Li Xiu and Ma Ye were chatting about the candidate for the main general to attack Goguryeo next year, but unexpectedly someone suddenly interrupted them loudly. When they heard the sound, they found a middle-aged man in his forties coming over with a smile. He saw that the other person was tall and thin, but he was not as thin as he was weak, but he looked very energetic. He stood there like a spear, as if he could pierce the sky.

"Duke of England!" When Li Xiu and Ma Ye saw this ingenious middle-aged man, they couldn't help but shouted in surprise. This middle-aged man was Li Ji, who was named Duke of England by Li Shimin.

"Haha~, Li came here risking his mind, and I hope Brother Ma and the prince-consort don't be accustomed to each other!" Li Ji laughed again, then stepped forward and saluted Li Xiu and Ma respectively. The smile on his face never stopped, which made people feel very friendly.

"You are polite to British man, but why are you here?" Li Xiu finally woke up from his surprise and looked at Li Ji in a bit incredible. If it were a few years ago, it would not be incredible to see Li Ji in Chang'an, but more than two years ago, Li Ji's mother passed away, he would also return to his hometown to Ding You. Calculate the time, it seems that his mourning period has not yet been completed?

"I'm ashamed to say that I should have been mourning for my deceased mother at home, but some time ago, Your Majesty issued an order to seize the love and asked me to return to Beijing early to stand by. I didn't know what was going on, but I didn't know until I returned to Chang'an that Your Majesty was going to attack Goguryeo." Li Ji said with a smile again. When he talked about Goguryeo, a strong desire burst out in his eyes.

The so-called robbery of love is actually a specific word, which refers to when a minister needs to be filial because of his parents' death, but the court cannot do without him, so the emperor can issue an order so that the minister does not have to be filial. This is also called robbery of love.

Hearing Li Ji's words, Li Xiu and Ma couldn't help but look at each other. If the two could not guess the purpose of each other, it would be too stupid. So Ma smiled and said, "So that's it. Your Majesty really attaches great importance to the Duke of England. This time, he used military force against Goguryeo, which is a rare opportunity. I am here to congratulate Duke of England first!"

"Brother Ma, you are polite. In fact, this time His Majesty summoned me back, and he did not designate me to serve as the chief general. However, I am not boasting about the war against Goguryeo this time. At least I think I am better than Cheng Yaojin, a common man!" Li Ji smiled again at this time. When he said this, he even looked at Li Xiu specifically.

The reason why Li Ji came here was very simple, it was nothing more than seeking Li Xiu's support. Speaking of which, when he learned that the court was going to use military force against Goguryeo, he was determined to win the position of the chief general, so he immediately went to see Li Shimin after returning to Chang'an. However, he didn't know what kind of consideration Li Shimin was for, so he did not immediately appoint him as the chief general. It seemed that he wanted to observe it again.

"Well, the British Duke is proficient in military tactics and is indeed a role model for us younger generations. Speaking of which, I, Uncle Ma, was also discussing how to attack Goguryeo just now. Why don't the British Duke express his opinions?" Li Xiu knew what Li Ji was thinking, but he deliberately coughed dryly, and then turned the topic to the strategy of attacking Goguryeo, and did not accept his words at all.

Li Ji also knew that it was not that easy to get Li Xiu to support him immediately. After all, he heard that Li Xiu and Cheng Yaojin had a good relationship, so he went to Changsun Wuji before, but the other party was also an old fox, and he just didn't talk about the main topic. In desperation, he came to Li Xiu to try his luck.

"In fact, it is difficult to attack Goguryeo, and it is simple and simple. The key lies in the word "people and harmony"!" Li Ji took a long breath at this time and then expressed his opinions.

"Oh, I wish to listen to the great views of the British Duke!" Li Xiu also showed a solemn expression when he heard the other party's words. Li Ji is indeed a master of military tactics, and he immediately reached the focus of the matter.

"Goguryeo is located in Liaodong and has the advantage of time and place. The only thing we can rely on in the Tang Dynasty is the only people. Compared with Goguryeo, our Tang Dynasty has sufficient soldiers and food. Before, Su Dingfang continued to bleed Goguryeo in Liaodong. Now Goguryeo can be said to be exhausted. At that time, we only need several armies to run concurrently. The two divisions of light and darkness can be combined and they will definitely defeat Goguryeo's defenders in one fell swoop, and the army will reach Pyongyang City!" Li Ji said again.

Although Li Ji's answer was a bit general, Li Xiu also understood that the other party wanted to rely on the superior forces of the Tang Dynasty to attack Goguryeo directly from the front. The advantage of doing this is very safe. As long as there is enough time, the Tang army may capture Pyongyang City before winter comes, and the disadvantage is also very obvious, that is, it may cause great casualties. After all, as the attacking side, it will naturally cost a huge price to break through the opponent's wall.

"Duke of England, have you ever considered attacking from the sea and using an elite soldier to directly penetrate Goguryeo's heart, which may save a lot of effort." Li Xiu thought about it for a moment and suggested that he and Su Dingfang had discussed this method at the beginning. Finally, Su Dingfang gave a very positive answer from a professional perspective, believing that doing so could greatly shorten the time of war and reduce casualties in the Tang Dynasty.

"This..." Li Ji couldn't help but show a hesitant expression when he heard Li Xiu's proposal. After a while, he slowly spoke, "Attack from the sea is also a way, but this method takes a lot of risks. If it fails, I'm afraid this partial division will be completely lost, and it will also cause a serious blow to the morale of the army. So I think it's better not to use this method unless it is absolutely necessary!"

"What if this is the case, for example, using a large army to attack from the front, attracting all the elite Goguryeo to the Liaodong area, and then sending a side-substitute to Pyongyang City from the sea, the risk will be much smaller?" Li Xiu said again at this time. This was also the final solution of Su Dingfang. He even proposed to lead troops himself. First, he knew Goguryeo best, and second, he was used to fighting such tough battles.

"This can indeed reduce risks, but in actual operation, various situations may occur, and maritime marching is very dangerous. Perhaps a storm will wipe out the entire fleet of troops. So for the sake of safety, I think it is more certain to attack from land!" Li Ji spoke again at this time.

Seeing that Li Ji did not agree with the method of attacking Goguryeo from the sea, Li Xiu couldn't help but feel a little disappointed, but he did not show it on the surface, but smiled calmly and said, "So that's it. It seems that I took it for granted!"

"The prince-consort is so serious. In fact, it is not completely impossible to attack from the sea. At that time, it can change with the times. After all, no one can guarantee what happened on the battlefield." Li Ji seemed to feel that rejecting Li Xiu's proposal was a bit rash. After all, he still needed Li Xiu to help him plead with love in front of Li Shimin, so he spoke again.

"The British Duke is also for the sake of safety. After all, our Tang Dynasty has an advantage in military strength and national strength, and this battle is also very important to our Tang Dynasty, so the risk of attacking from the front is the smallest." At this moment, Mr. Ma suddenly smiled.

"Brother Ma said very much that if our Tang Dynasty is at a disadvantage, it is not necessary to take a risk. However, we now have strategic advantages. Although the right time and place cannot be changed, these two disadvantages are not completely irreparable in the face of huge advantages, so don't take risks if you can do it!" Li Ji also smiled and said again.

Li Xiu nodded when he heard this. After all, what Li Ji said made sense, so he asked about the other party’s detailed proposals. Li Ji was indeed prepared for it and he also explained his general combat ideas.

Although Li Xiu was not very proficient in military affairs, he had a good relationship with Ma Ye and Qin Qiong, and his wife was also a famous general in the Tang Dynasty, and he had also participated in the battle to destroy the Turks, so he could understand Li Ji's combat plan. It has to be said that Li Ji was indeed an amazing general. The entire battle plan was meticulous and complicated. With the cooperation of several armies, it was indeed very likely that he would take Pyongyang before winter came.

"What does the prince-consin think of Li's plan?" After Li Ji finished speaking, he asked Li Xiu with a smile. The reason why he explained so patiently was actually to make Li Xiu believe in his strength. After all, he knew that Li Xiu would not only look at personal affairs in such major events. As long as he could prove that he was a strong process, Li Xiu would recommend him to Li Shimin.

"The Duke of Britain's plan is indeed detailed, and it is also an eye-opener!" Li Xiu said with a smile at this time, but he still did not express his opinion. In fact, he really admired Li Ji's plan, but it was still early, and it was really not the time for him to express his opinion.

After hearing Li Xiu say this, Li Ji knew that Li Xiu was probably the same as Changsun Wuji. He was going to hit another soft nail today, but there was nothing he could do about it, and he was mentally prepared for failure today.

Therefore, Li Ji was not discouraged. He chatted with Li Xiu for a while about Goguryeo, and then stood up to say goodbye. Li Xiu and Ma Ye also stood up to see him off. After all, we were officials in the same court, and even if there were differences between them, they still had to be able to get by on the surface.

"Uncle Ma, what do you think of the British Duke? Are you really better than General Cheng?" As soon as Li Ji left, Li Xiu immediately asked Mr. Ma.

"He is indeed better than Lao Cheng in command, but have you noticed that Li Ji actually has a big disadvantage?" Ma saw Master Ma at this time, looking at the direction where Li Ji left, and a look of pity appeared on his face when he spoke.
Chapter completed!