[Light Screen]
[Managing strategic operations on the Liaodong peninsula was honestly a million times easier for the Tang Dynasty than trying to project power into the Western Regions.
Let us look at the plain logistics.
The Western Regions were a total nightmare. The capital was miles away, imperial oversight was weak, and the terrain was a brutal mix of shifting sands and freezing mountains. Just keeping supply lines open was a constant headache for Tang military planners. You were fighting the environment as much as the enemy.
Liaodong was a whole different game.
The provinces of Hebei and Shandong bordered the ocean directly, and their civilian shipbuilding industries had been booming for decades. Whether you looked at population numbers for recruiting troops or practical ways to move them around, sending an army into Liaodong was basically playing on easy mode compared to the western deserts.
What is more, Li Shimin left his son Li Zhi a massive, overpowered save file when it came to the eastern theater.
The legacy Li Shimin left behind included over a thousand fully built warships and enough stockpiled grain to feed an expeditionary force of three hundred thousand men.
These crazy resources were not gathered overnight. Li Shimin had been carefully hoarding ships and supplies ever since his first personal campaign against Goguryeo ended. He was grinding for round two.
The original plan was to launch this huge fleet in the twenty-second year of the Zhenguan era. But that was the same year his top chancellor Fang Xuanling got deathly ill. Before he passed away, Fang Xuanling wrote a massive, desperate report begging the Emperor to cancel the war.
Out of respect for his oldest friend, Li Shimin hit pause. He planned to delay the invasion until the next year.
But then, the very next year, Li Shimin's health got worse fast. The Zhenguan era came to an end, and the big second invasion quietly faded into the background.
Fast forward to now.
Sitting on top of his father's giant mountain of military gear, Li Zhi felt super confident.
When the desperate plea for help arrived from the kingdom of Silla, Li Zhi did not hesitate. He looked at the Baekje kingdom causing trouble and went with a simple philosophy:
"You want to mess with my allies? Die!"
Having just wiped the Western Turkic Khaganate off the map, veteran commander Su Dingfang was called up right away for back-to-back deployments. He got supreme command, one hundred thousand elite troops, and orders to board the massive fleet.
They sailed straight across the Yellow Sea and launched a direct amphibious assault on Baekje.]
The Light Screen flickered to life in Ganlu Hall, and the narrator's voice boomed through the room.
Inside the hall, Su Dingfang could not hide the huge smile on his face.
He clearly remembered the brief spoiler the future narrator had dropped about his historical legacy: destroyed three kingdoms, captured their three kings.
He already knew he was destined to crush the Western Turks and take over the kingdoms around the Pamir Mountains. Now, listening to this broadcast, it was obvious the final big achievement on his military resume would be wiping out this Baekje kingdom completely.
"I think I remember something," Su Dingfang muttered, turning his head. "Did this Baekje state start around the same time as the Wei and Jin dynasties?"
Su Dingfang was a military man, not a historian. His grasp on the Korean peninsula's history was a bit fuzzy, so he directed his question to Li Ji who was sitting nearby.
Li Ji slowly turned his head to look at Su Dingfang. His lips twitched a little. He stared for a long moment without saying a word, then turned his head completely the other way.
"I have no idea," Li Ji replied flatly to the wall.
Su Dingfang shook his head, feeling bad for his colleague. Just moments ago, when the screen was making fun of General Zhang Liang for his embarrassing home life, Li Ji was laughing hard. Why was he suddenly acting so grumpy and giving everyone the cold shoulder?
Watching Li Ji's petty jealousy radiate out, senior commander Li Jing decided he needed to step in before things got awkward.
"Crossing the ocean to hit the enemy directly is a tactical move I have never done in my whole career," Li Jing said, his voice calm and serious. "It seems Dingfang is destined to make a truly legendary name for himself in Liaodong."
The moment the legendary God of War gave him a compliment, Su Dingfang dropped his arrogant act right away.
He turned into the perfect picture of a humble, obedient junior officer. He waved his hands frantically, saying he did not deserve the praise.
"This Baekje kingdom is nothing like the nomadic Turks!" Su Dingfang argued with passion. "They are stuck on a peninsula! They have Goguryeo blocking them to the north, Silla to the east, and the ocean all around the rest. Once we land by sea, the enemy has nowhere to run. It is just a matter of slowly wearing them down."
Su Dingfang then turned completely and cupped his hands toward where the Emperor was sitting.
"All the credit for this coming victory belongs to His Majesty! If His Majesty had not spent years building those thousands of warships and securing supply lines, how could a regular general like me win in one go?"
Still facing the wall, Li Ji curled his lip. Look at this guy. One compliment from the old man and suddenly he is the most humble officer in the room. Where was this attitude five minutes ago when he was strutting around like he already conquered Baekje with his bare hands?
He could not believe how fast this brute had learned the fine art of kissing up to the higher-ups.
No matter how hard Li Ji rolled his eyes, it did not ruin Emperor Li Shimin's improving mood.
Just a few minutes ago, being casually made fun of by future generations and remembering the total mess of his children's love lives had made Li Shimin want to spit blood. The stress was suffocating.
But hearing Su Dingfang's perfectly timed flattery really lifted his spirits.
He looked around the room, feeling proud of these ambitious, award-hungry young officers. He thought about Su Dingfang. He thought about Xue Rengui, whose archery skills were already turning heads. He thought about young Pei Xingjian, who was barely more than a kid but had already earned the highest praise from Li Jing himself.
He also remembered the names the Light Screen had mentioned. The stubbornly righteous Wang Yifang. Diplomat Wang Xuance, who was overseas now but would be back soon.
A deep sense of comfort settled in Li Shimin's heart. The future of the Tang military was safe. Then, his brain automatically brought up another name: the young Wu family girl who was currently...
Stop. Stop right there, Li Shimin told himself. He shut down that train of thought hard before it could ruin his mood again.
He tapped his fingers against his temple to clear his head, then turned to his most trusted civilian aide.
"The screen said Xuanling will pass away at sixty-nine," Li Shimin noted softly. "It seems the tough work of running the Zhenguan era really took a toll on you, my friend."
Sixty-nine was definitely a respectable age for a man in these times. But compared to how long military men like Li Jing lived, there was plenty of room to do better.
Fang Xuanling gently stroked his beard. His eyes crinkled into a warm, satisfied smile.
"I have had the great honor of building the Zhenguan era alongside Your Majesty," Fang Xuanling replied smoothly. "To live nearly seventy years while sharing the fate of this great empire... I leave this world with no regrets at all."
Fang Xuanling then gave the Emperor a pointed look.
"Instead, it is Your Majesty who must pay more attention to your own health."
Li Shimin waved his hand and let out a heavy sigh. They did not even need to talk about it. He had basically forgotten what roasted spring lamb tasted like.
Even his absolute favorite dish, sweet and sour fish made by the royal chefs, had been restricted a lot. Ancient physician Sun Simiao had personally checked his diet and strictly said the Emperor could only eat it twice a month. Max.
Li Shimin held a deep, quiet resentment toward the imperial kitchen staff. Who told them to snitch to the doctor about what I eat?
But knowing they were all just trying to keep him alive, the Emperor could only grit his teeth and accept the boring food he had to eat now.
The Light Screen flickered again, and the narrator's voice came back with a more serious tone.
[Light Screen]
While Liu Rengui was still miserably making his way toward exile in Qingzhou, Su Dingfang's massive fleet had already crossed the ocean and successfully landed on the beach at the mouth of the Geum River. It is historically known as the Xiongjin estuary.
King Uija of Baekje was completely frozen by shock.
His whole defensive strategy was based on one thought:
"Wait, this is not the route you took when you attacked Goguryeo last time!"
From the Baekje King's point of view, allying with Goguryeo was smart. The entire northern border of the peninsula was controlled by Goguryeo, so if Tang wanted to march in, they would have to smash through them first. Classic logic: help from far away cannot fix problems right now. King Uija accepted Goguryeo's terms, thinking he was safe behind their meat shield.
He completely did not see it coming that the Tang military would just skip the land route entirely and drop a huge amphibious force right on his doorstep. Caught totally off guard, King Uija scrambled his elite forces and rushed them to the Geum River estuary. He was desperately hoping to push the invaders back into the sea.
But the King was way overestimating how good his own military was.
The so-called elite defenders at the river were wiped out in one brutal fight. The national army that swore to protect the capital just added to Su Dingfang's stats, giving him an easy ten thousand kills. Aside from that short skirmish, the landing was completely smooth.
Shocked by how fast and violent the defeat was, King Uija did not hesitate. He grabbed the Crown Prince, abandoned his capital of Sabi, and ran north into the wilderness. He was racing toward Goguryeo territory as fast as his horses could carry him.
Logically, when the ruler and the chosen heir abandon the country, everything should collapse right away. Baekje should have fallen as easy as snapping your fingers.
But in this moment of crisis, the King's second son stepped up. His name was Buyeo Tae.
With his father and older brother running away like cowards, Buyeo Tae decided to carry the burden. He emptied his personal treasure chests, giving out money to calm the panicking citizens and soldiers. He ran through the streets, desperately trying to keep morale up.
Finally, standing before his assembled troops, Buyeo Tae officially declared himself the new King of Baekje. He swore a blood oath to live or die with Sabi, promising to fight the tyrannical Tang invaders to the very end!
Inspired by Tae's dramatic courage, another member of the royal family decided to step up. His name was Buyeo Munsa.
Now, pay attention to the family tree here.
Buyeo Munsa was the real son of the runaway Crown Prince. He was the official royal grandson. The guys who ran away were his grandfather and his real dad. The guy who just declared himself King and swore to fight to the death was his uncle.
Facing this terrifying siege, Buyeo Munsa decided to copy his uncle's leadership style. He put on heavy armor, climbed to the highest point of the city walls, and gave a speech to fire up the defenders.
He started by passionately telling the brutal, bloody story of how Baekje was founded. He whipped the crowd into an emotional frenzy and shouted:
"Even though our King and Crown Prince have been forced to leave, know this! They are watching us from far away! They are praying for our victory!"
Then, borrowing a famous trick from ancient Chinese history, the young royal grandson ordered his men to tie a massive, thick rope to the top of the walls and throw it over the side.
He pointed at the rope and told the garrison:
"If any man here does not have the courage to stand with Baekje in her final hour, I will not judge you! You can use this rope right now, climb down the wall, and surrender to the Tang army! The rest of us will stay and fight!"
The atmosphere was electric. The soldiers were deeply moved by the show. Men dropped to their knees, pounding their fists against the stone floor and crying openly. They screamed their promises to protect the royal grandson. Baekje had fed and housed their families for centuries; today was the day they would pay that back with their blood!
But then, the passionately heroic royal grandson pulled off the greatest plot twist in military history.
Buyeo Munsa looked out at the crying, loyal soldiers. His tone suddenly shifted to pure practical dread.
"Let us be real here," Munsa announced loudly. "The second things went wrong, my uncle could not wait to make himself King. If by some miracle the Tang army actually leaves, do you really think my uncle will let the real heir to the throne live? We are all dead either way!"
And then, right in front of the totally stunned garrison, the royal grandson showed off some really impressive rope skills. He grabbed the rope he had just put up, slid down the outer wall like a pro acrobat, and ran straight into the Tang military camp to surrender.
The psychological damage this did to the defending army was impossible to calculate. It was the ultimate morale killer.
The soldiers watched him run and thought about what was really going on.
The King ran away.
The Crown Prince ran away.
The super heroic grandson who just told them to fight to the death just sprinted to surrender.
What exactly were they supposed to be fighting for?
The garrison completely panicked. Soldiers started fighting each other on the wall, wrestling to get to the rope. They were terrified that if they surrendered too late, the Tang army would not take them.
Sitting in the palace, newly crowned King Buyeo Tae heard the news and let out a long, sad sigh. He knew the game was over. He ordered the main gates of Sabi thrown open and surrendered his forces to Su Dingfang.
But the surprises were not over for the Tang commander.
Shortly after the city fell, King Uija and the original Crown Prince did some quick thinking out in the wilderness. They turned around and happily marched back to the city to officially surrender too.
They really had no choice. Trekking all the way to Goguryeo was dangerous, and there was no guarantee the Goguryeo king would treat a ruined, exiled royal family with respect. They would probably be treated like trash.
The Tang Dynasty though was famous for its VIP prisoner treatment program. They offered full transportation, free housing in the capital, and a nice government allowance. All you had to do was sometimes dance at imperial banquets. It was a pretty sweet retirement deal!
In less than a month, the whole campaign was wrapped up. Su Dingfang loaded tens of thousands of prisoners of war, including the entire Baekje royal family, onto his ships and got ready to sail back to Chang'an in total triumph. Baekje was officially wiped off the map.
However, right before Su Dingfang packed up and left, he casually tossed a lit firecracker into an overflowing outhouse. He set off a massive, terrible disaster.
Here is the problem.
The Tang Dynasty sent one hundred thousand heavily armed men across the ocean. They fought exactly two really short battles, killing only about ten thousand enemies total. The amount of loot, medals, and promotional XP available was nowhere near enough to share among the huge army.
To make up for his frustrated troops, Su Dingfang made a brutal decision after the gates of Sabi opened. He let his army sack the city. He did not tell them to put their swords away.
Official historical records describe what happened next with four scary words:
"Able-bodied men mostly died."
All because of this one savage decision by Su Dingfang, the surviving people of Baekje were completely radicalized. A huge, furious Baekje restoration movement exploded all over the peninsula right away.]
The silence in Ganlu Hall was so thick you could cut it with a knife.
Su Dingfang's smile had frozen solid. Then it cracked. Then it broke into a million pieces.
From his seat, Li Ji could clearly see disappointment wash over Emperor Li Shimin's face.
Earlier, Li Ji had been confused. If the Baekje royal family was tripping over themselves to surrender, and the garrison had lost all will to fight, why would the Tang court need to send a stubborn civil official like Liu Rengui to the peninsula? What was left for him to do?
Now it all made sense. Liu Rengui was not being sent to conquer. He was being sent to clean up the mess Su Dingfang had left behind.
Shaking his head quietly, Li Ji felt lucky about his own future career. When he eventually took command in Goguryeo, he would have to deal with stubborn, glory-hungry subordinates like Guo Daifeng. But at least Guo Daifeng only messed up supply lines. He did not start a massive civilian uprising. Li Ji silently thanked his ancestors for that small blessing.
Letting out a slow sigh, Li Ji decided to be the bigger man. He reached over and patted the frozen Su Dingfang on the shoulder.
"There are always hidden problems in military logistics that historians do not understand," Li Ji said, his voice surprisingly kind. "This disaster might not be all your fault, Dingfang."
As a veteran who had commanded huge armies his whole life, Li Ji understood the brutal reality of military discipline.
Absolute obedience was every commander's dream. But in real life, most soldiers were only motivated by one thing: rewards.
If a general led them to victory, if there was lots of loot, and if the medals got their sons good jobs, the soldiers would treat that general like a god. They would march into fire for him.
But if an army marched for months, survived a scary ocean crossing, and got almost no rewards? If a commander tried to calm the anger of a hundred thousand unrewarded, heavily armed men without amazing charisma? The first thing those soldiers would do is rebel and cut off the commander's head.
Sitting nearby, Li Jing let out a heavy sigh that carried the weight of decades of war.
"The burden of commanding an army that big..." Li Jing said, shaking his head. "It is just too heavy."
Su Dingfang had no words. Shame burned in his chest. He turned toward Li Shimin, cupped his hands, and bowed his head. He could not look the Emperor in the eye.
Li Shimin gave a slow, understanding nod. He actually found it in himself to say a few quiet comforting words to Su Dingfang. He knew the brutal math of war.
But deep in his mind, Li Shimin was putting the pieces together. He remembered the long, sad talk the uploader had about how the Tang military got weaker over time.
This Baekje campaign seemed to be the exact turning point.
Li Shimin went over the timeline. Su Dingfang had just come back from destroying a kingdom in the Western Regions. The screen had said that after that campaign, the imperial court stopped paying money to families of soldiers who died in battle.
And now, right after that policy changed, came this Baekje campaign. The dead were ignored by the state. The living were cheated out of the rewards they deserved because there were not enough kills. The whole way the Tang military worked was falling apart.
And who was the smart one who pointed out this deadly flaw? Liu Rengui.
Realizing the huge burden about to be placed on the old scholar's shoulders, Li Shimin turned to look at Liu Rengui. The Emperor looked at him with deep pity, as if to say, You are going to go through so much.
Liu Rengui stared back, completely confused.
"Your Majesty?" he said carefully.
Li Shimin just sighed and looked away.
Liu Rengui had no idea what he had done, but he was pretty sure he was going to regret it.