"To report to Grand Tutor, Mr. Lao Jian and Hua Lao are outside seeking an audience."
Xie Guang, who was reviewing official documents in the study, heard that Lao Jianhua was coming. He stood up in a hurry, without even having time to put on his official robe, and went straight out of the house to meet the dusty Lao Jianhua.
"Oh, Mr. Lao, you are finally here!" Xie Guang stretched out his big hand, took Lao Jianhua's arm, and said happily: "I really want to thank someone!"
Lao Jianhua smiled calmly: "I have not yet congratulated you, sir, on your rapid rise to prominence and your promotion to Grand Tutor."
"Let's not talk about this for now. Please come inside, please come inside. Let's sit down and talk slowly."
In the study room of the Taifu Mansion, Xie Guang and Lao Jianhua were seated as guest and host respectively. Sitting beside him were Di Xian and Xuanjia's deputy general Ye Rongcheng. These two people are Xie Guang's confidants.
Lao Jianhua first confessed to Xie Guang, explaining that he had planned to leave for Luoyi immediately after receiving Di Xian's letter. Unfortunately, the Long Sword Legion happened to rush to Zijin Pass and Shengyuguan. In order to avoid conflicts between them and the Turks, he had to stay in the Turks North Camp temporarily to connect the Prince of Temple and Feng Yiwei to mediate between the two armies. Relationship. He didn't rush over until everything was done.
"You have to worry about it," Xie Guang said happily: "Thanks to Mr. Lao, we can stabilize the situation in the west."
Lao Jianhua hurriedly said humbly: "The Taifu is too complimentary. I don't have much credit for it. It all depends on the Taifu for strategizing and presiding over the overall situation." He paused slightly and then continued: "I just never expected that the Imperial Capital's military admonishment plan would actually turn out to be... There will be such variables. Thanks to the Taifu's quick decision, the situation was prevented from getting out of control."
"Sigh -" Xie Guang sighed: "To be honest, I still don't know whether it was a blessing or a curse to respond like that before. In short, we may have really underestimated Li Chengwu and the others."
"Actually, the current situation is not bad," Lao Jianhua comforted Xie Guang: "At least, the prince is still in our hands, and the holy covenant can still be used."
After hearing this, Xie Guang didn't speak in a hurry. He just picked up a piece of silk on the desk and handed it to Lao Jianhua.
Lao Jianhua took the silk with both hands, read it twice carefully, and frowned: "Is this... written by Dong Gong?"
"Yes." Di Xian explained beside him: "At the end of the day before yesterday, by the order of His Highness, I brought it back to the Grand Tutor for review. His Highness the Prince also said that he plans to submit it to the Emperor for approval and then issue an edict to the world."
Lao Jianhua nodded, did not speak, but looked out the window, slightly lost in thought.
Xie Guang stared at Lao Jianhua closely, while Di Xian and Ye Rongcheng looked at each other, and the three of them were silent.
After a long time, Lao Jianhua turned around and said calmly: "Master Taifu, it seems that we not only underestimated Li Chengwu, but also underestimated Li Bing."
Ye Rongcheng couldn't help but ask: "Why did Mr. Lao say this?"
Lao Jianhua smiled slightly and shook the silk in his hand: "In just a few hundred words, the prince has made the strategy of regaining the Western Territory so clear and profound. What else can it be if it is not an underestimate?"
"Oh? Please give me some advice, sir." Xie Guang said solemnly.
"Taifu, General Di, General Ye, please read this paragraph," Lao Jianhua pointed to the words on the silk and read: "The key to governing the people lies in economic integration and abundant products; the key to governing the border lies in stationing troops. Preparing for danger and developing both army and agriculture; the key to governing the country is to be friendly both internally and externally, to avoid harshness and eliminate violence. If one of these three is missing, the western frontier will be in chaos; if all three are missing, our holy Tang will no longer exist outside the territory. It can be seen that , Our enemy is not the Turks, but the court's policy."
After reading, Lao Jianhua stroked his beard and said with emotion: "A few words, to the point. Unless you are talented and intelligent, it will be difficult to do it."
Ye Rongcheng was a military general and did not feel much about these docile words, while Di Xian agreed: "Mr. Lao's words are reasonable. However, what makes the general more concerned is this paragraph: Western Xinjiang has been managed for a hundred years, and the government is well-organized and people-friendly. The Silk Road is prosperous. This time, the Turkic rebels suddenly launched an attack to overthrow the vassal state and block the trade routes. In the long run, it will harm the interests of the people and hurt the people's hearts. At that time, the border of the ghost desert in Western Xinjiang was full of prairie fires. It can be expected. We must urgently attack: Huazhou, Jingzhou, Longzhou, Ningzhou, and Qingzhou on the Guannai Road; Qinzhou, Weizhou, Lanzhou, Liangzhou, and Ganzhou on the Longyou Road; and Jiangzhou and Fen on the Hedong Road. A total of 12 prefecture-level soldiers gathered at Zijin Pass to prepare for war. The Changdao Army, the Xuanjia Army, and the state soldiers totaled 300,000 troops. They could go west out of the two passes before winter and defeat the northern and southern Turkic camps. . When the weather returns in the coming spring, we will follow the late emperor's method and carry out heavy raids. The people of the Western Border countries will look forward to the king's army, and the great task of putting down the rebellion can be decided."
"Oh? Have you memorized it all?" Lao Jianhua asked with interest: "It's not easy for such a long paragraph."
Di Xian nodded: "This little trick of the general is insignificant. The important thing is that His Highness the Crown Prince has such insights into Shengtang's military affairs, which is really unexpected."
Lao Jianhua thought for a while, then turned to ask Xie Guang: "Master Taifu, how is the current situation under the East Palace?"
Xie Guang replied: "Since I came to Luoyi, my relationship with him has always been very delicate. His Highness declined the six stunning beauties I presented to him, and also sent away all the eunuchs, maids and musicians I sent to serve him. Only a dozen old people he brought from the imperial capital were left to serve him."
"Oh, that's right. What about the power to ask questions about government?"
"Hi -" Xie Guang slapped his thigh and said with a nonchalant smile: "What does he, a young kid like me, know? How can he exercise his power to ask questions about government? Before, he made blind ideas about things in the memorial, and I even criticized him for that. He has done it several times. Now I read the official documents sent from the imperial capital first, and then take them to Ziwei Palace for him to approve. This kid is always procrastinating and refuses to use the seal happily. "
After hearing this, Lao Jianhua couldn't help but frowned slightly.
Di Xian saw something strange in Lao Jianhua's expression and quickly smoothed things over: "Sir, it's no wonder that the prince is angry. Now the prince is in Luoyi to supervise the country and govern the country. In addition to military affairs, all political affairs such as the appointment and dismissal of officials and the payment of funds from the treasury are All the documents were drawn up by the Shangshu Province in Chang'an and rushed 800 miles to the Eastern Capital. They can only be implemented after His Highness's approval. The ministers in the Imperial Capital are always against the Taifu, and we have many personnel and government affairs arrangements. Your Highness supports it. If he doesn’t agree with Tai Tu, won’t he miss important things?”
"Well, I understand." Lao Jianhua nodded in understanding and continued to say to Xie Guang: "Master Taifu, you must not be impatient at this time. Prince Li Bing is not a young emperor who succeeded to the throne in his infancy. , you are not a minister who is entrusted to assist the government. He is an adult, has independent opinions, and at the same time remains wary of everyone around him. Fundamentally speaking, Li Bing and we can only cooperate based on the same interests. And he will never be willing to be completely controlled by us and become a puppet. If the relationship between the two parties is completely frozen, it will be very detrimental to us. "
Xie Guang responded helplessly: "What you said is true. Xie was indeed a little rash before. What should we do next? This edict..."
"Let's hold on to the edict. If we don't send it to him, it will end in the imperial capital." Ye Rongcheng said in a rough voice.
Di Xian shook his head and objected to Ye Rongcheng's proposal: "I'm afraid not. If you cut off the prince's connection with the imperial capital, wouldn't it be equivalent to telling the outside world that Li Bing has been placed under house arrest by us? In this way, let alone using him My identity commands the world, maybe tomorrow the imperial capital will send troops to attack us in the name of us kidnapping the prince."
"Then what should we do?" Ye Rongcheng said unconvinced: "If this edict is really adopted by the emperor, wouldn't it mean that Commander Feng should go to war with the Turks?"
"Well, this prince really caught us off guard." Lao Jianhua shook his head and said calmly: "In that case, let me go with the prince to see the prince tomorrow. I will figure out a way to let him His Royal Highness the Prince himself withdraws this edict and resumes the good cooperation with us before."
-
The weather in Luoyi is much hotter than that in the imperial capital.
Prince Li Bing felt a little bored staying in the house, so he decided to take a walk outside. Anyway, there were usually no officials coming to Ziwei Palace to see him, so he simply put on a thin silk shirt and sat under the tree in the courtyard to enjoy the coolness.
At this moment, he missed the imperial capital a little.
This season, the Imperial Capital Beiyuan holds polo matches every ten days. The cheerful and lively scenes are extremely exciting. The teams composed of princes competed fiercely with the teams of generals and nobles. The princes and nobles would bring their wives to watch the game.
Sometimes, even the famous lady Mei Ji from Changlefang is invited to come to add charm to the event. Of course, it was the girls who cheered the loudest.
Li Bing rides his beloved "Snow Cloud Horse" and gallops around the field. Every time he scores, he will win the warm cheers of the audience outside the field and the loving gazes of countless girls.
When they are not playing horse racing, the royal family members will go to Yuqing Pond together. That place is adjacent to Linli Mountain and is a large and majestic royal garden with excellent scenery and extraordinary style.
The princes invited their friends to visit the mountains and rivers, bathe in hot springs, drink feasts, sing and dance all night long, and the spring breeze was the most pleasant. The Crown Prince Li Bing was naturally the protagonist of the banquet, enjoying the honor of being surrounded by stars.
Even on days when he couldn't go out for fun, he was forced by Taifu Nian Jinsong to study in Taiyuan College, practice archery in the school's military field, and go to Menxia Province to observe political affairs, which was a hundred times better than Luoyi.
Even, Li Bing actually missed his uncle Li Chengwu a little.
If this old man were not an emperor, he would definitely be a very interesting person. Li Bing thought so.
He still clearly remembered that there were several times when His Majesty was in a good mood and chatted with him about various tips on cockfighting and cricket fighting. Li Bing, who had always thought of himself as an invincible fighter, could not help but be eye-opened and admired.
The uncle and nephew just talked and laughed, forgetting the time and all the worries outside.
Alas, when did he actually start to drift further and further away from the kind-faced, humorous and eccentric His Majesty the Emperor?
"Your Highness, Master Xie is here and is waiting to meet you in front of the palace."
"Ah? Who are you talking about?" Li Bing was stunned for a moment: "Oh, Taifu. You...you let him come here."
The chamberlain hesitated: "Come here? Your Highness, won't you... change your clothes?"
Li Bing waved his hand: "There's no need to change clothes, Taifu is not an outsider. It's really troublesome for me to take off and put on again, put on and take off again on such a hot day."
"...Yes, I obey the order."
Seeing the waiter leave with a sad face, Li Bing showed an imperceptible sneer at the corner of his mouth.
