Chapter 44 of 100

Chapter 44

15 min read3,628 words

"Indeed, it's quite a unique idea!"

Without a doubt, the one speaking in such a tone could only be Li Yi, that arrogant guy. If the Luo Yi from the historical novel were to be brought out, the historical Luo Yi, who had already changed his surname to Li, would not even compare to him, not even by a hair. The Luo Yi in the novel was a formidable hero, the Prince of Beiping, whose reputation shook the world, and whose eighteen cavalrymen of Yan and Yun were invincible. However, the historical Luo Yi was fierce, cunning, stubborn, and unkind, with a very small heart.

Initially, he was thoroughly defeated by Liu Heita and was chased from Hebei to Youzhou by the Haneast army like a duck. His most trusted generals, Xue Wanche and Xue Wanju, were captured, and he lost all his dignity.

Li Yi had a terrible character, but he was indeed skilled in leading troops. After holding Youzhou for many years, this was the first time he had suffered such a major defeat and lost so much face. Therefore, when Li Shimin led his troops to attack Liu Heita, Li Yi was determined to avenge his previous humiliation, take the first credit, and regain his reputation. He first broke the army of Liu Heita's brother, Liu Shishan, and then cooperated with Li Shimin to complete the strategic encirclement, capturing several cities. He was confident that the first credit would be his. However, Luo Shixin emerged as a dark horse, and through the bloody battle of Ming River, he devised a plan to defeat the enemy, captured Liu Heita, and forced the surrender of Mingzhou City, firmly surpassing him.

Li Yi believed that the main reason Luo Shixin could surpass him in terms of merit was sheer luck, capturing Liu Heita. If not for this luck, the first credit would have been his. Therefore, he deeply despised and resented Luo Shixin.

Hearing Luo Shixin say such a ridiculous thing, he couldn't help but mock, "The Turks are sending an army of twenty thousand. Is Khan Jiali leading twenty thousand troops not to fight us, but to sightsee? Truly laughable!"

Luo Shixin was furious and snorted, "Pigs only think about eating and sleeping, so of course their thoughts are simple. They can't understand human wisdom."

Li Yi was suddenly enraged and shouted, "Who are you calling a pig?"

Luo Shixin crossed his arms and said, "I said pigs have simple minds, and some people admit it and take it personally." He narrowed his eyes at Li Yi, ready to kick him if he dared to make a move.

"Enough!" Princess Pingyang slammed the table, "You're both grown men, don't make a spectacle of yourselves!"

Li Yi, holding his breath, his face flushed red, almost fainted, his chest heaving.

Luo Shixin remained calm. In terms of verbal skills, Li Yi, the rough man, was far inferior to him.

Fang Xuanling and Du Ruhui looked at the ceiling, pretending not to hear.

Li Shimin also pretended not to notice and asked, "General Luo, are you saying the Turks are unwilling to engage in a decisive battle with us?"

Luo Shixin had no record of this battle in his memory, so he had thought a lot about it in his spare time and had some insights. He nodded and said, "There is a possibility. We can think about it in reverse. Suppose you were Khan Jiali leading an army of twenty thousand Turks, what would you be after?"

"Your Highness?" Luo Shixin asked Li Shimin.

Li Shimin answered without hesitation, "Of course, the rich lands of China."

Luo Shixin looked at Princess Pingyang.

Princess Pingyang said, "Like Shimin, the nomadic tribes have always coveted the fertile lands of China, and the Turks are no exception."

Luo Shixin, however, smiled and shook his head, looking at Fang Xuanling and Du Ruhui, "What do you two think?"

Fang Xuanling and Du Ruhui, being very astute, realized that Li Shimin and Pingyang's answers did not align with Luo Shixin's original intention and did not consider it in that direction.

Luo Shixin said, "You're thinking too complicated. Think more simply. Don't think about the world, think about what Khan Jiali would do."

"Wealth!" Fang Xuanling's eyes suddenly lit up, and he blurted out the two words.

Du Ruhui also suddenly understood and smiled without a word.

Luo Shixin nodded, "I also think that Khan Jiali is not after land but wealth."

"Ridiculous!" Li Yi sneered, "To use an army of twenty thousand for wealth? Do you think Khan Jiali's brain was kicked by a donkey?"

Luo Shixin looked at Li Yi with a blank expression, as if his brain had been kicked.

Li Yi felt extremely uncomfortable under his gaze, thinking Luo Shixin was looking at him like a pig.

After a while, Luo Shixin said to Li Shimin, "Khan Jiali is a remarkable person, and he sees things clearly. He knows that the richness of China is not suitable for the Turks. The richness of China comes from agriculture, which is the foundation of China. The Turks, on the other hand, are based on animal husbandry. The land here produces grain, not grass for horses. If Khan Jiali had coveted the land of China, he could have invaded during the chaos at the end of the Sui dynasty. At that time, which of the warlords could have resisted an army of ten thousand Turkish cavalry?"

Li Shimin remained silent.

When the Li family rebelled against the Sui, they had only about three thousand new recruits. If they had encountered ten thousand Turkish cavalry in the open field, they would have been wiped out. The Li family, being a noble family, had some status and influence, and even with their resources, it would have been a dire situation. Liu Wuzhou and Dou Jiande, who came from humble backgrounds, would have fared even worse.

At that time, if the Turkish army had invaded, the only option would have been to retreat into the cities. That's why Li Yuan had to swallow his pride and send Liu Wensheng to the Turks to pay protection money, allowing him to free up troops to attack Guanzhong, thus establishing the Li Tang dynasty.

"The Turks did not invade when they had the chance, and now the Tang dynasty has become a force to be reckoned with. The world is almost unified. Would the Turks invade for land now?" Luo Shixin spoke with enthusiasm, affirming, "So, the Turks are most likely here for wealth. If they are here for wealth, it means they are not willing to fight to the death with us. We are defending our homeland and territory. No matter how many troops, whether ten thousand or twenty thousand, we will fight to the death. This is our fighting spirit. But do the Turks have this spirit? No, they do not have the determination to fight a decisive battle with our army. I don't believe Khan Jiali has the confidence to defeat our twenty thousand brave soldiers, nor do I believe that they have the courage to fight a life-or-death battle on this land for wealth. Therefore, I think we should not just defend, as that would only make Khan Jiali think we are afraid of him. Their tens of thousands of cavalry would plunder and ravage our homeland, taking everything they can and burning what they can't. They would then retreat to the grasslands, enjoying their spoils. We would have defended our cities but lost everything. I think this would be a great loss. What we should do is fight, showing our determination and courage, and never compromise with the Turks or retreat. I don't believe Khan Jiali has the confidence to defeat our Li Tang's twenty thousand brave soldiers, nor do I believe that they have the courage to fight a life-or-death battle on this land for wealth."

Li Shimin stared at Luo Shixin in a daze.

Princess Pingyang also stared at Luo Shixin in a daze.

Fang Xuanling and Du Ruhui exchanged glances, seeing the shock in each other's eyes.

As for Li Yi, he stood there like a clown.

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