Chapter 7 The Golden Age (Part 7) Could it be that the general knew what Li Shimin had done to him? The moonlight was getting colder and colder, and there was a chill extending from Shi Defang's neck to his tailbone. If the general knew what Li Shimin had done to him
What? Why did he join forces with the Li family in Hedong? This is impossible?! Shi Defang couldn't believe his judgment. He turned his head and looked around, trying to get some help from his companions, but no one around him could guess him.
What is on his mind, and no one knows the plans he and Xie Yingdeng have discussed
Now, Xie Yingdeng is lying unconscious on the hospital bed in Zhangjiabao. Before Li Zhan fell into coma, had this person arranged for his capable men to go out? Shi Defang didn't know, and there was nowhere to find the answer. The only thing he could tell himself was,
There are many things in life that once done, there is no turning back. Once you take the first step, you must continue along the established path, even if the road has no end at all.
Under the feet is a road trodden by soldiers, and at the end of the road is the Great Wall. Under the bright moonlight, the Great Wall looks extraordinarily majestic. The guards on duty hold the long pole tightly and patrol between the crenellations and the beacon tower. They are not as strong as the Germans at that time.
I think a lot, but I don’t feel cold. I just stick to my commitments and responsibilities conscientiously.
"Maybe I'm worrying too much!" Shi Defang comforted himself secretly. He glanced at Li Xu again and saw that the general's face was still calm as usual, which made him feel slightly relieved. Yes, if Li Shimin
If the Detachment of Women refuses to come to the rescue even though they know they are in deep danger, then there is nothing to worry about. It is just that if the soldiers come to block it and the water comes to cover it, the Boling Army will not be defeated. From now on, the general will realize more clearly that the Li family in Hedong is not the end.
The candidate for troubled times. If the Li family cannot end the troubled times, will the general give up the six counties of Boling? Since he takes protection as his responsibility, he will bravely accept his own destiny.
Thinking like this, Shi Defang felt that his body temperature had returned to his own body, cheered up and made some analysis of the possible new situation with his colleagues, then he left and walked back to his military tent with a smile, falling asleep under the moonlight.
There will be another fierce battle tomorrow! And it is not the last fierce battle. There will be more things to do in the future and the road will be longer!
Under the same moonlight, some people were tossing and turning. The performance during the day was so frustrating. No one could have imagined that the gap between the Hedong Army and the Boling Army was so huge! What is even more frustrating is the performance of the Hedong generals after the war.
, Jiang Baoyi has no fighting spirit, Yang Wenxuan is insensitive, and even Chen Yanshou, who is the oldest and most cautious, what he did today was so inappropriate that he actually challenged General Li and his own mastermind's authority in public!
"Bring me Chen Changshi!" Li Jiancheng became more and more angry as he thought about it. He walked to the door of his military tent and shouted outside. In his memory, Old Changshi had never disobeyed him, even if he sometimes said
What is he going to do if he doesn't do it right? Is he really too old and becomes confused when he is tired?
"No!" There was a voice outside the door in agreement, and then he quickly walked away. Li Jiancheng sighed, turned back to the table, and continued to worry about the candlelight. He was not worried about the risks of tomorrow's battle. Since the moment he met Li Xu,
Since then, the other party has never worried him. He is worried about the lack of talents around him. His younger brother Shimin has Liu Hongji and Hou Junji. Recently, I heard that they have recruited two famous scholars, Fang Xuanling and Du Ruhui. And he
Here, there is no one who can stand alone as a hero. The only reassuring counselor, Chen Yanshou, is getting older and his temper is getting weirder and weirder.
Back then, Uncle Chen was not like this. In the entire Tang Gong's mansion, if there was something he couldn't solve, no one else, whether it was Ma Yuangui or the eldest grandson Shunde, could not think of a suitable solution. Moreover, the old man paid great attention to each other's status.
Even if he succeeds in everything he does, he rarely takes credit, preferring to give his heir apparent a chance to get ahead and help him take care of everything he needs to do.
Thinking of Chen Yanshou's contribution to his work for so many years, Li Jiancheng's heart began to soften again. He walked to the door again and ordered the guards outside: "Go and boil a big pot of tea. Don't add salt and spices. The tea should be strong."
Uncle Chen likes to drink strong tea!"
The guards agreed again and trotted to prepare. Li Jiancheng rubbed his dry eyes and braced himself to wait. Now he began to think that Chen Yanshou was eager to send troops for a decisive battle. There must be sufficient reasons, but Lao Changshi shouldn't directly put it to him.
Tell him the reason, but blindly let people take the trouble to guess
It’s not that he, the leader of an army, is too lazy to think too hard, but that there are already a lot of things to do here, including hundreds of thousands of troops, food, drink, supplies, transportation and expenditure. What kind of things do not require his careful arrangement? This is where Li Jiancheng’s strengths lie. Back then,
Whether it is Huaiyuan Town or Honghua County, he has taken care of the entire Li family's government affairs in an orderly manner. Now on the Great Wall, the logistics of all the armies also rely on him to prevent it from becoming a mess. One person's energy is limited.
Yes, he was exhausted after dealing with all these government affairs every day. How could he still find the time to play riddles with his family?
I had to tell Uncle Chen that we were all part of the same family, and there was no need for him to go around and around. Li Jiancheng quickly came up with the simplest solution and felt much calmer. At this time, Chen Yanshou's voice rang from outside the door.
With a little breath, "Your Highness, the veteran Chen Yanshou has been ordered to come here to ask for instructions from His Highness!"
"Please, please, please, Uncle Chen, don't be polite!" Li Jiancheng hurried to the door of the dormitory with a smile on his face. "I just have something to ask you. I didn't pay attention to the time. Uncle Chen, please don't blame me for disturbing you so late."
rest!"
"Your Majesty, you're welcome!" Chen Yanshou came in with a smile, "I'm getting older and I'm no longer so sleepy. The smell of tea is so strong. Thank you for taking care of me, Your Majesty!"
"I specifically told them not to add salt and spices when it was just cooked." Li Jiancheng rubbed his hands happily, "I still remember Uncle Chen's habits. When we were in Huaiyuan, you just liked this bite!"
The soldier who had already been smart filled the tea cup and helped the host and guest sit down on the bench. Then he tiptoed out and closed the tent door. Chen Yanshou blew in the hot air and showed some admiration in his eyes, "This is a product from Junshan area."
I didn’t expect the prince to be able to get this kind of spring tea in this time of war and chaos.”
"It was brought from the imperial palace when I was in Chang'an. It has been stored for more than half a year, and the taste has been reduced a lot!" Li Jiancheng smiled and told the other party that drinking tea at Gongqing's house has its own set of procedures for boiling, mixing, brewing and sifting. It is as straightforward as this
The practice of drinking with boiling water is simply an insult to politeness. Fortunately, Chen Yanshou likes this vulgar way of drinking, so the preparation is much easier.
After drinking two cups in succession, Chen Yanshou finally stopped breathing heavily and looked at Li Jiancheng with turbid and soft eyes, asking in a low voice, "The Crown Prince is looking for me, do you want to ask me why I insist on an early decisive battle? Has it not happened that the Crown Prince hasn't done anything yet?"
Do you want to come up with it?"
"I didn't think about it!" Li Jiancheng smiled awkwardly and put down the tea cup. The tea without salt and spices tasted a little bitter, but it was indeed very refreshing. "I was thinking just now that Uncle Chen must not be acting on a whim. Since Zhong Jian agreed, naturally
I will also try my best to arrange for me to stand at the top of the city and wave the flag for you, so there is no need to worry!"
"Knowing people and making good use of them, using them without any doubt is the way to be a king!" Chen Yanshou nodded gently and expressed his appreciation for Li Jiancheng's "magnanimity". "The same was true for Mr. Tang back then, but Mr. Tang has experienced many things and his eyesight is sharper than that of the prince."
!”
"Of course I can't compare with my father!" Li Jiancheng responded humbly, "Uncle Chen is here to strategize, and Zhong Jian is the one who leads the charge. My talents are only suitable for trivial chores such as preparing food, transporting grass, resting equipment, etc., so that you can wait without worries.
I am very satisfied!”
"The Crown Prince is very skilled in government affairs, which has indeed relieved a lot of our burdens." Chen Yanshou nodded slowly, agreeing with the other party's statement, "But has the Crown Prince considered what to do in the future? I mean, how will the Crown Prince plan to arrange everyone after this battle?"
A way out?"
"I think that even if we win tomorrow, the battle will not be over so quickly. I plan to pay close attention to Zhongjian's place and also capture the group of people who came to Hero Building last night. Many of them are Fan Kuai and Ji Buzhi.
Talent, as long as their demands are not too much, I am ready to give them all. After the place is settled, I plan to send people to Dou Jiande to find out what he has to say. From Wang Fubao's performance, I found that this person is not a simple bandit. If
What if we can make him submit to the imperial court like Xu Shao, and give him great wealth?"
Chen Yanshou's eyes never left Li Jiancheng's face. He was very happy when he saw what the other party said. He smiled and agreed, "Of course it would be best if we can calm down the war. But who could have expected how big the ambition of Prince Dou is? Didn't the prince think about himself? What will happen to him in the future?
planning?"
"Just follow father's arrangements! Anyway, there will be many battles to be fought in the south!" Li Jiancheng blurted out without even thinking, "But what does this have to do with Uncle Chen's eagerness for a decisive battle? Could it be that if the war is delayed for a month or two, it would be safer to fight?
, will it have such a big impact on the future?”
"It's not a big or small problem!" Chen Yanshou frowned and began to sigh secretly in his heart. Prince Jiancheng was trained by Li Yuan to be a good steward since he was a child. If he were to be a minister or governor, he would be a first-class candidate.
After the Ming Dynasty, it is not difficult for the family to enjoy eternal wealth. But he is the prince of the Tang Dynasty now? How can he be qualified if he is only good at handling government affairs?
"What's that for? Why is Uncle Chen frowning? I've just thought about it. I'm not good at things. Uncle Chen can just remind me directly that you watched me grow up, so there's no need to be taboo about anything!" Li Jiancheng poured a cup for Chen Yanshou himself.
Tea, reiterated with a smile
In an instant, Chen Yanshou's face showed an unconcealable touch. As a minister, he could let his lord be so frank. What else could he complain about? The only thing to blame is that he is not as talented as Zhuge Wuhou and can't shoulder the important task.
After taking a sip of tea, the elder Shi Heng made up his mind and asked, "Didn't you hear, Your Majesty, that the Supreme Emperor has already left Hexi?"
"Yang Guang, it's time for him to have such a day and he can trust the Yuwen family's loyalty?" Li Jiancheng shook his head regretfully. The family has been suppressed by Yang Guang, so he doesn't have any good impression of this overlord.
"After the Emperor went to the west, there were people in the capital who have been suggesting that the young emperor should follow the example of Yao and Shun. I guess that after the current battle is over, the king of Tang should also take his rightful place!"
"Don't talk nonsense!" Li Jiancheng took a sip of tea and used the bitter taste to wake himself up. Chen Yanshou's prediction was exactly what he hoped for. However, the capital was too far away from the fortress. It would take at least half a month for anything to happen there.
There is news that if my father really ascends to the throne, the Li family will become the best family in the world. He, the heir apparent...
Suddenly, he thought that he might be the prince, his hands trembled and he almost dropped the tea cup on the ground.
"The next step for the King of Tang is to establish a crown prince!" Chen Yanshou lowered his voice slowly for fear that more people would hear him, "With his military exploits and his many years of service to the family, the crown prince is naturally the number one prince.
The choice of the crown prince is related to the destiny of the country, and the ministers will inevitably have some different suggestions!"
"I believe that my father will make the right decision!" Li Jiancheng vaguely felt the reason for Chen Yanshou's riddle, shrugged his shoulders, and made a free and easy look. He knew that his second brother Shimin would definitely argue at this juncture that he was just a heir apparent.
position, the younger brother has already regarded his elder brother as a thorn in the prince's side. The position of the prince is even more tempting, and there is indeed no shortage of people around his father who are good friends with his younger brother.
But my achievements in the past and today's military achievements, he cheered for himself in his heart. "So Uncle Chen hopes to defeat Gutuolu as soon as possible and offer a gift for his father's enthronement! Uncle Chen planned well, but I was too stupid.
I can’t imagine this level!”
"No!" Chen Yanshou shook his head gently, "With Zhong Jian and so many heroes assisting him, the prince will definitely be able to achieve extraordinary feats in the battle on the fortress. But has the prince ever thought about it? The second young master's military exploits have always been as good as yours. He has also arrived in Hedong.
Anxious to achieve the same feat of protecting the country!"
"The Detachment of Women is stationed in Loufan and Guan Shimin's soldiers and horses are stationed in Taiyuan." When it came to the Battle of Hedong, Li Jiancheng was more confident, "Even if the credit is counted, Wan'er's military exploits are the main one, Shimin just helped!"
"What I'm most worried about now is that the second young master refuses to help!" Chen Yanshou couldn't help it any longer, and sighed loudly that almost all of Li Yuan's direct children were raised by him. Deep down in his heart, Lao Changshi had already
These people regard him as his own nephew, and he is unwilling to sow discord between brothers Li Jiancheng and Li Shimin. Moreover, these words are related to the emperor's family affairs. If he talks too much, he will only get burned. But if he doesn't say it, Li Shimin is indeed in trouble.
Pressing forward step by step, it is about to repeat the disaster of the previous dynasty. Once such a tragedy occurs, it will inevitably devastate the vitality of the Li family. I am afraid that he, the commander of the Zuo Army, will not end up well in the end.
Therefore, Chen Yanshou became more and more disappointed with Li Jiancheng. It was a disappointment that hated iron but not steel. If the two brothers were in a different position, why would he directly behead the one who deserved it? I understand. With just one look, Li Shimin already knew what to do.
How to gain the upper hand
Li Jiancheng didn't speak for a long time, sitting blankly on the bench, the tea cup in his hand was already dry, and he kept sipping the air one after another. He couldn't believe that Li Shimin would act so ruthlessly, and he would stand still when he saw Li Waner in danger.
, in order to get the maximum benefit in the end. But if he wants to surpass himself in military exploits, Li Shimin must be ruthless this time to let the Detachment of Women suffer a defeat first, and then rush forward to turn the tide. In this way, the eyes of the world will be nervously focused on Hedong, what happened in
All battles in Zhuojun will be eclipsed
Seeing that Li Jiancheng didn't speak, Chen Yanshou had no choice but to continue to point out the seriousness of the situation, "If the second young master stands still, Wan'er will definitely fight a very difficult battle. Shibi Khan's troops will not be less than Gu Tuolu, as well as Liu Wuzhou and others."
Man is the master of the tiger! If the war goes against our will on the west route, the Turks will easily divide their forces and insert themselves behind us. Then we will all be attacked from both sides. Even with Zhong Jian here, I am afraid it will be difficult to turn the tide!"
"There are many heroes in the Detachment of Women. Although Wan'er is born as a girl, she is absolutely handsome, Uncle Chen. When it comes to martial arts, she is not inferior to me. When it comes to strategy, she is not inferior to me either. Wang Yuantong, Qi Po Ning, Qiu Shili, Li Zhongwen
, Xiang Shanzhi..." Li Jiancheng trembled and repeatedly emphasized that the Women's Army's greatest hope lies with Wan'er. If Wan'er is not defeated, nothing will happen next.
"So, in the battle tomorrow, Zhong Jian must win. We must end the battle here as soon as possible so that we can free up our hands to assist Wan'er. There has been no news from her side for more than ten days. It must be very difficult!"
"I will definitely try my best to send someone to help tomorrow!" Li Jiancheng promised with an unprecedented seriousness, "But Wan'er's side, will Wan'er's side really lose?"
"Without the help of the Boling Army, the crown prince would have been able to defeat Gutuolu alone!" Chen Yanshou's words were like a wake-up call, instantly shattering all of Li Jiancheng's wishful expectations.
"No!" Li Jiancheng raised the empty tea cup, took a deep breath of air, and then slammed the tea cup on the table. "If he dares to be so heartless, I will definitely not spare him! My Li family
, How can there be such a heartless person in our Li family!"