The officials of the Tang Dynasty behind Li Zhi, as well as Jin Famin, Fu Yufeng and others in front of them, listened for a long time under the bright sun, but they did not hear what the emperor and the prince were whispering.
However, whether it is the officials of the Tang Dynasty, Jin Famin, or Fu Yufeng, they all hope that His Majesty will disagree with the prince's suggestion. It is best to reprimand them and make them officials of the Tang Dynasty to take charge of Silla, Baekje is the best.
If His Highness the Crown Prince's wishes were followed, not to mention that the smell of copper would be too strong, at least the majesty and nobility of the Tang Dynasty as the King of All Nations would be criticized.
But in the end, Li Zhi still made the anxious and anxious ministers despair. His Majesty actually agreed to His Highness the Prince's proposal and asked them to redeem people with money.
And watching His Highness the Crown Prince counting his fingers seriously, each payment was like a bolt from the blue. Not only did it make Jin Chunqiu and Fu Yufeng feel in a trance, their eyes were shaky and dark, but also the officials of the Tang Dynasty behind them, as well. Sweating profusely and looking ashamed, how did you calculate these accounts
Room and board? What is this? Even Ge Xiyuan stood there with his mouth wide open. The official behind him asked him several times in a low voice, but he didn't notice that they were talking to him.
Shipping fee! Do you think this is His Highness the Prince's way of covering the cost of transporting food from the Central Plains to here? wrong! This is the fee that His Highness the Prince asks for for the troops who are specifically responsible for transportation!
Medical fees! Pension fee! Car and horse damage fees! Armor damage fee! Weapon damage fee! Everyone's liver trembles when they hear these names that they have never heard before!
Especially Fu Yufeng and Jin Famin, following the hurried speech of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, beads of sweat on their heads fell to the ground, and their hearts were bleeding at this time.
Although I have never heard of these Mingmu mentioned by the Prince of Tang Dynasty, if you think about it carefully, these are corresponding expenses. As the king of Silla and Baekje, you naturally know that wars are always supported by money.
And they devoted all their efforts to the country and made up their mind to attack Liujing City, which was occupied by the Tang Dynasty. In fact, it was equivalent to putting the fate of the country on this war, hoping to gain more benefits. Otherwise, the fate of the country would be weakened and dormant. Slaughter is the current situation.
Jin Famin's trembling pale face, purple lips, wrinkled fat painted face raised his head, and asked Nono with a cry: "I am ignorant, please tell me, your highness, what are the expenses for mental damage and reputation damage?" cost?"
Fu Yufeng nodded quickly in agreement. He also wanted to know why the mental damage fee, reputation damage fee, etc. were so expensive!
"not understand?"
"I am ignorant, please clarify my confusion, Your Highness."
"Oh, you two scared me. If you hadn't suddenly attacked Liu Jing, I wouldn't have been scared, so you have to pay money. As for reputational damage... It's because you attacked Liu Jing that I, the Tang Dynasty The majesty has been lost, because your attack will also make other people think that they can try to fight against Datang. Then we will have to send troops and so on, so it is reasonable for these costs to be higher." He walked up to the two of them cordially and explained to Jin Famin and Fu Yufeng.
"The accommodation and food expenses are... Your Highness, isn't this already covered?" Fu Yufeng thought for a moment and asked. He had already mentioned the accommodation and food expenses just now, so why was there an extra accommodation and food expense
"Don't the soldiers you captured by me need to eat and sleep? After being captured by me, I can't let them live in the sun, right? I can't let them starve to death, can I? I can't pay these money for you, right? Of course it is. It's up to you. As for the room and board expenses I just mentioned, they belong to Datang. Although our three countries are hereditary friends, as the saying goes, it's better not to mix up the accounts, right? By the way, if they are injured, they need to be treated, plus a friendly army’s medical expenses!"
Fu Yufeng and Jin Famin's mood at this time can no longer be described as despair, "Who scared whom?" When it comes to being scared, you can tell by looking at your expression. It was you, the crown prince, who scared us, right? Why are we still being asked to pay? '
They want to die now, but they don't have the intention to die. If they could, they wished they could turn back time and stop fighting this battle.
But now everything is irreversible. You don't have to pay for it. The throne will belong to other people in the country. And when the time comes, the money they are willing to give to Datang will definitely not be less than these various fees!
Your Highness, the Crown Prince of the Tang Dynasty, is going to force them to death. You have to drive them into paupers. You will force them to be unable to afford armed forces and guard the borders for at least ten years.
Looking at the faces of Jin Famin and Fu Yufeng who were desperate for life and death, Gao Zang, who had followed Li Zhi together, wiped the sweat from his forehead with a balanced mind and felt happy, and secretly rejoiced: "I'm balanced. The money earned doesn’t seem to be much right now.”
But Gao Zang didn't know that since entering their so-called territory of Goguryeo, the Tang army had never transported grain and grass, but instead used all the grain and grass from Goguryeo.
Although this expense may not seem large in the country, if it is transported from the Tang Dynasty, it will be a huge expense. It is no exaggeration to say that all the losses in a war are accounted for by the cost of food and grass supplies. Big head.
Some ministers naturally did not approve of Li Hong's actions, but because they did not dare to talk about military matters, they had to keep these words in their hearts and secretly asked His Majesty.
Li Zhi then got a confident answer from Li Hong. Sun Tzu's Art of War said: "Use local materials, oh wrong, Cao Cao once commented on Sun Tzu's Art of War: "Therefore, the wise general will feed the enemy. If he feeds the enemy for a minute, when I Twenty bells; avoid one stone on the pole, but treat me as twenty stones. '
So, when Li Zhi narrated what Li Hong said to the ministers, the ministers shut their mouths one by one. Although they still disagreed in their hearts, this was what the sages said, and they had no choice but to accept their fate. The soldiers of the Tang Dynasty relied on Goguryeo's food and grass supplies came to maintain it.
Jin Famin and Fu Yufeng tearfully took the fee written quickly by Mingmu, and then looked up at His Majesty the Emperor of the Tang Dynasty pleadingly. How much they hoped in their hearts that at this time, His Majesty the Emperor of the Tang Dynasty would be able to open his mouth. , waive their fees, and then make himself a minister. In this way, he can cry to His Majesty the Emperor about the poverty of Baekje and Silla, instead of showing off such a life-threatening fee.
"Your Majesty, can you please increase the total amount of these expenses..." Jin Famin looked at the expenses that made him dizzy. In this way, even if he was still the King of Silla, he would become a pauper king. How to enjoy beautiful women and fine wine
"Okay, you don't have to pay. At worst, I will put in more effort to conquer your royal city and make someone else king. I think they will give you more than you." Li Hong stood beside Li Zhi with a smile, holding his back He said calmly and calmly.
Although it is as easy as he said to establish someone else as king, it is much more difficult to actually implement it. It is definitely not as easy as forcing them to become a puppet regime.
As for Jin Famin and Fu Yufeng, it was precisely because they were afraid of establishing someone else on their own that they had to accept their own exploitation.
"Yes, in compliance with His Highness's order, I will go back to raise money right now." A hint of deceit flashed in Fu Yufeng's eyes, and he kowtowed respectfully.
When he raised his head, he saw Li Hong looking at him with a half-smile, his eyes filled with an unknown feeling. He couldn't help but be subconsciously surprised. Could it be that he had figured out his contingency plan
As expected, the next words of the Prince of Tang Dynasty completely blocked his retreat: "Fu Yufeng, what do you think? Let you go back to raise money? Do you think I am stupid? Who should I call if you default on your debt after you go back? Send A trustworthy and powerful minister, please go back. If you cannot raise the amount I want within seven days, then they will not have to come back. I will bury your bodies. "
At the end, Li Hong's tone quickly turned cold. In addition, they were on a battlefield with the pungent smell of blood. Fu Yufeng and Jin Famin immediately shuddered, and the last trace of luck was completely shattered.
The two people suddenly became paralyzed as if they had lost their bones. Not only did they have to pay compensation, but they also had to be captured and imprisoned. Even if they were a small country, they should have dignity as kings, but at this moment they were completely deprived. Li Hong crushed him without mercy.
It was like warning them that in the eyes of the Tang Dynasty, whether you were the king of Silla or a minister in Baekje, there was no difference at all in the eyes of the Tang Dynasty. The Tang Dynasty would not be superior just because you were the king. Take a look at you!
"Withered vines, old trees and dim crows, small bridges and flowing water, people's houses, the west wind and thin horses on the ancient roads. The sun sets in the west, and the heartbroken people are at the end of the world." Li Hong and Li Zhi walked side by side. On the empty battlefield, the people of Goguryeo were busy cleaning For the corpses on the battlefield, the Goguryeo soldiers used a simple method to end the pain of some people who were not yet dead.
Looking at the scene, Li Hong suddenly remembered this poem for some reason, so he blurted it out.
Li Zhi sighed helplessly, looking at the corpses and desolate flags all over the mountains and plains, showing a sense of loneliness and tragedy in the sunset, and murmured: "The sun sets in the west, and the heartbroken people are at the end of the world. The words are good words, But I always feel that it is not as flavorful as poetry. War is cruel, and there is more than one heartbroken person. I hope that one day, the world will be peaceful, prosperous, and peaceful, and there will be no war. "
"Wherever there are people, there will be wars. Peace will always be an ideal and an intermission of wars. Therefore, there can never be an era of eternal peace. You are the Emperor of the Tang Dynasty. All you can do is force war. Stay away from the borders of the Tang Dynasty and create a peaceful and prosperous age for the people of the Tang Dynasty. Let war... let it always happen outside the borders. "
"Li Hong, I found that you are very belligerent. With your grandpa Huang..."
"Father, you are wrong. I don't like war. But war is the only way to achieve peace. Only with the backing of a strong military force can we talk about peace and be qualified to allow peaceful coexistence in the surrounding areas. If there is no strong military force to protect the Tang Dynasty, Goguryeo, Silla, and Baekje will ignite the war within our borders, and they will not obey our orders. Therefore, I believe that no matter what. At any time, an army with strong combat effectiveness is always the only way to ensure peace!"
"I'm really afraid that you will become a tyrant in the future, but after hearing your words... I feel relieved."
"What do you mean this?"
(End of chapter)