Chapter 45: Strategies to defeat the enemy

Li Longji laughed loudly and pointed at Wang Zhongsi: "I have heard that you are a little guy and have great devils. You see this today, so it is." He turned around and said to Mrs. Wang: "This is very strange. You must be the pillar of my Tang Dynasty. I want him to go to the Eastern Palace and ask him the best master to teach him."

This was the supreme grace. Mrs. Wang was so excited that she knelt on the ground with a loud voice: "Thank you, thank you!"

"Okay, get up." Li Longji picked up Wang Zhongsi, shaved lightly on his nose, and smiled, "Would you like to go to the East Palace to study?"

Wang Zhongsi said without thinking, "Leave the prince's order!"

Li Longji looked at Wang Zhongsi, looking very handsome and happy: "I look good and smart. I was like you when I was a child. I always had to do things that others could not think of. Like me, like me, too much like me! What books do you think you want to read?"

"Read all! But I love military books the most!" Wang Zhongsi's tender voice sounded, somewhat self-confessed.

Li Longji's eyes widened and smiled and said, "Have you read military books?"

"I have read. I have read "Sun Tzu", "Wu Zi", "Sima War Art", "Wei Liao Zi", and "Sun Bin War Art". Wang Zhongsi said it first without waiting for Li Longji to ask questions.

These military books are classics of ancient Chinese military arts. If you master any kind of research, it is amazing. He, a six-year-old child, has read them all, which is amazing.

Li Longji obviously disbelief, his face sank, and he shouted: "Brave in front of this prince, but you will be punished."

Wang Zhongsi raised his head and his little face shone with glory: "The prince doesn't believe it, I will recite it to you which paragraph you listen to." At this moment, Wang Zhongsi is not like a child, but like a fighter who refuses to admit defeat.

Li Longji's interest increased greatly and put down Wang Zhongsi and said, "Okay. I will recite a passage of "Sunzi" for me, 'Therefore, I will start reciting it with five things'."

Wang Zhongsi blurted out his mouth and was extremely skilled. There was only his tender childish voice in the whole house: "Therefore, he used five things to solve them, and asked for his feelings: one is Tao, two is heaven, three is earth, four is general, and five is law. Tao means to make the people agree with the emperor, and they can die with them, and they can live with them without fear of danger; the sky is yin and yang, cold and heat, and the time control; the earth is far and near, dangerous, wide and narrow, and life and death; the general is wisdom, trustworthiness, benevolence, courage, and strictness; the law is skewed, and the official way is the master's use. All these five generals are heard of, and those who know it win, and those who do not know it cannot win. Therefore, he used it to solve it and asked for his feelings: Who has the master? Who is the general? Who is capable of it? Who is the heaven and earth? Who is the law? Who is the strongest? Who is the military? "

Li Longji interrupted: "I believe you can recite it. However, it is impossible to recite it alone, you must know how to use it. If you talk about military books, Zhao Kuo has few enemies, but he failed in Changping. You cannot talk about military affairs on paper."

Wang Zhongsi shook his head and came up with another unimaginable truth: "Crown Prince, although Zhao Kuo is suspected of talking about war on paper and defeated by Changping, I think that if he could escape from the Changping War, he would definitely be a rare general of Zhao State."

Zhao Kuo talks about war on paper and has been making jokes for thousands of years, but few people praise him. Li Longji couldn't help but be surprised and asked, "Why do you think so?"

This question was exactly what Chen Wanrong and the others thought, all of which were staring at Wang Zhongsi and looking forward to his answer.

Wang Zhongsi leaned his finger and said in detail about Zhao Kuo as if he had known him: "The world said that Zhao Kuo would be demoted, because he changed his war on paper and suffered the defeat of Changping. However, few people saw his valuable side. Who discovered Li Mu's good general? Zhao Kuo is the case!"

Li Mu was good at fighting and was defeated in vain. Qin Shihuang defeated Zhao and forced the Qin army to block the eastward advance by repressing Zhao's troops. It was actually discovered by Zhao Kuo. Chen Wanrong sighed lightly, but Zhao Kuo actually had a wise side.

I heard Wang Zhongsi count the precious things of Zhao Kuo: "Crown Prince, think about it again. In the Battle of Changping, more than 500,000 Zhao troops were trapped in a heavy siege and had no food. Zhao Kuo was able to control the Zhao army, without mutiny or chaos. He brought the Zhao army into a desperate situation. Can he do this? Isn't it a miracle?"

Wang Maozhong was also versatile in military tactics, and he couldn't help but nodded and said, "It's reasonable, it's reasonable, it's reasonable!" His eyes were particularly bright.

Li Longji also agreed: "Yes! Zhao Kuo brought the Zhao army into a desperate situation. In the past two months, he has been able to enforce orders, and Zhao army has no complaints, which also shows that Zhao Kuo is not an incompetent person."

Wang Zhongsi finally said: "The reason why Zhao Kuo is inferior to the generals in the world is that he is in a high position at a young age. In addition, he is extremely talented and does not know the hardships. He has developed a character that is above the top and always likes to talk about the way of war. If he starts from a soldier step by step, he will understand the difficulties of the battlefield, he may be a rare good general. Zhao Kuo's fault lies in the fact that he has not learned the method of carving. Good jade must be carefully carved, which is what he means!"

Everyone knows this principle, but how many people can really implement it? Wang Zhongsi’s words are thought-provoking. Li Longji sighed lightly: “Okay, Wang Zhongsi, it’s well said. Then the prince will arrange a few good craftsmen to carefully carve your good jade.”

After a brief pause, he asked, "You said, among these military books, which one is the prince's favorite?"

Only his confidants could know this problem, even Chen Wanrong didn't know it, let alone Wang Zhongsi. Chen Wanrong shook his head secretly, saying that Li Longji was too good at making things difficult for others.

However, what Chen Wanrong didn't expect was that Wang Zhongsi blurted out: "It must be "Wei Liaozi."

As soon as he finished speaking, Gao Lishi looked at Wang Zhongsi in surprise. It was obvious that Wang Zhongsi was right.

Li Longji said in surprise and asked quickly: "Have you heard from someone?"

"I guess!" Wang Zhongsi explained: "In all military books, only "Wei Liaozi" is written for the emperor. The prince wants to be the wise emperor, but it is not possible to be "Wei Liaozi". Although Sun Wu's military strategy is good, it only writes the way of being a general, not for the emperor. Therefore, I boldly make a decision. The prince likes "Wei Liaozi".

As soon as the words came, the room was quiet and there was no sound. Everyone stared at Wang Zhongsi in surprise. A six-year-old child had such insights, which was amazing. The word "genius" was the only one.

As he said, "Yu Liaozi" describes the art of using military force in emperors, while Sun Wu's military method describes the art of using military force in generals. Not to mention a child, even those who are proficient in military skills may not be able to find the difference.

"Who taught you?" Li Longji's eyes widened.

Wang Zhongsi smiled a little embarrassedly: "Crown Prince, I'm all thinking about it myself. I don't know if it's right?"

"That's right!" Li Longji laughed: "Wei Liao presented his military letter to Qin Shihuang back then, which made Qin Shihuang's military skills advance and better understand military affairs. A little child can actually break the difference, a genius! A genius! This person will definitely become a good general of the Tang Dynasty!"

Although Chen Wanrong did not understand military tactics, he agreed with Li Longji's comments and nodded constantly.

In history, Wang Zhongsi and Li Longji had an indissoluble bond. When Wang Zhongsi's father Wang Haibin died in battle, Li Longji discovered Wang Zhongsi's extraordinary nature, adopted him, and treated him like a son. Regarding military service, Li Longji praised him very much, praised him for being a good general.

Facts also prove that Li Longji's view is correct. Wang Zhongsi was one of the most famous generals during the reign of Emperor Xuanzong of Tang. The value is not only that he was a good general who was good at fighting, but also that he was an excellent strategist and his ability to grasp the overall situation was amazing. Li Longji trusted him very much and once sent half of the Tang Dynasty's troops to him. Some people falsely accused Wang Zhongsi of rebellion, but Li Longji ignored it at all.

However, there was also a difference between them. The main thing was that the two of them had a big difference. Li Longji considered the overall situation and prepared to capture Shibao City and forced Tubo to surrender. Later, the facts proved that Li Longji's judgment was correct. As a general in command, Wang Zhongsi knew that the price was too high and was unwilling to attack Shibao City, which made Li Longji angry and retreated. He sent Geshuhan to command the troops, and the battle of Shibao City was fought, and the Tang Dynasty finally recovered Shibao City.

Of course, the price was very high. Geshuhan led 60,000 troops, and killed and injured 35,600. It should be said that he was lucky to succeed at the last moment. If the night attack was not successful, the price would definitely not be more than 30,000, or even 100,000. Wang Zhongsi never put his victory on the word "luck". It was from this point that he refused to fight.

By the way, Geshuhan was discovered by Wang Zhongsi. However, Wang Zhongsi died young and died of illness before the Anshi Rebellion. Many historians generally favored him, believing that if he had not died young, he would have led troops during the Anshi Rebellion. With his qualifications, influence, prestige, Li Mi proposed the strategy of sending troops to copy An Lushan's old nest Fanyang, and the strategy of sending troops to raid An Lushan's nest Fanyang is likely to be implemented. The Anshi Rebellion may not be fought for eight years, and the Tang Dynasty may decline so severely.

Li Longji was full of curiosity about Wang Zhongsi and asked, "You said, what were you doing just now? Are you reading a military book?"

Wang Zhongsi shook his head and said, "No. I am studying how to hit the stone castle city."

The words shocked everyone! A six-year-old child actually studied the tactics of attacking Shibao City, and anyone would be surprised. Li Longjida was curious and asked, "Is there a way to fight?"

"I just made a model of the Stone Castle City, but I didn't think of the way to play." Wang Zhongsi was very upset.

In order to win the Shibao City, the Tang Dynasty tried its best. Many people racked their brains for it, but there was no perfect solution. Although Wang Zhongsi performed extraordinaryly, he was just a child after all, so it was normal that there was no way to do so.

However, Li Longji still wanted to see the model he made and said, "Are you doing it well? Can you show it to me?"

Wang Zhongsi nodded: "Yes."

Li Longji ordered: "You lead the way." Wang Zhongsi led the way in front, and Li Longji followed behind. Chen Wanrong was also curious and determined to see what was going on, so he followed.

As soon as he entered the house, he came to a house. The door was half-closed, and Li Longji pushed it away and hugged Wang Zhongsi into the door. He saw that the house was empty, with several wooden boards in the middle, and various terrain were built with soil on it.

Li Longji looked at it briefly and praised: "It took a lot of effort to behave well. This is a bit different from what the Ministry of War has done. It is not comprehensive enough and detailed enough. However, it is amazing that a six-year-old boy can do this!"

"Yes!" A whistle sounded, and Chen Wanrong couldn't stop nodding.

Li Longji looked at the model for a while and shook his head: "It's hard! It's hard to capture the Shibao City! It's just such a small city that can only guard thousands of people, but it can block tens of thousands of troops. The world is so big that it is full of wonders."

Although Chen Wanrong had heard of Shibao City, he had never seen it before. Now when he saw the model, he looked at it very focused and asked, "How high is this from the ground?"

"It's almost a mile away." Chen Zairong replied.

Chen Wanrong reached out to measure the model, pondered silently, and his eyes became brighter and brighter. Li Longji was the first to discover Chen Wanrong's abnormality and asked, "Have you discovered it?"

"I was thinking, maybe I could conquer the Shibao City." Chen Wanrong woke up in shock.

Li Longji's eyes lit up, full of hope, and dimmed casually: "You don't understand military tactics and have never fought a war. Don't talk nonsense, which makes me feel like I am upset." As long as you take down Shibao City, the entire Tubo will not be afraid. This is too many benefits. Li Longji is thinking about Shibao City all the time. This is the truth.

Chen Wanrong smiled and said, "The prince is right. I don't understand military tactics and have never fought a war, but I can make weapons."

"Weapons? What weapon?" Li Longji's eyes were particularly bright and he stared at Chen Wanrong.

Chen Wanrong felt as if he was shining the sun, and hurriedly said, "I can build artillery and bomb the Shibao City. If I can't take it down for three or five days, I can bomb him for ten and half months. If I can't ten and half months, I can also bomb him for one or two months. There will always be times when I can kill them."

"What does this cannon look like? Tell me quickly." Li Longji's mind was completely alive.

Chen Wanrong nodded, found a piece of charcoal, and squatted on the ground to draw. The appearance of this cannon is very simple, not difficult at all, and it was drawn in a few strokes. Chen Wanrong drew the kind of copper cannon. This kind of copper cannon is also available in some tourist attractions. Chen Wanrong has seen it with his own eyes and has seen it very carefully, so it is naturally not difficult to draw it.

Li Longji also squatted down, looked at it for a while, and asked, "How to use this?"

Chen Wanrong explained: "This cannon is mainly divided into two parts, one is the cannon itself, and the other is the cannon. What I draw is the cannon now, and I can't do it, but I need the prince's help."

"As long as it is useful, you can capture the Shibao City, and you will give it whatever you want. Even if you use mountains of gold and silver to pile it up, you don't have to worry about this." Li Longji was also not vague: "Where is the shell?"

Chen Wanrong continued to explain: "I can make this shell. Gunpowder and lead wires will not help me. I just need to cast some shell shells from the weapon supervisor." Now I can only make copper cannons. As long as I meet the requirements of copper cannons that Chen Wanrong saw in tourist attractions, it is enough to take down Shibao City.

For Chen Wanrong, there was no difficulty at all. He originally wanted to face the Crescent Sect alone, but asked Niu Shangxin to buy a lot of saltpeter, but now it is still piled in the house. He just needs to wait and verify the power.

Li Longji did not express his opinion immediately, but pondered for a while and sought Chen Wanrong's opinion: "Tell me, how likely is this artillery to be made?"

Chen Wanrong thought for a moment and said, "Crown Prince, you can't ask me about this. You should ask the good craftsmen of the court to see how confident they are to make artillery. As for artillery shells, I am very sure, so don't worry about this."

Regarding casting, Chen Wanrong only knew some methods and had never done it. Instead of asking Chen Wanrong, it would be better to ask the masters of the Weapon Prison. Li Longji nodded and said, "It makes sense, it makes sense. Even if it is made, how should this cannon be used?"

Li Longji was meticulous and had to make up his mind to make up everything. Chen Wanrong explained it and finally said: "If you want to kill Shibao City, don't need too many artillery. There is about ten gates. Put it at the foot of the mountain and aim it at Shibao City. I think the accuracy is too poor, and some of them will fall into the city and can be killed in a few days."

After standing up, walking for a while, Li Longji patted his forehead and said with great hope: "You go back first, think about how to deal with those problems. As for me, I will go to the Weapons Supervisor now and discuss with Ye Tianheng and the others to see if they can build artillery. If it can be done, I will order a truce ahead and wait for the artillery to arrive."

The artillery is called the "God of War", so there is no doubt about its benefits. However, for Li Longji, whether this weapon is as useful as Chen Wanrong said and is so magical, it also needs to be demonstrated by the good craftsmen of the weapon supervision team. It cannot be ordered to be manufactured just by Chen Wanrong's words.

Chen Wanrong had nothing to say about his cautious treatment and responded: "Okay. I'll go back first and make the gunpowder."

Once this matter was made, Chen Wanrong said goodbye to the prince and rode his horse back to the house. He rode on the horse and recalled the scene just now, it was a bit hard to believe. If he hadn't seen the model made by Wang Zhongsi, Chen Wanrong would not have thought of making artillery.
Chapter completed!