A large army besieged the city, and the battle was fierce and dangerous.
A war between the two sides is about to begin, and countless lives will be lost in the war.
For the sake of those lives, Li Qinzai felt it was necessary to first clarify the relationship between the characters and determine whether Quan Xiancheng was the biological son of Quan Xiancheng.
If he's not his biological son, there might be a conspiracy involved.
Quan Xiancheng was very angry, as if he had been greatly insulted, and almost cut his wrist to do a blood test to prove his innocence.
"It's his biological son! Everyone in the Goguryeo Palace can testify, and the foreign ministers never lied!" Quan Xiancheng said with a blushing face.
"Okay, okay, I know you are my biological son. Your father is so powerful." Li Qinzai said perfunctorily.
Quan Xiancheng felt a bad breath in his chest. Today he met the Datang County Duke for the first time. As soon as they met and exchanged a few words, his blood pressure inexplicably rose a lot.
Why is it so annoying?
"Tell me, what is the situation in Cangyan City?" Li Qinzai asked.
Quan Xiancheng thought for a while and said: "My father was chased by the troops sent by Quan Nanjian, the traitor who usurped the throne. After escaping from Pyongyang City, he went all the way north. My father and son originally planned to defect to the Tang Dynasty and ask for asylum from the Tang Dynasty. However, they fled to
When we arrived at Cangyan City, the pursuers had already arrived, and they were blocked in front of us, so we really couldn't escape anymore."
"So my father ordered us to enter Cangyan City and wait for help, and sent me out of the city to ask for help from His Majesty the Great Tang Yinggong..."
Li Qinzai asked: "How many troops does your father have in the city?"
"There were originally more than 20,000 soldiers loyal to my father. Later, Quan Nanjian sent troops to chase them all the way. When they entered Cangyan City, there were less than 10,000."
"In other words, there are less than 10,000 defenders in Cangyan City now? What about the food and grass? How many days can the food and grass in the city last?"
Quan Xiancheng thought for a while and said: "There is not much food in the official warehouse in the city. If we ignore the life and death of the civilians in the city and only use the food to support the soldiers, it can last about half a month."
Li Qinzai glanced at him.
Putting aside topics such as morality and righteousness, the food in the city is only for the defenders and does not care about the lives of the civilians. Aren't you afraid of something happening?
In order to survive, the hungry civilians burst out with fighting spirit and fighting power that the army may not be able to suppress. If they take advantage of the situation outside the city to attack the city, huh, it's over.
From Quan Xiancheng's words, Li Qinzai probably understood that these father and son were not good people. Even if someone usurped the throne and became a bereaved dog, they only wanted to regain the royal power and did not care about the lives of common people.
"What's the situation outside the city?"
"On the outskirts of the city were Quan Nanjian's trusted generals, with about 20,000 soldiers and horses. Fortunately, during the Tang Dynasty's Eastern Expedition, Quan Nanjian was busy resisting. Most of the soldiers and horses in the country were transferred to the east bank of the Liao River, and more soldiers and horses could not be allocated for encirclement and suppression.
Father, otherwise Cangyan City would have been destroyed long ago."
Li Qinzai narrowed his eyes.
It is not a problem to defeat 20,000 troops head-on. It is easy to break the siege of Cangyan City.
But... since both father and son are not good people, Tang Jun will have to do it with ease when he saves them.
In fact, we are not familiar with each other. There is no reason for Datang to pay the price of casualties for this father and son.
When a cannon goes off, there is a thousand taels of gold. When asking for help, you must have an attitude of asking for help. Asking others to save lives without mentioning a word about the reward after saving lives is called ignorance.
"Your Highness, Prince Wang, why don't we stop saving him?" Li Qinzai asked tentatively.
Quan Xiancheng was shocked: "Why did Mr. Li County say this? Why didn't you save me?"
"Come, let me help you figure it out. Your father is trapped in the city and will die sooner or later. Although your father is the orthodox king of Goguryeo and has always been prestigious in the government and the public..."
"But under the current situation, even if your father is rescued, he will not be able to recover. It is a fact that the throne has been snatched away, and it is basically impossible for him to get it back, unless the Tang Dynasty destroys Goguryeo and supports your father as the leader of the country again...
…”
Quan Xiancheng said in a daze: "That's right, that's what my father thinks. Our father and son have surrendered to the Tang Dynasty and are willing to serve the Emperor of the Tang Dynasty. After the Tang Dynasty destroyed Goguryeo, my father regained the throne and are willing to serve as vassals of the Tang Dynasty."
country, I dare not or forget to pay tribute every year, and I will never rebel against the Tang Dynasty from generation to generation."
Li Qinzai smiled: "'Legal orthodoxy' is just a term. Your father is an orthodox king, and you can be too...as long as you are his biological son."
Quan Xiancheng took a deep breath, his eyes widened and then narrowed rapidly.
"Li, Your Excellency County Duke Li, don't...don't be joking!" Quan Xiancheng began to breathe rapidly, with a look of horror on his face.
"Am I kidding? Your Royal Highness, please think about it carefully. Your father is trapped in the city. If we, the Tang Dynasty, want to save him, we will have to sacrifice the lives of our soldiers."
"After being rescued, he may become the leader of Goguryeo. However, Datang made sacrifices and you took a huge risk. What did Datang and you get in the end?"
Quan Xiancheng was silent for a moment and said: "The Tang Dynasty has obtained the eternal allegiance of Goguryeo."
Li Qinzai sneered: "You can use this to trick women into sleeping with you, but don't use this to trick me. What about eternal allegiance? When your interests are not aligned, you will always do the opposite."
"If the Tang Dynasty did not save your father and allowed the enemy army to break into the city and cut your father into pieces, then the Tang Dynasty would not have to let the soldiers shed blood and sacrifice, and you would become the unique royal authority of Goguryeo.
After the Tang Dynasty destroys Goguryeo, we can support you to ascend the throne."
"So, in fact, the biggest obstacle in this matter is your father. If your father dies, you will get the throne, and the Tang Dynasty will avoid a bloodshed and sacrifice. It's the best of both worlds. How good it is."
Quan Xiancheng's cheeks twitched violently several times, and his breathing became more rapid.
Li Qinzai's words were like the temptation of the devil, and every word lingered in his mind.
The so-called father-son relationship is so fragile in the face of royal power. Human nature does not seem to have to suffer at this moment. The moment Li Qinzai finished speaking, Quan Xiancheng had an answer.
Li Qinzai looked at him coldly, with a cold smile on his lips.
How interesting, a few words can wipe out human nature. The principles of sages and sages that have been passed down for thousands of years, the human ethics of king, minister, father, father and son, seem ridiculous at this moment.
After a long time, Quan Xiancheng took a deep breath and his face gradually returned to normal.
"No, I can't agree." Quan Xiancheng smiled bitterly.
Li Qinzai was greatly surprised: "Why?"
Quan Xiancheng sighed: "Because if my father dies, I won't survive. I'm just the heir apparent. I have no prestige in the court or the army. If I see my father besieged and refuse to save me, even if I ascend the throne, others will not obey me."
Instead, it will cost me my life."
"The Tang Dynasty cannot protect me for the rest of my life. My father has had too many generals in the military center over the years. Even if Quan Nanjian is hunted down by Quan Nanjian as a traitor, there are still so many generals who are willing to follow him loyally. This shows his prestige. If I see
Those generals will not let me go unless I die."
The corners of Li Qinzai's mouth raised slightly.
It turns out that it was not my conscience that discovered it, but my fear of death.
So Li Qinzai said leisurely: "But... the soldiers of the Tang Dynasty paid the price of bloodshed and sacrifice in vain, in order to save a person who may rebel in the future, do you think it is appropriate?"
Quan Xiancheng said urgently: "As long as my father is saved, Goguryeo will never rebel against the Tang Dynasty!"
Li Qinzai laughed loudly. What he said was like a man saying to a woman after putting on his pants, I will divorce her.