Li Jing looked solemn and said slowly: "In the fight for the world, how can we gain or lose in one city or one pool? Even the Tai Chi Palace, the symbol of imperial power, is the same! As long as the Sixth Prince of the East Palace is there, the prince will be there; the prince is there, and the world is Zhengshuo!" As long as this banner does not fall, and many people in the world are attached to it who are not afraid of power and obey the law, given time, they will definitely make a comeback! And this Tai Chi Palace can delay the enemy's attack and severely damage the rebels, which is its value. . Otherwise, what’s the use of having thousands of mansions?”
Qu Tuquan said in shame: "General, I am short-sighted. I just can't bear to part with this gorgeous palace, and I can't bear the center of the country to be destroyed in the flames of war. I act on my own initiative and don't know how to adapt."
"This is human nature. Don't mention you. Even when I issued this order, I was heartbroken, fearing that I would become a sinner for the ages... But the most important thing right now is to defeat the rebels and maintain the integrity of the world. This allows King Qin’s army in the world to have time to arrive in Chang’an. As long as this rebellion can be turned around, I will destroy ten Tai Chi palaces, and I will not hesitate to do so!”
Li Jing looked determined and his eyebrows were raised.
He has lived for decades, seen a lot and experienced a lot. How could he not know that today he ordered gunpowder to be buried in the Taiji Palace, causing the destruction of countless gorgeous palaces. In the future, some historians will surely record this incident in the history of history, and even denounce the pain. scold?
However, to be able to regain the favor of the prince from his loneliness and frustration, he would rather sacrifice his life's reputation to maintain the legitimacy of the prince, no matter what!
In the distance, Li Junxian came quickly with more than ten soldiers. When he got close, he left his soldiers dozens of steps away. He approached and saluted, "I don't know why Duke Wei summoned you. "
Qu Tuquan said: "General, please step aside first and let's go and make arrangements."
The commander-in-chief of the "Hundred Cavalry Division" was ordered to assist the Beiya Imperial Army in guarding the Xuanwu Gate. At this moment, he was summoned by Prime Minister Li Jing to discuss important military matters. It would be better for him to avoid it.
Unexpectedly, Li Jing waved his hand and said: "No hurry, you have to listen and cooperate with General Li later."
"Here."
Qu Tuquan accepted the order, but he was suspicious in his heart. What could he do to help Li Junxian?
Li Jing had turned to look at Li Junxian and said in a deep voice: "How is your highness now?"
Li Junxian nodded and said: "His Royal Highness has evacuated to the inner gate together with the concubines, princes and princesses. Duke Guo has emptied the military camp inside the inner gate and temporarily resettled them. The conditions are a bit crude, but they are still safe."
Inside the Xuanwu Gate, there is an inner gate. The space between the two gates is similar to an urn city. There are countless houses built on both sides. Normally, it is the station of the Beiya Imperial Army to protect the Xuanwu Gate. At this moment, all the garrison troops were standing guard above and below the city, and it was just in time to clear out these buildings and resettle everyone in the palace.
Li Jing nodded and said slowly: "Previously, I advised the prince that if the situation is unfavorable, he should withdraw from Xuanwu Gate and rush west to Hexi with the Youtun Guards to seek the protection of Fang Jun and the Anxi Army, and then plan to counterattack Chang'an. But it has been rejected by the prince.”
Li Junxian was stunned for a moment, his expression heavy.
The prince is the lord of the East Palace and the crown prince of the country. Now he is ordered to supervise the country and is the king of the empire. As long as the prince is safe, no matter the six leaders of the East Palace or the people of the world, they can still fight to the death with the rebels and defend Zhengshuo; but if the prince is killed in battle, naturally everything will stop, and even the goal he is fighting for is no longer there, and he will fight for his life again. Beat him to death, why are you here?
He and Li Jing had the same view. Even if the Taiji Palace fell, it was not a desperate situation. As long as the prince was safe, he could make arrangements calmly. When His Majesty Li Er returned to the capital, he would have to wait for the prince to return anyway, right? As for whether to depose the prince later, it is up to His Majesty to decide, that is another matter.
But once the prince refuses to escape and vows to live and die with Taiji Palace, it will be troublesome...
Li Jing glanced at the snow-swaying Tai Chi Palace behind him, and whispered: "The prince is bound by the country, so there must be no accidents. At the critical moment, General Li was asked to take the country and the country as the top priority and escort the prince out of the Xuanwu Gate. Externally, But I claim that I am following the military orders of my commander, and I will bear the consequences of the consequences. General Li, please!"
After saying this, he bowed and bowed to the ground.
Li Junxian was startled and hurriedly avoided, then returned the salute and gritted his teeth and said: "Why does Duke Wei need to be like this? Although the outside world slanders the general as a royal eagle dog and a minion of the emperor, the general has always followed the words and deeds of a soldier. ! But please rest assured, Duke Wei, if it comes to life or death, I will personally escort the prince out of the palace, and I will do my best to keep the prince safe!"
The prince has made it clear that he will not withdraw from the Taiji Palace. If he wants to take him away, he can only tie him up and escort him out of the palace...
In this way, although the starting point is correct, the consequences are really serious, which is why Li Jing said the words that he is responsible for. But even so, the pressure Li Junxian has to bear is heavier than the mountains, and the consequences are extremely unpredictable.
However, Li Junxian's response made him quite satisfied. He nodded and said: "The general has the style of a military general of the Tang Dynasty. I am very pleased with him!"
He turned to Qu Tuquan and said: "You guard Chengtianmen. Once Chengtianmen falls, you cannot fight to the death. You can lead your troops to withdraw to Jiademen, return to Neizhongmen to rest, and at the same time obey General Li. Once the situation changes, there is no way to resist. When the rebels attacked, he immediately assisted General Li in escorting the prince out of Xuanwu Gate, met up with Gao Kan, and then headed westward to seek protection from Fang Junzhi."
As long as the prince can safely evacuate from Guanzhong, the long stretch of yellow sand in the west of the river is like a sea, which will be very beneficial to the fleeing army. If he writes a fast horse and gallops Gongyue City's famous Fang Jun and leads his army to respond, the prince will surely be safe.
As for how to act in the future, it is up to him to make plans...
Li Junxian also thought of this and said with concern: "If you keep the green hills, you won't have to worry about running out of firewood. Once the Taiji Palace cannot be defended, Duke Wei will evacuate with us."
But Li Jing shook his head and said calmly: "Anyone can withdraw, but I can't! If I can't lead the Sixth Army of the East Palace to stop the rebels, I will definitely be chased by the rebels one after another. At that time, the army will be defeated like a mountain, and His Royal Highness will be seriously injured." There is a risk of being captured in the army, how could it be done by our ministers? As long as I am here, the rebels will pay ten times the price if they want to capture this Tai Chi Palace!"
People must have roots, and an army must have a soul. He, Li Jing, is the military married man of the sixth rank in the East Palace! With his ability, achievements, and qualifications, everyone in the Six Rates would be dissatisfied. Even if the Crown Prince withdraws from Taiji Palace, as long as he, Li Jing, remains in charge, there will be no chaos in the East Palace.
If he also withdraws, the whole army will lose its backbone, morale will collapse instantly, and Tai Chi Palace will fall in an instant. By the time the prince is too late to evacuate, or he is chased by the rebels and is defeated, won't all his efforts be in vain?
Li Junxian heard this and said in panic: "How could this happen? Duke Wei is a symbol of the Tang Dynasty's military, with unparalleled achievements and profound qualifications. He should accompany the prince to protect him. How could he be trapped in the army so easily and put his life in danger at every turn? "
He really didn't expect that Li Jing had already prepared for the worst and had no intention of walking out of the Tai Chi Palace alive...
Qu Tuquan on the side also changed his expression and said: "Commander, you must not do it! Although we are incompetent, we can still defend this Tai Chi Palace. The rebels want to occupy this place unless they step over our corpses! Please call on Commander Think about the overall situation,
Li Jing pondered for a moment and sighed: "I ordered the defense line to be reduced and retreated into the palace, relying on the palaces and palaces to gradually resist, delaying time at first, and inflicting heavy losses on the remaining enemies... However, in the final analysis, this magnificent palace is about to be burned to the ground. , was destroyed once, the center of the empire was devastated by the war, and someone must be responsible for this. I have a good reputation throughout my life, and I have never done anything to be ashamed of my family and country. However, if I am not safe at the end of the year, I will be reviled by the world. Such a crime is unworthy Endure it? The only way is to stick to the Tai Chi Palace, regardless of life or death, to prove your innocence."
The reason why he has made great achievements in his life but has been depressed, and even though he has talents given by nature, he has never been able to express his ambitions vividly and heartily. The biggest problem is that he has no persistence and no integrity.
Emperor Gaozu used him very much, and he served him before Jinyang raised troops. He could be regarded as a minister of Qiandi. He had made the contribution of following the dragon, and he should have risen to the top and displayed his ambitions. However, after the founding of the Tang Dynasty, His Majesty Li Er, who was the King of Qin at any time, came out of Hulao and defeated Wang Shichong. He was closely attracted by the King of Qin and obeyed his command.
If so, that's it. His Majesty Li Er has a broad mind and is open to all rivers. He can even reuse the humerus of Prince Yin such as Wei Zheng, let alone Li Jing?
However, on the eve of the "Xuanwumen Incident", he did not want to intervene in the feud between his brothers, so he stayed on the sidelines. In the end, His Majesty Li Er was very dissatisfied with him and became quite suspicious...
It is said that a loyal minister will not serve two masters, but he has never been loyal to the same master in his life. Therefore, even though he has made great achievements in the world, he has never had the corresponding reputation. Now that he is very old and old, do he still want to blame the prince for destroying the Taiji Palace and then follow him to show his loyalty?
He doesn't want to.
If you can fight and die in this Tai Chi Palace with integrity throughout your life as a soldier, it will be better than lingering on the sick bed in the future and being rejected by your children and grandchildren...
