The clouds were closing and the rain was falling, and a cool breeze was blowing. It was a bit cold in front of the Tai Chi Palace, but the monarch and his ministers were not sleepy, so they asked the servants to go to the imperial kitchen to get two side dishes and a pot of wine, and sat on the stone steps in front of the palace to watch the bright lights. in Chang'an City, chatting and drinking wine.
"Why does Your Majesty put so much emphasis on Duke Wei? You need to know that when the late emperor was still here, he was always on guard against Duke Wei. He would rather trust Hou Junji and others to give him the power to lead troops and expand the territory, but he would not dare to trust the strategic skills of the unparalleled ones in the world. Duke Wei."
Fang Jun greeted Li Chengqian and asked a question that he had been wondering about for a long time.
Li Jingzhi's military strategy has long been recognized as the best in the world. However, in fact, both Emperor Gaozu and His Majesty Li Er used it with great caution. They often used it as an auxiliary to the commander and never allowed him to lead an army alone.
Fang Jun was well aware of the concerns, but why did he change his mind when he got to Li Chengqian?
As the commander-in-chief of the Sixth Army of the East Palace, he even had the power of reorganization, which was almost equivalent to entrusting the lives of the entire East Palace to Li Jing. Even Emperor Gaozu and Emperor Taizong did not dare to completely trust Li Jing, but Li Chengqian dared to entrust his life to him...
Li Chengqian frowned slightly: "Hou Junji?"
After taking a sip of wine, he said: "That's because my father is not afraid of Hou Junji's rebellion. Even if Hou Junji finally reaches that point, wouldn't my father backhand pacify him? When it comes to self-confidence, no one in the world can Better than his father, but his self-confidence is not just arrogance, but real assurance. But Wei Gong is not good, he is the best in the world in military strategy, and because of his ability to capture tigers in Jiufu Han, he has problems with many former Sui officials. Among those involved, especially those who surrendered in the Sui Dynasty, how many of them have never been favored by Han Qinhu? Once Wei Gong raises his flag of rebellion, I don’t know how many people will be willing to attach themselves to Ji Wei. In a blink of an eye, the tail will not be lost and the world will be brought to chaos. .”
"But why does Your Majesty use it now?"
"To borrow something you often say, times have changed..."
Li Chengqian smiled, took a sip of wine, and his eyes became brighter: "Times have changed, heroes have grown old, and heroes have turned gray. Even though the military skills of Duke Wei have become more and more sophisticated, the foundation he had in the army back then has been completely excavated by Ying Gong and others. , the remnants of the previous dynasty have long since died, and there is no foundation. Even if he rises up, who will rely on him?"
After a pause, he said with some emotion: "In the past, the best military god in the world, to this day, can only rely on my trust to lead the army, and with my permission, let him gain some meritorious deeds that can serve as a legacy for the family. , In this way, Duke Wei will only be loyal to me, how can he be even remotely rebellious?"
Fang Jun was silent for a moment, clinking glasses and drinking again.
After filling the empty wine glass, he sighed and said: "Your Highness has grown more and more. He is no longer as indecisive and womanly as before. Although his level of manipulating people's hearts is not as good as that of Emperor Taizong, he is still better than many mediocre people in history books." Your Majesty is much stronger."
He admitted that what Li Chengqian said was indeed reasonable. Li Jing had been suppressed by Emperor Taizong for so many years, and all his edges and arrogance had been lost. What was left was not so much to command the army and turn the tide to show his ability, but to gain some meritorious deeds in his old age. , so that I can write books safely in my later years, and also give my family some shadow.
But it is still a bit surprising that Li Chengqian can see this and dare to believe his own opinion without reservation.
It can be seen that the environment can shape a person's character and abilities.
Historically, Li Chengqian lived in fear every day. The pressure from His Majesty Li Er made him worry about losing his position as crown prince at every moment. His personality became withdrawn and his behavior began to be surly. Finally, he was overwhelmed by the pressure. At that time, he was filled with despair and embarked on the path of rebellion that he knew was impossible to succeed.
That was his last display of pride and bloodshed to his revered and admired father, but it was of no use. His rebellious behavior completely chilled the heart of His Majesty Li Er, making it unacceptable for the self-proclaimed "Eternal Emperor". The son he had educated with his own hands rebelled against him...
Who ultimately caused Li Chengqian's tragedy?
Li Chengqian's own character and abilities are certainly the basis of all this, but His Majesty Li Er's education methods and methods of conduct are also to blame.
His Majesty Li Er worked tirelessly to be a good emperor and a good father, so as to prevent his sons from repeating the mistakes of the "Xuanwu Gate Incident". As a result, he did a good job as an emperor, but his father failed to do a good job. They fell one by one during his lifetime and after his death.
We can't blame Li Zhi for being too cruel. He suddenly ascended to the throne because of his status as neither heir nor eldest son. His name was unfair and his words were inconsistent. He seriously violated the universal laws inherited by Zong Zuo. It was just like the replica of His Majesty Li Er back then. If all those who are qualified to aspire to the throne are cut off, how can they secure the throne?
Therefore, after violating the rule of Zong Zuo's inheritance, Li Zhi had to do what His Majesty Li Er did back then, but his methods were more subtle and clever, and he even brought out Wu Meiniang, a traitor to the closet.
But what Li Zhi didn't expect was that he used Wu Meiniang to completely eliminate the Guanlong clan, making the imperial power free like a bird and beast breaking out of its cage, but in the end, Wu Meiniang, a hunter who was hiding deeply, stole the fruits of victory...
History has inertia, so it is inevitable, but it is also full of countless accidents. When these accidents are connected, they can in turn affect the inevitable.
Therefore, nothing is inevitable in the world.
There are no absolutes in the universe.
*****
Yu Wenshiji was like a ghost, disappearing all over Guanzhong, connecting all the generals. When he heard that the imperial court ordered Xue Wanche to cross the Weishui River to cut off Yuchi Gong's retreat, but Xue Wanche blatantly disobeyed the order, he immediately screamed secretly and rushed straight to Chang'an City without stopping. Finally, he followed the grain-carrying boat into the city, wandered around for a long time, entered and exited several mansions, and finally entered the Taiji Palace through a secret passage and appeared under the Xuanwu Gate...
The windows of the tower were slightly open, and the breeze was cool after the rain stopped. Even in the middle of the night, Li Daozong was still in military uniform. It was obvious that he did not intend to sleep tonight. He frowned at Yuwen Shiji and said displeasedly: "Taiji Palace is the palace, Ying When the Duke of the country comes and goes so freely, where does the emperor's majesty lie? No matter what, we are ministers after all, and we cannot arrogate even half of it."
Yu Wenshiji took a sip of tea, leaned his body that was about to fall apart on the back of the chair, let out a long breath, waved his hands and said disapprovingly: "We have already rebelled, so how can we talk about the righteousness between monarch and ministers? We will send troops in one day. To depose the emperor is the greatest transgression."
Then, without waiting for Li Daozong to refute, he stared at Li Daozong with piercing eyes and asked, "How do you think about what I mentioned last time?"
Li Daozong drank tea and remained silent, obviously undecided.
Yu Wenshi said anxiously: "It's not that I won't give you time. The situation is really urgent and we can't afford to delay!"
Li Daozong thought for a while and asked instead: "Is Xue Wanche one of yours too?"
Yu Wenshiji sighed and said, "That's right. It's just that this idiot didn't obey the order to cross the Wei River. He has obviously been exposed. During the Eastern Expedition, the Youtun Guard destroyed the city and fortified the village and was invincible. The tyrannical fighting power ranked first among the Sixteen Guards." First-class, now that we know that he has surrendered to the King of Jin, how can your Majesty allow such a strong army to hang north of the Wei River and cross south to attack Chang'an at any time? Therefore, the imperial court will inevitably launch a counterattack in these two days. If the situation becomes worse Changes, Yuchi Gong will inevitably be trapped in the encirclement and suppression of various armies, and is in danger. However, Yuchi Gong is destroyed, and the imperial army marches directly to Tongguan. How can the mob in Tongguan resist it? Therefore, now the king of the county, you are the one who can influence the situation of the war. .Whether the late emperor’s long-cherished wish will be wiped out or fulfilled will be decided by the prince alone.”
It determines the outcome of the war, so when the Jin Dynasty succeeds, Li Daozong will undoubtedly be the most powerful person in Conglong. Not only can he become the number one military leader in charge of the Tang Dynasty's military power, but he can also easily be promoted to prince from the county king. , all the civil and military ministers under the King of Jin are not as outstanding as Li Daozong's achievements.
Of course, Yu Wenshiji knew very well that Li Daozong was a man who could never be driven by interests. There was no way that Li Daozhong would give up his position for the sake of interests.
However, as His Majesty Li Er's most trusted sibling in the clan, he followed His Majesty Li Er around Chang'an as a dandy at a very young age. Li Daozong's respect and love for His Majesty Li Er was unparalleled.
Only by bringing out the legacy of His Majesty Li Er can Li Daozong be moved.
It's just a matter of loyalty and betrayal. After all, your Majesty is Li Chengqian. If he fails, Li Daozong will not care about life and death, but he may not be willing to die on the charge of "treason"...
The cool breeze blowing in outside the window, Li Daozong was silent, drinking tea one mouthful at a time, and the atmosphere fell into silence for a while.
Yu Wenshiji knew that Li Daozong was at war with heaven and man at this moment, weighing the pros and cons, so he did not rush him. After drinking two sips of tea, he leaned back on the chair to relax and slightly closed his eyes. In the past few days, he had been raiding all over Guanzhong. The oil is running out. Regardless of victory or defeat after this incident, he may not be able to live for a few days.
It's just that the matter has come to this, how can the arrow not be fired when it is on the string?
Since the death of Changsun Wuji, he has shouldered the heavy responsibility of Guan Long without any hesitation, putting life and death at risk. If he succeeds, he will be the leader of Guanlong, and he will be famous all over the world and will live with his country for a hundred generations; if he fails, he will die and his family will be destroyed and his family will be ruined for a hundred years...
