bayedsolid Chapter 758: Dragon Court Decision
Chapter 758: Dragon Court Decision
The flying eaves and corners of the Taiji Hall pierce the morning mist, and the gilded gargoyles glow coldly in the morning sun.
The copper bells on the eaves were lifted up by the draft, and the ding-dong sound intertwined with the majestic roar of the bells outside the hall, shaking off the night frost condensed on the eaves.
Civil and military officials entered one after another on the imperial road paved with bronze tortoise shells. The collision of their python robes and jade belts made a crackling sound, like an undercurrent.
They looked up at the Danchi. Li Zhi was wearing a crown with twelve tassels on his head. The five-clawed golden dragon embroidered on his black dragon robe rose and fell with his breathing. As the tassels swayed, the emperor's pressure enveloped the entire hall as if it were real.
On the desk, an urgent military report was leaning against a paperweight with a dragon pattern. The edge of the yellowed silk was still stained with red sand from the Western Regions.
The troop transport train, which took the Ministry of Industry decades to build, is now carrying 500,000 vanguard troops speeding along the railway tracks in the Hexi Corridor.
The steel behemoth spewed out billowing black smoke, and the vibration of its wheels rolling over the sleepers spread eastward along the official road.
The people of Chang'an City could often hear roars coming from afar, like the sound of war drums coming from deep in the earth.
When the Minister of Revenue Li Yifu entered the palace every day with an account book more than a foot thick, his hunched back became more and more bent - the transportation of grain and fodder, the manufacture of military equipment, and the rewards of soldiers, every expense was like a flood that washed away the savings in the national treasury.
At the same time, news from the Japanese islands caused unrest in the streets of Chang'an.
Deep in the Silver Mountain Mine, tens of thousands of prisoners holding oil lamps shuttled back and forth like fireflies.
They walked barefoot through the puddles, carrying heavy silver ingots on their shoulders, and moved forward with difficulty amid the scolding of the supervisors.
When merchant ships loaded with silver raised their white sails and covered half of the sky over the East China Sea, prices in Chang'an City also soared like wild horses.
In front of the rice shop in the East Market, the clerk changes the price tag at the hour of Mao every day, and the price of rice increases every three days.
The owner of the silk shop touched the newly arrived Persian brocade, shook his head and sighed, the purchase price had doubled.
Even the old man selling pancakes on the street had to change the words on the straw label on the bamboo basket again and again, causing complaints from diners.
Yet, in teahouses and taverns, some people were still banging their heads on the tables and loudly discussing, "When the Tang cavalry conquers the Western Regions, we'll have mountains of gold and silver!"
Li Zhi's fingers, which were stroking the jade ring, tightened slightly. The candlelight danced in his eyes, making the West Sea on the map particularly dazzling.
From the Pamir Mountains to the Persian Gulf, this land that has never been fully controlled by the Central Plains dynasty now outlines an unprecedented blueprint for prosperity in his mind.
When his eyes fell on the three words "Pei Xingjian", the corners of his mouth unconsciously rose - this last disciple of Su Dingfang not only knew "The Art of War" by heart, but also had many surprising tricks in the use of new firearms.
In the fifth year of Qianwu, he tested artillery in the Western Regions. He commanded the artillery cluster to launch a "thunder formation", which blasted the elite cavalry of the Western Turks into fleeing in disarray.
"Your Majesty! The Western coalition forces are coming in full force!"
Minister of War Wu Tianyan stepped out from the crowd, the patch on his official uniform trembling slightly with his rapid breathing. "The European nations and the Ottoman Empire have sworn a blood alliance, and India has mobilized its entire nation, with a total force exceeding one million!"
As soon as these words were spoken, gasps echoed throughout the hall. The Right Servant adjusted his slipping fu hat and offered a trembling remonstration, "A million strong army should not be underestimated!"
Li Zhi stood up suddenly, and the tassels on his crown rustled.
He strode to the map and pointed his finger heavily at the location of Suiye City: "Pass on my decree, all 20,000 Qianwu cannons must be transported to Qiuci within three days!"
His voice echoed in the empty hall, "This cannon was built by seventy-two craftsmen from the Ministry of Works, using one hundred thousand kilograms of fine iron, and took five years to complete."
"The muzzle of the gun can accept stone bullets. During the test, a ten-foot-deep ravine was blasted out of the cliffs of the North Mountain!"
Recalling the earth-shaking scene at that time, a cold smile appeared on his lips. "A million-strong coalition army? They are nothing but lambs to be slaughtered!"
However, the smile was fleeting. Li Zhi turned around with his eyes as sharp as an eagle: "But you all know that the treasury's deposits are only enough to support one year."
He glanced at the pale faces of his ministers and said, "This battle must be won quickly!"
"On the day of my triumphant return, I will let all future generations know that this world, from Fusang in the east to the Western Sea in the west, is all the territory of the Great Tang!"
"Your Majesty is wise!" The thunderous response caused dust to fall from the caisson ceiling of the hall, but no one noticed that in the corner, Li Yifu, the Minister of Revenue, quietly wiped the cold sweat from his forehead.
He still had in his arms the secret report he had received yesterday: the grain depots in Jiangnan Road were empty, and 30% of the grain and grass transported to the front line were buried by quicksand on the way.
While the emperor and his ministers in Chang'an were arguing fiercely in the Taiji Hall, the moonlight from the Western Regions was covering the Tang army camp.
Wu Meiniang rubbed her aching temples and pushed away the last stack of bamboo slips.
Under the candlelight, Wu Zetian's fingertips were still stained with ink, and the marching map spread out in front of her was densely marked with supply routes.
Suddenly, hurried footsteps were heard outside the tent, and a personal guard came in with a bowl of ginger soup: "Wu sent an envoy to the capital, General Pei sent someone to deliver the new deployment map."
Wu Meiniang and Di Renjie looked at each other, and a glimmer of light flashed in their tired eyes.
When the parchment scroll was unfolded, one could see that Pei Xingjian had marked the Shule River with many marks using a cinnabar pen.
"He wants to mobilize his troops in the river valley!" Wu Meiniang pointed at the arrow on the map, "But how will the food and fodder be transported there?"
Before he finished speaking, the sound of horns came from outside the tent.
When the tent curtain was lifted, hundreds of laborers were pushing wheelbarrows loaded with food and fodder passing by. A white-haired old man was hunched over in front, leading the way, a young woman was carrying a quiver on her back, following behind, and even children of seven or eight years old were holding torches to light the way.
"Since yesterday, the people of Xizhou and Yizhou have spontaneously formed a transport team."
The guard said with red eyes, "They said they wanted to send their own sons to victory."
At the same time, Pei Xingjian stood on the commanding heights of Yingchoujian, and the winding artillery formation was reflected in the telescope.
Twenty thousand Qianwu cannons glowed with a faint blue light in the moonlight, and a gun carriage pulled by eight strong horses was slowly driving across the newly built plank road.
"Pass the order down. The deployment must be completed before the hour of Yin tomorrow."
He handed the telescope to his lieutenant, his eyes scanning the enemy camp looming in the distance. "The Arabs want to extend the battle line? Then let them see the true meaning of the Tang Dynasty's thunderbolt."
Thousands of miles away, on the coast of the East China Sea, the morning mist in Mingzhou Port had not yet dissipated, but 100,000 naval troops were already ready to go.
Li Zhentao stroked the bronze sea beast on the flagship's mast and looked at the neatly arranged ships on the deck.
These warships are all equipped with the latest "Sea Shock Crossbow", which has a range of up to 300 steps. The crossbow arrows are poisonous and can easily penetrate three decks.
As the horn blew, the white sails surged like a sea of clouds, and the fleet cut through the waves and headed towards the ocean.
Their mission was not only to attack the heart of Europe, but also to cut off the Arab coalition's sea supply lines.
The Ministry of War’s sand table simulation is still going on.
The counselors planted black flags representing the enemy army all along the coast of the Persian Gulf, and used red flags to mark the deployment of Tang Dynasty troops.
"If the war drags on for two years,"
The old soldier trembled as he placed the last counting stick on the grain pen. "The national treasury will be completely empty, and the people's taxes will probably have to increase by another 30%."
Before he finished speaking, a loud thunder suddenly came from outside the window - the war drums of the Western Regions had already sounded.