The news coming back from the northwest is simply shocking.
Li Gui, King of Liang, died. This fact alone made Li Po's heart skip a beat. He thought that Li Yuan and his son were really unparalleled in their luck.
Xue Ju died at a critical moment, leaving Li Erchang with a prodigal son, which made others feel uncomfortable. If Xue Ju had not been defeated, he might have rushed into Kansai by now.
Fortunately, just as the situation was stabilized, Xiao Mian made a stupid move, and then Li Gui died again. If Li Tang quickly destroyed the Liang Kingdom, Liang Shidu would be a prisoner sooner or later.
If the army of Li and Tang in the northwest were transferred back, he, the king of Han, would also be unable to hold back his strength. Let alone crossing the river to attack Chang'an, if he could hold the east of the river without losing anything, even if he, Li Po, had the ability.
Just like when he and the Turks fought back and forth, it was not because the Turks were really that weak, but because the Turks never thought of trying their best to destroy him, the general of Heng'an.
Now he and Li Tang have become bitter enemies. If Li Tang's troubles on the northwest frontier are gone, a large army will gather on the bank of the Yellow River, and everyone else will have to stay behind. The slogan of Li Tang's meeting is to get rid of Han King Li Ding'an first.
Fortunately, the situation in the northwest is not so bad.
Li Gui's subordinates killed Li Yuan's internal agents, re-elected a puppet, and then each held important positions, which managed to stabilize the situation.
Fan Wenjin suddenly emerged from among them and was awarded an official title. Li Po rubbed his chin and thought for a long time, but he still didn't understand what the people of the northwest thought about allowing an envoy to enjoy such a high position...
In fact, it was similar to Fan Wenjin's own feeling. Li Po also felt a little weird here, and then he wondered if Fan Wenjin planned to establish a foothold in Liang Kingdom just because he had gained glory and wealth, and then there was the turmoil in Liang Kingdom.
After that, there will still be some energy available.
Fan Wenjin also said that he would try his best to promote an alliance between the two northwest countries and jointly deal with Li Yuan. Does this mean that he regards wealth and glory as dirt and still serves as a subject of the King of Han?
These issues are so entangled that it is impossible to figure them out.
News can only be news. If he hadn't seen it with his own eyes and heard it with his own ears, Li Po wouldn't be able to imagine everything that happened in Guzang City, let alone the thoughts and actions of people thousands of miles away.
But one thing is certain, that is, everything that happened last year seemed like God was joking with him. He felt that the situation since the end of the Sui Dynasty was not exciting enough, and he wanted to work hard to promote a duel between the two.
Yes, no matter how shocking the news from the northwest is, and how many wonderful stories happened in it, it actually further strengthened Li Po's determination to send troops to the west.
This is where the wonders of the world come from. Many things happened during this year, just like they were agreed upon. No one can figure out how a hand is manipulating the chessboard using the world as a chessboard. I’m afraid
Only God has such ability, right?
Moreover, the situation is no different from Xiao Mian's situation. Li Tang is given a good opportunity, but it cannot be taken advantage of. Li Tang wants to take advantage of this opportunity, but Li Po feels that it will take a year or even longer.
It takes time.
In the next few days, Li Po couldn't care about anything else. He just kept thinking about this year's war. It was a matter of life and death. The bigger the family fortune, the harder it was to leave it behind. If it had been back then...he would definitely do something.
If we break, we will break. If we fight, we can turn around and run away.
The current situation is that he has to take into account all aspects and cannot focus solely on war. Otherwise, it will be a mess. What will happen if he wins? He has to clean up the mess himself?
Just like Wang Shichong, he rushed towards Tongguan. Even if he was allowed to attack Chang'an, it would only cause the world to suffer more serious damage. Can he really occupy the two capitals and sweep the world as he thought?
……………………
On the twenty-fourth of the first lunar month, a day like no other, the weather was getting warmer, but there was still a light snowfall. On this day, Li Po led his people to personally inspect the Jinyang warehouses. Looking at the quite abundant granaries, Li Po
My confidence was rising involuntarily, but at the same time I was scolding my mother.
What he was happy about was that he had enough food to move his troops westward, but what was distressing was that if he was given another year or two, fighting one or two big battles would be nothing at all, at least it would not shake his foundation.
Now, when the troops move this year, all the efforts last year will be in vain, but not much will be left. We will have to tighten our belts for a year or two. This is still a situation predicated on victory...
The fact is that this battle has to be fought this year. Li Tang's strategic environment is improving and cannot be given a chance to breathe. Li Tang lived a hard life last year, and this year will actually be no different.
The number of Li and Tang soldiers fleeing by the river was increasing day by day, mainly due to the Tang army's lack of food. Even if Li Gui lost his temper and Li Gui was discouraged, it would not be able to change Li Tang's disadvantage on the bank of the Yellow River in a short time.
In other words, Li Po believes that this year is the best opportunity to give Li Yuan a hard blow, and there may not be such a good opportunity in the future.
Perhaps not long after, Li Tang's wise men and women would see the light of day, but in Li Po's eyes, Li Tang had entered the darkness before dawn.
As the old story goes, Li Tang's treasury became increasingly empty, and the huge number of troops became Li Tang's fatal injury.
Li Po was originally waiting for the wound to become inflamed and suppurative, and would give the wound one or two blows from time to time. Maybe at some point, Li Tang would suddenly collapse like Wang Shichong.
But now that his wound is showing signs of improvement, it's unclear what he will do.
In other words, when bad news kept coming, Li Po not only saw the danger, but also saw the opportunity.
After returning to the Han Palace, after lunch, Li Po stayed quietly in the study for a while, and then casually sent an order to summon He Chou, the minister of the Ministry of Industry, to come and see him.
He Chou has reached the age of seventy or eighty, but he is still obsessed with power and position. Like Su Dan's grandfather Su Wei, he is a serious official fan.
So Yun Dingxing went to the Ministry of Works to serve as the Minister of Works. No matter what aspect, he was not well received by He and often made things difficult for him. Unfortunately, Yun Dingxing had made up his mind and just stayed at the Ministry of Works like a slug.
He left, which made He Chou very upset.
Of course, a veteran minister like him who has been in officialdom for decades, as long as his mind is not confused, can be said to be knowledgeable about world affairs, so he will not understand the meaning of His Highness the King of Han.
It can be said that Yun Dingxing took over the position of Minister of the Ministry of Industry, but it was difficult for He Chou to accept it. He went to Li Po many times to appeal to no avail, and even suffered a "minor illness" after returning, but he still couldn't shake Li Po's heart, so He Chou then
I had to hold my nose to recognize it.
Now that Li Po has called He Chou over, he is definitely not trying to be a peacemaker to his two colleagues from the Ministry of Industry.
"Come on, sit down. It's freezing cold. It's a sin to ask you to travel all the way. Come on, bring some hot tea and a bowl of ginger soup for He Shangshu to relieve the cold."
Needless to say, Li Po was so enthusiastic. He first greeted He Chou at the head of the corridor outside the study. When he saw He Chou coming, he immediately went up to hold He Chou's arm and threw his kind words at him. He was afraid that he would not be able to see his father-in-law.
So attentive.
This is the treatment He Chou, Minister of the Ministry of Industry, receives from Li Po. He is the only one who can't compare with him. He does nothing as exaggerated as sweeping the couch to greet each other and walking backwards to greet each other, but it still makes the old official fascinated every time.
I felt a deep warmth and an involuntary sense of pride.
Every time I think about it, I will say in my heart, I wonder who in the world can be treated like this by the King of Han? As the saying goes, a scholar dies for a confidant, so what's the harm in burying his old bones in the land of Jin?
In fact, he did not know that the King of Han treated him so favorably, like his elders, because of his talent. But then again, if Yang Guang could treat him like this back then, why would the world be like this?
Even if the world is in chaos, He Chou will still regard it as a loyalty to the Sui Dynasty... Well, as soon as this kind of if-sentence comes out, it can actually be regarded as a big lie, a lie, not worth mentioning, and can also be classified as an old guy
Psychological self-comfort.
As usual, He Chou flirted for a few moments, then sat firmly on the warm floor of the study room, and opened his mouth to speak ill of Yun Dingxing.
The old man is a bit nagging and has a bit of paranoid thinking. You have to forgive him for this. Similarly, the official atmosphere of the late Jin Dynasty can also be well reflected in him. Whoever is displeased, arrogant, talkative, etc.
It's normal. If they don't do it if they get the opportunity, they will feel uncomfortable all over.
Li Po listened with a smile and nodded repeatedly, "You have to be more careful and keep a close eye on him. I also hate his behavior, but the times are difficult and he has to use his talents... Alas, it is a last resort, and the Ministry of Industry has
Your constant presence makes me feel more at ease."
When He Chou heard this, the wrinkles on his face relaxed with a smile. In fact, what Li Po said was no different from before, and it all belonged to He Xini.
But Li Po had this ability. Every time he gave him a different message, the meaning contained in it was also different. He always made He Chou feel happy, but could not solve the problem.
But this time He Chou's words were different, and he followed the flow of his words and said: "Speaking of which, Yun is someone who has talent but no virtue, and is despised by everyone. It's all because of... the prince Yang Yong. Your Majesty has a lot of knowledge.
If you want to use your talents, it would be appropriate..."
"Just because he is in the Ministry of Works, the Ministry of Works will inevitably be squeezed out by everyone. Your Majesty, you should think twice about planning for the future."
Li Po laughed and said to himself, you have finally found the right direction. He did not hesitate at all and said with some slyness: "I use this person because of his talent and expertise, so I don't care about the rest."
, Just like your old master, if I were twenty years younger, how could I dare to use him as my confidant without any doubts?"
He Chou was stunned for a moment, then smacked the taste. It was still the same as before, so comfortable that he was speechless.
Looking at the young His Highness the King of Han, He Chou could only say a word of admiration in his heart. This man has become a master in the art of playing and playing. It is estimated that even if he was born in the peaceful era and his family background was lower, he would still have a prosperous official career and create a great career.
What an enviable career.
Nowadays, it is natural for people to block small soldiers from one side, fight against them, occupy a land, and rank among the princes.
