thought, Luo Shixin said, "In my view, the current situation is clear. The unification of the world under the Tang Dynasty is a foregone conclusion, and no external force can stop it. The only concern is the Turks. The current Turkic Khan, Jiali, has ambitions that cannot be ignored. During the chaos, his influence extended everywhere, supporting various warlords, hoping for more chaos to gain advantages."

As Luo Shixin spoke, Li Shimin's face turned slightly red. The Tang Dynasty had also engaged in similar activities in its early days. At the time, under the threat of the Turks, no warlord, except those in remote areas like Jiangnan and Shu, dared to defy the Turks.

There was no other way; at that time, they were weak, and not aligning with the Turks meant certain death, leaving no room for development.

Luo Shixin continued, "The Turks fear the unification of Central China. With the Tang Dynasty on the verge of unification, the Turks will view us as their mortal enemies and will constantly oppose us. Therefore, I believe that the next major conflict will be between the Turks and the Tang Dynasty, and the others are not a threat."

Li Shimin was genuinely surprised. What Luo Shixin said was not groundbreaking, and most discerning people could see it, but in Li Shimin's eyes, Luo Shixin was not a discerning person. He couldn't help but ask himself, "Did I misjudge him? Did I overlook a potential great general and only see him as a brave warrior?"

He paused and said, "That makes sense. What are your thoughts on how to deal with this situation?"

Luo Shixin smiled bitterly. Li Shimin was treating him like Zhuge Liang. He shook his head and said, "There's nothing we can do right now. To be honest, the Tang Dynasty's current strength is not enough to confront the Turks directly."

Li Shimin sighed, acknowledging the truth in Luo Shixin's words. A war between two countries is a test of logistics, and with the world still in disarray and everything in ruins, it would be difficult to support a war against the Turks.

"Direct confrontation is not possible, but we can engage in some covert actions. We can use power to sow discord among the Turkic chieftains, use benefits to divide their ranks, and support forces opposing the Turks. Meanwhile, we can send our best generals to guard the borders to prevent Turkic invasions. In time, I believe the Turks will not be a match for the Tang Dynasty." Luo Shixin, thinking of Li Shimin's future strategies against the Turks, summarized and said this.

Li Shimin was moved and stood up, surprised and delighted.

Luo Shixin was somewhat shocked, "Using your own strategies to flatter you, is it really necessary to react like this?"

---

End of the page.