Chapter 82: Using an Iron Hammer to Hit a Wooden Hammer
Qu Tutong did not answer Li Yuanji's question, but asked: "Your Highness, do you have any plans to build the Left Third Commander's Office?"
Li Yuanji was stunned for a moment , and looked at Qu Tutong with a strange expression, "Why are you asking this?"
As Li Shimin's man, is it appropriate for Qu Tutong to ask this?
Did Qu Tutong feel that the power in his hands was not strong enough to threaten Li Shimin, so he urgently hoped that he could become stronger?
Qu Tutong smiled a little embarrassedly and said, "If Your Highness has plans to build the Zuo San Tongjun Mansion, I am willing to lend a helping hand."
Li Yuanji was completely stunned.
Seeing Li Yuanji staring at him without saying anything, Qu Tutong hurriedly asked, "Your Highness, do you have any questions?"
Li Yuanji came back to his senses and said with an even weirder expression, "Are you going to serve under me as the commander of the Left Third Commander's Office?"
Without waiting for Qu Tutong to answer, Li Yuanji muttered hesitantly, "Isn't this a bit of a waste of talent?"
Qu Tutong was a loyal deputy under Li Shimin, suppressing many powerful men such as Luo Shixin, Qin Qiong, Yuchi Gong, and Changsun Wuji.
It is obviously a waste of talent for him to serve as a small military commander under him.
When Qu Tutong heard what Li Yuanji said, he didn't know whether to laugh or cry and said, "I am the left servant of the Grand Secretariat of the Eastern Shaanxi Province. How can I possibly serve under Your Highness? What I mean is that if Your Highness wants to build the Left Third Commander's Office, I am willing to help Your Highness recruit soldiers."
Li Yuanji looked disappointed. He thought Qu Tutong was going to work under him.
It turned out that he wanted to help him recruit soldiers and horses.
He needs Qu Tutong to help him recruit soldiers?
He had 300,000 shi of grain in his hands, so he had no worries about having no one to work for him in Hebei.
As long as he raised his hand and called, people willing to work for him would line up from Mingzhou to Youzhou.
The Second Commander in Chief of the Left suffered heavy losses, and he has not yet recovered and has no intention of recruiting soldiers.
"Why did you think of recruiting soldiers for me?"
Li Yuanji looked at Qu Tutong in confusion.
From that perspective, Qu Tutong didn't seem like someone who could recruit soldiers for him.
The stronger his power, the greater the threat to Li Shimin.
As Li Shimin's man, Qu Tutong should find ways to restrain his power instead of helping him to grow stronger.
Qu Tutong felt a little unhappy and winked at Luo Shixin.
Luo Shixin glanced at Qu Tutong helplessly, and said to Li Yuanji straight to the point: "General Qu Tu wants you to take those surrendered soldiers and generals under your wing, especially Li Quhuo's troops in Mingshui City."
Li Shimin raided Liu Heita's grain camp, and although he achieved a major victory, he did not seize much food.
Liu Heita didn't know whether he had heard about Li Yuanji burning the granary in Luoyang City or he was unwilling to let Li Shimin take advantage of the grain he had snatched with great difficulty.
In short, when Li Shimin's army was about to break through Liu Heita's grain camp, Liu Heita set fire to all the grain inside.
It is said that there are more than 50,000 dan of grain and more than 80,000 dan of fodder inside .
The fire is still burning fiercely. If you climb up the city wall of Mingshui City and look towards the location of Liu Heita's grain camp, you can still see billowing smoke.
Liu Heita burned more than 50,000 shi of grain and fodder, but it had no effect on the Tang Dynasty's troops.
Because the Tang Dynasty's troops had their own food and fodder, they would not suffer from a shortage of food and clothing just because Liu Heita burned their own food and fodder camps.
But the Tang Dynasty's army had a limited amount of food and fodder. After some was distributed to Li Yi and Du Fuwei, there was no more left.
In the battle of Mingshui City, the Tang Dynasty captured the surrender of more than 40,000 enemy soldiers and generals, and more than 80,000 civilians and women, for a total of more than 120,000 people.
The daily food and drink for 120,000 people is a huge number.
We cannot afford to maintain the general's tent, and it is even more impossible to save the rations of the Tang Dynasty soldiers to support them.
This is a time of war, and we absolutely cannot do things like saving on food rations.
Li Shimin was now busy encircling and suppressing Liu Heita, so the heavy responsibility of resettling the surrendered soldiers and generals, as well as the civilians and women, naturally fell on Qu Tutong, Han Liang and Yu Zhining, the three people who were in charge of the rear.
Qu Tutong and the other two were like a housewife trying to cook without rice. Qu Tutong knew that Li Yuanji did not really burn the grain in the Luoyang granary, so he set his sights on Li Yuanji.
After all, Li Yuanji had 300,000 dan of grain in his hands. Not to mention feeding 120,000 people, he could afford to feed even another 120,000.
"How many people did the Tang Dynasty recruit to surrender in this battle of Mingshui City?"
As soon as Luo Shixin's words came out, Li Yuanji immediately understood the meaning behind them.
If he had not been forced to do so, how could Qu Tutong be so kind as to help him recruit soldiers?
Ninety-nine percent of the time, it was because there were too many people surrendering, so they were eyeing the food in his hands.
Qu Tutong smiled bitterly and said, "Including the men and women, there are a total of 120,000 people..."
"Ah……"
Li Yuanji smiled sarcastically.
One hundred and twenty thousand people means one hundred and twenty thousand mouths to feed.
The amount of grain consumed every day was astonishingly large. Although he had 300,000 dan of grain in his hands, it was still consumed in transporting it from Luoyang City to Mingzhou.
After deducting the losses on the road and the food and drink for 120,000 people, how much food does he have left to provide relief to the people in Hebei?
If he had not been concerned about the people of Hebei, he would have taken the grain to exchange for greater benefits from Li Yuan, Li Jiancheng, and Li Shimin.
Let alone anything else, just take 300,000 dan of grain and ask Li Yuan for three or five marquises, Li Yuan will nod without hesitation.
If you ask Li Jiancheng for a few provincial governors, he won't frown.
If he asked Li Shimin for a few governors of Hebei, Li Shimin would probably be able to bring all the governors of various states in Hebei to him and let him choose.
"The soldiers you recruited are too expensive. My family can't afford them."
Li Yuanji refused without hesitation.
Seeing that Li Yuanji had understood his intention, Qu Tutong said hurriedly: "Your Highness does not need to support all of them, only 30,000 to 50,000 people are enough."
Li Yuanji gave Qu Tutong a blank look.
What's the difference between asking him to support 30,000 or 50,000 people and supporting everyone?
When he provided relief to the people, the standard he set was two liquid meals and one dry meal a day.
He distributed food according to this standard, and Qu Tutong and others could feed everyone just by making do with it.
"Even thirty or fifty thousand people won't do."
Li Yuanji refused again.
Qu Tutong hurriedly looked at Su Dingfang.
Su Dingfang hesitated for a moment and said, "If Your Highness can help, please do so."
Li Yuanji stared at Su Dingfang.
Whose are you?
Do you know who you should turn to?
Seeing Li Yuanji's eyes wide open, Su Dingfang guessed what Li Yuanji was thinking, and said with a wry smile: "There are a few surrendered generals who can be used, and there are some brave soldiers who can be used."
Li Yuanji glared at Su Dingfang again.
No wonder Su Dingfang spoke for Qu Tutong. It turned out that he had taken a fancy to some talented people among the surrendered soldiers and generals and wanted to take the opportunity to recruit them.
I know it's a good thing to recruit talents for him, but there's no need to mix him up with Qu Tutong.
With his status, he went to accept a few surrendered soldiers and generals, and no one dared to stop him.
"We'll discuss this later. I don't have the resources to support tens of thousands of people."
Li Yuanji said indifferently.
Qu Tutong was anxious, "Your Highness..."
Li Yuanji suddenly glared at Qu Tutong, "Your Highness, what? I have already burned down the Luoyang granary. I don't have much food left. How can I possibly feed so many people?"
Qu Tutong obviously wanted to tell the truth about his burning of the Luoyang granary, so how could he let Qu Tutong tell it?
Qu Tutong opened his mouth anxiously and was about to speak.
Li Yuanji did not give Qu Tutong a chance to speak, "Qu Tutong, don't forget what you promised me."
Qu Tutong had promised him that he would not tell anyone the truth about him burning down the granary in Luoyang.
If Qu Tutong goes back on his word, don't blame him for giving Qu Tutong a hard time.
Seeing Li Yuanji's resolute attitude, Qu Tutong could only shut up with a bitter face.
"I want to sleep for a while, you guys go down first. Su Dingfang stays and holds the halberd for me."
Li Yuanji issued an order to expel the guests.
Qu Tutong could only bow to Li Yuanji with a helpless look on his face.
Luo Shixin actually had something to say to Li Yuanji, but seeing that Li Yuanji was no longer in the mood to talk, he could only bow and leave the room with Qu Tutong.
As soon as Qu Tutong and Luo Shixin left, Li Yuanji glared at Su Dingfang, and said with a bit of disappointment: "What do you think? For a few surrendered soldiers and generals, you want me to support tens of thousands of people."
Su Dingfang said with a bitter face: "Your Highness, those are not just a few surrendered soldiers and generals, they are 16 colonels and 3,600 warriors."
Su Dingfang was no rookie in officialdom, and he knew some of the tricks in officialdom.
If he didn't want so many people, he wouldn't have spoken for Qu Tutong.
There are nearly 3,700 people. Even if Li Yuanji came in person, it would not be easy to take them away, let alone him.
So when Qu Tutong asked him to help lobby Li Yuanji to support those surrendered soldiers and generals, he thought of the exchange of interests.
Is it possible to help the general's camp share some of the pressure by raising those surrendered soldiers and generals, in exchange for those captains and warriors he values?
"More than three thousand people?"
Li Yuanji looked at Su Dingfang in surprise and asked.
Su Dingfang nodded heavily.
Li Yuanji asked suspiciously, "Liu Heita has so many capable people under his command?"
Su Dingfang nodded heavily again.
Li Yuanji said in disbelief: "Since they are capable and brave, why were they defeated?"
Su Dingfang opened his mouth, not knowing what to say.
What Li Yuanji said was a bit unreasonable.
Liu Heita killed his way from Beizhou to more than ten states in Hebei, and recruited and captured many capable and brave men.
It’s just that Liu Heita’s rise to power was too short, and he was somewhat nepotistic, so many capable and brave men did not have the opportunity to climb up, and Liu Heita did not give them the chance to show themselves.
They have no way to show themselves, so naturally they are not very noticeable and cannot hold high positions. They can only work under a group of people whose brains are not as good as theirs.
It is said that an incompetent general can tire out the entire army.
No matter how good a man or a warrior is, if he follows a stupid general, he will be defeated.
Moreover, in the battle of Mingshui City, Li Shimin was simply using an iron hammer to hit a wooden hammer.
On the battlefield in the corridor of Mingshui City alone, four capable generals, Qin Qiong, Yuchi Gong, Niu Jinda and Wu Heita, were dispatched. There were also Qu Tutong, Luo Shixin and him in Mingshui City.
The only people Liu Heita left in the corridor of Mingshui City who can be named are Zhou Wenjuan and Cui Yuanxun.
The situation on several other battlefields was similar.
Therefore, it was not that Liu Heita did not have capable and brave men under his command, but that the capable and brave men sent by the Tang Dynasty were too powerful and too fierce.
