Chang'an, Tai Chi Palace.
In the East Palace, Li Chengqian was holding a scripture and reading it with gusto.
He could almost memorize previous Taoist and Buddhist scriptures such as "Eternal Peace Sutra" and "Diamond Sutra".
At this moment, he had fallen in love with the Tao Te Ching.
"Our ancestors of the Li family are really wise."
Li Chengqian couldn't help but marveled, and murmured,
"To the extreme of emptiness, keep quiet..."
As he muttered, he changed his position.
At this time, a burst of footsteps came.
"Your Highness, the right guard commander Helan Chushi would like to see you."
The slave reports.
Li Chengqian raised his eyebrows.
"Tell him to come in."
"yes."
The servant turned around and left. In just a moment, Helan Chushi, who had taken off his armor and sword, walked in front of Li Chengqian.
"General, please see His Royal Highness the Crown Prince!"
He knelt down on one knee, looking solemn.
"But there is news about General Hou?"
Li Chengqian lowered his voice and asked in a low voice.
Helan Chushi nodded, quickly stood up, closed the doors and windows, and turned the back room into a secret room.
"Your Highness, please look!"
"This is a letter written by my father-in-law! Please read it personally!"
Li Chengqian took it gently, opened the envelope, and read it attentively.
"Have you read the content of this letter?"
he asked.
Helan Chushi shook his head repeatedly and said hurriedly:
"This is a letter from my father-in-law to His Highness. How dare I open it privately?"
"As soon as the secret message was delivered, the general sent it non-stop. I didn't dare to stop!"
Li Chengqian nodded.
Then, he stood up, took a book from the bookshelf, and began to compare it word for word.
Since it is a secret message, it cannot be easily read. Only through the 'code book' determined by both parties in advance can it be truly read.
The room was quiet, and Helan Chushi didn't dare to express his anger. He looked at the prince with a little uneasiness.
he knows.
What the father-in-law and the prince are doing is a business that brings wealth and wealth to the sky, and it is also a beheading business!
One thought reaches heaven, one thought reaches hell!
It’s so exciting! Every time he thought of these, Helan Chushi's figure couldn't help but tremble.
"Why are you shaking?"
Li Chengqian glanced at him and said in a deep voice,
"Afraid?"
Helan Chushi: "!!!"
"No! No..."
He said hurriedly,
"The general is just excited! Having the honor to serve His Highness the Crown Prince is the blessing that the general has cultivated for three lives!"
When Li Chengqian heard this, he sneered.
"Haha, it's not that exaggerated."
"If we are not careful in this matter, there will be many deaths, and even the orphans will not be spared!"
"Of course, if you do well, it goes without saying that your merits as a dragon are indispensable. I will not be stingy in giving you what you deserve."
Plop!
"Thank you, Your Majesty the Crown Prince!"
Helan Chushi knelt on the ground and shouted loudly.
"Keep your voice down!"
Li Chengqian frowned and scolded,
"Afraid that others will hear you?"
Helan Chushi was shocked when he heard this, and quickly covered his mouth, lowering his head as if he had done something wrong.
There was a touch of teasing and ridicule in Li Chengqian's eyes.
"Your father-in-law said in the letter that the battle against Gaochang went smoothly, with good results all the way. The king of Gaochang was so frightened that he died of fear. It is estimated that Gaochang will be conquered in half a month! As for the return of the army to the court, , if we march quickly, we should be able to return to Chang'an in July or August."
He raised his hand and said,
"Get up."
"Thank you, Your Highness." Helan Chushi stood up.
"In other words, the time for us to do big things is in July and August!"
Li Chengqian said in a deep voice,
"Now, there is less than two months to prepare. It's very fast. In the blink of an eye, it will be here!"
"How are you preparing the people you have? We need a group of absolutely loyal soldiers!"
Helan Chushi was shocked.
Two months!
Time goes so fast!
"this……"
He was a little embarrassed and said,
"Your Highness, the general is still in the process of testing, so he has some clues."
Li Chengqian's expression suddenly changed.
"waste!"
"There are only two months left, and you are still trying! Could it be that you don't have anyone who is loyal to Gu?"
"Have you been the commander of the East Palace for so many years in vain?! You don't even have a close confidant?!"
Helan Chushi: "...The general will finally be convicted."
He could only accept this scolding and could not refute it at all.
There are confidants, but how many of them are there who dare to rebel and go against His Majesty?
He has worked very hard...
Li Chengqian had a cold face and was silent for a long time before saying:
"There must be a brave man under a heavy reward! Regardless of anything else, what you have to do now is to recruit as many die-hard loyalists as possible!"
"The treatment and money are enough for me! What I want is their loyalty! What I want is their hard work at critical moments!"
"If the preparations here are not sufficient, how will you respond to General Hou's letter?!"
Helan Chushi nodded in agreement.
"As ordered, I will do my best to handle this matter! I will never leave any hidden dangers to His Highness!"
He said confidently.
After hearing this, Li Chengqian's expression softened a little.
"Actually, the dead soldiers are more precious than more valuable. The main thing is to capture the father."
"Although my father was brave back then, he is now older after all. Thirty... no, as long as twenty dead men rush forward, they will definitely be able to capture the defenseless man!"
"At that time, if General Hou cooperates internally and externally, great things can be decided!"
As he spoke, he took a deep breath, put the letter away, and put it into his sleeve.
"This letter will be burned directly in a brazier later without leaving any trace."
Li Chengqian said solemnly,
"You have to remember that what we do must be secretive. There must not be any leaks, let alone the slightest evidence!"
"If there is even the slightest mistake, we are all doomed! We will all die without a burial place!"
"do you understand?!"
Helan Chushi was shocked and quickly nodded in agreement.
"Don't worry, Your Highness! The general will be careful and will never make the slightest mistake!"
When Li Chengqian heard this, he smiled and patted him on the shoulder.
"But don't be too nervous."
He comforted,
"As long as we follow General Gu and Hou's plan, it will be foolproof! We have already deduced it countless times!"
"You just need to do your part in a step-by-step manner, and what awaits you is the wealth that pours from the sky."
You can't scare people all the time. You still have to give sweet dates when it's time to give them.
Otherwise, someone as smart as Helan Chushi would really be scared to death.
"yes!"
"Thank you, Your Majesty the Crown Prince!"
Sure enough, when he saw the pie painted by the prince, Helan Chushi's eyes suddenly lit up!
"Go ahead, you can't stay here too long."
Li Chengqian waved his hand and warned,
"Have done what needs to be done, and send it to you as soon as General Hou's letter comes."
"Next, I must keep in close contact with him. Only in this way can we ensure synchronized actions without making any mistakes!"
"Yes!" Helan Chushi nodded solemnly, turned around, opened the door, poked his head outside, and found nothing unusual, so he boldly walked out.
Li Chengqian in the room just watched him leave, the corners of his mouth couldn't help but curl up.
Tsk.
He took the letter out of his arms and read it again and again.
"Now, just by relying on this secret letter, can Hou Junji die without a burial place?"
Li Chengqian said softly,
"Master, the baby will make you feel better soon..."
While muttering softly, he carefully collected the letter and put it in the cabinet.
This is the evidence that Hou Junji will be completely killed in the future!
Of course, this time, he is not just trying to kill Hou Junji, so this drama should go on well...
…
It was the afternoon of the Imperial Garden.
"I said, let Ke'er make his own choice!"
Li Shimin looked at Concubine Yang in front of him and said with some displeasure,
"If he wants to go, then I will definitely let him go! If he is really unwilling, then I will never force him!"
"You've said so, why are you still making a fuss?"
Concubine Yang was crying and begging:
"Your Majesty, with Ke'er's character, he will definitely obey your orders."
"I am such a good son. I really don't want him to suffer outside the Great Wall... Wasn't the king of Wu you made a good person before? Let him become a vassal in Wu and enjoy the blessings..."
"Please, Your Majesty, wuwuwu..."
Li Shimin's face darkened.
"A woman's view!"
Li Er spat,
"What's the benefit of being a well-off prince? For an ambitious man, having a career that he can work hard for is the most important thing!"
"When he goes to Tuyuhun, he will be able to control the military, political and financial power there. His power will be much greater than being a vassal king! Moreover, he can also expand his territory and conquer the world for himself!"
"Isn't this bad?"
When Concubine Yang heard this, she burst into tears.
"How painful and dangerous that is..."
"Your Majesty, I beg you, I beg you..."
Wow!
Li Shimin flicked his sleeves, already looking annoyed.
"Stop talking anymore!"
He scolded,
"Go back to your palace! This is a matter for the previous dynasty, and it is not something your harem can interfere with!"
"If you continue to pester me, I will punish you by shutting yourself up and thinking about your past!"
"Hmph! You're so good, you've ruined my interest in admiring the flowers! Come on, take Concubine Yang back to the palace!"
After saying that, Li Shimin turned around regardless of Concubine Yang's cries.
Several palace maids and servants also quickly stepped forward and lifted the crying Concubine Yang away from the imperial garden.
"Your Majesty, please do not be angry."
On the side, a graceful and beautiful woman gently packed Li Shimin's clothes and said softly,
"Concubine Yang also loves her son very much and cannot bear his suffering."
"I will give her a good explanation when the time comes. I believe she will be able to understand His Majesty's painstaking efforts, and she will definitely come to apologize."
Li Shimin sat at the stone table, his expression softening slightly.
"That's best. You are the best at comforting people. Just talk to her."
He waved and said,
"With Ke'er's temperament, he must be willing to go."
"Let me tell you, that's a good thing. Those who are capable should go out and make a living, while those who are incompetent should enjoy happiness at home."
Just as he was talking, a burst of footsteps came into the imperial garden.
"See Your Majesty."
"I've met the Queen."
Changsun Wuji walked in, saluted Li Shimin, and also greeted the beauty beside him.
This empress, the Queen, assumed the position of Zhaoyi as soon as she entered the palace.
It's not because of how powerful her background is, but because her sister died in childbirth while giving birth to a child for Li Shimin. In the end, both adults and children were killed.
Li Shimin felt bad, so he recruited his younger sister, and directly sealed Zhaoyi as his companion.
This Wang Zhaoyi is indeed smart and considerate. Although she is very much loved by Li Er, she always stays by her side whenever she has nothing to do.
Sometimes Li Er didn't have time to take care of Li Zhi's child, so Wang Zhaoyi took care of him. Therefore, she and Li Zhi were also very close.
This is why Zhangsun Wuji still respects her so much even though she is just Zhaoyi.
"It's the auxiliary machine."
Li Shimin raised his hand and said,
"Excuse me, what's the matter?"
Upon seeing this, Wang Zhaoyi stood up and left consciously without any hesitation.
The harem was not allowed to interfere with the affairs of the previous dynasty, and even hearing about them was taboo.
After experiencing Concubine Yang's unreasonable troubles, Li Shimin felt quite comfortable with her actions.
"Good news from the front."
Changsun Wuji handed over a memorial and said,
"Hou Junji destroyed Gaochang Tiandi City, killed two thousand Gaochang soldiers, and captured more than 7,000 men and women."
"King Qu Wentai of Gaochang died of fear. Now that his son Qu Zhisheng has succeeded him, he will probably surrender before long."
Li Shimin was a little stunned.
"ah?"
He said displeasedly,
"Scared to death?"
"Isn't this Qu Wentai very crazy before? Is he just... scared to death?"
"What a piece of trash!"
Li Shimin was a little unhappy.
How could He De allow himself to send out an army to exterminate such an incompetent waste?
It's really like killing a fly with a butcher's knife.
"It's also that Hou Junji used his troops to attack too fiercely. How have ordinary little kings seen such a battle?"
Changsun Wuji smiled and said,
"If nothing else, he really doesn't care about his life when he fights. He dares to risk his own life. Who wouldn't be afraid to see him?"
"Then Qu Wentai is lucky. If he had been captured alive, he would have been tortured."
Li Shimin curled his lips.
"I should have known that I would not have gathered such a large army. Now Hou Junji has 70,000 to 80,000 troops, not counting the heavy troops! There is no use for sending so many troops..."
He sighed,
"Okay, that's good news after all! We killed Murong Fuyun and Qu Wentai in one fell swoop. I'll see who else around here dares to challenge them again!"
"Send a letter of commendation to Hou Junji to boost the morale of the frontline soldiers."
Changsun Wuji nodded in agreement, this was all routine operation.
"But... Your Majesty, Hou Junji seems to be acting a little unusually."
Li Shimin raised his eyes briefly.
"Oh? What?"
Changsun Wuji took out another note from his arms, handed it over, and said:
"Your Majesty, please take a look."
"This is the report from Baiqisi. When Hou Junji wrote the battle report, he also wrote a letter to his son-in-law Helan Chushi."
Li Shimin shrugged.
"What's this? It's just a letter from home."
He said nonchalantly,
"Maybe it's to report that the family is safe."
Changsun Wuji nodded and said:
"It is possible, but... Helan Chushi is the guard of the East Palace after all, and his identity is a bit sensitive."
"Would you like to check it out?"
Li Shimin stroked his beard.
"what ever."
"If you think it's necessary, just check."
