They are all killers who have experienced life and death on the battlefield, and there is no mercy in their hearts.
Now that you have taken action, you must do everything possible, and leaving anyone alive may bring hidden dangers of family ruin and death to your future.
Hundreds of soldiers followed Zeng Shi's instructions and began to clean the battlefield. Each time they lifted up a corpse, they stabbed it several times to make sure the corpse was dead before carrying them to the dense forest on the roadside. .
The blood on the ground had seeped into the soil, and they sprinkled fine dust on the road to cover up the blood stains on the ground. The scene was soon cleaned up. If you didn't look carefully, no one would know that a tragic incident had happened here. A fight to the death.
While Zeng Shi was busy with his troops, Li Ji, who had been standing for a long time, straightened his clothes and walked up to the carriage.
The curtain of the carriage has been opened, and the old man inside is sitting cross-legged with a calm expression. He does not feel angry or sad at all when all the dead soldiers under his door are slaughtered. His expression is like a pure onlooker, and everything has nothing to do with him.
Li Ji walked up to the old man, smiled at him, and bowed: "The southern ancestor of the Li family in Zhao County, Li Zhengzao?"
The old man in the carriage smoothed his beard and said calmly: "Yes, it is me. The heroic Duke Li Ji, whose name I have admired for a long time."
Li Ji smiled heartily and said, "I learned that my husband is going to Chang'an, and I am here to greet you. I hope you won't be surprised if you are rude."
Li Zhengzao sneered: "The greeting ceremony for the British Duke is quite grand, I have learned from it."
Li Ji chuckled and said: "Welcoming you twenty miles outside the city is a courtesy from the princes. Although my Li family is not a rich family for thousands of years, it has never lacked etiquette."
After speaking, Li Ji took two steps back and said with a smile: "The scenery here is quite good, and the food and wine have been prepared by the roadside. Sir, why don't you get out of the car and move around, so that you and I can have a drink together?"
Li Zhengzao nodded calmly: "Okay, I can't refuse such kindness. I'm sorry for bothering you."
After Li Zhengzao got off the carriage, the two old men moved to an open space by the road. On the open space, there was a straw mat, two futons and a low table. As expected, there was wine and food on the table.
Looking at the food and wine that had been prepared, Li Zhengzao had a complicated expression on his face and sighed: "I was slow to calculate a step. The hero is worthy of being the most intelligent and courageous among the three armies. He anticipated the enemy before he could. I admire him!"
Li Ji didn't look proud, he just extended his hand politely: "Sir, please sit down."
The two of them knelt down opposite each other. Li Ji took the initiative to hold the glass and toasted Li Zhengzao with a glass of wine.
Li Zhengzao finished the drink in one gulp, put down the wine cup, and sighed: "I'm afraid the enmity between your family and my family will never be resolved, and it will be difficult for future generations to eliminate it."
Li Ji said calmly: "Sir, with more than a hundred dead men, came from the ancestral home in Zhao County. What is the reason?"
Li Zhengzao had a gloomy face and said nothing.
Li Ji's words were very sharp. He was telling Li Zhengzao that the feud between the two families did not start from this moment, but from the moment Li Zhengzao set off from his ancestral home with more than a hundred dead men, and it could no longer be resolved.
What did Li Zhengzao come to Chang'an with more than a hundred dead men?
He came to kill Li Qinzai.
Killing Li Ji's grandson is already a mortal enemy. How can Li Ji just sit back and watch?
This was the reason for today's ambush and interception of the dead soldiers of the Li family in Zhao County.
Li Zhengzao said with a stern face: "Today you killed more than a hundred members of the Li family in Zhaojun. Have you ever thought about the consequences?"
Li Ji said calmly: "Now that I have decided to take action, I have thought clearly about the consequences. However, the consequences may not be what you think, and you may be very disappointed."
"Why?"
Li Ji turned his head and looked in the direction of the Tai Chi Palace in Chang'an City. He smiled meaningfully and said, "Sir, you know that at this moment, there is a fierce fight in the Tai Chi Palace. Your and my grandchildren are weighing their weights in the golden palace." . ”
Li Zhengzao sneered: "So what? No matter who among them wins or loses, if you kill a hundred members of the Li family in Zhao County today, your Li family will be in a state of eternal doom."
Li Ji stroked his beard and laughed: "I have led troops in battles all my life, how can I be a brave and reckless person? If I don't have the confidence to deal with the aftermath, how can I dare to lead my troops to ambush, intercept and kill? Sir, I haven't been to Chang'an for a long time, I'm afraid I don't know what's going on in the world anymore. . ”
Li Zhengzao's heart sank.
Although they were enemies, Li Zhengzao did not dare to doubt Li Ji's reputation at all.
Since Li Ji said this, it shows that he is really confident. Perhaps the Li family of Zhao County neglected something important in this battle.
Sure enough, Li Ji was silent for a long time and suddenly said: "Sir, do you think the person who wants to be an enemy of the Li family in Zhao County is my grandson Li Qinzai?"
"if not?"
"My grandson Li Youdao coerced my grandson. When bribery failed, he turned to threats with the intention of manipulating the imperial examination and demanding fame. Could it be that the person he offended was my grandson?"
Li Zhengzao's eyelids twitched and he sneered: "The so-called imperial examination is just a formality. Since the emperor came to the throne, there have been several imperial examinations. In every time, the candidates were not all from the aristocratic families. Only twenty-three out of ten were admitted from poor families. My grandson Li Youdao wants to What’s the point of a few titles? It’s not like there are no benefits.”
Li Ji smiled and shook his head: "It was possible before, but not now. Sir, the direction of the wind has changed."
Li Zhengzao had an ominous premonition in his heart and said, "Why did the Lord Ying say this?"
Li Ji sighed: "The emperor is a promising king, and there are many scholars in the world. How can all the fame and official positions be occupied by aristocratic families? If the children of poor families have no chance, it will not be a good thing for the world and the imperial power. Therefore, in this imperial examination, the emperor wants to take it. , most of them come from poor families.”
"My grandson Li Youdao dared to offend the emperor at this time, tried to manipulate the imperial examination, and even dared to threaten the current examiner. But he didn't know that the attitude of my grandson Li Qinzai was actually the attitude of the emperor. Li Youdao killed The horse threatens not my grandson, but the emperor."
Li Zhengzao's old face suddenly turned pale.
It was only at this moment that he finally realized the seriousness of the matter.
Li Ji smiled at him and said: "It is a great treason to order my grandson to kill a horse, but you, as the head of the southern ancestor of the Li family in Zhaojun, dare to bring more than a hundred dead soldiers into the capital to assassinate my grandson Li Qinzai. Sun is more courageous, guess what the emperor's attitude will be?"
Li Zhengzao's heart was shattered, and his old body couldn't help but tremble slightly.
As Li Ji said, he was far away in Zhao County and no longer knew what was going on in the world, so he made the big mistake today.
Li Zhengzao led his dead men to Chang'an because he received a letter from Li Youdao. Li Qinzai killed thirteen people in Li Youdao's mansion. This revenge must be avenged.
From the beginning to the end, both Li Zhengzao and Li Youdao always believed that this was a battle between two families, and never thought that this matter would violate the emperor's imperial power.
After Li Ji explained in a few words, Li Zhengzao finally realized how much he was seeking death.
This is no longer a personal risk to one's future and life, but a disaster to the entire family.
Seeing the drastic change in Li Zhengzao's face, Li Ji smoothed his beard and smiled calmly and said: "So, since I dare to kill more than a hundred dead soldiers of your Zhaojun Li family, I won't be afraid of the consequences. The one who really needs to be afraid of the consequences is you, Zhaojun Li." Sir, have you thought clearly?"
After a long time, Li Zhengzao spoke with difficulty: "Tai Chi Palace, the court meeting in Tai Chi Palace..."
Li Ji sighed and said leisurely: "Counting the time, the court meeting should be over by now. You, the Li family of Zhao County, should wait for the Emperor's resignation."
As he said this, Li Ji filled up two glasses of wine and held the glasses with a smile: "Seeing each other means parting. I am very reluctant to leave you, sir. I wish you a safe journey, come and have a good drink."
Li Zhengzao's hands and feet were cold, and the glass of wine in front of him seemed to be as heavy as a thousand pieces, and he couldn't hold it up.
Li Ji ignored him and drank the cup in one gulp.
Putting down the wine cup, Li Ji sighed with satisfaction, then stood up and said to Zeng Shi, who was waiting on the side: "Send the order, retreat!"
Zeng Shi clasped his fists to accept the order, waved his hand, and shouted: "Retreat!"
Hundreds of robes disappeared instantly from both sides of the road like ghosts. The middle of the road was covered with dust, as if nothing had happened, and it was as peaceful and deserted as usual.
Li Ji got into the carriage with Bu Qu's help and drove away.
Li Zhengzao was still sitting at the low table, dumbfounded and stunned.