Cheng Wuting thought for a long time and finally came up with an answer that he thought was reasonable: Li Jing did it on purpose...
Deliberately sending Liu Yanjing, a rookie, to lead troops into battle, and then deliberately causing a defeat?
What's the reason?
It makes sense that Liu Dewei, the father of Liu Yanjing, wanted to have a close relationship with the Guanlong clan, perhaps because he wanted to take the opportunity to suppress the only remaining noble Guanlong in the court.
But just to suppress Guan Longxungui, he would not hesitate to suffer a huge defeat that is very likely to lead to the erosion of the situation?
If this is really the case, it’s scary to think about it...
Cheng Wuting looked at Fang Jun with dumbfounded eyes and stammered: "Well...could it be that Duke Wei deliberately wanted a defeat? In order to lure those people with ulterior motives to jump out, and then kill them all... What a good plan!
But although this plan is clever, it is also dangerous. If you fail to kill the snake and get bitten instead, the gain will outweigh the loss."
Fang Jun: "The villain dies from talking too much, and the supporting character dies from knowing too much... You know too much."
Cheng Yaojin swallowed his saliva and kept silent, but his heart felt like a turbulent sea.
If the speculation is true, then Fang Jun asked himself to keep an eye on Li Daozong. Is it because Li Daozong was secretly colluding with the rebels and would rush into the Tai Chi Palace to kill the emperor at the critical moment and seek to usurp the throne?
If this is really the case, and his mission is to guard Taiji Palace, when Li Daozong rushes from Xuanwu Gate to Chongxuan Gate, he will have to lead his army to intercept it... Think about the thousands of elites in Xuanwu Gate, some of whom are great ancestors.
Descendants of the emperor's "Yuan Cong Forbidden Army" and part of His Majesty Li Er's "Xuanjia Iron Cavalry", their combat power...
Cold sweat dripped from his forehead.
It’s not that he’s worried that he won’t be able to defeat him, but that the consequences of failure are too serious and definitely not something he, a mere lieutenant general, can bear...
Fang Jun drank water, looked at his nervous look, and said with a smile: "The sharp edge of a sword is sharpened. If it has not passed a truly severe test, how can it be successful? But there is no need to worry too much, Jiangxia County
The probability of the king's rebellion is extremely small, and the army will secretly come to reinforce him tomorrow."
Hearing that there were reinforcements, Cheng Mingzhen hurriedly asked: "Which army is it? What is its combat strength?"
Fang Jun put down his tea cup, looked out the window at the autumn scenery in the rain, and said leisurely: "The combat power is naturally first-rate, and each of them is good at fighting and not afraid of death. As for which army it is... we will keep it secret for the time being."
Cheng Mingzhen was puzzled: "Why secret reinforcements?"
"If Xuandemen sends more troops to deter all the troops, then who will dare to attack Taiji Palace? If no one comes to attack Taiji Palace, how can you sharpen your abilities? If your abilities cannot be sharpened, Your Majesty
How can I promote and reuse you in the future?"
Cheng Mingzhen: "..."
Is it okay if I don’t work hard? Is it okay if I don’t want this opportunity for His Majesty to promote me?
It's too dangerous...
*****
"Penetration" is often mutual. The right garrison guards are constantly infiltrating into Xuanwu Gate to gain insight into the movements of Xuanwu Gate. By the same token, how can the garrison at Xuanwu Gate not infiltrate into the left and right garrison guards?
Since the day when Li Daozong took control of Xuanwu Gate, he had been constantly infiltrating into the two military camps outside the city gate, using all possible methods such as bribery, coercion, and spying. After all, Xuanwu Gate was backed by Taiji Palace and was equivalent to an isolated city.
The retreat is that once the left and right garrison changes, the situation is too dangerous. If the left and right garrison changes and you cannot detect it in time, you will be too passive.
In the night, the Xuanwu Gate was covered with shadows, and the lights above and below the city were swaying in the wind and rain, flickering on and off. Li Daozong was sitting in the duty room below the city, listening to his lieutenants' reports on the situation outside the city.
Liu Renshi stood solemnly on the side of the table and said respectfully: "The news has been sent back. Cheng Yaojin stood still and watched as Yuchi Gong crossed from the north side of his barracks and rushed to Shenheyuan. Liang Jianfang led 3,000 soldiers to fight in Duqu's formation.
The enemy was outnumbered and the entire army was wiped out. After Yuchi Gong led his army to Shenheyuan, he set up camp for temporary repairs and will set off for Chang'an early tomorrow morning. Duke Wei has sent Liu Yanjing to lead an army of 10,000 to evacuate from the Bahui Water Defense Line and rush to Hongguyuan.
In the Fengqiyuan area, we are trying to resist Yuchi Gong's army."
"Liu Yanjing?" Li Daozong thought for a while and then remembered who Liu Yanjing was. He frowned and said, "This son is young and weak, and his abilities are not obvious at all. He does not have the grace of his father to be both civil and military. How can he be entrusted with such an important task by the Duke of Wei?
"
Liu Renshi said: "Liu Yanjing can't be considered a dandy. He still has some abilities. He is the best among the only remaining Guanlong disciples. He may not be able to achieve something in the future, but he can command three to two thousand people.
, has absolutely no ability to command an army of ten thousand people, so Duke Wei’s move was a bit ill-considered.”
His father, Liu Hongji, and Liu Yanjing's father, Liu Dewei, had a close personal relationship. Not only were they of the Guanlong lineage, but they were both "Taiyuan Yuan Cong" of Emperor Gaozu. They were extremely close to each other and knew their roots well.
Li Daozong's eyes flashed, he thought for a long time, and sighed: "It is indeed a good thing to lure a snake into an urn, but sometimes you get bitten by a snake. It is not wise to take such risks."
Liu Renshi was puzzled, but did not ask.
Li Daozong sighed with emotion and asked: "Is there any unusual movement in the guards on the left and right?"
"The Zuo Tun Guards are as usual. The entire army has been on alert since yesterday. Weapons and weapons have been distributed. A large number of soldiers patrol the camp day and night. There are not many abnormalities. On the contrary, there is something unusual about the Right Tun Guards. Li Feng
Li Fengjie continued to meet with his father's former subordinates in private, and his behavior was suspicious and he was obviously planning something evil. Gao Kan warned him twice, but Li Fengjie turned a deaf ear and continued to go his own way."
Li Daozong frowned and tapped his fingers subconsciously on the table...
Something's really wrong.
As far as he knew, although Gao Kan did not have a prominent background, he was single-handedly promoted by Fang Jun from a soldier to the general of Youtun Guard. He was one person below the Youtun Guard and above tens of thousands of people. He was a calm, honest, and fair man.
He is selfless and has high prestige. Although he is nominally the "General of Youtunwei", he has also tried to install his cronies to trick him, but all ended in failure.
After all, Youtunwei is still Fang Jun's army. Most of the army's lieutenant generals, captains, and soldiers obey Fang Jun's orders...
With Gao Kan's abilities and backing, how could he be helpless against a mere Li Fengjie?
Think again about Li Jing sending Liu Yanjing, who had no qualifications and mediocre abilities, to lead his army to resist Yu Chigong's right guard...
Obviously everything is within the chess game.
"The ambition is not small. It seems that he has a bit of the courage of Emperor Taizong. It's just that people decide what to do and what to do depends on heaven. But it is still unclear whether it is destiny..."
Li Daozong muttered something and ignored it.
…
In the imperial study room, Li Chengqian and Li Ji sat opposite each other on the floor by the window. There were several ordinary dishes placed on the lacquered eucalyptus table in front of them, which were exquisite but not extravagant. The fine wine in the white porcelain jar was also the rice wine sent as tribute from the south of the Yangtze River.
A glass of wine will make you feel good, but you won't get drunk.
Li Ji had no expression on his face, but he felt a little emotional in his heart. His Majesty, the emperor who grew up in the palace, was not tainted with extravagance. His ordinary expenses were mainly practical and did not blindly pursue luxury. He was a rare understanding person.
Li Chengqian personally held the pot to fill the wine glass in front of Li Ji, and said with a smile: "It is an ordinary side dish. Let us, the monarch and his ministers, have a few drinks. Any slights will be forgiven by our honour."
Li Ji said sincerely: "Your Majesty is the Supreme Being and is rich all over the world. Even if you should not be too extravagant, you don't have to wrong yourself. Especially in terms of food, you should be more generous, otherwise you will be ashamed and helpless."
All civil and military officials in the dynasty came from well-known families. They were pampered and pampered since they were young. Now that they are in high positions and wielding great power, they are even more extravagant and live in extravagance. This is already the current trend in the court, but as an emperor, the Nine-Five Supreme Being is like this Doesn't it make the ministers feel guilty and frightened because of its simplicity?
"It doesn't matter," Li Chengqian took a sip of wine and said calmly: "I am not that kind of stern person. The reason why I spend so little money is because I have long been tired of eating those delicacies. As you said, I am rich all over the world. I really want to Eat whatever you want, use whatever you want, how can you not live without it? I won’t be too critical of the daily life of the ministers. Who doesn’t live for enjoyment? It’s just that each other’s understanding of enjoyment is different. Some people enjoy annihilating enemies and destroying countries. Glory and meritorious deeds, some people enjoy the scorn of Fang Qiu who leads the country, some people enjoy the appetite of delicacies from the mountains and seas, and some people enjoy the drunken life and death of beautiful women... As long as it does not violate the law, I don't care."
Li Ji was silent for a moment and said with admiration: "Your Majesty has a broad mind and can accommodate hundreds of rivers. I am far behind."
The more I get along with Li Chengqian, the more I realize that this is a king who is seriously underestimated by the outside world. Now that I have not only seen the courage and courage that is not inferior to that of Emperor Taizong, but also understands the mind that can accommodate the world, I can't help but be impressed.
After thinking about the past, I also understand that the reason why Li Chengqian did not perform well in front of Emperor Taizong was that he was under great pressure and worried about gains and losses, so he made repeated mistakes. Looking at it now, it is really excusable.
Who can maintain a normal mind in the face of the gains and losses of the reserve? Especially the tragic consequences after Yi Chu can indeed completely crush people. In fact, Li Chengqian did not collapse under such heavy pressure, which is considered a success. Extremely valuable.
The rest of the princes are different. They are in lower positions. They are lucky to get what they get, and they will not lose anything. Especially Li Chengqian has a kind personality and will not even take revenge after he ascends the throne.
The princes have no worries and can naturally go all out to fight for the throne. It is reasonable for their performance to become increasingly outstanding.
Li Chengqian motioned to Li Ji to enjoy the cold cabbage heart on the plate, and said with a smile: "Why should you be so humble, Lord Ying? When Emperor Taizong appointed you as Shangshu Zuopushe, you became the head of the ministers and ministers. I also respect you very much in my heart. You are not only the white jade pillar of the Tang Dynasty's military, but also the purple golden beam that bridges the sea above the court. We, the monarchs and ministers, should complement each other and walk hand in hand to continue the prosperous Zhenguan era left by Emperor Taizong for a long time, even if Hundreds and thousands of years later, people still look forward to and admire this period of history."
Li Ji didn't expect that it was just an ordinary small gathering, but it was the Hongmen Banquet hosted by the emperor.
He knew that he had to take a stand. If he continued to be as vague and idly as before, there might be hundreds of swordsmen ambushing him outside the imperial study. When the emperor gave the order, they would swarm in and chop him into pieces. Meat paste...
After pondering for a while, Li Ji held the pot in both hands to pour wine for Li Chengqian, and then stood up: "I was promoted by the late emperor and was appointed prime minister and assistant. I should have served you wholeheartedly and died. However, the late emperor passed away and your Majesty ascended the throne in such critical times. , I have not fulfilled my responsibilities as the chief assistant. I feel guilty and my heart is aching to my bones. Please forgive me, Your Majesty."
He bowed his head to the ground.
In any case, since we must take a stand, we must admit this mistake. This is a matter of stance...