Chapter 1 Feathering (Part 2) Coming out of the meeting hall, Changsun Wuji and Hou Junji, who were following Li Shimin, were both a little unmotivated. Regarding how to seize the opportunity to seize Boling, the two of them had prepared a lot of things in private.
A convenient and feasible solution, but today's topic had just begun when Liu Hongji blocked them and pushed them back. Not only did the two lose an excellent opportunity to showcase their talents, but it also left an impression on Mr. Tang that he was greedy for merit and cold!
It’s really not worth the loss!
"Has the Second Young Master ever provoked Brother Hongji recently? Why is he targeting us everywhere today!" Changsun Wuji said angrily as he walked away, "It's obviously a rare and good opportunity, but when he said it, we all became snobs.
How can a small person achieve great things like Song Xianggong? Now the six counties of Boling are clearly a piece of fat. Even if we don't take action, Luo Yi, Dou Jiande and others will not let it go! When the time comes, it will be others who will become stronger, and they will definitely suffer.
It’s us!”
"Brother Hongji is a visionary, but he cares so much about favors that he abandons public service for personal reasons!" Hou Junji clenched his hands so tightly that his joints turned white. "It's true that he and General Li are friends, but
Now is the critical moment to win the championship, the more strength you have, the more confidence you have!"
"Maybe he has his own considerations. My father once said that Hongji is not smart in small things, but he rarely makes mistakes in big things!" Li Shimin was not as angry as his two confidants. He smiled and responded in a low voice.
"Then it depends on how you measure the size!" Changsun Wuji shrugged his shoulders and commented with a sneer, "Mount Taishan is not big even if a leaf obscures your eyesight!"
"If you take personal relationships more seriously than state affairs, you are going in the wrong direction!" Hou Junji's words were as sharp as a knife and had a sour taste.
"Okay, okay, you two, stop complaining. My father has experienced a lot. Since he is willing to accept Hongji's opinion, it means that they have seen things that we have not seen. Think about each other's perspective more than us.
It makes more sense for a few people to slander him in private!" Li Shimin glanced at his two confidants and shook his head with a smile.
He also did not agree with today's conclusion, but he instinctively maintained Liu Hongji's personal respect. This was not because he had a handle in the opponent's hands. After all, the Li family's rebellion in Hedong was now a foregone conclusion, and the rumors were not groundless. Moreover, the Li family was in
Hedong has been preparing for such a long time. It is impossible for the court to not notice any clues.
"I always feel that the second young master should go to see Tang Gong again. If he states the interests and benefits in detail, he will inevitably be misunderstood by mediocre people!" Although his lord has already spoken, Hou Junji is still unwilling to put aside his own opinions temporarily.
"Second Young Master is right. Mr. Tang and his friends have more experience and must think deeper than us!" Changsun Wuji was not as stubborn as Hou Junji. He smiled and accepted Li Shimin's criticism happily.
Thinking from another angle, perhaps we can come to a more comprehensive conclusion. This is a view that Li Shimin has been advocating among his confidants for a long time. Changsun Wuji tried to imagine himself as Liu Hongji. After lowering his head and thinking hard for a moment, he suddenly stopped.
, and patted the back of his neck hard.
A knowing smile came to the corner of Li Shimin's mouth, "How about it, Wuji, have you thought of the reason why Hongji insisted that the Li family not send troops to Hebei immediately?"
"I guessed that the second young master is really smart!" Changsun Wuji's smile became more obvious and he answered very simply.
"I just guessed some clues. My father is far better at judging people than I am. Brother Hongji is really not confused about things!" Li Shimin took a deep breath and said very humbly.
Hou Junji was the only one left who didn't know what was going on. He frowned with a big Sichuan character between his eyebrows. "What are the Second Young Master and Brother Wuji talking about? Why can't I understand at all? Isn't it true that the truth is not like what I was waiting for before?"
Is it expected? Or is there something unexpected going on?"
"There is nothing unexpected, Junji, you are a general, but you are not suitable for guessing these twists and turns!" Li Shimin gently patted Hou Junji's shoulder and comforted with a smile, "But there is no need to be depressed, brother Hongji is our age
It’s more than twice as long as you have more experience, so you’ll naturally be able to look at problems more carefully!”
"Based on what he said today?" Hou Junji was not convinced by Liu Hong at first, but when Li Shimin said this, he became even more jealous.
"Yes, based on what he said today!" Li Shimin put away his smile and replied solemnly, "Brother Hongji doesn't want to cause trouble. You and Wuji should not take the initiative to provoke him in the future. He may not be as good as you in using troops, but
When it comes to treating others, they are too strong on us!"
Seeing that Hou Junji was still confused, Li Shimin shook his head and ordered in a low voice: "Wuji, please tell me first, what on earth did Hongji take notice of his father today, so that he was finally left with several seniors?"
Discuss the matter!"
"I made a random guess. If I'm wrong, please ask the Second Young Master and Junji to correct me!" Changsun Wuji pondered for a moment and said slowly.
"Brother Wuji, please enlighten me!" Seeing Li Shimin and Changsun Wuji speak solemnly, Hou Junji had to extinguish the evil fire in his stomach first, raised his arm, and made a gesture of invitation to Changsun Wuji.
"Many folk customs, such as funerals and sacrifices, are not so much to make the deceased live more comfortable in the underworld, but rather to show the living people!" Changsun Wuji glanced around and then lowered his voice.
"If Tang Gong wants to fight for the world, he must accept the hearts of the wise people in the world. That's why Brother Hongji said, 'Even if the dead don't know how to be grateful, the living will have a judgment in their hearts.' You and I were only concerned about whether
It is beneficial, but Brother Hongji's point of view is whether it is reasonable to conquer the world is not a child's play. There will definitely be some people here who will die halfway
, if it were you or me, would we hope that if we just died, our wife and children would be left to others to plot?"
"How can these two things be confused? Li Zhongjian didn't die for Duke Tang!" Hou Junji was heartbroken by the question. He breathed for a long time before retorting in a low voice.
"But in the eyes of outsiders, he is a side branch of our Tang Dynasty. He was defeated and died because of the Li family!" Changsun Wuji nodded, and his eyes instantly became extremely deep. No matter what Liu Hongji did today was through precise calculations.
, or out of his heart, it is a very important lesson for him, 'Sometimes the solution that seems to be the most beneficial is not the most appropriate solution.' When he was practicing self-cultivation in the past, he didn't quite understand this sentence of his senior.
Now, Changsun Wuji deeply understands the essence of it
"But, there are gains and losses in this..." Hou Junji had completely understood Changsun Wuji's meaning at this time, but he still regretted missing a good opportunity. "Alas! Brother Hongji's consideration is indeed right, but..."
.”
"Not only that!" Li Shimin put his arms around the shoulders of his two confidants, lowered his head, and added in a voice that could only be heard by three people, "Luo Yi can't defeat Boling for a while, and if Qier can't hold on, the only way
The reinforcements are from Hedong. We send troops a few days earlier and a few days later. There is not much difference in the results. In addition, the more critical point is that both brother Hongji and the father commander believe that Zhongjian is still alive. If he returns to Boling safely, he will add insult to injury.
The person who is definitely the first to be unlucky!"
"Alive!" Hou Junji and Changsun Wuji were startled by Li Shimin's inference. Their eyes widened and they asked in unison.
"Yes! Alive!" Li Shimin nodded, "I also suspected that Zhong Jian cheated his death to escape, and now I am more and more convinced of this judgment. With Li Mi's show-off character, if he really killed Zhong Jian, he would have been killed long ago.
Hanging it on the wall of the village, why is it still unwilling to publicly display the results of the war? Moreover, when the Liaodong Army was defeated, the people and the earth were both alive, and aid and food were exhausted. Even hundreds of thousands of Goguryeo people were not able to trap Zhongjian to death. Now he is glorious.
With Liu Changgong and Zhai Rang, these two groups of sworn enemies, can they still do what hundreds of thousands of Goguryeo people who share the same hatred have failed to do?"
"But there is no news from him yet!" The truth came so suddenly that Hou Junji, who was unprepared, instinctively chose to doubt
"If he is allowed to return to Boling, wouldn't everyone be in great trouble!" Changsun Wuji thought further, frowning and reminded, "Once he finds out that the rumors are spread intentionally..."
"We haven't done anything. The Hedong incident is about to happen. It's normal for some rumors to spread!" Li Shimin clapped his hands gently, cleaning the space between his two palms.
"Indeed, the imperial court has spies everywhere! Half a month ago, Li Jing, the prime minister of Mayi County who fled to Taiyuan from Liu Wuzhou's command, was still among the refugees and was nowhere to be found. He must have reported to the imperial court!" Hou Junji said this time
He reacted quickly, shrugging his shoulders with a cunning look on his face.
"That guy is really talented and learned, but his luck is a bit bad!" When mentioning Li Jing, the Prime Minister of Mayi County, Changsun Wuji felt a bit of admiration on his face. "This man was deeply loved more than ten years ago."
He was appreciated by Yang Su, but unfortunately he had bad luck, and his ambitions were always hard to achieve. He finally became a county magistrate in a border county, and was always suppressed by Wang Rengong and Liu Wu on Tuesday. I once persuaded Duke Tang to accept him into the palace, but Duke Tang was against him.
This person is so prejudiced that he would rather put it aside than arrange some chores to try his skills."
"It doesn't matter. Since the imperial court has abandoned him for more than ten years, it will not let a person of unknown origin take on a big responsibility at a critical moment. What we need to consider now is not him, but how to get along with General Li after returning to Boling.
!" Li Shimin waved his hand and said very grandly.
"After suffering such a big setback, he should know that he can't stand alone!" Hou Junji responded with a smile.
"I guess Tang Gong, Brother Hongji and others are currently discussing how to handle this matter and take care of his family when his whereabouts are unknown. It is better than waiting for the truth to come out and change the course! If Hedong needs to send people to transport baggage and food to support Bo
Ling, I hope the second young master will take the initiative to take over this task and not let it fall on others!" Changsun Wuji thought for a moment and reminded in a low voice.
Li Shimin just thought about it briefly and understood Changsun Wuji's original intention: "I will ask my father to join me tonight!" He gave the other party a knowing smile and nodded in agreement.
After experiencing a betrayal, it was difficult for Li Xu to remain loyal to the imperial court. As a 'prince' with very limited strength, he was an urgent target for Hedong to win over. Even if he would not join Tang Gong's camp for the time being, he could still serve as a barrier.
, the person who blocked the westward march of the heroes of Hebei and was ordered to send envoy to Boling at the critical moment, and provided help in times of need on behalf of Hedong, will receive the unanimous gratitude of Boling and will naturally become the link between the two families.
Li Shimin is willing to be this link. In fact, if he is not forced to do so, between friends and enemies, he would rather choose to be friends with Li Xu. After all, since he was fourteen years old, the tall figure riding a black horse has been his imitation object.
, In addition to the machinations originating from the Duke's family, in other aspects, Li Shimin has traces of the other party in almost every move he makes. He is like a perfected Li Xu, with skills that are not inferior to the other party, and not inferior to the other party.
The other party's courage is not inferior to the other party's commanding ability, and he has removed the inherent cowardice and softness formed in life. Given the same opportunity, he will do better than Li Xu, and personally
The achievement will be much higher than that of Xuzi
"I have no intention of harming you. It's your own stubbornness that has led to the disgrace of the world. I hope that after going through some hardships, you will become more experienced!" Li Shimin whispered quietly in his heart, his young face full of sunshine.
Throughout the afternoon, he spent the whole afternoon in the study room discussing the specific details of his mission to Hebei with Changsun Wuji and Hou Junji. At the moment, Tang Gong himself couldn't escape, and his son Jiancheng was far away to contact old friends. Who could represent the Li family in Hedong?
He is the only candidate left. Therefore, if you start making preparations early, the task will be completed much more easily.
What was frustrating was that when Li Shimin rushed to his father to ask for a tassel, he received a negative answer.
"I have decided to send Hongji. He has more combat experience than you and can help Zhen'er with advice at critical moments." Li Yuan glanced at his son and said coldly, "And he has a close friendship with Zhongjian and with the Boling Army."
Some of the generals who came from the food protection team at that time are also familiar with each other, and it is easy to understand each other. Even if there is a momentary disagreement, it will not cause any misunderstanding!"
"Zhen'er grew up with me. Is there any overnight feud between brother and sister? I did push her a little bit last time, but we talked about it later and neither of us took it to heart!" Li Shimin laughed.
Laughing, she explained to her father in a low voice, "The result of the last discussion with my sister was not ideal, but this time is different from last time. First of all, the goals are different. Secondly, right now, Zhen'er is supporting the overall situation of the six counties by herself. What is most needed is someone from
Family comfort”
"Zhen'er may not take it to heart, but you know that you have always had a top-notch temperament since you were a child. Even if you temporarily compromise with others, you will get very angry afterwards and once you get angry, you will ignore it!" Li Yuan said sarcastically.
face, and the tone of speaking gradually became more serious
"When I was a child, I was naughty and misbehaved, and it was true that I got into trouble for my grandpa. But now that I have grown up, how can I be the same as before?" Li Shimin was startled by the wording and tone of his father's words. He stood up straight and answered with a smile on his face.
"This matter has been settled. You should seize the time to train those county soldiers. When your brother comes back, we will immediately send our troops south." Tang Gong Li Yuan did not want to argue too much with his son, so he raised his voice a little and ordered
"Don't you want to wait any longer?" Li Shimin was very disappointed in his heart, but he chose to obey on the surface. "I always feel that we are not fully prepared, especially the back road. Liu Wu and Zhou's ambitions are extremely unstable. Once they learn that we are leaving Taiyuan, they will definitely immediately
Come in full force!"
"I have already proclaimed myself a minister to Shibi Khan, and as I am also a minister of Shibi Khan, Liu Wuzhou will definitely have some scruples!" Li Yuan sighed and said very helplessly.
"The Turks only want to reap profits and will not stand up for us. Grandpa, this deal may be a bit of a loss!" Li Shimin also sighed and reminded.
The decision to surrender to the Turks and enlist their aid was the one he disliked most about his father's choices. It was even more disappointing than the decision to reject his mission to Boling just now. When he moved to Yanmen with Li Xu, he had witnessed it with his own eyes.
The tragic conditions in the counties captured by the Turks are hell on earth! In the eyes of the Turkic wolf riders, the people of the Central Plains are all prey, and they are not treated by the same kind of hunters at all. Naturally, the more they kill, the more capable they are, and in their hearts
There will be no mercy
"I also know that this move is just to deceive myself and make my subordinates feel at ease." His father's voice rose higher and his anger surged, making Li Shimin want to turn around and run away. "But I won't make a big deal out of it."
Is the flag made of tiger skin? Before anything could be done, someone leaked the news. Not only did Zhongjian lose, but Jiancheng, Yuanji, and Wan'er had to run back in a hurry. Even their old friends
I haven’t contacted Quan and Zhiyun. Although he was not born from the same mother as you, he is still your brother after all. As soon as the news leaked, he was immediately captured by the officers and soldiers and sent to Chang’an. Before we could turn our family into a country, his head was gone.
It's hung on the city wall! If we delay it any longer, until Chang'an and Luoyang are ready, will we be able to capture two strong cities on our own?"
‘Liu Hongji betrayed me!’ In an instant, Li Shimin felt cold from head to toe, as if his whole body
