"There's no need to be polite. You guys returned to Chang'an from Daizhou without stopping, and you rushed into the palace in such a hurry. You must have something important to report to me, right?"
Li Yuanji took advantage of Li Shentong to give Ma Sanbao a step before he attacked Ma Sanbao.
Ma Sanbao said in a deep voice: "Your Highness, please move outside the palace. There are people who need Your Highness to come out in person before they are willing to come out."
Li Yuanji was stunned for a moment.
Li Shentong sneered unceremoniously: "Who is so proud that I, the Prince of the Tang Dynasty, need to see him in person?"
After the Tang Dynasty defeated the Turks, it was already considered the overlord.
In the whole world, only outsiders can meet Li Yuanji, but Li Yuanji has no chance of meeting outsiders in person.
Ma Sanbao didn't say anything, just quietly holding his fists and shrinking.
Seeing this, Li Yuanji couldn't continue to find steps for Ma Sanbao. He could only say in a joking tone: "Okay, then I will go and meet him. If the person you brought back is not worthy of me meeting in person, I can
I can’t spare you.”
Ma Sanbao still said nothing, but stood up and made a gesture of invitation.
Li Shentong snorted coldly: "Pretending!"
Li Yuanji didn't speak again, got up and walked out of the hall.
When they arrived outside the palace, they saw two carriages that were not very gorgeous and even somewhat broken, parked under the stairs. Four hundred soldiers were guarding the carriages, not allowing anyone to get close.
Li Yuanji did not go down the stairs, but stood on the stairs condescendingly and said loudly: "Who has such a great reputation that I need to greet him personally?"
Four hundred soldiers knelt down on one knee and shrank.
The curtain of one of the carriages was opened, revealing a petite face. After the petite face completely opened the curtain of the carriage, a woman who was not luxuriously dressed, but was extremely noble.
, sitting in the carriage as steady as a mountain.
Li Yuanji didn't have much impression when he looked at her. He just felt that the woman must have been a first-class beauty when she was young. Even Zheng Guanyin was inferior to her.
Although she is already old, her foundation is really solid. Anyone who takes a look at her will say without hesitation that when she was young, this woman was definitely a beauty that captivated the country.
When Li Shentong saw the woman, he was stunned for a moment, and then looked shocked.
Before Li Yuanji could speak, Li Shentong murmured to himself: "This person... is really qualified for you to welcome him personally."
Putting aside the woman's past identity, her kinship with the Li family alone was enough for Li Yuanji to welcome her in person.
It's not that their status is still noble, but that their seniority is higher.
When Li Yuanji heard Li Shentong's words, he roughly guessed who the woman was.
In the whole world, the only one who has such a strong foundation and needs to be personally welcomed by him is the former Sui Empress Xiao, that is, the six famous emperors.
Regardless of his identity, in terms of relationship, he has to call her cousin.
Although my cousin had been slaughtered by Yu Wenhuaji, the Tang Dynasty was established on the basis of my cousin being slaughtered by Yu Wenhuaji.
Moreover, without identity, seniority and kinship relationships become particularly prominent.
Therefore, as a junior, it is necessary to welcome him in person.
"I am from the Yang Xiao family. I wonder if I can be worthy of being welcomed by His Highness the King of Qi of the Tang Dynasty?"
Mrs. Xiao in the carriage spoke at this time, with an edge as soon as she spoke.
Yang Xiao, especially the Yang in front, is very harsh.
Li Yuanji slowly took a step forward, cupped his hands slightly and said, "Cousin Li Yuanji, I have met my cousin."
Mrs. Xiao sighed and said: "Is this world finally yours, Mrs. Li? I, the elder, are here, but you are still condescending and refuse to be inferior to me."
Li Yuanji smiled calmly and said: "My cousin was joking. If it were in private, it would not be an exaggeration for my cousin to kneel down to greet me. But officially, he was the prince overseeing the country of the Tang Dynasty.
I can bow my head or kneel, but Datang cannot bow his head, let alone kneel."
Mrs. Xiao slowly nodded and sighed: "In the past, your uncle was also so domineering, and the Sui Dynasty also followed his domineering attitude.
Buried into dust. Shrunk
I hope you don't follow in the footsteps of your cousin uncle."
Mrs. Xiao was not saying nice things, she was just recalling the past.
With her status, she does not need to say good things to anyone in the Tang Dynasty. Even Li Yuan, who is the most respected person in the Tang Dynasty, knelt at her knees in the past.
Li Yuanji smiled and continued: "Thank you for your teachings, my cousin. I will definitely work hard to make the Tang Dynasty stronger and will never follow in the footsteps of my master."
Mrs. Xiao didn't seem to be interested in talking, so she nodded lazily and said, "I hope so."
Speaking of this, Mrs. Xiao said calmly: "Now I am a lonely person. I can't do anything, and I can't serve you and my son. You and your son have snatched me here and you don't know how you are going to place me?"
These words were very vicious, as if Li Yuanji had snatched her here just to serve their father and son.
Li Yuanji smiled helplessly and said, "My cousin is joking, I will find a secluded house in the city for you to stay. If you have any requests, just ask, and I will satisfy them one by one."
Mrs. Xiao was obviously stunned for a moment, and said with some surprise: "Aren't you going to take me into custody?"
After all, she was still the queen of the previous dynasty, and many civil and military officials of the Tang Dynasty were her subordinates.
She wanted to know, was Li Yuanji not afraid of her contacting her old department, or was it that the old department came to her with evil intentions?
Li Yuanji smiled heartily and said: "We, the Tang Dynasty, now dominate the world, and have defeated the Turks, and have already won the hearts of the people. Cousin, what can you do as a prostitute?"
Li Yuanji knew what Xiao was talking about and was very confident about it.
The former Sui Dynasty has disappeared into the dust, and restoring the country is as difficult as ascending to the sky.
Moreover, few people now want to regain the former dynasty, and few are willing to risk their lives for the former dynasty.
All careerists want to be emperor themselves, so it is impossible to help the Yang family restore the country.
Historically, Li Shimin placed the Xiao family in a secluded courtyard in Chang'an City, and did not see any commotion from the Xiao family.
Li Yuanji believes that it will be the same when he is in power.
Mrs. Xiao sighed with surprise, "You are more broad-minded than your uncle. I think you will definitely accomplish something in the future."
Li Yuanji said politely: "Thank you very much, cousin, for the compliment."
Mrs. Xiao nodded and chuckled: "Your cousin is not as easy to deal with as me. You should make some preparations as soon as possible."
After saying this, without waiting for Li Yuanji's reply or the person in the other carriage to comment, he said with a smile: "Okay, send someone to take me down.
The whole journey has been so tiring that my bones are almost falling apart, so it’s time for me to rest.”
Li Yuanji savored Xiao's words carefully, and while he was shocked, he told Liu Jun: "Take someone to send my cousin down to rest, and the food and clothing will be provided according to my mother."
In short, treat Xiao with the same attitude as the queen.
Of course, it is limited to food and clothing, not status or authority.
This is also done to show the world.
Some people who have grudges against Li and are afraid of Li making a list will put aside their worries and come out to do things for Li when they see that Li treats Xiao so favorably.
Some wise men who had received favors from the previous dynasty and were unwilling to contribute to the Li family would also put down their obsessions and serve as officials for the sake of the former Sui empress.
All in all, giving the Xiao family some generous treatment and getting many talented people to contribute to the Tang Dynasty is definitely a very cost-effective deal.
"Here..."
Liu Jun agreed and hurriedly led people to Xiao's carriage.
Mrs. Xiao asked her maid to lower the curtain of the carriage, and left without hesitation accompanied by Liu Jun.
After Mrs. Xiao left, there was only one carriage and four hundred soldiers left under the stairs.
Li Yuanji waved his hands to the soldiers and said, "You should retreat first." He shrank back.
The soldiers said "hey" and retreated to one side.
Li Yuanji took a deep breath
Angry, he faced the rest of the carriageway: "Cousin, do you want to continue to stay in the carriage?"
With Xiao's reminder, Li Yuanji knew that the person in the remaining carriage was the former Sui Yicheng Princess who was married to the Turks.
Princess Yicheng is the daughter of Yang Jian and the sister of Yang Guang. Although she has no blood relationship with the Li family, she is still a relative.
Li Jing, An Xinggui, Ma Sanbao and even Yicheng, the Turkic Kehe Dun, all came here, which really surprised him.
You know, the Turkic Kehe Dun is equivalent to the empress of the Tang Dynasty.
Moreover, it has also been superimposed with the marks of three queens, and status in Turks can be said to be extremely valuable.
Jieli became noble after inheriting the position of Turkic Khan, and during the reign of Qimin Khan, she was Kehe Dun, the queen of the Turks.
The political significance represented by Yicheng is extraordinary.
That is to say, Yicheng had nothing to offer, and he had no blood relationship with Jieli. The Turks suffered heavy losses from the Tang Dynasty this time. Otherwise, the Turkic army would have started to attack the Tang Dynasty crazily, asking for their freedom.
Congratulations.
However, even so, Yicheng was taken back to the Tang Dynasty, which was enough to embarrass the Turks.
"Li Ni! My father and brother, the Li family, treat you well, why do you want to usurp the Yang family's empire?!"
As soon as Yicheng opened his mouth, he began to call for punishment, his voice was very sharp and full of hatred.
The maid in the carriage also lifted the carriage curtain at this time, revealing an angry face.
Before Li Yuanji opened his mouth, Li Shentong's face darkened and he shouted: "How outrageous! You are the princess of the former Sui Dynasty, not the princess of my Tang Dynasty. How dare you speak nonsense in the palace of my Tang Dynasty!"
Yicheng stared and gritted his teeth and said, "That's the truth. You still want to deny it?"
Li Shentong wanted to retort, but Li Yuanji raised his hand to stop him.
Li Shentong looked at Li Yuanji in confusion, but Li Yuanji stared closely at the box in Yicheng's hand.
Li Shentong followed Li Yuanji's gaze and saw the box in Yicheng's hand. He was shocked and his pupils dilated little by little.
"Li Yicheng should be beaten!"
Li Shentong gritted his teeth and said, shrinking.
Li Yicheng is the second son of Li Xiaochang, the king of Nghe An, and the guard of Tonghua Gate.
The first time Li Shentong saw the box, he understood why Ma Sanbao beat Li Yicheng.
Li Yicheng must have relied on his status to see who was sitting in the carriage, so he was beaten by Ma Sanbao.
It was not his place, Li Yicheng's, to peep at such an important thing while being escorted.
Even his father, Li Xiaochang, and his uncle were not qualified to peep.
"is that true?"
Li Yuanji stared closely at the box in Yicheng's hand and asked without moving his head, his voice trembling slightly.
An Xinggui and Ma Sanbao nodded heavily, their faces flushed, and they looked very excited.
"It's true... I asked her to take it out for inspection, but she refused to hand it over even after saying anything, otherwise I would have sent it back long ago."
