"Your Majesty, it is an indisputable fact that the Turkic national power is at its peak. There is no need for the Tang Dynasty to choose to fight against the Turks at this time. Only by preserving its strength and annihilating the Turks with minimal losses can the Tang Dynasty be truly invincible!"
In the Manlu Hall, Li Er frowned and pondered. Li Zexuan stood at the bottom and waited for a long time without seeing any reaction from Li Er. He finally couldn't help but break the silence.
Li Er finally raised his head, and his distracted eyes became focused. He stared at Li Zexuan and said word by word: "I know the national strength of the Turks better than anyone else. Since I came to the throne, I have never stopped sending spies into the grassland. , I admit that the current strength of the Turkic army is indeed three points stronger than that of the Tang Dynasty, but yesterday I issued an order to order the six departments of the court to prepare for war with all their strength. After March, an army of 300,000 will be sent from Chang'an to the grasslands!
I am the king of a country, how can I speak without trusting my words? You said that at the end of July, frost falls in midsummer in Turks. Although this is unbelievable, I believe you! But even so, so what? Since ancient times, you have no joke, do you want me to go back on my word and lose all my prestige? By then, there will definitely be chaos in the Tang Dynasty! "
Li Zexuan frowned and couldn't help but remain silent for a while. Li Er's words could be regarded as sincere to him. The problem now is not that Li Erxiang doesn't believe him, but that the imperial edict to send troops to the Turks has been issued. Even if Li Zexuan said it No matter how reasonable it is, it's impossible for Li Er to change his order overnight, right?
It would be easier if all the civil and military officials in the dynasty believed the news about the Turkic July frost, because even if Li Er was unwilling to withdraw the imperial edict at that time, the civil and military officials would force him to withdraw the imperial edict, but the problem is that the officials would not Maybe just based on Li Zexuan's words, he believed in such a ridiculous thing as "frost falls in midsummer"! So at this time, Li Er was in a real dilemma!
"Your Majesty, I think that the life of our good son of the Tang Dynasty is the most important. If we can postpone the attack on the Turks for one year, our chances of winning will not only be greater, but the casualties will be much smaller! In comparison, I think that you can also have What a joke!”
After thinking for a long time, Li Zexuan spoke again.
"Hmph! Now that things have happened, do you still think that I am the kind of unscrupulous king who is willing to push countless Tang Dynasties into the abyss of death just to save face?"
Li Er understood the hidden meaning in Li Zexuan's words. He stood up and said with an angry look on his face:
"There is no turning back when the bow is fired. The Holy Order of National War has been issued. The six officials in the court are making intensive preparations for this war. If I suddenly issue an order to the officials of various ministries to stop preparing for the war at this time, the officials in the court will definitely think that I am not responsible for the war." The Turks are timid. There is no airtight wall in this world. If officials spread this news to the people, the people of the world will be panicked. Even if the Turks will encounter a heavy snow disaster this year, even if Jie Li will be greatly damaged by this, at that time Can the Tang Dynasty organize another attack against the Turks?
As the saying goes, if you make great efforts at one go, you will be exhausted again and again! Rather than losing morale in the future, it is better to gather the army now and attack the grassland in one go! Although the Turks are strong, our Tang Dynasty may not have no chance of winning. We have resourceful civil servants, brave generals, fairy lamps, telescopes, gunpowder, peerless magic weapons and invincible armor. Why can't we be upright and equal with the Turks? war?
Only by defeating the Turks when they are at their strongest will the Tang Dynasty have the invincible capital to make other small countries around it dare not tease the Tang Dynasty! You boy was very high-spirited at the beginning and threatened to make the Tang Dynasty invincible. Now that you have gone to the north, why have you become timid? Has your backbone and your blood been beaten to pieces by the Turkic National Preceptor? "
Li Ersheng was like thunder from the sky, and his words were like a gust of wind, hitting Li Zexuan in the face. His angry voice echoed throughout the Manna Hall. Zhao Song, who was standing in the corner of the hall, couldn't help but feel anxious when he saw this. He was still the first I saw Li Er get so angry in front of his ministers once. Although Li Er was often made angry by his ministers in the past, Lao Li usually would not get angry directly in front of his ministers. He would throw the cup alone after the ministers left. So Zhao Song is a little worried about Li Zexuan's current situation.
"I don't have it!"
Li Zexuan was not intimidated by Li Er's thunderous fury. He looked directly at Li Er, his eyes were red and his voice was hoarse and he retorted: "I am not afraid of the Turks. My blood is still hot and my heart is still red. I love my feet." In this land, I love the simple and brave people of the Tang Dynasty even more! If the Tang Dynasty sends troops to the Turks now, I am willing to go to the army immediately, be a vanguard, charge into the battle, kill the enemy and serve the country!
But I don’t want to see countless heroes of the Tang Dynasty die under the iron hoof of the Turks. The kind of life and death parting that one moment, Pao Ze was chatting and laughing with me, but the next moment, he was sleeping underground. It hurts, I don’t want to experience it again! Behind each of them represents a warm family, a son, a husband, or a father. When they were buried on the battlefield, their parents lost their sons, their wives lost their husbands, and their children lost their fathers. , the warm family suddenly became torn apart!
In the battle of Yongheguan, our Tang Dynasty lost tens of thousands of soldiers, which means that tens of thousands of families were torn apart because of this war! The bones have withered on the sand and have grown to grass, but the family members are still sending their cold clothes to themselves. Don't talk about the matter of making a marquis, because one general will make thousands of bones wither. I don’t want to stand on these piles of bones and make immortal achievements. Such achievements are stained with blood, and I will feel uneasy if I accept them!
If we fight, I am willing to fight! But I don’t want to see more unnecessary sacrifices! I hope Your Majesty will think twice! "
At the end, Li Zexuan couldn't help but have tears in his eyes, because he remembered Xu Tingda and other Bingzhou soldiers who accompanied him out of Bingzhou. How high-spirited they were when they first left Bingzhou? I thought I would be able to seize the advantage by predicting the enemy's first opportunity, but who would have thought that the Turks actually spent such a large amount of money this time, directly dispatching 50,000 elite wolf cavalry, and the defense lines of Yanmen Pass, Yonghe Pass, and Madou Pass were all destroyed. However, of the 30,000 troops that Li Zexuan brought from Bingzhou, only a few thousand were left in the end. Li Zexuan couldn't help but feel his heart twisting every time he thought of such tragic battles!
"Don't talk about the matter of making a marquis. One general will make thousands of bones wither!"
(From "Jihai Sui" by Cao Song, a poet of the late Tang Dynasty)
Hearing this poem from Li Zexuan's mouth, Li Er couldn't help but be stunned. After a long silence, he stood up with a complicated expression, walked to Li Zexuan, patted the latter's shoulder, and said in a deep voice:
"Boy, since ancient times, people have died in wars. If it weren't for those soldiers who fought hard on the battlefield, how could there be peace in the world today in the Tang Dynasty? When I first went to the battlefield, I was like you. When I saw the people around me, I have also experienced the heart-rending pain when the robes leave you one after another! But I will not escape, let alone be depressed, because I know that only by making this country completely peaceful can we Prevent more bloodshed on the battlefield!"
"But we can find ways to save fewer lives!"
Li Zexuan said seriously.
"Find a way? The way you are talking about is to ask me to order the officials of the six ministries to stop preparing for the expedition? Is it to let the people of the Tang Dynasty know that their monarch is a cowardly king who is afraid of the Turks? Or do you have a way to make everyone in the Tang Dynasty know that their monarch is a coward who is afraid of the Turks? Do people believe that Turks will continue to suffer snow disasters this year?”
Li Er snorted coldly and continued: "As things stand now, the best way is to make adequate preparations for the expedition within these three months. The soldiers of the Tang Dynasty are no weaker than the Turkic soldiers. In addition, the imperial treasury is now sufficient. Your workshop is technologically advanced and can provide the soldiers with more supplies and more sophisticated weapons and armor, which can also reduce casualties! Your boy was high-spirited and fearless at the beginning, but now you don’t even have the confidence to defeat the Turks Already?"
Being "taught" by Li Er, Li Zexuan was speechless for a moment, because everything Lao Li said was reasonable, leaving him unable to refute. Considering the current situation in the Tang Dynasty, the risks and costs of changing the imperial edict were too high. If it's too complicated, it's better to prepare for the expedition.
More importantly, although the Turks were more powerful during this period, the Tang Dynasty at this time was also more powerful than in official history. Not to mention the treasury was full and the national power was strong, the current industrial level of the Tang Dynasty was also higher than that of the Tang Dynasty. It is more advanced in history and can produce sharper weapons and the strongest armor, as well as auxiliary tools such as wireless telegraphy, fairy lights, and telescopes. In this case, against the Turks, it may not be impossible to repeat the fun in history. A dripping victory!
Thinking of this, Li Zexuan felt confident again. Since the expedition to the grassland cannot be changed, let's find ways to increase the chances of winning for Datang! Although three months is a short time, you can still do a lot!
"Your Majesty is teaching me that I was in over my head for a while. In the next three months, I will do my best to help the court prepare for war with the Turks!"
Li Zexuan saluted Li Ershen and said firmly.
Seeing this, Li Er's face finally showed a smile of relief. He nodded and said: "Okay! This is the high-spirited fairy child! It doesn't matter if the Turks are strong. As long as our monarchs and ministers work together, the destruction of the Turks is just around the corner!"
"What your Majesty said is true!"
Li Zexuan agreed with a smile.
After that, he suddenly remembered that he came to court today with a "mission", so he quickly raised his hand to Li Er and said: "Your Majesty, my junior uncle who is in Longhu Mountain wants to see your Majesty, and he is in the palace now. Waiting outside, Your Majesty, take a look..."
Hearing this, Li Er's eyes lit up and he said in surprise: "Oh? You mean that Taoist priest Xuanqing has also come to Chang'an? Hurry! Someone is coming! Please invite Taoist priest Xuanqing to come here!"
After that, Li Er couldn't wait to shout to the chamberlain outside the palace.
"Here~!"
A chamberlain bowed in response, then turned around and left quickly.
In the Ganlu Palace, Li Er looked at Li Zexuan and asked thoughtfully: "Tell me honestly, why did Taoist Priest Xuanqing come to the palace to see me this time?"
Longhushan has always been a semi-hidden sect, and has never been keen on catering to secular imperial power, so Xuanqing took the initiative to go to the palace this time. After experiencing the initial excitement, Li Er immediately realized that something was wrong, so he asked Li Zexuan asked.
In addition, this time Li Zexuan was seriously injured in Longmen Pass and his life was hanging by a thread. Xuan Qing, who had been practicing in Longhu Mountain, arrived in time. This kind of coincidence that should not have happened has happened. Old Li has long had doubts in his heart. !
Hearing this, Li Zexuan thought for a moment and replied: "Your Majesty, the young master came down the mountain with the mission assigned by the head master. I didn't want him to know that I was already at Longmen Pass when he passed through Lantian County, so he I rushed to Longmen County and met Longmen Pass being besieged by the Turkic army. Your Majesty, you must have heard what happened next!"
"Um……!"
Li Er nodded, and then he asked: "You just said that Taoist Master Xuanqing came down the mountain on the order of the head of Feng Lingzi. Can you tell me what the mission is?"
After the heart-to-heart conversation just now, the distance between the monarch and his subjects was much closer, so Li Er didn't have much scruples when asking these questions, and Li Zexuan didn't cover up when he answered.
"Your Majesty, to be honest, the Master Master wants the disciples of the Tianshi Dao Sect to enter the world and practice. Most of those disciples are proficient in medicine. The Master also heard that the disciple has established a medical school in Yunshan and has also set up medical schools in various places in the Tang Dynasty. There are many joint medical clinics, so they want those Tianshi Tao disciples with superb medical skills to be stationed in the medical clinics to administer acupuncture and diagnose pulses for the people! For people in the Taoist sect, saving lives and healing the wounded, and curing diseases and disasters for the world is also a kind of practice! "
"I see!"
Li Er's eyes widened. After a moment's pause, he nodded repeatedly and said, "Okay! Okay! Okay! With the help of the Tianshi Dao disciples, the United Medical Center of the Tang Dynasty will surely grow bigger and bigger, and the people of the Tang Dynasty will surely be able to live a better life." Sickness brings blessings, this is a great thing!"
The Tang Dynasty respected Laozi as the ancestor and regarded Taoism as the state religion. It took measures to vigorously promote Taoism and improve the status of Taoist priests. Li Yuan, the emperor of the Tang Dynasty, stipulated that "the great Taoist and the small Buddha should be old first and then explained." After Li Er ascended the throne, he immediately reiterated that "my origin originates from under the pillars", and collected Taoist books that were hidden and secretly transmitted during the Jin and Wei dynasties, and spread them widely. Avenue. Since Taoism was conducive to the orthodoxy and sanctity of the Tang Dynasty's imperial power, Li Er had a very favorable impression of Taoism.
At this time, when Li Zexuan said that the disciples of Tianshi Taoism in Longhu Mountain planned to enter the world and practice cultivation, Lao Li was of course overjoyed!
"Your Majesty, Taoist Priest Xuanqing has arrived outside the palace!"
At this moment, a young eunuch trotted in and bowed.
"Quick! Please invite Taoist Priest Xuanqing in!"
Li Er was shocked and said with excitement.
"Uh, Your Majesty, but Taoist Priest Xuanqing is unwilling to remove the sword box!"
The waiter looked confused.
Li Zexuan hurriedly stepped forward and explained: "Your Majesty, please forgive me! My uncle is obsessed with swordsmanship and regards the sword as life. He never leaves his body with the sword. Please forgive me! I am willing to guarantee it with my life. I have absolutely no regard for your majesty, my uncle." Malice!"
Li Er smiled calmly and said: "Ha~! It doesn't matter! I believe in you!"
After that, he looked at the chamberlain and said, "What are you still doing? Please ask Taoist Priest Xuanqing to come in!"
"Here~!"
……………………
