In a house in the southeast corner of Chang'an City, a middle-aged man with a gloomy expression was walking back and forth. This man was none other than Li Shiji, a famous general in the early Tang Dynasty. He was also one of the few who was able to die a good life and had to end everything.
Li Shiji was a young man who was good at fighting, good at both civil and military affairs, and good at using tricks. He was considered loyal to the Tang Dynasty because of Li Mi.
But in fact, Li Shiji fell into a whirlpool after entering Wagang Village... to be precise, it was after Li Mi entered Wagang Village.
Li Mi and Zhai Rang fought, and Li Shiji was almost hacked to death on the spot. Later, when he defected to the Tang Dynasty, he was forced to serve as Dou Jiande, and even his father almost lost his life.
Therefore, after entering the Tang Dynasty, Li Shiji had always been cautious and did not dare to go overboard, for fear of falling into the struggle for the right to inherit the throne between the East Palace and the Qin Palace.
But today, with his old friends facing each other and his hometown in danger, Li Shiji had to make a painful choice... The key to the problem is that he did not inform him, and his old friends found other ways. When the King of Qin heard that he was unwilling to recommend him, he would definitely regard him as his own.
East Palace.
Hearing the sound outside the door, Li Shiji personally opened the side door and welcomed several people into the house.
"Meet Your Highness."
"We are old acquaintances, why would you give me such a great gift?" Li Shimin smiled heartily and helped Li Shiji up with his own hands.
Li Shiji spoke righteously, "In the past, on the battlefield, we could not give full courtesy. Today, Beijing and China have invited us rashly, and we want full courtesy."
Li Shimin felt relieved after hearing this. Although he said it tactfully and did not express his loyalty, Li Shiji was such a cautious person... After all, Li Mi was already dead.
The only people who came with Li Shimin were Du Ruhui and Changsun Wuji. The four of them walked towards the backyard while Li Shiji introduced the people in a low voice.
"Zhang Wenguan was a descendant of the Zhang family in Qinghe. He was born in Weizhou. After the Turks broke through Beizhou, he went south to Wei. His ancestor Zhang Yanzhi served as an official in the Northern Wei and Northern Qi. His father Zhang Qianxiong was the magistrate of Yangcheng."
Changsun Wuji raised his eyebrows and said, "I know Zhang Yanzhi, Viscount Wucheng. This man has extraordinary literary talent and martial arts skills. He can fight in close combat and be beheaded in person. He is an important general under the command of the Prince of Qinghe County."
The prince of Qinghe County is Gao Yue, the famous clan general of the Northern Qi Dynasty. Gao Yue's grandson is Gao Shilian, Changsun Wuji's uncle.
In a roundabout way, Zhang Wenguan is related to Gao Shilian. If he can be related to Gao Shilian, then he can be related to Changsun Wuji, and then he can be related to Li Shimin.
"Meet His Highness King Qin..."
"Don't get up." Li Shimin took two hurried steps and pressed Zhang Wenguan down on the couch, who was about to get up. "At such a young age, if you don't rest for three days and ride a horse in a hurry, you need many days of training."
Fifteen-year-old Zhang Wenguan was a little cautious. He looked at Li Shiji and then half-leaned on the couch at Li Shimin's insistence. He was indeed very tired and had just fallen asleep.
After everyone sat down, Du Ruhui first asked the most concerning question in the capital, "Where did the Turks raise their troops after they broke through Beizhou?"
"Going south to attack Weizhou, there are about 30,000 cavalry. Later, Liu Heitao marched eastward from Luozhou, combined his troops, and stormed Guantao." Zhang Wenguan said angrily: "I will cross the river from Weizhou and enter Hedong from Shaanxi Road. I will see with my own eyes
I saw that the King of Qi had tens of thousands of troops, but he stopped moving forward!"
Everyone exchanged glances. How could Li Yuanji send his troops northward without orders from the East Palace?
What's more, the only three remaining prefectures in Hebei Province, Qi Shanxing and Tian Liu'an, are all working part-time in the Sixth Army of the Qin Dynasty. Cheng Mingzhen followed Li Shimin to defeat Liu Heitao at the beginning of the year. Li Yuanji was eager for Liu Heitai to attack these three prefectures.
Seeing that Du Ruhui wanted to ask more questions, Li Shimin coughed twice and changed the topic. You must know that the Zhang family in Qinghe is the second largest family in Shandong after the Five Surnames and Seven Families.
"In the first battle of Xiabo, the Huaiyang King's brother was nowhere to be found. Zhigui came from Shandong. Do you know anything about it?"
"The King of Huaiyang is currently in Guantao." Zhang Wenguan licked his dry lips, his voice slightly hoarse, "Brother Huairen wanted to capture Gushe alive, and exchanged for the King of Huaiyang outside the city of Guantao. The marching commander Xue Zhong and others
Ten Generals."
"Ashina wants to set up a valley?"
"The eldest son of Jieli Khan?!"
Du Ruhui and Changsun Wuji blurted out, their expressions were quite shocked. It is no exaggeration to say that although Yugu is not the overlord of the grassland, it has a very high status. Starting from Shibi Khan, the Turkic Khans have always been brothers.
But it is very likely that in the tenure of Jieli Khan, it was passed down from father to son.
Li Shimin was stunned for a while and then said: "The King of Huaiyang survived... Uh, who is Huairen?"
"Oh..." Zhang Wenguan then remembered that Ling Jing had just picked it up not long ago, "Huairen is the name of Brother Li Shan."
After more than a month, Du Ruhui and Changsun Wuji were a little shocked when they suddenly heard this name. They had heard that Prince Li Shan praised Wei Zheng for washing his horse, but they also knew that Li Shan had not been heard from since escorting grain and grass to Hebei.
Li Shimin couldn't help but curled his lips quietly, this guy is really capable of tossing things around!
After entering Beijing last year, a lot of commotion had been caused in Chang'an in the past few months, and it only happened once or twice in front of me.
This time I went to Hebei and even saw dragons entering the sea... I tried my best to catch them alive.
Changsun Wuji asked curiously: "Li Shan is also in Weizhou?"
"He was escorting the grain and grass to Xingzhou, how could he be transferred to Weizhou?"
Zhang Wenguan shook his head and said: "Brother Huairen came south from Jizhou."
Seeing that Changsun Wuji still wanted to ask, Li Shimin coughed twice and interrupted. Of course he now figured it out. Li Shan must have gone to Li Daoxuan... His wife once wrote a letter asking Li Shan to bring it to Li Daoxuan.
Taking the hot water from Li Shiji, Zhang Wenguan drank a few sips before continuing: "Before the battle at Xiabo, Brother Huairen urged the King of Huaiyang that the right time, place, people and people are all in hand, so don't waste the battle."
"It's a pity that the King of Huaiyang didn't listen to the advice. Brother Huairen immediately left the city and went south. On the way, he encountered a Turkic horseman and captured Yugushe."
Li Shimin's expression remained motionless, but Du Ruhui had a look of perseverance, but he didn't say anything... After all, Li Shan was no longer under Li Daoxuan's command. After several admonishments, he even exchanged Yugushe for Li Daoxuan, which was the end of benevolence and justice.
"What's the real situation in the next battle?" Changsun Wuji asked in a low voice: "I heard that Shi Wanbao stopped moving forward?"
Zhang Wenguan sighed: "The King of Huaiyang led five thousand fine cavalry and broke through the formation. The Duke of Yuan claimed that he had the edict of a saint and sat back and watched as the King of Huaiyang fell into the formation."
"Later, the King of Huaiyang was defeated and captured. Tens of thousands of Turkic cavalry swept across the army, and the entire Tang army of 30,000 was wiped out..."
Following these words, the room fell into silence, and Li Shimin and others all looked gloomy. They naturally wondered why Shi Wanbao, the deputy general manager of the march in Hebei Province, was carrying the edict of a saint?
The army went out for battle, and the orders were strict. There was no two days in the sky, and the army had no two masters. The sage Li Yuan was also used to fighting on the battlefield, so he would not understand this truth.
It could only be the work of Prince Li Jiancheng of the Eastern Palace. Only he had the qualifications to ask for a sage's edict, and only he had the reason to check and balance Li Daoxuan, who was of the Qin king's lineage.
Li Shimin sighed deeply. He only thought that Li Daoxuan sent troops on his own initiative and was defeated. He did not expect that it was also related to the dispute between himself and the East Palace.
Changsun Wuji lowered his head and wondered in his mind whether this proved that Dong Palace had long coveted Hebei and Shandong...
Sorry, I'm really busy these days. I won't have any free time until the CIIE ends on the 10th.