Li Yuan, who was rubbing his temples, felt like he had a headache. He really had a headache.
In fact, he has been suffering from headaches for a long time. Ever since his second son raided the Central Plains last year and captured two kings alive, and after a short period of joy, he has been suffering from headaches for a long time.
Since ancient times, which founding emperor had a prince with such great military exploits?
And he’s not the eldest son of the emperor!
In fact, if he were the eldest son of the emperor, Li Yuan would have even more headaches.
Li Yuan, who was only in his fifties this year, had the courage and ability of a founding emperor, but he also vaguely felt that he might have made a mistake.
Last year, the second son Li Shimin made such military exploits, and the ministerial order was not enough to reward him. Li Yuan appointed "Tiancei General" and allowed Li Shimin to open a palace and build a tooth.
This was also a last resort. Could it be that by allowing Li Shimin to continue his attack to the south, would all south of the Yellow River really be included in the Shaanxi Province?
Maybe just put him in jail as a matter of fact?
The world has not yet been pacified, and the hero must be killed, and he is the second son... It doesn't make sense.
And Li Yuan couldn't do this... In the inner courtyard of the palace, father and son were treated as kings and sons instead of kings and ministers. Li Yuan obviously had special expectations.
But it was precisely because of Li Yuan's decision that the battle for the heir in the East Palace and Tiance Mansion officially started during the Wude period.
Because in the eyes of some people, this was Li Yuan's acknowledgment that Li Shimin was qualified to compete with Li Jiancheng for the position of the East Palace.
After Li Shimin returned to Beijing, he recruited many talents and had eighteen bachelors on his side. Li Jiancheng found it difficult to settle down.
In fact, Li Yuan could not feel at ease... It was not that he felt the threat that Li Shimin brought to him, but that the Tiance Mansion was reaching out to the court and entrenched itself in Li Yuan, and the ministers around the East Palace were all threatened.
But in fact, Li Yuan himself was trying to play the art of balance. Unfortunately, as the founding emperor...it is difficult to evaluate other aspects, and he is not good at this aspect.
For example, after today's incident, Li Yuan felt an unbearable headache and didn't know how to deal with it.
Looking at Li Shimin who was kneeling on one knee in front of him, Li Yuan rubbed his eyebrows, stood up and helped him up himself, "Erlang has always been strong, why is he like this today?"
"Father..." Li Shimin sighed with tears: "I heard that the music of breaking the formation was sung in the streets, and the child did not dare to argue, so he came to plead guilty."
"Don't worry, Erlang. Someone is trying to create a separation."
Li Shimin nodded in his mind, you are right!
A plan to drive a wedge between me and the boss, right?
"Please father, please punish me..." Li Shimin knelt down again, "Yuchi Gong forced himself into the county government office to question the criminal, injuring several people."
"Crime?" Li Yuan said angrily: "There is a folk song called "The Music of the King of Qin Breaking the Formation". For what crime was Chang'an ordered to be imprisoned?"
"I know Yu Chigong, who is brave, good at fighting, and loyal. He is not guilty of injuring a government officer!"
Li Shimin hesitated for a moment and said in a low voice: "It's not a government officer... it's a Changlin soldier."
Li Yuan had an even worse headache, groaned and sat down on the couch. From his point of view, the East Palace has been reluctant to send troops, and the Qin Palace has recently restrained itself. The popular song "Qin Wang Breaking the Formation Music" must not be written by the Qin Palace.
Erlang had long made it clear that he was willing to use Daxingtai of Shaanxi Province as a means of control for others, so that the Tang army could conquer Hebei and Shandong as soon as possible.
Moreover, Erlang has an arrogant temperament and would not resort to such sinister means.
On the other hand, over at the East Palace... Wang Gui, Wei Ting, and Wei Zheng all used similar methods.
The alienation plan mentioned by Li Yuan... was probably done by Dong Gong to alienate him and Erlang.
That's why Li Yuan had a headache. He had never thought of deposing his eldest son and establishing a second son, but today Li Shimin obviously wanted to challenge Dong Palace on this matter.
Although they are father and son, they are also emperor and minister. General Tiance, who has unparalleled military achievements, kneels down many times. This kneeling ceremony is not so pleasant.
Anyway, this time, the East Palace lost points with Li Yuan.
"Father, if eldest brother can't tolerate it... I would like to disperse the Sixth Guards Military Mansion..."
"Shut up!" Li Yuan shouted: "There is no need to mention this matter again. As a father, I have to make the decision and let Bishamon and Sanhu conquer Shandong!"
Just kidding, Liu Heitai made such a big fuss last year that many generals were defeated, but Li Shimin, with the left and right Liuhu military mansions of the Prince of Qin, won with one blow.
If they really disperse...will Donggong recruit them or kill them all?
How many people are from Wang Shichong, Dou Jiande, and Li Mi's old tribe, are they willing to capture them without mercy?
Yizhou Road is okay, but what about Shaanxi Road?
One bad thing is that the world will be in chaos!
Li Yuan made up his mind that his eldest son must send troops as soon as possible. He gritted his teeth and whispered a few names. Li Shimin's face changed slightly, sometimes he nodded, sometimes he lowered his head.
Two quarters of an hour later, Li Shimin returned to Chengqian Hall with a pale face.
"How?" Changsun Wuji asked in a low voice: "When will the East Palace send troops?"
Seeing that there were confidants on both sides, Li Shimin couldn't bear it any more, so he flew up and kicked away the Hu stool blocking the way.
It was really a helpless move to cleverly let people sing "The Music of the King of Qin Breaking the Formation"... This was the brainchild of Changsun Wuji, but Du Ruhui and Fang Xuanling did not approve of it.
But Li Shimin had no choice but to surrender the control power of Daxingtai of Shaanxi Province. However, the East Palace still made one request from the left and one from the right, that is, they refused to send troops... Changsun Wuji's move was an attempt to exert pressure and urge the East Palace.
send troops.
After all, the Turks broke through Beizhou and attacked Weizhou, so it was obvious that they would not return north for a while... Li Shimin was looking forward to his boss going to Hebei to suffer a few defeats.
There was a folk song called "The Music of the King of Qin Breaking the Formation", and his father was obviously suspicious of the East Palace, but Li Shimin didn't expect that his father would be so partial.
The East Palace actually wanted to recruit people from Tiance Mansion, and they were Huo Changsun and Qin Qiong, the leaders of the Xuanjia Army. This was unbearable for Li Shimin... Li Yuan objected, and he also knew that this had violated Li Shimin's bottom line, but he still
Three other candidates were proposed.
"Ren Guo Gong..." Fang Xuanling said hesitantly: "It doesn't matter if you serve as Guo Gong, what about the other two?"
Ren Guogong, Liu Hongji, had a very close personal relationship with Li Shimin. When they were still in Jinyang, they would ride together when they went out and sleep together when they went in.
Li Shimin sneered: "Zhang Gongjin, Zheng Rentai."
"Zhang Gongjin is a close friend of Cui Shu, the governor of Weizhou, who is a descendant of the Cui family in Qinghe. The two agreed to defect to the Tang Dynasty." Fang Xuanling said, "Cui Shu is now in the East Palace, serving as a lieutenant."
"Zheng Rentai joined the army with His Highness in his early years and has always been a direct descendant of His Highness. However, this person is a descendant of the Zheng family in Xingyang, and his cousin is the Crown Princess."
Du Ruhui, Changsun Wuji, and Fang Xuanling looked at each other in confusion. These three people were from the lineage of the King of Qin, but none of them served in the Tiance Mansion. It was not impossible to follow the prince in the expedition to Hebei, but the East Palace obviously wanted to poach people.
Liu Hongji had a good relationship with Li Shimin, but his relationship with Li Jiancheng was not bad either.
Zhang Gongjin's good friend Cui Shu is a descendant of the Cui family in Qinghe. Now Beizhou is suffering from Turkic troubles, and Cui Shu is the prince's confidant.
Zheng Rentai is even worse, he can barely be regarded as the prince's brother-in-law, and the Zheng family in Xingyang belongs to the prince's wife clan, and many of their clan members have taken refuge in the East Palace.
Du Ruhui said sternly: "This is absolutely not allowed!"
"One can make two or three. Zhang Gongjin got Li Shiji, and Yu Chigong recommended him. Zheng Rentai followed His Highness to defeat the Xue family and his son, Song Jingang, Liu Wuzhou, put down Wang Shichong, Dou Jiande... How can Your Highness abandon it?!"
Li Shimin nodded slightly. This matter must not be left ambiguous, but the East Palace is obviously stalling for time. It is almost November, it is already winter, and the Turks are about to return north.
Only when the news of the Turks returning to the grassland from the north reaches Beijing, the boss will go on an expedition... Li Shimin secretly bites his tongue when he thinks of this, it's so unfair!
The last time Liu Heita swept through Hebei, the main force of the Tang army led by Li Shiji was completely wiped out. The next day Li Shimin invited himself to go on an expedition.
But this time, it has been almost a month since Li Daoxuan was defeated, and the East Palace is still stalling for time.
At this moment, the sound of rapid footsteps came from outside, and it was Hou Junji, the cavalry general waiting on the right side of the Prince of Qin's palace.
"Your Highness, Li Shiji has sent a message and would like to invite Your Highness to visit us."
"Li Shiji?" Changsun Wuji and others were a little surprised. Speaking of it, Li Shiji did not work in Tiance Mansion, and he was not even part of the Qin Prince's Mansion.
Hou Junji leaned forward slightly and said, "Your Highness, someone is coming from Weizhou."
Li Shimin's eyes lit up and he stood up, "At the beginning of the year, I followed Gu to attack the Liu bandits, and made extraordinary achievements on the side of Luoshui. After returning to the capital, I haven't gathered together yet, and I was about to pay a visit."
Li Shiji's status was a bit embarrassing. He served successively as Li Mi and Dou Jiande, and after entering the Tang Dynasty, he followed Li Shimin to fight. However, it was the prince Xima Wei Zheng who recommended him to the Tang Dynasty, so he was always cautious and refused to get involved in the court situation.