In early April, after a long period of exhaustion, the Yangzhou navy finally cut off the connection between Kyushu and several other major islands in Japan. Wu Chengsi immediately reported to the court that the time was ripe to capture Kyushu.
Although Wu Mei had a rift with her nephew, the two still had a tacit understanding on major matters and fully supported her in the war.
In late April, Su Dingfang, Hei Te Changzhi, and Wang Fangyi led an army of 30,000 people and launched an attack on the entire Kyushu.
When Su Dingfang captured "Feiqian Kingdom", due to the opponent's stubborn resistance, the Tang army suffered a lot of casualties. In anger, he ordered a massacre after capturing the city.
After learning about it, many civil servants in the court reported to the Queen Mother to impeach Su Dingfang, but Wu Mei pushed the matter to Wu Chengsi for his decision.
So someone personally went to Chang'an to lobby Wu Chengsi, hoping to remove Su Dingfang from his position as commander-in-chief.
Wu Chengsi refused because he could not change generals before the battle.
He only wrote a letter to Su Dingfang, which was nominally a rebuke. In fact, the letter emphasized the discipline of the Tang army and did not mention the massacre.
Su Dingfang had an idea in his mind and let go even more.
It's a pity that after this incident, the Japanese people were frightened by him and regarded him as a ghost.
Every city he visited, he either fled or surrendered, never encountering any decent resistance.
In just two months, the Tang army occupied the entire Jiuzhou.
After resting for three months, the Tang army began to launch a war of annihilation against the Japanese state. Su Dingfang attacked from south to north, and Pei Xingjian attacked from north to south.
At this time, the domestic power of the Japanese state was already on the verge of collapse. Zhigui, the son of Zhongda brother, used Dahai people to fight against the Tang army and took the opportunity to become bigger.
The Dahai people were defeated in consecutive battles, and their prestige had been knocked to the bottom. Zhigui took the opportunity to raise an issue, advocating overthrowing the Dahai people and negotiating peace with the Tang army.
All the great names in the Japanese kingdom feared the Tang army like a tiger, so they changed their tactics and joined Zhigui's command.
The Zhiki forces are in the north, and the Dahairen forces are in the south.
Pei Xingjian, who attacked from the north, saw that Zhigui was not as powerful as the Dahai people, so he deliberately slowed down his attack and Xu Tu advanced slowly, allowing Zhigui to continue to grow.
The Dahai people had to deal with both the Zhigui rebels in the north and Su Dingfang's army in the south, which was extremely difficult.
In this tug-of-war, Zhiki only had to deal with Dahairen, and his strength continued to grow, gradually surpassing Dahairen.
Pei Xingjian still stood still.
The civil servant in the DPRK could not sit still anymore and first tried to persuade Wu Mei, but Wu Mei still kicked the ball to Wu Chengsi.
Many ministers came to Chang'an one after another, hoping that Wu Chengsi would order Pei Xingjian to march immediately to prevent Zhigui from becoming stronger.
Wu Chengsi smiled and said, "You don't have to be impatient. Pei Du was right not to send troops to protect him."
One of the ministers frowned and said: "Your Highness, Zhiki is the legitimate heir to the eldest brother Zhong. If he is allowed to grow stronger, I am afraid it will be more difficult to eliminate than the people from the sea. By then, the battle to destroy the Japanese may be in vain!"
Wu Chengsi said slowly: "Have you ever thought about what would happen if Pei Duhu and General Su attacked their two forces together?"
All the ministers shook their heads and said they didn't know. Wu Chengsi looked around and saw Zhang Jianzhi smiling and said, "It seems that Minister Zhang has understood the key!"
First, the minister asked Zhang Jianzhi: "Secretary Zhang, please tell me quickly!"
Zhang Jianzhi smiled slightly: "If I attack the northern and southern armies together, then the two Japanese forces will definitely form an alliance under pressure to resist our army."
"Now that I am attacking only one side, the side that is not attacked must want to defeat the other side first, and then concentrate on dealing with my army. Naturally, there will be no alliance."
Another minister smiled and said: "I see, I just want to say that General Pei has been in war for a long time and must have his own considerations."
All the officials were relieved of their doubts, but they did not return to Chang'an immediately.
Most of them are officials from the Ministry of War. When they came to Chang'an this time, they planned to stay in Chang'an during the war, which would be more convenient for handling official duties.
However, both Wu Chengsi and Pei Xingjian underestimated this person.
As the son of Nakadai Brother, Shiki was elected by Nakadai Brother's supporters at a young age.
Among those people, there are only a few who are truly loyal to Brother Naka. Most of them regard Shiki as a banner and use him to satisfy their own selfish interests.
In the beginning, Zhiki could only be manipulated like a puppet on strings.
But only half a year later, he relied on the technique of checks and balances to gradually build up his own team and gain a certain say.
Another year later, he completely controlled this force, and relying on his keen judgment, he used the slogan "Overthrow the Dahai people and negotiate peace with the Tang army" to take the opportunity to develop and grow when the Tang army attacked the Japanese country.
He was far-sighted and good at forbearance. He had long seen that the Tang army planned to destroy the Japanese country, so he never thought of negotiating peace with the Tang army.
He also knew that he alone could not resist the Tang army's two-pronged attack, so he had long planned to unite with the people of Dahai to deal with the Tang army.
However, he was very patient and did not rush to form an alliance with the Dahai people when his own power was inferior to that of the Dahai people.
After his power surpassed that of the Dahai people, he ignored all opinions and sent people to actively seek alliances with the Dahai people.
Although the people of the sea were reluctant, they had no choice but to agree to Shiki's alliance under the pressure of such a situation.
After Su Dingfang and Pei Xingjian learned of the alliance between the two parties, they sent the news back to Chang'an.
Wu Chengsi summoned the generals for discussion. While they were discussing, Su Dingfang sent someone to deliver another official document. Wu Chengsi was overjoyed after reading it.
It turned out that Su Dingfang's general, Guo Yuanzhen, made a suggestion. Su Dingfang thought it was feasible, so he sent someone to send his suggestion over.
After Wu Chengsi discussed it with Li Ji, Cheng Wuting and other generals, they all felt it was feasible and agreed to the plan.
Half a month later, changes occurred in the Tang Army's northern and southern armies. Su Dingfang's southern army suddenly stood still, recuperating and attacking the resistance forces within the country.
Pei Xingjian suddenly launched a violent attack on Zhigui.
This immediately made Dahairen see an opportunity. He was not stupid, and he could also see that Tang Jun did this deliberately and wanted to create a rift in their alliance.
But the people of Dahai had other plans.
Zhiki's power has surpassed his own, and it is still growing. If this continues, even if they jointly defeat the Tang army, he will be destined to be destroyed by Zhiki.
He has always been ruthless in his actions. After thinking clearly about the powerful relationship between them, he abandoned the alliance and launched a fierce attack on Shiki.
Shiki's side was attacked from two sides, and the battle situation suddenly fell into a disadvantageous situation. He hated the people of the sea very much, but there was nothing he could do.
As the battle continued, although Hairen did not become stronger, Shiki was severely damaged and his strength was far inferior to him.
At this time, the Dahai people sent an envoy to Zhigui, hoping that the two parties would form an alliance again to fight against the Tang army.
Zhigui was furious and ordered the general to be executed. At that time, Pei Xingjian had sent Japanese generals to find Zhigui many times, hoping that he would surrender to the Tang Dynasty.
Zhigui knew that the Japanese were helpless and agreed to surrender. Pei Xingjian's army began to attack Dahai people fiercely. At this time, Su Dingfang's army, after resting, also launched a fierce attack again.
In May, Su Dingfang finally captured Omi, the capital of Japan.
A few days later, Pei Xingjian's army also arrived at Omi. The two successfully joined forces, and the Tang Dynasty's battle to destroy the Japanese was a complete victory.
After some discussions, the imperial court established the Yingdong Protectorate in Japan, with Wang Fangyi recommended by Wu Chengsi as the protector.
This war not only basically eliminated the Tang Dynasty's enemies in the east, but also eased the relationship between Wu Chengsi and Wu Mei, and the two gradually formed a tacit understanding.
Wu Chengsi did not interfere in any government affairs, and Wu Mei rarely interfered in military affairs, focusing solely on running Luoyang.
However, this war was not all good news. After the Japanese were defeated, a man who called himself Wu Sansi asked to see Pei Xingjian. After Pei Xingjian confirmed, it was indeed Wu Sansi himself.
Pei Xingjian didn't know what Wu Chengsi was thinking, so he ordered Wu Sansi to be sent to Luoyang.
After Wu Mei saw Wu Sansi, although she was annoyed that he had slandered Wu Chengsi in the first place, he was her own nephew after all.
Wu Sansi wailed and cried in front of her for another two hours, embellishing the story of his narrow escape.
After Wu Mei comforted him for a few words, she stopped pursuing his guilt.
After Wu Chengsi of Chang'an learned about it, he could only lament Wu Sansi's tenacity in life.
After the War of Japan, the Tang Dynasty entered a stage of recuperation, but Wu Chengsi was not idle.
He planned to form another 50,000-strong Western Army from the Chang'an Ten Guards, which would not only become the main force against Tibet and Turks in the future, but also further improve his control over the army.
As for the development of firearms, Wu Chengsi believed that the Tang army was already strong enough and the development of firearms was not urgent.
The key is to improve the status of craftsmen and allow them to independently promote the development of smelting technology in the Tang Dynasty, thereby promoting the scientific and technological progress of the Tang Dynasty.
Time flies, three years have passed in a flash.
In September of this year, Li Ji became critically ill.
Wu Chengsi, Li Zhiying, and Li Siwen were all standing by the hospital bed. Looking at Li Ji's old and frail appearance, Wu Chengsi felt very sad.
Li Ji weakly raised his hand and said, "You all go out. I have a few words to say to Chengsi."
Everyone agreed and left the house one after another.
Li Ji tilted his head and said slowly: "Chengsi, I have something to ask you."
Wu Chengsi said: "Grandpa, just say it."
Li Ji sighed and said: "I feel that nothing in my life is worse than others, but I am really unable to teach my descendants. Siwen has had no heirs in the past few years. When he waits for a hundred years, the British government will not have an heir.
nothing."
Li Ji's British palace was located outside the city. It was not a royal reward, but he raised funds to build it himself.
This mansion symbolizes the glory of his lifelong war. After getting old, he is most worried about it.
Wu Chengsi understood what he was thinking and said, "I see that Brother Jieye has changed his mind. Why don't you call him back to inherit this palace?"
Li Ji's face froze and he gritted his teeth and said, "I would rather burn this mansion down than leave it to him!"
Wu Chengsi sighed secretly and said, "Then what do you want me to do?"
Li Ji showed a slight hesitation and said, "With the child in Zhiying's belly, can he inherit this mansion in the future?"
Wu Chengsi felt a little embarrassed, knowing that he wanted to adopt the child to the British government.
However, seeing his old face full of hope, thinking of his silent support over the years, he nodded and said: "Okay, let this child be named Li, and he will be raised in the British government in the future. But if the second uncle has another heir...
…”
Li Jimei smiled happily and said, "I have already made an agreement with the second child. No matter whether he has any heirs in the future, this child will be the heir of our Li family!"
The old man had his own plans in mind.
Li Zongxiu has been extremely smart since he was a child. He believes that the second child born to Wu Chengsi and Li Zhiying will not be any worse and is the most suitable to be his heir.
Having settled the important matter on his mind, Li Ji became more energetic and said with squinted eyes: "Chengsi, I have something else that I have always wanted to talk to you about, but my health is getting worse and worse and I haven't been able to find the opportunity."
Wu Chengsi vaguely guessed what he was going to say, so he sat down on the chair next to the couch and said, "Grandpa, please tell me."
Li Ji seemed a little uncomfortable lying down and struggled to sit up.
Wu Chengsi hurriedly supported him on the backrest. He took a few breaths and said: "Although I am old and far away from the court, I often exchange letters with disciples, students and old officials in the court, and I am still very aware of the changes in the court. .”
He took a breath and continued: "According to my judgment, within half a year, the Queen Mother will depose the emperor and install another King of England as emperor!"
Wu Chengsi was silent. Although he rarely interfered with the court, he was not indifferent to the court. He had noticed this very early.
Li Ji added: "The purpose of the Queen Mother deposing the emperor is to strengthen her authority. This is just the first step. When the time is right, she will take the second step!"
Wu Chengsi asked clearly: "What's the second step?"
Li Ji stared at him with his dim old eyes for a long time, and said word by word: "Ascend the throne and proclaim himself emperor!"
Seeing that he was so frank, Wu Chengsi no longer avoided it and said bluntly: "My aunt does have this intention."
Li Ji's voice was slightly hoarse, and he said: "It seems that my guess is good. You have known this for a long time, and you have no objection to her becoming the emperor."
Wu Chengsi acquiesced.
A smile appeared on Li Ji's face again and he said: "Chengsi, I don't mean to accuse you. At the end of the Sui Dynasty, there was chaos, and heroes emerged in large numbers in the world. Emperor Gaozu and Taizong were superior in skills and won the country... In my opinion... In this world, those who are able should get it..."
He took a few breaths and continued: "I only care about you and Zhiying, Zongxiu, and the rise and fall of my British government."
Wu Chengsi knew that Li Ji had a magnificent life and his knowledge was far beyond ordinary people. When he mentioned these things at this time, he must have wanted to remind himself, so he respectfully said: "Grandpa, do you have anything to explain?"
Li Ji looked solemn and said: "If nothing happens, in order to win over people's hearts when she ascends the throne, the Queen Mother will definitely propose to make you the crown prince. Will you agree?"
Wu Chengsi had already thought about this problem countless times, and shook his head without much hesitation.
Li Ji's eyes showed smile lines and he said: "I can see that you have no ambition to be an emperor." Immediately, his expression condensed and he said: "The hidden danger is here."
Wu Chengsi asked: "What's the hidden danger?"
Li Ji said: "If you agree, the Queen Mother will feel at ease and will not harm you. If you object, the Queen Mother will definitely become suspicious and worry that if you are interested in Li Tang, she will overthrow her sooner or later."
Wu Chengsi was stunned for a while, then nodded slowly and said, "Well, she is suspicious by nature, and she will indeed be suspicious of me."
Li Ji squinted his eyes and looked at him for a while, then said: "Chengsi, do you think that as long as you hold the military power, the Queen Mother will be unable to do anything to you?"
Wu Chengsi secretly said something powerful and admitted: "I dare not hide it from you. I tried my best to promote Chang'an as a military center and reorganized the Western Army, all in order to have the strength to compete with my aunt after she ascends the throne."
Li Ji nodded slightly and said, "It cannot be said that these arrangements of yours are useless, but you still considered that you missed something."
Wu Chengsi was secretly frightened and said: "What?"
Li Ji was silent for a while, then suddenly changed the subject and said: "Chengsi, you should have been thinking about fighting Tibet and the Turks for a long time. In your plan, how many years do you plan to eliminate them?"
Wu Chengsi thought for a while and said: "If nothing happens in the court, we should be able to complete the work within ten years!"
Li Ji nodded secretly, this was almost as he predicted, and said: "Okay, assuming that within ten years you eliminate these two countries, and our country will have no strong foreign enemies, then in another ten years, have you ever thought about what will happen to the situation in the country?" What has become of it?”
Wu Chengsi was stunned for a moment, not understanding what Li Ji meant, and shook his head.
Li Ji sighed and said, "Chengsi, have you ever thought about whether a general who has not fought in a war for ten years can still maintain his prestige?"
Wu Chengsi's face changed slightly, becoming paler and paler.
Li Ji smiled bitterly and said: "Military generals are not like civil servants. If the country is really at peace, the status of military generals will inevitably decline. There will be no enemies in the west. Can you, the commander-in-chief of the Western Campaign, still be able to continue?"
Wu Chengsi touched his nose and said with a wry smile: "I really didn't consider this."
Li Ji rested for a while and said leisurely: "The most difficult thing to control is the human heart. Even if you find a way to keep your position as Marshal of Xidu, what will your generals think if they have not fought for a long time and have no military merit?"
Wu Chengsi felt a chill running down his back. At that time, the way for a general to be promoted would no longer be on the battlefield, but in the court.
It is human nature to seek profit. If he cannot bring a future to those generals, they will naturally leave him and go to the Queen's side.
Li Ji said in a hoarse voice: "Chengsi, what will you do against the Queen Mother when the time comes? The survival of the Zhou Palace and the British Duke's Palace will all depend on her thoughts."
Wu Chengsi took a deep breath and said: "You are right to remind me that my thinking was too simple." He raised his hand to Li Jiyi and asked for advice: "Please teach me, grandpa!"
Li Ji smiled slightly and said: "I have thought of three ways for you in total, but after the conversation just now, there is no need to mention the first way."
Wu Chengsi thought in his mind and guessed that Li Ji's first idea was to make Wu Chengsi oppose Wu Mei's ascension to the throne, then all threats would naturally be gone.
Li Ji slowly said: "This second method is actually very simple. If you want to maintain your prestige in the army and if you want your soldiers to have a future with you, you cannot eliminate all the enemies."
Wu Chengsi's heart moved: "You mean that Tibet and the Turks cannot be destroyed?"
Li Ji slowly said: "Yes, without war, no matter how high your prestige is, it will decline. But as long as the strong enemy is still there, the status of a soldier will not decline, and your prestige in the army can be maintained!"
Wu Chengsi was silent for a while and said, "What about the third method?"
Li Ji did not answer immediately, but suddenly said: "Chengsi, I heard that a year ago, the Queen Mother chose a consort for Princess Taiping. She hung the consort on a tree for a day, and after putting him down, he escaped from Chang'an overnight! "
Wu Chengsi looked a little embarrassed and said: "Well, yes, later the Queen Mother blamed her, and she came to Chang'an in a fit of anger."
Li Jidao: "I also heard from people that Princess Taiping has a lover in Chang'an."
Wu Chengsi's cheeks felt hot, Princess Taiping's lover was none other than himself.
He was moved by Princess Taiping and became infatuated with her. He often visited her at the princess's residence, but he couldn't resist her enthusiasm, so he had a relationship with her half-heartedly.
"Grandpa, does this third method have anything to do with peace?"
Li Ji said slowly: "Although the Queen Mother had a quarrel with you back then, all the ministers in the court can see that the person she admires most is you."
Of course Wu Chengsi could feel it too. In recent years, Wu Mei had communicated with him more and more frequently, and she was secretly looking forward to him going to Luoyang to help her.
Li Ji continued: "If you support her ascension to the throne in the future, she will only trust you more. As long as you can eliminate the uneasiness in her heart... there will be no hidden dangers."
Wu Chengsi was moved in his heart and asked: "How to eliminate her uneasiness?"
Li Ji took a breath and said slowly: "Chengsi, since you don't want to be the prince, why not let your son be the emperor?"
Wu Chengsi was startled and said, "You mean Zong Xiu?"
Li Ji shook his head and said, "It's not Zongxiu, but your and Princess Taiping's son!"
The corners of Wu Chengsi's eyes twitched fiercely and he remained silent for a moment.
Li Jidao: "Your two children are half of the Wu family and half of the Li family. The Queen Mother has a deep affection for the late emperor and will definitely agree... The ministers in the DPRK... will also be more accepting and accepting..."
Seeing that he was out of breath, Wu Chengsi hurriedly poured him a glass of water. Li Ji took a sip, rested for a while, and said:
"Princess Taiping has a noble status, so she cannot be a concubine. Let the Queen Mother make the decision when the time comes and promise her to be your equal wife. I have also mentioned this to Zhiying, and she will not have any objections."
Wu Chengsi was secretly grateful when he saw that Li Ji had thought so carefully for him. After thinking about it carefully, he felt that this was a good idea, but there was only one problem.
"What, do you want to choose the second method or the third method?" Li Ji asked.
Wu Chengsi hesitated for a moment and said, "Grandpa, what should I do if Taiping and I can't have an heir?"
When Li Ji heard him ask this, he knew that he had chosen the third method.
Smiling slightly, he said: "You don't have to worry. I have been researching a drug for the past year. Before you have sex with Princess Taiping, let her take it. If you give birth to a child, it will most likely be a boy."
Wu Chengsi was both grateful and admired. Li Ji had been preparing this medicine a year ago, which showed that he had already considered the current situation and had been silently planning for himself.
Li Ji then said: "If you still can't give birth to a baby boy, you can use the second method."
Wu Chengsi was silent for a long time and said slowly: "If I can't give birth to a baby boy, I will promise my aunt to be the crown prince."
Li Ji's face showed a look of relief, and he nodded and said: "Okay, okay, then I'm relieved..." After saying that, he slowly closed his eyes, but he was extremely exhausted and fell asleep.
Wu Chengsi slowly helped him lie down, covered him with a quilt, and then quietly left the house.
Ten days later, Li Ji died of illness. Less than a month after his death, Su Dingfang also died of illness.