Kongming and the others' plan could only be considered a minor matter. Once it was quickly settled, it was set aside for the time being.
After all, for them, Wei Huo's life story was already quite clear. Paper had grown cheaper by the day, and the cost of writing something called a "novel" was not high.
The only real problem was where to find a performer skilled at storytelling.
In terms of breadth of knowledge, Kongming and Pang Tong were second to none, while Zhang Song and Liu Ba could at least modestly put themselves forward.
But when it came to making a story truly gripping, they were admittedly no match for professional storytellers.
Aside from that, Pang Tong was still brimming with curiosity:
"Tell me honestly, Kongming—you really don't know any Daoist arts?"
Kongming glanced at Pang Tong, his face practically spelling out doubt about Pang Tong's intelligence.
"If I truly understood the arts of ghosts and spirits, I'd just call down a bolt of lightning and strike Cao the traitor dead. Why would I be exhausting myself here?"
"And besides, can the arts of ghosts and spirits really compare to the sciences of later generations?"
This, at present, was the only thing that genuinely interested Kongming.
In his view, such theories were far more reliable than borrowing the east wind or extending life by star-warding rituals.
Liu Bei laughed loudly.
"Daoist techniques can't borrow the east wind."
"But scientific methods can quite literally manufacture an east wind."
They had not forgotten the overwhelming might of that "East Wind Express."
For a moment, everyone fell silent. Comparatively speaking, they still had confidence that they could spend two or three generations catching up to the Great Tang.
But the gap with those later generations was what truly defied comprehension.
Kongming clapped his hands, his tone steady and composed.
"If famous generals can accelerate the course of history,"
"then why can't we do the same?"
Pang Tong's thoughts sprang into motion. Almost instantly, he understood.
There was no need to surpass the Great Tang—so long as, after unifying the realm, they were stronger than Jin, that would suffice.
And that would be far from difficult, considering that Sima Yi was already firmly in their grasp.
Still… Pang Tong shook his head lightly, regretful. Leaving aside the fact that their lord would never permit it, Pang Tong himself would not strike rashly.
To punish without guilt, to kill without instruction—this was not the way of the Han.
[Lightscreen]
[From a minor magistrate of Mayi Commandery in the Sui dynasty, to the Duke of Wei who bore glory and peril under the Tang.
From the eldest nephew of the famed general Han Qinhu, to a peerless commander whose achievements rivaled Wei Qing and Huo Qubing.
From the cautious Duke of Wei who toppled kingdoms step by step, to the ever-worshipped Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King of later belief.
This late-blooming military genius and Li Shimin worked in perfect accord as ruler and minister,
together laying the foundations of early Tang prosperity and its martial spirit.
Spanning two dynasties, his merits were dazzling, his name emblazoned in the histories, his military thought fully formed.
To say that Li Jing was the most complete figure of the Sui–Tang era is no exaggeration.
"Military power has three forms: momentum, terrain, and circumstance."
This was Li Jing's own formulation—an expansion and refinement of The Art of War.
"One who excels at war employs both the orthodox and the unorthodox, leaving the enemy unable to fathom him. Thus, victory lies in both."
This, too, was Li Jing's analysis of ancient military philosophy.
Synthesizing the ideas of Sun Wu and Wu Qi, he established cavalry as the absolute main force of the Tang army—
using mobility to strike in confined spaces and to execute lightning campaigns across vast theaters.
These principles, distilled by Li Jing, shaped Tang warfare throughout the dynasty and remain one of the standard models by which we study ancient warfare even today.
The old master excelled at offense:
Sun Bin's wedge formation was strongly advocated by Li Jing and became the Tang army's foundational assault formation—
a sharp, swift vanguard with powerful wings, breaking through and tearing apart enemy lines. It was the Tang army's strongest and most commonly used method.
The old master also excelled at defense:
the method of staggered resistance and mutual cover during retreat was likewise proposed by Li Jing, though it never saw practical use in his own career.
The old master even excelled at siege and breakthrough operations:
when facing a powerful enemy, Li Jing advocated the use of column formations—
crossbowmen, archers, and shock troops arranged in vertical ranks. Compared to a broad line, such formations were less prone to collapse and easier to command.
At the end of the eighteenth century, Napoleon led French artillery units using this very approach to sweep across Europe, later naming it the column tactic.
In short, even setting aside his posthumous reputation, Li Jing's attainments in military theory alone make him a monument in the history of ancient warfare.
Looking back over his life:
rescued by an enlightened ruler on the brink of death—this was opportunity;
able to deploy his talents in an age of chaos—this was the times;
served by an emperor who trusted him and delegated authority—this was the environment.
In the end, his achievements were illustrious, and he lived to eighty before passing peacefully. One could say he lacked nothing.
Some say that throughout history, great generals are like beauties—never allowed to grow old in the world of men.
Li Jing replies: late-blooming glory that shines in the annals of history—tell me, is that not a life without regret?
And so this episode comes to an end.
Next preview: Sweeping the Three Kingdoms, capturing three kings, campaigning across ten thousand li—only then may one be called a great Tang general!]
[Server Chat Log]
VoidSlayer: After watching this, all I remember is that he's Nezha's dad.
BlackOath: Honestly, early Tang was absurdly stacked with talent—Li Jing basically ranked first among a class of top students.
Dreadmarch: Whether first place belonged to Li Jing or Li Shimin is debatable. Second Phoenix became emperor, so he could only dismount and govern the realm, watching others farm battle achievements with tears in his eyes.
Ruinborne: If anyone suffered in Romance of the Sui and Tang, it probably wasn't Li Ji either. In the novel, Li Erfeng is like Athena—either being rescued or on the way to being rescued.
NoctisWar: No choice—that's what system nerfs look like. Otherwise there'd be no story to tell: winning every fight in a hundred different ways, and even the few losses are forced cheat scenarios.
Stonefury: Seen this way, it's hilarious. The real Li Erfeng wins in every possible way; the novel's Li Erfeng gets rescued in every possible way; the K-drama Li Erfeng gets shot blind and surrenders in every possible way.
Ironvale: Not even that anymore—shot blind and surrendering is old news. A couple of years ago it became Goguryeo marching into Chang'an, forcing Li Erfeng to kneel, surrender, and cede all lands north of the Yangtze.
Stormrend: What? I wake up and suddenly I'm a Korean subject? To be precise, Goguryeo wasn't a Korean state—it was always a separatist power within the Chinese cultural sphere.
Ashbreaker: Still, Li Jing really is outrageous. Starting with him, if you don't wipe out a state, you hardly dare call yourself a great general…
Oathbound: Let me speak for Wang Xuance: Tang historians—go eat dirt! You didn't even record my birth or death dates!
"'A life without regret'?"
Li Jing silently savored this judgment from later generations.
Strictly speaking, regrets certainly existed—for instance, his eldest son Dejian being implicated in treason and exiled to Wu Commandery.
But compared to other great generals, such a setback could hardly be called significant.
In the end, he merely clasped his hands and said,
"All thanks to Your Majesty's magnanimity."
At that moment, Li Jing recalled the scene when he had intended to report the Retired Emperor and was instead seized and dragged to the execution ground.
Had the Retired Emperor been moved by pity at his final cry, or had it been His Majesty's plea that spared him?
Li Jing did not know. But from that day on, he had been His Majesty's man.
Now that he knew his posthumous fate, at least one thing was certain: he seemed to have fought his wars rather well.
Li Shimin waved a hand, utterly unconcerned.
Wasn't magnanimity simply the most basic requirement of a ruler worthy of eternal fame?
As for the various military theories later generations attributed to Li Jing, Li Shimin cared little for them.
Weren't these all rather self-evident principles?
What caught Li Shimin's attention was an offhand phrase on the light screen. He immediately turned to Fang Xuanling.
"This name 'Europe'—the light screen seems to have mentioned it before?"
Fang Xuanling finished recording the final line on the screen, then flipped back through his notes from memory until he found it. Gesturing at a map, he explained:
"The land we occupy should be what later generations call Asia.
Beyond the Western Regions lies Central Asia; further west still is what later generations call the Middle East."
"Beyond the Middle East lies that Europe."
Li Shimin nodded, his face briefly filled with a distant, longing expression.
Then his gaze swept over the text on the light screen, and his composure cracked once more.
"I—kneel and surrender? Cede all lands north of the river?"
A torrent of curses surged up to his throat, but upon seeing the later generation's remark that Goguryeo was a separatist regime within China's historical sphere, Li Shimin instead felt a measure of pity for those Korean descendants.
"To claim a powerful foe as one's ancestor, brazenly rewrite history, and deceive oneself to such an extent—such things are rare even in later ages."
For a moment, Li Shimin even entertained a thought:
Perhaps it would be better to ally with Goguryeo first and wipe out Silla and Baekje…
But he quickly dismissed it.
Meals must be eaten bite by bite; wars must be fought battle by battle.
The urgent priority was still to reopen the Western Regions. As for the Korean peninsula, even setting it aside for a year or two would not cause great upheaval.
Moreover, the situation in the Western Regions was far more complex.
Before the appearance of the light screen, Li Shimin's basic plan had been to destroy the Turks first, then gradually take hold of Hexi and restore the old Han territories.
But now, prompted by the light screen, he realized that a powerful Tibet lay close at hand.
In that case, Tuyuhun suddenly gained considerable strategic value.
How to maximize advantage—Li Shimin felt he would need to discuss that carefully with Li Jing.