Li Po heard that Yuchi Gong had returned to Beijing, and wanted to meet him as soon as possible.
Yu Chigong, Luo Shixin, and Cheng Zhijie were all old people in Mayi, whom he met when he was at his lowest, and could barely be called common people's acquaintances.
Among them, Luo Shixin and he were the best friends. Outsiders said that they were sworn brothers. In fact, they did not kowtow and burn incense. It was just that Luo Shixin always regarded him as an elder brother. He gradually became a younger brother and was treated like Yuen Long.
Yuchi Gong followed closely. Although he did not share weal and woe in the wind and snow in Liaodong less than others, he was still one of the people he trusted the most.
The advantages of these people are obvious. When the nobles look down on him and are unwilling to come to him, most of these people... well, except for Cheng Zhijie, most of them can serve him to the death.
Of course, the shortcomings are also very prominent. Their backgrounds are too poor and their ceilings are low. Even if he works hard to promote them, there will only be a few people who can reach high positions and sit firmly.
Thinking about the soldiers who followed him back then, they were all covered in scars and had many military exploits, but many of them could not be promoted after reaching the rank of captain.
That's not because he has new people and has forgotten the old ones. Basically, it's because most of them are men who just go to battle and fight. Their loyalty is commendable, but their ability is worrying.
Therefore, it is not easy for Yuchi Gong to reach where he is today, and his talents are naturally unobtainable. Another important reason is luck. Following the right person is the greatest luck in his life.
This is true whether it is in this world or in another time and space.
In Li Po's words, this guy has good vision and did not follow Li Er to wander...
He was the first to recall Yuchi Gong to the court today, and his starting point was different from that of other ministers, because he was confident that Yuchi Gong would not dare to cause any trouble.
If someone dared to slap the table and glare at him like those former Sui generals, saying stupid things like unfair treatment, you have forgotten my contribution, etc., he would definitely rip off this idiot's head first.
……………………
As the sun sets in the west, Yuchi Gong enters the palace to see the emperor.
Li Po first met him in the Tai Chi Hall and asked about official business, and then Yu Chi Gong accompanied him to the Man Dew Hall. Li Po didn't ask anyone else to accompany him. He wanted to talk to Yu Chi Gong alone. What's going on here?
How much has changed in the old department that we haven’t seen in years.
On the way to the Manlu Palace, Yu Chigong sighed: "Your Majesty, do you still remember that the last general went to Yunnei to serve? It was the wedding of the Supreme and the Queen, and he asked himself to be the gatekeeper for the Supreme...
At that time, the general was just a nameless person with no roots, but the Supreme was able to ignore the past and accept it happily... The general never dared or forgot the kindness that the Supreme showed to the general, and he often used it when leading troops abroad.
To motivate yourself, you can't let the Supreme feel that you accepted a useless waste.
Over the past ten years, my original intention has not changed, and fortunately I have not made any big mistakes. However, I have not heard the Supreme's teachings in the past few years, and I always feel a little uncomfortable. Otherwise... The Supreme will first teach the generals a few words,
Let the general feel at ease so that he can have a few more drinks with the Supreme Being."
After saying that, he looked at Li Po eagerly. He no longer looked as arrogant as before in the army, but actually showed a sense of grievance.
Li Po immediately got goosebumps all over his body. After thinking about this guy's mental state, he was a little unsure.
For their monarchs and ministers, the changes in the other party were actually quite big.
Especially Li Po, after he ascended the throne and became emperor, he was seen as an outstanding person among all people. He was no longer as mixed as before, with good and bad mixed up.
If the leap from a soldier on the frontier to the king of Han can be compared to a quantitative change, then the leap from the king of Han to the emperor of the Tang Dynasty is a qualitative change.
What this improvement in status brought to Li Po was a change from the inside out, like a fish leaping over a dragon gate, soaring into the sky, completely in two forms.
At that time, he could not imagine what an emperor looked like. When he became the emperor, he had subtly become an existence that he could not imagine at that time.
When Yuchi Gong saw him, apart from the fact that he still looked the same, it was actually like meeting a stranger, which made him even more frightened, as if he had encountered a natural enemy, and he was a little incoherent.
On the road, he thought about how to speak and what attitude to adopt when meeting a driver, so that he could look smarter, but not overdo it, because he knew that the emperor liked smart people.
You also need to be more imposing. If someone who leads troops all year round is too groveling, the Supreme Being will definitely be displeased.
All these things have been repeated over and over again, and have been pondered over thousands of times, almost even in sleep.
But when the time came, he became a little silly and cute, not only wanting to arouse Li Po's nostalgic thoughts, but also eager to know Li Po's thoughts.
The thoughts are quite complicated, but when it comes to speaking, they are extremely clumsy. If it were Feng Deyi and others, they would definitely have to do it step by step. If one day fails, it will take ten or a hundred days. Words should be spoken slowly, and things should be done sincerely. If you are anxious,
It's easy to make mistakes.
……………………
"In the past few years, you have been stationed in Jiangxia. Have you absorbed some Jiangnan customs and read a lot of books?"
Most of the old people in Mayi County were rough and illiterate. Yuchi Gong was a little better. His family was a blacksmith and he was from Xianbei. No matter he joined the army or politics, or he was a commoner, he would receive some preferential treatment and he could read a little.
Even in the frontier fortress, no one wants to make progress and just lives by the handle of a knife.
Things are a little different now. It should be that when you have reached a certain level of power, do you know how to arm your mind with knowledge? It is not difficult to see this, and there will be changes in your speech.
Yuchi Gong was stunned for a moment, then he laughed twice, which was quite unpleasant.
He was studying not for anything else, but because he was frightened by Li Jing when he was trying to wipe out Xiao Xian. In a few words, that guy said that he had killed a prince, and everyone present was impressed and felt chilled.
For example, Yu Chigong saw for the first time the power of scholars, and he inevitably became interested in learning.
Li Po's painstaking efforts in persuading his subordinates back then were not as impressive as a good show performed by Li Jing...
He was very loyal to Li Po, and he would not use false words to show off, but said the truth: "Your Majesty, I can see that the general has indeed read some books at the end of the past two years.
It's not because of anything else, but I saw the power of Governor Li, and then... Hehe, besides, there are many literati in Jiangnan, and they are also very clever. I am afraid that they will fool me, so I have to endure the headache, read and read, and let the Supreme Being
What a joke."
Li Po nodded and said with a smile: "Why are I laughing? I always told you before that you should read more books. It will definitely be useful in the future. I didn't listen to any of them. Look, those old brothers in Yunnei can follow me.
How many are there in Chang'an?
Is it because I don't want to take them with me? When I enter Chang'an, I see prosperity everywhere, noble relatives are rampant, and scholars are everywhere. You get along with them, and those who have not studied can only use their swords and axes, and their heads may be plotted one day.
All gone.
You should be careful when you come back. Don't think that you have done a lot of work and that I am taking care of you, so you don't take others seriously. People who have read books know this truth, but people who have not read books can only understand it if they have suffered a loss.
.
That's all I can teach you now, otherwise I could tell you how many concubines you had in Jiangnan? Or how many people died in the Battle of Nanyang, do you feel guilty in your heart?"
This is what frightens the emperor. Maybe it was calm and drizzle before, but later there may be stormy waves. This is why the so-called heart of heaven is unpredictable.
There is no need to mention Li Po's performance in this area. He always likes to keep a ledger and will look through it for you from time to time.
Yuchi Gong's private life is very similar to that of Li Yuan. His first wife Su died early, and the relationship between the couple seemed to be relatively deep. After that, Yuchi Gong never renewed their relationship, but now there are many concubines. According to the records of the Military Intelligence Department, this concubine
Married eighteen concubines.
I don't know whether it is intentional or because he has been leading the army all year round, but he only has a son born from his first wife, who was raised in Jinyang. He is now serving in the Jinyang Governor's Mansion and did not follow his father's old path of establishing himself through military service.
In the eyes of later generations, it was natural that his private life was not very discreet, but in the current world it was a different story, and he was an object worthy of praise.
It's just that he led the army in Jiangxia, but he took in several concubines, which was a bit unprofessional.
As for the Battle of Nanyang, the Tang army suffered a tragic victory, with casualties that were unprecedented in any war, with tens of thousands of casualties. When the news reached Li Po's ears, even though Li Po breathed a sigh of relief, he had finally won this crucial battle.
, clearing the way for the pacification of Xiao Mian.
But his heart was still throbbing with pain. The elite teacher he had cultivated over many years had condensed his countless efforts, and was just wasted under Nanyang City. At that time, he made a mental note to Yu Chigong and others.
At that time, I couldn't criticize the victorious general from a distance. Now that I met him, I took the time to give Yu Chigong a stick. I was still thinking that I would let Luo Shixin repair him severely...
The few books Yu Chigong had read were not enough. Now he was very confused, but it also made him find a familiar feeling. He thought to himself, the general has not changed...
And he did understand the previous words. They were telling him to be careful in the capital and not to be plotted by others. These were nothing. After so many years, he only remembered one thing, that he didn't have to worry about others when he was with the general.
, what the Lord says is what it is.
At this time, he quickly admitted his mistake and said: "On his way back to Beijing, the general went to Nanyang to pay homage to the fallen soldiers. During the Battle of Nanyang, the general misjudged the military situation and never expected that Zhou Faming would lead his troops to defend Nanyang, resulting in too many casualties.
Although nearly three years have passed, I still dare not make excuses, and I still ask your Majesty to severely punish me, so I have nothing to say."
Li Po snorted and said: "You know it's been a few years, and it's useless for me to punish you again. Maybe some people will say that I treated the meritorious officials harshly.
Come and supervise the construction of the Forest of Steles for me later, did Wen Dalin tell you?"
Yuchi Gong nodded quickly and said: "As I said, the Supreme Being will build a forest of steles to commemorate the heroic spirits of the soldiers. The general will definitely supervise the construction carefully to comfort the spirits of the fallen soldiers in heaven."
Li Po rolled his eyes and said: "The imperial mausoleum is about to be built in the imperial court. It will be the place where I will live in a hundred years. I need to find someone trustworthy to supervise the construction to avoid being tampered with. Otherwise, you can take the responsibility.
"
Yuchi Gong finally felt a little weak in his legs. He really didn't expect that a great general of the Zhu Kingdom would be closely involved with places like Beile Mausoleum after returning to Beijing. It had nothing to do with it at all.
Of course, for ministers, being able to supervise the construction of the imperial mausoleum is a great honor and achievement. This not only shows that you have gained the emperor's trust, but you are also likely to have the honor of being buried here in the future.
But he really didn't dare to take on such an important task. He said that if the construction is not good, you will not be comfortable living in the future, and you will cause trouble for me again...
So he could only smile bitterly and said: "Your Majesty, the general would not dare to take on such a big thing. I don't understand this at all."
Li Po thought about it, he could only be an overseer, which was a bit inappropriate for a general, so he followed Shan Ruliu and said: "You still have few studies. Look at Gao Xi, Yang Su, Yuwen
Which one of Shu and others is not capable of literary and military skills?
Leading troops in battles, building cities and ships, everything is not difficult for them, so how come when they get here, all the people accompanying me are rough?"
Yuchi said politely, feeling quite uncomfortable, but once he started talking casually, the feeling of closeness also came. The so-called "freedom of speech" means being close to someone.
He comforted himself in his mind. Although I was thicker, I was still much better than that idiot Bu Qun.
Thinking of Bu Qun, his eyes rolled up, and he said casually: "It's better to call Bu Zhi back first. He has always been more thoughtful, and his things must be in line with the Supreme Being's will."
This sentence made Li Po laugh. He raised his finger and pointed at Yuchi and said respectfully: "You, Bu Qun is not as smart as you, Yuchi Jingde. Otherwise, you wouldn't be the one to return to Beijing to report on your work first."
Yuchi Gong asked, "The general is a little confused. Why is that?"
Li Po said quietly: "Chang'an is a place with outstanding individuals. If people who don't have enough capital come here and are in high positions, it may be a bit dangerous.
Don’t forget that Bu Qun gave himself the nickname Zhixian, but he is not as good as you in dealing with people. Once he returns to the court..."
Having said this, Li Po shook his head and sighed: "You must be more careful when you come back. I have just carried out some measures to eliminate old abuses. The situation in the government is still unclear, and there will definitely be many people offended.
You are my confidant, and you are also in charge of the military power of Qianniu Beishen Mansion. Some people are not easy to resist the decree, and they dare not come to me to argue. Looking for faults like yours, you may use this to hinder the implementation of some new policies.
But it’s not impossible.”
Yuchi Gong's heart trembled. He had never thought about these things...
Then Li Po said in a more serious tone: "You have to know that you people are closely related to me. If you make a mistake, it will not only embarrass me, but I will also make a mistake.
You have married more than ten concubines, and word may have spread that I am very beautiful and follow my example. If you live in luxury, people will say that I am content with pleasure and not enterprising.
You should keep this in mind and always alert yourself..."
Yuchi Gong stopped, bowed deeply and said: "Don't worry, Your Majesty, Yuchi is still the same Yuchi. Whoever dares to act like a monster, I will cut off his head on Your Majesty's behalf."
This chapter has been completed!