Map of the Kingdom's Warfare.

Summary

Pei Ji suggests recruiting laborers from Taiyuan City to form an army, but Liu Wenjing opposes this idea, arguing that laborers are unreliable in battle. Pei Ji defends his past success in mobilizing citizens during Liu Wuzhou's attack, while Liu Wenjing warns that the current situation with Zhang Xuan's army is different. Li Yuan decides to use laborers but also reinforce the army, assigning Pei Ji to lead troops to defend Taiyuan. The discussion shifts to negotiations with Wei Yunqi, where Li Yuan expresses his displeasure with the Guanlong aristocrats' collective visit to Wei Yunqi, suspecting they may support Zhang Xuan if he does not appease them. Chen Shuda advises Li Yuan on how to stabilize relations with the aristocracy, suggesting ministerial promotions to address their dissatisfaction. Wei Yunqi's mission to Chang'an aims to overshadow the Tang court and negotiate trade agreements, which ultimately succeed in establishing trade while maintaining military readiness for future conflicts.

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