Chapter 12 The Twelfth Repaying the Emperor's Grace as Darkness

Li Shimin made a plan to attack the Eastern Turks, and Du Ruhui and Li Jing immediately entered the role.After noon, the two made an appointment to discuss the details of the battle together.When Li Jing came to the Zuo Pian Hall of Shangshu Province, he saw Du Ruhui already leaning over the desk to watch the Mobei Mountains and Rivers Map. Li Jing went over to take a look, and saw that the paper of this map had turned yellow, and it was filled with the situation of East Turkic mountains and rivers and the settlements of various tribes.The color of the handwriting is different, and it is obvious that it was not done in a few days.Li Jing wondered: "Du Pushe, the Ministry of War also drew a map of the mountains and rivers in Mobei, but there is no such detailed map, where did it come from?"

Du Ruhui raised his head and said: "I used to fight with the emperor and was responsible for collecting and sorting out mountains and river maps. Since the seventh year of Wude, I felt that a war with the East Turks was inevitable, so I made this map. During the period, the tribe's residence changed a lot. Adding and subtracting from the picture, it looks like this.” Li Jing nodded, but did not say a word of praise.I thought it was no accident that Fang and Du became Li Shimin's ministers. They were loyal and attentive to everything, and they even wanted to be ahead of Li Shimin in some things.Since the three of them twisted into a group, they have experienced countless battles and the Xuanwu Gate incident. For more than ten years, they have become the center of strategy and decision-making.

Du Ruhui signaled Li Jing to sit down, and he still stood in front of the picture, tilting his head and said: "Li Shangshu, I have thought about it carefully just now. This battle is of great importance, and all links must be properly carried out. Before tonight, the emperor appointed The secret edicts of all the general managers must be issued. Within ten days, they will admirals and their respective soldiers arrive at the designated positions. You also have to arrive at the front line within ten days to control them. I will continuously transfer food and grass for you here, and prepare follow-up soldiers for you Scheduling. All in all, this is the first big battle after the emperor ascended the throne, and you must win a complete victory to strengthen the country's prestige."

Li Jing and Du Ruhui stood side by side in front of the picture, and pointed out: "Although the emperor did not personally conquest this time, he has actually arranged a battle for us. Du Pushe, look, the emperor asked Xue Wanche to use Lingzhou as the base, and Chai Shao to use Jinzhou as the base." With the river as the base, one left and one right not only guard the rear, but also reinforce the front, which can be described as well-intentioned. Zhang Gongjin and I attacked from Mayi, and Li Shi and Li Daliang attacked from the cloud, forming two forces, one left and one right Soldiers, echoed each other and entered the Turkic interior. I am confident that I will live up to the emperor's expectations and strive to win Xieli as soon as possible."

"Since Li Shangshu understands the emperor's thoughts, we don't need to talk about the things ahead. I will properly arrange the things behind and prevent you from making troubles ahead. You are leaving soon. What else do you need me to do?" Li Jing shook his head and said: "With Du Pushe dispatching in the capital, I can rest assured that I can concentrate on fighting in the front. Before I go to the front line, I will go to the Longyou Racecourse. I heard that Zhang Wansui has raised many good horses there. Horses, but he only put second- and third-rate horses into the army, and he is very stingy to keep good horses for breeding. This time against Xieli, the superiority of horses is crucial to the battle situation. I want Zhang Wansui to use his wealth .”

"Okay, I want to write a special letter to Zhang Wansui, asking him to put the overall situation first and follow your orders." "That horse thief doesn't know a single word, what can he understand? It's okay, as long as I go there in person, I hope he won't make things difficult for me." Du Ruhui cupped his hands and said, "That's it, you can negotiate with Zhang Wansui on the matter of horses. I believe he can put the overall situation first. Li Shangshu, you go to preside over this big battle, and I will give you my word." "What word?"

"quick." Li Jing understood Du Ruhui's meaning, which has two meanings: one is that when Xieli is in trouble, adopting quick tactics will surely achieve twice the result with half the effort; It is obviously not Li Shimin's wish to drag the war into the quagmire.Li Jing nodded heavily, and said: "The weather of the new dynasty is also what I cherish the most. Please rest assured, Du Pushe, I will work hard to fight this battle well. This time I went to Zhang Wansui to ask for horses, which is exactly what I intend to do." Du Ruhui sent Li Jing out of the door, then clasped his hands and said, "I wish Li Shangshu success, capture the captives and return, Ruhui is in Beijing, looking forward to good news every day."

Li Jing bowed his hands in thanks. Du Ruhui went back to the hall and sent people to recruit the Minister of the Ministry of Accounts and the Minister of the Ministry of War to discuss matters here.He didn't worry at all about Li Jing presiding over the military before the battle, the only thing he worried about was raising food and grass for the front.To know how long a war can last is beyond human control, and providing enough food and grass for the front is actually the basis of victory.However, after the first year of Zhenguan, Li Shimin repeatedly ordered the opening of warehouses to relieve the victims. For example, in Taicang in the capital and Changping warehouses in Luo, Xiang, You, Xu, Qi, and other states, there was not much food left. To support the food and grass ahead, I really feel stretched.In addition, it is also difficult to transport grain and grass to the front. Li Shimin is not allowed to conscript people's power indiscriminately, and the labor required for war cannot be apportioned to the people.

Liu Zhenghui is currently serving as Minister of the Household Department, and Hou Junji and his left and right generals are concurrently serving as Ministers of the Ministry of War. The two met Du Ruhui one after the other. Liu Zhenghui, as an honored minister of Li Yuan's army in Taiyuan, usually worked diligently and kept his duty, not as domineering as Pei Ji.When he heard that he was going to raise food and grass for the front, he frowned immediately and said, "Du Pushe, you know the current family background best. The warehouses are empty, how can I raise them?" Du Ruhui said: "I know. If there is enough grain and grass in the warehouse, I will not specially invite you to discuss it. In recent years, a lot of food has been released from the warehouse to relieve the victims. But this year's harvest is good, and the rents and taxes collected by the states are all Has luck come?"

Liu Zhenghui sighed, shook his head and said, "Du Pushe doesn't know anything. Ever since the emperor ordered the prefectures and counties to set up free warehouses, those local officials, as if they had found a treasure, have worked hard to fill up the free warehouses in various places. I don’t care about it, but put it in the second place.” It turned out that after Li Shimin visited Dengzhou for inspection, he saw that Chen Junbin’s method of setting up free warehouses was good, that is, the imperial edict was implemented throughout the country. Du Ruhui understood the disadvantages, and said: "Grand Liu, we are going to discuss this matter carefully today. The emperor asked the states and counties to set up free warehouses, so that they can find ways to save themselves, and they can't just rely on the imperial court for relief. However, they will accept it first. The grain of righteous warehouses is then collected for rent and adjustment. The order is wrong. It can be said that the cart is putting the cart before the horse. It will become an empty shell. If there is no skin, how will the hair be attached? We must convince them to understand this truth."

"Persuasion? It's not easy. These guys don't dare to stand up, and they often do things that are obedient. If they don't resist and miss the military plane, isn't it still my responsibility?" "It's okay, we are going to take advantage of this military event to let them deliver the grain and grass to the designated location within the time limit. Liu Gong, I will immediately ask the emperor for an order to have the imperial court issue an edict to urge the states to complete this year's collection tasks. Then you can use the Ministry of Household In name, call the governors of Guanzhong states, Bing states, and Hebei states to come to Beijing to discuss matters, and ask them to deliver military rations. If you can't collect them for a while, you can use the grain from the warehouse. You should talk to them first. If there are still people who insist on not doing it, You tell me, and I will solve it myself." Liu Zhenghui said in embarrassment: "If they come to Beijing to discuss matters, the ones in Guanzhong will be fine. Like Bingzhou and Hebei states, the journey is too long, will it delay things?" "It doesn't matter. This war won't end soon. According to my estimation, it will take at least half a year. Like my food in the warehouse, it should be able to last for more than two months. They can continue it." Hou Junji kept silent by the side, seeing that the matter of food and grass had been settled, he asked, "Du Pushe, you called me, do you want me to lead the soldiers to the states to urge food?" Du Ruhui shook his head and said: "The emperor is now striving to achieve Qingming politics. If he threatens with a knife, what is the order? The imperial court and the local people have different views because of their different interests. This requires persuading them, not by force. Junji, I will let you You came here to talk to you about the transfer of grain and grass." "In previous wars, the Ministry of Households organized people's forces for the transfer of grain and grass, not the Ministry of War. Li Shangshu has already gone to the front, and there are only a few personnel in the Ministry of War. There is really nothing that can be done." "The emperor has said many times that it is not allowed to expropriate people's power. I have just told Mr. Liu that this time the full amount of rent should be collected, but this time the conscripts cannot be spread on the people. How to transfer food and grass, this time Make a decision on the government soldiers. Li Shangshu's soldiers this time are basically frontier guards, and he has not recruited government soldiers from the country. I think there is no constant for how long a war can last. Prepare follow-up soldiers for Li Shangshu. Where do these follow-up soldiers come from? The twelve government soldiers are ready-made forces. These government soldiers are soldiers in battle, and farmers without war. It is time for them to act You can take out the soldiers of the four provinces, mobilize them, and use them first to transport food and grass, and if the front is tight, then send them into battle, what do you think?" Hou Junji was also very straightforward, and replied quickly: "Du Pushe's idea is good. Let them transfer food and grass. Firstly, they don't need the power of the people. Second, if they are needed, they can fight nearby. Liu Gong, the matter of food and grass It's up to you to handle it, and you don't need to worry about the transshipment." Du Ruhui nodded and said, "That's what I said. I just assured Li Shangshu that there will be enough food and grass in the rear. Liu Gong and Junji will be in charge of how to implement it." After Li Jing returned to the mansion, he tidied up a little, and led the three of them to Longxi.He swung his whip to urge the horse to go fast, and the battle was the most preoccupied in his mind. When the Eastern Turks were strong and prosperous, their power spanned across Mobei and Monan. However, since Xue Yantuo and Huihe rebelled and became independent, their power gradually moved south, and their territory shrank day by day.The battle between Jieli and Tuli made the Eastern Turks even worse, losing control of the Khitan and other tribes in the east.With all the battles and calculations, Xieli can now rule no more than 500,000 people, and no more than 150,000 soldiers can fight on horseback.Li Shimin made up his mind to attack Xieli this time, and he was very aware of Xieli's situation, so he did not mobilize troops from across the country on a large scale, and only used the 150,000 troops stationed in the northern border.When Tang Junbing approached the territory of Eastern Turks, it would definitely have the effect of destroying the dead.Li Jing has been paying attention to the situation of Eastern Turks for many years, and he understands the situation of both sides very well. What he considers is how to realize the word "fast" that Du Ruhui said. Before noon on the second day, Li Jing arrived at Feiyun Valley. The decaying grass in the valley lay low and there was no sound. They soon arrived at the foot of Gaoqian City, and saw that the city walls and towers had taken on a new look. It was obvious that Zhang Wansui had deliberately repaired them.The gates of the city were tightly closed, and the gatekeepers had to check the official documents of passers-by before releasing them.The soldier read Li Jing's official document and saw the words "Military Minister Li Jing" written on it, he was shocked, opened the door to let Li Jing in, and sent someone to inform Zhang Wansui immediately.Halfway through Li Jing's journey into the city, Zhang Wansui led several people to greet him.That Wansui still had a hearty temper. Before the person approached, a loud voice came over: "Sure enough, Li Shangshu has arrived. I thought it was those dogs who sent the fake news. Li Shangshu, you didn't announce your arrival sooner." One sound caught me off guard." Li Jing got off his horse and cupped his hands and said, "Zhang Shaoqing, I don't go to the Three Treasures Palace for nothing, so I came to you to ask for a horse." Li Jing also admired this strange man in his heart. He had a deep relationship with Li Shimin, but he devoted himself to raising horses. With few other thoughts, he stayed in the horse farm for more than ten years, and the scale of the Tang Dynasty's horse politics became larger and larger. Zhang Wansui also respected Li Jing very much, and hurriedly bowed his hand to return the gift, and replied: "Li Shangshu is flying around the world with military aircraft. I, an old horse thief, can serve for Li Shangshu. I feel proud of my face. Li Shangshu, just pull any horse you want." Just go, I'm sure I won't be stingy." "Okay, I just want to hear what you said. Let's go and lead me to your horse farm." "Li Shangshu went out of Beijing yesterday and was exhausted all the way. Why don't you take a rest today and see what happens tomorrow?" "No. The emperor has ordered me to go to the northern border to preside over the military. Don't delay too long. I will leave tomorrow." "Okay. Left and right, take my horse and accompany Li Shangshu to the racecourse to have a look." After leaving the west gate of Gaochao City, you will see the endless shallow water plain.On the golden grassland, countless war horses were running, lying down, drinking water, or grazing grass. Although the winter sun could not dispel the cold, it was still brilliant, illuminating the horse farm like a painting. Li Jing looked at Zhang Wansui and said: "Zhang Shaoqing, I am here looking for a horse that can withstand the cold and be faster than Turkic horses. You can't hide it, let me down." Zhang Wansui smiled slightly and said: "Li Shangshu, I know that some people in the capital speak ill of me. Why don't you show the first-class horses to others, and why don't you give them to some bad horses in the army. Huh, they also forgot about me Zhang Wansui What is Long Live for? The emperor asked me to raise horses here to prepare for the war. If the war comes, I will still push back and forth here, so am I still human? Li Shangshu, tell me, how many good horses do you want?" Li Jing stretched out three fingers and said: "Three thousand horses." Zhang Wansui agreed generously: "Three thousand horses are too little, I will give you five thousand horses. I know that a war with the Turks is inevitable. I have deliberately used these years Ujumqin horses and Xiji horses have bred nearly 10,000 good horses. Let’s go, I’ll take you to have a look.” Zhang Wansui raised his horsewhip and urged his mount to head towards the north of Qianshuiyuan.About five miles away, I saw a group of mostly maroon horses roaming there.Li Jing took a closer look and saw that these horses vaguely had the characteristics of "Jade Monkey", so he realized what Zhang Wansui said was true. Li Jing nodded in praise and said: "It looks good, Zhang Shaoqing, let them bring a horse first, let me try it first." Li Jing rode on a bay red horse and galloped north alone, making a big circle and took more than half an hour to return.Although he doesn't raise horses, he knows the advantages and disadvantages of horses. After a trial ride, he feels that this horse can be used.He knew that most of the horses used by Jieli were Ujumqin horses. Compared with this kind of crossbreed horses, their speed and agility were inferior.Li Jing returned to Zhang Wansui, jumped down, and said, "Zhang Shaoqing, I want these horses. It is not easy for you to raise horses. I only want 3,500 horses this time, and I will save 1,500 horses for you. .” Zhang Wansui laughed: "Li Shangshu is so considerate of me, the horse thief thanked me in advance." When Zhang Wansui spoke, his face was facing the sun, and when he smiled, wrinkles appeared on his face, like walnut skin.Li Jing noticed that he was much older than before. He thought it was because he lived in this bitter cold place for many years and spent a lot of time patrolling horses in the wild.Li Jing's heart trembled, he wanted him to return to live in the capital, but also thought that this person loves horses by nature, if he were allowed to leave the horse herd, he might age faster.Thinking of this, Li Jing said softly: "Zhang Shaoqing, there were only tens of thousands of horses in the early Tang Dynasty. You have taken care of them over the years, and you have hundreds of thousands of horses that can go into battle. The credit is great. There is one thing I want to remind you, you raise horses At that time, we must not forget to educate people." "how to say?" "There will always be a day when you can't walk. If you don't pass on the horse scriptures full of stomachs to others, and take them into the coffin, even the emperor will not agree to you." "Haha, Li Shangshu, you asked for my horse, and you still don't forget about me. Don't worry, the emperor has thought of it a long time ago. Look, the young man behind me is Wei Panti, who used to raise horses in Youzhou. Famous, was transferred by the emperor to assist me in raising horses." Li Jing nodded: "So, you have a successor." "Exactly." Li Jing thought to himself that Li Shimin was worthy of being a hero for the first time, and he could even consider such trivial matters, so why talk about other things?He didn't want to continue talking about this topic, and said: "Zhang Shaoqing, I can't stay here any longer, I have to go to the north early in the morning. These horses, please send someone to follow me to Yanmen." Zhang Wansui looked back at Wei Pan and said: "Li Shangshu personally came to pick the horses, which is very unusual. You just pick dozens of capable people and drive these horses to the front. If the soldiers in the army are not used to this kind of horses Sex, you can help them train them." Wei Panti bowed and replied, "I'll save it for you as an officer." Du Ruhui was in a hurry for several days in Beijing, and he was busy too late at night, so he stayed in Shangshu Province.Liu Zhenghui came to look for Du Ruhui that evening, and said that the governor of Puzhou, Zhang, came to Beijing to beg. Du Ruhui asked: "Grand Liu, didn't you tell him to put the overall situation first?" "I said it, but he still begged." Du Ruhui pondered for a moment, then said, "Okay, you bring him here." Liu Zhenghui looked at Du Ruhui's haggard face, and said distressedly: "Ruhui, I am older than you, but you look haggard, tired, and not as energetic as me. Of course you have to be dedicated, but you can't be too desperate. How can you go on like this?" Du Ruhui shook his head helplessly, and thanked, "Thank you, Mr. Liu, for your concern. If I don't handle things properly, I won't be able to sleep well. Sigh, the problems that have developed over the years can't be corrected for a while, so I have to let nature take its course." Liu Zhenghui also shook his head, wondering what method Li Shimin used to make Du Ruhui, Fang Xuanling and others work so hard that they could even ignore their own bodies. The night outside the window was darker, and the cold air gradually penetrated in, freezing the ink on the inkstone to solidify.Du Ruhui summoned the guards and asked him to regrind the ink with hot water.The yamen servant brought hot water, dripped it into the inkstone, and asked while rubbing the ink: "Master Du has been working for so long at night, how about the villain go light some fire?" Standing in front of the case, Du Ruhui flipped through today's documents, feeling the increasingly severe cold, stomped his feet a few times, and said, "No, I'll go back to the mansion after a while, no need to light a fire. It's just winter, if the yamen is here now Start a fire, how much fuel will it take to survive the winter?" "It's past mealtime now, and Mrs. Du is still hungry. Why don't you ask the villain to find some hot soup first, to warm you up, and to cushion your hunger." Du Ruhui waved his hands and refused: "I'll be back right away, not too late." While speaking, Liu Zhenghui led Inspector Zhang in.When the governor saw Du Ruhui, he bowed and saluted, "Your Majesty Du, I'm here to pay my respects." Du Ruhui didn't even look at him, he was still staring at the file on the case, and after a moment of silence he asked: "Inspector Zhang, as far as I know, the harvest in Puzhou is good this year. The state didn't collect extra rent, why do you What is in arrears so far?" "Master Du, Puzhou has a bumper harvest this year, but there were too many debts in the past, and I really couldn't afford to pay it. I hope that Lord Du will consider the people of Puzhou and allow some time to make up for it in the next year." "You ran from Puzhou to the capital in a hurry, just to ask for this sentence?" "I dare not, I just want to know the truth." Du Ruhui took out a volume of documents and threw it in front of Governor Zhang: "Correspondent Zhang, you should have seen this wonderful article." Inspector Zhang took a closer look, and recognized that it was from Benzhou, and hurriedly said, "This is from last year from Benzhou." "Well, it seems you have a good memory. It says in the table that with the help of Dengzhou, Puzhou has started to resume farming and has seen initial results. If the weather is good in the coming year, the people will have a surplus of food. This year's autumn harvest is ripe, where are you Should be good. Isn't it?" "The lower official said just now that the main reason is that he owed too much money in the past." "I accompanied the emperor on a tour at the beginning of the year. When I visited Fenglingdu at night, I saw many people in Puzhou. They said a lot of good things about you at that time, which is enough to prove that what is said in this table is true. How many old debts do you have? The first year of Zhenguan, the second year of Zhenguan In 2010, the emperor exempted you from Puzhou's rent for two years, and the imperial court sent you a lot of food for disaster relief. There is only one old debt, which is the food on credit in Dengzhou. However, Chen Junbin told me personally that these The money and food can be repaid year by year. Inspector Zhang, now that the country is in trouble, you are blindly pulling your own petty calculations, disregarding the country’s rent and taxes, and making so many false excuses, should this be the case?” Inspector Zhang didn't expect Du Ruhui to explain his family background so quickly, so he couldn't help being dumbfounded.This time he saw the grain requisition order from the Ministry of Officials, and he thought that Puzhou had just overcome the difficulties and it was time to breathe a sigh of relief, so he was really unwilling to hand over the state's rent and tax.So I came to the Ministry of Officials to talk to Xiang, using the disasters in Puzhou in previous years as an excuse, trying to prevaricate for a while.Unexpectedly, Liu Zhenghui was so serious that he was brought to Du Ruhui for training.He hesitated for a long time before replying: "Lord Du, there are many states in the world, and there is no shortage of this little money and food in Puzhou. Please wait for a while, and the officials will definitely pay them all." Du Ruhui raised his head, angry in his heart, and scolded: "Inspector Zhang, you are an official of the country, why don't you even understand this thing? When Puzhou was hit by a disaster, Chen Junbin saved you a lot, why did he do that?" It’s nothing more than having the overall situation of the country in mind. Now you only focus on the affairs of this state, which is far worse than Chen Junbin’s.” Liu Zhengling interjected, "That's right, the country has something to do right now, and Du Pu is taking care of everything. You're chattering here, shouldn't you?" Suddenly, Du Ruhui's face showed pain, and he pressed his fist against his waist. Soon, beads of sweat appeared on his face. Seeing this scene, Liu Zhenghui asked with concern: "Ruhui, what's wrong with you?" He took a few steps forward to support Du Ruhui, and then shouted at Governor Zhang: "Quickly move a chair here." Du Ruhui reclined in the chair in pain, his eyes glazed over, he hummed a few times, and then said weakly: "Grand Liu, I don't know why my chest hurts so badly." Liu Zhenghui sighed, and said, "I'm afraid you haven't had dinner yet? Alas, even an iron man can't afford you to work so hard all day and night. Ruhui, I'll take care of things here, you Come back home quickly." Du Ruhui raised his head, looked at Inspector Zhang, and said word by word: "Inspector Zhang, the money and food owed by Puzhou must be paid within ten days. If you delay, I will tell the Emperor Ming to dismiss you in ten days." official position." Inspector Zhang saw that Du Ruhui was working so hard for the court, and he came here to chatter because of his own selfishness, he already felt ashamed.He clasped his hands and replied, "Your Majesty learned a lesson from Du Pushe and Liu Shangshu today, and he suddenly understood. I will return immediately tonight. Even if I sell everything, I have to pay off the rent and tax of the country." Du Ruhui nodded and stopped talking.A yamen servant stepped forward to help him, and walked out slowly. Li Shimin's stern words in the Taiji Hall that day really had an effect, and the ministers complained more.When he summoned the ministers, he mostly reviewed the memorials of the ministers in the East Nuan Pavilion.After noon that day, he took a nap first, then got up and walked into the East Nuan Pavilion, where he saw Du Zhenglun waiting to tidy up his living room. Du Zhenglun reported Feng Deyi in the court that day, and Wei Zheng talked to him afterwards.The general idea is that in a confidential position, it is important to keep your mouth shut.Du Zhenglun understood the meaning of it, and since then he really restrained his behavior and stopped opening his mouth easily. Seeing him busy beside him, Li Shimin took a few steps forward and stopped again.In his heart, he also wanted to know the content of the daily notes, especially about the change of Xuanwumen, and wanted to know how the historian described himself.However, the previous generation stipulated that the current emperor was not allowed to read the daily notes, so he could only swallow his mouth and walk slowly to his case. Du Zhenglun was lowering his head to sort out the papers, and he didn't notice that Li Shimin entered. When he found out, Li Shimin had already walked over.Seeing this, he hurriedly left the case to salute, and Li Shimin ordered him to die. Li Shimin sat down, raised his head and said, "Du Qing, what insights have you gained from writing daily notes during this period of time?" "The minister writes daily life notes, and is often trembling, for fear that if he misses a word, he will miss the emperor's original intention. Therefore, he feels a heavy responsibility and dare not slack off." "Haha, I don't know what you wrote there. What's so scary? If you want to say it's scary, it's more scary than me. Above the court, Wei Zheng and others spoke fiercely, after all, they will leave after all, no There are traces. The only thing I fear is the pen in Qing's hand." "The minister knows how to write straight and straight, and dare not make mistakes." "That's right, it's the straight writing that scares me. Every time I sit in court, I dare not say too much, for fear that my words will be lost and be recorded by you. I will only speak when it is beneficial to the people." Du Zhenglun understood that Li Shimin did this to leave a good name for future generations.However, the emperor was so cautious in his words and restrained his behavior, it would be beneficial to the world, so he was moved and said: "Your Majesty can be called a generation of British lords by doing this. If your Majesty makes a mistake, it will not only be detrimental to the people of the world. If it is written in the book If it is handed down to future generations, it will lose virtue for a thousand years." Du Zhenglun's ability to say such words shows that he has considerable insight. Li Shimin said with satisfaction: "Well, yes, that's what I said. I am happy today. For your words, I will reward you with two hundred bolts of colorful satin. You will accompany me In the future, we must not only write truthfully, but also speak pertinently." "Thank you, Your Majesty." "You are busy with your work, I also want to read some memorials." Li Shimin reached out to pick up a memorial, opened it casually and read it.I thought to myself that Cen Wenwen recommended by Du Ruhui, and Du Zhenglun and Hou Junji recommended by Wei Zheng have done well in their respective positions during this period of time, and it is time to promote them. This memorial was played by Ma Zhou, and Li Shimin couldn't help but feel happy when his eyes wandered over Ma Zhou's name.The memorial is very neatly written, only to see that it says: Every time I read the history and see the loyalty and filial piety of the sages, I don't waste the volume and think about it, and I think about it.The only thing that can be done is loyalty.Therefore, walking two thousand miles belongs to His Majesty.Your Majesty does not regard his ministers as stupid, nor does he promote them.Stealing from one's own thoughts can't be reported, and it's only your Majesty's choice. Chen Fujian Da'an Palace is on the left side of the palace city, and Fang Zi, the gate of the Qiangyu Gate, is extremely humble.In the East Palace, where the crown prince lives, it is inside; in Da'an, where the Supreme Being lives, it is outside.Although the Taishang Emperor is pure and frugal and cherishes manpower, His Majesty dare not disobey it, but it is not enough for the Fanyi to meet in court and watch and listen from all directions.The minister is willing to camp at the gate of the pheasant and guard the gate, and to be high-profile, so as to be known as the hope of all directions, and then the great filial piety will be manifested. Chen Fu read Mingzhao, and ninety percent of the palace was lucky in July.Only the Supreme Emperor is tall in age, so His Majesty should watch the meal day and night.Fortunately, the palace is three hundred miles away from Beijing, and it is impossible to arrive at dusk.In case the Supreme Emperor has thoughts and wants to see His Majesty immediately, how can he be caught?Today, this is a trip to avoid the summer heat. The Supreme Emperor stays in a hot place, while His Majesty goes to a cool place. The way of warming up the Qing Dynasty is not at ease.However, since the imperial edict is issued, the business will not be suspended, and I would like to show the repayment period in order to confuse the public. Chen Fujian Zhaozong's heroes learned about the vassal state, so he entrusted his descendants to keep his government for generations.Stealing only His Majesty's will, sincere love is the most important thing, and I want his descendants to inherit and guard, and have no borders with the country.The minister said that it must be like an imperial edict, so your majesty should think about it so that it can be kept safe, rich and honored, why should it be a world official?Moreover, the father of Yao and Shun had the sons of Zhu and Jun.If an unworthy son is allowed to take over the position of heir, Zhaoshu will be in trouble, and the country will suffer.If you want to destroy it, Ziwen's rule will still exist; if you want to preserve it, the evil of Luan Yan has already been violent.The minister said that it is advisable to endow with thatched soil, and to use households as households. There must be talents, and they will be given along with the utensils.Although dryness is not strong, it can also avoid fatigue.Guangwu of the Han Dynasty did not appoint meritorious officials to serve as officials, so those who end up in the world will have good skills.May your majesty think deeply about it, so that you will be greatly gracious, and your descendants will be blessed forever. I heard that sages transform the world based on filial piety, so it is said, "There is no filial piety greater than a strict father, and no strict father is greater than matching the heavens." "Sacrifice" is the most important sacrifice for a saint.Since your Majesty practiced Zuo, the enjoyment of the ancestral temple has never been a marriage.Stealing only the holy feelings, and taking advantage of public opinion, it costs nothing, so bear with filial piety and think about it for the sake of the people.And a generation of historians, if they didn't write that the emperor entered the temple, why would they deceive the grandson and show Ye Xie?The minister knows that great filial piety is not among Zudou, but when a sage teaches others, he must put himself first, and show that he will not forget the original. Ma Zhou said three things in his memorial. First, he asked Li Shimin to show his filial piety to Li Yuan. You can let him enjoy the blessings but not give him an official position forever; the third is to advise Li Shimin not to worship the ancestral temple for several years. After Li Shimin finished reading, he secretly praised: "It's just another Wei Zheng! His words are sincere, and he is not afraid of Long Yan, so he is worthy of a heavy responsibility." He asked people to call Fang Xuanling, Du Ruhui, Wei Zheng, Changsun Wuji, Wen Yan Bo and Wang Gui came here to discuss matters, and at the same time, they read Ma Zhou's table again. After everyone entered the hall one after another, Li Shimin raised his eyes and glanced around, seeing that only his eldest grandson Wuji was missing, and asked, "Where is Wuji?" At this time, an eunuch came in a hurry and reported: "Your Majesty, the Duke of Qi entered the gate of the Dongshang Pavilion with a knife by mistake, and was discovered by the captain of the Jianmen in front of the hall. The captain chased him and thought that the Duke of Qi had entered the palace with a knife If you commit a capital crime, you will be imprisoned. They are arguing over there." Tang system stipulates that no one is allowed to bring weapons into the palace, and those who violate it will be executed. Li Shimin said: "Decide my will, let Wuji come in first, and talk about other things later." Changsun Wuji walked in very quickly. Affected by the incident just now, his face was gloomy and his mood hadn't stabilized yet. After saluting to Li Shimin, he said, "This damned captain still wants to imprison me. Could it be that I can Conspiring against the emperor?" Li Shimin said with a smile: "This is also an unintentional mistake of yours. The matter is over, don't worry about it anymore." Wei Zheng obviously didn't agree with Li Shimin's words, and said: "Your Majesty, people who enter the palace are not allowed to carry weapons. This is a national system. It is not wrong for the school captain to follow the law." Wen Yanbo defended Changsun Wuji by saying: "Where did the gatekeepers look? Why didn't they confiscate someone with a weapon on the spot? The captain of the gate should actually be executed according to the law." Li Shimin shook his hands and said, "Why bother talking about a trivial matter? Let's discuss it at the end! Wei Qing, take a look at this." He handed Ma Zhou's letter to Wei Zheng. Wei Zheng started reading, and Li Shimin said to the others: "This is Ma Zhou's booklet. After Wei Qing reads it, you should read it one by one. I called you here to discuss one thing: a young talent like Ma Zhou How to provide opportunities for them to practice, so that they can gradually accumulate political experience and finally be able to take on great responsibilities.” Wei Zheng quickly read the entire chapter, handed it to Fang Xuanling who was beside him, and praised: "Ma Zhou was recognized by the emperor's insightful eyes. With so many disputes, the minister thinks that he is worthy of responsibility." Li Shimin said: "If Ma Zhou's name is not inscribed in the book, I will definitely think it was written by Wei Zheng. Wei Qing, judging from his insight and courage, he is actually in the same line as you." Everyone passed it around to watch, and they all nodded in admiration. Fang Xuanling said: "Although human nature is natural, it must go through many trials before it can be diverted. Fend on its own. Ma Zhou was lucky to be pulled out by His Majesty Jian. But what about the others? Your Majesty has a lot of opportunities every day, and it is impossible to recognize them one by one." Wang Gui said: "What the house servant said is how to know people, what the emperor means is how to provide them with the opportunity to hone themselves. Your Majesty, I think that Ma Zhou and others should be placed in more important positions and given a certain amount of time. Observe its pros and cons." Li Shimin nodded and said, "That's what I mean. I've made up my mind. This time, Ma Zhou will be conferred as the censor, and Cen Wenwen will be conferred as Zhongshu Sheren. What do you think?" Shi Yushi is a subordinate official of Yushitai, and his rank is under the sixth rank.It is really rare for Ma Zhou to be promoted to such a high position not long after he became an official.Zhongshu Sheren is a subordinate official of Zhongshu Province, and his rank is above the fifth rank.Some time ago, Li Shimin ordered Zhongshu Province to restore the "five-flower judgment" system, and he was very strict in the selection of Zhongshu Sheren.It was not easy for Cen Wenwen to get this position. Everyone naturally has no objection. Li Shimin went on to say: "Accordingly, I would just order Xuanling and Ruhui to do the official duties for these two people. So I summoned you with great fanfare. I just want you to investigate and recommend talents at any time. There is another meaning, that is, After all, a person's lifespan is limited, and if the country is to last forever, a capable minister must have successors. What we do today is firstly for the sake of the country, and secondly, to do something beneficial for future generations." Li Shimin was just thirty-two years old this year, thinking about the affairs behind him at such a young age made everyone think a lot. Li Shimin saw that Du Ruhui didn't speak much, and saw that his face was blue-gray, so he couldn't help asking with concern: "Ruhui, I heard from Mr. Liu that you fell ill in the yamen a few days ago. Seeing that you look so ugly, you should go to the imperial doctor." Have you seen it?" Du Ruhui has become thinner and thinner these days, and his cheekbones have become sharper. Hearing Li Shimin's inquiry, he hastily replied: "Thank you for your concern. I don't sleep well these days, and I also lose my appetite when eating. It may be because of irregular work and rest. May as well , I want to recover slowly for a while, and then I will get better." Li Shimin turned his head and said to an eunuch: "Go to the Imperial Medical Office, let that Wang Medical Supervisor come over and wait, and later follow Ruhui back to the mansion for diagnosis and treatment." Du Ruhui resigned resolutely, and Li Shimin's attitude was also very firm: "I don't know your temper yet? You must have been too busy for the northern border war recently. I said it last time, let you take Xuanling as an example , you need to manage politics, but also keep fit, why don’t you listen? After the medical supervisor Wang has diagnosed you, if you are really sick, you are not allowed to go to court for a while, and take care of yourself at home.” Du Ruhui agreed. Seeing that it was late, Li Shimin said to everyone: "Let's discuss this matter, everyone can leave. Before leaving, what do you think about Wuji's matter?" Wen Yanbo said: "Your Majesty urgently summoned the ministers and others, and they all came in a hurry. The Duke of Qi forgot to take off his saber. It was an unintentional mistake. In the final analysis, the captain of the prison gate should really die. His duty is to guard the gate and check passers-by. The saber挂在衣襟之外，他为何就没有一点察觉呢？臣以为，应将此校尉处斩，以警他人。”温彦博这样说，很显然是为长孙无忌开脱。 温彦博的话惹恼了魏征，他冷笑道：“温令这样说，能够服众吗？” “当然，齐国公毕竟将佩刀带入了宫内，也有失处。为示惩罚，臣以为应治齐国公徒罪二年，并罚铜二十斤。”温彦博补充说道。 王珪也不满意这样处理，斥道：“温令这样说，显失公平。齐国公误带刀入宫，那校尉也是误察，都是一样的罪过，一轻一重的处罚难道公正吗？” 李世民忍不住说道：“按你们的意思，要将无忌杀头吗？若是这样，朕会特赦无忌。” 魏征道：“陛下欲行特赦之事，不能仅赦齐国公一人，应将那名校尉也一同赦免。” 众人分成了两派意见。李世民内心里还是倾向于温彦博之议，然魏征、王珪之议合乎国家制度，他无法当面驳斥。见长孙无忌在一旁垂头丧气，他想起后宫的长孙皇后，心中顿生柔情，于是说道：“此事今日不用再议。温卿，你出宫后找到戴胄，让他来处理此事。魏卿，王卿，刑狱之事由大理寺主之，如何来断，他们自有分寸，我们也不用在这里徒费口舌了。” 李世民提起了戴胄的名字，殿中众人不再有言语。想想也是，戴胄办案秉公善断，他们没必要在这里争论不休。只不过此案的主角是长孙无忌，不知戴胄能有什么高招令各方都满意。 李靖到了雁门关，即差人去叫李世、李大亮、柴绍、薛万彻来这里议事。 雁门关向西北行约四百里，即是汉时所筑长城。过了长城六十里，那里有一座城池名为定襄。颉利近来受薛延陀、回纥、契丹的挤压，已经丢失了漠北地盘，昔日的突厥牙帐也成了薛延陀发号施令的营盘。颉利渐渐退到漠南。因冬季来临，为觅草料，颉利带领手下的三十余万众迁到阴山一带。见定襄城还算周正，即带领其嫡系数万人入城居住。进入十一月后，大雪一场接着一场地下，将周围山川河流都裹上银装，他们日日躲在城中的房内或帐内烤火。薛延陀等部落的攻势已告一段落，心想大可喘息一阵。颉利近来虽也风闻李世民在边境上调兵加马，但想南人不耐冷，定然不会选择这种恶劣的天气来攻，因此并无多少忧虑。 李靖对颉利的情况了如指掌，他站立在关上的最高处，透过雪幕向西北遥望。在这一时刻，他忽然想起李渊、李世民父子十余年来对待东突厥的策略，其中多少含有一点屈辱。完成对东突厥的最后一击如今由自己来实现，向来沉静的李靖心底里不觉有了一丝激动。 他恰要移步，就听见后面有人说道：“李尚书，大仗在即，想不到你还有心情在此领略罡风暴雪。” 李靖一听声音，知道是李世来到了，急忙转过身来拱手道：“李总管这么快就来到了，辛苦、辛苦。” 李世走上前，向李靖拱手还礼。 “他们还没有到吗？” “我到中军帐寻你，见其中仅有张公谨一人。想来路途上风雪阻隔，把他们拖住了。” “你为何如此神速？” “我这些日子已令李大亮带领前军向云中方向挺进，营盘北移了不少，距离雁门关较近。” “嗯，是这样。”李靖沉吟道。李靖见李世已有动作，知道他已经体会了李世民的心意，即以李世所部为西路军，以李靖所部为东路军，两军齐头并进，形成夹角之势，或突或围，一举解决颉利。 李靖关切地问道：“李大亮带领前军向云中挺进，一路上行进还算顺利吗？那颉利觉察没有？” 李世叹了一口气，说道：“这数场大雪下得积雪甚厚，听李大亮说，一路上人仰马翻行走太难，行军速度很慢，唯有一宗好处，就是人马伤折不多。听斥候之报，那颉利所部日日龟缩在定襄城内，并不外出，对我们的动作似没有任何觉察。” “颉利定是以为大雪是最好的防护，可以高枕无忧不作防备。李总管，眼下天寒地冻，军中的衣装粮秣还算充足吗？” “兵士的衣装足够其自身之用，可以防寒，其身带粮草亦能支持五日。只是大雪连绵，道路难行，后方接续粮草能否及时，我们心里实在没有底。李尚书，此次战事，依你估计，要打多久？” 李靖思索了一下，断然道：“快则三月，慢则半年。李总管，你我多年征战，都知道这仗打的是双方的耐心以及后续的粮草。这粮草之事，我们还要筹划一番。以往我们在中土打仗，可以在当地筹粮，眼前的东突厥连年遭灾，且大漠中人烟稀少，没有可以筹粮的地方。” “此次战事由你主之，我们唯听帅令就是。” 李靖笑了一下，并不言语。李靖与李世虽交往不多，然也知道他的本事。放眼国内，武将可谓多矣，这些人冲锋陷阵，皆各有所长。能为大仗的主帅者，则寥寥无几。李靖认为能当其任的，除了自己还有一人，即是眼前的李世了。 李世又问道：“李尚书，我未奉帅令，擅自将队伍前移，你不怪我吗？” 李靖摇摇头，说道：“李总管，此仗完胜是必然的。然如何缩短战事进程，就要看你我两人如何配合了。事情很明显，皇上布下这个阵势，即是让你我领兵一左一右配合，深入腹地以斩贼首。至于柴绍、薛万彻，皇上让他们作为我们的后续之兵，并稳固后方防止颉利侵入我境。如此，你那东路军名义上归我节制，其实需要你临机而发。” 李世明白李靖表达的意思，缓缓地点点头，又问道：“一场战事不管大小，须全盘衡量，集中制之，李尚书，你不用谦虚，我们唯听号令。不知李尚书现在定下了什么擒敌妙计？” “擒贼先擒王。”李靖一字一顿缓缓说出。 "Appreciate further details." 李靖手指西北方，说道：“我先以奇兵进袭定襄城，搅动敌阵混乱，将颉利逼得向北逃窜。你再兵出云中，截其退路卷地掩杀。届时，我们兵合一处，再定下步行止。” 李世见李靖寥寥数句，已勾画出此次进兵方略，知道这是他深思熟虑而成。他思索了片刻，觉得与自己的所思大致相合，遂点点头，说道：“我知道了。我届时密切关注李尚书的动静，你到达定襄城之时，我一举拿下云中，及时跟进。” 过了午时，柴绍和薛万彻方才一前一后到了雁门关。他们入关之时全身皆白，衣甲上还溅有点点泥巴，一路上显然吃了不少苦头。 李靖让他们稍事休息，然后将他们召入中军帐。 众人坐定后，李靖说道：“皇上此次定下进攻颉利的方略，令我与李总管带领东西路军前去擒拿。前方之事，由我和李总管主之，诸般方略，业已有了大概。”他将围攻颉利的方略又简略地说了一遍。 薛万彻为一名勇夫，闻言心喜，不禁跃跃欲试，说道：“李尚书，有如此好仗，不能将我和嗣昌兄丢在一边。” 李靖说道：“你们肩头所担，比前方征战更为繁重。柴驸马，薛驸马，你们除了稳固后方，防止颉利侵入我境之外，还要在接续前方的事儿上用心用力。像前方将士，不可一日无粮草，漠南苦寒之地，无粮可筹，一谷一草皆须你们转运。你们来此路上，皆大雪铺路，积滑难行，愈往北，环境愈恶劣，你们要细细筹划才是。” 李世插言道：“李尚书所言，也是我最忧心的。我们深入颉利腹地，毕竟地理不熟，若再断了粮草接续，这一仗也凶险得很呀。” 柴绍多历战阵，性格持重，他明白粮草接续的重要性，缓缓说道：“不错，如此大仗靠的就是粮草。我细细揣摩过了，以往在中土打仗，粮草依靠车儿转运，然北境形势，既有山川，更有沼泽，用车子转运是行不通的，只有靠马匹来驮。眼下军中马匹可支一月之用，若时间一长，马就不够用了。李尚书，要让京中再调度来一些马最好。” 李靖点点头，说道：“柴驸马所言甚是。京中事务由杜仆射居中调度，由侯君集具体执行。我临行前，曾对杜仆射说了马匹之事，杜仆射答应分批补给。此事不妨，那日我到了陇右马场，见那里存栏甚多，张万岁也拍胸脯保证，言说前方需用马匹多少，他均会及时供给。柴驸马，薛驸马，你们若急用马匹，持此令旗调马即可。”说着，李靖将两面带“帅”字的令旗交给柴绍、薛万彻。 李靖计划今日将后方接续之事排定，然后再全力安排进攻之事。眼下将粮草、马匹之事安排停当，心中踏实了不少。 三日后，李靖披挂停当，步出中军帐。外面，张公谨与一群武将正候在那里。其身后，三千余将士拢着李靖专门从马场挑选来的马，静默地站立。天上这会儿停止了落雪，颜色如铅灰，显得极为低沉。 李靖走到张公谨面前，执其手说道：“公谨，明日辰时，你带领大军准时出发，我在定襄等着你。” 张公谨抬头向天，忧心地说道：“李尚书，看天上如此阴沉，估计不久又要落雪。此去定襄，沿途艰难，若遇大风暴雪，能行吗？不如待天气晴好，再行出征。” 李靖跨上战马，朗声说道：“天气不好，不单单为我军而设，颉利那边也一样遭遇风雪。你记住，我们西路军一动，李世的东路军也随之动作，你要约束大军按时行止，不可误了时辰。我此去袭颉利，仅有这三千人马，若被他识破，你们后续兵马又不至，则全盘被动。” 张公谨拱手道：“我随后定会依令提兵前去。若误了时辰，待李尚书回来，我自会让人将这颗脑袋砍下来，不用你来动手。” 李靖向张公谨等人拱手告别，右脚轻轻一叩马腹，坐骑乖觉地向城门行去。后面三千余人马每四骑一排，随着李靖走出雁门关，沿着山间小道向西行去。 临行时，李靖令众人带够五日用的粮草，为防路滑，又令每人携带一盘绳索，以利营救。 一行人到了马邑，打尖之后，就见天上纷纷扬扬又下起了鹅毛大雪，大雪之中，阴风怒号，将雪幕吹得翻翻滚滚。三千余人见此天气，大多数人面露难色，偷眼看李靖，只见李靖神色平静，略略停了一下抬头向天，然后喊道：“风大雪急，无法骑马。大家牵马步行，将各自的绳索拿出来，前后相连，不能失了一人。”说罢，率先牵马出发。 风雪之中，这三千余人一手牵马，一手牵绳索，踉跄而行，渐渐在雪幕中失去了踪影。