Chapter 2 The second time Sui generals became suspicious with cold eyes

The next day, after Li Yuan entered the Liushou Mansion, he called Wang Wei, Gao Junya and others to discuss matters.He took Ashina Da Nai's secret letter and said: "Yesterday, we have discussed that now Liu Wuzhou is going to attack Loufan County according to Fenyang Palace, and the emperor ordered us to be responsible for the military here. The sin of the head. Today, we must discuss a result." Gao Junya frowned, and said worriedly: "This Liu Wuzhou is fierce and brave, and he also has the strong backing of the Eastern Turks. He might not be able to fight against all the soldiers and horses in Taiyuan. Why don't we play to the Ming court and ask the emperor to increase his troops to defend against the enemy."

Wang Wei said: "No, the emperor is now on a tour to the south, and it will take at least a month to return after the memorial is delivered to Jiangdu. It will take too long. We should think of another way." After speaking, he looked at Li Yuan, wanting to find out what Li Yuan meant.However, Li Yuan remained expressionless, looking down at newspapers from various counties. Gao Junya couldn't hold back, and said loudly: "Mr. Tang, just make up your mind. In short, you have to deal with today's situation." Li Yuan raised his head and sighed, "This is really embarrassing for me. We are going out as generals, and we have to obey the imperial court's orders and not be good at specialization. Although the walls of Taiyuan City are thick and easy to defend, and there are sufficient weapons and supplies, Liu Wuzhou is allowed to attack the city and seize the territory. If he becomes popular, the consequences will be unimaginable. For the current plan, we should immediately recruit troops to form a large-scale backup imperial Liu Wuzhou, but this still needs the approval of the court. As Wang Wei said just now, Jiangdu is too far away. It must be a mistake once. What should I do? I can't make up my mind."

Wang Wei and Gao Junya looked at each other, they understood the pros and cons, if they lost ground and retreated, according to the emperor's current tyrannical temper, he would definitely lose his head!The two had the same heart, and they said in unison: "You will not accept the order of the emperor outside, Tang Gong, it is more important to recruit soldiers." Li Yuan nodded slowly, and said: "Well, in this case, Wang Wei will also serve as Taiyuan County Prime Minister, and together with Supervisor Pei, will be responsible for inspecting the school and distributing military rations; Gao Junya will be responsible for patrolling the city to strengthen defense and supervise the manufacture of military equipment. As for recruiting troops , let me take the lead and let Erlang help me, Erlang is quite capable in handling things. Since everyone has the same idea, let’s hurry up from today on.”

The conscription order drawn up by Liu Wenjing was quickly distributed to all counties and counties. The counties and counties did not dare to neglect, and immediately published a list, ordering Ding Nan between the ages of 18 and 26 to register with the county government within three days.Thinking that Emperor Sui Yang would conscript troops to attack Goryeo again, the common people who had a man in their family were very worried about it.The crowd's words were turbulent, and the entire Taiyuan City and its counties were filled with boundless fear. Emperor Sui Yang had been tyrannical for many years, and he was so extravagant and extravagant. His endless greed brought increasing burdens on the people, causing the people to live in dire straits, and everyone suffered unspeakably.He labored in the expedition to Goryeo and devoted all his strength to the whole country, not only conscripting troops but also requisitioning food and materials, which made the people's bearing capacity reach the limit.Several times of Eastern Expeditions were fruitless. Instead, countless souls died in battle in the icy and snowy Goryeo. The people of the country shuddered when they mentioned Goryeo.

Ding men saw the recruitment order issued by Taiyuan's left-behind mansion while waiting all day long, and they made it clear that the recruitment was to resist Liu Wuzhou's defense of Taiyuan.Seeing the recruitment notice, many people rushed to tell each other, overjoyed, because there is no doubt that there is a world of difference between serving as a soldier at the door of the house to defend their hometown, and leaving the corpse in the ice and snow in the east.For a time, the recruiting sites in various counties and counties were crowded.The recruited soldiers drove to Xingguo Temple in Taiyuan one after another.Li Shimin, Liu Hongji, and Changsun Shunde had already set up camp in Xingguo Temple. After the recruits were registered in the roster, each of them received their salary and weapons in turn, and began to organize and train.

On the third day of recruiting, Xingguo Temple was crowded with people and it was very lively.After noon, Wang Wei and Gao Junya swaggered into the gate of the temple.Li Shimin was standing under the eaves talking with Liu Hongji and Changsun Shunde at that time. When he saw the two people entering the door, he hurriedly went up to greet them, and saluted, "The two uncles came here to inspect, why didn't you let someone inform you in advance? Look, there is something here." What a mess." Wang Wei and Gao Junya returned the gift, and Wang Wei said: "It's nothing, we just dropped by to take a look, you can continue to work, leave us alone, let's walk casually." Gao Junya squinted at Liu Hongji and the two of them. Humanity: "Erlang, who are these two?"

Li Shimin glanced quickly, and said, "They are relatives of my niece's wife's family. They just came here. The recruiting work is very busy these days, and my father has no time to ask. There is no other way, so I have to pull them here for emergency treatment." Gao Junya looked at it meaningfully for a while, and even said a few good words, and said: "You guys are busy, Mr. Tang can't get away, the recruitment of soldiers depends entirely on your vision and hard work." The two walked around the monastery and saw that there were more than 20,000 people registered on the roster.They couldn't help opening their mouths: What made the recruiting so fast?They left the monastery silently and returned to the residence. Although they each had their own concerns, they walked into Gao Junya's residence as if they were connected with each other.The two sat down, and the family boy served them fragrant tea.The two looked at the steam rising from the tea bowl, thinking about something.It was Wang Wei who broke the calm first: "Brother Gao, why are you so weird? You and I have recruited soldiers many times, but we have never encountered such a violent scene: In less than three days, we have recruited more than 20,000 people. Judging by their appearance, they are all excited." He rushed as if he was here to receive his salary."

Gao Junya said: "I didn't expect so many people to be recruited. Look at the high-spirited appearance of the Li family Erlang and the others, as if they were recruiting soldiers for the Li family. Brother Wang, have we fallen into the trap set by Li Yuan? You know that Erlang What are the last names of the two people around me? One of them is called Changsun Shunde and the other is called Liu Hongji. He has a deep plan. He already has tens of thousands of soldiers in the government, and he is secretly raising prisoners on death row, so he hastened to recruit soldiers. What do you think he wants to do?"

There was a trace of fear in Wang Wei's eyes, and he lost his voice: "Brother Gao, according to your statement, Li Yuan will take action soon?" Gao Junya nodded: "That's right, the current situation is on the verge of breaking out. Brother Wang, do you remember the secret order from the emperor? We need to discuss countermeasures." Wang Wei asked: "How to act? The power of soldiers and horses in Taiyuan is now firmly controlled by Li Yuan. If we act rashly, we will undoubtedly hit the stone with an egg!" Gao Junya said slowly: "Brother Wang, you need to use a clever plan and give him a cold shoulder. Now Taiyuan has not rained for a long time, and the spring drought is severe. According to the old rules, the highest officer should preside over the sacrifice and lead all the officials to pray for rain. Let Li Yuan go Jinci prayed for rain, I am not afraid that he will not agree. We set up an ambush in Jinci beforehand, then capture Li Yuan on the spot and send him to Chang'an, what do you think?"

Wang Wei pondered and said: "Li Yuan is surrounded by guards, and it is difficult for us to mobilize a large number of troops. It is a difficult problem to set up an ambush in advance." Gao Junya said: "No problem, let's send out 20 confidant guards around us first, and then ask Jinyang Township Chief Liu Shilong for help. I observed carefully, Li Yuan tried his best to win over the officials around him, but Liu Shilong was alone. He should be able to help us A helping hand. We asked him to select some brave men to complete the plan to capture Li Yuan." After three days, the total number of recruits has reached 26,000.News came from various counties that applicants were still coming in a steady stream.Li Shimin was delighted to see this in his eyes, but how to arrange the enlisted soldiers in a timely and proper manner has become a difficult problem.The logistics support of Pei Ji and Wang Wei was obviously lagging behind.Li Shimin was planning to talk to Li Yuan and Pei Ji about this matter, when he saw Li An hurried over, saying that Li Yuan asked him to go to Jinyang Palace immediately to discuss something important.

It was dusk, Li Shimin steered his horse and rode on the street, and arrived at Jinyang Palace in a while, he was led by a servant to Chengqing Palace.The lamps were already lit in the hall, and Li Yuan, Pei Ji, and Liu Wenjing were talking around the round table.Seeing Li Shimin coming in, Li Yuan gestured to him to sit down, and continued: "...The recruiting will be completed in a few days. We must be cautious in how we act. Think about it, what should we do first?" Seeing that Liu Wenjing was meditating there, Pei Ji said hastily: "Taiyuan is the old territory of Duke Tang. Since there is an incident, we should simply use the title of the country of Tang. Of course, Duke Tang will be called the emperor. I think, only in this way can we have appeal and rise to power." With immediate results." Liu Wenjing pondered and said: "This is a little inappropriate. I think it should be done step by step, not in one step. Although Taiyuan is the old territory of Tang Gong, there is no old department to recruit. We should focus on Chang'an. Now Chang'an is basically controlled by the Guanlong family. Tang Gong is one of them, and has inextricable connections with other families. Now, if Tang Gong rashly claims to be the emperor, there must be many opponents. Think about it, when Emperor Wen of the Sui Dynasty usurped the power of the Later Zhou Dynasty, it was only An emperor was abolished, a country name was changed, and the ministers of the new dynasty basically continued to use the original team. Why? Since Yuwentai in the Western Wei Dynasty, the Guanlong Group has always been the core of the regime, and it is stronger than the original Shandong gentry. It is very difficult to gain power without the support of the Guanlong Group. Therefore, Tang Gong should now respect the current emperor of the Sui Dynasty as the Supreme Emperor, and make Yang You, the acting king who currently lives in Chang'an, the emperor. Call him the emperor, so as not to cause resentment from the Guanlong Group." Li Shimin felt that Liu Wenjing's knowledge was indeed extraordinary, and he wholeheartedly agreed, saying: "They don't object to Duke Tang, and then we will take our time." "The current emperor has lost the hearts of the people, and it is everyone's expectation to appoint his grandson as the emperor. Once we occupy Chang'an, if we don't say 'take the emperor to command the princes', at least many people will feel that we are the legitimacy." Li Yuan said with a smile: "In this way, am I playing a trick of 'covering my ears and stealing my bell'? All right, just do as Zhao Ren said, I can at most be a general now. Besides, things in the south are settled, and things in the north are stable. What should we do? Zhaoren, you once said that you want 'North and Turks', what specific ideas do you have?" Liu Wenjing said: "After observing for a long time, the nomadic tribes in the north don't have much extravagant hopes for the land of the Central Plains. At most, they want to make a fortune, but they don't have long-term ambitions. At the beginning of our uprising, we should focus on conquering the Central Plains. The Turkic affairs You can let it go later, but you must give them some sweetness. Tang Gong, we have to endure humiliation, and we can promise to surrender to them and pay tribute. If you agree, I can go to Turkic as an envoy. I believe we can reach an agreement with them. One Jie Liu Wuzhou Being named a khan, Tang Gong must be much more important than Liu Wuzhou. As long as the Eastern Turks are stabilized, Liu Wuzhou will not be troubled." Li Yuan couldn't bear it, Pei Ji interjected: "Zhao Ren, why are you talking nonsense? Can you make Mr. Tang a minister to the barbarians? If you do this, it will be passed down to future generations, and you will be ashamed endlessly!" Li Yuan waved his hand and said, "When a man acts first, he should take the lead. Supervisor Pei, what is patience for a while? At the beginning, Han Xin could bear the humiliation of his crotch, so what is it if I surrender to the Turks? Today I surrender to him, and tomorrow he may be the same." What about my ministers. Zhaoren, get ready to go to Turkic as soon as the recruitment is over." At this time, Li An poked his head outside the door and gave Li Shimin a wink. Li Shimin stood up and walked out the door, and saw Li An pointing at the steps and said: "Master Erlang, this man forced his way in and said he had something important to see you, stop him." I can't stop it." Under the shadow of the lamp, I saw the visitor dressed as an Orion, Li Shimin waited for a closer look, and the visitor had already opened his mouth: "Erlang, I, Liu Shilong, am dressed as an Orion, so you can't recognize me?" The person who came was Liu Shilong, the mayor of Jinyang. Wang Wei and Gao Junya were closely related. They only knew that Liu Shilong and Li Yuansu had no relationship, but they didn't expect him to have a close relationship with Li Shimin.Liu Shilong was born as a hero, with a bold and forthright nature. Every time Li Shimin hunted, he had to cook wine with him and have a big chat.This time Gao Junya asked him to help set up an ambush to capture Li Yuan in Jinci Temple. He agreed at the time, but he thought about it for a whole day afterwards.In the evening, he made up his mind to ask Li Shimin to tell the truth about Wang and Gao's plots. Seeing the Sui Dynasty swaying in the wind and rain, why didn't he follow the general trend and go to be the emperor's funeral object? In the morning, the breeze blows away the mist, and the sun looks red and big.Seeing that today is another sunny day, everyone feels bad: the drought has been too long. Li Yuan came to the left-behind mansion early in the morning to be promoted, and after a while, he saw Wang Wei, Gao Junya and others rushing in.After Wang Wei sat down, he wiped the fine sweat from his forehead with his hands, and cursed: "This damn weather, it's so hot early in the morning." The first thing they discussed was to go to Jinci Temple to pray for rain. The topic was brought up by Wang Wei first. He looked at Li Yuan and said, "Mr. Tang, look, it's scorchingly hot today. In addition to some snow particles falling to wet the ground after the year , there is no sign of rain. I asked the local gentry yesterday, and they said that the government should pray for rain. It is said that it is very effective to pray for rain at the Jinci Temple. The weather was good in the past two years, and this year is drought and war disaster. If it makes people panic, go to ask for rain now, and you can also use this to appease the people." Li Yuan nodded, raised a book on the desk and said, "That's right, I couldn't sleep last night, so I specially found this "Jinyang Chronicle" to read. There has always been little rain in the Three Jins, and it is customary to pray for rain in the Jin Temple. And it works every time. Two deputy guards, let's hurry up and do this matter. How about it, you two will be fully responsible for the preparation of the rain praying ceremony, and I will be the officiant at that time. Is there any difficulty?" The two looked at each other, and their faces were filled with joy.They kept saying that there was no problem at first, and then Gao Junya suggested that since they didn't know much about the ceremony of praying for rain, they should ask Jinyang Township Office and local gentry for help.Li Yuan immediately agreed. Li Yuan changed the subject again, and said to Pei Ji: "Jian Pei, I heard from Erlang that the recruited soldiers' housing and food supplies are not enough. As the saying goes, 'before the soldiers and horses move, the food and grass go first'. If it is true what Erlang said, you and the king The deputy guard is a bit slow. Wang Fushou, do you think so?" Wang Wei hurriedly said: "Duke Tang, the speed of recruiting troops is too fast now. After all, Taiyuan Mansion's ability is limited. If it is not restrained, it may be unsustainable. It should be planned early." Li Yuan said sharply: "When a big enemy is in front of us, it is most taboo to push back. If anyone violates the order, I will act in accordance with military law." He glanced down and said, "Recruitment is our top priority. Please just make a decision, and now that it’s made, everyone must be determined to do it. Do you have anything else to do? If not, we’ll just leave today.” Sitting at the bottom, Liu Zhenghui and Ai Ai said: "Mr. Tang, I have something to report. There is a secret report here, which says that there are people who have secretly communicated with the Turks to conspire to seize Taiyuan." Everyone was shocked, Li Yuan said seriously: "Since there is a secret report, let's read it to everyone." Liu Zhenghui showed a tinge of fear, and said, "Mr. Tang, please turn away from the left and right sides. The secret report tells us that we are here." Gao Junya said: "Liu Sima, you have always been a straightforward person, why is it so uncomfortable to hesitate and speak today. Tell me quickly, if anyone in our seat dares to collude with the enemy and rebel, I will be the first to spare him with the steel knife in my hand. " Liu Zhenghui looked strange, he left his seat and walked in front of Li Yuan: "Mr. Tang, this secret report came from the Turkic insider, and he lost his life for it." He turned around and looked at Gao and Wang, "Deputy Wang, Deputy Shou Gao, the rebels mentioned in the secret report are you two. You sent someone to contact Shibi Khan, and plan to kill Tang Gong and sacrifice the city of Taiyuan!" Wang Wei was furious immediately: "Liu Zhenghui, you spout blood and want to frame this official, this knife will kill you first." After finishing speaking, he pulled out the knife in a "babble".Gao Junya on the side went up and pressed down Wang Wei's knife, and he laughed loudly: "Brother Wang, don't make mistakes. Liu Zhenghui, I want to ask you, you dare to take a piece of paper and turn black and white in the courtroom, what is it?" Instigated by whom?" He said to Li Yuan, "Mr. Tang, we need to have a good trial of Liu Zhenghui, maybe he is the spy of the Turks." Li Yuan ignored him, waved his hand and shouted: "Come here." There was a burst of footsteps around the house, and soon, more than 30 armored warriors were stationed in the four corners under the leadership of Li Shimin, Changsun Shunde, and Liu Hongji, and they took special care of Wang Wei and Gao Junya. Two people are allowed. Wang Wei and Gao Junya suddenly realized, Wang Wei threw the knife on the ground with a "clang".Seeing Li Shimin and other three people appearing at the same time, they understood that today's behind-the-scenes host is Li Yuan sitting in the hall.However, after thinking about it, they couldn't figure out what went wrong, so Li Yuan took the lead. Li Yuan asked Liu Zhenghui to submit the secret report, read it carefully, and then made a note, cursing: "You two thieves, why did the court feel sorry for you? How dare you go to the enemy and rebel without telling me? This official Xiangshang heads to ask for credit and rewards. Erlang, immediately put them in prison and keep them under strict supervision." There was no fear on the faces of the two of them, Gao Junya sighed: "The winner is the prince and the loser is Kou, Li Yuan, everyone knows who is the real rebel. People say that the current emperor is tyrannical, but I think he is still Not ruthless enough, if you were not given military power at the beginning, would you have survived?" Several soldiers stepped forward and quickly tied the two into dumplings. At this time, a long "report" sounded outside the door, and a detective went in and reported breathlessly: "My lord, stay behind, about 20,000 Turkic soldiers and horses have invaded our border and have invaded the border." It's more than ten miles away, seeing its momentum, I want to come to Taiyuan." Li Yuan frowned after hearing this, and said, "Got it." He waved his hand to signal him to back down. Everyone in the hall was very surprised, Xu Shixu scolded: "You two thieves, you really attracted the Turkic soldiers." Wang Wei and Gao Junya didn't think so, thinking that Li Yuan was still acting.Li Yuan had seen Pei Ji and Li Shimin, and saw that they both showed confused expressions, so he realized that the report just now was true, and he made another note: "Gao Junya, how dare you talk nonsense, you heard it just now Do you want to deny it to the end?" He turned to Li Shimin and ordered, "Erlang, together with Changsun Shunde and Liu Hongji, you will lead 20,000 government soldiers to set up an ambush in the Mengshan area, and send some small groups of troops to contact and harass the Turks. , to resist them outside of Taiyuan. I am here to closely observe the movement, ready to lead the army to meet you at any time." The three of Li Shimin agreed in unison, turned around and ran out of the mansion. Wang Wei snorted and said, "Li Yuan, your play hasn't finished yet?" Li Yuan was furious: "Dog thieves, dare to speak sarcastic words. Detain them, and when I go out to fight, I will use these two dog heads to sacrifice the flag." Li Shimin returned to the government to gather the government soldiers, thinking about how to fight this battle all the way.He asked Li An to call Liu Wenjing over, and then summoned the elder Sun Shunde, Liu Hongji, and Zhang Wansui to discuss matters. Li Shimin put forward his own ideas straight to the point: "The Turkic invasion this time is both beneficial and unfavorable to us. The good thing is that the heaven-sent opportunity has proved Wang Wei and Gao Junya's charges of collaborating with the enemy and rebellion; the bad thing is that we are preparing to do so. There is no time to entangle with the Turks. I think the main purpose of this battle is deterrence, so that the Turks can see that we are prepared, so they will retreat. Brother Zhao, what do you think?" Liu Wenjing nodded and said: "Yes, that's the reason. After the Turkic soldiers retreat this time, I will immediately repair the communication channel. As for the military deployment, Erlang, you can command boldly." Li Shimin said: "Okay, we will send out all the elite this time to demonstrate the style. The original soldiers are the main ones, and the newly recruited soldiers are just a group of mobs who can't go to the battlefield. Zhang Jian, there is a leader missing in the battle formation I have lined up." Son, I have to make it difficult for you." Zhang Wansui said: "Just order, Wansui will do his best." Several people laughed, and it was a very pleasant thing for the horse thief to come out with elegant words. Li Shimin talked about his plan to divide 14,800 people into five armies.The central army consisted of 4,000 men, led by Liu Wenjing; the Zuo Yuhou army had 2,800 men, led by Li Shimin; the Youyu Hou army had 2,800 men, led by Changsun Shunde; Hongji led; the right wing army was 2,600 people, led by Zhang Wansui. After Li Shimin was assigned, everyone led the troops out of the city in order.When the people of Taiyuan learned that Tang Gong Erlang led troops out of the city to fight against the Turkic soldiers, they rushed to the streets to see them off, wishing them a triumphant return.Many people among the people already knew that the Turkic crime was due to Wang Wei and Gao Junya, and they were very angry and scolded when they saw him off. Once over Mount Meng, Li Shimin rode a "Yu Jiji" and led the Zuo Yuhou Army to the forefront. The team maintained the formation and advanced one by one. A hundred drummers in the formation chanted their trumpets and beat the big drums. The team was majestic. Dusty everywhere.The elder Sun Shunde on the right kept a fixed distance from the left army according to Li Shimin's order.In the Mengshan area, Liu Wenjing, Liu Hongji, and Zhang Wansui have already set up camp, forming a solid defense line.In the barracks, the flags and flags are clearly defined, and the handsome flags are flying around, looking very mighty and majestic.This is Li Shimin's instruction: to maximize its momentum, so as to achieve the goal of defeating others without fighting. The effect was obvious. By the evening of the second day, the forwards of Li Shimin and Changsun Shunde had not found the Turkic soldiers and horses, nor had they been seen in the border area of ​​​​Taiyuan County.It is thought that the Turks retreated without fighting when they saw the strength of the Taiyuan division.Seeing such a situation, Li Shimin decided to return home as a teacher. Li Yuan went to the gate of the city to meet the team of the class teacher. After returning to the mansion, he immediately ordered Pei Ji and Li Shimin to supervise the beheading, and took Wang Wei and Gao Junya to Fenshuikou to behead them for public display.When the prison van was parading along the street, the spit of the people on both sides almost drowned them.After the two were beheaded, people threw stones and sticks at the corpses one after another. After a while, two hillocks were piled up. Seeing the scene that everyone hated, Li Shimin remained silent.He was thinking that the common people were kept in the dark, and those who knew a little bit of inside information would think that Wang Wei and Gao Junya were too incomprehensible, and they went against the trend, and ended up being the victims of foolish loyalty, losing their lives in vain .There are many such examples in history. Can you say that they all simply repeated the mistakes of their predecessors?Li Shimin felt that the actions of Wang and Gao were actually very heroic. If one day his subordinates could be as loyal to him as they are, that would be such a gratifying thing.Thinking of this, Li Shimin ordered the beheading officer to have Wang Wei and Gao Junya's corpses packed up and handed over to their families for a good burial, and told the magistrate not to embarrass their families. Li Shimin sighed, thinking that the officialdom is like a battlefield, if you are merciful and delay your action, others will seize the opportunity. Li Shimin was thinking wildly, Li An squeezed through the crowd and came to him, sweating profusely and said: "The family members have rushed over from Hedong, the master asked you to return home quickly to help resettle."