Chapter 26 Chapter 26

However, it was said that Li Shimin drove away Liu Heita and successfully captured Mingzhou. When the army was preparing to go south to attack Xu Yuanlang, suddenly three groups of fast horses came from Chang'an. Li Shimin was very puzzled after receiving the imperial decree. Now is the critical moment to wipe out Shandong in one fell swoop. Why did the emperor recall him at this juncture?He was puzzled, seeing Fang Xuanling and Du Ruhui beside him, he expressed his doubts. Fang Xuanling and Du Ruhui didn't quite understand the real reason why Li Yuan called Li Shimin urgently. They looked at each other for a long time, and Du Ruhui said slowly: "Why does the emperor call the King of Qin urgently? My subordinates don't understand for a while. On the surface, it seems that I want to ask about the situation in Hebei, but the capital is very lively at this time. I don't know if the emperor heard something."

"What's going on in the capital?" Fang Xuanling said: "If Hui got some news from the capital, I wanted to report it to His Highness right away. Seeing that His Highness is busy with the conquest of Mingzhou these days, we decided not to distract the King of Qin, so we took it easy for a while. .If you don't know, now that the big event is over, you can briefly talk about it." Du Ruhui said: "My subordinates will start with the matter of Xin'an. One day a group of people came and took away all the people in the manor." "Ah, who did it? Where is Chuke now?"

When Du Ruhui heard the word "Chu Ke", he bowed his head in silence, tears streaming down his cheeks. Fang Xuanling interjected: "This group of people brought Chu Ke to the capital, interrogated him in every possible way, tortured him severely, Chu Ke was overwhelmed, and finally committed suicide by biting his tongue." Li Shimin was shocked, stepped forward and took Du Ruhui's hand, and said in a trembling voice: "Ruhui, it's my fault that I didn't think carefully about this matter. I should turn Chu Ke away at that time, but I didn't expect Chu Ke to be implicated by my negligence. I don't want to For Chu Ke to die like this, I, my heart aches..." Before he finished speaking, tears flowed from his eyes.

Du Ruhui wiped away his tears and said, "The King of Qin must not be sad about this. Now that Chu Ke is dead, it is useless to think about it. No matter what, Chu Ke has nothing to do with King Qin." Li Shimin sighed, and said: "My heart hurts Chuke not only because he sacrificed his life for righteousness. Ruhui, I remember when I was in Luoyang, I said that you are blessed. It is rare to have such a good brother." The atmosphere in the arena was suddenly dull, and it was Du Ruhui who was the first to stop his grief, changed the subject, and said, "King Qin, the origin of this group of people is very strange. They tortured Zhuang Ding, and in the end it was Pei Ji who presented a plea to the emperor. The real master of the gang is Wei Ting from the East Palace, so it seems that the East Palace and Pei Ji have teamed up."

Li Shimin smiled coldly and said, "What's so strange about this? When Liu Wenjing was killed, they had a tacit understanding. Counting it, this is at least the second time they have teamed up." "Also, Li An sent a letter saying that Concubine Wan Gui told Concubine Qin that Pei Ji has been in close contact with Concubine Yin De and Zhang Jieyu recently. The court ladies privately said that Yin and Zhang have recently obtained a lot of treasures, which are obviously gifts from Pei Ji .” "Hey, it's even gone to the palace." "That's right, the tree wants to be quiet but the wind doesn't stop. The capital is not peaceful, and Li Yi and our camp send a lot of secret performances to the capital every day. If the emperor believes any of the slanderous words, then the decree issued this time will be unreasonable." It makes a lot of sense.”

Fang Xuanling said worryingly: "Perhaps it is because King Qin had a great reputation in the previous period, and now he has won a great victory. Some people are jealous and slander, making the emperor undecided. King Qin, maybe Xuanling came to this conclusion too early, but it's too big to attract attention. It's better to be vigilant." Li Shimin nodded in agreement, silently meditating. Li Yuan issued an order to call Li Shimin back to Beijing urgently. As expected, he read Li Yuanji's memorial in the East Nuan Pavilion of Liangyi Hall. When Li Yuan was furious, only Pei Ji was by his side.Pei Ji saw that Li Yuan's face was cloudy, so he didn't dare to intervene for a while, but when he saw that he had issued the edict, Fang said slowly: "The king of Qin is capable of fighting, if he does it well, it may lead to disaster after a long time."

Li Yuanran said, "That's right, Supervisor Pei, your worries are very reasonable. These days, I've been thinking about this matter. At the beginning, I was the first righteous in Taiyuan, and after that, Erlang still contributed a lot. .Why has Erlang changed this year? The reason is not his own, but the key lies in external forces. Here Jiu Dianbing is outside, taught by Shulang, not the old Erlang!" Pei Ji was delighted in his heart, and added fuel and jealousy: "The Emperor Shengming, Erlang was actually a very good person before, but he has changed now. Fang Xuanling, Du Ruhui, Chu Liang, Xue Shou and others around him turned out to be very good. They are desolate, they should do their best to assist the Tang Dynasty, but their minds are unpredictable, and they prefer to search for words in the laws and regulations of previous dynasties, so as to persuade Erlang, and they are delusional. Speaking of it, they are all Shandong Han people. The Guanlong nobles don't like it, maybe they want to use Erlang's power to turn over."

This is a sensitive topic, most of Li Yuan's current reliance in the court is the old team of Guanlong nobles.They rely on the shadow of their fathers and grandparents to form a group, and they do not allow other power groups to rise and intervene.In the court, it is a general when you go out, and you are a prime minister when you enter, which has formed a custom.After hearing this, Li Yuan asked vigilantly: "Jian Pei, did you come up with these words yourself?" Pei Ji smiled and said: "The emperor knows the old minister's ability. Apart from drinking and talking with the emperor, he dare not think about other things, and he really can't think of any ideas. What the old minister said just now is from the court. They said, The King of Qin now mostly employs people from the East."

The gentry in Shandong have always been the mainstream of eunuchs by passing on their poems and books to their families, but it has gradually declined after the Northern Dynasties.The nobles of Guanlong started recklessly and established their country with martial arts. Over the years, they have always maintained a high degree of vigilance against the Shandong gentry. They formed a tacit understanding in their hearts that the high temples would not allow people from Shandong to live there.Li Yuan was shocked when he heard this, and thought that Erlang had a lot of meaning in appointing more Dong people.If people from Shandong really use Erlang's power to enter the court and participate in politics, there will be chaos in the court.On this point, Li Yuan followed the admonitions of his ancestors, that is, he contacted the nobles of Guanlong to support him and form the political foundation of the court. If anyone wanted to move this cornerstone, Li Yuan would firmly oppose it.Li Yuan was silent there for a long time, looked at Pei Ji and said, "Jian Pei, it seems that the edict I issued just now was not wrong. Erlang Jiudian's soldiers are away, so it's time for him to come back and rest. Now that the world is at peace, it is difficult for someone to make trouble. When there is a big wave, Erlang is also overqualified there, just letting the other nephews go out to practice."

Pei Ji said without losing the opportunity: "Your majesty is wise, in fact, the crown prince should go out and practice for a while. He is the crown prince, and his study of government affairs is not monotonous." Li Yuan nodded, then called Yan Shigu to draw up an edict: make Li Daoxuan the king of Huaiyang and the commander of the Mingzhou army; Li Yuan the king of Lujiang and the commander of the Jizhou army. Both of these two are Li Yuan's nephews, and their relationship with the prince also reveals a mystery: Li Daoxuan has followed Li Shimin to fight everywhere for many years.Li Yuan has a gentle personality and has a close relationship with Li Jiancheng.From this point of view, it can be said that Li Yuan took great pains in striving for a balance in personnel appointments.

In a few days, Li Shimin led Yuchi Jingde and several people into Chang'an on Qingqi.He didn't go back to Tiance Mansion and went straight to Miyagi, and when he got to the gate of the palace, he heard that the court meeting had ended, so he asked Tong Shisheren to report to Li Yuan to ask for an audience.At that time Li Yuan was discussing matters with several close ministers in Dongnuan Pavilion, when he heard that Li Shimin had arrived in front of the palace gate, he waved to several courtiers and said, "Go, follow me to pick up Erlang." Several ministers followed. When everyone arrived at Changle Gate, they saw Li Shimin already knelt there, proclaiming long live, and said: "I have returned to Beijing by order, and my father and emperor have come here, and my ministers are sincere and terrified." Li Yuan stretched out his hand to pull him up, and said, "My son is alive, this time you have worked hard for my father again. Let's go, let's talk in the cabinet first." They folded their heads and went back to the East Nuan Pavilion. Seeing Li Yuan acting like this, Pei Ji's heart beat a little.He thought that it was really not easy for Li Yuan to be the emperor, no matter what he thought in his heart, he did not show his face.Like this little matter in front of me, the word of the emperor personally welcoming the emperor's son will naturally spread before tomorrow, and outsiders will think that Li Shimin is still favored by the holy family, and will not think of other places. After Li Shimin entered the cabinet, he described the process of attacking Liu Heita to Li Yuan in detail, and finally said: "My minister has settled Hebei this time, and seeing that there are Xu Yuanlang and Fu Gongzhe in the east, I want to take advantage of the victory." Destroy it with one blow. At that time, I wanted to hurry up, so I sent a letter to the emperor to ask for an order, and at the same time prepared troops to attack, and asked the emperor to pardon the crime of arbitrariness." Li Yuan said gently: "What's your fault for sharing your father's worries? I called you back this time because I was afraid that you would be too tired, so don't hurt your body. Speaking of which, you have been away all these years, and the bowstring has been stretched. Too tight. Now there are only a few small thieves left. Fugong Zhe is between the Jianghuai River and the Huaihe River, so Xiaogong and Li Jing can get rid of them easily; as for Xu Yuanlang, it is enough for Shiro to deal with him. You, don’t have to do everything yourself gone." After Li Shimin heard this, he immediately became anxious, and said: "Father, don't underestimate those gangsters. The so-called spark can start a prairie fire, and Liu Heitai is a ready-made example. My son thinks that we should take advantage of the victory and suppress them before we can The world will be stabilized in one fell swoop. It is a big taboo for military strategists to change in the middle of the battle. This group of people has always been led by the ministers. If they change commanders again, they will have to get to know them for a long time, which may delay the opportunity of the battle. Please let the ministers stay in Shandong for a few more days My God, I will be a class teacher after we wipe out the bandit chieftain." Several ministers didn't understand what kind of medicine was sold in Li Yuan's gourd. Seeing that Li Shimin won a big victory, it happened to stabilize Shandong in one fell swoop. Why did they let him withdraw halfway?Among them, only Pei Ji knew it well, but there was no trace of complacency on his face. Li Yuan's position was very firm, and he said slowly: "Erlang, I understand what you mean, and you still want to share my worries! It would be great if other princes and nephews were like you. What is happening in front of you, you You can go back first and preside over there for a period of time. After more than a month, you can gradually hand over the affairs there to Shiro. By the way, I just appointed Daoxuan and Yuan'er as the marching chiefs, so I let Shiro lead them to practice more there. In case something happens in the future, you have a few capable helpers." Li Shimin lowered his head and thought for a while, and felt that he could finish the affairs over there in more than a month, so he said: "I obey the order." "You go back first. In a few days, you ask Jiamin to bring a few grandchildren into the palace, and let me have a good look at them." Li Shimin nodded, exchanged pleasantries with other ministers, and then prepared to withdraw.At this moment, Li Yuan suddenly remembered something, called him and said: "By the way, after you return to Mingzhou, tell Shentong to give the land in Luoyang to Concubine Yin's family." "My son knows about this, but Uncle Shentong is unwilling to hand over the land." "You talk to Shentong about it, and say that I have an edict to give this piece of land to Concubine Yin's family, so that he will stop fighting." Li Shimin said in embarrassment: "Father, when Uncle Shentong asked my son to ask for this land when he was in Luoyang, my son agreed to him. Later, Concubine Yin's family wanted it, after all." Li Yuan's voice did not rise, but his tone became severe: "No, it must be done according to my edict! The world is so big, can anyone speak more than my edict?" Seeing that Li Yuan was angry, Li Shimin didn't dare to fight any more, so he bowed down again.Two days later, he led Yuchi Jingde and others back to Mingzhou.Li Shimin heard what Li Yuan meant, and felt that it was too difficult to resist, so he persuaded Li Shentong to obey the imperial edict and retreat.The boss Li Shentong was unwilling, and he kept scolding Yin Ashu, and finally nodded in agreement helplessly. Concubine Yin De finally won the battle. Li Jiancheng was enlightened when he heard Feng Deyi's words that day.He looked all over the mansion, checked the center, and began to secretly accumulate his own strength.On this day, he reported to Li Yuan and asked Pei Ju and Zheng Shanguo to be the prince's right and left sons, and Li Yuan agreed.Both of these two were veterans of the Sui Dynasty, and Li Jiancheng welcomed them into the East Palace mainly to make a good appearance for himself.At that time, in the East Palace, there were Prince Shaobao Li Gang, Prince Zhan Shidougui, Prince Xima Weizheng, Prince Zhongyun Wanggui, Prince Sheren Xu Shimo, Prince Ling Gengling Ouyang Xun, Zhidian Shufang Tang Lin, and Prince Zuowei. He led Wei Ting, Ji Shi participated in the military Yu Bao, and Chang Shi Tang Xian.For a period of time, Li Jiancheng seized the opportunity to talk to them one by one, and tried words related to Li Shimin.In the end, Li Jiancheng came to a conclusion: In addition to Wei Ting, he could also talk to Wang Gui and Wei Zheng and discuss major plans for the struggle. Since Wei Zheng was released back to Chang'an by Dou Jiande, he was appointed as the prince to wash the horse.This post is mainly to be in charge of the Wenhan Atlas of the Eastern Palace, and it is also a relatively leisurely position.Li Jiancheng didn't think much of him at first, so Wei Zheng spent every day arranging books in his room, and it was hard to see Li Jiancheng. Wang Gui is forty-two years old this year, and his family is also a nobleman from Guanlong.When Li Yuan first entered Chang'an, Wang Gui was hiding in Nanshan because of a crime, and stayed there for more than ten years.At that time, Li Gang followed He Panren to occupy the mountain as king, and had a lot of contacts with Wang Gui. He knew Wang Gui's ability, so he recommended it to Li Yuan.Li Yuan first served as Wang Gui's counselor for the prince's mansion to join the army, and after the construction of the East Palace, he was appointed as the prince's Zhongsheren, looking for Zhongyun. At the beginning, Li Jiancheng regarded Li Gang and Wang Gui the same, but gradually changed. Li Gang was generous and ambitious since he was a child, and he promised each other with loyalty.When he washed horses for the crown prince of the Sui Dynasty, he dared to confront Emperor Wen of the Sui Dynasty in court. Later, he offended some dignitaries in the court and could not gain a foothold in the court, so he had to live in seclusion in E County and was appointed as the chief historian by He Panren.When He Panren was subdued by Li Wanniang, Li Yuan captured Chang'an, and Li Gang entered Chang'an.Li Yuan respected him very much, and worshiped him as Minister of Rites, and later he also served as Prince Zhan Shi.Although Li Gang has experienced many changes, his personality has not changed at all. Whenever he sees injustice, he will immediately speak out and express his feelings.At that time, Li Yuanji lost Bingzhou and fled back to Chang'an. Li Gang and Li Shimin stood together and demanded that Li Yuanji be punished.Li Gang also saw that Li Jiancheng was fond of drinking and was suspicious, so he wrote a letter to persuade him.Li Jiancheng ignored his advice, and Li Gang was depressed because of this, so he asked Li Yuan to tell him to return to his hometown.Seeing his expression, Li Yuan was furious, and cursed: "Since you can be He Panren's long history, are you ashamed to be my minister?" Killing, so I am not ashamed of his long history. Your Majesty has made great achievements, and the minister is inferior. How dare you be the minister for a long time? And the minister is the prince, and he has contemptuous opinions. If he does not accept them, there is no benefit, so please Retire." Li Yuan was not a fool, he regarded Li Gang as a famous minister of the Sui Dynasty and was loyal, so he did not add any crimes, but treated him with courtesy, and promoted him to be the crown prince Shaobao.Li Jiancheng was very disgusted after this incident. Later, Li Gang suffered from foot disease and it was inconvenient for him to come and go.Li Jiancheng also saw that Wang Gui had a calm personality, usually silent and seldom talked, unlike Li Gang who was like thunderbolts like fire, so he gradually distanced himself from Li Gang and became closer to Wang Gui. On April 1st of the fifth year of Wude, Li Yuan saw that Liu Heita had been pacified, and it happened that cherries were presented in the palace orchard, so he held a big cherry feast to celebrate.After the banquet, Li Yuan rewarded his ministers with freshly ripe cherries, and said that there were many people in the East Palace, so the distribution should be doubled.Li Jiancheng took the cherries back to the East Palace and distributed the cherries to the officials.He then moved to the Lantai Pavilion west of Hongwen Hall, which is his study room where he likes to live alone, and people invited Wei Ting, Wang Gui, and Wei Zheng to eat cherries together. The three quickly entered the cabinet one by one. When Wei Ting entered, he saw the bright red cherries on the table, and praised: "The cherries are so fresh. I just saw the palace maid distributing them to the officials. I thought His Highness had forgotten about us." He greeted the palace maid: "Go, get some sugar and cheese, it's better to eat like this." Li Jiancheng smiled and said, "It is said that Wei Ting enjoys it the most, and it is true. I heard that eating cherries with sugar and cheese is popular this year. I think you have already tasted it." Wang Gui also smiled slightly, but remained silent.After Wei Zheng entered the cabinet, he was already sitting in front of the desk. He picked up a cherry and put it in his mouth. He felt his mouth full of sweetness, and said, "Cherry is a treasure among fruits. It is already extremely sweet and has a strong fragrance. Mix it with cheese and cheese, and cover up the original taste. Brother Wei, you might as well taste and compare. Now everyone in Chang’an regards fashion as beauty, but in fact fashion is just a kind of fashion, and it is the most reasonable to leave the flashy and rustic.” Wei Ting is usually not very modest, but he admired Wei Zheng very much, and replied: "Since Wei Xima said so, he can't be wrong. Wei Ting has always been sincerely convinced. I think Wei Xima has already tasted all over the world when he was making wine. It’s fruity.” When Wei Zheng was young, he was a Taoist monk, he didn’t make alchemy, but only studied wine making, and he already had a lot of kung fu in wine making.Over the years, there have been rumors in the capital that the fine wine produced by Wei Zheng is extremely delicious, and some ministers sought out Wei Zheng for the wine, but it was a pity that Wei Zheng would not show it to others so easily.Seeing that they couldn't taste good wine, some people withdrew from the ranks of asking for wine, and said that Wei Zhenglang's reputation was false, and wine might not be good.There are still some people who are convinced and even more envious. Li Jiancheng greeted the three of them: "Come, everyone, please eat." Everyone ate the cherries, and after a while, a plate of bright red cherries was eaten up. Wei Zheng got up first to clean his hands, and asked Li Jiancheng, "Your Highness, I heard that King Qin was ordered to return to Beijing, and he returned to Mingzhou today. Why did the Emperor summon him?" Li Jiancheng said: "I heard from Supervisor Pei that the father was furious because Erlang used troops against Xu Yuanlang without authorization, so he was recalled. However, I have seen that the attitude of the father to Erlang these days is not strict, but very gentle." Well. No, he was sent back to the front line to command.” Wang Gui said: "The emperor has always been lenient, simple and benevolent, and he has always favored the King of Qin. Although the King of Qin is released now, the anger in his heart seems to be extinguished, but it is not good. Speaking of it, the King of Qin has been very prosperous these years. Because the emperor loves it, now the emperor has repeated thoughts, Yichen sees that there is a lot to do." "What's the article?" Li Jiancheng asked. "I once heard His Highness say that Li Yi often came to report that he was not on good terms with the King of Qin. Now that His Highness is on good terms with King Qi, you can send someone to contact Li Yi through King Qi. Looking around the world, Li Yi is the strongest among the foreign vassals. Your Majesty He is also the most important to him. If His Royal Highness can join hands with Li Yi, there will be a strong support. The King of Qin conquered Luoyang, and asked the emperor to let Wen Daya and Zhang Liang manage it. Luoyang has become King Qin's backyard. One point, I hope His Highness think twice." Li Jiancheng's heart moved, and he felt that Wang Gui's words coincided with Feng Deyi's original advice.Now I am starting to accumulate the power of the Eastern Palace, but the actions of linking with foreign vassals and mastering the military power to recruit Luo generals have not come to fruition.If they can really join forces with Li Yi, there will be a breakthrough in this respect. Wei Ting said: "Wang Zhongyun's plan is very clever, Your Highness, Wei Ting is willing to go to Hebei as an envoy." Li Jiancheng thought about it for a long time, then shook his head and said, "I have never met Li Yi. I have no idea what this person is like. Wang Zhongyun is right. People from the Eastern Palace cannot reveal anything about Erlang. If you have anything to say, let others say it. As for contacting Li Yi, it's too early to act recklessly. Let's talk about it when there is a chance. Wei Xima, what do you think?" Wei Zheng kept bowing his head in silence, and when he heard Li Jiancheng questioning himself, he raised his head and said, "What Your Highness said is very safe, I think this is the best. What I just thought was another matter, and I may have to spend a lot of money on it in the future." Hesitating." The eyes of several people shot at Wei Zheng. Wei Zheng said leisurely: "I think that Liu Heikai fled to Turkic this time. The Turkic Jieli Khan is not a good man. He will definitely lend troops to Liu Heitai to let him enter the middle land to cause chaos. Forgive Liu Hei It's not a problem for a man, but he complied with the hearts of the people in Hebei, so this matter is troublesome. Speaking of which, although the king of Qin set Hebei this time, it was only a temporary extermination. He forgot that there is another word for "fu". " Wei Zheng is a native of Qucheng, Weizhou, and has a deep understanding of Hebei's geography and human relationships.He had a clear understanding of the fire and understood that the reason for Liu Heitai's chaos was that the imperial court blindly suppressed and did not appease the people's hearts.These days, he has been closely watching the battle over there, and once he heard that Liu Heita had escaped, he knew it would never end.He went on to say: "Think about Liu Heitai's great ability, but he was able to gather disciples within half a year and restore Dou Jiande's land. It was nothing more than the strict governance of the court officials, which sparked civil uprisings. The extermination of Liu Heizhen was regarded as a simple battle. Hey, King Qin made a big mistake this time. I have been wondering why the group of counselors in the Tiance Mansion didn't warn King Qin? It seems that they are plainly obedient. The ability of the King of Qin is regarded as a god. Little do we know that the affairs of the military and the country, relying on the strength of one person, still has flaws. As long as the people in Hebei don’t like Tang, let alone Liu Heita, it’s just Zhang Heita and Li Heita raising their arms One call, the situation there will be critical again." The three felt that Wei Zheng's words were indeed reasonable, but they were not very convinced.Wei Ting chuckled and said, "I never thought that Wei Xima would be able to predict the future, but it's a pity that Li Chunfeng and Yuan Tiangang don't know where they are traveling? If they are in Chang'an, then the three of you should be able to form a tacit understanding." Wei Zheng said sternly: "Please wait and see what happens. Your Highness, the King of Qin has made great achievements in the world, and he has returned to his heart from all over the world; Your Highness lives in the East Palace because of his age, and he has no great achievements to subdue the mainland. If Liu Heita really rebelled, please seize this time. Opportunity, ask the emperor for an order, and lead troops to attack it to gain fame, and you can marry Shandong heroes." Li Jiancheng didn't really believe that Liu Heitai would still make trouble, but felt that Wei Zheng was taking the situation too seriously, so he said perfunctorily, "Okay, I believe Xi Ma's words. If there is a chance, I will ask my father for orders." Li Jiancheng didn't want to discuss the topic of Liu Heitai with Wei Zheng, so he said to Wei Ting, "It's been more than three months since Yang Wenqian stayed in Weidong Palace. I observed carefully and saw that he often practiced martial arts with the guards when he was studying. , the ability is much higher than that of the guards. It is really rare for a person to be able to read and write, and it seems that he is a useful person. Wei Ting, it seems that you have a good vision." Wei Ting was overjoyed after hearing this, thinking that the meeting at Qingyun Tower was worthwhile.After Yang Wenqian participated in the customs examination, he had to go home to watch the election as a rule, and he was eligible for appointment after three years.Just after the test, he found Wei Ting, and Wei Ting introduced him to Li Jiancheng.After that, Yang Wenqian became a guard of the East Palace, and stayed in the East Palace of Wei every day.Wang Gui said: "Although Yang Wenqian is capable of literature and martial arts, he is still an unpolished jade. If he wants to be useful, he should only be placed in the palace as a guard, like a pearl cast in secret, and he needs to experience more It is." Li Jiancheng followed his words and said: "Yes, according to the selection procedure, it would take three years for Yang Wenqian to become an official. Wang Zhongyun, you are right, he should be sent out of the palace earlier." Wang Gui smiled slightly and said, "It's really a trivial matter to put this matter here with the prince. As long as the prince makes up a random reason and puts Yang Wengan in the roster that was not selected at the right time, he can be appointed as a foreign post in a grandiose manner. " Li Jiancheng nodded and said: "Okay, Wang Zhongyun, this matter is up to you. You can talk to Feng Deyi in my name first, and get the matter over quickly. It's best to get him a military position." Li Shimin commanded troops to press towards Xu Yuanlang, and the two armies held each other like a saw for more than a month.At this time, Li Yuan ordered Li Shimin to return to Chang'an.On June 23rd, Li Shimin handed over the power of Dianbing to Li Yuanji, and rushed to Chang'an with the subordinates of Tiance Mansion. A few days later, Li Shimin and his party entered Chang'an.He first entered the palace to deliver the order to Li Yuan.Previously, under Li Shimin's fierce offensive, Xu Yuanlang retreated steadily, and the Tang army's voice shook Huai and Si.Du Fuwei and Fu Gongzhe, who were in Licheng, heard the news and saw that the army led by Li Xiaogong and Li Jing from the south was coming to oppress this side. They were terrified, so they recommended Du Fuwei to Chang'an to ask Li Yuan to surrender.When Li Shimin entered the palace, Li Yuan had just accepted Du Fuwei's surrender, and immediately named Du Fuwei the king of Wu and worshiped the prince Shaobao;When Li Yuan saw Li Shimin come back, he remembered that Erlang was also responsible for this, and he felt better again, so he encouraged him a lot and gave the teachers a batch of gold, silver and Lu silk. Li Shimin entered the Tiance Mansion, the elder Sun Jiamin had already heard the news, and led his family to welcome him into the mansion.Li Shimin talked with his wives for a while, and suddenly remembered his sons, so he called his elder Sun Jiamin and said, "Sister Min, call Chengqian and the others. I'm in Mingzhou. In my dream, besides seeing you, I miss my sons even more." Everyone pursed their lips and smiled, and Yin Mengjie said: "The prince will not return when he is out fighting. Our sisters once said that it may be that the prince loves to fight and cares less about family affairs." Li Shimin is very affectionate and has a tacit understanding.As for Jing'er, Yang Qiong, and Cuiwei, they usually dare not speak up when they see Li Shimin.Only this Yinmengjie has a bright personality and speaks freely, and she is more casual in front of Li Shimin.Although the eldest grandson Jiamin taught her to have a dignified voice and appearance in private, but Yinmengjie's natural temperament returned to normal after just a few days.In the end Li Shimin was very forgiving towards her, thinking that Li Shimin also liked her special nature, so grandson Jiamin let her go. Li Shimin said: "Nonsense, the so-called whole country and family harmony are the principles of human relations, how can they be neglected?" At this time, a sound of children's voices poured into the room, and several children were brought to Li Shimin.The eldest among them is Chengqian, born to the eldest grandson Jiamin, who is six years old this year, and has been conferred the title of Hengshan King by Li Yuan; the third is Li Ke, born to Yang Qiong, four years old, and has been conferred the title of King of Shu by Li Yuan; He was born to Li Tai, the eldest grandson Jiamin, who was three years old this year and was crowned King of Wei by Li Yuan; the fifth eldest was named Li You, born to Yin Mengjie, who was less than two years old this year and had not yet been crowned king. When Jing'er saw them, she felt sad for a while. She thought of Kuan'er, who died young. Kuan'er was the same age as Cheng Qian. If he lived to this day, he should go to school like Cheng Qian.She quietly turned her head away. Seeing this, Eldest Sun Jiamin knew that she was sad at this moment, so she patted her shoulder to comfort her. Chengqian took the lead, called his father, and walked around Li Shimin's side.Li Shimin held them in his arms, inspected them one by one, and took Li You into his arms, feeling happy for a moment.He raised his head and said to his eldest grandson, Jiamin: "Sister Min, I have been away all these years. I have been on a military expedition. You have to take care of the family affairs. Look, all of my sons are very energetic. If I go out for a few more years, they will come back to me. Maybe they don’t recognize me as a father.” The eldest grandson Jiamin smiled and said: "Erlang, you are their father. I don't know if it was their blessings in their lifetime. I have told my sisters many times that we must teach them well so that they can understand poetry and books when they grow up. Going into battle, you must not lose your prestige." Li Shimin waved Cheng Qian to his side and asked, "Cheng Qian, what book are you reading now?" Li Chengqian said loudly: "Father, my son has entered elementary school to study scriptures. He has read it and is reciting it now." Li Shimin said happily: "Hey, I have learned so much. Chengqian, how about memorizing a paragraph for my father?" Li Chengqian nodded and opened his mouth to recite: The glory of Tangdi, Ebuweiwei.Today's people are as powerful as a brother's death and mourning; brother Kong Huai, the original is gone; brother begging, the back order is in the original; brother is in need, every good friend; ; Every time there are good friends, there is no chaos in the city; peace and tranquility, although there are brothers, it is not as good as friends who give birth to bean beans and drink wine.Brothers are both happy and happy with their wives, like drums and zithers; brothers are both harmonious and happy, and they are suitable for the family, and they are happy for their wives.It's a picture, it's straightforward. Li Chengqian stumbled to recite this awkward poem, Li Shimin first smiled and gave him encouraging eyes.After hearing a few words, his face gradually became serious.This poem praises the friendship between brothers, full of sincere emotion.He suddenly remembered the delicate relationship between himself and his brother, and felt a chill in his heart. Li Chengqian finally finished reciting this poem, Li Shimin fell into deep thought, the room became silent for a while, several people cast surprised eyes on Li Shimin.It took a while for Li Shimin to wake up from his contemplation. Seeing Li Chengqian looking at him eagerly, he smiled and said, "I'm so good at Chengqian, I really have made great progress. Do you know where this poem came from?" "I know, it's from Xiao Ya Er, I just learned it the day before yesterday." "Do you know what's in it?" Li Chengqian shook his head. Li Shimin stroked Chengqian's little head with his hand, and said softly: "My father told you that the poem says that brothers should get along well with each other. As their big brother, you should give them more. When you grow up Now, you will understand this truth. Alright, my father will bring you something interesting. Li An, you will lead them to watch the puppet show." When Li Shimin came to Xiangzhou this time, he saw people playing puppets there, commonly known as puppet show, and thought it was very fun.He asked Changsun Wuji to find a puppet craftsman and bring it back to Chang'an, so that the children could see it fresh. As soon as they heard that there was a good show to watch, the children immediately jumped up.Yin Mengjie and the others also wanted to see something rare, so they flocked away.Seeing that Li Shimin couldn't get over the emotion just now, the eldest grandson Jiamin changed the subject and said softly, "Erlang, it's just right for you to come back now. I don't know what happened. My sister has been sick since the spring of this year, and it's getting worse. I went to see her the day before yesterday, and she started coughing up blood. She misses you very much, so hurry up to see her when you have time." Li Shimin said in surprise: "Is it really so serious? Minmei, you help me prepare some gifts, and I will go to see her tonight." Time flies, and it is August in a blink of an eye.Jieli Khan suddenly sent troops and led 100,000 cavalry into Yanmen, preparing to attack Bingzhou.Liang Shidu led 50,000 troops out of Shuofang, ready to attack Qinzhou.When Li Yuan heard the news, he asked the ministers whether it was war or peace.Pei Ji replied: "War will cause deep grievances, and peace is not as good as peace." Feng Deyi disagreed with Pei Ji's opinion, and played: "Turks rely on the dogs and sheep, and they have the intention of belittling China. If they make peace without fighting, show it with Weak, and will come back next year. I thought it would be better to attack him, and if we make peace with him after a small victory, we will receive both kindness and power!" When Li Yuan raised his troops in Taiyuan, he took the initiative to pay tribute to the Turks, and until now, the tribute has continued and increased every year.The Turks thought that Li Yuan ruled more and more territories, his appetite was getting bigger and bigger, and the list of Suogong was getting longer and longer.Li Yuan was a little unwilling, and immediately sent troops to commit crimes to show color.However, the Turks have forgotten one thing. Now that the Tang Dynasty is becoming stronger and stronger, it is no longer respectful as it was when it was weak.Feng Deyi's memorial just reflected Tang's ambivalence towards the Turks and his reluctance to pay tribute.At that time, Li Shimin came out of the class and said: "Father, my son thinks that the order is reasonable, and my son is willing to lead the army out of Bingzhou and keep the Turks outside the gate of the country." Li Yuan agreed with Feng Deyi's opinion very much, and said: "Yes, I must not show weakness to the Turks. How about this, the prince will lead the troops out of Youzhou Road, and Erlang will lead the troops out of Qinzhou Road. Of." Two days later, Li Jiancheng and Li Shimin each led 80,000 people out of Chang'an to resist Jieli Khan and Liang Shidu.Li Yuan had changed his attitude now, instead of letting Li Shimin attack alone, he asked the two princes to divide and command him, hoping to restore a little balance between their brothers. Jieli Khan and Lao Ye Huben wanted Master Liang to be the vanguard in attacking Tang, but Master Liang was very disappointing.He has been busy in Shuofang for nearly a year, and Jieli Khan has given horses and others, but it has been difficult to open the situation, and he has always been in a corner, which makes Jieli Khan and Lao Yehu very disappointed.Jieli Khan has a bad temper. When he saw Liang Shidu recently, he became angry and hurled insults at him one after another.Liang Shidu was as dejected as a grandson, and he didn't dare to make a sound when he saw Jieli Khan. Liu Heita and Fan Yuan led two hundred riders to the Turkic Yazhang. Lao Yehu's eyes lit up when he saw it, and he hurriedly introduced them to Jieli Khan.Hearing that Liu Heitai can restore Dou Jiande's land within half a year, Jieli Khan understands that Liu Heitai has extraordinary appeal and can make good use of it.He promised to lend Liu Heitai five thousand cavalry, and let Liu Heitai lead his troops to fight back against Shandong.He led 100,000 troops out of Yanmen Pass to attack Bingzhou directly, and asked Liang Shidu to send 50,000 troops out of Shuofang to support Liu Heita's actions.The wishful thinking of Jieli Khan and Lao Yehu is: if Liu Heita enters Shandong and uses his appeal to restore the land of Shandong, and he forces his troops to press towards Bingzhou, Li Yuan will definitely be in a hurry.At this time, I put forward harsh conditions to Li Yuan, and I don't worry that Li Yuan will not submit. Li Shimin went out of Qinzhou and forced him directly to Liang Shidu.Master Liang had heard of Li Shimin's fame long ago, and when he heard that King Qin was coming, he was so frightened that he dared not go any further.Li Shimin saw that all the Liang divisions had retreated, and felt that the purpose of the trip had been achieved, so he stood still.Li Jiancheng over there arrived in Dingzhou, and ordered people to set up an ambush at Dazhen Pass, and first ate three thousand forwards of Jieli Khan.Jieli Khan was furious, and rushed through the Dazhen Pass with his troops, and more than a hundred thousand horsemen overflowed the valley for hundreds of miles.On the one hand, Li Jiancheng led his troops to block them, and on the other hand, he ordered Quan Tutong, the governor of Jiaozhou, Yu Wenxin, the governor of Hongzhou, Yang Shidao, the governor of Lingzhou, and Shuangtuluo, the governor of Dingzhou, to encircle them. The Turkic soldiers fought several times, which greatly frustrated Jieli Khan's spirit.At this time, Li Yuan, who was far away in Chang'an, took control of the fire and sent Zheng Yuan, who had been to the Turks five times as an envoy, to the front of the battle.Zheng Yuan entered the battle and met Jieli Khan. He first reprimanded Jieli for breaking the promise and led the troops deep into the interior, which made Jieli feel wronged. Then he said kindly: "Tang and Turks have different customs.居。可汗入内沿途，虽掳掠不少，然都入了将官个人腰包，于可汗何干呢？我劝可汗不如退兵，与唐复修和亲，这样可免跋涉之劳，坐收金币，财宝入可汗府库，岂不是美事？”说完，他向颉利可汗奉上准备好的纳贡单子。 颉利见单子上所列贡物甚丰，又见唐兵防备甚严，不能再有大作为，遂转颜一笑，就坡下驴，下令全军回师。他这里一退，西边的梁师都也知趣而返。 九月，李建成和李世民双双班师，李渊的亦战亦和策略收到了效果。 然而刘黑闼在河北却得了手，他先是引突厥兵越过李艺的幽州防区，直奔河北腹地。到了定州，其故将曹湛、董康买等人聚兵应之。旬日之间，其部下之众又有了三万余人。消息传到长安，李渊诏李元吉为领军大将军、并州大总管，让他掉头北上讨伐之。又诏李艺出幽州西下，以形成对刘黑闼的夹击之势。 李元吉漫不经心缓缓北上，他命时任河北道行军总管的李道玄和副将史万宝为先锋，先期迎战刘黑闼。 李道玄今年刚刚十九岁，他已跟随李世民行军打仗二年有余，亲眼目睹了李世民战胜宋金刚、王世充、窦建德、刘黑闼的过程，早将李世民视为自己行事为人的楷模。现在李渊封他为淮阳王，累加重用，他自己想如李世民那样冲锋陷阵，屡建殊功。然而李元吉作为领军元帅，觉得李道玄素来与二哥友善，心中颇不是滋味。现在若助了李道玄成就功名，无疑又为二哥增添了强援，所以他事事掣肘，此次专门派史万宝为李道玄的副将，秘密嘱咐史万宝直接听令于自己。 李道玄和史万宝领兵三万，到了下博与刘黑闼相遇。两军对阵，李道玄对史万宝道：“史将军，我们今天要学习秦王打仗的法儿。我先带领五百骑闯入敌阵，搅动其乱，然后你率领大军开始攻击，这样杀他们个人仰马翻。”史万宝未置可否。 李道玄说完，点出五百骑大呼小叫冲入敌阵。 五百骑瞬间就冲了过去，只听一片刀枪撞击声。刘黑闼见唐兵来者人少，指挥两翼合围上去，很快将李道玄等五百骑没入阵中不见踪影。这边的史万宝拥兵不前，他目无神色无动于衷，还对左右的亲兵说道：“淮阳小儿，只会行事莽撞，让他自己去闯吧。我奉有齐王手敕，此行军事皆委老夫。现在他轻脱妄进，若听他的话一同入阵，必同败没。为今之计，不如以他为饵，他那里一败，刘黑闼必然争进。我这里坚阵待之，必能破敌。” 史万宝在这里打着他的如意算盘，陷入敌阵的五百骑却在那里浴血奋战。敌人一重重围了上来，过了小半个时辰，他们竟全部被杀。李道玄凭着自己武艺高强坚持到最后，无奈寡不敌众，身伤多处，血流如泉，至死仍睁着不解的眼睛。 刘黑闼全数歼灭了这五百唐兵，精神为之一振，令人挑起李道玄的首级，挥手招呼全军攻击。那边的唐兵眼睁睁地看着自己的主帅死在面前，顿时气馁。两军还未完全接触，唐军已乱了阵脚，一些人开始逃窜。史万宝竭力想止住败势，挥刀砍了两名逃兵的脑壳，然为时已晚。唐军兵无斗志，全线崩溃，刘军乘胜追杀。 李道玄、史万宝此败，引起山东震动，洺州行军总管庐江王李瑗闻讯大惊，当即弃城西走。李元吉此时正行到相州，闻刘黑闼势大，甚是恐惧，驻兵不前。旬日间，相州以北之河北州县悉数叛复于刘黑闼。如此一来，刘黑闼第二次占据窦建德旧地。 李元吉在相州连派快马将这些不好的消息报给李渊。李渊阅报后，心中暗暗恼怒。心想这四郎真是个常败将军，简直是马尾穿豆腐——提不起来。又想李道玄和李瑗相比，一个勇猛就义，一个畏惧丢城，不啻天渊之别。想到这里，他令人将史万宝锁拿京城问罪。 如何安定河北的危急形势？李渊心里不再有什么犹豫。他不再临朝询问群臣意见，就在东暖阁里令颜师古拟出《命太子建成讨刘黑闼诏》。 李建成得了旨意，满心欢喜，当即进宫来谢恩。李渊嘱咐他道：“前次你领兵拒突厥，大获全胜，甚慰我意。此次去讨刘黑闼，我相信你的本事。不过打胜仗不为最终目的，关键要彻底解决那里的问题。不能像韭菜一样，刚割了一茬儿，又冒出新芽儿。这件事儿你要好好琢磨琢磨。” 李建成道：“儿臣谨记圣意，定当妥善为之。父皇，儿臣还有一事相求。想那史万宝虽有败军之罪，念其以往忠勇报国，能否容他这一遭儿，先让他在军中戴罪立功如何？” 李渊点头答应。 李世民很快知道了李渊的旨意。这些日子他已经体察了父皇态度的变化，虽对这个结果早有思想准备，然事儿真正来的时候，心里还是很失落。 李世民得知这个旨意，还是颜师古通过颜相时给他透的信儿，颜相时通报的时候，房玄龄、杜如晦、虞世南、褚亮、薛收数人都在李世民的身侧，他们听言后一齐静静地看着李世民。 李世民失落的心情并未现在脸上，淡淡地说道：“知道了。太子最近一直要求出外将兵，父皇总算遂了他的心意。” 褚亮道：“太子既然出兵也就罢了，为何还要保史万宝？此次兵败及淮阳王身亡，史万宝难辞其咎。” 杜如晦哼了一声，说道：“这不奇怪。我细细盘查楚客之死事件，始作俑者就是史万宝！他带同韦挺自洛阳查到新安，终于引出楚客之事儿。他如此卖力，说明早已成了太子党。” 李世民叹了一声，说道：“听说道玄身亡，我这些日子一直很难受。说起来，还是我害了道玄。他从我身边观征伐之事，见我常常率轻骑深入敌阵，往往收到奇效，因而心慕效之，以致身亡。”说完，泪流不已。 众人见李世民在那里伤感，也陪着唏嘘半天，然后慢慢散去。