Map of the Kingdom's Warfare.

Summary

In the Taiji Palace's Martial Virtue Hall, a tense court meeting took place with Li Yuan expressing frustration over the Tang army's eastern expedition difficulties. Despite initial successes in Jingzhou, the interception of 50,000 troops by the Sui army in the gorge led to urgent discussions among ministers. Pei Ji suggested that Zhang Xuan and Xiao Xi had allied, complicating their military strategy. Liu Wenjing countered, arguing that the Sui forces were smaller than presumed and that Zhang Xuan's true aim was to attack Jiangxia County. Chen Shuda emphasized the importance of logistics in warfare, proposing the use of large leather rafts for transport due to the urgent need for supplies. This unconventional idea sparked debate among the ministers, highlighting the dire situation of the Tang army.

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