Li Shimin returned to Chang'an and was still in Chengqian Hall when he heard his wife Changsun's exclamation next to him.
He looked up and saw Maid Guanyin covering her mouth and looking over in surprise.
Beside him, there was an extra bag and a thick book.
"Erlang, these are... yuck."
Before she could finish her question, Mrs. Changsun retched, bent over to vomit, and covered her chest with her hands.
"Guanyin Maid!"
Li Shimin hurriedly sat up and supported her, placing his palms on her back to let her breathe freely.
Mrs. Changsun smiled apologetically at him, "I'm fine. I've been feeling a little uncomfortable for some reason these past two days. Don't worry, Erlang."
"How can I not worry about you? Just right!"
Li Shimin remembered it, reached for the "Barefoot Doctor's Manual", and handed the book to her with joy on his face:
"This is a medical book I got from a god. It contains hundreds of diseases and treatment prescriptions... And this bag, here are one or two words written in the book. You will have someone weigh it carefully later. Look how many taels it is!”
Changsun smiled and said: "Where are you going in a hurry, Erlang? I was just about to ask you, why did this book and this package of things suddenly appear on the bed? Also, you just came back from outside in a hurry to sleep. Are you sick?" ?”
She was frightened twice just now, once when he went to sleep after coming back from outside, and once when she saw something suddenly appear on the bed.
Li Shimin looked a little embarrassed. He held her hand and apologized: "Don't tell anyone about this. I will tell you later. You listen to me first. These corns and this book..."
After the explanation, Li Shimin immediately called the maid in, changed into palace clothes and went to see his father.
After sending him away, Mrs. Changsun sat on the bed and looked through this medical book, which her husband valued so much, to see what prescriptions were recorded in it.
"Huh?"
She quickly discovered that something was wrong. The medical book was not read from the right, and the words in it were also very different from today. There were symbols between each paragraph, and there were many strange words that she could not recognize.
But even so, she could still roughly understand the content in the book.
The more she looked, the more surprised she became.
This medical book records the details of medicinal herbs, the details of various diseases, the variety, and the breadth of coverage, which is far beyond the books she knew in the past.
"Where did Erlang come from..."
Changsun was full of surprise, "God-man? What is a God-man?"
Although she couldn't figure it out, she didn't dare to neglect. She put away the medical book, took out a couple of corn seeds, went outside, and immediately told her maid:
"Go and get a steel scale. Also, send someone to inform my brother and ask him to come to Chengde Hall!"
"Follow the princess's orders."
…
Li Shimin rode his horse Baituwu into the inner garden of Tai Chi Palace. Before he reached Hongwen Palace, he felt an ominous feeling in his heart.
Outside Hongwen Hall, by the mountain pool, a palace eunuch was leading a horse to eat grass by the water. After seeing him, the eunuch quickly showed him an awkward smile.
"Whose horse is this?"
Li Shimin pulled the reins of Baitiwu, asked the horse to stop, and asked him.
Apart from the four brothers, those who could ride horses into the inner garden of Tai Chi Palace were the only ones who could ride directly into the palace to report to Li Yuan if there was an urgent military situation.
Now that my brother is in Gaogong, Li Zhiyun has not yet taken charge of the army, and he never rides a horse when entering the palace, so this horse is...
"Back to the King of Qin, it is a horse ridden by an armored general." The eunuch laughed along with him, "I really can't hold it back, so I can only let this beast eat grass..."
Li Shimin didn't listen to what he said. He waved his whip and rushed towards Hongwen Hall.
Perhaps the sound of horse hooves alerted the people inside. As soon as Li Shimin tied the horse's rope, a eunuch came out and announced that he had entered the palace.
Li Shimin quickly walked into the hall and saw his father Li Yuan sitting cross-legged on the couch in the dim hall. Pei Ji was beside him. There were wine and food on the table. He was accompanied by four or five ministers with ugly faces, and a soldier with blood on his armor. The lieutenant general was sitting on his knees reporting the military situation.
"Jiro!!"
Li Yuan shouted to him hurriedly, and before Li Shimin asked, he said bitterly: "Liu Wenjing and Yin Kaishan discussed leading troops to fight out of the city. They were surrounded by Xue Ju and suffered a huge defeat. Now part of the army has returned to the city, and part of it has returned to the city." Fleeing towards Chang'an, your brother's life and death are unknown, this...how did Liu Wenjing lead the army!!"
The army fled to Chang'an!
This sentence made several ministers look a little ugly.
Gao'an is not far from Chang'an. Xue Ju's cavalry has more than 10,000 men and can reach Chang'an in two or three days and nights. By then, the city of Chang'an, which was finally captured...
I'm afraid I have to change my name again.
"Father!"
Li Shimin's expression remained unchanged, he stood and saluted Li Yuan, and said in a deep voice: "Xue Ju may pursue my remnant army of the Tang Dynasty, but he will never dare to come to Chang'an!"
"Why is this?" Li Yuan asked his second son.
"There are three reasons. First, Gao'an and Jingzhou have not been conquered. Among them, Jingzhou is located behind Xue Ju's army, blocking the grain road, making it afraid to go deep alone. Second, Ningzhou and Gao'an are each other's horns, and the governor Hu Yan's defense of Ningzhou City can also be a deterrent to its food routes. This is what I said before, just defend Gao'an and wait until Xue Ju's troops are exhausted and retreat before attacking!"
"Oh, my son actually has such an opinion... You should have been allowed to lead the troops that day."
Li Yuan regretted it too late and asked again: "What about the third one?"
"Third is our city of Chang'an. Chang'an is the capital city. Last year we claimed to have an army of 200,000. Xue Ju cannot figure out the details of our Tang army, so he will definitely not dare to attack with his entire army!"
Li Shimin's words were decisive, and Li Yuan's panicked heart gradually calmed down. He smiled and praised the ministers: "This is my second son!"
All the ministers praised him one after another.
Li Yuan asked again about countermeasures.
Li Shimin said again: "The current plan is to send troops quickly!"
"We still want to send troops?!"
"Yes, my father... sending troops can help Gaoshan and Jingzhou. These two cities cannot be occupied by Xue Ju, otherwise his eastward march will be unimpeded and our army will have no advantage! In addition, sending troops can also collect the defeated army and pick up the enemy." Return to the prince."
Li Shimin's detailed analysis.
"The prince's life or death is uncertain...it's time to send troops."
Li Yuan hesitated, "But Chang'an..."
"Chang'an will be defended by the defeated army!"
Li Yuan was even more hesitant. Erlang's plan was thorough, but he couldn't find a flaw, so he was hesitant.
Pei Ji on the side said: "If the prince is killed in the rebellion..."
Li Shimin glanced at him. This was the only thing Pei Ji dared to say in front of his father. If it had been anyone else, his father would have been furious.
Pei Ji's words were actually against sending troops.
"..."
Li Yuan thought for a long time, looked at his tall and handsome second son, and suddenly said: "Erlang, if your brother is killed by Xue Ju, I will make you the crown prince!"
Li Shimin was shocked and did not dare to think too much. He quickly comforted him: "Father, my brother is the prince of the Tang Dynasty. He has the protection of his father's destiny. Everything will be fine!"
Li Yuan smiled and said, "Okay, I will appoint you, Erlang, as the generalissimo to replace the prince in directing the war with Xue Ju!"
"My son, take your orders!"
Li Shimin knelt down to accept the position of generalissimo and was fully responsible for the war in Longxi.
"Erlang, this time you go on an expedition, you must find your brother... Guard Gaoshan and Jingzhou, and don't go out to fight with Xue Ju again. I will send someone to contact Li Gui of Liangzhou, make him King of Liang, and ask him to come from the west. Harass Xue Ju and force him to withdraw his troops."
"Father's plan is truly brilliant!"
Li Shimin complimented his father. Li Yuan laughed and ordered him to go back and quickly lead the remaining troops of Chang'an to rescue Gao'an.
Li Shimin glanced at Pei Ji and did not leave immediately. Only then did he have time to ask the kneeling general:
"What's your name? Do you know why the marshal and the marching general decided to lead the army into battle?"
"The last general, Lu Shiheng, wants to lead the army out of the city to fight for some unknown reason."
Lu Shiheng replied: "I only know that not long ago, many people in the army suddenly had fever, sweating, unable to move, or even fainting. A large number of soldiers fell ill. Fortunately..."
"What?!"
Li Yuan's face changed in shock, and Pei Ji on the side even shouted: "Your Majesty, it's an epidemic. Come quickly, someone comes, drag him out and lock him up... Your Majesty, go away!"
Several ministers also rushed to escape.
The disease Lu Shiheng was talking about was clearly a plague that was a disaster from heaven!
They all fled one after another, and even the eunuchs were too frightened to come close. Only Li Shimin covered his mouth and nose with his sleeves and asked Lu Shiheng, who looked ugly:
"The patient first had symptoms of chills, chattering teeth, and muscle and bone aches, and then developed fever and sweating?"
Lu Shiheng looked surprised, "Exactly, His Highness King Qin, how did you know?"
"It's malaria!"
Li Shimin explained to Li Yuan who was hiding: "Malaria is spread by mosquito bites. My father should pay attention to driving away mosquitoes recently, so that he can be safe!"
Li Yuan was surprised: "How did Erlang find out?"
"Well, I...I accidentally read it from an ancient book...Father, I'm going to go first!"
Li Shimin did not dare to stay for a long time, so he motioned to Lu Shiheng to follow him and left the Hongwen Hall together.
"Thank you, His Highness King Qin!"
Lu Shiheng was very grateful. In fact, he did not suffer from the epidemic, but he came to report the military situation and rashly attacked the emperor. If the King of Qin had not rescued him, he did not know how he would have been punished.
Li Shimin smiled slightly, "As a marshal alone, I will lead the army to fight against Xue Ju. Do you dare to fight with him again?"
"The King of Qin has an order, how dare you disobey it to your death?"
Lu Shiheng knelt down on one knee and saluted King Qin.
"Okay, get up quickly. Did you hold any position before?"
The two left the Hongwen Palace, mounted their horses, and left the Tai Chi Palace together.
