Decades later, how will anyone remember the truth? He, Li Chengqian, was the ignorant and unprincipled prince, and he deserved his death. Guan Long, who launched the mutiny, became the great hero who killed the ignorant prince and the traitor and supported the imperial court.
Later generations worshiped and respected him, and he was called the pillar of the empire. Countless poems and articles praised his achievements and virtues.
However, now there is a variable like the Eastern Expedition Army...
What is Li Ji's position? Does he have the courage to go against the trend and bring order to chaos?
When all the nobles in the world are attacking the East Palace, can we stand on the side of the empire and become enemies of the world, just to protect our honor and righteousness?
If not, why bother to lead troops outside and watch all the elites from all over the world pour into Guanzhong instead of immediately returning to Chang'an to end the mutiny?
…
Zhang Shigui frowned and said softly: "The situation is in chaos right now. Even if the Duke of Yue brings troops to come back for reinforcements, it is difficult to say where the situation will go. Your Highness should still be cautious. If the situation goes bad, the veteran will immediately lead the Beiya Imperial Army and Baiqisi
Together, we will escort His Highness out of Xuanwu Gate and go to the Youtunwei camp."
Previously, when Li Chengqian heard the advice to evacuate Taiji Palace, he would often laugh it off, and his will was already firm in his heart.
But now that I have analyzed the strangeness of the Eastern Expedition army, I have inevitably changed my mind.
Eliminating family members, re-employing poor families, and concentrating imperial power were the lifelong ambitions of the father. He did not care which prince would eventually inherit his father's throne, but he could not let his father's legacy be cut off. Zhenguan had been prospering for more than ten years.
All your sleep at night is wasted.
The inheritance of will is a more important thing than the continuation of the throne.
If Li Ji really sat back and watched the fall of the East Palace, then it is conceivable that after King Qi ascends the throne, the powerful families in the world will seize the power of the court. All the policies of weakening and suppressing the powerful families implemented by his father in the past will be abolished, the imperial power will be emptied, and the common people of the world will be like before.
In the Sui Dynasty, the generals were once again reduced to slaves of the clans. Like dolphins and dogs, their ancestors used their blood and sweat to create wealth for the clans, providing them with bells and pans, food, and extravagance.
After a long silence, Li Chengqian said in a low voice: "The situation has not collapsed to that extent yet. It is not too late to think about it when the time comes."
In this regard, Zhang Shigui nodded and acknowledged: "It is indeed true. The Duke of Yue rushed thousands of miles to help, and his subordinates are all elites in hundreds of battles. Even though they lack firearms, they are by no means comparable to the Guanlong rebels. No surprise, Guanlong will definitely general
It’s a disastrous defeat, but now all the clans in Hedong and Hexi have given their full support. Although it suffered a temporary defeat, it will eventually fall into a stalemate."
Li Chengqian was a little disappointed: "Is it really impossible to win the battle and annihilate the rebels in one fell swoop?"
Although Li Jing, Li Ji, Yu Chigong, Cheng Yaojin and other famous commanders and generals are famous all over the world, Zhang Shigui's strategy and combat power are only inferior to Li Jing's, and he is no less generous and stable than Li Ji.
Surpassing Yu Chigong, Cheng Yaojin and others.
Otherwise, why would the father only entrust Zhang Shigui with the important tasks of commanding the Beiya Imperial Army, Su Wei Palace Imperial Guard, and guarding the Xuanwu Gate? These positions are not only capable of being filled with loyalty, but also require super abilities.
Therefore, Li Chengqian fully agrees with Zhang Shigui’s analysis...
Zhang Shigui shook his head and said: "The soldiers of the Duke of Yue are a mighty army, but they have been exhausted after thousands of miles of attack. Even though the Guanlong rebels are a mob, there are too many people. It is not easy to cross the Wei River. And the city
Waigao Kan's troops will be stationed at Xuanwu Gate and will not dare to leave without permission and the whole army will come to support them. Therefore, there will be a fierce battle on the banks of the Weishui River, and it will be difficult to determine the outcome in a moment."
In fact, this is not accurate. The victory or defeat is certain. Just Guan Long's ragtag group. Even if there are twice as many, how can they be the elite opponents of Fang Jun's command? It's just that the number of rebels is too many, even if they have wheels.
Tactics can also be used to stall for a period of time.
But now, what the East Palace lacks is time.
What's more, Fang Jun rushed back thousands of miles, and the entire Guanzhong and Longxi have been occupied by the rebels. It is bound to be difficult to maintain the supply of weapons and food, and there are many difficulties. It cannot be decided in one battle.
Li Chengqian had great trust in Zhang Shigui's ability. He didn't know anything about military matters, so he would naturally believe Zhang Shigui's words.
Therefore, he worriedly said, "I'm afraid Wei Gong won't be able to hold on for long."
No matter whether Li Jing is the "reincarnation of the military god", it will be impossible to fight with such a huge disparity in strength, and defeat will happen sooner or later. Although he has long believed in defending Taiji Palace and destroying the enemy, how can he be willing to lead these loyal ministers to Donggong Liu?
Will the righteous men die with him?
Before, he was helpless and despairing, and he was willing to fight to the death in Taiji Palace to show his pride as the crown prince. Now that Fang Jun has traveled thousands of miles to return, the situation has changed drastically, and naturally he can no longer talk about life and death.
But if Taiji Palace cannot hold on and falls early, then Fang Jun, who is rushing from outside the city, will have no choice but to defeat the Guanlong rebels head-on. The strategy of internal and external cooperation will completely fail, and the situation will become increasingly unfavorable...
This made Li Chengqian very depressed. The original excitement brought by the news of Fang Jun's attack and reinforcements had disappeared, and was replaced by confusion and anxiety about the current situation.
After all, the variables caused by Li Ji commanding hundreds of thousands of troops and leading troops outside are too unpredictable...
What does this Li Ji want to do?!
*****
Similarly, Changsun Wuji, who was recovering from his injuries in Yanshoufang while commanding the army to storm Taiji Palace, also felt unpredictable and very worried about the itinerary of the Eastern Expedition army.
The question is exactly the same - what does this person want to do?
In the room, Yu Wenshiji and another old man were sitting opposite the bed, looking solemn.
Changsun Wuji put the battle report in his hand on the bedside table, frowned at the old man, and asked, "What do Junwei think?"
This old man has white hair and a boyish face. He is obviously more than seventy years old, but he is energetic and has bright eyes. He is not as muddy as ordinary old men. He is Liu Gang, the head of the Liu family in Hedong, whose courtesy name is Junwei.
Hearing Changsun Wuji's question, Liu Gang stroked his snow-white beard under his chin and said in deep thought: "The British Duke has always been resourceful, but only Zhao Guogong can compare with him. How can an old and stupid person guess his true intention? I really don't know."
Changsun Wuji gently moved his injured leg, took a sip from the tea cup on the desk, and sighed: "The British are unparalleled in resourcefulness, how can they be matched by me? But now that they are leading troops outside, there are too many variables.
, I have to guard against it, but I don’t know how to guard against it.”
No one knows the fact that His Majesty Li Er has passed away better than him. Under such circumstances, Li Ji has hundreds of thousands of troops in his hands but is moving around strangely. It is really impossible to guess what he is thinking.
Because no one in the Eastern Expedition army can restrain Li Ji anymore...
When Liu Gang saw Changsun Wuji's easy-going demeanor, he completely let go of his worries and asked, "Where is Duke Yue arriving now?"
Although the Liu family in Hedong is also a member of the family, their strength is not strong. Even if the whole family contributes, it is difficult to win the favor of Changsun Wuji. Moreover, his nephew Liu Shi killed countless Guanlong soldiers in the foundry bureau, causing the death of Changsun Wuji.
Wuji's attempt to occupy the Foundry Bureau and seize firearms for attacking the city was completely defeated. It is hard to believe that this "yin man" would not vent his anger on the Liu family in Hedong.
In fact, His Royal Highness the King of Jin clearly informed Changsun Wuji that he would not inherit the throne at this time, which caused a huge loophole in Changsun Wuji's plan.
The Hedong Liu family is the maternal family of the Jin Princess Wang family...
Changsun Wuji had an easy-going look on his face, as if these things had never occurred to him before, and replied: "In less than two days, we will arrive near the Zhongwei Bridge, and a war will break out at any time."
Although the war has not yet started, everyone knows that this will be an extremely brutal battle. If they want to block Fang Jun in the north of the Wei River, the Guanlong army will have to pay a huge price.
Liu Gang breathed a sigh of relief and said: "Fortunately, at noon tomorrow at the latest, the troops sent by various families in Hedong will arrive in Chang'an. By then, they will be at the disposal of Duke Zhao without any complaints."
Yuwen Shiji, who had been silent all this time, suddenly asked: "How many troops will the Pei family in Hedong send, and who will lead them?"
Liu Gang was stunned for a moment and said hesitantly: "I don't know. I only heard that the Pei family dispatched about five thousand soldiers, led by Shangshu Zuocheng Pei Xizai, who set off from Hedong at about the same time as my family."
Yuwen Shiji shook his head, and Changsun Wuji also looked calm.
The surnames in Hedong have a long history. They are clan clans that are older than the clan clans in Guanlong. Among them, the one with the deepest roots, the greatest power, and the most famous reputation is none other than the Pei family in Hedong.
, no matter the strength or influence, it is definitely not comparable to the Hedong Liu family.
However, this time in response to Guan Longzi's call (coercion), only five thousand soldiers were sent, led by Shangshu Zuocheng Pei Xizai...